unto himâ— went before him bareheaded to Christ Church from which Church he was attended by the Duke in like â—ort as he was thither ward The Cheere at dinner was as great as for money it might be made with severall Verses Pageants Theaters Sceans and Player-like representations in natuâ—e oâ— a Puppet-play made in puffe-past or March-pane before every Course deâ—cribed more largely by Matthew Parker fitter for a Maske than a Bishops Consecration and savoring of more than Asian Luxurie as this his Sucâ—essor confesseth Beâ—ore the first Messe the Duke himselfe came riding into the Hall upon a great Horse bare headed with his white staffe in his hanâ—â— and when the first dish was set on the Table made obey â—anâ—â—â—â—â—y bowing his body to the Arch-bishop Such Vassals did â—hoâ—e proud Popes of Canterbury make the very greatest Nobles as thus to become their Servants and waite upon their Rocheâ—s In this Arch-Bishops time there fell out great contestations and sâ—ites at Rome betweene him and the Bishops of Winchester London Lincolne Exeter and other his Suffragans touching the Iurisdictions of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury which cost much money After this he and Cardinall Wolsiâ— who by his power Legatine invaded and swallowed up all the Jurisdiction Rightes of the other Prâ—â—aâ—es and of the See of Canterbury had divers contests and bickerings Anno 1512. This Arch-Prelate by an Oration in Parliament against the French King raised up a bloody warre betweene England and France towards which two fifteenes were granted by the temporalty and two tenths by the Clergie after which Anno. 152â— When the Commons were assembled in the nether house they began to Commune of their grieâ—es wherewith the Spiritualty had before time grievously oppressed them both contrary to the Law of the Realme and contrary to all right and in speciall they were sore moved with sixe great causes The first for the excessive fines which the Ordinaries tooke for Probate of Testaments insomuch that Sir Henry Guildford Knight of the Garter and Controller of the Kings house declared in the open Parliament on his fidelity that he and others being Executors to sir William Crompton Knight payed for the Probate of his Will to the Cardinall and the Bishop of Canterbury a thousand Markes sterling After this Declaration where shewed so many extortions done by Ordinaries for Probates of Wills that it were too much to rehearse The second was the great polling and extreame exaction which the Spirituall men used in taking of Corps Presents or Mortuaries For the Children of the desunct should all dye for hunger and goe a begging rather than they would of Charity give to them the seely Cow which the dead man ought if hee had but onely one such was the Charity then The third cause was that Priests being Surveiors Stewards and Officers to Bishops Abbots and other Spirituall headsâ— had and occupied Farmes Granges and Grasing in every Country so that the poore Husband men could have nothing but of them and yet for that they should pay deerely The fourth cause was that Abbats Priors and Spirituall men kept Tan-houses and bought and fold Wooll Cloath and all manner of Merchandize as other Temporall Merchants did The fifth cause was because that Spirituall Persons promoted to great benefices and having their Livings of their Flocke were lying in the Court in Lords houses and tooke all of the parishioners and nothing spent on them at all so that for lacke of Residence both the poore of the Parish lacked refreshing and universally all the Parishioners lacked Preaching and trueâ— Instruction of Gods Word to the great perrill of their Soules The sixth cause was to see one Priest little learned to have ten or twelve Benefices and to be resident upon none and to know many well learned Scholars in the Universities which were able to preach and teach to have neither Benefice nor exhibition These things before this time might in no wise be touched nor yet talked off by any man except hee would be made an Hereticke or lose all that he had For the Bishops were Chancellors and had all the rule about the King so that no man durst once presume to attempt any thing contrary to their profit or commodity But now when God had illuminated the eyes of the King and that their subtile doings were once espied then men began charitably to desire a Reformation and so at this Parliament men began to shew their grudges Whereupon the Burgesses of the Parliament appointed â—uch as were learned in the Law being of the Commons house to draw one Bill of the Probates of Testaments another for Mortuaries and the third for Non-residence Pluralities and taking of farmeâ— by spirituall men The learned men tooke much paines and first set forth the Bill of Mortuaries which passed the Commons house and was sent up to the Lords To this Bill the Spirituall Lords made a faire face saying that surely Priests and Curats tooke more than they should and therefore it were well done to take some reasonable order thus they spake because it touched them little But within two dayes after was sent up the Bill concerning Probate of Testaments at the which the Arch-bishop of Canterbury in especiall and all other Bishops in generall both frowned and graâ—nted for that touched their profit Insomuch as D. Iohn Fisher Bishop of Rochester said openly in the Parliament Chamber these words My Lords you see dayly what Bills come hither from the Commons house and all is to the destruction of the Church For Gods sake see what a Realme the Kingdome of Bohemia was and when the Church went downe then fell the glory of the Kingdome now with the Commons is nothing but downe with the Church and all this me seemeth is for lacke of faith onely When these words were reported to the Commons of the nether House that the Bishop should say that all their doings were for lacke of faith they tooke the matter grievously for they imagined that the Bishop esteemed them as Heretickes and so by his slanderous words would have perswaded the Temporall Lords to have restrained their consent from the sayd two Bills which they before had passed Wherefore the Commons after long debate determined to send the Speaker of the Parliament to the Kings highnesse with a grievous complaint against the Bishop of Rochester and so on a day when the King was at leasure Thomas Audley speaker for the Commons and thirty of the chiefe of the Commons House came to the Kings presence in his Palace at Westminster which before was called Yorke-place and there very eloquently declared What a dishonour to the King and the Realme it was to say that they which were elected for the wisest men of all the Shires Cities and Boroughs within the Realme of England should be declared in so Noble and open a presence to lack faith which was equivalent to say that they were infidels and no Christians as
the cunning devises of some who accused him as a favourer of the Puritans Conventicles and prophecying which he justified in a particular treatise which I have seene dedicated to the Queene and subscribed by all his suffragans hee utterly lost the same being thereupon suspended from his Bishopricke and so dyed suspended Martin records that the true cause of his suspension was for disallowing the matrimony of Julio an Italian Physitian with another mans wife therein thwarting the Earle of Leicesters pleasure In his dayes M. Iohn or rather Philip Stubs of Lincolnes Inne lost his hand for writing a booke against the Queenes intended match with the Duke of Anjou with this Title The gulfe wherein England will be swallowed up by the French marriage with which the Queene was sorely vexed and displeased Sentence was pronounced against him by vertue of a Law made in the raigne of Philip and Mary then expired and personall to them whereupon the Iudges and chiefe Lawyers were at variance concerning the force of that Statute but might prevailed therein against right And about the same time Edward Campian Ralph Sherwin Luke Kerby Alexander Briant Priests were indited condemned and executed for high Treason for plotting the ruine of the Queene and Kingdome as adhering to the Pope the Queenes enemie and comming into England to raise forces against her Iohn VVhitegift next to him in succession a stately Pontificall Bishop contested much for the authority and Lordly jurisdiction of Prelates in defence whereof hee then writ though hee durst not averre our Archbishops to be of divine institution Hee had some contestations with the Judges whom he much troubled about Prohibitions ex officio oathes and proceedings the power of the high Commission and other Exclesiasticall Courts 〈◊〉 he endeavoured to enlarge to the prejudice of the Queenes prerogative and the Subjects liberties whereupon in the Parliament Anno 1585. divers Bils and complaints were exhibited against the oath ex officio the granting of faculties by Bishops Non-residencie and other abuses which this Prelate by his power to prevent a reformationâ— crossed and frustrated to the great disturbance of the Church and State and the increase oâ— schismes and divisions in both After this Anno 1588. hee procured these reverend Ministers and Gentlemen M. Vdall M. Penry M. Cartwright King Prudlar Paine M. Knightly M. Wigstone and others to be questioned and fined in Starchamber for writing against the English Hierarchy and caused M. Penry Vdall and others against all Law and Justice to be condemned and executed for this cause whereupon the Judge before whom they were arraigned much troubled in conscience fell into desperation and died miserably These his violent proceedings stirred up VVigginton Coppinger and franticke Hacket whom the Prelates oppression made starke mad to accuse the Archbishops of Canterbury and Yorke of high Treason and to runne into extravagant actions and opinions which they afterward recanted And not these alone but others likewise opposing the government of the Church of England disallowed the calling of Bishops and got some eminent Lawyers as M. Maurice Atturney of the Court of Wards and others to write against the government of Bishops and the Oath ex ofâ—icio which troubled much the whole Church State Judges Parliament and Kingdome and fired them almost into an uproare this Archprelate straining his Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction beyond its bounds farre higher than any of his predecessors since the reformation Whereupon multitudes of bookes were written against the calling Lordlinesse and extravagances of the Prelates and their Courts some in serious others in more light and jesting manner wherewith the Prelates were much nettled and their government rendred very odious among the people which certainly had then beene subverted had not the power of this Archprelate made a privy Counsellor and of Chancellour Hatâ—on a man popishly affected as was generally then reported kept it from ruine This Archprelates traine of servants was extraordinary great to the number of above 60 menservants who were all trained up to martiaâ—â—â—â—â—ires and mustred almost every weeke his stable being stiâ—l well furnished with good store of great horses a commendable thing in a warlike Prelate though scarce allowable in a pious Apostolicall Bishop who should rather traine up schollers for the pulpit than souldiers for the field Richard Bancroft his great creature and immediate successor had many conflicts with the Judges concerning prohibitions ex officio Oathes and the power of the High Commissioners before the King and Councell to the great disquiet of the Realme and oppression of the people hee defended the Bishops Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction to be jure Divino and not derived immediately by Letters Patents from the King like an ungratefull wretch contrary to the expresse Acts of 26. H. 8. c. 1.31 H. 8 c. 9 10.37 H. 8. c. 17. 1. Edw. 6. c.. 1. Eliz. c. 1.1 2. Phil. Mar. c. 8. 8. Eliz. c. 1. and the whole streame of the Fathers forraine Protestants and our English writers to the great affront of the Kings prerogative royall And if some men yet alive may be credited who accused him to the Councell of these crimes and offered to prove them hee had a hand in the compiling of Dolmans the Jesuites Booke concerning the succession of the Crowne of England the maine scope of which booke written as some say by Cardinall Allen and Fr. Ingelfield Dolmans enemies was to exclude all persons how neere soever allyed to the Crown unlesse they were Roman Catholikes contending further for the right of Isabel Infanta of Spaine and seeking to disprove King Iames his most rightfull title thereunto which Dolman with other old Priests and Jesuites hee harboured in his house where they affirme this booke was Printed and some thought hee was privie to that devillish plot of the Gunpowder-treason most of the traytors lying at Lambeth whiles they were about that hellish worke This Relation I had from others who averred it for truth and offered to prove it in his lifetime could they have beene heard And it seemes for the point of Dolmans booke and conniving at such other seditious traiterly popish pamphlets of that nature this Prelate was not altogether cleare for in the Conference at Hampton Court before King Iames when D. Reynolds moved the King that such unlawfull and seditious bookes might be suppressed at least restrained which unsetled and corrupted the minds of many young Schollers in both Universities instancing in Ficlerus a Papist De jure Magistratus in subditos for one Bancroft then Bishop of London supposing himselfe principally aimed and why should hee have such a suspition unlesse conscious of some guilt upon such a generall motion and information answered first in the Generall that there was no such licentious divulging of those Bookes as hee imagined or complained off And secondly to the particular instance of Ficlerus that he detested both the Author and applyer alike But for the first my Lord Cecill
trayterous purpose and deâ—igne he did abuse the great power and trust his Majesty reposed in him and did intrude upon the placeâ— of divers great officers and upon the rigâ—t of other his Majesties Subjects whereby hee did procure to himselfe the nomination of sundry persons to Ecclesiasticall Dignities Promotions and Benefices belonging to his Majesty and divers of the Nobility Clergy and others and hath taken upon him the commendadation of Chaplaines to the King by which meanes hee hath preferred to his Majesties service and to other great promotions in the Churchâ— suâ—h as have beene Popishly affected or otherwise unâ—ound and corrupt both in doctrine and mannerâ— 9. Hee hath for the same trayterous and wicked intent chosen and imployed such men to be his owne Domesticall Chaplaines whom hee knew to be notoriously disaffected to the reformed religion grosly addicted to popish superstition and erroneous and unsound both in Judgement and practise and to them or some of them hath hee committed the Licensing of Bookes to be Printed by which meaneâ— divers false and superstitious bookes have beene published to the great scandall of Religion and to the seducing of many his Majesties Subjects 10. He hath trayterously wickedly endeavoured to reconcile the Church of England with the Church Rome and for the effecting thereof hath consorted confederated with divers popish Priests and Jesuites and hath kept secret intelligence with the Pope of Rome by himselfe his Agents Instruments treated with such as have from thence receivedâ— Authority and instruction he hath permitted and countenanced a popish Hierarchie or Ecclesiasticall government to beâ— established in this Kingdome by all which trayterous and malicious practises this Church and Kingdome hath beene exceedingly indangered and like to fall under the Tyranny of the Roman See 11. Hee in his owne person and his suffragans Visitors Sutrogates Chancellors and other Officers by his command have caused divers learned pious and Orthodox Ministers of Gods word to be silenced suspended deprived degraded excommunicated otherwise grieved without any just and lawfull cause and by divers other meanes hee hath hindred the preaching of Gods word caused divers of his Majesties loyall Subjects to forsake the Kingdome and increased and cherished Ignorance and profanenesse amongst the people that so hee might thâ— better facilitate the way to the effecting of his owne wicked and trayterous designe of altering and corrupting the true religion here established 12. Hee hath traiterously endeavoured to cause division and discord betwixt the Church of England and other Reâ—ormed Churches and to that end hath supprest and abrogated the Priviledges and Immunities which have beene by his Majesty and his royall Ancestors graunted to the Dutch and French Churches in this Kingdome and divers other wayes hath expressed his malice and disaffection to these Churches that so by such disunion the Papists might have more advantage â—or the overthrow and extirpation of both 13. Hee hath maliciously and traiterously plotted and endeavoured to stirre up warre and enmity betwixt his Majesties two Kingdomes of England and Scotland and to that purpose hath laboured to introduce into the Kingdome of Scotland divers Innovations both in Religion and Government all or the most part of them tending to popery superstition to the great grievance and discontent of his Majesties Subjects of that Nation aâ—d for their refusing to submit to such Innovations hee did trayterously advise his Majesty to subdue them by force of Armes and by his owne Authority and Power contrary â—o Law did procure sundry of his Majesties subjects and inforced the Clergie of this Kingdome to contribute towards the maintenance of that warre and when his Majesty with much wisedome and Justice had made a Pacification betwixt the two Kingdomes the said Aâ—chbishop did presumptuously censure that pacification as dishonourable to his Majestie and by his counsels and endeavours so incensed his Majestie against his said subjects of Scotland that hee did thereupon by advice of the said Archbishop â—nter into an offensive warre against them to the greaâ— hazzard of his Majesties person and his subjects of both Kingdomes 14. That to preserve himselfe from being questioned for these and other his trayterous courses hee laboured to subverâ—s the rights of Parliament and the ancient course of Parliamentary proceeding and by false and malitious slanders to incense his Majesty against Parliaments By which words counselâ— and actions he hath traiterously and contrary to his allegiance laboured to alienate the hearts of the Kings liege people from his Majesty and to set a division betweene them and to ruine and destroy his Majesties Kingdomes for which they do impeach him of High Treason agaiâ—st our Soveraigne Lord the King his Crowne and Dignity The said Commons do further averre that the said VVilliam Archbishop of Caterbury during the times that the crimes aforementioned were done and committed hath beene a Bishop or Archbishop of this Realm of England one of the Kings Commissioners for Ecclesiasticall mattersâ— and one of his Majesties most honourable Privie Councell and hath taken an Oath for his faithfull discharge of the said Office of Councellor and hath likewise taken an oath of supremacy and Allegeanâ—e And the said Commons by protestation saving to themselves the liberty of exhibiting at any time hereafter any other accusation or impeachment against the said Archbishop and also of replying to the Answers tâ—at the said Archbishop shall make unto the said Articles or to any of them and of offering further proofe also of the Premises or any of them or of any other impeachment or accusation that shall be exhibited by them as the cause shall according to the coursâ— of Parliament require do pray that the said Archbishop may be put to answer to all and every the Premises and that such proceedings examination tryall and Judgement may be upon every of them had and used as is agreeable to Law and Justice The Articles being read M. PYMME proceeded in his Speech as followeth My Lords There is an expression in the Scripture which I will not presume either to understand or to interpret yet to a vulgar eye it seemes to have an aspect something surable to the Person and Cause before you It is a description of the evill Spirits wherein they are said to be spirituall wickednesse in high places Crimes acted by the spirituall faculties of the Soule the Will and the Understanding exercised about spirituall matters concerning Gods Wordship and the Salvation of Man seconded with power authority learning and many other advantages do make the party who commits them very sutable to that description Spirituall wickednesses in high places These crimes My Lords are various in their Nature haynous in their quality and universall in their extent If you examine them Theologically as they stand in opposition to the truth of God they will be found to be against the rule of Faith against the power of godlinesse against the meanes of Salvation If you examine
that are full of falshood of scandals such as have beene more worthy to be burnt by the hand of the Hangman in Smitâ—field as I thinke one of them was than to be admitted to come into the hands of the Kings people 10. In the tenth Article it will appeare how he having made these aproaches to Popery comes now to close and joyne more neerely with it he confederates with Priests and Jesuites He by his instruments negotiates with the Pope at Rome and hath correspondence with thâ—m that â—e authorized from Rome here He hath permitted a Romane Hierarchie to be set up in this Kinâ—dome And though he hath beene so careâ—ull that a poore man could not goe to the neighbour Parish to heare a Sermon when he had none at home could not have a Sermon repeated nor Prayer used in his owne Family but hee was a â—it subject for the High Commission Court yet the other hath beene done in all parts of the Realme and no notice taken of it by any Ecclesiasticall Judges or Courts My Lords 11. You may perceive Preaching suppressed in the eleventh divers godly and Orthodox Ministers oppressed in their persons and Estates you have the Kings loyall subjects banished out of the Kingdome not as â—limeâ—ecke to seeke for bread in forraine Countries by reason of the great scarcity which was in Israel but travelling abroad for the bread of life because they could not have iâ— at home by reason of the spirituall â—amine of Gods Word caused by this man and his partakers And by this meanes you have had the trade the Manufactury the industry of many thousands of his Majesties subjects carried out of the Land It is a miserable abuse of the spirituall Keyes to shut up the doores of heaven and to open the gates of hell to let in prophanenesse ignorance superstition and errour I shall neede say no more These things are evident and abundantly knowne to all 12. In the twelfth Article my Lords you have a division endeavoured betweene this and the forraine reformed Chur-Churches The Church of Christ is one body and the Members of Christ have a mutuall relation as members of the same body Unity with Gods true Church every where is not onely the beauty but the strength of Religion of which beauty and strength he hath sought to deprive this Church by his manifold attempts to breake this union To which purpose hee hath suppressed the priviledges granted to the Dutch and French Churches He hath denyed them to be of the same Faith and Religion with us and many other wayes hath he declared his malice to those Churches 13. In the thirteenth Article as he hath sought to make an Ecclesiasticall division or religious difference betweene us forraine Nations so he hath sought to make a Civill diffeence betweene us and his Majesties subjects of the Kingdome of Sâ—otland And this he hath promoted by many innovations there prest by himselfe and his owne authority when they were uncapable of such alteraâ—ions He advised his Majesty to use violence He hath made private and publicke Collections towards the maintenance of the warre which he might justly call his owne waâ—re And with an impudent boldnesse hath struck Tallies in the Exchequer for divers summes of money procured by himselfe Pro defensione Regni when by his Counsels the King was drawne to undertake not a Defensive but an Offnsive Warre 14. He hath lastly thought to secure himselfe and his party by seeking to undermine Parliaments and thereby hath laboured to bereave this Kingdome of the Legislaâ—ive power which can onely be used in Parliaments and that we should be left a Kingdome without that which indeede makes and constitutes a Kingdome and is the onely Meane to preserve and restore it from distempers and decayes He hath hereby endeavoured to bereave us of the highest Judicatory such a Judicatory as is necessary and essentiall to our government Some Cases of Treason and others concerning the Prerogative of the Crowne and liberty of the People It is the supreame Judicatory to which all difficult Cases resort from other Courts He hath sought to deprive the Kiâ—g of the Love and Counsell of his People of that assistance which he might have from them and likewise to deprive the People of that reliefe of grievanceâ— which they most humbly â—xpect from his Majesty My Lords The Parliament is the Cabbinet wherein the chiefest Jewels both of the Crown Kingdome are deposited The great Prerogative of the King and the liberty of the People are most effectually exercised and maintained by Parliaments Here my Lords you cannot passe by this occasion of great thankes to God and his Majesty for passing the Bill whereby the frequent course of Parliaments is established which I assure my selfe he will by experience finde to be a strong foundation both of his honour and of his Crowne This is all my Lords I have to say to the particulars of the Charge The Commons desire your Lordships that they may have the same way of Examination that they had in the Case of the Earle of Strafford That is to examine members of all kindes of your Lordships House and their owne and others as they shall see cavse And those Examinations to be kept secret and private that they may with more advantage be made use of when the matter comes to tryall They have declared that they reserve to themselves the power of making Additionall Articles by which they intend to reduce his Charge to be morâ— particular and certaine in respect of the severall times occasion and other circumstances of the Offences therein Charged And that your Lordships would bee pleased to put this Cause in such a quicke way of proceeding that these great and dangerous Crimes together with the offendors may be brought to a just Judgement To these Articles of the Commons house I might here annex those of the Scottish Commissioners against this Arch-Prelate but I reserve them to a fitter place and shall onely for a Corollary add Mr. Grymstons Printed speech in Parliament against this Arch-Bishop to Mr. Pymmes pretermitting all others of this Nature for brevitie sake Mr. Grymstones Speech in Parliament upon the accusation and impeachment of VVILLIAM LAVD Archbishop of Canterbury of High Treason Mr Speaker THere hath beene presented to â—he House a most faithfull and exact report of the conference we had with the Lords yesterday together with the opinion of the Committees that were imployed in that service That they conceived it fit the Arch-bishop of Canterbury should be sequestred I must second â—he motion and with the favour of the House I shall be bold to offer my reasons why I conceive it more necessary we should proceede a little further than the desire of a bare sequestration onely Mr. Speaker long introductions are not sutablâ— to weighty businesse we are fallen upon the great man the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury looke upon him as he is in his Highnesse and hee is the sâ—ye of
two severall Councels and thereupon thrust him from his Bishopricke which Theodore divided into foure Diocesses After ten yeares exile Egfrid dying Alfrid his Successour restored VVilfrid but five yeares after this King likwise fell out with him and forced him to Rome where though the Pope restored him yet the King would never admit him to his See during his life What the true cause of these displeasures was the Historians of those times who favoured VVilfrid are sparing to relate belike it was some notorious offences against these Kings else they would not be so unjust as without cause to keepe him from his Bishopricke and to imprison him in chaines as one of them did Some record that it was because hee favoured and aided the Rebellious Danes which is most probable Malmesbury and others out of him say it was onely the malice of Queene Ermenburga who envied him for that hee had many Abbots and Abbies under him was served with Gold and Silver plate had a great traine of followers and was very gorgeous in his Pontificall Robes and because hee would never yeeld to have his Diocesse divided into three mote Bishopricks though it were sufficient to maintaine foure Bishops beside himselfe of which there was need And some impute it to the envie and malice of Theodore Arch-Bishop of Canterbury The first of these could not be the sole cause for that ended upon VVilfrids exile and the Kings death The second is as unlikely since VVilfâ—id himselfe with all the Bishops of that time and the Councell of Hertford Can. 9. Anno 677. decreed that the number of â—eleevers increasing more Bishops and Bishoprickes should bee made and erected Whereupon Acca and Boâ—win were made Bishops instead of Bosa and his Bishopricke divided into foure parts to which partition VVilfâ—id had good reason to consent it being the Kings expresse pleasure and the Councels decree to which himselfe subscribed The envie of Theodore was in likelihood a partiall but not principall cause of his first Troubles onely Hee was therefore in all likelihood an aider and assister of the Rebellious Danes and a great opposite and Rebell against these two Kings yea and against Edulfus their successour who all three successively refused to restore him notwithstanding the Popes Letters and Command which then it seemes were of little force Many Councels were assembled about this VVilfrid and the whole Church and Kingdome much disquietted and vexed with the many Schismes and contentions concerning him too tedious to relate Anno 872. Vlferus Arch-Bishop of Yorke was by his Diocesans driven out of the Countrey for what cause is not expressed and therefore likely for some notorious offence because the Monkes conceale it out of favour to him Anno 952. VVolstan Arch-Bishop of Yorke was convict of an hainous crime who forgetting that dutifull affection hee ought to beare unto Edred his King if for no other cause yet for Athelstane his Brothers sake who preferred him forgetting his Oath and Allegeance unto the same King being his naturall Prince yea forgetting that hee was either an English man or a Christian was not ashamed to revolt from King Edred and cleave to the Danes and favour them an Heathen people and such as sought not onely to destroy his Countrey but also to root out Christian Religion For which Treason and for setting up Eâ—ricâ—us King in Edreds stead though hee deserved a thousand deaths he was onely deprived committed to Prison and one yeare after enlarged again because he was a Bishop whereas for this cause as his Treason was the more hainous and execrable so hâ—s punishment should have beene the greater But hee being released upon his repentance grew so angry with himselfe that hee was thus pardoned against right and justiceâ— that vâ—tâ—m eâ—veâ—tigio exuit hee presently made away himselfe being his owne executioner Some say that hee was thus imprisoned for killing divers Citizens of Thetford in revenge of the death of one Anselme an Abbot whom they had slaine without cause belike hee was guiltie of both those crimes and punished for both in this mild manner after divers complaints Anno 975. Oswald Arch-Bishop of Yorke assisted Dunstan of Canterbâ—ry and the other Bishops to put Egelred the right Heire from the Crowne and to set up Edward an Usurper whom they crowned as more fit for their behoofe and ends Elfricke Arch-Bishop of Yorke surnamed Puttoc was reputed detestable for two barbarous Acts He caused Hardeâ—nute the Kingâ— to command the dead body of his Brother King Harold to be digged up out of his Grave after that to be beheaded and cast into the Thames as an infamous example to men And not content with this crueltie towards the dead he perswaded the same King by way of revenge on VVorcester men because they would not suffer him to hold that See in commendam with Yorke as three of his predecessours had done before him to fire that goodly Citie and seize on all the Citizens goods pretending that they had stubbornely resisted those who collected the Kings tributes And as if this were not sufficient revenge to kill all the men and waste the whole Countrey which was mostâ— cruelly executedâ— hee likewise caused this King to thrust the living Bishop of VVorceter out of his See and to bestow it on himselfe and incensed this King so farre against Earle Godwin that hee was enforced to buy his peace of the King with the gift of the richest and costliest Shippe that wee reade of in that Age. Aldredus his Successour who gat that See by Symonie and held VVorcester in commendam with it and was one of the first who distinguished the Clergie from the Laitie in their externall habits crowned Harold invading the Dignitie Royall no way due unto him After which though hee purposed â—o Crowne Edgar the right Heire King to whom he and the Nobilitie had first adhered yet like a wily Bishop siding with the strongest he altered his purpose and crowned VVilliam the Conquerour King requiring first an Oath of him to dâ—fend the Church to minister justice and te vse Englishmen as favourable as Normans This Oath it seemed to Aldred that the King had broken by laying heavie taxes on the people of which he admonished the King who was very angry at it He therefore like a couragious Prelate but like a disloyall Subject thundered out an Excommunication against him sayingâ— That now worthily he had cursed whom once unworthily hee had blessed This bold pranke being reported to the King incensed him very much at first but thinking better of it hee determined to give him good words a while and so sent some to intreat for his absolution The Messengers came too late for the Bishop being troubled much in mind after the performance of that Action and either amazed with feare of what might happen after it or overcome with griefe and repentance for what he had done never could be
used there to preach before the King and Prelates fâ—eely told him That if hee did not remove from him Peter Bishop of Winchester and Peter de Rivallis he could never be in quiet The King did hereupon a little come to himselfe and Roger Bacon a Clergie-man also of a pleasant wit did second Roberts advise telling the King that Petrae and Rupes were most dangerous things at Sea alluding to the Bishops name Petrus de Rupibus The King therefore as hee had the happinesse in his mutabilitie to change for his more securitie taking that good advise of Schollers which he would not of his Peeres summons a Parliament to be holden at VVestminster giving the World to know withall that his purpoâ—e was to amend by their advise whatsoever ought to be amended But the Barons considering that still there arrived sundry strangers men of warre with Horse and Armourâ— and not trusting the Poiâ—â—ovine faith came not but presumed to send this message to the King that if out of hand he removed not Peter Bishop of Winchester and the Poictovines out of his Courtâ— they all of them by the common consent of the Kingdome would drive him and his wicked Counsellours together out of it and consult about creating a new Soveraigne The King whom his Fathers example made more timerous could easily have beene drawne to have redeemed the love of his naturall Liege-men with the disgrace of a few strangers but the Bishop of VVinchester and his Friends infused more spirit into him Whereon to all those whom hee suspected the King sets downe a day within which they should deliver sufficient pledges to secure him of their loyalty Against that day the Lords in great numbers make repaire to London but the Earle Marshall admonished of danger by his Sister the Countesse of Cornewall â—lyes backe to VVales and chiefely for want of his presence nothing was concluded The King not long after is at Gloster with an Armie whither the Earle and his Adherents required to come refused the King therefore burnes their Mannors and gives away their inheritances to the Poictovines This Rebellion had not many great Names in it but tooke strength rather by weight then number the knowne Actors were the Earle Marshall the Lord Gilbert Basset and many of the inferiour Nobles The Bishops arts had pluckt from him the Kings brother and the two Earles of Chester and Lincolne who dishonourably sold their love for a thousand Markes and otherwise as it seemed secured the rest Neverthelesse they may well bee thought not to have borne any evill will to their now forsaken confederate the Earle Marshall who tooke himselfe to handle the common cause certainely hee handled his owne safety but ill as the event shall demonstrate The Earle hearing these things contracts strict amity with Lewelin Prince of Wales whose powers thus knit together by advantages of the Mountaines were able to counterpoise any ordinary invasion To the kings ayde Balwin de Gisnes with many Souldiers came out of Flanders The king now at Hereford in the midst of his Forces sends from thence by VVinchesters counsell the Bishop of Saint Davids to defie the Earle Marshall How farre soever the word defie extends it selfe sure it seemes that the Earle hereupon understood himselfe discharged of that obligation by which hee was tyed to the king and freed to make his defence the king notwithstanding after some small attempts and better considerations did promise and assume that by advise of counsell all that was amisse should at a day appointed bee rectified and amended About which time Hubert de Burgo having intelligence that the Bishop of VVinchester who was a Poictovine plotted his death escaped out of the Castle of Devises where hee was prisoner to a Neighbour Church but was haled from thence by the Castle-keepers The Bishop of Sarisbury in whose Diocesse it hapned caused him to be safe restored to the same place from whence by the Earle Marshall and a troope of armed men his friends hee was rescued and carryed into VVales The king at the day and place appointed holds his great Counsell or Conference with the Lords but nothing followed for the peace of the Realme it was not an ordinary passage of speech which hapned there betweene the Lords and Bishop of VVinchester For when the English Bishops and Barons humbly besought the king for the honour of Almightie God to take into grace his naturall Subjects whom without any tryall by their Peeres hee called Traytors the Bishop offended it seemes at Peeres takes the words out of the kings mouth and answers That there are no Peeres in England as in the Realme of France and that therefore the king of England by such Justiciars as himselfe pleaseth to ordaine may banish offenders out of the Realmeâ— and by judiciall processe condemne them The English Bishops relished his speech so sharply that with one voyce they threatned to excommunicate and accurse by name the kings principall wicked Councellours but VVinchester appealed Then they accursed all such as alienated the heart of the king from his Naturall Subjects and all others that perâ—urbed the peace of the Realme Matthew VVestminster writes of this Peter de la Roche that hee was more expert in Military than Scholasticall affaires That the king by his Counsell removed all English Officers out of his Court and precipitately cast away all his Counsellours as well Bishops as Earles Barons and other Nobles of his kingdome so as hee would beleeve none but this Bishop whom hee adored as his God and his Darling Peter de Rivales Whence it came to passe that expelling all Gardians of Castles almost through all Englandâ— the King committed all things under the custodie of this Peter Then this Prelate drew into his confederacie Stephen de Segrave too much an enemie both to the kingdome and Church who had given most detestable counsell formerly to Stephen the Popes Chaplaine to the inestimable dammage of the Church many wayes and Robert de Passelewe who with all his might and with effusion of no small summe of money had plotted treason and grievances at Rome against the king and kingdome This man kept the kings treasure under Peter de Rivalis and so it came to passe that the Reines of the whole kingdome were committed to Strangers and base persons others being rejected Yet Godwin for the honour of his Rochet magnifies this Prelate for his notable Wisdome so as the Counsell of England received a great wound by his death though it and the whole Realme received such prejudice by his life The Earle Marshall writes Speed encreasing in strength and hatred against such as were the kings reputed Seducers makes spoile and bootie on their possessions and after joyning with the power of Leoline Prince of Wales puts all to fire and sword as farre as Shrewesbury part whereof they burnt to Ashes and sackt the Residue The king then
At last being parmited to departâ— he was basely and vily thrust awayâ— who rejoycing for the present that he had escaped their hands ranne away as fast as he might upon his feete though agedâ— to Walerle not daring to looke back leâ—t he should be turned into a pillar of Salt The Archbishops Officiall having received so great an injury makes a most grievous complaint to the Archbishop Boniface with sighes and teares aggravating great things with greater and grievous things with greater grievances The Archbishop hereupon moved with unexpressible anger taking with him the Bâ—shops of Chester and Heriford goeth to London where he and those two Bishops clad in their Pontificall Robes before an innumerable company of people summoned to appeare before them with the voyce of a Cryer for this purpose and granting thirtie dayes pardon to all commers at S. Mary de arcubus even horribly and solemnely excommunicated all the actors and fauters of this rash action excepting onely the King Queene and their children and Count Richard with his Countesse and children Moreover he writ to all his suffgragan Bishops by vertue of the bond of obedience whereby they stood obliged to the Church of Canterbury to doe the like in their Churches on all Lords dayes and holy dayes by his expresse command The Bishop of Winchester on the contrary speedily commanded the Deane of Seuwarke and other his subjects that they contradicting the Archbishopâ— should openly denounce to his face that this his sentence of excommunication was a meere nullity yea a vaine frivilous and wily excuse to bolster him out in his sinnes The Archbishops creatures for this injury and the scandall arising thereupon appeale to the Pope There were some who favouring neither side affirmed the Archbishop had done Winchester wrong because there was a composition formely made that notwithstanding the right of patronage yet to prevent controversies this Hospitall should be subject to the disposall of the Bishop of Winchester paying thereout three shillings by the yeare and so both of them being defamed incurred the brand of unjust violence while the citizens mindfull of the peremptorinesse which the Archbishop had shewed in his first violent comming to London of his infinite exactions of mony which he had procured of the Kings violence in his creation and of the enormious collation of his benefices did now againe revive the same On the other â—ide the royallists Poictavins gained the note of imbred treason with other reproaches as the manner is of those that brawle There were not a few citizens who hearing these things wished that these parties had dashed out one anothers braines and ripâ—â—d up one anothers bowells And as it was written Woe unto them by whom scandall commeth both parties were indangered with the great reproaches and scandalls arising hereupon Thus was the Kings party devided against the Queenes the Poictovines against the Provincials whose great possessions made them mad playing rex one with the other whiles the miserable English were asleepe as if they contested which of them having banished the Natives should deserve more excellently to rule the Kingdone but the ventilation of fame more condemned the Provinctalls because Winchester rising up against his Superiour had so proudly exceeded measure confiding on the King his brother who God knowes had created him The Archbishop Boniface raking up the fire of his conceived anger under ashes and worthily persisting in it as Eustace stirred him up more or lesse to revenge this enormious transgression goeth after this towards Oxford that summoning a Convocation of the Scollers there assembled out of divers parts of the world he mightt publish to them in order this notorious fact that so by their relations so great an offence might be made knowne to forraigne Nationsâ— Comming therefore to Oxford the morrow after S. Nicholas day before all the Clearkes and Schollers there assembled for this purpose being an innumerable multitude he openly declares before them the presumptuous temerity and temerarious presumption of the Bishop of Winchester taking boldnesse from his confidence and dependance on the King his brethren and complices and expresly published the names of the trespassers and their former sentences of excommunication which the Bishop caused to be transcribed sent to all his suffrâ—gans The Christmas following the King and Queene being at VVinchester reconciled these Prelates and tooke off these excommunications ended these contentions which much troubled both Church and Kingdome This Prelates by bribes given to the Pope obtruded a Prior on the Monkes of Winchester which caused great Schismes and distractions among them Anno. Dom. 1260. Simon Montfort Earle of Leicester Richard de Clare Earle of Gloster with sundry other Nobles adhering to them assembled at Oxford sufficiently furnished with horses and armes finally resolving in their mindes either to die for the peace of their country or to thrust out of the Realme the desturbers of the peace Whereupon the Bishop of Winchester William de Valentia and other Poicâ—ouines assembled together at the foresaid place guarded with a great troope of their souldiers and followers But because the Lordsâ— determined to bring them into question for their wicked deedes and make them take a common oath with them to observe the provisions made for the benefit of the Kingdome they discerning their forces to be weaker than the Lords and fearing to undergoe their judgement fled in the night to the Castle of Vlnesey whom the Barons pursuing caused them to yeeld up the Castle and compelled them forthwith to depart the Kingdome Ethelmar comming to the King to take his farewell of mhimâ— used these words I commend you to the Lord God to whom the King replied Et ego te Diabolo vivo and I commend thee to the living devill for deseâ—ting him in his necessities and occasioning such uproares in the Realme The Nobles fearing least the Bishop departing the Realme should resort to Rome and for a summe of mony given should procure his promotion againe and so be more powerfull to doe harmes sent foure eloquent Knights to exhibit a letter ratified with all their seales to the Pope and Cardinalls wherein were contained the wickednesses of the said Bishop and his brethren and those homicides rapines injuries and various oppressions wherewith they had afflicted and undone the people of the King darae and withall they commanded all the religious men who farmed any livings of the Romanes to detaine their rents till they should receive further order from them and pay them to such receivers as they should appoint under paine of having their houses burnt by which meanes the Kingdome was free from Romane exactors for three yeares space This Ethelmare foreseeing the danger that was like to befall him sent over his Treasure whereof hee had great store beyond the seas before his departure but much of it came shortâ— being intercepted at Dover and taken away from those to whom it was committed and distributed to foure Knights who were sent to Rome by
he fell into out of griefe of minde This Prelate was so high in king Henries favour that he denyed little or nothing to him that he demanded he gave him Lands Churches Prebends of Clarkes whole Abbies of Monkes and committed the kingdome to his trust making him Chancellor of England Roger therefore pleaded causes he moderated expences he kept the kings treasure and that without a companion and witnesse both while the king was present in England and absent in Normandy and not onely by the king but likewise by the Nobles and even by those who secretly envied his felicity and especially by the kings Servants and debtoâ—s all things almost that he could thinke of were conferred on him if any thing was contiguous to his possessions which might conduce to his utility that he either begged or bought if not he extorted it by violence he alone was in greatest honour abounding in wealth pompe â—riends authority stately houses and Castles and seemed the onely happy man on earth Yet at last in a moment fortune cruelly stung him with her Scorpions tayle so as he saw many of his friends wounded and his most familiar Souldiers beheaded before his face himselfe captivated two of his Nephewes most potent Prelates to be put to flight and taken prisoners and a third a young man whom he most loved to bee bound in chaines his Castles to be rendred up his treasures spoyled himself afterwards in a Councell torne with most foule reproaches the residue of his money and plate which he had layd upon the Altar to finish a Church to beâ— carried away against his will and which is the extremity of calamity Cum multis miser videreturâ— paucissimis miserabilis erat So much envy hatred had he contracted out of his over great power and that undeservedly with some whom he had advanced to honours So Malmesbury writes of him of whom you have heard sufficient Anno Dom. 1223. Huberâ— de Burgo Earle of Kent being taken and proclaimed a traytor escaped out of the Castle of Veâ—â— or Devises and tooke sanctuary in the next Church those who kept the Castle hearing of it sent and tooke him with those that helped him to make his escape out of the Church and imprisoned him againe in the Castle Robert Bingham the Bishop of Salisbury hereupon came to the Castle and threatned to curse them if they would not deliver the Earle restore him to sanctury againe They made answer they had rather the Earle should hang for them than they for him and so because they would not deliver him the Bishop excommunicated them and after riding to the Courâ— and taking with him the Bishop of London and other Bishops prevailed so much by complaint to the King that the Earle though a traytor was restored to the Church againe but so as the Sheriffe of the Shire had commandement to compasse the Church about with men to watch that no reliefe came unto him whereby he might bee constrained through famishment to submit himselfe but hee shortly armed was there rescued by a power of armed men who conveyed him armed and oâ— horsebacke into Wales where he joyned with other of King Henry the thirds enemies And all through the pride and practise of this Prelate to whose pretended jurisdiction even in case of Treason the King himselfe must submit William of Yorke the ninth Bishop of Salisbury about the year 1247. was a Courtier from his childhood and better seene the in Lawes of the Realme which hee chiefly studied than in the Law of God a great deale Matthew Paris reporteth that he firâ—â— brought in the custome that tenants should be suiters unto the Courts of their Landlords This Matthew Paris stiles a very bad custome in magnum subditorum damnum detrimentum superiorum parvum vel nullum emolumentum unde qui nunquam hoc fecerant mirabantur se ad hoc fuisse coactos And speaking of this Bishops death he saith This Bishop passed from these worldly cares and imployments to the dangers which secular men and Courtiers are beleeved to undergoe for their workes follow them Anno 1392. King Richard the second picked a quarrell against the Major and Sheriffes of London upon this occasion Walter Romay one of Iohn Walthams servants then Bishop of Salisbury and high Treasurer of England tooke a horseloafe from a Bakers man as hee passed by in Fleetstreet and would not deliver it againe but broke the bakers mans head when he was earnest to recover his loafe the cohabitants of the streete hereupon rose and would have had the Bishops man to prison for breaking the Kings peace but hee was rescued by his fellowes and escaped to the Bishops house in an Allie close by The people set in a rage for this rescue gathered in great multitudes about the Bishops Palace gate and would have fetched out the offender by force assaulting the house to breake it open but the Major and Sheriffes comming thither after some perswasions used appeased the people who retired quietly to their houses The Bishop being then at Windsor where the Court lay being informed of this riot tooke such indignation therewith that taking with him Thomas Arundell Archbishop of Yorke then Lord Chancellor of England he went to the King and made an hainous complaint against the Citizens for their misdemeanour whereupon the Major Sheriffes and great sort more of the Citizens were sent for to the Court and charged with divers misdemeanors notwithstanding their excuses they were all arrested and imprisoned the Major in the Castle of Windsor the rest in other places to be safely kept till the King by the advice of his Counsell should further determine what should be done with them Moreover the liberties of the City were seised into the Kings hands the authority of the Major utterly ceased and the King appointed Sir Edward Darlingrug to governe the City by the name of Lord Warding and to see that every man had justice ministred as the case required who because hee was thought to be overfavourable to the Citizens was removed and Sir Baldwin Radington put in his roome At length the King through suit and instant labour of certaine Noblemen especially of the Duke of Glocester began somewhat to relent and pacifie his rigorous displeasures against the Londoners and releasing them out of prison and confirming some of their priviledges and abrogating others hee was at last reconciled to them after they had purchased his pardon with many rich presents to him and his Queene whom they royally intertained and the payment of ten thousand pounds which they were compelled to give the King to collect of the Commons of the City not without great offence and grudging in their minds And aâ—l this came through the pride and malice of this Prelate of Salisbuâ—y whose servant had occasioned this riot and yet went Scotfree when the innocent Major and Citizens were thus rigorously dealt withall M. Fox observes truly
the Gospell whom they burnt and put to death the story of whose persecutions he that list may reade in Master Fox his Actâ— and Monuments Edit ult vol. 2. p. 605. to 626. to which I shall referre the Reader And thus much briefely touching the disloyall seditioâ—s and Schismaticall acts of the Scottish Prelates I now proceed to those of Ireland in whom I shall be briefe The Irish Bishops IN the yeare of Grace 1197. Hamo de Waâ—is with the other Gardians of Ireland and Earle Iohns men offered some injury to Iohn Cumin Arch-bishop of Dublin whereupon the Archbishop willing rather to be banished then to suffer such great injuries to himselfe and his Church to goe unpunished excommunicated the foresayd presumers and passed a sentence of interdict against his Arch-bishopricke and departed commanding the Crosses and images of the Cathedâ—all Church to bee taken downe and hedged about with thornes that so those malefactors might be terrified and recalled from their will of preying upon the goods of the Church But they still persisting in their maligne purpose there happened a miracle not heaâ—d of in our times There was a Crucifix in the Cathedrall Church of Dublin wherein the image of Christ was more exactly carved than in all others in Ireland or elsewhere which they had in most veneration This Image being layd prostrate on the ground and hedged about with thornes on the sixt weeke fell into a trance and his face I doubt if true by the Arch-bishops or Priests Legerdemaine appeared overspread with a vehement rednesse as if it had beene in a fiery furnace and a great sweate issued out of its face and little drops fell down from its eyes as if it wept and on the sixth houre of that day blood and water issued out of its left side and on the right side of its brest which the ministers of that Church diligently gathering up sent an Ambassie after their Arch-bishop Iohn Câ—min commanding him to certifie the Pope the event hereof under the Testimony and Seales of venerable men Yet the other Bishops of Ireland albeit they had often read En tua res agitur paries cum proximus ardeâ— notwithstanding passed by the dammages and injuries which the servants of Iohn Earle of Morton had done to their fellow Bishop with closed eyes and become like rammes not having hornes they retired from the face of the pursuer But Iohn Bishop of Dublin being in Exile came to Richard the first King of England and Iohn Earle of Morton his brother but could have no justice nor restitution of the things taken from him It seemes his cause therefore was not good After which hee continued long in England leaving both his Churâ—h and Diocesse still under interdiction and the others under the sentence of Excommunication O what impiety and malice is there in Prelates who for a meere supposed injury from one or two will interdict an whole Kingdome or Diocesâ—e and wil rob God of his publicke service as they account it and meâ—s soules of all spirituall food and exercises of Religion to wrecke their malice upon an enemie or two But this hath beene their common Atheisticall practise God and men mâ—st suffer in the highest degree rather than they lose their wills or the smallest punctilio of their usurped Antichristian honour Anno. 1212. this Arch-bishop dying Henry Condies succeeded him who was called Scorch Villeyn by occasion of a certaine treacherous act of his for one day calling his Tenants before him to answere by what tenure they held of him those Tenants shewing him their Deedes and Charters he commanded their Deedes and Charters to be burned of purpose to disinherit them of their rights for which most unjust act the Freeholders ever called him Henry Scorch-Villein he was Justice of Ireland and built Dublin Castle buâ— of his preaching to build men up in grace I finde not one syllable Anno 1313. Fryer Roland Ioce Primate of Armach arrived at the Isle of Houth the morrow after the Annunciation of the bleâ—sed Virgin Mary and rising in the night by stealth tooke up his Crosier and advanced it as â—arre as the Priory of Gâ—ace Dieu whom there encountred certaine of the Arch bishop of Dublins servants Iohn Leekes was then Arch-bishop of this See debasing and putting downe that Crosier and the Primate himselfe oâ— Armach they chased with disgrace and confusion out of Lemâ—ter Anno. 1324. Alexander de Bickner Arch-bishop of Dublin being in England joyned with thâ— Arch-bishops and Bishops of England in rescuing Adam de Arlton Bishop of Hereford even when he was openly arraigned for high Treason against King Edward the second at the Parliament barre the highest affront that ever I read offered to publicke Justice the story whereof is formerly recited at large p. 54.55 Annoâ— 1326. he sided with the Queene and other Prelates against King Edward the second his Soveraigne to his deposall and destruction in which he was very active Anno. 1331. on the vigill of Saint Marke the Evangelist the O-Tothely came to Tavelagh and robbed this Alexander Arch-bishop of Dublin tooke away three hundred sheepe and slew Bichard White and other men of his company the retinue of the Lord Archbishop of Dublin were by a traine or ambush slaine by David O-Tothill in Culiagh Anno. 1337. whiles Iohn Charlton was Lord Justice and held a Parliament at Dublin Doctor David O-Hirraghey Arch-bishop of Armach being called to the Parliament made his provision for house-keeping in the Monastery of Saint Mary neere unto Dublin but because he would have had his Crosier carried before him he was impeached by Alexander Arch-bishop of Dublin and his Clerkes and permit him they would not Anno. 1379. The Arch-bishop of Casselâ— in Ireland came from Rome sent thither for certaine urgent causes bringing backe with him a great power of binding and loosing from the Pope when he came to London preaching to the People he denounced the King of Francâ— and as many as adhered to the Anti-Pope to be involved in the sentence of Excommunication affirming that even now it would be an acceptable time to England as well in the cause of the King of England as of the Pope to invade the Kingdome of France especially since it was probable that a King Excommunicated would not have any confidence of resisting Thus this Messenger of Peace proves a publicke Herald to proclaime warre The King of France on the other side makes Proclamation through all his Kingdome that none should obey Pope Vrban and if any did â—ee should be beheaded and all his goods should be confiscated to the Kings use after which the confederates of Pope Clement and Vrban meeting in the field above 5000. were slaine on Clements part in one battle with Bernard Decksale their Generall and many more afterwards Anno. 1420. there was a Parliament held at Dublin at which time Richard O-Hedian Bishop of
Prelates calling not to be divine and thereupon induced me to search into the bottome of it as farre as my poore abilities and leasure would permit till I found it to be so iâ—deed was the pravity of their actions and enormities of their lives In which if I have erred it is in following my Saviours infallible rule Matth. 7.15 to 20. Beware of false Prophets which come to you in sheeps cloathing but inwardly they are ravening wolves ye shall know them by their â—ruits A good tree cannot bring forth evill fruit neither can a corrupt trâ—e bring forth good fruit wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them Fifthly That it can neither be safe for King nor State to tolerate Lordly Prelates or to admit them to manage the chiefe Offices Councels and affaires of the Kingdome to which thâ—ir consultations and imployments for the most part have â—vâ—r proved pernicious as ancient and present experience abundantly testifie And that the readiest way to provide for our Kingdoms and Churches future security and tranquillity will be utterly to suppresse and remove them from all such offices and consultations Sixthly That those who have beene so perfidious and rebellious to our Kings and Kingdome will hardly prove faithfull and trusty in matters of Religion in which they have extraordinarily prevaricated in all ages and not a little of late yeares as is too manifest by sundry evidences and complaints in Parliament And here give me leave to recommend â—nâ— serious consideration to you how dangerous it is to intrust our Religion in the Prelates hands grounded upon these words of our famous Occham Who writing against the Popâ—s Monarchy alleadgeth this reason among others against it that there is greater danger of poysoning â—he people and whole Church by one supreame head then by many We know all the Bishops of England are to be consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury for the time being and are subject to him as Primate and Metropolitan of all Eâ—gland taking an Oath of Canonicall obedience to him so as they all in a manner depend on him Againe we know that no Minister can be ordained or admitted to Preach or instituted to any living as an Incumbent or Curate but by these Bishops who take upon them to visitâ— silence and suspend them at their pleasure yea and to dispose of most Patrons benefices to whom they please as we see by late wofull experience Suppose then which I trust shall never happen that any to whom the Crowne of England shall descend should be ill affected to our Religion if he should make choice of such an Archbishop and he of other inferiour Prelates sutable to his disaffectiâ—on who must ordaine all other Bishops Ministers and may suspend and silence them or deny to admit those that are Orthodox at his pleasure how easily might our Church and Religion by one over-potent Arch-bishop or Prelate backed by his Soveraigne be undermined suppressed and eradicated in a short space Whereas if this jurisdiction were devested from the Bishops which are but 26. and depend on one Arch-Prelate and setled in the Ministers which are many and more independent on the Prince then they our Religion would be farre more secure and the Ministers and people lesse subject to be infected with Romish Innovations which one Archbishop of Canterbury is now able sodainly to poyson our Church and people with Seventhly That these Bishops were the chiefe instruments to introduce advance and support the Popes Antichristian authority usurped jurisdiction and erronious doctrines among us and to revive them again when diminished or extinguished the Pope and popery still raigning among us till the Prelates attainted by King Henry the eight in a Praemunire were inforced sore against their wils to renounce the Popes authority to acknowledg him the supreame head on earth of our English Church and by speciall Letters patents and Acts of Parliament to confesse all their Episcopall jurisdiction to be derived not from God or the Pope but ONELY from by and under him their Soveraigne And I dare further averre for ratification of this Conclusion that the Prelates of Italy Germany France Spaine Hungary and Poland are the maine pillars which support the Popes Monarchy false Doctrines Ceremonies and Superstitions in those Countries and Kingdomes which would soone turne Protestants were but the Bishops suppressed and their great temporall revenues taken away the enjoyment of which Antichristian dignities and possessions engageth them to maintaine and uphold the Pope and popery against their consciences The truth of which will appeare by most of the transmarine reformed Churches who could never utterly abandon the Pope with his Doctrines and superstitions till they had extirpated their Lordly Bishops â— That as long as our Lordly Prelates continue there will not onely be a possibility but a probability of bringing in popery and the Pope againe among us since their Lordly Hierarchy is supported onely by popish Doctrines Canons Ceremonies and Principles which they are engaged to maintaine to preserve their tottering thrones from ruine How farre the Pope his Doctrines and Superstitions had of late in a little time serued themselves into our Church almost to the utter ruine of our Religion and of the Ministers and professors of it persecuted and driven out into forraine Countryes and that onely by the Bishops and their instruments machinations is so well knowne to all and so abundantly discovered to and by this present Parliament that I need not relate itâ— Onely this I dare say that if ever they get head and life among us againe as they did in Queene Maries dayes and that principally by the Prelates meanes it will be by our Lordly Bishops activity who if once totally suppressed both Pope and papists would utterly despaire of ever reducing England to their vassallage Eighthly That Bishops have done a world of mischiefe to our Kings and Kingdomes as appeares by all the premises but little or no good that I can read off And as for the diligent preaching of Gods word and publishing Christs true Religion the chiefe and almost onely duty of Bishops from Augustine the first Archbishop of Canterbury and first introducer of the Popes authority errours and superstitions among usâ— till Cranmers time which is above 800 yeares I thinke there was not one Archbishop guilty of it The like I may say of other Seas and I presume I may justifie that some two poor Country Curats or Lecturers in our dayes have converted more soules to God by their diligent zealous preaching then all the Archbâ—shops of Canterbury put together most of whom I read to have been Rebels Traytors State-officers persecutors of Religion but very few of them soule-converting Preachers Why then should â—hese Popes of another World as the Pope of Rome once stiled them be still tolerated when they have done so much mischiefe and so little good to our State and Church Ninthly That the endowing of the Prelates with great Temporall
Gods Word is hatefull and contrary â—nto them why for it is impossible to preach Christ except they preach against Antichrist that is to say them which with their false doctrine and violence of sword enforce to quench the true doctrine of Christ. And as thou canst heale no disease except thou begin at the roote even so canst thou preach against no mischiefe except thou begin at the Bishops Kings they are but shadowes vaine names and things idle having nothing to do in the world but when our holy Father needeth their helpe The Pope contrary to all conscience and against all the Doctrine of Christ which saith My Kingdome is not of this world Ioh. 18. hath usurped the right of the Emperour And by policy of the Bishops of Almany and with corrupting the electours or choosers of the Emperour with mony bringeth to passe that such a one is ever chosen Emperour that is not able to make his party good with the Pope To stop the Emperour that hee come not at Rome he brâ—ngeth the French King up to Milane on the other side bringeth he the Venetians If the Venetians come too nigh the Bishop of France must bring the French King And the Socheners that is the Switzers are called and sent for to come succour And for their labor he giveth to some a Rose to another a Cap of Maintenance One is called most Christian King another Defender of the Faith another The eldest sonne of the most holy Seate He blazeth alsâ— the armes of other and putteth in the holy crosse the Crownâ— of thornes or the nayles and so forth If the French King goe too high and creep up either to â—ononie or Naples then must our English Bishops bring in our King The craft of the Bishops is to entitle one King with anothers Realme He is called King of Denmarke and of England hee King of England and of France Then to blind the Lords and the Commons the King must challenge his right Then must the Land be taxed and every man pay and the Treasure borne out of the Realme and the Land begger'd How many a thousand mens lives hath it cost And how many an hundred thousand pounds hath it carried out of the Realme in our remembrance Besides how abominable an example of gathering was there such verily as never tyrant since the world began did yea such as was never before heard or thought on neither among Jewes Saracens Turkes or Heathen since God created the sunne to shine that a beast should breake up into the Temple of God that is to say into the heart and consciences of men and compell them to swear every man what he was worth to lend that should never be paid againe How many thoâ—sands â—orsware themselves How many thousands set themselves above their abilities partly for feare lest they should be forsworne and partly to save their credit When the Pope hath his purpose then is peace made no man woâ—teth how and our most enemy is our most friend Now because the Emperour is able to obtaine his right French English Venetians and all must upon himâ— O great whore of Babylon how abuseth shee the Princes of the world How drunke hath shee made them with her wine Hee further addes p. 124. They that are sworne to â—e true unto Cardinalls and Bishops that is to say false unto God the King and the Realme may breake their oathes lawfully without grudge of conscience by the authority of Gods word In making them they sinned but in repenting and breaking them they please God highly and receive forgivenesse in Christ. Let Kings take their duty of their Subjects and â—hat is necessary unto the defence of the Realme Let them rule their Realme themselves with the helpe of Lay men that are sage wise learned and expert Is it not a shame above all shameâ— and a monstrous thing that no man should be found able to governe a worldly Kingdome save Bishops and Prelates that have forsaken the world and are taken our of the World and appointed to preach the Kingdome of God Christ saith that his Kingdome is not of this world Ioh. 18. and Luke 12. unto the young man that desired him to bid his brother to give him part of the inheritance Hee answered Who made thee a Iudge or a divider among you No man that layeth his hand to the plough and looketh backe is apt for the Kingdome of heaven Luk. 9. No man can serve two masters but he must despise the one Mat. 6. To preach Gods word is too much for halfe a man And to minister a temporall Kingdome is too much for halfe a man also Either other requiâ—eth an whole man One therefore caâ—â—ot well do botâ— He that avengeth himselfâ— on every 〈◊〉 is not meeâ— to preach the patience of Christ how that a man ought to forgive and to suffer all things He that is overwhelmed with all manner riches and doth but seeke more daily is not meere to preach poverty Hee that will obey no man is not meete to preach how we ought to obey all men Peâ—eâ— saith Act. â— It is not meeâ—e that we should leave the Word of God and serve at the Table Paul saith in the 9. Chapter of the â—â—rst Corinth Wâ—â— iâ— mâ—â— if I preach not a â—errible saying verily for Popes Cardinals and Bishopâ— If he had said Woe be unto mee iâ— I fight noâ— â—nd moveâ— Princes unto warre or if I increase nor Saint Peâ—ers Paâ—rimony as they call it it had beene a more 〈◊〉 saying for them Christ forbiddeth his Disciples and that oft as thou mayst 〈◊〉 Matth. 1 and also 20. Marke 9. and also 10. Luk. 9. and also â—â—â— even at his last Supper noâ— onely to clime above â—ords Kings and Emperours in worldly rule but also to exalt themselves one above â—nother in the Kingdomâ— of God Bâ—t in vaine for the Pope would not heare it though he had commanded it ten thousand times Gods Word should rule onely and not Bishops decrees or the Popes pleasure That ought they to preach purely and spiritually and to fashion their lives after and with all ensample of godly living and long suffering to draw all to Christ and not to expound the Scriptures carnally and worldly saying God spake this to Peter and I am his successor therefore this authority is mine onely and then bring in the tyranny of their fleshly wisedome in Praesentia majoris cessat potestas mâ—noris that is in the presence of the greater the lesse hath no power There is no brotherhood where such Philosophy is taught After which speaking of Kings the Prelates Canon Law and the Bishops treacheries he proceedes thus pag. 137.138 Alas Kings be Captives to the Prelates ere ever they be Kings yea almost ere they be borne No man may be suffered about him but flatterers and such as are first sworne tâ—ue
schismatickesâ— Church-robbers rebels and traytors to God and to man where are any to be looked for in all the world Another thing yet there is which causeth mee sore to lament the inconveniences thereupon considered And that is this although the Scriptures Chronicles Canons Constitutions Councels and private hystories with your manifest acts in our time doth declare your Foreâ—athers and you such Heretickes Theeâ—es and Traytors to the Christian Commonwealth as hath not beene upon the earth but you yet you are still taken into the privy councels both of Emperour and King But what a plague it is or miserable yoke to that Christian Realme whereas yee beare the swinge I thinke it truly unspeakable though it be not seene O eternall Faâ—her for thy infinite mercie sake graunt thy most faithfull servant the Kings Majestie our most worthy Soveraigne Lord and Governour under thee cleerly to cast out of his privie Counâ—ell House these â—echerous Locusts of Egypt and daily upholders of Sodome and Gomorrah the Popes cruell cattle tokened with his owne proper marke to the universall health of his people as thou hast now constituted him an whole compleate King and the first since the Conquest For never shall hee have of them but deceitfull workemen and hollow hearted Gentlemen and not onely that good Lord but also deprive them of their usurped authority and power restoring againe hereunto his temporall Majestraâ—es whom their proud Pope hath hitherto most tyrannously thereof deprived Finally to take from them their inordinate pompe and riches and more godly to bestow them that is to say to the aide of his poveâ—ty as for an example the noble the noble Germans have graciously done before him After a farre other sort defended the Apostles the spirituall Kingdome of Christ then they their armour was righteousnesse poverty patience mâ—eknesse tribulation contempt of the world and continuall suffering of wrongs their strong shield was faith and their sword the Word oâ— God Eph. 6. Wiâ—h the Gospell preaching drove they down all superstitions as you by your Lordlinesse have raised up againe in the glorious Church of Antichrist The Kingdome that hee â—orlooke Ioh. 6. and the Lordâ—hip that hee so straitly forbad you Luke 22. have â—ou received of the devill with that ambitious raigne of covetousnesse which hee left behind him on the high Mountaine Matth. 4. What ruinous decaâ—es hath chanced to all Christian Regionâ— and their Babylonish bâ—ood it weâ—e much to writeâ— It shall be therefore necessary for our most worâ—hâ— King to looke upon in time and both to diminish you authority and riches lest yee hereafter put all his godly enterpâ—ises in hazard For nothing else can yee doe of your spiritual naâ—ure but worke daâ—ly mischiefe As well may yee be spared in the Commonwealth as may Kites Crowes and Buzzards Pâ—lâ—ats Wesels and Rats Oâ—ters Wolves and Foxes Bodilice Fleas and Fleshflies with other devouring and noysome vermâ—ne for aâ— unprofitable are yee unto it as they and as liâ—â—le have yee in the word of God to uphold you in these vaine offices of Papistry as they This uncommodious commodity hath Enâ—land had of you alwayes when yee have beene of the Kings privie Councell and I thinke hath now at this present hower that whatsoever godly enterprize is there in doing be â—hey never so privily handled yet shall the Popish Prelates of Iâ—aly Spaine France Flanders and Scotland have sure knowledgde thereof by your secret Messengers and you againe their crafty compassings to deface it if may be Neither shall thâ—se â—ealmes conâ—inue long after without waâ—â—e specialâ—y if an earnest reformation of your sâ—â—ainefull abuses be sought there and never shall the originall grounds of that warre be known but other causes shall be laid to â—olour it with as that the King seekes his rigâ—â— his Princely honour the maintenance of his titles or the Realmes Commonwealth â—eâ—â—g nothing lesse in the end but an upholding of you in your mischiefes So long as you beare rule in Parliament Hoâ—se â—â—e Gospell shall be kept under and Christ persecuted in his â—aithâ—ull members So that no godly Acts shall come out from â—henâ—e to the glory oâ— God and Christian Commonwealth but you will so sawce them with your Romish Sorceries that they be ready to serve your turne Although the Kings Majestie haâ—h peâ—mitted us the Scriptures yet must the true Ministers thereof at your most cruell appointment either suffer most tyrannous death or else with open mouth deny Christs veriâ—y which is worse than death Thus give ye strength to his laweâ— nourish up his Kingdome whom ye say with your lips yee have refused your pestilent Pope of Rome Ye play altogether Hick-sâ—oâ—neâ— under the figure of Ironia That yee say yee hate yee lovâ— and that yee say yee love yee hate Late all faithfull men beware of such double day dreamers and hollow hearted Traytors and thinke whereas they beare the rule nothing shall come rightly forward either in faith or Commonwealth What other workes can come from the Devills working tooles than commeth from the hands of his owne malignant mischiefe who can deny the Bishops to be the instruments of satan understanding the Scriptures and beholding their daily doings Thinke yee â—here can be a greater plague to a Christian Realme than to have such Ghostly Fathers of the Kings Privie councell If wise men do judge it any other than a just plague for our sinnes and a yoke laid upon us for our unreverent receiving of that heavenly treasure the eternall Testament of Christ to have such hypocrites theeves and traytors to raigne over us truly they judge not aright If wee would earnestly therefore repent of our former being and unâ—ainedly turne to our everliving God as wee find in the Testament I would not doubt it to jeopard both my body and soule that wee should in short space bee delivered of this Popish vermine rising out of this bottomlesse pit Apoc. 9. which eateth up all that is greene upon earth or hath taken any strength of the living word of the Lord for the heart of a King is alwayes in the hands of God and at 〈◊〉 his pleasure hee may evermore turne it Prov. 21. Take mee not here that I condemne any Bishop or Priest that is godly doing those holy offices that the Scripture hath commanded them as preaching the Gospell providing for the poore and ministring the Sacraments right but against the bloody butchers that murther up Gods People aâ—d daily make havocke of Christs congregation to maintaine the Jewes Ceremonies and the Pagans Superstititions in the Christian Church Those are not Bishops but Bite-sheepes Tyrants Tormenters Termagaunts and the Devils slaughter men Christ left no such Disciples behind him to sit with cruell Caiphas at the Sessions upon life and death of his innocent members but such as in poverty preached the Gospell rebuking the wicked world for Idolatry hypocriâ—ie and false doctrine Episcopus is as much to say as an
very necessary nor usefull in the Church for after the death of Paulinus the first Bishop of Yorke that See continued voyd of a Bishop 30. yeares So after the translation of Mellitus to Canterbury Anno. 617. that See continued voyd neere 40 yeares and how these and other Bishoprickes have continued voyd in severall ages 2.3.4.6.10.15.20 and 30. yeares together without any prejudice I have elsewhere manifested more at large If then our Bishoprickes may want Bishops for so many yeares space without any inconvenience to our Church when as no Parish Church by our Common and the Canon Lawes ought to be voyd above sixe moneths at most I presume by the selfe-same reason our Church may well subsist without for all future times especially now when there are so many complaints and petitions against them and so many Bishoprickes voyde of Prelates already Finally in those primitive times Bishops were not so great but that some of them were subject unto Presbyters For our venerable Beda informes us of an Island in Ireland which in those dayes had an Abbot Presbyter for its governour to whose jurisdiction the whole Province Et etiam Episcopi sunt subjecti and even Bishops themselves were subject according to the example of the first Teacher thereof who was no Bishop but a Presbyter and a Monke So the Abbot of Glastonbury exempt from all Episcopall Jurisdiction had a kinde of superiority above the Bishop of Bath and Wells which Bishop by the Charter of King Ina was bound with his Clerkes at Wells every yeare Ipsam matrem suam Glastoniensem Ecclesiam feria secunda post ascensionem Domini cum Litania recognoscere to doe his homage to his mother Church of Glastonbury with a Letany quod si superbia inflatus distulerit and if he refused to doe it out of pride then hee was to forfeite two houses which this King gave him And in the Excerptions of Egbert Archbishop of Yorke Anno. 750. I finde these Canons of the fourth Councell of Carthage revived here among us as Ecclesiasticall Lawes That Bishops and Presbyters should have Hospitiolum a little Cottage not a Lordly Palace neare the Church That the Bishop in the Church by the consent of the Presbyters should set somewhat above them but within the house Collegam Presbyterorum se esse cognoscat should know himselfe to be the Colleague or Companion of the Presbyters That a Bishop should not ordaine Clerkes without a Councell of his Presbyters That a Bishop should heare no mans cause without the presence of his Clerkes except the cause of confession because a decree cannot be firme which shall not seeme to have the consent of many All which considered it is evident that our Bishops in those dayes had no Lordly Jurisdiction over other Ministers no such sole power of Ordination and judicature as our present Lord Bishops now claime and exercise as their peculiar right Therefore their Antiquity and Episcopacy can be no warrant at all for the lawfulnesse or continuance of our Lordly Prelacy Thirdly admit our Bishops as ancient as King Lucius dayes or there abouts yet this is no good Plea for their continuance First because our Abbots Priors Monkes could make as good if not a better prescription for themselves as our Lordly Prelates who can alleadge nothing for their continuance but what these either did or might have done when they were suppressed For first our Monkes Abbots Priors and their Abbeyes were every way as ancient if not elder then our Lordly Bishops and Bishoprickes the Monkes and Abbey of Glastonbury deriving their pedegree from Ioseph of Aramathea which Church and Abbey our writers call Prima Ecclesia fons Origo totius Religionis c. the first Church the fountaine and Originall of all our Religion And many other of our other Abbies as that of Winchester S. Albans Westminster with others being ancienter than all or most of our Bishoprickes Secondly Most of them were confirmed by more Acts of Parliament Bulls of Popes and Charters of our Kings endowed with greater priviledges than any of our Bishoprickes whatsoever as is evident by the Charters Bulls and exemptions granted to Glastonbury Saint Albans Berry Redding Westminster Saint Augustine of Canterbury Abingdon and Wâ—â—â—â—â—â—ster Thirdly many of our Abbots and Priors sometimes above an hundred were mitred had Episcopall Iurisdiction and sate in Parliament as Barons and Peers of the Realme as well as Bishops yet notwithstanding they were all suppressed by Acts of Parliament even in time of Popery though double in number to our Bishops therefore our Bishops and Bishoprickes being now found by long experience not onely unprofitable but pernitious to our Kings and State as here I have manifested and to our Church our Religion as our Booke of Martyrs largely demonstrates may lawfully be extirpated notwithstanding this Plea of Antiquity as well as they Fourthly the Bishops in other reformed Churches could and did plead as large Antiquity and prescription for their continuance as our Prelates doe yet that could not secure them from dissolution but these Churches wholly suppressed them therefore it is no good Plea for us to continue our Prelates yea in my weake judgement it is an argument not for but against our Bishops continuance that they have beene tolerated so long since evils and grievances as our Lordly Prelates have ever beene to our Church and Kingdome are so much the more speedily and carefully to be suppressed by how much the more inveterate and lasting they have beene In a word the government of our Church by a Presbytery hath beene more ancient more profitable and lesse prejudiciall to our State Kings Church than the Government of our Lordly Prelacy therefore it is most reasonable that it should be revived reestablished and the Prelacy suppressed All which I hope may suffice in Answere to the first part of this grand objection which hath stumbled many To the second branch of it touching the danger and inconvenience of this change in suppressing Episcopacy I answer First that there can bee no danger or inconvenience at all therein because the people generally most earnestly desire pray for expect it and have preferred many Petitions to the High Court of Parliament to effect it Secondly because all things are now prepared for this alteration the wickednesse misdemeanors prophanenesse superstition oppression of our present Prelates with the great troubles and combustions they have raised in our Church our State to their intolerable charge and molestation deserve and call for this alteration the present constitution of our Church State people yea our correspondency with Scotland with other reformed Churches requires it the divisions and distractions in our Church which in many wise mens apprehensions cannot be reconciled nor any unity or uniformity in Gods worship established among us without it call for it Episcopacy being now growne such a roote of bitternesse and wall of partition as there is
THE ANTIPATHIE OF THE ENGLISH LORDLY PRELACIE BOTH TO REGALL MONARCHY AND CIVILL UNITY OR An Historicall collection of the severall execrable Treasons Conspiracies Rebellions Seditions State-schismes Contumacies oppressions Anti-monarchicall practices of our English Brittish French Scottish Irish Lordly Prelates against our Kings Kingdomes Laws Liberties and of the severall Warres and Civill Dissentions occasioned by them in or against our Realm in former and latter ages Together with the Judgement of our owne ancient Writers most judicious Authors touching the pretended Divine Jurisdiction the Calling Lordlinesse Temporalties Wealth Secular imployments Trayterous practises unprofitablenesse and mischievousnesse of Lordly Prelates both to King State Church with an Answer to the chiefe Objections made for the Divinity or continuance of their Lordly Function The first Part. By WILLIAM PRYNNE late and now againe an Utter-Barester of Lincolnes Inne Beware of false Prophets which come unto you in sheepes cloathing but inwardly they are ravening wolves you shall know them by their fruits Mat. 7.15 16 LONDON Printed by Authority for Michael Sparke senior An. 1641. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE HIGH COVRT OF PARLIAMENT NOW Through Gods sweete Providence MOST HAPPILY ASSEMBLED Right Honourable Senators IT is a received principle in Law that there are no Accessories in Treason whence to conceale a Notorious Traytor is really to be one The consideration of the Capitalnesse of such a Concealement in these proditorious times and the discharge of my bounden Duty to my Soveraigne Lord the King this Church and Kingdome of which I am a true though unworthy member and to this Honourable Court to whose impartiall Iustice next under God I owe the fruition of my present Liberty my Native Soyle and Quondam Profession of the Law hath induced me by way of Gratitude to present your Honours with this large Discovery not of one or two but of an whole Tribe and succession of notaâ—le Arch-Traytors Rebels Conspirators and desâ—erate Enemies to our Kings Kingdomes Lawes Liberties to say nothing of our Church and Religion masked under the innocent disguise of an Episcopall whiâ—e Rotchet and the specious much abused Title of The Church which our Prelates have monopolized to themselves the better to palliate their mischievous designes and boulster out their vilâ—anies when as if we beleeve either our learned Martyr Master William Tyndall or Bishop Bilson himselfe The Church is neâ—eâ— taken in the new nor old Testament for the Bishops or Priests alone but generally for the whole Congregation of the faithfull and oft times for the people alone without the Priest or Minister which is worthy your observation and will utterly subvert one principall Pillar of our Prelates suppoâ—t I could not but conjecture that this Antipathy would be very distastfull to our Lordly Prelates the Malefactors whose long-concealed Treasons Conspiracies seditious practises it lays open to your publick view and justice so that I can expect nothing but such extreame Malignity opposition and Calumnies from them and their confederates as might in some sort have deterred me from divulging it Yet wheÌ„ I considered that the detectioÌ„ of grosse Traytors Conspirators hath bin ever reputed not only an inoffensive but acceptable and meritorious service both to Kings and States in al other persons and that I have no cause to doubt but that it will receive the selfe-same benigne interpretation in me especially from your Honours by some of whose earnâ—st desires and â—peciall approbations I committed these Historicall Colections to the Presse I could not but with all alacrity proceede on in this service for the Common good to the which I have beene the more incouraged by a Divine Providence For being a Prisoner in the Tower of London stript of my Profession and all other imployments by some Prelates undemerited malice considering with my selfe how I might there passe my solitary houres in the usefullest manner for the publicke benefit of this Church and Kingdome it pleased God among other subjects to pitch my thoughts upon a Collection of the severall Treasons Rebellions Warres Seditions and Anti-monarchicall Practises of Lordly Prelats of all Countries and ages especially of our owne English Bishops which I found scattered in Histories wherupon taking my hint from the Title of a now-non-extant Booke written by one Thomas Gybson a Physitian in King Edward the 6. his dayes stiled Proditiones Praelatorum a Conquestu seene by our laborious Iohn Bale and mentioned in his Centuries which booke it seemes the Prelates since suppressed I gathered with no facil labour the most of those Materials I here present unto your Honours and Marshalled them into distinct files with an intention to make them publick so soone as a seasonable opportunity should present it selfe But the Arch Prelate of Canterbury not long after persecuting me afresh in the Starchamâ—er without any just occasion procured me there not onely to bee most inhumanely censured but likewise to be sent thence close prisoner first to Carnarvan then to Mount-Orguile Castle in the Isle of Iersie and there cloystred up so narrowly that I could neither have the use of pen inke paper writings nor Bookes to benefit my selfe or others and withall searching both my Chamber and friends houses sundry times by his Pursevants seized on all my bookes and Papers he could meete with But these Collections escaping his clutches fell into the hands of another persecuted Gentleman who without my privity carried them beyond the Seas where they were preserved till after my late returne from Exile by the justice of this Honourable House and not many moneths since when I gave them over as lost were unexpectedly returned to my hands in safety whiles the businesse of Episcopacy was in agitation before your Eminencies which speciall Providence put me in minde of that speech of Mordeâ—ay to Ester Who knoweth whether thou art come to the Kingdome for such a time as this and made me strongly apprehend that God had restored me to Liberty and these Collections to my hands for such a time as this which blessed be our good God we now live to see wherein our domineering Prelates lewde practises and Conspiracies against our Religion Lawes Liberties Lives Soules and Estates are not onely detected but questioned and some of the Potentest and pestilentest of them charged with no lesse than High Treason and other most grosse Misdemeanors in and by your Honorable Assembly which have rendred them so generally detestable to the whole Kingdome that divers Petitions have beene presented to your Honours both by Ministers and People out of many entire Countries for their utter extirpation which long efflagitated difficult worke which your Honours have now set upon I conceive the publishing of this Antipathy will much facilitate and advance being thus specially preserved and reserved by Gods Providence for such a time as this The principall motives which originally induced me to undertake this worke were the very same which have now perswaded me to
to preach it being too meane an office for them unlesse it be sometimes at the Court or at some such solemne meeting to gaine either more honour or preferment thereby or for some such private ends not out of any great zeale of converting soules to God Since then our Bishops thus neglect nay hate condemne suppresse and persecute the good worke of Preaching wherein their office principally consists it is most apparent that the onely thing they now so zealously write stickle for is only the temporall meanes honour not the Divine spiritual worke or office of Episcopacie since these thus avocate and hinder them from preaching I presume your excellent wisedomes will deem it necessary to strip them naked of these two obstacles which cause them thus to neglect their proper worke and duty Neither would I have your Honours or any else here misconceive mee as if I advised you to deprive Ministers of all Honour and Maintenance God forbid No my hearts desire and prayer to God and your Honours shall be that every painfull preaching Minister may have all due Honourable respect and such a competent allowance as the greatnesse of his paines and charge demerit But that Archbishops Bishops Deanes and others who have no particular flocks to feed either preach not at all or very seldome should have such temporall dignities offices and excessive revenues as make them either proud luxurious ambitious idle or negligent in preaching and to forget that good worke of a Bishops office which Saint Paul speakes of I humbly conceive is neither lawfull nor expedient but such an irregularity as will be thought fit to be redressed by your Honours not only in point of Policy but of piety too In a word when I seriously consider that Christ himselfe did frequently condemne and prohibit the ambitious desire of superiority and praeheminencie in his Apostâ—es That the Apostles themselves doe the like in â—heir Epistles to others That Saint Chrysostome clearely determines That whosoever desireth primacy in Earth shall find confusion in Heaven that now among Christs servants and ministers there may be no contest for primacy or superiority That Saint Bernard when he was offred to be made Bishop of Genoa and Millaine peremptorily refused this dignity saying upon that occasion Blush O proud dust and ashes God humbles himselfe dost thou exalt thy selfe God made himselfe inferiour to men thou desirimg to domineere preferrest thy selfe before thy maker Would to God when I thinke any such thing God would vouchsafe to rebuke mee as hee did his Apostle in times past Get thee behind mee Sathan thou savourest not the things that are of God as often as I desire to rule over men so oft I contend to goe before my God and then I savour not the things which are truly of God That the eminent Father Saint Augustine Bishop of Hippo and almost 300. African Bishops more in the great schisme of the Donatists were content to lay downe all their Bishoprickes for the peace and unity of the Church thinking thereby not to lose them but to commit them more safely to Gods custody and used this most golden speech An vero Redemptor c. What verily did our Redeemer descend from Heaven into humane members that wee should be his members and shall we lest his very members should be rent in pieces with a cruell division feare to descend out of our chairs We are ordained Bishops for Christian people What therefore may profit Christian people for Christian peace that let us doe with our Bishoprickes What I am I am for thee if it profit thee I am not so if it hurt thee If wee be profitable servants why do wee envie the eternall gaines of our Lord for our temporall sublimities Our Episcopall dignity will be more fruitfull to us if being laid downe it shall more unite the flocke of Christ then disperse it if retained My brethren if wee mind the Lord thiâ— higher place is the watâ—h Tower of a vinâ—dresser not the Pinacle of a proud Person If when I will retaine my Bishopricke I disperse the flocke of Christ how is the dammage of the flocke the honour of the shepherd For with what face shall wee expect the honour promised by Christ in the world to come if our honour hinder Christian unity in this present world And finally that Bishops themselves did in their very Baptisme seriously vow and promise to God To forsake the Devill and all his workes the vaine pompe and glory of this world with all the covetous desires of the same so that they would not follow nor be led by them and that Saint Bernard hereupon gives this Item to them Simundum praedicas contemnendum contemne tu prius ad ipsum efficacius alios invitabis If thou preachest the World is to be contemned do thou contemne it first and then thou shalt more effectually invite others thereto I cannot but presume our Lordly Prelates if they have any sparkes of piety or humility in them will now at last for our Churches our Kingdomes future peace security and felicity lay downe their Bishoprickes at your Honours feete or else that your Eminences will enforce them thereunto it being more equall and expedient that a few Lord Bishops should meritoriously lose their pernitious honours than our King Church State Religion Lawes Liberties Peace be perpetually indangered and imbroyled by their continuance Now the great Moderator of the Universe who hath miraculously congregated preserved directed assisted your Honourable Assembly hitherto and and wrought wondrous things by your Indefatigable industries and most prudent consultations for the honour and safety of his Majesty and his Realmes the Reformation of our Church and State the Establishment of our undermined Religion Lawes and Liberties the pacification and prevention of our much feared Warres and Invasions the relieving of our grievously oppressed ones and the exemplary punishment of our Arch-oppressours to the inefâ—able joy of all true English Scottish Irish hearts and of true Christians continue his blessed assisting presence with his Almighty protection over you multiply all his saving graces in powre forth all his blessings spirituall temporall and eternall abundantly on you and Crowne all your religious Consultations with such a successefull issue that the present times and all succeeding ages may deservedly call your Honours the raisers up of the foundations of many generations the repairers of our breaches the restorers of pathes to dwell in and the Saviours next under God and our Soveraigne of our almost ruined Church and State So prayeth your Honours redeemed Captive and eternally devoted servant WILLIAM PRYNNE TO THE READER Courteous Reader BE pleased to take notice that my primitive intention was to have presented thee with this Historicall Antipathy intirely at the same instant without fractions But the slacknesse of the Printers the importunity of some speciall friends and some publike Negotiations in present agitation which
this peece of it may seasonably promote have induced mee to divide it into two parts the first whereof thou hast here compleate the second God willing thou shalt receive with all possible expedition In the mean season I shall desire thy favourable acceptation of this moity and of a perfect Table of the severall Chapters of the whole Treatise wherein thou maist behold the latter part in Epitome till thou enjoy it in grosse A TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS OF THE FIRST PART Chap. I. COntaining the severall Treasons Conspiracies Rebellions Seditions Contumacies and Disloyalties of the Archbishops of Canterbury against their Soveraignes Kings of England and the severall Warres Tumults and Dissentions occasioned and raised by them in or against our Realme Chap. II. Of the severall Treasons Conspiracies Rebellions Seditions State-schismes Contempts and Disloyalties of the Archbishops of Yorke against their Soveraignes and of the Warres Tumults and Civill Dissentionâ— caused by them Chap. III. Comprising the severall Treasons Conspiracies Rebellions Contumacies Disloyalties Warres Dissentions and State Schismes of the Bishops of London Winchester Durham Salisbury and Lincolne The TABLE of the Chapters of the second Part. Chap. IV. Comprising the Treasons Conspiracies Seditions Conâ—umacies and Disloyalties of the Bishops of Ely Exeter and Hereford Chap. V. Containing the Treasons Conspiracies Seditions Contumacies and Disloyalties of the Bishops of Chichester Carlile Chester and Norwich Chap. VI. Comprising the Treasons Conspiracies Seditions Contumacies and Disloyalties of the Bishops of S. Davids Landaffe Bangor Asaph Bath and Wels. Chap. VII Containing the severaâ—l Treasons Rebellions Seditions Schismes Contumacies Warres and disloyalties of the Bishops of France Normandy Scotland and Ireland with reference unto England Chap. VIII Containing certaine conclusions deduced from the premises with the judgements and râ—solutions of divers of our ancient Writers and Martyrs and some of our learnedest Bishops and Authors in Queene Elizabeths raigne touching the pretended Divine Iurisdiction of Bishops their Treasons Rebellions Temporalties large Possessions and the uselessenesse unprofitablenesse and mischievousnesse of Lordly Bishops and their government in our Church Chap. IX Comprising an answer to the principall Objections alleaged by the Prelates in defence of the Divine pretended institution and for the continuance of their Episcopacieâ— in our Church ERRATA PAge 11. l. 40. read The King thinking p. 73. l. 21. such l. 33. aâ—t au Royans Râ—y p. 78. l. â—0 faithfull p. â—25 l. 28. granted grâ—nted p. 132. l. 5. Edward deceasing p. 144. l. 1. Dâ—acanâ—s p. 147. l 9 Datary p. 150. â— l 8. Penry p. 152. l. 24. against p. 156. l. 16. Saxons p. 171. l. 11. Archiepiscopall l. 15 un intâ—rruptâ—d p. 176. l. 38 oppressions p 194 l. 13. undefiâ—ed p. 212. l. 14. they the. p. 220 l. 11. favour feare p. 234. l. 1. be appâ—ehended p. 2â—8 l. 18. this the p. â—3â— l. 6. dele a. p. 242. l. 1 dele andâ— l. 12. Edmond Edward pâ— 241 l 8. Bishop p. 260. l. 13. were where p. 261. l. 14. excellently learned p. â—62 l 37. ripped p. 284. l. 2â—â—â—ele in p. 277 l. 27.35 deluded deâ—ivered p. 280 l. 2. Cales l 25. forfeiting fortefying p. 281 l. 31. said laid 282 l. 23 wiâ—e wâ—â—e p 292. l. 23. greaâ—lyâ— p 295. l. 30. upon this p. 305 l. 20. left lift l. 28. or of p. 312. l. 40. everâ— even p. 315. l. 9. learned unlearned p. 318. l. 24. examination excommunication p. 323. l. â—9 Geofâ—yâ— Hugh p. 327. l. 17. gravissima l. 27. accuse accurse p. 331. l. 20. strangers p. 334. l. 4. from his p. 336. l. 29. imployed In the Margin p. â—35 l. 6. Beacon l. 8. vol. 3. p. â—51 l. 5. Bishop See THE PROLOGVE THere is nothing more frequent in these latter dayâ—s in the mouthes of our domineering Lordly Prelates than this triviall Paradox of Archbishop Bancroft which some would Originally father upon our late Soveraigne King James NO BISHOP NO KING as if Kings could neither bee nor continue Kings unlesse Prelates were suffered both to be and continue Lords and Princes Crownes irreparably lost if Bishops Miters were but once cast downe This absurd and groundlesse Assertion as it is evidently disproved by those many flourishing Kings and Kingdomes which have well subsisted withâ—ut Lord Bishops both before these Mushrome Lords Spirituall onely in Title but wholly Temporall in reality first sprouted up by insensible degrees in the Church of Christ so it is most infallibly convinced of notorious falshood by the multitude of those most execrable Treasons Treacheries Conspiracies Rebellions Contumacies Insurrections Seditions and Anti-Monarchiall practises of Lordly Prelates against their Soveraignes in all ages since they grew rich and potent in all Kingdomes and Churches where they have beene admitted of which there are so many presidents as would fully fraught many Folio Volumes and require another Baronius or Tostatus to digest into severall vast Tomes And I dare further adde to the immortall prayse of this loyall generation of Lordly Prelates that there is no one calling or profession of men whatsoever in the Christian World guilty of so many traiterous treacherous perfidious seditious rebellious contumacious practises and conspiracies against their lawfull Princes or that have proved such execrable firebrands of dissentions commotions bloody warres Rebellions and detestable Schismes both in Church and State as these Prelaticall Lords Yea I suppâ—se I may confidently averre without any errour or calumny that Lordly Prelates have beene the Originall Authors and contrivers of more Treasons Conspiracies Rebellions Schismes Warres and Contentions in Christian Kingdomes than all other rankes and callings of men whatsoever not severally considered but united This I could at large demonstrate by an whole Volume of examples of Popes and Lordly Prelates in forraigne parts but I neede not travell abroad since we have so many presidents at home of our owne English Lordly Prelates as may abundantly suffice to illustrate this truth the chiefest whereof I have here collected and faithfully transcribed out of the Marginall Authors quoted to every of them whose very words I onely recite for the most part but where brevity or necessitie enfoâ—ce me to use my owne expressions for methâ—d or connexion sake when the Historians either somewhat vary or are over-tedious in their relations or where one Historian relates some particulars which another omits in which case I must desire the Reader to peruse all the Authors quoted to each example lest examining onely one or two of them which record but a part and not the entire relation he should either wrong himselfe or censure me of calumnie or forgerie without just cause Neither let the Reader here expect an exact enumeration of all the Treasons Conspiracies Trecheries Rebellions Seditions Conâ—umacies Warres or State-schismes that our English Prelates have beene guilty of since they became potent Lordsâ— for many of them no doubt were so secretly contrived and carryed by them that the Historians of their â—imes could have no information of them
Proclamation was made that no man should dare to harbour or give him entertainement by meate drinke or lodging At last after much adoe the Arch-Bishop made his peace and brought him into favour with the King who dying King Edward the third advanced him to the See of Canterbury The King going into France with a great Armie and laying claime to that Crowne committed the Government of the Realme here at home to the Arch-Bishop He besides other promises of faithfull diligence in the trust committed to him assured the King hee should want no money to expend in this exploit whereunto all kindes of people shewed themselves so willing to yeeld what helpe they possibly might as hee tooke â—pon him to discerne the King might command of them what hee liâ—t No sooner was the King over Seas but infinite summes of Money were collected with the very good liking of all the people This Money which men thought would have maintained the Warres for two or three yeares was spent in lesse than one The King wanting Money puts the Arch-Bishop in minde of his promise calling continually on him for more Monies The Arch-Bishop blames his Officers beyond the Seas for ill managing of his Treasure advising him to make peace with the French upon reasonable conditions sending him no more Money The King grew exceeding angry with the Arch-Bishop for this Motion and usage and his Souldiers calling for Mony he told them that the Arch-Bishop had beâ—rayed him to the French King who no doubt had hired him to detaine their pay in his hands and to satisfie his Souldiers needes was enforced to take up what Monies he could at hard rates from Usurers And though some excuse the Arch-Bishop in this yet others thinke him guilty of practising against the Kings further good â—ortunes in France because Pope Benedict the Twelfth was displeased much therewith as pretending it was pernicious to Christendome and thereupon put Flanders under Interdict for leaving the French King and adhering to King Edward and therefore the Arch-Bishop to please the Pope whom hee obeyed more than the King who had written a Leâ—â—er to the King and him to desist from that Warre thus thwaâ—â—ed the Kings deâ—ignes by not sending him such supplies of Money as hee promised and in moving him to peace The King taking it very hainously to be thus dealt with and that his brave beginnings and proceedings in France should bee thus crossed hereupon steps suddenly over into England and caâ—â—s the Bishop of Chichester then Lord Chancellour and the Bishop of Liâ—hâ—â—eld then Lord Treasurer prisoners into the Tower whither he intended to send the Arch-Bishop But hee having some inkling of the Kings intention got him to Canterbury and there stood upon his guard being accused by Heâ—â—y Bishop of Lincolne and Gregory Scrope then Lord chieâ—e Justice of England of Trechery and Conspiracy with the French and of High-treason the whole blame by the generall voyce of all men lying on him Sir Nicholas Cantilupus hereupon â—ollowed him to Canterbury with Iohn Faâ—ingdon a publike Notary who required him to make present payment of a great summe of Money which the King had taken up of out-landish Merchants upon the Arch-Bishops credit or else to get him over Seas immediately and yeeld his body prisoner to them till â—he debt was discharged for that the King upon his promise had undertaken hee should so doe The Arch-bishop sayd he could give no present answere but would take time to advise thereof writing divers Letters to the King not to hearken to Flatterers and those who defamed other mens actionâ— and to make choyse of better Counsellourâ— and not to disturbe the peace at home whiles he made waâ—â—es abroad After which hee called the Clergie and people into the Cathedrall Church of Canterbury and made an Oration to them taking Ecclesiastiâ—us 48.10 for his Theame He feared not any Prince neither â—oâ—ld any bring him into subjectionâ— no word could overcome â—im c. In which Sermon hee highly commended and approved Thâ—mas Becket Arch-Bishop of Canterbâ—ry who with-drew himselfe wholly from all Secular Affaires and betooke himselfe onely to the Government of the Church and blamed himselfe much for that hee had left the care of the Church and wholly yea dayly iâ—ployed himselfe in the managing the Kings affaires for which he now received no other reward for his merits towards the King and Kingdome but envie and the danger of his head promising with teares that hereafter hee would be more diligent in the Government of the Church Which Sermon ended to keepe off all Royall violence from him he published certaine Articles of Excommunication after the horrid Popish manner with Tapers burning and Bells ringing In which Articles hee Excommunicated all those who disturbed the peace of the King and Kingdome all Lay-men who should lay violent hands on the Clergie or invade their Lands Houses Goods or violate the Liberties of the Church or Magna Charta or forge any crimes oâ— any one but especially every one that should draw himselfe or any Bishop of his Province into the Kings hatred or displeasure or should falsely say they were guilty of Treason or worthy of any notable or capitall punishment Having published these Articles in the Church of Canterbury hee commanded the Bishop of London and all the Suffragans of his Province to proclaime them in their Churches and Diocesse The King hearing of this strange insolencie writes to the Bishop of London acquaints him how trecheroâ—sly the Arch-Bishop had dealt with him and how by these Excommunications hee thought to shift off his calling to an account and therefore commanded him not to publish themâ— Afâ—er which the King sent Ralph Eaâ—le of Stafford with two Notaries to the Arch-bishop to summon him in the Kings Name without delay to appeareâ— before him to consult with his other Nobles and Prelates concerning the affaires of England and France The Bishop gave no other answere but this That he would deliberate upon itâ— Soone after there came certaine Messengers from the Duke of Brabant desiring to speake with the Arch-Bishop who refusing to speake with them they cited him by Writings which they hanged on the High Crosse at Canterbury to make payment of a great summe of Money which the King of England had borrowed of him The King after this sends some Letters to the Prior and Covent of Canterbury who shewing the Letters to the Arch-Bishop he on Ash-Wednesday goes up into the Pulpit in the Cathedrall Church and there calling the Clergie and people to him spake much to them concerning his fidelity and integrity in the Kings businesse after which hee commanded the Kings Letters to be read and then answered all the Crimes and Calumnies as he â—earmed them layd against him in those Letters and putting his Answere which he there uttered into Writing he published it throughout his whole Provincâ— The King hereupon makes a Reply to his Answere shewing therein how treacherously and
Prelate Amm. 1385. this King called a Parliament at London wherein the Laity granted the King one Quindisme and a halfe upon condition that the Clergy would give him one Disme and a halfe This Arch-Bishop stiffely opposed this condition saying That it ought not to be made especially seeing the Church ought to be free and no wayes to be taxed by Lay-men adding that he would rather endanger his head for this cause then suffer the Church of England to be so much inslaved Which Answer so moved the company of Commons that the Knights of the Counties with certaine of the Nobles of the Kingdome with great fury petitioned that the Temporalties of the Ecclesiastickes might be taken away saying That the Clergy were growne to such excessive pride that it would be a worke of piety and charity by the taking away of their Temporalties which did puffe them up to compell them to be more humbly wise These things they cryed out these things they presented to the King in short writings thinking to bring this Petition to effect The Arch-Bishop to prevent the danger consulting with his Clergy granted the King one Tenth very willingly which the King accepted of and so for the present the unsatiable covetousnesse of the Enemies of the Church saith Walsingham was frustrated and this Clause of the Laity obliterated out of the Bill Thomas Arundell his immediate successour by provision from the Pope against the Law as he resigned his Chancellourship of England so soone as ever he was made Arch-Bishop as incompatible with his function as Thomas Becket Walter Reynalds Iohn Stratford with other his predecessors had commendably done before witnesse Matthew Parker Godwin and Fox in their lives which I wish our secular Prelates would now imitate though not in resuming this office againe as he did at last so he was scarce warme in his Seat when by King Richard the seconds displeasure he was dispossessed of the same for not onely the Arch-Bishops Brother the Earle of Arundell was attainted and condemned of High Treason against the King in full Parliament for which he was presently executed but the Arch-Bishop himselfe was by Sir Iohn Bushy in the behalfe of the Commonalty accused of high Treason for that hee had evill counselled his Majesty and induced him to grant Letters of Pardon to his brother the Earle of Arundell being a ranke Traytor After which he was found guilty and condemned of High Treason adjudged unto perpetuall exile for conspiring to take the King the Dukes of Lancester and Yorke prisoners and to hang and draw the other Lords of the Kings Councell and commanded within forty dayes to depart the Realme under paine of death He thus banished got to Rome and found such favour with the Pope as that he first writ earnestly to the King for his Restitution the King writes a sharpe Letter against him to the Pope wherein he sheweth That he plotted Treason against him and endeavoured to take away his life that he deserved rather to be quartered and executed as a Traytor then banished that the whole Kingdome wondred and were offended hee had dealt so mildly with him and not executed him as he deserved that hee was a man impatient of peace of a Trayterous and seditious spirit so as he could not restore him or re-admit him into the Realme without danger of his Life and Kingdome and therefore though all the World consented to his Restitution yet hee would never doe it whiles he breathed Upon which Letters the Pope not onely refused to restore him but at the Kings request made Roger Walden Arch Bishop in his stead The Pope hereupon conferred the Arch-bishopricke of St. Andrews in Scotland with other livings here in England by way of provision upon Arundelâ— who confederating afterward with Henry Duke of Lancaster against King Richard they levyed what forces they could and landed with them in England so that at last King Richard upon parly with this Arundell whom he had banished was forced to resigne his Crowne and to render himselfe prisoner to the Duke of Lancaster with promise of saving his life onely Hereupon the Arch-Bishop after the Resignation made in parliament Crowned the Duke King and made a Briefe Collation on these words 1 King 9. A man shall Raigne over the People Tending wholly to the praise of the new King and disparagement of the old Recorded at large by Holinshed After which hee thrust Walden out of his See and got restitution of it againe the Pope confirming his Restauration and declaring Walden to be an intruder who after a while was made Bishop of London This Arch-Bishop thus restored to his See and in high favour with the King proved a bloody persecutor and butcher of Gods Saints to which end following the steppes of his predecessour Courtney he with the rest of the Bishops fraudulently and surreptitiously procured by craftyâ— meanes and subtile pretences the cruell bloody Statute Ex Officio as Master Fox doth stile it to wit 2. Hen. 4. c. 15. to passe the Upper House of Parliament as a Law without the Commons assent or Privity whose assent they yet foisted into the written and Printed Coppies of that Act to blind the world withall and give it the colour of a Statute though it be not to be found in the Parliament Roll the Commons never consenting to it as Mr. Fox hath shewed at large in his Acts and Monuments p. 539.540 and the Statute of 25. Hen. 8. c. 14. witnesseth which bastard Statute by colour of which alone most or all our English Martyres were afterwards imprisoned burned tortured and put to death being thus unduly obtained this bloody Arch-Prelate forthwith caused many godly Martyres to be burnt to ashes and the Worthy honourable Lord Cobham with sundry others to be put to death by reason whereof the Kingdome of the Pope and of the Prelates his members here in this Realme began to beâ— so strong that none durst stirre or once mutter against them The Bishops having the King so full on their side armed moreover with these two forged Lawes with imprisonments sword fire and faggot raigned and ruled as they listed as Kings and Princes within themselves So strong were they of power that no humane force was able to stand against them so exalted in pride and puffed up in glory that they thought all things to be subject to their reverend majesties Whatsoever they set forth and decreed though in their owne names rites and by their owne authorities it must of all mâ—n bee received and obeyed And it was their Superstitious blindnesse and curious vanity that whatsoever â—oy came once in their fantacy it was straight-way determined and established for a Law of all men to be observed were it never so â—rivilous or superstitious yea such was the pride vaine-glory and insolency of this Arch-Bishop Arundel who stuffed the Church with Ceremonies and vaine Traditions of men as his Successors doth now that he in great
snuffe suspended all the Churches in London not onely with the Steeple and Bells but also with the Organs because they did not ring â—he Bells for a triumph at his comming when he passed by the high streete of London with his Crosse carryed in pompe before him till the Ministers and Officers of the sayd Churches should doe penance and give him competent satisfaction for this indignity Now what shall wee thinke or conclude of these two last Arch-Bishops Courtney and Arundel who thus tooke upon them to forge even publicke Acts of Parliament for the advancement of their ownâ— Antichristian Hierarchie the suppressing of the Gospel the murthering and destroying the Kings best Subjects and the effusion of so much Martyres blood but that they were monsters of Trechery Tyranny inhumanity Traytors and enemies both to the Church and Common-wealth yea the very Divels and Popes Arch-agents to effect their wills But God was even with the latter of them Arundel who shutting up the mouthes and silencing the tongues of many faithfull Ministers his owne Tongue at last by Gods just judgement swelled so big in his mouth as hee was able neither to eaâ—e drinke noâ— speake in many dayes and so dyed of hunger after he had starved so many poore Christian Soules and burned their bodyes into ashes In the yeare 1403. King Henry the fourth intending to goe into North Wales to chasten the presumptuous doings of the unruly Welsh-men and wanting money to wage his Souldiers there were some that counselled him to be bold with the Bishops and supply his wants with their superfluity But as it fortuned Arundel Arch-bishop of Canterbury was there present who in the name of all the rest boldly made answere that none of his Province should bee spoyled by any of those naughty persons but that first with hard stripes they should understand the price of their harsh enterprise But the King neverthelesse used the matter so with the Bishops for their good wills that the Arch-bishop at length to pleasure him calling the Clergie together got a grant of one Tenth towards the Kings necessary charges And thereby secured their temporalities for that time The next yeare following a Parliament being called to consult how the King might be relieved with money for defence of the Realme against the Scots and Welshmen at home and the Brittaines Flemmins and Frenchmen abroade it was thought most expedient that the spirituality should be deprived of their temporall possessions to relieve the Kings necessity Hereupon rose great alteration betweene the Clergie and the Laity the Knights affirming that they had often times served the King not onely with their goods but also with their persons in very great dangers and jeopardies whilst the spiritualty â—it at home and helpe the King nothing at all Whereupon this Arch-Bishop stoutly answered That the Clergie had alwayes given to the King as much as the Laity had done considering they had oftner given their Tenthes to him then the Laity their Fifteenes also that more of their Tenants went to the Kings warres than of the Tenants of them of the Lay fee besides this they prayed day and night for the Kings good successe against his enemies When the Speaker named Sir Iohn Cheinie in replying by plaine speech seemed but little to esteeme such prayers of the Church the Arch-Bishop was set in a great chafe and with sharpe words declaring what hee thought must needes follow both of the King and Kingdome when Prayers and Suffrages of Church-men came to bee so little set by hee grew to such impatiencie that hee flatly told the Speaker That although hee seemed little to esteeme of the Religion of the Clergie yeâ— hee would not have him to thinke that hee should thus take away the possessions of the Church without finding such as would seeke to withstand him For if sayd hee the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury may live thou shalt have â—oâ— taking away any manner of thing that is his After this when the Arch-Bishop perceived that the King winked at these matters hee rose from his place and comming before the King he kneeled downe and besought him to consider how through the Grace and favour of Almighty God hee had obtained the Kingdome and therefore ought to remember his first purpose and intent which was to give to eâ—ery man his right so farre as in him sayâ— heâ— willed him likewse to have in consideration the Oath which he so willingly had received that is that hee should advance the Honour of the Church and the Ministers thereof cherish and maintaine Also to have in minde the danger and dishonour that redounded to such as brake their oathes so that he besought him to permit and suffer the Church to enjoy the priviledges and Liberties which in time of his Predecessours it had enjoyed requesting him to stand in awe of that King by which all Kings did raâ—gne and to seare the censures and condemnations that those inâ—urred which tooke or bereft â—rom the Church any good or right belonging to it who most certainely sayd hee are accursed When the Arch-Bishop had used this or the like speech the King commanded him to goe to his seate againe assuring him that his intent and purpose was to leave the Church in as good state or better than hee found it The Arch-Bishop herewith turning to the Knights and Burgesses of the Parliament sayd unto them You and such others as you be have given counsell unto the King and his Predecessours to confiscate and take into their hands the goods and possessions of the Cells which the Frenchmen and Normans possessed here in England and affirmed that by the same he and they should heape up grâ—at riches and indeede those goods and possessions were worth many thousands of gold and yet it is most true that tâ—e King this day is not one halfe pound of silver better thereby for you have begged and gotten them out of his hands and have appropriated the same to your selves so that wee may conjecture very well that you request to have our Temporalties not to advance the Kings profit but to satisfie your owne greedy covetousnesse for undoubtedly if the King as God forbid hee should did accomplish your wicked purposes and mindes he should not be one farthing the richer the yeare next after and truely sooner will I suffer this head of mine to be cut off from my shoulders then that the Church should lose the least right that appertaineth to it The Knights sayd little but yet they proceeded in their suite to have their purpose forward Which the Arch-Bishop perceiving as another Argusâ— having his eyes on every side to marke what was done laboured so to disappoint their doings that he wan the favour of certaine of the Temporall Lords to assist him who constantly avouched by their consents that the Church should never be spoyled of her Temporalties and herein they acquitted the Arch-Bishop and Prelates one pleasure for another which they had
devill and his disciples be against thee for God thy protector is stronger than hee or any other and shall by his grace give him and them a fall and so shew unto thee that God is on thy side Consider that it is written in Prov. 6. that amongst many crimes there rehearsed that God hateth chiefly hee doth detest those persons that sow discord among their brethren as all we Christians are brethren under our heavenly Father Also it is written in Iohn 8. that those that do stirre men to murther are children of the Devill which was from the beginning a murtherer and brought Adam to sinne and thereby to death as the Jewes his children stirred the peopâ—e to put Christ to death Saint Paul also in Rom. 16. warneth them to beware of those that make dissention and debate among them against the Doctrine that he had taught them and biddeth them eschew their company wherein the Holy Ghost wrought in Paul for these many yeares past little warre hath beene in these parts of Christendome but the Bishop of Rome either hath beene a stirrer of it or a nourisher of it and seldome any compounder of it unlesse it was for his ambition and profit Whereâ—ore since as S. Paul saith in 1 Cor. 14. that God is not the God of dissention but of peace who commandeth by his Word peace alway to be kept we are sure that all those that goe about to breake peace betweene Realmes and to bring them to warre are the children of the devill what holy names soever they pretend to cloake their pestilent malice withall which cloaking under hypocrisie is double devillishnesse and of Christ most deâ—ested because under his blessed name they do play the Devills part And therefore seeing Christ is on ourside against them let us not feare them at all but putting our confidence in Almighty God cleaving fast to the Kings Majesty our supreme head on earth next under Christ of this Church of England as â—aithfull subjects by Godslaw ought to do though they goe about to stirre Gog Magog and all the ravenners of the world against us we trust in God verily and doubt not but they shall have such a ruine as is prophesied by Ezekiel in C. 39. against Gog and Magog going about to destroy the people of God whom the people of God shall so vanquish and overthrow on the mountaines of Israel that none of them shall escape but their carkasses there to lye to be devoured by kiâ—es and crowes and birds of the aire and if they shall persist in their pestilent malice to make invasion into this Realme then let us wish that their great Captaine Gog I meane the Bishop of Rome may come to them to drinke with them of the same cup that hee maliciously goeth about to prepare for us that the people of God might surely live in peace Thus Tonstall concerning the Pope and the Cardinall though a Papist It is an Italian proverbe of our English men That an Italianated English man is a devill incarnate such a one was this Cardinall qui Italis pontificiisque adulationibus conâ—iliis atque technis in Regis atque Patriae discrimine sic se 〈…〉 passus â—st â—â— non modo 〈…〉 PRODITOR writes his immediaâ—e successor of himâ— In the 31. yeare of King Henry the 8â— he put the King Kingdome to extraordinary trouble and expence â—or the King being then enformed by his â—rusty and faithfull friends that the cankered and cruell Serpent the Bishop of Rome by that Arch-trâ—ytor Reginald Poole enemy to Gods Words and his naturall country had moved and stirred divers great Princes and Potentates of Christendome to invade the Realme of England and utterly to destroy the whole Nation of the same Wherefore his Majesty in his owne person without any delay tooke very laborious and painâ—ull journeys â—owards the Sea coasts also hee sent divers of his Nobles and Counsellours to view and search all the Ports and dangers of the Coasts where any meeâ—e and convenient landing place might be supposed as well on the borders of England as also of VVales and in all such doubtfull places his highnesse caused divers and many Bulwarkes and â—ortifications to be made And further his Highnesse caused the Lord Admirall Earle of Southhampton to prepare in readinesse ships for the Sea to his great cost and charges And beside this to have all people in a readinesse hee directed his commissions throughout the Realme to have his people mustered and the harnesse and weapons seene and viewed to the intent that all things should be in readinesse if his enemies should make any attempt into this Realme and likewise caused a generall muster to be made of all the Citizens of London betweene the age of 60. and 16. This Arch-traytor after the Pope had imployed him to move the Emperour and King of Spaine to breake their league with King Henry and to proclaime warre against him kept a continuall guard about him lest the King should send some to murther him And retiring to Viterbium where he lived some space neere a Nunnery he begaâ— two bastards a sonne and a daughter on the Abbeâ—se who oft repaired to his lodging which was afterwards objected to him when he was elected Pope by the major part of Cardinals and yet lost that Antichristian See by his owne negligence and delayes King Edward the 6. deceasing and Queene Mary comming to the Crowne she presently sent for this Traytor home the Pope upon this occasion makes him his Legate to reduce England under his vassallage and tyranny The Cardinall hereupon sore longed homeward not doubting but if things stood as hee thought to get a dispensation to lay off the Hat and put on a Crowne But the Emperour mistrusting what the Prelate intended found devises to hold him beyond the seas untill the match was concluded betweene Queene Maâ—y and his sonne Anno 1554. he arrived in England and the same day he landed an Act passed in the Parliament house through the Queenes and VVinchesiers meanes for his restitution in blood and the utter repealing of the Act of atâ—ainder against him in King Henry the 8. his raigne The Cardinall soone after caused Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury to be deprived and degraded seating himselfe in his See and making a long Oration in Parliament declaring the offence and schisme of the Kingdome in casting off the Pope and his willingnesse to receive them into the bosome of the Church againe upon their submission he caused the Parliament to make an Act repealing all Statutes Articles and Provisions made against the See of Rome since the 20. yeare of Henry the 8. reviving the Popes supremacie and denying the Queens wherein the whole Realm submitted it selfe to the Pope some parts of which Act pertinent to my purpose I shall crave leave to recite Whereas since the 20. yeare of K. Henry the 8. of famous memory Father unto your Majesty our most naturall Soveraigne
all pestiâ—ent filth that hath infected the State and government of the Church and Common-wealth looke upon him in his dependancies and he is the man the onely man that hath raised and advanced all those that together with himselfe have beene the Authors and causers of all the ruines miseries and calamities we now groane under Who is it but he onely that hath brought the Earle of Strafford to all his great places and imployments a fit instrument and spirit to act and execute all his wicked and bloody designes in thesâ— Kingdomes Who is it but he onely that brought in Secretary Windeâ—anke into the place of Secretary and trust the very Broker and Pâ—nder to the Whore of Babylon Who is it Mr. Speaker but he onely that hath advanced all Popish Bishops I shall name some of them Bishop Manwaring the Bishop of Bathe and Wells the Bishop of Oxford and Bishop Wren the least oâ— all but the most uncleane one These are men that should have sed Christs Flocke but they are the Wolves that devoured them the Sheepe should have fed upon the Mountaines but the Mountaines have eaten up the Sheepe It was the happinesse of the Church when the zeale of Gods house did eate up the Bishops glorious and brave Martyrs that went to the stake in defence of the Protestants religion but the zeale of these Bishops have beene to eate up and persecute the Church Who is it Mr. Speaker but the great Arch-Bishop of Canterbury that hath sit at the Helme to guide and steere them to all the managing of their Projects that have beene set on foote in this Kingdome these ten yeares last past and rather than he would stand out he hath most unworthily trucked and chaffered in the meanest of them As for instance that of Tobacco wherein thousands of poore people have beene stripped and turned out of their tradeâ— for which they have served as Apprentises we all know he was the Compounder and Contractor with them for the Licences putting them to pay Fines and Fee-Farme-rents to use their Trades Certainely Mr. Speaker he might have spent his time better and more for his grace in the Pulpit then thus sharking and taking in the Tobacco shop Mr. Speaker we all know what he hath beene charged withall here in this House Crimâ—s of a dangerous consequence and of transcendent nature no lesse than the subversion of the Government of this Kingdome and the alteration of the Protestant Religion and this not upon bare information onely but much of it comes before us already upon cleare and manifest poofes and there is scarce any businesse Grievances or Complaints come before us in this place wherein we doe not finde him intermingled and as it were twisted into it like a busie and angry Waspe his sting in the taile of everything We have this day heard the report of the Conference yesterday and in it the Accusations which the Scottish Natioâ— hath charged him withall And we doe all know he is guilty of the same if not more in this Kingdome Mr. Speaker he hath beene and is the common enemie to all goodnesse and good men and it is not safe that such a viper should be neere to his Majesties person to distill his poyson into his Sacred eares nor is it safe for the Common wealth that he should sit in so eminent a place of Government being thus accused we know what we did in the Earle of Strafâ—ords case This man is the corrupt Fountaine that hath inâ—ected all the streames and till the fountaine be purged we cannot expect to have any cleare Channels I shall be bold therefore to offer my opinion and if I erre it is the errour of my judgement and not my want of zeale and affection to the publicke good I conceive it most necessary and fit that we should now take up a Resolution to doe somewhat to strike whilst the Iron is hot And goe up to the Lords in the name of the Commons of this House and in the name of the Commons of England and to accuse him of High Treason and to desire their Lordships his person may be sequestred and that in convenient time they may bring up the Charge Which soone after was accordingly executed as you have already seene By these speeches Articles of High Treason against this Arch-Prelate it is apparent that his Treasons equall if not far exceed the Treasons of any of his Predecessors in the darkest mists of Popery and that he like his Predecessor Austin hath endeavored to rayse a bloody civill warre betweene England Ireland and Scotland onely for opposing his all-subduing Archiepiscopall Jurisdiction extended by him over all his Majesties three Kingdomes and for refusing to receive those Superstitious Romish Ceremonies and Innovations which he would have violently thrust upon them yea it is evident by these Articles that he is the primum mobile whence all our late warres tumults uproares and divisions proceededâ— and the spring whence all our insupportable grievances both in our Church and State have originally flowed And so by his owne late published maxime A schisme must needes be theirs whose the cause of it is and he makes the separation that gives the first just cause thereof the blame of all these late schismes warres and intolerable grievances whether Civill or Ecclesiasticall must rest intirely on his head who as he is like to leave no heires of his body lawâ—ully begotten to inherit his vertues so it is pity he should leave any successour behinde him in his See to perpetuate his and his Predecessors Treasons with other their Archiepiscopall vices It is his owne late resolution The condition of the Church were most miserable if it should be constrained to acknowledge a Wolfe manifestly raging for her shepheard and it is likewise his observation A man may become of a Pastor a Wolfe and since Iudas changed from an Apostle to a Devill Joh 6. It is no wonder to see others change from shepheards into Wolvesâ— I doubt the Church is not empty of such changlings at this day Whether himselfe and his forementioned Predecessors have not proved such Wolves and changlings by reason of the Venome of their Archiepiscoâ—all Chaire and whether the condition of our Church were not most miserable if she should be still constrained to acknowledge these Arch-Wolves of Canterbury manifestly raging to be her Shepheards and still to maintaine an interrupted succession of them to devoure the poore sheepe of Christ both soule and body and to be perpetuall pests Traytors and incendiaries to our Church and State as their Predecessours have ever beene I shall submit to those whom it most concernes who have now sufficient power and opportunity in their hands to redresse all incumbent and prevent all future mischiefes in this kinde I could now gladly wade out of this dangerous See of Canterbury wherein I have so long roved did not the Acts of some other ancient Prelates of it next successors to Augustine
of Woborne in Bedfordshire Adam Sudbury Abbot of Germany with Astbeed a Monke of that House the Abbot of Sawly in Lanâ—ashâ—re and the Prior of the same William Wâ—ld Prior of Birlingtoâ— the Parson of Padington 5. priests of Lincolnshire Doctor Markerell who stiled himselfe Captaine Cobler and Iohn Allen Priests the chiefe fire-brands in this Rebellion were hanged for Rebellion as they well deserved though they named their enterprise an holy blessed Pilgrimage and had certaine Banners in the field wherein was planted Christ hanging on the Crosse on the one side and a Chalice with a painted Cake in it on the other side For other Arch-Bishops since I finde not much concerning them onely I reade that Robert Holgate his next Successour was committed prisoner to the Tower in the first yeare of Queene Mary where he lay an yeare and halfe and that Edwin Sands another of his Successours was long impriâ—oned by Queene Mary he being Vice-chancellour of Cambridge when the Lady Iane was proclaimed Queeneâ— preached a Sermon upon that ocâ—â—sion which was like to cost him his life Samuel Harsnet the last Archbish. but one being made a Privie Councellour by our present Soverâ—igne King Charles was such a furious Hildebrand that like Davus in the Comedie he perturbed all things where ever he came insomuch that the Lords and Court growing wearie of him and his domineering outrage caused him to be sent from Court to his Arch-Bishopricke and there to keepe residence till he should be sent for Where having no other imployment hee falls by the eares with Doctor Howson Bishop of Durham whom he excommunicated for refusing to admit him to visit in his Diocesse as his Metropolitane he being a Count Palatine in his Bishopricke and withall falling to persecute the godly Ministers of his Diocesse he was smitten mortally with a dangerous disease whereof he died the very night before he resolved to suspend and silence some good men summoned to appeare before him the next morning This furious Arch-Prelate was such an enemie to the Lawes and Liberties of the subject that in the case of Mr. Walter Long censured in Star-chamber about 4. Caroli for comming up to the Parliament House whereof he was a member whilâ—s he was Sheriffe of Wiltshire contrary to his Oath as was pretended when as his Counsell produced divers ancient Records and Presidents touching the Priviledges of Parliaments and the members of it to exempt him from the Jurisdiction and sentence of that Court this Arch-Bishop checked his counsell for troubling them with Moth-Eaten Records saying That they sate there not to be guided by Presidents but to make Presidents and so proceeded to censure in the cause In a word I may conclud of himâ— as Saint Bernard long before did of one of his predecessors Nonne Eboracensis ipse est cui te praesâ—nte fratres tui restiterunt in faciem eo quod reprehensibilis erat sed speravit in multitudine divitiarum suarum praevaluâ—t in vanitate sua Certâ—m est tamen quod non intravit per ostium in ouile ovium sed ascendit aliunde Si Paston fuiâ—set diligendus erat si mercenarius tolerandus Nunc autem cavendus et repellendus utpote fur latro Richard Neale the last Arch-bishop of York before his comming to that See about the 13 yeare of King Iames not long after hee was created a Bishop was highly questioned in Parliment for seditious speeches against the Commons House for which he had suffered condigne punishment had he not beene an active instrument to dissolve that Parliament to avoid the censure of it Since that he had a hand in dissolving other Parliaments to the prejudice of the King and Kingdome In the Remonstrance of the Commons House of Parliament presented to King Charles our Soveraigne in the 3. yeare of his Raigne hee was by name complained against as one of the chiefe heads of the popish and Arminian Factions which disquietted both our Church and State and as a persecuter of good Ministers and suppressour of Lectures How many godly Ministers he prosecuted silenced suspended deprived both in the High Commission and all the Diocesse under his Jurisdiction whiles hee continued in favour at the Court is so well knowne to all that I need not relate it And his disfavour at Court as most conjecture was the cause of his unexpected Clemencie to the Ministers of the province of York some few years before his death He was the first advancer of William Laud Arch-bishop of Canterbury of Doctor Cousins with sundry other Incendiaries and Innovators both in Church and State who were entertained by him for his Chaplainesâ— and then promoted by his meanesâ— to the ruine almost of our Religion and Kingdome He was a great enemy to Parliaments Prohibitions the Liberties of the Subject and Lawes of the Land Hee seldome or never preached himselfe and therefore could not endure frequent preaching in others Hee was a great furtherer of the Booke for sports on the Lords day and an enemy to puritie Puritans and the sincere practise of pietie Hee had a hand in ratifying the late Canons and Oath in affront of his Majesties Prerogative the Parliament Lawes and Liberties of the Subject And no doubt he had a finger in the late Scottish Warres and Combustions whereupon hee burnt all his Letters concerning Church and State-affaires as soone as he heard the Scots had entred into England for feare they should have beene surprized and his fellow-Prelates machinations against the Scots by their surprisall discovered He had a chiefe hand and influence in the unjust and bloudy sentences against Dr. Layton and Mr. Pryn in the Star-chamber against Mr. Smartâ— Dr. Bastwicke Mr. Huntly and sundry others in the High Comission in the vexatious and most exorbitant proceedings against Calvin Bruen Peter Lee Mr. Inch and sundry others of Chester for visiting M. Pryn in his passage through that Citie towards Castleâ— and by 2. Orders under the high Commission Seale of Yorke signed with his owne and other Commissioners hands bearing date the 10. Novem. and 4. Decem. 1637. commanded 5. Pictures of the Portraiture of M. Pryn to be defaced and then burnt at the high Crosse in Chester before the Maior Alderman and Citizensâ— out of an hatred to Mr. Prynnes person which no doubt hee would have burned to as well as his picture had it bin in his power This Arch-Prelate by the aide of his quondam Chaplain Canterbury incroached much on the liberties of the Lord Maior and Citizens of Yorke with whom he had many contests and procured a Mandate to the Lord Maior not to carry his sword before him within the Close and Cathedrall at Yorke though his Predecessours had ever used to do it from K. Richard the 2. his daies who gave them this priviledge by a Charter and yet the Deane and Prebends of Yorke in the meane have intruded themselves contrary to divers Charters into the civill Government
loose your Jewels in my truth and in mine acquitall as it seemes to me I may not nor ought not counsell so great an hurt to you and to all your Land 21. Item It is not unknowne to you my right doubted Lord how oftentimes I have offered my service to and for the defence of your Realme of France and Dutchy oâ— Normandy where I have beene put there from by the labour of the Lord Cardinall in preferring others after his singular affection which hath caused a great part of the said Dutchy of Normandy as well as of the Realme of France to be lost as it is well knowne and what good my right doubted Lord was lost on that army that was last sent thither which the Earle of Mortaigne your Counsell of France hath well and clearly declared to your Highnesse here before 22. Item My right doubted Lord it is not unknowneâ— that it had not beene possible to the said Cardinall to have come to his great riches but by such meanes for of his Church it might not rise and inheritance he had none Wherefore my right doubted Lord sith there is great good behoofe at this time for the weale and safegard of your Realmes the poverty necessity and indigence of your leige people in highnesse understand like it unto your noble grace to consider the said lucre of the said Cardinall and the great deceipts that you be deceived in by the labour of him and of the Archbishop as well in this your Realme as in the Realme of France and Dutchy of Normandy where neither office livelihood nor Captaine may be had withouâ— too great good given unto him whereby a great part of all the losse that is lost they have beene the causers of for who that would give most his was the prise not considering the merrits service nor sufficiency of persons Furthermore it is greatly to be considered how when the said Cardinall had forfeited all his goods because of provision as the Statute thereupon more plainely declareth by having the rule of you my right doubted Lordâ— purchased himselfe in great defraudation of your Highnesse a Charter of pardon the which good and it had beene well governed might many yeares have sustained your warres without any tâ—lage of your poore people 23. Iâ—em my redoubted Lord whereas I wrote many things for the weale of you and of your Realmesâ— peradventure some wil say and understandâ— that I would or have written by way of accusement of all your Counsell which God knoweth I doe not for your Highnesse may well see that I name them that be causâ—rs of the sâ—id inordinate rule Wherefore considering that the said Cardinall and Archbishop of Yorke are they that pretend the governance of you and of your Realmes and Lordshipsâ— please iâ— unto your Highnâ—sse of your right wisenesse to estrâ—nge them of your Counsell to that intent that men may be at their freedome to say what they thinke of truth 24. For truth I dare speake of my truth the poore dare not doe so And if the Cardinall and the Archbishop of Yorke may afterward declare themselves of that is and shall be said of them you my most doubted Lord may then restore them againe to your Counsell at your noble pleasure When the King had heard the accusations thus laid by the Duke of Glocester against the Cardinall he committed the examination thereof to his Counsell whereof the more part were spirituall persons so that what for feare and what for favour the matter was winked at and nothing said to it onely faire countenance was made to the Duke as though no malice had beene conceived against him but venome will breake out and inward grudge will soone appeare which was this yeare to all men apparant for divers secret attempts were advanced forward this season against this Noble man Humfry Duke of Glocester a farre off which in conclusion came so neare that they bereft him both of life and land For this proud covetous Prelate setting the Queene against this good Duke at a Parliament at Berry caused him there to be arrested and murthered by meanes of whose death all France was shortly after lost the Kingdome involved in a bloody civill warre I shall close up the History of this proud Prelate with old Father Latimers words concerning him in a Sermon before King Edward the sixth There was a Bishop of Winchester in King Henry the sixth dayes which King was but a child but yet were there many good Acts made in his childhood and I doe not reade that they were broken This Bishop was a great man borne and did beare such a stroake that he was able to shoulder the Lord Protector Well it chanced that the Lord Protector and he fell out and the Bishop would beare nothing at all with him but played the Sacrapha so the Regent of France was faine to be sent for from beyond the seas to set them at one and goe betweene them for the Bishop was as able and ready to buckle with the Lord Protector as hee was with him Was not this a good Prelate he should have beene at home Preaching at his Diocesse with a wannion This Protector was so noble and godly a man that he was called of every man the good Duke Humfry he kept such a house as was never since kept in England without any inhaunsing of rents I warrant you or any such matter And the Bishop for standing so stiffely by the matter and bearing up the order of our Mother the holy Church was made a Cardinall at Calis and thither the Bishop of Rome sent him a Cardinals Hat he should have had a Tiburne Tippit a halfe penny halter and all such proud Prelates These Romish Hats never brought good into England Vpon this the Bishop goeth to the Queene Katherine the Kings wife a proud woman and a stout and perswaded her that if the Duke were in such authority still and lived the people would honour him more than the King and the King should not be set by and so betweene them I cannot tell how it came to passe but at S. Edmundsberry in a Parliament the good Duke Humfry was smothered To leave this Cardinall Ste. Gardiner both Chancellor of England B. of Winchester was the chiefe author of making reviving the bloody Act intitled the 6. Articles by which many of our godly Martyrs suffered the chiefe plotter and contriver of the noble Lord Cromwells death Who could not abide the pride of the Prelates and was attainted by Parliament and never came to his answer He was a great opposer of the reformation of Religion and abuses of the Clergy both in King Henry the eights and King Edwards dayes and stirred up under hand divers Priests Abbots and Monkes to oppose the Kings Supremacie and to rayse up open rebellion in Lincolneshire in the North Cornewall and other places in maintenance of Popery for which Treasons and Rebellions Exmew Middlemore
and Lincolne both detained Prisoners affirming that it was a miserable wickednesse that the king was so farre seduced by incendiaries that he should command hands to be layd on his owne people especially on his Bishops in the peace of his Court That a Celestiall injury was hereby added to the kings dishonour that under pretence of the defaults of the Bishops Churches should be spoyled of their possessions That the kings excesse against the Law of God did so farre grieve him that he would rather suffer much losse both in his body and estate than the Episcopall celsitude should be cast downe with so great indignity that he ofâ— admonishedâ— the king to amend this same who even then refused not the calling of the Councell that therefore the Arch-bishop and the rest should consult together what was needfull to be done and hee would not be wanting to the execution of their advise neither for love of the king who was his brother nor for the losse of his possessions no nor yet for the perill of his head The King not distrusting his cause sent some Earles unto the Councell demaunding why he was summoned thither The Legate answered them in briefe that he who remembred that he had subjected himselfe to the faith of Christ ought not to be angry if he were called by Christs Ministers to make satisfaction being conscious of so great guilt as these ages had never seene For it was the act of secular Gentiles to imprison Bishops and strip them of their possessions Therefore they should tell his Brother that if he would give a willing assent to his Councell he would by Gods direction give him â—uch as neither the Church of Rome nor the Court of the king of France nor Count Theobald brother to them both should contradict but ought favourably to embrace that the king for the present should doe advisedly if either he would give an account of his fact or undergoe the judgement of the Canons for he ought of duty to favour the Church by reception into whose bosome and not by a â—and of Souldiers he was promoted to the kingdome Whereupon the Earles departing returned not long afâ—er wâ—th Albin Deâ—er an experienced Lawyer Who pleaded that Roger the Bishop had many wayes inâ—ured king Stephen that he came very seldome to his Court thaâ— his men presuming on his power had raised seditions that as often in other places so of late at Oxford they had made assaults on men and that upon Earle Alans owne Nephew and upon the Servants of Henry de Lyons a man of so great Nobility so haughty a brow that he would never upon king Henries request condescend to come into England That this injury redounded to king Stephen for whose loves sake hâ—e came that so great violence was offered to him that the Bishop of Lincolne out of his inveterate hatred against Alan had by his Servants beene the Author of Sedition that the Bishop of Salisbury secretly favoured the kings enemies dissembling his double dealing in the interim till a fiâ— occasion that the king had undoubtedly discovered this by many things and by this especially that he would not suffer Roger Mortimer with the kings Souldiers which he led in great â—eare of the Bristow men so much as to stay one night at Malmesbury that it was in every mans mouth that as soone as ever the Empresse should arrive that he with his Nâ—phewes and Castles would revolt to her that Roger was thus taken not as a Bishop but as the Kings Servant who both administred his affaires and received his wages that the King had not taken away the Castles from them by violence but that both the Bishops thankefully rendered them that they might excuse the calumny of the tumult which they had raised in the Court that the King found some money in the Castles which were lawâ—ully his owne because the Bishop had collected it out of the Rents of the Royall Exchequer in the time of King Henry his Uncle and antecessor that the Bishop for feare of his offences against the King willingly parted from them as he did from his Castles of which â—he King wanted not witnesses that therefore he desired the agreements betweene him and the Bishops should remaine firme Roger on the other side alleaged that he was never a Servant to the King nor received his wages moreover some threatnings were uttered by this generous Prelate who scorned to be dejected with mis-fortunes that if he found not justice in that Councell for the things taken from him that he would complaine thereof in the audience of a greater Court. The Legate answered mildlyâ— That they ought first to inquire as of other things so of all things which are spoken against Bishops in an Ecclesiasticall Councell by way of accusation whether they be true or not rather then to pronounce sentence against men uncondemned contrary to the decrees of the Canons let the King therefore doe that is lawfull to be done in secular judgements revest the Bishop of the things taken away by the Law of the Nations disseised men shall not plead Many things being spoken on both sides after this manner the cause at the Kings request was deferred 3. dayes longer till the Archbishop of Rhoan came Who sayd he granted that Bishops might have Castles if they could prove by the Canons that by law they ought to have them Which because they could not that it was extreame dishonesty to contend against the Canons And grant saith he that they may enjoy them yet verily because it is a suspitious time all the great men according to the custome of other Nations ought to deliver up the Keyes of their Fortresses to the Kings pleasure who ought to wage warre for the peace of all men Thus all the controversie of the Bishops was weakned For either according to the Decrees of the Canons it is unjust they should have Castles or if this be tolerated by the Kings indulgence they ought to yeeld up the keyes tâ— the necessity of the time To this Albric the Kings Lawyer added that the King was informed that the Bishops threatned among themselves and provided to send some of them to Rome against him And this saith he the King commendeth to you that none of you presume to doe it for if any one against his will and the dignity of the Kingdome of England shall goe any where from England peradventure his returne shal be difficult Moreover he because he seeth himselfe grieved of his own accord appeales you to Rome After the King partly by commending partly by way of threatning had commanded these things it was understood whither it tendedâ— Wherefore they so departed that neither he would suffer the censure of the Canons nor be judged by them neither did the Bishops thinke fit to exercise it and that for a double reason Either because it would be temerarious to excommunicate the King without the Popes privity Or else because they heard and some also
saw that there were swords drawne round about them for words were no jests but there was a contention almost about life and blood Yet the Legate and Archbishop gave not over but prosecuted the tenor of their office for casting themselves humbly downe at the Kings feete in his Bedchamber they beseeched him to compassionate the Church to compassionate his owne sâ—ule and fame that he would not suffer a dissention to be made betweene the Kingdome and Priesthood He rising up courteously although he removed the envie of the things done â—rom himselfe yet he made no effectuall performance of his good promises And so this great suite wherein the Prelates presumed to convent the king himselfe before them to try his title to Castles being temporall possessions ceased and the pretended execution of their owne Canons never pressed before that I read of vanished into nothing These bickerings betweene the Bishop his Nephewes and the king to whom he owed even the Crowne he wore caused all the Bishops to fall off from him againe and joyne with Maude This their treachery to King Stephen is most fully recorded by William Malmesbury who relates that the Bishop of Winchester brother to king Stephen and the Popes Legate taking some offence against the king came to a Parley with Maude in the fields neere Winchester where Maude the Empresse swore and vowed to him that all the greatest businesses in England and especially the Donations of Bishoprickes and Abbies should be at his disposall if he with the holy Church would receive her for their Soveraigne and be continually loyall to her some of the greatest Nobles of her party making the same oath Whereupon the Bishop made no scruple to receive the Empresse as Lady of England and to sweare to her by himselfe and some others that as long as she brake not this agreement that he would be faithfull to her which done the next day she was received by the Bishop in the Cathedrall Church of Winchester with an honourable Procession the Bishop of Winchester going on her right hand and Barnard Bishop of Saint Davids on her left there were other Bishops present beside these as Alexander Bishop of Lincolne Robert of Hereford Nigellus of Ely Robert of Bath with sundry Abbotsâ— a few dayes after Theobald Arch-bishop of Canterbury came to the Empresse at Winchester being invited by the Legate but deâ—erred to sweare fealty to the Empresse without the kings privity being as hee thought a dishonour to his fame and person but after some conference had with the king by the Cardinall and most of the Prelates who intreated leave of him to yeeld to the necessity of the time they condescended to the Legates motion and fell off to the Empresse Whereupon about a fortnight after Easter Theobald Arch-bishop of Canterbury held a Councell of all the Bishops of England and of many Abbots in great state at Winchester wherein the Bishop of Winchester made this speech That by vertue of his Legatine power which he derived from the Pope he had summoned the Clergie of England to this Councell that they might consult in Common of the peace of the Country which was in great danger of Shipwrack that in the time of King Henry his Uncle England was a singular houshold of peace c. Which King some yeares before his death caused all the Bishops and Barons to sweare to the Empresse his Daughter and onely Childe that the whole kingdome of England with the Dutchy of Normandy should descend to her if he had no issue male by the Duke of Loraines daughter That dismall fortune envied his most excellent Uncle so as he dyed in Normandy without issue male Therefore because it seemed long to expect the Lady who resided in Normandy and delayd to come into England to provide for the peace of the Country my Brother was permitted to raigne And although I became a surety betweene God and him that hee should honour and exalt the holy Church maintaine good Lawes and abrogate evill yet it grieves me to remember it shames me to relate what a one he hath shewed himselfe in his kingdome how no justice hath beene exercised upon the presumptuous how all peace was presently abolished almost the same yeare the Bishops apprehended and compelled to a reddition of their possessions Abbies sold the Churches rob'd of their treasures the Counsells of wicked men heard of good men either suspended or altogether contemned You know how often I have convented him both by my selfe and by the Bishops especially in the Councell the last yeare summoned to that purpose and that I got nothing but hatred thereby Neither can it be unknowne to any who will rightly consider it that I ought to love my mortall brother but ought much more to esteeme the cause of my immortall Father Therefore because God hath exercised his judgement touching my brother that he might permit him without my knowledge to fall into the power of the Mighty left the kingdome should â—ottet if it wanted a king I have invited you all by the right of my Legation to assemble together at this place Yesterday the cause was secretly ventilated before the greater part of the Clergie of England to whose right especially it belongs both to elect and ordaine a king Therefore having first invocated as it is meete Gods assistance we have â—lected the Daughter of a peace-making king a glorioâ—s king a rich king a good king and in our time incomparable to be Queene of England and Normandy and we promise fidelity and maintenance to her When the Bishop of Winchester had thus spoken all the Bishops and Clergie present as William of Malmsbury then present at the Councell relates did either modestly give their acclamation to the sentence of Mauds election and Stephens rejection or keeping silence did not contradict it In this Councell many who tooke king Stephens part were excommunicated and by name William Martell who had intercepted some of the Legates goods aâ—ter this Councell the City of London formerly addicted to king Stephen and the greatest part of England willingly submitted to the dominion of Maude who was principally counselled by Robert her brother and by the Legate of Winchester who pretended that hee sought her welfare but within few dayes after there fell out a difference betweene the Legate and Maude which occasioned a great alteration and was the cause of many new mischiefes in Englâ—nd Whereupon the Bishop Legate departed from the Court absolved all those whom he â—ormerly excommunicated in the Councell without the consent of the Bishops raised up a complaint against the Empresse that she intended to apprehend him and made no account of any thing she had sworne to Which report was spred over all England Whereupon he stirred up the Londoners and Barons against the Empresse whom he beseiged and restored Sâ—ephen not onely to his liberty but to the Crowne In the meane time â—his Roger Bishop of Salisbury dyes of a Quarâ—aine Fever which
too large for one mans government that Ely were a fit place for an Episcopall See c. These Reasons amplified with golden Rhetoricke so perswaded the King as he not onely consented himselfe that this Monastery should be converted into a Cathedrall Church and the Abbot made a Bishop but also procured the Pope to confirme and allow of the same but Richard dying before his enstalement Henry the first Anno 1109. appointed this Bishopricke unto one Hervaeus that had beene Bishop of Bangor and agreeing ill with the Welchmen was faine to leave his Bishoppricke therâ— and seeke abroad for somewhat elsewhere Nigellus the second Bishop of this See by reason of his imployment in matters of State and Councell could not attend his Pastorall charge and therefore committed the managing and government of his Bishoppricke unto one Ranulphus sometime a Monke of Glastonbury that had new cast away his Cowle a covetous and wicked man King Stephen and he had many bickerings and as Matthew Paris writes hee banished him the Realme he was Nephew to Roger Bishop of Salisbury from whom in ejus pernâ—â—iem traxerat incâ—ntiuum he had drawne an incentive to his distruction but of him and his contests with this King you may read more in Roger of Salisbury his Vncle. This See continuing void five yeares without a Bishop after Nigellus death Geoffery Rydell Anno. 1174. succeeded him a very lofty and high minded man called commonly The Proud Bishop of Ely King Richard the first and he accorded so ill that he dying intestate and leaving in his coffers great store of ready money namely 3060. markes of silver and 205. pound of gold the King confiscated and converted it to his owne use William Longchamp next Bishop of this See being made Lord Chancellour of England chiefe Justice of the South part of England Protector of the Realmeby Richard the first when he went his voyage to the Holy-land set the whole Kingdome in a combustion through his strang insolence oppression pride violence For having all temporall and spirituall Jurisdiction in his hands the Pope making him his Legate here in England at the Kings request which cost him a thousand pounds in money to the great offence of the King infatuated with too much prosperity and the brightnesse of his owne good fortune he began presently to play both King and Priest nay Pope in the Realme and to doe many things not onely untowardly and undiscreetly but very arrogantly and insolenâ—ly savoring aswell of inconscionable covetousnesse and cruelty as lacke of wisedome and policy in so great a government requisite He calling a Convocation by vertue of his power Legantine at the intreaty of Hugh Novant Bishop of Chester displaced the Monkes of Coventree and put in secular Priests in their roomes Officers appointed by the King himselfe he discharged and removed putting others in their steeds He utterly rejected his fellow Justices whom the King joyned with him in Commission for government of the Realme refusing to heare their Counsell or to be advised by them Hee kept a guard of Flemmings and French about him At his Table all Noblemens children did serve and waite upon him Iohn the Kings brother and afterward King himselfe hee sought to keepe under and disgrace by all meanes possible opposing him all hee could that he might put him from the Crowne He tyrannized exceedingly over the Nobility and Commons whom he grieved with intollerable exactions oppressions extraordinary outward pomp and intollerable behaviour He was extreame burthensome one way or other to all the Cathedrall Churches of England His Offices were such prolling companions bearing themselves bold upon their Masters absolute authority as there was no sort of peaple whom they grieved not by some kinde of extortion all the wealth of the Kingdome came into their hands insomuch that scarce any ordinary person had left him a silver belt to gird him withall any woman any brooch or bracelet or any gentleman a ring to weare upon his finger Hee purchased every where apase bestowed all Temporall and Ecclesiasticall Offices and places that fell where he pleased Hee never rode with lesse than 1500. horse and commanded all the Nobility and Gentry when he went abroad to attend him lodging for the most part at some Monastery or other to their great expence having both Regall and Papall authority in his hands hee most arrogantly domineered both over the Cleargy and Layety and as it is written of a certaine man That he used both hands for a right hand so likewise hee for the more easie effecting of his designes as our Lordly Prelates doe now used both his powers one to assist the other for to compell and curbe potent Laymen if peradventure he could doe lesse than he desired by his secular power he supplied what was wanting with the censures of his Apostolicall power But if perchance any Clergy man resisted his will him without doubt alledging the Canons for himselfe in vaine he oppressed and curbed by his secular power There was no man who might hide himselfe from his heate when as he might justly feare both the rod of his Secular and the sword of his spirituall jurisdiction to be inflicted on him and no Ecclesiasticall Person could by any meanes or authority be able to defend himselfe against his royall preheminence Finally glorying of his immense power that the Metropolitane Churches which as yet did seeme to contemne his excellency might have experience of his authority he went in a terrible manner to both And first of all to Yorke to the Bishop elect whereof hee was most maliciously dispitefull And sending before him a mandate to the Clergy of the said Church that they should meete him in a solemne manner as the Legate of the Aposticke See when as they had thought to appeale against him he regarded not the appeale made to the higher power but gave the appellants their choyce that they should either fulfill his commands or be committed to prison as guilty of high Treasonâ— Being therefore thus affrighted they obeyed and not daring so much as to mutter any further against him as to one triumphing they with a counterfeit sorrow bestowed as much honor glory on him as he would himself The chiefe Chanter of that Church had gone out of the way a little before that he might not see that which he could not behold without torment of mind which the Bishop undestanding raging against this absent person as a rebell with an implacable motion by his own Sergeants spoiled him of all his goods Having preyed upon the Archbishoppricke and pursed all up into his Treasury this famous tryumpher departed And not long after he triumphed in like manner over those of Canterbury when as no man now durst to resist him Having therefore both Metropolitane Sees thus prostrate to him he used both as he pleased In a word the Lay-men in England at that time writes Neubrigensis found
they should presently depart the Realme that all their Lands and goods should be confiscated which was done and they all put out of the Kings protection The Bishops and Abbots hereupon stood on their guard sending the King word that they would not depart out of their Bishopprickes and Monasteries unlesse they were thrust out perforce whereupon all their possessions barnes corne and goods were seized on by the Kinâ—s Officers and the Parents of those Bishops who interdicted the Realme apprehended spoiled of all their goods and thrust into prison In the yeare 1266. whiles King Henry the third besieged Kenelworth Castle some rebells whom the King had disinherited entred the Isle of Ely and wasted the Country thereabouts Whereupon Hugh Balsam about whose election there was great contention comming to the King to complaine being then Bishop of this See was unworthily received ei casus iste apluribus imputatur This accident being imputed unto him by many hee being suspected to favour and side with these Rebells In William Kilkenny his next predecessors time there was a great suit betweene this Bishop and the Abbot of Ramsey about the Fennes and the bounding of them which Fennes having beene formerly unhabitable and unpassable by men beasts or cartsâ— overgrowne with Reeds and inhabited onely by birds that I say not devills about that time were miraculously converted into delectable meadowes and arable ground Et quae ibidem pars â—egetes vel faena non producit gladiolum cespites alia ignis pabula cohabitantibus utilia germinando abundanter subministrat Vnde lis gravis contentio de terminâ—s locorum talium terrarum inter eos qui ab initio Mariscum inhabitabant exorta lites praelta suscitabat writes Matthew Paris and among others betweene the Bishop of Ely and this Abbot of Ramâ—ey King Edward the third was so highly offended with the Monks election of this Bishop Balseam contrary to his direction that he caused the woods of the Bishoprick to be cut downe and sold the Parkes to be spoiled the Ponds to be fished and wasted and havocke to be made of all things whereupon the Bishop got him over sea to Rome to seeke reliefe against whom Boniface Archbishop of Canterbury to gratifie the King writ divers Letters to his friends of Rome and set up one Adam de Marisco to be a counterfeiter to the Pope against him In this Bishops time the King standing in neede of money the Prelates granted him 42. thousand markes to the great hurt and irreparable damnage of the Church and Kingdome upon condition that the King should speedily redresse the oppressures of the Church and reduce it to the State of due libertie whereupon the Bishops framed about fiftie Articles and put them in writing that being read before the King Nobles and Prelates they might be confirmed in due time which Articles writes my author were like to those which Thomas Archbishop of Canterbury the Martyr contended for and became a glorious conquerour and therefore directly against the Kings Prerogative and the Lawes of the Realme Thomas Lilde Bishop of Ely a furious and undiscreet Prelate in King Edward the third his dayes had many quarrels with the Lady Blanch Lake a neere Kinswoman of the Kings about certaine bounds of Lands and trespasses in burning of a house by the Bishops command or privityâ— belonging to this Lady who recovered 900. pound dammages against him which he was inforced to pay downe presently After this he had divers contestations with the King himselfe one about Robert Stretton Bishop of Lichfield he reprehending the King for making him a Bishop which the King tooke so tenderly that he commanded him in great displeasure to avoid his presence Another about his suits with the forenamed Lady and some harsh speeches used by him of the King concerning themâ— for which words and other matters the King accused him to the Parliament then assembled and there testifying these obiected wrongs upon his Honour the Bishop thereupon was condemned and this punishment laid upon him that hereafter he should never presume to come in the Kings presence Which History William Harrison thus relates and others quoted in the Margin There was sometime a grievous contention betweene Thomas Lilde Bishop of Ely and the King of England about the yeare of grace 1355. which I will here deliver out of an old Record because the matter is so partially penned by some of the brethren of that house in favour of the Bishop and for that I was also abused with the same in the entrance thereof at the first into my Chronologie The blacke Prince favouring one Robert Stratton his Chaplaine a man unlearnedâ— and not worthy the name of a Clearke the matter went on so farre that what for love and somewhat else of a Canon of Lichfield he was chosen Bishop of that See Hereupon the Pope understanding what he was by his Nuncio here in England stayed his consecration by his letters for a time and in the meane season committed his examination to the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of Rochester who felt and delt so favourably with him in golden reasoning that his worthinesse was commended to the Popes Holinesse and to Rome he goes Being come to Rome the Pope himselfe opposed him and after secret conference utterly disableth his Election till he had proved by substantiall Argument and of great weight before him also that he was not so lightly to be reiected Which kinde of reasoning so well pleased his Holinesse that ex mera plenitudine potestatis he was made capable of the Benefice and so turneth into England when he came home this Bishop being in the Kings presence told him how he had done he wist not what in preferring so unmeete a man unto so high a calling with which speech the King was offendedâ— that he commanded him out of hand to avoid out of his presence In like sort the Lady Wake then Dutchesse of Lancaster standing by and hearing the King her cozen to gather upon the Bishop so roundly and thereto bearing an old grudge against him for some other matter doth presently picke a quarrell against him about certaine Lands then in his possession which he defended and in the end obtained against her by Plea and course of Law yet long also afore hapned in a part of her house for which she accused the Bishop and in the end by verdict of twelve men found that he was privy unto the fact of his men in the said fact wherefore he was condemned in 900 pound damages which he paid every penny Neverthelesse being sore grieved that she had as he said wrested out such a verdict against him and therein packed up a Quest at his owne choyce he taketh his horse goeth to the Court and there complaineth to the King of his great iniury received at her hands but in the delivery of his tale his speech was soblockiâ—h termes so evill favoredly
a great part of his Clergy and three Abbots and in full Synod excommunicated his Soveraigne Mouâ—ice King of Glamorgan for â—laying Cynetu and breaking the Covâ—nant which he had made in his presence upon the Altar of Peter the Apostâ—e and of Saint Dubricius and Telianus and then layed their Crosses to the earth and likewise intermitted Baptisme throughout his Country 〈◊〉 Communio Christiaâ—a and the Christian Communalty accursed the King and his progeny the Synod confirming it and saying Let his dayes be few and leâ— his childâ—en be Orphâ—nâ—s and his wife a wâ—ddow Whereupon the King with all his Country remained for two yeares space more under the said excommunication after which this King unable any longer to sustaine such a long lasting great excommunication seeing the perdition of his owne soule and damnation of his kingdome went to Landaffe and craved pardon of Saint Oudotius and powring out teares with his head bowed downe in the presence of three Abbots this Bishop imposed the yoake of pennance upon him according to the quality and quantity of his offence commending to him that hee should three manner of wayes amend his fault with God and the Church of Landaffe to wit with fasting Prayer and Almes whereupon this King for the redemption of his owne Soule and for the Soule of Synetu gave foure Villages to the Church of Landâ—ffe the names whereof are mentioned in that Synod Not long after another Synod was assembled by the same Bishop for the pennance and absolution of King Morâ—ant who slew Frioc his Vncle contrary to his oath they two having solemnely vowed that if one them should either kill or deceive the other that he would not redeeme himselfe either with Lands or money but would relinquish his Kingdome spenâ— his whole life in pilgrimage This K. confessing his fault before the Bishop and his Synod and craving pardon both for his perjury and Homicideâ— the whole Synod decreed least the Kingdome should be destitute of a King and of the pâ—otecting buckler of their naturall Lord that he should redeeme his Pilgrimage and â—xpiâ—te his homicide and perjury with fastings prayers and Almes which he swearing to doe they injoyned pennance to him according to his offence and his quality greatnesse and power whereupon he was restored to Christian Communion of which hee was formerly deprived by the Bishâ—p and gave three Churches with other particulars to the Church of Lâ—ndâ—ffe After this a third Synod was held under the same Bishop at Landâ—ffâ— wherein Guidneth who slew his brother Mercâ—ion in a contestation for the kingdome was excommunicated by this Bishop Synod with crosses laid downe to the ground and Cymbals overturnedâ— under which excommunication he remained three whole yeares without any Communion of Christians Afâ—er three yeares expired he asked pardon of the Bishâ—â— who granting him remission sent him in Pilgrimage to the Archbishop of Dole in Britany where he promised to continue a yeares space in exile but returning thence within the yeare this Bishop refused to absolve him and put him under the first excommunication because he performed not his first penance But this Bishop dying within a yeare after and Berthguin succeeding him king Morcant and Guadnorâ—h with many elders went to Landaffe and requested this new Bishop with one mouâ—h seeing â—he crosses yet laid downe upon the ground together with the reliques and Cymbals that he would absolve Guâ—dnorth from his excommunication by lifting up the Crosâ—es and Saints reliques from the earth After which Guednorth promising yet more to amend his life with fasting prayer and Almes and shedding teares with great devotion was thereupon absolved by the Bishop who enjoyned him plenary penance according to the manner of his fault he afterwards mindfull of the divine saying as water extinguisheth fire so alms doth sinne gave three Manors with all their liberties appurtenances to the Church of Landaffe By this kind of indirect meanes this Church got so much lands that had it now but the tenth part thereof Godwin assures us it would be one of the wealthiest Churches in Christendome Tâ—udâ—ur King of Brechiniauâ— or Brecknâ—ck sonne of Rese slew Elgistill another King of that Country treacherously after â— league solemnly sworne betweene themâ— not to lye in waite one for another and to maintaine a firme peace without deceit hereupon Gurcan the tenth Bishop of Landaffe with his Cleargy excommunicated him for his perjury and murther by uncovering the Altars of God casting the crosses and reliques to the ground and depriving him of all Christian communion whereupon Teâ—dur unable to undergoe this malediction and rigour of justice with a contrite heart and teares powred out craved pardon and submitted himselfe to the penance imposed on him according to his quality and greatnesse recompencing his wickednesse with Almes prayer and fasting and for his absolution he gave this Bishop Lan. Michâ—â—l with all its lands libâ—rties and Commons King Cloâ—ri and Lâ—ndguallaun made a solemne league before Berthgwin the 14. Bishop of Landaffe and sware to mainâ—aine fiâ—me peace betweene them in all things wâ—thout fraud or dammâ—ge And if either of them violated it he was to leave his kingdome and to goe on Pâ—lgrimage all his lifeâ— neither should he redeeme himselfe nor his kingdome with gold nor silver Aâ—ter which King Clotri breaking the league slew the other treacherously committing both homicide and pâ—rjury Which â—his Bâ—shop hearing of assembled a Synode of his Clergy at Landaffâ— and in a full Synod excommunicated the King with alâ— his progeny and kingdome by uncovering Gods Altars and casting downe the crosses to the earth and left the Country without Bâ—ptisme and the communion Whereupon the K. unable to endure so great an excommunication with great devotion submitted himselfe to the Bishop left his Kingdome went on Pilgrimage into forraigne parts from whence returning into his Countâ—y after a long â—pace by â—he intercession of King Morcant he obtained absolution from the Bishop to whose enjoyned penance he submitted thereupon he gave Helic with other lands to the Bâ—shop and his successors in the Church of Landaffe In this Bâ—shops time Gurcan the sonne of Guinâ—n kept his owne Stepmother for which the Bishop excommunicated him in such manner aâ— he did Cloâ—ri and upon his penance and absolution the Bishop wrâ—sted from him a peâ—â—e of land called Marchinis In the dayes of Cercenhir the 18. Bishâ—p of Landâ—ffâ— Houel King of Glevissig contrary to his solemne oath circumvented and slew Gallun the sonne of Cidrich whereupon the Bâ—shop summoning a Synode excommunicated him in such sort as the former Kings were almost a yeares space at which time hee coming bare foot to the Bishop implored absolution with many teares which he obtaining after publike pennance enjoyned gave three Mannors to the Bishop and his Church After which this Bishop excommunicated Coubius for murthering Câ—mauc contrary to his solemne oath and that in a publike
for sundry great offences by them committed Whereupon Gawin Dowglasse Bishop of Dunkeld hearing of this Proclamation though not named in it conscious to himselfe of great offences fled into England and remained aâ— London in the Savoy where he dyed Anno 1569. There was a great rebellion in the North by the Earles of Westmorland and Northumberland and others Murray then Regent of Scotland informed Queene Elizabeth that the Bishop of Rosse then in England was the Authour of that Rebellion whereupon he was committed to the Bishop of London to remaine his Prisoner As the Archbishops of Canterbury Primates of all England have beene the greatest Traytors and Incendiaries of all other our Prelates so have the Bishops and Archbishops of Saint Andrewes Primates of all Scotland beene the like in that Realme of which I shall give you a taste In the yeare of our Lord 1180. Richard Bishop of Saint Andrews deceasing there arose a great Schisme about the election of a new Bishop for the canons of the Church of S. Andrews elected Iohn Scot for their Bishop and William King of Scots made choyce of Hugh his Chaplaine and caused him to be consecrated by the Bishops of his Kingdome notwithstanding the said Iohns appeale to the Pope Whereupon Pope Alexander sent Alexis a sub-Deacon of the Church of Rome into Scotland to heare and determine the controversie betweene these two competitors Who after a long debate finding that the said Iohn was Canonically elected and that Hugh after the appeale to the Pope was violently intruded by the King into the Bishopricke of Saint Andrewes immediately deposed him from his Bishopricke and by his authority imposed perpetuall silence on him confirmed the election of Iohn and caused him to be consecrated Bishop of Saint Andrewes by the Bishops of Scotland the King neither prohibiting nor contradicting it yea permitting it by the Counsell of the Bishops of his Realme But immediately after his consecration the King prohibited him to stay within his kingdome and Hugh carryed himselfe as Bishop no lesse than he did before his deprivation and taking with him the Episcopall Chaplet Staffe and Ring with other things he unlawfully detaining them and beginning his journey towards Rome departed And because he would not restore the things he carryed away Allexis excommunicated him interdicted his Bishopricke and the Pope confirmed that sentence Hereupon the Pope writes three Letters one to the Bishops Abbots and Prelates of all Scotland the Prior of Saint Andrewes and the Clergy and people of that Diocesse honourably to receive Iohn as their Bishop within 8 dayes after the receipt of this Letter and to submit unto him as their Bishop and putting on the spirit of fortitude to labour wisely and manfully for the preservation of Ecclesiasticall Justice and to endeavour to appease the Kings displeasure But if the King were averse or inclining to the Counsell of wicked men then they ought to obey God and the holy Church of Rome more than men otherwise he must and would ratifie the sentence which Hugh Bishop of Durham had pronounced against the contumacious and rebellious Another Letter to all the Bishops and Prelates of Scotland to denounce Hugh excommunicated and to avoyd his company as an excommunicate Person till he restored to Iohn the goods of the Church he had taken away and given him competent satisfaction for the things he had destroyed Moreover the Pope granted to Roger Arch-bishop of Yorke a power Legatine in Scotland and commanded him that he together wiâ—h Hugh Bishop of Durham should denounce a â—entence of excommunication against the King of Scotland and interdict his Kingdome unlesse he would permit the said Iohn to hold his Bishopricke in peace and give security to him to keepe the peace And the same Pope strictly commanded Iohn by vertue of his canonicall obedience that neither act of love nor feare oâ— any man nor through any mans suggestion or will he should rashly presume to relinquish the Church of Saint Andrewes to which he was consecrated and in which he was confirmed by Apostolicall authority nor presume to receive another Bishopricke adding that if he should attempt it he would take away both Bishopricks from him without exception After which Pope Alexander writ a Letter to King William himselfe enjoyning him thereby within twenty dayes after the receipt thereof to give peace and security to the Bishop and to receive him unto his favour so that he ought not to doubt the Kings indignation Alioquin noveritis c. Else he should know that he had commanded Roger Archbishop of Yorke Legate of the Apostolicke See in Scotland to put his Kingdome under interdict and to excommunicate his person notwithstanding any appeale And that he should know for certaine that if he persisted in his violence as he had formerly laboured that his kingdome might have liberty so he would thenceforth doe his endeavour Vt in pristinam subjectionem revertatur that it should revert unto its Priestine subjection He meant I take it not to himselfe but to England But the King obeying in nothing his Apostolicall mandates expelled Iohn Bishop of Saint Andrewes and Matthew Bishop of Aberden his Uncle oâ—t of his kingdome Whereupon Roger Arch-bishop of Yorke Hugh Bishop of Durham and Alexis prosecuting the Popes command Pronounced a Sentence of Excommunication against the Kings person and a sentence of Interdict against his Kingdome And Iohn on the other side fulminated a sentence of excommunication against Richard de Mâ—rtue Constable of Scotland and other of the Kings familiars who disturbed the peace betweene the King and him And Roger of Yorke and Hugh of Durham likewise enjoyned the Prior of Saint Andrewes and all Ecclesiasticall persons within the Diocesse to come to Iohn their Bishop and yeeld due subjection to him else they would pronounce a sentence of suspention against them as contumacious and rebellious And when as certaine Ecclesiastickes of the Diocesse for feare of the said suspension came to the said Iohn the King cast them all out of his kingdome with their children and kindred and with their very sucking children yet lying in their swathing cloutes and hanging on their Mothers brests Whose miserable proscription and exile the foresaid Roger of Yorke and Hugh of Durham beholding Reiterated their former excommunication and interdiction Commanding all Bishops Abbots Priors and Ecclesiasticall persons firmely and unmoveably to observe the same and very warily to shunne the King himselfe as an excommunicate Person Not long after Roger of Yorke fell sicke and dyed which the King of Scotâ— hearing rejoyced exceedingly thereat And taking advise with the Bishops Earles and other wise men of his kingdome he sent Ioceline Bishop of Glascow Arnulfe Abbot of Melros and others to Pope Lucius to absolve him from the foresaid Excommunication and interdict and if they might by any meanes to procure Iohn to be deprived By whose solicitation the Pope released the Excommunication and interdict as appeares by his Letter
to the King recorded at large by Hoveden After which the Pope sent one Rolland Elect Bishop of Dole into Scotland to make peace betweene the King and Iohn who after long debate made this accord that Hugh should abjure the Bishopricke of Saint Andreweâ— and that Iohn should also release all his claimes thereto and in leiu thereof should have the Bishopricke of Dunkelden and all the rents he had before the election and the Chancery of the King and forty markes rent out of the Bishopricke of Saint Andrewes But Hugh when the King required him to renounce his Bishopricke answered That he would rather receive his judgement in the Court of Rome than thus abjure his Bishopricke to which he had beene consecrated And forthwith he reproved the Letters which Iohn had impetrated from Rome against him of falsehood and appealed to the Pope Whereupon Rolland not able to proceed certified the Pope at large of the agreement and proceedings After this Iohn and Hugh appearing before the Pope and Cardinals at Velletris their cause was fully heard and debated in their audience whereupon by the common Counsell of his Brethren he deprived both of them and caused them to resigne the Bishoprick into his hands freely and absolutely And within â—ew dayes after by the advise of all the Cardinalls the Pope restored and confirmed the Bishopricke of Saint Andrewes to Hugh and gave the Bishopricke of Dunkelden with what ever the King formerly offered to Iohn Both the Bishops returning home received these severall Bishoprickes but because the King would not restore to Iohn the things taken from him he questioned Hugh againe for the Bishopricke of Saint Andrewes For which purpose he went to Rome where he procured Hugh to be deposed though but newly setled there before and brought with him five severall Letters from Pope Clement touching this businesse The first to Iocelin Bishop of Glascow Matthew Bishop of Aberden and others declaring the deposition of Hugh and absolving all within his Diocesse from his subjection and obedience and enjoyning them to elect Iohn and receive him for their Bishop The second to William King of Scots to receive Iohn into favour to remove Hugh and invest Iohn in this Bishopricke The third to Henry the second King of England beseeching admonishing and enjoyning him as he tendred the remission of his sinnes and out of his reverence of Saint Peter and him diligently to admonish and perswade the King of Scots Et si necesse fuerit districtione regali qua ei praemines concessa tuae regiae celsitudini potestate compellas c. And if need were To compell him by his royall distresse whereby he was above him and by the power granted to his royall Highnesse to lay aside all his rancor against this Bishop conceived by the malice of some whisperers and removing all excuses to pardon him and to permit him quietly to enjoy the Diocesse of Saint Andrewes without any further trouble or suite seeing he was ready and prepared to be obedient to the King in all things The fourth to all the Clergy and of the Diocesse of Saint Andrewes enjoyning them humbly and devoutly to receive Iohn as their proper Father and Pastor and fromthenceforth to give all due reverence and obedience to his wholesome admonitions and mandates wiâ—hout any diâ—â—imulation declaring all elections of any other to the Bishopricke voyd and threatning to put all the Diocesse under interdict if they presumed to conspire against Iohn untill they should acknowledge their offence and submit unto him The fifth to three Scottish Bishops and sundry Abbots reciting how great persecutions calamities and pressures the Church of Saint Andrewes had suffered under the shadow of the Kings indignation and what great dangers and labours Iohn had sustained â—or the preservation of the liberties of the Church committed to him confirmed by two Popes his predecessours and requiring them after the receipt of this Letter to meete together like wise and provident men and to goe to the Kings presence and diligently to admonish and induce him to remit the rancor of his indignation against the said Bishop and not to contemne the Church of Rome herein but without delay wholesomely to obey and humbly to submit to her and to their admonitions as it was agreeable to his Kingly glory and salvation and quietly to permit the Bishop to enjoy the Bishopricke of Saint Andrewes And that iâ— which God forbid he should resist these Apostolicall monitions to the perill of his owne salvation then they should promulgate an iâ—terdict against his highnesse Kingdome his Person and all his Favorites and Abettors within twenty dayes notwithstanding any appeale by his Apostolicall authority And â—hould strike those with the like sentence who were obedient to Hugh and fomented him in his obstinacy seeing the See Apostolicke had perpetually removed from Saint Andrewes and excommunicated him and should publickely pronounce them to be excommunicated as long as they did thus and should be carefully avoyded by others untill they should returne to the Churches obedience and demaund the benefit of absolution from Iohn as their Bishop Enjoyning them farther to purifie and sanctifie according to the custome of the Church all the Altars and Chalices in which Hugh had celebrated during his excommunication and to suspend all the Clerkes of Saint Andrewes both from their office and benefice and knit them fast in the bond of excommunication who should be contumacious and rebellious against Iohn untill they submitted to him The King hearing these things being at last overcome by the perswasion and intreaty of his friends received Ioâ—n into his favour and granted him peaceably to enjoy the Bâ—shopricke of Dunkelden and all the Rents he formerly had before his consecration upon condition that Iohn should quite claime from all suite the Bishopricke of Saint Andrewes which notwithstanding the Popes Letters wherewith he was furnished he was content to doe and to submit to the Kings mercy knowing That a morsell of bread is better with joy than an house full of sacrifice with contention Hugh being degraded from Saint Andrewes and excommunicated goes to Rome and giving caution to stand to the judgement of the Church he was mercifully absolved by the Pope and within few dayes after dyed at Rome of the plague with most of his family Whereupon the King of Scotland gave the Bishoprick of Saint Andrews to Roger the Earle of Leicestors Sonne then his Chancellour Iohn being present and not contradicting it The same yeare 1188. King William sent Messengers to Pope Clement and obtained of him Letters of Protection in this forme touching the exemption of the Churches of his Kingdome Clemens Episcopus servus servorum Dei charissimo in Christo filio Willielmo illustri Scotorum Regi salutem Apostolicam benedictionem Cum universi Christi jugo subjecti ad sedem Apostolicam patrocinium invenire debeant favorem illos tamen specialius convâ—nit munimâ—ne protectionis confoveri quorum fidem ac
colour or fraud that I have formerly erred in this that I thought the government of the Church to be like the regiment of terrene Kingdomes expresly against the precept of Christ our Lord and that the Monarchy whereby the Church is governed did not rest in the person of Christ our Saviour alone as it doth in truth but likewise in the Ministers who yet are nothing else but vassalls and Clarks under Christ Et aequales inter se and equall among themselves c. Lastly I confesse that the Office of a Bishop as now it is used and claimed omni authoritate verbi Dei destituitur solo politico hominum commento fundatur is destitute 〈◊〉 all authority from Gods Word and founded onely upon the politicke device of men out of which the Primacy of the Pope or Antichrist hath sprung Et merito damnandum est and it is deservedly to be condemned because the assembly of the Presbytery who have the power of Iurisdiction and Inspection both in Visitations and in Ordinations performeth all these things with greater authority piety and zeale than any one Bishop whose care for the most part is intent not upon God or their function but the world which he principally ordereth Consider after what sort it hath beene usurped these 506. yeares last past with how great cruelty and tyranny they have exercised it and thou shalt finde that it hath beene the Principall Originall of suppressing the Word of God in every kingdome which will evidently appeare to any one who shall survey the Ecclesiasticall History This Arch-Prelate held correspondency with our English Bishops from whom asking leave of the generall Assembly to goe into England about his Civill affaires onely as he pretented he received his consecration to this Arch-bishopricke in a secret manner Anno. 1589. and then returned into Scotland where he durst nor exercise his Archiepiscopall authority openly for a space King Iames after he was made Archbishop brought him from Saint Andrewes to Edenburgh that he might preach there openly in the great Church the King himselfe accompanying him with his Guard to secure him from the people brought him into the Church sending halfe of his Guard to convey the Bishop to the Pulpit doore which Master Iohn Cooper one of the ordinary Ministers of Edinburgh had prepossessed who standing up to say prayer and preach assoone as he perceived the King in his seate the King perceiving it sayd Master Iohn Cooper I will not have you preach this day I command you to goe downe out of the Pulpit and let the Bishop of Saint Andrewes come up and preach to me to the which the ordinary Minister replyed Please your Majesty this is the day appointed to me to preach and if it were your Majesties pleasure I would faine supply the place my selfe But the King replyed againe I will not heare you at this time I command you to goe downe and let Master Patricke Adamson come up and Preach this day and beside the King had remembred that he should not have stiled him a Bishop by reason there were so strait Acts against them Then Master John Cooper sayd I shall obey Sir and came downe from the Pulpit yet the rest of the Ministers that were there sitting with him at the entry of the Pulpit did not open the doore to the Bishop while the King commanded him and then so soone as the Bishop was entred into the Pulpit and began with low becke to doe reverence to the King and to other inferiour Magistrates the whole people rose out of their places with a great out-cry and lamentation and ranne out of the Church especially the women and when the Guard thought to have kept them in they ran over the Guard and Master Iohn Cooper going also out of the Church went to Mr. Robert Bruce his house the women all going with him and many men and there heard his Sermon which he should have Preached in the Church the fearefull noyse yet continuing in the Church many running out of the Church and some comming in againe to see whereto the matter would returne made the King to cry out and say What a devill ayles the people that they may not heare a man Preach but cry what he would cry for the space of a long time not any audience could be given so with what feare the Bishop Preacht that day and with how little audience they can best tell that considered the matter rightly alwayes the King set the Bishop in the midst of the Guard and so tooke him downe to the Abbey with him but so soone as he came to Saint Andrewes againe the Presbytery entred in Proces against him for taking upon him to be a Bishop which they proved by many reasons but chiefely for that the King called him so and albeit they had many hinderances and the King caused a great delay to be made devising meanes to save him from excommunication yet in the end he was excommunicated by the Provinciall Assembly albeit by the Kings earnest dealing his excommunication was not published in all Churches as it should have beene upon some promises which he made and yet never performed them This Arch-bishop by the instigation of our English Prelates writ and Preached in defence of Episcopacy as he afterwards confessed in the Synod of Fiffe where he retracted this his Doctrine as erronious and being put from his Bishopricke excommunicated and hated of the people who put him to the horne for his debts he fell into a great sicknesse called a Dogges appetite and wanting meate to satisfie his hunger he was in manner starved to death confessing in his sickenesse that his sentence of excommunication was justly pronounced and desired the Assembly to release him from it for Christs sake whereupon he was afterwards absolved after his forementioned recantation After this the very calling of Bishops having beene condemned and abjured in the Assembly at Dundy as unlawfull Anno. 1580. the Church of Scotland upon this Adamsons death continued free from the government and tyranny of Bishops till King Iames was possessed of the Crowne of England and some yeares after at which time some ambitious Scottish Ministers stealing secretly into England procured themselves to be consecrated Bishops by our English Prelates and by certaine insensible degrees by the helpe of our English Bishops by perjury forgery and other indirect meanes with much difficulty and opposition set up Episcopacy againe in the Church of Scotland to the great disturbance of that Church and State whereupon after the assembly at Glascow An. 1610. where Episcopacy was againe revived by admitting Ministers to have Vote in Parliament though with many a limitation which they afterwards frustrated and eluded by degrees one Gladstaine was ordained Arch-bishop of Saint Andrewes who is credibly reported to have made a solemne recantation at his death for his acceptance of such an unlawfull office which recantation was suppressed After him one Sprotswood succeeded a very vicious false and crafty
Machiavilian who confederating with Laud now Arch-bishop of Canterbury by his meanes procured himselfe to be made Chancellor of Scotland who by reason of this great temporall office was the better able to introduce all Canterburies Innovations into that Church with more facility This Arch-Prelate with the other Prelates of Scotland conâ—ederating with Canterbury who had usurped a kinde of generall and Papall Superintendency over all his Majesties three Kingdomes in the yeare 1636. framed a booke of Canons and Constitutions for the government of â—he Scotland tending to the utter subversion of the established Discipline of that Church and opening a doore for many doctrinall and disciplinary errours and Innovations And to prevent all obloquy against them they enjoyne none to speake either against these Canons or the booke of Common prayer which was to be set forth under heavie censures The next yeare following in Iune 1637. the sayd Arch-bishop and Bishops by Canterburies direction caused a New booke of Common prayer to be Prinâ—ed for the use of the Church of Scotland which was appointed by his Majesties letters to be received as the onely forme of Gods Worship whereunto all subjects of that Realme civill or Ecclesiasticall ought to conforme and the contraveners to be condignely punished To set on this designe the better every Minister was by Proclamation enjoyned and some charged with letters of horning to buy two of the sayd Bookes for the use of the Parish and to scare all men from opposing it Canterbury in the very same month of June caused Doctor Bastwicke Mr. Burton and Mr. Prynne to be severely censured in the Starchamber for opposing his Innovations here in England which hee then intended to introduce into the Church of Scotland and to be set in the Pillory at Westminster where all oâ— them had their eares close cut off one of them his cheekes â—eared this barbarous execution finished even before their wounds were cured he then sent them away close Prisoners to three remote Castles Dr. Bastwick to Lanceston Castle in Coâ—newall Mr. Burton to Lancaster and Mr. Prynne to Carnarvan Castle in North-Wales where they were shut up close Prisoners so that neither their Wives Children nor any of their friends could have accesse to speake with them nor they so much as enjoy the liberty of Pen Inke or Paper to write for necessaries or the liberty of any licensed Books except the Bible and some few other Bookes for private devotion And not content herewith by an extrajudiciall order oâ— the Lords he soone after caused them to be conveyed close Prisoners into the Isle of Iersie Garnsey and Silly there to be close imprisoned in three Castles giving strict order that no man should be admitted to speake with them there nor Dr. Bastwickes and Mr. Burtons wives permitted so much as once to come into the Islands where they were and that all letters to them should be intercepted and no pen inke or Paper allowed them to write upon any occasion This transcendent new kinde of Prelaticall tyranny wherewith Canterbury imagined to terrifie and appale the Scots comming to their eares wrought quite contrary effects stirring them up with greater animosity to resist the Prelates encroachments both upon their consciences Lawes liberties and established Discipline Whereupon when the Bishop of Edenburgh accompanied with the two Arch-bishops and some other Prelates of Scotland began the use of their new service booke in the chiefe Church of Edenburgh the 23. of Iuly next after this sentence and execution the most part of the people much discontented with such a great and sudden alteration as imported a change both of the externall forme and nature of the former publicke worâ—hip did at one instant rise and hinder the new Service calling it superstitious and Idolatrous and the same was also stopped in another Church of Edenburgh where it was to be reade by the Bishop of Arguile This notwithstanding the Prelates procured by Act of Councell the paine of death without all favour or mercy to be denounced against all those who should any wayes raiâ—e or speake against the Bishops or any of the inferior Clergie or against the service Booke They discharged the ministers and Readers of Edenburgh who refused the Book their wonted service and interdicted the publicke Evening and Morning Prayer reading of Scriptures singing of Psalmes for a long time still pressing the buying and practising of the sayd booke by all Ministers which mooved the Ministers first to petition and next many of the Nobility Gentry Burgesses and Ministers to meete and to supplicate the Lords of the Privie Counsell against the sayd Bookes of Canons and Common Prayers and the illegall way of introducing the same till at last the Bishops violence and practises forced the whole kingdome into a combustion against them and caused them in their generall assembly at Edâ—nburgh Anno 1639. not onely to abjure but to extirpate Episcopacy and banish all their Bishops as Incendiaries out of their Realme except the Bishops of Dunkeld and of Orcanies who recanted and abjured their Episcopacy Canterbury and the Prelates of Scotland and England storming at these proceedings take occasion from thence to raise up a civill warre betweene England Ireland and Scotland thinking to restore Episcopacy againe in that Kingdome by force of Armes And when as this warre was happily pacified and all differences fully accorded Canterbury with his agents caused the former pacification â—o be annulled new Armes to be raised and a fresh warre to be undertaken to the unsupportable expence and great danger of all his Majesties three Kingdomes which by the Prelates practises are at this day still enforced to maintaine three Armies in the field and had the Prelates buâ— their wish we had long ere this embrued our hands deepely in one anothers blood and made our Kingdomes so many Aceldamaes to maintaine their Antichristian pompe and Lordlinesse But blessed and for ever honoured and praysed be our gracious God who hath miraculously continued and preserved our peace in the midst of war and â—rustrated the designes of our blood-thirsty Prelates turning their Bellum Episcopale as themselves termed it into a warre not for but against themselves to a probable extirpation of them for ever out of all three Kingdomes which have a long time groaned under their tyranny England and Ireland now desiring and petitioning earnestly to the Parliament to be eased of their inâ—olerable yoake of bondage as Scotland hath already exonerated themselves thereof Now to manifest that this present warre Originally sprung from the Scottish Prelates and from Canterbury the very fountaine of all late mischiefes in all three Kingdomes I shall neede no further evidence than the charge of the Scottish Commissioners against Canterbury presented to our present Parliament the Coppie whereof though already in Print I shall here insert as pertinent to my intenâ—â—d Theame The Charge of the Scottish Commissioners against the Prelate of Canterbury NOvations in Religion which are Universally acknowledged
revenews was the very bane and poyson of Religion and one principall cause of the Bishops rebellions Treasons and exorbitances forementioned And therefore they may both with good conscience and reason be substracted from them and put to better usâ—s and they like other Ministers be confined to one compâ—tent living with cure there conâ—â—antly to reside and instruct the people like Bishops in the primitive times Tenthly That our Lorâ—ly Prelates will be still undermining the Lawesâ— and libâ—râ—ies of â—he Subjects his Majesties royall pâ—erogâ—tive his Eccleâ—â—asticall and temporall jurisdiction and vexing his Subjectâ— in their Courts till both their usurpâ—d Authoritiesâ— and Consistories be better regulated or totally abolished Eleventhly That the very Spirit of insolency contumacy tâ—eachery sedition rebellion ambition pride covetousnesse vaineglory malice hypocrisie tyranny and oppression is almost inseparably united to the Chaires of Lordly Prelates since they infect almost all who once sit in them and either infuse these vices into them or augment them in them none growing better men but most farre worse by their Sees Twelfthly that the government of our Church in common by a Presbytery or Synod of Ministersâ— or any other way used in the primitive Church and other refoâ—med Churches can no way be so pernicious or inconvenient to our Kings and Kingdomes as the Government by Lordly Prelates is and hath been Our Prelates chiefe objection in point of Monarchy against a Presbyteriall or Synodall government is that if this forme should be introduced the King and Nobles must submit therâ—to and be liable to their excommunications But this is a foolish Bugbear which recoyles and lights heavily on their owne heads For the Archbishops and Bishops of England and those of forraine Countrys too have many times not onely excommunicated their Soveraignes but also interdicted their Kingdomes enjoyned hard penances to them absolved their Subjects from their allegiance and oathes armed their people and strangers against them and deprived them of their Crownes offering them more and greater affronts and requiring more submission from them then all other their Subjects whatsoever Did ever any Presbytery doe the like or take so much upon them or did they ever deal so with their Princes as our Prelates did with King Iohn or with Edward and Richard the second If yea then prove it If no then this is no solid objection but a malicious suggestion against the Presbyteriall and Synodall Government In a word I would demand this question of the Objectors whether Kings and great men when they scandalously offend be subject to the censures of Excommunication by the law of God If so then why may not the Presbytery and Synode of Ministers anathematize them as well as Lord Bishops and Popes If not then there is no feare of such a censure to which they are not liable by Gods Law or mans These twelve conclusions are sufficiently warranted by the premises yet for the Readers better satisfaction I shall back them with some passages and Authorities of our owne approved ancient and Moderne Writers Martyrs Prelates and Authors of speciall note and so conclude Caelius Sedulius Scotus one of the ancientest of our owne Writers flourishing about the yeare of our Lord 390. determines thus of the parity of Bishops and Presbyters by divine right against our Lordly Prelates doctrine in these dayes in his Exposition on Titus Chap. 1. For a Bâ—shop must be blamelesse c. He calleth him a Bishop whom before he named a Presbyter Before by the Devils instinct parties were made in Religion and it was said among the people I am of Paul but I am of Apollo and I am of Cephas the Churches were governed with the common Councel of the Presbyters But after that every one thought those whom he baptised to be hiâ—â— not Christs it was decreed throughout the World that one chosen 〈◊〉 of the Presbyters should be set over the rest to whom all the care of the Church should appertaine and that the seeds of schismes should be taken away In the Acts of the Apostlâ—s it is written thaâ— when the Apostle Paulâ— came to Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the Elders of that Church unto whom among other things he spake thus Take heed to your selves and to all the flocke over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Bishops to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne blood And here observe more diligently how that he calling the Elders of but one City Ephesus doth afterwards stile them Bishops These things I have alleadged that we mâ—ght shew how that among the Ancâ—â—â—ts fuisse Presbyteros quos Episcopos Prâ—sbyters to hâ—ve been THE SAME THAT BISHOPS WERE But by little and little that the seeds of dissention might be utterly extïrpated the whole cure was traâ—sferred to one And on the 1 Timothy 5. â—â— It is demanded writes he why Paul here makes no mention of Presbyters but onely of Bishops and Deacons Sed etiam ipsos in Episcoporum nomine comprehendit But truely he also comprehâ—ndeth thâ—m in â—he name of Bishops To him I might annex our famous Gildas in his Acris Correptio Cleri Angliae our Venerable Beda in Acta Apostolorum cap. 20. Tom. 5. Col. 657. and Alcuinus de Dâ—vinis Officijs cap. 35.36 Epistola 108. ad Sparatum and Comment in Evang. Ioannis l. 5. to 25. Col. 547 548 549. Who maintaine the selfe same Doctrine of the Parity of Bishops and Presbyters declaime much against the pride Lordlinâ—sse ambition domineering power and other vices of Prelates and conclude that a Biâ—hopricke is Nomen Operis non honoris A name of Labour not of honour A worke not a dignity A toyle not a delâ—ght But I rather passe to Anselme Archbishop of Canterbury a man without exception and the greatest Scholler in his age who neare 600 yeares since in his Enarration on the Epistle to the Phillippians cap. 1. vers 1. resolves thus With the Bishops that is with the Presbyters and Deacâ—ns for he hath put Bishops for Elders after his custome For there were not many Bâ—shops in one City neither would he intermit Presbyters that he mâ—ght descâ—nd to Deacons But he declares the dignity and excellency of the Presbyters whilâ—s he manifests the same men who are Presbyters to be Bishops But that AFTERWARD one was elected who might be preferred before the rest it was done to prevent schisme leâ—t every one drawing to himselfe the Gospell of Christ should divide it Constat ergo Apostolica institutione omnes Presbyteros esse Episcopos It is therefore MANIFEST BY APOSTOLICALL INSTITVTION THAT ALL PRESBYTERS ARE BISHOPS albeit NOW those greater ones have obtained that Title For a Bâ—shop is called an Overseer and every Presbyter ought to attend the cure over the flock committed to him In his Commentary on the first Chapter of Titus v. 5 7. he hath the selfesame words that Hierom and Sedulius used before him concluding from Acts 20.17 28.
and Phil. 1.1 Apud veteres cosdem fuisse Presbyteros quos Episcopos That AMONG THE ANCIENTS PRESBYTERS WERE THE VERY SAME THAT BISHOPS WERE and that the Churches were then governed by a common Councell of the Presbyters As therefore Presbyters know that they out of the custome of the Church are subject to him who shall be set over them so Bishops must know SE MAGIS CONSVETVDINE Quà m DISPOSITIONIS DOMINICAE VERITATE PRESBYTERIS ESSE MAJORES ET IN COMMVNE DEBERE ECCLESIAM REGERE that they by CVSTOME rather then by truth of Divine Disposition are greater then Presbyters and OVGHT TO RVLE THE CHVRCH IN COMMON with them From which pregnant Authority even of an old Archbishop of Canterbury I observe First That by Apostolicall institution Bishops and Presbyters are both one and the same and originally continued so for a season Secondly That the imparity now between them â—s onely by custome not by divine institution and crept in by little and little by degrees after the Apostles time Thirdly That every Presbyter is still truely and properly a Bishop over his owne flock Fourthly That the Church of God at first was governed onely by a common Councell or Synode of Presbyters not by Bishops Fifthly That Presbyters even at this day not onely may but ought to governe the Church in common with the Bishops as they did both in Ignatius Tertullians Cyprians and Irenaeus time as others have proved at large See the Answer to Bishop Hals Remonstrance Sect. 8 9. Sixthly That Bishops were first elected created and instituted by the Presbyters therefore by their owne maxime Ordinans est major ordinato are greater and better then Bishops the rather because Presbyters Quatenus such are of Divinâ— and Bishops quatenus Bishops but of humane institution and Presbyters as such by Anselmes owne resolution in his Commentary on 1 Tim. 4.14 may of right ordaine Elders as well as Bishops Neither is Anselme singular in his opinion in avouching the parity and identity of Presbyters and Bishops since Athanasius Ambrose Hierome Chrysostome Theodoret Primasius Remigius Rabanus Maurus Haymâ— Theophylact Bruno in their Commentaries on Phil. 1.1 Acts 20.17 28. 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1.5 7. and on Ephes. 4.11 12. with sundry other Fathers delivered the same opinion in their writings before his time A truth so cleare that learned Cassander though a Papist confesseth Convenit autem inter OMNES olim Apostolicorum aetate INTER EPISCOPOS ET PRESBYTEROS DISCRIMEN NVLLVM FVISSE SED POSTMODVM ordinis servandi schâ—smatis vitandi causa Episcopum Presbyteris fuisse praepositum cui soli Chyrotomiâ— id est ordinandi potestas servata sit That then this truth which is granted on all hands by ALL both Theologues and Canonists among the Papists should now be questioned nay contradicted and and damned for Heresie by our Prelates seemes strange and monstrous unto me But to proceed on in our owne Writers In the Canons of Aelfrick to Wulfinus a Bishop about the yeare of Christ 990. Sect. 17. There is no more difference between a Masse-priest and a Bishop then that a Bishop is constituted to confer Orders and to visit or oversee and to take care of those things which belong to God which should be committed to too great a multitude if every Presbyter should doe it For both VNVM TENENT EVNDEMQVE ORDINEM have one and the selfesame Order although that part of the Bishop be the worthier And in certaine old Saxon Chapters of incertaine Edition about the same time Know that your degree is next to ours penè CONIVNCTVM esse and to be almost the same or conjoyned to it For as Bishops supply the place of Apostles in the Church so doe Presbyters of the other Disciples of the Lord whence we ought to be mindfull of so great a dignity John Salisbury our famous Country-man flourishing about the yeare of Christ 1140. De Nugis Curialium li. 8. c. 17. and 23. writes thus of the pride and sedition of Bishops Thou must admire to see the various houshold-stuffe and riches as they say of Croesus among them that preach poore Christ They live of the Gospell without preaching the Gospell and it is well if they live onely so as they doe not also ryot They so gape after gaine that they contemne the things that are Jesus Christs and are neither worthy the honour nor name either of a Pastor or hireling They dâ—â— that which makes them to be feared of all to bee beloved of none they preacâ— peace yet make division they shew and counterfeit humility that they may challenge pride In fulnesse they dispute of fastings and what they build up with words they pull downe with deeds The workes they doe beare witnesse of them you may know them by their fruits It is not sufficient for them to sheare and devoure the flocke by liberty of a divine Law unlesse they also implore the ayde of secular Lawes and being made Officers to Princeâ— they feare not to commit those things which any other Publican would easily be ashamed of In the meane time they are servants to pleasure or avarice and those who have chosen and admitted them to their custody they spoyle and oppresse and desire the death of those whom they ought to foster both in flesh and spirit Truly they beare in mind â—hat of the Prophet Behold I have set thee over the Nations and over Kingdomes to pull up and to destroy to pull downe and to scatter c. Nor they doe not onely contend but fight for a Bishoprick The Ancients heretofore were dragged against their wils to a Bishoprick and went willingly to Martyrdome they feared the chiefe Chaire worse then a prison or crosse But now the Prelates spâ—â—ke quite contrary we will not say they be Martyrs but the glory of our Sees we will not give to another Yet there is something in which they seeme to imitate the constancy of Martyrs to wit if they are to contest for a Bishoprick It is reported by some and it is true that ambitious men have sometimes yea often contended for the Bishopricke of Rome and not without brotherly blood hath the High Priest entred into the holy of holies This verily is to succeed Romulus in paricide not Peter in feeding the flock committed to him More then civill Warres are againe stirred up betweene Caesar and Pompey and whatsoever was presumed whaâ—ever was impiously done at Philippi Lucade Murina in Aegypt or in Spaine a prelaticall Warre accomplisheth Doe they therefore procure the effusion of Christian blood that it may be lawfull for them above other men according to their pastorall duty to lay down their lives for the Flock Doe they therefore pull down the Churches prophane holy things that there may be some thing for them to build up and sanctifie Perchance they dash Nations one against another disquiet Kingdomes violently take away the goods of
The proud Pope put him out So of his Realme is in doubt But Lords bâ—ware and them defend For now these folk been wondrous stout Moses Law forbade iâ— thâ— That Priests should no Lordships weld Christs Gospell biddeth also That they shoâ—ld no Lordshipâ— held Ne Christs Apostles were never so bold No such Lordships to them embrace But â—â—neren her â—â—eep and keep her fold God amend hem for his grace c. This Booke of Chaucer was authorised to be printed by Act of Parliament in the 34. and 3â— Hen. 8. C. 2. When the Prelates by the same Act prohibited both the printing and reading of the Bible in English such was their piety About the same time there was a device or counterfeit letter fained under the nâ—â—e of Luâ—ifer Prince of darknesse written to the persâ—cuting Prâ—lâ—tes of England in those times and transcribed by Master Fox out of the Register of the Bishop of Hereford and written as some thinke by William Swinderby or some other Lollard The coppy whereof I shall here insert because it lively sets sorth the use and benefit that the Devill makes of our Lordly Prelates and the ill effects of their great wealth and power to the great prejudice both of our Church and State I LVCIFER Prince of Darknesse and profound heavinesse Emperour of the high Misteries of the King of Acharoâ—t Captaine of the Dungeon King of Hell and controuler of the infernall fire To all our children of pride and companions of our Kingdome and especially to our Princes of the Church of this later age and time of which our adversary Jesus Christ according to the Prophet saith I hate the Church or Congregation of the wicked send greeting and wish prosperity to all that obey our commandements as also to all those that be obedient to the Lawes of Satan already enacted and are diligent observers of our behests and the precepts of our decree Know ye that in times past certaine Vicars or Vicegerents of Christ following his steps in miracles and virtues living and continuing in a beggarly life converted in a manner the whole World from the yoake of our tyranny unto their Doctrine and manner of life to the great derision and contempt of our Prison-house and kingdome and also to the no little prejudice and hurt of our jurisdiction and authority not fearing to hurt our fortified power and to offend the Majesty of our estate For then received we no tribute of the World neither did the miserable sort of common people rush at the gates of our deepe dungeon as they were wont to do with continual pealing and rapping but then the easie pleasant and broad way which leadeth to death lay still without great noyse of trampling travellers neither yet was trod with feet of miserable men And when all our Courts were without Suitors Hell then began to howle And thus continuing in great heavinesse and anguish was robbed and spoyled Which thing considered the impatient rage of our stomack could no longer suffer neither the ugly rechlesse negligence of our great Captainâ— generall could any longer endure it But we seâ—king remedy for the time that should come after have provided us of a very trim shift For in stead of these Apostles and other their adherents which draw by the same line of theirs as well in manners as doctrine and are odious enemies to us Wee have caused you to be their Successors and put you in their place which be Prelates of the Church in these later times by our great might and subtilty as Christ hath said of you They have raigned but not by me Once we promised unto him all the Kingdomes of the World if he would fall downe and worship us but he would not saying My Kingdome is not of this World and went his way when the multitude would have made him a temporall King But to you truely which are fallen from the state of grace and that serve us in the earth is that my promise fulfilled and all terrene things by our meanes which wee bestowed upon you are under government For he hath said of us ye know The Prince of this World cometh c. And hath made us to raigne over all children of unbeleife Therefore our adversaries before recited did patiently submit themselves unto the Princes of the World and did teach that men should doe so saying Be ye subject to every creature for Gods cause whether it be to the King as most chiefest And againe Obey ye them that are made rulers over you â— For so their Master commanded them saying The Kâ—ngs of the Heathen have dominion over them c. But I thinke it long till we have powred our poyson upon the earth and therefore fill your selves full And now be ye not unlike those Fathers but also contrary unto them in your life and conditions and extoll your selves above all other men Neither doe ye give unto God that which belongeth to him nor yet to Caesar that which is his but exercise you the power of both the Swordsâ— according to our decrees making your selves doers in worldly matters fightâ—ng in our quarrell intangled with secular labours and businesse And clime ye by little and little from the miserable state of poverty unto the highest Seats of all Honours and the most Princely places of dignity by your devised practises and false and deceitfull wiles and subtilty that is by Hypocrisie Flattery Lying Perjury Treasons Deceiâ—s Simony and other greaâ—er wickednesse then which our internall furies may devise For after that ye have been by us advanced thither where ye would be yet that doth not suffice you but as greedy starvelings more hungry then ye were before ye suppresse the poore scratch and rake together all that comes to hand perverting and turning every thing topsie â—urvey so swolne that ready ye are to burst for pride living like Lechers in all corporall delicatenesse and by fraud directing all your doings You challenge to your selves names of honour in the earth calling your selves Lords Holy yea and most holy Fathers Thus either by violence ye raven or else by ambition subtilly ye pilfer away and wrongfully wrest and by false title possesse those goods which for the sustentation of the poore members of Christ whom from our first fall we have hated were bestowed and given consuming them as ye your selves list and wherewith ye cherish and maintaine an innumerable sort of Whores Strumpets and Bawdes with whom ye ride pompously like mighty Princes farre otherwise going then those poore beggarly Priests of the primitive Church For I would ye should build your selves rich and gorgeous Palaces Ye fare like Princes eating and drinking the most daintiest meates and pleasantest wines that may be gotten Ye hoard and heape together an infinite deale of treasure not like to him that said Gold and silver have I none Ye serve and fight for us according to your wages O most acceptable society
Oxford William Cliffe Geoffry Dowes Robert Oking Ralph Bradford Richard Smith Simon Mathew Iohn Pryn William Buckmaster William May Nicholas Wotton Richard Cox Iohn Edmunds Thomas Robertson Iohn Baker Thomas Barret Iohn Hase Iohn Tyson Doctors and Professors in Divinity and of the civill and Canon Law with the whole Convocation House and Clergy of Enland in their Booke intituled The Institution of a Christian man dedicated by them to King Henry the eight Printed Cum Privilegio subscribed with all their names and ratified by the Statute of 32. Henry the eight cap. 26. chap. Of the Sacrament of Order fol. 48. c. And King Henry 8. himselfe in his Booke inscribed A necessary erudition for any Christian man published with the advise and approbation of all the Prelates Clergy of England in their Convocation and of the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and nether House of Parliament with the Kings owne royall Epistle to all his loving Subjects before it Anno 1545. by vertue of the Satute of 32 Henry the eight c. 26. Chap. of the Sacrament of Order Doe all thus joyntly determine of the calling jurisdiction Lordlinesse and secular imployments of Bishops The truth is that in the New Testament there is no mention made of any degrees or distinctions in Orders but onely of Deacons and Ministers and of Priests or Bishopâ— And of these two Orders onely that is to say Priests and Deacons Scripture maketh expresse mention and how they were conferred of the Apostles by Prayer and imposition of their hands And to these two the Primitive Church did add and conjoyne certaine other inferior and lower degrees And as concerning the office and duty of the said Ecclesiasticall Ministers the same consisteth in true preaching and teaching the word of God unto the people iâ— dispensing and ministring the Sacraments of Christ in consecratingâ— and offering the blessed body and blood of Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar in loosing and assoyling from sinne such persons as be sorry and truely penitent for the same and excommunicating such as bâ— guilty in manifest crimes and will not be reformed otherwise and finally in praying for the whole Church of Christâ— and specially for the flocke committed unto them And although the office and ministry of Priests and Bishops stand câ—iefly in these things before rehearsed yeâ— neither they nor any of them may exercise and execute any of the same offices but with such sort and such limitation as the Ordinances and Lawes of every Christian Realme doe permit and â—uffer It is out of all doubt that there is no mention made neither in Scripture neither in the writings of any authentical Doctâ—r or Author of the Church being within the time of the â—postles that Christ did ever make or institute any distinction or difference to be in the preheminence of power order or jurisdiction between the Apostleâ— themselves or between the Bishops themselves but that they were all â—quall in power authorâ—ty and jurisdâ—ctâ—on And that there is now and since the time of the Apostles any such diversity or difference among the Bishops It was devised by the ancient Fathers of the Primitive Church for the conservation of good order and unity of the Catholique Church and that either by the consent and authority or else at least by the permâ—ssion and suffâ—rance of the Prâ—nces and civill powers for the time ruling For the said Fathers considering the great and infinite multitude of Christian men so lâ—rgely encreased through the world and taking examples of the Old Testamâ—nt thought it expedient to make an order of degrees to be among Bishops and spirituall Governours of the Church and so ordained some to be Patriarks some to be Metropolitansâ— some to be Archbishops some to be Bishops and to them did limit severally not onâ—ly their certaine Diocesse and Provinces wherein they should exercise their power and not exceed the same but also certaine bounds and limits of their jurisdiction and power c. And lest peradventure it might be thought to some persons that such authorities powers and jurisdictions as Patriarks Primates Archbishops and Metropolitans now have or heretofore at any time have had justy and lawfully over any other Bishops were given them by God in holy Scripture We think it expedient and necessary that all men should be advertised and taught that all such lawfull powers and authority of one Bishop over another were and be given to them by the consent ordinance positive lawes of men only and not by any ordinance of God in holy Scripture and all other power and authority which any Bishop hath used or exercised over another which hath not been given to him by such consent and ordinance of men as is aforesaid is in very deed no lawful power but plaine usurpation and tyranny And therefore whereas the Bishop of Rome hath heretofore claimed and usurped to be head and governour over all Priests and Bishops of the holy catholique Church of Christ by the lawes of God It is evident that the same power is utterly fained and untrue VVee thinke it convenient that all Bishops and Pastors shall instruct and teach the people committed to their spirituall charge that Christ did by expresse words prohibit that none of his Apostles nor any of their successors should under the pretence of authority of the sword that is to say the authority of Kings or any civill power in this world yea or any authority to make Lawes or Ordinances in causes appertaining â—â—to civill powers If any Bishop of what estate or dignity soâ—ver he be be he Bishop of Rome or of any other City Province or Diocesse doe presume to take upon him authority or jurisdiction in causes of matters which appertaine unto Kings and the civill powâ—rs and â—heir Courts and will maintaine or thinke that he may so doe by the authority of Christ and his Gospel although the Kings and Princes would not permit and suffer him so to doe no doubt that Bishop is not worthy to be called a Bishop but rather a Tyrant and a usurper of other mens rights contrary to the Lawes of God and is worthy to be reputed none otherwise than he that goeth about to subvert the Kingdome of Christ for the Kingdome of Christ in his Church is spirituall and not a carnall kingdome of the world that is to say the very Kingdome that Christ by himselfe or by his Apostles and Disciples sought here in this world was to bring all Nations from the carnall kingdome of the Prince of darknesse unto the light of his spirituall Kingdome and so himselfe raigne in the hearts of the people by grace faith hope and charity And therefore sith Christ did never seeke nor exercise any worldly kingdome or dominion in this world but rather refusing and flying the same did leave the said worldly governance of kingdomes Realmes and Nations to be governed by Princes and Potentates in like manner as he did finde them and commanded also his
said unto him O man who made me a divider or judge over you Luke 12. You heare therefore manifestly that Christ was made neither a Judge nor a divider in temporall things Thâ—refore in that state of his received dispensation he neither had a temporall Kingdâ—me nor yet affected it Yea Hee fled from â—t when multiplyin the â—read the people would have made him a Kâ—ng And in the Commission gâ—ven to Peter hee delivered him not the keyes of the kingdome of earth but the keyes of the kingdome of Heavenâ— And it is apparant that the High Priest of the Hebrewes were subject to their Kings and deposed by them which be farre from you And that thou mayst know that Christs Vicar is assumed to a spirituall regiment not to a temporall dominion receive from Paul himselfe no lesse cleare a testimony For he saith thus Every High Priest assumed from among men is ordained for men in those things which appertaine unto God not to governe a terrene Dominion but to offer gifts and sacrifices for sinnes Thou seest therefore that the high Priest is set over those things which appertaine to God whence Panl writes to Timothy No man that goeth a warfare to God intangleth hâ—mselfe in the affaires of this world It is manifest then that Christ exercised no earthly Kingdome nor committed any such to Peter For Peter himselfe saith Acts 6. It is not meet for us to leave the Word of God and to serve Tables that is to dispense temporall things And although some temporall things may bee dispensed by high Priests themselves yet it appeares sufficiently that they ought not to be occupied in governing earthly Kingdomes and Principalities and in managing secular affaires After which hee proves at large That Clergy-men are lyable to pay tribute to Princes and that Princes may take away their Lands and possessions when they abuse them to luxury pomp and their owne private ends and imploy them for the defence and peace of their Realmee which he proves by severall testimonies of Scripture First by the example of King Ioas 1 Kings 12. Who prohibited the Priests to take mony of the people and converted the money which they were to receive from the people towards their maintenance to the repairing of the Temple Which act of his God himselfe commends that he might shew he was not offended thereat because he did it not out of covetousnesse but piety not out of ambition but Religion Secondly By the example of the same Ioas 2 Kings 12.13 Who tooke all the hallowed things that Iehosaphat and Iehoram and Azariah his Fathers Kings of Iudah had dedicated and his owne hallowed things and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the Lord and in the kings house and sent it to Hazaâ—el king of Assyria to divert him from Ierusalem Thirdly By the like example of king Hezikiah 2 Kings 18.15 16. who to preserve his people from the king of Assyria his invasion gave him all the Silver that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasures of the Kings house And at that time did Hezechiah cut off the gold from the doores of the Temple of the Lord and from the Pillars which Hezekiah king of Iudah had over-layd and gave it to the king of Assyria Now if any say Hezechiah did ill in this he answers that it is said in the 2 Chron. 32. That Hezekiah was blamelesse in all things but onely in the Embassy of the Princes of Babylon Fourthly of David who in case of necessity did eate the Priests Shew-bread which was lawfull for thâ—m onely to eate and yet offended not therein 1 Sam. 21.6 7. Matth. 12.4 Then he addes that all the Revenews of Clergy men but that which is sufficient to provide them food and rayment with which they ought to be content as Paul saith ought to be spent in pious uses and in feeding the poore Which if they be not imployed in this sort kings ought to take care of them Ne animas mortuorum salut emque vivorum defraudâ—tis And he conclâ—des thus Nee est parcendum materiali templo neâ— his quae dedicata sunâ— templo ut salus reddatur pax periclitanti populo Christiano Nec est blandiendum Ecclesiarum superfluitati imò succurrendum â—antaâ— gentis necessâ—â—ati Hoc non est quae Deo data sunt revocare sed illis usibus qâ—â—bus fuerunt data applicare Quae enim sunt Deâ— data ea ipsa sunt piis usibus dedicataâ— Quid enim potâ—rit sanctius esse quà m Christiani populi salâ—s Es qiud precâ—â—â—lus Domino quà m hostes raptoâ—es intersectâ—res arceâ—e à populâ— Christiano Et pâ—cem subjectiâ— fidelibus emere Cum ergo in his bona Ecclesiae expendanur veris usibus quibus suerunt dedicatâ— redduntur Thus and much more Ocâ—am against the secular Jurisdiction employment and greatâ— temporall revenues of Prelates which he thought might lawfully be taken away and put to other good publikâ— uses without any danger of sacriledge What this our learned Ockam thought of the parity of Bishops and Presbyters you may easily guesse by this his determination Quod Sacerdotes omaâ—s c. That all Priests of whatsoever degree they be are of EQVAL AVTHORITY POWER AND IVRISDICTION BY CHRISTS INSTITVTION but that the Pope is superiour by the Emperours institution who may likewise revoke this Which opinion was about the same time justified for truth by Michael Ceenas Petrus de Corbaria Ioannes dâ— Castilione Franciscus de Arcatara and others some whereof were excommunicated others slaine and burnt by the Pope for this verity as Master Fox and others relate But what Ockam thought of this position of the power and errability of the Pope of the temporall possessions of Clergy men and of the incompatibility of secular jurisdiction with Bishops and spirituall men the learned may reade at large in his owne Compendium Errorum Ioannis 22. In his Opus 90 Dierum Super potestate summi Pontificis octo quaestionum Decisiones Printed by Iohn Treschsel in Civitate Lugdunen Anno 1496. to which I shall referre you for brevities sake Onely I shall observe this memorable passage out of his Opus 90. Dierum Cap. 12â— We reade in Chronicles that since the Church of Rome was endowed with temporall riches about twenty seven called Bishops of Rome have beene insnared in most great publike and notorious wickednesses after they were assumed to the Papacy or in the very assumption to the Papacy as the crime of Heresie Idolatry intruâ—ion fostering of hereticall pravity blasphemy fornication and in many other crimes and enormities have they beene involved These were the fruits of their Lordly power great possessions and temporall riches heretofore I reade in our rare Historian Matthew Paris Thomas Walsingham Ypodigma Neustriae Anno 1166. pag. 36. And Iohn Bale Centur. 2. Script Britan. Sect. 96.97 pag. 206.207 That in the yeare of our Lord 1166. certaine sowers abroad of
he went sometime on his feete and preached the Gospell all abroad he could play the Apostle but such a poore and lewd person as he was could never have played the royall and Princely Bishop after this fashion Let no man thinke it is to be sayd or done against the heads and governours of Christs Church whatsoever is sayd or done against these sloathfull idle and sluggish beasts given all to the belly For they are not Bishops but plaine Idols and dumbe Images idle Puppets visurs blockes shadowes disguised game players which doe not so much as know what this word Episcopus that is to say Bishop doth signifie so farre off they be from knowing what is the Office or duty of a Bishop Wilt thouâ— that I tell thee at one word what they are Wolves they are tyrants traytors manquellers monsters of the world burdens of the earth the Apostles of Antichrist graven and made to corrupt and destroy the Gospell And to utter at once what I thinke Loe I will here play the Bedell or common Cryer Be it knowne to all men that the Bishops of Rome with their clients Bishops which doe now exercise tyranny upon so many Cities in most ample and large dominion are not Bishops by the Ordination of God but by Errour and by â—he seduction of the Devill and by the traditions of men wherefore without doubt they are the messengers and Vicars of Satan If I doe not shew and prove this by so evident testimonies that mine enemies shall be constrained to confesse this verity and that even themselves so that they doe meanely repent and waxe wise cannot deny it then let them be Bishops then let me be thought to doe injury unto them First Paul writeth unto Titus That he should constitute and ordaine Presbyters in every Towne Here I suppose that no man can deny that all one thing is signified by this word Preshyter and by this word Episcopus in Saint Pauls writings for as much as he doth bid Titus that he should in every City constitute Presbyters And because a Bishop ought to be unreproveable therefore he calleth him Presbyterum It is evident therefore what Paul doth signifie and meane by this word Episcopus Bishop that is to say A man excellently good and vertuous of ripe age which also hath a chaste wife and children obedient in the feare of the Lord. And the Apostle will that he should have the oversight and government of the Congregation in the Ministery of the Word and the Administration of the Sacraments All men whosoever they be which by all honest and lawfull meanes doe spend and bestow their goods honour blood and life to the end that these Bishoprickes so pompous and Courtly so farre unlike and contrary to all the office and duty of an Apostle namely to the ministration of the Word and that all this devillish Kingdome of the Bishop of Rome may be overthrowne and destroyed or if they cannot in very deede destroy itâ— doe cry against it doe dispraise and condemne it and doe avoyde it as abhominationâ— all those persons that so doe are the sonnes of God and true Christian men fighting and helping the Faith of the Gospell in spirituall barraile against the gates of Hell Contrariwise whosoever doe favour the Kingdome of the Popes Bishops so wicked and that so tyrannous and devillish cruelty and doe willingly and gladly submit themselves and obey unto it those persons are the ministers of the Devill fighting as enemies against the Words the Lawes and Ordinances of God This sentence of mine nay rather of Gods Judgement I prove with strong effectuall arguments in this wise The Apostle Paul commandeth Titus That he should Ordaine and constitute a Bishop in every City such one as was the husband of one wife a man vertuous and unreproveable c. This is the Word this is the will and sentence of God Against this sayd Will of God these men doe now strive which have taken quite away all true Bishops ouâ— of all Cities and insteed of true Bishops have constituted shops or worke-houses of most cold Ceremonies Monasteries and Churches Collegiate and have brought in themselves in their steed that by this meanes they might be made Bishops or Over-seers of many Cities and also of many Provinces Now the sentence of Paul or rather the Words of the Holy Ghost doth continue firme stable and not able to be moved or stirred of the gates of hell and doth stand as stiffe as a brasen wall which saith plainely and evidently That in every City there ought to be constituted and Ordained one Bishop and these then shal be every one of them of equal power with the other For Paul speaketh plainly of every City he giveth to every Bishop full power authority in his own City Go to therforenow ye worldly Bishops Why doe ye not here rise Why do ye not boldly manfully resist Why do ye not break forth all of you together Here you have to doe not with me but with the Apostle Paul Here you resist that I may say with the holy Martyr Stephen not me but the Holy Ghost which likewise againe of his part doth mightily resist you â—oe to then what will you say here I beseech you Will you all hold your peace and say nothing at all Loe your sentence is given and pronounced against you you have the matter judged that is to wit that unto all Christian men it belongeth of their part with the Word of God againe to destroy to plucke up by the rootes and utterly to extinct both you and your Kingdome which you doe tyrannously exercise to extinct and destroy the Gospell you have heard now that they be in the indignation of God whosoever favoureth you and on the otherside that they are in the favour of God whosoever overthroweth and destroyeth you But I will not in any wise these words which I doe speake of the destruction and utter subversion of the Kingdome of false Bishops so to be understood or taken as though it ought to be done with the hand or with sword or with violence or bodily invasion of them for with this destruction of the men we shall be nothing further in this so great a matter that is to wit Gods cause or businesse But as Daniel prophecied in the 8. chapter The Kingdome of Antichrist is to be broken all to peeces without any hand of man Saint Peters words you are a regall Priesthood and a Priestly Kingdome are meant of Spirituall Bishops who are all the Preachers of the Word of God in Cities Townes and Villages although they doe neither buy Pall nor Gowne nor yet any other Garment of those bawdes the Romanists the Corporall Bishops are you which bearing â—orked Miters on your heads under the apparell of Aaron doe in very deede play the very Tyrants and are fellowes unto Nero and Caligula riding upon fat and well fed Palâ—ries and sleeke Mules and
crowne of glory Here thou seest that Peter even likewise as Paul did doth use these two words Presbyter and Episcopus both for one thing that is to wit that they are Episcopi which doe teach the people and doe preach the Word of Godâ— and he maketh them all of equall power one with another and he foâ—biddeth them to behave themselves so as if they were Loâ—ds or had dominions over those whom they have charge of He calleth himselfe a fellow Priest that I may so say by these words evidently declaring and proving that all Parish Priests and Bishops of Cities are of equall power among themselves and as touching the Authority of a Bishop that one is nothing superiour to another and that he himselfe also is fellow Priest with them and hath no more power authority in his own City then have the other or every one of them in their owne Congregationâ— Loe Peter maketh himselfe equall and not superiour to the Bishops what I beseech you will those beasts alleadge here against these things which doe not cease nor onely to be Lords and have dominion but also to exercise most cruell tyranny upon our soules and our goods which also doe never cease with exceeding mad brawlings and suites to contend and strive among themselves about the difference and degrees of power and authority And that I may once make an end Christ himselfe in the 22. chapter Luke saith The Princes of the Paynims are Lords over them and they which have power and authority over them are called beneficiall and gracious but it shall not be so among you but he that is eldest among you let him be made as youngest Hereunto hearken and give good attendance you pompous and Lordly Bishops Loe all the holy Christian people require of you a reason and cause of your domination and Lordship which you have hitherto with so many titles and also with so many tyrannous deedes taken violently usurped and challenged unto your selves Loe I say the Christian world requireth a cause of this your doing for this you cannot deny which is so open and evident afore the eyes of all men that your Kingdome is an outward and a worldly Kingdome yea and that more worldly than the Kingdome of any worldly Prince For you play the Lords openly both upon the bodies and also the minds and that not by the Word of God but by exteriour pompe by exteriour and worldly tyranny as other Princes and Rulers of the heathen people doe I say goe to therefore now and tell me how those Words of Christ vos autem non sic that is but so shal not you doe how do tâ—ey agree with that your Kingdome Goe to now because you shall not as you are very slippery slip from me let us ensearch and ponder well the signification of the words What is the meaning of these words But you not so for here undoubtedly is rebuked your Kingdomeâ— your condition state for this ought not to be such a one as it is if it were a Christian state Now let it be whatsoever manner one you will yet for all that Christ speaking of the domination of those worldly Princes saith plainely unto you for you will seeme to be Bishops But ye shall not doe so Which words hee largely prosecutes and afterwards proceedes thus You doe â—eede and nourish your selves most delicately and â—enderly in riot and pleasures with the blood and sweate of poore menâ— besides impoverishing and beggering the world with your guâ—â—es and deceipts you doe with your Excommunications and Interdictions vex and tosse all things up and downe afflicting and tormenting poore men both in soule in body and in their goods you doe extinct and destroy the Gospell and not onely your selves doe no manner of worke belonging to the Office of a Bishop but also you will not suffer any other men to preach the Word of God you doe pursue the Preachers from City to City as it was prophesied in Matth. 24. and you do expulse them as knaves and vild wretches out of all your dominions destâ—â—ctionâ— I verily to give you good and faithfull counsell would advertise you that you should purchase and get unto your selves the favour and love of the people with mildnesse with mercifulnesse with softnesse with patience and Apostolicall sincerity that is to wit with those vertues with those holy means which S Paul did use goe forth and hold on as you have begun this is even the right and next way to undoubted destruction whereunto you do so greatly make haste for even so did your Fathers the Iewes into whose hypocrisie you are succeeded who when they had slaine the Lord and author of life Jesuâ— Christ and had by degrees promulged and published the Gospell to be for bidden yet could they not rest untill they had provoked the Romans and so had sought their owne undoubted mischiefe which said Romans at the last setting violently upon them slew them and utterly destroyed them for how could you better observe and fulfill that which becommeth your personages to do than if you do goe about and endeavour to prove and shew your selves the very right and true sonnes and heires of such manner of Parents But here I see they will put upon them all the whole Episcopall armour that is to say a purple pall and a forked Miter upon their heads their gloves and their rings with precious stones to fence both their hands withall they sâ—all also have their feet shod not with the preparation of the Gospel of peace but of the sandall of vanity and a silver Crosse hanging downe to the midst of their breast and if I be not deceived a Roman Pall also covering their shoulders and a shepheards staffe to measure their pace and so then having this armour upon them with a stately and solemne gate they shall come forth c. Who hath commanded that Bishops should so play the gallants and use such pompe and gorgeousnesse of the Court Christ did openly forbid them to be as the Kings and Princes of the Gentiles where â—ee dotâ— by expresse and open words separate and divide tâ—em from Princes of the World aâ—d saith The Kings and Râ—lers of the Gentiles are Lords over them but you shall not do soe These words that Prince of Princes and King of Kings and that Lord of Majesty will not revoke hee will not abolish them nor suffer them to be thrust out of place and made void for thy peevish excuses wherewith thou dost in thy conscience coldly and faintly comâ—ort thy selfe Why dost thou not rather forsake thy Lordly Port be it never so pleasant if thou caâ—st not eâ—ecute and fulfill the offiâ—e of a Bishop why dost thou for transitory and most vild honour forget thine owne health and salvation yea moreover wittingly and willingly dost cast away thine owne soule for the most deceitfull pleasure of this life Why dost thou I say wittingly aâ—d wilfully perish Even those
overseer or Superintendent whose office was in the Primitive Church purely to instruct the multitude in the wayes of God and to see that they were not beastly ignorant in the holy Scripture as the most part of them are now adayes Presbyter is as much to say as a Senior or Elder whose office was also in godly Doctrine and examples of living to guide the Christian Congregation and to suffer no manner of superstition of Jew nor Gentile to raigne among them And these two offices were alone in those dayes and commonly executed of one severall person They which were thus appointed to these spirituall offices did nothing else but preach and teach the Gospell having assistants unto them inferiour officers called Deacons Act. 6. 1 Cor. 1. Rom. 3. No godly man can despise these offices neither yet condemne those that truly execute them not onely are they worthy to have a competent living 1 Cor. 9. but also double honour after the doctrine of Saint Paul 1 Tim. 5. But from inordinate excesse of riches ought they of all men to be sequestred considering that the most wicked nature of Mammon is alwayes to corrupt yea the very Elect if God were not the more mercifull Matth. 6. which might be an admonition to our Lordly Bishops when they be in their worldly pompe that they are not Gods servants beleeved they his sayings as they do nothing lesse Master Fishâ—â— in his Supplication of Beggers thus complaines to King Henry the Eight of the inconveniency of the Prelates greatnesse and sway both to himselfe and his subjects worthy his Majesties most serious consideration Oh the grievous shipwâ—acke of the Common-wealth which in ancient time before the comming of these ravenous wolves were so prosperous c. What remedy Make Lawes against them I am in doubt whether yee be able Are they not stronger in your owne Parliament house than your selfe what a number of Bishops Abbots and Priors are Lords of your Parliament Are not all the learned men of your Realme in see with them to speake in the Parliament house for them against your Crowne dignity and Common-wealth of your Realme a few of your owne learned Counsell onely excepted What Law can be made against them that they may be availeable Who is hee though hee be grieved never so sore that for the murther of his ancester ravishment of his wife of his daughter robbery trespasse maihme debt or any other offence dare lay it to their charge by way of Action and if hee doe then is he by and by by their wilinesse accused of heresie yea they will so handle him ere hee passe that except he will beare a faggot at their pleasure he shall be excommunicated and then be all his Actions dashed So captive are your Lawes unto them that no man whom they list to excommunicate may be admitted to sue any action in any of your Courts If any man in your Sessions dare be so hardy to indite a Priest of any such crime hee hath ere the yeare goe about such a yoake of heresie layd in his necke that it makâ—th him wish he had not done it Your Grace may see what a worke there is in London how the Bâ—shop rageth for indiâ—ing certaine Curates of extortion and incontinency the last yeare in the Ward-mote Quest. Had not Richard Hunne Commenced action of Premunire against a Priest hee had yet beene aliveâ— and no hereticke aâ— all but an honest man And â—his is by reason that the chiefe instrument of your Law yea the chiefe of your Counsell and hee which hath your sword in his hand to whom also all the other instruments are obedient is alwaies a spirituall man which hath ever such an inordinate love unto his owne kingdome that hee will maintaine that though all the temporall Kingdomes and Common-wealths of the world should therefore utterly be undone After which he sâ—â—wes the intolerable exactiâ—ns of the Prelates on the people and how much wealth and money they extort from their postâ—rity You have heard now the opinion of our Martyrs Prelates and godly Writers touching Episcopacie Lordly Prelates their trayterly practises Tâ—mporalties and perniciousnesse to our Church and State both before and in K. Henry the eighth his raigne in the very inâ—ancie of reformation many then desiring and earnestly writing for their utter exterpation as most pernicious instruments of mischiefe both to King Church and Kingdome I shall now proceed to give you some briefe account what hath beene â—hough of these particulars by our Writers and Martyrs in King Edward the sixth Queene Maries and Queene Elizabeths subsequent raignes Learned Martyn Bucer Professor of Divinity in the University oâ— Cambridge in King Edward the sixth his raigneâ— in his booke De Regno Christi dedicated to this King and Devi usu sancti Ministerii determines thus of Lordly Prelates and their temporall offices First I doubt not Most noble King that your Majesty discernes that this reformation of Christs Kingdome which wee require yea which the salvation oâ— us all requires Ab Episcopis nullo modo expectandum is by no meanes to be exspected from the Bishops since there are so few among them even in this Kings raigne when they were best which is worthy noting which do clearly know the power of this Kingdome and the proper offices thereof yea most of them by all meanes they may and dare do either oppugne it deferre or hinder it and thereupon hee adviseth the King not to make use of Doctors Bishops who had the greatest Titles and largest revenues in this reformation but of other godly Ministers and Lay-men wherein the knowledge and zeale of God did most abound to choose them for his Counsellours in this great worke who bâ— knew the power of Christ Kingdome and desired with all their hearts that it might prevaile and raign first in themselves then in all others And because writes he it is the duty of Bishop to govern the Churches not by their owne sole pleasure but with â—he counsell of Presbiters and Ministry of Deacons there will be a nececessity as al the offices of Churches are now dissipated and perverted to adjoyne to every one of the Bishops though never so approved a councell of Presbyters and ministry of Deacons who also ought to be most holily examined and tryed whether they have received of the Lord both ability and will to be assistant to their Bishop in the administration and procuration of the Churches the Presbyters in councell and assistance the Deacons in observance and ministration c. But now there are some of the Bishops whose service your sacred Majesty useth in the administration of the Kingdome But sith nothing in this world is commended to the care of men by the most high which ought more solicitously religiously to be looked to and managed then the procuration of religion that is of the eternall salvation oâ— the elect of God summum
est nefas it is the highest impiety to preferre any other Businesse before this care or for any cause whatsoever to hinder them so as their ministeries be lesse â—ully adhibited to their Churches Moses was most amply endued with the spirit of God and excelled with incredible wisedome and he altogether burned with a most ardent study of planting and preserving the true religion yet seeing hee ought to governe the whole Common-wealth of Iâ—rael hee by Gods command set Aaron his brother with his sonnes over matters of religion that they might WHOLY bestow themselves in them The Maccabees truly joyned the Civill administration to the Ecclesiasticall but with what successe their histories testifie wherefore it is to be wished that Bishops according to Gods Law religionibuâ— solis vacent procurandis should onely addict themselves to matters of Religion and lay aside all other businesses from them though beneficiall to mankind and leave them to those who should wholly bestow themselves on them being chosen thereto by God There is no office that requires more study and care â—han the procuration of soules Satan knowing this very well hath brought to passe that Bishops and chiefe Ecclesiasticall Prelates should be sent for by Kings Emperours unto their Courts to manage publike affaires both of warre and peâ—ce Hence these mischiefes have ensued first a neglect of the whole sacred ministry the corruption of doctrine the destruction of discipline After as soone as Prelates began to usurpe the place of Lords they challenged their luxury pomp to themselves to which end since the wealth of Princâ—s was requisite that which they ought to bestow out of their Ecclesiasticall revenues upon the faithfull Ministers of Churches upon Schooles upon the poore of Christ all these things being taken from them by horrible sacriledge they spent them upon riot and princely pompe And when as the goods of the Church were not sufficient to maintaine this luxury and pompe they flattered away and begged and by various frauds tooke from Kings goodly rich poâ—sessions and great Lordships by which accessions their luxury and pride was thenceforth not onely fostered and sustained but likewise infinitely increased which afterwards so farre prevailed that the spoyles of single Churches would not suffice each of them but they brought the matter to this passe that one at this day may fleece or spoyle three or foure Bishoprickes Abbies and other Prelacies and such a multitude of parish Churches as is horrible to name for they say there is one lately dead in this Kingdome who fleaed above 20. Parishes So Bucer who held Bishops Ministers to be all one and that the power of ordination resting originally in Christ derivatively in the whole Church and ministerially onely in Bishops and Presbyters as servants to the Church belonged as well to Presbyters as to Bishops with whom Peter Martyr his fellow Regius professor of Divinity in the University of Oxford fully concurâ—es in his Commonplaces printed at London cum privilegio Ann. 1576. Class 4. Loc. 1. Sect. 23. p. 849. to which I shall referre you for brevity sake To these I might adde The image of both Pastors written by Huldricke Zwinglius translated into English by Iohn Veron dedicated to the Duke of Somerset Lord Protector and Printed at London Cum privilegio An. 1550. Wherein he proves the parity and identity of Bishops and Presbyters condemnes the Lordly and secâ—lar dominion Wealth Pompe Pride Tyranny Nonpreach and rare preaching of Prelates and manifests Lord Bishops as then they stood and now to be false Pastors and meer papall and antichristian officers not warranted by Gods word but because Zwinglius was a forraigner I shall passe it by without transcribing any passage thereof Mr. Iohn Hooper both a Bishop and martyr of our Church a great opposer of Ceremonies Episcopall Rochets and Vestments in which hee would not bâ— consecrated writes thus of the secular imployments wealth and calling of Bishops For the space of 400. yeares after Christ the Bishops applyed all their wit only to their owne vocation to the glory of God and the honour of the Realmes they dwelt in though they had not so much upon their heads as our Bishops have yet had they more within their heads as the Scripture and Histories testifie For they applyed all the wit they had unto the vocation and ministry of the Church whereunto they were called But our Bishops have so much wit that they can rule and serve as they say in both States in the Church and also in the Civill policie when one of them is more then any man is able to satisfie let him doe alwayes his best diligence If hee be so necessary for the Court that in Civill causes he cannot be spared let him use that vocation and spare the other It is not possible hee should doe both well It is a great oversight in Princes thus to charge them with two burthens the Primitive Church had no such Bishops as wee they had such Bishops as did preach many godly Sermons in lesse time than our Bishops horses be a bridling Their house was a Schoole or treasure house of Gods Ministers if it be so now let every man judge The Magistrates that suffer the abuse of these goods be culpable of the â—ault if the fourth part of the Bishopricke remained to the Bishop it were sufficient the third part to Schoolemasters the second to poore and souldiers were better bestowed If any be offended with me for this my saying he loveth not his owne soules health nor Gods Laws nor mans out of which I am alwayes ready to prove the thing I have said to be true Further I speake of love not of hatred And in his Apologie hee saith It is both against Gods Laws mans that Bishops and clergie men should be judges over any subjects within this Realme for it is no part of their office they can do no more but preach Gods Word and minister Gods Sacraments and excommunicate such as Godâ— Lawes do pronounce to be excommunicated who would put a sword into a madmans hand And in his exposition on Psal. 23.1580 f. 40. Although Bishops saith hee in the raigne of Constantine the Great obtained that among Bishops some should be called Archbishops and Metropolitans c. Yet this preheminencie was at the pleasure discretion of Princes not alwaies tyed to one sorâ— of Prelates as the impiety of our time beleeveth as we may see in the Councell of Calcedon Africke So that it is manifest that this Superior preheminency is not of Divine but of humane right instituted out of civill policie So Hooper The Booke of ordination of Ministers and Consecraation of Bishops compiled by the Bishops in King Edwards dayes ratified by two Acts of Parliament and subscribed to by all our Ministers hath this notable passage and charge against the Lordlinesse and secular imployments of Prelates and Ministers
taxe them for not intermeddling with temporall affaires and studie to call them backe from divine things to which they ought with all their might to apply themselves He further addes out of Roger Hoveden and others that the Pope enjoyned Hubert Archbishop of Canterbury without delay to lay downe all his Temporall Offices as being contrary to the Canons â—o enjoy them and against his honour and dignity and further diligently admonished King Richard the 1. with a â—atherly admonition that as he tendred the Salvation of his soule he should not permit the sayd Arch-bishop any longer to enjoy his secular office under him and that he would neither admit him nor any other Bishop or Clerke to any other secular administration and hee likewise commanded all Prelates of Churches by vertue of their Canonicall Obedience Ne ipsi ausu temerario seculares administrationes susciperent that they should not rashly attempt the managing of any worldly imployments because being intangled in secular affaires they could nor sufficiently attend their Ecclesiasticall cures seeing the wise man saith Pluribus intentus minor est ad singula sensus And hence Roger de Hoveden thus exclaimes against Huberâ— for resuming his temporall offices againe after he had seeminglâ— informed the King that he would give them over seeing â—hâ— charge of his Church as he sayd was worke enough â—or one man whereunto onely he would gladly dedicate himselfe O inâ—â—licem Praesulem licet saepius legisset Neminem posse doubus Deminis se ruire aut enim umun odio habebit alterum diliget auâ— unumsustinebit alterum contemnet praeelegit tamen officium sacerdotale postpâ—nere quam regi terreno non adhaerere siâ— accepta regnâ— regiminis potestate officii administrationem ecclesiasâ—ici cui professionis voto ast rictus fuerat parvi pendens pro castris Regis Angliae stare non recusavit So this Historian Thus this Bishop Thomas Beacon a Prebend of Canterbury and a fugitive â—or Religion in Queene Maries dayes in his Catechisme in the first volume of his workes Printed at London Cum privilegio Anno 1560. Dedicated to both Archbishops and all the Bishops of England Fâ—â— 499.500 And in his Supplication written in Queene Maries time Vol. 3. fol. 14. â—â— 23. resolves thus of the parity of Bishops and Ministers and the Antichristianity cruelty wealth and secular imployments of our Lordly Prelates Father What difference is there betweene a Bishop and Spirituall Minister or Presbyter Sonne None at all their Office is the same their authority and power is One therefore S. Paul calls Spirituall Ministers sometimes Bishops sometimes Presbyters sometimes Pastors sometimes Doctors c. Father What is a Bishop in English Sonne A Watchman or superintendent as Paul saith to the Presbyters or Bishops of Ephesus Acts 20.28 c. Then hee addes that the first and principall point of a Bishops Spirituall Ministers Office is to teach and preach the Word of God And concludes that such a Bishop as either doth not or cannot preach is a Nicholas Bishop an Idoll and indeed no better than a painted Bishop on a Wall yea he is as the Prophet saith a dumbe dogge and as our Saviour Christ saith unsavory salt worth nothing but to be cast out and to be trodden under foote of men Woe be to such Rulers that set such Idols and white daubed walls over the â—â—ocke of Christ whom hee hath purchased with his precious blood Horrible and great is their great damnation Our Saviour Christ saith to his Disciples As my Father sent me so send I you Now who knoweth not that Christ was sent of his Father to preach the Gospell If they preach not the case of many of our Lord Prelates it is an evident token that Christ sent them noâ— but Antichrist and the Devill After which he thus proceedes in his supplication Thou callest thy selfe a jealous God why then dost thou suffer thy people thy Congregation thy flocke thine heritage to be thus seduced and led away from thee unto all kinde of spirituall fornication and abominable whoredome by that Antichrist of Rome that great Baal that stout Nemroth that false Prophet that beast that whore of Babylon that sonne of perdition and by his abhominable adherents Cardinalls Arch-bishops Bishops Suffragans Arch-deacons Deanes Provosts Prebendaries Commissaries Parsons Vicars Purgatorie-rakers Priests Monkes Fryers Channons Nunnes Anckers Ancâ—eresses Pardoners Proctors Scribes Officialls Somners c. with all the â—able of beastly hypocrites that have received the beasts Marke which doe nothing else than seeke how they may establish their Anâ—ichristian Kingdome by suppressing thy holy Word and leading the people into all kinde of blindnesse errours and lyes c. But now the Shepheards yea rather the Wolves which are burst into thy sheepefold and with violence have unjustly thrust out the faithfull and fatherly Pastors out of their cures are Lordly cruell bloodthirsty malicious and spitefull against thy sheepe They are such Wolves as spare not the flocke but scatter and destroy the flocke They are theeves robbers murtherers and soule slayers They feede themselves with the fattest and cloath themselves with the finest wooll but thy flocke they nourish not The foode wherewith they Pasture thy sheepe is the drowsie dreames and idle imaginations of Antichrist In steede of the preaching of thy lively Word they feede thy flocke with Latine mumblings with dumbe Images with Heathenish Ceremonies with vaine sightes and such other apish â—oyes In steede of the ministration of the holy and blessed Communion they feede thy sheepe with vile stincking abominable devillish blasphemous and Idolatrous Masses And unto these unwholesome pestilent and poysonfull Pasturs they drive the sheepe will they nill they and if any of thy flocke refuse to come and to taste of those their pestilent poysons and poysons full of Pestilences him they accite to appeare before the great Wolfe whose face is like unto the face of a she Beare that is robbed of her young ones whose eyes continually burne with the unquenchable flames of the deadly Cockatrice whose teeth are like to the venemous tushes of the ramping Lyon whose mouth is full of cursed speaking and bitternes whose tongue speaketh extreame blasphemies against thee and thy holy Anoynted whose lippes are full of deadly poyson whose throate is an open Sepulcher whose breath foameth and bloweth out threatning and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord whose heart without ceasing imagineth wickednesse whose hands have a delight to be embrued with the blood of the Saints whose feete are swift to shed blood whose whole man both body and soule goe alwayes up and downe musing of mischiefe This Wolfe O Lord is so arrogant haughty and proud seeing the government of the whole Realme is committed unto him that he hath cast away all feare of thee He maketh boast of his owne wit learning and policy his wayes are alway filthy thy judgements are farre out of his sight hee
defieth all his enemies For he saith in his heart Tush I shall neâ—er be cast downe there shall no harme happen unto me He sitteth lurking like a Lyon in his den that he may privily murther the innocent and sucke his blood When such O Lord God as will not obey their Popish and devillish proceedings are brought before that grievous Wolfe they are miserably taunted mocked scorned blasphemed as thy deerely beloved sonne was in Bishop Caiphas house and afterward cruelly committed to prison to the Tower to the Fleete to the Marshalseys to the Kings Bench to the Counters to Lollardes Tower to Newgate c. where they are kept as sheepe in a pinfold appointed to be slaine And as this cruell and bloody Wolfe dealeth with the poore Lambes even so doe the residue of that lecherous litter He with all other of that Wolvish kind hunger and thirst nothing so greatly as the devouring of the bodies and the sucking of the blood of thy poore and innocent Lambes Ah Lord God under that most wicked Queene Iezabel were not the Prophets more cruelly handled than thy faithfull Ministers be now for as in the days of the wicked Queen Iezabel the Priests of Baal were had in great honour were chiefest and of highest authority about the Queen none bearing so much rule in the Court as they none having so much reverence done unto them as they had even so now is it with the idolatrous Priests of England they alone be chiefest and of much estimation with the Queene They alone â—uffle and raigne they alone beare the swing in the Court they alone have all things going forward as they desire they alone be capped kneeled and crowched to they alone have the keyes of the English Kingdome hanging at their girdles whatsoever they binde or loose whispering and trayterously conspiring among themselves that same is both bound and loosed in the starre Chamber in Westminster-Hall in the Parliament house yea in the Queenes privie Chamber and throughout the Realme of England The very Nobility of England are in a manner brought to such slavery that they dare not displease the least of these spitefull spirituall limmes of Antichrist It is writ that certaine men gave their judgements what thing was most mighty and strongest upon earth The first sayd wine is a strong thing The second sayd the King is strongest The third sayd women yet have more strength but above all things the truth beareth away the victory But we may now say unto such an height is the tyranny of the Spirituall Sorcerers growne that Priests in England are mightier than either Wine King Queene Lords Women and all that is there besides But how agreeth this with the example of Christ which fled away when the people would have made him a King or a temporall governour Christ refused to meddle with any worldly matters as the History of dividing the inheritance betweene the two brethren doth declare Christ willed his Disciples to refuse all worldly dominion and temporall rule When they strove among them who of them should be taken for the greatest Christ sayd unto them The Kings of the Gentiles reigne over them and they that beare rule over them are called gracious Lords but ye shall not be so for he that is greatest among you shall be as the least and he that is chiefe shall be as the minister Christ sent not his Disciples to be Lords of the Councell Lords of the Parliament Lord President Lord Chauncellour Lord Bishop Lord Suffragan Lord Deane Master Queenes Amner Mr. Comptroller Mr. Steward Mr. Receiver Sr. Iohn Massemonger c. but to be Ministers and disposers of the Mysteries of God to be Preachers of the Gospell to bee labourers in the Lords harvest to be Pastors and feeders of the Lords flock to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world to be an example to the faithfull in word and conversation in love in spirit in faith and in purenesse to feede Christs flocke so much as lyeth in their power taking the oversight of them not as though they were compelled but willingly not for the desire of filthy lucre but of a good minde not as though they were Lordâ— over the Parishes but that they be an ensample to the flocke that when the chiefe shepheard shall appeare they may receive an uncorruptible crowne of glory But these things O Lord have they all forgotten These ambitious Antichrists are so drowned in vaine glory and in the desire of filthy lucre and worldly promotions that they neither regard God nor the higher powers that they neither esteeme their office nor any one point of godlinesse honesty that they neither think upon the dreadfull day of judgement nor yet remember themselves to be mortall Their whole study in the time of this their Luciferâ— like pride is nothing else but to suppresse thy holy truth and to advance and set up their Antichristan Kingdome that they as Gods may sit alone in the Consciences of men But O Lord God though thou sufferest these Priests of Baal for our unthankefulnesse a while to prosper to raigne to ruleâ— to ruffle to flourish to triumph and to tread downe thy holy Word under their â—eete yet are we certaine that thou wilt at the last arise defend thine owne cause against these Antichrists bring thine enemies unto confusion and set thy people after they have unfainedly repented in a quiet and blessed State So he and blessed be God that he after and we now live to see this verified in part Miles Coverdale once Bishop of Exeter in King Edward the sixth his reigne being deprived of it in Queene Maries would not returne thereto againe in the beginning of Queene Elizabeths raigne but led a private life in London where he writ a booke intituled an Apologie in defence of the Church of England Printed at London 1564. wherein he writes thus of Bishops intermedling with secular affaires and of their Treasons against our Kings by the Popes instigation The Old Canons of the Apostles command that Bishop to be removed from his Office which will both supply the place of a civill Magistrate and also of an Ecclesiasticall person These men for all that both doe and will needes serve both places Nay rather the one office which they ought chiefely to execute they once touch not and yet no body commandeth them to be displaced c. And as â—oâ—uâ— we of all others most justly have left him For our Kings yea even they which with greatest reverence did follow and obey the authority and faith of the Bishops of Rome have long since found and felt well enough the yoake and tyranny of the Popes Kingdome For the Bishops of Rome took the Crowne off from the head of our King Henry the second and compelled him to put aside all Majesty and like a meere private man to come unto their Legate with great submission and humility so as all his Subjects
Bishop Secondly that the difference is but of Accidents and Circumstances as degrees of dignity jurisdiction honour c. Thirdly that in the Primitive Church this difference was not knowne but they were meerely all one and the same Fourthly that this difference was taken up by custome consent and ordinance of the universall Church when it once began to be dispersed in all the World Fifthly that it was done for the avoiding of factions and sects that grew in the time of the Ministers equality even anon after the Primitive Church And some of them in the Apostles time But quite conâ—rary to this judgment of your Divines are all your Canonists your Divines make seven orders Et in hoc saith Angelus de Clavisio concordam communiter Theol. On this the Divines agree commonly but the Canonists hold that there are nine orders according to nine Hierarchies that is to wit the first notch or Psalmist and the order of a Bishop that the first notch is an order the text is in C. cuâ— contingit ibi do Anto. Canonistae de aeta quali or similiter quod Episcopatus est ordo quod imprimatur character judicio meo facit inconvincibiliter teâ—t in C. i. de ordinatis ab Episcopo c. And so according to the Canonists there shall be nine Orders Great adoe your Schoolemen Canonists make about this insomuch that Aerius heresie will draw very neere to one of you light on which side it shall But your selfe may hold on both sides M. Stapleton being both a Batchelor in the one and a student in the other But as for your Popish Clergy there is indeed little difference in this point or none which barrell is better herring Bishop oâ— Priest both starke nought or rather neither of them either true Priest or Bishop by Saint Pauls description Afâ—er this p. 926.929 He writes thus concerning Bishops intermedling with temporall affaires You say M. Sanders the temporall Kingdome and the heavenly did indeed once jaâ—â—e but now they agree the heavenly and the earthly Kingdomeâ— are conjoyned together Agreement is a good hearing M. Sanders but what meane you by this conjunction that the one is become the other and not still distinguished from it or that your Pope may be King and his Bishops Princes of both nay M. Sanders you finde not that agreement and conjunction For Christ hath put such a barre between them that his spiritual Ministers cannot have earthly Kingdomes nor that earthly Kings should in the estate of their earthly Kingdomes become subject in such wise to his spirituall Ministers otherwise than to yeeld their obedience to their spirituall ministry representing the power and mercy of God unto them c. The objection you made was this Whether Bishops and Pastors of the sheepe of Christ may rule temporall Kingdomes you answer properly and of it selfe in no wise but as those Kingdomes do subject themselves to the Christian faith This is a proper elusion M. Sanders thinke you to escape thus is it all one to subject their Kingdomes to the Christian faith and to subject their Kingdomes to the Bishops Good right it is that the faith should beare the chiefe rule But the objection was Whether the Bishops should or no and therefore this distinction serveth not For Christ simply without this or that respect debarreth all his spiritual ministers from ruling of temporall Kingdomes Who knoweth not that properly and of their owne nature temporall Kingdomes should not be ruled of spirituall Pastors but of Temporall Kings None is so simple to move such a fond objection but the objection is Whether the one be coincident to the other whether a Bishop to whom properly by his Bishoply office a Kingdome belongeth nor may take upon him the government of a Kingdome that properly by his Kingly office belongeth to a King this is the question And you say properly he cannot I say much lesse unproperly but properly or unproperly Christ hath cleane debarred it â—vos autem non sic But you shall not do so These words strick dead M Sanders therefore your â—nproper distinctions may goe pike him Page 931â— he writes that the deposings of Princes have not come so much by the violence of their unnaturall Subjects as by the practises of the Popish Bishops as the ensamples of King Iohn in England of Childericke in France the Henries and other in Germany and in other Countries do testifie yet were these dealings of those Bishops not allowable but detestable yea though it were granted that those Princes had deserved them and broken their faith and promâ—se which if it were a good faith and promise was no doubt an evill breach of it and God will take the vengeance of it it belongeth not to the people nor to the Bishops Vengeance is mine saith God and I will render it He saith not my Bishop shall but I will render it He addes p. 980 981.1026 Christs Kingdome is spirituall and not earthly and his Ministers may not exercise in secular causes an earthly Kings authority M. Saunders pretendeth this is to promote the Church of Christ but such promotion confounds devotion and hath poysoned the Church of God as they say a voyce was heard what time Constantine although falsely is supposed to have endowed the Church with such royall honour Hodie venenum intravit in Ecclesiam This day entred poyson into the Church But Christ hath flatly forbidden it and told his Disciples when they asked such promotion that they knew not what they asked But afterward they knew and found the saying of Christ to be true that their promotion lay in their affliction and not in their Kingly honour c. And this your owne glosse out of your owne Pope Gregory might have taught you Sicut â—isit me Pater id est ad passiones c. As my Father sent mee that is to say to troubles and afflictions so send I you to suffer persecution not to raigne like Kings and rule Kingdomes And therefore sith this sentence of Christ is true that he sent them as hee was sent and he was not sent in his humane nature to depose Kings nor to dispose of their Kingdomes nor to governe them Therefore his Disciples were not sent thereto But the Pope saith he was sent thereto and takes it upon him therefore he is neither minister of Christ nor successor of his Disciples but his Disciple that hath offered him worldly Kingdomes if hee would fall downe and worship himâ— as he hath done and sâ— hath gotten his Kingdomes c. Hofmeister one of your stoutest Champions hath these words Truly those things that have beene spoken and heard from the beginning of this Gospell do enough declare the Kingdome of Christ not to be of this world neither that hee would raigne temporally in the world sith hee taketh not souldiers that can oppugne others but Fishermen readier to suffer than to
Faith Theo. But Laymen may choose what faith they will professe and Princes may dispose of their Kingdomes though Priests and Bishops would say nay Phi. Religion they may not dispose without a Councell Theo. Not if God command Phi. How shall they know what God commandeth unlesse they have a Councell Theo. This is childish wrangling I aske if God command whether the Prince shall refuse to obey till the Clergy confirme the same Phi. You may be sure a wise and sober Clergy will not dissent from Gods precepts Theo. What they will doe is out of our matter But in case they doe to which shall the Prince hearken to God or those that beare themselves for Priests Phi. In case they doe so you need not doubt but God must be regarded and not men Theo. And hath the Prince sufficient authority to put that in â—re which God commandeth though the Priests continue their wilfulnes Phi. There is no Councell nor consent of men good against God Theo. Hold you there Then when Châ—istian Princes are instructed and resolved by learned and faithfull teachers what God requireth at their hands what need they care for the backward disposition of such false Prophets as are turned from the truth and preach lyes Phi. In England when her Majesty came to the Crowne it was not so The Bishops that dissented were grave vertuous and honourable Pastors standing in defence of the Catholicke and ancient Faith of their Fathers Theo. You say so wee say no. Phi. Those be but words Theo. You say very right and therefore the more to blame you that in both your bookes doe play on that string with your Rhetoricall and Thrasonicall fluence and never enter any point or proofe that my profiâ— your Reader you presume your selves to have such apparent right and rule over the Faith over the Church over Christian Princes and Realmes that without your consent they shall neither conclude nor consult what religion they will professe Their acts shall be disorders their Lawes injuries their correction tyranny if you mislike them This dominion and jurisdiction over all Kingdomes and Countries if your holy Father and you may have for the speaking you were not wise if you would not claime it but before we beleeve you you must bring some better ground of your Title then such magnificall and majesticall florishes The Prince and the parliament you say had no power to determine or deliberate of those mattersâ— And why so you to wit Bishops did dissent May not the Prince command for truth within her Realme except your consents be first required and had May not her Highnesse serve Christ in making Lawes for Christ without your liking Claime you that interest and prerogative that without you nothing shall be done in matters of Religion by the Lawes of God or by the liberties of this Realme By the Lawes of the Land you have no such priviledge Parliaments have beene kept by the King and his Barons the Clergy wholly excluded yet their Acts and Statutes good And when the Bishops were present their voyces from the Conquest to this day were never negative By Gods Law you have nothing to do with making Lawes for Kingdomes and commonâ—wealths you may teach you may not command Perswasion is your part compulsion is the Princes If Princes imbrace the truth you must obey them If they pursue truth you must abide them By what authority then claime you this Dominion over Princes that their Lawes for Religion shall be void unlesse you consent Phi. They be no Judges of faith Theo. No more are you It is lawfull for any Christian to reject your doctrine if he perceive it to be false though you teach it in your Churches pronounce it in your Councels to be never so true Phi. That proveth not every private mans opinion to be true Theo. Not yet to be false the greater number is not ever a sure warrant for truth And Judges of faith though Princes be not yet are they maintainers establishers and upholders of faith with publike power and positive Lawes which is the point you now withstand Phil. That they may do when a Councell is precedent to guide them Theo. What Councellâ— had Asa the King of Judah when he commanded his peoplâ— to do according to the Law and the Commandment and made a covâ—nant that whosoever would not seeke the Lord God of Israel should be slaine Phi. He had Azariah the prophet Theo. One man is no Councell and he did but encourage and commend the King and that long after hee had established Religion in his Realme What councell had Ezechiah to lead him when he restored the true worship of God throughout his land and was faine to send for the Priests and Levites and to put them in mind of their duties What Councell had Iosiah when ten yeares after his comming to the Crowne he was forced to send for direction to Huldath the Prophetesse not finding a man in Iudah that did or could undertake the charge Phi. These were Kings of the Old Testament and they had the Law of God to guide them Theo. Then since Christian Princes have the same Scriptures which they had and also the Gospell of Christ and Apostolike writings to guide them which they had not why should they not in their Kingdomes retaine the same power which you see the Kings of Judah had and used to their immorâ—all praise and joy Phi. The Christian Emperours ever called Councells before they would attempt any thing in Ecclesiasticall matters Theo. What Councell had Constantine when with his Princely power he publikely received and settled Christian religion throughout the World twenty yeares before the Fathers met at Nice What councels had Iustinian for all those Ecclesiasticall constitutions and orders which hee decreedâ— and I have often repeated What Councels had Charles for the Church Lawes and Chapters which he proposed and enjoyned as well to the Pastors as to the people of his Empire Phi. They had instruction by some godly Bishops that were about them Theo. Conference with some Bishops such as they liked they might have but councells for these causes they had none In 480. years after Christian Religion was established by Christian Laws I mean from Constantine the first to Constantine the seventh there were very neere forty Christian Emperours whose Lawes and Acts for Ecclesiasticall affaires were infinite and yet in all that time they never called but sixe generall Councels and those for the Godhead of the Sonne and the Holy Ghost and for the two distinct natures and wills in Christ. All other points of Christian Doctrine and Discipline they received established and maintained without â—ecumenicall Councels upon the private instruction of such Bishops and clerkes as they favored or trusted Theodosius as I shewed before made his owne choyce what faith he would follow had no man nor meanes to direct him unto truth but
verdict upon an Indictment for the Kingâ— against Innovating Clergie men as they were bound to doe both in Law and Conscience Witnesse the Case of Master Aske late Recorder of Colchester Mr. Burroughs and the grand Jury of that Towne who were thus vexed for finding an Indictment against Parâ—on Newcoman for refusing to deliver the Sacrament to those who came not up to his new raile And no doubt the Bishops secret Commands and Instructions were the Originall cause that moved Sir Robert Berkely Knight one of the Judges of the Kings Bench at the Generall Sessions at Harâ—ford in Ianuary 7. 1638. to fine Mr. Henry Browne one of the grand Jury men at that Sessions and lay him in Irons one night onely for finding an Indictment for rayling in the Communion Table at Hartford Altar-wise which indictment he caused the said Brown openly to teare trample under his feete and one thaâ— stayed other indictments of this nature in high affront boâ—h oâ— Law and Justice onely to please the Prelaâ—es whose commands threates and persecutions have beene the Originall causes of most of the Judges irregular proceedings Fourteenthly They have not onely cited but censured some of his Majesties Officers in the High-Commission for executing his Lawes according to their Oath and duty as the Major of Arundell for punishing a drumken Minister and likewise ciâ—ed Mr. Staple a Justice of peace in Sussex into the High-Coâ—mission for giving in charge at the quarter Sessions his 〈…〉 against Innovations and deaucht Clergie men Fiftâ—â—nâ—hlyâ—â—hey have most unjustly caused some Posters to be â—â—opped afâ—â—r â—â—â—dicts â—ound for the plaintiffes and dammages given by â—he Jury upon â—ulâ— hearing for Actions justly broâ—ght agaiâ—s◠〈◊〉 of â—hâ—ir Officers for dafamations and other 〈…〉 so that the Plaintiffes could never get judgementâ— wâ—â—nesse â—he case of Master Bayton against Doctor Martyn Comâ—â—ssary of Tomes and others Sixteeâ—â—hly they haue caused some Solliciters Atturnies and Plaâ—nâ—iffes to be imprisoned untill they gave over such just actions as they had commenced and prosecuted against their Officeâ—s for Extortions Opressions and unjust Excommuniâ—ations witnesse the case of Ferdinando Adams whose Atturny Master Letchford was committed to the Kings Bench by Judge Iones and some other Judges only for bringing an Action of the Case against Dade the the Bishop of Norwich Commissary at Ipswich for Excommunicating him maliciously and unjustly because he reâ—used to blot out this Text of Scripture written over the Commissaries Court in Saint Maries Church in Ipswich It is written My house shall be called an house of Prayer of all Nations but ye have made it a den of theeves detaining him in prison till he gave over the prosecution and discontinued the suite sundry others having since beene served in this kinde by the Prelates sollicitation Seventeenthly They have beene the Originall occasions of the late unhappy warre and differences betweene Scotland and England which they stiled Bellum Episcopale the Bishops warre to which they liberally contributed themselves and enforced others to do the like when these differences were comprimised and this warre happily concluded in peace they were the chiefe Authors of the breach of the pacificaâ—ion formerly made and of a second warre to the great danger trouble and unsupportable charge oâ— his Majesties three kingdomes Eighteenthly they have beene the prime causes of all or most of the grievances pressures distractions Schismes in our Church and Common-weale and chiefe instruments of the unhappy breaches of our former Parliaments to the infinite prejudice both of King and Subject Ninteenthly when as they had caused the last Parliament but this to be dissolved to manifest their omnipotency disloyalty and tyranny they caused a new Convocation to be immediately assembled without a Parliament wherein they compiled and prescribed New Canons with an c. Oath tending highly to the derogation of his Majesties prerogative royall in Ecclesiasticall matters the subversion of the â—undamentall Lawes of the Realme and Liberties of the Subject the affront of Parliaments the suppression of all faithfull ministers and ayming onely at the perpetuating of their owne Episcopall Lordly power and Popish Innovations And as if this were not sufficient they tooke upon them to grant sundry subsidies without a Parliament for the maintenance of a new war against the Scots and enjoyned all Ministers to pay these Subsidies peremptorily at the dayes assigned by them under paine of present deprivation for the first default Omni Appellatione semota without any benefit of appeale one of the highest straines of tyranny and injustice that ever I have met with For which Canons Oath and Subsidies they now stand impeached by the whole house of Commons as delinquents in a high nature and are like ere long to receive condigne punishment Twentiethly it is very suspicious that they or some of them had a hand in the late dangerous Treason and Conspiracie since the first clause of the Oath of Seâ—recy administred to the Conspirators was To maintaine the Bishops in their functions and votes in Parliament and the Clergie would at their owne charge as Serjant Major Wallis confesseth in his examination maintaine a thousand horse to promote this Trayterous designe and have now as some report an hundred thousand pound ready for such a service In the twentieth one place they have oppressed and ruined divers of his Majesties Loyall Subjects Ministers and others both in their bodies estates credits families caused many thousands of them to forsake the Realme and to transport their families into forraine parts to the great decay of trade and impoverishing of the Realme In which they have done his Majestie great dis-service whose Honour and safety consists in the multitude and wealth of his people and his destruction in want of people In the twenty second ranke they have most undutifully and disloyally cast the odium of all their late Innovations in Religion their new Canons and tyrannicall exorbitant proceedings on his Majestie proclaiming it openly to the people that all they did was onely by his Majesties speciall direction and command of purpose to alienate the hearts of the people from his Majestie as much as in them lay In the twenty third place they and their Officers have sorely fleeced and impoverished his Majesties Subjects in such sort by exacted Fees and vexatioâ—s suites in their Visitations High-Commissions and other Ecclesiasticall Courts and by putting them to unnecessary costs for raising and rayling in Commâ—nion Tables and new adorning their Churches that they are unable to supply his Majesties and the Kingdomes necessities in that liberall proportion as they have formerly done the late Subsidies scarce amounting to halfe that summe as they did in former times Finally in their last High-Commission Paâ—ent they obtained this strange Non-obstante which robs the King of his Supremacy and the Subjects of their Lawes and Liberties namely That their Lordships in all Ecclesiasticall causes specified in that Commission might proceede in a meere arbitrary manner as
strike And so in this place with most manifest words Christ declaâ—eth that hee came not for this purpose to take upon him the office of a Magistrate but rather that hee might raigne in our hearts so that it might be our hap to come to the â—ternall goods whatsoever happened of our temporall goods Therefore when hee was interrupted of a certaine Jew that hee would helpe him in recovering his inheritance hee answered Man who hath made mee a judge or divider over you As though he should say hath not this world Judges that may decide so base controversies it is not appointed unto mee that this or that man should waxe rich by inheritance but that all men should come to the inheritance of life immortall But in these words Christ would be token many things to wit that he which hath an Apostolicall office ought not to be wrapped with prophane and filthy affaires for so the Apostle saith otherwhere No man going warfare under God entangleth himselfe with worldly businesse And the Apostles say all at once It is not meete for us to leave the Word of God and attend on the Tables Christ also by this reproving would declare that this doctrine taketh not away the Magistrates offices but rather confirmeth them Whereupon hee saith also elsewhere Render to Cesar that that is Cesars And when his Disciples strived for preheminencie he said The Kings of the Nations governe them and so forth Whereby he declared that neither hee himselfe nor his ought as they call them to be secular Judges neither did hee by this refusing abolish the order of the Magistrate but much more as we have said confirme it Thus farre your owne Doctor Hofmeister against you that the intent of Christ refusing to be a Judge herein was chiefely against such usurpation of worldly Magistracie as the Pope and his Prelates too exercise Pag. 1095. he concludes that a Bishop may in some cases lawfully excommunicate a wicked Prince But who denieth this M. Sanders that a godly Bishop may upon great and urgent occasion if it shall be necessary to edifie Gods Church and there be no other remedy to flee to this last censure of excommunication against a wicked King The Bishops need not therefore calumniate Presbyteries upon pretence that they hold it lawfull to excommunicate Kings since they themselves averre that Bishops may lawfully doe it and de facto have sundry times put it in practise both at home and abroad So Bishop Bridges Our laborious Historian M. Iohn Fox in his Acts and Monuments highly applauded by the whole Convocation in their Canons 1571. and enjoyned to be had in every Cathedrall and Collegiate Church and in every Archbishops Bishops Deanes Arch-Deacons and Canons residentiaries house for their servants and strangers to read in doth every where discoâ—er condemne the Treasons Conspiracies Seditions Warres Wealth pride calling and secular imployments of our Bishops of which hee writes thus in particular p. 1381. This hath bin one great abuse in England these many yeares that such offices as beene of most importance and weight have commonly beene committed to Bishops and other spirituall men whereby three devilliâ—h mischiefes and inconveniences have hapned in this Realme to the great dishonour of God and utter neglecting of the flocke of Christ the which three be these First they have had small leasure to attend to their pastorall cures which hereby have beene utterly neglected and left undone Secondly it hath also puft up many Bishops and other spirituall persons into such haughtinesse and pride that they have thought no Noble man of the Realme worthy to be their equall or fellow Thirdly where they by this meanes knew the very secrets of Princes they being in such high offices have caused the same to be knowne in Rome afore the King could accomplish and bring his intents to passe in England By â—his meanes hath the Papacy bâ—ene so maintained and things ordered after theiâ— wills and pleasures that much mischiefe haâ—h happened in this Realme and others sometimes to the destruction of Princes and sometimes to the utter undoing of many Common-wealths So he Who page 216.358.359.360.414.430.432.434.439.517 518.599.625.961.972.1009.1016.1463.1856 of the said Acts and Monuments London 1610. writes often in the magent That Bishops and Presbyters are all one and the same and that there was no difference betweene them in the Primitive times which was the common received opinion of our Martyrs yea of our learned D. Humfrey Regius professor of Divinity in the University of Oxford Puritanopap Confut. ad Rat. 3. p. 262.265 and of D. William Fulke against Bristow Motive 40. against Gregory Martyn p 172. and confuration of the Rhemish Testament Notes on Titus 1. sect 2. and on Philip. I. sect 1. Iohn Iuell the incomparable Bishop of Salisbury in his defence of the Apology of the Church of England Part. 2. cap. 3. disp 5. p. 98 99 100 101. writes thus of the equality of Bishops and Ministers Saint Ierome saith All Bishops wheresoever they be be they at Rome be they at Eugubiuâ— be they at Constantinople be they at Rhegium be all of like preheminence and of like Priesthood And as Cyprian saith There is but one Bishopricke and a peece thereof is perfectly wholly holden of every particular Bishop What Saint Ierome meant hereby Erasmus a man of great learning and judgement expoundeth thus Ierome seemeth to match all Bishops together as if they were all equally the Apostles successors and hee thinketh not any Bishop to be lesse than other for that hee is poorer or greater than other for that hee is richer for hee makes the Bishop of Eugubium a poore towne equall with the Bishop of Rome And farther hee thinketh that a Bishop is no better than any Priest saving that the Bishop hath authority to order Ministers Hereto M. Harding answereth thus Erasmus saith within five lines following that the Meâ—ropolitan hath a certaine dignity and jurisdiction above other Bishops take the one saith hee with the other I am contented M. Harding Erasmus saith The Metropolitan had a dignity above other Bishops but hee saith noâ— the Bishop of Rome had jurisdiction over all Bishops throughout the World In Saint Hieromes time there were Meâ—ropolitans Archbishops Archdeacons and others But Christ appointed not these distinctions of orders from the beginning These names are not found in all the Scriptures This is the thing that we deâ—end S. Ierome saith Let Bishops understand whereunto wee adde further Let the Bishops of Rome themselves undestand that they are in authority over Priests more by custome than by order of Gods truth These be Hieromes words truly translated what he meant thereby I leave to the judgement of the Reader Erasmus likewise saith in the selfe same place above alleaged Whereas Saint Ierome yeeldeth lesse dignity and authority unto Bishops than nowadayes they seeme to have wee must understand he spake of that time wherein he lived