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A61451 An apology for the ancient right and power of the bishops to sit and vote in parliaments ... with an answer to the reasons maintained by Dr. Burgesse and many others against the votes of bishops : a determination at Cambridge of the learned and reverend Dr. Davenant, B. of Salisbury, Englished : the speech in Parliament made by Dr. Williams, L. Archbishop of York, in defence of the bishops : two speeches spoken in the House of Lords by the Lord Viscount Newarke, 1641. Stephens, Jeremiah, 1591-1665.; Davenant, John, ca. 1572-1641.; Williams, John, 1582-1650.; Newark, David Leslie, Baron, d. 1682. 1660 (1660) Wing S5446; ESTC R18087 87,157 146

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Parliament assembled and by the authority of the same ordaineth establisheth and enacteth that from henceforth the same evection and making of the same Duke and all the Names of dignity to the said George or to Iohn Nevil befor henceforth void and of none effect c. And much more the Lord Cook addeth to the same purpose as also York the Herald pag. 223. The late Lord Brook who was slain at Lichfield when he was ready to batter the Cathedral Church in his book against Bishops speaking much against them and magnifying the Temporal Barons saith that though their Honours are derived from the King yet being once made Lord their Honour is vested in their blood and cannot be taken away but his Lordship was not learned in Law or Herauldry He might have taken notice what Lord Bacon saith in his Apopthegmes That blood is no better then the blood of a black Pudding that wants Fat and Suet Honour is vested in the lands Mannors and Revenues which when they are lost and gone farewell Honour and Title Edward Lord Cromwell Grandchild to him that spoyl'd the Church sold the head of his Barony Oukham in Rutland and wasting his whole estate left himself as little land in England as his Grandfather left to the Monasteries by the Feudal Law his Barony is lost The last Edward Lord Zouch who dyed 1. Caroli who was a very great Baron anciently sold the Head of his Barony Haringworth in Northampton-shire and all the Lands which he had insomuch that Henry Howard Earl of Northampton said He was a Baron sans terre Whereupon he bought again some other lands but having no Sons his Barony his extinct Henry Daubeny Earl of Bridgewater created 20. Iuly 30. H. 8. dyed without Issue Anno ... Edw. 6. and so his Name Family and Dignity extinct This Earl was reduced to that extream poverty that he had not a servant to wait on him in his last sicknesse nor means to buy Fire or Candles or to bury him but all was done for him in Charity of his Sister Cicely married to Iohn Bourchier the first of that name Earl of Bath Many more might be alleadged but these are enough to shew that when Lords have lost their Lands and Revenues then they are not fit men to fit and vote in Parliament and many there are who though no● wholly impoverished yet so decayed that they are not so fit as the Bishops to be present in Parliaments who if they might have enjoyed their ancient Lands and Mannors were indeed the most able and worthy to be Members in Parliament both in regard of their great estates and their Knowledge and Learning in all kinds far beyond the Temporal Lords Lastly Whereas Dr. Burgesse saith the Bishops are Barones Ele●mosynarii and would thence infer that they are but as Arbitrary Almsmen like the poor Knights of Windsor who may be abated or taken away at pleasure This is but a spightful inference upon the bare word Eleemosyna without the true sense of it For as the Learned Glossary sheweth Barones Eleemosynarii apud Stanfordum in jure nostro dicuntur Archiepiscopi Episcopi Abbates Priores qui praedia suae Ecclesia a Rege tenent per Baroniam Baronias etiam suas ex Eleemosyna Regum perhibentur accepisse licet ipsa praedia aliorum saepe munificentia consequuti fuerint And sometimes not only by the gift of other noble persons but also themselves did buy and purchase many Mannors and Lands conferring them on their Successours and being so bought they cannot in justice be taken away as if all had been given by the King and others as meer Alms. Lanfranck Arch-bishop of Canterbury bought and recovered 25. Mannors and left them to his Successors Harvey the first Bishop of Ely in the time of Hen. 7. bought and left many Mannors to his Successors and so likewise did many other Bishops enriching much their Bishopricks and leaving besides many testimonies of their piety by building Colledges and Hospitals And other good works to the benefit of all men They founded also almost all the Colledges in both Universities to their eternal honor so long as Learning shall flourish in this Kingdome CHAP. VI. Concerning the Legislative power and Votes of the Bishops in making Laws Concerning the Statute 11. H. 7. Whereby Empson and Dudley proceeded and what great Treasures they brought to the King Calvin and Beza at Geneva were Members of their Chief Council of State consisting of 60. and so many Bishops in England be Members in Parliament King David appointed Priests and Levites in all Courts of Iustice. The Clergy had many priviledges as Lord Cooke sheweth upon Magna Charta 2. Instit. pag. 2 3. Ambition and Covetousnesse of the Presbyterians the principal cause of all our Troubles BUt concerning the Legislative power and Votes of Bishops in making Laws to regulate the Kingdome and to preserve peace and justice among all sorts of men there is not to be forgotten an ancient Law of King Athelstan Concil pag. 402. c. 11. That worthy King in his Laws hath one De Officio Episcopi quid pertinet ad Officium ejus Episcopo jure pertinet omnem rectitudinem promovere Dei scilicet ac seculi imprimis debet omnem ordinatum Dei instruere quid ei jure sit agendum quid secularibus judicare debeat Debet enim sedulo pacem concordiam operari cum seculi judic●bus qui rectum velle diligunt in compellationum adlegationem docere ne quis alii perperam agat in jurejurando vel in ●rdalio Nec pati debet aliquam circumventionem injustae mensurae vel injusti ponderis sed convenit ut per Consilium Testimonium ejus omne legis scitum Burgi mensura omne pondus ponderis sit secundum ejus institutum valde rectum Ne quis proximum suum seducat pro quo decidat in peccatum Et semper debet Christianus providere contra ●mnia quae praedicta sunt ideo debet se magis de pluribus intromittere ut sciat quomodo grex agat quem ad Dei manum custodire suscept ne diabolus eum laniet nee malum aliquid super seminet c. Christianis omnibus necessarium est ut rectum diligant iniqua condemnent saltem sacris ordinibus evecti justum semper erigant prava deponant Hinc debent Episcopi cum secularibus judicibus interesse judiciis ne permittant si pessint ut illius culpa aliqua pravitatum germina pullulaverint Et sacerdotibus pertinet in sua diocaesi ut ad rectum sedulo quemcumque juvent nee patiantur si possint ut Christianus aliquis alii noceat non potens impotenti non summus infimo non praelatus subditis non dominus hominibus suis vel servis aut liberis molestus existat secundum Episcopi dictionem per suam mensuram convenit ut servi testamentales operentur super omnem
confidebant orationibus quam armorum defen●ionibus The Prince and People did rely more upon the prayers of the Church for their deliverance and help then upon any arms that they could raise though the necessity of those times was very urgent burdensome and desperate But there is no such Piety Mercy or favour now shewed to the Churc● or any part of the Clergy But their Estates Lands and Revenues are the first that are seised on sequestred sold and disposed to raise money for the maintenance of War and paiment of Souldiers Gothes and Vandals Scots and Red●hanks as errand Philistines as ever came out of Gath and Askelon And all particular ministers of every Parish though they loose not all their Tythes yet they are taxed in a greater proportion then any Lay men and many Shires petitioned the Parliament to take away Tithes and it was debated also in the Rump-Parliament to take away Tythes and the Lands of both Universities to maintain Soldiers and their Charges which are so excessive and outragious Hanc libertatem te●uit Anglorum Ecclesia usque ad tempus VVillielmi junioris c. VVilliam Rufus was the first that inforced this payment on the Barons and the Clergy Concessum est ei non lege statutum neque firmatum sed habuit necessitatis causa ex unaqu●que hyda quatuor solidos Ecclesia non excepta quorum dum fiere● collectio proclamabat Ecclesia libertatem suam reposcens sed nihil pr●fecit Thus the Religious and Learned Spelman being the greatest Patron and Defender of the Church and the rights and priviledges thereof that this age hath afforded Glossar pag. 200. on the word Dangeldum Dr. Burgesse the Examiner might have observed what Cambden and Spelman have written of the distinction and difference of Barons both Authors having written long before he had taken the boldnesse to talk so poorly of the Baronies of Bishops to whom William the Conquerour did not add much to endear them but imposed many burdens upon them He restrained them in many things using the power of a Conquerour and clipped the Wings of their Temporal power and confined them within the Limits of their Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction He procured Stigand Archbishop of Canterbury Agelrieus Bishop of East-Angles and certain other Bishops and Abbots to be dep●ived by authority from Rome and detained them in prison that strangers might enjoy their places As Sir Iohn Hayward sheweth in his History of the three Norman Kings pag. 87. before time they had part in fines and Mulcts and power of coyning money as appears by the Laws of King Athelstan De Monolariis pag. 399. and many other places But these were soon after reserved to the Crown as principal prerogatives And till the Council of Clarendon under Hen. 2. the Clergy and Bishops enjoyed many more freedoms and priviledges which were abated oftentimes and much diminished about which there was great contention when Thomas Becket opposed the King which the learned Gl●ssary sheweth pag. 82. Episcopi autem Barones dici videantur propter nominis dignitatem non quod vassallagium pendebant aut seculare servitium Hoc enim nostratibus jugum injecit omnium primus Willielmus senior Anno 1070 ut in eodem tradit Matth Paris Auxit magnopere Willielmus junior ut in Historiola Ducum Normaniae in lib. Edwardi Confess C. 11. Sed post varias colluctationes aeterno robore domum confirmavit Hen. 2. Anno Dom. 1164. in magno Concilio Clarendoniae habito Praesidente eidem ex ipsius mandato sacellano suo Iohanne de Oxonia praesentibusque Archiepiscopis Episcopis Abbatibus Prioribus Comitibus Baronibus Regni in hunc tenorem Archiepiscopi Episcopi Vniversae personae Regni qui de Rege tenent in capite habeant possessiones suas de Rege sicut Baroniam inde respondeant Iusticiariis ministris Regis sicut Caeteri Barones debeant interesse judiciis curiae Regis cum Baronibus quousque perveniatur ad diminutionem Membrorum vel ad mortem So that the Bishops besides that they are called by the Kings Writ to Parliament and thereby have the same right that other Lords have yet since the Conquest they may be accounted also among the Feudal Barons Qui nomen dignitatemque suam ratione fundi obtinuerint transferri autem olim aliquando videatur dignitas cum ipso fundo ut Episcopi suas sort●untur Baronias sola fundorum investi●ra Nam ut inquit Stamfordus lib 3. cap 62. Ne ont lieu en Parliament ejus in respect de leur possessions S. L' ancient Barones annexees a leur dignites Whereas therefore Dr. Burgesse saith pag. 45. albeit the Bishops are usually said to hold of the King per B●roniam yet this happily may be meant rather of the honour affixed to their places which works it up into a dignity then of the Land pertaining to them This is but fustian nonsence and gross ignorance for like Feudal Barons suas sortiuntur Baronias sola fundorum investitura In like manner I take it as the Earls of Arundel both formerly and of late being possessed of the Castle of Arundel Honour and Signory without other consideration or creation to be an Earl became Earls of Arundel and the name State and Honour of the Earl of Arundel peaceably enjoyed as appeareth by a definitive judgement given in Parliament as Cambden relateth out of the Parliament Rolls of Hen. 6. out of which Cambden copied out what he saith Further Dr. Burgesse saith That the Bishops ought not to have the same legislative power as the Temporal Barons because these are for their Sons and Heirs and the others for their Successors only This Objection is frivolous because the Bishops being men of great Integrity and Learning are as careful for the preservation of the publick wherein standeth the Safety of themselves and their Successors as any Temporal Lords ●an be and perhaps the more because Temporal Lords do often fall into great want and poverty selling sometimes the very head of their Baronies and so oftentimes become very obnoxious and some of them growing poor have been degraded of their Titles and Honour Whereof Lord Cook giveth an instance 4. Instit. pag. 355. How Nevil both Father and Son Dukes of Bedford were degraded by the King and Parliament 17. Edw. 4. And for so much as it is openly known that George Nevil Duke of Bedford hath not nor by Inheritance may have any livelyhood to support the said Name Estate and Dignity or any name of estate as oftentimes it is seen that when any Lord is called to high estate and have not Livelyhood convenient to support the same dignity it induceth great poverty and indigence and causeth oftentimes great Extortion Imbrolery and maintenance to be had to the great trouble of all such Countries where such estate shall happen to be inhabited wherefore the King by the advice of his Lords Spiritual and Temporal and the Commons in this present
thither out of England there being then no Universities neither Paris nor Padua nor Oxon nor Cambridge Only Rome was the principal place for Learning in these Western parts and therefore our Saxon Kings built the Colledge there for English Scholars and purchased Lands in Italy for the maintenance thereof and also gave the Peter-pence for their better allowance and encouragement which as Mr. Fuller accounteth in his late History was the sum of seven thousand and Five hundred pounds The Peter-pence was given not as a Tribute to the Pope as our Common-Chronicles do grant it and Polydor Virgilius and Baronius but as a stipend to maintain the English Colledge As Spelman sheweth clearly upon the word Denarius St. Petri which Doctor Burgesse might have observed better and not have yeilded it to the Tribute paid to the Pope as he doth grant it pag. 18. of his Reply King Henry the eighth and those about him had forgotten the true use of them and therefore in the Tempest of his Indignation swept them away among other superstitious things in a Statute but it might have been justly continued for the first intention and purpose to educate learned men beyond Seas to learn the Civil and Common Law and forraign languages also matters of State who upon their return home after some seven or eight years would deserve best to be preferred to publick places in Church or State The Kings of England well knowing the necessity of such learned men did anciently and of late send some choice Scholars out of either Universities to forraign Countries as Cambden observeth speaking of Sir Thomas Smith Anno 1577. Annis maturior selectus ut in Italiam Regiis impensis mitteretur ad nostra enim tempora nonnulli adolescentes optimae spei ex utraque Academia ad uberiorem ingenii cultum Regum sumptibus in exteris Regionibus alebantur So was Cardinal Pool in his younger years sent abroad by Henry the eighth Sir William Paget Sir Thomas Smith Sir William Peters and Sir Iohn Mason these two having been fellows of All-Souls Colledge in Oxon but being further bred abroad in forraign Countries they gained great experience and wisdome and were made either principal Officers or Secretaries of State at their return home and were principal men about the King for Counsel and disputes of businesse and guided the Kings Counsels in affairs of most importance Education in our own Universities at home is not sufficient to enable men for all publick places and offices under a King It is well known that learned young men of the best sort in the Universities being sent abroad to travail when they come home are commonly men of far better abilities then such as have only stayed at home as of late years Sir Edwin Sandys Sir Isaac Wake Sir Iohn Digby Sir Clement Edmond and Dr. Bryan Duppa now Bishop of Salisbury both these having been fellows of All-Souls Colledge and Docter Duppa specially chosen to be the Princes Tutor having been bred a Civilian in his Colledge and eminent besides for all polite Literature and proctor of the University and afterwards travailing into France and Spain upon his return home it was not long before King Charles took special notice and made choice of him for the instruction of his three Sons who are now the most accomplished Princes in Christendome notwithstanding the late disturbance and Rebellion of these present times and are likely to prove the most renowned when the present troubles shall be composed Education goes beyond nature as Aristotle sheweth 1. Ethic. Good instruction and learned Education doth add those perfections which cannot be obtained with ordinary helps and by such men as know only their own native Country and Climat The opposition that some men make against the Votes and presence of the Bishops in Parliaments and other places of Office and imployment under the King doth arise from that false principle that jurisdiction Ecclesiastical and civil ought to be distinct and separate both for persons and their imployments Which is already here confuted it being one grand error of Calvin and Beza with divers others that follow them too closely in all opinions as if they had been men free from error Our Bishops in ancient times were most part Lawyers learned in the Civil and Canon Laws and thereby also knowing much in the Canon Law and therefore they were the chiefest Judges of the Land in all Courts of Justice as Spelman sheweth in his learned Glossary for 200 years after the Conquest reckoning the Catalogue of the great Lord cheif Justices being most part men of the Church pag. 409. 410 c. and so pag. 131. Fungebantur antique cancellariatus dignitate viri tantum Ecclesiastici Episcopi qui praeterea Curam gerebant Regiae cap●llae repositaque illic Monumenta Rotulos Recorda vocant sacra custodia tuebantur c. And so also Lord Cook sheweth 1. Instit. lib. 3. pag. 304. B. In ancient time the Lord Chancellour and Treasurer were most part men of the Church yet were they expert and learned in the Laws of the Realm as for example in the time of the Conquerour Egelricus Episcopus Cicestrousis viz. Antiquissimus in legibus sapientissimus Nigellus Episcopus Eliensis Hen. 1. The saurarius in temporibus suis incomparabilem habuit Scacarii scientiam de eadem scripsit optime Henricus Cant. Episcopus H. Dunelm Episcopus Willielmus Episcopus Eliensis G. Roffensis Episcopus Martinus de Pateshall Clericus Decanus divi Pauli London constitutus fuit capitalis Iusticiarius de Banco c. Willielmus de Raleash Clericus Iusticiarius Domini Regi● Iohannes Episcopus Caliolensis temp H. 3. Robertus Passelew Episcopus Cicestrensis temp H. 3. Robertus de Lexinton Clericus constitutus sapitalis Iusticiarius de Banco Iohannes Briton Episcopus Hereford Henricus de Stanton Clericus constitutus fuit capitalis Iustic ad placita With many others So also Selden affirmeth in his Notes upon Fleta Sir Iohn Eliott in his Speech in Parliament confesseth that there are among our Bishops whose profession I honour saith he such as are fit to be made example for all ages who shine in vertue and are firm for our Religion c. as Rushworth relateth in his Collections pag. 661. If Bishops be so eminent that they shine in vertue certainly they are fit men to be present in Parliaments for Parliaments ought to consist of such men as shine in vertue as are firm for Religion A Learned Knight and Courtier writing an answer to Sir Anth. Welden his Pamphlet entituled the Court and Character of King Iames pag. 178. where he speaketh of the preferment of Doctor Williams to be Lord Keeper of the great Seal sheweth That former ages held it more consonant to reason to trust the Conscience of the Clergy with the case of the Lay-men they best knowing a case of Conscience And anciently the civil Law was always judged by the Ministers of the Church and
God as they pronounced or prescribed Thus the reverend and Learned Bishop Bilson in his perpetual Government cap. 4. Besides in every City there were private and peculiar Rulers 21. in number as Iosephus saith and also to every Magistracy in those Cities there was allotted two of the Tribe of Levi for assistance as Iosephus witnesseth and if those could not determine the bus●nesse then they did appeal to the great Council And so Grotius sheweth most accurately upon Mat. 5. 21. Now God appointed these offices and dignities and power of Judicature to the Priests and Levites besides their attendance upon Gods service and the Course of every Priest and Levite was but one Week in half a year to attend at the Temple as Iosephus and Scaliger and Selianus doth shew with other accurate Chronologers so that beside their attendance upon Gods Service they had time and leisure enough to be helpful in the Government of the Kingdome Yea sometimes the principal Judges were chosen out of the Tribe of Levi as at the beginning of their Common-wealth Moses himself of that Tribe the greatest prophet prince that ever was among them So after in succeeding times Ely the high Priest was made Judge in his time So also Samuel a Levite was cheif Judge in Israel as 1 Sam. 7. 15. who judged Israel all the dayes of his life And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethell and Gilgal and Mispeh and judged Israel in all those places much alike as our judges do go their Circuits every year throughout the Land p. 17. And his return was to Ramah for there was his House and there he judged Israel and there he built an Altar to the Lord. And his three Sons after him Samuel made them being Levites Iudges over Israel though they did not walk in their Fathers ways but turned aside after lucre and took bribes and perverted judgement After the Captivity of Babylon for some 500 years till the coming of Christ the Priesthood had the greatest stroke in the Government As Ezra the Priest and brother to Iesus the high priest that returned from the Captivity whose memory is honourable among the righteous as learned Montague sheweth against Selden pag. 377. He had Commission from the Persian Emperor Artaxerxes to govern and order the Controversie Ezra 7. 12 25. and gave him authority to set Magistrates and judges which might judge the people and power to execute the laws of God and the King pag. 26. and to inflict punishments unto death or banishment or to confiscation of goods or imprisonment So that Ezra had great authority and full power given him and his worthy Acts are there recorded So afterwards under the Maehabees who were priests the Common-wealth was governed and it pleased God to make that Family victorious as any other almost that ever governed that Common-wealth as Sir Walter Raleigh sheweth lib. 2. cap. 15. If thus it were anciently among the chosen people of God why then should any in these dayes be so much displeased that a Bishop or a Clergy man should have any part in the Government of the Common-wealth or assistance of Government for the better Ordering and Directing of judgment or to be Counsellor to a Prince as Zechariah the Levite was a wise Counsellor 1 Chron. 26. 14. Benajah a Priest son of Iehojadah was one of David's twelve Captaines being the third Captain of the host for a moneth and in his Course consisting of 2400 was his son Amizabad Benajah also was of David's principal Worthies having the name among the three Mighties He was also Captain of the guard to David and after the death of Ioab he was made Lord General of the Host by King Solomon in Ioabs room 1 Kings 22. 35. So and much rather may a Clergy men now be an Officer in great place or a Justice of Peace in the Country who handles Matters of Equity and good Conscience for preserving of publick peace order and quietness among neighbours wherein happen many businesses that depend much upon the Conscience of a Justice and the Equitable rules of Scripture whereof Clergy men are the most competent interpreters As also many Causes happen touching the Estates and persons of the Clergy who have little reason to be subject onely to secular Judges without some of their own tribe on the bench to see fair carriage and indifferent dealing But for matters of Religion concerning God and his Worship and difficult points of Divinity the Clergy then were and so ought now to be the principal men to be imployed as may clearly appear by the doings of K. David about removing of the Ark to the place that he had provided for it upon which text King Iames hath written a very pious and excellent Meditation Pag. 81. upon the 1 Chron. 15. some of those words are fit to be here recited When the Ark of God whereunto they sought not in the dayes of Saul had continued long at Kiriah-jearim David out of his Zeal and Piety was moved to prepare a Tent for it in the City of David and when he began to remove it he called a great assembly of principal Men but did not make that use of the Priests and Levites as he ought to have done and therefore the Action prospered not but there happened a terrible judgment upon Uzzah which hindered the progresse of the good work and David was afraid of God that day saying How shall I bring the Ark of God home to me so the Ark rested in the House of Obed-Edom But afterwards upon better advice David perceived his Errour and confesseth it Cap. 15. 12 13. Speaking to the Chief of the Priests and Levites Sanctify your selves both ye and your brethren that you may bring up the Ark of the Lord God For because you did it not at the first the Lord God made a breach upon us for we sought him not after the due order This was a great and a godly work that was then intended and therefore King David called a great Assembly about it 1. Of the Elders of Israel 2. Of the Captaines of thousands and hundreds whose Names and Praises are recorded 3. The Priests and Levites Who did it not at the first But now upon better advice King David assembled at first the Children of Aaron and the Levites v. 4. So that men of all Estates were now present in this godly work This is to be marked well of Princes and of all those of any high Calling or Degree that have to do in Gods Cause David doth nothing in matters pertaining to God without the presence and especiall Concurrence of Gods Ministers appointed to be spiritual rulers in Gods Church And at the first meant to convay the same Ark to Ierusalem finding their absence and want of their Counsel hurtful therefore he saith to them Ye are the Chief Fathers of the Levites because ye did it not at the first Thus saith King Iames of blessed memory but
and a notorious offence of I. Pym to affirm as he did in his Speech in Parliament 4. Caroli That the high Commission was derived from the Parliament An impudent ignorant and seditious speech which if it had been spoken in the time of Henry the eighth when he recovered his Supremacy from the Pope the King would quickly have hanged or burnt him as he did many in his Reign upon that point of his Supremacy For though Parliaments may submit and acknowledge the Kings Supremacy yet they are not the Donors or Authors of it it is originally vested in the Crown and is a principal Flower thereof that cannot be denyed ot taken away from the King by any of their Votings or Ordinances And the King may again restore the Court of High Commission without the help of a Parliament and appoint such Judges and Commissioners as he shall think fit without direction or assistance from the House of Commons as the King doth appoint Judges in all other Courts without their consent and so may doe still in this Court Which is absolutely necessary to be done to suppresse the abominable and detestable increase of Sectaries and Schismaticks that are now risen up in this Inter-Regnum of the Kings Authority CHAP. IX The Example of the late warrs in Bohemia Germany France might well have forewarned us in England The Godly Covenant of Bohemia might well have given us Caution to take heed of a Covenant without the Kings consent The Church Lands taken away formerly are restored by the Emperour Grotius his Censure of the Presbyterians for raising Wars TO return again to our former matter of the separation of the Courts it is to be considered that the Courts being now divided in the Kingdome many hundred years since the ancient manner of their union is forgotten and unknown save only to the Learned and the scars of the Norman Conquest are so overgrown that few men are sensible what reliques of Slavery do still remain upon us by changing the order of the Courts the Language of the Law in great part with other things that I will not now mention But being so setled by the Conquerour and continued by his Successors the Temporal Courts in process of time grew too powerful for the Ecclesiastical and by their injunctions and prohibitions stopt many proceedings especially after the Councel of Clarendon under Hen. 2. Wherein the power of the Clergy was much abated and all Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction so crushed that it continued lame ever after Though the Clergy by appeals to Rome and the Popes Legats that were often sent hither did oftentimes help themselves and much molest their Adversaries At length under Hen. 8. upon his breach with the Pope the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction was much abridged and restrained in many particulars and reduced to a narrow compass becoming much more subject and obnoxious to the Injunctions Orders and prohibitions of all the Temporal Courts that now I mervail that any should complain and envy at their power and greatness there being no cause of any value or moment but by one order or other is drawn from them to the Temporal Courts And now at last there want not some that would have all Ecclesiastical authority and jurisdiction either wholly suppressed from the first Court to the last or at least so abated mingled or changed that what form or force of Government shall be left remaining seems very uncertain But if Presbyteries and such like Consistories of the forraign and new fangled devising were erected there will follow great confusion and disorder to the infinite disturbance of peace and quietnesse in the Kingdome by alteration of so many laws and customes and of the Common Law it self whereby the Kingdome hath been governed so many years and setled in peace and all mens estates and Lands held in certain possession For such great and universal changes as will follow upon the dissolution of the Hierarchy and taking away the Votes of Bishops in Parliament and other eminent parts of Government will produce such ill events and troublesome distractions as will not be pacified and composed within the compass of any mans life now living And what further mischeif may follow is uncertain but surely great troubles are like to ensue as indeed it hath happened in a most lamentable manner But if our Nation could have taken warning by the example of the late wars that happened these last 40. years in France Germany and Bohemia they might have prevented much evil for there the Wars began by men of the same spirit and humours as our Presbyterians are among us and had the same ends and purposes as ours had which is to take away the Honours Lands and Revenues of Bishops and all that belonged to them The ill s●ccesse of their names might well have forewarned us if there had been men among us wise and knowing of the Histories of the present age When we saw the Flame and Smoke of ●he Bohemian War ascend to heaven in our sight in most hideous manner And in the end all the zealous party were utterly undone and confounded that began the war against the Emperor to take away the lands of all the Clergy Bishops Deans and Chapters c. Which they account to be the flesh of the Whore of Babylon and the bones of the old Whore that is of the Pope So Brightman and Pareus and other zealous men do interpret the Text Revel 17. 16. All the Lands of the Church and Revenues among which they reckon Tythes are the flesh of the Pope which they must e●●e and devour not Physice but Mystice saith Pareus in his Commentary For otherwise to eat the flesh of the Pope naturally being commonly an old man and perhaps full of Diseases would be no good meat or pleasing Diet But mystically to eat him that is to take away the lands revenues and riches of the Church will bring in profit and money that will provide better diet to feed upon then the body and flesh of an old Pope This Sacrilegious appetite and outragious covetousness to get the lands of the Church and Bishops proved very tragical to Bohemia and most parts of Germany And to shew a little their manner of proceeding I will digresse a little because it is so remarkable and fresh a Case within these last 40. years First therefore the Bohemians in the year 1619. assembled a Parliament without the Emperors Consent They raised a great army and put Garrisons also in all the best Towns and Castles They made a Godly Covenant consisting of an 100 articles just the same in Substance with our late Scottish Covenant they raised great Taxes and excise to maintain their armies and garrisons For two years they prevailed much and brought in a new King the Palsgrave but at the end of two years the Emperors great armies came upon them and fought the great Battle of Prague 8. Novemb. 1620. The Duke of Bavaria came with twelve thousand men and other great
trouble Lastly let us out of our adversaries own grants and confessions prove what themselves deny They grant the Clergy a jurisdiction whereby they can cite before their Courts Hereticks Drunkards Adulterers and such like infamous persons admit accusations against them hear and examine witnesses and give sentence of excommunication on those that are lawfully convicted If by vertue of spiritual jurisdiction from Christ received they can do these things why shall they not by the accession of secular jurisdiction by the King conferred imprison the same malefactors or by such like civil punishments restrain their base incontinencies This Act of correction is no less warrantable in its own nature then that of excommunication both being put in execution by just and legitimate authority niether do corporal punishments lesse conduce to the Reformation of delinquents and the Churches good then those meerly spiritual Therefore by the allowance of superiour authority it is no less expedient that Clergy-men should inflict one kind of chastisement rather then another In a word learned M. Calvin doth grant that what Controversies soever happened between Christians to avoid strife and division they were wont to referre them to their Bishops by their judgment to be decided And St. Austin tells us that he dayly spent some time in secular affairs either by his sentence determining and setling them or cutting them off by his interposition Furthermore he records that St. Paul employed Church-men in such troublesome matters If private Christians do lawfully commit their civil Controversies to the arbitrement of Bishops surely Christian Kings may to the same Bishops lawfully commit the judgment of the like Causes if at the request of private men it be nor unlawful for Church-men to intermedle with secular businesses it cannot be unlawful to do the same by the appointment of the King For as the matter stands he doth no less interest himself in state affaires who decides controversies as an Elect Arbitrator then he who decides the same as a Iudge ordained by the Prince Let us conclude that ambitiously to hunt after or with prejudice to the Function of Priesthood to exercise Civil Jurisdiction from the hand of a King and to administer the same to the better establishing of the peace and discipline of the Church is an Act lawful and praise-worthy most agreeable to the ancient practice of the Church and no wayes repugnant to the Divine Scriptures To this Determination of the learned Bishop Davenant there is nothing replied by Dr. Burgesse but in an insolent manner he terms him onely a speculative Divine as if such a famous professor in the university and a most learned Bishop for twenty years together who was highly reputed for learning and piety should be so scornfully neglected by one that never spent seven years in the university nor ever enjoyed any fellowship a place of continuance in any Colledge to gain more then common learning in a trivial way as appeared fully when he came back to the University to go out Doctor and would needs take upon him to answer the Divinity Act which he performed so contemptibly that he was hissed and scorned publickly by all the Auditors and accordingly censured by Doctor Prideaux who reprehended him sharply in publick for his ignorance and insuffiency and some Papists who are commonly present at such publick Acts among the multitude hearing him to be so destitute of Latine Logick and distinctions upon the state of his questions publickly were heard to say Alass poor black sheep what maketh thee here Whereof I was both an eye and ear witnesse But as is formerly affirmed if some principal men of the Clergy be not in places of Authority and Judicature and some be not Justices of the Peace in every Shire the ordinary Clergy will be trampled on by the vulgar people in most vile manner taxed and assessed unreasonably by Constables and Committee-men and all such officers as is well-known by many instances which might be alledged and are commonly known to say nothing of the insolency of Souldiers and Quarter-masters who will be sure when they come to any parish to set first upon the Ministers house and furnish him with company enough to consume all that he hath in barnes or buttery without any mercy or compassion which may be easily proved but that it is a thing notoriously known past denial so that the Clergy may complain with the Apostle that they are made the fisth of the world and are the off scouring of all things to this day And all this done by the Parliament-members and officers who pretended to advance religion to maintain and uphold Ministery as well as Magistracy But the Laws being taken away or suspended whereby Ministers should be preserved and maintained there is risen up such a swarm of Sectaries Anabaptists Quakers and a rascal rabble of others who deny the calling of ministers and are as ready to oppress them in as violent manner as those Rebels that did rise in the 5. Rich. 2. Wat Tyler Iack Straw Iack Shepherd Tom Millar Hob. Carter and such like fellows as Cowper relateth them in his Epitome of Chronicles and as Iohn Stow reporteth in the Confession of Iack Straw at his death They would have destroyed all Bishops Monks Canons and Parsons and would have dispatched them all Only begging Friers should have lived that might have sufficed for ministring the Sacraments in the whole Realm Poor begging Friers having no good Lands or Revenues were not the object of the peoples malice but all rich men Lords and Gentlemen especially Clergy men should have been made a prey And so or worse is the Case of the Clergy in these times All principal al learned Divines if they have any Estates are miserably cast out of their houses and livings Bishops Deanes and Doctors or others of any eminent note are shamefully persecuted Only poor Curats poor Lecturers poor New-lights poor Schoolmasters who are like the begging Friers are suffered to continue and yet the Anabaptists and Quakers and such like are ready to cashier them to pull down Churches Steeple-houses and Stone-houses as they call Churches in derision but as Solomon saith there is no new thing under the Sun from the beginning of the world to the end it is so that necessitous men theeves and beggars will seise upon the estates of rich men if they have once power in their hands and can but lay hold on them The Speech of Doctor WILLIAMS Lord Arch-bishop of York in defence of the Bishops Rights to Sit and Vote in Parliaments I Shall desire as much water or time of your Honorable Lordships as your Lordships can well afford in a Committee because all that I intend to speak in this business must be to your Lordships onely as Resolved for mine own part to make hereafter no Remonstrance at all to his most excellent Majesty for these several reasons 1. That I have had occasion of late to know that our Soveraign whom God bless and