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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56127	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, temporalities, 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.	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1641 (1641)	Wing P3891A; Wing P3891_vol1; Wing P4074_vol2_CANCELLED; ESTC R18576	670,992	826

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 ●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 I●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 religionibu● 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 ●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 pe●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 Princ●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 po●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 concur●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 sec●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 b● 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 ●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 God● 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 sor● 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

yeare of the raigne of your the Queens Majesties most noble Father Henry the 8. or any other your most noble Progenitors before the said 20 yeare And the Popes holinesse and See Apostolicke to be restored have and enjoy such authority preheminence and jurisdiction as his Holinesse used and exercised or might lawfully have used and exercised by authority of his supremacie the said 20. yeare of the raigne of the King your Father within this your Realme of England and other your Dominions without diminution or enlargement of the same and none other and the Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction of the Archbishops Bishops and Ordinanaries to be in the same Sta●e for processe of sui●s punishment of crimes and execution of censures of the Church with knowledge of causes belonging to the same and as large in these points as the said jurisdiction was the said 20. yeare Where observe that the Prelates usurped Jurisdiction over the Kings prerogative was much eclipsed if not quite abolished by severall statutes made in King Henry the 8. and Edward the 6. his raigne and expired together with the Popes as appeares by these words of the Clergies supplication recited in the body of this Act. Nos Episcopi Clerus c. cum omni debita humilitate reverentia exponimus Majestatibus vestris quod licet Ecclesiarum quibus in Episcopos Decanos Archidiaconos c. constituti sumus bona Iurisdictiones jura in pernicioso hujus Regni praeterito schismate DEPERDITA ET AMISSA omni studio totis nostris v●ribus recuperare ad pristinum ecclesiarum jus revocare juris remediis niti deberemus c. Insuper Majestatibus vestris supplicamus ut pro sua pietate efficere dignentur ut ea quae ad jurisdictionem nostram libertatem Ecclesiasticam pertinent sine quibus debitum nostri pastoralis officii curae animarum nobis commissae exercere non possumus nobis superiorum temporum injuria ablata restituantur ea nobis ecclesiis perpetuo illaesa salva permaneant ut omnes leges quae hanc nostram jurisdictionem libertatem Ecclesiasticam tollunt seu quovis modo impediunt abrogentur ad honorem dei majestatum vestrarum c. As therefore the Bishops Popes Jurisdiction were suppressed together before so it is worth the observation that they are both revived together by this Act upon the restauration of Popery And good reason for Nicholas le Maistre in his Instauration of the Ancient Principality of Bishops Dedicated to the great French Cardinall Richeleiu Printed at Paris 1633. in his Dedicatory Epistle to this Cardinall informes us That verily the Majestie of the Pontificall and Episcopall jurisdiction is so conjoyned and confederated together that the enemies cannot so guide their hands but with the same audacity wherewith they assaulted the Popes Crowne they likewise shaked the Bishops Miters and as it were with one bloody wound pierced both their sides Whence it came to passe that the atrocity of the Bishops sorrowes increased so farre that their patience sufficient to digest their owne domesticke injuries was let loose to the dangers of the chiefe Pontise the Pope and brake forth into the most sharpe indignation and hatred● that thence it might appeare that the glory of their owne name could never be more secure than when and where the Popes greatnesse shall be adorned with greatest honours which being violated all the splendor of the Episcopall Order must necessarily dye and grow contemptible Hence we see it comes to passe by a certaine Divine assent and Counsell that the Authority of Bishops should be expelled out of the same Provinces out of which unhappy lust had thrust out the Papall Majestie So this Author of late by which we may discerne what a neare and indissoluble connexion there is betweene the Papacy and the Prelacie and how the Pope and Prelates ever mutually strive to support and advance one anothers authority Cardinall Poole thus reviving the Popes and Prelates Jurisdiction and suppressing and eclipsing the Royall Prerogative as you have heard hereupon the Queenes name and Title formerly used in all Ecclesiasticall Processe with this clause Suprema Autoritate Regia legitime fulcitus the like was wholly omitted out of them and whereas all such processes were sealed with her seale and all Probates of Wills and Letters of Administration granted in her name and under her seale onely not the Bishops like Writs at the Common Law according to the Statute of 1 Ed. 6. c. 2. the Bishops thenceforth used onely their owne seales and names excluding hers and so set themselves in her Royall Throne To effect this the Cardinall and Prelates caused Queene Mary to send Articles to the Ordinaries to be put in Execution whereof this was one that no Bishop or his O●ficer or any other Person hereafter in any of their Ecclesiastical writings in proces or other extrajudiciall Acts doe use to put in this clause or sentence Regia autoritate fulcitus or doe demand any Oath touching the Primacy to which Master Fox annexeth this Marginall annotation The Kings Authority giveth place to the Popes Authority the supremacy of the King repealed and hereupon in the Queenes writ to Bonner ●or the sommoning of a Convocation her stile of Supremum caput was taken away where note good Reader writes Master Fox concerning the altering and changing of the Queenes stile the later part hereof to be le●t out of her Title which is Ecclesiae Anglicanae Hibernae supremum caput because in the Parliament last past the supremacy being given away from the Crowne of England to the Pope thereupon this parcell of the Title was also taken away likewise the sayd Bonner giving his Certificate upon the same left out Autoritate illustrissimae c. legitime fulcitus which parcell also in the said Parliament was reprived and taken away the same time Which notable usurpation upon the Crowne though abolished by 1. E l. c. 1.8 E l. c. 1.1 ●ac c. 25. and other Acts which revive the statute 1. E l. 6. c. 2. being nothing but the Common Law our Prelates in imitation of these and other their undutifull Popish Predecessors have not onely continued but likewise upon the now Arch-Bishop of Canterburies motion in Star-Chamber procured a Resolution and Certificate of all the Judges of England against the Laws Kings prerogative royall to justifie this their usurpation of issuing out processe under their owne names and seales and keeping Visitations and Courts in their owne names without any Patent or Commission from his Majestie to be legall as appeares by two Orders of Starre-Chamber 12. Maii and 4. Iunii 13. Caroli This Arch-prelate Cardinall having thus re-established the Popes and Prelates jurisdiction here by Act of Parliament caused divers of our Martyrs to be burnt of which his Predecessor Cranmer was one and in his Visitation at Oxford and Cambridge caused the dead

and delete such power given by God to the Princes of the earth whereby they might gather and get to themselves the government and rule of the world have in their Councells and Synods Provinciall made ordained and established and decreed divers ordinances and constitutions that no Lay or marryed man should or might exercise or occupie any Jurisdiction Ecclesiasticall nor should be any Judge or Register● in any Court comm●nly called Ecclesiasticall Cour● lest their ●alse and usurped power which they pretended and went about to have in Christs Church should decay waxe vile and of no reputation as by the sayd Councels and Constitutions Provinciall appeareth which standing and remaining in their effect not abolished by your Graces Lawes did seeme to appeare to make greatly for the sayd usurped power of the sayd Bishop of Rome and to be directly repugnant to your Majesties Title of supreame head of the Church and prerogative Royall your Grace being a Lay-man and albeit the sayd Decrees Ordinances and Constitutions by a Statute made the 25● yeare of your most noble raigne be utterly abolished frustrate and of none effect yet because the contrary thereunto is not used nor put in practise by ●he Arch-Bishops Bishops Deanes and other Ecclesiasticall persons who have no manner of Jurisdiction Ecclesiasticall but by under and from your royall Majesty it addeth or a● the least may give occasion to some evill disposed perso●s to thinke and little to regard the proceeding and censures Ecclesiasticall made by your Highnesse and your Vice-gerent Officialls Commissaries Judges and Visitators● being also Lay and married men to be of little or none effect or force whereby the people gathereth heart and presumption to doe evill and not to have such reverence to your most godly injunctions and proceedings as becommeth them But forasmuch as your Majesty is the onely and undoubtedly supreame head of the Church of England and also of Ireland to whom by Scripture all authority and power is wholly given to heare and determine all causes Ecclesiasticall and to correct all vice and sinne whatsoever and to all such persons as your Majesty shall appoint thereunto that in consideration thereof as well for the instruction of ignorant persons as also to avoyd the occa●ion of the opinion aforesayd and setting forth of your prerogative royall and supremacy It may therefore please your Highnesse that it may bee ordained and enacted by authority of this present Parliament that all and singular aswell Lay as those that be married now or hereafter shall be married being Doctors of the Civill Law lawfully create and made in any University which shall be made ordained constituted and deputed to bee any Chancellour Vicar Generall Commissary Officiall Scribe or Register by your Majesty or any of your Heires or Successours to any● Arch-Bishop Bishop Arch-Deacon or other person whatsoever having authority under your Majesty your Heires and Successours to make any Chancellour Vicar Generall Commissary Off●ciall or Register may lawf●lly execute and exercise all mann●r of Jurisdiction commonly called Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction and all Censures and Corrections appertaining o● any wise belonging unto the same albeit such person or persons be Lay married or unmarried so that they be Doctors of the Civill Law as is aforesayd any Law Constitution or Ordinance to the contrary notwi●hstanding By this Act it is apparent that the end of the former Constitution was trecherously to undermine and abolish the Kings Prerogative Royall in causes Ecclesiasticall and to make the Pope and our Prelates absolute Monarches and our Kings meere Cyphers to execute their Mandates when by the expresse words of this Law with that of 1. Ed. 6. c. 2.26 H. 8. c. 1.1 Eliz. c. ● 5 Eliz. c. 1.8 Eliz. c. 1. and 1. and 2. Phil. and M●ry c. 8. it is most clearely resolved that our Arch-Bishops and Bishops have no manner of Jurisdiction Ecclesiasticall over other Ministers by any divine right as they now vainely if not trayterously pret●nd but by from and under our Kings in whose name and right and under whose Seale alone all their Ecclesiasticall processe ought to issue as hath beene elsewhere plentifully manifested it being no lesse than a Premunire by the Statute of 1. Edw. 6. c. 2. ●or any Bishops or Ecclesiasticall Judges to issue out processes in their owne names and under their owne Seales as now our Prelates doe This Law of Premunire was such a curbe to our usurping Prelates that this Arch Prelate Chichely in the last Synod hee held Anno. 1439. without delay or difficulty granted King Henry the sixt a Tenth and promised him large supplyes from the Clergie in all things if he would abrogate those hard Lawes of Premunire where-with the Clergie were very falsely accused and oft taken and ensuared as in unjust s●ares whereas in truth those Lawes were the principall safety both of King and people to preserve and free them from the unjust incroachments of Popes and Prelates upon their Liberties Lawes and Estates which made the Pope and them so frequently to sollicite their repeale And by his countenance William Lindwood collected and set out the Provinciall Constitutions of the Arch-Prelates of Canterbury in their Synods in affront of the Kings prerogative Royall and the Lawes of the Realme dedicating them to this Arch-Prelate and entreating him to put them in due Execution being neglected and quite disregarded formerly both by Prelates Judges and people as he complaines in his Epistle Dedicatory to him In briefe when in the Parliament held at London Anno 1414. under King Henry the fifth the Commons reviewed their former Petition in Parliament made to King Henry the fourth but foure yeares before to seize the Bishops and Abbots Temporalities shewing how many Earles Knights and Esquires they would maintaine The Bishops and Abbots whom it touched very neare much ●earing● the issue● determined to assay all wayes to put by and overthrow this Bill and minding rather to bow than breake they first agreed to offer the King a great summe of money to stay this new moven Demand The cause of this offer seemed to some of the wise Prelates neither decent nor convenient for they well ●oresaw and perfectly knew that if the Commons perceived that they by rewards or by offer of money would resist their request and petition that they stirred and moved with a fury would not onely raile and despise them as corrupters of Princes and enemies of the Publicke●Wealth but would so cry and call on the King and the ●emporall Lords that they were like to lose both worke and oyle cost and lining Wherefore they determined to cast all chances which might serve their purpose and in speciall to replenish the Kings braine with some pleasant study so as that hee should neither phantasie nor regard the serious Petition of the importunate Commons Wherefore on a day when the King was present in Parliament this Henry Chichely Arch-Bishop of Canterbury after low

unto him● went before him bareheaded to Christ Church from which Church he was attended by the Duke in like ●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 natu●e o● a Puppet-play made in puffe-past or March-pane before every Course de●cribed more largely by Matthew Parker fitter for a Maske than a Bishops Consecration and savoring of more than Asian Luxurie as this his Suc●essor confesseth Be●ore the first Messe the Duke himselfe came riding into the Hall upon a great Horse bare headed with his white staffe in his han●● and when the first dish was set on the Table made obey ●an●●●●●y bowing his body to the Arch-bishop Such Vassals did ●ho●e proud Popes of Canterbury make the very greatest Nobles as thus to become their Servants and waite upon their Roche●s In this Arch-Bishops time there fell out great contestations and s●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 Wolsi● who by his power Legatine invaded and swallowed up all the Jurisdiction Rightes of the other Pr●●a●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. 152● When the Commons were assembled in the nether house they began to Commune of their grie●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 heads● 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 true● 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 ●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 farme● 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 gra●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

and gracious Lady and Queene much false and erroneous Doctrine hath beene taught preached and written partly by divers naturall borne subjects of this Realme and partly being brought in hither from sundry other forraine Countries hath beene sowne and spread a broad within the same by reason wherof as well the spirituali●y as the temporality of your Highnesse Realmes and Dominions have swerved from the obedience of the See Apostolicke and declined from the unity of Christs Church and so have continued untill such time as your Majesty being first raised up by God and set in the seat royall over us then by his divine gracious providence knit in marriage with the most Noble and Vertuous Prince the King our Soveraigne Lord your husband the Popes holinesse and the See Apostolike sent hither unto your Majesties as unto persons undefiled and by Gods goodnesse preserved from the common infection aforesaid to the whole Realm the most reverend father in God the Lord Cardinall Poole Legate de Latere to call us home againe into the right way from whence we have all this long while wandred and strayed abroad and we a●●er sundry long and grievous plagues and calamities seeing by the goodnesse of God● our owne errours have acknowledged the same unto the said most reverend Father and by him have beene and are the rather at the contemplation of your Majesties received and embraced into the unity and bosome of Christs Church and upon our humble submission and promise made for a declaration of our repentance to repeale and abrogate such Acts and Statures as had beene made in Parliament since the said 20. yeare of the said King Henry the 8. against the supremacie of the See Apo●stolike as in our submission exhibited to the said most reverend Father in God by your Majesties appeareth The tenor whereof ensueth Wee the Lords spirituall and temporall and the Commons assembled in this present Parliament representing the whole body of the Realme of England and the Dominions of the same in the name of our selves particularly and also of the said body universally in this our supplication directed to your Majesties with most humble suit that it may by your graces intercession and meanes be exhibited to the most reverend Father in God the Lord Cardinall Poole Legate sent specially hither from our most holy Father Pope Iulius the third and the See Apostolike of Rome do declare our selves very sory and repentant of the Schisme and disobedience committed in this Realme and dominions aforesaid against the said See Apostolike either by making agreeing or executing any Lawes ordinances or Commandements against the supremacy of the said See or otherwise doing or speaking that might impugne the same offering our selves and promising by this our supplication that for a token and knowledge of our said repentance we are and shall be alwayes ready under and with the Authorities of your Majesties to the uttermost of our powers to doe what shall lye in us for the abrogation and repealing of the said Lawes and Ordinances in this present Parliament as well for our selves as for the whole body whom wee represent whereupon wee most humbly desire your Majesties as personages undefiled in the offence of this body towards the said See which neverthelesse God by his providence hath made subject to you so to set forth this our most humble suit that wee may obtaine from the See Apostolike by the said most reverend Father as well particularly as generally absolution release and discharge from all danger of such censures and sen●en●●s as by the Lawes of the Church wee are fallen into and that wee may a● children repentant be received into the bosome and unity of Christs Church so as this noble Realme with all● the members thereof may in this unity and perfect obedience to the See Apostolike and Popes for the time being serve God and your Majesties to the furtherance and advancement of his honou● and glory wee are at the intercession of your Majesties by the authority of our holy Father Pope Iulius the third and of the See Apostolicke assoyled discharged and delivered from excommunication interdictions and other censures Ecclesiasticall which have hanged over our heads for our said defaults since the time of the said schisme mentioned in our said supplication The which time the said Lord Legate and wee do all declare recognise and meane by this Act to be onely since the 20. yeare o● the raigne of your most Noble Father King Henry the 8. It may now like your Majesties that for the accomplishment of our promise made in th● said supplication that is to repeale all Lawes and Statutes made contrary to the said supremacie and See Apostolike during the said schisme which is to be understood since the 20. yeare of the raigne of the said late King Henry the 8. and so the Lord Legate doth accept and recognise the same After which they repeale in this Act also the Statutes against the Popes supremacie and profit And declare that the title or stile of supemacie or supreme head of the Church of England and of Ireland or either of them never was nor could be justly or lawfully attributed or acknowledged to any King or Soveraigne Governour of this Realme nor in any wise could or might rightfully justly or lawfully by any King or Soveraigne Governour of this Realme be claymed challenged or used And withall they commend Queene Mary for omitting this stile though s●●●led by Act of Parliament And to colour this disloyalty and prejudice to the Crown they adde this srivolous clause to the end of this Act And forasmuch as we your Majesties humble obedient subjects the Lords spirituall and temporall and Commons in this present Parliament assembled neither by the making or delivering of either the supplications afor●said nor by any clause Articles or Sentence thereof or of any other Clause A●ticle or Sentence of this or any other Statu●e or the preambles of the same made or agreed upon in this Session of this pr●s●nt Parliament by any manner of interpretation construction implication or otherwise intend to derogate impaire or diminish any of the prerogatives liber●ies franchesies preheminences or jurisdictions of your Crowne imperiall of this Realme and other the Dominions to the same belonging Wee do most humbly beseech your Majesties that it may be declared and ordained and be it ●nac●ed and declared by authority of this present Parliament that neither the making exhibiting or inferring in this present Statute or in the preambles of the same of the supplica●ions or promise aforesaid or either of them nor any other things words sentences clauses Articles in the preambles or body of the Acts aforesaid shall be construed understood or expounded to derogate diminish or take away any the liberties priviledges prerogatives preheminences authorities or jurisdictions or any part or parcell thereof which were in your Imperiall Crowne of this Realme or did belong to your said Imperiall Crowne the 20.

paper once allowed them to write to their friends for necessaries and by a bloody cruell warre betweene England and Scotland which Bishop Peirce truly termed Bellum Episcopale the Bishops warre he would have thought himselfe a Prophet this saying of his more experimentally verefied by this Arch-prelate than by any of his Predecessors all whose tyranny malice fury violence injustice lawlesnesse oppression inhumanity trechery pride ambition extravagances treasons and prelaticall vices seeme to meere and lodge together in him as in their prop●r center as I could largely manifest by particulars did not his unjust and rigorous proceedings against my selfe and all who had relation to mee without any just cause or provocation on my part or theirs command mee silence lest I might seeme malicious or revengefull Since therefore these his practises are so notorious unto all I shall forbeare to rip up particulars and close up all concerning him with the whole house of Commons Articles and Charges of high Treason against him as they were transmitted to the Lords by that worthy Gentleman my much honoured friend M. Iohn Pymme which being a publike charge of all the Commons by way of justice in the supremest Court of Judicature published already to the world in Print I hope it will neither be reputed a scandalum magnatum nor matter of revenge in mee if I here insert them since most pertinent to the Subject matter of this Treatise which I had in part digested many yeares by-past before his last information in Starchamber exhibited against mee A true Copy of the Articles of the Commons assembled in Parliament against WILLIAM LAUD Archbishop of Canterbury in maintenance of their accusation whereby hee stands charged with high Treason and of the Speech or Declaration of JOHN PYMME Esquire upon the same upon their transmission to the Lord. My Lords I Am commanded by the Knights Citizens and Burgesses now assembled for the Commons in Parliament to deliver to your Lordships these Articles in maintenance of their Charge against the Archbishop of Canterbury Their desire is that first your Lordships would be pleased to heare the Articles read and then I shall endeavour to present to you the sense of the Commons concerning the nature of the Charge and the order of their proceedings Articles of the Commons assembled in Parliament in maintenance of their accusation against WILLIAM LAUD Archbishop of Canterbury whereby hee stands charged with high Treason 1. That hee hath traiterously endeavoured to subvert the fundamentall Lawes and Government of this Kingdome of England and instead thereof to introduce an Arbit●ary and tyrannicall Government against Law and to that end hath wickedly and traiterously advised his Majesty that hee might at his owne will and pleasure leavie and take money of his Subjects without their consent in Parliament and this hee affirmed was warrantable by the Law of God 2. He hath for the better accomplishment of that his traiterous designe advised and procured Sermons and other discourses to be Preached Printed and published in which the Authority of Parliaments and the force of the Lawes of this Kingdome have bin denyed and absolute and unlimited power over the persons and estates of his Majesties subjects maintained and defended not onely in the King but in himselfe and other Bishops against the Law And he hath beene a great protector favourer and promoter of the publishers of such false and pernicious opinions 3. Hee hath by Letters Messages Threa●s and Promises and by divers other wayes to Judges and other Ministers of Justice interrupted and perverted and at other times by meanes aforesaid hath endeavoured to interrupt and pervert the course of Justice in his Majesties Courts at Westminster and other Courts to the subversion of the Lawes of this Kingdome whereby sundry of his Majesties Subjects have beene stopt in their just suits deprived of their lawfull rights and subjected to his tyrannicall will to their ruine and destruction 4. That the said Archbishop hath trayterously and corruptly sold Justice to those who have had causes depending before him by colour of his Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction as Archbishop High Commissioner Referree or otherwise and hath taken unlawfull gifts and bribes of his Majesties Su●●●● and hath as much as in him lies endeavoured to corrupt the other Courts of Justice by advising and procuring his Majesty to ●ell places of Judicature and other Offices contrary to the Lawes and Statutes in that behalfe 5. He hath trayterously caused a booke of Canons to be composed and published without any lawfull warrant and authority in that behalfe in which pretended Canons many matters are contained contrary to the Kings Prerogative to the fundamentall Lawes and Statutes of this Realme to the right of Parliament to the propriety and liberty of the subject and matters tending to sedition and of dangerous consequence and to the establishment of a vast unlawfull and presumptuous power in himselfe and his successors many of which Canons by the practise of the said Archbishop were surrepti●iously passed in the late Convoc●tion without due consideration and debate others by feare and compulsion were subscribed by the Prelates and Clarkes there assembled which h●d never beene voted and passed in the Convocation as they ought to have beene And the said Archbishop hath contrive● and endeavoured to assure and confirme the unlawfull and exorbitant power which hee hath usurped and exercised over his Majesties Subjects by a wicked and ungodly oath in one of the said pretended Canons injoyned to be taken by all the Cleargie and many of the Laity of this Kingdome 6. He hath trayterously assumed to himselfe a Papall and tyrannicall power both in Ecclesiasticall and Temporall matters over his Majesties Subjects in this Realme of England and in other places to the disherison of the Crowne dishonour of his Majestie and derogation of his supreme authority in Ecclesiasticall matters And the said Archbishop claimes the Kings Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction as incident to his Episcopall and Archiepiscopall office in this Kingdome and doth deny the ●ame to be derived from the Crowne of England which he hath accordingly exercised to the hig● contempt of his royall Majesty and to the destruction of divers of the Kings liege people in their persons and estates 7. That he hath trayterously indeavoured to alter and subvert Gods true Religion by Law established in this Realm and in stead thereof to set up Popish superstition and Idolatry And to that end hath declared and maintained in Speeches and Printed Booke divers popish doctrines and opinions contrary to the Articles of Religion established by Law Hee hath urged and injoyned divers Popish and superstitious Ceremonies without any warrant of Law and hath cruelly persecuted those who have opposed the same by corporall punishments and Imprisonments and most unjustly vexed others who refused to conforme thereunto by Ecclesiasticall censures of Excommunication Suspension Deprivation and Degradation contrary to the Lawes of this Kingdome 8. That for the better advancing of his

them Morally as they stand in opposition to the light of Nature to right reason and the principles of humane society you will then perceive pride without any moderation● such a Pride as that is which exalts it selfe above all that is called God Malice without any provocation Malice against vertue against innocencie against piety injustice without any meanes of restitution even such injustice as doth robbe the present times of their possessions the future of their possibilities I● they be examined My Lords by Legall Rules in a Civill way as they stand in opposition to the Publiqu● Good and to the Lawes of the Land Hee will be found to be a Traytor a●gainst his Majesties Crowne an incendiary against the Peace of the State hee will be found to be the highest the boldest the mo●t i●pudent oppressour that ever was an oppressor both of King and People● This Charge my Lords is distributed and conveyed into ●o●●teene severall Articles as you have heard and those articles are onely generall I● being the intention of the House of Commons which they have commanded mee to declare to make them more certaine and particular by preparatory Examinations to be taken with the helpe of your Lordships house as in the Case of my Lord of Strafford I shall now runne thorough them with a light touch onely marking in every of them some speciall point of venome virulency and malignity 1 The first Article my Lords doth containe his ●ndeavour to introduce into this Kingdome an Arbitrary power of Government without any limitations or Rules of Law This my Lords is against the safety of the Kings Person the honour of his Crowne and most destructive to his people Those Causss which are most perfect have not onely a power to produce effects but to conserve and cheri●h them The Seminary vertue and the nutritive vertue in vegetables do produce from the same principles It was the defect of justice the restraining of oppression and violence that first brought government into the World and set up Kings the most excellent way of Government And by the maint●nance of Justice all kinds of government receive a sure foundation and establishment It is this that hath in it an ability to preserve and secure the royall power of Kings yea to adorne and encrease it 2 In the second Article yo●r Lordships may observe absolute and unlimited power defended by Preaching by Sermons and other discourses printed and published upon that subject And truely my Lords it seemes to be a prodigious crime that the truth of God and his holy Law should be perverted to defend the lawlesnesse of men That the holy and sacred function of the Ministry which was ordained for instruction of mens soules in the wayes of God should be so abused that the Ministers are become the trumpets of sedition the promoters and defenders of violence and oppression 3 In the third Article my Lords you have the Judges who under his Majesty are the dispersers and distributers of Justice frequently corrupted by feare solicitation you have the course of Justice in the execution of it● shamefully obstructed And if a wilfull Act of injustice in a Judge be so high a crime in the estimate of the Law as to deserve death under what burthen of guilt doth this man lye who hath beene the cause of great numbers of such voluntary and wilfull acts of injustice 4 In the fourth Article hee will be found in his owne person to have sold justice in Causes depending be●ore him And by his wicked couns●ll endeavouring to make his Majesty a Merchant of the same commodity onely with this difference that the King by taking money for places of judicature should sell it in grosse whereas the Archbishop sold it by retaile 5 In the fi●t Article there appeares a power usurped of making Canons of laying obligations on the Subjects in the nature of Lawes and this power abused to the making of such Canons as are in the matter of them very pernicious being directly contrary to the prerogative of the King and the liberty of the people In the manner of pressing of them may be found fraud and shuf●ling in the conclusion violence and constaint men being forced by terrour and threatning to subscribe to all which power thus wickedly gotten they laboured to establish by perjury injoyning such an Oath for the maintenance of it as can neither be taken nor kept with a good conscience 6. In the sixth Article you have the King robbed of his Supremacy you have a Papall power exercised over his Majesties Subjects in their consciences and in their persons You have Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction claimed by an Incident right which the Law declares to proceede from the Crowne And herein your Lordships may observe that those who labour in civill matters to set up ●he King above the Lawes of the Kingdome do●e yet in Ecclesiasticall matters endevour to set up themselves above the King This was ●irst procured by the Arch-bishop to be extrajudicially declared by the Judges and then to be published in a Proclamation In doing whereof he hath made the Kings Throne but a footstoole for his owne and their pride 7. You have my Lords in the seventh Article Religion undermined and s●bverted you have Popery cherished and de●ended you have this seconded with power and violence by severe punishment upon those which have opposed this mischievous intention and by the subtile and eager prosecution of these men hath the power of Ecclesiasticall Commissioners of the Starre-Chamber and Councell Table beene often made subservient to his wicked designe My Lords 8. You may observe in the eighth Article great care taken to get into his owne hand the power of nominating to Ecclesiasticall Livings and promotions you have as much mischievous as much wicked care taken in the disposing of these preferments to the hinderance and corruption of Religion And by this meanes my Lords the Kings sacred Majesty instead of Sermons fit for spirituall instructours hath often had invectives against his people incouragement to injustice or to the overthrow of the Lawes Such Chaplaines have beene brough into his service as have as much as may bee laboured to corrupt his owne Houshold and beene eminent examples of corruption to others which hath so farre prevailed as that it hath exceedingly tainted the Universities and beene generally disper●t to all the chiese Cities the greatest Townes and Auditories of the Kingdome The grievous Effects whereof is most manifest to the Commons House there being diverse h●ndred complaints there depending in the House against scandalous ministers and yet I beleeve the hundred part of them is not yet brought in 9. The ninth Article sets out the like care to have Chaplaines of his owne that might be promoters of this wicked and trayterous designe Men of corrupt judgements of corrupt practice extreamely addicted to superstition and to such mens cares hath beene committed the Licensing of Bookes to the Presse by meanes whereof many have beene published

Dei sunt decent Episcopum exequatur sed vices suas indignis et remissis executoribus committat ut terreno vel foro vel palatio totus serviat nam nec terreni Principis ratiocinia quisquam dimidius sufficienter administrat Quamobrem memoratus Pontifex cum jam esset grandaevus officio seculari suscepto in Australibus Angliae partibus ad publica totus negot●a recidebat mundo non crucifixus sed infixus writes Nubrigensis of him Roger Archbishop of Yorke deceasing A. 1181. delivered great summes of money to certaine Bishops to be distributed among poore people King Henry the second after his death called for the mony and seised it to his use alleadging a sentence given by the same Archbishop in his li●etime that no Ecclesiasticall person might give any thing by will except hee devised the the same whilst hee was in perfect health Yet this Bishop of Durham would not depart with 400 Markes which hee had received to distribute among the poore alleaging that hee dealt the same away before the Archbishops death and therefore hee that would have it againe must goe gather it up of them to whom hee had distributed it which himselfe would in no wise doe But the King tooke no small displeasure with this indiscreet answer in so much that hee seised the Castle of Durham into his hands and sought meanes to disquiet the said Bishop by divers manner of wayes King Richard going into the holy Land made this Bishop chiefe Justice from Trent Northwards and the Bishop of Ely Lord Chancellor and chiefe Justice of England betweene whom strife and discord immediately ar●se which of them should be the greater for that which pleased the one displeased the other for all power is impatient of a consort The Bishop of Ely soone after imprisoned him till hee had surrendred Winsor Castle and others to him and put in pledges to be faithfull to the King and Kingdome of which more in Ely At the returne of King Richard from Ierusalem hee found him not so favourable as hee expected and thinking that he grudged him his Earledome resigned the same into his hands For the redemption of which he afterward offered the King great summes of money whereupon the King knowing how to use him in his kind writ letters to him full of reverend and gracious speeches wishing him to bring up his money to London and there to receive the Government of the whole Realme which hee would commit to him and the Archbishop of Canterbury Being very joyfull of this ●avour he comes about Shrovetide towards London and surfeiting of flesh by the way died This Prelate who much troubled and oppressed the Commons and whole Realme had no lesse than three bastard sonnes whom hee endeavoured to advance but they all dyed before him Hee was oft in armes in the field and besieged the Castle of Thifehill belonging to Earle Iohn he tooke up the Crossado and went beyond Sea with King Richard the first to the warres in the holy Land but considering the danger got a dispensation and returned speeding better than Baldwin Archbishop of Canterbury and ten Archbishops and Bishops more who di●d at the siege before Acon and like warlike Prelates stirred up King Richard with sundry other Christian Princes to that bloody chargeable and un●ortunate warre wherein many thousands of Christians spent both their lives and estates and whereby Christians lost the verity of Christian Religion and Christ himselfe in a great measure whiles thus they warre to secure the place of his sepulcher which proved a sepulcher both to their bodies and soules * William K. of Scotland comming to visit King Richard the first afte● his release this Prelate and Hubert Archbishop of Canterbury went to Brackley where the Bishop had an Inne The King of Scots servants comming thither would have taken up the Bishops Inne for their King but the Bishops servants withstood them whereupon they bought provision for the King and dressed it in another house in that same Court When the Bishop came thither and his servants had informed him what had passed he would not retire but went on boldly unto his Inne and commanded his meat to be set on the table whiles he was at dinner the Archbishop of Canterbury comes to him and offers him his lodging and counsels him to remove and leave the Inne The King of Scots comming late from hunting when hee was told what had happened tooke it very grievously and would not goe thither but commanded all his provision to be given to the poore and goes forthwith to the King to Selnestone complains to him of the injury the Bishop of Durham had offered to him for which the King sharpely rebuked him Richard de Marisco Lord Chancellor of England and Archdeacon of Notthumberland an old Courtier was thrust into this See by Gualo the Popes Legate and consecrated by the Archbishop of Yorke in the yeare 1217. during the time of the vacancy This Richard was a very prodigall man and spent so liberally the goods of his Church as the Monkes doubting hee would undoe them and himselfe also went about by course of Law to stay him and force him to a moderation of expence But it fell out quite contrary to their expectation for hee being wilfully set continued Law with them appealing to Rome c. and continued his old course even untill his death The yeare 1226. in the beginning of Easter terme hee rid up to London with a troope of Lawyers attend●ng on him At Peterborough he was entertained in the Ab●ey very ●ono●rably and going to bed there in very good health was found in the morning by his Chamberlaine starke dead Hee deceased May the first leaving his Church 40000. markes indeb●ed though his contention and pr●digall factious humour Anthony Beake the 41. Bishop of this See a very wealthy man contented not himselfe with ordinary Titles Therefore he procured the Pope to make him Patriarc● of ●erusalem obtained of the King the Principality of ●he Isle of Man during his life Anno 1294. being Ambassador to the Emperor Iohn Ro●an the Archbishop of Yorke excommunicated him which cost him ●000 Markes fine to the King and his life to boote hee dying for griefe There was grea● stirre betweene him and the Prior and Covent of Durham Hee informed the Pope that the Prior was a very simple and insufficient man to rule that house and thereupon procured the government thereof both spirituall and temporall to be committed to him The Monkes appealed both the Pope and King who required the hearing of these controversies betweene the Prior and Bishop This notwithstanding the Bishops officers made no more adoe but excommunicated the Prior Monkes and all for not obeying their authority immediately Herewith ●he King greatly offended caused those Officers to be fined and summoned the Bishop himselfe to appeare before him at a day appointed before which day hee got to Rome never acquainting

with the rest of the Bishops and Abbots mitred and in rich Copes every one of them carrying Censers in their hands going in great solemnity before him and afterwards crowning both him and his Queene according to the custome of the Realme so officious were they to this usurper Cutbert Tonstall the 58. Bishop of Durham December 20. 1551. was committed to the Tower for his disobedience to King Edward the sixth where he continued all his Reigne The King was so farre offended with him that 7. Edward 6. the Bishopricke of Durham was dissolved by Act of Parliament and all the Lands and hereditaments thereof given to the King but he dying this Bishopricke was againe revived and erected 1. Mar. Parliament 2. cap. 3. and this Bishop thereunto restored Who in the first yeare of Queene Elizabeth for his contumacy and disobedience in maintaining the Popes Supremacie which he oppugned formerly and for refusing the oath of Supremacy which he had sworne unto in the raigne of King Henry the eight he was justly deprived and committed prisoner to Lambeth House where he dyed I finde this Tonstall highly applauded by some who lived since his dayes but M. Tyndall who knew him farre better than they writes thus of him And as for the Bishopricke of Durham to say the very truth he to wit Cardinall Wolsie could not but of good cougruity reward his old Chaplaine and one of the chiefe of all his Secretaries withall still Saturne that so seldome speaketh but walketh up and downe all day musing and imagining mischiefe a doubling hypocrite made to dissemble Which for what service done in Christs Gospell came he to the Bishopricke of Lond●n Or what such service did he therein hee burnt the New Testament calling it Doctrinam peregrinam strange learning The story of whose buying and burning of M. Tyndals New Testaments who with the money set forth a new and better Edition is related by M. Hall at large in his Chronicle 21. H. 8. f. 186. Yea Verily looke how strange his living in whose blood that Testament was made was from the living of the Pope even so strange is that Doctrine from the Popes Law in which onely and in the Practise thereof is Tunstall learned Which also for what cause left he the Bishopricke of London Even for the same cause he tooke it after that he had long served for it covetousnesse and ambition Neither is it possible naturally pray marke this passage that there should be any good Bishop so long as the Bishoprickes be nothing save worldly Pompe and honour superfluous abundance of all manner of riches and liberty to doe what a man left unpunished things which onely the evill desire and good men abhorre For the late Bishops of this See of Durham Neale Howson their dispositions and actions against goodnesse and good men and their turbulencie both in Church and State are so well knowne to most that I neede not mention it And as for the present Bishop Dr Morton whom I honour for his learning and workes against the Papists how farre hee hath degenerated of late yeares from his Pristine zeale and hatred of Romish Superstitions and Innovations and how farre he hath ingaged himself in the late Wars and differences between England and Scotland I leave to others to determine Onely this I cannot pre●ermit in silence that as the first Popish Innovations and superstitions which lately over-spread our whole Church had their Originall from Bishop Neale and his Chaplaine Dr. Cosens at Durham so God hath made that City and Bishopricke of Durham the onely County of England stiled by the name of a Bishoprick the seate of our late wars wherein the Scottish Armie now resides to manifest to all the world that these unhappie civill warres sprung from the Bishops since the seate of them is no where but in this Bishoprick the Scottish Generall for the most part hath kept his residence in the Bishop of Durhams own Palaces who for feare hath left them vacant and fled that Country which he hath much oppressed From Durham I proceede to Salisbury Salisbury Alstane or Adelstane Bishop of Sherburne which See was not long after translated to Salisbury turned warrior and led an Army into Kent against Ethelwolfe King o● that County and chased away both the King and all other that would not submit themselves to Egbert over the Thames out of their Country He fought oft against the Danes provided money and furnished out men to withstand them and tooke upon him to order all matters of the State under King Ethelwolfe When King Ethelwolfe returned from Rome Adelstane who bare no small rule in the Kingdome of the West-Saxons would not suffer him to be admitted King because he had done in certaine points contrary to the Lawes and Ordinances of the Kingdome as he conceived whereupon by this Bishops meanes Ethelbald this Kings sonne was established King in his Fathers steed and so continued till at last by agreement the Kingdome was devided betwixt them This Bishop was fervently set on covetousnesse and greatly enriched his See of Sherburne where he continued Bishop 50. yeares Roger the great rich Bishop of Salisbury advanced and specially trusted by King Henry the first for all the benefits that he and his friends received from him proved not so thankfull or faithfull to his Majestie as was to be expected For King Henry the first having lost his onely sonne and Heire apparent Prince William by mis-fortune upon the Sea and having no issue lawfully begotten to inherit the Kingdome but onely Mawd the Empresse thought good to take an Oath of all the Nobility wherein they promised to yeeld obedience to her as their Soveraigne and to none other This Oath Roger not onely tooke himselfe but likewise administred to all the other being then Chancellour of England yet notwithstanding forgetting all duties of Religion towards God of thankfulnesse towards his patron and Loyalty towards his Prince he was the first man who upon the death of the King fell to plotting for the advancement of Stephen unto the Kingdome who likewise had taken the former Oath and swore homage and fealty unto Mawde which by his perswasion he first attempted and much deale by his ungracious counsell at last obtained At the time of King Henry his death it hapned that Mawde was in Normandy with her Father wherefore Stephen Earle of Bologne taking this advantage wrought so with this Bishop and the Bishop of Winchester and they with him as they were content to set the Crowne upon his head who otherwise than by a kinde of election which they procured had no colour of right unto the same For if they regarded nearenesse of blood not onely Mawde and her sonne were nearer but Theobald also Earle of Bloyes Stephens elder brother Howbeit these Clergie men that bare all the sway in those times desirous to continue their owne greatnesse would needes make choyse

in which he had a finger which proceeding of our Prelates may justly induce us to passe the same censure on them now as famous Henry Bullenger did of old on the Bishops then in his Booke De Episcoporum Functione Iurisdic●ione Tiguri 1538. ● 112.113.143.1150.159 to 163. and 172. and as Mr. Calvin after him did in his notable Booke De Necessitate Reformandae Ecclesiae Edi. 1543 p. p. 24.25.26.104.105.106 to which I shall referre the reader As for Dr. Manwaring who had some relation to this church we all know that he received a Censure in the Parliament House 3. Caroli for two seditious Sermons Preached at the Court before his Maiestie and then published in Print by the now Archbishop of Canterburies meanes wherein he indeavoured to undermine the Subjects liberties and the proprietie of their goods ●etled in them by our Lawes by false divinity● and to give the King an absolute power against Law to impose what taxes he pleased and to take away such a proportion of goods and treasure from his people as himselfe should thinke meete upon any occasion For which Sermons though he were censured by both Houses to be never more capable of any future preferment in Church or Common-wealth yet immediatly after the dissolution of the Parliament he was by Canterburies meanes in affront of that Sentence● advanced first to a great living granted formerly to another then to a Deanery and soone after to the Bishopricke of St. Davids where he so demeaned himselfe in advancing of superstition prophanesse and idolatry that now he dares not shew his face in Parliament and lies lurking in obscure Places and Ale ho●ses as some report fearing a deprivation from this usurped● dignity● given him in contempt of his former sentence in Parliament And thus much for the Bishops of these Sees I now proceede to others CHAP. V. Containing the Treasons Conspiracies Contumacies and disloyalties of the Bishops of Chichester Carlile Norwich Chester Coventry and Litchfield NOt to mention how Agilricke Bishop of the South-Saxons with divers other Bishops and Abots were deprived by William the Conqueror Anno 1076. 〈…〉 in the Councels of Winchester and Windsor and after that committed to perpetuall Prison upon suspition of Treason and Rebellion against the Conqueror to deprive him of the Crown Ralph the third Bishop of Chichester a man of high Stature and no lesse high of mind● stood very stoutly in defence of Bishop Anselme in so much that when King William Rufus threatned him for the same he offered him his Ring and Crosier saying It should better become him to loose his place● than his duety to the Archbishop whom he could never be induced to forsake untill he seemed to forsake his owne cause by flying the Country After this when King Henry the first was content to dispense with the marriage of Priests to which Anselme was an heavy enemy notwithstanding the Canons lately made in the Councell of London to the contrary the Priests granting him an yearely summe of money to defend them against Anselme this Bishop resisted the collection of that money in his Diocesse calling it the tribute of Fornication and when notwithstanding his resistance it was payd he interdicted his owne Diocesse commanding the Church doores to be every where stopped up with thornes The King whether not vouchsafing to contend with him or taking his well meaning in good part was not onely content to pardon this his contemptuous disobedience but also bestowed the money so gathered in his Diocesse upon him saving It was a poore Bishoppricke and needed such helpes This Bishop went every yeare thrice about his Diocesse Causa praedicandi onely to Preach the Gospell to the people exacting nothing from his Provincialls by his Episcopall power but receiving onely what they willingly presented to him as a free gift rebuking those who offended which was the sole kind of Visitation in those dayes without any such Visitation Articles Procurations presentments Fees c as are this day practised imposed exacted both against Law and Canon too Hilary the fifth Bishop of this See though hee was content absolutely to allow of the Declaration after published at Claridon without mention of that odious clause saluo ordine suo being shreudly baited of his brethren for his labour yet afterwards hee had some contests with the King and sought to impeach his prerogative royall as appear●s by this notable passage of the Author of the Holy Table name and Thing p. 30.31 Sure I am that according to this advice of Eleuthe●ius the Danish● and first Norman Kings have governed their Churches and Churchmen by Capitula●s and mixed Digests composed as it were of Common and Canon Law and promulged with the advice of the Counsell of the King as w●e may see in those particulars set forth by Mr. Lambard Mr. Selden Dr. Powell and others And I doe not beleeve there can be shewed any Ecclesiasticall Canons for the government of the Church of England untill long after the conquest which were not either originally promulged● or afterwards approved and allowed by either the Monarch or some King of the Heptarchy sitting and directing in the Nationall or Provinciall Synod For all the Collections that Lindwood Comments upon are as Theophrastus speakes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but rough and rugged mony of a more fresh later coyning and yet in those usurping times I have seene a Transcript of a Record An. 1157.3o. Henry the 2. wherein when the Bishop of Chichister opposed some late Canons against the Kings exemption of the Abby of Battells from the Episcopall Jurisdiction it is said That the King being angry and much moved therewith should reply Tu pro Papae authoritate ab hominibus concessa contra dignitatum Regalium authoritates mihi à Deo concessas calliditate arguta niti praecogitas Doe you Sir goe about by subtilties of wit to oppose the Popes authority which is but the favour or connivence of men against the authority of my Regall Dignities being the Charters and Donations of God himselfe and thereupon requires Reason and Justice against the Bishop for this soule insolencie A good evidence that the Canon Law had little esteeme or fo●ce among us in that age and not long after it was prohibited by speciall Writ to be read among us as appeares by the Writ of 19. Hen. 3. directed to the Major and Sheriefes of London commanding them Quod per totara Civitatem London Clamari faciant firmiter prohiberi ne aliquis Scolas regens de Legibus in eadem Civitate de caetero ibidem Leges doceat Decembris● This was five yeares after the Decretalls published and it seemes most probable that these Leges were Canon Lawes perhaps mixt as usually they were in the profession also with the Imperialls for both of them were it seemes studied here under Henry the third by the Clergy more ●han any other part of

edendis by meanes whereof some Ministers were enforced to depart this Realme into Holland and other parts beyond Sea viz. the said Mr. William Bridge Mr. Jeremy Burrowes Mr. Allen● Mr. John Ward and others of Norwich to remove into other more peaceable Diocesses as namely Mr. Edmund Calamy Mr. Broome Mr. Beard and others and some of them so pros●cuted as hath bin suspected to be the cause of their deaths as namely Mr. Th●mas Scot and others the terror of which proceedings hath caused other Ministers to leave their Cures and goe away viz. Mr. William Kirington M. Thomas Warren Mr. John Allen and others if a stranger preached at the Cure of such person suspended the Church-wardens permitting such person so to preach were enjoyned pennance and otherwise troubled as namely the Church-wardens of Snaile-well and the stranger for preaching was also therefore molested viz. Mr. Ash Mr. Eades Mr. Manning and other Ministers XIV That during the time hee was Bishop of the said See of Norwich he did unlawfully compell the inhabitants of the severall parishes within that Dio●esse to raise the floors of the Chancells of their respective Churches to raile in their Communion Tables to remove the Pewes and Seats and to make other alterations in the respective Churches in the doing whereof the said Inhabitan●s were put to great excessive and unnecessary charges and expences amounting in the whole to the summe of five thousand pounds and upwards which said charges and expences hee did by unlawfull meanes and courses enforce the said Inhabitants to undergoe And such of the said Inhabitants as did not obey the same hee did vex trouble and molest by presentments Citations Excommunications tedious and frequent Journeyes and by attendances at the Court of his Chancellor and other his Officialls viz. the Church-wardens of Lin Ipswich S. Edmunds Bury and others XV. That for not comming up to the Raile to receive the holy Communion kneeling there before the Table Altarwise for not standing up at the Gospell and for not observing and performing of his unlawfull Innovations and Injunctions many other of his Majesties subjects viz. Peter Fisher Samuel Duncon Iames Percivall John Armiger Thomas King and others have beene by him his Chancellors Visitors Commissaries and Officialls by his command and Injunctions much molested disquieted and vexed in their estates and consciences by Citations to the Courts long attendance there Dismission Fees Excommunications Penances and other Censures XVI That by reason of the rigorous prosecutions and dealings in the last precedent Articles mentioned and by reason of the continuall superstitious bowing to and afore the Table set Altarwise the suspending silencing driving away of the painfull preaching Ministers the suppressing and forbidding of Sermons and Prayer the putting downe of Lecturer the suppressing meanes of knowledge and salvation and introducing ignorance Superstition and prophanenesse many of his Majesties subjects to the number of three thousand many of which used trades of Spinning W●aving Knitting and making of Cloth and Stuffe Stockings and other manufactures of Woolls that is to say Daniel Sunning Michael Metcalfe John Berant Nicholas Metcalfe John Derant Busby widdow Mapes Richard Cocke John Dicks Francis Lawes John Senty and many others some of them setting an hundred poore people on worke have removed themselves their families and estates into Holland and other parts beyond the Seas and there set up and taught the Natives there the said manufactures to the great hinderance of trade in this kingdome to the impoverishing and bringing to extreame want very many who were by those parties formerly set on worke to the great prejudice of his Majestie and his people XVII That he the said Bishop finding the people to distaste his innovations hath often in publike and private speeches declared in the said yeare 1636. That what he did in the same was by his Majesties command whereby hee contrary to the duty of his place which he held under his Majestie being Deane of his Majesties Royall Chappell and contrary to the duty of a good and loyall subject endeavoured to free himselfe of blame and to raise an ill opinion of his Royall Majestie in the hearts of his loving subjects XVIII That hee the said Matthew Wren being Bishop of Norwich in the said yeare 1636. in the Tower Church in Ipswich and other places did in his owne person use superstitious and idolatrous actions and gestures in the administration of the Lords Supper consecrating the bread and wine standing at the West-side of the Table with his face to the East and ●is backe towards the people elevating the Bread and Wine to be seene over his shoulders bowing low either to o● before them● when he after the Elevation and Consecration had set them downe on the Table XIX That he the more to manifest his Popish affection in the said yeare 1636. caused a Crucifix that is to say the figure of Christ upon the Crosse to be engraven upon the Episcopall Seale besides the Armes of the See XX. That he hath chosen and imployed such men to be his Commissioners Rurall Deanes and to be his household Chaplaines whom he knew to be and stand affected to his innovated courses and to popish superstition and to be erroneous and unsound in judgement and practise as namely M. Iohn Novel M. E●mond Maple●of● M. Iohn Dunkin M. Bo●ek M. Dun and others XXI That he hath very much oppressed divers Patrons of Churches by admitting without any colour of title his owne Chaplaines and others whom he affected into Livings which became void within his Dioces● unjustly enforcing the true and right Patrons to long and chargeable suits to evict such Incumbents and to recover their owne right some of which he did against his Priestly word given to the said Patrons or their friends in verbo Sac●rdotis not to doe the same This he did in the case of one M. Rivet XXII That he and others in the yeare 1635 sould granted away the profits of his Primary Visitation for five hundred pounds over and above the charges of the Visitation● and for the better benefit of the Farmer s●t forth a booke in the yeare 1636 intituled Articles to be inquired of within the Dioces of Norwich in the first Visitation of Mathew Lord Bishop of Norwich consisting of 139 Articles and wherein are contained the number of eight hundred ninety seven questions according to all which the Churchwardens were inforced to present upon paine of perjury And some Churchwardens that is to say Robert Langly Charles Newton Richard Hart William Bull and Zephany Ford and others not making presentments accordingly were cited molested and troubled and injoyned pennance● notwithstanding many of the said Articles were ridiculous and impossible XXIII That the Churchwardens and other men sworne at the Visitation were inforced to have their presentments written by Clarkes specially appointed by such as bought the said Visitation● to whom they paid excessive summes of money for the same some two and twenty shillings as

out Gods Worship according to his owne fancy this he expresseth in Injunctions and directions the Minerva's of his owne braine we find them stiled Regales Injunctiones Domini Episcopi a stile too sacred to Baptise his brats withall I shall be bold to ca●l them Tyrannicas injunctiones Do● Episcopi stories afford not a more barbarous cruelty then to joyne a dead and a living body together the one is miserable killed with the stinch of the other This Bi. who like Aaron should have stood between the living the dead hath joyned to lively ordinances many dead venemous ceremonies which have no other life than what they received from the breath of his Injunctions● and these are pressed upon the Consciences● even these must be observed as morall lawes An arbitrary government in the Church is more dangerous more grievous than that in the state this is exercised upon men● conscien●es the most tender parts and is the very pinacle of ●yranny and of all other most intollerable tha● blow which will hardly be felt by the arme will put out the eye My Lords in the time of King Ri●h 1. one of this mans predecessors a valiant Bishop went into the holy warre this Bishop hath raised a warre at home in his owne Diocesse a warre not against Sa●azen● Barbarians Turks or Infidels but against good well disposed people I know not what stile to give this warre without doubt my Lords this was no holy warre The weapons of this warfare were 28. Injunctions ●●9 Articles containing 87● questions The souldiers were Chancellors Commissaries Officials Commissioners Rurall Deanes c. Himselfe commanded in chiefe The wayes of assault and killing were by excommunications suspensions deprivations I stay here Mille modis mori●ur mortales The Magazin wherein all these were originally hatched and lodged was the superstitious and malicious brest of this Bishop This Dioces was the stage where the direfull tragedies of this warre were acted by the space of two yeares and upwards Thus did he trouble Israel in the time of peace nay by these he put some of the Chariots and Horsemen of Israel to flight out of these he raiseth a farme of 500. pounds for his primary Visitation if it be considered cum pertinentiis it was not deere yet well improved for formerly but 40. pound in the time of some of his predecessors Will it please your Lordships with patience to cast your eyes upon the modell of this Bishops zeale piety and Religion Let his affection to prayer and preaching speake for all the rest First for prayer It was his hap to finde a prayer which is no prayer pretended to be prescribed by a Canon which is no Canon I meane the 55. Canon set forth in the yeare 1603. and no other prayer must be used in his Dioces before Sermons That monster of conceived prayer pardon the expression it s not my owne seemed as bad to him as a spell or charme It must not be used upon any occasion without doubt he would never have beene so strait-laced and severe in this particular if hee had but dreamed of that strait which a minister a friend of his was put unto by this meanes the story is short A Butcher was gored in the belly by an Oxe the wound was cured the party desired publike thanksgiving in the Congregation the Minister finding no forme for that purpose reads the Collects for Churching of women Next for preaching That hee is most able in this kinde is agreed by all But that he ever preached himselfe in this Diocesse saving once I never heard affirmed by any His next care was that others should not preach too often if they did they must be put into his blacke Bill He changed that golden sentence of vae mihi si non praedicavero into vae aliis si praedicaverint he was so farre from the practise of Saint Paul the great Preacher of the Gentiles who we reade preached till midnight that there must be no Sermons in the afternoone there may be nay there must be sports and pastimes then And as if he had stood in feare of inarticulate language bells which might foretell a Sermon hee cannot endure to heare the noise of a Sermon in the toll of a Bell. In a word he adorned Churches at the charge of other men and spoyled Pulpits which ought to have beene the greatest part of his owne charge My Lords you have now presented to your Lordships a brother nay one whose place ingaged him to be a father of the Clergy yet one who like Iosephs brethren hath taken the coat from Ioseph nay they were forced to fly from him as Ioseph from his Mistris or else they must taste of his forbidden waters but in their going away he rents their skirts nay their whole garments and livelihoods from them hee hath taken the locks from many Sampsons and done what he could to put out their eyes and to make them grinde in the mill of his pernicious and dangerous innovations He should like Moses have led his flocke Moses led the children of Israel through the red Sea this man drives part of his flocke over the Sea but went not himselfe Like Nimrod he hath invaded the lawes and liberties of the subject he hath beene as great a robber as ever was presented to your Lordships He hath robbed the King of his Subjects the greatest glory of Kings the Kingdome of trade of tradesmen the supporters of it He that deprives the King of one subject you know his punishment● and what shall be the punishment of him who hath robbed the King of so many subjects In the time of King Henry the third● we finde a tenant in Dower punished in action of waste because she had destroyed two rich villeynes and made them beggers I appeale to your Lordships what is his offence who hath committed so much wilfull waste and spoyle beggered hundreds not villaines but free borne subjects He robbed the soules of that sweet Manna which is pabulum animarum the Word of God My Lords I have not yet recounted all his robberies he hath robbed God of part of his day● makes part of that a day of sports he hath robbed the subjects of their indubitable birth-right the Lawes of the Kingdome The citizens of Norwich must pay tythes for the rents of houses there 's no Law in England nor Custome in Norwich for it Nay and that they may be sure to be robbed of justice too the suite for these tithes must be in his owne Consistory from whence there must be no appeale no prohibition The true● Patrons of Churches they are robbed of their presentations● others who had none or small pretence of right are admitted upon this unhallowed maxim That if hee should institute those who had right the pretender was without remedy by this he inverted a fundamentall Law of this Nation to invest remedilesse rights with unjust possessions My Lords I cannot tell you all but you can measure

Peace of Somerset-shire for the suppressing of Sports and Revels and their Petition to the King to that purpose did call before him divers Ministers of his Diocesse and presented unto them a writing in approbation and commendations of the sayd sports and Revells whereunto many of the sayd Ministers subscribed their names by the Bishops perswasions which writing the sayd Bishop sent up to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury who after the receipt thereof suppressed the Justices Petition And shortly after the book for sports and Revels on the Lords day was published That he hath within the yeares forementioned both by his example and command contrary to the Lawes of the Land introduced into all or most Churches in his Diocesse sundry Innovations in the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church and other new inventions of his owne tending to Popery and Superstition as namely setting up of Altars and injoyning the seates about them to be taken away saying none shall sit equall with or above God Almighty bowing and cringing to the Altars and reading the second and third service at the Altar and enjoyned the strict observation of them under the heaviest Censures of the Church in so much that the Communion Table of Stretton in his Diocesse which he had caused to be rayled in Altarwise being ●rought downe againe to its former place and not turned to the East thereupon no Communion was there permitted to the Parishioners on Palme-Sunday and Easter day 1637. the Minister having received an Order from the sayd Bishop not to administer the Communion untill the Table was againe set up Altarwise and caused divers to be punished for not standing up at the Gospell and Gloria Patri And he hath likewise forced divers Parishes as Taunton Shepton Mallet and others to their intollerable cost to set up Organs where there were none at all or not a long time before causing the Church-wardens to levy money towards the buying of them upon the Parishioners against their wills and punishing them in his Ecclesiasticall Court that would not pay towards them and that he hath put the Country of Sommerset to excessive expences by reason of such Innovations as aforesayd That he hath within the time fore-specified contrary to Law vexed and molested in his Ecclesiasticall Courts divers of the Clergie and Laity of his Diocesse for triviall and small matters excommunicated and vexed divers Church-wardens for not rayling in the Communion Table and placing it Altarwise against the East wall of the Chancell and by name the Church-wardens of Beckington whom he not onely excommunicated but likewise caused them and others to be unjustly indicted at the open Assizes held in the Country in Lent 1636. as for a Ryot in hindring the removing of the Table in that Church putting the sayd Parish to the expence of 180● pounds or more and not absolving the Churchwardens from their excommunication till they had done such open and ignominious penance as the sayd Bishop enjoyned them in three eminen● Parish Churches within his Diocesse as likewise at the Market Crosse at Wells The performance of which pennance wrought so farre upon Iames Wheeler one of the sayd Church-wardens that thereupon he fell into a Consumption through griefe and so dyed saying often before his death that the performance of the sayd penance being so ignominious and against his Conscience was the cause of his death and by his vexatious suits in his Ecclesiasticall Courts hee hath raised his Registers office in former Bishops time not worth above ●0 pound per annum to the value of 3. or 400. pounds or more by the yeare That the sayd Bishop hath within the forenamed yeares unduely and against Law pressed the Oathes Ex officio upon divers inhabitants of Wells without complaint or accusation and likewise the Oath of Deanes Rurall with other unlawfull Oathes both upon the Clergy and Laity within his Diocesse and other places and suspended and excommunicated divers of them that refused to take the sayd Oathes and that not onely in his Consistory Court but in his owne private Chambe● there being none but a Register with him That he hath in or about the times fore-recited for his owne Lucre and gaine extorted divers summes of money against Law as of one Fort one of the Churchwardens of South-Pederton 20. pound And also of one Mr. Franklyn the sum of 3. pound besides the sum of 10. pounds given in Fees and rewards to the Bishops servants for instituting him into the Parsonage of Standerweeke And hath likewise in the yeares aforesayd and in the yeare 1639. exacted the sum of 6. shillings 8. pence or more of divers Church-wardens and Parishes within his Diocesse and namely of the Church-wardens of Dunkerton onely for not ringring the Bells when he passed through the bounds of their seveall Parishes in his Visitation though privately without giving them any notice of his comming that way One Long his Surrogate openly averring in Court that by the 16. Decre●all they might justly take 10. pound for this offence That he hath within the years forenamed against Law de●erred and denyed Institutions upon presentations to Benefices practising in the interim under hand to conferre the same upon his Sonne Servants or other dependants and to deprive the Patrons of their Rights and hath even by force against all Law and equity con●erred some of the Benefices upon his Sonne Servants and dependants viz. upon his Sonne the Parsonage of Buckland and endeavoured by the like for●e to confer the Parsonage of Standerweeke upon his sayd son and other Parsonages upon his Servants and allyes did against Law and by force confer the Vica●idge of Hynstridge upon his servant Flamsteed That he hath in or about the foresayd yeares tampered with witnesses examined by and before him upon Oath to make them testifie untruths and hath falsified their depositions setting down his owne words and what he would have them depose ins●eede of what they testified as namely in the Case of the Church-wardens of Beckington and in that of Mr. Ieanes Minister of Beercrocombe That hee is a Common vexer persecuter and molester of worthy and painefull Ministers and a countenancer of those who are negligent scandalous and prophane as namely he hath within the yeares fore-mentioned vexed and persecuted Mr. Chambers Mr. Thomas Mr. Croake Mr. Newton Mr. Barnard Mr. Cunnant Mr. Roswell with many other godly and painefull Ministers of the Diocesse countenanced his Chaplaine Mr. Eglesfield ●awler Mr. Long with other very vitious Ministers and Mr. Huish and others superstitiously affected That the said Bishop contrary to Law did in the yeare 1640. severely exact and impose upon divers of the Clergie within his Diocesse the new Oath perscribed by the sixth Canon of the late pretended Synod and caused and enforced them to take the sayd illegall Oath himselfe kissing the Seale of the Commission which authorized him to exact the sayd Oath of his Clergie and kneeling downe upon his knees tooke the sayd

purely ●hat they see no contrary ensample in thee to whatsoever tho● teachest them in Christ that tho● put no stumbling blocke before them to make them ●aile while they be yet young and weake in the faith But that thou abstaine as Paul teacheth 1 Thes. 5. Ab omni specie mala from all t●at might seeme evill or whereof a man might ●urmise amisse and that thou so love them that whatsoever gift of God in them is thou thinke the same theirs and their food and for their sakes given unto thee as the ●ruth is and that all their infirmit●es be thine and that thou feele them and that with all thy power to helpe to amend them and cease not to cry to God for them neither day nor night and that thou let nothing be found in thee that any man may rebuke but whatsoever thou teachest them that be thou and that thou be not a Wolfe in a Lambes skin as our Holy Father the Pope is which commeth unto us in a name of hypocrisie and in the Title of cursed Cham o● Ham calling himselfe Serv●s servo●um the Servant of all ●ervants and is yet found tyrannus ●yrannorum of all tyrants the most cruell This is to receive young Children in Christs name and to receive young Children in Christs name is to beare rule in the Kingdome of Christ. Thu● ye see that Christs Kingdome is altogether spirituall and the bearing of rule in it is cleare contrary unto the bearing of rule temporally Wherefore none that be●reth rul● in it may have any temp●rall jurisdiction or minister any temporall Office that requireth violence to compell withall Thus and ●arre more Mr. Tyndall All whose passages are very remarkable and worthy serious consideration Iohn Fri●h our learned English Martyr in his Answere to the Prefac● of Mr. Moores Book pag. 116 writes thus of Bishops an● their great possessions This Canker then began to spread in the Congregation and did full sore annoy the body insomuch that within foure hundred yeares there were very many Sects scattered in every coast Notwithstanding there were faithfull Fathers that diligently subdued them with the sword of Gods Word But surely since Silvester received such possessions hath the Canker so crept in the Church that it hath almost left never a sound member And as Cistercensis writeth in the eighth booke that day that hee received revenues was a voyce heard in the ayre crying over the Court which sayd This day is venome shed into the Church of God Before that time there was no Bishop greedy to take a Cure For it is no honour and profit as it is now but onely a carefull charge which was like to cost him his life at one time or other And therefore no man would take it but he that bare such a love and zeale to God and his ●locke that hee could be content to shed his blood for them But after that it was made so honourable and profitable they that were worst both in learning and living most laboured for it For they that were vertuous would not entangle themselves with the vaine pride of this world and weare three Crownes of gold where Christ did weare one of thorne And in conclusion it came so farre● that whosoever would give most money for it or best could flatter the Prince which he knew well all good men to abhorre had the preheminence and got the best Bishopricke and then instead of Gods Word they published their owne Commandements and made Lawes to have all under them and made men beleeve they could not erre whatsoever they did or sayd and even as in the Roomes stead of Moses Aaron Eliazer Iosue Caleb and other Faithful folk came Herod Annas Caiphas Pilate and Iudas which put Christ to death● So now in the stead of Christ Peter Paul Iames and Iohn and the faithfull followers of Christ we have the Pope Cardinalls Arch-Bishops Bishops and proud Prelates with their Proctors● the malicious Ministers of their Master the Devill which notwithstanding transform●● themselves into a likenesse as though they were the Ministers of righteousnesse whose end shall bee according to their workes So that the body is cankered long agone and now are left but certaine small members which God of his puissant power hath rese●ved uncorrupted● and because they see that they cannot be cankered as their owne ●lesh is for pure anger they bu●●e them● lest if they continued there might seeme some deformity in their owne cankered carkasses by the comparing of these whole members to their scabbed body Our godly Martyr D. Barnes in his Articles pag. 210 211 212 213. writes thus of Bishops I will never beleeve nor yet I can never beleeve that one man may be by the Law of God a Bishop of two or three Cities yea of an whole Country for it is contrary to Saint Paul which saith I have left thee behind to set in every City a Bishop And if you find in one place of Scripture that they be called Episcopi you shall find in divers other places that they be called Presbyteri I was brought before my Lord Cardinall into his Gallery and there he read all my Articles till he came to this and there he stopped and said that this touched him and therefore he asked mee if I thought it wrong that one Bishop should have so many Citties underneath him unto whom I answered that I could no farther goe than to Saint Pauls text which set in every City a Bishop Then asked hee mee if I thought it now unright seeing the Ordinance of the Church that one Bishop should have so many Cities I answered that I knew none Ordinance of the Church as concerning this thing but Saint Pauls saying onely neverthelesse I did see a contrary custome and practice in the world but I know not the Originall thereof Then said hee that in the Apostles ●ime there were divers Citie● some seven miles some sixe mile● long and over them was there set but one Bishop and of their Suburbes also So likewise now ● bishop hath but one City to his Cathedrall Church and the country about is as Suburbs unto it Mee thought this was farre fetched but I durst not deny it because it was great Authority and of so holy a Father and of so great a Divine But this date I say tha● his Hollinesse could never prove it by Scripture nor yet by any authority of Doctors not yet by any practice of the Apostles and yet it must be tr●e because a pillar of the Church hath spoken it● But let us see what the Doctors say to my Article Athanasius doth declare this text of the Apostle I have left thee behind c. Hee would not commit unto one Bishop a whole Isle but hee did enjoyne th●t every City● should have his proper Pastor supposing that by this meanes they should more diligently oversee

in the University of Oxford who in his Letter to sir Francis Knoles Sept. 19. 1598. concerning some passages in Doctor Bancrof●s Sermon at Pauls Crosse Printed in King Iames his time and now reprinted writes thus both touching the pretended heresie of Aerius and the Divine right of Episcopacy It appeareth by the aforesayd words of Doctor Bancroft that he avoucheth the Superiority which Bishops have over the Clergie to be of Gods owne Ordinance for he improveth the impugners of it as holding with Aerius that there is no difference by the Word of God betwixt a Priest and a Bishop which he could not doe with reason unlesse he himselfe proved the Bishops superiority as established by Gods Word and he addeth that their opinion who gainsay it is Heresie whereof it ensueth he thinketh it contrary to Gods Word sith Heresie is an errour repugnant to the truth of the Word of God as according to the Scriptures our owne Church doth teach us Now the arguments which he bringeth to prove it an Heresie are partly over-weake and partly untrue Overweake that he beginneth with out of Epiphanius U●true that he adjoyneth of the Generall consent of the Church For though Epiphanius doe say that Aerius his assertion is full of folly yet he disproveth not the reason which Aerius stood on out of the Scriptures nay he dealeth so in seeking to disprove it that Bellarmine the Jesui●e though desirous to make the best of Epiphanius whose opinion herein he maintaineth against the Protestants yet is forced to confesse that Epiphanius his answere is not all of the wisest nor any way can fit the text As for the generall consent of the whole Church which Doctor Bancrof● saith condemned that opinion of Aerius for an Heresie himself for an Here●ick because he persisted in it that is a large speech but what proofe hath he that the whole Church did so It appeareth he saith in Epiphanius It doth not the contrary appeareth by S. Ierome sundry others who lived some in the same time some after Epiphanius even Saint Augustine himselfe though Doctor Bancroft cite him as bearing witnesse thereof likewise I grant Saint Augustine in his booke of Heresies ascribeth this to Aerius for one that he sayd Pres●yterum ab Episcopo nulla differentia deberi discerni but it is one thing to say there ought to be no difference betweene them which Aerius saying condemned the Churches order yea made a Schisme therein and so is censured by S. Austin counting it an heresie as Epiphanius from whom he tooke it recorded himselfe as he witnesseth not knowing how farre the name of Heresie should be stretched another thing to say that by the Word of God there is no difference betwixt them but by the order and custome of the Church which S. Austin saith in effect himselfe so farre was he from witnessing this to be Heresie by the generall consent of the whole Church which untruth how wrongfully it is fathered on him and on Epiphanius who yet are all the witnesses that Doctor Bancroft hath produced for the proo●e hereof or can for ought that I know it may appeare by this that our learned Country man of godly memory Bishop Iuel when Harding to convince the same opinion of heresie alleadged the same witnesses citing to the contrary Chrysostome Ierome Austin and Ambrose knit up his answere with these words All these and other Holy Fathers together with the Apostle S. Paul for thus saying by Hardings advice must be held for Heretickes And Michael Medina a man of great account in the Councell of Trent more ingenuous herein than many other Papists affirmeth not onely the former ancient writers alleadged by Bishop Iuel but also that another Ierome Theodoret Primasius Sedulius and Theophylact were of the same mind touching this matter with Aerius with whom agree likewise Oecumenius and Anselmus Arch-bishop of Canterbury and an other Anselmus and Gregory and Gratian and after them how many● It being once inrolled in the Canon Law for sound and Catholike Doctrine and thereupon publickely taught by learned men All which doe beare witnesse against Doctor Bancroft of the point in question that it was not condemned for an Heresie by the generall consent of the whole Church And the rather which is observable because Isiodor Hispalensis Originum lib. 8. c. 5. and Gratian himselfe Caus. 24. qu. 3. reciting the heresie of Aerius omits his equalizing of Bishops and Presbyters out of the li●● of his errours because an Orthodox truth approved by themselves and other Fathers which is worthy observation If he should reply that these latter witnesses did live a 1000. yeares after Christ and therefore touch not him who sayd it was condemned so in the time of S. Austin and of Epiphanius the most flourishing time of the Church that ever hapned since the Apostles dayes either in respect of learning or of zeale First they whom I named though living in a latter time yet are witnesses of the f●rmer Oecumenius the Greeke Scholiast treading in the steps of the old Greeke Fathers and the two Anselmes with Gregory and Gratian expressing S. Ieromes sentence word by word Besides that perhaps it is not very likely that Anselme of Canterbu●y should have bin Canonized by the Pope of Rome Worshipped for a St that the other Anselme Gregory●hould ●hould have such place in the Popes Library and be esteemed of as they are that Gratians workes should be allowed so long time by so many Popes for the golden foundation of the Canon Law if they had taught that for Catholike and sound which by the generall consent of the whole Church in the most flourishing time that ever happened since the Apostles dayes was condemned for Heresie chiefely in a matter of such waight and moment to the Popes supremacy● which as they doe claime over all Bishops by the Ordinance of God so must they allow to Bishops over Priests by the same Ordinance as they saw at length and therefore have not onely decreed it now in the Councell of Trent but also in the new edition of their Canon Law have set downe this note that one Hughs Glosse allowed by the Arch-deacon saying that Bishops have differed from Priests alwayes as they doe now in Government and Prelateship and Offices and Sacraments but not in the name and Title of Bishop which was common to them both must be held hereafter for S. Jeromes meaning at least for the meaning of the Canon taken out of S. Ierome though his words be flat plaine against this Glosse as Bellarmine himselfe confesseth Whereto may be added that they also who have laboured about the reformation of the Church these 500. yeares have taught that all Pastours be they entituled Bishops or Priests have equall authority and power by Gods Word First the Waldenses next Marsilius Patavinus then

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 W●●●●●●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