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law_n	england_n	king_n	kingdom_n	13,057	5	6.0109	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47551	That neither temporallitie[s] nor tythes is due to the bishops, prelates nor clergy, by a Gospel rule And that kings, princes and lords temporal, may j[ust]ly take the temporallities and tythes from them, and dispose of the ... the defence and benefit of the kingdom, and the relief of the poor. Proved by the laws and pract[i]ce of twenty Kings of Judah, England, and France as also by the testimonies of the Universities of Oxford and Prague, fifty four of ... nobles of Bohemia and Morania, two hundred and fifty years agone, and als[o] one hundred and twenty authors beside. Together with some directions how gospel ministers ought to have maintenance, according to the gospel rule, and institutions of Iesus Christ. By E. K.	Netherlands. Emancipatiekommissie.	1672 (1672)	Wing K6A; ESTC R218954	82,628	97

Decrees or Constitutions which is not grounded upon the Holy Scripture they should therefore stand in no danger nor be impeached King Richard 2. King Richard the second propounded to John Wickliffe Whether the Kingdom of England might lawfully detain the Treasure of the Kingdome from the Pope He demanded the Church goods under pain of Censure Mr. Wickliffe setting a part the Common Laws of England and the Civi● Law It rests saith he to prove the affirmitive part by the Principles of Chists Law thus Every natural body hath power given of God to resist against the contrary and to preserve it self in due estate inasmuch as Bodies without life are indued with such a kind of power as hardness to resist those things that would break it and coldness to withstand heat that would dissolve it forasmuch then as the Kingdom of England after the manner of phrase of Scripture ought to be one Body of which the King is head and the Commonalty are the members thereof It seemeth the same Kingdom head and members hath such power given to them of God and so much the more apparent by how much the same body is more precious unto God adorned with virtue and knowledge for so much then as there is no power given of God unto any Creature for any end or purpose but that he may lawfully use the same to that end and purpose It followeth That our Kingdom may lawfully keep back and detain their Treasure of Temporalities and Tythes c. for the defence of it self in what case soever necessity doth require the same Secondly the same is proved by the Law of the Gospel for the Pope cannot challenge the Treasure of this Kingdom no more can the Prelates challenge Temporalities or Tythes but under the title of Almes and consequently under the pretence of works of mercy according to the rule of Charity But in the case aforesaid the title of Alms ought utterly to cease ergo the right title of challenging the Treasure of this Kingdom ought to cease also in the presupposed necessity and the Prelates and Clergie challenging Temporalities and Tythes ought to cease also by the same reason Forasmuch as all Charity hath its beginning of it self it were no work of Charity but of meer madness to send away the Treasure of the Realm unto other Nations whereby the Realm it self may fall into ruine under the pretence of such a Charity and is it not as much madness to suffer so many idle Drones to usurp the Kingdomes the Churches and the Poors goods of temporalities and tythes to spend on Coaches and Horses Hawks Dogs and Hounds I will not say Whores Taverns Cards and Dice Why should not such unfaithful Stewards give an account of their Stewardship It appears also saith he by this That Christ the Head of the Church whom all Prelates and Priests ought to follow he lived by the Alms of devout women as in Luke 8.2 3. he hungred and thirsted was a stranger and sustained many other miseries not only in his members but also in his own body He was poor that ye through his poverty might be rich 2 Cor. 8.9 Wherefore in the first endowing of the Church with Alms whatsoever he were of the Clergy that had any temporal possessions he had the same by way of Almes as several Writings and Chronicles do witness For saith he the Temporal Lords have power to take away their Alms when they see their Alms abused to riot and excess by some and others who are interested therein suffer penury and want by the Prelates and Clergy their unfaithfulness in their Stewardships Carolus Magnus Carolus Magnus that famous French King had decreed in a Council that only the Canonical Books of Scripture should be read in Churches and commanded the Bishops that they should not suffer any other to be read nor Preach themselves any thing that did not agree with the word of God And besides he ordered the goods given to the Church to be disposed of so That in wealthy places two parts of the Church goods should be given to the poor and the third part to the Clergy and that in poorer places there should be an equal division between the poor and the Clergy The good Lord if it be his good will and pleasure put it into the hearts of all Christian Kings and Princes to do the like Isidor Mr. Fox saith that Isidor hath these words Let Temporal Kings know that they must give an account to God for the Church which they have at the hands of God to govern and if so then it lies as a duty incumbent upon them so that to free themselves from the guilt of other mens sins there is an absolute necessity That seeing the Church goods are abused and not disposed of as they ought to be as it is proved above Therefore Kings and Nobles may not only lawfully but are bound in duty to God to take care to have such abuses reformed Charles the sixth Charles the sixth the French King made a Law That the fruits and rents of Benefices and other Pensions and Bishops goods that departed from their charges should be brought in to the Kings use King Philip About the year 1303. King Philip of France summoned a Parliament where all the Bishops were required within eight dayes after notice given to appear or else all their Temporal goods should be seized into the Kings hand By this it appears That upon their disobedience the King might take their Temporalities from them if he so pleased In which Parliament it was declared by Sir Will. Negareta Sir VVilliam Negareta in behalf of the King That for his Oaths sake that he made for defence of the Church and because the King was the Patron of the Church Therefore he was bound not only to defend the Church observe this well he was bound not only to defend the Church but to call in the goods of the Church which was wasted by the Pope and Prelates means And four years after the Lord Peter de Cugneriis in a Parliament Lord Peter de Cugneriis exhibited 65 Articles in the Kings behalf against the Bishops and Prelates of France and the misdemeanours of them and their Officers and Courts Mr. Fox Such goods as were given to the Church by our Ancestors saith Mr. Fox was neither so given nor so taken as to serve the private use of Church men but to serve the publick use of the poor and needy as is to be seen by the Canonical Institution of the Emperour Lodovicus Pius set forth in the year 830. in these words Lodovicus Pius The goods of the Church be the Vows and bequests of the faithful to ransom such as be in captivity or prison and the Patrimony to succour them with Hospitality that be needy c. Whereas now the Hospitality that is used is to feast such as need not such as are able to feast the Prelates again and the poor and needy if they get any

any note or spot of suspition noised of him but in his Answering Reading Preaching and Determining he behaved himself laudably and as a stout and valiant Champion of the Faith vanquishing by the force of the Scriptures all such who by their wilful beggery blasphemed and slandered Christs Religion neither was this said Doctor Convict of any Heresie God forbid that our Prelates should have condemned a man of such honesty for a Heretick who amongst all the rest of the Vniversity had written in Logick Philosophy Divinity Morality and the Speculative Art without Peer the knowledge of which all and singular things we do desire to testify and deliver forth to the intent that the Fame and Renown of this said Doctor may be the more evident and had in reputation amongst them unto whose hands these present Letters testimonial shall come Here is to be seen that this Vniversity of Oxford did also maintain the truth of Doctor John Wickliffe's Articles That Kings Princes and Lords Temporal may lawfully take away Temporalities and Tythes from the Clergy In witness whereof we have caused our Letters Testimonial to be Sealed with our common Seal Dated at Oxford in our Congregation-House the 5th day of October in the Year 1406. Edmond King of England King Edmond of England about the Year 940. made a Law that every man should pay Tythes for Churches Fees and Almes Fees Thus here you see that Tythes were then given as well for the relief of the Poor as the Church He made a Law also that every Bishop should of his own proper charge see that Churches were repaired Bishop of Canterbury About the same time the Bishop of Canterbury in a Letter to the Prelates and Clergy said If it were or could be so that all the Riches of the World were laid before me so that I were Emperour and had all things universally under my subjection all these things would I gladly give and offer my self willingly for the health of Souls And thus he exhorted the Clergy to their duty lest the Lord should say of them The Shepherds fed themselves but did not feed my flock they have raigned but not by me they have made themselves Princes of my flock and I knew it not that is he knew it not so as to approve of their doings But where is there a Prelate now that hath such a zeal for the good of Souls King Edgar King Edgar in an Oration to the Clergy about the year 959. What negligence saith he is in Gods Service I will speak with sorrow they be Riotous in Banquetring in Chambring and Drunkenness And now saith he the Clerks houses are thought to be Stewes of Harlots Thus the Goods of Kings and Alms of Princes is mispent have our Fathers spent their Treasurie for this purpose Have the Kings liberalities in giving Lands and Possessions been for this intent that Clerks Harlots should be deck'd with the same And for riotous feasts Hauks and Hounds and other Toyes to consume it Soldiers cry out the people grudge but ye regard not c. King Hen. 2d Among other antient Laws of England in the reign of King Henry the second this was one That if any Clergy man did hold any Lay Fee in his hands he should therefore do the Kings service that belonged thereunto as upon Juries Assises of Lands and Judgements and that no Lands should be given to the Church nor to any House of Religion without the Kings License And that the Peter-pence which was used to be gathered for the Pope should be paied to the King and that all the Possessions Goods and Chattels of such as favoured the Pope or Thomas a Becket to be Seized and Confiscate to the King And that all such of the Clergy as were absent from their Charge out of the Realm and had Rents and Profits in the Land and did not repair home in three months their Rents and Goods to return to the King c. If it were lawful for the King then in the time of Popery to seize upon the Rents Profits and Possessions of the Pope Cardinal and others it is much more lawful now for our King and Nobles to cize upon such Goodss a●d Possessions as were given by Papists in the time of Popery and are now wrongfully possessed and abusively used by others King Edward 3. In a Parliament holden the twentieth year of the raign of King Edward the third It was propounded that all Alien Monks should depart England whose Livings the King took into his hands It was also concluded by the Parliament That the Livings of all others Strangers and Cardinals during their lives the profits should be brought into the Kings hand The Commons also denyed to pay any payments to Cardinals in France c. besides the King took order by two of his Clergy viz. John Stocks and John Norton to take into their hands all the Temporalities of all the Deanaries Prebends Dignities and Benefices being then vacant in England and to answer the profits thereof unto the King King William Rufus King William Rufus took certain Lands and Possessions from Canterbury and disposed of them to secular uses King Henry 4. In the eighth year of the raign of King Henry the fourth it was petitioned to the Parliament That the King might enjoy halfe the profits of every Parsons Benefice who was not resident thereon But in the eleventh year of his raign the Commons put up a Bill unto the King to take the Temporal Lands from the Clegie mens hands or Possessions in which Bill it was declared that the Temporalities disorderly wasted by men of the Clergy might suffice to find to the King with maintenance 15. Earles 1500. Knights 6200. Esquires and 100. Almes houses To every Earl 3000. Mark a year to every Knight 100. Mark and four plough lands and to every Esquire 40 Mark a year and two plough lands and to every Almes house 100. Mark a year which lands is now no doubt worth double if not treble to what they were then For I have credibly informed by a Yorkshire Esquire That when his Majestie was restored to the Crown one Bishoprick that is the Bishoprick of Durham If it had been set upon the rack rent it was worth above fifty thousand pounds a year This story above you may read in Mr Fox his Acts and monuments of the Church in the story of King Hen. 4. King Henry 8. It is there also to be seen in the History of King Hen. 8. That the King did injoyn every Vicar Clerk or Benefic'd man that had one hundred pounds a year that he should find a Scholar at the University and he that had two hundred pounds a year should find two Scholars at the University Also in his raign it was complained of by the Commons against the Prelates and Clergie for their cruel proceeding Ex Officio And for the remedy it was enacted That whosoever did or speak any thing against either their usurped power or their Laws

living wickedly ought to be reproved by the Laity by taking away their Tythes and other Temporal Profits from them and give them to others c. Mr. Tindal Mr. Tindall in his Book of Obedience of a Christian page 114 115. saith That the Sword is put into the Kings hand to execute vengeance upon all evil dooers But now saith he the Bishops minister the Temporal Sword and the Office of Preaching they lay aside and will neither preach themselves nor suffer others that would to preach but slay them with the temporal sword and as none saith he can preach Christ except they preach against Antichrist and as none can heal a disease unless he begin at the root so canst thou not preach against any mischief except thou begin at the Bishops And in page 124. he saith Those that are sworn to be true to the Pope Cardinals and Bishops it is as if they should swear to be false to Christ to the King and to the Realm for such Prelates that will revenge themselves of men for speaking the truth and for every trifle they are not fit to preach the patience of Christ Henry Stalbridge To the same purpose writeth Henry Stalbridge in his Exhortative Epistle to his dear Countreymen of England he saith that what blood hath been shed between Emperor and Emperor Kingdom and Kingdom Constantinople Almain England France Italy and Spain who seeth not that the pride of bloody Bishops is the ground and original foundation of all Controversies Schismes Variances and Wars between Realm and Realm see the fift and sixth part of the Homily of Whitsunday And to confirm the truth of this consider whether the carriage and practice of Prelates and their Doctrines such as Godfrey Goodman Bishop of Glocester who in one Sermon at White-Hall before his Majesty delivered five points of flat Popery and did follow many Popish practises And at another time in the year 1636. he said that the Church of Rome and our Church are both as one for we said he and he said not much amiss have both the same Hierarchy and Government the same Liturgie Holy-dayes Fasts Ceremonies Sacraments c. so as those who affirm that Papists are damned do but through the sides of the Church of Rome give a deadly blow to the Church of England and deny that we are saved with more the like And also Bishop Laud's silencing and suspending of Ministers and sending a new book of Common Prayer differing from ours into Scotland consider whether these and the like were not the cause of our late unhappy Warrs in England Bernard Bernard as touching Bishops having Conusance in their Courts of Tythes c. writes thus For Tythes Testaments Administrations Servitude Legitimations and such like saith he to Pope Eugenius you went beyond your bounds when you restrained them to your Courts and without Caesar made Laws for things that did belong to Caesar for the Goods Lands Livings Estates of Lay-men and Clerks also are Caesars Charge and not yours nor the Prelates My Kingdom saith Christ is not of this world If then the Pope Prelates and Priests will be the servants of Christ saith Ambrose they must not challenge any worldly Kingdom Ambrose the servant is not above his Master and if the Master deny it the servant may not affirm it and usurp it Souldiers of Christ must not entangle themselves with the affairs of this world much less to make themselves Lords and Judges of earthly matters William Ocham William Ocham a famous Schoolman writ a book about the year 1330. which was printed in London in which he saith that Clergie men are liable to pay tribute unto Princes and that Princes may take away their Lands and Possessions when they abuse them to Luxury Pomp and other private uses and they may imploy them for the defence and peace of the Realm And after he adds That all the Revenue of Clergie men but that which is sufficient to provide them Food and Rayment with which they ought to be content as Paul saith 1 Tim. 6.8 Having Food and Rayment let us be therewith content and the rest ought to be spent in pious uses and in feeding the poor which if they be not employed in this sort Kings ought to take care of them to set some to see it done William Prynne In the second part of Mr. William Prynne's book of the Antipathy of the English Lord Prelates both the Regal Monarchy and Civil Unity page 311 he saith that the endowing of the Prelates with great temporel Revenues was the very bane and poyson of Religion and one principal cause of Bishops Rebellions Treasons and Exorbitances he had fore-mentioned and therefore they may both with good Conscience and reason be subtracted from them and put to better uses and they like other Ministers be confined to one competent living with Cure there constantly to reside and instruct the People like Bishops in the Primitive Church for so long as our Lordly Prelates continue there will not only be a possibility but a probability of bringing in Popery and the Pope again amongst us since their Lordly Hierarchy is supported by Popish Doctrine Canons Ceremonies Liturgie Godfry Goodman Holy dayes c. as Godfry Goodman Bishop of Glocester said a little above which they are ingaged to maintain to preserve their tottering Thrones from ruine John Salisbury John Salisbury our Country man flourished about the year of Christ 1140. de nugis Curialium lib. 8. cap. 17 23. writ thus of the pride and sedition of the Bishops Thou maist admire to see the various Houshold stuff and Riches as they say of Craesus amonst them that preach poor Christ they live of the Gospel without preaching the Gospel and it is well if they live only so as they do not also riot they so gape after gain that they contem the things of Jesus Christ and are neither worthy the honour nor name either of Pastor or Hireling they do that which makes them to be feared of all and to be beloved of none they preach Peace yet make Division they make a shew and counterfeit Humility that they may challenge Pride in fulness they dispute of Fasting and what they build up with words they pull down with deeds the works they do bear witness of them you may know them by their Fruits they do not only contend but fight for a Bishoprick the Antients were dragged against their wills to a Bishoprick but went willingly to Martyrdome they feared the chief Chains worse then a Prison or Cross Ex Catal. Illyr There is a Story that about the year 1228. at Paris in a Synode or Convocation of the Clergie one that was appointed to preach was much troubled in his minde what to say the Devil came unto him and asked him why he was so careful what to Preach say thus quoth the Devil the Princes of Hell salute you O ye Princes of the Church and gladly give you thanks because that through your

say they Ambrose expresly declareth that Secular Lords have power at their pleasure to take away the Lands of the Church and so consequently they have power to take away Temporal goods from Ecclesiastical Ministers as Tythes c. 10 Augustine St. Augustine in 33. quest 7. si de rebus he saith that Secular Lords may lawfully take away temporal goods from Hereticks and for so much as it is a Case greatly poseable that many of the Clergy are users of Simony and thereby Hereticks Therefore Secular Lords may lawfully take away their Temporalities from them The word of the Lord to all wicked men is That the Kingdom of God shall be taken from them and given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof By Kingdom of God in this Text Mat. 21.43 is meant the priveledges of the visible Church which shall be taken from wicked men Robert Grosthead And here it were fit to consider of Robert Grosttheads the Bishop of Lincoln who dyed in the year 1253. his definition of Heresie viz. That Heresie is a Sentence taken and chosen of mans own brain contrary to holy Scripture openly maintained and stifly defended Now consider whether none of our Prelates do maintan no Canons nor Ceremonies nor Opinions contrary to holy Scripture nor contrary to the 19 20 nor 21. Articles of the Church of England and so stand guilty of Heresie by this definition of Heresie of Robert Grosthead If any object that it is a desiring of other mens goods St. Austine answers That by the same rule the seven Nations that did abuse the Land of promise and were cast out by the power of God they might have objected the same to the Children of Israel We saith Augustine do not desire other mens goods for they are ours by the Commandment of him by whom all things were made by like evidence the Clergy having offended their temporal goods are made the goods of others that is lawfully possessed saith he in the 14. quest 4. which is justly possessed and that is justly possessed which is well possessed ergo all that is evilly possessed is another mans and he doth ill possess it which doth evil use it and for the evil using of it it hath been proved in the Epistle that Prelates are unfaithful Stewards and have converted to their own uses for Coaches and Horses and Riotous living that which belongs to the poor besides no Clergyman hath any right to Temporalities by any Institution of Christ and therefore both evilly possessed and evilly used by them If then saith he the Clergy do abuse the temporal goods as it hath been proved they do the temporal Lords may at their pleasure according to the rule of Charity take the temporal goods from the Clergy for they do not justly possess them for besides the right that temporal Lords have to temporal lands as belonging formerly to their Predecessors and the conditions not performed nor which they were given which was to the Church and to the Poor Temporal Magistrates are Gods Ministers and Revengers to execute wrath upon them that do evil attending continually upon this very thing Rom. 13.4.6 which if they neglect they make themselves guilty of the Prelates sins for the University quotes Gregory writing to the French King That he which may correct any sin and neglect the same without doubt he maketh himself partaker of the sin and offence And John Wickliffe saith in the thirteenth Article That it is not only lawful for Lords Temporal to take away goods of fortune from Churchmen sinning usually But also they are bound so to do under pain of Eternal Damnation 11 Gregory St. Gregory in his 7th book chap. 9. writing to the French Queen saith Forasmuch as wicked Priests are the cause of the ruine of the people for who shall make intercession for the sins of the People if the Priests that should do it have committed greater offences themselves which in your Dominion live wickedly therefore that the offences of a few bring not destruction upon many we ought to seek a remedy And a little after to the King he said Yet once again we move you to command a Synod and cause all the carnal vices of Priests and Wickedness and Simony of Bishops to be removed and that you do not suffer them to possess any more substance than Gods commandment doth allow and that is neither Temporalities nor Tyths that the Gospel commandments doth allow Mat. 10.9 10. for when Christ sent his Disciples to preach he commanded they should provide neither Gold nor Silver nor Brass in their Purses nor Script for their Journey neither two Coats nor Shooes nor staves for the Workman is worthy of his meat But how contrary to this Command of Christ are our Bishops and Prelates in these dayes and yet in words they pretend to succeed the Apostles in place and power But the Apostles had not hundreds nor thousands of Gold and silver by the year they had not Shoos for their Journey but ours have Shoos and Boots and Coaches and Horses and multitudes of Attendants Is this to obey the Commandment of Christ and to imitate Christ and his Apostles Foxes have holes Mat. 8.20 and the Birds of the Aire have nests but the Son of Man which was also the Son of God hath not whereon to lay his head But our Prelates have their stately Palaces and great Houses Our Saviour saith Mat. 12. He that is not with me is against me and that the Tree is known by h●s fruit and in Mat. 7.15 16. Christ bids us to beware of False Prophets and teacheth us how we shall know them he saith they come in sheeps cloathing they pretend to be sheep but inwardly they are Ravening Wolves ye shall know them by their fruits I name no man but leave the people of God to judge by the fruits by the fruits of mens lives to judge who they are and one mark to know them by will be There is no man will be so angry at what I write as they for by their fruits you may know them for every one that doth evil hateth the light he is loath to be brought to tryal by the light of Gods word lest his deeds should be reproved or discovered John 3.20 12 John Wickliffe But if upon tryal it be found that Clergy men walk so contrary to the Rules and Commandments of Christ which they ought to obey and to imitate Christ and his Apostles in their preaching and living then as John VVickliffe saith may Kings and Lords Temporal both lawfully and meritoriously take away their Temporalities from them which they abuse with such excess of riot the Law of nature doth licence all such as have the government of Kingdoms to correct the abuses of the Temporalities which would be the chief of the ruine and destruction of their Kingdoms Whether the Temporal Lords or any other had endowed the Church with those Temporalities or not it is lawful for them to take away

default and negligence all Souls go to Hell and the Preacher added that he was inforced by the Command of God to declare the same yea and a certain token was given him for a sign whereby the Synode might evidently see that he did not lye Ex Catall Illyr fol. 546. Alexander Fabricius Alexander Fabricius a Popish English Writer about the year 1420. in his Destructorium Vitiorum part 6. cap. 79. saith Who are more horribly inthralled to the Devils servitude than those who are constituted in the sublimity of Honour Ecclesiastical men who ought to be the light of the world yet where is more abundant darkness of vices Where more abundant gaping after earthly things than in modern Prelaet● who are fatted in both powers as well Temporal or Spiritual Where is greater Pomp in all appendicles yea and that so much that having left the poverty of the Primitive Church they are now rather to be termed Princes of Provinces than Postors of Souls thus he and much more to this purpose Lucifers Letter to the Prelates Mr. Fox in Acts and Monuments makes mention of a Device or Letter fained under the name of Lucifer Prince of Darkness written to the persecuting Prelates of England which Mr. Fox transcribed out of the Regester of the Bishop of Hereford written as some think by William Swinderby I will only mention some few expressions to our purpose Lucifer Prince of Darkness c. To all our Children of Pride and Companions of our Kingdom and especially to our Princes of the Church of this later age and time c. send greeting to all that obey our Commandments and the Laws of Satan already enacted Know ye that in time past certain Vicegerents of Christ following his steps c. in a beggerly life converted in a manner all the world from the yoke of our tyranny to the great derision and contempt of our Prison House and Kingdom but we seeking remedy for time to come instead of those Apostles we have caused you to be their Successors which be Prelates of the Church by our great might and subtilty as Christ said of you they have reigned but not by me once I promised him all the Kingdomes of the world c. but he would not but to you who are fallen from grace co serve us in the earth is that my promise fulfilled therefore fill your selves full and be contrary to those Fathers in your life and conditions and exalt your selves above all other men and neither give to God nor Caesar that which is theirs but exercise you the power of both Swords fight our quarrel entangle your selves in worldly matters and climbe up from the miserable state of Poverty to the highest seat of Honour and Princely places of Dignity by Wiles and Subtilty Flattery Lying and Perjury Treason Deceit and Symony and what our Infernal Furies may devise and after you are advanced thither where you would be then either by Violence Raving or by Ambition subtilly pilfer away and wrongfully wrest and by false Titles possess those goods which should be for the sustentation of the poor members of Christ whom from our first fall we have hated and consume these goods as your selves list with Whores Strumpets and Bauds c. with whom ye ride pompously like mighty Princes far otherwise than those beggerly Priests in the Primitive Church for I would have you to build Palaces fare like Princes to eat the daintiest Ma t s and drink the pleasantest Wines and hoard up Treasure and not be like Peter and Paul who said Silver and Gold have I none Ye fight for us according to your wayes O acceptable Society or Fellowship promised to us when Christ called you the Synagogue of Satan we love you for your deserts which contemn the Laws of Symon Peter and embrace the Laws of Symon Magus Ye regard Money and have no regard to Souls ye have made the House of God a Den of Thieves ye make Laws and keep not the same ye justifie the wicked for reward and take away the just mans desert from him and thus the Sovereignty of our Empire by you hath been reformed and our intollerable loss restored We would also you should do our Commendation to our entirely beloved Daughters Pride Deceit Wrath Avarice Belly-chear and Leachery especially to Lady Symony who hath made you men and given you suck on her own breasts and therefore in no wise shall call her Simon And if any man preach or teach otherwise than you will have him oppress ye him violently with Excommunications and Censures heaped one upon another and let him be condemned as an Heretick or Schismatick and kept in Prison till he die for an example to all such as confess Christ And thus do your endeavour that you may deserve to have the place which we have provided for you Fare ye well Given at the Center of the Earth in that dark place where all the Rabblement of Devils were present Lord Cobham The noble Martyr Sr. John Oldcastle Lord Cobham professed that the Will of God is That Priests being secluded from all worldlyness should conform themselves to the Example of Christ and his Apostles that is in Poverty and teaching the Scriptures purely and giving good example to others more than any other sort of people where saith he to the Prelates do ye find in Gods Law that you should sit in Judgement of any Christian man but in Annas and Caiphas that sate thus of Christ and upon his Apostles afrer his Ascension of whom only have ye taken it to judge Christs members as ye do since the Venome of Judas was shed into the Church and by Venome saith he I mean your Possessions and Lordships for then an Angel cryed in the Aire Wo Wo Wo this day is Venome shed into the Church as your own Churches mention before that time all the Bishops of Rome in a manner were Martyrs c. but since Popes and Bishops one hath cursed and poysoned slain and done much mischief to another Christ was meek and merciful but they are proud and tyrannical Christ was poor but they are rich c. Arnulphus In the second Tome of the general Councels mention is made of a Book called Opus tripartium which Sabellicus and Platina thought to be written by Arnulphus In which Book he complaineth of the great number of Holy dayes in which Whores and naughty women said That they vantage more in one of those dayes than in fifty dayes besides He complained also of the inconsiderate promotion of evil Prelates and the wantonness and laciviousness of their Servants and excess in Aparrel Also of Prelates mispending the Church goods in superfluity and upon their Kinsfolks and other worse wayes c. Hostiensis Hostiensis saith in his third book Idecime That if Priests do not minister of their Spiritualities to the people the people ought to take away the Almes of their Tythes from them and John Huss said That Tythes and Oblations given

temporalities but Prelates have been unfaithful Stewards and therefore it is high time to compell them to deliver up their Stewardship that they may be no longer Stewards for the Priests as they call themselves and desire to be called ought to have no temporal possessions or inheritance for their service as Eze. 44.28 I am their Inheritance ye shall give them no possession in Israel I am their possession yea even the Primate himself as he expecteth to be called who thinks himself to be Successor to Aaron cannot by Aarons example possess any temporalities as in Num. 18.20 And the Lord spake unto Aaron then shalt have no inheritance in their land neither shalt thou have any part amongst them I am thy part and thine inheritance among the Children of Israel and Josh 13.33 But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not any inheritance the Lord God of Israel was their inheritance If Prelates consciences were not seared as with an hot iron how could they pretend any right to Temporal possessions either by example of the Levitical Priesthood unto whom you see Temporal possessions was prohibited neither by the example of Jesus Christ nor his Apostles if it were not as Cardinal Aralatensis said in the Council of Basil that Prelates value their Temporalities above their Spiritualities Therefore if you observe the rule of Christ by their Fruits you may know them and their Fruits in that way hath been the occasion to bring in and to uphold and maintain Antichrist the Pope in his Throne for if it were not for his great Temporal possessions he could not domineer over Emperors Kings and Princes as he hath done and whilst Prelates possess their Temporalities they do uphold him in his Throne for both of them are one upheld by the other if once the one fall the other will shortly follow Angelo Cararo Whosoever saith Angelo Cararo beholds the surpassing state and magnificence of the Church and Court of Rome above other Kings and Princes cannot but wonder that she upon so slender a foundation and so far from the intention of her Founders should raise her self to so proud a height as to turn those benefits she hath received against and to the prejudice of them that gave her those possessions for the Canonists other Emissaries of that Court study nothing more than how to strengthen and extend their Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and abase and demolish the power of Secular Princes if they can possible A Book of the Image of a Bishop In a Book called The Image of a Christian Bishop and of a Counterfeit Bishop set out in the year 1539. he speaks of some that he calls shadows of Bishops that have raised themselves to dominion and Lordship against both God and man against reason common sence and judgement after the nature of Tyrants which rule only by the wrath and indignation of God for Prelates saith he if they be not good and virtuous to promote the word of God unfeignedly with all their hearts they are Wolves and cruel murtherers of Souls much like as if Satan should have a Mitre on his head and Rings on his fingers and should sit in a Chair to rule the people for B●shops that do not preach the pure word of God they are as much to be eschewed as the Devil himself And whereas Bishops exercise their tyranny over men under pretence of Conformity to keep men from sedition and strife he saith the word of God doth not stir up to sedition and strife but the stubborn obstinate disobedience of Bishops themselves against the truth and their rage against the word of God is the cause of sedition for whosoever receives the word of God that man raises not up sedition albeit he no longer fears such vain Buggs nor worship such Episcopal Puppets for since he knows the word of God he doth not fear nor reverence their vain humane Innovations and Traditions But wilt thou that I tell thee at one word that they are they are Wolves Tyrants Traytors Man-quellers monsters of the World burthens of the Earth the Apostles of Antichrist to corrupt and destroy the Gospel And therefore it is the part and duty of all Christian men with the word of God to destroy and pluck up by the roots them and their Kingdom which our heavenly Father hath not planted who by their Tyranny destroy the Gospel Institutions of Christ to establish their own Institutions so that if there be any Christianity in our minds and breasts we ought saith he to speak unto the King for a Reformation Thus he and much more to this purpose See Mr. Prynns Book of the execrable Treasons Conspiracies and Rebellions of Prelates pag. 389 390 394. William Wroughton William Wroughton in his rescuing of the Roman Fox dedicated to King Hen. 8. We have saith he put down some of the Orders of the World there remains yet two viz. the pompous Bishops and the dependants thereon and the gray Fryers which if they were put down also as well as the other I reckon that there would not be any Kingdom wherein Christ would more reign than in England and there he proves at large the Prelates Canon Law to be the Popes Law and that so long as the Bishops maintain it in England they maintain the Pope in his Soveraignty and Legislative power in England Thus and more to the same purpose Roderick Morce To the very same purpose Roderick Morce in his Complaint to the Parliament the 37 of Hen. 8. writes thus The whole Body of the pestiferous Canon Law according to which Judgement is given through the Realm so that we are still in Egyptian bondage to the Popes Law And so long as ye walk in those wicked Laws of Antichrist the Pope and maintain his Knights the Bishops in such inordinate riches and unlawfull Authority so long ye shall never banish that monstrous beast the Pope out of England yea and it shall be a means saith he in process of time to bring us into bondage to the Pope again and that knows our forked Caps full well meaning Mitres Wherefore if you will banish the Pope you must fell down to the ground these rotten posts the Bishops c. And in another place he said that one Bishop one Dean or Colledge or House of Canons hath ever done more mischief than ten other Religious Houses The King saith he hath done well in weeding the Garden of England but yet he hath left the fowlest stinking weeds standing the pompous Bishops Canons of Colledges and Deans c. But now saith he I will speak no more against the particular Pope seeing every Bishop now is a Pope Martin Bucer Martin Bucer professors of Divinity in Cambridge writ to King Edward the sixth that the reformation of the Church could never be expected from the Bishops and said that the wealth of Princes which ought to be bestowed upon faithful Ministers upon Schools and upon the Poor the Prelates sacraligiously spend it in ryot and