could not be finally determined without a Great Seal from the King confirming all that was done there was One sent over in all their names to obtain it but this was a work of time and so could not be finished in several Years and the Rebellion broke out before it was fully concluded The Lord Lieutenant at this time was Sir Thomas Wentworth afterwards Earl of Strafford a name too great to need any enlargement or explanation for his Character is well known At his first coming over to Ireland he was possessed with prejudices against the Bishop upon the account of a Petition sent up by the County of Cavan to which the Bishop had set his hand in which some complaints were made and some regulations were proposed for the Army Which was thought an insolent attempt and a matter of ill example So that Strafford who was severe in his administration was highly displeased with him And when any Commission or Order was brought to him in which he found his name he dashed it out with his own Pen and expressed great indignation against him When the Bishop understood this he was not much moved at it knowing his own innocence but he took prudent methods to overcome his displeasure He did not go to Dublin upon his coming over as all the other Bishops did to congratulate his coming to the Government but he writ a full account of that matter to his constant Friend Sir Thomas Iermin who managed it with so much zeal that Letters were sent to the Deputy from the Court by which he was so much mollified towards the Bishop that he going to congratulate was well received and was ever afterwards treated by him with a very particular kindness So this Storm went over which many thought would have ended in imprisonment if not in deprivation Yet how much soever that Petition was mistaken he made it appear very plain that he did not design the putting down of the Army For he saw too evidently the danger they were in from Popery to think they could be long safe without it But a Letter that contains his vindication from that aspersion carries in it likewise such a representation of the state of the Popish interest then in Ireland and of their numbers their tempers and their principles that I will set it down It was written to the Archbishop of Canterbury and is taken from the printed copy of it that Mr. Prynne has given us Right Honourable my very good Lord IN the midst of these thoughts I have been advertized from an honourable Friend in England that I am accused to his Majesty to have opposed his service and that my hand with two other Bishops only was to a Writing touching the Money to be levied on the Papists for maintenance of the Men of War Indeed if I should have had such an intention this had been not only to oppose the service of his Majesty but to expose with the publick peace mine own Neck to the Skeans of the Romish Cut-throats I that know that in this Kingdom of his Majesties the Pope hath another Kingdom far greater in number and as I have heretofore signified to the Lord Iustices and Council which is also since justified by themselves in Print constantly guided and directed by the Orders of the new Congregation De propaganda Fide lately erected at Rome transmitted by the means of the Popes Nuntio's residing at Brussells or Paris that the Pope hath here a Clergy if I may guess by my own Diocess double in number to us the heads whereof are by corporal Oath bound to him to maintain him and his regalities contra omnem hominem and to execute his Mandates to the uttermost of their Forces which accordingly they do stiling themselves in Print Ego N. Dei Apostolicae Sedis gratia Episcopus Fermien Ossorien I that knâ—w there is in the Kingdom for the moulding of the people to the Popes obedience a rabble of irregular Regulars commonly younger Brothers of good Houses who are grown to that insolency as to advance themselves to be members of he Ecclesiastical Hierarchy in better ranks than Priests in so much that the censure of the Sorbon is fain to be implored to curb them which yet is called in again so tender is the Pope of his own Creatures I that know that his Holiness hath erected a new Vniversity in Dublin to confront his Majesties Colledge there and to breed the youth of the Kingdom to his Devotion of which Vniversity one Paul Harris the Author of that infamous libel which was put forth in Print against my Lord Armach's Wansted Sermon stileth himself in Print to be Dean I that know and have given advertisements to the State that these Regulars dare erect new Fryeries in the Countrey since the dissolving of those in the City that they have brought the people to such a sottish senselesness as they care not to learn the Commandments as God himself spake and writ them but they flock in great numbers to the preaching of new superstitioâ—s and detestable Doctrines such as their own Priests are ashamed of and at all those they levy Collections Three Four Five or Six Pounds at a Sermon Shortly I that knâ—w that those Regulars and this Clergy have at a general meeting like to a Synod as themselves stile it decreed That it is not lawful to take the Oath of Allegiance and if they be constant to their own Doctrine do account his Majesty in their Hearts to be King but at the Popes discretion In this estate of this Kingdom to think the Bridle of the Army may be taken away should be the thought not of a brain-sick but of a brainless Man The day of our deliverance from the Popish Powder Plot Anno 1633. Your Lordsship's in all Duty Will. Kilmore By his cutting off Pluralities there fell to be many Vacancies in his Diocess so the care he took to fill these comes to be considered in the next place He was very strict in his Examinations before he gave Orders to any He went over the Articles of the Church of Ireland so particularly and exactly that one who was present at the Ordination of him that was afterwards his Arch-Deacon Mr. Thomas Price reported that though he was one of the Senior Fellows of the Colledge of Dublin when the Bishop was Provost yet his Examination held two full Hours And when he had ended any examination which was alwayes done in the presence of his Clergy he desired every Clergy-Man that was present to examine the person further if they thought that any material thing was omitted by him by which a fuller discovery of his temper and sufficiency might be made When all was ended he made all his Clergy give their approbation before he would proceed to Ordination For he would never assume that singly to himself nor take the Load of it wholly on his own Soul He took also great care to be well informed of the moral and
was wasted by excessive dilapidations and all sacred things had been exposed to sale in so sordid a manner that it was grown to a Proverb But I will not enlarge further on the ill things others had done than as it is necessary to shew the good things that were done by him One of his Cathedrals Ardagh was fallen down to the ground and there was scarce enough remaining of both these Revenues to support a Bishop that was resolved not to supply himself by indirect and base methods he had a very small Clergy but Seven or Eight in each Diocess of good sufficiency but every one of these was multiplyed into many Parishes they having many Vicarages a piece but being English and his whole Diocess consisting of Irish they were barbarians to them nor could they perform any part of divine Offices among them But the state of his Clergy will appear best from a Letter that he writ to Archbishop Laud concerning it which I shall here insert Right reverend Father my honourable good Lord. SInce my coming to this place which was a little before Michaelmas till which time the settling of the state of the Colledge and my Lord Primate's Visitation deferred my Consecration I have not been unmindful of your Lordships commands to advertise you as my experience should inform me of the state of the Church which I shall now the better do because I have been about my Diocesses and can set down out of my knowledge and view what I shall relate and shortly to speak much ill matter in a few words it is very miserable The Cathedral Church of Ardagh one of the most ancient in Ireland and said to be built by S. Patrick together with the Bishops House there down to the ground The Church here built but without Bell or Steeple Font or Chalice The Parish Churches all in a manner ruined and unroofed and unrepaired The people saving a few British Planters here and there which are not the tenth part of the remnant obstinate Recusants A Popish Clergy more numerous by far than we and in full exercise of all Iurisdiction Ecclesiastical by their Vicar-General and Officials who are so confident as they Excommunicate those that come to our Courts even in matrimonial causes which affront hath been offered my self by the Popish Primates Vicar-General for which I have begun a Process against him The Primate himself lives in my Parish within two Miles of my House the Bishop in another part of my Diocess further off Every Parish hath its Priest and some two or three a piece and so their Mass-Houses also in some places Mass is said in the Churches Fryers there are in diverse places who go about though not in their Habit and by their importunate begging impoverish the people who indeed are generally very poor as from that cause so from their paying double Tythes to their own Clergy and ours from the dearth of Corn and the death of their Cattle these late Years with the Contributions to their Souldiers and their Agents and which they forget not to reckon among other causes the oppression of the Court Ecclesiastical which in very truth my Lord I cannot excuse and do seek to reform For our own there are Seven or Eight Ministers in each Diocess of good sufficiency and which is no small cause of the continuance of the people in Popery still English which have not the Tongue of the people nor can perform any Divine Offices or converse with them and which hold many of them Two or Three Four or more Vicarages apiece even the Clerkships themselves are in like manner conferred upon the English and sometimes Two or Three or more upon one Man and ordinarily bought and sold or let to farm His Majesty is now with the greatest part of this Countrey as to their Hearts and Consciences King but at the Popes discretion Kilmore Apr. 1. 1630. Will. Kilmore Ardagh Here was a melancholy prospect to a Man of so good a mind enough to have disheartned him quite if he had not had a proportioned degree of Spirit and courage to support him under so much weight After he had recovered somewhat of the spoils made by his Predecessor and so put himself into a capacity to subsist he went about the reforming of abuses And the first that he undertook was Pluralities by which one Man had a care of Souls in so many different places that it was not possible to discharge his duty to them nor to perform those Vows which he made at his Ordination of feeding and instructing the Flock committed to his care And tho' most of the Pluralists did mind all their Parishes alike that is They neglected all equally yet he thought this was an abuse contrary both to the nature of Ecclesiastical Functions to the obligations that the care of Souls naturally imported and to those solemn Vows that Church-men made at the Altar when they were ordained And he knew well that this corruption was no sooner observed to have crept into the Christian Church than it was condemned by the Fourth general Council at Chalcedon For when some that had removed from one Diocess to another continued to have their share in the dividend of the Church which they had left as well as of that to which they had gone the Council decreed That such transgressours should restore all that they had got from the Church which they had left and should be degraded if they refused to submit to this regulation He thought it a vain and indeed an impudent thing for a Man to pretend that he answered the obligation of so sacred a trust and so holy a Vow by hiring some mercenary Curate to perform Offices since the Obligation was personal and the ecclesiastical Functions were not like the Levitical Service in the Temple in which the observing their Rites was all that was required But the watching over Souls had so many other things involved in it besides officiating according to the Rubrick that it drew this severe reflection from a witty Man in which though the Wit of it may seem too pleasant for so serious a subject yet it had too much sad truth under it That when such Betrayers and Abandoners of that trust which Christ purchased with his own Blood found good and faithful Curates that performed worthily the obligations of the pastoral Care the Incumbent should be saved by Proxy but be damned in Person Therefore the Bishop gathered a meeting of his Clergy and in a Sermon with which he opened it he laid before them both out of Scripture and Antiquity the Institution the Nature and the Duties of the Ministerial Imployment and after Sermon he spoke to them largely on the same subject in Latin stiling them as he alwayes did His Brethren and fellow Presbyters And exhorted them to reform that intolerable abuse which as it brought a heavy scandal on the Church and gave their Adversaries great advantages against them so it must very much
my Ability would extend unto though I had already at your Grace's commendation received Mr. Dunsterville to be in my House with the allowance of Twenty Pound per annum The next Day before my departing Mr. Hilton made a motion to me That where he had in his Hands sufficient to make the Benefice of Kildromfarten void if I would bestow it upon Mr. Dean he would do so otherwise it should remain in statu I answered with profession of my love and good opinion of Mr. Dean whereof I shewed the reasons I added I did not know the place nor the people but if they were mere Irish I did not see how Mr. Dean should discharge the duty of a Minister to them This motion was seconded by your Grace But so as I easily conceived That being sollicited by your old Servant you could do no less than you did and notwithstanding the Lecture he promised your Grace should be read to me in the matter of Collations would not be displeased if I did as became me according to my Conscience and in conformity to your former motion for Mr. Crian Mr. Dean after pressed me that if without my concurrence your Grace would conferr that Living upon him I would not be against it which I promised but heard no more of it till about April last In the mean while the Benefice next unto that which Mr. Dunsterville was already possessed of falling void Mr. Crian not coming to me nor purposing to do so till after Christmas and whensoever he should come my House as I found not affording room for him and Mr. Dunsterville both whose former Benefice was unable be said to maintain him chiefly he promising Residence and taking of me for that purpose an Oath absolutely without any exception of Dispensation I united it to his former and dismissed him to go to his Cure wherein how carelesly he hath behaved himself I forbear to relate To return to Mr. Dean About mid April he brought me a Presentation to Kildromfarten under the broad Seal I could do no less but signifie to the Incumbent who came to me and maintained his Title requiring me not to admit Whereupon I returned the Presentation indorsing the reason of my refusal and being then occasioned to write to the Lords Iustices I signified what I thought of these Pluralities in a time when we are so far overmatcht in number by the adverse part This passed on till the Visitation wherein Mr. Dean shewed himself in his Colours When the Vicar of Kildromfarten was called he said he was Vicar but would exhibite no Title After the Curate Mr. Smith signified to me That his Stipend was unpaid and he feared it would be still in the contention of two Incumbents Vpon these and other Reasons I sequestred the Profits which I have heard by a Simonaical compact betwixt them should be for this Year the former Incumbents Neither did Mr. Dean write or speak a Word to me hereabout till the day before the Communion in the inclosed That very Morning I was certified that he purposed to appeal to your Grace which made me in answer to his next â—o add Quod facias faccitius Here I beseech your Grace give me leave to speak freely touching this matter so much the rather because it is the only root of all Mr. Dean's despite against me Plainly I do thus think That of all the diseases of the Church in these times next to that of the corruption of our Courts this of Pluralities is the most deadly and pestilent especially when those are instituted into charges Ecclesiastical who were they never so willing yet for want of the Language of the people are unable to discharge them Concerning which very Point I know your Grace remembers the Propositions of the learned and zealous Bishop of Lincoln before Pope Innocent I will not add the Confession of our Adversaries themselves in the Council of Trent nor the judgment of that good Father the Author of the History thereof touching non-Residency Let the thing it self speak Whence flow the ignorance of the people the neglect of Gods worship and defrauding the Poor of the remains of dedicate things the ruine of the mansion-Houses of the Ministers the desolation of Churches the swallowing up of Parishes by the Farmers of them but from this Fountain There may be cause no doubt why sometimes in some place and to some Man many Churches may be committed but now that as appears by the late Certificates there are besides the titular Primate and Bishop of Priests in the Diocesses of Kilmore and Ardagh 66. of Ministers and Curates but 32. of which number also 3. whose wives came not to Church In this so great odds as the adversaries have of us in number to omit the advantage of the Language the possession of peoples Hearts the countenancing of the Nobility and Gentry Is it a time to commit many Churches to one Man whom I will not disable and he saith he hath a very able Interpreter and I think no less which made me once to say That I would sooner confer the Benefice of Kildromfarten upon him than upon himself which resolution I do yet hold in how ill part soever he take it But what hath he done in the Parishes already committed to him for the instruction of the Irish that we should commit another unto him he that cannot perform his duty to one without a helper or to that little part of it whose Tongue he hath is he sufficient to do it to three No it is the Wages is sought not the Work And yet with the means he hath already that good Man his Predecessor maintained a Wife and a Family and cannot he in his solitary he had once written Monkish life defray himself Well if there can be none found fit to discharge the duty let him have the Wages to better his maintenance But when your Grace assureth us we shall lack no Men when there is besides Mr. Crian whom Dr. Sheriden hath heard preach as a Frier in that very place which I account would be more to Gods Glory if there now he should plant the Truth which before he endeavoured to root out besides him we have Mr. Nugent who offereth himself in an honest and discreet Letter lately written to me we have sundry in the Colledge and namely two trained up at the Irish Lecture one whereof hath translated your Grace's Catechism into Irish besides Mr. Duncan and others with what colour can we pass by these and suffer him to fat himself with the blood of Gods people Pardon me I beseech your Grace when I say We I mean not to prescribe any thing to you my self I hope shall never do it or consent to it And so long as this is the cause of Mr. Dean's wrath against me whether I suffer by his Pen or his Tongue I shall rejoyce as suffering for Righteousness sake And sith himself in his last Letter excuses my intent I do submit my actions after
God to your Grace's Censure ready to make him satisfaction if in any things in word or deed I have wronged him For conclusion of this business wherein I am sorry to be so troublesome to your Grace let him surcease this his greedy and impudent pretence to this Benefice let Mr. Nugent be admitted to it or Mr. Crian if he be not yet provided for To whom I will hope ere long to add Mr. Nugent for a Neighbour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If these second questionless better thoughts have any place in him as in his last Letters he gives some hope let my complaints against him be cast into the Fire God make him an humble and modest Man But if Mr. Dean will needs persist I beseech your Grace to view my Reply to the which I will add no more As touching his traducing me in your Pulpit at Cavan I have sent your Grace the Testimonies of Mr. Robinson and Mr. Teate although he had been with them before and denied what they formerly conceived And if your Grace will be pleased to enquire of Mr. Cape by a line or two with whom I never spake Word about the matter or compare the Heads of his Sermon which he saith were general with his former Reports made of me I doubt not but you will soon find the truth I have sent also his Protestation against my Visitation wherein I desire your Grace to observe the blindness of Malice He pretends that I may not visit but at or after Michaelmas every Year As if the Month of July wherein I visited were not after Michaelmas For before the last Michaelmas I visited not I omit that he calls himself the Head of the Chapter The Canon Law calls the Bishop so he will have the Bishop visit the whole Diocess together directly contrary to that Form which the Canons prescribe But this Protestation having neither Latin nor Law nor common Sense doth declare the skill of him that drew it and the Wit of him that uses it which if your Grace injoyn him not to revoke it I shall be inforced to put remedy unto otherwise in respect of the evil example and prejudice it might bring to posterity And now to leave this unpleasing subject Since my being with you here was with me Mr. Brady bringing with him the resignation of the Benefice of Mullagh which I had conferred upon Mr. Dunsterville and united to his former of Moybolke He brought with him Letters from my Lord of Cork and Sir William Parsons to whom he is allied But examining him I found him besides a very raw Divine unable to read the Irish and therefore excused my self to the Lords for admitting him A few Dayes after viz. the 10th of this Month here was with me Mr. Dunsterville himself and signified unto me that he had revoked his former Resignation Thus he playes fast and loose and most unconscionably neglects his duty Omnes quae sua sunt quaerunt Indeed I doubted his Resignation was not good in as much as he retained still the former Benefice whereunto this was united Now I see clearly there was a compact between him and Mr Brady that if the second could not be admitted he should resume his Benefice again I have received Letters from Mr. Dr. Warde of the Date of May 28. in which he mentions again the point of the justification of Infants by Baptism To whom I have written an answer but not yet sent it I send herewith a Copy thereof to your Grace humbly requiring your advice and censure if it be not too much to your Grace's trouble before I send it I have also written an answer to Dr. Richardson in the question touching the root of Efficacy or Efficiency of Grace but it is long and consists of 5. or 6. sheets of Paper so as I cannot now send it I shall hereafter submit it as all other my endeavours to your Grace's censure and correction I have received also a large answer from my Lord of Derry touching justifying Faith whereto I have not yet had time to reply nor do I know if it be worth the labour the difference being but in the manner of teaching As whether justifying Faith be an assent working affiance or else an affiance following Assent I wrote presently upon my return from your Grace to my Lords Iustices desiring to be excused from going in person to take possession of the Mass-House and a Certificate that my suit with Mr. Cook is depending before them I have not as yet received answer by reason as Sir William Usher signified to my Son the Lord Chancellor's indisposition did not permit his hand to be gotten I do scarce hope to receive any Certificate from them for the respect they will have not to seem to infringe your Grace's Iurisdiction Whereupon I shall be inforced to entertain a Proctor for me at your Grace's Court when I am next to appear it being the very time when my Court in the County of Leatrym was set before I was with you Ashamed I am to be thus tedious But I hope you will pardon me sith you required and I promised to write often and having now had opportunity to convey my Letters this must serve in stead of many Concluding with mine and my Wives humble service to your Grace and Mrs. Usher and thanks for my kind entertainment I desire the blessing of your Prayers and remain alwayes Your Grace's humble Servant Will. Kilmore Ardagh Kilmore Sept. 18. 1630. The condemning Pluralities was but the half of his Project The next part of it was to oblige his Clergy to reside in their Parishes but in this he met with a great difficulty King Iames upon the last reduction of Vlster after Tyrone's Rebellion had ordered Glebe-lands to be assigned to all the Clergy And they were obliged to build Houses upon them within a limited time but in assigning those Glebe-lands the Commissioners that were appointed to execute the Kings Orders had taken no care of the conveniences of the Clergy For in many places these Lands were not within the Parish and often they lay not all together but were divided in parcells So he found his Clergy were in a strait For if they built Houses upon these Glebe-lands they would be thereby forced to live out of their Parishes and it was very inconvenient for them to have their Houses remote from their Lands In order to a remedy to this the Bishop that had Lands in every Parish assigned him resolved to make an exchange with them and to take their Glebe-lands into his own hands for more convenient portions of equal value that he assigned them and that the exchange might be made upon a just estimate so that neither the Bishop nor the inferiour Clergy might suffer by it he procured a Commission from the Lord Lieutenant for some to examine and settle that matter which was at last brought to a conclusion with so universal a satisfaction to his whole Diocess that since the thing
his office that distinguished him so much from others yet he could not be prevailed on to interpose in this matter nor to stop the injust Prosecution that this good Man had fallen under for so good a Work Indeed it went further for upon the endeavours he used to convert the Irish and after he had refused to answer in the Archbishop's Court it appears that he was in some measure alienated from him which drew from the Bishop the following Answer to a Letter that he had from him Most Reverend Father my honourable good Lord THE Superscription of your Grace's Letters was most welcome unto me as bringing under your own hand the best evidence of the recovery of your health for which I did and do give hearty thanks unto God For the Contents of them as your Grace conceived They were not so pleasant But the Words of a Friend are faithful saith the Wise Man Sure they are no less painful than any other Vnkindness cuts nearer to the Heart than Malice can do I have some experience by your Grace's said Letters concerning which I have been at some debate with my self whether I should answer them with David's demand What have I now done or as the wrongs of Parents with Patience and Silence But Mr. Dean telling me That this day he is going towards you I will speak once come of it what will You write that the course I took with the Papists was generally cryed out against neither do you remember in all your life that any thing was done here by any of us at which the Professors of the Gospel did take more offence or by which the Adversaries were more confirmed in their Superstitions and Idolatry wherein you could wish that I had advised with my Brethren before I would adventure to pull down that which they have been so long a building Again What I did you know was done out of a good intention but you were assured that my project would be so quickly refuted with the present success and event that there would be no need my Friends should advise me from building such Castles in the air c. My Lord All this is a riddle to me What course I have taken with the Papists what I have done at which your Professors of the Gospel did take such offence or the Adversaries were so confirmed what it is that I have adventured to do or what piece so long a building I have pulled down what those Projects were and those Castles in the air so quickly refuted with present success as the Lords knows I know not For truly since I came to this place I have not changed one jot of my purpose or practice or course with Papists from that which I held in England or in Trinity Colledge or found I thank God any ill success but the slanders only of some persons discontented against me for other occasions Against which I cannot hope to justifie my self if your Grace will give ear to private informations But let me know I will not say my Accuser let him continue masked till God discover him but my Transgression and have place of defence and if mine Adversary write a Book against me I will hope to bear it on my Shoulder and bind it to me as a Crown For my recusation of your Court and advertisement of what I heard thereof I see they have stirred not only laughter but some coals too Your Chancellour desires me to acquit him to you That he is none of those Officers I meant I do it very willingly For I neither meant him nor any Man else But though it concerned your Grace to know what I credibly heard to be spoken concerning your Court neither as God knows did I ever think it was fit to take away the Iurisdiction from Chancellours and put it into the Bishops hands alone or so much as in a dream condemn those that think they have reason to do otherwise nor tax your Grace's Visitation Nor imagine you would account that to pertain to your reproof and take it as a wrong from me which out of my duty to God and you I thought was not to be concealed from you I beseech you pardon me this one errour Si unquam posthac For that knave whom as your Grace writes they say I did absolve I took him for one of my Flock or rather Christs for whom he shed his blood And I would have absolved Julian the Apostate under the same form Some other passages there be in your Grace's Letters which I but I will lay mine Hand upon my Mouth and craving the blessing of your prayers ever remain Your Grace's poor Brother humble servant Will. Kilmore Kilmore March 29. 1630. The malice of Mr. King's Enemies was not satiated with the spoiling him of his Benefice For often it falls out That those who have done acts of high injustice seek some excuse for what they have done by new injuries and a vexatious prosecution of the injured person designing by the noise that such repeated accusations might raise to possess the World with an Opinion of his guilt which much clamour does often produce and so to crush the person so entirely that he may never again be in a capacity to recover himself and to obtain his right but be quite sunk by that vast encrease of weight that is laid upon him But I will give the Reader a clearer view of this invidious affair from a Letter which the Bishop writ concerning it to the Earl of Strafford Right honourable my good Lord. THat which I have sometimes done willingly I do now necessarily to make my address to your Honour by writing My unfitness for conversation heretofore hath pleaded for me and now your Lordship's infirmity allows and in a sort inforces it The occasion is not my love of contention which I have committed to God or any other matter of profit but God's honour and as he is witness yours I have lately received Letters from my Lord of Canterbury whereby I perceive his Grace is informed that Mr. King whom I imployed to translate the Bible into Irish is a Man so ignorant that the Translation cannot be worthy publick use in the Church and besides obnoxious so as the Church can receive no credit from any thing that is his And his Grace adds That he is so well acquainted with your Lordship's disposition that he assures himself you would not have given away his Living had you not seen just cause for it I account my self bound to satisfie his Grace herein and desire if I may be so happy to do it by satisfying you I do subscribe to his Grace's assured perswasion that your Lordship had you not conceived Mr. King to be such as he writes would not have given away his Living But my Lord the greatest wisest and justest Men do and must take many things upon the information of others who themselves are Men and may sometimes out of weakness or some other cause be deceived Touching
Mr. King's silliness which it concerns me the more to clear him of that I be not accounted silly my self I beseech your Lordship to take information not by them which never saw him till yesterday but by the ancient either Church or Statesmen of this Kingdom in whose eyes he hath lived these many Years as are the Lord Primate The Bishop of Meath the Lord Dillon Sir James Ware and the like I doubt not but your Lordship shall understand that there is no such danger that the Translation should be unworthy because he did it being a Man of that known sufficiency for the Irish especially either in Prose or Verse as few are his matches in the Kingdom And shortly not to argue by conjecture and divination Let the Work it self speak yea let it be examined rigoroso examine If it be found approveable let it not suffer disgrace from the small boast of the Workman but let him rather as old Sophocles accused of dotage be absolved for the sufficiency of the Work Touching his being obnoxious it is true that there is a scandalous Information put in against him in the High Commission Court by his despoiler Mr. Baily as my Lord of Derry told him in my hearing he was and by an excommunicate despoiler as my self before the Execution of any sentence declar'd him in the Court to be And Mr. King being cited to answer and not appearing as by Law he was not bound was taken pro confesso deprived of his Ministry and Living Fined an hundred Pound Decreed to be attached and imprisoned His Adversary Mr. Baily before he was sentenced purchased a new Dispensation to hold his Benefice and was the very next day after as appears by the date of the Institution both presented in the King's Title although the Benefice be of my Collation and instituted by my Lord Primate's Vicar Shortly after inducted by an Archdeacon of another Diocess and a few dayes after he brought down an Attachment and delivered Mr. King to the Pursevant He was haled by the Head and Feet to Horseback and brought to Dublin where he hath been kept and continued under Arrest these four or five Months and hath not been suffered to purge his supposed Contempt by Oath and Witnesses that by reason of his sickness he was hindered whereby he was brought to Death's Door and could not appear and prosecute his defence And that by the cunning of his Adversary he was circumvented intreating that he might be restored to liberty and his cause into the former estate But it hath not availed him my Reverend Colleagues of the High Commission do some of them pity his Case others say the Sentence past cannot be reversed lest the credit of the Court be attached They bid him simply submit himself and acknowledge his Sentence just Whereas the Bishops of Rome themselves after most formal proceedings do grant restitution in integrum and acknowledge That Sententia Romanae Sedis potest in melius commutari My Lord if I understand what is Right Divine or humane these be wrongs upon wrongs which if they reached only to Mr. King's person were of less consideration but when through his side That great Work the Translation of God's Book so necessary for both his Majesty's Kingdoms is mortally wounded pardon me I beseech your Lordship if I be sensible of it I omit to consider what feast our adversaries make of our rewarding him thus for that service or what this example will avail to the alluring of others to conformity What should your Lordship have gained if he had dyed as it was almost a miracle he did not under Arrest and had been at once deprived of Living Liberty and Life God hath reprieved him and given your Lordship means upon right information to remedy with one word all inconveniencies For conclusion good my Lord give me leave a little to apply the Parable of Nathan to King David to this purpose If the way-faring man that is come to us for such he is having never yet been settled in one place have so sharp a Stomach that he must be provided for with Pluralities sith there are Herds and Flocks plenty suffer him not I beseech you under the colour of the King's name to take the coset Ewe of a poor Man to satisfie his ravenous appetite So I beseech the Heavenly Physician to give your Lordship health of Soul and Body I rest My Lord Your Lordship 's most humble servant in Christ Jesus Will. Kilmore Decemb. 1. 1638. By these practices was the printing of the Bible in Irish stopt at that time but if the Rebellion had not prevented our Bishop he was resolved to have had it done in his own House and at his own charge and as preparatory to that he made some of Chrysostome's Homilies the three first upon the parable of the rich Man and Lazarus together with some of Leo's all which tended chiefly to commend the Scriptures in the highest strains of Eloquence that were possible to be translated both into English and Irish and reprinting his Catechism he added these to it in both Languages and these were very well received even by the Priests and Friers themselves He lived not to finish this great design yet notwithstanding the Rebellion and confusion that followed in Ireland the Manuscript of the Translation of the Bible escaped the storm and falling into good Hands it is at this time under the Press and is carried on chiefly by the zeal and at the charge of that Noble Christian Philosopher Mr. Boyle who as he reprinted upon his own charge the new Testament so he very cheerfully went into a Proposition for reprinting the Old But this is only one of many instances by which he has expressed as well his great and active zeal for carrying on the true interest of Religion as by his other publick labours he has advanced and improved Philosophy But to go on with the concerns of our Bishop as he had great zeal for the purity of the Christian Religion in opposition to the corruptions of the Church of Rome so he was very moderate in all other matters that were not of such importance He was a great supporter of Mr. Dury's design of reconciling the Lutherans and the Calvinists and as he directed him by many learned and prudent Letters that he wrote to him on that subject so he allowed him 20 l. a year in order to the discharging the expence of that negotiation which he payed punctually to his Correspondent at London And it appeared by his managing of a business that fell out in Ireland That if all that were concerned in that matter had been blest with such an understanding and such a temper as he had there had been no reason to have despaired of it There came a company of Lutherans to Dublin who were afraid of joyning in Communion with the Church of Ireland and when they were cited to answer for it to the Archbishop's Consistory they desired some time might be
condition to make any resistance so that it was not any apprehension of the opposition that might be made them that bound them up Great numbers of his Neighbours had also fled to him for shelter He received all that came and shared every thing he had so with them that all things were common among them and now that they had nothing to expect from Men he invited them all to turn with him to God and to prepare for that death which they had reason to look for every day so that they spent their time in Prayers and Fasting which last was now like to be imposed on them by necessity The Rebels expressed their esteem for him in such a manner that he had reason to ascribe it wholly to that overruling power that stills the raging of the Seas and the tumult of the people they seemed to be overcome with his exemplary conversation among them and with the tenderness and charity that he had upon all occasions expressed for them and they often said He should be the last Englishman that should be put out of Ireland He was the only Englishman in the whole County of Cavan that was suffered to live in his own House without disturbance not only his House and all the out-Buildings but the Church and Church-Yard were full of people and many that a few dayes before lived in great ease and much plenty were now glad of a heap of Straw or Hay to lye upon and of some boiled Wheat to support Nature and were every day expecting when those Swords that had according to the Prophetick Phrase drunk up so much Blood should likewise be satiated with theirs They did now eat the Bread of Sorrow and mingled their Cups with their Tears The Bishop continued to encourage them to trust in God and in order to that he preached to them the first Lords Day after this terrible calamity had brought them about him on the Third Psalm which was penned by David when there was a general insurrection of the people against him under his unnatural Son Absolom and he applyed it all to their condition He had a doleful Assembly before him an Auditory all melting in Tears It requires a Soul of an equal elevation to his to imagine how he raised up their Spirits when he spake to these Words But thou O Lord art a Shield for me my glory and the lifter up of my Head I laid me down and slept I awaked for the Lord sustained me I will not be afraid of ten thousands of the people that have set themselves against me round about And to the conclusion of the Psalm Salvation belongeth unto the Lord thy blessing is upon thy people The next Lords day hearing of the Scoffings as well as the Cruelty of the Irish he preached on these Words in Micah Rejoyce not against me O mine enemy when I fall I shall arise when I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him untill he plead my cause and execute judgment for me he will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold his righteousness Then she that is mine enemy shall see it and shame shall cover her which said unto me Where is the Lord thy God By these means and through the blessing of God upon them they encouraged themselves in God and were prepared for the worst that their enemies could do to them The Irish themselves were at a stand The miscarriage of the design on Dublin Castle was a sad disappointment they were unarmed they had no Treasure no Fleet nor foreign support and though there were some good Officers among them yet they found the Souldiers to be as cowardly as the English Inhabitants felt them to be cruel For as those two Characters are observed generally to meet in the same person so it was very visible upon this occasion since a very small Body of good Men could have gone over the whole Kingdom and have reduced it in fewer Months than it cost Years Their chief hope was the only thing in which they were not disappointed That the Disputes between the King and the Parliament of England would make Supplies come over so slow that they might thereby gain much time and in conclusion they might hope for a more favourable conjuncture Those of the County of Cavan seemed to see their errour and apprehend their danger so they came to the Bishop as the fittest Man to interpose for them he was willing to oblige those on the one hand at whose mercy he was and on the other hand to bring them to such a submission as might at least procure some breathing time to the poor English and to those few Houses that stood out but were falling within doors under an Enemy that was more irresistible than the Irish For they were much straitned their Provisions failing them The Petition that they signed and sent up to the Lords Justices and the Council was too well penned to come from those that set their hands to it It was drawn by the Bishop who put their matter in his own Words therefore I shall insert it here though it gives the best colours to their Rebellion of any of all their Papers that I ever saw To the Right Honourable the Lords Justices and Council The humble Remonstrance of the Gentry and Commonalty of the County of Cavan of their Grievances common with other parts of this Kingdom of Ireland WHereas we his Majesties loyal Subjects of his Highness Kingdom of Ireland have of long time groaned under many grievous pressures occasioned by the rigorous Government of such placed over us as respected more the advancement of their own private Fortunes than the Honour of His Majesty or the welfare of us his Subjects whereof we in humble manner declared our selves to His Highness by our Agents sent from the Parliament the representative body of this Kingdom Notwithstanding which we find our selves of late threatned with far greater and more grievous Vexations either with captivity of our Consciences our losing of our lawful Liberties or utter expulsion from our Native Seats without any just Ground given on our parts to alter his Majesties goodness so long continued unto us of all which we find great cause of fears in the proceeding of our Neighbour Nations and do see it already attempted upon by certain Petitioners for the like course to be taken in this Kingdom for the effecting thereof in a compulsory way so as Rumors have caused fears of Invasion from other parts to the dissolving the Bond of mutual agreement which hitherto hath been held inviolable between the several Subjects of this Kingdom and whereby all other his Majesties Dominions have been linkt in one For the preventing therefore of such evils growing upon us in this Kingdom we have for the preservation of his Majesties Honour and our own Liberties thought fit to take into our Hands for his Highnesses
of the Leaves the number he saith will rise to thirty thousand by which Iohn Fox his Book will as much exceed Iohn Sleidans Story in number of lyes in which were found only eleven thousand as it doth in bulk and bigness This manner of writing of these Men brings to my mind that which Sir Thomas More writes of Tyndals New Testament wherein he saith Were founden and noted wrong and falsely translated above a thousand Texts by tale The Language is like and the cause is the same Men were loth these Books should be read The substance of them was such as could not be controlled The next remedy was to forestal the Readers minds with a prejudice of falsification that so they might not regard them but cast them out of their Hands of their own accord The Vulgar sort would be brought out of conceit at the first hearing with vehement accusation Even wise Men would suppose though there should not be any thing near so many wilful faults yet surely there must needs be a very great number and that could not happen but with a very bad meaning this admitted who would vouchsafe them the reading And in truth among those that favour the reformed part I have met with some that out of this buz of falsification in the Lord of Plessis Book cared not for reading it whereby may be thought in what account it should be with all those who esteem all F. Parsons Libels to be Oracles But shortly Sith neither the Cardinal Perone nor F. Parsons have had the means or will to decypher those hundreds and thousands of falsifications in Sleidan Bishop Iewel Mr. Fox or Plessis in these so many years as have run since they wrote and as for the last he hath set forth the Book again with all the Authorities at large in the Margent in the Authors own Words and hath answered all those that bayed at it till they are silent what remains but that we count this multiplying of F. Parsons may be joyned with Aequivocation to make up the art of Falshood wherein he and his Faction may justly claim to be the worthiest Professors in the World But without any multiplication or other Arithmetick in the fifth page of that Relation of his in the seven first Lines are four notorious I will not say lyes or falsifications but falshoods by tale The First That the tryal being begun upon the first place that was found false The French Discourse printed at Antwerp Cum privilegio and approbation of the Visitor of Books saith And as to the said first Article nothing was judged thereabout by the said Commissioners nor pronounced by my said Lord the Chancellor and the King said that it should be remitted to another time to deliberate thereabout The Second He that is Plessis would have passed to the second but the Bishop refused so to do except the Ministers and Protestants there present would first subscribe and testifie that this first place was falsified He said in the page before that Plessis appeared at last with some four or five Ministers on his side There were no Ministers appeared with him on his side No Protestants no creature did subscribe or was required so to do The third Which at length they did viz. subscribe this place was falsified An utter untruth Whereof there is not a Word in the said printed Narration The fourth As well in this as in all the rest There was no subscription as I said at all The Commissioners were all of the Roman profession saving Casaubon and he no Minister They never pronounced much less subscribed that any of those places examined were falsified Of the first place of Scotus they pronounced nothing Of the second of Durand That the opposition of Durand was alledged for the resolution And this they would have remitted also as the former to another time save that the Bishop insisted saying it was in vain to dispute if they would not judge Addressing his Speech divers times to the King to the intent he should signifie his pleasure to the Commissioners and then his Majesty drawing near to them they gave their Opinions upon that Article as before This was that which F. Parsons stumbled at when he wrote The Ministers and Protestants there present subscribed and testified that it was falsified and so all the rest For being overjoyed with this News which he did not well understand to think the charitablest of him he thought the Commissioners had been part at least Protestants and Ministers And had subscribed whereas they pronounced their Sentence vivâ voce by the Mouth of the Chancellor never using the term falsification yea in some of the rest they acquitted the Lord of Plessis as in the passage of P. Crinitus though they said Crinitus was deceived In that of Bernard that it had been good to distinguish the two passages of S. Bernard out of the same Book with an caetera Not to stand now upon that that in the rest of the places he hath a reasonable and just defence with indifferent Men for the omissions he was charged with in Chrysostome Hierome Bernard and Theodoret And in that of Cyril the King himself said aloud tha both sides had reason But F. Parsons not having as it appears received perfect information of the particularities of this affair was so hasty to write according to the partial intelligence he received at Rome that he faults himself in the same kind that he imputes to another And if he should meet with some severe Adversary that would multiply his falshoods by his leaves and lines as he dealeth with Mr. Fox and then extend by proportion his Pamphlet to the bigness of Mr. Fox his Book of Martyrs he would find that he provides very ill for himself that is too rigorous and censorious to other Men. But I leave him and come to the fidelity of the Popish Faction whereof I shall desire you to take a taste in one of the questions which you name about the Church even that which is indeed cardo negotii as you say the controversie of the Popes authority For the establishing whereof First the Epistles of the ancient Bishops of Rome for the space of about three hundred years after Christ are counterfeited The Barbarous not Latine but lead of the stile and the likeness of them all one to another the deep silence of Antiquity concerning them the Scriptures alledged after Hierom's translation do convince them of Falshood and by whose practice and procurement we cannot doubt if we ask but as Cassius was wont cui bono For at every bout the Authority of the Pope and priviledges of the Roman See are extolled and magnified Next the Donation of Constantine is a senseless forgery and so blazed by some of the learnedest of the Roman Church Read it advisedly either in Gratian or in the Decrees of Sylvester with the Confession and Legend of Constantines baptism and say out of your own judgment if ever any thing
omitted so pregnant passages as these be for Peters Primacy and the Popes Chair had they been extant in Cyprian's Work when he wrote But we cannot doubt of his good affection to the See of Rome either for his orders sake or his dedicating that Work to Pope Martine the Fifth or his approbation of the two first Tomes which he saith he caused to be seen and examined per sollennes viros and testifies of to be commended of all encouraging him to write the Third It remains therefore that Cyprian hath received this garnishment since Walden's time And here with this occasion of his silence about those things which are thrust into Cyprian I will though besides my purpose use his Testimony about a certain sentence of the Author of the imperfect work upon Matthew ascribed to Saint Chrysostome which the Romish faction will needs race out It is in the eleventh Homily about the middle The words are these Si enim vasa sanctificata ad privatos usus transferre peccatum est periculum sicut docet Balthasar qui bibens in calicibus sacris de regno depositus est de vita Si ergo haec vasa ad privatos usus transferre sic periculum est in quibus non est verum corpus Christi sed mysterium corporis ejus continetur quanto magis vasa corporis nostri quae sibi Deus ad habitaculum praeparavit non debemus locum dare Diabolo agendi in iis quae vult In this sentence the words that I have enclosed from the rest are inserted saith Bellarmine by some Scholar of Berengarius for they are not in all Copies No marvel That is more marvel that they are in any since the Canonizing of Transubstantiation But in Walden's time and before the words were thus read for in his third Tome Cap. 30. they are thus cited save that by the error of the print ministerium is put for mysterium and he adds there Hanc tanti viri sententiam cum magistrum suum Witcleff vident librò de sermone Domini in monte Cap. 37. assumere tanquam sacram qualiter praedones Lollardi audent c. But saith Bellarmine These words make not to the matter in hand for the Author of the Homily spake of the holy vessels of Solomons Temple which Balthasar prophaned and in those vessels neither was the Lords true body nor yet the mystery thereof Well if they be not to the purpose if they speak of the vessels of Solomons Temple let them stand in the Text still What need ye purge them out of the newer editions at Antwerp and Paris Belike Father Iohn Matthews saw further into this matter than Bellarmine for he casts out this sentence with the dregs of the Arians although there be no Arianism in it that I can perceive The truth is the Author speaks of the Vessels used in the Lords Supper in his own time For those words sicut docet Balthasar c. are brought in by the way for a confirmation from a like example the sense hanging in the mean while which is resumed again when he goes on Si ergo haec vasa as any indifferent Reader may perceive Yea take away these words and the sinews of the sentence are cut for the force of the argument lies in the comparison of the prophaning of the holy Vessels and of our bodies That is a sin yet Christs body is not contained in them but the mystery thereof but God himself dwells in these These examples to omit some other do make me think that howsoever the corrupting of the texts of the Fathers is not now perhaps so usual as of other Writers and good reason why they know that many look narrowly to their fingers neither is there any place almost that is of special pith that hath not been observed and urged in the handling of the controversies of this age by some or other yet where there is any colour of differing Copies or any advantage to be taken that way it is not slipped And who knows not that sometimes the change of a Letter yea of a Point or Accent makes the whole sentence of another meaning As for example that of Saint Augustine Qui fecit te fine te non justificat te â—ine te Read it interrogatively and it is as strong for Soto and the Dominicans as if it be read assertively for Catharine and the Jesuits And in very deed when I consider the eagerness of these men to win their purposes and their fearful boldness with the holy Word of God I know not how a man should look for conscience or respect at their hands in the writings of men For to omit that the Trent-Fathers have canonized the Vulgar Latin Edition which so many times departeth from the original inspired by the holy Ghost adding detracting changing often to a diverse sometimes to a contrary sense To let pass also how Sixtus V. and Clemens VIII do tyrannize over and delude the Faith of their followers about that Edition binding them unto two diverse Copies and sometimes flat contradictory and so as the form of each must be inviolably observed without the least particle of the Text added changed or detracted The former derogating all Faith and authority from whatsoever Bibles hand-written or printed of the Vulgar edition which did not agree with that which he set forth ad verbum ad literam The latter telling that when the same Pope endeavoured to set it out he perceived not a few things to have crept into the holy Bible through the fault of the Presâ— and that it needed a second care whereupon upon he decreed to bring the whole work again to the Anvile had he not been prevented by death so derogating all Faith from the former Whereas the truth is Sixtus did not only endeavour to set out his Bible but prefixed his Bull before it ad perpetuam rei memoriam and sent one of the Copies to the State of Venice as I heard at my being there howsoever since it was cunningly recovered again set it to sale publickly and saith in his Bull that he corrected the faults of the Press with his own hand and which most of all convinceth Pope Clement's Preface of falshood the difference of these Editions is not in fault of the prints but in that the one follows the old erroneous reading the latter the reading of other Manuscripts according with the Hebrew Chaldee Greek or the Latin edition of the Catholick Kings Bible observed by the industry of the Divines of Lovaine But to forbear to urge this contradiction in the very foundation of belief which some man peradventure would press so far as to inferr that the Romanists have no faith for he that believes contradictories believes nothing What shall we say of that impiety to corrupt the original Text according to the vulgar Latin See an example hereof in the first promise of the Gospel Gen. 3. where the Serpent is threatned that the seed
use any more Words Believe then if you please that the Commemoration of Christs Sacrifice in the Lords Supper or the Oblations of the faithful are to be made for all that decease after Baptism in the attempting of whatsoever sin they dye yea suppose in final impenitence of any deadly crime That such as be damned may thereby have their damnation made more tolerable Believe that without any impropriety of Speech the same form of Words may be a thanksgiving for one and an appeasing of Gods wrath for another Believe also if you can beieve what you will that S. Tecla delivered the Soul of Falconilla out of Hell and S. Gregory the Soul of Trajan and that as may seem saying Mass for him sith he was forbidden thenceforth to offer any Host for any wicked Man Believe that Macarius continually praying for the Dead and very desirous to know whether his Prayers did them any good had answer by miracle from the Scull of a dead Man an Idolater that by chance was tumbled in the way O Macarius when thou offerest Prayers for the Dead we feel some ease for the time Believe that on Easter even all the damned Spirits in Hell keep Holy day and are free from their torments S. Augustine such is his modesty will give you leave to believe this as well as Purgatory if you please as he is not unwilling to give as large scope to other Mens Opinions as may be so they reverse not the plain and certain grounds of Holy Scripture In all these you may if you please follow Authors also as S. Damascene Paladius Prudentius Sigebert and others But give the same liberty to others that ye take Compel no Man to follow your Opinion if he had rather follow Danaeus's Reasons For my self I would sooner with S. Augustine himself whose words touching S. Cyprian Danaeus here borrowed confess this to be naevum candidissimi pectoris coopertum ubere Charitatis than be bound to justifie his conceit touching the commemoration of the Dead in the Lords Supper And as he saith of S. Cyprian so would I add Ego hujus libri Authoritate non teneor quia literas Augustini non ut Canonicas habeo sed eas ex Canonicis considero quod in iis divinarum Scripturarum authoritati congruit cum laude ejus accipio quod non congruit cum pace ejus respuo Which Words I do the rather set down that they may be Luthers justification also against F. Parsons who thinks he hath laid sore to his charge when he cites very solemnly his Epistle ad Equitem Germ. Anno Domini 1521. where he saith He was tyed by the authority of no Father though never so holy if he were not approved by the judgment of Holy Scripture Surely this is not to deny and contemn as he calls it or as you to controll the Fathers to account them subject to humane infirmities which themselves acknowledge But the contrary is to boast against the Truth to seek to forejudge it with their mistakings which needs not so much as require their Testimonies I will forbear to multiply words about that whether the testimonies of Antiquity which favour the Protestants be many or few whether they do indeed so or onely seem prima facie whether they be wrested or to the purpose whether all this may not by juster reason be affirmed of the passages cited by the Romanists out of Antiquity setting aside matters of ceremony and government which your self confess by and by may be divers without impeaching unity in Faith and opinions ever to be subjected to the trial of Scriptures by their own free consent and desire Judge by an instance or two that this matter may not be a meer skirmish of generalities Tertullian in his latter times whether as Saint Hierome writes through the envy and reproach of the Roman Clergy or out of the too much admiring chastity and fasting became a Montanist and wrote a Book de Pudicitia blaming the reconciling of Adulterers and Fornicators In the very entrance almost thereof he hath these words Audio etiam edictum esse propositum quidem peremptorium Pontifex scil Maximus Episcopus Episcoporum dicit Ego moechiae fornicationis delicta poenitentia functis dimitto Pamelius in his note upon this place writes thus Bene habet annotatu dignum quod etiam jam in haerest constitutus adversus Ecclesiam scribens Pontificem Romanum Episcopum Episcoporum nuncupet infra Cap. 13. bonum Pastorem benedictum Papam Cap. 21. Apostolicum Thus Pamelius and presently lanches forth into the Priviledges of the See of Rome and brings a number of testimonies for that forgery of Constantines donation The like note he hath in the life of Tertullian where he makes the Pope thus set forth the former Edict to have been Zephyrinus's quem saith he Pontificem Maximum etiam jam haereticus Episcopum Episcoporum appellat Baronius also makes no small account of this place and saith The title of the Pope is here to be noted And indeed prima facie as you say they have reason But he that shall well examine the whole web of Tertullians discourse shall find that he speaks by a most bitter and scornful Ironie as Elias doth of Baal when he saith he is a God The word scilicet might have taught them thus much Yea the title Pontifex Maximus which in those days and almost two ages after was a Pagan term never attributed to a Christian Bishop first laid down by Gratian the Emperour as Baronius also notes in the year of our Lord 383. because it savoured of Heathenish superstition though it had been as a title of Royalty used by the former Christian Emperours till that time This title I say might have made them perceive Tertullians meaning unless the immoderate desire of exalting the Papacy did so blind their eyes that seeing they saw and yet perceived not In the same character though with more mildness and moderation is the same title for the other part of it used by Saint Cyprian in his Vote in the Council of Carthage Neque n. quisquam nostrum se esse Episcopum Episcoporum constituit aut tyrannico terrore ad obsequendi necessitatem Collegas suos adigit Bellarmine saith he speaks here of those Bishops that were in the Council of Carthage and that the Bishop of Rome is not included in that sentence who is indeed Bishop of Bishops What! and doth he tyrannously inforce his Colleagues to obedience also For it is plain that Cyprian joyns these together the one as the presumptuous title the other as the injurious act answering thereto which he calls plain tyranny And as plain it is out of Firmilianus's Epistle which I vouched before that Stephanus Bishop of Rome heard ill for his arrogancy and presuming upon the place of his Bishoprick Peters Chair to sever himself from so many Churches and break the bond of peace now with the Churches of the
by the learned and truly noble Lord of Plessis in his Mysterium iniquitatis But his Book I suppose you cannot view and it would require a just volume to shew it though but shortly It shall be therefore if you will the task of another time And yet because I do not love to leave things wholly at random consider a few Instances in some of these Pope Boniface III. obtained that proud and ambitious Title of Oecumenical so much detested by S. Gregory Pope Constantine and Gregory II. revolted Italy from the Greek Emperors Obedience forbidding to pay Tribute or obey them Pope Zachary animated Pipine High Steward of France to depose Chilperick his Lord and dispensed with the Oaths of his Subjects Pope Stephen II. most treacherously and unjustly perswaded the same Pipine not to restore the Exarchate of Ravenna to the Emperor after he had recovered it from Astulfus King of Lombards but to give it to him Pope Nicholas II. and Gregory VI. parted the prey with the Normans in Calabria and Apulia creating them Dukes thereof to hold the Constantinople's Country in Vassalage of them This latter also was the first as all Historians accord that ever attempted to depose the Emperor against whom he most impiously stirred up his own Children which most lamentably brought him to his end Pope Paschal II. would not suffer for the full accomplishment of this Tragedy his Son to bury him Pope Adrian IV. demanded Homage of the Emperor Frederick Alexander III. trod on his neck Celestine III. crowned Henry VI. with his Feet Innocent IV. stirred up Frederick II. his own Servants to poison him practised with the Sultan of Aegypt to break with him This is that Innocent of whose Extortions Matthew Paris relates so much in our Story whom the learned zealous and Holy Bishop of Lincoln on his Death-bed proved to be Antichrist and in a Vision stroke so with his Crosier-staff that he died Boniface VIII challenged both Swords pretended to be superior to the King of France in Temporal things also Clement V. would in the vacancy of the Empire that all the Cities and Countries thereof should be under his disposition made the Duke of Venice Dandalus couch under his Table with a Chain on his neck like a Dog e're he would grant Peace to the Venetians This Clement V. commanded the Angels to carry their Souls to Heaven that should take the Cross to fight for the Holy Land What shall I say more I am weary with writing thus much and yet in all this I do not insist upon private and personal Faults Blasphemies Perjuries Necromancies Murthers barbarous Cruelties even upon one another alive and dead nor on Whoredoms Incests Sodomies open Pillages besides the perpetual Abuse of the Censures of the Church I insist not upon these more than you did upon King Henry's Passions I tell you not of him that called the Gospel a Fable or another that instituted his Dei's to strangle Sin like Christ's Blood Of him that dispensed with one to marry his own Sister for the Uncle to marry with the Neece or a Woman to marry two Brothers a Man two Sisters by Dispensation is no rare thing at this day The Faculty to use Sodomy the Story of Pope Joan are almost incredible and yet they have Authors of better Credit than Bolseck It may be said that Iohn XXII called a Devil incarnate that Alexander VI. the Poisoner of his Cardinals the Adulterer of his Son-in-laws Bed incestuous Defiler of his own Daughter and Rival in that villany to his Son sinned as Men which empeacheth not the Credit of their Office That Paulus V. Vice-deus takes too much upon him when he will be Pope-almighty but the Chair is without Error Wherein not to insist for the present but admitting it as true that wickedness of mens Persons doth not impeach the Holiness of their Functions which they have received of God nor make Gods Ordinances as his Word and Sacraments of none effect But tell me for Gods love Master Waddesworth is it likely that this Monarchy thus sought thus gotten thus kept thus exercised is of God Are these men that wholly forsaking the feeding of the Flock of God dream of nothing now but Crowns and Scepters serve to the Church to no use in the World unless it be to break the ancient Canons and oppress with their Power all that shall but utter a free word against their Ambition and Tyranny are they I will not say with you good Heads of Gods Church but Members of it and not rather Limbs of Satan Consider those Texts My Kingdom is not of this World Vos autem non sic Consider the Charge which S. Peter gives to his fellow Presbyters 1 Pet. 5.2 3 4. Now I beseech our Lord deliver his Church from this Tyranny and bless you from being a Member of such a Head CHAP. XI Of lack of Succession Bishops true Ordinations Orders Priesthood I Come now to your Motive from Succession Where I marvel first that leaving the Succession of Doctrine which is far more proper and intrinsecal to the Churches being you stand upon that of Persons and Offices Yea and about them too immediately pass from that which is of Essence to the external Formalities in Consecration and Ordination according to the ancient Councils Have you forgotten what you said right now that matters of Ceremony and Government are changeable Yea but in France Holland and Germany they have no Bishops First what if I should defend they have because a Bishop and a Presbyter are all one as S. Ierom maintains and proves out of Holy Scripture and the use of Antiquity Of which Judgment as Medina confesseth are sundry of the ancient Fathers both Greek and Latin S. Ambrose Augustine Sedulius Primasius Chrysostome Theodoret Oecumenius and Theophylact which point I have largely treated of in another place against him that undertook Master Alablaster's Quarrel Besides those Churches in Germany have those whom they call Superintendents and general Superintendents as out of Doctor Bancroft by the Testimony of Zanchius and sundry German Divines you might perceive Yea and where these are not as in Geneva and the French Churches yet there are saith Zanchius usually certain chief Men that do in a manner bear all the sway as if order it self and necessity led them to this course And what are these but Bishops indeed unless we shall wrangle about names which for reason of State those Churches were to abstain from As for that you say Lay-men intermeddle there with the making of their Ministers if you mean the election of them they have reason for anciently the People had always a right therein as S. Cyprian writes to the Churches of Leon and Astorga there in Spain Plebs ipsa maxime habet potestatem vel eligendi dignos Sacerdotes vel indignos recusandi and in sundry places of Italy this usage doth continue to this day If ye mean it in Ordination ye are deceived and wrong these Churches