of this Nation from diverse Parts thereof not only from one Sort of People but all except one viz. the Presbyterians instead of taking off the heavy Yoak thereof the Oppression whereof hath reached Heaven even to the Throne of God and he hath considered it though you would not but instead of removing it have established it for which he was wroth with you you have lost your Crown and he hath laid you by as men who would not accomplish his End and let his People go free and let me tell you it was rashly and proudly done of you after so many valiant Officers who had waded through a Sea of Troubles though I shall not say but they sought themselves too much which I hope God will give them to see They had done great Service for the Nation and considered what might best conduce for the welfare of the Army and for the Nation 's good and Safety and to present it to you desiring your Concurrence therein and though they did send among their Quarters for subscriptions they knowing before hand except it carried some bulk or at least seemed a matter of Concernment you would take less notice of it that you should in your heat and passion being filled with Jealousies vote out these Officers at their return from performing the faithful Service to you the Nation it was an unworthy Gratification and to put in others less capable only to exalt your own Power and rather to draw back to Bondage then going forward to perfect the business aforesaid for these and many more Instances that I might lay before you it was just with the Lord to remove you and not to prosper you and to overturn you because you stood not in his Counsel neither hearkned to them who would have wished you well with whom God's Counsel is and it is just you are turned out and let me advise you and despise not my Counsel for the Counsel of the mighty hath failed take counsel at a Shepherd or a Man of low Degree be you quiet and seek not Revenge neither blow the Sparks nor kindle heat in Peoples Minds neither provoke the Army tâ— Blood-shed but rather diswade them and wait to see what the Lord will do if he will raise up any to perfect that long desired and hoped for End Freedom and Liberty in the things that are just as Men and in the things of God without Imposition and if you live to have your Share among the People in this it will be well and you may have no cause to repent of your being still and quiet though you may have cause to repent of your Rashness and of the things before mentioned X. And you of the English Army who were dissatisfied with the Proceedings of the late Parliament against you I wish there be not too much Self in you in the thing rather for your own Advancement and particular Interest then that the Good Old Cause profest was not carried on by the Parliament according to your Desire and the Peoples Expectations If Self-Interest was the Cause as it is to be feared there was so much of that you will be crossed in your Expectation for that is the thing which hath obstructed the thing intended all along since the thing was asserted that will soon be made manifest and there remains a Ground in your selves which I believe will hinder the End proposed which must be done away before you can do much for God though you may profess and declare in Words much which may take with some for a while yet it will not satisfie long I wish in my Heart Good to you all but there is something stands betwixt you and good things you would like the rest please all Men but that cannot be stand to the Good and let your Actions answer the Witness of God in the worst And you say in your Declaration You have an Intention to take away Tythes and settle some Way for a godly preaching Ministry I say they will need none of the State 's or Common-wealth's Maintenance And if you shall take them away and settle any thing by way of Compulsion upon the People for any Ministry you leave us in Bondage and we must declare against that as against Tythes and we cannot pay neither the one nor the other for Conscience sake And you who are the Committee of Safety newly erected yea many of you have seen or at least might have seen what hath hindered the End proposed you have a Day of Visitation God will try all Sorts of Men if any will be faithful to the End therefore this I say to you and the rest of the Army throw down all those corrupt Laws made about Religion Mass-houses Clerks Wages forced Maintenance and meddle not with it for that thing broke all Parliaments and Councils hitherto and so will it do you if you meddle with it leave all People free without Imposition of any Maintenance to any or else you do nought let everyone be free let every Judgment maintain their own leave People free as to the VVorship of God only to Christ who is Head and Ruler of his Church and Lord over the Conscience and is his alone Right which if you shall not do he will throw you down also Therefore let him have Room and VVay or else that which resisteth will be cut off And this is God's VVord unto you all Take Heed of gratifying any to the imbondaging of others let Tythes and forced Maintenance go down and if for the Good of the Nation or Common-wealth as in Things civil all with a free Heart will most readily and willingly assist you for the Good of the Nation Stand not puzling about Business not worth mentioning nor striving who shall be greatest but remove the present Oppressions and that which is the Cause thereof satisfie the Nation with Deeds Words will not with Things not with Names that will not and it is not a King a Parliament a Protector a Council or Senate we look at will do the Thing Neither People be ye wedded and glewed to Names he that purposeth Righteousness and Equity in his Heart and walks after it is that which God will bless and prosper for when Kings Parliaments and Councils are gone from the Power of God they are for the Thraldom of a Nation and not for its Liberty but this I fore-warn you whatever you do meddle not in the Things of God or about Religion let that alone and you will more readily serve the Necessity which the present Affairs call for and the common civil and equal Liberty of all Men Oh that you had Wisdom and the Counsel of the Lord were with you how soon might Things be established Then would you do more in one Day then in ten while you consult with your Reason and the old corrupt Laws many of which are good for nought but the Fire Thus I have in all Faithfulness cleared my Conscience unto you as the Lord presented
carryed their several Wares and Traffick and many more Tradesmen many more Merchants whom she sent out with her Merchandize who have been made rich by her Merchandize and other Merchants were Bishops Arch-Bishops Deacons Arch-Deacons Pryors Covents Vicars Commissaries Chapters Chancellors Vice-Chancellors Doctors of Divinity Batchellors of Divinity Doctors of Art Masters of Art Batchellors of Art Priests and Curates by which they were made rich and abounded in Treasure And the Beast whom all the World wondered after compelled all to worship him both small and great upon which the Whore rides the scarlet-coloured Beast which hath guarded all her Merchants and made all Nations buy their Ware and hath compelled all People to buy the Whore's Sorceries even all the invented and heathenish Trumperies which the Whore hath patched up and their Merchants painted over which they have patched up some from the Jews some from the Heathen some from the Saints Words mixt with their own Imaginations and Deceit and have holden forth these as the publick Worship in the Nations Kindreds Tongues and Peoples their many Creeds many Confessions of the Faith many Catechisms and many Forms of Worship and when the People are weary of one Sort of Merchandize then brings another in more deceitful and worse and the Beast hath compelled the Nations to buy it and to hold it as the publick Profession of the Nations though never so unsound and rotten though damnable Doctrines and Doctrines of Devils though invented and heretical Opinions invented since the Apostles Dayes yet cryes the Beast The Church had ordained it and the ancient Fathers have agreed upon it and the Councils have confirm'd it and the Divines have ratified it and the Bishops and Arch-Bishops and reverend Fathers have confirm'd it and recommended it for Orthodox and Authentick And therefore sayes the Beast upon which the Whore rides the false Church the Mother of Harlots If you will not agree to it you are Hereticks for the Church has Power to censure you to excommunicate you and to curse you and to deliver you up to Satan and then the Beast having made Laws for the Sale of the Whore's Sorceries and for the guarding of her Merchants and their ships If you consent not to the Articles of the Faith and Confessions you break the Law of the Nations and are not subject to Authority and now you are not punished for Religion sake nor for Christ's sake nor the Gospel's sake but as Evil-doers and Transgressors of the Laws of our Kingdom or Nation And thus the Mother of Harlots which got up since the Apostacy who hath drunk the Bloâ—â— of the Saints and shed the Blood of the Martyrs and slain the Witnesses and hath put many to cruel Deaths She saith I am clear we kill none for Conscience sake we persecute none for the Gospel's sake nor Christ's sake nor for Religion sake but you suffer as Hereticks and you have transgressed the Law of Kings Emperors Councils and Parliaments and are Enemies to States and Governments and Rule in breaking their wholsom Laws cryes the Harlot who hath lost the Savour and her Merchants which calls that which stinks and is corrupt wholsome and so saith the Beast We persecute you not for Religion neither in Persons Liberties or Estates but the Church hath recommended this Doctrine these Articles of Faith these Creeds and Pater-nosters this publick Worship or that Mass-book or that Common Prayer-book or this Directory and are not they the fittest to judge of Religion who have the Tongues and the Original and are fittest to give Meanings and Interpretations of the Scripture And therefore we make a Law that the Mass-book shall be holden out for the publick Profession of these Nations as the Pope Cardinals Jesuites and Fryars think it fit and that the Common Prayer-book be holden forth as the publick Worship which the Bishops Arch-Bishops Deacons Arch-Deacons have recommended unto us as that which is consonant and agreeable to the primitive Times and to the Church which hath been established so many hundred Years and whosoever will not consent and perform all the Rites and Ceremonies let him be indicted and let him be presented and let him be cited and appear before a Bishop and let him imprison him and fine him and take away some of his Estate and excommunicate him and then it 's fit that the Secular Power take Notice of him for transgressing of their Law and pillory him or cut off his Ears or stigmatize him and banish him and let his Estate be confiscate to the King or Prince against whom he hath transgressed for he suffers as an Evil-doer and hath brought this upon himself because he would not be subject to our Church-Orders and to the laudable Customs of our Nations or Country And say some other of the Whore's Merchants who are of another Order distinct from the rest and carry other Sorts of Ware and traffick with other Sorts of Merchandize and some newer Fashion which is liker to bewitch People they cry out to the Rulers of the Earth to propagate their Trading and their Merchandize and say It were fit that some Doctors and Orthodox-men were called together to consider and consult about their Trade and what Sort of Ware or Traffick will most bewitch People and inchant their Minds that so her Ships may go on the Sea for if Kindreds Tongues and People will not buy her Ware her Ships cannot go and their Trade will go down if ever Nations come to the Rock or People come to some Estability or know the precious Treasure and the heavenly treasure in the earthen Vessels they will buy no more of us if the Sea be dried up that no more a gallant Ship can pass thereon nor never a Gally with Oars then we shall all turn Bankrupts and then may we cry Alas alas we that have been made rich are now become poor therefore what do we do let us take Counsel together and if any tell That they have obtained the heavenly Treasure and are come to the durable Riches and to the Treasure that cankers not and they have found it in themselves then let us cry out it 's Heresie and damnable Doctrine and if any man shall say That they need no man to teach them but the Anointing that dwells in them by which they know all things then let us give our Vote with one consent that that 's a Delusion and let us frame Arguments and say that that cannot be you want Hebrew Greek and Latin aâ—d the Original by which you should expound the Scripture and know the Meaning of it and therefore you to conclude that you have received the Anointing is dangerous Doctrine let us pronounce this man as a Heretick for he will infect People And furthermore if any say That the Lord is become his Teacher and he needs no man to teach him but knows the Lord to be his Shepherd then let us cry out of this as dangerous Doctrine and cry to the
there and the Balm and the Physician is that thou say'st God hath armed the Magistrate with Civil Power for defence of Religion through the Concurrences of Divine Benediction and the Magistrate is to vindicate the Truth of God and also exercise 〈◊〉 Power for curing the Offenders and for his proof he brings 1 Tim. 1.20 of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander whom I have delivered up unto Satan Answ. It seems your Gospel that you Preach hath not Power in it to prevail against Heresie neither your Weapons are able to prevail which are but carnal and so the Power to suppress Heresie and Convince Gain-sayers is wholly without you though you Censure and Excommunicate and deliver up to Satan as you say yet you being in Satan's Power that which is against you hath Power over you and therefore you are fain to Cry up the Beast's Power which alwayes made War with the Saints under the Name of Hereticks and you say that in exercising of his Power is but defensive I say yes it is offensive and destructive to the Goverment of Christ and his Prerogative unto whom all Power belongs both in Heaven and Earth and the Goverment lyes upon his shoulders who is a wonderful Counsellor of whose Goverment there is no End and he is able to defend his Church and furthermore to take away thy Objection is willing and furthermore hath promised to keep his Church that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it and therefore thou who wouldst have the Civil Magistrate to intrude into those things which belong not to him would have them Usurpers and Traytors unto Christ the Prince of Peace and the King of his People and head of the Church his Body unto whom absolute Power and Soveraignity belongs and Glory which he will not give to another And as for all the proofs which thou bringst of the Magistrates under the first Covenant they are all invalid as to the second Covenant for all the Kings Magistrates in the first Covenant what as they did in and about Religion as to the punishment of the false Prophets and them that had familiar Spirits and Wizards they were but Typical as in reference unto Christ the second Covenant who hath another way to kill the false Prophets and to make War against Heresie and Blasphemy and against all Sorcerers Deceivers and Anti-christs by the two-edged Sword which proceeds out of his Mouth with which his Enemies shall be slain who will not that he should Rule and exercise his spiritual Power against his spiritual Enemies Is not Heresie an Errour an inbred thing And is an outward Sword like to reach to that Therefore though thou mayst press the Magistrates or them whom thou callst so by their Cocerive power as thou callst it and promise to them divine Benediction like the Pope for making of Laws against that which thou and others may Judge Blasphemy and Heresie and Execute them with Whips and Ropes and cutting off Ears and destroying the Creature yet this doth not reach to Heresie and Blasphemy and all the Balm and Physick that you have in New-England wherein your Hope standeth as hath yet appeared are your Knotted whips and pitched Ropes Banishment and Death here is Balm and Physick indeed with destroyes the Creation And what was Paul a Magistrate who Censured Hymeneus and Alexander or else what dost thou bring this for Thou framest an Objection and also an Answer That the interposal of Authority in matters of Religion is violation of Liberty of Conscience thy Answer is Church Authority is Authority were this Objection good the Church may not then thou sai'st Authoritatively deal with any of her Members for holding forth or Teaching of false Doctrine contrary to Gal. 5.12 and Rev. 2.20 Answ. The Objection is good enough the interposing of Civil Authority in matters of Religion is a leading them beyond their Line for that which is ordained for the ordering of Civil things is not to intrude into that which is beyond its Sphere And why may not the true Church Authoritatively deal with any of her Members for holding forth false Doctrine What dost thou think that Paul in the fifth of the Galaâ—ians when he wished that they were even cut off that troubled them that he would have had them Killed or beat with pitched Ropes or would he have had the Galatians to have denyed them and have them exercised their Authority in the Power of the Lord Jesus Christ And dost thou bring Rev. 2.20 to prove that Thyatira had no Power in the Authority of God to have thrown out and Judged Jezebel This was their fault because they suffered her who called her self a Prophetess to teach and seduce and to eat things Sacrificed to Idols or thou judgest they wanted some Magistrate to kill her Authoritatively And if the Church may not deal with the Members Authoritatively who makes defection from the Faith why have you Excommunicated and thrown out so many for Hereticks in New-England Thou sai'st Liberty of Conscience and Liberty for Errour and Heresie are two things and the Errour of Conscience is a Liberty to Bondage and thou bringst They shall put you out of the Synagogues John 16. and to think to murther the Saints was Service unto God was not from Conscience but Errour of Conscience but the Object thou sai'st Subjected to the Coercive Power must be some act of the outward man and further thou sai'st There is a difference between quiet Heresie and turbulent Heresie Schism and Sedition Answ. It is true Liberty of Conscience and Liberty of Error and Heresie are two things but these lye both without the Power and the Line of any Civil Power as Civil Power to reach unto the one he should encourage that is to say them who exercise a pure Conscience towards God and towards Man and as for the other Error in Judgement it 's beyond the Power of the Civil Magistrate to rectifie but as it puts forth it self in outward Acts of Wickedness as to kill steal murder adultery defrauding cozening and cheating in outward things then the Sword reacheth to the Act outward but can reach no further and as for Heresie Schism Sedition turbulent and quiet as thou makest distinctions they are all in the Ground and you have had too many such Thoughts in your Hearts as that you did God service with all your whipping cutting off Ears beating with Ropes casting out of your Assemblies and not only so but out of your Country and banishing them from their Wives and Children and all this you have done and think you have done God good Service and have cast them out and said as the Prophet spoke of your Generation whose Hearts were hardned let the Lord be glorified these things you have to repent of before you know or will feel Remission of Sins from the Lord though thou saiest you know it belongs not to the Magistrate to compel any Man to be a Believer nor to punish any for
old Writers whom you call Heathen seven Years and other latter Popish Writers and Aristotle's Philosophy any Part of the Gospel and to frame up a Speech adout Religion out of your old Commentaries which were made in the Night of Ignorance and to mix Scripture with them is this the Gospel and to get a Patent from a Protector a Parliament or a Committee to preach at such a Place is this like Gospel may be a great Seal at it and then stay whether the People would have you or no and force Maintenance from them and plead your Letters-patent for your lawfull Call like an Indulgence from the Pope and to claim all the Tythes of a Parish and all Oblations Obventions and Mortuaries is this like the Gospel or like the best reformed Churches you talk on in that you call your Covenant and to set up the old Mass-houses baptized Bells Hour-glasses Clerks to say Amen Church-wardens is this like the reformed Churches and to gather money from House to House to buy Bread and Wine and then mutter a few Words over it and give it to People on the mid-day like a Dinner and call this the Lord's Supper or a Sacrament and to baptize Infants and get Money for registring a Name and call this an Ordinance of God is this like the reformed Churches in the primitive times and to take Money for marrying of People is this Gospel-like to preach over the dead and observe other Cereonmies like the Popes Exequies is this like the best reformed Churches Nay which of all the reformed Churches so called who are broken off from Popery in something have not deny Tythes Is there any Ministers among all the Protestants in Europe but they have wholly relinquished Tythes as to be no Gospel-maintenance as Germany and the Eastern Countries France Geneva and Switserland and many others yet these treacherous Priests of England boast of the Purity of Doctrine Worship and Discipline beyond all and these must go under the Name of Godly learned Ministry and if this be Godly what is Ungodly if this be learned what is Ignorance and to stay at a Village Twenty or Thirty Years if there be gain enough if this be Laboriousness what is Idleness and what Havock and Spoil have you made within these twenty Years in this Land more then the corrupted Bishops did before Oh what Havock have you made and Spoil of Mens Estates in this Nation within these few years which were called years of Liberty if the Chronicles were searched amongst all the Protestants in Europe the like parallel could not be found neither hath there been the like Wickedness acted many dyed in prison for denying your insatiable Desires and because you demand Things contrary to the best reformed Churches which you say you press after you must deny all the things before mentioned before any judicious man will believe and therefore it is in vain for you to cover your selves with a Cloak of Hypocrisie for God hath opened an Eye in Thousands that you will never be able to blind though you stir up Smoak and Dirt and Dust and Fogs and mists of Ignorance that darkens the Air yet they will see through it and by the Breath of his mouth in whom they have believed it will all be scattered but however it is just with the Lord to let loose upon your backs the old Prelates and Bishops to be Tormenters of you and make you Drudges and Slaves as you were formerly and it is just with the Lord to let the Dragon's Power over you all again and to bring a Scourge upon you and the People that have hearkned to your Lyes and Deceit that the Helper and they that are holpen may fall together that the Blind and they that have chosen the Blind for a Leader may both fall into the Ditch together into the Pit that they may never rise again Yet know this Oh Nation and the Inhabitants therein there is a People in thee which is precious and so accounted of the Lord that have not joyned to your Back-sliding but have kept their Integrity and their first Love neither have they joyned to your Brittleness and Instability neither have they sought themselves but the Good of the Nation and all the People therein and though they have had many Provocations as from the cruel and merciless Cruelty of Self-seeking Men yet they have born and suffered knowing Vengeance belongs unto the Lord who in his Day will recompence Fury upon his Adversaries and scatter them as the Wind scatters Clouds and so are in Peace and Quietness under the Shadow of him who hath brought them forth with a mighty Hand and out-stretched Arm notwithstanding all Opposition which hath been very great even by all Parties and Interests hitherto and little or no Regard hath been had to this People but they have been as for a Prey and for a Spoil unto all and unreasonable Men have plowed long Furrows upon their Backs and they have had no Helper in the Earth but on the contrary every one hath lent his Hand to bow them down and tread upon them as Ashes under the Soles of their Feet and yet no Evil to lay to their Charge but false Surmises and receiving the false Representations of corrupt Men whoâ—â— Hearts have gainsaid any Appearance of Good that ever appeared if it crossed their ignorant corrupt Minds What hath this People come to harm thee O Nation that thou makest them thy Butt to shoot at and they are become the Object of your Scorn and Derision What have they plotted or contrived Rebellion Have they gone out upon their Enemies and sought Vengeance against them as every Party hath done else besides Except it 's become a Crime to speak the Truth and bear Witness against the Hypocrisie and Deceit of Treacherâ—us Men and to lay their Iniquities before them that they may see and be ashamed and turn from their Evil which hath provoaked the Lord to Anger and because of their Rejection of God's Counsel they cannot be established And for the Sake of this Remnant he will confound and overthrow on the right Hand and on the left all that rise up against them though they should never open their Mouthes as to plead their Innocency yet the Lord will and condemn them that rise up against them and plead the Cry of the Oppressed that cry unto him Day and Night which the Lord hath heard and considered and is come down and hath begun his Work though man doth not see it and hath poured forth a Spirit of Confusion upon them who have Ill-will to the Lambs of Christ's Fold and who shall act any Thing further as to think to root out the Heritage of God their Counsel shall be turned backward and their Enterprize cursed for God he hath determined to lay the Top-Stone with Shouting and that which he is building he will finish and of a Truth this is the Family which he hath chosen which his Love is unto
insomuch that many Papists abhor the very Name and Mention of it and to the Death withstand the bringing in of this Slavery amongst them the Extremity and Rigor of this Inquisition until the year· 1609. In Philip the third King of Spain's Time notwithstanding though the Moors did make a Shew of the Papists Religion because of the Inquisition yet eleven hundred thousand of them were forced to quit the Country it was so dreadful And all these kind of Ordinances and Institutions before-mentioned compare them with the Scriptures and the Cruelty and Severity which hath been exercised towards them who could not receive them none who have their Eyes open in any Measure but must needs conclude that all this is in the Apostacy and so all who profess Reformation flee from these things and from this Spirit and from this Church who forces and kills all them that oppose who are under his Power and why should any plead for the holding up of those Practices as good and warrantable whereas so many have been killed about them and so many have been led from the Life and Power of Godliness while they received and practised these humane Inventions and vain and customary Traditions for the Doctrine of Christ and for Apostolick Ordinances and must it not needs be concluded them who would tye People up and bind Men to observe such and such things as are mentioned before in this Book and persecute for not observing that they are they who draw back to Perdition and keep People from laying hold upon eternal Life Many more vain Practices and Doctrines which have been brought in since the Apostles Dayes might be mentioned but in that which is said already the understanding will see that there hath been a great Apostacy both in Life Doctrine and Practice from the Apostles Time downward until now and that which is called the Catholick Church in Rome is in it and likewise divers of them who are separated from her stick too much in these Things because of the Custom Tradition and Antiquity of them In part I have shewn their Antiquity and their Rise and also shewn that which is more ancient then they from which they have swerved to the Intent that all may come out of Babylon and drink no more of the Cup nor buy no more of the Merchandize nor wear no more the Harlots Cognizance nor the false Churches Attire but that all may come to see before this Heap of dark Confusion and beyond the vain Obervations which have been introduced which make no Man through the Observation thereof more acceptable unto God but rather two-fold more like Children of the wicked one who abode not in the Truth CHAP. XIV Something further of the Decrees and Ordinances of the Church of Rome which are holden out for Apostolical Ordinances POpe Paul about the Year 757. condemned the Council at Constantinople for condemning worshipping of Images he wrote a Book of the worshipping and Utility of Images calling them the Lay-mens Calender Pope Adrian about the Year 770. cloathed the Image of St. Peter with Silver and covered the Altar of St. Paul with a pall of Gold and condemned them for Hereticks who kept Peter and Paul's Doctrine which declared against Idols Pope Nicholas about the Year 858. enlarged the Popes Decrees equalling them to the Writings of the Apostles he decreed that Service should be said in Latine And although by the Emperor the Pope was first elected yet now having got Head did climb up so high in Power and Pride and Arrogancy endeavoured that no Emperor should be crown'd without his Leave in Germany And Pope Clement the fifth excommunicated Andronicus Peleogus Emperor of Constantinople as an Heretick because he would not suffer the Greek Church to appeal to Rome And when any Kings or Princes had displeased him he hath excommunicated them and given away their Kingdoms to some other teaching their People to rebel and also instigating other Princes to make War against them and to kill one another for trifles and if any displeased him he caused many Kings to do Penance and to pay great Sums of Money to get an absolution from Excommunication and the Rule and Power of the Empire which gave him first his being to be Universal Bishop and to be called Pope he hath raised War often against and if he like not the Election of the Emperour he hath deposed them and one he brought into such Subjection that he caused him to hold his Sirrop a thing that the Emperour was not accustomed with he happened to hold it on the wrong side for which he received a sharp Reproof by his holiness Likewise some difference being between Pope Innocent the fourth in the Year 1250. and the Emperour Frederick the second the Pope would not be Reconciled though the King of France strongly interceeded and offered full satisfaction for all pretended Wrongs would go out of his Empire if the Pope could not endure him there never to return into Europe again so as that his Son with the Popes Approbation might but Succeed him in the Empire which the Pope would not do And how England and divers Nations have been troubled with his Oppression is well known and what exactions and great sums of Money â—here have been enhausted and squeezed out of his Dominions where he 〈◊〉 Power the Nations well remember to maintain the Pride of his Court at Rome which abounded with all manner of Vitiousness insomuch that it was grown to that height that Vincentius Clement the Popeâ— Legate said it was now too late and past reforming But to take the Legate's own words as follow against his Master the Pope and his Court W. H. in his Book called a Description of England in the 136 page saith thus that this Vincentius Clement in the year 1452. being Legate for the Pope was here in England about the Pope's business and hearing that the Clergy had given the King two tenths for the repaying â—f his losses which he had sustained in France and for the recovering of Bourdeaux this Legate Vincentius coming into the Convocation House he earnestly required the Clergy to be no less favourable to their Spiritual Father the Pope and their Mother the See of Rome then they had been to his vassal and inferiour meaning the King and in his Speech in the Convocation he shewed them how that his Holiness the Pope was much disturbed and daily in danger of his Life by Cut-throats Varlots and Harlots which did much abound as he said in Rome but the Clergy in the Convocation slighted his Speech and said how should we contribute towards the Suppression of such whereas he and such as you continually uphold them I grant saith the Legate that there wanteth just Reformation of many Things in the City of Rome which should have been made sooner but now is it too late and past reforming never the less I beseech you send the Legate to write unto his holiness the Pope to request him that