yet be expresly prohibited to pray for the Queens conversion in particular to whom we have so neere relation the want of whose conversion hath brought so many mischiefs wars on our Church and Kingdomes Certainly this was an Act of the greatest impiety that ever was committed by any christian Prelat if he really beleeved the Queen to live in a false Religion and may justly brand him for an Atheist being diametrally contrary to Gods precept 1 Tim. 3. 1 2. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made FOR ALL MEN for Kings and ALL THAT ARE IN AVTHORITY that we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty Therefore he must needs beleeve her popish Religion to be the true ours the false else he would have encouraged rather then prohibited Ministers to pray for her conversion unto us and our Religion whom it seems by this inhibition he would have converted to her and hers Thirdly this inhibition manifests at the least that the Archbishop was a very cordiall friend servant not onely to her Majesties person but her popish Religion too that he desired her un-interrupted continuance in it without the least opposition not onely by way of dispute but prayers too Fourthly this publike prohibition in his own Metropoliticall visitation was of it self a great encouragement to a strong confirmation of her Majesty and all the popish party in their false Religion giving them great advantages to seduce others to it as the true because this Injunction intimated it to be the true Religion wherein they might safely persevere But did this Prelate stop here only openly to inhibit men thus to pray for her Majesties conversion No verily for both before and after this he imprisoned questioned and censured some in the High Commission for such prayers Master Bernard as we proved formerly was questioned censured in the High Commission as a grand offender for such a Prayer Master Hugh Peter was apprehended by a Pursevant imprisoned for a time in the New-prison silenced here from his Ministry and forced into Holland by the Arch-bishop onely for praying at Sepulchers Church for the Queen in these words That as shee came into a Goshen of safety so the light of Goshen might shine into her soule that shee might not perish in the day of Christ as himselfe and sundry others will depose But we shall insist onely on two other instances in the High Commission The first is one Master William Jones a Gloucestershire Minister who as Master Prynne attested upon oath was brought into the High Commission Anno 1636. and there prosecuted by the Arch-bishops meanes for not reading the Booke of Sports and for praying thus for the Queen in his Pulpit to God To shew unto the Queene the light of Goshen and to bring her to his true worship What worship said the Arch-bishop to him as if her popish worship were Gods true worship Nor did he onely persecute and trouble Ministers thus for praying for the Queens illumination and conversion to Gods true worship but likewise for praying to God to keep the Prince from the infection of popery witnesse the case of one Master John How Minister of Loughborough in the County of Leicester who on the sixth day of November 1634. as was proved by the Register book of the High Commission Court there produced and read was censured in that Court where the Archbishop was chiefe Judge and Dominus fac totum attached committed during his Majesties pleasure suspended from the execution of his Ministry and every part thereof fined five hundred pounds to the Kings use ordered to make a submission to the Court and condemned in expences and costs of suit onely for praying but once in the Pulpit That the young Prince might not be brought up in Popery whereof there was great cause to feare for that as was alleaged these words did much derogate from his Majesties known approved Religious care in maintaining propagating the true Religion here established professed within this Realme and caused a causelesse jealousie of the education of the young Prince his Sonne in the popish Religion When as he onely intended it of the danger of his education in respect of the Queen his Mother and those many seducing Priests Papists then about her who by many policies devices endeavoured as much in them lay to draw him to and educate him in the popish Religion it being provided by the sixteenth Article of the Kings marriage with France That the children which shall by reason of the said marriage be borne and live shall be nurst and brought up NEER THE SAID LADY AND QUEEN from the time of their birth untill they come to the age OF FOURTEEN YEERS In respect whereof there was great cause to feare the Princes infection by and seducement unto Popery without Gods extraordinary mercy and therefore great need of our frequent prayers to prevent it His rigorous proceedings therefore against these Ministers on the one hand for praying for the Queens illumination with and conversion to our Religion and his severe censuring them on the other hand for praying That the young Prince might not be brought up in Popery compared with his intimacy favour with the Queen his redinesse to serve her Majesty upon all speciall services and commands are a most pregnant evidence not onely of his conusance of but powerfull concurring assistance in promoting this grand dangerous designe of introducing Popery and reconciling us to the Church of Rome And that which may further satisfie your Lordships and the world herein is his extraordinary dignifying of Queen Maries his depressing King Edward the sixth his Reigne in his very Preface to the new Statutes compiled by him for the Vniversity of Oxford the Originall whereof was produced and this clause read out of it Edwardo sexto ad clavem sedente novo sundatum est molimine c. Prascribente Rege lenocinante NOVITATE primo visum opus admitti c. Paulo post potiente rerum Maria sub Cardinalis Poli auspicijs idem recruduit labor Novae exindè data leges sed pari cum prioribus angustiâ Interim tamen inter incerta vacillans Statuta viguit Academia colebantur studia enituit Disciplina OPTANDA TEMPORUM FAELICITATE Tabularum defectum resarcivit innatus Candor quicquid legibus deerat Moribus suppletum est Decurrente temporum serie vitijs legibus pariter laboratum est In which passage he brands King Edwards dayes of Reformation with Flattering Novelty applauds Queen Maries under the government of Cardinall Pool as those wherein the University of Oxford did most eminently flourish in learning Discicipline manners and magnifies the desirable felicity of those times under another Qu. Mary of the same Religion depressing Queen Elizabeths reign and her successors as more abounding with vice and more defective of good laws and government in our Oxford University at least then Queene Maries This
engaging the King in a bloody warre against the Scots and working him to their party and in case they could not doe it then to give him a poysoned sigge as his Father was poysoned and seize upon the Prince whom they would educate in the Romish Religion This Plot was discovered meerly out of remorse of conscionce by one who was a chiefe actor in it sent from Rome to assist Con the Popes Lagat in his Negotiations in England to one Andreas ab Habernfield Physitian to the Queen of Bohemia who disclosed it to Sir William Boswell the Kings leager at the Hague who from thence by sundry Letters revealed it to this Arch-bishop in whose chamber at the Tower the whole plot and originall Letters concerning it were seized on by Master Prynne who attested and produced them at the Barre and published them at large to the world by order of Parliament in Romes Master-piece where the principall Agents in this plot and their proceedings therein are particularly related many of them as Secr Windebank the Earle and Countesse of Arundell Mr. Porter of the Bed-chamber and Sir Toby Matthew being the Arch-bishops intimate friends and familiars Of this Plot the Arch-bishop took such speciall notice that he acquainted the King himselfe with it as appeares by his owne Letter to the King and his Majesties Answer to it with his owne royall hand to it in the margin sent from York to Lambeth Yet for all this he was so far from crossing this their Jesuiticall designe that he confederated and joyned with the Jesuits and popish party in fomenting maintaining the war against the Scots and revived it when it was ceased by perswading the King to break the first pacification and denounce a second war against them The third particular we shall produce to prove an endeavour of the Pope and Cardinall Barbarino at Rome to reconcile reduce us back to them and that this Arch-bishop had notice of it is a Letter found in his Study attested by Master Prynne written to him by one Master John Greaves from Ligonne March 3. 1639. indorsed with his owne hand thus Rece Mar. 27. 1640. Fastidius printed at Rome Wherein Master Greaves hath this clause I humbly beseech your Grace to pardon my presumptions and this other Information which I shall give your Grace They have printed at Rome a Book of Fastidius a Britaine Bishop De Vitâ Christianâ WHICH THE CARDINALL FRANCISCO BARBARINO INTENDS TO DEDICATE TO HIS SACRED MAJESTY a Book of singulan devotion and piety and of great Antiquity the Author being a Bishop in England about three hundred yeers after our Saviour Lucas Holstenius a very learned man hath the care oft the Edition but hath not I thinke as yet finished the Annotations upon it For the Text he and I compared the Manuscript which was also very ancient with the printed Copy and I find it exactly to agree Now what other meaning could there be for this Cardinall to print this book at Rome to dedicate it publikely to our King and to use Master Greaves himselfe in comparing the printed Copy with the Manuscript but to insinuate himself into the Kings affections thereby to reduce both him and his Dominions unto the bosome of the Church of Rome which the forementioned discovery of this and the Jesuits Plot by Andreas ab Habernfield more largely demonstrates this Cardinall sending over sundry Statues Pictures Antiquities and other vanities from Rome to his Majesty to incline him to the Roman party as we have elsewhere manifested The fourth particular Evidence we shall insist on which addes luster and vigor to all the former is the Book intituled Deus Natura Gratia Vbi ad trutinam Fidei Catholicae examinatur Confessio Anglicana ad singula puncta quid teneat qualiter differat execuitur Accessit Paraphrastica Exposit to reliquorum Articulorum Confessionis Anglicae per Fr. Franciscum â Sancta Clara olim apud Duacenses in Collegio B. Bon aventurae Provinciae ANGLIAE F. F Minorum S. Theolog. Lectorem primarium Printed Lugduni 1634. Cum Privilegio Regis approbatione Doctorum This Book was dedicated to our King Charles with a Dedicatory Epistle to seduce his Majesty in his Religion and induce him to establish the Romish Religion amongst us by his Royall authority as this close of the Epistle manifests Periculosum nobis admodum atquè etiam miserabile est tot nunc fides existere quot voluntates c. Contremiscunt ossa mea dum hoc recogito Morbus ubi spiritus vitales opprimuntur nempè ut fides radix vitae corrumpitur difficilime sanatur Hic morbus noster Remedium tamen illud efficax à Samaritano nostro designatum reperimus nec aliud nisi illud DIC ECCLESIAE Dico Ecclesiae definitiones Majestati Vestrae propono Sanctorum Patrum Venerabilium Doctorum expositiones Novorum ineptijs praepono quas dum modestè retego in Christo â—ego saniem non-scalpendo sed suavitèr lambendo lavo ut abluam SACRO VESTRO IMPERIO OPUS QUIPPE UT EXECUTIONI MANDETUR quod ab Ecclesia Sanctis Patribus sancitum est secundum illud Justiniani Constit 42. Haec decrevimus Sanctorum Patrum canones secuti HOC TUA MAJESTATE DIGNUM hoc dignitati causae consonum HOC SALUTI ANIMARUM PRORSUS NECESSARIUM ET OMNIS POPULUS DICET AMEN Sacrae suae Majestatis Devotissimus Subditus Fr. Fran. â S. Clara. The scope of the whole Book in the composing and publishing was to reconcile reduce both our King Church and the Articles of our Religion which iâ— coments upon to the Church of Rome This we shall evidence First by the Authors owne expresse confession pag. 338. Instudui ut vides pie Lector RECONCILIARE Articulos Confessionis Anglicae DETERMINATION IBUS ECCLESIAE CATHOLICAE NON ECCLESIAM IPSIS ex quâ collapsi sunt SED IPSOS ECCLESIAE in qua Dei opitulante Gratia salvandi sunt DUCENDOS CENSUI Corticem verborum subinde censurâ graviori dignum censebis sensum ocrò latitantem quem elicui non adeò veritati dissonum nisi alio detorquere malint recte judicabis his tamen verborum Novitatibus Christum lacerum inspexi tunicam inconsuâ—ilem dissutam dissectam reperi quis non condoleret quis non REDINTEGRATIONEM SUADERET omnibus modis si posset PERSUADERET HIC UNICUS SCOPUS MEUS c. Omnia Ecclesiae ejus sub Christo capiti the Pope quâ del eo reverentiâ submitto Vltro obtestor Deum Sanctos ejus me in hoc qualicunque Opello nostro animarum salutem PER FIDEI REDINTIGRATIONEM intendere Quod Deus per viscera Domini Nostri Jesu Christi ad intercessionem omnium beatorum opportunè efficiat ET SERENISSIMUM REGEM NOSTRUM PRO OMNIUM CATHOLICORUM VOTIS AD UTRAMQUE FAELICITATEM PERDVCAT Secondly by the censures and judgements of the Doctors and Divines who are twelve in number prefixed by way of
Prince and Bishop of Conchen when in Spaine the Articles of the Duke of Buckingham against the Lord Digby and the Lord Digbies against him in full Parliament Anno 1626. To which they Object I was privy because I was Confessor to the Duke and his Cabinet Counsell at that time and because my Letter to Bishop Hall my owne Diary and Letters to and from the Duke whiles in Spaine with the Note in my Masse Booke discover and confirme it Secondly by the French Match with the Queen promoted purposely to usher in Popery and to reconcile us unto Rome to which they Object I was privy and assistant as my Letters to the Duke my intimacy and compliance with the Queen my inhibitng Ministers to pray and punishing them for praying for the Queens conversion my censuring of Master How for praying That the young Prince might not be brought up in Popery with my magnifying of Queen Maries dayes and depressing King Edwards and Queen Elizabeths demonstrate Secondly by sundry particular instances as First Ludovicus a Sancta Maria his Conclusiones Theologicae Secondly the Plot discovered to me by Haberufield Thirdly the Dedicating of Fastidius his Works to the King by Cardinall Barbarino Fourthly Sancta Clara his Deus Natura Gratia writ of purpose to reconcile us to Rome with which I was acquainted and maintained the Author of it Saint Giles a most dangerous seducing Priest in the University of Oxford Fifthly the proffers of Cardinalships to English men and twice to my selfe Sixthly the strange encrease and proceedings of Papists Priests Jesuits and the Popish Hierarchy in Ireland to which I was privy yet denied it and incensed the King against the Commons for complaining of it Seventhly the Popes sending of divers Nuncioes successively into England where they resided and were publickly entertained with our reciprocall sending and maintaining Agents at Rome to work a Reducement of us back to that Antichristian See To this I answer First that I was neither the Author nor Fomenter of the Spanish Match nor of the Kings Voyage into Spaine which was charged on the Duke and the Lord Dighy It is true my Lord Duke was pleased to enter into a neer familiarity with me and to make me his Confessor and that I writ Letters to him into Spaine and received Letters from him thence but this proves not that I was privy to that Plot as for the Popes Letters to the Prince and the Bishop of Conchen in Spaine to pervert him in his Religion they are nothing to me and my Letter to Bishop Hall was many yeers after that Match broken off Secondly there is no proofe of my furthering the Match with France or that the end of it was to reduce us back to Rome the respects and services I did for the Queen were no more then in civility and duty I ought to performe out of the duty I bare to the King my Master whose Consort and Wife she is her gracious favour towards me proceeded only from her owne gracious disposition not from my deserts or seeking and I had no reason to reject it because it would be a meanes for me to work the more effectually upon her Majesty For my giving Order in my Metropolitical Visitation to my Visitor to inhibit Ministers to pray for the Queens conversion or questioning any for praying for it I absolutely deny it and for Master How he was justly censured for his prayer it being scandalous to his Majesty in questioning his care of the Princes education in the true Religion and infusing jealousies into the peoples heads of his education in Popery and inclination to it As for my pretended magnifying of Queene Maries dayes and depressing of King Edwards and Queene Elizabeths in the Preface to the OXFORD STATUTES I answer that that Preface is none of mine nor proved to be so and if it were yet the words relate to the State and Statutes of the Vniversity of Oxford only in their dayes not of our Church and Religion Secondly to the particular Instances I answer that the first second and third of them concerne not me I was neither the cause nor author of nor privy to them nor could I hinder them and the second of them is a strong evidence for me For the fourth of them Sancta Clara his Book it was printed at Lyons not at London and Saint Giles was not the Author of it but another Fryar I had no hand in it nor was privy to it yet it was disliked by many of the Papists because it gave much advantage to our Church and Religion For his being at Oxford it was much against my will by the Kings speciall Warrant for which I have his hand and I maintained him not there but the King To the fifth the proffer of Cardinals Caps to others is nothing to me and for the offer of a Cardinalship to my selfe two severall times as I could not hinder the offers so I rejected them and acquainted the King both with the person and thing which is all I could doe expressing the cause of my refusall thereof to be That something dwelt within me that would not suffer that till Rome were other then it is as appeares by my owne Diary The strongest Evidence that can be to acquit me from any compliancy with Rome To the sixth I answer that the encrease and proceedings of the Papists in Ireland mentioned in the Objected Letters and Papers are nothing to me I was not the cause nor author thereof the Monasteries and Nuâ—meries mentioned in them were but poor little houses My answer to the CoÌ„mons Remonstrance was penned by the Kings speciall command as appears by the endorsment I knew not of these Irish papers nor of the encrease of popery there wheÌ„ I returned an answer to the Remonstr An. 1628. these Proclamations letters papers being dated since that time for the Deputies letters they are nothing to me I could not hinder the writing and directing of them to me and himselfe hath already been impeached condemned for his Actions for which I am not to answer To the seventh I say it was not in my power to hinder the Popes sending his Nuncioes hither which the King condiscended to upon the Queens earnest desire to accommodate and satisfie her Majesty in some things which concerned her in her Religion For the Agents sent and residing in Rome they were hers not mine sent thither by her Majesty without my privity and against my liking To this was replied First that the forementioned Evidence fully demonstrats that the Archbishop was both privy consenting assisting to the Spanish Match Voyage and to the very Instructions given to the Prince before he went into Spaine how he ought to satisfie the Pope about King James his proving him to be the Antichrist in his publique writings therefore the Popes Letter to the Prince and Bishop of Conehen to pervert the Prince in his Religion with the Dukes and Lord Digbies attempts there to
seduce him to popery and reconcile our Churches and Kingdomes to Rome by this meanes contained in their mutuall Articles of Impeachment the Copies of which Letters and Articles were found in his owne Study by Master Prynne must needs concerne him since he could not be ignorant that the Pope and his Instruments would use their utmost diligence to seduce the Prince to their Religion when they had him thus sent and betrayed into their power for that very purpose and his Letter to Bishop Hall though written but of late long after that intended Match yet fully relates his privity to the most secret Instructions before it to gratifie and please the very Pope himselfe and prevent his Objections against the Match or King James For the French Match the Evidence proves he was both privy consenting and assisting to it even after he knew the danger of it in point of Religion both to the King and Kingdome by the proceedings and Articles in the Spanish Treaty being both the very same in substance whereas his intimacy power with the King Duke and quality of his place as he was a Bishop yea Confessor to one or both of them should have engaged him had he been a reall Protestant to have used his utmost endeavours to disswade the King and Duke from both these Popish Matches as most perilous destructive to our Religion the sad effects whereof we now visibly behold in our civill wars and read In Characters written with our owne blood For his intimacy with the Queen it favours of farre more then civility or duty and her extaordinary favours to him proceeded from no other cause but his compliance with her Majesty to introduce popery and reduce us back to Rome as appeares by his proceedings against Master Gellibrand in the High Commission for his Almanack wherin the popish Saints were expunged and our Martyrs inserted at her Majesties request by his prohibiting Ministers to pray and censuring them for praying for her conversion to our Religion which we have punctually proved and of Master Howe for praying to God to preserve the young Prince from being brought up in Popery of which there was great feare a harmlesse yea necessary prayer both in respect of the Queen Mother then too neer him and the Queen who by the Articles of the Match was to have a great hand in his Education till he was fourteen yeers of age as also in regard of the Popes Nuncioes the seducing Jesuits Priests and Capucines about the Queen Court Him and childrens naturall prouenesse unto errour Which prayers admit they had been an oversight yet proceeding from a godly Christian Zeale deserved onely a private admonition not open prosecution or High Commission censure but his making of them so publickly criminall and censuring those so severely for them of purpose to deterre all others from praying for the Queens conversion or against the Princes perversion is an undeniable argument of his good affection to Popery and attempts to reduce us thereunto For his extolling Queen Maries and depressing King Edwards and Queen Elizabeths dayes the words sufficiently declare it was as well in reference to the Religion then professed as to the Vniversity Statutes and the Preface it selfe is of his owne making as well as the Statutes as we shall more fully manifest in due place by his own letters Secondly to the particular instances the Commons made this reply First that their maine end in producing them was onely to demonstrate that the Pope and his Instruments had a reall Plot and designe to introduce Popery and reduce us back to Rome and that the Archbishop could not but know and take speciall notice thereof by all these particular Letters Papers Books found in his owne Study sent written to himselfe endorsed with his owne hand or recorded in his Diary which should have engaged him with greater vigilancy care animosity to have opposed them and their designes In which regard the three first of them with all the rest most neerly concerned him neither doth nor can he plead ignorance of them Secondly that though all these particulars prove not that he promoted confederated with them in their designes yet some of them directly prove it as his countenancing of Sancta Clara his Books his maintaining of Saint Giles a most dangerous seducing Popish Priest many yeers in the University of Oxford his opposing answering the Commons Remonstrance against the dangerous open encrease and practises of Papists in Ireland to set up Popery there and branding it as a scandalous untruth Thirdly for Habernfields plot we shall prove how it makes against him in due time and for Sancta Clara his Book of Reconciliation we have proved First that he knew of it and had both the Book and Author brought to him by his Favourite Doctor Linsey before it was printed this we have under his owne hand therefore it is monstrous impudency in him to deny it Secondly that this Book when printed was presented to reserved by him in his study and the Author with him there some three or four times afterwards Thirdly that it was printed and publickly sold here in Londō without controll Fourthly that his creatures both abroad and at home much applauded it Fiftly that Saint Giles was the Author of it a popish Priest whom himselfe sent to and maintained in the University of Oxford to pervert and seduce Schollers there That he had the Kings Warrant for it is no excuse and the Warrant being without date written with his owne hand and signed by the King to help at a dead list savours of meer fraud circumvention and will amount to an aggravation but no extenuation of his crime Fourthly the proffer of a Cardinalship twice unto him even at Court so soon as he was nominated Archbishop proves the good opinion that the popish party had of his inclination to their party and Religion his concealing the names of the parties that made him the offer which he will not disclose and his not prosecuting and complaining against them to bring them to publique justice prove that he deemed this proffer no injury nor disparagement if a poor Puritan did but write against Popery or Popish Innovations he presently prosecuted him in the High Commission or Star-chamber where he was sure to be fined imprisoned pillored stigmatized scourged banished but he that seriously tendred him a Cardinals Cap twice one after another escaped scot-free without so much as being once questioned for it As for his informing the King thereof it was not by way of complaint but advice and his answer to the King if true is no absolute rejection of the Dignity but rather an adjournment for the present his ambitious itching desire of being a Pope and Patriarch throughout his Majesties Dominions testified by Sir Henry and Master Anthony Mildmay with Master Challoner making him refuse the present offer not any detestation of Popery or reconciliation with Rome To the sixt was replied that it appeared by the Bishops Protestation in
answer all his Charge together not each dayes Evidence by Peece-meale To which Master Maynard in the behalfe of the Commons answered 1. That if the Archbishops memory were so bad as he pretended it would be far worse for him to charge it with answering many particulars and the whole evidence against him together then to answer every particular Charge each day as it should be given in against him whiles it was fresh in memory 2ly That it might and would be a great inconvenience to have witnesses crosse-examined upon other dayes then those whereon they gave in their testimony against the Prisoner 3ly That the Lords themselves would finde it difficult to passe their judgements upon all the Charge together without hearing his punctuall answer to every particular proof as it should be given in evidence whiles it was fresh in their memories 4ly Because else all the witnesses which were very many must of necessity attend and be kept in Town from the first to the last day of his Tryall which would be a very great Charge and inconvenience 5ly In the Earle of Straffords case this very Parliament he was put to answer every day to the particular Evidence given against him on the same day Upon which reasons the House of Peers ordered that the Archbishop should make his particular Answer to every particular Charge on the same day it was given in against him Then the Archbishop desired that the House of Commons would sever the Articles which were Treason from those other Articles which were matters of crime and Misdemeanour only but not Treason that so he might know which of them were Treason and which not To which Master Maynard answered That this they might not doe because they were now onely to try the matters of fact not Lavv and because all the Articles taken together not each or any particular Article by it self made up the Treason wherewith he was charged to wit his endeavours to subvert and destroy Religion the fundamentall Lawes of the Land and government of the Realme and to bring in Popery and an arbitrary tyrannicall Government against Law After which Master Serjeant Wilde by way of Introduction to the Archbishops charge with abundance of elegancy and zeale related the Heads of his Offences to the House of Peeres in these ensuing straines My LORDS THis great cause of the Archbishop of Canterbury after a long and painefull traâ—aise is now come to the Birth of which it may be truly said as it was in a like case Râ—pertum est hodierno die facinus quod nec Poeta fingere nec Histrio sonare nec Mimus imitare potuerit For if all the oppressions all the pernitious practises and machinations which have beene in each time to ruinate our Religion Lawes and Liberties were lost I thinke here they might bee found and drawne out againe to the life So that your Lordships who have beene the great Assertors of our Liberties and stood so fast to the rules and principles of your Noble Progenitors which others have ignobly deserted may after a long conflict with so many great and marchiesse difficulties say now as a great Commander once did upon an extraordinary danger Tandem par animo meo periculum video Here is a cause proportionable to your selves apt and proper for the justice and power of this honourable Court Had they beene faults of common frailty error or incogitancy which this man hath committed wee should gladly have stepped backe and cast a Cloake over them but being so wilfull so universall so distructive to the Lawes of God and man so comprehensive of all the evills and miseries which now we suffer the sin would lye upon our owne heads if wee should not call for justice which that it hath beene so long uncalled for not deferred or delayed I suppose no man will thinke strange who considers the present distractions the death and dispersion of our witnesses the losse of some of our Members who have beene imployed and taken paines in this businesse the multitude of diversions which we have had and have daily occasioned by the Acts and influences of this Meteor But the truth survives and matter enough survives so copious and so full of variety that if all the particulars should be examined for his three yeares imprisonment which he complaines off there would be three yeares time of tryall and hearing of the heavy charge that lyes against him A charge of High Treason Treason in all and every part Treason in the highest pitch and altitude for what greater Treason can there be then to betray the whole Realme and to subvert the very foundations leaving nothing for posterity but a curse upon him that shall goe about to build again That which of it selfe is so haynous is much more enhanced and aggravated by the quality of the person A Church-man a great Prelate a man in great trust place and Authority in Church and Common-wealth A man indued with so great guifts of nature and so many of grace and favour from His Majesty and for al these to be perverted to a contrary end even to the destruction of the publike and the ruine of the Wombe that bare him how deepe a dye doe these impose upon this foule crime How Church-men in all ages as hath beene often observed should come to be the Archest Seedsmen of mischiefe and principall Actors in all the great distractions and alterations that have hapned is a destinie that may seeme strange But the reason is ex bono Thealogo malus Medicus their intermedling with temporall things and matters hererogeneall to their calling wherein God is pleased to finite them with blindnesse and to infatuate their Councell whereof a perfect patterne wee have in this great Prelate who by abusing his profession and making the businesse of State the customary subject of all his endeavours became the Author of all the illegall and Tyrannicall proceedings in the Starre-Chamber High Commission Court and other Courts of all the Innovations in Doctrine and Discipline of the suppressing of godly Ministers and preaching of the advancing of others who were the promoters of Popery and Arbitrary power and indeed of all the concussions and distractions in Church and State whereby Religion hath beene jusâ—ed out Lawes and Parliaments trodden downe with contempt For matter of Religion surely those times were happy when by the magnanimity of Princes and the wisdome and piety of our Predecessors that Antichristian Yoke of Popery was shaken off And now after so many bloudy Massacres in France such fiery persecutions here in Queene Maries dayes so many treacherous conspiracies in time of Queen Elizabeth that execrable and horrid Powder-Plot in the late time of King James such streames and Rivers of bloud in Germany and Ireland and other parts of the Christian world ever since by those restlesse and cruell fire-brands of all mischiefe for any man now to goe about to rebuild these walls of Iericho and to reduce us to those rotten
c. Fides sine operibus non justificat 1 Cor. 13. 2. Gal. 5. 6. c. Jejunii meritum Jerem. 35. 14. 19. Iejunatur pro mortuis 1 Schem 31. 13. Imagines jussit Deus fieri Exod. 25. 18. Impositio manus in Sacramento ordinis confirmationis Actor 6. 6. Iusti verè in hac vita Luke 1. 6. c. Iustificatio qua quis ex justo fit justior ascribitur boxis operibus Rom. 2. 13. Iustificatio impij non solum fidei ascribitur sed etiam aliquatenus alijs virtutibus vt spei Rom. 8. 23. Penitentiae operibus Jech 18. 21. 22. Math. 3. 2. and Luke 7. c. Liberum arbitrium etiam post lapsum in homine mansit Gen. 4. 7. Librum arbitrium Co-operatur gratiae Dei 1 Schem 7. 3. c. Matrimonium cujus rei sacramentum Eph. 5. 32. c. Confert Gratiam et sanctificationem 1 Thes 4. 4. Operum merita retributio seu merces Psal 119. 112. c. Opera bona Deo grata sunt praemium merentur Gen. 4. 4. 7. c. Operari benè propter mercedem retributionem licitum est Psal 119. 112. Mat. 5. 12. Non in quolibet opere homo peccat 2 Pet. 1. 10. c. Ordinum sacramentum Joha 20. 22. Peccatum sacerdos remittit authoritate Divinâ Math. 18. 18. c. Petrus primus Apostolorum Math. 10. 2. Quadrage simalis Iejunij exemplum Mosche Exod. 24. 18. c. Reliquiae vestes sanctorum quam vim a Deo habeant quidne per eas operatur Deus vt pallium Elijae 2 Reg. 2. 14. Vmbra Christi Mat. 9. 20. Revelationes visiones Jehos 6. 1. Sacrificium Novi Testamenti appellatur Iugis cultus Dan. 11. 31. Celebrabitur donec veniat dominus 1 Cor. 11. 26. Sancti etiam defuncti rectè â nobis laudantur Joh. 12. 26. In sanctis suis Deus laudatur Psal 151. 1. c. Scriptura difficilis intellectu 2 Pet. 3. 16. Nec omnia scriptis Apostoli mandarunt John 20. 30. All these with sundry other Popish Doctrines were conteined in this Index Biblicus bound up with our Protestant Bibles to pervert the Scriptures seduce the Readers and make the very Bible itselfe as much as in them lay the very Patron and Propagator of Popery Now what more desperate project could there be to undermine our established Religion and set up Popery then this to corrupt the very Scriptures themselves by annexing such a pernicious Index to them A crime so transcendently execrable in an Arch-Prelate intrusted with the greatest care of our Religion as no tongue is able to expresse its detestablenesse to the full no punishment great enough to expiate its guilt Wee have represented you with an Epitome of the severall Popish Doctrines printed and authorized of late yeares in our Church by the Archbishop himself his Chaplaines and Instruments and could have furnished you with infinite others of this kinde but because Master Bayly in his Canterburians selfe-conviction the last Edition hath collected and published most of them already to the world where the studious may praise them at their leisure and we desire rather to satisfie then surfet or tyre out the Reader with instances of this nature we shall passe them by in silence onely with this knowne experimentall observation That all kindes of Popish Arminian Doctrines were ever more bold and frequent in our Pulpits throughout the Realme then in our Presses especially in our Vniversities and the Kings owne Chappell a truth so universally knowne to all so plentifully manifested to the world in Mr. Whites first Century of scandalous and malignant Priests that to prove it by witnesses or Inductions of particulars would be to light a Candle to the sunne and wast much precious time in proving that which no impartiall intelligent man so much as doubts of but knowes most true of his owne wofull experience Fourthly having given you this large account of what popish doctrines and positions both himselfe his Chaplaines Agents printed authorized to corrupt the peoples judgement we shall next present you with a large English Index Expurgatorius of what passages he and they expunged out of sundry English Writers tendered them to license before they could passe the Presse which will most clearly discover his and their Jesuiticall practises confederacies and designes to introduce the whole body of Popery among us with little or no opposition We shall begin with purgations of this nature made by the Bishop himselfe some of them before he had any publike authority to license Books but most of them after he usurped this power all of them so remarkable that all Protestant Churches Readers will stand amazed at them The first we shall instance in is his purgations made in Doctor Sibthorps Sermon preached at Northampton Assizes before the Judges in the yeere 1627. intituled Apostolicall Obedience the whole scope of this Sermon was to justifie The lawfulnesse of the generall Loane then set on foot by the Kings ill Councellours to keep off Parliaments and of the Kings imposing publike Taxes by his owne regall power without consent in Parliament and to prove that the people in poynt of conscience and religion ought cheerfully to submit to such Loanes and Taxes without any opposition To sweeten this sower theame the Doctor had cunningly inserted some popular passages into this Sermon against evill Counsellours the toleration of Papists Popery and the prophanation of the Sabbath which this Bishop who procured this Sermon of his to be printed expunged with his owne hand as was evidenced by the Originall written Copy found in his Study produced at the Lords Barre and attested by Master Prynne The first passage he expunged was this When not onely the Emperour extirpates the Protestants in Bohemia where he profest it and Baveir in the Palatinate where he hath a pretext of revenge for it or the Spaniard and Arch-dutchesse in their Dominions where the Jesuits make it a case of Conscience but even the King of France not onely at Rochel and Mountabon but also in other his confines and when the Pope unites all these in a holy League what may we expect will become of Brittaine if like that wise King in the Gospell ours sends not out whilest the enemies are yet a farre off you know how speedily this Iland hath been overrunne with but a few being once entred and our Ilands are not now better fortified The next was this He that Disturbs the State and drawes the Prince to ill is to undergoe what he intended to others as Haman and his complices for their plot against the Jewes Ester 7 8 9. chapters He that under pretence of honour to the King is an enemy to Religion should suffer for a Seducer as those betrayers of the Prophet Dan. 6. 4. to 25. It is probable that this Bishop being then newly made a Privy-Counsellour and putting the King upon pernicious and illegall projects to the disturbance of the State
Majesties warrant to each of them so that herein I averre I did not offend unlesse that I gave not these men notice of it or asked them leave to obey the King To which it was answered First that the Arch-bishop confeseth clearly in his Speech and publisheth it to all the world in print That he made the alterations in this prayer which neither of his Predecessors Bancroft or Abbot durst once to think of or attempt Secondly That he esteemed Master Burtons and Master Prynnes dislike of him for making these alterations in extentation of the horrid Gunpowder-plot and favour of trairerous Jesuits Priests Romanists and the popish Religion a most transcendent crime worthy the severest bloodiest censure that ever was inflicted on any person in the Star-chamber as appeared by their herbarous Sentence there for which he heartily thanked the Lords in the close of his speech whereas his offence was certainly ten thousand times greater in making these alterations then theirs in charging him with them when himselfe confesseth and just fieth them or disliking them when made for such sinister popish ends Thirdly that his reasons to justifie these alterations to be fit and necessary were very absurd discovering the rottennesle of his heart with his extraordinary affection to popery and Papists His first reason that it was fit and necessary to make these Alterations to avoyd scandall and offence to Papists in calling their religion Rebellion c. was very unreasonable and absurd For since this clause had continued un-altered un-excepted against neer thirty yeers space together and was never deemed scandalous by K. James K. Charle's our subsequent Parliaments or Church which approved and confirmed it no solid reason can be given why it should grow unseasonable or scandalous only now so an as to call for a necessary alteration but that the Arch bishop and his confederates had now a new resolved plot to reconcile us to Rome and her Religion which former ages never had to which designethis clause might happily prove seandalous and obstructive Besides he could not but conclude the alteration of it after so many yeers continuance of purpose to gratifie Papists priests and Jesuits the sole contrivers of that marchlesse excerable Gunpowder-plot would give extraordinary seandall offence to all the whole Church State and cordiall protestants of Engl. and lay a secret tax if not a publike censure on them and on K. James for injuring the papists and their Religion even in these publike prayers neer thirty yeers spice together yet this zealous Romish Agent would rather scandalize censure injure our whole Church State parliaments King Iames with all true-hearted English protestants then give the lest scandall to the papists or suffer this just imputatation of Rehellion to continue upon their religion Moreover the whole parliament of 3. Iacobs in the Oath of Alleagiance then enjoyned with all our parliaments prelats Peers who since have approved it The second part of our authorized Homilies for Whit-sunday with our Homilies against wilful rebellion Bishop B â—â—on in his True difference between Christian Subjection and unchristian Rebellion Bishop Iewel in his Defence of the Apology of the Church of England part 4. p. 439. to 470. Doctor Iohn White in his Sermon at Pauls-Crosse and in his Defence of the Way ch 6. 11. Doctor Crakenthorp's Treatise of the Popes temporall Monarchy Deus Rex Haddon contra Osorium and generally all our Writers against the Popes supremacy at home and in the reformed Churches abroad resolve unanimously in their writings the Romanists Religion and Faith in the poynts of deposing excommunicating murthering Christian Princes Kings Emperours of absolving subjects from their alleagiance arming them against their Soveraigns by the Popes authority and command for not submitting to his tyrannicall or Antichristian Edicts it is meere Rebellion and Faction For this Arch-prelate then thus publikely to averre it a scandalous imputation to them and their religion and upon this ground to make these alterations in this prayer and not in all those Statutes Homilies Authors too is a most false absurd scandalous suggestion and in truth a meer evasion to colour his affection to papists their Antichristian Religion His second reason that it wil be of dangerous conquence sadly to avow that the Papists Religion is Rebelion because it is Christian religion and the same with ours is both fals fallacious for popish religion as popish is not Christian but Antichristian and though papists hold many points of Christian Religion as they are Christians yet not one point of it as Papists popery truly so called being no part of Christian Religion but deviations from or paradoxes against it Yea himselfe confessing That some opinions of theirs teach rebelion That 's apparently true which opinions of theirs are that part of their Religion which this prayer cals Rebellion refutes his owne Objection His third reason that if you make their religion to be rebelion then you make their religion and rebelion to be all one and that is against the ground both of State and Law c. which never put any man to death for Religion but for Treason and Rebellion onely is a meere childish fallacy For their Religion is not any actuall treason or rebellion for which only they suffered death but doctrinall and habituall rebelion prone to produce actuall rebellions and the mother of them in which sense onely this prayer stiles it Rebellion yet such for which no Romanist ever dyed unlesse he reduced it into some treasonable and rebellious action and then he suffered onely for the act not the Religion or opinion which induced him thereunto he might well then have spared these three irrationall reasons for this Alteration with this assertion of his p. 39. I took it my duty to lay it before you that the King had not onely Power but Reason to command it which onely aggravate not extenuate or justifie his fact his justification then rests solely upon the Kings command and warrant but this will not excuse his guilt For we have nothing but his own bare word in his own case to which no faith can be given having so often bin taken tardy in this kind to prove first that himselfe did not move the King to command these alterations to be made which is more than probable by his aleaging the reasons whereupon they were made and his activity in other changes of this nature Secondly that himself did not procure the Warrant for these Alterations after they were made and printed being written with his own hand and having no witnesse but himself to prove the date as he hath done in other cases Thirdly admit the command and warrant proceeded originally from the King himselfe not him yet he being by his place and office principally entrusted with the care honour safety of our Religion and Church so much concerned in these alterations it had been his duty to have disobeyed this command and disswaded his Majesty from such a
the word of Christ one example we have in this verse Bellarmine saith c. page 57. Ob. 3. Christ saith unto me is given all power therefore Antichrists imp Pererius saith the Pope hath power over Infidels And a little after Answ 2. all power is given to Christ therefore to the Pope is a blasphemous and Antichristian consequence displaying the Pope to his colours to be the Where in making himselfe or suffering himselfe to be made equall with Christ is obliterated Would not any Protestant admire such passages as these should be expurged to gratifie the Pope The Articles of Religion agreed upon by the Arch-bishops and Bishops and the rest of the Clergy of Ireland in Convocation holden at Dublin in the yeere of our Lord 1615. for the avoyding of diversities of opinions and the establishing of consent touching true Religion reprinted at London 1629. Artic. 78. 80. determined thus against the Pope THE power which the Bishop of Rome now challengeth to be the supreame head of the Universall Church of Christ and to be above all Emperours Kings and Princes is an usurped power contrary to the Scriptures and Word of God and contrary to the example of the Primitive Church and therefore is for just causes taken away and abolished within the Kings Majesties Realmes and Dominions The Bishop of Rome is so farre from being the Supreame Head of the Universall Church of Christ that his works and doctrine doe plainly discover him to be that Man of sin foretold in the holy Scriptures whom the Lord skall consume with the spirit of his mouth and abolish with the brightnesse of his comming These Articles were so displeasing to the Arch-bishop together with some others against Arminians that in the yeere 1634. this whole book of Articles was revoked suppressed by Parliament in Ireland through his procurement then which strange act there could not be a more apparent undermining of the Protestant Religion In the yeer 1634. there were at the speciall request of the Queen of Bohemia Letters Patents granted to Master Rulie a Palatinate Minister for a collection throughout 〈…〉 of the poore Ministers of the Palatinate in which Patent there was this notable â— clause inserted relating to their Religion and sufferings Whose cases are the more to be deplored for that this extremity is fallen 〈◊〉 them for their 〈…〉 constancy to the true Religion which we together with them doe professe and 〈◊〉 we are all bound in conscience to maintaine to the utmost of our powers whereas these relations and godly persons being involved amongst many others their couâ—trymen in 〈◊〉 common calamity might have enjoyed their estates and fortunes if with other back-sliders in the times of tryall they would have submitted themselves to the ANTICHRISTIAN YOKE and have renounced or dissembled the profession of the true Religion The very same formall words were used in former Patents of collections for them in King James his Reign and in the Patent dated the 29. of Jan. in the third yeere of King Charles his Reign by which this Patent was drawn The Arch-bishop perusing this Patent brought to him by Master Rulie after it had passed the Seale grew extreamly cholerick at it rated Master Ruly who pleaded ignorance of the customes of England and that the Patent was drawne by the Kings Atturney according to former presidents without any directions from himselfe who was a meer stranger chid him very sharply threatned to suppresse the whole collection detained the Patent under seale and carrying it the next day to the Court complained of it to the King checked the Lord Keeper and Secretary Cooke for letting such a clause passe in the Patent who justified themselves by former presidents by which they were guided and by his violence wholly cancelled the Patent after it was sealed then caused a new Patent to be drawne wherein this former clause was omitted the King telling the Lord Keeper that the Arch-bishop would have it altered and therefore it must be done which thereupon was done occordingly Now the cause of all this stirre and anger of his Grace-ship against this clause was onely because it stiled those of the Palatinate professors of the true Religion c. and tacitely censured the Pope as Antichrist in this latter clause Where as these religious and godly persons might have enjoyed their estates and fortunes if with other back-sliders in the times of tryall they would have submitted themselves to the Antichristian Yoke and renounced or dissembled the profession of the true Religion As was punctually attested upon oath by Master Wakerly and Master Hartlib Of which more fully hereafter Now that all the forementioned purgations of passages against the Pope and his being Antichrist proceeded originally from the Archbi himselfe without any other motive but his own inherent affection to his Holinesse and the Roman party we shall most apparently evidence to all the world by a Letter of his to Dr. Hall the Bishop of Exeter signed with his owne hand and Bishop Hal's answer thereunto the Originals of which Letters Master Prynne seized in his Study at Lambeth and attested at the Lords Barre where they were both acknowledged and read in these ensuing tearmes My very good Lord I Have received your Lordships Letters of Decemb. 6. 23. and with them the copy of your Book and in them a paper of short propositions which you think and so doe I is fitter for the attestation of divers hands then the book it selfe These propsitions shall be well weighed against the time of Convocation which I conceive will be a fit time to take other Bishops attestation without further noyse or trouble For your book I first thanke you very heartily for your paines and next more then heartily were it possible for your noble and free submission of it not onely to many eyes and judgements but also in the maine to be ordered and after that prest or supprest as it shall be thought fit here Which care or conscience would men use which set out books we should not have so much froth and vanity in the world as now 't is full of But whereas you writ First that the Booke grew into greater length under your pen them you expected I cannot be sorry for that since that which you have added concerning Parker Anti-Tilenus and Vedelius seems to me very necessary Secondly that you are pleased to subject the work to me and to interpret it that you meant not personally to me because I could not have time for other great occasions to revise it but by way of desputation These are to let you know that were my occasions greater then they are I would not suffer a book of that Argument and in these times to passe without my owne particular View And therefore my Lord these may tell you that both my Chaplaines have read over your book and that since them I have read it over my selfe very carefully every line of it and I have now put it into
Articles of the Duke of Buckingham against the Lord Digby and the Lord Digbies Articles of impeachment against him in Parliament charging one another reciprocally with high treason for endeavouring to withdraw the Prince when in Spaine from his Religion and make him a Roman Catholike of all which we find Authentick Copies endorsed with his owne and Windebanke his creatures hands among both their seized papers already published at large in print where you may peruse them at leizure and therefore he could not possibly be ignorant of this Plot The rather because the sending of the King when Prince into Spaine was the Duke of Buckingham's project of purpose to seduce him in his Religion for which there were Articles of high Treason exhibited against him by the Lord Digby in the House of Peers in Parliament on the first of May 1626. as appeares by the Lords Journall and the Bishops owne Diary to which Duke this Bishop was both a Confessor and cabinet bosome Covnseller as these clauses in his owne Diary manifest June 9. 1622. My Lord Marquesse of Buckingham was pleased to enter upon a neerer respect to me the particulars are not for paper therefore certainly some deep Mystery of iniquity fit to be concealed June 15. I became C. Confessor as himselfe expounded it to my L. of Buckingham Jan. 11. My Lord of Buckingham and I in the inner Chamber at York-house c. and Fed. 17. next following The Prince and Marquesse Buckingham set forwards very secretly for Spaine That this Prelat was privy to the plot of sending the Prince thither before he was sent and to the Instructions given him here how to demean himself even toward the Pope and his instruments when he came thither is most apparent by his owne Letter under his owne hand sent to Bishop Hall Jan. 14. 1639. wherein there is this notable passage formerly urged upon another occasion The last with which I durst not but acquaint the King is about Antichrist which Title in three or four places of your Book you bestow upon the Pope positively and determinately whereas King James of blessed memory having brought strong proofe in a work of his as you well know to prove the Pope to be Antichrist and being aftewards CHALLENGED ABOUT IT he made this Answer WHEN THE KING THAT NOW IS WENT INTO SPAINE AND ACQUAINTED HIM WITH IT that he wrote that not concludingly but by way of Argument onely that the Pope and his adherents might see there was as good and better Arguments to prove him Antichrist then for the Pope to challenge temporall jurisdiction over Kings THIS WHOLE PASSAGE BEING KNOWNE TOME I could not but speake with the King about it who commanded me to write unto you that you might qualifie your expression in these particulars and so not differ from the knowne judgement of his pious and learned Father c. By this relation under his owne hand and Seale it is as cleere as the noon-day Sunne this Prelat was not onely privy to the Kings voyage into Spaine before he departed hence but likewise to the private instructions for his carriage towards the Pope his agents when he came there and his zeal to have this title of Antichrist given to the Pope by Bishop Hall so lately thus qualified obliterated and his complaint of it to the King at this time plainly shewes that he bare a good affection to the Pope and his designes both then and now and politickly furnishes King James with this equivocating Answer to please his Holinesse and to put all out of question that he was privy to this journey before it was undertaken we shall prove it by his owne Diary wherein thus he writes Feb. 17. 1622 The Prince and the Marquesse Buckingham set forwards very secretly for Spaine Feb. 21. I writ to my Lord of Buckingham into Spaine March 31. 1623. I received Letters from my Lord of Buckingham out of Spaine April 19. I received Letters from my Lord of Buckingham out of Spaine June 13. I received Letters from the Duke of Buckingham out of Spaine Aug. 17. I received Letters from the Duke of Buckingham out of Spaine By which it is apparent First that he knew of the time of their secret departure to Spaine the very day they went Secondly that he knew whether they went and writ Letters to the Duke into Spaine within foure dayes after their departure hence before they were neere there or knowne to be arrived there Thirdly that he held constant intelligence with the Duke all the time he was in Spaine writing frequently to him and received no lesse then four Letters from him from thence therefore questionlesse he was privy to this perilous journey of the Prince into Spaine one of the horridest treasons that ever was acted thereby to pervert him in his Religion and reconcile both him and our Kingdomes to the Sea of Rome for this very act alone which his profession as a Bishop ought to have engaged him against with all his might he deserved to be impeached of high treason as well as the Duke of Buckingham and the Lord Digby who impeached one one another of high treason for it in Parliament anno 1626. In one word this Bishop at the time of the Princes being in Spaine was so farre in love with the Masse-book and so studious of it that he noted his Missale Romanum neatly bound up gilt in folio almost in every leaf with his own hand by way of approbation and every moneth in the Callender of it by inserting into it with his own pen the Feasts and Stories of divers Popish Saints with the translations of their Reliques and in the Moneth of Sepetmber the 13. day he writes this Memoriall of the Princes returne out of Spaine Prince Charles this night took ship at Saint Andrews to come out of Spaine but had no prayers in his ship that night because so many Spaniards were aboard To prove which the Missal it selfe was produced This his noting and studying of the Masse-book at that very time doth as we conceive strongly intimate his approbation of it his good hopes and assistance to introduce it by that Spanish Match had it succeeded But that breaking off to his griefe soone after the Princes returne from Spaine the next designe of the Duke and his popish confederates to reconcile reduce us to Rome was the translation of their Scene from Spaine into France and making up a popish Match there between the King and our present Queen Mary a zealous Roman Catholike grand patriot of that party whose powerfull mediation and solicitations might as theythen writ in time effect and accomplish this plot as we have elswhere cleerly demonstrated And in this project likewise this Arch-bishop had a finger if not a hand For the Duke of Buckingham with whom he was a Cabinet Counsellour being sent into France to consummate that Match and bring over the Queene from thence we find this Arch-bishop
posted Letters thither to him immediatly after his departure hence by these severall passages in his Diary May 11. 1625. Die Mercurij primo mane Dux Buck. Versus mare se transtulit obviam iturus Reginae Mariae in Galliam Dedi ad Ducem eo die Literas sed quae properantem sequerentur Maij 19. Die Jovis Literas secundas misi ad Ducem Buck tunc paulisper morantem Parisijs Maij 29. Die Solis Literas tertias dedi in manus Episcopi Dunelmensis qui cum Rege iturus traderet eas Duci Buck. ad litus applicanti Junij 5. Die Pentecostes mane instanter iturus ad sacra Literas è Gallia à Duce Claris Buckinghamiae in manus meas se dedere Responsum dedi Aurora proxima Junij 12. Die Solis Regina Maria maria pertransciens ad Litus Nostrum appulit circiter boram septimam Vespertinam Det Deus ut Haspera sit foelix Stella orbi nostro These severall Letters of his to and from the Duke upon this occasion the Originals and Copies whereof could we have met with them would doubtlesse have discovered many notable secrets intimate both his privity to and concurrence in this popish French Match as well as in the Spanish This we shall further cleere by other passages in his owne Diary discovering what a great favourite and instrument of the Qveens he hath been even since the Marriage Aug. 30. 1634. Saturday at Oatlands the Queen sent for me and gave me thanks for a businesse with which shee trusted me her promise then that she would be my friend and that I should have immediate addresse to her when I had occasion Here we have the Queen trusting the Arch-bishop with a private businesse her thanks for his discharge of this trust with a promise of future favour and immediate addresse to her upon all occasions May 18. 24. 1635. Whitson Munday at Greenwich my account to the Queen put off till Trinity Sunday then given her by my selfe and assurance of all that was desired by me c. A very suspitious passage after which five whole lines are so rased that they are not legible April 3. 1639. Wednesday before the Kings going I setled with him a great businesse for the Queen which I under stood shee would never move for her selfe the Queen gave me great thanks and this day I waited purposely on her to give her thanks for her gracious acceptance shee was pleased to be very free with me and to promise me freedome This intimacy of the Arch-bishop with the Queene these private services he did for her and these speciall mementoes of her favours to and freenesse with him could not be to convert her to the Protestant Religion which he never attempted in any measure for ought we ever heard it being contrary to the tenth Article of her Marriage which runs thus Also the King of Great Britaine is by Oath bound NOT TO ENDEAVOUR BY ANY MEANS AT ALL to have his said Queen to renounce the Catholike Apostolike and Romish Religion nor compell her to do any thing whatsoever that is contrary to the same Religion Now this Archbi was so farre from endeavouring her conversion to our Religion himselfe that in his owne Metropoliticall visitation he prohibited Ministers publikely to pray for the Queens conversion in their Pulpits and questioned censured some Ministers in the High Commission for praying for her conversion from Popery to our Religion as a grand unpardonable offence To prove this we shall first produce his owne Informations and Instructions to Sir Nathaniel Brent endorsed subscribed with his own hand touching his Metropoliticall visitation in the Diocesse of London in March 1636. Among which we find a paper thus endorsed Informations of divers abuses in the City of London The second particular whereof is this That some Preachers take great liberty to pray before and after their Sermons loosly and factiously as FOR THE CONVERSION OF THE QUEEN over against which these two names are written in the margin Master Walker of Saint Johns Evangelist Master Burtons Curate c. Saint Matthew Friday-street To which himselfe adds this subscription directed to his Vicar generall that visited I require you that besides my other Instructions you give me an account of all particulars within named W. CANT Hereupon Sir Nathaniel Brent in pursuance of this Order in his open visitation prohibited the Ministers to pray for the Queenes conversion for proofe whereof Master Hugh Ratcliffe of Martins Ludgate testified upon oath That at a visitation held at Bow Church in London by Sir Nathaniel Brent Vicar generall to this Arch-bishop of Canterbury in whose right he then visited about Mar. 1636. the said Sir Nath. then and there in his publike charge to the Ministers in his bearing used these words Whereas divers of you in your Prayers before your Sermons Use TO PRAY FOR THE QUEENS CONVERSION YOU ARE TO DOE SO NO MORE Adding that the Queen did not doubt of her conversion meaning that shee doubted not but that shee was already in the right way We could produce other witnesses of this but the thing is so notorious we shall need no more From this inhibition of his we may certainly inferre these conclusions First that he who thus publikely inhibited other Ministers to pray for the Queens conversion would never questeonlesse himselfe endeavour by prayer conference or intimacy with her to convert her to our Religion Secondly that he must verily beleeve her popish Religion to be the true Religion and ours the false else both himselfe and all other our Ministers were bound in duty conscience most realously and constantly to pray in speciall manner to God for her Highnesse conversion from it because Gods Word and christian charity required it the imminent danger that might and doth acrew thereby to her owne soule in particular to his Majesty his royall Issue and this whole Church State in generall exacts it and the publike Liturgy of our Church which this Prelate so much stickled for both warrants and prescribes it not onely in the speciall Collects for the King and Queen the Letany the Prayer for the estate of the whole Church militant but likewise in the Collect for Good-friday which runs thus Mercifull God who hast made all men and hatest nothing that thou hast made nor wouldest the death of a sinner but rather that he should be converted live have mercy upon all Jewes Turkes Insidels and Heretycks and take from them all ignorance hardnesse of heart and contempt of thy Word and so fetch them home blessed Lord to thy stocke that they may be saved among the remnant of the true Israelites and be made one fold under one Shepheard Jesus Christ our Lord c. May yea must we then pray for all Jewes Turkes Hereticks in generall that God would really convert and bring them to his fold though we have no speciall relation to them and must our Ministers
a halfe the motives the same that first moved us at the first to leave Rome I answered him it could not be resolve I did that I might the more deeply dive into the sincerity of his intentions as strongly as my poore ability would suffer me to plead for Rome because she had reformed Missals Monasteries sundry Corruptions in conferring of Orders and Benefices that all had not received the Councell of Trent that of those who had some did mitigate harder expressions and were upon courses of Conciliation of both harts as appeared by a Booke of Franc. â Sancta Clara c. I fell then to question him Whether and when he had been at Rome He told me in June and July last I askt him how the affaires went there He told me their opinion of us was that his Majesty was favourable to the Catholikes that some great ones about him were so too or in heart were ONE HE NAMED concerning whom as at home so abroad as of old of the best of men there was much murmuring among the people for some said he was a good man others said nay he deceiveth the people Now if some might interpose their judgements they would pronounce a good man he is because he deceiveth both here and there but both to their own good Concerning the Fryars he told me some were very good but most otherwise and that in excesse especially for Sinnes of uncleannesse which generally raigne in Italy Three severall times I had discourse with him in the last of which falling into discourse of Fran. â Sancta Clara he told me he was HOMO NEQUISSIMUS by whose meanes yeerly there was sent to the Catholikes in Flanders ten thousand pounds The Author of that Booke which goes under his name was Father Giles PADRE AEGIDIO who lives at the Venetian Ambassadours c. Since I came to Venice I have procured the acquaintance of Padre Fulgentio who is Teologo de Stato called by the Colledge to Counsell when there is any businesse between them and the Pope c. I sent to him Fran. â Sancta Clara after discoursing with him he told me it was impossible to concile Trent and England and yet men sooner then Articles He likt his intention in the generall his judgement and temper in most of the Problems before he came to the Articles There is as I am informed by a discreet Gentleman at Florence a Jesuit lately returned from England to Rome who pretends to have made a strict discovery of the state of England as it stands for Religion how King is disposed how Queene what Lords are of the Puritan faction what not but by name his Honour of Dorset and Pembroke are strong for Precisians He sayes That the Puritanes are shrewd fellowes but those that are counted good Protestants are faire conditioned honest men and think they may be saved in any Religion I am promished the the Relation written if it come to my hands and there be any thing in it worthy your Graces view I shall hereafter humbly present it to you as now my selfe Your Graces most humble and most obedient servant WILL. MIDLETON The second Letter is dated December 21. 1635. in which there are these observable clauses Right Honourable and most Reverend c. WHen I was in France I fell acquainted with one Father Talbot a Jesuit with whom I had many discourses but among others this about the Book of Franciscus â Sancta Clara. I askt his judgement of it and the rest of the Catholiks He answered it relisht not with them I fell presently into a comendation partly of the book but more of the intention of him who writ it He seconded what I said but withall told me there was a certaine Consultation held what they should doe with it some exrema suadebant and cried ad ignem but himselfe talking with the Popes Nuncio at Paris thought the best course was to let it dye of it selfe to which the Nuncio a very moderate man so he told him was very inclinable From which I did gather that though they did pretend a dislike the Booke was not disallowed by them above which collection of mine then is now confirmed for this very day I received a Letter dated from Rome Decemb. 11. and it is in these words Father Francis his book upon the exposition of the Articles contrary to what I have told you is licensed here in Rome and I have it Sent it was from one Master House lodging in the house of one Master Pitton a kind of Agent from the English Priests In Rome there is great talk of an English Cardinall and the man who is already Roman Catholike must be the man Master Mountague Your Lordship I know will smile if not at this yet at that I shall now write A Catholike discoursing with me let a word fall and this it was That within this twelve moneth the Pope did wish that his Sacred Majesty of England were as once his trusty Sonne for then he would not be so used as he is either by French or Spaniard The same party did not ask the question but onely thus I wonder whether my Lord of Canterbury have any hand in sending S. Major Bret to Rome I answered because I saw he was fishing Surely no because as you know it is written he comes from the Queen and in her name ROME IS VERY KIND TO OUR ENGLISH GENTLEMEN I humbly entreat your Graces pardon if in a desire to let nothing I hear scape your knowledge I most lowly offer unto you such things as will make you lose so much time as you shall read the Letter But though your Lordship lose a little time yet not me I beseech you lose that good opinion which I hope you have conceived of Your Graces most really devoted and obedient servant WILL. MIDLETON December 21. 1635. By these Letters it is most apparent that Saint Giles was the Author of Sancta Clara's book that though the Jesuits seemed to dislike it yet it was at last authorized and printed at Rome where they had a good opinion not onely of the Kings favour to the Roman Catholikes but of the Archbishops inclination to their party their Religion and conceived he had a hand in sending Major Bret to Rome to negotiate with the Popes c. This last Letter is thus endorsed with Mr. Dels hand Recep Jan. 10. 1635. from Venice from Master Midleton The allowance of Saint Clara his Book at Rome to which the Archbishop himselfe addes with his owne hand This is not so therefore it seems he had better intelligence here from Rome then Master Midleton had at Venice The English Cardinall The English Agent How farre this Book was approved countenanced here in England by the King and Archbishop will appeare by these Instructions under Secretary Windebankes owne hand to his Sonne when he was at Paris to solicite the Palsgraves enlargement found among his sequestred papers and attested by
That he had been the impeacher and disturber of due and direct correction of Errours and Heresies by reason whereof they crept more abroad and tooke greater place being highly to the danger and perill of the whole body and good Christian people of this Realme All which this Archbishop is guilty in an higher measure in respect of Popery Priests and Jesuits then ever this Cardinall was in regard of the Lutheran Sect and Opinions Fifthly it is evident that the Archbishop had a hand in assisting the Papists Priests and Jesuits in the dispersing of their popish Books to seduce his Majesties Subjects contrary to an expresse Statut whereas he used all possible diligence to suppresse the printing dispersing importing Orthodox Books and those he stiled Puritannicall both at home and beyond the Seas Finally the Archbishop complyed with the Papists Priests Jesuits in concealing their very treasonable plots and conspiracies against the King Kingdome Church and all professors of the Protestant Religion we shall instance but in two particulars The first is in the case of Mistresse Anne Hussey who deposed at the Lords Barre to this effect That William O Conner an Irish Priest servant to the Queen Mother soon after Easter in the yeer 1640. among other discourses told her at the house of one Master Hill neer the Strand in Westminster That there were many private houses about London wherein they used to have Masse said that there were 7000. men in private pay ready to ayde the Catholicks and to cut the Protestants throats that should resist them After which he comming to her in great haste at Mistresse Pinocks house about the end of July 1640. told her That he was then in great haste for he had Letters from the Queen Mother to be delivered to three Embassadours the Spanish the Venetian the French to send to the Pope to know from himselfe or his Legat when to begin the subduing of the Protestants that the Queen his Lady was no foole and that if the King joyned with the Protestants they would cut him off if not by the sword yet by some other way that if no other hand would doe it his hand should kill the King and that he would kill an Heretick at any time for the advancement of the Mother Church of Rome swearing by Saint Francis and Saint Dominick that he would doe it All which he spake to her in Irish she counterfeiting her selfe to be a Roman Catholick desirous to become a Nunne He likewise confessed That he had been a servant long to the Queen Mother and imployed by her in businesse to all the Princes of CHRISTENDOME Whereupon she according to her duty and alleagiance complained of this Priest revealing this discomse and treason of his to the Lords of the Privy Counsell attesting her information upon oath and producing a Letter of this Priests to her under his owne hand with some other witnesses to confirme her testimony in point of circumstance of time place and this Priests resort unto her But the Archbishop of Canterbury to discourage and take her off from this discovery reviled and gave her many ill words and threats told her she was mad and that she was hired by the Londoners to make this accusation demanding how she durst be so bold as to utter or discover ought which had any the least reflection upon the Queen Mother threatning to have her punished and caused her to be committed to one of the Sheriffes of Londons house whereas the other Lords gave her good words and committed the Priest to the Gate-house and so the businesse was smothered without further prosecution till she revived it this Parliament in the Commons House who released her of her restraint We shall close all with the most desperate plot of Cardinall Barbarino the Popes Nuncio the society of the English and Scottish Jesuits with their confederates to subvert the Protestant Religion usher in Popery raise a Warre between England and Scotland subvert the government both of Church and State yea to poyson the King himselfe if he crossed this designe and then to seize and traine up the Prince in the Popish 〈◊〉 This plot being discovered at first only in generally by a chief Actor in it sent from Rome to Andreas ab Habernfield Sir Wil. Boswell by them by Letters from the Hague to the Archbishop he conceiving it to be a plot only of the Puritanes to destroy the King and himself too revealed it to the King and prosecuted the further discovery with all earnestnesse as appeares by sundry Originall Lettâ—ers concerning it seized and attested by Master Prynne produced at the Barre But no sooner received he the large particular discovery of it which fastned the treason onely upon Cardinall Barbarino the Popes Nuncio the Jesuits with their confederates Sir Toby Matthew Sir Kenelme Digby Sir John Winter Endimion Porter Secretary Windebanke Master Walter Mountague the Countesse of Arundel and others but he presently smothered it yea though he received the full discovery of it but on the 14. of October 1640. not many dayes before the beginning of this present Parliament yet he he never revealed it to both or either Houses of Parliament or any members thereof for the preservation of our Religion Church State King thereby and the executing condigne punishment on these Arch-traitos and Conspirators then present in London and Westminster nor yet so much as disclosed it when Sir Toby Matthew Sir John Winter and others were questioned in the Commons House about the Popish Parliament kept in London and the levying of moneys against the Scots among the Papists nor when Secretary Windebank was questioned for releasing Priests and Jesuits against Law and the negotiation of the Popes Nuncio debated in the Commons House but concealed these papers from the Parliaments knowledge till Master Prynne unexpectedly seized them in the Archbishops Cabinet in the Tower of London From all which particulars we conceive we have abundantly manifested most substantially proved his correspondency confederacy with the Pope and his instruments of all sorts in their most desperate treasons to extirpate our Religion introduce popery reconcile reduce the Church of England to the Church of Rome and most satisfactorily justified the first Branch of our charge of high treason against him in every particular wherupon we most humbly pray in the name of the Commons of England the Judgment of an Arch-traitor to be given against him as one who hath declared himself a professed Traitor not only to our Laws Liberties Parliament Kingdoms but to our very Religion Church souls the highest treason of all others especially in a Clergyman an Archbishop of Canterbury who is by title office Primate and Metropolitan of all England yea Confessor chiefe Curate and Ecclesiasticall Vicegerent to the King himselfe who entrusted him wholly if not solely with the care of our Religion which he hath most perfidiously undermined betrayed sundry wayes as all the premises demonstrate The Archbishops
as Archbishop as himself both pretended pleaded and he must needs not only hear of but see it too when he was in Oxford Therefore the blame thereof must be his alone As for the bowing and praying to it Mr. Nixon swears it directly and was not mistaken as he would surmise to excuse the odiousnesse of this new erected Oxford Idol which gave such publike scandal 7. It s true that Latin Prayers on Ashwednesday onely were formerly used in Oxford before the Batchellors of Art but he enjoyned such Prayers all the Lent long in stead of English which was never done before to usher in Latin Service by degrees in an unknown tongue divers Townsmen resorting to the English Prayers in Lent who could not understand these new Latin ones which he introduced 8. This Statute enjoyning reading and chanting in solemn Processions was made in time of Popery and Popish processions and renewed in these New Statutes made by this Archbishop Therefore certainly meant of such processions not of perambulations only which are not used by the University And the objected subsequent Statute is but a blinde to delude the simple for the present the Doctrine and Discipline of our Church in the Vniversities judgement being only written in his brest quo rectior non stat regula quo prior est corrigenda Religio as they write unto him in their Letter of November 9. 1640. the last recorded in their Register 9. Whereas he would assoil himself from the Popish Innovations in Cambridge Vniversity the guilt of them must originally rest on him alone for these reasons 1. Because they were introduced by his instruments favourites creatures there advanced by him as Dr. Martin Dr. Cosens Dr. Beal Dr. Lany Dr. Stern 2. Introduced in imitation of those Crucifixes Images Copes Altar-furniture Genuflexions which himself had introduced at Lambeth Chappel to which they were subsequent not antecedent 3. Because though he was not Chancellor yet he pretended to be Visitor of this Vniversity and that of Oxford too as he was Archbishop of Canterbury and procured a solemn Decree and Patent for it to himself and his successors Therefore since he did not prohibit correct suppresse them as Visitor according to Law and duty they will prove his proper Innovations the rather because he permitted countenanced nay enjoyned the like at Oxford by new Statutes where he was both Visitor and Chancellor which was never done in Cambridge That he should have no notice of those Popish Innovations there which were so notorious to all the Kingdom so publikely spoken of in every place when as he had constant weekly intelligence from thence as appears by sundry Letters of all transactions there and was so conversant with the chief Authors of them is not only improbable but impossible Therefore he still lyes under the guilt of this intire charge concerning the Popish Innovations in our Vniversities Fifthly from the Vniversities I was next traced to Cathedrals and Collegiat Churches where I am charged with introducing enjoyning sundry Innovations tending to Popery by my visitors Injunctions and new Cathedral Statutes As 1. Copes 2. Altars some of them made of Marble stone 3. Turning and railing in Communion Tables Altar wise 4. Bowing to and towards the Altar and Lords Table which I enjoyned to sundry Cathedrals by new Statutes as namely to the Cathedralists of Canterbury as Dr. Jackson and Dr. Bletchenden deposed and divers others 5. Crucifixes and Images 6. Candlesticks Basons Altar-clothes with other Altar Ornaments and they instanced in sundry particular Cathedrals as Canterbury Gloncester Durham Winchester Chichester Hereford Worcester where these Innovations were introduced by my Injunctions and new Statutes to make way for them in Parish Churches who must imitate these their Mother Churches To the first of these I Answer that the use of Copes in Cathedral and Collegiat Churches is enjoyned by the 24 Canon made in Convocation An. 1603. therefore it was lawful and no Popish Innovation for me to enjoyn them as I have formerly proved To the second that Altars both the name and thing were in use among the Primitive Christians and Churches who were far from Popery and long before it yea are found both in the Old and New Testament as divers learned men have largely proved To the third that my Injunctions for rayling in of Altars and Lords Tables Altarwise with the sides against the East wall of the Quire is consonant to the Queens Injunctions to the practise of approved Antiquity all Altars and Lords Tables being generally so placed in Churches in ancient times both in this and other Churches of Christendom as well East as West and that there is no matter of Popery in placing and rayling in Lords Tables in this manner as I have proved at large in my printed Speech in Starchamber To the fourth that I did in the very Statutes for the Cathedral-church of Canterbury and others enjoyn the Prebends and Members of the Cathedral Summa reverentia adorare Deum versus Altare which bowing to worship God towards the Altar as Dr. Bletchenden attested upon oath was used before the new Statutes of Canterbury were made yea approved practised by Dr. Jackson himself as readily as by any other Prebends who hath given a greater testimony against himself then me After which he produced his Secretary Mr. Dell to testifie without oath that in the perusal of the old Statutes for the Cathedral of Canterbury divers superstitions were put out by the Archbishop and by name Prayer for the soul of King Henry the 8. after his decease Then he concluded his Answer thus That the 95 Psalm did command this kinde of bowing at our entrance into the Church and that the Knights of the Honourable Order of the Garter were bound by a Chapter-Order to bow to God towards the Altar when they offered at it in their solemnities and did still practise it without guilt or suspition of Popery Therefore himself might use enjoyn and others practise it without any guilt of Popery at all as well as they To the fifth that Crucifixes and Images were not simply unlawful being used in the Kings own Chappel That Images in Churches had been long in use even in Constantine the Great his Raign and long before therefore no Popery could be couched in them To the sixth that those are no other then what the King used in his own Chapple and had been long time used in the Church for greater Ornament lustre it being a disparagement to our Religion to have God served slovenly and meanly as many desired he should be under pretence of shunning superstition To this was Replyed 1. That neither our Common Prayer Book nor Book of Ordination nor Homilies confirmed by Parliament the only Canons in force to direct us nor Queen Elizabeths Injunctions in the first year of Her Raign enjoyn any Copes in Cathedrals more then in other Churches but condemn seclude them alike out of all our Churches and that the
me or deceive their Proselites there For Master Challoners testimony it is but a report too from I know not whom and a discourse of others to him without any ground arising from me and I have cause to feare that what he testified was meerly out of spleen and a meer engine to ruine me because upon complaint I caused him to be Committed for some high Offences charged against him amounting to little lesse then Treason to avoyd which he was enforced to fly beyond the Seas where he heard these reports concerning me it we may beleeve him which are no evidence at all in Law To this the Commons replied First that though common fame be no convincing evidence of it self yet in many cases both in common Civill and Canon Law it is a good ground of suspition inquisition accusation and apprehension too especially if it be a generall universall and long continued fame both abroad and beyond the Seas as this is but being seconded with concurrent actions as his it is a most satisfactory proofe and in such a case vox populi est vox Dei Besides himselfe gave the occasion of this evidence by his examining Sir Henry Mildmay to know what report they gave and what opinon or repute they had of him at Rome when he was there Whether he were not the most odious man to them of any living c. If the reports and common fame they heard of him at Rome were no evidence at all to cleer him as he reputed it why then did he produce Sir Henry as a principall witnesse for him and examine him meerly what report and repute he had at Rome If he conceived it good evidence to cleere him in case Sir Henries testimony had proved answerable to his expectation then certainly it must be as available to confirme and prove his guilt yea Sir Henries testimony falling quite crosse to what he pretended must needs be farre stronger against him then it could have been for him had he testified what the Archbishop pretended because he is a witnesse of his owne producing and had been but a single witnesse for him but is seconded with two more concurrent testimonies against him even concerning the opinion they had of him in Rome it selfe which is backed with a generall opinion of the same kind both among Papists and Protestants too who concurred in their judgements and reports concerning his good affection to Popery and endeavours to reconcile us to the Church of Rome Yea as this good opinion and report concerning him was universall in all places both abroad and at home so it is fortified by a publike charge in Parliament given in against him by the two whole Kingdomes of England and Scotland and confirmed by so many pregnant evidences of all sorts that it must made be granted to be a most enforcing convincing argument of his guilt the rather because himselfe gave the first occasion of this kind of euidenes For Doctor Featlies testimony it is a report of one of the Archbishope owne Pupils who hast knew his opinions Sir Nathaniel Brents testimony is upon his owne knowledge ratified by the concurrent opinions of others grounded upon his popish supposition taken out of Bellarmine his familiarity with Master Browne a reputed Papist Noscitur ex Comite Upon his owne confession in his Petition and the common fame of the University that he was cleered upon his Petition of this imputation he produceth no evidence at all neither mentions he any particular time when nor persons by whom he was cleered For Doctor Abbots Sermon it is the clearest testimony in the world that he was then generally reputed a Papist in the University both by Protestants and Papists and likewise in forraigne parts for which cause alone and no other this Doctor was his enemy As for his complaint against it as injurious it no way extenuates nor takes off the common fame and reputation of being a Papist which Doctor Hals 〈◊〉 not denied by him to be written and meant of himselfe and Francis Harris his testimony second and confirme Whereas he faith he never know nor saw this Harris this invalids not his testimony and his little acquaintance in reallity that he knew him if not 〈◊〉 in â—ute by 〈◊〉 Fame and â—â—putation to be a Papist in heart opinion and the onely thing for which are produce his testimony Secondly for Sir Henry Mildmayes testimony it is more then a bare report for he testifies on his owne certaine knowledge that which the Archbishop produced him to prove what opinion the Jesuits Priests and Popishâ—â—ad of him at Rome when he was there together with the reasons of their opinions and report and he deposeth the truth hereof quite contrary to what the Archbishop suggested whose Oath is not to be credited in his owne case to impeach Sir Henries testimony fortified with two others concurring with it The like we answer to Captaine Anthony Mildmayes and Master Challoners testimonies they both depose what opinions and reports the Popes Nuncio Con Father Fitton Father Talbot and other English Jesuits Priests and forraigne Papists had of the Archbishops good affection to their Religion and how instrumentall he was to introduce Popery and reduce us backe to ROME declaring punctually each particular Therefore their testimonies are all reall and no hear-sayes or bare reports as he pretends As for Master Challoners pretended malice it is but a bare surmise and being a Gentleman of quality and integrity this poore pretence is altogether insufficient to disparage his testimony upon Oath The rather because the Archbishops endeavours to imprison and bring him into the High Commission heretofore was onely for speaking of the Priests and Jesuits Plots to bring in Popery and some of our Bishops compliance with them the party who complained against him being both a Priest and Jesuit now in actuall Armes against the Parliament in the Kings Army as Master Challoner deposed a great confirmation of the truth of his Testimony and of the Archbishops guilt In few words all these recited testimonies what opinion they had at Oxford heretofore and at Rome and other places since of his being a Papist and confederating with them in their Designe of introducing Popery by inches and reducing us backe to Rome compared with his preceding practises doe fix this charge so fast upon him that all his Sophistry or Oratory cannot shake it off The second thing objected is this That there was a dangerous Plot laid and seriously pursued to introduce Popery and reconcile the Church of England to the Church of Rome to which I was privy and had certaine notice of it yet I complyed with it and never laboured to prevent it which the Commons laboured to prove by divers generall instances First by the Spanish Match propounded to the King when Prince of Wales and his sending over into Spaine of purpose to pervert him in his Religion as appeares by the Articles of the Treaty the Popes Letters to the
hath wickedly and traiterously advised His Majestie that he might at his owne will and pleasure leavie and take money of his Subjects without their consent in Parliament and this hee affirmed was warrantable by the Law of God 2. Hee hath for the better accomplishment of that his traiterous designe advised and procured Sermons and other discourses to be preached printed and published in which the Authoritie of Parliaments and the force of the Lawes of this Kingdome have beene denyed and absolute and unlimited power over the persons and estates of His Majesties subjects maintained and defended not onely in the King but in himselfe and other Bishops against the Law And he hath beene a great protector savourer and promoter of the publishers of such false and pernicious opinions 3. Hee hath by Letters Messages Threats and promises and by diverse other wayes to Judges and other Ministers of justice interrupted and perverted and at other times by meanes aforesaid hath endeavoured to interrupt and pervert the course of Justice in His Majesties Courts at Westminster and other Courts to the subversion of the Lawes of this Kingdome whereby sundry of His Majesties Subjects have been stopt in their just suits deprived of their lawfull righte and subjected to his tyrannicall will to their ruine and destruction 4. That the said Archbishop hath traiterously and corruptly told ustice to those who have had causes depending before him by colour of his Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction as Archbishop High Commissioner Referree or otherwise and hath taken unlawfull gifts and bribes of His Majesties Subjects and hath as much as in him lies endeavoured to corrupt the other Courts of justice by advising and procuring His Majestie to sell places of Judicature and other Offices contrary to the Laws and Statutes in that behalfe 5. He hath traiterously caused a booke of Canons to be composed and published without any lawfull warrant and authoritie in that behalfe in which pretended Canons many matters are contained contrary to the Kings Prerogative to the fundamentall Lawes and Statutes of this Realme to the right of Parliament to the propriety and libertie of the Subject and matters tending to sedition and of dangerous consequence and to the establishment of a past unlawfull and presumptuous power in himselfe and his successors many of which Canons by the practise of the said Archbishop were surreptitiously passed in the late Convocation without due consideration and debate others by feare and compulsion were subscribed by the Prelates and Clerkes there assembled which had never beene voted and passed in the Convocation as they ought to have beene And the said Archbishop hath contrived and endeavoured to assure and confirme the unlawfull and exorbitant power which he hath usurped and exercised over His Majesties Subjects by a wicked and ungodly oath in one of the said pretended Canons injoyned to be taken by all the Clergie and many of the Laitie of this Kingdome 6. He hath trayterously assumed to himselfe a papall and tyrannicall power both in Ecclesiasticall and Temporall matters over his Majesties Subjects in this Realme of England and in other places to the disherison of the Crowne dishonour of His Majestie and derogation of his supreme authoritie in Ecclesiasticall matters And the said Archbishop claimes the Kings Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction as incident to his Episcopall Office and Archiepiscopall in this Kingdome and doth deny the same to bee derived from the Crowne of England which he hath accordingly exercised to the high contempt of his Royall Majestie and to the destruction of divers of the Kings liege people in their persons and estates 7. That he hath traiterously indeavoured to alter and subvert Gods true Religion by Law established in this Realme and in stead thereof to set up Popish superstition and Idolatrie And to that end hath declared and maintained in Speeches and printed books diverse popish doctrines and opinions contrary to the Articles of Religion established by Law Hee hath urged and injoyned diverse popish and superstitious Ceremonies without any warrant of Law and hath cruelly persecuted those who have opposed the same by corporall punishments and Imprisonments and most unjustly vexed others who refused to conforme thereunto by Ecclesiasticall censures of Excommunication Suspension Deprivation and Degradation contrary to the Lawes of this Kingdome 8. That for the better advancing of his traiterous purpose and designe he did abuse the great power and trust His Majestie reposed in him and did intrude upon the places of diverse great Officers and upon the right of other His Majesties Subjects whereby he did procure to himselfe the nomination of sundry persons to Ecclesiasticall Dignities Promotions and benefices belonging to His Majestie and divers of the Nobilitie Clergie and others and hath taken upon him the commendation of Chaplaines to the King by which meanes he hath preferred to His Majesties service and to other great promotions in the Church such as have been Popishly affected or otherwise unsound and corrupt both in doctrine and manners 9. Hee hath for the same trayterous and wicked intent chosen and imployed such men to be his owne Domesticall Chaplaines whom he knew to be notoriously disaffected to the reformed Religion grosly addicted to popish superstition and erroneous and unsound both in judgement and practise and to them or some of them hath he committed the Licensing of Bookes to be printed by which meanes divers false and superstitious bookes have beene published to the great scandall of Religion and to the seducing of many His Majesties Subjects 10. Hee hath traiterously and wickedly endeavoured to reconcile the Church of England with the Church of Rome and for the effecting thereof hath consorted and confederated with diverse Popish Priests and Jesuites and hath kept secret intelligence with the Pope of Rome and by himselfe his Agents and instruments treated with such as have from thence received authoritie and instruction hee hath permitted and countenanced a Popish Hierarchie or Ecclesiasticall government to bee established in this Kingdome by all which trayterous and malicious practises this Church and Kingdome hath beene exceedingly indangered and like to fall under the Tyrannie of the Roman See 11. He in his owne person and his Suffragans Visitors Surrogates Chancellors and other Officers by his command have caused divers learned pious and Orthodox Ministers of Gods Word to be silenced suspended deprived degraded excommunicated and otherwise grieved without any just and lawfull cause and by diverse other meanes he hath hindered the preaching of Gods Word caused divers of His Majesties loyall Subjects to forsake the Kingdome and increased and cherished Ignorance and profanenesse amongst the people that so hee might the better facilitate the way to the effecting of his owne wicked and traiterous designe of altering and corrupting the true religion here established 12. He hath traiterously endeavoured to cause division and discord betwixt the Church of England and other reformed Churches and to that end hath supprest and abrogated the Priviledges and Jmmunities which
sacred function of the Ministry which was ordained for instruction of mens soules in the wayes of God should be so abused that the Ministers are become the Trumpets of Sedition the promoters and defenders of violence and oppression 3. In the third Article my Lords you have the Judges who under his Majesty are the dispersers and distributers of Justice frequently corrupted by feare and solicitation you have the course of Justice in the execution of it shamefully obstructed And if a wilfull Act of in justice in a Iudge be so high a crime in the estimate of the Law as to deserve death under what burthen of guilt doth this man lye who hath been the cause of great numbers of such voluntary and wilfull acts of injustice 4. In the fourth Article hee will be found in his owne person to have sold justice in Causes depending before him And by his wicked councell endeavouring to make his Majesty a Merchant of the same commodity only with this difference that the King by taking money for places of judicature should sell it in grosse whereas the Archbishop sold it by retaile 5. In the fift Article there appeares a power usurped of making Canons of laying obligations on the Subjects in the nature of Law and this power abused to the making of such Canons as are in the matter of them very pernitious being directly contrary to the prerogative of the King and the liberty of the people In the manner of pressing of them may be found fraud and shuffling in the conclusion violence and constraint men being forced by terrour and threatning to subscribe to all which power thus wickedly gotten they labour to establish by perjury injoyning such an Oath for the maintenance of it as can neither be taken nor kept with a good conscience 6. In the sixth Article you have the King robbed of his Supremacy you have a Papall power exercised over his Majesties Subjects in their consciences and in their persons You have Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction claimed by an Incident right which the Law declares to proceed from the Crowne And herein your Lordships may observe that those who labour in civill matters to set up the King above the Lawes of the Kingdome doe yet in Ecclesiasticall matters endeavour to set up themselves above the King This was first procured by the Arch-bishop to be extrajudicially declared by the Judges and then to be published in a Proclamation In doing whereof he hath made the Kings Throne but a footstoole for his owne and their pride 7. You have my Lords in the seventh Article Religion undermined and subverted you have Popery cherished and defended you have this seconded with power and violence by severe punishment upon those which have opposed this mischievous intention and by the subtile and eager prosecution of these men hath the power of Ecclesiasticall Commissioners of the Starre-Chamber and Councell Table beene often made subservient to his wicked designe My Lords 8. You may observe in the eighth Article great care taken to get into his owne hand the power of nominating to Ecclesiasticall Livings and promotions you have as much mischeivous as much wicked care taken in the disposing of these preferments to the hinderance and corruption of Religion And by this meanes my Lords the Kings sacred Majestie instead of Sermons fit for spirituall instructours hath often had invectives against his people incouragement to injustice or to the overthrow of the Lawes Such Chaplaines have beene brought into his service as have as much as may be laboured to corrupt his owne houshold and beene eminent examples of corruption to others which hath so farre prevailed as that it hath exceedingly tainted the Vniversities and beene generally disperst to all the chiefe Cities the greatest Townes and Auditories of the Kingdome The grievous effects whereof is most manifest to the Commons House there being diverse hundred complaints there depending in the House against scandalous Ministers and yet I believe the hundred part of them is not yet brought in 9. The ninth Article sets out the like care to have Chaplaines of his owne that might bee promoters of this wicked and trayterous designe Men of corrupt judgments of corrupt practice extreamely addicted to superstition and to such mens cares hath been committed the Licencing of Bookes to the Presse by meanes whereof many have beene published that are full of falshood of scandals such as have beene more worthy to be burnt by the hand of the Hangman in Smithfield as I thinke one of them was than to be admitted to come into the hands of the Kings people 10. In the tenth Article it will appeare how he having made these approaches to Popery comes now to close and joyne more neerely with it he confederates with Priests and Jesuites He by his instruments negotiates with the Pope at Rome and hath correspondence with them that he authorized from Rome here He hath permitted a Roman Hierachie to be set up in this Kingdome And though he hath bin so carefull that a poore man could not goe to the neighbour Parish to heare a Sermon when he had none at home could not have a Sermon repeated nor prayer used in his own Family but he was a fit subject for the High Commission Court yet the other hath beene done in all parts of the Realme and no notice taken of it by any Ecclesiasticall Judges or Courts My Lords 11. You may perceive preaching suppressed in the eleventh divers godly and Orthodox Ministers oppressed in their persons and Estates you have the Kings loyall subjects banished out of the Kingdome not as Elimelecke to seeke for bread in forraigne Countries by reason of the great scarcity which was in Jsrael but travelling abroad for the bread of life because they could not have it at home by reason of the spirituall Famine of Gods Word caused by this man and his partakers And by this meanes you have had the trade the Manufactury the industry of many thousands of his Majesties subjects carried out of the Land It is a miserable abuse of the spirituall Keyes to shut up the doores of heaven and to open the gates of Hell to let in prophanenesse ignorance superstition and errour I shall neede say no more These things are evident and abundantly knowne to all 12. In the twelfth Article my Lords you have a division endeavoured betweene this and the forraine reformed Churches The Church of Christ is one body and the Members of Christ have a mutuall relation as members of the same body Vnity with Gods true Church every where is not only the beauty but the strength of Religion of which beauty and strength he hath sought to deprive this Church by his manifold attempts to breake this union To which purpose hee hath suppressed the priviledges granted to the Dutch and French Churches He hath denyed them to be of the same Faith and Religion with us and many other wayes hath he declared his malice to those Churches 13. In the thirteenth Article
endeavours to subvert the rights of Parliament and auncient Course of Parliamentary proceedings and by false and malicious slanders to incense his Majesty against Parliaments contained in the 14. Originall and 1. 9. 10. Additionall Articles The first Specificall branch of the Charge against the Archbishop touching his Trayterous endeavours to alter and subvert Gods true Religion by Law established among us to introduce Popish Superstition and Idolatry in liew thereof and to reconcile the Church of England with the Church of Rome by severall stepps and practises with the copious evidences produced to manifest the same at his Tryall THE true Religion by Law established being that which is most pretious claiming proceedency of all other sublunary things in respect of its owne intrinsicall Excellency that which is nearest and dearest to every conscientious Christian the undermining and alterations where of doth most concern and reflect upon the Archbishop in respect of his calling as a Minister of his Ecclesiasticall dignity as an Archbishop of Canterbury Primate and Metropolitan of all England and of the speciall trust reposed in him by his Majesty who wholly committed the care of Religion of all Church affaires within his Dominions to this Arch-Prelates Care mannaging and his Charge concerning the Alteration and subversion of it being that which he most of all openly protested against both in the beginning proceeding conclusion of his long Tryall and on the very Scaffold at his death we shall begin with the Commons evidence given in against him concerning his endeavours practises to alter and subvert the same and introduce Popish superstition and Idolatry into our Church Wherein notwithstanding all his specious pretences confident Protestations reiterated deep Asseverations of his Innocency of his cordiall syncerity to the true Protstant Religion wherewith he hath deceived many over-credulous people we doubt not but upon the perusall of the various evidences against him in this particular he will appeare the most desperat cunning violent palpable underminer corrupter alterer subverter of the true reformed Religion by Law established in our Churches of one who professed himselfe a reall Protestant and zealous maintainer of the same that ever was yet heard of in the Christian world Prisca parem nescit aequalem poster a nullum Exhibitura dies He alone by his policies and power corrupting undermining our Religion advancing Popery more in the few yeares of his Predominency then the Pope with all his Consederates both at home and abroad could doe in almost fourescore yeares before by all their Plots and Potency as shall be irrefragaly demonstrated by his Actions which cry louder and give in stronger evidence against him then all his fraudulent verball protestations or printed funerall Orations can doe for him His Charge concerning the Alteration and subvertion of Religion laid downe in the Articles consists of these two generall Members First That he hath Trayterously endeavoured to subvert Gods true Religion by Law Established in this Realme and instead thereof to set up Popish Superstition and Jdolatry Secondly That he hath Trayterously and wickedly endeavoured to reconcile the Church of England with the Church of Rome The latter of these is but the issue of the former the first in projection but the last in execution and the proofe of the one an indubitable evidence of the other which shall be prosecuted in their Order The evidence to prove the first generall branch of his Charge concerning the alteration ub version of Religion THe Archbishop in his Speech in Justification of his Innocency and sincerity in matters of Religion made at the Lords Barre at the entrance of his Tryall most peremptorily challenged all that was betweene Heaven and Hell justly to tax him in any one particular savoring either of Popish superstition or Idolatry But on the contrary the Committee of the House of Commons might more justly have challenged him in their entring upon his Charge to nominate any person whether Prelate Minister or Laick in any age professing himselfe a Protestant who during his aboad on earth twixt Heaven and Hell was so guilty so peccant in this nature as they shold undeniably manifest him to be wherefore if they allotted him any place at or after his death but Hell it selfe it must be either a Popish Purgatory or such a middle place as some Papists assigne to that Newter Erasmus betwixt Heaven and Hell perchance some losty Gibbet or Pinacle in the Ayre whereon his Head and Quarters might be hanged up for a lasting Monument of his Treason in this kind which they manifested him to be guilty of by these ensuing particular evidences First by his endeavours to set up and introduce all kind of Popish superstitious Idolatrous ornaments furniture ceremonies in our church formerly cast out of it upon the reformation In pursuit whereof they first trailed this Romish Fox to his own Kennel at Lambeth where having unkenneled they chased him from thence by his hot Popish sent to the Kings own royall Chapel at Whitehal Westminster Abby from thence to the Vniversities of Oxford and Cambridge from thence to Canterbury Winchester and most other Cathedralls in England and from them to our Parish Churches and Chapels all which he miserably defiled corrupted with Popish superstitious Crucifixes Altars Bowings Ceremonies Tapers Copes and other Innovations To begin with his owne Kennel at Lambeth We shall first lead you by the hand into his publike Chapell there a place devoted to Gods worship and evidence what Popish Superstitious Pictures Vtensils Vestments Ceremonies Innovations he there introduced and constantly practised since his instalment in the Archbishopricke of Canterburie never heard off in any his Predecessors dayes since the beginning of reformation in King Edward the 6th and Queene Elizabeths reignes First we shall manifest what Idolatrous superstitious Popish Pictures were there newly repaired furbished erected by him in this Chappell to the great scandall of our Religion and encouragement of Papists in their Idolatry contrary to our Statutes Articles of Religion Homilies Jnjunctions Writerâ— the established Doctrine of our Church wherein the matter of fact stands thus In the beginning of Reformation by vertue of the Statute of 3. and 4. Ed. 6. c. 10. for the abolishing defacing and putting away of divers Bookes and Jmages then standing in any Church or Chapell of the severall Homilies against the Perill of Jdolatry then published by Authority of Queen Elizabeths subsequent Jnjunctions given by her as well to the Clergy as Laity of this Realme by the advise of her most honourable Councell in the first yeare of her Raigne for the advancement of the honour of Almighty God and suppression of superstition throughout her Realmes Injunction 2. 3. 23. 25. and Articles of inquiry thereon Artic. 2. 45. which enjoyned All Pictures Paintings Images and other monuments of Idolatry and superstition to be utterly extinct removed abolished and distroyed so that there remaine no memory of the same in
Burtons Wives especially restrained so much as to set footing in the Islands where they were close imprisoned under paine of imprisonment so penall and fatall was it for them to oppose the Archbishop in these his Innovations who detained them thus close prisoners in exile till they were released by this present Parliament That this prosecution was by the Archbishops instigation was evidenced First by the Testimony of Mr. John Cockshute then servant to Sir John Banks his Majesties Atturney Generall to whom he committed the prosecution of all Star-chamber businesses who attested upon oath that the Arch-bishop gave him direction for drawing the Information against Doctor Bastwick Mr. Burton and Mr. Prynne and that he was commanded to give an account to him of all the proceedings therein which he did from time to time either to himself in person or to his Chaplains by his direction Secondly by the Copies of Doctor Bastwicks and Mr. Burtons Answers found in his study by Mr. Prynne the first whereof was disalowed and would not be admitted though twice tendred the second expunged by the Arch-bishops direction who had drawn a line with black lead under all that which should stand in Mr. Burtons Answer as appeared by the Coppy it self produced at the Bar giving Order to expunge the residue which was done accordingly Thirdly by the whole Tenor of his speech in Star-chamber especially this latter clause thereof pag. 77. I humbly crave pardon of your Lordships for this my necessary length and give You hearty thanks for Your noble patience and your just and honourable censure upon these men and your unanimous dislike of them and defence of the Church But because the businesse hath some reflection upon my selfe I shall for beare to censure them and leave them to Gods mercy and the Kings Iustice. And by his ensuing Epistle to his Majesty prefixed to this Speech Fourthly by Subsequent Motions and Warrants under his hand for their Exile and close Imprisonment in which he was onely active and inexorable What great encouragement and hope of a relapse to Popery the Archbishops introducing of Altars Crucifixes and other forementioned Innovations gave to Jesuits Papists and what was his reall designe in promoting them we shall evidence by two notable passages in two late English Jesuites printed books The first intituled A Paraphrasticall and devout Discourse upon the Psalme Miserere written by Ch. M. an English Jesuite as appears by the Jesuites Badge in the Frontispiece of it printed and licensed at Doway 30 Maii 1635. wherein there is this passage in the Epistle to the Reader Thesemy Paraphrasticall Discourses and pitifull lamentations of King David I intend for all sinners in England as well Catholicks as not Catholicks of what religion soever I being a debtor to all and because I would have them all peruse these Discovrses I abstaine from controversies in religion lest I should avert any from the reading of them only in paraphrasing the two last verses of this Psalme occasion being offered I speak of the unbloody and daily Sacrifice of the Altar but so that I rather touch it then handle it mention it then treat of it suppose it then prove it in that manner as I might hoping that this doctrine NOW will not be distastfull mark the Reason For seeing now in England in very many Churches Altars which heretofore were thrown down are againe erected according to the laudable example and pious use and custome of the Catholick and even Primitive Church to averre a true Sacrifice will not be ill taken because to allow of Altars is to allow of a true Sacrifice which useth to be offered on them an Altar and a true proper Sacrifice being Co-Relatives of which the one inferreth the other and so the one cannot be averred without the other nor the one denied without the other Loe here we have the true reason why the Archbishop was so zealous for Altars even to bring in the Papists unbloody and dayly sacrifice of the Masse The second book was inscribed A direction to be observed by N. N. written by an English Jesuit and printed secretly by him in London as was supposed An. 1636. wherein after some applauses of the Archbishop whom he propounded as a Pattern of imitation for all others in England in prohibiting the sale of books tending to Socinianisme p. 14. which he p. 16. interprets to be Protestantisme p. 20. 22. he proceeds thus And to speak the truth what learned judicious man can after unpartiall examination embrace Protestantisme Which now waxeth weary of it selfe Its professors they especially of greatest worth learning and authority declare themselves to love temper moderation allow of many things which some years agoe were usually condemned as Superstitious Antichristian and are at this time more unresolved where to fasten then in the infancy of their Church For doe not the Protestant Churches begin to look with another face their wals to speak by Images Crucifixes Laymens books with another language their Preachers to use a sweeter tone their annuall publick Tenents in the Universities to be of another stile and matter their books to appear with Titles and Arguments which once would have caused much scandall among the Brethren their Doctrine to be altered in many things and even in those very points for which their progenitors forsook the then visible Church of Christ their 39 Articles the Summe the Confession and almost the Creed of their faith are patient patient that is they are ambitious of some sense wherein they may seem to be Catholick that is of that Romish sense which Franciscus à Sancta Clara thrice printed in England and presented by the Archbishop to his Majesty hath put upon them in his Commentary on them to alleage wife and children in these dayes is but a weak plea for a maried Minister to compasse a Benefice Firy Calviaisme once a Darling in England is at length accounted Heresie yea and little lesse then Treason by the Archbishop and his Brethren in their censure of Dr. Bastwick in the High Commission Men in word writing willingly use the once fearfull names of Priests and Altars nay if one do but mutter against the placing of the Altar after the old fashion for a warning he shal be well warned with a Cole from the Altar over against which there is this marginall note A little book so intituled printed 1636. English Protestants are now put in minde that for exposition of Scripture by Canon they are bound to follow the ancient Fathers And to conclude all in one main point The Protestant Church in England pofesseth so small antiquity and so weak subsistance in it self that they acknowledge no other visible being for many Ages but in the Church of Rome These were the advantages the Papists Jesuits and Popish party made of the Archbishops Romish Innovations formerly proved We shall next proceed to other Innovations of this nature somewhat different from the former to wit to
his Consecrating of Churches and Chappels after the popish manner wherein the case stands briefly thus The Pope his Romish Prelates had in times of ignorance superstition for their own proper lucre introduced solemn consecrations of Churches Chappels with all furniture belonging to them appropriated these Fopperies to Bishops as a jurisdiction peculiar to them alone though we reade in Scripture that the Tabernacle all the furniture thereto belonging was consecrated only by Moses and the Temple at Jerusalem by King Solomon the chief temporall Magistrates not by Aaron or the High Priests as they were among the Romans by the Senate These formes of consecrations full of Ethnicall ridiculous superstitions exorcismes conjurations were contained only in Roman Pontificals Missals Ceremonials which were wholly abolished upon the reformation of Religion in King Edwards daies by the expresse statutes of 3 4 E. 6. cap. 1. 5. 5 6 E. 6. cap. 1. and after that by the statute of 1 Eliz. cap. 2. 8 Eliz. cap. 1. which abrogited all rites ceremonies and consecrations whatsoever but those comprised in the Books of Common Prayer and Ordination of Ministers where there is not one syllable to be found touching consecration of Churches or Chappels or Church-yards nor any forme of such consecrations reteined or prescribed which by these Acts were wholly discontinued abolished in our Church till this Papish Prelate to renue them and to assume a Papall power of making Churches Chappels Altars and their furniture holier then other places by his solemne consecrations of them as if the meere sequestring of them from a common or prophane to a sacred use were not a sufficient consecration of them without a Bishops Benediction and exercising of those creatures suspended thereunto We shall begin first with his consecration of Churches next of Chappels Anno 1630. St. Katherines Creed-church in London being repaired only by the parishioners not new built from the ground when Mountain was Bishop of London and the Church thought holy enough by him without any new consecration not requisite in such a case by the very Canon law this popish Prelate succeeding Mountaiue in the Bishoprick of London suspended this new repaired Church for a time from all Divine service Sermons and Sacraments till it was re-consecrated by himself of which he writ down this speciall memoriall with his own hand in his Diary read in the Lords House in manner following January 16. 1630. Sunday I consecrated S. Katherine Creed-church in London In what a popish ridiculous bedlam manner was thus attested upon oath by M. Willingham a parishioner there who then took special Notes of all the passages in short-writing thinking some good use might be made thereof in after-times the particulars whereof he thus expressed That the Archbishop then of London on the 16 of January 1630. being the Lords day came in the morning about nine of the clock in a pompous manner to Creed-church accompanied with Sir Henry Martin Dr. Rive Dr. Duck and many other High-commissioners and Civillians there being a very great concourse of people to behold this novelty the Church doores were garded with many Halberders at the Bishops approaching near the West door of the Church the hangbies of the Bishop cryed out with a loud voyce Open open ye everlasting doores that the King of glory may enter in and presently as by miracle the doores flew open and the Bishop with three or four great Doctors and many other principall men entred in and as soon as they were in the Church the Bishop fell down upon his knees with his eyes lifted up and his hands and armes spread abroad uttering many words and saying This place is holy and this ground is holy In the name of the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost I pronounce it holy and then he took up some of the earth or dust and threw it up into the aire as the frantick perseenting Jewes did when they were raging mad against Paul this was done in the great middle Isle several times as they came up Eastwards towards the Chancel which Chancel was then paved when they approached near to the Rayle and Lords Table unto which was an ascent of two or three steps the Bishop lowly ducked and bowed towards it some five or six times and returning went round about the Church in Procession on the inside thereof they saying the 100 Psalme and after that the 90 Psalme prescribed in the Roman Pontificall for this purpose p. 262. and then this Prayer Lord Jesu Christ who art the eternall Word of thy eternall Father God Almighty to be blessed for ever and diddest at first in the beginning of time create man out of the dust of the earth to restore and repair in him the ruine and fall of Angels and when as he by transgression had lost his originall state diddest according to thy threatning returne him againe unto his dust but so that he should not perish everlastingly but should in due time by an omnipotent power be raised againe out of the earth and therefore in assurance of the resurrection the bodies of men the work of thine own hands are in this place to be deposited in their sepulchres graves or vaults as in a repository or resting place untill the end of all things when that mighty Arch-angell shall sound his last Trumpet with Rise ye dead and come to judgement accept we beseech thee this our holy service who doe give and consecrate this beautifull Church unto thee and we separate it unto thee and thy Church AS HOLY GROVND not to be prophaned any more to common use this we beseech thee to accept at our hands for Christ Jesus sake c. Then was read aloud the 23 chapter of Genesis which being read then followed another prayer taken almost verbatim out of the Roman Pontificall beginning thus Merciful God the resurrection and the life of all that trust in thee wee most humbly intreat thee to vouchsafe us of thy grace that all those thy servants who from hence forth shall come into or be intered within the Circuit of this holy and sacred place now by our service HALLOWED unto thee may so lead their lives in thy feare that they may leave them in thy favour and that their bodies resting in their Sepulchres in this Church in peace untill thy comming unto Iudgment may rise again unto immortall life and live with thee for ever in those glorious mantions of eternity Heare us O Saviour for thy passion sake heare us O Father for thy Christs sake heare us O Sanctifying Spirit for thy comforts sake who livest and reignest one God c. Then The peace of God followed c. After all this the Bishop betook himselfe to sit under a cloath of State in an Isle of the chancell neare the Communion Table and taking a written book in his hand in imitation of the Roman Pontificall and the Councell of Trents Decrees therein cited pag. 247 c.
He pronounced many curses upon all those which should hereafter any way prophane that holy and sacred place by any Musters of Souldiers or keeping any prophane Law-courts or carrying burdens through it At the end of every curse which were some 20. or 30. in number he bowed himselfe lowly towards the East or Table saying Let all the people say Amen When the Curses were ended he then pronounced the like number of Blessings to all those that had any hand in the culture framing and building of that holy sacred and beautifull Church and pronounced Blessings to all those that had given any Challices Plate Ornaments or Vtensills and that should here-after give any At the end of every Blessing hee also bowed downe himselfe towards the East Saying Let all the people say Amen After this followed the Sermon which was worthily performed by Dr. Stephen Dennyson he taking for his theame the 19 of Luke 46. wherein he bitterly inveighed against setting up Pictures and Images in Churches saying it was Popish and heathenish Superstition and Idolatry Which Sermon after-wards when Bishop Laud came to the high chaire of Canterbury he remembred at Dr. Dennysons censure in the high Commission upon another occasion and passed a heavy Censure upon the said Dr. under which he hath ever since groaned After the Sermon which was but short the Bishop and two fat Doctors consecrated and administred the Sacrament with a number of bowings duckings and cringeings in manner following As first when the Bishop approached neare the Communion Table he bowed with his nose very neare the ground some six or seven times Then he came to one of the corners of the Table and there bowed himselfe three times then to the second third and fourth corners bowing at each corner three times but when he came to the side of the Table where the bread and wine was he bowed himselfe seven times and then after the reading of many praiers by himselfe and his two fat chaplins which were with him and all this while were upon their knees by him in their Sirplisses Hoods and Tippits he himself came neare the Bread which was cut and laid in a fine napkin and then he gently lifted up one of the corners of the said napkin and peeped into it till hee saw the bread like a boy that peeped after a bird-nest in a bush and presently clapped it downe againe and flew backe a step or two and then bowed very low three times towards it and the Table when he beheld the bread then he came neare and opened the napkin againe and bowed as before then he laid his hand upon the gilt Cup which was full of wine with a cover upon it so soone as he had pul'd the Cupp a litle neerer to him he lett the Cupp goe flew backe and bowed againe three times towards it then hee came neere againe and lifting up the cover of the Cupp peeped into it and seeing the wine he let fall the cover on it againe and flew nimbly backe and bowed as before After these and many other Apish Anticke Gesturs he himselfe received and then gave the Sacrament to some principall men onely they devoutly kneeling neere the Table after which more praiers being said this Sceane and Enterlude ended Mr. Hope likewise deposed the same that Mr. Willingham did in all particulars touching the manner of the Archbishops consecrating Creed-Church at which consecration he was present and tooke speciall notice thereof Upon which evidence the Committee of the house of Commons observed and urged before the Lords First that it appeared by the praiers used by the Archbishop that he consecrated this Church rather for a Churchyard or a burying place then for an Oratory or place of praier and preaching using the same praiers in substance as are prescribed in the Roman Pontificall at the consecration of a Church-yard to inter dead bodies in Secondly that the consecration of Churches after this sort is a meere Popish and Superstitious Ceremony prescribed onely by Popes and Popish Councels Canonists for their owne gaines and luchre and not by any Protestant Canons Synodes Authors witnesse Gratian De Consecratione Distinct 1. and the Glosses on it Summa Hostiensis lib. 3. Tit. De Consecratione Ecclesiae et Altaris Angelus De Clavasio his Summa Angelica Tit. Consecratio Ecclesiae Summa Rosella Tit. Consecratio Iuo Carnotensis Decretalium pars 3. De Ecclesia C. 8. to 38. Bochellus Decreta Ecclesiae Gallicanae lib. 4. Tit. 1. Iohannis De Aton Constitutiones Ecclesiasticae Tit. 1. De Consecratione Ecclesiarum with divers other Popish Canonists Thirdly that the forme and manner of consecrating Churches was no where to be found but in the Roman Pontificall set out by the Popes authority wherein it is at large described P. 209. to 280. Cap. De Ecclesiae Dedicatione seu Consecratione and not extant in the Booke of Common-praier or of the Ordinition of Ministers or in any other Records or Rituals of our Church which abollished the Roman Pontificall and Ceremony of consecrating Churches by the Statutes of 2. 3. E. 6. C. 1. 3. 4. E. 6. C. 10. 1. Eliz. C. 1. 8. Eliz. C. 1. Fourthly That the very forme the Archbishop used in consecrating Creed-Church was taken from the Roman Pontificall published by command of Pope Clement the eight found in this study P. 214. 217. 219. where the Bishop comming to the doore of the Church he is to consecrate Percutit illud semel cum inferiori parte baculi pastoralis super luminare dicens intelligibili voce Attollite portas Principes vestras et apperiamini portae aeternales et introibit Rex gloriae c. The very words the Archbishop now used and then entring the Church pronouneeth it holy and blessed in the name of the Father Sonne holy ghost After which he useth many Praiers Psalmes bowings Ceremonies and Vnus ex Ministris spargit cinerem per pavimentum in modum crucis as this Archbishop did who followed the Roman Pontificall in all the particulars he there practised exceeding it in his blessings and cursings which are not so fully expressed in the Pontificall and in his reconsecration of this Church upon the repairing onely of the wals in which case the forecited Canonists all accord it is not to be reconsecrated but the wal onely to be exorcised and sprinkled with holy water Fiftly That our owne Protestant Bishops and writers condemne the consecration of Churches Chappels and Church-yards by Bishops to make them holier then other places as a meere Popish Iewish ridiculous and absurd practise The first they instanced in was reverend Dr. Pilkington a fugitive for Religion in Queene Maries and Bishop of Durham in he beginning of Queene Elizabeth reigne in his Exposition of Aggens c. 1. v. 7. 8. cap. 2. v. 2. 3. where he determines thus IT IS POPISH TO BELEEVE that which the Bishops doe teach That place to be more holy then the rest which they have
1. That he had disturbed the Peace of the Church by publishing Doctrine contrary to the Articles of the Church of England and the Booke of Homilies 2. That there are divers Passages in his Booke especially against those hee termeth Puritans apt to move sedition betwixt the King and his Subjects and between Subject and Subject 3. That the whole frame and scope of his Booke is to discourage the wellaffected in Religion from the true Religion Established in the Church and to incline them and as much as in him lay TO RECONCILE THEM TO POPERY This Report was no sooner made but this Bishop Mountagues great Patron who engaged him in this Popish service had a Coppy thereof and of all other proceedings therein delivered to him which he endorsed with his owne hand but the Parliament being soone after disolved Mountague instead of a severe censure for the Arminian Popish Assertions in his book was punished with the Bishoprick of Chichester to which he was advanced by this Prelates meanes to affront the Parliament and his Predecessor Bishop Carleton who answered Mountagues Booke in print during the Parl. which book was then likewise answered by Francis Rouse Esquier in a Booke called King James his Religion No sooner was the Parliament ended but both these Bookes were suppressed by this Bishops meanes though recommended to the Presse by the House of Commons order and Mountagues offensive Booke publikly sold without restraint Michaell Sparke the Elder deposed that Bishop Carlton sent for him sitting the Parliament and desired him to print his Book against Mountague and to encourage him the more granted him a protection under his owne hand whereupon he printed it After which Doctor Goad Archbishop Abbots Chapline Doctor Ward and Dr. Belcankwell licenced it for the Presse with a special recommendation whereupon he reprinted it yet notwithstanding immediatly after the Parliament ended by Bishop Lauds meanes this Licensed booke was called in seised on and burned in private and he questioned in the High Commission for printing it After which this Book of Mountagues and his Arminian Popish Tenents were severally answered by Dr. Featley and Doctor Goad Chaplines to Archbishop Abbot in their Paralells by Mr. Henry Burton in his Plea by M. Ward Mr. Yates and Master Wotton in severall Tracts by Master Prynne in his Perpetuity and by Doctor Sutclife But these Bookes of theirs though licenced by Archbishop Abbots Chaplines were called in and suppressed by this Bishops meere Arbitrary Power the Authors Printers sellers of most of them brought into the High Commission as Mr. Prynne Mr. Burton Mr. Sparkes Mr. Jones Mr. Bowler Mr. Bourn with others as was attested by the three first of them upon Oath and manifested by the Articles in the High Commission yet these their authorised orthodox bookes were all seized on and some of them burnt in private and Dr. Sutcliffes Booke against Mountague suppressed in the Presse when foure sheets thereof were printed which printed sheets Mr. Prynne found in this Archbishops Study with this endorsment under his own hand read at the Lords Barre The beginning of Dr. Sutcliffes Censure upon Mr. Mountagues Appeale It was prohibited in the Presse Here upon the Arminian party both in Court our Vniversities and else where grew very great bold insolent their opinions spread themselves like a dangerous Leprosie over the whole body of our Church to the grand exultation advantage of the Iesuits who first planted this soveraigne drugge of Arminianisme among us to reduce us backe to Rome as appeares by these Passages in a Jesuites letter sent to the Rector at Bruxels a little before the Parliament which begun at Westminster the 17. of Mar. 1627. The Copy of which Letter endorsed with the Archbishops own hand was seized on in his Study at Lambheth and attested before the Lords by M. Prynne Father Rector c. We have now many strings to our Bow and have strongly fortified our faction and have added two Bulworkes more For when King Iames lived we know he was very violent against Arminianisme and interrupted with his Pestilent wit deep learning our strong designes in Holland c. NOW WE HAVE PLANTED THE SOVERAIGNE DRVGGE ARMINIANISME which we hope will purge the Protestants from their Heresy and it flourisheth and beares fruit in due season c. For the better prevention of the Puritans the Arminians have already locked vp the Dukes eares and we have those of our Religion which stand continually at the Dukes Chamber to see who goes in and out We cannot be too circumspect and carefull in this regard I cannot chuse but laugh to see how some of our own rank have encountred themselves you would scarce know them if you saw them and t is admirable how in speech and gesture they Act the Puritans The Cambridge Schollers to their wofull experience shall see we can act the Puritan a little better then they have don the Iesuits I am at this time transported with joy to see how happily all instruments and meanes as well great a lesser co-operate unto our purposes But to returne unto the maine Fabricke OVR FOVNDATION IS ARMINIANISME The Arminians affect mutation this we second and enforce by probable arguments c. From which Letter was observed 1. That the Jesuites were the Originall planters of Arminianisme among us 2. That they reputed it the foundation of their Romish Fabricke intended to bee here erected among Vs the chiefe instrument to effect their Jesuiticall purpose and to purge out the Protestant Religion 3. That the Arminians were but the Jesuites Agents to promote their ends that both of them were very intimate with the Duke of Buckingham at whose lodgings they usually mette 4. That this Archbishop knew all this he receiving the Copy of this Letter upon the 27. of Mar. 1628. as appeares by his own endorsment of it yet notwithstanding hee promoted Arminians and propagated Arminianisme all he could but in a most cunning Jesuiticall way for perceiving the whole Parliament generally bent against Arminianisme and Mountagues Booke hereupon this Jesuiticall Prelate abusing both the Parliament and His Majesty to set up Arminianisme more securely projected a new way of advancing it under a specious pretence of silencing both sides by which policy hee inhibited all writing preaching and disputes against it and quelled the opposite Anti-Arminian party To which end he procured His Majestie by a printed Declaration prefixed to the 39. Articles compiled by himselfe and other Bishops of which the most part were Arminians pretended principally to suppresse Arminianisme but intended really for advancing it to prohibit all unnecessarie disputations altercations or questions to be raised which might nourish faction both in Church and Common-wealth That in these both curious and unhappy differences which had for so many hundred yeares in different times and places exercised the Church of Christ all further curious search should bee layd aside and these disputes shut up in Gods
Change or Subversion of RELIGION is grounded upon the daily increase of Papists the only professed Enemies thereof for the reasons formerly mentioned so are the hearts of Your Subjects no lesse perplexed when with sorrow they behold a daily growth and spreading of the faction of the Arminians that being as Your Majestie well knowes but a cunning way to bring in Popery and the professors of those opinions the common disturbers of the Protestant Churches and Incendiaries of those States wherein they have gotten any head being Protestants in shew but Jesuites in Opinion and practise which caused Your Royall Father with so much pious wisdome and ardent zeale to endeavour the suppressing of them as well at home as in our Neighbouring Countries and Your Gratious Majestie inimating his most worthy example have openly and by your Proclamations declared your mislike of those persons and of their opinions who notwithstanding are much favoured and advanced not wanting friends even of the Clergie neere to Your Majestie namely Doctor Neale Bishop of Winchester and Doctor Laud Bishop of Bath and VVells who are justly suspected to bee unsound in their opinions that way And it being now generally the way to preferment and promotion in the Church many Schollers do bend their Studies to maintaine these Errours their Bookes and opinions are suffered to be printed and published and on the other side the impressions of such as are written against them and in defence of the Orthodox Religion are hindered and prohibited and which is a boldnesse most incredible this restraint of Orthodox Bookes is made under colour of Your Majesties formerly mentioned Proclamation the intent and meaning whereof we know was quite contrary c. To which Declaration Bishop Laud returned a Peremptory answer in His Majesties Name written and endorsed with his owne hand the Originall whereof attested by Master Prynne was reade at the LORDS Barre in these following words so farre as concerned the charge of Arminianisme THe next feare is the daily growth and spreading of the Arminian faction called a cunning way to bring in Popery But We hold this charge as great a wrong to Our selfe and Our Government as the former For our People must not bee taught by a Parliament Remonstrance or any other way that We are so ignorant of Truth or so carelesse of the profession of it that any opinion or faction or what ever it be called should thrust it selfe so far so fast into Our Kingdomes without Our knowledge of it This is a meere dreame of them that wake and would make Our Loyall and loving People thinke We sleepe the while In this charge there is great wrong done to two eminent Prelates that attend Our Person for they are accused without producing any the least shew or shaddow of proofe against them and should they or any other attempt Innovation of Religion either by that open or any cunning way we should quickly take other order with them and not stay for Your Remonstrance To helpe on this Our People are made believe there is a restraint of Bookes Orthodoxall But wee are sure since the late Parliament began some whom the Remonstrance calls Orthodox have assumed to themselves an unsufferable liberty in printing Our Proclamation commanded a restraint on both sides till the passions of men might subside and calme and had this beene obeyed as it ought wee had not now been tossed in this tempest As for any distressing or discountenancing of good Preachers Wee know there is none if they be as they are called good But Our good people shall never want that spirituall comfort which is due unto them And for the preferments which VVee bestow Wee have ever made it our great care to give them as rewards of desert and paines but as the preferments are ours so will wee bee Judge of the desert our selfe and not bee taught by a Remonstrance After which the Commons in pursuance of their Opposition against the growing Arminian Faction On the 28. of January 1628. but 11. dayes after the forementioned Proclamation concerning Mountagues Booke and prohibiting books against it passed this notable Vote in Parliament after a large debate which the Archbishop in his indorsment on it stiles The Challenge of the lower House in matters of Religion An Order made by the lower House of PARLIAMENT the 28th of IANVARY 1628. WEE the Commons now Assembled in Parliament doe claime professe and avow for Truth the sence of the Articles of Religion which were established in Parliament the thirteenth yeare of Queene Elizabeth which by the publike Acts of the Church of England and the generall and currant exposition of the Writers of our Church have beene delivered unto Vs and we reject the sence of the Iesuites Arminians and all others wherein they doe differ from Vs. To which Challenge of theirs this pragmaticall Bishop then returned this bold peremptory answer written with his owne hand produced attested by Master Pryn and read at the Lords Barre in Evidence against him 1. The publique Acts of the Church in matters of Doctrine are Canons and Acts of Councells as well for expounding as determining the Acts of the High Commission are not in this sence publike Acts of the Church not the meeting of few or more Bishops Extra Concilium unlesse they be by lawfull Authority called to that worke and their decision approved by the Church 2. The Currant exposition of writers is a strong probable Argument de sensu Canâ—nis Ecclesiae vel Articuli yet but probable The Currant exposition of the Fathers themselves hath sometimes missed sensum Ecclesiae 3. Will ye reject all sence of lesuit or Arminian may not some be true may not some be agreeable to our writers and yet in a way that is stronger then ours to confirme the Article 4. Is there by this Act any Interpretation made or declared of the Articles or not If none to what end the Act If a sence or Interpretation be declared what authority have lay-men to make it for Interpretation of an Article belongs to them only that have power to make it 5. T is manifest there is a sence declared by the House of Commons the Act sayes it wee avow the Article and in that sence and all other that agree not with us in the aforesaid sence wee reject these and these goe about misinterpretation of a sence Ergo there is a Declaration of a sence yea but it is not a new sence declared by them but they avow the old sence declared by the Church The publike authenticke Acts of the Church c. yea but if there be no such publique authenticke Acts of the Church then here 's a sence of their owne declared under pretence of it 6. It seemes against the Kings Declaration 1. That sayes we shall take the generall meaning of the Articles this Act restraines them to consent of VVrighters 2. That sayes the Article shall not be drawne
in the time of K. Edward and Q. Elizabeth and in the time of Q. Mary for his conscience endured voluntary exile And to place him in the front of the most learned and Godly English Bishops holy Martyrs and others that suffered Martyrdome in the daies of Q. Mary for the truth and Gospell of Christ Jesus in which number he is Registred in the Title Page and placed before Bishop Hooper and Father Latymer in the Book it selfe The occasion of writing this unlicenced obscure Pamphlet was as followeth Iohn Veron being Divinity Lecturer in Paules Cathedrall in the first yeare of Queene Elizabeth handled the Doctrine of Predestination and other incident Points thereto belonging in direct opposition the Popish Pelagian and now Arminian Tenets which Lectures he soone after published in Print and dedicated to Q. Elizabeth in a booke intituled A Fruitfull Treatise of Predestination c. Printed at London for JOHN TYLDALE about the second yeare of Queene Elizabeths Raigne against which Lectures this Champnyes taking some exceptions published this Anonimous Answer by way of a Letter which Veron soone after answered almost verbatim in his authorized Apology dedicated to the Queen whereto Champeneys never replyed After which this Letter was largly answered word for word from the very Title page to the end thereof in a Book Intituled An Apology or Defence of the English Writers and Preachers with Cerberus the Three-Headed Dogge of Hell chargeth with false Doctrine under the name of Predestination written by Robert Crowley Clerke a fugitive for Religion in Queene Maries dayes and an eminent laborious Preacher in those times Vicar of Saint Giles without Criplegate in London Imprinted at London in Pater-Noster-Rowe at the signe of the Starre by Henry Denham Anno 1566. Octob. 14. Seene and allowed according to the order appointed In which booke this Pamphlet which the Bishop and his Agents now obtrude upon us as the received Doctrine of our prime Martyrs and of the Church of England in King Edward the 6th and Queene Elizabeths Reignes was by publique Authority in the name of all the Orthodox Writers and Preachers of England refuted as directly contrary to the received Doctrine of our Martyres Writers Preachers Church and censured as Pelagiau and Popish in both these ancient printed Answers It must needs therefore be an inexpiable insufferable abuse in this Archbishop and his Instruments thus to revive reprint this exploded Erronious Arminian Treatise in the yeare 1631 and obtrude it on us as the received Doctrine of our Martyrs and Church of England in the beginning of Reformation whereas there was nothing lesse on purpose to propagate his Arminian Errors and strengthen that lesuiticall faction After this Mr. Prynne produced Bishop Hoopers Confession and Protestation of his faith made to the whole Parliament An. 1550. in King Edwards dayes His comfortable Exposition upon the Psalmes London 1580. his Articles upon the Creed London 1584. Artic. 3. to 15. 17. 21. 25. 29. 30. 33. 36. 38. to 56 62. 67. 68. 91. to 99. wherein he expresly in terminis refutes those Arminian opinions which this our Author wold wrest out of the words of his Preface to the Commandements contrary to his intention together with divers Passages in Father Latimers Sermons expresly against the Arminian Tenets which explicate his other misapplyed Clauses in the Hystoricall Naration All which Mr. Pryn then shewed to Sir Humfry Lynde to his great satisfaction then desired him to repaire to Bishop Laud in his name to acquaint him with the premises and this desperate Imposture he had obtruded on our Church to his eternall Infamie and thereupon to advise him speedily to call in and burne this dangerous seducing booke or else he would prosecute him to the uttermost for this abuse Sir Humfry accordingly acquainted the Bishop his Chaplin Martin herewith but yet they took no course to suppresse the Booke whereupon Mr Prynne repaired to Lambheth to Archbishop Abbot acquainted him with the execrablenesse of this imposture shewed him the severall old Answers to this new printed Pamphlet with the expresse positions of Bishop Hooper and Bishop Latymer contrary to those imputed to them in this Narration desiring him to call in this dangerous Historicall Narration with all severity and to cause it to be publikely burnt to reprint the old Answers to it and withall to give him leave to prosecute Bishop Laud his Chaplaine Martin with the publisher of this book in the high Commission for this insufferable abuse To which Archb. Abbot gave this answer that this booke did very much trouble him that he had sent to Bishop Laud about it who at first denied that his Chaplain licensed it but afterwards acknowledged it that he gave order to call it in but it was in a privat manner after most of the bookes vâ—nded that he never saw nor knew of these 2. old Answers to it therefore desired Mr. Pryn to leave them with him for a time promising faithfully to restore them and to give him an accompt of this businesse on the Saturday following In the meane time Mr. Prynne because this booke had done much harme in both the Vniversities sent downe some of these Answers of Veron and Crowly with some of Bishop Hoopers books to Oxf. Cambridg to some of his acquaintance there and to the Vniversity Lybrary at Oxford whither many resorted to peruse them to their great satisfaction and the Bishops dishonour by discovering this imposture to them On Saturday being Easter Eve Master Prynne repayred to Archbishop Ahbot for an Answer who told him that he had called in this offencive book seized on som of the copies which were caried into Stationers-hall that Bishop Laud had since been with him that he had shewed him the bookes there left who confessed his Chaplin Martÿn had licenced this Narration in which he had done very ill but he had given him such a ratling for his paines that hee would warrant His Grace hee should never meddle with Arminian Bookes or Opinions more To which Mr. Prynne replyed that indeed he had ratled him to very great purpose for no longer then yesterday in the afternoone his Chapline Martin Preaching the Passion Sermon at Paules Crosse publikly broached maintained Vniversall grace and Redemption with all the Arminian Errors contained in this Book and condemned in the Synol of Dort to the great offence of the Auditors as his owne Chaplains Dr. Buckner Master Austen and Dr. Featley could at large informe him and therefore the Bishop did most grosly abuse his Grace herein who should doe well to proceed against both of them and publikly censure them in the High-Commission or this grosse practise to the end the whole Kingdome might take notice of it and the Arminian party be thereby discouraged That the Bookes they had seized were but few the greatest part of the Impression being vented they were called in so slighty and in so private a manner that few or none took notice thereof and
and prejudice of Religion grew conscious to himself that this passage if un-expunged might one day rise up in judgement against him and be applied to himselfe in after times wherefore out of a provident foresight he thought it a poynt of wisdome to expunge it But since divine providence hath brought it to publike light we conceive it will be a very good president to direct your Lordships judgement in the sentence of this Haman this Arch-Malefactor against our State and Religion The the third expunged clause was this And whereas there is not onely a law of God but even of man against Sabbath-breaking which concernes the fourth Commandement and divers against Popery which trencheth upon the first and second Commandement c. let not the other which concernes the Sabbath seem to have been consented to onely upon the importunity of a few Precise persons but never intended for execution least God set such a Memorandum upon them and you who will not be carefull of the Memento set upon that Commandement that whoso heareth of it both his eares shall tingle as stories tell us he hath done upon both Prince and People in France Denmarke yea and here in England offending in that kind Let not all the other Statutes tending towards the first and second Commandement seem meer engines of state to draw reward for toleration dispensation and connivancy least God connive not at nor dispence with such intolerable dissimulation least he make the gaine gotten by this dividing of Adoration between him and Idols to be like that of Solomens in that case which was recompenced with the losse and dividing of his Kingdome betwixt his sonne and astranger 1 Reg. 11 and 12. Chapters But ob farre be that from the State of this Iland and from you to be instruments in it And in the Margin this Note affixed to the word stories was quite purged out Greg. Turonensis Magdeburg cent 12. c. 6. at London 1583 c. in which places meaner persons working greater sporting Kings fighting battatles on the Sabbath dayes are all reported to be overthrowne and destroyed with fearfull judgements These being the onely pious Orthodox passages in all this Sermon against popery Papists Sabbath-breaking and ill Counsellours were quite crossed out with this Bishops owne hand who altered and added many things in it for the worse and all to this very purpose that the people might not take notice of any designe in forraigne parts to extirpate the Protestant Religion or to tolerate set up Popery or suspend the Lawes against it or Papists Priests and Sabbath-breakers at home whereof these Clauses gave them notice which this Doctor as had as he was foresaw world produce that devision in our Kingdom which we now experimentally suffer under threatning uttter desolation to us all these purgations in one Sermon were made by polupragmaticall Prelat before he had any legall power to license Books for the Presse 〈…〉 â—econdly we shall proceed to some higher attempts after he had gained such 〈…〉 of them even upon the publike Records of our Church 〈…〉 of 3. Jacobi ch 1. intituled An Act for a publike Thanksgiving 〈…〉 every yeere on the fifth day of November ordaineth this day to be had perpetuall remembrance that all ages to come might yeeld prayses to God for our deliverance from the most inhumane cruell and barbarous Gunpowder-plot of the Papests and hate in memory this joyfull day of deliverance Hereupon there was a speciall booke of Prayers and Thanksgiving compiled and enjoyned by authority to be used on this day in one of the prayers whereof there was this clause Root out the Babylonish and Antichristian Sect which say of Ierusalem downe with it downe with it even to the ground and to that end strengthen the hands of our gracious King the Nobles Magistrates of the Land with judgement and justice to cut off these workers of iniquity whose Religion is Rebellion whose Faith is Faction whose practice is murdering of soules and bodies and to root them out of the confines of this Kingdome c. This clause continued in all these publike books without the least exception or alteration from the yeere of our Lord 1606. till 1635. and then this Arch-bishop conceiving this passage to lay an imputation and seandall First upon the profession of Romish Priests Jesuits and blood-thirsty papists by stiling them a Babylonish and Antichrian sect Secondly upon their Romish Religion whose religion is rebellion whose faith is faction Thirdly upon their Rebellious and traiterous practises in stiling them these workers of iniquity whose practice is murdering of soules and bodies Fourthly upon their persons as unfit to be tolerated in the Realm and meet to be rooted out of the confines of this Kingdom by the King Nobles and Magistrates a clause altogether inconsistent with our toleration of and his reconciliation of us our religion with them and Rome then actually intended endeavoured by this Arch-prelat and his Confederates he thereupon in the yeere 1635. caused this Book to be re-printed and altered the forementioned clauses in this ensuing forme only to gratifie the Jesuits Priests popish Recusants and take off these just charges against them and their Religion both for the time past and future by turning the edge of this prayer upon the Puritanes on whom the Papists would have fathered this their horrid treason had it taken effect Root out that Babylonish and Antichristian sect of them which say of Ierusalem c. And to that end strengthen the hands of our gracious King the Nobles and Magistrates of the Land with justice and judgement to cut off those working of iniquity who turne Religion into Rebellion and faith into Faction c. Master Henry Burton in his Sermons on the fifth of November 1636. intituled For God and the King p. 130. to 142. informed the people of this most grosse alteration and charged the Arch bishop to be the Author of it aggravating his offence to the full Master Prynne doing the like in his Epistle Dedicatory to his Quench-Cole For this good service among others they were brought into the Star-chamber by the Archbishops instigation who in his Speech in that Court at their consure published by speciall command First of all confessed that he made this alteration Secondly justified the making of it because it gave offence and scandall to the Papists which ever ought to be avoyded as much as may be adding that it laid an imputation on their Religion as if it were rebell on spending sundry pages in justification of this alteration as most fitting and necessary averring that our religion and the Papists was all one and rendring three reasons why this change was made Thirdly he addes by way of justification excuse that though he made this alteration yet he did it by his Majesties command p. 33. 34. His Majesty expresly commanded me to make the Alterations and see then printed and here are both the Books with his
dishonourable scandalous and offensive act which would scandalize and disgust all his wel-affected protestant Subjects dishonour his owne royall Father King James our Parliaments Church State who all authorized approved used this prayer for thirty yeeres space together encourage Papists Priests Jesuits to such like horrid treasons and exceedingly animate elevate the popish faction causing them to deride if not to insult over the Protestants and our Church which must now alter retract her own approved Collects to gratifie them and their Antichristian Religion But so farre is he from this that he readily obeyes the first command without the lest disswasion resistance without advising with or giving notice thereof to any other of his Brethren the Privy-Counsell Judges and other publike persons as much concerned in it as himselfe to whom he ought to have given notice and asked their leave at least opinions herein ere he obeyed the King though not Master Burtons and Master Prynnes being more ready to obey than his Majesty to command them Finally admit his Majesty had commanded him to make these alterations yet for him in his owne cause in an open Court of Justice where by Law he ought not to have been present or spoken as a Judge to lay all the Odium of these alterations with all his other Innovations in Religion only on his Majesty to render him odious to his people to cloke his own shame extenuate his own guilt and then to publish it in print to all the World to his perpetuall dishonour when there was no necessity and that by pretext of his Majesties speciall command was such a disloyalty and transcendent aggravation of his crime as no age can paralell no punishment expiate but that which the Gunpowder Traytors justly suffered Besides this after the publication of his â—peech in Star-chamber he specially imployed Doctor Heylin to iustifie these alterations to the world in print in his Moderate Answer to the seditious and scandalous chalenges of Henry Burton as he stiles them written by his * speciall command and licensed by his Chaplaine p. 150. to 157. and ordered Christopher Dowe to second him herein in his Innovations unjustly charged upon the present Church and State p. 136 to 14â— where thus he writes Secondly I say that the alteration of those Prayers being done by the same authority that first set them forth it is neither for him nor me nor anyother of inferiour ranke to question them but with humble reverence to submit to their judgements and to think them wiser and farre more fit to order those things that belong to then places than we whom it neither concernes nor indeed can know the reasons that move them either to doe or alter anything But more particularly that which he objecteth against the former is that they would not hereby have all Jesuits and Papists termed a Babylonish and Antichristian Sect but restraine it to some few of them and mentally transferre it to those Puritanes who cry downe with Babylon that is popery But what then what if out of a charitable respect to those which in that Religion are peaceable and honest men as no doubt but some of them whatsoever Master B. beleeves of them are such they are not willing nor think it fit to pray for the rooting up and confusion of all Papists indiscriminatim under those harsh termes surely charitably minded Christians cannot but approve such an alteration if there were no other ground than that for it As for any mans transferring it to Puritanes that is as meer a surmise as it is a false slander that any of those whom he intimates doe call Rome Jerurusalem or Popery the true Catholique Religion Yet I know not why such furious cryers downe of popery as Master B. hath shewed himselfe may not be accounted of a Baby lonish and Antichristian Sect as well as any Jesuit in the world nor why we may not pray and that with better reason than Master B. would have men to doe and under those titles against the Hierarchy of our church that God would root them out of the Land c. Wherein he makes zealous opposers of popery those the world then stiled Puritanes more dangerous persons and fitter to be rooted out of the Land as a Babylonish Antichristian Sect than papists or Jesuits Now thus to justifie this alteration in so daring impudent a manner in favour of popery priests Papists Jesuits what a transcendent crime it is and of what a rotten popish spirit it savours let all impartiall persons determine The third purgation made by himselfe discovering the hidden popery of his heart is his purging out this notable clause against popery in the first Collect of the publike book of prayers appointed at the generall Fast for ceasing the Plague in the yeere 1636. Thou hast delivered us from Superstition and Idolatry wherein we were utterly drowned and hast brought us into the most cleare and confortable light of thy blessed Word by which we are taught how to serve and honouor thee and how to live orderly with our Neighbours in truth and verity The King by his Proclamation Anno 1636. commanded that the Booke of prayers for the Fast formerly set forth by authority should be reprinted re-published and likewise used in all Churches and places at the publike meetings during this Fast The Arch-bishop instead of re-printing the book formerly set forth by authority purgeth this clause out of it in the new impression though used in the Fast-books upon like occasions in Queen Elizabeths and King James their severall reignes and in that of 1. Caroli and that upon these very grounds which should have moved him to retaine it still had his heart been upright or sincere to God and our Religion because it layes a just censure and blemish upon popery by stiling it superstition and idolatry and thankfully recites Gods goodnesse to us in delivering us from Popish superstition and idolatry wherein we were utterly drowned and bringing us into the most cleare and comfortable light of his holy Word by which we are taught how to serve and honour him c. A clause so pious so just and equitable that it is almost a miracle how any but a most inveterate Papist could except against it yet this Arch bishop is so irreconcileably angry with it that it must be wholy obliterated and quite omitted out of this new impression and that without any speciall order or command from his Majesty which he pleaded for the former alterations in the Gunpowder-treason book or any suggestion from Papists Priests or Jesuits who were scandalized with it for he doth not so much as pretend any such thing in his justification of this purge but by his owne papall authority contrary to his Majesties Proclamation out of his own metro popish genius which perswades us that the former alcerations in the book for the fift of Novem. proceeded originally from himself too as well as this however he would translate it to the
Popery to be an Antichristian Yoake Fifthly to the Hymne printed in the end of all our Psalmes and Common-prayer books From Turke and Pope defend us Lord which both would thrust out of his throne our Lord Jesus Christ thy deare Sonne and the prayer for private families bound up with our Bibles and Common-prayer-books confound Satan and Antichrist c. Sixthly to the whole torrent of our Protestant Martyrs Writers who define the Pope to be Antichrist yea the great Antichrist prophesied of in Scripture This was the direct position of our godly learned Martyr Walter Brute who maintained it in a large discourse recorded by Master Fox in his Acts and Monuments edit 1641. vol. I. p. 622. to 632. of our English Apostle Iohn Wickliffe Fox ibid. p. 594. justified by John Hus and Joan Wicklif Dialog l. 4. c. 15. Rich. Wimbledon in his Sermon preached at Pauls Crosse anno 1389. Fox vol. 1. p. 718. Sir Geofry Chaucer in his Plough-mans Tale Lucifers letters to the Prelats of England supposed to be written by William Swinderly Martyr Fox Acts and Monuments edit 1610. p. 482. 483. Sir Iohn Oldeastle that famous Knight and Martyr Fox ibid. p. 417. 418. Pierce Ploughman his complaint of the abuses of the World Fox ibid. 1. edit 1641. p. 520. to 532. Mr. Wil. Tyndall a godly learned Martyr in his Obedience of a Christian man p. 214. 215 c. in his Revelation of Antichrist and Practice of Popish Prelats The Author of the image of a very christian Bishop and of a counterfeit Bishop printed about the yeere 1538. Rodericke Mors his complaint to the Parliament of England about 37 of King Henry 8. c. 23 24. William Wraughter his Hunting and resening of the Romish Fox dedicated to King Henry the eighth Henry Stalbridge his Exhortatory Epistle to his dearly beloved Country of England in King Henry the eighth his Reigne Iohn Bale Bishop of Osyris in his Image of both Churches and Scriptorum Illustrium Brittaâ—dae p. 33. 116. 117. 161. 286. 287. 471. 481. 633. to 640. 647. 702. de Vitis Ponrificum Romanorum Father Latymer Master Bilney Master Rogers Shetterdon and other of our Martyrs William Alley Bishop of Exeter in his Poore mans Library part 1. sol 56. Bishop Iewell in his Defence of the Apology of the Church of England p. 593. 449. 480. to 497. 508. and Reply to Harding p. 220. to 230. Master Thomas Beacon his Acts of Christ and Antichrist his Supplication unto Christ his Reports of Certaine men Reliques of Rome Master Iohn Fox in his Meditations upon the Apocalips Bishop Bilson in his book of Christian Subjection and unchristian Rebellion Doctor Whitaker Doctor Robert Abbot Bishop of Sarum Doctor George Downham Bishop of Derry Doctor Beard Master Powel Doctor Willet Doctor Fulke Doctor Sutcliffe Doctor Sharp Master Squire in their severall Treatises and discourses concerning Antichrist Doctor Iohn White in his way to the true Church Sect. 61. Num. 4. Master Brightman upon the Revelation Doctor Crakenthorpe his defence of Constantine and of the Popes temporall Monarchy and generally all other our eminentest English Writers of any note till this Arch-bishops reigne have positively defined the Pope and Papacy to be the great Antichrist and proved the same at large We shall close up this with two of the Arch-bishops predecessors resolutions in this point The first is Arch-bishop Cranmer who as he refused to move or stirre his cap to the Popes Commissioners when he was converted before them for his Religion so he likewise professedly averred the Pope to be the Artichrist in these very termes recorded by Master Fox in his Acts and Monuments Vol. 3. Edit 1641. p. 653. 660. 661. The Bishop of Rome unlesse he be Antichrist I cannot tell what to make of him wherefore if I should obey him I cannot obey Christ he is like the Devill in his doings for the Devill said to Christ If thou wilt fall downe and worship me I will give thee all the Kingdomes of the world thus he tooke upon him to give that which was not his owne even so the Bishop of Rome giveth Princes their Crownes being none of his owne for where Princes either by election either by succession either by inheritance obtaine their Crowne he saith that they should have it from him Christ saith that Antichrist shall be and who shall he be forsooth he that advanceth himselfe above all other creatures Now if there be none already that hath advanced himselfe after such sort besides the Pope then in the mean time let him be Antichrist c. After which he desired all them present to beare him witnesse that he tooke the traditions and Religion of that usurping Prelat to be most erronious false and against the doctrine of the whole Scripture which he had often times wel proved by writing and the author of the same to be very Antichrist so often preached of by the Apostles Prophets in whom did most evidently concur al signes and tokens whereby he was painted out to the world to be known for it was most evident that he had advanced himselfe above all Emperours and Kings of the world whom he affirmed to hold their estates and Empires of him as of their chiefe c. He hath brought in gods of his owne framing and invented a new Religion full of gaine and lucre quite contrary to the holy Scriptures onely for the maintaining of his Kingdome displacing Christ from his glory and holding his people in a miserable servitude of blindnesse to the losse of a great number of soules which God at the latter day shall exact at his hand boasting many times in his canons and decrees that he can dispence contra Petrum contra Paulum contra vetus novum testamentum and that he plenitudine potestatis tantum prtesi quantum Deus that is against Peter against Paul against the old and new Testament and of the fulnesse of power may doe as much as God O Lord who ever heard such blasphemy if there be any man that can advance himselfe above him let him be judged Antichrist This enemy of God and our Redemption is so evidently painted out of the Scriptures by such manifest signes and tokens which all so cleerly appeare in him that except a man will shut up his eyes and heart against the light he cannot but know him and therefore for my part I will never give my consent to the receiving of him into this Church of England thus Cranmer resigned at his death This Arch-prelat therefore hath shut his eyes and heart against this shining truth in his godly Predecessors judgement who not onely doubts but denies the Pope to be the Antichrist The second is Arch-bishop Whitguift who when he commenced Doctor and answered the Divinity act at Cambridge anno 1569. publikely maintained this assertion in the Schooles Papa est ille Ancichristus as Sir George Paul records in his life p. 5. which this Arch-bishops immediate Predecessor Abbot
of perfection not forbidding all swearing but rather wishing that men could so live in faith love and truth that there might be no use of an oath Answ first this is false because Christs words are not perswasory but prohibitory expresly forbidding swearing 23. Passages expunged against Popish evill Councellours and the vices of Princes Courts IN Master Wards Comentary upon Matthew page 78 written copy these clauses are deleted A foole faith Solomon breedeth farres among friends but a Man of wisdome appea seth strife The first we see verified in Rehoboams young Councellours who made a breach and irreconcilable rent between the King and his people 1 King 12. and the second in good Abigail 1 Sam. 25. 18. and in the woman of Tekoah 2 Sam. 14. Sowers of discord are found in the Church or in the Kingdome in Kingdomes viz. First those that long for nothing but warre blaming a peaceable government and quiet State and are never well but whiles they are fishing in troubled waters Secondly those that instigate others to warre as the Cardinals and Jesuits upon every occasion doe whisper in the eates of Princes to make warre upon their neighbours when they perceive any advantage may be had thereby Thirdly those that make themselves mercenary for the nourishing of slaughters Ibidem on Mat. 11. 7. 8. â— this whole discourse is expunged What went you out to see c. as these words what went you out to see a reed shaken with the wind may be referred by way of reproofe unto the people so also these they that weare soft clothing are in Kings houses doth our Saviour then simply tax the pomp and glory of Princes Courts First certainly there is pompe and cost and bravery in Princes Courts which is not unlawfull and that both because it serves to the beauty glory and ornament of the place and also because the vulgar sort are kept thereby the better in obedience and feare Secondly yet our Saviour seems ex consequenti to reprove and condemne the life of Courtiers or the court-life went you out to see a man clothed in soft rayment behold they that weare soft cloathing are in Kings houses as if he would say a religious life and a court-life are not alike for although the pomp bravery and delights of Kings Courts be not immediately evill in themselves yet they lesse suit and agree with Religion Whence we may note That a soft dainty delicate and court-like life hinders many from true Religion or from being truly religious it being the nature of pleasure to draw the mind along with it What things are ordinary in a court-life In Kings Courts these vices are most frequent and familiar namely first pride it is ordinary with Courtiers to look high to despise others to over-prize themselves and with Simon Magus to think themselves some great ones Acts 8. 2. Now Religion teacheth men to be humble and lowly and to give place one unto another and to strive one to come after another and not as many Courtiers frequently doe who strive quarrell justle and fight about the wals and precedency Rom. 12. 10. 46. Secondly avarice for they which have many things want many and they who spend much want much and according to the Proverb rob Peter to pay Paul i. e. extort from others to expend upon themselves Now Religion teacheth men to give almes and to be liberall but Kings Courts although they teach not yet at least practice rapire oppression and griping of those under them Thirdly pleasure and delight as we see in Dives Luke 16. and hence men become more effeminate unconstant and unable to suffer any afflictions injuries wrongs or the like whereas Religion teacheth men to suffer and to want and to be content in all estates Phil. 1. 27. 29. 4. 10. James 4. 7. c. yea the court-life being full of pomp and pleasure makes men more unable to resist or withstand the temptations of Satan the allurement of the world or the suggestions of their owne corrupt nature and more proue and ready to yeeld unto them Christ the second Adam was tempted in the Wildernesse but could not be conquered but the first being assaulted in Paradise a place of pleasure was easily overcome Fourthly idlenesse Courtiers for the most part are given to eating drinking sleeping and gaming yea like the Israelites spend the most part of their lives in these Exod. 32. 6. but Religion teaches us to labour and take paines yea to earne our bread with the sweat of our browes Gen. 3. and how can he labour in Religion who will not labour nor take paines in some worldly employment Fifthly flattery Aio Aio Courtiers can fawne and sooth yea jurare in verba Magistri sweare what their Lords say Now Religion â—acheth men to be couragious and bold yea not to flatter but rather to reprove offenders to their face as Christ saith goe and tell Herod that Fox and John boldly reproved him for Herodias his brothers wife and the King being angry with him for this and casting him into prison yea afterwards beheading him the Courtiers willingly permitting it Who are here to be blamed Those who are deceived with the delights of a court-life for it is not what it seems to be but rather is like to a painted reed or a beautifull raine-bow as appeares thus First court-favour and felicity last not long for it is as slippery as an Ele as fading as a flower as brittle as glasse and like grasse upon the house top which quickly withers Secondly court-felicity and delights are evill corrupting the manners for first some observe that there are but few truly good in Kings Courts and secondly if they be good at first yet at last they are corrupted as we see in Tyberius Cal-gula Commodus Aula vel malos invenit vel facit the Court finds some bad and so leaves them the Court finds some good but makes them bad and therefore who would praise that barne or field that changeth the wheat into tares or that cask that changeth the Wine into vinegar or that vessell which changeth the Oyle into Lees Secondly they are to blame who delight in proud apparell and fantasticall fashions for first it was never a thing of any good report in Solomon gorgeous attire is not reproved but yet we see that his bravery prosperity and court-delights did so eneruate and weaken his mind and cause him so farre to decline that many have questioned whether ever he were renewed by repentance or not Secondly proud and gorgeous attire is alwayes taxed and blamed in Scripture read Isa 3. 1 Tim. 2. 9. 1 Pet. 3. 3. Yea thirdly the bravery and fashions of the Court are noxious and hurtfull unto the Country who is too ready to imitate it herein And fourthly it is a foolish thing for a man to seeke praise by his apparrell he being in his richest robes no better then the Crowe who braved it in borrowed plumes yea it is a wicked
told him he was the most odious man at Rome of any or of any that had sate in that Sea The Arch-bishop then averred that he used these speeches to him at dinner at Lambeth at a time when Auditor Phillips was there who demanded of Sir Henry whether he saw the Pope when he was at Rome and what manner of man he was Who replied that he saw him in his Garden out of a window riding a great horse in a morning and that he was very like the Auditor Sir Henry confessed this discourse with the Auditor but absolutely denied he ever said he was the most odious man at Rome of any c. and desired him to prove it Wherupon the Archbishop asked of his Secretary Dell whether he did not heare Sir Henry tell him so much at dinner Who answered that he did not heare him say so but that his Grace told him after dinner that he said so which Sir Henry peremptorily denied After which Sir Henry being demanded by Master Serjeant Wild who they were that spake against the Arch-bishop who for him and what he conceived to be the cause why some spake thus against him others in his behalf He answered that there were two factions in Rome one of the Jesuits some of these disliked the Arch-bishop and spake against him because they conceived he aimed at too great an Ecclesiasticall power in these Kingdomes for himself The other was of the Secular Priests who all spake very well of him and commended him because he carried himselfe in such sort in the government of our Church as to draw it neerer unto the Church of Rome and shewed himselfe favourable to their party Whereupon the Arch-bishop said that Sir Henry never told him this before Who answered it was true and the reason was because he never demanded of him any such Question but now he was demanded the Question upon his Oath and therefore he must speak the truth At which passage most of the Auditory smiled and the Committee of Commons who managed the Evidence thanked the Arch-bishop for this good testimony on his behalfe desiring him to furnish them with some more such witnesses Adding that seeing Sir Henry was but a single witnesse in this case and so perhaps the Arch-bishop would evade his testimony though produced by himselfe and since he had given them this occasion to examine what opinion the Priests and Jesuits had of him at Rome they therefore humbly desired that they might now produce the testimonies of some other Gentlemen of note who had been at Rome as well as S. Hen. could give as good or better an account of his credit there as he had done Whereupon they poduced Captain Authony Mildmay brother to Sir Henry to testifie his knowledge in this particular who deposed at the Bar upon oath That he was at Rome at the time when Con the Popes Nuncio was to come over into Eng. as Nuncio who then enquired of him concerning the infirmities and age of Arch-bishop Abbot and thereupon said Bishop Laud who is to succeed him will be more favourable to us then he hath been That there were two great factions in Rome one of the Jesuits another of the Secular Priests that the Jesuits faction did not like the Archb. because he usurped too much Ecclesiasticall power to himself and endeavoured to make himselfe a Patriarke over all his Majesties Kingdomes but the Secular Priests and their faction loved and spake very well of him because they said they knew him to be their friend and that he had a designe to bring the Popish Religion into England That Father Fitton and Father John told him that there was a designe to reconcile England to the Church of Rome that Bishop Laud was the chiefe instrument in it that other English Bishops did joyne with him in the designe and that he should find that there should be none preferred in the Court but such as were Papists or affected to popery That Father Fitton being the generall agent for the Secular Priests had extraordinary good intelligence from England and that Master Walter Mountague when he was at Rome lay at his house that Father John was the generall agent at Rome for the Benedictines and that Father Talbot a Jesuit had told him as much as these two had done concerning Bishop Laud who yet spake somewhat ill of him because said he he intends to make himselfe a Patriark of all the Kings Dominions out of his pride which he said would eclipse the Popes authority and therefore he said he was condemned at Rome by their party the Jesuits for this particular although otherwise he was a great favourer of their Religion This testimony even from Rome it selfe is very full and punctuall to our purpose that there was no difference at all between the Secular Priests and the Archbishop nor yet between the Jesuits and him but only this that he out of his ambition would like his Predecessor Anselme be Papa alterius orbis the Pope or Patriark of our other world and of the Kings Dominions which the titles of Sanctitatis Vestrae Sanctissime Pater attributed to him by the University of Oxford and Master Croxton made them jealous of which the Jesuits could not well brook at Rome But to make this more cleer we shall adde one witnesse more who hath been often times at Rome and spent divers yeers among papists in foraigne parts and that is one Master Thomas Challoner a Gentleman of quality who thereupon being sworn gave in this following testimony viva voce upon oath which he set downe under his owne hand MY LORDS TOuching the Arch-bishop of Canterbury I can say little in particular but in generall thus First that for these fourteen or fifteen yeers last past it hath been my fortune divers and sundry times to be in France Flanders Holland and Italy where very often happening into the company of Lawyers priests and men of the long Robe I found them alwayes very forward in their discourse of England and of the great hopes they had to see it suddenly reduced to the catholike faith that they had many great parsons in England who were secretly of their religion and in particular the Arch-bishop whom they avowed to be wholly theirs a good Roman Catholike a politike propagator of the Roman faith by minutes and degrees wherein he used great subtilty and craft which they called wisdom and that both he and others would openly declare themselves so to be in time convenient beseeching God the blessed Virgin to prosper his designes And this is so notorious as I beleeve no man of any experience in foraigne parts who hath had an eare to hear or a tongue and heart to speak the truth but hath heard the same often re-iterated and will attest it Yet upon what foundation these opinions should be built I am not precisely able to determine Secondly that eleven or twelve yeers since I being at Bruxels in Brabant
and there discoursing with an English Gentleman who had been an ancient traveller touching the then late rooting out of sundry English able and orthodox Ministers for not complying with the Bishops in divers new idolatrous ceremonies this Gentleman assured me that he had often heard of strange reports of matters likely to befall England both from English and Irish papists which he gave no heed unto supposing them to speake rather as they would have it then as it was in verity But now that he had heard so much from me he did much suspect that there was some plot in hand to change the Religion in Eng. wherof he would diligently enquire assuring me that he had as good means to know it as any man of our Nation that lived on that side of the Seas At our next meeting he told me that he had dived into the plot That ere long we must all of necessity be papists in Eng. that the best wits both in Eng. and on that side of the Seas were interested therein That it was so politickly laid that he did not see how in the judgment of man it could possibly be prevented That the Archb. and some other Bishops were of the plot and that the rest of the Bishops and Clergy partly for feare of losing what they had partly for hopes of geting more would undoubtedly comply That the refusers if they could not be corrupted were to be turned out of their livings banished imprisoned or forced to live in obscurity That it was to be done by gradations to bring in this point of Popery in one quarter of a yeer and the rest in another and if not direct popery yet so neer thereunto as the common people themselves would slide into it unawares that nothing but the King of Sweden's prosperity did hinder the sudden effecting of it Lastly that if we resisted not we should be cheated and cozened of our Religion and if we resisted we should be compelled thereto perforce I replied that I thought the Papists in England were not of any considerable number to effect their ends by force and that they were also dis-armed He told me the Papists were more in number and better armed then I conceived them to be many going now to Church who would then declare themselves papists besides a world of Newters who for hopes of preferment would be easily drawne to their party that they vvere all united and besides armed with authority He affirming that for many yeers vve had vvholly been governed by Papists most men in highest authority being either vvholly so or at least as serviceable unto them for private ends as if they vvere so indeed I replied that if we should be compelled to defend our Religion by force their authority would not be regarded He told me the Irish vvould be brought in I answered that I had spent some yeers in Ireland and knew them to want both courage and meanes to effect so great a businesse so that unlesse they were backed by the King of Spaine in a better manner then I conceived he was able at that time to doe they durst not undertake it He told me they should have a better back and more encouragement then the King of Spaine could give them and that both France and Spain should assist therein I replied that I thought France and Spaine were likely to disagree and therefore unfit for such a businesse He told me that since J vvould needs have it the greatest introducers of popery should be the Protestants themselves Whereat vvhen J vvondred as seeming to me a paradox he told me that the vvar should be so disguised under false notions and pretences as the Protestants should ignorantly become the Jesuits servants and by the effusion of their ovvne blood set up popery by force Thirdly that being in Rome seven or eight yeers since one Father John of the Order of Saint Benet was very tnquisitive of me to knovv vvho bestovved the livings in England and vvhether the Arch bishop did not doe it I answered that the livings were in the donation of such as had the Advousons of them whether it were the King Arch bishops Bishops Deanes and Chapters Colledges Corporations Noble men Gentlemen or others He asked me if the Arch-bishop did not bestow the Kings livings I said no but the Lord Keeper if they were under such a value if above the King himselfe He seemed very much agrieved that the Arch-bishop did not bestow them and told me that he did not despaire of seeing England to be very suddenly Catholike And though be were by reason of his Order tyed more strictly to the Pope then others were yet he was carefull to have both Kings and Kingdomes priviledges preserved and more particularly that the Benefices in England might not be bestowed upon Italians as formerly but that the Arch-bishop should have the ordering thereof All this I have oft related some yeers since to divers persons of quality for which I incurred some trouble by the Jesuits and this Arch-bishops meanes This Testimony is so home and punctuall that we shall adde no more thereto it informs us of a long since plotted and actuated confederacy between this Archbishop and other English Prelats and the Popes Instruments at Rome and in other forraigne parts to introduce popery and reduce us back to Rome It chalks out to us the manner and method of their proceedings in all particulars and the politick contrivances of all sorts to effect their intended designe all which we have by wofull experience seen punctually acted pursued accordingly to this very moment in which pursuit this Archbishop hath been the Archinstrument since then we visibly behold these reports of theirs verefied to the view of all the world we must no longer look upon them is empty rumours or discourses but as reall Evidences beyond all exceptions The second groundwork we shall lay and prove is this That there hath been for many yeers last past a dangerous damnable Plot and serious endeavour of the Pope and his Instruments to reduce and reconcile the Church of England to the Church and Sea of Rome and that this Arch-bishop was privy to and had notice of it This Plot was first laid about the yeer 1617. when the Spanish Match was set on foot and King Charles then Prince of Wales fent into Spaine of purpose to reconcile him and in him our Kingdomes to the Church of Rome the prime end the Pope and Catholikes intended in that Match and Treaty as appeares by the severall Articles passages and proceedings in it well knowne to this Prelate by the Popes Letter to the Prince whiles in Spaine to reconcile him to Rome and make him a dutifull Sonne of that Church by the Popes Letter to his Nuncio the Bishop of Conchen when the Prince was in Spaine to endeavour his conversion to their Church upon this occasion by a Jesuits Oration to induce his Highnesse to that Religion and by the
Master Pryme IF you heare Fa. Francis his Booke or person touched let them know that we understand assuredly that it proceeds from the Jesuits most likely also by this last Letter of Mr. Midleton to the Archbishop who imploy others in it as they did against Father Leanded till it cost him his life and if that upon their informations they proceed against such persons who THOUGH IN ALL THINGS CATHOLIKE yet are more discrect and temperate and not intermedling in matters of State THE KING WILL BE MUCH OFFENDED Thus much for this Book of Sancta Clara and the Author of it The fifth Evidence we shall pitch upon to prove a designe to reconcile and reduce us back to Rome is the Popes and his Agents promises tenders of Cardinals Caps and Places to some prime English men and to this Archbishop himselfe in particular the end whereof could be no other but to enthrall us againe to the superstitious jurisdiction of the Papall See The first proffer we find of a Cardinals Cap made to any English Prelat since the Reformation was to this Archbishop who thus records the time and manner thereof with his owne hand in his Diary Aug. 4. 1633. Sunday news came to Court of the Lord Archbishop of Canterburies death and the King RESOLVED PRESENTLY to give it me which he did Aug. 6. That very morning at Greenwich there came one to me seriously and THAT AVOWED ABILITY TO PERFORME IT AND OFFERED ME TO BE A CARDINALL I went presently to the King and acquainted him both with the thing and person It is very considerable that Master Anthony Mildmay deposed that Con the Popes Nuncio told him at Rome before Archbishop Abbots death that Bishop Laud should succeed him and that he would be more favourable to the Catholikes then Abbot By which it appeares that Bishop Laud was long before Abbots death designed to the place if not at the solicitation yet at least by the approbation of the Roman party No sooner comes newes to Court of Archbishop Abbots death but the King presently resolves that Bishop Laud should succeed him and no sooner is this known at Court but that very morning as himselfe records he is thus seriously offered to be a Cardinall by one who avowed ability to performe it and that at Greenwich in the Kings own Court. Who it was that made this offer were worth the discovery but this mystery he couceales The Plot against the King discovered to him by Habernfield informes us That Con the Popes Nuncio had a command to offer A CARDINALS CAP TO THE ARCHBISHOP in the name of the Pope of Rome and that he should allure him also with greater promises but this first offer was before Con's arrivall here Were the person an English Subject of what rank soever this proffer of his to to revive this popish dignity of a Cardinall among us and to receive it from the Popes exploded forraigue power which drew Cardinall Woolsey into a Premunire if not under the guilt of high Treason though this honour was procured him not only by King Henry the 8th his assent but solicitation deserved the severest exemplary punishment especially since it tended to engage the Primate and Metropolitan of all England most obliged by his place and office against all Popish power offices superstitious doctrines to submit unto them and become the Popes sworne vassall If the Popes owne Nuncio Panzani which is probable or any other forraigne Agent the affront had been so great both to the Archbishops person place had he been cordial to our Church our Religion being both a Privy Counsellour the Kings grand favorite and he who steard our Churches helm to the honour of our Church Religion of the King himselfe and his Royall Court that it could not patiently be put up or pretermitted without some eminent satisfaction But be the person one or other certaine it is he was never once questioned or molested by the Archbishop for this proffer who took it so well at the parties hands or rejected it so coldly that on the 17. day of the same Moneth he had a second serious offer made to him of the selfe-same dignity most probably by the same person which himselfe thus Registreth in his Diary Aug. 17. 1633. Saturday I had A SERIOUS OFFER MADE ME AGAIN TO BE A CARDINALL I was then from Court but so soon as I came thither which was August 21 I acquainted his Majesty with it But my answer againe was that somewhat dwelt within me which would not suffer that till Rome were other then it is What it was that dwelt within him which made him not absolutely but for the present only to refuse this offer till Rome was other then it is we may learn from Sir Hen. Mildmay's Mr. Anth. Mildmay's Mr. Challoner's depositions forementioned and his owne Reply to Fisher pag. 171. to wit an ambitious Papall spirit he would like his worthy Predecessor Saint Anselme so he stiles him be both in Title and Jurisdiction Papa alterius Orbis Pope of our British world and Vniversall Patriarch of all the Churches within his Majesties Realmes and Dominions which Rome as it then was and the Jesuiticall party there as these witnesses have deposed distiked and would not suffer and for this cause onely he refused this dignity which would have more enthralled him to the Popes and Romes jurisdiction not to their Religion then his ambitious spirit could well brook This double serious proffer of a Romish Cardinalship to the Archbishop is an infallible Argument First that the Pope and his Conclave at Rome had an extraordinary good opinion of his favour his good affection to Popery and their Antichristian Church else they would not have profered him such a dignity incompatible to any Protestant English Prelat Secondly that they deemed him the aptest activest Instrument to reconcile and re-unite us to Rome of all other in respect of his favour at Court power with the King and inclination to Popery as Sir Henry Mildmay Master Anthony Mildmay Master Challoner have attested therefore they would honour him with a Cardinals Hat to the end that as his Predecessor Cardinall Poole Archbishop of Canterbury the last English Cardinall of any of our Prelats reconciled our revolted Kingdom to Rome in Queen Maries dayes as appeareth at large by the Statute of 1. 2. Phil. Mary ch 8. So he invested with the same Papall dignity and fitting in the self-same See might once more as easily reduce us to the bosome of the Roman Church in the dayes of this Queen Mary as Popish as the former as he did then As this Archbishop so Master Walter Mountague not long after had good hopes given him at Rome to be made a Cardinal as the Archbishop himself was informed by Mr. Middleton's forecited Letter which dignity he should have lately received thence had he not been imprisoned if Sir Kenelme Digbies Letter may be credited to help on this work
of our reducement to Rome yea the discovery of Andreas ab Habernfield to the Archbishop informes both him and ns That one of Endimion Porters Sonnes of the Bed-chamber now in armes against the Parliament was promised a Cardinals Hat if this designe succeeded well and that Sir Kenelme Digby Master Walter Mountague and other active Instruments who promoted that designe among us attended the sixteen Cardinals Caps that were vacant which were therefore detained vacant for some yeers to impose a vaine hope on those who expected them And Master Widford in his Letters from Rome to Secretary Windebank Novemb. 10. 1640. informes him that Master Sommerset and Master Brudenell were come to Florence aiming at our English Cardinals Caps which then by reason of the Popes Catarre were like to be disposed of All which particulars are a most cleere demonstration of the Pope and his Conclaves endeavours to reduce us back to Rome and of this Archbishops privity to if not assistance in it The sixth Evidence we shall mention to prove the Archbishops not onely intelligence of but compliance with the Popes and his Instruments Plots and proceedings to usher in Popery and reduce our Kingdomes to the Antichristian Religion and Church of Rome is his conusance and furtherance of this their design in Ireland which we shall thus demonstrate The House of Commons June 11. 1628. presented a Remonstrance to the King concerning the extraordinary encrease and growth of Popery of Papists both in England and Ireland and the extraordinary favour which they found from some great persons in his Court wherein they had this notable clause concerning Ireland IT doth not a little also encrease our dangers and feares this way to understand the miserable condition of your Kingdome of Ireland where without controle the Popish Religion is openly professed and practised in every part thereof Popish jurisdiction being generally exercised and avowed Monasteries Nunneries and other superstitious houses newly erected re-edified replenished with men and women of severall Orders and in a plentifull manner maintained in Dublin and most of the great Townes and divers other places of that Kingdome Which of what ill consequence it may prove if not seasonably repressed we leave to your Majesties wisdome to judge But most heartily beseech you as we assure our selves you doe to lay the serious consideration thereof to your Royall pious heart AND THAT SOME TIMELY COURSE MAY BE TAKEN FOR REDRESSE HEREIN Had this pious prudent timely advice been then harkned to and followed to purpose it might no doubt through Gods concurrence with it have prevented that horrid Rebellion those bloody Massacres of some hundred thousands of poor English Protestants in and devastation of that distressed Kingdom which have broken forth and been perpetrated there of late almost to the utter extirpation of the English and Irish Protestants the ruine of that Kingdome and infinite losse yea eminent danger of this our Realme to boot But this Popish Prelate though he then certainly knew this Remonstrance to be most true out of an inveterate hatred to the Parliament and a desire to promote the Catholikes designes there instead of perswading his Majesty to hearken to this true information and wholesome advice of his faithfull Commons drew up a most pernitious malepert Answer with his owne hand in his Majesties name against this Remonstrance which he presented to his Majesty wherein he incensed him against the Commons charging them not onely with misinforming but traducing his Majesties government by this clause concerning Ireland in this dishonourable language produced and read under his owne hand out of the Originall draught attested by Master Prynne FOR Ireland We think in case of Religion 't is not worse then Queen Elizabeth left it and for other affaires 't is as good as we found it nay perhaps better and We take it a great disparagement of Our government that it should be urged that new Monasteries Nunneries and other superstitious houses are erected and replenished in Dublin and other great Townes in this Our Kingdome for we assure Our Selves Our Deputy and Our Counsell there will not suffer God and Our government so to be dishonoured but We should have had some account of it from them and We may not endure thus to have Our good People misled with shewes Which in plaine tearmes is but a giving the House of Commons the Lye and a slandering of them as false Informers both to the King and people By which wicked practice their Remonstrance was rejected as a slanderous Libell and their Councell not pursued the dolefull effects whereof we now experimentally feele and rue That this Prelate when he made this Answer certainly knew of the grand encrease of the Papists in Ireland and that they had then upon the matter obtained a publike toleration will appeare by a paper found in his Study produced at the Barre thus endorsed with this Archbishops own hand 1626. The Bishops of Ireland about a Toleration feared The Judgement of the Arch-bishops and Bishops of Ireland concerning toleration of the Papish Religion by publike Protestation THE Religion of Papists is Superstitious and Idolatrous their Faith and Doctrine erronious and hereticall their Church in respect of both Apostaticall to give them therefore a toleration of Religion or to consent that they may-freely exercise their Religion and professe their Faith and Doctrine is a grievous sinne and that in two respects First it is to make our selves accessary to their superstitious Idolaries Heresies and in a word to all the abominations of popery but also which is a consequent of the former to the perdition of the seduced people which perish in the deluge of the Catholike Apostacy Secondly to grant them a toleration in respect of any money to be given or contribution to be made by them is to set Religion to sale and with it the soules of the people whom Christ our Saviour hath redeemed with his most precious blood And as it is a great sinne so it is a matter of most dangerous consequence the consideration whereof we leave to the wise and judicions beseeching the zealous God of truth to make those who are in authority zealous of Gods glory and of the advancement of true Religion zealous resolute and couragious against all Popery Superstition and Idolatry There were likely to be granted to the Papists in Ireland many priviledges and withall a toleration for their Religion in the consideration of the payment of a great summe of mony This Easter tearme 1626. there was a great meeting of all the chiefest of the whole Kingdome and the Archbishops and Bishops c. and it was likely to be concluded Doctor Dâ—wanm Bishop of London-Derry April 11. preached at Dublin before the Lord Deputy and the State his Text was Luke 1. at the 79. In the midst of his Sermon he openly read this Protestation above written subscribed by the Archbishops and Bishops of Ireland and at the end he boldly said And
Papists and Protestants is one and the same Fourthly that men may be saved in the Church of Rome and Romish Religion therefore we need not pray for any Papists conversion no not for the Queens which he specially prohibited and questioned those who thus prayed for her Fifthly that the Pope is not Antichrist nor ought to have this title given him which he expunged both out of the publike Books of our Church and private mens impressions Sixtly that the Pope is supream head of the Church the first and greatest Patriarch and to make this doctrine passe more current he suffered the Popes own Titles of Sanctitatis Vestrae Sanctissime Pater Spiritus Sancti effusissime plenus Optimus Maximusque in terris Ille quo rectior non-stat Regula quo Prior est corrigenda Religio to be attributed to him successively in sundry Letters from the University of Oxford Master Croxton and others without controll and proclaims himself a Patriarch in his own book against Fisher pag. 171. Seventhly his own Chaplain Doctor Bray by his speciall direction in two Books of Doctor Pocklingtons severally printed and reprinted with authority proclaimed that he derived his lineall succession and Episcopacy from Pope Gregory and Saint Peters Chair at Rome and that our Church was miserable if he could not doe so which Doctor Heylen by his speciall command seconded in print which Bishop Mountague thus trebles in his Originum Ecclesiasticarum Tomi Priorus pars posterior pag. 465. In Pontificali seu libro quam vocamus Ordinationum Episcopus AB AUGUSTINO LEGITIME DERIVATA SUCCESSIONE ET GREGORIO ROMANO DEDUCTUS Sacros Ordines secundum veteris Ecclesiae Cannores conferens Ordinandum Sacerdotem sic affatur Accipe Spiritum Sanctum c. Deriving not only this Archbishop but all our other Bishops successions and Episcopacy from Augustine the Monk and Pope Gregory of Rome a goodly Romish pedegree to be much insisted on directly reducing us back to Rome from whence it was derived as to our Mother Church Fourthly he with his Instruments and Chaplains vented authorized not only in the Pulpit but Presse all manner of popish erronious doctrines never heard amongst us in former yeers comprizing the whole body of Papistry of purpose to reduce us back to Rome the particulars whereof you have heard refusing suppressing orthodox Books written against popish errours and purging the chiefest passages against the Church Pope Prests Jesuits and errours of Rome out of all old reprinted and new licensed books before they could passe the Presse as we have abundantly proved inserting popish pictures and a popish Index into our very Bibles the more easily to seduce men to Popery Fiftly he advanced the most corrupt popish superstitious persons of all sorts to Bishopricks Deaneries Prebendaries Head-ships of houses in the University Chaplains to the King and Prince and the greatest Benefices suppressed silenced deprived censured banished the most zealous preaching orthodox Ministers in all places and kept them from preferment the better to facilitate and effect this design Sixthly he caused sundry books tending to Reconciliation of us to Rome to be printed and published especially Bishop Mountague's Appeal and other Books since of which Sancta Clara took speciall notice and made bold to proclaim a peace and reconciliation in most points between us Seventhly he suppressed all Lectures and after-noon Sermons on the Lord's day in most places that the people through ignorance might be more easily seduced and instead of strict sanctification of the Lords day the principall means of encreasing piety knowledge and keeping men off from popery and prophannesse he caused a new Declaration to be printed and published in his Majesties name for the use of prophane sports and pastimes even on Gods own day and under pretext thereof caused hundreds of our most consciencious Ministers whom otherwise he could not tax or quarrell to be silenced suspended imprisoned yea driven out of the Realm to forreign Countries and Plantations that so these grand obstructions of our reconciliation with Rome being removed we might without any great difficulty or opposition be reduced reconciled to her and least any impediment should arise to crosse this Unity from the Dutch French or Walloon Churches in our Realms not any ways poysoned with his popish drugs and Romish innovations he attempted their extirpation too and had almost effected it All which particulars we have already proved We shall now proceed to some further evidence manifesting his compliancy intelligence and concurrence with the Pope and his Instruments in this hellish plot what evidence of this kind common fame and report both at home at Rome and elswhere hath given in against him Sir Henry Mildmay Master Anthony Mildmay Master Challoner and others have already attested what reall evidence we have yet remaining to make good this fame we shall now produce It had been too grosse too palpable an oversight in such a politician as this Archbishop was reputed and very prejudiciall to his designs considering the place he sustained his pretended profession of the Protestant Religion his dislike of Rome and the many vigilant eyes that were continually fixed on his actions to have held any open or immediate intelligence with the Pope or his known Agents here and therefore it can not reasonably be expected from us to produce direct proofs of any such grosse intelligence what then he could not act publikely and immediatly in person he contrived to effect more courtly and mediatly by fitting instruments who held strict correspondence with the Roman Pontife and his Negotiators The two trustiest persons he could call out for such a purpose were Master Francis Windebank a lay man and Richard Mountague a Divine who had other associates joyned with them to accomplish this reducement To enable them the better to carry on this work with more advantage to the Catholike cause he procured Mountague in despight of severall Parliaments opposition to be made a Bishop heaped sundry preferments on him in our Church of which he so ill deserved as we have already proved and shall not here insist on As for Windebank he advanced him to one of the greatest places of trust and secrecy in the Kingdom making him a principall Secretary of State to his Majesty which he thus expresseth with his own hand in his Diary June 15. 1632. Master Fancis Windebank MY OLD FRIEND was sworn Secretary of State WHICH PLACE I OBTAINED FOR HIM of my gracious Master King CHARLES so that he was a creature of his own advancing No sooner was he setled in this place of honour and trust but he presently fals to his designed work he protects releaseth popish Priests Jesuits Fryars and held familiar correspondency with them entertaining them in his house Study Coach Garden and feasting them at his Table imprisons molests reviles the Messengers who by office duty were bound to apprehend them suspends the execution of all penall laws against them and popish Recusants by his Letters and Warrants of
of the Lord Therefore for him to introduce such an Idolatrous Superstitious worship as this into the Kings own Chappel contrary to the Word of God and Law of the Land under pretext of Gods worship to corrupt the King and his whole Court in their worship and Religion and alienate his good Subjects affections from him will prove little lesse then Treason in the highest degree As for his pretended Speech we have already refuted it And for the Homily it hath neither word nor syllable to warrant it but some thing against it since as it condemns prophanes on the one hand so it censures all superstition on the other between which this Prelate would have no medium as this his prayer imports Secondly That the Archbishop was chief Superintendent of his Majesties Chappel as Primate and Metropolitan of all England The King and Queen where ever they live in England being his immediate Parishoners and the whole Kingdom but his Parish though devided into several Bishopricks as hath been resolved by all the Nobles in King Henry the first his raign as our Historians and his own Predecessour Archbishop Parker record Therefore Bishop Wren being only Dean of the Kings Chappel the Archbishops creature and brought into that office by him durst not have set up this gaudy Crucifix there in the passion week in his presence without his approbation and direction by which he tacitly confesseth it was done That it gave publique scandal to many well-affected Courtiers and others Sir Henry Mildmay deposed and particularly to himself who complained of it to the King and the Archbishop too who if his heart had been right and fervent to our Religion would have been most scandalized offended at this unusual scandalous sight and never have permitted it successiively two yeers together nor justified it so peremptorily as now he did And whereas he objects that had Sir Henry been thus scandalized with the Crucifix it self he would have been as much offended with the old there constantly hanging as with the new We Answer That the old was hardly visible and scarce observed by any but this so grosse so great so gaudy and notorious that every man in the Chappel took special notice thereof as if it had been some new blasing Star And if the old were so visible all the yeer long what need the hanging up of this new one onely in the passion and Easter weeks which was never used in the memory of man before In fine the third Part of the Homily against the peril of Idolatry resolves that the most rich costly gaudy Images and Crucifixes are more dangerous and scandalous then others not so stately therefore Sir Henry might well be scandalized with it more then with the old one not so costly Thirdly he gives no Answer to that which is one main charge from this Innovation in the royal Chappel to make it the patern the Canon to regulate all Cathedral and Parish Churches by His silence herein bewrayes his guilt Fourthly Dr. Browns and those Seminaries adorations of this Crucifix and the Altar were but the meer scandalous fruits of his own exemplary Innovations before and erections of them there and their speeches occasioned by his actions Therefore the guilt of them must rest heaviest on himself not them It is his own oft iterated position That he who gives the occasion of a Schism ought to be repuâ—ed the Schismatick not he that separates upon the occasion given And Tertullian in his Book De Idolatria resolves That the makers of Idols are the greatest Idolaters because none would or could worship them were they not first made that they might be worshipped His own hanging of up this Crucifix and bowing towards the Altar and it was the cause that Dr. Brown and these Seminary Priests adored and bowed towards them in the self some manner as himself there used Therefore the crime the scandal of it must rest most on himself His pretence that this might be done and spoken by the Priest to gain Proselytes by discountenancing our external worship is a very strange improbable whimsey since our Bishops our Doctors imitation of their Popish worshipping Crucifixes Altars was more likely ten thousand to one to gain them Proselytes then any discountenancing whatsoever thereof by them could be yea it had been a monstrous contradiction and folly in them to discountenance that very thing themselves practised and endeavoured to draw others to Therefore the whole weight of this heavy charge concerning his Majesties Chappel rests intirely upon him in each particular without the least diminution Thirdly from White-hall they pursued me to the Kings Coronation at Westminster Abbey where they charge me 1. With compiling the Form of this Coronation 2. That the unction was in forma crucis 3. That the old Crucifix inter regalia was set upon the Altar 4. That divers of the Prayers in it and this manner of anointing were taken verbatim out of the Roman Pontifical 5. That after the Coronation I solemnly offered the Regalia at the Altar in the Kings name Ans To which I shall give this Answer 1. That the Form of the Kings Coronation was made and agreed on by the whole Committee according to a former Book I had of my Predecessor and I was but a Minister to the Committee in what I did 2. That the anointing in Form of a Crosse was made by my Predecessor not by me who supplied only the place of the Dean of Westminster 3. That I was commanded to bring this old Crucifix being inter regalia and to place it on the Altar 4. That admit the Prayer objected be taken out of the Roman Pontifical yet if it be good as it is there is no hurt we know the story of the cock in the fable dum vertit stercorarium offendit gommam And a Pearl is never the worse if raked out of a dunghil 5. I was to offer the regalia at the Altar by my place and the Book of Common Prayer approves of offerings To which was Replied 1. That it appears by his own Diary that he had the chief hand in compiling this Form and that it was collected corrected by himself though other Bishops were joyned in consultation with him 2. That though the Unction were made by his Predecessor which he makes not appear yet it was principally by his direction and himself makes special mention of it That it was in medum Crucis in the Margent of his Book 3. That he makes no command appear from any Supream Authority for his placing the old Crucifix on the Altar neither doth he alleadge who it was that gave him any such command Therefore it must be interpreted his own voluntary act 4. That the Prayer it self is not very good savouring of Papal pride in the Clergy and it is no such precious Pearl as that he needed to rake such a dunghil of Popish superstitions as the Roman Pontifical is to finde it out to adorn his
and High Commission was a transcendent crime of which this Arch-prelat and his Confederates not the whole Court of Star-chamber were onely culpable Yea the Stationers were so farre from being well pleased with or returning him thanks for this that they complained to the chiefe Justice and groaned under the pressure thereof Secondly the English Bible with the Geneva Notes was not onely tolerated but printed and reprinted among us in England Cum Privilegio during Queen Elizabeths and King James Reignes and in 15. Jacobi there was an Impression of them printed here by the Kings own Printer since which time the new Translation without Notes being most vendible the Kings Printers forbearing to print them for their private lucre not by vertue of any publike restraint they were usually imported from beyond the Seas and publickly sold without any inhibition or punishment till this Archbishops time who made it no lesse then an High Commission crime to vend bind or import them For the Notes they are generally approved by all our Protestant Divines which fled hence for Religion in Queen Maries dayes who dedicated the same to Queen Elizabeth For the Note on Exodus 1. it is both sound and Orthodox condemning onely obedience to the arbitrary tyranicall unjunst not lawfull commands of Kings contrary to the Lawes of God nature men being warranted by the example of the Midwives who disobeyed King Pharaohs bloody Mandate in not murdering all the male Children of the Israelites by sundry other Scripture Texts yea warranted by the Fathers and Canonists themselves who speake as much or more then this Annotation doth For King James his censure of this Translation and Notes upon it no doubt it proceeded from some Prelats mis-information However we are certain that his own inserting of popish Pictures of the Birth Life Passion Resurrection and Ascention of Christ the Holy Ghost the Apostles yea the very Assumption of the Virgin Mary and the like into our English and of a Popish Index into our Latin Bibles was farre worse more dangerous then any Geneva Notes and the prohibition of inserting Marginall Notes into the Bible a policy learned from our English Prelats in King HRNRY the eighth his Reigne who when they could not hinder the printing of the Bible it selfe in English of Master Tyndals Translation yet procured an Act of Parliament for the Obliterating of his Notes thereon as the Statute of 35. Hen. VIII cap. 1. and Master Fox informes us And his endeavour to hinder the importation of Bibles with Notes from Holland of which he had information by two Letters sent from thence discovers his vigilance yea spite against this Translation and the Notes upon it Thirdly for Master Gellibrands Almanacke set forth by his servant it was agreeable to Master Foz his Calender onely inserting our English Martyrs in the place of popish Saints no High Commission crime by any knowne Law That it differed from other Almanacks herein is no greater offence then for one Almanack-maker to vary from another in calculating the Weather or other Astronomicall Observations who better deserve an High Commission censure for retaining the names of sundry Popish Saints yea arrant Traytors as Becket Anselme with sundry others omitted in the Calender of the Common-Prayer Book and agreeing Verbatim with the Calender in the Roman Missall then he for omitting the names of Romish Saints whom God never Canonized but the Pope alone for their zeale or sufferings for the Papall Cause and Romish Superstitions The Queens sending to him about this Almanack shewes that the Papists took it to be a great blow to their Religion and though he could not hinder the message yet certainly he might have surceased all prosecution of Mr Gellibrand upon the Queens and Papists complaints for this act of his where as he pursued him with al violence to gratifie them For the words he remembers not our Witnesse swears them precisely and his threatning Master Gellibrand upon a meere groundlesse supposition that he had raised a faction in the Court because they acquitted him full sore against his will argues both his violence and injustice That the Papists burnt it when he could not attaine the burning of it in the High Commission argues their malice and his owne readinesse to comply with them against so good a work in honour of our owne English Protestant Martyrs For his omission of some Saints viz. the Epiphany and Anunciation no man knew them to be Saints till now but onely Festivals which other Almanacks mentioned and it is onely alleaged not proved that he omitted them For Doctor Pocklingtons Altare Christianum it was licensed by his owne Chaplaine Doctor Bray yea published by his owne command without the Authors privity if we beleeve his Petition to the Lords and their two punishments censures in the Lords House for this Book adjudged to the fire and burnt is no extenuation but aggravation of his guilt the most culpable of all three Himselfe confesseth that his Chaplaines act is his owne in Law if he command it and this Doctor himselfe affirmes that he did command its printing therefore the act is his more then the Authors or his Chaplains who did but obey his superiour command That Doctor Pocklington did present him with both the printed Impressions of this Book curiously gilt he cannot deny they being found in his Study endorsed with his owne hand That he knew not of this passage in it against our Martyrs and in honour of Popish Saints is not probable yea impossible since generally complained of in print and particularly by Master Prynne at the Pillory who desired all to take notice of it of which the Archbishop had present information yet neither recalled the book nor obliterated the passage Fourthly the calling in of Mr Beacons book against the Masse upon the complaint of a Priest or Jesuit with his words and threats to Mistris Griffin for reprinting it at such a time as this reflect as fouly upon him as possible yet he puts it off with this impudent common shift It is nothing to me For the reprinting and his calling of it in it is directly sworne to be before the Star-chamber Decree therefore not done in pursuance of it and were it done after yet not justifiable without highest impudency by any true Protestant Prelate Fiftly for the Palsgraves Religion it is proved to be called in by him who hath the happinesse to forget all the evil deeds which he cannot justifie though others sweare them And it was not contrary to the Kings Declaration which himselfe originally contrived in the Kings intention but in his owne perverting of it to suppresse the truth Sixtly the hindering of the reprinting of Master Fox Bishop Jewel and Doctor Willets Works was certainly his owne act because done by colour of this Star-chamber Decree procured by himselfe for this very purpose and the reprinting of them was stopped by his owne Officers creatures meanes who knew his mind if not received his command
the Lord. It s true our 28. Article resolves That in the Lords Supper to such as rightly worthily and with faith receive the same the bread which we breake is a partaking of the Body of Christs which is given taken and eaten in the Supper ONLY after an heavenly and spirituall manner And the meane whereby the Body of Christ is received and eaten in the Supper is Faith And in this sence Master Calvin writes that the very Body of Christ wherein he suffered and rose againe is offered to us REALLY TRVLY given unto us in the Supper in a spirituall manner onely But did ever our Articles Mr Calvin or any Prorestant writers hold That Christs body was really or truly present upon the Altar where it is saith he usually present and the greatest place of Christs residence upon earth or more present then in his Word Certainly never any Protestant Author but only Papists writ so before himself And where doth Master Calvin say Christs body is which we really and truly receive in the Lords Supper What on the Altar there is no such syllable in him but the very next words which the Bishop purposely concealed resolve us that it is in heaven Christum IN CAELO MANENTEM ô Nobis recipi sine ut in celesti sun gloria maneat illuc aspici inde se tibi communicet The like our Common Prayer-Booke and Homilies also resolve Therefore they call on us Sursum corda to lift up our hearts and faith to heaven and feed upon Christ there not on the Altar This Cobweb distinction therefore of his especially if compared with the Alterations and Additions made by him in the Scottish Common-Prayer-Booke where he cleerly maintains a Transubstantiation will no wayes cover his shame or take off his guilt As for his DEO Altari the Argument pressed against him from it is still unanswered since one and the selfe-same worship in one and the selfe-same act instance is given joyntly to both And whereas he saith the object distinguisheth the worship it is most false since Divine worship is and may be given to an Altar an Image a creature a peece of Bread as among the Pagans and Papists as well as to God himselfe So that this whole part of our Evidence remaines unanswered unshaken in any particular and is onely aggravated by his poore evasions his impudent justifications of what he hath cause to be most ashamed if not confounded before such a great Tribunall and judicious Auditory The eleventh charge against me is the expunging of sundry passages against Popery Arminianisme c. out of severall printed Books and Sermons by me and others before they could passe the Presse which Passages have been reduced to severall heads I shall not recapitulate the charges of this kind but answer them severally in their order The first of them is my own purging out of Doctor Sibthops Sermon sundry passages against Popery evil Counsellours and prophaners of the Sabbath To which I answer First that the King committed the perusall of this Sermon to four Bishops whereof I was but one and these expunctions were made by their consent not by me alone Secondly the first of them seemed to lay an aspersion on the Emperour the King of Spaine and France the Duke of Bavaria and Archdutchesse as if they had a designe to extirpate the Protestant Religion therefore it was not thought fit it should passe the Presse for feare of giving offence to them Thirdly the second of them seemed to cast an aspersion upon the Kings Counsell and was therefore crossed out The third gives the name of the Sabbath to the Lords day which is never so termed in the new Testament appropriated to the Jewish Sabbath only on the Saturday now wholly abbrogated and likewise makes Popery to trench upon the breach of the first Commandement which being a thing doubtfull and disputable was thought fit to be expunged To which was replied First that the committing of this Sermon to three other Bishops besides himselfe to be examined is a bare averment of his owne without any proofe that any other perused it besides himselfe appeares not All the additions purgations in it are made with his owne hand onely and none others therefore his alone yea if he did it jointly with others this will not extenuate his fault since as we must not doe evill alone so we must not follow a multitude to doe it His answers to these expunged particulars are most absurd and false For the first of them was so farre from being a scandall that it was then and yet is a most apparent truth published to all the Kingdome in the Kings owne Letters to every County throughout the Realme concerning the Loane in February 1627. to draw it on and the Doctor in his Sermon to set on this Loane did but transcribe it out of the Kings owne Letter if then it were a reall truth why was it blotted out of his Sermon more then out of the Kings owne Letter If a scandall and untruth why did the King and his Counsell then publish it in their Letters to delude the people and draw on the Loane But the truth is our Religion must be rooted out abroad by the Emperour Kings of Spaine France with their Confederates and undermined by the Prelaticall and popish party at home yet we must have no liberty to speak of it our selves or publish it to others for feare of preventing the designe For the second clause he thought it might reflect on or rise up in judgement one day against himselfe therefore it was wisdome for him to rase it out the Kings evill Counsellours by this meanes must neither be reprehended nor punished For the third passage it is true that the Lords day is not directly stiled the Sabbath in the New Testament yet it is termed the first of the SABBATHS oft times in it but admit it were not yet seeing all dayes of sacred rest and worship whatsoever are stiled Sabbaths both in the Old and New Testament and the Sabbath in its proper Definition is nothing else but a weekly day of sacred rest from worldly labours pleasures imployments devoted wholly to Gods publique and private worship and the Lords day is such a Sabbath as this and so termed by Councels Fathers forraigne writers of all sorts and more especially by our owne English Statutes Homilies Proclamations Letters-Patents Canons Bishops visitation Articles and Writers of all sorts why this passage concerning the Lords day Sabbaths sanctification and the prophanation of it should be obliterated by him no reason can be rendred but onely the prophane Anti-sabbatarian Disposition of his owne heart which soon after more publiquely displayed it selfe in the re-publishing and pressing the Declaration for Lords-day sports sports For the latter clause of this deleted period concerning connivance at Popery which trencheth upon the first and second Commandement and making
the Lawes concerning it meer Engines of State to draw reward for toleration dispensation and connivance c. his excuse is most miserable and ridiculous For first it is generally agreed by all Protestant Writers that Popery trencheth upon the first Commandement by advancing the Virgin Mary Pope to omit the Bredden Wafer into the very Throne of God himselfe and Deifying them both with divine Titles Adorations Attributes Epithites Orisons and the like therefore no reason to delete this clause that it trencheth on the first Commandement the rather because Paul himselfe affirmes it in direct termes 2 Thes 2. 3 4. as all orthodox Expositors resolve Secondly it s agreed by all Protestants yea by this Arch-Prelat himselfe in shew at least when his reputation seemed to be somewhat blasted as if he were devoted to Popery and expresly resolved by our Homilies against the perill of Idolatry that Popery expresly trencheth upon the second Commandement sundry wayes as by adoring Crucifixes Images Saints Angels Reliques Altars the consecrated Hoast yea by invocation of Saints departed and introduction of sundry Idolatrous Superstitious Rites Ceremonies formes of Worship invented by Popes Priests Fryars into the Worship of God Therefore had he deleted its intrenchment upon the first Commandement as dubious yet since there is no question of their transgressing the second in all these particulars his abolition thereof is inexcusable and displayes his popish disposition Thirdly however had he deleted this likewise yet his obliterating that which followes against connivance at and suspention of Lawes against Popery and Papists for luchre sake least God make the gaine gotten by this dividing betwixt him and Idols to be like that of Solomons which was recompenced with the losse and dividing of his Kingdome betwixt his Sonne and a Stranger c. the sad effects whereof we have lately felt with all other passages whatsoever against Popery especially at this juncture of time when all forraigne popish Princes had confederated to extirpate the Protestant Religion in forraigne parts as the first deleted passage informes us is such an unsufferable execrable crime in one who pretends himselfe a Protestant Bishop and had then no legall authority to correct or license Books for the Presse as deserves the highest censure yea displays to all the world the hidden Popery of his heart if not his secret correspondency with the Romish party to replant their false superstitious Religion and Idolatry in our Church and from this originall purgation of his we may visibly discover that all succeeding expunctions of this kind made by his owne chaplains and other Agents at Lambeth or London-house proceeded primarily from himself as the originall cause and Author of them The second Objection of this kind is my alterations of the Prayers appointed for the fift of November in some particular causes in the Impression of them Anno 1635. To this I answer First that these alterations were not made by me but the Prayers were sent unto me altered by the King himselfe who commanded me to see them printed according to those alterations and I have here the Books with his Majesties hand and Warrant to each of them for what I did Secondly that the expressions were somewhat overharsh and fit to be altered terming their very Religion Rebellion being but the Christian Religion and the same with Ours as I have proved at large in my Speech in Star-chamber to which I must referre where I have rendred reasons for it which gave generall satisfaction then and I hope will doe so to your Lordships now To which was replied First that the Archbishop shewes his great undutifulnesse here in casting this and other his unwarrantable popish actions on the King himselfe Secondly that for ought appeares he procured from the King this Warrant since the alterations were printed yea complained of and that by circumvention Thirdly that it had been his duty to have disswaded the King from giving way to such scandalous alterations in favour of Jesuits Papists Traitors and their bloody Religion Fourthly that himselfe in his Speech page 33 34. confesseth he made the Alterations himselfe by the Kings command Therefore the Book was not sent him altered by the King or any other as now he falsly pretends Fiftly as for the grounds of the most grosse alteration mentioned in his Speech we have already refuted them at large in the Charge therefore we shall not actum agere but refer you thereunto The third objected Purgation made by my selfe is of some clauses appointed in the Book for the Fast Anno 1636. To which I answer First that it is not proved that I made these Purgations Secondly that I have given a full answer to and shewed there was reason for the making of them in my SPEECH in Star-chamber where they were objected To this was replied First that himselfe doth both confesse and justifie thèse purgations in his said Speech to be made by himselfe and his confederated brethren to whom the care of this Fast was committed therefore he much forgets himselfe here in denying it to be proved when we undeniably evidenced it by his owne printed Confession Secondly we have already refuted his reasons for those purgations mentioned in his Speech discovering their absurdity and fully proving that they were made meerly in favour of Popery to which he hath not returned the least shadow of answer therefore we shall acquiesse therein without further reply The fourth objected alterations and purgations ascribed to my selfe are in Doctor Potters Book entituled Want of Charity c. the second Edition To which I answer First that he writ to me of his own accord to alter or correct any thing I thought meet in the second Impression of his Book and what I did therein was upon his owne request Secondly that the expressions I advised him to amend were either such as were very harsh as Beleeve in the Pope or somewhat obscure as The Idol of Rome c. Thirdly that his exposition of Matth. 18. 17 11. Dic Ecclesiae c. concernes not the Parliament but the Sanhedrin or Civill Court of the Jewes And whereas it is urged that I writ his Exposition of it seemes to give as much power to the Parliament as to the Church or Convocation in Church affaires which is a derogation to the Parliaments Jurisdiction I conceive it to be none since it appeares by the Statute of 1. Eliz. c. 1. that the Parliament cannot determine any thing in matter of Religion without assent of the Clergy in their Convocation this Act providing That the High Commissioners shall not in any wise adjudge any matter to be Heresie but onely such as hath beene heretofore determined ordered or adjudged to be Heresie by the authority of the Canonicall Scriptures or by the first foure generall Councels or any of them c. or such as shall be hereafter ordered judged or determined to be Heresie by the high
of their complaint That it would introduce a Ministery independent on the Bishops is a false surmise since none were recommended to officiate or preach at any of the purchased Impropriations but by speciall license of the Bishops in whose they were and none were presented to them but conformable men free from all just exceptions if he could justly except against ought in their proceedings Master White deposeth he offered that he himselfe should rectifie it so as the work might proceed but this would not content him but they must be suppressed and criminally proceeded against That he did it in a legall way is no justification nor excuse since those who work and accomplish mischiefe by colour of Law are worse then open Tyrants For the sentence no doubt it was most unjust and so the Earle of Dorset who was present at it told the King himself affirming the buying in of Impropriations to be the best work that ever was set on foot for the Churches good his owne beging the Impropriations in Ireland from the Crowne for the pretended good of the Church proves it infallibly against himselfe But that the Judges onely must answer for this unjust sentence not he is a meer Nonsequitur because the Law resolves that Plus peccat Author quà m Actor and the Judges had never given such an unjust sentence in this cause had not he by his violence power fraud interressing the King himselfe against the Feoffees over-awed swayed the Judges to swarve from the rules of Piety and Justice That some of the revenues of purchased Impropriations were contributed towards the maintainance of Saint Antholins Lecturers is true but that it was a mis-imploying by them contrary to trust or that any unworthy or unconformable Ministers were put into them is a grosse falshood disproved by Master White upon Oath However had it been true he should then have reformed the abuse not utterly destroyed the good work so much conducing to Gods glory and the peoples edification For Heylins Sermon it was presented to retained approved yea himselfe advanced by him and no doubt he preached it by his direction As for Master Foxly he did not onely check but persecute imprison and most barbarously handle him to his undoing onely for his promoting this pious project even after he had quite overthrowne it and openly vaunted of this his wickednesse All which considered each branch of this charge sticks most immovably upon him notwithstanding all his evasions to shake it off The sixteenth charge urged against me is That I have endeavoured to cause division and discord between the Church of England and other reformed Churches and endeavoured to suppresse the Priviledges Immunities of the reformed Dutch and French Churches in this Kingdome wherein it was objected First that I esteemed them no Churches of God or Christ at all because they â—â—nted Bishope which they endeavoured to prove by mine owne Conference with Fisher Bishop Hals Propositions approved by me and Bishop Mountagues Book authorized by my Chaplaine Secondly that I deemed their Religion and ours not to be one but different and their Religion not to be the true Religion Upon which ground I grew angry with Master Ruly and caused the Letters-Patents granted by the King for a Collection for the Palatinate Ministers to be revoked after they had passed the great Seale and a clause in them to be expunged to their great injury and scandall as Master Wakerly and Master Hartlib attested Thirdly that I caused the Declaration of the Faith and Ceremonies of the Pals 〈◊〉 Church to be called in and suppressed Fourthly That I molested the DUTCH FRENCH and WALLOONE reformed Churches in England sundry yeers and infringed their ancient Priviledges by my Injunctions in divers particulars To this I answer in generall that I deny both the Charge and Article and that I have endeavoured to promote and preserve peace between the Protestant Churches abroad and encouraged Master Dury who was imployed to make a reconciliation between the Calvinists and Lutherans beyond the Seas as I could evidence by sundry of his Letters therefore I had a good affection to these Churches and no intent to make any discord between them To the objected particulars I answer First that in my Conference with Fisher I cite only St Jeroms words to prove a difference in order and degree between a Bishop and ordinary Presbyter and inferre from his words as his opinion not mine so even with him no Bishop no Church But it hath been objected that Bish Mountagues Book determines expresly that there can be no Church without Bishops nor Ministers but such who are ordained by Diocesian Bish distinct from an ordinary Minister and that no Minister no not in case of necessity can be ordained by any other therefore the forraign Protestant Churches which have no such Bishops and their Ministers being not ordained by Bishops but other Presbyters can be no Churches nor Ministers I answer that this Book and opinion of his concernes not me being none of mine but the Authors Yea but I maintained and approved the same opinion in effect in Bishop Hals Propositions touching Episcopacy to which I endeavoured to procure a generall subscription pressing it upon others and therein I determine That there was no Church of Christ upon earth ever since the Apostles times governed otherwise then by Bishops and that this government is unalterable and ought to be perpetuated in the Church to the end of the world Which doth wholly unchurch all the reformed Churches and resolve them to be no Churches of Christ I answer that these Propositions were sent me by Bishop Hall of his owne accord that what I did in them was by his consent neither were any pressed to subscribe them nor they propounded concludingly And though Episcopacy be not alterable yet it may be regulated That it is unalterable Bishop Bilson hath proved it long since it continuing so in all Churches at least fifteen hundred yeers after Christ and is allowed approved by the Book of Ordination yea Master Calvin himselfe on that of John As my Father sent me so send I you acknowledgeth the perpetuity of Bishops in the Church Secondly I deny that I esteem the Reformed Churches Religion ours not to be the same true it is we they differ in some particular points of Doctrin as wel as in Disciplin but this makes us not wholly to differ in Religion nor did I deny their Religion to be true As for Master Ruly I used him very civilly with all respect and promoted the Collection for the Palatinate all I could having received a Letter from the Queen of Bohemia for that purpose True it is I caused the objected clause in the first Patent of the Collection to be altered but it was by the Kings direction who gave order for it upon my acquainting him therwith and I conceive there was ground enough to doe it First because some of the Palatinate Divines as Paraus upon the
Romans differed from our Church in some points of Doctrine touching the Kings Supremacy concurring therein with the Papists for which his Book was here publickly condemned burnt and likewise in some other points therefore it could not be properly said that their Religion and ours was the same in all particulars Secondly it seemed to determine a great controversie between Protestant Divines among themselves and likewise between them and the Church of Rome whether the Pope be Antichrist which was never yet determined by any Councell and of which there is great doubt and difference in opinion even among the learned Now I conceived it a very unfitting thing to determine such a doubtfull controversie definitively by Letters Patents under the great Seale which is not yet resolved in the Schooles Upon these grounds the King thought fit to revoke the Patent though it were under the Great Seale which I had no power to recall but the KING onely Thirdly I deny that I called in the Declaration of the Palsgraves Religion neither doe I rememeber any such thing Fourthly it is true that I questioned the Dutch and Walloone Churches but not for any ancient Priviledges but onely for their encroachments beyond their priviledges to the prejudice of our English Churches and Parishes wherein they lived yet my Injunctions and proceedings towards them in this kind were so faire and just that they rested satisfied with them and returned me speciall thanks for my favour towards them and their Congregations therefore I much mervaile that this my carriage should be so much blamed as to make it a CAPITALL CRIME and CHARGE against me To this was replyed in the generall that the premised proofes with his late military proceedings against the Scots for complying with those Churches in their Doctrine Discipline Government sufficiently evidence his enmity to his opposition against those forraigne Protestant Churches because they had no Bishops insomuch that he blamed Bishop Hall for dealing so mildly with them in his Book for Episcopacy which he submitted to his censure where on the contrary he is so zealous of the Popes honour that he could not but complaine to the King of some harsh passages in it bestowing the Title of Antichrist on his Holinesse and procured a speciall command from his Majesty to the Bishop to expunge them to gratifie the Pope yea his purging out the objected clause in the Kings Patent and suppressing of the Declaration of Palatinate Churches Faith and Religion argues little affection in him to those Churches and much inward rancour against them but a very high esteem of Rome As for his encouraging of Master Dury in his designe of reconciling the Calvinists and Lutherans Master Dury undertook this worke without his privity or advice and found so small encouragement from him that he oft complained thereof to his friends as we are credibly informed To the particulars we reply First that in his Conference with Fisher he doth not recite but misrecite and pervert Saint Jeroms words and opinion who dogmatically resolves in his very Epistle to Evagrius which this Archbishop quotes and elswhere That Bishops and Presbyters Jure Divino are both one and the same as well in Jurisdiction as Office and that Presbyters have the power of Ordination as well as Bishops Therefore his appropriating of the word Sacerdos and Jeroms saying Vbi non est Sacerdos non est Ecclesia to Diocesian Bishops which he cleerly meanes of Priests and Ministers in generall is a grosse perverting of Jeroms meaning and his inferene thence So even with him NO BISHOP and NO CHVRCH is only a Declaration of his owne private opinion not of Jeroms who held no such Prelaticall Paradox For Bishop Mountagues Book it was licensed by his Chaplaine presented to received approved by himselfe Bishop Hals Propositions were not onely interlined with but allowed under his owne hand as fit for a generall subscription and now he justifies them not onely by Bishop Bilsons opinion but likewise by Master Calvins as great an enemy to Bishops as Saint Jerome whose words he wilfully perverts as he did his in applying that to Diocesian Bishops which he spake onely of ordinary Ministers who succeeded the Apostles in their Ministeriall Function In briefe his owne Conference together with Mountagues Book and Bishop Hals Propositions approved by him doe necessarily unchurch all the reformed Protestant Curches un-minister all their Ministers and make them no Churches no Ministers of Christ whereas he averres the Church of Rome to be a true Church and her Priests to be true Ministers as we have formerly proved therefore he must needs be guilty of the extreamest malignity and anmity against them what ever he pretends to the contrary Secondly he denies and yet at last justifies and maintains what we charge him with to wit that he denies the Religion of forraign Protestant Churches to be the same with ours or to be true Religion he instanceth in the opinion of Paraeus whose Commentary on the Romans he caused to be burnt as erronious when as he writes no more then Bilson did before him whom himself hath cited in defence of Episcopacy other orthodox Writers of our Church have maintained publickly for truth before since As for the burning of Paraus his Book being of a forraign Nation and no Subject to our King without summoning him to defend himselfe it was an unjust rash inconsiderate action to say no more as his Son hath manifested to the world in print who hath justified his Fathers opinion to the full as orthodox However the extravagant opinion of one Palatinate Divine in point onely of the Kings Supremacy not about any Article of Faith cannot make the reformed Churches and ours to be of different Religions especially since he argues in his Star-chamber Speech that the Papists Religion and ours are both one though we differ in some private Tenets Yea his deniall of the Protestants Religion in forraigne parts to be the true Religion when as he contends that Rome is a true Church argues his virulency against the one and good affection to the other Thirdly the calling in of the Declaration of the Palsgraves Religion is directly and punctually proved to be his act its impudency therefore in him to deny it and policy not to remember it Fourthly for the purgation and revocation of the Letters-Patents he not onely confesseth but shamelesly justifies it most undutifully laying the blame the scandall of it on the King himselfe who did naught therein but by his instigation and that upon two false scandalous grounds First that the Religion of the forraigne Palatinate Churches and ours differ and are not the same then which falshood nothing can procure a greater scisme and juster ground of scandall between us and those Churches Secondly that no Councill had defined the Pope to be Antichrist of which there was great variety of opinions amongst Protestant Divines touching the same unfit to be decided by the Kings Letters-Patents Therefore
use of them the quite contrary way to poyson corrupt our Universities to sophisticate our Articles of Religion to put such a Roman glosse upon them as might make them seem to be Roman Catholiques and to reconcile us speedily to Rome not Rome to us as Sancta Clara his Book written in England and shewed to his Grace by the Author himselfe accompanied with his great favourite Bishop Linsey before its publication as himselfe acknowledgeth under his owne hand-writing manifests past all contradiction therefore the case of Preston to whom he himselfe hath given a protection under his hand and Seale as well as Abbot is altogether impertinent Thirdly for his correspondency with Sir Toby Matthew Sancta Clara Saint Giles Leander Smith and Price we have so fully proved it that impudency it selfe would blush to deny it OurWitnesses have sworne all of them to be popish Priests himselfe under his hand confesseth Saint Giles to be such a Priest and that he was charged not to exercise his Priestly Function during his residence in Oxford it is strange audacity therefore in him to deny that he knew any of them to be Priests when he infallibly confesseth he knew him and no doubt knew all the rest to be so too especially Sancta Clara who stiles himselfe so in his Book yea Father Price and Leander too were most notoriously knowne to all to be such and to exercise their Priestly Function in London if not in the Court it selfe sometimes therefore knowne no doubt to be priests to him Fourthly for the Witnesses produced we very much wonder at his exceptions against them most of them as Master Waddesworth Newton Mayo Thatcher Goldsmith and Cooke being persons imployed by the Lords of the Counsell himself and the high Commissioners to apprehend Priests and other Delinquents who cōtinued in that imployment after the pretended complaints against them If they were men so dishonest so uncredible as he pretends why thē did himself the Lords and high Commissioners make choice or imploy such for their Messengers commit so great a trust unto them If they be persons worthy to be trusted with such an employment by persons of honour quality and himselfe too then certainly most competent Witnesses attesting onely that they know with reference to the Arch-bishop in the very execution of their Office about the apprehending of Priests and Jesuits wherein none can give so full or punctuall testimony as themselves who are most privy to their own Actions For the pretended abuses committed they concerne onely two or three of them not all that they are guilty of ought complained against them there is not the least shadow of proofe offered by the Archbi and admit there were yet it would no wayes invalid their testimony being not in the things for which they were accused and fortified with other concurrent testimonies as Master Thatchers Master Deuxels and Elizabeth Grayes against which there is no just exception for Mr Egertons censure in the High Commission it was most unjust and illegall he was sentented there to be deprived of his Searchers place and fined forty pounds onely for giving way and conniving at the importation of some ENGLISH BIBLES with GENEVA NOTES and selling some of them to others A dangerous crime which will rather improve then impeach his testimony in all honestmens opinions Secondly for his particular answers we shall returne this replication First that the Warrant under the Kings hand for Saint Giles his residence and maintainance in Oxford is without date written with the Archbishops owne hand and a meer circumvention yea it seems a very strong argument of his guilt for if himselfe did not place and provide for him in Oxford what need he procure such a Warrant from the King to doe it and if he had been cordiall to our Religion he would never have accepted such a Warrant nor intermedled with such a dangerous scandalous Designe as this to poyson and seduce the whole University who took publick notice of it in such a time of generall defection and backsliding unto popery Secondly for his intimacy with Sir Toby Matthew and knowing him to be a Priest our Witnesses evidences are so cleere we shall rather pitty his impudency in denying it then trouble your Lordships in repeating them Master Dobsons not seeing him at Lambeth is no proofe he was not there and the Earle of Straffords releasing him was seconded with his owne approbation who said it is well Thirdly for Smiths Leanders and Price their resorts unto him we have formerly cleered it and shall not repeat Sancta Clara his addresses to him with his Books to reconcile us is confessed under his owne hand we need no other testimony Fourthly that Sancta Clara and Saint Giles were Aliens is no extenuation of his guilt but aggravation for they were therefore the fitter the likelier to be imployed hither by papall authority to reduce us back to Rome But admit them Aliens which he hath hath not as yet proved yet Sir Toby Matthew Leander and Price were native Englishmen and so within the Statutes of 23 Eliz. c. 1. 27 Eliz. c. 2. which he would evade Fiftly for Master Waddesworths testimony it is very full the Designe was to send him over-sea or to imprison him till he should enter into bond never to prosecute or apprehend Priests more to which plot the Archbishop was privy whose name was used to him himself confessing he sent him four peeces to be rid of him He pretends it was because he pretended himselfe a convert Certainly this is but a pretext he being a convert many yeers before and one imployed to apprehend Priests long before his imprisonment his diligence herein being the cause of his troubles Sixtly his refusall to commit Wilford a most dangerous seducing Priest before he knew he had any protection and discharging him afterwards onely because he had a protection from Secretary Windebanke with Master Dels answer that his Lord would not meddle with such trifles shewes the coldnesse of his zeale to our Religion and his good affection to popery If a godly Protestant Minister had but scrupled at the reading of the Book for Sabbathday-sport or omitted the lest Ceremony or preached but a Sermon on a Lords-day after-noon these were such hainous crimes and matters of so grand importance that they must be forthwith suspended committed deprived and all businesses set aside to prosecute them notwithstanding any protection of Law or Gospell but if a dangerous Priest who had perverted above two hundred soules be brought before his Grace alas his zeale is so frozen he will not meddle with the businesse and his friend Secretary Windebanks Warrant must set him free and secure him against all lawes and prosecutions A plaine proofe of a confederacy between them to protect these Traytors and reduce us back to popery by granting liberty to such pernicious seducers Seventhly for Gray his onely fault as our Witnesses depose was that he complained against his
expertnesse and diligence in discovering priests and assisting other Messengers to apprehend them for this hainous crime alone Windebanke complained of him to the Queen and for this very cause Thatcher is specially charged by the Arcishop himselfe not to keep company with him under paine of being turned out of his place and Goldsmith deposeth that the Archbishop himselfe gave a publick charge to all the Messengers of the High Commission not to keep company with Gray any more for if they did he would lay them by the heels pull their Coats off their backs and turne them out of their places Committed he was to the Fleet upon the Archbishops complaint only for using words implying his coldnesse in prosecuting priests hoping to see better times a very poor cause to imprison him so long His own hand as we proved is to the Warrant for his commitment He oft times petitioned for his enlargement by his wife but his petitions were still rejected with scorn He answers He will have nothing to doe with that Priest-catching knave proved by two Witiesses Elizabeth Gray and Goldsmith Vbi dolor ibi digitus here was the cause of all the malice against Gray this was his grand crime he was a priest-catcher and a knave for catching them strange language from an Archbishop But what followes his favourite Windebank must come in to act the second part and close up the Tragedy Gray must not be enlarged after many moneths imprisonment till he put in baile never to discover or prosecute Priests more and then they should all be quiet in short time with our prelats and popish Clergies concurrence quickly reduce us all to Rome This is the upshot of the Designe which this evidence concerning Gray most cleerly discovers and proves too Eightly for Egertons testimony concerning his restoring of popish Books it is more then a report it was from the mouth of Mottershead a sworne Officer to the Archbishop now dead who durst not report an untruth of this nature and the Archbishop himselfe confesseth the many Books forementioned were restored by order of the High Commission Court whereof himselfe was a chiefe member therefore by him a cleer confirmation of Mottersheau's words Egerton's testimony and Master Jones his papers Ninthly for the liberty of Priests Jesuits and their saying Masse in prisons it was his owne negligence and connivance the Keepers being under his command the High Commissioners who could look narrowly enough to Puritans and godly Ministers and indeed their commitment thither to secure them from our common Goales and all legall prosecutions was but a meer fallacy to delude the people and advance the Catholick cause with greater facility and lesse suspition Tenthly Mayoes testimony and Thatchers are so farre from extenuating that they aggravate his offence their Warrants and imployments being meer dissimulations and shadowes to gull the people for naught was done upon the intelligence of the one to whom he refused to grant a Warrant because he was too hot against Priests and no Priests apprehended by the other who had his Warrant upon this condition Not to imploy or keep company with Gray the onely man that could discover Priests and Jesuits to him and help him in their apprehending Finally his owne objected confession in his Epistle to the King God forbid I should ever offer to perswide a persecution in any kind or practice it in the least c. against Priests and Jesuits coupled with the premises when as he was so terrible so bloody a persecutor of Orthodox godly Ministers and zealous Protestants unanswerably proues his connivance at his protection of and confederacy with them to re-enthrall us in their Romish bondage So that this whole charge however he conceives he hath shaken it quite off and laid it in the dust recoiles upon him with greater vigor and rests heavier on his back then ever The last charge of this nature against me is that I complyed with Papists Priests and Jesuits in concealing their very Treasonable plots and conspiracies both against our State Church and Religion to reduce us unto Rome for which they produce two instances my threatning and committing Mistris Hussey for discovering a dangerous plot of the Queen Mother and others to cut the Protestants throats and my concealing of Habernfields plot discoverd to me not prosecuting or revealing it to the Parliament or Lords to fift it to the bottome To this I answer that I did not conceale nor discourage the discoverers of either of these two plots For the first of them I conceived it very improbable and I thought Anne Hussey to be crazy when she revealed it and so much I told her For her commitment to the Sheriffes it was at her owne desire for her greater safety and there was as strict an examination as possible of this conspiracy but no cleer evidence For the latter plot as soon as I received intelligence of it I presently revealed it to the King as appeares by my Letter and the Kings Answer to it in the margin under his owne hand which Master Prynne hath printed and the subsequent Letters prove that I did all I could therein but could make nothing of it This I beleeve a noble Lord here present well remembers to whom I disclosed it to wit the Earle of Northumberland who presently replyed he did remember no such thing However it is one of the greatest evidences that can be of my steadfastnesse in the protestant Religion and opposition against popery if the plot were reall and if but counterfeit then no crime to conceale it To which was replyed First that all the premises abundantly prove that he was privy and assistant to many Jesuiticall plots and devices to usher in popery and reduce us to Rome therefore it is no wonder that he opposed not nor prosecuted but smothered them all he could Secondly that the first of the plots which he then conceived improbable hath since experimentally proved reall both in England and Ireland yea his b Owne with Straffords dangerous advice to the King To bring in an Army of Irish Papists at that time to subdue the Scots because they durst not trust the English was cozen Germane to this plot which she discovered and probably a branch thereof For his deeming and calling her Mad-woman when she spake both punctually and rationally with his reviling terrifying words to her his laying an imputation on the whole City of London that she was hired by them to make this discovery with his menaces to have her punished c. were unsufferable abuses in such a case as this to smother a most execrable Treason and such a terrifying of a Witnesse as we shall not read the like especially when all the other Lords encouraged and gave her good words As for the further examination of the businesse afterwards and commitment of the Priest it proceeded only from the other Lords not him who did all he could to dant the Witnesses and conceal the
Conspiracy which if fully prosecuted at that time might have prevented the bloody Massacres which have since been made in Ireland and England in prosecution of the same Designe to advance the Catholick Cause and reduce us back to our prestine Romish thraldome and superstitions Thirdly for Habernfields plot it is true upon the first discovery of it to him in the generall onely when he deemed it to be a conspiracy plotted prosecuted onely by Puritans he acquainted the King therewith which we confesse in our Evidence but as soon as he received the full discovery of it found the parties engaged in it to be Papists Priests Jesuits and some of his owne creatures confederates therein particularized as Secretary Windebanke Sir Toby Matthew and others about the Court he presently sets downe proceeds no farther in it conceales his papers to himselfe not discovering them to King Counsell Parliament nor endeavouring to apprehend examine the parties named in it when present and some of them questioned yea impeached in Parliament for some particulars relating to it Which concealment of his of a most desperate Treason and Conspiracy thus circumstantiated in a case of such grand concernment to the safety of the King Kingdome Church and Protestant Religion we conceive to be a high and treasonable offence tending onely to advance those popish Designes to subvert our Religion and subject us unto Rome which have ever since been prosecuted by the selfe-same parties faction with an higher hand and more open face of late then ever heretofore That this plot was not a fiction unlesse onely in that which concernes himselfe wherein he knew there were some mistakes he being not so odious at Rome as it seemes to make him but a reall truth in all or most particulars which concern our Religion his owne Diary his endorsments on it together with our dear-bought experience late Discoveries concurring with it fully evidence His own cōviction therfore of its reality should have enduced him if not to prosecute yet at leastwise to have revealed itto the Parliament that they might have fifted it to the Bran which he never did Master Prynnes seizing it in his Chamber to his great griefe being the onely meanes to bring it unto light His argument that it makes most of any thing for the justification of his sincerity to our Religion and opposition to Popery aggravates not extenuates his offence in concealing it because then he had more reason to disclose it as well for his owne vindication from scandal as the publike safety of our King Church Religion but his engagements to this confederated Popish party and the Advancment of their cause were such that he preferred them before his owne private pretended justification or the safety of all these coupled together Wherefore he still remaines under the guilt weight of this and all other the Commons forementioned particular charges notwitstanding all his Answers Defences to enervate or elude them And therefore upon this first generall Branch of his Charge the Commons prayed Judgement against him from the House of Peers as the Archest Traytor the cunningest Vnderminer Subverter of of our established Religion the greatest Advancer of Popery and most sedulous Agent to reduce us back to Rome of any Archbishop or pretender to the Protestant Religion that our English Soile or the Christian world have ever bred concluding in the Poets words Dij talem terris avertite Pestem The remaining Branches of whose Charge and Tryall we shall God willing contract into a lesser Volume and publish with convenient speed in each Branch whereof he will appeare as Criminall as Treasonable as Arch a Malefactor as in this wherein he most protested most laboured to assert his Innocency against so many pregnant Evidences and cleer Demonstrations of his guiltinesse as will render him most execrable to all true Protestants for eternity however some have already enrolled him in their lying Legends for a most glorious Martyr and more meritorious Saint then ever his traiterous Predecessor Becket was whose Treasons and other grand Misdemeanours were farre inferiour both in quantity quality and a trocity unto his FINIS THE TABLE OF THE Principal matters contained in this History some Pages whereof being over-cast and twice set others misprinted wherethey are twice paged thou shalt finde that in the later which is not in the former and the other in the corrected that is not in the mistaken pages Dr. Robert Abbots testimony of Lauds inclination to Popery in a publique Sermon in Oxford p. 155 410 411. 545 546. Absolution of Priests but declarative expunged p. 207. 350 to 357. Ferdinando Adams Excommunicated and vexed by Lauds Officers for not removing the Lords Table and setting up a place of Scripture near the Commissaries Court p. 101. 488 489 494. Mr. Adams his Sermon in defence of Auricular Confession p. 192 193. Adoring the Eucharist passages concerning it and against Popish Adorations expunged p. 271. Altars erected justified as Christs Throne furnished with Candlesticks Tapers and other Popish Trinckets railed in bowed to by Lauds Example and Injunctions and justified to be necessary p. 62 63 64 67 68 71. 72 76. 102 113 114 101 to 125 148 191 199 200 217 218. 473 to 490. Passages against Altars expunged p. 279. Placed anciently in the midst not East end of the Quire p. 480 to 490. Bishop Andrews his Popish Chappel opiions and Altar-furniture p. 121 to 125. 424 425 499. Angel Gardians Invocation maintained in late printed Books p. 213. 214. Antichrist by our own Statutes Homilies Writers resolved to be the Papacy and Pope yet denied by Laud and his Confederates who purged out the Name and Title thereof when applied to the Pope with King James his opinion concerning Antichrist and Bishop Ushers p. 178 206 207 260 to 279,542 551 to 555. Apostacy see falling from grace Arbitrary Government passages against it expunged p. 289 290. Arminianism a Plot of the Jesuits it and Arminians countenanced promoted by Laud passages against them purged out Books against them suppressed their Errors countenanced in Presse Pulpit p. 159 to 178 284 285. 507 to 517 530 to 537. See Election Predestination Universal Grace Articles of Ireland against Arminianism and the Pope suppressed by Lauds means p. 177 178 272. 509. 512. Assurance of salvation passages deleted out of new Books in defence thereof by Lauds Agents p. 287 to 291 Ave Maries use and practise justified in new printed Books p. 213 214. Auricular Confession maintained in Print Pulpit practise passages against it expunged by Laud and his instruments p. 188 to 196. 288 289. Dr. Aylets Letter concerning the rayling in Lords Tables and receiving at the Rails p 121. B Baker an Arminian advanced by Laud a Licenser of Popish Books and purger of passages against Popery and Arminianism his Answer concerning the Gunpowder Treason p. 184 186. 256 to 300. sparsim 360. 528. Baptism passages against the Papists and Popish Ceremonies used in it deleted p. 292 295
troubles they both most desperately perswaded his Majesty without the privity of the other Lords to raise an Army among the Papists in Ireland to subdue the Scots by force because they durst not trust the English in regard the puritan party was so great and beld correspondency with the Scots which advice was held most dangerous and pernicious councell by our States-men as two Jesuits G. T. Talbot the Jesuit and William Hewill writ to their Father Superiour at Parisâ—nne â—nne 28. 1631. as appears by their intercepted Letters found among Secretary Windebanks sequestred papers If any should object than this Archbishop had no power or charge at all in Ireland to suppresse the Papists there We answer it appears by hundreds of papers Letters found in his Study sent from thence to him that nothing at all was there acted concerning any Church affairs but by his direction who swayed all things disposed of all Church preferments there at his pleasure and likewise did what he pleased there in most state businesses by reason of his power with the King and interest in the Deputy insomuch that the very naming of him at the Counsell Table there was like a Gorgons head to amaze all opposites and strike them mute or into a shaking fit as the Primate of Armagh informed him in two severall Letters from thence Wherefore we cannot but from all the premises conclude this very Archbishop guilty of being not only privy but aiding to the re-establishing of popery in Ireland and reuniting it to the Church of Rome which Realm being farthest out of sight was thought the meetest Theater for the Pope and his Instruments to act their designs and parts upon with most advantage security and least opposition The seventh particular which most evidently manifests the Pope's with his Agents designes and studious endeavour to reconcile us to Rome and our domestick compliance therewith is the Popes sending of divers Nuncioes successively from Rome into England a thing never formerly heard of since the Reformation who kept their residence and were entertained as Nuncioes to him in London Westminster had frequent accesse to Court and held correspondency with divers of our Nobility more especially with Secret Windebank and Bishop Mountague this Archbishops chief Creatures seconded with our avowed entertainment of popish Agents at Rome of purpose to reduce and reconcile us to it The first of these Nuncioes was Gregorio Panzani who arrived at London Decem. 25. 1634. where he was received welcomed treated with both by King and Queen who continuing here till the yeer 1636. and then returning Seignior Georgio Con a Scot who departed from Rome towards England May 20. 1636. arrived here about the end of that moneth bringing a great Breve and many Reliques of Saints Meddals and pieces of gold and silver with the Popes picture stamped on them who was courteously entertained by the King and Queen at Hombly in Northamptonshire where he found them and afterwards kept his residence in Westminster neer the New Exchange He after three yeers and two moneths stay here in England aspiring to a Cardinals Cap returned towards Rome laden with great store of Jewels and gifts worth many thousand pounds After him Count Rossetti a Noble man of Ferrara was sent over hither as Nuncio who continued his Negotiation here and found great respect at Court till he was driven hence by this Parliament wherin were many complaints against him about July 1641. as we have elswhere manifested And as the Pope had his Nuncio's here so had we our reciprocall Agents at Rome The first of them was Master Walter Mountague who arrived there about August 1633. to whom succeeded Serj. Major Bret who arrived at Rome about Decemb. 1635. After him succeeded Sir William Hamilton a Scot dangerous Papist who came to Rome about the end of May 1636. and continued Agent there till this present Parliament Of all which this Archbishop had exact intelligence as appears by Master Midleton's Letters to him and Habernfields Discovery found among his owne papers endorsed by himself The eighth particular is the Popes and his Congreations de Propaganda side aâ— Rome sending over infinite swarms of Seminary Priests Jesuits Fryars of all sorts into England to seduce us their erecting of a popish Hierachy societies of Jesuits Monasteries of Monks Nuns and other popish Locusts secretly among us and holding a generall Counsell at London whereof Con the Popes Nuncio was President to raise arms forces monies against the Scots to advance the Catholikes cause all which we have elswhere related proved at large and was very well know to this Prelat by the manifold Remonstrances Petitions of the Parliament against this dangerous encrease of Papists Priests Jesuits Popery which Petitions he still opposed These five particulars thus proved premised infallibly demonstrating a dangerous design and prosecution of it in the Pope and his Instruments to reduce subject us to the Church of Rome of which this Archbishop was most fully informed and wherewith in a great measure he complied with them we shall now proceed to demonstrate that instead of counterworking opposing resisting this known design and practice of theirs according to his trust and duty he did most traiterously and wickedly combine confederate with them to the utmost of his wit and power to advance accomplish this their design and project by sundry Jesuiticall practises some whereof we have formerly proved pressed at large and therefore shall only recapitulate now to re-fresh your memories and then proceed to further evidence First of all he began to usher into our Cathedrals Churches Chappels Universities by inches and degrees one after another Altars Images Crucifixes Tapers Copes consecrated Basons Altar-cloths bowing to Altars Popish consecrations of Churches Chappels Church-yards Flagons Vestments Credentiaes Corporals turning and railing in Communion Tables Altarwise kneeling at the new Rails standing up at Gloria Patri praying toward the east reading second service at the Altar with other popish Innovations formerly mentioned at first he introduced them only as things tolerable or indifferent at last enjoyed them as expedient and necessary Secondly he proceeded to introduce divers Arminian Tenents as a bridge to popery first in Pulpits discourses then in printed authorized books prohibiting suppressing all preaching printing and books against them under severe penalties Thirdly he next went on to countenance authorize maintain confirm both in Pulpit and Presse divers erronious positions contrary to the general straine and tenent of our own and forraign Protestant Writers of chiefest note tending towards a reconciliation between us and Rome We shall instance in these few particulars maintained by himself both in his speeches and writings First that the Church of Rome is a true Church Secondly that she never erred in fundamentals in the worst times but only circa fundamentalia both which he publikely maintained in the High Commission at Doctor Bastwicks censure as Master Burton and Master Lane a Minister deposed Thirdly that the Religion of