Examen historicum, or, A discovery and examination of the mistakes, falsities and defects in some modern histories occasioned by the partiality and inadvertencies of their severall authours / by Peter Heylin ...

The Sixth Book. (Book 6)

Containing the History of Abbeys. (Book 6)

THis Book containing the History of Abbeys seems but a Supplement to the former, but being made a distinct book by our Author, we must do so likewise. In which the first thing capable of an Animadversion, is but meerly verbal, viz.

Fol. 266. Cistercians so called from one Robert living in Cistercium in Burgundy.] The place in Burgundy from whence these Monks took denomination, though call'd Cistercium by the Latins, is better known to the French and English by the name Cisteaux; the Monks thereof [ 125] the Monks of Cisteaux by the English, and Lesmoines de Ci∣steaux by the French, and yet our Author hath hit it bet∣ter in his Cistercians, then Ralph Brook York Herald did, in his Sister-senses, for which sufficiently derided by Au∣gustin Vincent, as our Author being so well studied in He∣raldry, cannot chuse but know.

Fol. 268. But be he who he himself or any other pleaseth brother if they will to St. George on Horseback. •• Our Au∣thor not satisfying himself in that Equitius, who is sup∣posed to be the first Founder of Monks in England, makes [ 126] him in scorn to be the Brother of St. George on Horse∣back; that is to say, a meer Chimera, a Legendary Saint, a thing of nothing. The Knights of that most noble Order are beholding to him for putting their Patron in the same Rank with St. Equitius; of whose existence on the Earth he can finde no Constat. But I would have him

know, how poorly so ever he thinks of St. George on Horseback, that there hath more been said of him, his Noble birth, Atchievements with his death and Martyr∣dom, then all the Friends our Author hath, will or can justly say in defence of our present History.

Fol. 270.—So they deserve some commendation for their Orthodox judgement in maintaining some Contro∣versies [ 128] in Divinity of importance against the Jesuites.] Our Author speaks this of the Dominicans or preaching Fry∣ers, who though they be the sole active managers of the Inquisition, deserve notwithstanding to be commended for their Orthodox judgement. How so? Because forsooth in some Controversies of importance, that is to say, Prede∣stination, Grace, Free-will, and the rest of that link, they hold the same opinions against the Iesuites and Franci∣scans, as the Rigid Lutherans do against the Melanchthoni∣ans, and the Rigid or Peremptory Calvinists against the Remonstrants. As powerful as the Iesuites and Franciscans are in the Court of Rome, they could never get the Pope to declare so much in favour of their Opinion, as here our Author (out of pure zeal to the good Cause) declares in favour of the Dominicans. It was wont to be the pro∣perty or commendation of Charity, that it hoped all things, believed all things, thought no evill, and in a word covered a multitude of ••ins. But zeal to the good cause having eaten up Charity, so far ascribes unto it self the true qua∣lities of it, as to pass over the sins and vices of such who have engaged themselves in defence thereof. And he that favours the good cause, though otherwise heterodox in Doctrine, irregular in his Conversation, as bloudy a Butcher of the true Protestants as these Preaching Fryers, shall have his imperfections covered, his vices hidden under this disguise, that he is Orth••dox in judgement, and a true Professor. Otherwise the Dominicans had not ••ound such favour from the hands of our Author, who would have drawn as much bloud into their cheeks with

his pen, as they have drawn from many a true Protestant by their persecutions.

Fol. 300. We will conclude with their observation (as an ominous presage of Abbies ruine) that there was scarce a great Abbey in England, which once at least, was not burnt down with lightning from Heaven.]•• Our Author may be as [ 128] well out in this, as he hath been in many things else; it being an ordinary thing to a••scribe that to Lightning or fire from Heaven, which happened by the malice or carelesness of Knaves on Earth, of which I shall speak more hereafter, on occasion of the firing of St. Pauls s••eeple in London, lib. 9. Now only noting by the way, that scarse any, and but thirteen (for our Author names no more which were so consumed) hang not well toge∣ther. If only thirteen were so burnt (and sure our Author would have nam'd them if they had been more) he should have rather chang'd his style, and said that of so many Religious Houses as suffered by the decayes of time and the fury of the Danish W••••s, or the rage of accident I fires, scarse any of them ••••d been striken by the hand of Heaven.

Fol. 313. Hence presently arose the Northern Rebellion, wherein all the open undertakers were North of Trent, &c.] Not all the open undertakers, I am sure of that our Au∣thor telling us in the words next following, that this com∣motion began first in Lincolnshire, no part whereof except the River-Isle of Axholm, lies beyond the Trent. Con∣cerning which we are instructed by Iohn Stow,* 1.1 that at an Assise for the Kings Subsidie kept in Lincolnshire, the people made an in∣surrection, and gathered nigh twenty thousand persons, who took certain Lords and Gentlemen of the Country, causing them to be sworn to them upon certain Articles which they had devised. For which Rebellion, and some other practises against the State 12 of that County,* 1.2 that is to say, 5 Priests, and 7

Lay-men were not long after drawn to Tyborn, and there hang'd and quarte••ed. By which we see, that all the open undertakers in the Northern Rebellion were not North of Trent▪ nor all the principal undertakers neither; some Lords and Gentlemen of that County (though against their wills) appearing in it,* 1.3 and amongst others Sir Iohn Hussey created Baron not long before by King Henry the eighth, and shortly after punisht by him with the loss of his head, for being one of the Heads of this Insurrection.

Fol. 316. Where there be many people, there will be many offenders, there being a Cham amongst the eight in the Ark, yea a Cain amongst the four Primitive Persons in the beginning of the world.] In this, our Authors Rule is better then his Exemplification. For though there [ 129] where but eight persons in the Ark, whereof Cham was one, yet in all probability there were more then four persons in the world at the Birth of Abel, reckoning him for one. For though the Scripture doth subjoyn the Birth of Abel unto that of Cain, yet was it rather in re∣lation to the following story wherein Abel was a prin∣cipal party, then that no other children had been born between them. The world had peopled very slowly, and never increased to such vast multitudes in so short a time, if Eve had not twinned at least at every birth, and that some other children had not intervened between Cain and Abel. Not was Cain in relation to the time of his brothers birth to be accounted of as Cain in our Authors sense, that is to say, a Malefactor, an Offender, a murtherer of his innocent brother; or if we take him in that sense, there must be then some scores of per∣sons at the least, if not many hundreds, and consequent∣ly no such Cain amongst the Four Primitive Persons in the beginning of the world, as our Author would.

Fol. 338. Such who are Prelatically affected, must ac∣knowledge these new Foundations of the Kings for a worthy

work, &c.] So then the Foundation of six Bishopricks, [ 130] with the Capitular Bodies, Schools, Alms-houses and other Ministers and Officers subservient to them, is to be thought a worthy work (with reference to the work it self) by none but such as are Prelatically affected. The Preferment of so many men of Learning, the Education of so many children, the maintenance of so many Quire∣men, the relief of so many decay'd and impotent per∣sons, the provision made for so many of all sorts, who had their being and subsistence in the said Foundations, had nothing in it which might Signifie a worthy work▪ un∣less there be somewhat of a Prelatical perswasion in them, who put that value and esteem upon it. If any of a con∣trary judgement do approve the same, it is not to be attributed to the worth of the work, but to the accidental use which the unhappiness of this Age hath put them to, that is to say, by selling all the Lands which severally belong'd unto them to supply the present necessities of of the Common-wealth, as our Author telleth us. Assuredly such as are now founded in Colledges, or possest of Tithes, have good cause to thank him for this Discourse, which by this Rule and Reason are to be approved of by none but those who are interessed and concerned in th••m; except it be with reference to some subsequent sal••, when the pretended exigencies of the Common-wealth, or of any prevailing party in it shall require the s••me.

Fol. 340. It was in those days conceived highly inju∣rious, to thrust Monks and Nuns out of House and Home, without assigning them any allowance for their subsistence.] Our Author says very well in this, there being few Re∣ligious persons thrust out of their Houses, (except those that suffered by the first act of dissolution) who either were not prefer'd in the Church, (as Wakeman the last Abbot of Tewksbery, was by the King made the first Bi∣shop of Glocester) or otherwise provided of some liberal

pension, according to their age, wants, and quality; insomuch as Sir William Weston Lord Prior, of the order of St. Iohns, had an yearly Pension of a thousand pounds; Rawson the Subprior of a thousand Marks, some of the Brethren of two hundred pounds per annum, and thirty pounds per annum he that had least. Not did the King only give them such competent Pensions as might yeeld them a subsistence for the future, but furnisht them with ready money beforehand (their viaticum or advance mo∣ney as it were) toward their setting up in the world, which commonly amounted to a fourth part of their year∣ly Pension. The like honest care to which I finde in our Authors History of Waltham Abbey, fol. 8. where he tel∣leth us, that the Canons founded there by King Harold, were not remov'd thence by King Henry the second, (notwithstanding the scandalous conversation which was charg'd upon them) and Augustinian Fryers brought in∣to their place, done•• praedictis Canonicis sufficienter pro∣visum fuisset, till the said Canons were other ways pro∣••ided of sufficient maintenance. And this may serve for the instruction (I will not say the reproach) of the present times, in which so many Bishops, Deans, and Preben∣daries no was obnoxious to any such scandalous accusa∣tions, have been thrust out of their Cathedrals without the allowance of one penny towards their subsistence▪ The like may be said also in the case of the sequestred Clergy. For though by an Order of the House of Com∣mons, their wives•• and children were to enjoy a fifth part of the yearly profits of their Benefices, yet the unconsci∣onable Intruders found so many shifts to evade that Order, that very few enjoy'd the just benefit of it, and they that did, found their attendance on the Committee for plundred Ministers so troublesome and chargeable to them, that it did hardly quit the cost. One man I know particularly, who after above twenty Orders pro and con•• and the riding of above a thousand miles backward and forward, be∣sides

a chargeable stay in London to attend the business; was fain at last to make a private agreement with the ad∣verse party, and take a tenth part in stead of a fifth. The like may be said also of the late Bill, by which the Presbyte∣rian Intruders are setled in the Bene••••ces of the seque••tred Clergy for term of life. For though it be thereby provi∣ded, that the Commissioners for rejecting of scandalous Ministers, shall have power to grant a fifth part, toge∣ther with the arrears thereof, to the sequestred and e••ect∣ed Clergy; yet is the Bill clog'd with two such circum∣stances, as make it altogether unuseful to some, and may make it little beneficial unto all the rest. For by the first it is declar'd, that no man shall receive any benefit by it, who hath either thirty pound per annum in Real, or five hundred pounds in Personal Estate; by means whereof many who have had some hundreds of pounds yearly to maintain their Families, are tyed up to so poor a pittance as will hardly keep their chil••ren from begging in the open streets. By the other, there is such a power given to the Commissioners, that not exceeding the fifth part, they may give to the poor sequestred Clergy as much and as little as they please, under that proportion. And one I know particularly in this case also, who for an Arrear of twelve years out of a Benefice rented formerly at 250 l. per annum, to my certain knowledge could obtain but 3 l. 6 s. 8 d. (the first Intruder being still living, and possest of that Benefice) and no more then 20 Marks par annum for his future subsistence, which is but a nineteenth part in stead of a fifth. And this I have observ'd the rather, that if these p••pers should chance to come into the hands of any of those who have the conduct of affairs, they would be pleas'd to cause the said Bill to be review'd, and make the benefit thereof more certain and extensive then it is at the present. Our Author might have sav'd me the greatest part of this Application, had he been minded to do the poor Clergy any right, as he seldom doth. For

proof whereof we need but look upon a passage in his very Book, fol. 283. which is this that followeth.

Once (saith he) it was in my minde to set down a Catalogue (easie to do, and useful when done) of such Houses of Cistercians, Templers, and Hospitallers, which were founded since the Lateran Council, yet going under the general notion of Tithe-free, to the great injury of the Church. But since on second thoughts, I conceived it better to let it alone, as not sure on such discovery of any blessing from such Ministers which should gain, but certain of many curses from such Lay-men who should lose thereby.

So he. But I have heard it for a usual saying of King Henry the fourth of France, That he that feared the Popes curse, the reproaches of discontented people, and the frowns of his Mistress, should never sleep a quiet hour in his bed. And so much for that.

Fol. 357. But this was done without any great cost to the Crown, only by altering the Property of the place from a [ 131] late made Cathedral to an Abbey.] Our Author speaks this of the Church of Westminster, which though it suffer∣ed many changes, yet had it no such change as our Author speaks of; that is to say, from a Cathedral to an Abbey, without any other alteration which came in between. For when the Monastery was dissolved by King Henry the eighth, An. 1539. it was made a Deanry, Will. Benson being the first Dean. In the year 1541. he made it an Episcopal See, or Cathedral Church, and placed Thomas Thurlby the first Bishop there. But Thurlby being remov'd to Norwich, Anno 1550. the Bishoprick was suppressed by King Edward the sixth, and the Church ceased from be∣ing Cathedral, continuing as a Deanry only till the 21. of November, 1557. at what time Dr. Hugh Weston the then Dean thereof, unwillingly remov'd to Win∣sor, made room for Feckna•• and his Monks, and so re∣stor'd it once again to the State of an Abbey, as our Au∣thor telleth us.

Fol. 359. Nor can I finde in the first year of Queen Elizabeth any particular Statute wherein (as in the r••ign of King Henry the eighth) these Orders are nominatim suppressed, &c.] But first, the several Orders of Religious Persons were not suppressed nominatim, except that of [ 132] St. Iohns, by a Statute in the time of King Henry the eight. Secondly, if there were no such Statute, yet was it not because those Houses had no legal settlement, as it after followeth; Queen Mary being vested with a power of granting Mortmains, and consequently of founding these Religious Houses in a Legal way. Thirdly, there [ 133] might be such a Statute, though our Author never had the good luck to see it; and yet for want of such good luck, I finde him apt enough to think there was no such Statute. Et quod non invenit usquam, esse putat nusquam, in the Poets language. And such a Statute as he speaks of there was indeed, mentioned and rela∣ted to in the Charter of Queen Elizabeth for founding the Collegiate Church of St. Peter in Westminster. But being an unprinted Statute, and of private use, it ea∣sily might escape our Authors diligence, though it did not Camdens; who being either better ••ighted,* 1.4 or more concern'd, had a view thereof. For telling ••s how the Monks with their Abbot had been set in possessi∣on again by Queen Mary, he after addeth, that they within a while after being cast out by Authority of Par∣liment, the most vertuous Queen Elizabeth converted it in∣to a Collegiate Church, or rather into a Seminary or Nurse Garden of the Church, &c.

Fol. 369. Jesuits the last and newest of all Orders.] [ 134] The newest if the last, there's no doubt of that, but the last they were not; the Oratorians (as they call them) being of a later brood. The Iesuites founded by Ig∣natius Loyola, a Spaniard▪ and confirmed by Pope Paul

the thi••d, Anno 1540. The Oratorians founded by Philip Meri•• a Florentine, and confirmed by Pope Pius the fourth, Anno 1564. By which accompt these Oratorians are younger Brethren to the Iesuites by the space of four and twenty years; and consequently the ••esuites not the last and newest of Religious Or∣ders.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Stow in Hen. 8. fol 573.
• * 1.2

  Id. fol. 5••4.
• * 1.3

  Camden in Lincolnshire fol▪ 535.
• * 1.4

  Camd. ••n Midle∣sex, fol 4••9.