The antipathie of the English lordly prelacie, both to regall monarchy, and civill unity: or, An historicall collection of the severall execrable treasons, conspiracies, rebellions, seditions, state-schismes, contumacies, oppressions, & anti-monarchicall practices, of our English, Brittish, French, Scottish, & Irish lordly prelates, against our kings, kingdomes, laws, liberties; and of the severall warres, and civill dissentions occasioned by them in, or against our realm, in former and latter ages Together with the judgement of our owne ancient writers, & most judicious authors, touching the pretended divine jurisdiction, the calling, lordlinesse, temporalities, wealth, secular imployments, trayterous practises, unprofitablenesse, and mischievousnesse of lordly prelates, both to King, state, Church; with an answer to the chiefe objections made for the divinity, or continuance of their lordly function. The first part. By William Prynne, late (and now againe) an utter-barester of Lincolnes Inne.

Glocester.

THe Bishoprick of * 1.1 Glocester erected in King Henry the eight his reigne, wa•• first possessed by Iohn Wakeman, Abbot of T••ukesbury, and by others since, some popish persecutors, as Iames Brookes in Queene Maries dayes, the Popes Commissioner who

passed sentence of condemnation against Cranmer, Ridley and La∣tymer at Oxford,* 1.2 and represented the Popes person there; in which regard these eminent M••rtyrs would neither bend their knees, nor once move their caps unto him, whereat he was much offen∣ded. Cranmer taxeth this Bishop, for being perjured both to the King and Pope, and violating his oath to both. The succeeding Bishops of this See, I shall wholly pretermit, and give you onely a short account of Godfrey Goodman,* 1.3 the present Bishop of this Diocesse.

This Prelate hath beene ever ••eputed a Papist in opinion, if not in practise. In his booke intituled, The fall of man, he maintaines some Popish Errors, and in Parliament ti••e 3. Ca••oli, broached no lesse then five severall points of flat Popery in one Sermon preached at White-••all before his Majesty, and that impertinently, neither of them falling within the compasse of his text: of which complaint being made in Parliament, the King enjoyned him publikely to recant those Errors in a Ser∣mon at White-hall; but he insteed of recanting, defended them a∣gaine; whereupon the King threatned to make him recant in another manner, and to turne him out of his Bishoprick: but the then Duke of Buckingham, and the other Prelates procured his peace, and translated him from Rochester (where he then sate Bishop) to Glocester. In which Diocesse proceeding in his for∣mer courses, he turned Communion Tables, rayled them Al∣tarwise, set up an Altar or two in his owne private Chappell with Tapers on them, (one of which Altars, many say, he de∣dicated to the Virgin Mary) besides he set up diverse Crucifixes and Images in the Cathedrall at Glocester and elsewhere; and af∣ter the Popish manner, consecrated diverse Altar-cloathes, pulpit Clothes, which other vestments for the Cathedrall, whereon Crucifixes were embroydred, to the great scandall of the people. And as if this were not sufficient to proclaime his Popery to the world; he hath bestowed much cost in repairing the High-crosse at Windsor, where he was a Prebend: On one side whereof there is a large statue of Christ in colours (after the Popish Garbs in forraigne parts•• hanging on the Crosse, with this Latine inscription over it, Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iu∣daeorum, in great guilded Letters; On the other side, the picture of Christ rising out of the Sepulcher, with his body halfe in, and halfe out of it. And to manifest that hee is not ashamed of this scandalous worke, it is thereupon ingraven, That this was

done at the cost of Godfry Bishop of Glocester, one of the P••••bends there. Besides he suspended one Master Ridler minister of Little Deane, some 8 miles from Glocester, upon the complaint of some Papists (whom he favou••s) of which there are many in that parish, for preaching, Th•••• a P••pist living and dying a papist in all points, could not be saved; enj••y••ing him to make a publike Recantation of this his scandalous and erroneous doctrine (as he termed it, though caught by all Orthodox Protestant Divines) in the Ca∣thedrall Church of Gl••cest••r in a Sermon there to be preached Febr. 2. 1636. which this minister not retracti••g in his Ser∣mon, according to the B••shops expectation, he thereupon dre•• up a Recantation himselfe, enjoyning Master Ridler to p••blish it in the open Ca••hed••••ll on Mat••hias day following•• which hee refusing, was thereupon suspended, and his suspension openly read in the Cathedrall, March the 5. 1636. This strange Re∣cantation was marked in the front w••th the Jesuits badge (••HS••) and began thus. In the name of God Amen. In which he stiles the Church of Rome, the Catholike Church: avers, that wee did separate from her only in point of policy (for which he cites a Sta••ute in King Henry the 8. his raigne, as if there had beene no further separation from her sin••e) not in point of D••ctrines, and in substance determines, that the Church of Rome and our Ch••rch are both one, for we have both the sam•• Hierarchy and governement, the same Liturgy, Holy dayes, Fasts, Ceremonies, Sacraments, &c. So as those who affi••m•• that Papists are damned, do but through the sides of the Church of Rome give a deadly blow to the Church of England, & de∣ny that we are saved. More such good Romish stuffe is expressed in this R••can••ation, over-tedio••s to recite. Since this, when the New Canons were compiled in the late pretended Synod, this Bishop at first ref••sed to subscribe them only (as most conceive) be∣cause some of them made literally against Popery, whereupon he was suspended from his Bishoprick for a season; Since this, some Citizens and a Minister of Glocester have exhibited a Pe∣tition against him in Parliament to prove him (among other things) to be a Papist or popishly affected, he hath beene a great encou••ager of Revells, M••ygames, Morrices, and daun∣cing meetings on the Lords day, both by his presence at, ex∣hortations to, and rewards for them, causing one Master Worke∣man, a Reverend minister of Glocester to be questioned, suspen∣ded and censured in the high Commission, only for preaching

against those prophane Sports, and Images, in the very words of our Homilies.* 1.4 He hath beene a great setter forwards of all late Popish Innovations and an open favourer of Papists; so that when the Petitions against him come to be fully heard, as they have beene in part, I doubt his name and person will but ill ac∣cord: However, if he prove himselfe a G••od man, at the best he will fall out to be like his brethren, an [Ill-B••shop:] I have now run cu••••orily over our Bishops disloyall seditions, extrava∣gant actions in particular, I shall give you but two instances more of their Acts in their Convoca••ion, in generall, in affront of our Parliaments and Lawes, the one ancient, the other mo∣derne, and so conclude with our English Prelates. The first is this.

In King * 1.5 Edward the second his reigne Hugh Spencer the Fa∣ther and Son, who seduced and abused the King & Kingdome, were banished the Realme by Act of Parliament for ever, as Traytors and enemies of the King, and of his Realme: the Bishops consenting & pe••swading the K. to condescend thereunto. Yet after this An. 1319. Hugh S••enc••r the Younger and his Father, Petitioned the King against the award in Parliament, whereby they were formerly banished and disinherited without consent of the Prelates, de∣siring it might be reversed; the King delivered this Petition to the then Archbyshop of Canterbury, (Walter Raynolds) and his Suf∣fragans, assembled in their Provinciall Councell, requi••ing to have their advise and opinion ••herein. The Prelates upon delibera∣tion had (to humour the King) declared; that in their opinion the said award as touching the disinheriting and ban••sh••ng ••he Spensers, Fa••h••r and Son, was erroneous, and not rightly decreed; and for them∣selves they deemed that they neither did or could think it reason to consent thereto (though Walsingham writes expressely, that they perswad••d the King to consent to this banishment) and the••efore they required, that it might be repealed: whereupon the King disanulled the same, which afterwards occasioned much bloodshed, civill warres, and cost Hugh Spencer the Elder his head, and the King his Crowne and Life, in Conclusion.

The later is yet F••esh in memory, to wit, the Canons, &c. Oath, and Subsidies lately made and granted by our Present Prelates An. 1640. in their pretended Synod, held and conti∣nued against Law, in affront of the Parliament then dissolved. What strange kind of me••••••ll these Canons and Oath &c. were

compounded of, appeares by the perusall of them in the prin∣ted Booke; and how culpable our Prelates were in casting, mounting, and discharging them upon the inferiour ministers and people in contempt of our Lawes and Liberties, their late impeachment at the Barre in the Lords house, by the house of Commons will best demonstrate, the true Copy whereof here ensueth.

August the 4. 1641. The Impeachment against the Bishops, sent up by Serjeant Wilde, & delivered at the Bar in the Lords house verbally, by Order of the House.

MY Lords, the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses of the Commons house of Parliament, being sensible of the great Infelicities and Troubles which the Common-wealth h••th sustained by the exorbitant courses of the Bishops, and know∣ing well what the wiseman saith, Eccles. 8.11. Tha•• i•• sen••••nce be not speedily executed against ••n evill w••rke, the h••arts ••f the son••e of men are set upon further mischiefe:* 2.1 (••he timely r••dr••sse whe••eof doth better become the wisedome of Parliament•• then a too-late wofull r••pentance;) have commanded me to represent unto your Lordships, That

• Walter Bishop of Winchester,
• Robert Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield.
• Godfry Bishop of Glocester.
• Joseph Bishop of Ex••ester.
• John B••shop of Asaph.
• William Bishop of Bath and Wells.
• Geo••ge B••shop of Hereford.
• Matthew Bishop of Ely.
• William B••shop of Bangor.
• Robert Bishop of Bris••oll.
• John B••shop of Roch••ster.
• John Bish••p of Peterborough.
• Morgan Bishop of Landaffe.

Together with Willi••m Archbishop of Canterbury, and others of the Clergie of that Province, at a Convocation or Synod for the same Province begun at London, in the yeare 1640. did contrive, make, and promulg•• severall Constitutions and Ca∣nons Ecclesiasticall, containing in them divers matters contrary to the Kings Prerogative, to the fundamentall L••wes and Statutes of the Realme, to the Rights of Parliament, to the Propriety and Liberty of the Subjects, and matters tending to sedition, and of dangerous consequence.

And to adde the more weigh•• and efficacie to this their mon∣strous designe, They did at the same Synod under a specious and faire Title, grant a Ben••vol••nce or Contribution to his Maje∣sty, to be paid by the Clergy of that Province, contrary to Law: It rested not there, for though this had beene enough to have affrighted and terr••fied the Kings people with strange apprehen∣sions and feares, yet that these might not seem to be contrivan∣cies of their brain or Fancies o••ly•• they were put in Execution and were executed upon divers with animosity and rigour, to the great oppression of the Clergy of this Realme, and other his Majesties subjects, and in contempt of the King, and of the Law.

Whether these persons, my Lords, that are culpable of these Offences, shall be thought fit to have an Interest in the Legisla∣tive power, your Lordships Wisdome and Justice is able to judge.

But for these matters ••nd things, the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses of the Commons House in Parliament, in the name of themselves, and of all the Commons of England, doe impeach the said Bishops before-named of the Crimes and Misdemeanors before expressed, and do therefore pray that they may bee forth∣with put to their Answers in the Presence of the Commons, and that such further Proceedings may bee had against them, as to Law and Justice shall appertaine.

Now that the world may take notice what Power the Clergy in their Con••ocation have to make Canons and Constitutions to bind the subjects, and of what validity their late Canons are; I shall avouch the Votes of the Commons House concerning them, as I find them printed at the end of this Impeachme••t of Bishops.

The Votes concerning the Bishops late Booke of Ca∣nons, in the House of Commons.

THat the Clergy of England convented in any Convocation or Synod, or otherwise, have no power to make any Consti∣tutions, Canons, or Acts whatsoever, in matter of doctrine, or otherwise, to binde the Clergy or Laity of this Land without the common consent of Parliament.

That the severall Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiasticall, treated upon by the Archbishops of Canturbury and Yorke, Pre∣sidents of the Convocation, for the respective Provinces of Can∣terbury and Yorke, and the rest of the Bishops and Clergy of these Provinces, and agreed upon by the Kings Majesties licence, in their ••everall Synods, begun at London and Yorke, 1640. doe not bind the Clergy or Laity of this Land, or either of them.

And thus I have don•• with our English Lordly Prelates, whose only study is and hath been to support their Lordly dignity, not true religion, devotion and piety•• I shall conclude with them in Saint * 3.1 Bernards words. Vides omnem Ecclesiasticum zelum fer∣vere sola pro dignita••e tuenda: Honori totum datur, sanctitati nihil, aut parum. Nisi quod sublime est, hoc salutare dicamus; & quod gloriam redolet, id justum. Ita omne humile probro ducitur inter Palatinatos. Et tunc potissimum volunt dominari, cum professi fuerint servitutem. Fi∣deles se spondent, ut opportunius fidentibus noceant. Ante omnia sapien∣tes sunt ut facia••t mala, b••num autem facere nesciunt. Hi invisi ter∣rae & coe••o, utrique injecêre manus; impii in Deum, temerarii in san∣cta, seditiosi in invicem, aemuli in vicinos, inhumani in extraneos, quos neminem amantes, amat nemo. Hi sunt, qui subesse non sustinent, prae∣esse non norunt, superioribus infideles, inferioribus importabiles. Docu∣erunt linguam suam grandia loqui, cum operentur exigua, Blandissimi adulatores, & mordacissimi detractores, simplicissimi dissimulatores, & malignissimi Proditores. O miserandam Sponsam talibus creditam Para∣nymphis, qui assignata cultui ejus, proprio retinere quaestui non verentur. Non amici profectò Sponsi, sed aemuli sunt. Erunt inquam hujusmodi ma∣ximo studio corrigendi, ne pereant; aut ne perimant, coercendi.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Godwin. Cat. E∣dit. 2. pag. 495, 496.
• * 1.2

  See Fox Acts and Monu∣ments. vol. 3. p. 649. to 663.
• * 1.3

  Godfry Goodman.
• * 1.4

  Lords-day.
• * 1.5

  1 Ed. 3. c. 1. Holins. p. 328.338. to 340. Walsingham. Hist. Angl. p. 91.92.95.106. Speed. p. 674.
• * 2.1

  Eccles. 8 11.
• * 3.1

  De consider. ad Eugenium, lib. 4.