Mercurius Rusticus, or, The countries complaint of the barbarous outrages committed by the sectaries of this late flourishing kingdom together with a brief chronology of the battels, sieges, conflicts, and other most remarkable passages, from the beginning of this unnatural war, to the 25th of March, 1646.

Mercurius Rusticus, &c. (Book 4)

IV. (Book 4)

The Rebels prophanation and horrible abuse of the Abby Church of Westminster: Together with their several outrages and abominations committed on the Cathedral Church of Exeter, &c.

IF in the Catalogue of Plundered Cathedrals, we inroul the now Collegiat Church of Westminster, I hope I shall not be thought to make my discourse, no more of kin to my Title, than Mountain doth some of his Essaies: for if we look back on the va∣rious condition of this Church (no place set apart for Religious Persons, having so often shifted its owners) we shall find that amongst many changes, it had the honour of a Bishops Sec. On the dissolu∣tion

of the Abbies, amongst the rest, Henry the Eighth suppressed this Monastery, and in the place thereof founded a Deanery, Anno, 1536. And two years after, added a Bishoprick to the Deanery. The Bishop sate here but nine Years, and again resigned his dilapidated Revenue, into the hands of a Dean; Middlesex, which was the Diocess of the Bishoprick, being devolved to London: yet though this Bishop∣rick of Westminster, as it relates to the Saxons, was but of modern Erection, yet in the time of the An∣cient Britains, it was no less than the See of the Arch-Bishop of London: and therefore it is more than probable, that, that record which tells us, that the Arch-Bishop of Londons See, was planted in S. Peters in Cornhil, was either corrupted, or mistaken, for S: Peters in Thorney: for Sic olim à spinis, as learned Cambden, and other Antiquaries, affirm, from the great crop of thorns which heretofore grew there, that which we now call Westminster, was then called Thorney. This Church so famous for its Antiquity, so admired, for its Elegancy of Structure, especially by the addition of Henry the Seventh's Chappel, a Pile of that polished magnificence, ut omnem Ele∣gantiam in illo acervatam dicas, as if art, and bounty, had conspired to raise it to a wonder of the World. Lastly, a Church so venerable, as being once the seat of an Arch-Bishop, and a Bishop, and now a long time the place where the Kings of England re∣ceive their sacred Unction, and Crowns at their Coronation, and where their bodies rest in honour∣able Sepulture, when they have exchanged their Temporal, for Eternal Crowns. This Church, under the eye, and immediate protection of the pretended Houses of Parliament, had its share in spoil, and prophanation, as much as those Cathedrals, which

were more remote from them: for in July last, 1643. some Soldiers of Weshborne, and Catwoods Companies (perhaps because there were no Houses in Westminster) were quartered in the Abby Church, where (as the rest of our Modern Reformers) they brake down the Rail abut the Altar, and burnt it in the place where it stood: they brake down the Organ, and pawned the Pipes at several Ale-houses for Pots of Ale: They put on some of the singing mens Surplesses, and in contempt of that Canoni∣cal Habit, ran up and down the Church, he that wore the Surpless, was the Hare, the rest were the Hounds. To shew their Christian Liberty, in the use of things, and that all Consecration, or Hallow∣ing of things, under de Gospel, is but a Jewish or Popish Superstition, and that they are no longer to be accounted holy, than that holy use, to which they serve, shall by the actual use only, impart a transient holiness to them, they set Forms about the Communion Table, there they eat, and there they drink Ale, and Tobacco: some of their own Le∣vites (if my Intelligence deceive me not) bearing them company, and countenancing so beastly Pro∣phanation. Nor was this done once, to vindicate their Christian Liberty, as they call Prophanation it self, but the whole time of their abode there, they made it their common Table on which they usually dined, and supp'd, though S. Paul calls it despising the Church of Christ, and asks his Corinthians if they had not houses to eat, and to drink in. 1 Cor. 11. They did the easements of nature, and laid their Excrements about the Altar, and in most pla∣ces of the Church. An abomination which God did provide against by a peculiar prohibition in the Law of Moses; and that, in places not rendred so

dreadful, by so peculiar a manner of the presence of God, as in the hallowed Temples of his pub∣lick worship: God would not permit the Jews to do these offices of nature in the Camp; they must have a place without the Camp, and a Paddle to dig and cover it; you have the Law, and the reason of the Law, both together, they must not do so; For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of the Camp, therefore shall thy Camp be holy, that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee. Deut. 23.12. If God, for these reasons would not endure it in the Camp, how much more doth his Soul abhor such beastly uncleanness in his House, and holy Temple? Nay, which is the height of all Impiety, they famili∣arly kept their whores in the Church, and which I tremble to write (Prodigious Monsters as they are) lay with them on the very Altar it self, and did in that place commit such things, as are unfit to be done by Christians.

These remain yet two Prophanations more of this Church, not to be passed over insilence. The first was committed by Sir Robert Harlow, who breaking into Henry the Seventh's Chappel, brake down the Altar-stone which stood before that goodly Monu∣ment of Henry the 7. the stone was Touch-stone all of one piece, a Rarity not to be matched that we know off, in any part of the World: there it stood for many years, not for use, but only for Ornament: yet it did not escape the frenzy of this mans igno∣rant 〈◊〉〈◊〉, for he break it into shivers. The second was committed on the 13. of December, 1643. When the Carcass of John Pym (as much as the lice left of it) was brought into this Church, and after a Sermon Preached by Stephen Marshall Arch-Flamen of the Rebels, and the Church Service Of∣ficiated

by Lambart Orbaston, one of the Prebends of that Church, is was interr'd under the Monu∣mental stone of one Windsor, Buried about 200 years since in the voyd space, or passage as you go to Henry the Seventh's Chappel, between the Earl of Dovers place of Burial, and the Monument of Henry the Third, Founder of that Church: usurp'd Ensigns of honour displayed over him. 'Twas pitty, that he, that in his life had been the Author of so much blood∣shed, and those many calamities, under which this Kingdom yet groans, and therefore deserved, not only to have his death with the transgressours, and wicked, but afterward to be Buried with the Burial of an Ass, drawn, and cast forth beyond the Gates of the City, Jer. 22.19. should after his death, make his Sepulchre amongst the Honourable, and mingle his Vulgar, Lowzy ashes, with those of Kings, Princes, and Nobles.

The sixth Instance, of the Rebels Sacrilege, and Prophaneness, which I shall present unto the World▪ is in the Cathedral Church of Exeter: which was once a Monastery, founded by Athelstane the Eighth King of England of the Saxon Race, and by him Consecrated to S. Peter. Edward the Confessor re∣moving all the Monks from hence, and planting them at Westminster, which he had newly founded, and endowed, made it the Bishops See, for Devon and Cornwal: That Pile which we now see, owes its being to many founders. William Warlwast, the third Bishop of this See, after it was translated from Cridington, or as it is now usually called Kir••on, to Exeter, built the Quire which now is, but was in∣tended, by the Founder for the Nave or Body of the Church: but Peter Quivil, the 13th. Bishop of this See, laid the Foundation of that which is now

the body of the Church: but he prevented by death, left the work imperfect: John Grandesson therefore, the seventeenth Bishop of this See, thinking the Foundation laid by his Predecessor Quivil, to be faulty in Geometrical proportions, the length not be∣ing answerable to the height, added two Pillars more, to the length of the Nave of the Church; of a distance, proportionable to those laid before he closed up the end with a Wall of most Exquisite work, in which, he built a little Chappel, and in that Chappel, a Monument, wherein himself was intombed. He built likewise, the two side Iles, and covered the whole Fabrick with an Arch of Ex∣quisite work, and brought it to such perfection, that in splendour, and magnificence, it gives preceden∣cy to few Cathedrals of the Kingdom: and which is very remarkable; though this Church was first began by King Athelstane, and made many steps before it came to arrive at its perfection, so that there are numbered almost five hundred years from the laying the first stone, to the covering of the Roof; yet the wisdom, and care of the several Benefactors was so great, that the most curious Surveyor, must confess, that the Symmetry of the parts, and the proportions of the whole, are so exact, as from the Foundation to the Roof, had been the work not of one age only, but of one, and the same hand: and that the Ornaments of the Church might be answer∣able to the beauty of the Structure itself, Bishop of Grandesson, bestowed upon it vessels of God, and vessels of Silver, Books, and all other kinds of rich furniture, Copiâ Immensâ, Immensi pretij: in exceeding great measure, of exceeding great price. All which, with many other things of necessary use, and pub∣lick Ornament, became a prey to the Schismatical

Rebels; whose sin was so much the greater, because being neither inraged by Opposition, nor made insolent by conquest, (Apologies that may possibly be taken up for other Rebels, in other places, as Chichester and Winchester) but which was a main aggravation of their crime, Citizens within their own Wall, in coole Blood, not provoked, spoil, and lay wast their Mother Church: for after this City (now most un∣worthy of those Priviledges, and honorary rewards, once purchased by their Loyalty, now forfeited by ingratitude, and Rebellion,) had once shut up their Gates against their King: it was not long before they shut up the Gates likewise of Gods house, deny∣ing all access to devout Persons, there to make their Prayers and Supplications: so near bordering upon Rebellion against the King, is Atheism, and Contempt of God: for having demanded the Keys of the Ca∣thedral, and taken them into their own Custody they presently, interdict divine service to be celebrat∣ed: so that for the space of three quarters of a year, the Holy Liturgy, lay totally silenced. Nor was the restraint upon the Reading Desk only, the Pulpit was made Inaccessible to all Orthodox, Loyal Ministers, and was open only to Factious, Schismati∣cal Preachers, whose Doctrin was Rebellion, and their Exhortation Treason, that so the People might hear nothing but what might soment their disloyal∣ty, and confirm them in their unnatural revolt, from their duty and Obedience. Having the Church in their possession in a most Puritanical, beastly manner, they make it a common Jakes for the Ex∣onerations of Nature, sparing no place, neither the Altar, nor the Pulpit, though this last, finds a better place in their estimation, than the former: yet prophaned it was, nay so prophaned, that it re∣mains

a doubt yet undetermined, which prophaned it most in their Kinds, either the Common-Soldiers, or their Lecturers. Over the Communion Table, in fair letters of Cold, was written the Holy and blessed name of Jesus: this they expunge as Super∣stitious, and Execrable. On each side of the Com∣mandmants, the Pictures of Moses and Aaron, were drawn in full proportion: these they deface, they tear the Books of Common-Prayers to pieces, and as if this had been too small a contempt, and despite done to that form of Gods holy worship, they use them, as if they had been a second sacrifice of Cu∣rious Arts, and burn them at the Altar, with exceed∣ing great Exultation, and expressions of joy. They made the Church their Storehouse, where they kept their Ammunition, and powder, and planted a Court of Guard to attend it; who used the Church, with the same reverence, that they would an Ale∣house, and defiled it with tipling and taking To∣bacco: they brake and deface all the Glass win∣dows of the Church which cannot be repaired for many hundred pounds: and left all those ancient Monuments, being painted glass and containing matter of story only, a miserable spectacle of Com∣miseration, to all well-affected hearts that behold them. They strook off the heads of all the Statues, on all Monuments in the Church, especially they deface the Bishops Tombs, leaving one without a Head, another without a Nose, one without a Hand, and another without an Arm. A sad Emblem of that Trunk of Episcopacy, which the accursed Atheists of these times have fancied to themselves, and en∣deavoured: a poor deformed, mangled, mutilated thing, having neither head of Prelation, nor face of Honour, nor arm, nor hand, nor finger of power

and jurisdiction: they pluck down, and deface the Statue of an Ancient Queen, the Wife of Edward the Confessor, the first Founder of this Church, mistaking it for the Statue of the blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. So she was stiled by the holy Ca∣tholick Church many years before it was in danger to be voted Blasphemy in that Committee where learn∣ed Miles Corbet sate in the Chair. They brake down the Organs, and taking two or three hundred Pipes with them, in a most scornful, contemptuous man∣ner, went up and down the street, Piping with them: and meeting with some of the Choristers of the Church, whose surplesses they had stoln before, and imployed them to base, servile Offices, scoffingly told them, Boys we have spoild your trade, you must go and sing hot Pudding Pyes. By the absoluteness of their power, they send forth their warrants to take away the Lead off a Conduit and a great Cistern that stood in the middest of the Close, giving plen∣tiful supplies of water to many hundreds of Inha∣bitants; and by vertue of the same warrant they give their agents power to take a great quantity of Timber, which was laid up and designed for the repairing of the Church; such Timber as that it will be a very hard matter to procure the like, all Timber not being fit for that use: and with these a great stock of Lead out of the Common Store∣house, reserved there for the same purpose; which warrants were accordingly put in execution to the full. They did enter into a Consultation about ta∣king down the Bells, and all the Lead that co∣vered the Church, to convert them into Warlike Ammunition, the Bells might be cast into Cannon, the Lead into Bullets, both would serve towards the effecting their Traiterous designs. They took down

the Gates of the Close, which the Dean, and Chap∣ter, had set up, and kept locked every night for their security: which Gates they imployed, to help for∣ward, and strengthen their Fortifications: They lay intolerabe taxes on most of the Members of the Church, and whosoever refused to submit to those most unjust, Illegal Impositions, were threatned to have their Houses Plundered, and their Persons sent on shipboard; where they must expect usage, as bad as at Argier, or the Gallies. Doctor Burnell, a grave learned man, and Canon of that Church, refusing to submit to their Taxations, they gave Command (though he were at that time sick and confined, not only to his Chamber but to his bed) to take him in the night, and bring him away to Prison though they brought him in his bed: but up∣on much importunity, some of the best rank of the Citizens being tendered his security, to render himself a true Prisoner, for that time they left him. For the like refusal, they took Doctor Hutchenson another Canon of the Church, a man of a weak infirm Body, but of a vigorous knowing Soul; and violently carried him towards the Ship, there to im∣prison him; by the way as they carried him along, he was (not only by the permission but by the in∣couragement of those that led him Captive) blasted, and abused, and howted at by the Boys, and expo∣sed to the affronts, and revilings of the base Insolent Multitude: at twelve of the clock at night they sei∣sed on Mr. Hilliar in his bed, and another Canon of that Church, being almost Fourscore and Ten years of Age, and for the like refusal, because he would not disburse such sums as they demand∣ed, for the maintenance of this horrid Rebel∣lion, they carry him first to the Prison, and from

thence to the Ship: in the way to the Prison, they throw dirt in his face, and beat the good old man so cruelly, that his roaring, and outcries were heard, and pityied by all his neighbours: and at last not able to endure (by reason of his extream old Age) the barbarous usage of the Rebels, he was forced to redeem his liberty at eight hundred Pounds: and now having dispossessed the owners, the Rebels find new imployments for the Canons houses: some of them they convert into Prisons, and in an Apish imitation, call them by the names of Newgate, Kings-Bench, Marshalsey; others they imploy as Ho∣spitals, for sick or maimed Soldiers: some they use as Slaughter-houses, and Shambles: and for the Bi∣shops Palace, they might have called it their Smith∣field, for in, and about it, they kept their fat Oxen, and Sheep, and all their Plundered Provision. These houses though fouly abused, yet do still stand, as to upbraid the Rebels injustice, and oppression; so to give entertainment to their own Master, or their successours, unless some men, possessed with worse devils than ruled in these children of disobedience, shall to their just damnation alienate them from their Original use: but other houses belonging to the Church, they set on fire, and burn down to the ground: for they burnt down the Guild-hall in S. Sidwels, belonging to the Dean, and Chapter, and as many houses more of their Ancient Inheritance and revenues as were worth 100 l. per Annum, mak∣ing likewise great havock and spoil of their woods, and Timber, maliciously intending to disable them, from reedifying what they had most barbarously burnt down.

Reader,

ENgland lately gloried in being Mistris of 28. famous Cathedral Churches, beauti∣fied with such magnificent structure, that no Na∣tion in Europe could equalize them; and of these, the impiety and irreligion of the Schismatical Reformers of these times, hath hardly left any one undefaced, though for the present the exact relation of the particulars are not come to our hands. God in his good time will, we doubt not, pour down his Judgments upon the Actors of these horrid Prophanations.

A Catalogue of the CATHEDRALS in England and Wales.

• 1 Canterbury.
• 2 Rochester.
• 3 London.
• 4 Lincoln.
• 5 Chichester.
• 6 Winchester.
• 7 Salisbury.
• 8 Exeter.
• 9 Bath.
• 10 Wells.
• 11 Gloucester.
• 12 Worcester.
• 13 Lichfield.
• 14 Coventry.
• 15 Hereford.
• 16 Ely.
• 17 Norwich.
• 18 Oxford,
• 19 Peterborough.
• 20 Bristol.
• 21 Landaffe.
• 22 S. Davids.
• 23 Bangor.
• 24 S. Asaph.

York Province.

• 25 York.
• 26 Chester.
• 27 Carlisle.
• 28 Durham.

Besides

• 1 Rippon.
• 2 Southwel. And
• 3 Westminst. Abby.

FINIS