In most of these Constitutions of Archbishop Boniface, and all our English Bishops and Clergy in this Convocation, (specially contrived, as I apprehend, against Judge Bractons forecited Treatise of Prohibitions, written about that time, & other Prohibiti∣ons forecited) I cannot but take notice of these particulars, worthy special observation.
1. Their high contempt and daring presumption, in holding this Convocation upon Archbishop Boniface his own summons, not only without the Kings special Writ, against Law and former presidents, but also against his express * 1.1 forementioned Prohibitions issued to him and them, not to hold or resort thereto, under pain of sei∣sing or forfeiting their Temporalties. 2ly. In presuming to make such Constitutions as these, not only without the privity or consent of the King, Lords and Commons of the Realm, very highly concerned in them, in their Liberties, Properties, Consci∣ences, but in direct avowed opposition against them, having refused from time to time upon their Petitions, to grant what they here decreed, as themselves attest in their prologue, and that upon just grounds of law, prudence, policy, right, conscience. 3ly. In exempting their persons, lands, goods from all secular persons and Courts Jurisdictions by these Constitutions, whereto they prohibited any Clergyman to submit, under severest Ecclesiastical censures. 4ly. In subjecting not only the per∣sons of all the Nobility, Commonalty to their Ecclesiastical Excommunications with bell, book and candle, and their Mannors, Lands, Goods to their Interdicts, but even the King himself to their admonitions, and his Lands, Castels, Cities, Mannors, Subjects to their arbitrary Interdicts in several cases, for opposing their transcendent, if not treasonable encroachments upon the Ecclesiastical & Civil Rights, Prerogatives of the Crown, the Laws and antient Customs of the Realm, his Temporal Judges, Ju∣stices, Sheriffs, Bayliffs, Lay-Subjects Liberties, all prostituted to their exorbitant cen∣sures & arbitrary pleasures. 5ly. In inflicting severe penalties on all inferiour Clergy∣men, who should not pursue, or violate these their Constitutions, by sequestrations, deprivations, disabilities to receive or enjoy any Ecclesiastical Benefices or Dignities whatsoever; & inflicting penalties on all such Bishops as should neglect or refuse to put them in execution. 6ly. In their most execrable abuse of Excommunications, In∣terdicts of whole Cities, Parishes, Villages from all sacred Ordinaries upon every tri∣vial occasion, and conceived neglect or disobedience of some particular persons only, in not executing or opposing these their Constitutions; yea for the Kings, his Courts, Judges granting, and not recalling their legal Writs of Prohibition, Judgements, for defence of the Rights of the Crown, Laws, or Subjects Liberties, against their Papal Encroachments on them; and the Jurisdiction of all his Temporal Courts, in cases of Advousons of Churches, Lay-fees, Chattels, Contracts, not properly belonging to Ec∣clesiastical cognisance, all which they endeavoured to engrosse into their own hands, Courts. 7ly. That though all the Bishops, Clergy, Prelates, Priors formerly * 1.2 opposed Archbishop Boniface his Visitations and Encroachments on themselves, and publickly declaimed against him for his rapines, covetousnesse, violence, non-residence, neglect of his Pastoral duty, oppression, and other vices, yet here they cryed him up for ano∣ther St. Thomas of Becket, and canonized him as a kind of Saint before his death, for these his Antimonarchical Constitutions in defence and advancement of the Prelates, Churches, Clergies pretended Liberties, and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, for which they would contest even to death under this their Martial General. 8ly. That though these Constitutions were kept secret, and not publickly divulged at first, (as Mat. Paris inti∣mates) with a clause of adding to or substracting from them, to avoid the just censure of the King and Kingdom upon the makers of them, for their high contempts and