A Quench-Coal, Postscript
A POSTSCRIPT.
CHristian Reader, since the finishing of this Treatise a memorable Story hath fallen out in the Tovvne of Colchester, in the County of Essex, vvorthy publike knovvledge, vvhichwhich I shall here relate.
One Thomas Nuceman Parson of the Parish Church of S. Runwald in Colchester caused the Communion-Table in his Church to be removed and rayled in Altarwise; Which done he enjoynes all the Communicants to come up to the new rayle, and there to kneel downe and receive the Sacrament, refusing to administer the Communion to any but such who came up to the rayle, though present in the Chauncell and ready to receive it in the accustomed place and maner, and commaunding the Church-Warden to present them to D. Aylot (the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury his Surrogate, for that Towne during his Metropoliticall Visitation) for not receiving, when as they should have presented him for not giving them the Communion, when as they there profered to receive it, after their auncient maner. One Mr. Burroes of that Parish being thrice put by the Sacrament, for not comming up to this new rayle, and yet presented for not receiving, thereupon prefers a Bill of Inditement upon the Statute of 1. Eliz. c. 2. against Nu…oman for this Innovation at Colchesters Sessions: Which Inditement being ill drawen, and most of the grand Iury Nucomans friends, an Ignoramus was retained thereon, and Dulman the Clerke that drew it, might have well been added thereto.
This Inditement only exhibited so troubled Nucoman and Dr. Aylot, that the next Court-day Mr. Burroes is excommunicated for not appearing in Court, though he made his personall apparance, and there continued till the Court was risen, as he could prove by 20 witnesses, and the Dr and Register both confessed as much, (such strange justice and vexatious oppression now raignes in these spitefull, I should say spirituall Courts.)
The next Lords day, Nucoman publisheth the Excommunication in the Church, and then sends the Church-wardens to Mr. Burroes there present to commaund him to depart the Church: VVho comming to him accordingly; He told them, that the Excommunication certainly was forged by Nucoman his enemie, that there was none granted against him in the Court, for he was present all the while; And how ever, it came not out in the Kings name, under the Kings Seale, and by an authority derived immediately from the King by speciall Letters Patents, as it ought by Law to doe, and the expresse provision of the Statutes of 1. Ed. 6. c. 2. 1. Eliz. c. 1. 8. Eliz. c. 1. and therefore it was voyde in Law, neither would nor could he in poynt of loyally to his Majesty obey it, being not made by his authority. Whereupon the Church-wardens left him.
Nucoman hereupon bids them carry him out of the Church; The Church-wardens refuse to doe it. Then he chargeth the Constables to doe it: Who c…ming to Mr. Burro…s; he told them, that he was not excommunicated, that they had nothing to doe in the Church, neither was it any part of their office but the Church-wardens to remove him, and therefore bid them to doe no more then they could justify by Law, else they should smart for it. Upon this they left him.
Nucoman hereupon puts off his Surplesse, closeth his Booke and g…eth out of the Church, the people follow him by degrees.
Mr. Burroes sits still till about 11. of the clocke when the Clerke came to shut the dores.
The next day there was a great stirre about this busines, Nucoman would have this a disturbance against the Statute of 1. Mari…e. c. 3. Mr. Burroes said, that he was the disturber and the Dr, for publishing and granting such an illegate excommunication and giving over divine service without cause, and that he was not to goe out by Law if the excommunication had been legall, but ought to have been carried out by the Church-wardens, and so was no disturber. Much adoe there was about it.
Mr. Burroes to cleare the busines goes to the Register and Dr. to know whether he was excommunicated or no, and for what cause.
At first they denyed he was excommunicated, neither would they believe that Nucoman had published any excommunication against him: Which when he made appeare, they then told him he was excommunicated indeed by the Court: He demaunded for what cause? They answered for not appearing: He replied he was present all the while in Court, and that they both knew to be true; And is this, said he, your justice to excommunicate men for not appeapearing, when they are all the while in Court?
To which Dr. Aylot answered, … Sir, you are an audatious fellow indeed, you will indite your Minister for Innovations, we will take you downe in time, and teach you how to indite Ministers, I will excommunicate you … all the Parishes round about and throughout England, and see who dares absolue you, for Inhibition I am sure you can have none.
VVill you so Mr. Dr. said he, I thought your power had not been so large as to reach over all England, nor your presumption and insolency so great as to excommunicate his Majesties subjects thus against Law, for inditing these that breake both his Majesties Lawes and Declarations; If you abuse me thus as you say, you will, I will not only goe to Church notwithstanding your excommunication, but likewise bring you into the Star-chamber for abusing me in this maner.
Well the*This Dr. is an high Commissioner, and when any man opposeth his extortions or Innovations presently he hath a dormant warrant and Pursevant to arrest and vex the parties… With which course he hath so vexed & abused the Country and his Majesties authority, that hanging is to good for him; The like have other Commissioners done. Dr. proceeds, excommunicates him upon no grounds in other Parish-Churches, threatens him with the High Commission, only for inditing Nucoman for abusing him as before, and bringing in Innovations. And doth not such a rejected wilfull oppressing unjust Ecclesiasticall Iudge deserve to be trussed up for such proceedings? Were§His 5. Sermon before King Edward, fol. 64. Bishop Latymer now alive, and should heare such a story of an Ecclesiasticall Iudge, (and most of them are of the same Litter,) he would not sticke to say before the King himselfe; J would wish that of such a Iudge in England now we might have the skin hanged up. It were a goodly signe, the signe of the Iudges skinne. And certainly till the skins of some of these Spirituall Devill-Iudges be fleyde off, and their neckes graced with a Tiburne-tippet for their extortions and strange oppressions of his Majesties people, in a way of justice, the people shall never live in quiet, but the Wolves will bite and devour them.
Mr. Burroes, notwithstanding all this malice, proceeds in his resolution as well as the Dr. on the 2. of October last, being the Lords-day, he goes to his owne Parish-Church, without any absolution, whereupon Nucoman gives over service and departs, and all the people after him; Then he goes to another Church where he was excommunicated; And after that to a third, they all doe the like and leave the Church.
On Monday the 3. of October, being the Sessions-day for the Towne, he prefers a new Inditement against Nucoman for his Innovations, the Mayor and Recorder persuade him to desist, he refuseth to doe it; Then they wish him to put it off till next Sessions, because it was a new case. He answered, the case was plaine, and that he must by the Statute indite him this Sessions or not at all. Then they fall to perswade the Iury, not to finde the Inditement; The Iury being stout honest men, notwithstanding finde it, Billa vera, this Innovation of Nucoman being a notorious affront both against the Statute and his Majesties late Declarations; They desire them to change their verdict; The honest men refuse to doe it: Thereupon the Sessions is presently adiourned for 10. dayes.
Nuoman posts to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury, to acuaint him with these proceedings, and to crave his direction what shalbe done.
Upon his retorne he brings downe a Pursevant and Proces with him to arrest Mr. Burroes only for prosecuting him in the Kings behalfe, enters his house, and first by pollicy, after that by power seekes to apprehend him, sets the whole Towne in an uproare, gets the Sessions adiourned 9. weekes longer to the end that he may escape the punishment of the Statute, and remove the Inditemeut thence into the Kings Bench for delay. Thus are the Kings good Subjects abused by a packe of Iewde companions, and the High Commission made the Instrument, not only of oppressing his Majesties best subjects, but of patronizing knaues and offenders in their open contempts against his Majesties Lawes and Declarations, the chiefe use it now serves for. Master Burroes threatens them all with the Star-chamber, for a conspiracie, and denying him and the Kings Iustice; And so the matter yet hangs in suspence.
This case is like to be a president for all England to follow; And if all people where Communion-Tables are turned into Altars, or rayled in Altarwise, or they inforced in a new maner to come up to the rayle to receive; will preferre the like Inditements against their Ministers (yea and Bishops too, the chiefe Agents in these Novelties, upon the second clause of the Statute of 1. Eliz. c. 2.) whereupon they are to be imprisoned 6. whole monthes, without bayle or mainprise, upon the first Conviction and Inditement, and to forfaite one whole yeares profits of all their Ecclesiasticall livings & promotiōs; And for the second, to be imprisoned and deprived of all their livings ipso facto; for the third to forfait all their goods, and be for ever made uncapable of any Ecclesiasticall living or preferments; Our busy Romish Innovatours will shrinke in their bornes, & we shalbe no more troubled with Altars, rayling in Lords-Tables, or ascending up to them to receive. For their ease & encouragement, in which good work, I shall here se…t downe the Coppy of his Inditement, which the Iury hath formed, against Nucoman, the Minister, as a president worthy generall imitation in all places where is need.
Iuratores pro Domino Rege praesentant, quod cum in Statuto Parliamenti Dominae Elizabethae nuper Angliae Reginae tenti apud Westm… in Com: Midd: Anno regni sui primo inactitatum & ordinatum inter alla existit, quod si aliquis Persons, Vicarius sive alius Minister culuscunque generis qui cantare vel pronunciare debet communē praecatlonem mentional: in libro c…i titulus, Liber communis praecationis, ac administrationis… Sacramētorum, ac aliorum vituum & Ceremoniarum Ecclesiae Anglicanae, in praedicto Statuto specificatus, de vel post festum nativitatis S. Johannis Baptistae, Sessionem dicti Parliamenti tunc proximè sequentis, uti recusaret dictis communibus praecationibus, sive administrare Sacramenta in tali Cathedrali vel Parochiali Ecclesia suis alijs locis in quibus eadem administrare assuesere deberet, talibus ord ne & forma quemadmodum in dicto libro specificantur editaque existunt, vel praefracte aut obstinate persistens in eodem uteretur ullo; alio ritu, Ceremonia Ordine, Forma, sive modo celebrationis, Cenae Dominicae aperte vel privatim, sive Matutinis, vel, Vespertinis, administratione Sacramentorum, vel alijs apertis precibus, quā in dicto libro cōmemoratur & prescribitur vel predicaret, declarent aut loqueretur quicquam in dero, gationem sive depravationē dicti libri vel alicuius rei inde cōtētae, vel alicuius inde partis, ac legitimè cōvictus erit inde secundum huius Regnileges per veredictionem duodecim hominum, aut per propriam confessionem, vel per insignem criminis evidentiam perdet ac fòristaciet dictae Dominae Reginae haeredibus & Successoribus suis pro prim… offensu profic…um omnium suorum spiritualium beneficiorum sive promotionum provenientium vel emergentium per bonum annum integrum proxime, post huiusmodi convictionem; Ac etiam quod persona sic convicta carceri manciparetur per spacium sex mensium sine vadimenio vel manucaptione. Qu…dam tamen Thomas Nucomanus Parsona Parochialis Ecclesiae Sancti Runwaldi infra Colcecestriam in Comitatu Essex Clericus qui debet administrare Srcramenta in dicta Ecclesia modo Ritu & forma prout specificatur & statuitur in dicto libro 14. die Aprilis, Anno Regni Domini nostri Caroli, Dei gratia Angliae, Scotiae, F…anciae & Hiberniae Regis, fidei defensoris, &c. duodecimo, vi & armis, de sua Schismatica & factiosa dispositione, & Innovationis ambitu recusabat administrare Sacramentum Cenae Dominicae in dicta Ecclesia, modo Ritu & forma sicut in dicto libro commemoratur & prescribitur, ac etiam ad tunc & … praeftacte & obstinate in eodem persistens aperte … alijs Ritibus, Ceremonijs, ordine, forma, ac modo C…lebrandae Cenae Dominicae, quam in dicto libro specificatur & prescribitur, videlicet, in non collecando vel collocari faciendo mensam Dominicam tempore administratiouis praedicti Sacramenti in corpore dictae Ecclesiae sive Cancellae vel Chori eiusdem quò a communicatibus dictae Parochialis Ecclesiae magis convenienter audiretur i… sua precatione ac administratione, ac etiam ijdem Communicantes majori numero secum communicarent; Nec non in cogendo Communicantes & Parochianos dictae Ecclesia novo ac inusitato modo & forma ad novam repagulam circa mensam Dominicam & dictae Ecclesiae nuperime collocatam ascendere, ibidenque Cenam Dominicam flexis genibus procumbe…es alternatim recipere, recusandeque administrare dictum Sacramentum Communicantibus & Parochialibus dictae Ecclesiae, ad dictam repagulam non ascendentibus, idque loco uitato eiusdem Ecclesiae idem accipere paratis & efflagitantibus contra ordinem, ritum ac formam in dicto libro edit: & specificat: & consuetudinem Ecclesiae Anglicanae hactenus usitatam & approbatam, ac etiam contra formam dicti Statuti, & pacem Domini Regis nunc, necnon in gravem contumatiam & Contemptum Declarationum dicti Domini Regis nuper editatorum, & in magnam perturbationem, inquietationem & distractionem Subditorum dicti Domini Regis, & perniciocissimum exemplum allorum Scbismaticorum ac Innovatorum, & suscitationem plurimarum Schismatum, lituum, contentionum & seditionum inter Ligies dicti Domini Regis.
FINIS.
End of the text · William Prynne, A Quench-Coal (1637)