The History of the Church of Great Britain, Title page – To the reader
THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF Great Britain, FROM THE Birth of our SAVIOUR, untill the Year of our LORD, 1667.
With an exact Succeſſion of the Biſhops, and the memorable Acts of many of them.
TOGETHER With an Addition of all the Engliſh Cardinals; and the ſeveral Orders of Engliſh Monks, Friars, and Nuns, in former Ages.
Hiſtoria vitae noſtrae Magiſtra. Bodin.
LONDON, Printed for Philip Chetwin, and to be Sold by moſt Book-ſellers, 1674.
Honoratiſſimis.
Dno. HENRICO TƲLSE Aequiti Aurato: Senatori, & Vicecomiti Londonenſi.
JACOBI READING.
PETRO RICH.
RICHARDO HOW.
JOHANNI SHORTER.
In Agro Surrienſi Armigeris:
Viris ſummi Candoris: Pietatis ac Literarum fautoribus: hunc Librum in perpetuum obſervantiae Teſtimonium D. D. D.
G. G.
TO THE READER.
THere is no greater Priviledge beſtowed by the Lord upon one Nation above others, than in the free uſe of the Sacred Scriptures and Ordinances: Iſrael had much advantage above the Gentiles, chiefly, or principally, becauſe unto them were committed the Oracles of God, the word of grace, the Covenant of life and peace, Rom. 3.2. S. Paul elſ-where reckoning up the Priviledges of Iſrael, mentioneth this in ſeveral expreſſions as prime Priviledge; The Covenants, the giving of the Law, and the Promiſes, Rom. 9 4. all which are comprehended under the Oracles, and word of God. So ſaith the Pſalmiſt, Pſal. 147.19, 20. He ſheweth his word unto Jacob, his ſtatutes and his judgements unto Iſrael: he hath not dealt ſo with any nation; and as for his judgements they have not known them. He make's no mention of the Tabernacle, or Temple, the Ark of the Covenant; the altar of burnt-offering, the golden altar of incenſe, the Ordinance of Circumciſion, &c. though in theſe they were priviledged above other Nations; but he ſingleth out this as a prime priviledge, that he ſhewed them his word, his ſtatutes and judgements.
How deeply then is this nation of ours (even England) indebted to God, to whom the Lord hath committed his holy Oracles! how much are we bound to him for this unſpeakable gift! And herein the ſingular goodneſs of God to this nation is much to be obſerved, not enely in viſiting it with the Goſpel for theſe laſt hundred years and more, but alſo in giving it the light of the Goſpel very early, even in the Apoſtles dayes. Divers Writers of good credit do teſtifie, that even in thoſe dayes the Britan's in our Iſle did conſent to Christian Religion, and pulickly profeſſed it in their Churches, as well as other parts of the World.
The Authors of the Theatre of Great Britain, Theatr. Magn. Brit.ſpeaking of the Antiquity of the Christian Faith in Britain, teſtifie in this manner. As we have ſearched the firſt foundation of our Faith, ſo neither want we Teſtimonies concerning the continuance of the ſame in this Land until following Poſterities; although the injury of Time and War have conſumed many Records: for the Britan's that were daily ſtrengthened in their received Faith by the Doctrine of many Learned and godly Men, left not their Firſt-love with the Church of Epheſus, but rather took hold of the Skirts, as the Prophet ſpeaketh, Zech. 8.23. until the Tortures of Martyrdom cut them off by death. And thoſe Fathers, even from the Diſciples themſelves, held a Succeſſion in Doctrine (notwithſtanding ſome Repugnancy was made by the Pagans) and Preached the Goſpel with good ſucceſs, even till the ſame, at length, went forth with a bolder countenance by the favourable Edicts of Adrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius, Euſeb. Eccl. Hiſt. l. 4. c. 9.Emperours of Rome, as Euſebius hath Noted, and in Britain was establiſhed by King Lucius, ſo called, as ſome Learned Men have obſerved, becauſe a Prince of great luſtre and glory; the Light of the Goſpel breaking forth in this our Iſle in ſuch a perſpicuous manner by his Converſion, that all Christian Churches took notice thereof: Of whom a great Antiquary thus ſpeaketh,
Lucius in Chriſtum credit,Vſſerius. de Brit. Eccleſ. Primord. p. 56. Chriſto que dicatas
Eccleſias dotat, diſtinctas ordinat urbes.
Geoffery of Monmouth tells us that King Lucius being Baptized together with his Subjects, deſtroyed the Temples of Idols, and Dedicated them to the onelyonly living God, enlargeing and augmenting them. Biſhop Godwin ſaith,Godwin de de converſ. Britan. we have great cauſe with all thankfulneſs to Celebrate the Memory of that Excellent Prince King Lucius, by whom God did not onelyonly bleſs this Land with ſo clear knowledge of the truth, but in ſuch ſort did it, as thereby He hath purchaſed unto the ſame the Title of Primogenita Eccleſiae, the moſt Antient, and firſt begotten of all the Churches in the world: for that although Chriſt was Preached elſ-where privately in many other Nations long before the time of King Lucius, yet of all Nations Britain was the firſt that with publick approbation of Prince and State received the Profeſſion of Chriſtian Religion. Of the Teachers of thoſe times John Bale hath theſe verſes,
Sic ut erat Celebris, &c.
As were the Britan's famous for their Zeal,
To Gentile Gods, whilſt ſuch they did adore;
So when the Heavens to Earth did Truth reveal,
Bleſt was that Land with Truth, and Learnings ſtore.
Whence Britiſh Plains and Cambreas deſart-ground,
And Cornwal's Crags with glorious Saints abound.
The common conſent of our Proteſtant Writers is, that in this time I now ſpeak of, and from the beginning of Chriſtianity here, Britain never wanted Preachers of the true Faith. And when the perſecuting Emperour's Reigned, and perſecution raged, not onelyonly in the Eastern parts, but in Italy, France, and other Countreys in the Continent near unto us; this our Iſland (as another world) was almoſt quite free thereof, both before and after, until the nineteenth year of Diocleſian, in which there was a general perſecution of Chriſtians, Gild. lib. de excid. & Conqu. Britan.(as Gildas, and others after him do witneſs) in that it ever had Kings not ſo depending on the perſecuting Emperours; and ſo far from the Name and Nature of perſecutors, that they ever were friends and favourers of Chriſtians. And for this cauſe many that were perſecuted for Chriſtianity in other Countries, fled hither for refuge, where for themſelves they might more quietly enjoy the Liberty of their Conſcience and Religion; and for others deſirous to be inſtructed in the Truth thereof, and not kept back with ſuch terrours of perſecution, as in other Countries, they might with more confidence and boldneſs, and with great hope of fruit and encreaſe Preach and Teach it unto them. This was a preparative to a more general Converſion of this Nation to Chriſtianity which followed afterwards. This Iſland was alſo the more quiet, in reſpect of the ſituation, remote diſtance, and ſeparation from the rest of the chief commanding places of the Roman Empire.
The Name [England] ſome derived from the manner of the ſituation of this Iſland in the Weſt and North: for that Eng, in the Antient Teutonick Tongue, as well as in the Modern, doth ſignifie narrow, ſtrait, or a nook. And a Portugal alluding thereunto hath this verſe,
Anglia terra ferax & fertilis Angulus Orbis,
Inſula praedives, quae toto vix eget orbe.
A fruitful Angle, [England] Thou,
Another world art ſaid:
An Iſland rich, and haſt no need
of other Countrie's aid.
And although after this, many errours in Doctrine, and corruptions in Worſhip crept in more and more into our Church, and the Pope encroaching by degrees, the Churches of God in this Land did much degenerate: as they did in other Nations, ſo that in Proceſs of time the whole world wondered after the Beaſt, and they Worſhipped the Beaſt, ſaying, who is like unto the Beaſt? Revel. 13.3, 4. Yet even in the darkeſt times, when our Church ſuffered the greateſt Ecclipſe, when her Silver was become Droſs, and her Wine was mixed with Water, it pleaſed God then to raiſe up ſome eminent Perſons to ſtand up for the Defence of the Truth in this Nation, and to diſcover the impoſtures of the Church of Rome. Yea, how many were there that ſuffered Martyrdom for the Goſpel here in England, who deteſted Image-worſhip, and other abominations in the dayes of King Henry the fourth, King Henry the fift, and others afterward, long before Luther was born. Theſe and the like in other Nations may be called the forlorn Hope, who did obequitare Antichriſti caſtra, & ad pugnam elicere, advance up to, and ride round about the camp of Antichriſt, and provoke him to the main-fight.
What wonderfull deliverances hath God wrought for this Church and Nation in ſeveral ways? When King Henry the eighth did renounce the Pope's Supremacy what plots were framed by diverſe Princes against this Land to ruine it, and how gratiouſly did the Lord protect his people here from ſuch a ſtorm, though then he had but a very little flock in this place?
When Queen Mary matched with Philip of Spain, in what apparent danger was this Land to fall into miſerable ſervitude and bondage under the Iron-yoak of the Spainard's, which diverſe nations that have been ſubject to them have found intolerable? The blind and bloody zeal of Queen Mary was likely to have rooted out all the plants of God's right hand in this Land, and ſo have baniſhed hence the true Church and Goſpel of Christ, and ſo to have ſhut this Kingdom out of the bounds of the Church. There was great expectation of Iſſue by that Marriage between the Spaniſh Prince and Queen Mary, who Her ſelf alſo was a Spaniard by the Mother's ſide: and Solemn Forms of Thanksgiving and Prayer were made for Her Conception and ſafe delivery: and beſides an Act paſſed in Parliament, that if Queen Mary died in Child-bed, King Philip ſhould have the Government of this Land during the Child's Nonage: and if theſe things had ſucceeded, into what miſery might this Land have fallen? And (beſides) had an Iſſue of that Marriage lived to Reign over England, together with other Dominions of the Spaniard, what had England been, but an Inferiour Tributary Province to be Governed as it pleaſed the Spaniſh Nation, even as was attempted in the Low-Countreys with Deviliſh cruelties? to ſay nothing of their horrible Maſſacres in the Weſt-Indies. But here ſee the wonderful goodneſs of God, who dwelt in the midſt of this Church as a Refuge. All this was prevented: Queen Marie's ſuppoſed Conception vaniſhed, She was ſoon taken away by death, and King Philip of Spain had no longer any Interest in England.
Queen Elizabeth, a Nourſing-mother to this Church Succeeded. She was born September the ſeventh, 1533. One calleth Her Angliae Delitias, Maſon conſecr. Epiſ. Angl.Europae Sydus, Mundi Phoenicem, &c. the joy of England, the Star of Europe, the Phoenix of the World: a Glaſs of God's Providence, and the Mirrour of His Mercy. And (as if the Devil had preſaged, what a ſcourge She would prove to the Roman greatneſs, and ſuggested it to Pope Clement the ſeventh) he is ſaid to have made a Peremptory Decree against Her, whilst She was in Her Mother's belly. This Pope himſelf being the Baſtard of Julian de Medicis a Florentine, he avowed to make Her illegitimate, and uncapable of the Crown. The like did Pope Paul the third attempt, viz. To make that Royal Princeſs illegitimate when She was but two years Old. But as the Lord bleſſed Her then, ſo he did wonderfully preſerve her all her Sister's Reign, when many plots were laid to take away her life. But (as Seneca told Nero) it was impoſſible for him to kill that man that muſt be his heir; ſo it was impoſſible for the malice of hell to accompliſh the death of the Lady Elizabeth, whom the onlywiſe God had appointed to be her Sister's Heir.Eccleſiae Anglicanae reformationem deſperaſſet aetas praeterita, admiratur praeſens, obſtupeſcet futura. Scultet. Annal. So great a Reformation She wrought in England, that one ſaith of it, The Goſpel had a ſwift paſſage here by diligent Preaching, by Printing good Books, by tranſlating the holy Scriptures into the Vulgar Tongue, by Catechizing youth, by publick diſputations, by recording the Martyrs, ſuch a thing, as even the former age had even deſpaired of, the preſent age admireth, and the future ſhall ſtand amazed at. It is evident, that the Almighty God, who delighteth to ſhew his power in Weakneſs, was pleaſed in this Renowed Queen and her brother King Edward, to let the world ſee what great things he was able to effect by a Child and a Woman.
But what a multitude of plots were contrived for the destruction of Queen Elizabeth, when the next heir to the Crown was a Papiſt, and an enemy to the truth of Chriſtianity, and married to the Prince of France; ſo that had theſe plots ſucceeded, England, in all probability, had been ſubjected to France in point of Civil Government, and to the Roman power in matters of Religion. Admire again the ſingular goodneſs of God in protecting Queen Elizabeth: and whilſt the enemies of the Church were ſeeking ruine in the deſtruction of Her Royal Perſon; the French King that had Married the next heir to the Engliſh Crown, dieth and leaveth her a Widow without Iſſue, and ſhe not many years after became a priſoner.
So eminent was Queen Elizabeth, that Thuanus, a profeſſed Roman Catholick (but very ingenious) ſaid, he heard the old Dutcheſs of Guiſe (whoſe ſons were of the greateſt Enemies that Queen Elizabeth had) to ſay, that ſhe was faeliciſſima & glorioſiſſima faemina, a most happy and a moſt glorious Woman. We know who made her to differ, and that ſhe had not any thing which ſhe had not received from above, therefore let us give the praiſe of all to God, who appointed her (I am perſwaded) to build the old waſt places, to raiſe up the foundations of many generations: ſhe found the Kingdom weak, ſhe left it ſtrong: ſhe found it poor, ſhe left it rich: they that were enemies to her and the Goſpel which they profeſſed and maintained, were mighty, and likely to oppoſe, viz. the French and Spaniards. They that were friends (as the Proteſtants in France and the Netherlands) were weak, and needed her help. But the Lord of Hoſts made her a terrour to his and her enemies, and a ſuccour to all his people at home and abroad. And (it ſeemeth) the Lord began betimes to cauſe his terrour to fall upon the Adverſaries: for the Council of Trent ended in a very few years after ſhe began her Reign; and a motion was made, that the Heads, or chief of the Proteſtants, ſhould be excommunicated, and in particular Queen Elizabeth. But the Emperour Ferdinand ſent them a meſſage to cool their heat,Hiſt. Concil. Trid. lib. 8. and wrote to the Pope and the Legates, that if the Council would not yield that fruit as was deſired, that they might ſee an union of all Catholicks to reform the Church, at the leaſt they ſhould not give occaſion to the Proteſtants to unite themſelves more, which they would do in caſe they proceeded against the Queen of England: for undoubtedly they would by that means make a general league againſt the Catholicks, which would bring forth great inconveniences. And his admonition was ſo effectual, that the Pope deſiſted in Rome, and revoked the Commiſſion given to the Legats in Trent.
About that time Chriſtianity began to dawn in the Kingdom of Ireland, and ſuddenly after the Kingdom of Scotland embraced the Goſpel of Chriſt, and Queen Elizabeth is made Inſtrumental that way, who ayded the Reformed party in Scotland with great ſupplies of men and money againſt the Pope's faction both of French and Scotch.
The Goſpel did ſo prevail in France alſo at that time, and the Protestants grew ſo numerous and conſiderable, the Queen-Mother, who was an enemy, yet ſeemed to temporize, and ſpeak them fair; and wrote to the Pope for Reformation of divers abuſes to give them content: inſomuch that a Learned man, then living in Germany, (though born in Italy) breaketh out in an Epiſtle to his friend, Totus terrarum orbis parturit Chriſtum.
But now let us mark how the enemies of the Churches peace raged in the dayes of Queen Elizabeth: what hideous and damnable treaſons did they commit, and how did they thirſt after the Royal blood of that peerleſs Princeſs? And when the Lord had confounded their plots, how did they ſeek to overwhelm and ſwallow us up with the power of Spain in the year, 1588. But after that in deſpite of the Pope and his Adherents that Noble Queen was carried to her grave in peace, full of dayes, riches, and honour, and her Succeſſour both in her Kingdom and Religion was eſtabliſhed in his Throne; how did theſe Romiſh Cannibals ſeek to exceed themſelves in wickedneſs and horrible cruelty? they ſought at one blow (as it were) to cut off the neck of this Church and State.Th…an. Hiſt. lib. 54. Anno 1572. A French Hiſtorian ſpeaking of the bloody Maſſacre, ſaith, Wiſe men which were not addicted to the Proteſtants part, ſeeking all manner of excuſe for that fact, did notwithſtanding think, that in all Antiquity there could not be found an example of like cruelty. But the Engliſh Powder-plot doth ſo far exceed the French Maſſacre, that there is no degree of compariſon. This cannot be paralelled. It was of ſuch a tranſcendency (ſaith M. Maſon) that all the Devils may ſeem to have holden a black Convocation in Hell, and there to have concluded ſuch a Sulphurious and Acherontical device, as was never heard of ſince the world began. That wicked Popiſh crew being made drunk with the cup of ſpiritual fornications, held forth unto them by the Whore of Babylon, with unſpeakable fury and madneſs did violate the Sacred Lawes, and break the ſtrongeſt bands of common humanity; and meant to have repreſented a ſhadow of Hell, and Helliſh-malice here upon earth, far exceeding the wickedneſs of Kain their Elder-brother, and exceeding all examples of Treaſon, Cruelty, and Murther, Except that of Judas.
The Pope and Court of Rome, who were wont to account England Puteum inexhauſtum, a well never drawn dry, whilſt they had the drawing of it, now ſeeing the golden ſprings like to run low, or rather to run another way, and not to empty themſelves in their Ciſterns; they, like Balaam loving the Wages of unrighteouſneſs, were Raging mad, and cared not how much of the beſt Blood in the Land were ſpilt, ſo that it might make way for them again to the Engliſh gold. But the greater their rage was, the greater was God's mercy: the greater the danger, the greater the deliverance. The Lord was known by executing judgement; and thoſe wicked wretches were ſnared in the work of their own hands.
Now let us conſider what we were before the Chriſtian Religion was firſt known to this Nation. What were the Britains but Pagans and Barbarous people? Yea, we read, that from the firſt ſubmiſſion of the Britans to the Romans, that Ambaſſadours came from Britain to Rome, ſwearing Fealty in the Temple of Mars, offering gifts in the Capitol to the gods of the Romans. And for the Saxons, they were at firſt no better than the Britans: the Saxons were a Dutch and Pagan-nation, and ſerved Saturn, Jupiter, and Mercury, till they were converted to the Faith of Chriſt, and renounced their Idols to ſerve the true and living God. Earcombent Reigning in Kent, after the death of his father King Ethelbald, is ſaid to be the firſt of Engliſh Saxon Kings, that commanded Idols to be deſtroyed in his whole Kingdom, about the year of Chriſt. 640.
2. Conſider we the Apoſtaſie of our forefathers in adhereing to the Roman faction, and then the renewed Apoſtaſie at the death of King Edward the ſixth, together with our unworthy and unfruitful walking under the Goſpel, ſince the reſtoring of it by Queen Elizabeth.
3. Conſider likewiſe the mighty out-ſtretched Arm of God in protecting his Church, and in preſerving the truth of Religion among us ſtill, notwithſtanding the plots, deſigns, and contrivances of Satan and his Inſtruments, and the many Enterprizes of the Papal power ever ſince the days of K. James: the great droves of Sectaries ſwarming like Locusts ſince our late unhappy Wars, who ſeemed to be Spirited and acted by the Jeſuites; their crying down Magiſtracy and Miniſtry, notwithſtanding all which the Chriſtian Religion hath prevailed againſt all its adverſaries. The conſideration of all theſe things may give us ground of hope, that God will ſtill vouchſafe to dwell with his Antient Inheritance: and therefore we may confidently commend the care of this Church (his old habitation) to himſelf, who (I truſt) will never ſuffer the Devils Inſtruments to ruine his palace, and to pull down the place of his Antient poſſeſſion.