A Memorial Offered to John Williams, Part of biography 2 · Letter 13
May it pleaſe your moſt excellent Majeſty;
BEing much wounded by a pinching and uneven Report drawn up by ſome Officer of your Majeſties Commiſſioners for the Fees, and preſented unto your Majeſty; Jul. 1630. though but very lately come to my knowledge, without any touch of the full and ſatisfying Anſwer, which I had given ſome three weeks before unto the Lords Commiſſioners, and to others in that behalf. Although I am content, as Men of My Calling ought to be, to paſs with the reſt of the World through good report and bad, yet I am not able to endure that impreſſion which the ſaid Relation may peradventure have wrought in your Majeſties breaſt againſt me; a Biſhop that hath ſerv'd your Father in ſo near a place while be lived, and cloſed his Eyes when he died, and remains ſtill in the number of your poor Chaplains, free from the leaſt ſuſpicion of ſuch ſordid Avarice, as might cauſe him to ſpot his Roche…, with the exaction of ſo mean a Sum as 20 l. a year, which is the utmoſt of that pretended Extorſion. The Charges preſt upon me with many Words, but no Matter at all, are two: The firſt concerning an Order for Increaſing the Clerk of the Hamper's Fees, 19 Jac. The ſecond about Fees for Inſtitutions, and Reſignations taken by the Biſhop of Lincoln. My Anſwer for the Clerk of the Hampers Fees conſiſts of theſe Heads: 1. That the King may juſtly and legally increaſe the Fees of all Offices in his own immediate donation, not limited by Act of Parliament, and hath ever been done ſo; which was granted by all the Lords. 2. His late Majeſty, before my coming to the Seal, had referr'd the ſuggeſtions of the Clerk of the Hamper for this increaſe of Fees unto thoſe four great Lords, who had the Seal in their cuſtody, and that their Lordſhips by their report did allow the ſame, and returned a Certificate unto his Majeſty of all the Species wherein the Fees were to be increaſed; which was confeſſed by two of their Lordſhips then preſent. 3. This Certificate was recommended to me both by word of mouth from his Majeſty, and by direction upon a Petition, ſubſcribed, to my Remembrance, by the Secretary of State, which Petition the Commiſſioners might call for from the Clerk of the Hamper, who had it for the inſtructing of his Council, and fortifying his Evidence. 4. Upon my doubting of the form, how this might be done by Law and Preſident, the King's Council learned, to wit, the Attorny and Sergeant, did, not in the Clerk of the Hanpers only, but in the King's behalf, ſatisfie the Court fully in both thoſe particulars, which is expreſs in the Order. 5. That thereupon the Court being aſſiſted with one or two Judges, without examining the Suggeſtions, (which the Court ſuppoſed to be ſufficiently done by the former Referrees) the Order was made; which Order for the eaſe of the Subjects, doth retrench and cut ſhort very much of the Fees allowed by the former Certificate. 6. For Orders made in the High Court of Chancery, the Judge for that time being, doth not conceive that he is reſponſable to any Power under Heaven, beſide the King himſelf. And this was the effect of my Anſwer concerning that Order for encreaſing the Fees of the Clerk of the Hanper. My Anſwer concerning the Fees in the Dioceſs of Lincolnis wholly omitted in the Report, as though I had been only called before the Commiſſioners, but for form; and it was to this effect, 1.That the Certificate from the Country layeth nothing to my charge. 2. That I never gave Direction for receiving of any Fees, but took thoſe only which were deliver'd to me by the Regiſter. 3. That I conceived the Fees of Lincoln Dioceſs to be much lower than of any other in England, which the L. Wentworth ſeemed to confeſs to be ſo. 4. That if the Regiſter did receive 23 s. 4 d. of every Clerk inſtituted for the Biſhop's Fee, it was no more than the Table allow'd. 5. That the Fees queſtion'd were received by my four immediate Predeceſſors, Biſhops Mountain, Neale, Barlow, Chaderton, Which four Biſhops take up a ſpace of time, which extends beyond the Table of Fees. And the L. Wentworth ſaid, he believed as much, and promiſed to report it. 6. My L. of Wincheſter is able to aſſure as much, that theſe are the ancient Fees of the Dioceſs; and that I believe my … of London, who was beneficed and dignified in this Dioceſs, and hath twice or thrice paid the ſaid Fees in his own perſon, can, and I doubt not, will be ready to teſtifie as much. 7. That for mine own part, and mine own time, I was ready to lay all my Fees (being, God wot, a moſt contemptible Sum) at your Majeſties Feet, to be diſpoſed of as your Majeſty pleaſed. Nor had I ever in my Life toucht one Penny of the ſame, but given it away from time to time to mend my Servants Entertainment. 8. That the 135th Canon mentioned by the Commiſſioners, refers the examination of all Fees in queſtion, not ſettled by Acts of Parliament, to the Archbiſhop only, and the Cognizance eccleſiaſtical, who is the only proper Judge of theſe Queſtions: Therefore I humbly beſeech your Majeſty, that I may not be drawn to conteſt with my Soveraign, in a Suit of Law of ſo mean and miſerable a Charge as this is, but rather, if thoſe two reverend Prelates ſhall not be able to ſatisfie your Majeſty, you will be pleaſed to hear me your ſelf, or tranſmit the Cauſe to the Lords of the Council, or where it is only proper to be heard, to the Archbiſhop of the Province, and that Mr. Attorny-General may ſtay the Proſecution elſewhere; which I ſhall embrace with all humble Duty and Thankfulneſs, &c.
Which reference to the Archbiſhop was granted, who did authorize the receiving of thoſe Fees for the preſent De benè eſſe only. And after Sir H. Martin and others had examin'd the Tables, Regiſtries, and Witneſſes of Credit and Experience, for the Antiquity of the ſame, upon their Report the ſeveral Fees were aſcertain'd by his Grace's Subſcription, for the time to come. So true is that of Euripides, in Supplic. foreign. He that was low in Favour got the better of him that was great in Power, in a good Cauſe.
93. Remember that in this petitionary Letter the Biſhop calls himſelf the King's Chaplain, but not his Counſellor; for about a year by-gone the King had commanded that his Name ſhould be expunged, and not remain in the Catalogue of thoſe honourable perſons: And who is ſo faithful among all thy ſervants as David? 1 Sam. 22.24. Yet ſo it was decreed, he muſt not challenge the Privilege, nor keep the Ceremony of the Name; and more he had not in four years before. No worſe an Author than Sir E. Coke tells us, in Juriſd. of Courts, p. 54. By force of his Oath, and Cuſtom of the Realm, he that is a Privy Councillor is ſtill ſo, without any Patent or Grant, during the life of the King that made choice of him. But before whom can this be tryed? And, who ſhall decide it? It will ſcarce come within the Law; and when a King will hold the Concluſion, he will be too hard for any man in Logick. Let the Maſters of the Republick contend about it, whoſe Counſellors have changed as faſt as the quarters of the year. Surely His Majeſty ſhewed himſelf much offended in this action, yet it is better for a King not to give, than to take away; which Xenophon put into Cyrus's Mouth, lib. 7. C. Paid. foreign foreign. It imprints more Offence in a man's Mind, to be deprived of that he had, than to be pretermitted in ſome Kindneſs which he never had. Since it was no better, the Biſhop thought he might ask a noble Friend in Good-manners (it was the Earl of Holland) what had kindled the King's Anger, that he would not allow him the empty Title of a Counſellor? The Earl anſwer'd him home and ingenuouſly, That he muſt expect worſe than this, becauſe he was ſuch a Champion for the Petition of Right; and, that there was no room at the Table for thoſe that would abide it. Which was like the Fortune o… Poplicola, Honoris ſui culmen inſregit, ut libertatem civitatis crigeret, Symma. p. 3. He forfeited his Honour to maintain the Laws, which being not maintained, the People are not only Loſers, but a Kingdom will look like a Tabernacle taken down, whoſe Pins are unfaſtened, and the Cords of it broken. To gall our Biſhop with aſſiduous recurrent Umbrages (for Piſmires wear out Flints with paſſing to and fro upon them) the Chriſtening of Prince Charles being celebrated in the Chappel of St. James's Houſe, Jun. 27. 1630. and all the Lords Spiritual and Temporal about London being invited thither, to make the Splendour eminent, the Biſhop of Lincoln only was left out, and not admitted to joyn in Prayer and Joy with that Noble Congregation. The more ſharp Diſeaſes ſuffer not the leſſer to be perceived; yet this Omiſſion, light as it might ſeem, did twinge him, even to outward demonſtrance of Dejectedneſs, that in ſo good a day, wherein the Clemency of the King ſhould have run at waſte to all men, that then he ſhould be ſeparated from his Countenance and this Solemnity. But, ſays he, in one reſpect it was well, for I would not have ſaid Amen to Biſhop Laud's Prayer (which he conceived for the Royal Infant, and was commended to all Pariſh-Churches) in that paſſage, Double his Father's Graces, O Lord, upon him, if it be poſſible. No Supplication could be better, than to crave encreaſe of Grace for that Noble Branch; for when a Prince is very good, God is a Gueſt in a human Body: But to put in a Suppoſal, whether the Holy Ghoſt could double thoſe Gifts to the Child, which he had given to his Father, and to confine the Goodneſs and Almightineſs of the Lord, it was three-piled Flattery, and loathſome Divinity. Let Cartwright and all his Part ſhew ſuch an Exception againſt any line in our Common-Prayer, and I will confeſs they have ſome Excuſe for their Non-ſubſcription. To carry on mine own Work: When it was known what ſmall eſteem His Majeſty had of this Biſhop, it raiſed him up the more Adverſaries, who catcht at every thing that was next, and turn'd it to a Weapon to ſtrike him; of which Sir Robert Osborn High-Sheriff of Huntingtonſhire was aware. It was upon a nice point, the Levy of Ship-money, wherein the L. of Lincoln was very provident, to do nothing to diſpleaſe; for the Adagy could tell him, Verendum eſt dormienti in ripâ ne cadat; He that ſits upon the Cliff of the Sea, had beſt take heed he do not nodd and tumble down. The King's Streights did compel him to levy this Impoſt of Ship-money, for the defence of the narrow Seas, being ſtartled with a Motto newly deviſed by Cardinal Richilieu, Florebunt lilia ponto. The Exchequer would not ſupply the rigging of a Navy, though never better husbanded than at that time, by Dr. Juxon Biſhop of London, held by all to be a good man; wherefore I cannot paſs him by without a word out of Sidon. Apol. lib. 4. ep. 4. Cum vir bonus ab omnibus cenſeatur, non eſt homo pejor ſi non ſit optimus. The French Hangers on in the Court devoured ſo much, that all his Thrift, which ammaſſed much, was gulp'd down by thoſe inſatiable Sharks: None but they made K. Charles a poor King: Theſe are the Gallants that diſdain every thing that is Engliſh, but our Gold and Silver. Alexander, Ad Alex. lib. 3. c. 23. tells us a Wonder, (But ſhall we believe him?) That from P. Aemylius's Triumph to the Conſulſhip of Hirtius and Panſa, a full 130 years, the People of Rome paid no Tribute. What a Revenue Parſimony can both preſerve and gather! But if that frugal Senate had maintained a French Court, the Quaeſtors would ſoon have found a vacuum in their Coffers. Now ſee what Sir R. O. did hammer out, to deſpight his Biſhop upon this Impoſt: He laid a very unequal Levy upon the Hundred wherein Bugden ſtood; the Biſhop wrote courteouſly to him to review and rectifie the Levy, and he and his Neighbors were ready to ſee it collected and paid. Sir Robert rides up to the Court, and complains bitterly, that the Biſhop had utterly refuſed the Payment of Shipmoney, and animated the Hundred to follow him. Being eaſily convinced before the Lords of the Council, that the Biſhop had carried himſelf dutifully and diſcreetly in the matter, yet Sir R. O. had no Check, the Biſhop no Reparation, the Levy no Reformation. Why, the worſt Men the worſt of Infidels, the worſt of our Enemies, have a Communion of Natural Right with others, to receive no Injury, to be ſatisfied upon them that do them wrong and damage. What a pickle was a poor Prelate in that was not ſo conſidered, that was laid naked to every Slander and Oppreſſion! ſtill he look'd for better, and would never lay aſide his Privy-Coat of Truſt and Confidence in God. He that will learn that ſanctified Art from an Emblem, which is a Riddle in a Picture, let him take it out of Pliny, lib. II. Nat. Hiſt. c. 24. Incremento omnium futuro telas ſuas araneae altius tollunt. The Spiders, that have made their Webs in Trees, upon a Bank ſide, remove them higher when the Spring-Tydes come in: That is, lift up the Soul, and advance it higher to God and his Protection, when the Floods of Oppreſſion rage, and threaten to overwhelm us.
94. One Quarrel, commenc'd upon no ground, continued to this day, by the Animadverter on the Church-Hiſtory of Britain, and elder than the Troubles with Sir R. O. was thus: Anno 1632. in the declining of November, Dr. Theodore Price, Sub-dean of Weſtminſter College, was cut to be cured of the Torment of the Stone; his Wound growing dry, his Preſent-death was preſaged: Mr. James Molins, his Chyrurgion, gave intelligence, that his Patient did diſcover to ſome Viſitants of the Romiſh Faction, when he thought Mr. Molins did not hear him, his Affection and Devotion to their Church: That a Table was prepared, covered, Plate ſet on, with a Wax Light, and a piece of Gold laid by it, (this is his punctual Relation) all being diſmiſt, and none remaining in the Room but Dr. Floyd, a very skilful Phyſician and a Papiſt, who is yet living) and a little old man, ſeen there but once before, who continued together about an hour. The Biſhop being at Bugden, informed of all this, came in the depth of Winter in all haſte to Town, and when he had lighted, before he would go to his own Lodgings, he went to the Sub-dean, whom he found in ſad plight, not like to continue; ſo without more ado he offer'd to pray with him at the Bed's-ſide, and was ſpoken to by the Doctor to forbear. Says the Biſhop, Couſin, you have need of holy Aſſiſtance, will you entertain any of the Prebendaries, or ſome other Church-man, to do this Godly Office for you belonging to the Sick? He ſtifly refuſed them all. The Biſhop propounded, that his weak ſtate might be remembred to God at the Evening Prayers in the Abby. No, ſays the other, I do not deſire them. Will you have no communion with us of the Church of England, ſays the Biſhop? Not any, ſays the Sub-dean. God give you a better mind, ſays the Biſhop. But, Couſin, will you have any thing with me before we part? Only, my Lord, ſays he, that you will be no more a Trouble to me; and that you will take my poor Servant, being unprovided, into your Care and Family. Which was not forgot, for the Biſh. received his Servant, whom afterward he preferr'd in Means and Marriage in the City of Lincoln; for he was more careful of the Children, Alliances, and Relations of his Friends, when they were dead, than of themſelves when they were living. The E. of Pembrook, L. Chamb. to the King, being Steward of the College and City of Weſtm. the Biſhop made him acquainted with every word that had paſs'd between him and Dr. Price, how at his laſt gaſp he had diſclaimed the Church of England; and the L. Steward related it to the King; which was then interpreted, and the Scandal is lately renewed, as if the Biſhop had feigned all this (yet it paſs'd before Witneſſes) to wound Biſhop Laud, who endeavour'd to make the Revolter Biſhop of Aſaph. There had been little Salt in that Stratagem, for Lincoln himſelf had ſent this Price, Commiſſioner for the King into Ireland, moved to obtain for him the ſame Dignity of Aſaph in the former vacancy, when Dr. Hanmer ſtept in before him, ſticked paſſionately to advance him before renowned Uſher, to the Primacy of Armagh, upon the death of Dr. Hampton. Reader, you will ſay the Biſhop was much deceived in his Couſin; neither do I defend him; he did more than once miſs in his Judgment in ſome whom he preferr'd, Humanum eſt. And it was a ranting Speech which Salmaſius aſcribes to Aſclepiades, in his Preface to Solinus, That he would not be held a Phyſician if he were ever ſick. To deliver thus much in the behalf of both the Biſhops, Dr. Price's Patrons that would have been, the man was of untainted Life, learned in Scholaſtical Controverſies, of a reverend Preſence, liberal, courteous, and prudent above many, and ſeemed very fit to make a Governour. But as our Cambridge term is, he was ſtaid with Neſcio's: He was not known in Court nor City, for he had not ſhewn himſelf in a Pulpit in 20 years. He that ſays no credit is to be given to the Information that he died a Papiſt, I would he had proved it; for, as Corteſius writes to Politian, p. 242. Plus de invento vero gaudeo, quàm de victoriâ; I had rather it were true, than get the Victory: But Wiſhes will not bring it about. Nemo facit optando ut verum ſit quod verum non eſt, ſays St. Auſtin, Ep. 28. By what colour or appearance can he be vindicated to dye a Proteſtant? May we not as ſoon light a Candle by a Glow-worm? In what did he ſeem to be a Son of our Reformed Church? I do not mean as an Ape is like to a Man, but as a Child is like to his Mother. Hypocriſie dwells next door to Orthodox Doctrine, but it never comes in to her Neighbour. So the Upſhot will bear it, that the Biſhop of Lincoln did juſtly diſcover his Kinſinan and Friend's Apoſtacy, though his own blame did depend upon it: Which will leave him the Praiſe that Eraſmus gives to a L. Montjoy, Ep. p. 162. Haec eſt tua n obilit as ut mentiri neſcias ſi velis, nec velis ſi ſcias.
95. There would be no end to repeat with how many Quarrels this unfortunate Biſhop was provok'd, yet his Adverſaries did but dry-ditch their matters, and digged in vain, though they ſtill caſt up Earth, who were no better than the Arrians, of whom Athanaſius writes, Lib. ad Sol. Vit. Agen. foreign. They fretted if they had ſpent a day wherein they could not do a Miſchief. And it will do the Sufferer no right, to tell how he threw all day, and caſt not one good Chance, but was worſted in all his juſt Appeals: Quis enim ſuâ praelia victus—Commemorare velit? Metam. l. 9. Yet I will inſiſt in that noble Conteſt he had with the Archbiſhop of Canterbury, about his metropolitical Viſitation, that hereafter, when God ſhall ſend the like occaſion, (as I truſt he will) the Dioceſans of Lincoln may know what their ſtout Predeceſſor did alledge for their exemption. This may come to paſs. But as the unknown Oratour ſaid to Conſtantine in his Panegyrick, p. 246. Iſta felicitas viderit utrum adhuc meae aetati debeatur. Archbiſhop Land enterprizing to viſit his whole Province, found oppoſition only from the Univerſities, from Cambridge I am ſure, and from the Biſhop of Lincoln, whom, next to the ſubſtance of the Cauſe, one circumſtance diſpleaſed, that Sir John Lamb was commiſſioned to be the metropolitan Vicar, to viſit his Dioceſs: Sir John had been very officious about him for many years: I let it go with that of Tully to Atticus, Pompeius Scauro studet, ſed utrum fronte an mente dubitatur. And the Biſhop had done as much for Sir John as he could have done for the Worthieſt of all his Profeſſion. 'Tis amplified enough before, and makes another inſtance, That ſo wiſe a man was not always circumſpect in his Patronage. Lamb was crafty, and of much experience, but in the running of ſome years, he was hated of all men, and much complained of, that he was ravenous in taking Fees: Like as one ſays of the Pope's drawing in Moneys from all Parties, That he was a Participle that took from Clergy and Laity. When he perceived theſe things diſtaſted Biſhop Williams, and that he had not Encouragement from him as before, and dreaming of Golden Mountains from another hand, he turn'd the falſeſt man, and the greateſt Enemy to him in the World: Archbiſhop Laud he'd worm him quite from adhering to Lincoln; and much good do him with him. Whereupon I remember what Plutarch tells merrily, of a goutiſh man that had his Slippers ſtolen from him; ſays the man full of Pain, I wiſh the Thief no more harm, but that my Slippers were fit for him. Well, the Viſitation being deſign'd, and to be carried on by Lieutenant Lamb, our Biſhop wrote to my Lord of Canterbury, as followeth.
96.