Vindication of the Authority of Christian Kings, Title page – Dedication
A SEASONABLE VINDICATION OF THE Supream Authority and Jurisdiction OF CHRISTIAN KINGS, LORDS, PARLIAMENTS, As well over the Possessions, as Persons of Delinquent Prelates and Churchmen; OR, An Antient Disputation of the famous Bohemian Martyr John Hus, in justification of John Wickliffs 17. Article; Proving by 43. Arguments taken out of Fathers, Canonists, School-men, the Supream Authority and Jurisdiction of Princes, Parliaments, temporal Lords, and other Lay-men, (who have endowed the Church with Temporalties) to take away and alien the Temporal Lands and Possessions of Delinquent Bishops, Abbots and Church-men, by way of medicine or punishment, without any Sacrilege, Impiety or Injustice.
Transcribed out of the printed Works of Iohn Hus, and Mr. Iohn Fox his Acts and Monuments printed London 1641. Vol. 1. p. 585, &c.
With an Additional Appendix thereunto of Proofs, and Domestick Presidents in all ages, usefull for present and future times.
By William Prynne Esq a Bencher of Lincolns Inne.
Acts 1. 20. Let his habitation be desolate and no man dwell therein and his Bishoprick let another take.
Bernard. De Consideratione ad Eugenium. l. 3. Parvi dejectique animi est de Subditis non profectum quaerere Subditorum, sed quaestum propriū, in summo praesertim Pontifice nihil turpius.
London, Printed by T. Childe, and L. Parry, and are to be sold by Edward Thomas at the Adam and Eve in Little Britain, 1660.
To the most Illustrious MONARCH Charles the II. BY THE Singular Grace, and Wonder-working Providence of Almighty God, of England, Scotland, France and Ireland KING, Defender of the true Christian Faith; and Supreme Governor over all Ecclesiastical Persons, as well as Temporal, throughout his Dominions.
Most Gracious Soveraign,
I Humbly crave license to prostrate at your Royal feet, a learned Disputation of the famous Bohemian Martyr John Hus, in defence of our renowned John Wickliffs 17. Article; largely evidencing the Supream Authority of Christian Kings, and Temporal Lords, over the Temporalties, and Persons of Delinquent Prelates and Churchmen, backed with an Additional Appendix, (hastily compiled in the midst of my other distracting publike Imployments in few hours space,) not unseasonable, or unworthy publike Consideration, in relation to ancient and late alienations of Abbots, Bishops. Cathedral lands, now under your Majesties and your Parliaments Deliberation, in order to their Purchasers satisfaction, for the prevention of future Animosities, suits, & establishment of Cordial Unity, Amity between all Your Subjects, after their many years sad Intestine bloudy Schisms and Discords.
The sole Occasion of this Publication, was the many late Petitions of Purchasers, and others complaining of some*Quem dabis mihi de numero Episcoporū qui non plus invigilet subd…orum evacuandis marsupiis, quam vitus extirpandis? Ubi est qui orando flectat iram? Ubi est qui praedicet annum acceptibilem Domino? Pauci admodum sunt, qui non quae sua sunt quaerunt. Diligunt munera; nec possint pariter deligere Christum, qui a manus dederunt mammonae. Bernard. Sermo 77. super Cantica. Bishops, & Churchmens covetousness, or averseness to give them such competent satisfaction for their Purchases, by new Leases or otherwise, as Your Majesties Royal Declarations, the Commons-House Votes, and Your Noble Generals Engagements, (in order to Your Highnesse most joyfull, peaceable Restitution to Your Throne) induced them to expect; and of their violent, or vexatious proceedings, contrary to Your Gracious Proclamation, and Commission. The principal design of it is, to Vindicate Your Majesties ancient Soveraign Jurisdiction, with the Legal power of your Parliaments & temporal Lords, over the Possessions and Persons of the greatest Prelates, in cases of Delinquency, ‖See Grotius de Jure Bell. l. 3. c. 10.War, or Publike Necessity; and the Lawfulness of seising, alienating their Temporalties, imprisoning, banishing, executing their persons for Criminal Offences, and Contempts (of which they have been frequently guilty) without any Sacrilege or Impiety. The contemplation whereof (I presume) will henceforth perpetually bind them to their good behaviours, both towards Your Majesty, your Parliaments, and People; and engage them to a charitable, sober, religious use of all their Temporal endowments, to a most heavenly, humble, world-contemning Conversation, a diligent faithfull discharge of their Episcopal function, by aActs 5. 42. c. 20, 21, 28, 1 Cor. 9. 14, to 24. 2 Tim. 4. 1. 2. Rom. 15. 18. 19 20. Mar. 16. 16.daily constant preaching, fasting, praying, and administration of the Sacraments to the Souls committed to their pastoral charge; and to an aemulous imitation of our pious, primitive Archbishops and Bishops, Wilfrid, Aydan, Ceadda and others, of whom aEccles Hist Gentis Auglorum, l. 3. c. 4. 28. l. 4. c. 3.Venerable Beda, and bActus Pontisicum Cant. col. 1636, 1637.Gervasius Dorobernensis render us this account: Non Equitando, sed pedibus ambulando, verbum Dei instantissime praedicabant. Tota tunc fuit sollicitudo Doctoribus illis Deo servire, non seculo; tota cura cordis excolendi non ventris. Nulla causa fuit sacerdotibus Dei vicos adeundi, nisi ut praedicarent, vel baptizarent, vel animas curarent. Cuncta quae sibi à Regibus vel divitibus seculi donabantur, mox pauperibus qui occurrerent erogate gaudebant. In tantum erant ab omni peste Avaritiae castigati ut nemo territoria vel possessiones ad construenda Monasteria à potestatibus seculi, nisi coactus acceperet. All their Oblations and revenues were cBeda Eccles. Hist. l. 1. c. 27. Spelman. Concil. p. 96. Surius Concil. Tom. 1. p. 359.equally divided into 4. parts. The 1. for the sustentation of the Bishop and his family, not in a pompous Lordly splendor, but sober and Christian hospitality; The 2. for the maintenance of his Clergy or Chapter; The 3. for the relief of the Poor; The 4. for the repair of Churches: and if any surplusage remained, it was bestowed in alms and other pious uses; not spent in Luxury or worldly pomp. No part of it was treasured up in the Bishops own purse to enrich himself, or Leased to, or bestowed on his wife, children, kenred, servants, or Courtiers as in later ages, (as real dSpalato de Repub. Eccl. l. 9 c. 7. 2. 36. Bernard super Cantica Sermo 77. & Goncio ad clerum in concilio Rhemensi.Sacrilege as any now declaimed against.) Their Angelical and Evangelical Conversations, purchased them such veneration and high esteem among all sorts of people, eGervasius Dorob. actus Pontif. Cant. col. 1636, 1637. & Beda.Ut ubicunque Clericus aliquis adveniret gaudentèr ab omnibus, tanquam Dei famulus exciperetur. Etiam si in itinere pergens inveniretur, occurrebant, & flexa cervice vel manu signari, vel ore illius se benedici gaudebant; verbis quoque horum exhortatoriis diligenter auditum praebebant. Et si quis Sacerdotum in vicum fortè deveniret, mox congregati in unum vicani, Uerbum vitae ab illo expetere, et operibus implere curabant. Such an Episcopal life as these then led in our Bishops and Clergy now (without future contests, fLu. 22, 24, 25, 26. Vidos omnem ecclesiasticum zelum fervere sola pro dignitate tuenda? Honori totum datur, sanctitati nihil aut parum, Bern. de consid. ad Eugenium. l. 4. c. 2.which of them shall be the Greatest, Richest, Highest, but best, holyest, humblest) would speedily reconcile both them, their Purchasors and Opponents, yea produce such a reverend estimation and entertainment of their Persons and Ministry in the Laity, as Your Majesty by your most pious Declarations, Proclamations, Speeches, and unwearied Endeavours have exhorted, and conjured them unto; that so all your Subjects g1 Tim. 2. 1, 2, 3.may henceforth live a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty, under Your most just and gracious Government; Which as it ought to be their daily prayer, so it is their bounden duty, and will be the only means of their future felicity.
Let thosehDeut, 33. 26, 27. everlasting Arms of the Eternal God, riding upon the heavens for Your help, which have so miraculously protected, supported, restored Your Royal Majesty to Your Kingdoms, and thrust out the Enemy from before You without sword or spear, for ever embrace, defend, preserve Your Sacred Person in perfect health and safety, to reign over them in all Prosperity, Tranquillity, Felicity and Glory, till extreme old age (and no other casualty) shall translate You from a temporal to an eternal Crown in the Highest Heavens; Which bath been, is, and alwayes shall be the daily Prayer of
From my Study in Lincolns Inne, Novem. 24. 1660. Your Majesties dutifull and Loyal Subjects, WILLIAM PRYNNE.
An Antient Plea in Justification of the late taking away, and Sales of Cathedral-lands, &c.
IN the year of our Lord 1378. [a]Iohn Fox Acts & Monuments, London 1641. Vol. 1. p. 563, 564. 565, 566, 587.Iohn Wickliffe in the University of Oxford in his Sermons and Writings publikely asserted,
That the Lords temporal, may lawfully and meritoriously take away their Temporalties from the Churchmen offending habitually.
That if any temporal Lord do know the Church so offending, he is bound under pain of damnation to take the Temporalties from the same.
That it is lawfull for Kings, in causes licensed by the Law, to take away the Temporalties from the Spiritualty sinning habitualiter, that is, which continue in the customs of sin, and will not amend.
That whether they be temporal Lords, or any other men whatsoever they be, which have endowed the Church with Temporalties, it is lawfull for them to take away the same Temporalties, as it were by way of medicine, to avoid sin, notwithstanding any Excommunication or other Ecclesiastical Censure; for so much as they are not given but under a conditon.
The Bishops of England, conceiving their Great Lordly Minors, and Temporalties to be much endangered by these Positions of Wickliff, drew up these and other Positions of his into Articles of complaint against him, and sent them diligently to Pope Gregory the XI. at Rome, with other Articles of a diffrent nature to the Number of 18. where they were condemned for heretical and erroneous by 23. Cardinals. Hereupon Pope Gregory sent his Bulls to the Chancellor & Universitie of Oxford, King Richard the 2d. and the Archbp. of Cant. to apprehend, imprison and persecute Wickliff; who was thereupon summoned to appear before a certain Convocation of Bishops at the Archbishops Palace in Lambeth; where he justified these Positions by reason, Scripture, Canon and Civil Law. After Wickliffe death, 45 Articles being exhibited against him in the Council of Constance, and these 3. amongst the rest.
That to enrich the Clergy was against the rule of Christ.
That the Pope with all his Clergy having those possessions as they have, be hereticks in so having; and the secular powers in so suffring them do not well.
That the Emperor and secular Lords be seduced which so enrich the Church with ample possessions.
Thereupon Iohn Hus a most learned pious Bohemian Divine, particularly justified these Positions of his amongst others, against the censure of the Pope and Council of Constance, before the whole Universitie of Prague in Charls Colledge, in a particular Treatise, De ablatione bonorum temporalium a Clericis delinquentibus, printed at large in his Works in Latine, Novemb. 1558. pt. 1, &c. For the most part translated into English by Mr. Iohn Fox, in his Acts and Monuments London 1641. Vol. 1. p. 595. Which Book all Archbishops, Bishops, Deans, Archdeacons, and Canons Residentiaries, were bound to have in their Cathedrals, Halls and Great Chambers, that it might be publikely read by their Servants and Strangers, by the Canons made in the Provincial Synod of London, Anno 1571. p. 5, 6, 7. whereby this Doctrine of Wickliff and Hus is not only tolerated, but justified by them, as orthodox, and no wayes sacrilegious or heterodox, as some now repute it.