The Antipathy of the English Lordly Prelacy, Prologue – Part 1
THE PROLOGVE.
THere is nothing more frequent in these latter day…s in the mouthes of our domineering Lordly Prelates, than this triviall Paradox of Archbishop Bancroft (which some would Originally father upon our late Soveraigne *The Relator of the Conference at Hampton Court, p. 36.King James) NO BISHOP, NO KING; as if Kings could neither bee, nor continue Kings, unlesse Prelates were suffered both to be, and continue Lords; and Princes Crownes irreparably lost, if Bishops Miters were but once cast downe. This absurd and groundlesse Assertion, as it is evidently disproved by those many flourishing Kings and Kingdomes, which have well subsisted with…ut Lord Bishops, both before these Mushrome Lords (Spirituall onelyonly in Title, but wholly Temporall in reality) first sprouted up by insensible degrees in the Church of Christ, so it is most infallibly convinced of notorious falshood, by the multitude of those most execrable Treasons, Treacheries, Conspiracies, Rebellions, Contumacies, Insurrections, Seditions, and Anti-Monarchiall practises of Lordly Prelates, against their Soveraignes, in all ages since they grew rich and potent, in all Kingdomes and Churches where they have beene admitted; of which there are so many presidents, as would fully fraught many Folio Volumes, and require another Baronius or Tostatus, to digest into severall vast Tomes. And I dare further adde, to the immortall prayse of this loyall generation of Lordly Prelates, that there is no one calling or profession of men whatsoever in the Christian World guilty of so many traiterous, treacherous, perfidious, seditious, rebellious, contumacious practises and conspiracies against their lawfull Princes; or that have proved such execrable firebrands of dissentions, commotions, bloody warres, Rebellions, and detestable Schismes both in Church and State, as these Prelaticall Lords. Yea, I supp…se I may confidently averre without any errour or calumny, that Lordly Prelates have beene the Originall Authors and contrivers of more Treasons, Conspiracies, Rebellions, Schismes, Warres, and Contentions in Christian Kingdomes, than all other rankes and callings of men whatsoever, not severally considered, but united.
This I could at large demonstrate by an whole Volume of examples of Popes, and Lordly Prelates in forraigne parts; but I neede not travell abroad, since we have so many presidents at home, of our owne English Lordly Prelates, as may abundantly suffice to illustrate this truth; the chiefest whereof I have here collected and faithfully transcribed out of the Marginall Authors quoted to every of them, whose very words I onelyonly recite for the most part, but where brevity or necessitie enfo…ce me to use my owne expressions for meth…d or connexion sake, when the Historians either somewhat vary, or are over-tedious in their relations; or where one Historian relates some particulars, which another omits: in which case, I must desire the Reader to peruse all the Authors quoted to each example, lest examining onelyonly one or two of them, which record but a part, and not the entire relation, he should either wrong himselfe, or censure me of calumnie or forgerie, without just cause.
Neither let the Reader here expect an exact enumeration of all the Treasons, Conspiracies, Trecheries, Rebellions, Seditions, Con…umacies, Warres, or State-schismes that our English Prelates have beene guilty of since they became potent Lords… for many of them, no doubt, were so secretly contrived, and carryed by them, that the Historians of their …imes could have no information of them; others of them were so palliated and countenanced by their owne over-swaying greatnesse, that none durst question, nor record them, thoug… notorious… and some of them were questionlesse concealed by our Histo…ians; who being for the most part Monkes, Priests, or the Prelates owne creatures, flatterers and dependants, out of favour or affection, did labour all they could to palliate, not to record or lay open their ghostly Fathers nakednesse in this kinde… Neither have I collected every particular of this nature which our Historians relate, bu… onelyonly selected such presidents as I cursorily observed in ow Annals, and hastily collected for the most part long since, to which I presume, …he diligent Reader may accumulate many more: yet these I conceive are so many for number, so prodigious for circumstance, that they exceede both in mult…tude and heinousnesse all disloyall practises of like sort acted against our English Monarches, by all other their subjects, of what quality soever, the Nobles and others attainted formerly of Treason, Rebellion, and suffering for the same, being for the most part but the Prelates instruments, the chiefe Architects, Arch-plotters and inciters of all the Conspiracies, Treasons, Rebellions, warres and dissentions that ever hapned in our Kingdome, and yet these Arch-traytors and Incendiaries commonly escaped the hand of Iustice by reason of their unholy holy Order, and appeales to Rome, when as their under-hand Instruments (though lesse culpable) received due execution.
If then we consider the paucity of our Arch-Prelates, and Lord Bishops (of England of which there is but one in each See at a time when full, and sometimes none for divers yeares in times of vacancy) in comparison of the numerosity of the Nobility, Gentry, and Commonalty of England on the one side, and then on the other hand compare the multitude of the Prelates notorious Treasons, Rebellions, Seditions, and Contumacies against their Kings, with thos… of the Nobility, Gentry, Commons, which they farre exceede in number and notorius circumstances: Or if we observe with what an high hand these Prelates have acted, justified, defended these their villanies, not onelyonly by protecting, but canonizing the Authors of them for holy Saints and Martyrs (as Dunstane, Becket, Anselme, Hugh, and others) onelyonly because they were Prelates; when as in truth they ought so much the rather, to have branded them for notorious Traytors and Rebels, execrable both to God and man: we must necessarily conclude their, NO BISHOP, NO KING, to …e a notorious Bull; and, NO KING VNLESSE NO BISHOP, to be a more probable and most true Position; and that ou… English Lord Bps (especially those of Canterbury, Primates of all England, …nely in evill for the most part) have beene the most notorious Traytors, Rebels, Conspirators, Incendiaries, Vipers, Pests, Grievances to the Kings and State of England, of all ot…ers; and so by consequence, rather of Antichristian and Diabolicall, th…n Divine or Apostolicall insti…ution; fit to be utterly extirpated both by King and Kingdome; neither of which shall long flourish in happinesse, piety, or tranquillity, whiles Lordly Prelates beare the sway, and manage the chiefe Temp…rall Offices or Affaires, contrary to Christs owne expresse Inhibitions, Mat. 20.25, 26, 27 Luk 22.25.26. Act. 6.4. 2 Tim. 2.4. 1 Pet. 5.1, …33. Rom. 12.7, 8. 1 Joh… 3.9, 10,
If any surmise, I write thus sharpely onelyonly out of malice against our Prelates, I shall desire but this favour from them, to suspend their censures, till they have impartially surveyed the ensuing Particulars, (which I have sincerely related, as I finde them recorded, without flattery on the one hand, or malignity on the other;) and then I doubt not but they will change their mindes, and readily subscribe to my Conclusions, ratified by so many ancient Presidents of old, and so many visible experiments fresh before our eyes.
Now, because the Arch-Prelates of Canterbury (*See Antiq. Eccles. Brit. p. 15. to 29. erected by Gregory the first his Bull, then Pope of Rome, which have engaged them ever since to be Popes sworne Vassals for the most part, and to imitate Popes in their most execrable Treasons and Conspiracies) have beene the Archest T…aytors, Rebels, and Opposites to the Kings …f England in all Ages, I shall for Order and Honour sake begin first with their Contumacies, Treacheries, and Rebellious practises, and that in a Chronologicall manner according to their severall Antiquities; and from them I shall descend to the Arch-bishops of Yorke, the greatest Arch-traytors and Rebels next to those of Canterbury; and then passe to ot…er of our Prelates in their order, with as much brevity and perspicuity as the subject matter will permit me; concluding with such materiall observations against our Lordly Hierarchy, as shall be infallibly warranted by the ensuing Histories, and with such domesticke Authorities against Episcopacy, the Lordlinesse, Secularity, wealth, and temporall imployments of our Prelates and their mischievousnesse both in Church and state, as I trust will abundantly satisfie the most Episcopall men, whose arguments both for the pretended Divinity, and perpetuity of Episcopacy in our Church, I hope I shall satisfactorily answere. But not to detaine you longer with a Prologue, I shall addresse my selfe to the subject matter, surveying the Bishops of Canterburies actions in the first place.