Canterburys Doom, Floating text 29 – Branch 1
My Lords;
MY being in this place in this condition, recalls to my memory that wch I long ſince read in Seneca, Tormentum eſt, etiamſi abſolutus quis fuerit cauſam dixiſſe (6 de Benef. c. 28.) Tis not a griefe, only, no; tis no leſſe than a torment, for an ingenuous man to plead Capitally or Criminally, though it ſhould ſo fall out that he be abſolved. The great truth of this I finde at preſent in my ſelfe; and ſo much the more, becauſe I am a Chriſtian; and not that onelyonly, but in Holy-orders; and not ſo only, but by Gods Grace and goodnes, preferred to the greateſt place this Church affords; and yet brought Cauſam dicere, to plead for my ſelfe at this great Barre.
And whatſoever the world think of me (and they have bin taught to think much more ill of me, then, I humbly thank Chriſt for it, I was ever acquainted with,) yet, my Lords, this I finde, Tormentum eſt, tis no leſſe than a torment to me, to appeare in this place
Nay my Lords, give me leave to ſpeake plain truth; No ſenrence that can juſtly paſſe upon me (and other I will never feare from your Lordſhips) can go ſo neere me, as Cauſam dicere, to plead for my ſelfe upon this occaſion, and in this place.
For as for the Sentence, be it what it ſhall, I thanke God for it; I am for it at Saint Pauls ward (Acts 25. 11.) If I have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuſe not to dye: For I thanke God, I have ſo lived, as that I am neither afraid to dye not aſhamed to live. But ſeeing the Malignity which hath been raiſed againſt me by ſome men, I have carried my very life in my hands theſe divers yeares paſt, But yet, my Lords, if there be none of theſe things whereof they accuſe me, though I may not in this Caſe, and from this Barre appeale unto Caeſar, yet to your Lordſhips Iustice and Integrity, I both may, and do; not doubting, but that God of his goodneſſe will preſerve my innocency.
And as Iob in the midſt of his affliction ſaid to his miſtaken Friends, ſo ſhall I to my Accuſers; God forbid I ſhould juſtifie you; till I die I will not remove my Integrity from me, I will hold it faſt and not let it go, my heart ſhall not reproach me as long as I live, Iob 22. 5.
My Lords, the Charge againſt me is brought up in ten Articles, but, the maine heads are two: An endeavour to ſubvert the Lawes of the Land, and the Religion eſtabliſhed; Six Articles, (the five, firſt and the laſt) concerne the Lawes, and the other 4. Religion.
For the Lawes, firſt, I thinke I may ſafely ſay, I have beene, to my underſtanding, as ſtrict an obſerver of them all the dayes of my life, ſo farre as they concerne me as any man hath; and ſince I came into place, I have followed them, and byn as much guided by them as any man that ſate where I had the honour to ſitte. And of this I am ſory I have loſt the teſtimony of the Lord Keeper Coventry, and other Perſons of Honour ſince dead.
And the Councell which attended at the Councell Board can witneſſe, ſome of them here preſent, that in all references to the Board, or debates ariſing at the Board, I was for that part of the cauſe, where I found Law to be: and if the Councell deſired to have the cauſe left to the Law, well I might move in ſome caſes, Charity or Conſcience to them; but I left them to the Law, if thither they would goe; And how ſuch a carriage as this through the whole courſe of my life in private and publique, can ſtand, with an intention to overthrow the Lawes, I cannot yet ſee.
Nay more, I have ever beene of opinion, That Lawes binde the conſcience, and have accordingly made conſcience of obſerving them: and this doctrine I have conſtantly preached as occaſion hath beene offered me; and how is it poſſible, I ſhould ſeek to overthrow thoſe Lawes which I held my ſelfe bound in conſcience to keep and obſerve?
As for Religion I was borne and bred up in and under the Church of England as it ſtands eſtabliſhed by Law; I have, by Gods bleſſing, growne up in it to the yeares which are now upon me, and to the place of preferment which I now beare.
I have ever ſince I have underſtood ought in my profeſſion, kept one conſtant tenor in this my profeſſion, with out variation or ſhifting from one opinion to another, for any worldly ends: And if my conſcience would have ſuffered me to doe ſo, I could eaſely have ſlid through all the difficulties which I have preſt upon me in this kinde, But of all diſeaſes I have ever held a Palſey in Religion moſt dangerous; well knowing and remembring, that diſeaſe often ends in a dead Palſie.
Ever ſince I came in place, I have laboured nothing more then that the externall publique worſhip of God (ſo much ſlighted in divers parts of this Kingdome) might be preſerved & that with as much decency & uniformity as might be: for I evidently ſaw, that the publique neglect of Gods ſervice in the outward face of it, and the naſty lyeing of many places dedicated to that ſervice, had almoſt caſt a dampe upon the true and inward worſhip of God, which while we live in the body needs exteriall helps, and all little enough to keepe it in any vigor. And this I did to the uttermoſt of my knowledge, according both to Law and Canon, and with the conſent and likeing of the people; nor did any command iſſue out from mee againſt the one, or without the other.
Further my Lords, give me leave, I beſeech you, to acquaint you with this alſo, that I have as little acquaintance with Recuſants, as I beleeve, any man of my place of England hath, or ever had ſithence the Reformation; and for my kindred, no one of them was ever a Recuſant, but Sir William Web, grandchild to my Vnkle Sir VVilliam VVeb, ſometimes Lord Major of London, and ſince which ſome of his Children I reduced back againe to the Church of England.
On this, one thing more I humbly deſire may be thought on, That I am fallen into a great deale of obloquie in matter of Religion, and that ſo farre (as appeares by the Articles againſt me) that I have indeavored to advance and bring in Popery: Perhaps my Lords, I am not ignorant what party of men have raiſed theſe ſcandalls upon me, nor for what end, nor perhapps by whom ſet on; but howſoever, I would faine have a good reaſon given me, if my conſcience ſtood that way and that with my conſcience I could ſubſcribe to the Church of Rome, what ſhould have kept me heere before my impriſonment to indure the libelling, and the ſlaunder, and the baſe uſage that hath beene put upon me, and theſe to end in this queſtion for my life? I ſay, I would know a good reaſon for this.
Firſt, my Lords, is it becauſe of any pledges I have in the world to ſway me againſt my conſcience? No ſure, for I have neither *Therefore the fitter to make a Popiſh Prieſt, Prelate, Cardinall.Wife nor Children to cry out upon me to ſtay with them; And if I had, I hope the calling of my conſcience ſhould be heard above them.
Is it becauſe I was loth to leave the honour and profit of the place I was riſen too? Surely no, for I deſire your Lordſhips and all the world ſhould know, I do much ſcorn the one and the other, in compariſon of my conſcience. Beſides, it cannot be imagined by any man, but that if I ſhould have gone *He knew he could not have done them half the ſervice by going over from hence to Rome as by ſtaying here to promote their deſignes; and that made him ſtay.over to them, I ſhould not have wanted both honour and profit; and ſuppoſe not ſo great as this I have here, yet ſure would my conſcience have ſerved my ſelf of either, leſſe with my conſcience would have prevailed with me, more than greater againſt my conſcience.
Is it, becauſe I lived here at eaſe, and was loth to venture the loſſe of that? not ſo neither; for whatſoever the world may be pleaſed to think of me, I have led a very *In ſecular imployments inconſiſtent with, not in preaching and paines in his Calling. Note this impudent aſſeveration here abundantly refuted.painfull life, and ſuch as I would have been content to change, had I well known how; and would my conſcience have ſerved me that way, I am ſure I might have lived at far more eaſe, and either have avoyded the barbarous Libelling and other bitter grievous ſcornes which have been put upon me, or at leaſt been out of the hearing of them.
Not to trouble your Lordſhips too long, I am ſo innocent in the buſineſſe of Religion, ſo free from all practiſe, or ſo much as thought of practiſe for any alteration unto Popery, or any blemiſhing the true Proteſtant Religion eſtabliſhed in England, as I was when my *In ſecular imployments inconſiſtent with, not in preaching and paines in his Calling. Note this impudent aſſeveration here abundantly refuted.mother firſt bore me into the world; And let nothing be ſpoken but truth, and I do here challenge whatſoever is between Heaven or Hell, that can be ſaid against me in point of my Religion, in which I have ever hated diſſimulation. And had I not hated it, perhaps I might have been better for worldly ſafety then now I am: but it can no way become a Chriſtian Biſhop to halt with God.
Laſtly, if I had any purpoſe to blaſt the true Religion eſtabliſhed in the Church of England, and to introduce Popery, ſure I took a wrong way to it; for, my Lords, I have ſtaid more *Belike he was born a Popeling.going to Rome and reduced more that were already gone, then, I believe any Biſhop or Divine in this Kingdome hath done; and *It was onelyonly by bringing Rome home to them; or meeting them more then halfe way in their journey thither.ſome of them, men of great abilities, and ſome perſons of great place; and is this the way to introduce Popery? My Lords, if I had blemiſhed the true Proteſtant Religion, how could I have brought theſe men to it? And if I had promiſed to introduce Popery, I would never have reduced theſe men from it.
And that it may appear unto Your Lordſhips how many, and of what condition the perſons are, which by Gods bleſſing upon my labours, I have ſetled in the true Proteſtant Religion eſtabliſhed in England: I ſhall briefely name ſome of them, though I cannot do it in order of time, as I converted them.
Henry Berkinſtead of Trinity Colledge Oxon, ſeduced by a Jeſuite and brought to London. (The Lords and others conceiving him to be Berchinhead the Author of all the Libellous Popiſh Oxford Aulicuſſes, againſt the Parliament, at the naming of him ſmiled: which the Archbiſhop perceiving, ſaid, My Lords I mean not Berchinhead the Author of Oxford Aulicus, but another.)
Two Daughters of Sir Richard Lechford, in Surry, ſent towards a NVNNERIE.
Two Schollers of Saint Johns Colledge Cambridge, Toppin and Aſhton; who had got the French Ambaſſadors paſſe, and after this I allowed means to Toppin, and then procured him a fellowſhip in Saint Johns: And he is at this preſent as hopefull a young man as any of his time, and a Divine.
Sir William Webbe, my kinſman, and two of his Daughters; And his ſon I took from him, and his Father being utterly decayed, I bred him at my own charge, and he is a very good Proteſtant.
A Gentleman brought to me by Maſter Chesford, his Majeſties ſervant, but I cannot recall his name.
The Lord *A great Actor in the late Iriſh Rebellion againſt the Proteſtants.Mayo of Ireland, brought to me alſo by Maſter Chesford.
The Right Honourable the Lord. *All know what a good Proteſtant he lived and died.Duke of Buckingham, almoſt quite gone between the Lady his Mother, and Siſter.
The Lady Marqueſſe Hamilton; was ſetled by my direction, and ſhee dyed very religiouſly and a Proteſtant.
Maſter Digby, who was a Prieſt.
Maſter James, a Gentleman brought to mee by a Miniſter in Buckinghamſhire, as I remember.
Doctor Heart the Civilian, my neighbours ſonne at Fulham.
Maſter Chriſtopher Seaburne, a Gentleman of an ancient family in Herefordſhire.
The Right Honourable the Counteſſe of Buckingham.
Sir William Spencer of Parnton.
Maſter *Both deſperate Apoſtate Papiſts.Shillingworth.
The ſonnes and heires of Maſter Winchcombe, and Maſter Wolleſcott, whom I ſent with their friends liking to Wadham Colledge, Oxford; and received a Certificate Anno 1638. of their continuing in conformity to the Church of England. Nor did Mr Chainels Sermon at his Funerall, informe us, how good a Proteſtant he lived and dyed.ever any one of theſe named relapſe againe, but only the Counteſſe of Buckingham, and Sir William Spencer; it being only in Gods power, not mine, to preſerve them from relapſe.
And now let any Clergy man of England come forth, and give a better accompt of his zeale to the Church.
This ſpeech being ended, all were commanded to withdraw: In the withdrawing Maſter Hugh Peters, who ſtood near the Archbiſhop, demanded of him, whether he was not aſhamed to make ſuch a bold challenge in ſo honourable an Auditory, as he had made in the cloſe of his Speech, In bidding any Clergy man of the Church of England to come forth, and give a better account of his zeal to the Church, and converſion of Papiſts to our Religion then he had done? Adding, that himſelf the unworthieſt of many hundred Miniſters in England was there ready to anſwer his challenge, and to produce a Catalogue not of 22. but of above 120. Papiſts, which he (through Gods bleſſing) had converted to our Religion, and brought home to God beſides, making them other manner of Converts then any in his recited Bead-Rol, who were made neither good Proteſtants, nor good Chriſtians by him: Adding, that he and many other Miniſters in England were able to produce hundreds of reall Converts to Chriſt, for every of his pretended ones, ſome wherof by his own confeſſion ſoon turned Apoſtates, and the reſt but litle better. At which ſpeech of his, the Archbiſhop ſeemed much offended, and ſome of his friends there preſent taxing Maſter Peters as an unmannerly ſawcy fellow for uſing ſuch language to him in this his afflicted condition, deſired him to trouble his Grace no further with ſuch rude diſcourſe; whereupon they parted without more words.
If we ſurvey this Oration of the Arch-biſhop with an impartiall eye, we may diſcover abundance of ſhameleſſe Impudency, and Phariſaicall ſelfe-juſtification, beyond all bounds of Modeſty, or Verity, broached in it; ſo apparently contradicted by his manifold, unjuſt oppreſſive violent actions, and Popiſh Innovations of all ſorts, viſible to the eyes of all men, and ſo diametrally refuted by the ſubſequent evidence produced againſt him during his ſeventeen dayes tryall, that had not his brow been made of braſſe, and his face of Adamant, he could not have justified ſo many groſſe untruths of him ſelfe, before ſuch an honourable publike Auditory, and the ſupreame Judicatory of the Realme, with ſo much ſhameleſſe impudency as hee did: But tis the common practiſe of obdurate ſinners, and cauterized Delinquents.
Fortem animum praeſtant rebus quas turpitèr audent.
Like the adulterous woman, Pro. 30. 20. Who eateth and wipeth her mouth, and ſaith. I HAVE DONE NO WICKEDNES.
This Evening, the Lords Ordered the Arch-biſhop to appear at their Bar the next morning by 9 of the Clocke, at which time they would proceed in his Tryall; Whereupon all departing for that time appeared the next day at the appointed houre in the Lords Houſe, where the Commons entring upon their evidence, proved the Articles in their Order. I ſhall preſent you with the ſumme and ſeverall branches of his charge; and then proſecute them in the enſuing method.
The Generall Charge againſt the Archbiſhop, with the ſeverall branches thereof.
THe Charge againſt this Arch-Malefactor, conſiſting of many various particular Crimes of high nature, is reducible to one generall head, to wit, High Treaſon againſt the King and Kingdome, thus expreſſed in the 1. Originall, and 2. Additionall Articles.
That he hath Trayterouſly endeavoured to ſubvert the fundamentall Lawes and Government of the Kingdome of England, and inſtead thereof to introduce an Arbitrary and Tyranicall Government.
This Generall is diſtributed into foure Speciall branches in the Articles of his Impeachment, under which all the particular Capitall Offences, and grand Miſdemenours given in evidence againſt him, at his Tryall, are comprehenſible.
1. His Trayterous endeavours and practiſes to alter and ſubvert Gods true Religion by Law eſtabliſhed in this Realme, and inſtead thereof, to ſet up Popiſh Superſtition and Idolatry, and reconcile us to the Church of Rome, the particulars whereof are ſpecified in the 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Originall, and 6. 7. 8. 9. Additionall Articles.
2. His Trayterous uſurpation of a Papall and Tyranicall power in the Church of England, in all Eccleſiaſticall affaires, in prejudice, and derogation of his Majeſties Royall Prerogative and the Subjects liberties: compriſed in the ſixt originall Article.
3. His Trayterous attempts and endeavours to ſubvert the fundamentall temporall Lawes, Government and Liberties of the Realme and Subjects of England, and inſtead thereof to introduce an Arbitrary and Tyranicall Government againſt the Law and Subjects liberties; expreſſed in the 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 13: Originall, and 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 10. Additionall Articles.
4. His Trayterous endeavours to ſubvert the rights of Parliament, and auncient Courſe of Parliamentary proceedings, and by falſe and malicious ſlanders to incenſe his Majeſty againſt Parliaments; contained in the 14. Originall, and 1. 9. 10. Additionall Articles.
The firſt Specificall branch of the Charge againſt the Archbiſhop, touching his Trayterous endeavours to alter and ſubvert Gods true Religion by Law eſtabliſhed among us, to introduce Popiſh Superſtition and Idolatry in liew thereof, and to reconcile the Church of England, with the Church of Rome, by ſeverall ſtepps and practiſes; with the copious evidences produced to manifeſt the ſame at his Tryall.
THE true Religion by Law eſtabliſhed, being that which is moſt pretious, claiming proceedency of all other ſublunary things in reſpect of its owne intrinſicall Excellency, that which is neareſt and deareſt to every conſcientious Chriſtian, the undermining and alterations where of, doth moſt concern and reflect upon the Archbiſhop in reſpect of his calling, as a Miniſter, of his Eccleſiaſticall dignity, as an Archbiſhop of Canterbury, & Primate and Metropolitan of all England, and of the ſpeciall truſt repoſed in him by his Majeſty (who wholly committed the care of Religion, of all Church affaires within his Dominions to this Arch-Prelates Care, mannaging,) and his Charge concerning the Alteration and ſubverſion of it, being that which he moſt of all openly proteſted againſt, both in the beginning, proceeding, concluſion of his long Tryall, and on the very Scaffold at his death, we ſhall begin with the Commons evidence given in againſt him concerning his endeavours, practiſes to alter and ſubvert the ſame, and introduce Popiſh ſuperſtition and Idolatry into our Church. Wherein notwithſtanding all his ſpecious pretences, confident Proteſtations, reiterated deep Aſſeverations of his Innocency, & of his cordiall ſyncerity to the true Protſtant Religion, (wherewith he hath deceived many over-credulous people) we doubt not but upon the peruſall of the various evidences againſt him in this particular, he will appeare the moſt deſperat, cunning, violent, palpable underminer, corrupter, alterer, ſubverter of the true reformed Religion by Law eſtabliſhed in our Churches, of one who profeſſed himſelfe a reall Proteſtant, and zealous maintainer of the ſame, that ever was yet heard of in the Chriſtian world.
*Cambdens Britannias p. 229.Priſca parem neſcit, aequalem poſter a nullum
Exhibitura dies.
He alone by his policies and power corrupting, undermining our Religion, advancing Popery more in the few yeares of his Predominency, then the Pope with all his Conſederates both at home and abroad could doe in almoſt foureſcore yeares before, by all their Plots and Potency, as ſhall be irrefragaly demonſtrated by his Actions, which cry louder and give in ſtronger evidence againſt him, then all his fraudulent verball proteſtations, or printed, funerall Orations can doe for him.
His Charge concerning the Alteration and ſubvertion of Religion, laid downe in the Articles, conſiſts of theſe two generall Members.
Firſt, *Artit Orig. 7. Additionall. 7.That he hath Trayterouſly endeavoured to ſubvert Gods true Religion by Law Eſtabliſhed in this Realme, and inſtead thereof to ſet up Popiſh Superſtition and Jdolatry.
Secondly, *Artit Orig. 210.That he hath Trayterouſly and wickedly endeavoured to reconcile the Church of England with the Church of Rome.
The latter of theſe is but the iſſue of the former, the firſt in projection, but the laſt in execution, and the proofe of the one, an indubitable evidence of the other; which ſhall be proſecuted in their Order.