Canterburys Doom, To the reader
To the Chriſtian Reader.
CHriſtian Reader, that experimentall Obſervation of the naturall Hiſtorian, aPlin. Nat. Hiſt. lib. 10. c. 63.Quo majus eſt animal, tanto diutius formatur in utero, &c. Singulos gignunt Elephanti, Acanthis (auis minima) duodenas. Ocyſſime pariunt qui plurimos gignunt: may be a ſatisfactory Apology for the Slowneſſe, the Singleneſſe of this long-expected Birth: Elephants are much longer forming, ripening in the Wombe, then Mice: and Cathedrall Hiſtories, as well as Churches, require more time to finiſh them, then Pettie Relations. We read John 2. 20. that the later Temple of Ieruſalem was 46. yeares in building yet this large folio Edifice hath been compiled, compleated within the compaſſe of ſo many Weekes, notwithſtanding my many other dayly interruptions, Avocations, publike and private; in ſo much that none can juſtly tax me with Sloathfulneſſe or Negligence in this publike Service; the toyleſomneſſe whereof hath deterred all others from undertaking it, and devolved it wholly upon me; who in regard of my few Vacant Minutes for ſuch a vaſt Ʋndertaking, muſt humbly crave thy pardon for all Defects, Errataes, Overſights either in the penning or printing.
In this part of the Archbiſhops Tryall, thou maieſt clearly diſcerne, not onelyonly his Popiſh Spirit, together with his Activity, and Jeſuiticall Practiſes to undermine our eſtabliſhed Religion, introduce Popery among us by degrees, and reduce us back to our ancient Vaſſallage to Rome; but likewiſe read over a true Eccleſiaſticall Hiſtory of our Church during all the time of his domination: and from the reſult of all; I ſhall deſire thee, like the induſtrious ſagacious Bee, which extracts hony out of poyſonous Herbs, to collect ſome profitable Meditations for thy ſpirituall advantage: Some whereof I have already hinted in the Epiſtle Dedicatory, and ſhall here but lightly touch.
Firſt, here thou mayeſt ſee, that of the Pſalmiſt ſo experimentally verified, that thou mayeſt take up his very words Pſ. 37. 35, 36, 38. I have ſeen the wicked in great power, and ſpreading himſelf like a green bay tree: Yet he paſſed away and loe he was not; yea I ſought him but he could not be found. The tranſgreſſors ſhall be deſtroyed together, the end of the wicked ſhall be cut off. And though for a time, they are not in trouble neither are they plagued like other men; Therefore pride compaſſeth them about as a chaine, violence covereth them as a garment &c. Yet if thou obſerve their endes, thou muſt needes conclude with the ſame Pſalmiſt Pſ. 73. 18. 19 20, Surely thou didſt ſet them in ſlippery places, thou caſtedſt them down into deſtruction: How are they brought into deſolation, as in a moment? they are utterly conſumed with Terrors: As a dreame when one awaketh, ſo O Lord, when thou awakeſt thou ſhalt deſpiſe their image. That of Zophar being really verified in this Arch Prelate Job. 20. 5. to 10. The triumphing of the Wicked is ſhort, and the joy of an hypocrite but for a moment: Though his excellency mount unto the Heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds; Yet he ſhall periſh for ever like his own dung; they which have ſeen him ſhall ſay, Where is he? He ſhall fly away as a dreame and ſhall not be found; The eye which ſaw him ſhall ſee him no more, neither ſhall his place any more behold him.
Secondly, hence thou maieſt learne the truth of Solomons Obſervation, Prov. 21. 30. There is no wiſdome, nor underſtanding, nor counſell againſt the Lord. Certainly all ſuch wiſdome, counſell as this imployed againſt God, his Ordinances, Goſpell, people, though never ſo accurately managed, ſo politickly contrived, ſo powerfully backed, ſo ſucceſſefully advanced for a time will in concluſion be brought to nought, and made of none effect, Pſ. 33. 10. Acts 5. 38. Iſay 19. 11, 12, 13. c. 8, 9. 10. Job 9. 4. Whereas the counſell cauſe, and Church of God, maugre all oppoſition, ſhall ſtand for ever, and cannot be overthrown. Pſ. 33. 11. Acts 5. 39. Iſay 46. 10.
Thirdly, Let all Gods people learne from hence, never to fear the force, threats or power of the greateſt Perſecutors breathing, ſince they are but mortall men, who ſhall themſelves be troden down and brought to Judgement in Gods due time: During my many yeares heavy preſſures under this Arch-Prelates Tyranny, my ſpirit was exceedingly elevated even to a magnanimous contempt, and holy ſlighting of all his overſwaying power, menaces, proceedings, as moſt deſpicable, with the conſideration of theſe two Scriptures, which were ever freſh in my thoughts. Iſay. 51. 12. 13. I, even I am he that comforteth you, who art thou that thou ſhouldeſt be afraid of a man that ſhall dye, or of the ſonne of man that ſhall be made as graſſe? And forgetteſt the Lord thy maker, who ſtretched forth the Heavens, and laid the foundations of the Earth: and haſt feared continually every day, becauſe of the fury of the oppreſſour, as if he were ready to deſtroy; and where is the fury of the oppreſſour? And Pſ. 92. 7 8, 9. When the wicked spring as the graſſe, and all the Workers of iniquity do flouriſh: it is, that they ſhall be deſtroyed for ever. But thou O Lord art moſt high for evermore: For loe thine enemies, O Lord, loe thine enemies ſhall periſh: and all the Workers of iniquity shall be ſcattered. Certainly he who beleeves theſe ſacred Texts and meditates ſeriouſly on them, will never dread the potency, t…ra…ny, or menaces of any mortall, in a good cauſe or quarrell.
Fourthly, Meditate from hence, the vanity, inſtability and danger of greatneſs without goodneſſe: the impotency of the greateſt humane power, honour, favour, to exempt or ſecure evil Counſellors, or publike Malefactors from the ſword of Juſtice; The unhappy fatall ends of Wicked Royall Favourites, who by humouring their Princes in unjuſt oppreſſive courſes, uſually in the concluſion, do but deſtroy themſelves, and prejudice their Princes moſt of any, as this Arch-Prelate hath done: The certain ruine of all bloody Perſecutors of Gods people: together with the infinite wiſdome and power of Almighty God, who can wiſely order, overrule the miſchievous Plots, & malicious contrivances of his moſt deſperate Enemies to advance his own Honour, Cauſe, Goſpell, People; to effect the quite contrary to what they intended, and to bring about his own ends and their downfalls.
Many ſuch cordiall meditations, and ſweet contemplations will this Hiſtory afford thee for thy comfort, thy incouragement in thy conſtant Chriſtian profeſſion in times of greateſt danger and hotteſt perſecution. The good Lord ſo ſanctifie it and them to thy Soul, that this Archbiſhop, who by his Life and Doctrine wrought ſo much miſchiefe and ſorrow to our Church for a ſeaſon, but no preſent good at all; may bring much conſolation, Edification to it, and thee, by this his Triall and Death:
Farewell.
A COMPLEAT HISTORY OF The Commitment, Charge, Tryall, Condemnation and Execution of WJLLJAM LAƲD, late Arch-Biſhop of CANTERBVRT.
VVIlliam Laud borne in aSee the Breviate of his Life: p. 1. 2. 3.Reading of obſcure Parents, having through flattery and other ſiniſter meanes, by ſeverall gradations inſinuated himſelfe into high favour at Court, and climbed up to divers Eccleſiaſticall promotions in our Church, till at laſt he mounted to the very Pinacle of his ambition, the Archbiſhoprick of Canterbury (whereby he became Primate and Metropolitan of all England.) and to a bSe his Conference with Fiſher, p. 171. A neceſſary Introduction, to his Tryall p. 148. 149.Patriarch-ſhip or kinde of univerſal Papacy over all his Majeſties Realmes, (who ſteerd their Eccleſiaſticall affaires by his Compaſſe adoring him as their only Oraele) and having likewiſe out of his inſatiable ambition pragmatically intruded himſelfe into all kind of ſecular Negociations (inconſiſtent with his ſpirituall function) ſo farre as to ſway all State, as well as Church-affaires, according to the pleaſure of his owne exorbitant will; hereupon (unable to mannage ſo great an Authority with that moderation as beſeemed a Perſon of his profeſſion he became ſo intollerably inſolent, violent, extravagant in all his proceedings in Church and Republicke, that no Pope nor Prelate whatſoever, advanced from the loweſt fortune to the hight of honour, more really verified, that Adagie of Claudian the Poet (no not William Longchampe Biſhop of Ely, to whom cAnnaliu…. Pars poſterior p. 680.Roger, Houeden, our Hiſtorian, particularly applyed theſe lines of his long ſince.)
bClaudian in Eutropium, l. 1. p. 67.Aſperius ….
C…cta ferit ….
Vt ſe p…ſſe …
Quam ſ…r vi nobiis in ….
Agnoſcit ge…itus, et … neſcit.
In ſo much as that Caracter which cRerum Ang. licarum l. 4. c. 14.Gulielmus Nubrigenſis gives us of our proud Prelate Longchamp and his tyrannicall oppreſſive deportment in Church, in State, (by reaſon of his Eccleſiaſticall and temporall united juriſdictions) in the Raign of King Richard the firſt, ſeemes purpoſely recorded to paint out the Cariage of this Arch-Prelate during all the yeares of his domineering Authority in the Raigne of Charles the firſt. Ille ſublato omni… obſtaculo, quo minus ambularet, in magnis & mirabilibus ſupra ſe, fratus DVPLCIS id eſt APOSTOLIC A SIMVL ET … A POTEST ATE, CLERO … AR…TER E… POPVLO… ARROGANT… …, Et …cut … quodam …criptune eſt, … pro dextera; ſic et ille, ad faciliorum molicionum ſuarum efficatiam, utra que poteſtate utebatur pro altera. Ad … vel exer cendos potentes Laicos ſi quid fortè ex ſeculari potentia minus poterat, Apoſtolic… id ipſum poteſtatis cenſura ſupplebat. Si autem ex Clero forte quiſpiam voluntati ejus obſiſteret, hunc procul dubio fruſtra pro ſe ſecundum Canones … oppreſſund p…centia, …. Non … at qu… ſe abſconderet à calore ejus, cum et ſecularis in eo virgam, vel gladium Apoſtolicae poteſtatis timeret; & eccleſiaſticus nulla ſe, … vel auctoritate … regiam tueri valeat. Denique ipſum ille tempore in Anglia, ET PLVSQVAM REGEM experti ſunt LAICI, & PLVS QV AM SV M…VM PONTIFICE MCLE…ICI; utrique vero, TYR ANNVM INTOLERABILEM: Quippe DVPLICIS OCCASIONE POTEST … ANNVM, ſolis complicibus et cooperatoribus ſuis innoxius, ceteris indifferenter, non tantum pecuniarum ambitu, verum etiam dominandi voluptate … Regius erat, &c. This Archbiſhop, having … into his hands, as Primat & Metropolitan of …, but likewiſe all temporall juriſdiction as a Privy Councellor, an Aſſiſtant in the Star-Chamber, a Commiſſioner for the Treaſury, for all kindes of Monopolies, projects to raiſe monies without a Parliament, and as the chiefe Royall Favourite at Court, & having moſt preferments, officers, Judges (and by conſequence moſt Courts of Juſtice, Civill, or Eccleſiaſticall, at his devotion, did extreamly …e…, perſecute and trample upon both the Laity & Clergie that oppoſed any of his Innovations or Projects at his pleaſure, and thoſe whom he could not conquer by his Epiſcopall, hee would bee ſure to overtop and cruſh by his temporall Authority; So as the Laity upon all occaſions found him more then a King, and the Clergie more then a Pope, both of them (except his owne Creatures and Confederates only) an into …eiable, yea double Tyrant by reaſon of his duplicated … by thouſands of Godly Chriſtians and Miniſters were enforced to … in avoyd his …ry, and hundreds in the Starre-Chamber, High Commiſſion, and Councell-Chamber oppreſſed, cloſe impriſoned, fined, baniſhed, pillored, ſtigmatized, ſpoyled of their eares, freeholds, callings, liberties, deprived, degraded and quite undone by his oppreſon, hee being commonly more exceſſive, extravagant, violent, in his publike Cenſures, and Speeches, then any other whatſoever; having quite forgotten theſe Divine qualifications which the Apoſtle requireth in an EVANGELICALL BISHOP; d1 Tim. 3. …ir. 1. 7, 8.A Biſhop muſt bee blameleſſe, as the Steward of God; not ſelfe-willed, not ſoone angry, no ſtriker, not a brawler, not lifted up with pride; but, a lover of good men, ſober, juſt, holy, temperate, gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in m…keneſſe inſtructing thoſe that oppoſe themſelves; And utterly abhorred that memorable precept of our moſt milde Saviour, as Apocryphan, or unmeer for his imitation: Luke 6. 36. Bee you therefore mercifull, as your heavenly Father is mercifull.
This ambitious *Ovid Metam. l. 2.Phaeton having thus mounted himſelfe aloft in Phebus Chariot did drive it on with ſuch fury and violence, for ſundry years that at laſt he ſet all our Churches and Realmes in a flaming fire, which could not bee quenched by any other meanes but by wreſting the reines of Government out of his uſurping hand, through the power and juſtice of our preſent Parliament (which he held faſt for ſundry yeares in deſpite of all former Parliamentary or popular oppoſitions) and precipitating him from his Chariot, with a breake-neck blow, by that Axe of publike Juſtice, which lately ſevered his head from his ſhoulders, in the view of thouſands: with which ſpectacle of juſtice Phebus himſelfe was ſo well pleaſed that his clouded rayes immediately brake out moſt gloriouſly upon the place of execution, and his radiant ſmiles expreſſed his well-pleaſednes with this laudable Act of his execution, for the ſeverall high Treaſons and capitall Crimes not onelyonly objected, but proved againſt him at his Tryall; the Hiſtory whereof and all proceedings relating thereunto, I ſhall here repreſent unto the world with as much brevity and ſincerity as poſſible; not in the ſelfe ſame manner and method (according to the order of the Articles) as the Commons proceeded againſt him at the bar, being more … intricare; but in that more methodicall way, as the firſt Breviate of the proofes againſt him was contrived, and his evidence repeated and ſummed up at laſt both in the Lords and Commons Houſe by Maſter Samuell Brown, under thoſe diſtinct generall heads, to which all his charge and the proofes thereof were reduced.
I ſhall begin ab ovo, with the very firſt proceedings againſt him in Parliament, next proceed in order to his Tryall then to his Iudgment and Execution.
On the *See the Breviate of his life, pag. 22. and Diurnall Occurrences, pag. 13. and 14. the Commons Journall16. of Decem. 1640. VponUpon the condemnation of the New Canons in the Houſe of Commons, as being againſt the Kings Prerogative, the fundamentall Laws of the Realme, the liberty and property of the Subject and conteining diverſe things tending to ſedition, and of dangerous conſequence; The Arch-biſhop of Canterbury was there accuſed to be the Author of, the chiefe Actor in them & impeached likewiſe of High Treaſon: whereupon a ſpeciall Committee was appointed to inquire into all his actions, and prepare a charge againſt him; which I finde thus expreſſed in the Commons Journall.
16. December 1640.
THis Committee is to prepare the ſeverall Votes concerning the New-Canons and to make them ready for this Houſe to preſent the ſame to the Lords, and to conſider and examine who were the promoters of theſe new Canons, and who the principle Actors, and what execution hath been made upon them and by whom; and to conſider how farre the Lord Arch-Biſhop of Canterbury, hath beene an Actor in all the proceedings of them, and further to examine how farre he hath beene an Actor in the great deſigne of the ſubvertion of the Lawes of the Realme, and of the Religion, and to prepare and draw up a charge againſt him and ſuch others as ſhall appeare offendors in theſe particulars, and have power to ſend for parties, witneſſes, Papers, Bookes, Records, and to doe any other act, which they in their judgements ſhall thinke fit to conduce to the buſineſſe, and are to meete at foure a Clocke this afternoone in the Star-Chamber.
The very ſame morning in the Lords Houſe, Hee was accuſed by the Scottiſh Commiſſioners for an Incendiary betweene both Kingdomes who promiſed to draw up and exhibite a complaint in writing againſt him the next morning, which they accordingly performed. Whereupon at a Conference of both Houſes the Scots charge againſt him (hereafter regiſtred) was the ſame morning read by the Lord Paget, and after that reported to the Commons Houſe.
On Friday the 18. of the ſame December, the Arch-Biſhop was impeached in the houſe of Commons of high Treaſon, and Voted by the whole houſe to be a Traytor, thus entred in their Iournall.
18. December 1640.
REſolved upon the Queſtion, that a Meſſage ſhall be ſent from this Houſe to the Lords to accuſe William Land Arch-Biſhop of Canterbury of High-Treaſon in name of this Houſe, and of all the Commons of England, and to deſire, that hee may bee forthwith ſequeſtred from Parliament and be committed, and that within ſome convenient time, this Houſe will reſort to their Lordſhips with particular acſations and Articles againſt him.
Mr. Hollis is appointed to goe up to the Lords with this Meſſage:
VponUpon this his accuſation, diverſe notable Speeches were made againſt him in the Commons Houſe; among others, one by Maſter Grymſtone, publiſhed ſoone after in print, which I ſhall here ſubjoyne.