Vindication of Ecclesiastical Volume 3, Imprimatur – Dedication
Januarii 3. 1664.
Imprimatur,
WILL. MORICE.
THE SECOND TOME OF AN EXACT CHRONOLOGICAL VINDICATION AND HISTORICAL DEMONSTRATION OF OUR Britiſh, Roman, Saxon, Daniſh, Norman, Engliſh Kings Supream Eccleſiaſtical Juriſdiction, Over all Prelates, Perſons, Cauſes, within their Kingdomes and Dominions; From the First Year of the Reign of King John, Anno Dom. 1199. till the Death of King Henry the III. in the year 1273. WHEREIN
The ſeveral branches of our Kings Eccleſiaſtical Soveraignty are truly ſtated; the Popes uſurped Ʋniverſal Monarchy, ſubverted, by their own Popiſh Aſſertions concerning the Virgin Mary, Tranſubſtantiation, and Christs corporal preſence on earth in every Hoſtia. Popes, Popiſh Prelates Intollerable USURPATIONS on, Ʋnchriſtian Practiſes againſt the Perſons, antient undoubted ECCLESIASTICAL, TEMPORAL PREROGATIVES, JURISDICTIONS, RIGHTS of theſe KINGS CROWNES, PRIVILEGES, the LIBERTIES, PROPERTIES of the Churches, Kingdomes, Clergy, Nobility, Commonalty of ENGLAND and IRELAND; By Legates, Nuncioes, Delegates, Bulls, Palls, Exemptions, Diſpenſations, Nonobſtantes, Decretals, Canons, Appeals, Citations, Journeys to Rome, Inhibitions, Sequeſtrations, Proviſions; Ratifying void, vacating legal Elections, Preſentations to Eccleſiastical Dignities, Benefices, at their pleaſures; By Croyſadoes, Procurations, Tenths, Firſtfruits, illegal Oathes, Extortions, Rapines, Excommunications, Interdicts, Abſolutions from Oathes, Vowes, open Treaſons, Rebellions, Wars, to depoſe, enſlave our KINGS, KINGDOMES, and make them HOMAGERS, VASSALLS, TRIBUTARIES to the SEE OF ROME: With their, and our Parliaments, Nobles, Clergies, Commons ſucceſſive memorable Complaints, Oppoſitions, Letters, Writs, Prohibitions, Proceedings againſt them, in the height of Popery. The principal Tranſactions of State between theſe Kings, and the Popes, Cardinals, Legates, Court of Rome; with their unparallel'd Avarice, Bribery, Simony, Treachery, Tyranny, Frauds, Impieties, Extortions, Corruptions; are impartially related; out of the beſt Hiſtorians in or next that age, and irrefragable rare Records in the Tower, not formerly publiſhed; With Ʋſefull Obſervations on, from them: And ſeveral Indexes to this Tome.
By WILLIAM PRYNNE Eſquire, a Bencher and Reader of the Honourable Society of LINCOLNES INNE.
Tit. 3. 1.
Put them in minde to be ſubject to Principalities and Powers, to obey Magiſtrates, to be ready to every good work.
2 Pet. 2. 14, 15.
An heart they have exerciſed with covetous practiſes; curſed children; which have forſaken the right way, and are gone aſtray, following the way of Balaam, who loved the wages of unrighteouſneſſe.
LONDON: Printed for the Author by Thomas Ratcliffe, 1665. and are to be ſold by Abel Roper at the Sun over againſt St. Dunſtans Church in Fleetſtreet; Gabriel Bedell at the inner Temple Gate; and Edward Thomas at the Adam and Eve in Little Britaine.
To the Right Honourable EDWARD Earle of CLARENDON, Lord High Chancellor of ENGLAND, Chancellor of the Ʋniverſity of OXFORD, and one of His MAJESTIES moſt Honourable Privy Counſell.
MY LORD,
IT is the Inſtitution of God and Nature, that all things (by a divine and natural right) ſhould terminate in their Original, and revert to the Spring from which they iſſue: Hence St. Paul (the aActs 22. 21. Rom. 11. 13. c. 15, 16. 2 Tim. 1. 11.Apoſtle of the Gentiles, and of our bSee Tom. 1. Book 2. ch. 1. p. 3, 5.Britiſh Iſle,) reſolves; that as cRom. 11. 36. Col. 1. 16.all things in heaven and earth, viſible and inviſible, whether Thrones Dominions, Principalities, Powers, or other Creatures, were and are created By; ſo likewiſe TO and FOR GOD, their dRev. 1. 8.ALPHA and OMEGA. Yea King Solomon long before him, not only concluded in point of Divinity, eProv. 16 4. See Iſay 43. 21.The Lord hath made all things FOR HIMSELF; but thus demonſtrates it by natural experimental Philoſophy, fEccleſ. 1. 7.All rivers run into the Sea; unto the place from whence the Rivers come, THITHER THEY RETURN AGAIN.
This Contemplation hath excited, yea obliged me (in point of Right, and Equity) not only to return, but dedicate this Large Chronological Vindication, and Hiſtorical Demonſtration, to Your Lordſhip, from whoſe unexpected Voluntary Motion, and Subſequent Encouragements, (to collect, publiſh it for the Honour of our Kings, Nation, Church, Kingdome, and benefit of Posterity) it received its Original Conception, Augmentation, Production, at vacant hours (borrowed for the moſt part from my natural reſt and repaſts) without the leaſt neglect of my other diſtracting publick Imployments. Which may juſtly excuſe all Defects of Ornament, Method, Stile, Subſtance, any Curious Eyes ſhall diſcover therein; or in my yet uncompleated Preceding or Succeeding Tomes of the ſame heroick ſubject; not hitherto at large, hiſtorically diſcuſſed by any Antiquary, or Hiſtorian I have ſeen.
I have prefaced this Tome (brought forth into the VVorld, like gGen. 38. 29.Pharez, before its elder brother) with a brief, neceſſary Introduction, to ſupply the want of my Larger Introduction compriſed in the Firſt Book of the Firſt Tome, not yet compleated, over-large to be annexed to this, as I at firſt deſigned: Wherein I have hPage 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.truly ſtated that antient Soveraign Eccleſiaſtical Juriſdiction claimed, exerciſed (as there was occaſion) by our Britiſh, Roman, Saxon, Daniſh, Norman, Engliſh Kings, which I have hiſtorically vindicated in Fact, and Right, in this and my other intended Tomes. Whereunto I have ſubjoyned a ſhort Synopſis of iPage 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.Roman Popes and their Paraſites impudent Claims, to a Ʋniverſal Antimonarchical, if not k2 Theſ. 2. 3. 4. Biſhop Abbot, Dr. Squire, Dr. Beard, others in their Books of Antichriſt.Antichriſtian Soveraign Monarchy over all Churches, Empires, Kingdomes, Nations, Emperors, Kings, Prelates, Prieſts, perſons throughout the world, as well in Temporals as Spirituals, under their own forged Titles, of Chriſts Ʋniverſal Vicars, His, and St. Peters Succeſſors; which Supremacy they have for ſundry ages lSee Philip de Mornay Hiſt. Papatusattempted to exerciſe and enlarge upon all advantages, by ſcandalous Bulls, Excommunications, Interdicts, Treaſons, Rebellions, Abſolutions of Subjects from their Oathes, Allegeance; depoſals of Chriſtian Emperors, Kings: wreſting their Crownes, Regal Authority and Kingdomes out of their hands, by force, and fraud, to the grand diſturbance of all Christian Realms, to which they have mPage 9. 291.forged Titles.
The nPage 10, &c. 65, 67, 68.ſandy foundations of this their pretended Papal Monarchy, I have utterly ſubverted in a new way, by the avowed practiſes of their own Popes, Church, and Articles of their Romiſh Faith; concerning the oPage 16, to 64.Vniverſal Empire, yea pPage 16, 23, 26, 38, 39, 53, 55, 56.Deification of the Virgin Mary: whom they have not only qPage 20, 21, 22.ſeated Soul and body in the very Throne of the ſacred Trinity in heaven, but elevated rPage 24, 25, 54, 55.above God the Father, and Chriſt her Sonne, intituling her to all their ſPage 27. 53.Soveraign Power over all creatures in heaven, earth hell: to all their tPage 25, 40, 42, 43, 48, 49, 54.Divine Attributes, Titles, Offices, Worſhip; uPage 28, 29, 39, 40, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55.invoking, adoring her in their publike, private authorized Devotions more then them; yea aſcribing to her a xPage 21, 22, 27, 28, 39, 40, 49, 53, 55.commanding power over them in heaven it ſelf. And by their Doctrine of yPage 66, 67, 68.Tranſubſtantiation, or Chriſts real preſence, both in his human body, ſoul, Deity, in every conſecrated Hoſt, adoring it as God, Chriſt himſelf; ſeconded with their Legends of his frequent zPage 68, to 74.corporeal real viſible apparitions on earth: which infallibly overturn the foundations whereon they build St. Peters and their own Supremacy. Upon which occaſion I have briefly, and I hope irrefragably refuted by new Topicks, (not hitherto uſed, or not fully preſſed by Proteſtant Divines) their aPage 56, 57, to 64.idolatrous Invocations, Adorations of the Virgin Mary and other Saints, wherein they not only imitate, but farr exceed the antient bPage 56, 57, 58.Idolatry, Hereſie of Pagans, & the cPage 58, to 63.Collyridian hereticks: Together with their pretended dPage 75, to the end of 80.Doctrine, Miracle of Tranſubſtantiation; (the Great Dianaes of the Pontificians now moſt inſiſted on) to reduce them from their Romiſh ePage 55, 56.Idolatry, Superſtition, Errors, and keep unſtable Proteſtants from apoſtatizing to them in this and ſucceeding ages, by the ſeducements of their ſuperabounding active Emiſſaries.
This Tome (as thoſe intended to ſucceed it) principally conſiſts of memorable Records (preſerved in the Tower of London) not formerly publiſhed: intermixed with obſervable Hiſtorical paſſages (pertinent to my Theam) taken for the moſt part out of our beſt antienteſt Hiſtorians of the Roman Religion, writing in, or neareſt the reigns of K. John and Henry the 3d, which I have printed at large in their proper Dialects, as moſt authentick, the better to communicate them to forreign Nations, and prevent all Cavills of Pontifician or other Criticks againſt their tranſlations: with ſome uſefull Obſervations on, & Deductions from them, for the Readers information, or Romaniſts refutation, if not conviction; all which I hope are ſo genuine, ſolid, impartial, that no carping Zoilus, nor Advocate for Popes or the Court of Rome, ſhall be juſtly able to quarrell with, much leſſe to refute or contradict them.
All the Records herein tranſcribed, were peruſed with my own eyes, and carefully examined, re-examined by the Originals: which are of ſo venerable, irrefragable authority, (being carefully enrolled in the reſpective years they bear date, by ſworn Clerks, without any raſure, alteration, diminution, and ſo remaining till this preſent) that no perſon by our Common Lawes, (g21 E. 3. f. 40. 21 H 6. f. 20. Brook Averrment 14.) may, or ought to averr againſt them. By their Verdict I have here not only corrected ſome miſtakes, ratified, illuſtrated ſundry obſcure, dubious paſſages in our Hiſtorians, Chronologers; and King Johns printed Charter, but alſo ſupplyed many obſervable defects, omitted, or pretermitted Bulls, Letters, Patents, Writs, Records, Tranſactions relating to the Eccleſiaſtical Supremacy of our Kings, the Church-affairs, Archbiſhops, Biſhops, Clergy, Lawes, Cuſtoms, Spiritual, Temporal Courts, Juriſdictions, proceedings in England, and Ireland, not extant in, nor remembred by any Hiſtories or Law-books whatſoever; not unworthy the knowledge, if not of his Sacred Majeſty, yet of the greateſt, learnedeſt Counſellers, Officers of State, Prelates, Divines, Judges, Profeſſors of the Common, or Canon Lawes, the ſtudious Nobility, Gentry, (whether Proteſtants, or Pontificians) of both theſe Kingdoms, from whoſe publike, if not private view, they have hitherto been concealed.
If theſe my crude Hiſtorical Collections (which I had neither ſufficient time, nor leiſure to digeſt, poliſh according to the dignity of the ſubject matter) ſhall through the Almighties bleſsing on, and Your Lordſhips favourable Acceptation of them, produce any Glory to God, any honour, advantage to our Reformed Proteſtant Religion, Churches, Realms; any ſatisfactory Vindication of His Majeſties, or His Royal Predeceſſors Soveraign Eccleſiaſtical, Civil juſt, antient Rights, Prerogatives, againſt the injurious claimes, pretences of Ʋſurping Romiſh Popes, or Prelates; any reformation of revived old Eccleſiaſtical Ʋſurpations, Excommunications, Vexations, Corruptions, Exactions, Extravagances, redreſſed, ſuppreſſed by theſe and our other Kings Writs, Prohibitions, even in times of Popery; any conviction, converſion, reduction of ſeduced Pontificians, or Romiſh Proſelytes to due obedience to his Majeſty, and the boſom of our Church, by diſcovering to them the manifold unchriſtian, if not Antichriſtian Practiſes, Corruptions, Vices, Frauds, Errors, Exorbitances of Popes, (the Viſible Heads,) & Popiſh Cardinals, Legates, Nuncioes, Prelates, the chief pillars, hinges of the Roman Church; and the manifold juſt occaſions given by them to our Kings, Kingdoms, to renounce all dependance on, all communion with them; Or, if they ſhall contribute any increaſe of knowledge, or other benefit, to the honourable Profeſſion and Profeſſors of the Law, whereof Your Lordſhip under his Majeſty is, (and long may you ſtill continue in all ſplendor and felicity to be) the moſt eminent Patron, as well as Member, (all which particulars were the chief ends aimed at in this Ʋndertaking) I ſhall then repute my extraordinary expenſe, paines therein, ſufficiently remunerated; and be thereby encouraged, with greater vigor and all poſsible expedition, through Gods gracious aſsistance, to compleat the anteceding and ſucceeding Tomes of this Chronological Vindication. Which, if God ſhall vouchſafe me life, health, oportunity to finiſh; I hope I may crave leave, to ſue forth my Quietus eſt, from any future labours of this nature; becauſe it will then be high time for me only to prepare for another world, & conclude with (h)Philemon 9. Paul, the aged, (i)2 Tim. 4; 6, 7, 8;) I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finiſhed my courſe, I have kept the faith; Hence forth there is layd up for me a Crown of righteouſneſſe, which the Lord the Righteous Judge ſhall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them alſo who love his appearing.
Which Crown of Righteouſneſs, that this Soveraign (k)1 Tim. 6. 15. Rev. 17. 14. c. 29. 16.) Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, may moſt graciouſly beſtow upon Your Lordſhip in Heaven, after You have long ſerved, honoured both HIM, His MAJESTY, His Realms, Churches in your (l)Acts 13. 36.) Generation upon earth, ſhall be the daily prayer of
Your Lordſhips moſt Humble, Devoted, Obliged Servant, WILLIAM PRYNNE. From my Study in Licolns Inne, May 29. 1665. the moſt joyfull day, Feſtival of his Majeſties Birth and Reſtitution to his Royal Throne at Whitehall.