Vindication of Ecclesiastical Volume 3, To the reader
To the Candid and Ingenuous Readers, eſpecially Profeſſors, or Students of the Common Laws, in England and Ireland.
Kinde Readers,
I Here preſent to your View and Cenſure, The Second Tome of An Exact CHRONOLOGICAL VINDICATION, and HISTORICAL DEMONSTRATION of our Britiſh, Roman, Saxon, Daniſh, Norman and Engliſh KINGS SUPREAM ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION over all Prelates, Perſons, Cauſes within their Kingdomes and Dominions, &c. A Subject heretofore curſorily handled, debated by Sir Edward Cooke, in the Firſt Part of his Fifth Reports, Of the Kings Eccleſiaſtical Law; by Sir John Davis in his Iriſh Reports, The Caſe of Praemunire; by Sir Chriſtopher Sybthorp Knight, one of His Majeſties Iuſtices of the Court of Chief Place in Ireland, in his Friendly Advertiſement to the pretended Catholicks of Ireland, Dublin 1621. Part 1. Concerning the Kings Supremacy, and the Oath in that behalf to be taken: and of late by my learned Friend, Sir Roger Twiſden, in his elaborate, acute Vindication of the Church of England, in point of Schiſm, as it ſtands ſeparate from the Church of Rome, and was reformed 1 Elizabethae, London 1663. But never yet Chronologically and Hiſtorically Vindicated, Demonſtrated, by any Lawyers, Antiquaries, Hiſtorians, Chronologers, or Divines, in ſuch ample manner, as the Dignity of the ſubject matter, demerits; or as ſome learned (aCarolus Molinaeus Comment. ad Edict. Hen. 2. contra parvas Da…as et Abuſus Curiae Romanae. De Excellentia Regni Francorum, et Coronae Franciae, Claude Fauchet, & Pierre Pithou Preuves des Libertez de L'Egliſe Gallicane. Philippus de Morney Hiſtoria Papatus: Laurentius Bochellus. Decreta Eccleſ. Gallicanae.) French, and (bMelchior Goldaſtus, Monarchia Romani Imperii, Tom. 3. Antonii de Roſellis, Monarchia, and others.) German Lawyers, Antiquaries, Writers, have Vindicated the Soveraign Eccleſiaſtical Prerogatives, Rights, Liberties of the Kings, Emperors, Churches of France and Germany, in large Folio and Quarto Volumes; when as our Hiſtories, Annals, Records afford us more copious Preſidents, more numerous, eminent Monuments of this kinde, then France, Germany, or any other Chriſtian Kingdom throughout the World, as I hope to evidence in due time, for the Honour of our Kings, Kingdoms, Churches, Nation, if God ſend life, health, oportunity, encouragements to accompliſh ſuch an heroick Undertaking, not hitherto eſsayed by any of our own or other Nation.
If any ſhall demand, why I prepoſterouſly (againſt my Chronological Method) publiſhed this Second Tome before the Edition of the Firſt? I anſwer; Becauſe in my primitive undertaking of this Subject, (upon the motion of an Honourable Great Officer of State) I deſigned it to be the Firſt, beginning my Collections from the Firſt Year of King John, when the Charter, Clauſe, Fine, Liberate, and Patent Rolls in the Tower begin; All the reſt, (except ſome few Chartae Antiquae of former Kings reignes never tranſcribed into Rolls,) being long ſince periſhed, or loſt beyond recovery: and accordingly fitted it for the Preſſe; But afterward upon ſecond thoughts, and motions, mounting my Chronological Collections, (in relation to the Kings of our Iſle) as high as the firſt preaching, embracing of the Goſpel therein by the Apostles, or their Diſciples, and to Lucius our first Chriſtian King, and deducing them down to King John, in a more copious manner then I originally intended; (a Work of much pains, ſearch, ſtudy, difficulty, requiring farr longer time to compile then this Tome, & ſwelling to another large Folio Volume;) and my Chronological Introduction to it from Adam, (the first Monarch in the World) till Chriſts Aſcention into Heaven; and from thence, (in relation to the Roman, Greek, German Emperors, and other Chriſtian Kings in forreign parts, till our modern age, thought fit to be ſuperadded) amounting to another Volume, requiring a larger proportion of time then I can yet promiſe to my ſelf, had I no other publike or private Divertions to interrupt its progreſſe: I was thereupon not only induced, but in ſome ſort neceſſitated to praepone this Second Tome in point of publication, before the Firſt, leſt death or ſickneſs ſhould deprive poſterity of both. Whereas if God ſhall preſerve my life, bealth; afford leiſure and encouragement, I intend to publiſh the First, with other enſuing Tomes with all convenient expedition.
What the General▪ and particular Contents of this large Volume are, the Title Page, the Table of the Books and Chapters, and Index in the cloze thereof, will fully ſatisfie the peruſers. If any require an account from me, What perſons may probably receive information or benefit thereby? I anſwer with all humility, and ſobriety, That (if I be not much mistaken,) Our KINGS Themſelves, their Great Officers of State in England and Ireland, the reverend, learned Prelates, Divines, Judges, Lawyers, Nobility, and Gentry in both theſe Kingdoms; and all ſtudious profeſsors of the Proteſtant Faith, or Romiſh Religion, may receive more or leſs advantage thereby in theſe particulars.
Firſt, our Kings and Counſellors of State may herein diſcern, the antient Eccleſiaſtical and Civil Prerogatives, Juriſdictions, Rights, Liberties of the Kings, Crowns, kingdoms, Churches, Clergy, Subjects of England and Ireland, herein vindicated; and by what Papal artifices, frauds, conſpiracies, policies, treacheries, violences, inſtruments they were gradually invaded, undermined, encroached, uſurped upon, and trodden under foot by Popes, their Legates, Nuncioes, Agents, Confederates; how they were countermined, oppoſed, and thoſe recovered from them by degrees.
2ly. Our Proteſtant Biſhops, Clergy may here learn and diſcover, how treacherous, rebellious, ſeditious, undutifull, their Popiſh predeceſsors frequently were to our Kings, Kingdoms, Curches, yea to their own intereſts; how oppreſsed, fleeced, tyrannized over, vexed, ſquieſed, enforced to trot to and from Rome, and other forreign parts, whiles under the Tyrannical Ʋſurped Juriſdiction, Citations, Cenſures, arbitrary Power, Rapines, Proviſions, Oppreſſions of Popes, their Legates, Nuncioes, and other Agents ſent from Rome; and what juſt cauſe our Kings, Kingdomes, Churches had, in point of conſcience, as well as policy for their publick eaſe, liberty, ſafety, tranquillity, proſperity, to cast off their Ʋſurpations, Innovations, Oppreſſions, and renounce all ſubjection to, or communion with the Roman Pontifs, See, Court, for their manifold Corruptions, Extortions, Abuſes, Frauds, unſatiable Avarice, deteſtable Tyranny, Bribery, Simony, Injuſtice, Ambition, Pride, Treachery, antimonarchical, and antichriſtian practiſes, which even our Popiſh Kings, Nobles, Commons, yea ſundry of our moſt conſcientious Romiſh Prelates, Monkes, Prieſts, Hiſtorians publikely abominated, and proteſted againſt, with higheſt deteſtation. Which if now duly pondered by thoſe of the Romiſh perſwaſion, may juſtly move, perſwade them to reject both the pretended Authority, Sanctity, Infallibility, and real Corruptions of the Popes, Court, See, Church of Rome, and return to their due Allegiance to our Kings, and unto the boſom of our Reformed Church; wherein the true worſhip of God is more ſincerely performed, his Word more orthodoxly, powerfully preached, his Sacraments more purely administred, then in any of the Roman Churches, or in the Popes own Chappels.
3ly. All Judges, Practiſers, Students of the Common Laws in England or Ireland, may here peruſe ſome memorable reſolutions and Records concerning points of Law; many Excellent Rare Writs, Prohibitions, Patents, and other Records not formerly publiſhed, (for the moſt part hitherto unknown;) againſt the illegal Conſtitutions, Canons, Aſſemblies, Oathes, Inquiſitions, Interdicts, Excommunications, Proviſions, Extorſions, Rapines, Oppreſſions, Vexations, Citations, Appeals, & other Ʋſurpations of Popes, Legats, Nuncioes, Delegates of Rome; yea ſome of our Popiſh Archbiſhops, Biſhops, Archdeacons, and their Eccleſiaſtical Officers, Courts, upon the Rights, Prerogatives of the Crown, the Kings Temporal Courts, Lawes; the Advowſons, rights, Properties of Patrons; the Liberties, conſciences of the Subjects in England and Ireland, when ever invaded, or endangered by them.
4ly. The learned Nobility and Gentry of both Nations ſtudious of Hiſtory, Antiquity, Church or State-affairs, may herein peruſe many rare, uſefull Records, never formerly brought to publike view, illuſtrating divers obſcure, rectifying ſome mistaken paſſages, ſupplying ſundry defects in our Hiſtories and Annals in the reigns of King John, and Henry the III. eſpecially concerning the Archbiſhops, Biſhops, Biſhopricks, Affairs of Ireland, and ſundry tranſactions between theſe Kings, their Embaſsadors, Procurators, and the Popes, Cardinals, Legates, Nuncioes, Court of Rome, not extant in former Histories or Authors.
Perchance ſome Readers may demand, why I printed all the Records in their proper Latin or French Dialect, and moſt of the Hiſtorical paſſages interwoven with them out of Matthew Paris, Matthew Weſtminſter, and other Latin Hiſtorians, Writers, in their own Language? I anſwer, I did it upon 3. accounts, 1. Becauſe I conceived they would be more authentick, uſefull, gratefull (eſpecially to Lawyers and Gown-men) in their original proper Dialects, then in the beſt Engliſh Tranſlation. 2ly. To avoid all cavills, exceptions of Criticks, or Romaniſts, againſt their tranſlations, wherewith they would evade, when as now they cannot deny nor diſprove their authority, being preſented to them in their proper words. 3ly. To make them more communicable and diffuſive to Stateſmen and Scholars in forraign parts.
If any Chronologers ſhall find fault, that ſome few Records and Hiſtorical paſſages herein mentioned are inſerted out of their due Chronological ſeries, or years to which they relate; If they conſider, that this was occaſioned, either by the continued ſeries of the Hiſtory to which they relate, hapning in divers years, which could not well be diſ-joyned without greater inconveniences; or to unite ſome Records or Stories of the ſame kind together, illuſtrating or ratifying each other, though different in time; or elſe by caſualty or overſight at the Preſs; and withall if they obſerve how the diſtinct years, rolls of every Record, and of most Hiſtorians, are truly cited, quoted in the Text or Margin: I hope it will be reputed no Soleciſm, nor juſt ground of complaint.
Perhaps ſome other curious Peruſers of this Work, may charge me with Tautologie, or ſurpluſage, for inſerting ſeveral Letters, Procurations of our Kings to Popes, Cardinals, and Proctors ſent to Rome, or ſeveral Patents, and Prohibitions to diſtinct perſons, Courts, running almoſt in the ſame words; But I hope the rarity and novelty of them, never formerly publiſhed in print, their confirmation and explanation of each other, (eſpecially in caſes of Prohibitions) and the matters conteined in them, not mentioned in Story, together with my care to avoid the cenſure of omitting or concealing any records of this nature wherewith others might upbraid me: And the conſtant Practiſe of the Clergy, Popes, Prelates, Church and Laicks of Rome, (moſt likely to pick quarrels with me) in repeating ſundry dozens, ſcores, if not hundreds of Pater-Noſters together on their Beads, (though that prayer was purpoſely inſtituted by Chriſt himſelf, *Mat. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.to avoid and condemn all ſuch repetitions) and likewiſe Reiterations of Ave-Maries, of the name of Jeſus, and other Petitions, ejaculations in their Primers, Letanies, Miſſals, Jeſus Pſalters, Breviaries, Offices, Howers of the Virgin Mary, Manuals of Prayers, and other their Bookes of publike and private Devotion; will at least acquit▪ if not justifie me againſt this exception.
That which I deem ſome polite, dainty Readers will most cenſure me for, is want of Elegant, lofty, eloquent language, embelliſhments and tranſitions: But this defect, my declining age, want of competent time to review, poliſh every paſsage; together with the gravity, variety of the ſubject matter, the uſual Vulgar ſtile of most of our Records and Law-books, will apologize for this defect: A plain Engliſh Garbe, modeſt natural beauty, buſh, being in Gods and wiſe mens judgements, better, decenter, commendabler, then any fantaſtick *Zeph. 1. 8. 1 Pet. 3. 3.outlandiſh habit, a painted, ſpotted face, or effeminate, powdred, frizled head, not of Gods or Natures making, but the Barbers or Tyre-womans.
To conclude, all I ſhall deſire of my ingenuous Readers, is, a friendly conſtruction and kinde acceptation of theſe my Lucubrations, a free pardon of all defects, or involuntary overſights, (if any ſhall occurr therein) together with their cordial prayers for Gods aſſistance, and enablement of me in the compleating of the remaining Tomes, if they ſhall be judged uſefull for the publike, or gratefull to poſterity: there being few or none I know, or hear of, who will probably be at the pains or coſt to carry on or compleat them, when I am tranſlated hence to a better world, and ſhall reſt from all my studies, labours in this. Farewell.