Discover of the Prelates Tyranny, To the reader
To the Courteous Reader.
KInde Reader, I here present thee with a late tragicall History, or new Discovery of the Prelates tyranny, in their unjust Prosecutions, and bloody Persecutions of three eminent persons of the three most noble Professions in the Kingdom, Divinity, Law, Physick; all suffering together on the Pillory (much honoured by them, and they by it) & losing all their Eares at once, to make themselves heare better, and the Prelates *Qui malè facit malè audit.worse. Such a spectacle both to men, and Angels, no age ever saw before; and posterity is never like to behold hereafter. To heare of Lord Bishops metamorphosed into *Acts 20. 28. 29. Matth 7. 15.ravenous Wolves, is no Noveltie; they have been thus in every age, and will be so, whiles they have continuance: But to see them mounted to such an Altitude Altitude of Authoritie, and Tyranny, as to crucify Divinity, Law, Physick on the Pillorie together, and to make Judges, Peeres, and Courts of Justice, if not Soveraignitie it selfe, the *See Fox Act… … Monuments v…l. 1. p. …26. Ed…t. ult.executioners of their Malice, cruelty, and private revenge, by such extravagant and untroden courses as were unknown to our Ancestors, is such a prodigious Innovation, as neither Affrica nor England ever beheld the like; and never had beene brought forth into the World, had not a venomous Archprelate proved a Father to engender, a Mother to foster, a Midwife to produce and bring it to its birth.
But alas poore silly Politician! whiles he sought these innocents ruine by those unwarrantable practises, he laid but the foundation of his own overthrow; in the *Prov. 26, 27. c. 28. 10. Psal. 7. 15, 16. Psal. 9. 15, 16. Psal. 124. 7. Psal. 140. 9. 10, 11.snare that he layd for them, is his own foote taken, into the pit that he digged for them, he is fallen himselfe; his snares are broken, they are escaped, and he now lies intangled in them; he is *Psal. 20. 8.cast down and fallen, but they are risen & stand upright; his mischiefe now returnes on his owne head, and his violent dealing comes downe upon his own pate; evill now hunts this man of violence to overthrow him, and the mischiefe of his owne lips doth cover him. *Iudges 1. 7.As hee hath done, so God hath requited him. *Pro. 1. 16. 18.Whiles he made hast to shed their blood, he did butlie in waite for his own; And he *Prov. 28. 17that did violence to the blood of these persons, now fleeth to the pit, (as God hath threatned) let no man stay him; but let all stand admiring Gods Iustice upon him, and his admirable providence, and merciemercy in preserving, delivering, and *Psal. 3. 7, 5, 6.acquitting them from his unjust censures, and that in the highest Court of Iustice, without one negative voyce. The manifestation of this remarkable Iustice, Mercy and Providence of our great God, (*Exodus 15. 11. glorious in holinesse, fearefull in prayses, working wonders; not onelyonly of old, but at this present, even in all our Eyes, *Psal. 126 2, 3,doing great things for these Patients, for the whole Land, whereof we rejoyce) was the chiefe end of publishing this Discovery, whereby to daunt all gracelesse Persecutors, and cheare the soules of all sincere professors. If thou reape Benefit or Comfort from it, let God enjoy thy prayses, the Compiler hereof thy prayers.
Farewell, and profit by what thou readest.
A New Discovery of the Prelates tyranny, in their late prosecutions of Doctor Bastwick, Mr. Burton, and Master Prynne.
THE now Arch-bishop of Canterbury, with some other Prelates of the Arminian combination, maligning Master Prynne, & Master Burton, for some bookes they had written against the Arminians and D. Cosens his private Devotions; about 12. yeares since, getting the raines of Ecclesiasticall authority into their owne commands, prosecuted them severall times and tearmes in the High Commission, for those their profitable, and innoxious bookes: whence being delivered by prohibitions, granted them out of the Kings temporall Courts at Westminster; these Prelates grew more *This Archb. at the delivery of the rule for Master Prynnes prohibitiō was so extreamly enraged, that he and some 3. or 4. Bishops more rose and went out of their Court (then kept in the Consistory at Pauls) in a Fury, saying they would immediatly repaire to the King, & make a bolt, or a shaft of it; using many angry words; and threatning to lay M. Prynne by the heels for delivering the Rule.inraged against them, watching every opportunity, and laying hold on any occasion to worke their ruine. Master Prynne not long after, about Christide 1632, published a booke against common Enterludes, intituled, Histrio-Mastix, licensed for the presse by one Master Buckner, house-hould Chaplin to the then Arch-bishop of Canterbury, Abbot; and published with his approbation, after serious perusall thereof, both in the written, and printed copy. It came to passe, that some six weekes after the publication of this booke, the Queenes Majesty acted a part in A pastorall at Somerset-house; and there being some passages in this booke against Women-actors, among the ancient Romans, Grecians, and Spaniards, quoted out of Fathers and forraigne authors; and this reference to them in the Table of the booke, Women-actors notorious whores, relating to those Women-actors only whom these authors thus branded; Canterbury & the prelates by their instruments, the next day after this pastorall acted, carrying Master Prynnes booke to his Majesty, *Mr. H. I. that first presented, & shewed the booke to the King, was a few moneths after committed prisoner to the Tower for begetting one of the actors of this pastorall with child soone after it was acted, and making a reall commentary on M. Prynnes misapplyed text, both the Actresse, and he for this cause be▪comming M. Prynnes fellow prisoners in the Tower, A strange providence▪ and worthy observationshewed him some of those passages, especially that in the Table, and misinformed his Highness… and the Queene, that Master Prynne had purposly written this booke against the Queene, & her pastorall; whereas it was licensed, and most of those passages printed neere two yeeres before; and the whole booke finished at the presse at least three moneths, and published six weekes before the personating of this pastorall: But this misinformation onelyonly exasperating the King and Queene against Master Prynne for the present, and not taking effect to worke his restraint, their Majesties being truly informed by others, that this booke was written▪ and printed long before this pastorall was thought of; the now Archbishop thereupon caused Doctor Heylin (whom Master Prynne had refuted in *Pag. 671 to …78.that booke by the by▪ in a point concerning Saint George.) to collect such passages out of the booke, and digest them into severall heads, as might draw Master Prynne into Question for supposed scandals therein of the King, Queene, State and Government of the Realme▪ Hereupon the Doctor drawes up such Collections, digested into seven heads, with his owne malicious Inferences upon them, not warranted by Master Prynnes Text, and delivers them in writing to Secretary Co…ke, and the Arch-bishop. The prelate thus furnished by his minion, takes Mr. Pryns booke, and these collections, and repaireth with them, on the second Lords-Daymorning in Candlemas Tearme 1632, to Lincolns Inne, to Master Noy then Kings Attourney generall; and keeping him on that sacred day both from the Chappell and Sacrament, (which he then purposed to receive) shewed him the said book and collections of some passages out of it, which he said, his councell informed him to be dangerous: & charged him on that duty he owed to his Master, the King, to prosecute Master Prynne for the same. Master Noy before this, had twice read over the said booke very seriously, and protested, that he saw nothing in it that was scandalous or censurable in Star-Chamber, or any other Court of Iudicature; and had thereupon commanded one of the books (which Master Prynne delivered him) to be put into Lincolns Inne library for the use of the house; in so much that he was so discontented at this command of the Arch-prelate, that he wished he had beene twenty miles out of towne that morning. But being commanded hee must obey; and within few dayes after, Master Prynne, by this prelates instigation, was sent for before the Lords to the inner Star-Chamber, and by them sent prisoner, with 4. of the Kings Guard to the Tower of London, on Feb. the first 1632, with this warrant, to which this prelates hand among others, was subscribed.
AFter our hearty commendations; whereas there is cause to restraine William Prynne Esquire▪ and to commit him to your custody, these are therefore to will and require you to receive into your charge the person of the said William Prynne, and to keepe him safe prisoner in the Tower, without giving free accesse to him, untill you shall receive further Order: for which this shall be your warrant.
From the Star-Chamber the first of Feb. 1632.
Thomas Coventry. Archbishop of Yorke.
H. Manchestour.
Dorset.
Faukland.
Guil. Lond. now Canter.
Edward Nuburgh.
Iohn Cooke.
Tho. Germine.
Francis Windebanke.
To our loving friend, Sir William Balfore, Knight Lieutenant of his Majesties Tower of London.
BY force of this generall warrant, against Law, wherein no cause of co…itment is specified, Master Prynne was kept pri…r in the Tower, without bayle or maineprise, notwithstanding his oft petitions for release absolute, or upon bayle, till Master Noy, (sending for the said Heylins collections,) exhibited an Information against him in the Star-Chamber for his said licensed booke the 21 of Inne following, and prosecuted it so, that not permitting Master Prynne to be bayled, not yet so much as to repaire to his Counsell, with his keeper; on the 17 of Feb. 1633. he procured this heavy sentence against him in that Court: That Master Prynne should be committed to prison during life, pay a fine of 5000 pounds to the King, be expelled Lincolns Inne▪ disbarred▪ and disabled ever to exercise the profession of a Barrester; degraded by the University of Oxford, of his degree there tak…; and that done …e set in the Pillory at Westminster, with a paper on his head declaring the nature of his effence, and have one of his Eares there cut off, and at another time be set in the pillory in Cheap-side, with a paper as aforesaid; and there have his other Eare cut off; and that a fire shall be made before the said pillory, and the hang-man being there ready for that purpose, shall publikely in disgracefull manner, cast all the said bookes which could be produced, (to gather up which, Messengers with speciall warrants, were sent to bookesellers into divers Counties) into the fire to be burnt, as unfit to be seene by any hereafter; no particular passages of the said booke, on which their unparallelled sentence was grounded, being so much as mentioned in the Information, replication, or decree as by Law they should, and doubtlesse would have beene, had they beene really effensive, demeriting such a Censure. But the innocency of these misconstrued and perverted passages (being for the most part the words of other approved authors,) was the cause of their concealement and not recording: and though many of the Lords never dreamed of any execution of this hard judgement, and the Queene (whom it most concerned) earnestly interceded to his Majesty to remit its execution; yet such was the prelates power and malice, that on the seventh, and tenth of May following, (even in cold blood) it was fully executed with great rigour. Whiles Master Prynnes wounds were yet fresh and bleeding, within three dayes after his execution, this Arch-prelate of Canterbury, to adde more waight to his affliction, against all Law and equity, when there was no suite pending against Master Prynne in the High Commission, & his fine in Star-chamber un…streated, granted this warrant out of the High Commission for the seisure of the books of his study, (conveyed to his Taylors house in Holborne) of which his spies had given him Intelligence.