Corporations Vindicated, Petition – Statute 3
TO The Supream Authority, The Parliament of the Commonwealth of England. The Humble Petition of Charles Hotham of Peter-house in Cambridge.
Sheweth,
THat your Petitioner on the 22th. of May last, appearing before the Honorable Committee for Reformation of the Ʋniversities, and owning a Book by him written, and Published, Entitled, The Petition and Argument of Mr. Hotham Fellow of Peterhouse in Cambridge, &c. against the Masters Negative Voice of that Colledge: The said Committee without calling your Petitioner to hear any charge of any scandalous expressions in the said Book, or any other crime whereunto he might have made his Defence, Resolved that the writing and Publishing thereof was scandalous, and against the Priviledge of Parliament, and that your Petitioner be depriv'd of his Fellowship in the said Colledge.
That your Petitioner hath been constantly well affected to the Parliament, and to the Commonwealth of England, as may appear by the testimonial of many eminent and well known persons in the Ʋniversity, hereunto annexed,*See Page 29. of the latter part of this Treatise, Entitl'd, A true State of the Case, &c. and hath so express't himself throughout that very Book.
That by these proceedings (as your Petioner humbly conceives) himself is much wrong'd, the Reformation of the Colledge obstructed, your Authority dishonor'd, and common Freedom shaken.
May it therefore please you to take his Cause into your own serious consideration, and to do therein, as shall to your Justice and Wisdom seem most expedient to the righting of your Petitioner, the good of that Colledge, and general interest of the Nation.
And your Petitioner shall ever pray, &c. Charles Hotham.
STAT. 8. De amotione Magistri propter crimina, vel suos defectus.
UBi periculum majus esse dignoscitur, ibi cautiùs est agendum, & pleniùs consulendum; Cum igitur praedicti Magistri industria, honestas, & diligentia dictae domui sit prae caeteris necessaria, & etiam opportuna, possúntque per ejus negligentiam (quod absit) vel insolertiam eidem domui imminere dispendia & pericula graviora, statuimus, & etiam ordinamus, ut cum ipsius domus Magister, qui pro tempore fuerit, propter dilapidationem, vel aliam causam ad hoc sufficientem, ad regimen ad quod praeficitur, reddatur inhabilis, & tanquam intolerabilis & inutilis amovendus existat: Episcopus Eliensis qui est pro tempore, ad deaunciationem, vel insinuationem duorum, vel trium seniorum scholarium dictae domûs (ad quam omnes, & singuli dictae congregationis scholares sub suae fidelitatis & juramenti debito teneantur) summariè, & de plano, abs{que} judiciali strepitu, & figura judicii, (praesertim cùm bona dictae domus litibus deservire non debeant) de causis hujusmodi cognoscat, ipsúm{que} Magistrum amoveat justitiâ suadente, ac praedictae domus scholares, alium idoneum in ipsius amoti Magistri locum, subrogandum nominent, & praesentent praedicto Episcopo, praesiciendum in Magistrum abs{que} morae dispendio, prout supra in nominatione & praesentatione Magistri pleniùs annotatur: Quòd si Magister hujusmodi non propter delictum in committendo scienter, seu / sed in omittendo voluntariè, videlicet propter negligentiam simplicem, simplicitatem, vel imperitiam ab officio suo contigerit amoveri; volumus, & etiam ordinamus, quod si aliàs in scholasticis bene se habuerit, tunc gratiam, & misericordiam assequatur, quae in titulo de Magistro agrotante, sunt benigniter ordinata.
STAT. 8. Of the Removal of the Master for Crimes, or his Defects.
VVHere there is known to be greater danger, there we should act the more warily, and consult more fully. Therefore seeing the industry, honesty, and diligence of the aforesaid Master is above all others of greatest necessity and convenience to the said House, and that by his negligence (which God forbid) or unskilfulness, losses, and dangers of an important nature may hang over the Colledge: We therefore Decree and Ordain, That when the Master for the time being, for Dilapidation, or other cause sufficient to this end is render'd unfit for the G…vernment he hath charge of, and is as an intolerable & unprofitable person to be remov'd from his Office: The Bishop of Ely for the time being, at the Denunciation or Insinuation of two or three Senior Fellows of the said House (to which all and every of the Fellows of the said Congregation, are bound by the duty of their fidelity and oath) take cognisance of these causes plainly without any judicial noise, or form of Court Process (seeing the goods of the said House, should not be lavish't out in suit-formalities) and remove the Master from his Office, if Justice perswade.
And that the Fellows of the said House, without delay, name and present another fit man to the said Bishop to be substituted in the place of the Master so remov'd; as is more fully set down before, where that point of the nomination and Presentation of the Master is treated of. But if this Master shall happen to be remov'd, not for an offence committed knowingly, but / or of voluntary omission to wit, for a simple negligence, simplicity, or unskilfulness; We Will and Ordain, That if he shall otherwise be well qualified, or have behav'd himself well in point of Scholarship*Or in Scholastick exercises., that then he shall have that favour and mercy shewn to him, which are bountifully provided by an Ordinance, Entituled as followeth.
STAT. 9. De Magistro aegrotante, vel impotente.
SI verò Magister praedictus bene & laudabiliter se gesserit, in administratione sua, & providè perseveraverit in eâdem, & postea aegritudine abs{que} culpa sua, senio, vel laboribus sit confractus, vel aliàs impotens, vel imbecillis adcò sit effectus quòd ad dictae administrationis regimen sufficere nequeat, ut deberet: ex tunc cum hoc notoriè, vel also modo legitimo constiterit, hujusmodi autoritate constitutionis in locum illius, scholaris, qui in Magistrum praesicitur, succedat; cui in domo praedicta inter socios ejusdem domûs provectiores & meliores scholares, vitae necessaria juxta vires, & facultates ejusdem domûs competenter & decenter ministrentur, ad terminum vitae suae. Ipse verò negotia Domus praedictae tanquam propria salubri consilio suo, dum vixerit juvare tenebitur, suique corporis exercitio, quatenus commodè poterit, promovere auxilias opportunis.