to all which, the churchwardens were enforced | to present upon pain of perjury; and some churchwardens, that is to say, Robert Langley, Charles Newton, Richard Hart, William Bull, and Zephany Ford, and others, not making presentments accordingly, were cited, molested and troubled, and enjoined penance; notwithstanding many of the said articles were ridiculous and impossible.

XXIII. That the church-wardens, and other nien sworn at the visitation, were enforced to have their presentments written by clerks, specially appointed by such as bought the said visitation, to whom they paid excessive sums of money for the same: some twenty-two shillings, as namely, Richard Hurrell, John Punchard, and others, some more, some less, for writing one presentment, to the grievous oppression of his majesty's poor subjects in that diocess.

rishioners of Yarmouth, Congham, Tostock, and others, commanded his officers, that if any parishioner did refuse to pay such wages they should certify him their names, and he would set them into the high commission court for example of the rest, and that one or two out of Ipswich might be taken for that purpose.

And the said commons by protestation saving to themselves the liberty of exhibiting at any time bereafter any other accusation or impeachment against the said Matthew Wren, late bishop of Norwich, and now bishop of Ely; and also of replying to the Answer that he the said Matthew Wren shall make unto the said Articles or any of them, or of offering proof of the promises or any other impeachments or accusations that shall be exhibited by them, as the case shall, according to the course of parliaments, require, do pray that he the said Matthew Wren may be called to answer the said several crimes and misdemeanours, and receive such condign punishment as the same shall deserve, and that such further proceedings may be upon every of them had and used against him, as agreeable to law and justice.

After reading these Articles, the Commons resolved, "That Matthew Wren, bishop of Ely, is in their opinion unfit, and unworthy to hold or continue any spiritual promotion or office in the church or common-wealth; and that the lords be desired to join with this house, to move his majesty to remove the said bishop from his person and service." Upon this,

XXIV. Whereas by the laws of this realm no tithes ought to be paid out of the rents of houses, nor is there any custom or usage in the city of Norwich for such payments; yet the said bishop endeavoured to draw the citizens, and other the inhabitants within the said city, against their wills and consents to pay 28. in the pound, in lieu of the tithes of houses within the several parishes of the said city, unto the ministers there of the said respective parishes; and the better to effect this his unjust resolution, he did by false and undue suggestions in the 14th year of his majesty's reign that now is, procure his majesty to declare under his highness's great seal of England his royal pieasure, That if any person within the said city shall refuse Sir Philip Parker, knight of the shire for to pay according to the said rate of 2s. in the Suffolk, took occasion to speak as follows:pound unto the minister of any parish within "Mr. Speaker; I stand not up in my own parthe said city; that the same be heard in the ticular behalf, but in the universal and general Court of Chancery, or in the consistory of the name of the whole kingdom. Alas! Mr. Speakbishop of Norwich; and that in such case no er, they depend all upon our exemplary jusprohibition against the said bishop of Norwich, tice; which, if we do fully execute, will not their chancellors or commissaries in the said only give great and plenary satisfaction to our courts of consistory, be granted; and if any nation, but will likewise cause the laud to such writ be at any time obtained, the Judges smile hereafter with the blessed beams of prosso granting the same, upon sight of his high-perous felicity.; but if the least error or smallest ness's said order, shall forthwith grant a consultation to the minister desiring the same; which said order and decree under the great scal of England tended to the violation of the oaths of the judges, and was devised, contrived, and made by the said bi-hop; and afterwards by his evil counsels and false surmises he did obtain his majesty's royal consent thereunto, and by colour of the order aforesaid, and other the doings of the said bishop, the citizens and inhabitants of Norwich aforesaid, viz. John Collar, Judith Perkeford, and others, have been enforced to pay the said 2s. in the pound in Hieu of tithes; or else by suits and other undue means been much molested, and put to great charges and expences, contrary to the law and justice.

XXV. That he assumed to himself an ar bitrary power, to compel the respective parishioners in the said diocess, to pay great and excessive wages to parish-clerks, viz. the pa

deliberation be overseen by us, (Oh! it strikes my trembling mind with horror to think on it) how will all things precipitate themselves into ruin most irrevocable? But I speak not this, as if any here would omit, or extenuate, the supremacy of justice in the least thought. To admonish you of that point were to bid the moon keep her monthly course, the spheres to reduce themselves in their circumference, or the sun to shine upon the earth. But I speak this only to add a spur unto you, lest we should at any time languish in our Heaven-proceeding journey. The cries of the people have come up to me: the voice of the whole nation tingles in my ears; and, methinks, I hear each subject wish, that we would briefly establish the church-government with all expedition. Let us first begin to confirm our religion, and God will bless our other proceedings the better. That was always my opinion, and, I am sure, the expectation of the whole kingdom. How

long have we sat here, and how little have we effected? How much time have we consumed, and what little have we performed therein? How long have we laboured in this our daily travail, and as yet have brought forth but an embryo in what we did intend? It is true, I confess, we have tormented ourselves with daily troubles and vexations, and have been very solicitous for the welfare of the common-wealth; but what have we performed, what have we perfected? I will once more relate what my former opinion was, let us I say, begin in the real establishment of our religion; and as I said all our other determinations will succeed with a better omen; for indeed most of our delinquents are linked to this chain, they depend most on this point; therefore we should do well to enter speedily upon the work.

"Mr. Speaker, excuse my zeal in this case; for my mouth cannot imprison what my mind intends to let out, neither can my tongue conceal that which my heart desires to promulge. Behold the archbishop, that great incendiary of this kingdom, lies now like a fire-brand raked up in the embers; but if ever he chance to blaze again, I am afraid that what heretofore he had but in a spark, he will burn down to the ground in a full flame. Wherefore, let us begin, for the kingdom is pregnant with expectation in this point. I confess there are many more delinquents, for the judges and other knights walk in querpo; but they are only thunderbolts forged in Canterbury's fire. I look upon them all but as polluted rivers, flowing from that corrupt fountain. Well, is it so then, that all depend on religion? Why are we then so backward in reforming the church? Why do we stick in this point, and not rather proceed in it with all expedition? For indeed according to the laws of this kingdom, as it hath the dignity of pre-eminence, so let us give it the priority in our determinations. "Mr. Speaker, think with yourself, I pray, in what faction the church is now; in what schisi; In what confusion of distracted sectaries it is promiscuously shaken; behold the Papists will have their way, the Brownists will have their way, the Anabaptists their way, the Puritans, as some call them, their way, the Jesuitical priests their way; and in these various ways, they make such a labyrinth of religion, that few or none scarce can find out the right way. It behoves us therefore, and is expedient, that we should add a period to those irregular ways, that the vulgar may no longer wander in these distracted paths.

July 20.

The Commons sent up the aforesaid Articles of Impeachment against Matthew Wren, bishop of Ely, by sir Thomas Widdrington, member for Berwick: who, upon presenting the same, made the following Speech:

My Lords; I am commanded by the knights, citizens, and burgesses now asssembled for the commons in parliament, to deliver to your lordships these Articles against Matthew Wren, D. D. late bishop of Norwich, and now bishop of Ely; may it please your lordships to hear them read. [Here the Articles were read.]

"My Lords, these Articles are dipped in those colours in which this bishop rendered himself to the diocess of Norwich: they need no gloss nor varnish. In them you may behold the spirit and disposition of this bishop: hear the groans and cries of the people; see a shepherd scattering (I had almost said devouring) his own flock. He that was desired to paint Hercules, thought he had done enough, when he had made a resemblance of the lion's skin, which he was wont to carry about him as a trophy of his honour. I will not say, in these, you will find a resemblance of the lion's skin. I am sure you will find the resemblance of the skins, (that is to say, the tattered and ruined fortunes) of poor innocent lambs, who have extremely suffered by the violence of this bishop. In 1635, this man was created bishop of Norwich. He is no sooner there, but he marcheth furiously. In the creation of the world, light was one of the first productions. The first visible action of this bishop, after his creation into this see, was to put out many burning and shining lights; to suspend divers able, learned, and conscientious ministers. He, that should have been the golden snuffer of these lights, became the extinguisher; and, when these are taken away, where shall poor men light their candles?

"My Lords, this was not all: he puts out lights, and sets up firebrands in their places; suspends painful ministers, and set up idle, factious and superstitious priests, to use their own favourite word, in their places; yet it is the fortune of these men, at this time, like rivers in the ocean, to be buried in the extreme activity of their diocesan. He made a scourge, not of small cords, but of new injunctions and numerous articles, tied about with a strong twist of a most dangerous oath; and with this he whips, not buyers and sellers, but the faithful dispensers of the word, out of their churches, out of their estates, out of their dear country. This "Mr. Speaker, I have now unloaded my Noah (if I may so call him without offence) as mind of her weary burthen; and I beseech you soon as he entered into the ark of this diocese, digest my words, with your serious considera- he sends, nay, forces doves to fly out of this tion, in this respect of establishing the church ark; and when they return unto him with government, in true, sincere, perfect, and un- olive branches in their mouths of peaceable polluted religion; which if we do perform, and and humble submission, he will not receive fully effect, we shall do great honour to God, them into this ark again; unless, like ravens, get credit to ourselves, and give great satisfac- they would feed upon the carrion of his new intion to the whole kingdom. This is my opi-ventions, they must not have any footing there. nion; this is my expectation: this is my prayer; He stands as a flaining sword, to keep such out and lastly, this is my hope." of his diocese.

"My Lords, unless he had done this, hel del of this bishop's zeal, piety, and religion; could never have hoped to have brought that let his affection to prayer and preaching First, for prayer. great work, he undoubtedly aimed at, to any speak for all the rest. perfection. Whilst the Palladium of Troy It was his hap to find a prayer, which is stood, that city was impregnable. The Greeks no prayer; pretended to be prescribed by a had no sooner stolen that away, but they canon, which is no canon; I mean the 55th instantly won the city: so then he first put canon, set forth in 1603; and no other prayer must be used in his diocese before sermon.— out the candles, then was the opportunity to shuffle in his works of darkness: he first That monster of conceived prayer (pardon the beats off the watchmen and seers; then was expression, it is not mine own) seemed as bad likely to follow that which the impiety of some to him as a spell or charm. It must not be Without doubt be was pleased to stile, The piety of the times.' used upon any occasion. This being done, he then begins to dress out would never have been so strait laced and seGod's worship, according to his own fancy. vere in this particular, if he had but dreamed This he expresseth in injunctions and direc- of that strait which a minister, a friend of his, tions, the Minervas of his own brain. We was put unto by this means: the story is short; find them stiled, Regales injunctiones domini A butcher was gored in the belly by an ox ; episcopi;' a stile too sacred to baptize his the wound was cured; the party desired pubbrats withal: I shall be bold to call them Ty-lic thanksgiving in the congregation; the rannicas injunctiones domini episcopi.'-Stories afford not a more barbarous cruelty, than to join a dead and a living body together; the one is miserably killed with the stench of the other. This bishop, who, like Aaron, should have stood between the living and dead, hath | joined to lively ordinances many dead and venomous ceremonies; which have no other life than what they received from the breath of his injunctions; and these are pressed upon the consciences; even these must be observed, as moral laws. An arbitrary government in the church is more dangerous, more grievous than that in the state: this is exercised upon men's consciences, the most tender parts; and is the very pinnacle of tyranny, and of all others the most intolerable. That blow, which will hardly be felt by the arm, will put out the eye.

I

His next care

minister, finding no form for that purpose,
read the collect for churching of women.~
Next for Preaching. That he is most able in
this kind is agreed on by all; but that he ever
preached himself in his diocese, saving once,
never heard affirmed by any,
was that others should not preach too often;
if they did, they must be put into his black
bill. He changed that golden sentence of
Væ mihi si non prædicavero,' into Væ aliis
'si prædicaverint.' He was so far from the
practice of St. Paul, the great preacher of the
Gentiles, who, we read, preached till midnight,
that there must be no sermons in the afternoon;
but there may be, may, there must be, sports
and pastimes then. And, as if he had stood
in fear of the inarticulate language of bells
which might foretell a sermon, he cannot en-
dure the noise of a sermon in the toll of a bell.

66 My Lords, in the time of Richard 1, one of this man's predecessors, a valiant bishop, In a word: he adorned churches, at the charge went into the Holy War: This bishop hath of others; and spoiled pulpits, which ought to raised a war at home in his own diocese; a war have been the greatest part of his own charge. not against Saracens, Barbarians, Turks, or In- "My Lords, you have now presented to your fidels, but against good and well disposed peo-lordships a brother, nay, one whose place enple. I know not what stile to give this war: gaged him to be a father of the clergy: yet one without doubt, my lords, this was no Holy War. who, like Joseph's brethren, hath taken the The weapons used in this war were 28 Injunc- coats from Joseph; nay they were forced to fly tions, 139 Articles, containing 879 Questions. from him as Joseph from his mistress, or else The soldiers were chancellors, commissaries, they must taste of his forbidden waters; but, in officials, commissioners, rural deans, &c. Him- their going away, he rent their skirts, nay their self commanded in chief. The ways of assault whole garments and livelihood from them. He and killing were by excommunications, sus- hath taken the lock from many Samsons, and pensions, deprivations.-1 stop here. Mille done what he could to put out their eyes, and modis morimur mortales.' The magazine, to make them grind in the mill of his perniciwherein all these were originally hatched and ous and dangerous innovations. He should, lodged, was the superstitious and malicious like Moses, have led his flock. Moses led the breast of this bishop. His diocese was the children of Israel through the Red Sea: this stage where the direful tragedies of this war man drives part of his flock over the sea, but were acted, by the space of two years and up- went not himself. Like Nimrod, he hath inwards. Thus did he trouble Israel, in the vaded the laws and liberties of the subject: he time of peace; nay, by these, he put some of hath been as great a robber as ever was prethe chariots and horsemen of Israel to flight; sented to your lordships: he hath fobbed the out of these he raiseth a farm of 500l. for his king of his subjects, the greatest glory of kings; primary visitation. If it be considered, cum a kingdom of trade, of its tradesmen, the suppertinentiis,' it was not dear, yet well improv-porters of it. He that deprives the king of one ed; for it was but 40. in the time of some of his predecessors. Will it please your lordships, with patience, to cast your eyes upon the mo

subject, you know his punishment; and what shall be the punishment of him who hath robbed the king of so many subjects?—In the 16th of

Hen. 3, we find a tenant in dower punished in action of waste, because she had destroyed two rich villains, and made them beggars. I appeal to your lordships what is his offence who hath committed so much wilful waste and spoil, beggared hundreds, not villains, but free-rod again when it was taken into his hand: This born subjects. He robbed souls of that sweet manna, which is Pabulum Animarum, the Word of God.

cation. In sum: one who is a complete mirror of innovation, superstition, and oppression. He is now in the snare of those Articles, which were the works of his own hands. The rod of Moses, at a distance, was a serpent; it was a

154. Proceedings in Parliament against Sir FRANCIS WINDEBANK, knt. Secretary of State, for High Crimes and Misdemeanors: 16 CHARLES I. A. D. 1640. [4 Rushw. Coll. 68. 2 Cobb. Parl. Hist. 682.]