Sixteen New Queries
The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A10198.0001.001
Project Note
This is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.
This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.
Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.
However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.
This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.
Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org
XVI. NEW QVÆRES Proposed to our Lord PRÆLATES.
Printed in the Yeare M. D. CXXXVII.
To our Holy Ghostly Fathers, the Lord Praeliglates of England M. E. sendeth greeting.
M Y Lord's temporal far more then spiritual, I have heard you oft crack exceedingly, on your own dung-hills, both of your great learning, and likewise of your arch-love and loyalty (yet invisible) to his Majesty and his prerogatives Royal, as if he could not be a King unless you were Lord Bishops: I shall therefore not challendge, but beseech your Holynes, to give a real demonstration to the world, both of your profound learning, and pretended peerless zeal and duetifullnes to his Majesty, in publishing a speedy full; and satisfactory answer to these few Questions here propounded to you of purpose to resolve them. Your Lordlynesses have had above half a years time (almost half as much space as most of you take to pen or conne your annual or bieniall Sermons, and yet cannot get them perfect into your heads or hearts, into which they seldom sink, but only into your Books:) and yet have given no resolution to them, as people expected you should or would have done: which makes many suspect, they have put you to a Non plus; either therefore answer them now, at this second Somony and publication, or else I and thousands more shall proclaim to all the world, you cannot do it, and so are open enemies to his Majesty, his Imperial Crown, Laws, Subjects, and in several premunires, for all you bear your heads so high, like petty Kings and Popes: Yea I dare pronounce you perjured to his Majesty in the highest degree, by infringing your oaths of Supremacy, so oft reiterated: And as you are the first men enjoined to take this oath, by the Statute of 1. Eliz. c. 1. because the likeliest of all others to violate it, so you are more guilty of the frequent, open, and professed violation thereof, then all other his Majesty's subjects put together, who seldom infringe this oath, but either by your coaction or occasioning of them, by force or flatery to break it, be sure you now give a fatherly satisfactory complete answer to them with speed, at your utmost perils, and lay all other worldly employments and affairs aside (as you have laid preaching by, long ago) till you have done it, else these. Quaeligres will prove fatal to your Popedomes, Episcopalities, Consistories, Visitations, and elegall Ecclesiastical Jurisdictions, and proceedings, and so I commit you to your studies for the present, as you (no doubt in imitation of your Savior Christ and his Apostles, who had not any Pursevaunts, Jailor's, Messengers, and Catch-poales, attending at their heels upon every occasion, and many Jaoles and Prisons, to commit poor Christians and Ministers too at their pleasure, as your Lordships their Successors now have, though we read not of them in any Author) commit others to your prisons and dungeons, and would do me no doubt, if you could catch me napping, as Mose did his Mare, even for presuming to propound these questions to you in the behalf of my Sovereign and Country.
M. E.
16. New Quaeligres proposed to our Lord Praeliglates.
I.
Q UO IURE: Can our Arch-Bishops, Bishops, and their Officials grant Lycenses, for money, to any of his Majesty's Subjects to marry without asking Banes, it being directly contrary to the Statutes of 2. & 3. Ed. 6. c. 21. 5. & 6. Ed. 6. c. 12. And to the Rubric before the form of solemnization of Matrimony in the Common-prayer book, confirmed by Parliament, 1. Eliz. c. 2. which prescribes thus: First that the Banes must be asked three several Sundays or Holy-days in the time of service, the people being present, after the accustomed manner; and if the persons that should be married dwell in divers Parishes, the Banes must be asked in both Parishes, and the Curate of the one Parish shall not solemnize Matrimony, between them, without a Certificate of the Banes being thrice asked from the Curate of the other Parish.
Whether if Marriage be a Sacrament (as the Papists hold, who yet deny it, as an unholy-thing, to all their holy Clergy-men, and religious persons, a strange contradiction) or an Ecclesiastical thing, as our Praeliglates deem it (though common to pagans, and some kind of fowls and beasts, and so truly civil and natural, rather then Ecclesiastical, if it be not Simony in them to sell Licenses, and take money for Marriages, and whether his Majesty, who can only dispence with Laws, and this Rubric in the Common-prayer Book, it being a chief branch of his Prerogative Royal) may not justly call all our Praeliglates, and their Officers to an account for all the money taken for such Licenses (and also for Lycenses to marry in prohibited times, as they term them, as mere oppressions and device to get money, there being no Law of the Realm nor Canon of our Church, prohibiting marriages in those or any other seasons whatsoever, which are always free and lawful for marriages, as well as for Christnings and Burialls &c.) from 21. Jacob. till now (which money amounts at least to 40000. p. or more) they having no right or title to it by any Law or Patent extant?
II.
By what Law can our Praeliglates (as now they begin to do) consecrate Churches, Chapels, or Church-yards, as if they were unholy and common places before, unfit to be prayed in: contrary to Acts 10. 14. 15. 1. Tim. 2. 8. John 4. 20. to 25. contrary to the practice of Christ and his Apostles, who consecrated no Churches or Church-yards, and gave no such commission to Bishops or any others to do it, but men together in private houses, and unconsecrated places to receive the Sacraments and preach God's word, Acts 2. 46. c. 5. 42. c. 20. 7. 8. 9. c. 18. 7. 11. c. 19. 9. 10. c. 28. 30. 31. Rom. 16. 5. 1. Cor. 16. 19. Col. 4. 15. Philem. 2. Mark 14. 12. to 27. Luke 22. 16. to 24. contrary to the practice of the primitive Christians for above 300. years after Christ (as the third part of the Homilie against the peril of Idolatry p. 66. 67. resolves.) Contrary to the Statute of 15. R. 2. c. 5. which adjudgeth it Mortmaine, and contrary to the Statute of 3. and 4. Ed. 6. c. 10. 1. Eliz. c. 2. 8. Eliz. c. 1. which abolisheth and inhibites all other Rites, Ceremonies and forms of consecration (with all Popish Ceremonies and Pontificalls, wherein the manner of consecrating Churches, Chapels, and Church-yards is prescribed) but such as are only prescribed in the Books of Common-prayer and ordination, in which there is not one syllable of consecrating Churches, Chapels, or Church-yards, or any one Statute of the Realm, or Canon of our Church since the beginning of Reformation prescribing or allowing it.
If they say, that the Temple at Jerusalem was dedicated, and that the Tabernacle and Altar among the Jews was also consecrated. Ergo our Churches, Chapels and Church-yards must be consecrated by their Lordships. I answer.
First, That the Temple was consecrated by Solomon: and the Tabernacle and Altar by Moses, the one a King, the other a temporal Magistrate, (who consecrated Aaron alsó and bis sons, and ordained them Priests) neither of them a Bishop or High Priest, therefore if any such consecrations are to be made, the King and temporal Magistrates ought to make them, not their Lordships, as Hospinian proves at large, de Origin Obedirationum c. 1. fol. 104. where he concluds thus: Hoc autem authoritas antiquitus semper fuit Politici Magistratus: and that as well among the Pagans as Christians.
Secondly, They had a command from God for the one; but their Lordships have none for the other.
Thirdly, These Consecrations and purifyings were part of the Ceremonial Law; and so quite abolished by Christ, Acts 10. 14. 15. John 4. 20. to 26. 1. Tim. 2. 8. Col. 2. 13. to the end. Heb. 8. and 9. therefore not now to be used.
Fourthly, The Temple, Tabernacle and Jewish Altars were consecrated and hallowed, because Types of Christ, of which our Churches, Chapels and Church-yards are no Types.
Fifthly, The Jews never consecrated their Synagogues (in which they had no Altars) nor yet their Burying-places, in lieu of which our Churches and Church-yards succeed: Therefore if their Lordships will imitate them, they must not consecrate Churches, Chapels or Altars, nor yet have any Altars in our Churches, much less take 20. 30. or 40. p. for consecrating them, as some of them have done, it being Simony in the highest degree, and nothing due by the Cannon Law but a dinner.
III.
By what Law of the Land can our Bishops, Arch-Deacons and their visitors in their visitations take money for procurations of those Churches which they visit not in person, or more money for procurations, then will defray their diet and horse-meat, there being no more due by their own Canon Law, and that only for the Churches they personally visit: Or by what Law or Canon can they take money of Ministers or Scholemasters for showing their letters of order, or lycenses to preach, or teach school; or of Church-wardens and others for presentments. There being not one penny due by Law or Canon to them, much less by Patent or grant from the King? And whether may not his Majesty lawfully call all our Arch-Bishops, Bishops, Arch-Deacons, and their visitors to an account for all the money and extorted Fees, thus taken by them in their visitations, and likewise in their Consistories, for probate of wills and Letters of administrations, where they take twice, thrice, yea 4. or 5. times as much as the Statute of 21. H. 8. c. 5. allows them, (which is but 5. s. at the highest, where the goods amount to 40. p. or upwards) and punish them all in Star-Chamber for extortion (as he hath lately done many Officers in his temporal Courts, since these their execrable extortions, taken duering his Highnes reign, will amount at least to 100000. p. as much as the Clergy gave to King Henry the 8. to exempt themselves from that premunire they had incurred by submitting themselves to Cardinal Woollseyds power legatine.
IV.
Quo Iure: Can any D. of the civil Law, or other Chancelor, Vicar general, Officiall or Commissary to any Prelate or Arch-Deacon, exercise any Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction under them, without special lycense and Patent from his Majesty or his predecessors Royal, it being directly contrary to the express Statute of 37. H. 8. c. 17. which ordains, that the Kings Majesty, his Heirs and Successors shall ordain, constitute, and depute all Bishops and Arch-Deacons, Chauncellors, Vicars general, Commissaries, Officials, Scribes and Registers (or else it gives them no power to execute any Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction) and that by special letters Patents, (as appears by 1. Eliz. c. 1. and 8. Eliz. c. 1.) which Patents they all now wanting, cannot exercise any such Jurisdiction, and so all their proceedings are merely void, and their places in his Majesty's disposal, to whom they ought to be accountable for all the proffits they have already unjustly received in these their usurped offices.
V.
Whether is it not now meet and convenient for his Majesty to appoint one of his Nobles, or some other learned Layman, to be his Vice-gerent general for good and due ministration of Justice to be bad in all causes and cases, touching the Ecclesiastical jurisdiction, and for the godly Reformation, and redress of all errors, heresies and abuses in our Church, to take place of and sit above the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, and all other Lord Bishops in all places; according to the Statute of 31. H. 8. c. 10. yet in full force; to bridle the pride, curb the insolencies, redress the usurpations, Extravagances, Innovations, and take away the pretended Ius Divinum, of our Lordly Prelates, directly repugnant to this Act, and to 26. H. 8. c. 1. 28. H. 8. c. 10. 31. H. 8. c. 9. 31. H. 8. c. 31. 34. and 35. H. 8. c. 17. 35. H. 8. c. 1. 37. H. 8. c. 17. 1. Ed. 6. c. 2. 1. Eliz. c. 1. 8. Eliz. c. 1. On which I would desire their Lordships to chew the cudd, to abate their favor.
VI.
By the Statute of 37. H. 8. c. 6. Every person or persons that shall cut out, or maliciously cause to be cut out the tongue of any person, or shall maliciously cut off, or cause to be cut of the ear or ears of any his Majesty's Subjects, is to render trible damages to the party, and so forfeite 10. p. sterling for every such an offense to the Kings Majesty and his Heirs: And 5. H. 4. c. 5. makes it felony for any man maliciously to cut off any man's tongue, or put out his eye. Whether then our Lord Prelates and their Officers for cutting out our faithful Ministers tongues, and closing up their mouths that they may not preach God's word to their people, and cutting of some Laymens ears, and threatening to have the ears of more, that they may not hear God's word, (and that maliciously against the Laws and Statutes of the Realm) are not fellons within the latter of these two Acts, and Malefactors in the first, to render ireble damages to the parties grieved, and maimed by them, and to make a fine to his Majesty, is a question worthy resolution.
VII.
Whether these Lordly Prelates that have stood mute for one, two, or three years space and more, and never preached, nor given answer to these Quaeligres; refusing to put themselves to the trial of God and their Country, for their Episcopal pretended Ius Divinum, and other their fore-mentioned usurpations and exactions upon his Majesty and his Subjects, are not by the Common Law of the Land, to be pressed for Mutes, as other malefactors that stand mute and silent, are in like cases.
VIII.
Whether if the Apostles were now in England, and should preach Jesus Christ daily in our Temples and from house to house, without ceasing, as they did Acts 5, 42. our Lord Prelates would not presently silence, suspend, and pursevant them into the high Commission, and there fine and imprison them for Convinticleers: And if they should preach notwithstanding their Lordships inhibitions, (as they did notwithstanding the chief Priests command to do it,) whether their Lordships would not thereupon be filed with indignation, and put them in the Common-prison, and there keep them fast, and beat them too, as their predecessors the High Priests did, Acts 5. 17. 18. 40. 41. since they thus serve our Godly faithful Ministers for the same causes.
IX.
Whether if our Savior Christ himself were now on earth, and should be convented before our High Priests, as he was once before the Jews High Priest, and they should offer to put him to an Ex officio oath, and examine him concerning his Disciples and Doctrine; and Christ should refuse to take such an oath, and answer them as he did the High Priest: (I spake openly to the world, I ever taught in the Synagogue, and in the Temple, whether the Jews and people always resort, and in secret have I said nothing. Why askest thou me? Ask them that hear me, what I said unto them: Behold they know what I said:) refusing to bring in a copy of his Sermons, or to accuse himself, would not their Lordships Pursevants Officers upon such an answer as this stricke Jesus with the palm of their hands, (as the High Priests Officer did) Saying: Answerest thou the High Priest (our Lord Arch-Bishop and Bishops) so? John 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. And would not their Lordships for such an answer (which satisfied the High Priest) commit our Savior forthwith to prison, to the Clinke, the Gate-house, Fleet, New-prison, Kings Bench or Counter, as they committed Mr. Bambridg and M r . Johnson of old, and many of Christ's Ministers since, for the same answer.
X.
Whether if S t . Paul were now alive, and should preach so diligently in England, as he did amongst the Jews, our High Priests, the Prelates, would not lay the selfsame accusation against him before the Kings Majesty, as Ananias (the Jews High Priest) did by Tertullus his Orator before Felix, and inform his Majesty, that they had found this man a pestilent fellow, and a moover of sedition among all the Jews (now English men) throughout the world, or Kingdom, and a Ringleader of the sect of the Nazarens (the Puritans as they term them, Acts 24. 5.) since they lay the selfsame accusations to the chardge of most Godly Ministers, as many late instances evidence.
XI.
Whether if Christ himself should preach daily in some of our Prelates Diocoese, as he did in the Temple & Jewish Synagogues, and S t . Paul preach night and day (morning and evening) in our Churches, as he did at Ephesus, against our Prelates inhibitions, and the people flock from all parts and Parishes to hear them, as they did to them; our Prelates would not forthwith suspend them from preaching, and clapp them by the heels, and likewise present and punish all their hearers, for going out of their own Parishes, where they had no sermons, to hear them, since they thus use our painefullest Preachers and hearers, who imitate their examples, contrary to the very doctrine of our Homilies of the right of the Church, p. 3. 4. which themselves have subscribed too, but refuse to practice?
XII.
Whether if our Savior should now descend in person from heaven, and give his precept to our Lord Prelates, which once he gave to his Apostles Luke 22. 25. 26. Mat. 20. 25. 26. 27. ye know that the Princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them: But it shall not be so among you, but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your Minister, and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant, &c. they would presently convent and arraign him for it, as an open oppugner of their Lordly Jurisdiction and temporal Offices and power, and censure him as severely as ever they did D r . Bastwick, or any other, that hath writ against their pretended Divine right to their Lordly Hierarchy?
XIII.
Whether these several actions and writs at Common Law (mentioned in the Register) will not lie against the Prelates? Namely; The write entitled Ad Iura Regia, for violating the Kings Laws and prerogative Royal, by their own extravagant Laws, Articles, Decretals, and Canons, to reduce them to the Kings Laws, in Ad quod damnum, to inquire, what great damages they have done to his Majesty's Subjects souls, bodies, estats, and to inform his Majesty what Nusances they are: An Apostate capiendo: to imprison them, for their Apostatie, from the doctrines and faith of the Church of England, to the faith and Ceremonies of the Church of Rome, and casting off their spiritual cares and functions, to follow temporal affairs and manage offices like so many temporal Lord's: An assisa de nocumento: for the great musances they have lately done to our Religion, Church, State, Ministers, and people? A writ of Association, to rank Ministers and temporal Lord's in aeligquipage with them, over whom they now so much Lord it, like Lord's paramount over all other people. An Attachment on a prohibition: That Lay-men shall not be cited before them to take any oath, or make any recognition, unless in matters of Testament and Marriage usual in former ages, and necessary now: An Attachment against them for refusing to admit prohibitions in cases whereby Law they lie, and stopping the current of this write: An Audita Quarela, to hear the Ministers and people's several complaints against them: An Acquiet ando de Servitijs, to free the Ministers and people from their late imposed Ceremonies, services, & vassaladge: A Cautione admittenda, to make people more wary of them, and to procure absolutions for their unjust Censures: A Cercierari, to remove them from their temporal offices and employments, and have spiritual and temporal causes out of their unlawful Consistories and visitations (kept in their own name without Patent or Commission from his Majesty into the Kings own temporal Courts: A Cessavit de cantaria & Servitijs, per biennium; for not preaching in their Diocoese to their people by two years space and more (the case of divers of them.) De Clerico admittendo, to enforce them to admit our suspended, silenced Ministers to preach again freely, as in former times: De Clerico infra sacros ordines constituto non eligendo in officium; to hinder them from being chosen, and being thrust into temporal offices and affairs, incompitable with their functions: De Cognitionibus admittendis; to hinder them from meddling with all causes and affairs of which they have no cognizance: A writ of Collution and deceit; for their hypocrisy and juggling, both with God, his Majesty, and his Subjects, and for seeming holy, pious, just, religious, yea Fathers and Pillars of our Church, our faith, and being nothing less: An Action of the case; for vexing, excommunicating, suspending and silencing Ministers and others against Law, and without just cause: An Action of accompt; to call them to an accompt for all their extortions and usurpations, both upon the King and Subject: An Action upon the Statutes against Engrossers, Regraters, and Forestallers; for forestalling all good Books against their Papal Antichristian Hierarchy, Jurisdiction, extortion, injustice, and other Episcopal virtues, both at the Press and Porth, and ingrossing them all into their own Hucksters hands, of purpose to enhaunse the prises of them, and deprive the Kings good Subjects benefit of them. A writ of Conspiracie; for conspiring together against the Kings Ecclesiastical Prerogative, and the Subjects Liberties, and to set up new Ceremonies, innovations and taxes: A Contra formam collationis; for mis-using their jurisdiction and office, and mis-employing their temporallities and revenues (which should be spent in relieving the poor) upon their children, kindred, purchase of greater dignities and preferments, or maintenance of their own pomp, pride, state, luxury, venery, and lust. A copia libelli deliberanda; to enjoin them to give copies of Libells and Articles to his Majesty's Subjects, beforethey force them to swear or answer to them. A Curia claudenda; to cause them to shut up their Consistories, visitations, and Ecclesiastical Courts, till they have a Patent from his Majesty to keep them in his name and right alone, and grace to use them better, and to better purposes then hitherto they have done. A Quo warrento: to question them by what authority they keep their Consistories, Visitations, and make out process, private Articles, impose new oaths, Ceremonies, and Jurisdictions in their own names upon his Majesty's Subjects. De custode Amovendo & alio admittendo; to remove them from their Bishopprickes, and put better and other kind of men in their places. An Ejectione custodiaelig, for suspending and ejecting Ministers from their Churches and Cures: An Errore corrigendo; to cause them to amend their manifold errors, both in life, doctrine, practice and proceedings. An essendo quietum de Theolonia; to exempt Ministers and people from their intolerable exactions, extortions, and new imposed Fees and Contributions, both in their visitations and Consistories. An Excommunicato deliberando: To cause them to absolve and free all those Ministers and people they have most unjustly excommunicated. An Executione judicij; To get some judgments in Star-chamber and other his Majesty's temporal Courts executed against them, and their most unjust proceedings. Ex gravi querela; To hear the grievous complaints, both of Ministers and people, against their tyranny, Lordlynes, pride, oppression, impiety, and other vices, their Altars, Crucifixes, Popish Ceremonies, Ex officio, and visitations Oaths, Articles, proceedings and late dangerous Innovations. A writ of false judgment; For their wrong late unjust Censures, Excommunications, Suspencions, Sentences, and determinations, both in their Consistories, Visitations, and high Commission, and resolving their Episcopal Lordlynes and Jurisdiction to be Iure Divino; contrary to the express Acts of 25. H. 8. c. 19. 21. 26. H. 8. c. 1. 31. H. 8. c. 9. 10. 37. H. 8. c. 17. 1. Ed. 6. c. 2. 1. Eliz. c. 1. 8. Eliz. c. 1. and other Statutes, as 1. and 2. Phil. and Mary c. 8. resolving the contrary. De fine Adnullando; To anull their several fines illegally imposed upon his Majesty's Subjects in their High Commissions, and lately in their Consistories and Visitations, where they have gotten a trick to fine Church-wardens and others, contrary to Law, as is resolved Fitzh Nat. Brevium fol. 50. P. 51. K. 52. ff. 53. A. 14. H. 4. 88. A. 20. E. 4. 10. B. 22. E. 4. 20. 12. H. 7. 22. 23. Artic. cliri. c. 4. Cook 4. Report to 6. 22. Ass. 70. A fieri facies Episcopa; To cause them diligently to preach, and follow their spiritual Ministerial functions. An habeas corpora & homine Replegianda; To free the Subjects wrongfully imprisoned by them and their Pursevants. An habere facias seseinam & possessionem; To restore good silenced, deprived, and suspended Ministers again, to the seisine and possession of their livings and lectures, and the exercise of their Ministry. An habere facias visum; To cause them to show men their Articles in their Courts and high Commissions, before they put them to answer, or take an oath. An Idemptitate nominis; To restore Ministers to their ancient style and titles of Bishops, which they have engrossed to themselves, though the Scripture gives only to Ministers and Presbyters, Acts 20. 17. 28. Phil. 1. 1. 1. Timot. 3. 1. 2. 3. Tit. 1. 5. 7. 1. Pet. 5. 1. 2. 3. and knoweth no other Bishops, but them alone of Divine institution. De intrusione in hereditatem; To show by what Divine title they have intruded themselves into the Church, Christ's own inheritance, into temporal Offices, employments, and State affairs, and into those great Lordships and honors they now possess. Ad Inquirendo de damnis; To inquire what great hurt and damages they have done to their several Diocoese, his Majesty's Prerogative, his people's Liberties and estates, the Ministers and Preachers of God's word, our Religion and to the whole state of England. An Inquirendo de vasto; To inquire of the great waste and havoc they have made of late amongst the Ministers and Preachers of God's word, and the purity of his Ordinances, and thereupon to render treble damages A Leproso amovendo; To remove these Leopards out of our Church, before they have so far infected it with the leaven and leprosy of Rome, that she become incurable, and to remove them far from his Majesty's Court, no place for Lepers. A libertate; To free both Ministers and people from their late encrochments, visitations, Articles, Oaths, Altars, Bowings, Ceremonies, and unjust Censures, and proceedings. A libertatibus allocandis; To enforce them to allow and no ways to encroach upon the Subjects Liberties. A mandamus; To command them to give over Lording and Loyetering, and set themselves to frequent and diligent preaching. A melius inquirendo; To inquire better of their pretended Ius Divinum, their oppressions, exorbitances, lives, proceedings, and underhand jugglings, and to certify them into the Star-chamber, or some other Court of Record. An Action upon the Statute of Monopolies; For engrossing all temporal and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, the sale of Letters of order, lycenses to marry, preach, keep school, &c. (all gross Simony into their own hands.) A ne admittas; To prohibit them to admit any Altars, Images, Crucifixes, Taxers, new Articles, Ceremonies, Doctrines, or innovations into our Church. A ne unjust vexes; To restrain them from all unjust vexations, suspentions, excommunications, and proceedings against Ministers and others. A writ of nusans; To remove their late nusances, Altars, Crucifixes, new Oaths, Articles, Innovations, Rayles, Ceremonies, Arminian and Popish Doctrines, out of our Church. A non distringas ad respondendum, sive breve Regis: To force them to summon all their visitations by the Kings writ, as they ought, 25. H. 8. c. 19. And to make out all process, Citations, Commission of Administration, Probat of wills &c. in the Kings name and sti • e alone, and under his Seal, according to 1. Ed. 6. c. 2. 1. Eliz. c. 1. A non molestando; to hinder them from molesting good Ministers, Preachers, people, and other his Majesty's Subjects without just cause. A moderata misericordia; to moderate their illegal and excessive fines, and teach these holy Fathers more mercy: A writ of false imprisonment; for pursevanting and imprisoning men against Law, which they have no power at all to do: A writ de odia & atia; to examine their malicious unjust accusations, imprisonments, and proceedings of and against his Majesty's Subjects. A parco fracto; for breaking the pales and hedges, both of the Laws of God and the Realm, and ruling only by their mere lusts and wills. A perambulatione facienda: to bound out the true limites of their Ecclesiastical and Episcopal Jurisdiction, Courts, and power, and to cause them to give those prisoners they have a long time shut up: and the common Law and course of Prohibitions, which they have pent up of late, to walk freely abroad. A ponendo in Ballyam; to enforce them to dischardge and bail those they have unjustly imprisoned. A praeligcipe in capite; to render to God and the King those their several rights, Jurisdictions, and prerogatives, they have a long time unjustly detained from them as their own. A Prohibition: to hinder all their Innovations, Oaths, Visitations, Articles, extravagant proceedings, fines, imprisonments, extortions, excommunications, suspentions, encroachments on the Common Law and the like. A Pro rata portion; to give them only that power and authority, and such competent maintenance as God's Laws allows them, and no more. A Quale jus: to examine their Divine title of their Bishopprickes, what right it is? A Quare impedit; to force them to show good cause, why they hinder Ministers from preaching to their people, and prohibit those to hear Sermons abroad, who have none at home. A Quare incumbravit; to show cause why they have lately incombred our Churches, Ministers, people, with so many innovations, Alterations, Injunctions, Articles, Oaths, Fees, Taxes, Rayles, Ceremonies, Erronious, and licentious Books, and false doctrines, and to censure them severely for doing it. A Quare non admisit: to show cause why they permit not Ministers to preach on Lord's days afternoon, on lecture days, and other occasions, or so osten as heretofore, and why they resuse to admit those into the ministry, or to livings, who will not subscribe to their new Innovations, and those Articles they secretly tender to them under hand. A Quod permittat: To permit the Lord's table to stand quietly in the midst of the Church or Chauncell, without being railed in and removed Altar-wise against the wall, and to suffer Ministers to preach, and people to hear and receive the Sacrament, in such manner as they have formerly used. A Querela coram Rege, & consilio discusiendo & terminando; to bring all these Quaeligres and the complaints of the Subjects against the Bishops, and their Officers, before the King and his Counsel, to be there heard and determined by them. A Quo Iure: To examine by what Law they have turned Communion Tables into Altars, set up Crucifixes, silenced our Ministers, put down Lectures, and preaching, made and printed new Oaths, Articles and Injunctions in their own names &c. and by what Law, and in what Court they may be punished for them. A Restitutione abstracti ab Ecclesia: To restore our silenced Ministers and Preachers to their Churches. A salva conductus; to suffer his Majesty's Subjects to go peaceably and safely about their business, and Ministers without danger of their Pursevants and Catch-poles. A Securitate pacis; to bind them to the peace and good behavior, that they may no longer disturb the peace, both of our Church, State, and people. A supersedeas; to stay all their Innovations, and proceedings in their Consistories and visitations, till they have a Patent and Commission under the Kings great Seal, to keep them in his name and right alone. A writ of trespase against them, and their Pursevants, for rifling and breaking up men's Howses, Clossets, Trunckes, Chests, and carrying away their Books and Papers violently, against Law and Justice, as if they were Felons and Traitors. An Action upon the Statute of vagarant Rogues and Vagabonds; for wandering abroad from their own callings Ecclesiastical, Employments, and Diocoeligse, into temporal carnal worldly State affairs, and following the Court like a company of flattering fawning Beggers, hunting after greater preferments and revenues, and being seldom resident at their Cures. A writ of ventre inspiciendo; To inquire after and inspect, how many great Bellyes their Lordships with their Officers, and servants have impregnated of late years, and to take the full measure of their Lordships pampered bellies, which they only feed and take care of; which must needs be monstrous great, when as their very tales are so vast, as to require an whole Cathedral Church to make a seat for them; Paul's itself, being little enough to make a Lord Prelates Chair; and two or three sheires scarce able to make up one Diocoeligse, or Parish big enough for his oversight. A vi laica removenda; To remove all lay force and violence out of the Church, and take away the temporal power of fining, imprisoning, pursevating, breaking open men's houses, &c. from their Lordships, with all other lay power and Jurisdiction now crept into the Church. And A fieri facias; For their Lordships to show cause, why they with their oppressing Arch-Deacons, Commissaries, Registers, and other Officers, should not forthwith be indicted and convicted in a Premunire (and that Ex officio by his Majesty's Atourney general and his Judges) or deeply fined in Star-chamber, for all their several misdemeners specified in the premises.
XIV.
Whether those bloody Prelates, who out of their desperate malice to our Savior (to evacuate the use of this his last Supper, instituted purposely by himself to show forth his death till he come, 1. Cor. 11. 25. 26. Coll. 3. 1. (which now these Crucifixes must do as if this Sacrament were not sufficient to do it, no not when it is administered, unless there be a Crucifix then standing on or over the Altar) and to reduce us back again to Rome) now crucify him daily in their new erected Crosses and Crucifixes, both in Cathedrals, private Chapels, and elsewhere, and that in the direct opposition to the 35. Article of our Church, and the Homilie of the peril of Idolatry; which they have prescribed ost times too; (expressly prohibiting the very making and setting up of Crucifixes, and other Images in Churches, or Chapels, as unlawful and Idolatrous: Yea to his Majesty's Declarations prohibiting all Innovations and backsliding unto Popery in the least degree:) To be guilty of perjury to God, and disobedience to his Majesty in the highest degree, and to be deprived of their Bishopprickes for it, by the Statute of 13. Eliz. c. 12. confirming the said Articles of Religion and Homilies? And whether their Cathedrals, Chapels and Churches, wherein they have set up such Crosses to crucify their Savior own (whose holy, painful, daily, preaching life, they have never before their eyes; and therefore represent his death in these dumb Pictures, because they are grown so lazy, that they seldom or never preach it) be not ipso facto forfeited to the King by the Statute of 13. E. 1. c. 33. against setting up of Crosses and Crucifixes, and their very Bishopprickes too; which they better deserve to loose for this their open insolent erecting of Crucifixes, Altars, Tapers, and other Romish superstitions to usher in Popery, then any Godly Ministers to be deprived of their livings for not wearing of a Surpluse, or not bowing at the Name of Jesus, or not kneeling at the Sacrament, or not yielding to any other late Innovations, for which their Lordships against all Law and conscience have deprived, and suspended so many of their Godly Brethren, more worthy a Bishopric, and far more innoxious, pious, obedient to his Majesty's and God's Laws, then themselves?
XV.
Whether the Prelates, for disguising themselves with strangevestments, disguises vizors, and play like apparel, as Rochetts, Copes, Stoles, Abbeys, and other massing trincketts to difference themselves from all other men, and daunceing, cringing and playeing the Mummers, with divers new antique gestures, piping Organs and Minstrelsy, before their new erected Altars, hopping, limping and dancing before them like the ancient Pagan Priests about their Idolatrous Altars, or like Mummers about a cobloase, and putting on a mere vizor of piety & gravity on their faces, when as they have neither of them nor any other true Christian graces in their hearts; and under these disguises doing greater hurt and mischiefs, both in Church and State, be not finable, and to be imprisoned for the space of three months without buyle or mayneprise; for every time they shall be thus masked and disguised, by the express words of 3. H. 8. c. 9. entitled: An Act against Mummers and Delinquents within that Law: And whether the best use these Lord Bishops, thus disguised in their Pontificallibus, can be put unto, be not to make Skarrecrowes in some Cornefeild or other, or to stand in the Church-porch to keep out Dogs, from their holy consecrated Temples, which would be so affrighted with their mumming vestments and disguises, that they never durst come near the Corn or Church, for fear of these terrible Lordly Bugbears and Skarrecrowes.
XVI.
Whether by the Statutes of 25. Ed. 1. c. 4. and 34. Ed. 1. c. 5. every Arch-Bishop and Bishop of England, ought not personally to read the Statutes of Magna Carta, and of the Forest, with King Edward the first his Confirmations of them, in their several Cathedral Churches twice every year, and upon the reading thereof, openly to denounce, excommunicated, banned, and accursed, all those that willingly do or procure to be done anything contrary to the tenor, force and effect of them, or either of them, by word, deed, or counsel: Whether they ought to be destrayned, suspended and excommunicated for not doing of it, with far greater justice and reason, then themselves suspend and silence Ministers, for not reading their Lordships Declaration for Sports on the Lord's day (coulored over with his Majesty's Name, to dishonor his Highnes, and excuse themselves) these two Statutes enjoining them, the one in express terms, and inflicting these Penalties on them for neglecting it, but no Law, Precept or Canon prescribing Ministers the other, nor yet that Book itself? Whether their Lordships both by word, deed and counsel infringing Magna Carta, these Statutes sundry ways, especially by their imprisoning, fining, excommunicating, suspending and depriving men against Law, and by their new invented Taxes, and Talleges, to pill and poll the Subjects, and in procuring Judges and others by menaces, flatery, or ill counsel, to deny Prohibitions, and habeas corpore, to do many things against the tenor and effect of these good Laws, now miserably every-where trampled under feet, be not ipso sacto excommunicated by divers ancient excommunications, fulminated against such desperate infringers and transgressors of those Acts in a most direful manner by their Predecessors, and by the tenor of these Statutes themselves, and so altogether Irreguler, and to be shut out of all Churches, his Majesty's Court and Chapel, all Christian men's society, and sequestered both from their Office and Benefice, till they have done public penance, and given sufficient satisfaction to the whole Realm of England, for their enormious daily multiplied crimes, under which both Church and Kingdom groan and languish at this present.