I.

Bishops before the Parliament.

1. A Bishop as a Bishop, had never any Ecclefias

tical Jurifdiction: For as foon as he was E

lectus Confirmatus, that is, after the three Proclamations in Bow-Church, he might exercife Jurifdiction, before he was confecrated, not till then, he was no Bishop, neither could he give Orders. Befides, Suffragans were Bishops, and they never claim'd any Jurifdiction.

2. Anciently the Noble-Men lay within the City for Safety and Security. The Bishops Houfes were by the Water fide, because they were held facred Perfons which no body would-hurt.

3. There was fome Senfe for Commendams at firft, when there was a Living void, and never a Clerk to ferve it, the Bishops were to keep it till they found a fit Man, but now 'tis a Trick for the Bishop to keep it for himself.

4. For a Bishop to preach, 'tis to do other Folks Office, as if the Steward of the Houfe fhould execute the Porter's or the Cook's Place: 'Tis his Bufinefs to fee that they and all other about the House per

form their Duties.

f. That which is thought to have done the Bishops hurt, is their going about to bring Men to a blind Obedience, impofing things upon them [though perhaps fmall and well enough] without preparing them, and infinuating into their Reasons and Fancies, every Man loves to know his Commander. I wear thofe Gloves; but perhaps if an Alderman should command me, I should think much to do it: What has he to do with me? Or if he has, peradventure I do not know it. This jumping upon things at first Dash will deftroy all: To keep up Friendship, there must

be

be little Addreffes and Applications, whereas Bluntnefs fpoils it quickly: To keep up the Hierarchy, there must be little Applications made to Men, they must be brought on by little and little : So in the Primitive Times the Power was gain'd, and fo it must be continued. Scaliger faid of Erafmus; Si minor effe voluerit, major fuiffet. So we may fay of the Bishops, Si minores effe voluerint, majores fuiffent.

6. The Bifhops were too hafty, elfe with a difcreet Slowness they might have had what they aim'd at: The old Story of the Fellow, that told the Gentleman, he might get to fuch a Place, if he did not ride too faft, would have fitted their turn.

7. For a Bishop to cite an old Canon to ftrengthen his new Articles, is, as if a Lawyer fhould plead an old Statute that has been repeal'd God knows how long.

I.

Bishops in the Parliament.

1.B the beft Earls and Barons, that is, thofe

Ishops have the fame Right to fit in Parliament

that were made by Writ: If you ask one of them [Arundel, Oxford, Northumberland] why they fit in the House? they can only fay, their Fathers fate there before them, and their Grandfather before him, &c. And fo fay the Bishops, he that was a Bishop of this Place before me, fate in the Houfe, and he that was a Bishop before him, &c. Indeed your latter Earls and Barons have it exprefs'd in their Patents, that they fhall be called to the Parliament. Objection, But the Lords fit there by Blood, the Bishops not. Answer, 'Tis true, they fit not there both the fame way, yet that takes not away the Bishops Right: If I am a Parfon of a Parish, I have as much Right to my Gleab and Tithe, as you have to your Land which

your

your Ancestors have had in that Parish eight Hundred

Years.

2. The Bishops were not Barons, because they had Baronies annex'd to their Bishopricks (for few of them had fo, unless the old ones, Canterbury, Winchefter, Durham, &c. the new erected we are fure had none, as Glocefter, Peterborough, &c. befides few of the Temporal Lords had any Baronies.) But they are Barons, because they are called by Writ to the Parliament, and Bishops were in the Parliament ever fince there was any mention, or fign of a Parliament in England.

3. Bishops may be judged by the Peers, tho" in the time of Popery it never hapned, because they pretended they were not obnoxious to a fecular Court; but their way was to cry Ego fum Frater Domini Papa, I am Brother to my Lord the Pope, and therefore take not my self to be judged by you; in this Cafe they impanell'd a Middlesex-Jury, and dispatch'd the Business.

4. Whether may Bishops be present in Cafes of Blood? Anfw. That they had a Right to give Votes, appears by this, always when they did go out, they Jeft a Proxy, and in the time of the Abbots, one Man had 19, 20, or 30 Voices. In Richard the Second's time, there was a Proteftation against the Canons, by which they were forbidden to be present in Cafe of Blood. The Statute of 25th of Henry the Eighth may go a great way in this Bufinefs. The Clergy were forbidden to ufe or cite any Canon &. but in the latter End of the Statute, there was a Claufe, that fuch Canons that were in ufage in this Kingdom, fhould be in force till the thirty two Commiffioners appointed fhould make others, provided they were not contrary to the King's Supremacy. Now the Queftion will be, whether thefe Canons for Blood were in ufe in this Kingdom or no? the contrary whereof may appear by Many

1

many Prefidents in R. 3. and H. 7. and the beginning of H. 8. in which time there were more attainted than fince, or scarce before: The Canons of Irregularity of Blood were never receiv'd in England, but upon pleafure. If a Lay-Lord was attainted, the Bishops affented to his Condemning, and were always prefent at the paffing of the Bill of Attainder. But if a Spiritual Lord, they went out, as if they car'd not whofe Head was cut off, fo none of their own. In those Days, the Bishops being of great Houses, were often entangled with the Lords in Matters of Treafon. But when d'ye hear of a Bishop a Traytor now?

5. You would not have Bishops meddle with Temporal Affairs, think who you are that fay it. If a Papift, they do in your Church; if an English Protestant, they do among you; if a Presbyterian, where you have no Bishops, you mean your Presbyterian Lay-Elders, fhould meddle with temporal Affairs as well as Spiritual. Befides all Jurifdiction is Temporal, and in no Church, but they have fome Jurifdiction or other. The Question then will be reduced to Magis and Minus; They meddle more in one Church than in another.

6. Objection. Bishops give not their Votes by Blood in Parliament, but by an Office annext to them, which being taken away they ccafe to Vote, therefore there. is not the fame Reafon for them as for Temporal Lords. Anfw. We do not pretend they have that Power the fame Way, but they have a Right: He that has an office in Westminster-Hall for his Life, the Office is as much his, as his Land is his that hath Land by Inheritance.

7. Whether had the inferior Clergy ever any thing to do in the Parliament? Anfw. No, no other wife than thus, There were certain of the Clergy that used to affemble near the Parliament, with whom the

A 6

Bishops

Bishops, upon occafion might confult (but there were none of the Convocation, as 'twas afterwards fettled, (viz.) the Dean, the Arch-Deacon, one for the Chapter, and two for the Diocefs) but it happened by continuance of time (to fave Charges and Trouble) their Voices and the Confent of the whole Clergy were involved in the Bishops and at this Day the Bishops Writs run, to bring all these to the Parliament, but the Bishops themselves ftand for all.

8. Bishops were formerly one of thefe two Conditions, either Men bred Canonifts and Civilians, fent up and down Ambaffadors to Rome and other Parts, and fo by their Merit came to that Greatnefs, or else great Noble Men's Sons, Brothers, and Nephews, and fo born to govern the State: Now they are of a low Condition, their Education nothing of that way; he gets a Living, and then a greater Living, and then 2 greater than that, and fo comes to govern.

9. Bishops are now unfit to Govern, because of their Learning, they are bred up in another Law, they run to the Text for fomething done amongft the Jews. that nothing concerns England; 'tis just as if a Man would have a Kettle, and he would not go to our Brazier to have it made, as they make Kettles, but. he would have it made as Hiram made his Brass-work, who wrought in Solomon's Temple.

10. To take away Bifhops Votes, is but the beginning to take them away; for then they can be no longer ufeful to the King or State. "Tis but like the little Wimble, to let in the greater Auger. Objection. But they are but for their Life, and that makes them always go for the King as he will have them. Afwer. This is against a Double Charity, for you must always fuppofe a bad King and bad Bishops. Then again, whether will a Man be fooner content, be made a Slave, or his Son after him? [when we

himself should

talk