hee never ceast baiting, and goring the Succeffors of his best Lord Conftantine what by his barking curses, and Excommunications, what by his hindering the Westerne Princes from ayding them against the Sarazens, and Turkes, unleffe when they humour'd him; fo that it may be truly affirm'd, he was the fubverfion, and fall of that Monarchy, which was the hoisting of him; this, befides Petrarch, whom I have cited, our Chaucer alfo hath obferv'd, and gives from hence a caution to England to beware of her Bishops in time, for that their ends, and aymes are no more freindly to Monarchy then the Popes. Thus hee brings in the Plow-man speaking, 2. Part. Stanz. 28. The Emperour Yafe the Pope fometime And in the next Stanza which begins the third part of the tale he argues that they ought not to bee Lords. Mofes Law forbode it tho That Preifts should no Lordships welde Chrifts Gofpell biddeth alfo, That they should no Lordships held Ne Chrifts Apoftles were never fo bold But fmeren her Sheep, and keep her Fold. And fo forward. Whether the Bishops of England have deferv'd thus to bee fear'd by men fo wife as our Chaucer is esteem'd, and how agreeable to our Monarchy, and Monarchs their demeanour ha's been, he that is but meanly read in our Chronicles needs not be instructed. Have they not been as the Canaanites, and Philiftims to this Kingdom? what Treasons, what revolts to the Pope, what Rebellions, and those the baseft, and most pretenfeleffe have they not been chiefe in? What could Monarchy think when Becket durft challenge the custody of Rotchefter-Castle, and the Tower of London, as appertaining to his Signory? To omit his other infolencies and affronts to Regall Majeftie, till the Lashes inflicted on the anointed body of the King washt off the holy Vnction with his blood drawn by the polluted hands of Bishops, Abbots, and Monks. What good upholders of Royalty were the Bishops, when by their rebellious oppofition against King John, Normandy was loft, he himselfe depos'd, and this Kingdom made over to the Pope? When the Bishop of Winchester durft tell the Nobles, the Pillars of the Realme, that there were no Peeres in England, as in France, but that the King might doe what hee pleas'd. What could Tyranny fay more? it would bee petty now if I fhould infist upon the rendring up of Tournay by Woolfeyes Treafon, the Excommunications, Curfings, and Interdicts upon the whole Land. For haply I fhall be cut off short by a reply, that these were the faults of the men, and their Popish errors, not of Epifcopacie, that hath now renounc't the Pope, and is a Proteftant. Yes fure; as wife and famous men have fufpected, and fear'd the Protestant Episcopacie in England, as those that have fear'd the Papall. You know Sir what was the judgement of Padre Paolo the great Venetian Antagonist of the Pope, for it is extant in the hands of many men, whereby he declares his feare, that when the Hierarchy of Eng land fhall light into the hands of bufie and audacious men, or shall meet with Princes tractable to the Prelacy, then much mischiefe is like to enfue. And can it bee neerer hand, then when Bishops fhall openly affirme that, No Bishop, no King? a trimme Paradox, and that yee may know where they have beene a begging for it, I will fetch you the Twinbrother to it out of the Jefuites Cell; they feeling the Axe of Gods reformation hewing at the old and hollow trunk of Papacie, and finding the Spaniard their surest friend, and safest refuge, to footh him up in his dreame of a fift Monarchy, and withall to uphold the decrepit Papalty have invented this superpolitick Aphorifme, as one termes it, One Pope, and one King. Surely there is not any Prince in Christendome, who hearing this rare Sophistry can choose but smile, and if we be not blind at home we may as well perceive that this worthy Motto, No Bishop, no King is of the fame batch, and infanted out of the fame feares, a meere ague-cake coagulated of a certaine Fever they have, prefaging their time to be but short and now like thofe that are finking, they catch round at that which is likelieft to hold them up. And would perfwade Regall Power, that if they dive, he must after. But what greater debasement can there be to Royall Dignity, whose towring, and ftedfaft heighth refts upon the unmovable foundations of Justice, and Heroick vertue, then to chaine it in a dependance of fubfifting, or ruining to the painted Battlements, and gaudy rottenneffe of Prelatrie, which want but one puffe of the Kings to blow them down like a past-bord House built of Court-Cards. Sir the little adoe, which me thinks I find in untacking these pleasant Sophifmes, puts mee into the mood to tell you a tale ere I proceed further; and Menenius Agrippa speed us. A Tale.] Upon a time the Body fummon'd all the Members to meet in the Guild for the common good (as fops Chronic es averre many stranger Accidents) the head by right takes the firft feat, and next to it a huge and monftrous Wen little leffe then the Head it felfe, growing to it by a narrower excrescency. The members amaz'd began to aske one another what hee was that took place next their cheif; none could refolve. Whereat the Wen, though unweildy, with much adoe gets up and bespeaks the Affembly to this purpose. That as in place he was fecond to the head, fo by due of merit; that he was to it an ornament, and strength, and of speciall neere relation, and that if the head fhould faile, none were fitter then himselfe to step into his place; therefore hee thought it for the honour of the Body, that fuch dignities and rich indowments fhould be decreed him, as did adorne, and set out the nobleft Members. To this was anfwer'd, that it should bee confulted. Then was a wife and learned Philofopher sent for, that knew all the Charters, Lawes, and Tenures of the Body. On him it is impos'd by all, as cheife Committee to examine, and difcuffe the claime and Petition of right put in by the Wen; who foone perceiving the matter, and wondring at the boldneffe of fuch a fwolne Tumor, Wilt thou (quoth he) that art but a bottle of vitious and harden'd excrements, contend with the lawfull and free-borne members, whofe certaine number is fet by ancient, and unrepealable Statute? head thou art none, though thou receive this huge fubftance from it, what office bearft thou? What good canft thou fhew by thee done to the Common-weale? the Wen not easily dash't replies, that his Office was his glory, for fo oft as the foule would retire out of the head from over the steaming vapours of the lower parts to Divine Contemplation, with him shee found the pureft, and quieteft retreat, as being most remote from foile, and difturbance. Lourdan, quoth the Philofopher, thy folly is as great as thy filth; know that all the faculties of the Soule are confin'd of old to their severall veffels, and ventricles, from which they cannot part without diffolution of the whole Body; and that thou containst no good thing in thee, but a heape of hard, and loathsome uncleannes, and art to the head a foul disfigurment and burden, when I have cut thee off, and open'd thee, as by the help of these implements I will doe, all men fhall fee. But to return, whence was digress't, seeing that the throne of a King, as the wife K. Salomon often remembers us, is establisht in Juftice, which is the univerfall Justice that Ariftotle fo much praises, containing in it all other vertues, it may affure us that the fall of Prelacy, whofe actions are fo farre diftant from Justice, cannot shake the least fringe that borders the royal canopy: but that their standing doth continually oppofe, and lay battery to regal fafety, shall by that which follows easily appear. Amongst many fecondary, and acceffory causes that fupport Monarchy, these are not of leaft reckning, though common to all other States: the love of the Subjects, the multitude, and valor of the people, and store of treasure. In all these things hath the Kingdome bin of late fore weak'nd, and chiefly by the Prelates. First let any man confider, that if any Prince fhall fuffer under him a commiffion of auto rity to be exerciz'd, till all the Land grone, and cry out, as against a whippe of Scorpions, whether this be not likely to leffen, and keel the affections of the Subject. Next what numbers of faithfull, and freeborn Englishmen, and good Chriftians have bin constrain'd to forfake their dearest home, their friends, and kindred, whom nothing but the wide Ocean, and the |