ASin all compounded bodies, the Operations are qualified according to the predominant Element; So in this mixt party, theJesuited Councells being most active, and prevailing, may easily be discovered to have had the greatest sway in all their determinations, and if they be not prevented, are likely to devour the rest, or to turn them into their own nature.In the beginning of His Majesties raign, the partie begun to revive and flourish again, having been somewhat dampt by the breach withSpainin the last yeer of KingJames, and by His Majesties marriage withFrance; the interests and Councells of that State, being not so contrary to the good of Religion, and the prosperity of this Kingdom, as those ofSpain, and the Papists ofEnglandhaving been ever more addicted toSpain, thenFrance; Yet they still retained a purpose, and resolution to weaken the Protestant parties in all parts, and even inFrance, whereby to make way for the change of Religion, which they intended at home.The first effect and evidence of their recovery and strength was, the dissolution of the Parliament atOxford, after there had been given two Subsidies to His Majestie; and before they received relief in any one Grievance, many other more miserable effects followed.The losse of theRochelFleet, by the help of our Shipping set forth and delivered over to theFrench, in opposition to the advice of Parliament, which left that Town without defence by Sea, and made way not only to the losse of that important place, but likewise to the losse of all the strength and security of the Protestant Religion inFrance. The diverting of His Majesties course of warres from the West-Indies, which was the most facile and hopefull way for this Kingdom to prevail against the Spaniard, to an expensefull and successelesse attempt uponCales, which was so ordered, as if it had rather been intended to make us weary of Warre, then to prosper in it. The precipitate breach whichFranceby taking their Ships to a great value, without making recompence to theEnglish, whose goods were thereupon imbar’d, and confiscate in that Kingdom. The peace withSpainwithout consent of Parliament, contrary to the promise of KingJames, to both Houses; whereby thePalatinecause was diserted and left to chargeable, and hopelesse Treaties, which for the most part were managed by those who might justly be suspected to be no friends to that cause.The charging of the Kingdom with Billetted Souldiers in all parts of it, and that Concomitant designe ofGermanehorse, that the Land might either submit with fear, or be enforced with rigour to such Arbitrary Contributions, as should be required of them. The dissolving of the Parliament in the second yeer of His Majesties raign, after a Declaration of their intent, to grant five Subsidies.The exacting of the like proportion of five Subsidies after the Parliament dissolved, by Commission of Loan; and divers Gentlemen and others imprisoned for not yeilding to pay that Loan, whereby many of them contracted such sicknesses, as cost them their lives. Great summes of Money required and raised by Privy Seals. An unjust and pernicious attempt to extort great payments from the subject, by way ofExcise; and a Commission issued under Seal to that purpose. The Petition of Right, which was granted in full Parliament, blasted with an illegall Declaration, to make it destructive to it self, to the power of Parliament, to the Liberty of the Subject, and to that purpose printed with it; and the Petition made of no use, but to shew the bold and presumptuousinjustice of such Ministers as durst break the Laws, and suppresse the Liberties of the Kingdom, after they had been so solemnly and evidently declared.Another Parliament dissolved, 4Car.the priviledge of Parliament broken, by imprisoning divers Members of the House, detaining them close prisoners for many months together, without the liberty of using Books, Pen, Inke, or Paper, denying them all the comforts of life, all means of preservation of health, not permitting their wives to come unto them, even in time of their sicknesse. And for the compleating of that cruelty, after yeers spent in such miserable durance, depriving them of the necessary means of Spirituall consolation, not suffering them to go abroad to enjoy Gods Ordinances, in Gods House, or Gods Ministers to come to them, to administer comfort unto them in their private Chambers: and to keep them still in this oppressed condition, not admitting them to be Bayled according to Law, yet vexing them with Informations in inferiour Courts, sentencing and fining some of them for matters done in Parliament, and extorting the payments of those Fines from them, enforcing others to put in securityof good behaviour, before they could be released.The imprisonment of the rest which refused to be bound, still continued; which might have been perpetuall, if necessity had not, the last yeer, brought another Parliament to relieve them; of whom, one died, by the cruelty and harshnesse of his imprisonment, which would admit of no relaxation, notwithstanding the imminent danger of his life, did sufficiently appear by the declaration of his Physitian: And his release, or at least, his refreshment, was sought by many humble Petitions. And his blood still cries either for vengeance, or repentance of those Ministers of State, who at once obstructed the course, both of his Majesties Justice and Mercy.Upon the dissolution of both these Parliaments, untrue and scandalous declarations published, to asperse their proceedings, and some of their Members, unjustly to make them odious, and colour the violence which was used against them. Proclamations set out to the same purpose; and to the great dejecting of the hearts of the people, forbidding them, even to speak of Parliaments.After the breach of the Parliament, in thefourth yeer of his Majesty, Injustice, Oppression, and Violence, broke in upon us, without any restraint or moderation; & yet the first project, was the great sums exacted thorow the whole Kingdom, for default of Knight-hood, which seemed to have some colour and shadow of a Law; yet if it be rightly examined by that obsolete Law which was pretended for it, it would be found to be against all the rules of Justice, both in respect of the persons charged, the proportion of the Fines demanded, and the absurd and unreasonable manner of their proceedings.Tonnage and Poundage hath been received without colour or pretence of Law: Many other heavy impositions continued against Law; and some so unreasonable, that the summe of the charge, exceeds the value of the Goods. The Book of Rates lately inhansed to a high proportion; and such Merchants as would not submit to their illegall and unreasonable payments, were vexed and oppressed above measure; and the ordinary course of Justice, the common Birth-right of the subject ofEngland, wholly obstructed unto them. And although all this was taken upon pretence of guarding the Sea, yet a new and unheard ofTax of Ship-money was devised, upon the same pretence. By both which, there was charged upon the subject neer 700000 l. some yeers; and yet the Merchants have been left so naked to the violence of the Turkish Pyrats, that many great Ships of value, and thousands of his Majesties subjects have been taken by them, and do still remain in miserable slavery.The enlargement of Forrests, contrary toCharta de Foresta, and the composition thereupon. The exactions of Coat and Conduct-money, and divers other Military charges. The taking away the Arms of the Trayned Bands of divers Counties. The desperate design of engrossing all the Gun-powder into one hand, keeping it in the Tower ofLondon, and setting so high a Rate upon it, that the poorer sort were not able to buy it, nor could any have it without License; thereby to leave the severall parts of the Kingdom destitute of their necessary defense; and by selling so dear that which was sold, to make an unlawfull advantage of it, to the great charge and detriment of the subject, the generall destruction of the Kings Timber, especially that in the Forrest ofDean, sold to Papists,which was the best Store-house of this Kingdom, for the maintenance of our Shipping. The taking away of mens right, under colour of the Kings title to Land between high and low water-Marks. The Monopolies of Sope, Salt, Wine, Leather, Sea-Cole, and, in a manner, of all things of most common and necessary use. The restraint of the Liberties of the subjects in their habitation, Trades, and other Interests. Their vexation and oppression by Purveyors, Clerks of the Market, and Salt-Peeter-men. The sale of pretended Nuzances, as Buildings in and aboutLondon, conversion of Arrable into Pasture; continuance of Pasture, under the name of depopulation, Have drawn many Millions out of the subjects Purses, without any considerable profit to his Majesty. Large quantities of Common, and severall Grounds, have been taken from the subject, by colour of the Statute of Improvement, and by abuse of the Commission of Sewers, without their consent, and against it. And not onely private Interest, but also publike faith have been broken, in seizing of the money and Bullion in the Mint; and the whole Kingdom like to be robb’d at once, in that abominable project of Brasse Money.Great numbers of his Majesties subjects, for refusing those unlawfull charges, have been vext with long and expensive suits; some fined and censured, others committed to long and hard imprisonments and confinements, to the losse of health of many, of life in some; and others have had their houses broken up, their goods seized; some have been restrained from their lawfull Callings: Ships have been interrupted in their Voyages; surprized at Sea in an Hostile manner, by Projectors, as by a common Enemy: Merchants prohibited to unlade their Goods in such Ports, as were for their own advantage, and forced to bring them to those places which were most for the advantages of the Monopolizers and Projectors.The Court of Starchamber hath abounded in extravagant Censures, not only for the maintenance and improvement of Monopolies, and other unlawfull taxes; but for divers other Causes, where there hath been no offence, or very small; whereby His Majesties Subjects have been oppressed by grievous Fines, Imprisonments, Stigmatizings, Mutilations, Whippings, Pillories, Gags, Confinements, Banishments; after so rigid amanner, as hath not only deprived Men of the Society of their Friends, exercise of their Professions, comfort of Books, use of Paper or Inke, but even violated that neer Union which God hath establisht betwixt Men and their Wives, by forced and constrained seperation; whereby they have been bereaved of the comfort and conversation one of another, for many yeers together, without hope of relief; if God had not by his over-ruling Providence, given some interruption to the prevailing power and Councell of those, who were the Authors and Promoters of such peremptory and headdy courses.Judges have been put out of their places, for refusing to do against their Oathes, and Consciences: Others have been so awed, that they durst not do their duties, and the better to hold a rod over them, the Clausequam diu se bene gesseritwas left out of their Patents, and a new ClauseDurante bene placitoinserted. Lawyers have been checkt, for being faithfull to their Clients; Sollicitors, and Atturneyes have been threatned, and some punished for following lawfull Suites: And by this means all the approaches to Justice wereinterrupted and forecluded. New Oaths have been forced upon the Subject against Law; new Judicatories erected without Law: The Councell Table have, by their Orders, offered to binde the Subjects in their free-holds Estates, Suites, and Actions. The pretended Court of the EarlMarshalwas Arbitrary, and Illegall in its being, and proceedings. The Chancery, Exchequer-Chamber, Court of Wards, and otherEnglishCourts have been grievous in exceeding their Jurisdiction. The estate of many Families weakned, and some ruined by excessive Fines, exacted from them for Compositions of Wardships. All Leases of above a hundred yeers, made to draw on Wardship contrary to Law. Undue proceedings used in the finding of Offices, to make the Jury finde for the King. The Common-Law Courts, seeing all Men more inclined to seek Justice there, where it may be fitted to their own desire, are known frequently to forsake the Rules of the Common-Law, and straining beyond their bounds, under pretence of equity to do Injustice. Titles of Honour, Judiciall places, Serjeantships at Law, and other Offices have been sold for greatsummes of Money; whereby the common Justice of the Kingdom hath been much endangered, not only by opening away of employment in places of great Trust, and advantage to Men of weak parts; but also by giving occasion to Bribery, Extortion, Partiality; It seldome hapning that places ill-gotten are well used. Commissions have been granted for examining the excesse of Fees: and when great exactions have been discovered, Compositions have been made with Delinquents, not only for the time past, but likewise for immunity and security in offending, for the time to come; which under colour of remedy, hath but confirmed, and encreased the Grievance to the Subject.The usuall course of pricking Sheriffs, not observed, but many times Sheriffs made in an extraordinary way; sometimes as a punishment and charge unto them; sometimes such were pricked out, as would be Instruments to execute whatsoever they would have to be done.The Bishops and the rest of the Clergy, didtriumph in the Suspensions, Excommunications, Deprivations, and Degradations of divers painfull, learned, and pious Ministers, in the vexation, and grievous oppression of great numbers of His Majesties good Subjects. The High-Commission grew to such excesse of sharpnesse and severity, as was not much lesse then the Romish Inquisition; and yet in many cases by the Archbishops power, was made much more heavy, being assisted, and strengthened by authority of the Councell-Table.The Bishops, and their Courts, were as eager in the Countrey; and although their jurisdiction could not reach so high in rigour, and extremity of punishment, yet were they no lesse grievous, in respect of the generallity, and multiplicity of vexations, which lighting upon the meaner sort of Tradesmen, and Artificers, did impoverish many thousands, and so afflict and trouble others, that great numbers, to avoid their miseries, departed out of the Kingdom, some intoNew-England, and other parts ofAmerica, others intoHolland, where they have transported their Manufacturesof Cloath which is not only a losse by diminishing the present stock of the Kingdome, but a great mischiefe by impairing and endangering the losse of that peculiar Trade of Cloathing, which hath been a plentifull Fountain of Wealth and Honour to this Nation.Those were fittest for Ecclesiasticall preferment, and soonest obtained it, who were most officious in promoting superstition, most virulent in railing against Godlinesse, and honesty.The most publike and solemn Sermons before His Majestie were, either to advance Prerogative above Law, and Decry the propertie of the Subject, or full of such kinde of invectives; whereby they might make those odious, who sought to maintain the Religion, Laws, and Liberties of the Kingdom; and such Men were sure to be weeded out of the Commission of the peace, and out of all other imployments of power in the Government of the Countrey.Many noble Personages were Councellors in name; but the power and authority remained in a few of such, as were most addicted to this partie; whose resolutions, and determinations were brought to the Table, for countenance, and execution, and not for debate, and deliberation; and no Man could offer to appose them without disgrace, and hazard to himself: Nay, all those that did not wholly concurre and actively contribute to the furtherance of their designes, though otherwise, persons of never so great Honour, and Abilities, were so farre from being employed in any place of Trust, and power, that they were neglected, discountenanced, and upon all occasions injured and oppressed.
ASin all compounded bodies, the Operations are qualified according to the predominant Element; So in this mixt party, theJesuited Councells being most active, and prevailing, may easily be discovered to have had the greatest sway in all their determinations, and if they be not prevented, are likely to devour the rest, or to turn them into their own nature.
In the beginning of His Majesties raign, the partie begun to revive and flourish again, having been somewhat dampt by the breach withSpainin the last yeer of KingJames, and by His Majesties marriage withFrance; the interests and Councells of that State, being not so contrary to the good of Religion, and the prosperity of this Kingdom, as those ofSpain, and the Papists ofEnglandhaving been ever more addicted toSpain, thenFrance; Yet they still retained a purpose, and resolution to weaken the Protestant parties in all parts, and even inFrance, whereby to make way for the change of Religion, which they intended at home.
The first effect and evidence of their recovery and strength was, the dissolution of the Parliament atOxford, after there had been given two Subsidies to His Majestie; and before they received relief in any one Grievance, many other more miserable effects followed.The losse of theRochelFleet, by the help of our Shipping set forth and delivered over to theFrench, in opposition to the advice of Parliament, which left that Town without defence by Sea, and made way not only to the losse of that important place, but likewise to the losse of all the strength and security of the Protestant Religion inFrance. The diverting of His Majesties course of warres from the West-Indies, which was the most facile and hopefull way for this Kingdom to prevail against the Spaniard, to an expensefull and successelesse attempt uponCales, which was so ordered, as if it had rather been intended to make us weary of Warre, then to prosper in it. The precipitate breach whichFranceby taking their Ships to a great value, without making recompence to theEnglish, whose goods were thereupon imbar’d, and confiscate in that Kingdom. The peace withSpainwithout consent of Parliament, contrary to the promise of KingJames, to both Houses; whereby thePalatinecause was diserted and left to chargeable, and hopelesse Treaties, which for the most part were managed by those who might justly be suspected to be no friends to that cause.
The charging of the Kingdom with Billetted Souldiers in all parts of it, and that Concomitant designe ofGermanehorse, that the Land might either submit with fear, or be enforced with rigour to such Arbitrary Contributions, as should be required of them. The dissolving of the Parliament in the second yeer of His Majesties raign, after a Declaration of their intent, to grant five Subsidies.
The exacting of the like proportion of five Subsidies after the Parliament dissolved, by Commission of Loan; and divers Gentlemen and others imprisoned for not yeilding to pay that Loan, whereby many of them contracted such sicknesses, as cost them their lives. Great summes of Money required and raised by Privy Seals. An unjust and pernicious attempt to extort great payments from the subject, by way ofExcise; and a Commission issued under Seal to that purpose. The Petition of Right, which was granted in full Parliament, blasted with an illegall Declaration, to make it destructive to it self, to the power of Parliament, to the Liberty of the Subject, and to that purpose printed with it; and the Petition made of no use, but to shew the bold and presumptuousinjustice of such Ministers as durst break the Laws, and suppresse the Liberties of the Kingdom, after they had been so solemnly and evidently declared.
Another Parliament dissolved, 4Car.the priviledge of Parliament broken, by imprisoning divers Members of the House, detaining them close prisoners for many months together, without the liberty of using Books, Pen, Inke, or Paper, denying them all the comforts of life, all means of preservation of health, not permitting their wives to come unto them, even in time of their sicknesse. And for the compleating of that cruelty, after yeers spent in such miserable durance, depriving them of the necessary means of Spirituall consolation, not suffering them to go abroad to enjoy Gods Ordinances, in Gods House, or Gods Ministers to come to them, to administer comfort unto them in their private Chambers: and to keep them still in this oppressed condition, not admitting them to be Bayled according to Law, yet vexing them with Informations in inferiour Courts, sentencing and fining some of them for matters done in Parliament, and extorting the payments of those Fines from them, enforcing others to put in securityof good behaviour, before they could be released.
The imprisonment of the rest which refused to be bound, still continued; which might have been perpetuall, if necessity had not, the last yeer, brought another Parliament to relieve them; of whom, one died, by the cruelty and harshnesse of his imprisonment, which would admit of no relaxation, notwithstanding the imminent danger of his life, did sufficiently appear by the declaration of his Physitian: And his release, or at least, his refreshment, was sought by many humble Petitions. And his blood still cries either for vengeance, or repentance of those Ministers of State, who at once obstructed the course, both of his Majesties Justice and Mercy.
Upon the dissolution of both these Parliaments, untrue and scandalous declarations published, to asperse their proceedings, and some of their Members, unjustly to make them odious, and colour the violence which was used against them. Proclamations set out to the same purpose; and to the great dejecting of the hearts of the people, forbidding them, even to speak of Parliaments.
After the breach of the Parliament, in thefourth yeer of his Majesty, Injustice, Oppression, and Violence, broke in upon us, without any restraint or moderation; & yet the first project, was the great sums exacted thorow the whole Kingdom, for default of Knight-hood, which seemed to have some colour and shadow of a Law; yet if it be rightly examined by that obsolete Law which was pretended for it, it would be found to be against all the rules of Justice, both in respect of the persons charged, the proportion of the Fines demanded, and the absurd and unreasonable manner of their proceedings.
Tonnage and Poundage hath been received without colour or pretence of Law: Many other heavy impositions continued against Law; and some so unreasonable, that the summe of the charge, exceeds the value of the Goods. The Book of Rates lately inhansed to a high proportion; and such Merchants as would not submit to their illegall and unreasonable payments, were vexed and oppressed above measure; and the ordinary course of Justice, the common Birth-right of the subject ofEngland, wholly obstructed unto them. And although all this was taken upon pretence of guarding the Sea, yet a new and unheard ofTax of Ship-money was devised, upon the same pretence. By both which, there was charged upon the subject neer 700000 l. some yeers; and yet the Merchants have been left so naked to the violence of the Turkish Pyrats, that many great Ships of value, and thousands of his Majesties subjects have been taken by them, and do still remain in miserable slavery.
The enlargement of Forrests, contrary toCharta de Foresta, and the composition thereupon. The exactions of Coat and Conduct-money, and divers other Military charges. The taking away the Arms of the Trayned Bands of divers Counties. The desperate design of engrossing all the Gun-powder into one hand, keeping it in the Tower ofLondon, and setting so high a Rate upon it, that the poorer sort were not able to buy it, nor could any have it without License; thereby to leave the severall parts of the Kingdom destitute of their necessary defense; and by selling so dear that which was sold, to make an unlawfull advantage of it, to the great charge and detriment of the subject, the generall destruction of the Kings Timber, especially that in the Forrest ofDean, sold to Papists,which was the best Store-house of this Kingdom, for the maintenance of our Shipping. The taking away of mens right, under colour of the Kings title to Land between high and low water-Marks. The Monopolies of Sope, Salt, Wine, Leather, Sea-Cole, and, in a manner, of all things of most common and necessary use. The restraint of the Liberties of the subjects in their habitation, Trades, and other Interests. Their vexation and oppression by Purveyors, Clerks of the Market, and Salt-Peeter-men. The sale of pretended Nuzances, as Buildings in and aboutLondon, conversion of Arrable into Pasture; continuance of Pasture, under the name of depopulation, Have drawn many Millions out of the subjects Purses, without any considerable profit to his Majesty. Large quantities of Common, and severall Grounds, have been taken from the subject, by colour of the Statute of Improvement, and by abuse of the Commission of Sewers, without their consent, and against it. And not onely private Interest, but also publike faith have been broken, in seizing of the money and Bullion in the Mint; and the whole Kingdom like to be robb’d at once, in that abominable project of Brasse Money.Great numbers of his Majesties subjects, for refusing those unlawfull charges, have been vext with long and expensive suits; some fined and censured, others committed to long and hard imprisonments and confinements, to the losse of health of many, of life in some; and others have had their houses broken up, their goods seized; some have been restrained from their lawfull Callings: Ships have been interrupted in their Voyages; surprized at Sea in an Hostile manner, by Projectors, as by a common Enemy: Merchants prohibited to unlade their Goods in such Ports, as were for their own advantage, and forced to bring them to those places which were most for the advantages of the Monopolizers and Projectors.
The Court of Starchamber hath abounded in extravagant Censures, not only for the maintenance and improvement of Monopolies, and other unlawfull taxes; but for divers other Causes, where there hath been no offence, or very small; whereby His Majesties Subjects have been oppressed by grievous Fines, Imprisonments, Stigmatizings, Mutilations, Whippings, Pillories, Gags, Confinements, Banishments; after so rigid amanner, as hath not only deprived Men of the Society of their Friends, exercise of their Professions, comfort of Books, use of Paper or Inke, but even violated that neer Union which God hath establisht betwixt Men and their Wives, by forced and constrained seperation; whereby they have been bereaved of the comfort and conversation one of another, for many yeers together, without hope of relief; if God had not by his over-ruling Providence, given some interruption to the prevailing power and Councell of those, who were the Authors and Promoters of such peremptory and headdy courses.
Judges have been put out of their places, for refusing to do against their Oathes, and Consciences: Others have been so awed, that they durst not do their duties, and the better to hold a rod over them, the Clausequam diu se bene gesseritwas left out of their Patents, and a new ClauseDurante bene placitoinserted. Lawyers have been checkt, for being faithfull to their Clients; Sollicitors, and Atturneyes have been threatned, and some punished for following lawfull Suites: And by this means all the approaches to Justice wereinterrupted and forecluded. New Oaths have been forced upon the Subject against Law; new Judicatories erected without Law: The Councell Table have, by their Orders, offered to binde the Subjects in their free-holds Estates, Suites, and Actions. The pretended Court of the EarlMarshalwas Arbitrary, and Illegall in its being, and proceedings. The Chancery, Exchequer-Chamber, Court of Wards, and otherEnglishCourts have been grievous in exceeding their Jurisdiction. The estate of many Families weakned, and some ruined by excessive Fines, exacted from them for Compositions of Wardships. All Leases of above a hundred yeers, made to draw on Wardship contrary to Law. Undue proceedings used in the finding of Offices, to make the Jury finde for the King. The Common-Law Courts, seeing all Men more inclined to seek Justice there, where it may be fitted to their own desire, are known frequently to forsake the Rules of the Common-Law, and straining beyond their bounds, under pretence of equity to do Injustice. Titles of Honour, Judiciall places, Serjeantships at Law, and other Offices have been sold for greatsummes of Money; whereby the common Justice of the Kingdom hath been much endangered, not only by opening away of employment in places of great Trust, and advantage to Men of weak parts; but also by giving occasion to Bribery, Extortion, Partiality; It seldome hapning that places ill-gotten are well used. Commissions have been granted for examining the excesse of Fees: and when great exactions have been discovered, Compositions have been made with Delinquents, not only for the time past, but likewise for immunity and security in offending, for the time to come; which under colour of remedy, hath but confirmed, and encreased the Grievance to the Subject.
The usuall course of pricking Sheriffs, not observed, but many times Sheriffs made in an extraordinary way; sometimes as a punishment and charge unto them; sometimes such were pricked out, as would be Instruments to execute whatsoever they would have to be done.
The Bishops and the rest of the Clergy, didtriumph in the Suspensions, Excommunications, Deprivations, and Degradations of divers painfull, learned, and pious Ministers, in the vexation, and grievous oppression of great numbers of His Majesties good Subjects. The High-Commission grew to such excesse of sharpnesse and severity, as was not much lesse then the Romish Inquisition; and yet in many cases by the Archbishops power, was made much more heavy, being assisted, and strengthened by authority of the Councell-Table.
The Bishops, and their Courts, were as eager in the Countrey; and although their jurisdiction could not reach so high in rigour, and extremity of punishment, yet were they no lesse grievous, in respect of the generallity, and multiplicity of vexations, which lighting upon the meaner sort of Tradesmen, and Artificers, did impoverish many thousands, and so afflict and trouble others, that great numbers, to avoid their miseries, departed out of the Kingdom, some intoNew-England, and other parts ofAmerica, others intoHolland, where they have transported their Manufacturesof Cloath which is not only a losse by diminishing the present stock of the Kingdome, but a great mischiefe by impairing and endangering the losse of that peculiar Trade of Cloathing, which hath been a plentifull Fountain of Wealth and Honour to this Nation.
Those were fittest for Ecclesiasticall preferment, and soonest obtained it, who were most officious in promoting superstition, most virulent in railing against Godlinesse, and honesty.
The most publike and solemn Sermons before His Majestie were, either to advance Prerogative above Law, and Decry the propertie of the Subject, or full of such kinde of invectives; whereby they might make those odious, who sought to maintain the Religion, Laws, and Liberties of the Kingdom; and such Men were sure to be weeded out of the Commission of the peace, and out of all other imployments of power in the Government of the Countrey.
Many noble Personages were Councellors in name; but the power and authority remained in a few of such, as were most addicted to this partie; whose resolutions, and determinations were brought to the Table, for countenance, and execution, and not for debate, and deliberation; and no Man could offer to appose them without disgrace, and hazard to himself: Nay, all those that did not wholly concurre and actively contribute to the furtherance of their designes, though otherwise, persons of never so great Honour, and Abilities, were so farre from being employed in any place of Trust, and power, that they were neglected, discountenanced, and upon all occasions injured and oppressed.