page 82 note * It was originally written “Thomas Payne, the printer, to be summoned ;” but “the printer” is crossed out.

page 82 note † In text it is Bageant, corrected to Badger.

page 86 note * There is something incomplete in this sentence, as well as the preceding ; perhaps it should be pointed thus—“She further sayth that—she having, &c.” And the meaning of the whole may be “Anne Griffen affirms to (i.e. confirms) that one part of Mr. Vicars petition—and does so, having the copy,” &c.

page 87 note * i. e. Archbishop Usher.

page 88 note * At p. 43 of his Speeches, Sir Edward gives the following as his speech on bringing up the Report to the Grand Committee of Religion, 18 Dec. 1640. “Mr. White, this Grand Committee for Religion did authorise a Sub-Committee (among other things) to take into consideration the unjust sufferings of good ministers oppressed by the cruell-used authority of Hierarchicall rulers. In this (and in other points) we have entered upon many particulars ; we have matured and perfected but one. If we had lesse worke, you should (before this time) have had more: but complaints crowd in so fast upon us, that the very plenty of them retards their issue. The present report which I am to make unto you is concerning Mr. Wilkinson, a Batchellor in Divinity, and a man in whose character do concur learning, piety, industry, modesty. Two hardships have been put upon him—one at the time when he presented himselfe to receive orders, and that was thus. The Bishop of Oxford's Chaplen, Mr. Fulham, being the Examiner (for Bishops now do scorne to do Bishops' work ; it belongs to himselfe), he propoundeth foure questions to Mr. Wilkinson, not taken out of the depth of Divinity, but fitly chosen to discover how affections do stand to be novellized by the mutability of the present times. The questions were these—1. Whether hath the Church authority in matters of faith? 2. May the King's Booke of Sports (so some impious Bishops have abused our pious King, to call their contrivance his Majesties Book)—may this be read in the church without offence ? 3. Is bowing to or before the altar lawfull ? 4. Is bowing at the name of Jesus lawfull ? The doctrine of the first affirmed will bring a dangerous influence upon our beliefe, by subjecting our faith to humane resolutions. The other three are disciplinarian in the present way of novellisme. As soon as Mr. Wilkinson heard these questions—‘lupum auribus’—he had a wolfe by the eares. And, because unto these captious interrogatories he could not make a peremptory answer, Mr. Fulham would not present your petitioner to the Bishop for ordination. Thus you see, Mr. White, a new way of simony. Imposition of hands is to be sold, if not for money, yet to make a side, a party, a faction. They will not confer orders but upon such as will come in and make party with them in their new practises, as is evident by these questions. Take this, in this kind, as a leading case, a first complaint; more are coming. And Mr. Wilkinson shall have the poore common comforte, ‘Solamen miseris socios habuisse.’ I proceed to his second sufferance, which was by the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford, for a sermon preached in his course at St. Mary's in Oxford. Short to make, he preached better then they were willing to heare. The sermon fell into the eares of a captious auditour. For this sermon he stands now suspended by the Vice-Chaneellor from all the spirituall promotion that he had, which was only the reading of a divinity lecture in Magdalen Hall. The Committee required the Vice-Chancellor to send unto us the sermon, with his exceptions in writing. They were brought, and, being received, they are three in number ; great, and weighty in the accusation ; none at all in proof. Nay, Mr. White, there is nothing presented unto us wherein to finde a colour or a shadow, whereby to make the accusation semblable, and consequently, the suspension just.—‘Ecquis innocens erit si accusare suffecerit.’ The particulars insisted upon, pickt and chosen out of that sermon, by the Vice-Chancellor, are three ; every one a hainous charge, and the first sounding little lesse than treason. Give me leave to read them, as Mr. Viee-Chancellor hath sent them in writing. 1. ‘Our religious Soveraigne and his pious government, is seditiously defamed, as if his majesty were little better then the old Pagan persecutors, or then Queen Mary.’ 2. ‘The Government of the Church and University is unjustly traduced.’ 3. ‘Men of learning and piety, conformable to the publicke government, are uncharitably slandered.’ The least of these, being duly proved, will make him worthy of suspension ; but if Mr. Wilkinson be guilty of the first, he is not worthy to live. The truth is, the Viee-Chancellor hath learned ‘audacter criminare ;’ and, fayling in proofe, hath only fowled himselfe. Your sub-committee, upon due consideration of the cause and circumstance, have hereupon unanimously voted, that Mr. Wilkinson is free from all and every of these exceptions made against his sermon by the Viee-Chancellor. We are all of opinion, that there is nothing therein that deserves ‘notam censoris, nedum lituram judicis.’ If, Mr. White, there be in a sermon, as there ought to be, ‘aliquid mordacis veritatis,’ shall the preacher be for this suspended ? His mouth shut up for preaching truth boldly. It is contrary to their commission ; for, sir, they have a great charter to speak freely. It is warranted unto them ‘jure divino.’ St. Paul doth own it, in his instruction of Timothy. The words are’ I charge thee, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, preach the word ; be instant in season, out of season ; reprove, rebuke, exhort… For the time will come, when they will not endure sound doctrine.’ Here is our case exactly. Here was reproofe ; here was exhortation; here was preaching out of season, to unwilling, or to unprepared hearers: and yet, in season, the theme was necessary, and fitted to their want of zeale; but the only fault was, that ‘the time is come when sound doctrine will not be endured.’ Thus the committee found it; thus have I faithfully, but imperfectly, reported it, and do now subjoyn the opinion and request of your trustees to this Grand Committee. Mr. Wilkinson is innocent and free from this accusation. He had just cause to petition. The Vice-Chancellor hath been without cause, nay, against cause, rigid and oppressive. The sermon deserved thanks ; the preacher received injuries. His suspension to be taken off. The retracting and dissolving whereof ought to be as publicke as was the inflicting thereof. One worde more I ask leave to adde, and I hope I shall not therein erre from the sence of the committee, though indeed I received it not in command to be joyned to the report. This businesse, Mr. White, is spread into a wide and ample notice. Two great Primats have appeared in it, and that with different, perhaps contrariant, sences, sences as distant as Lambeth and Armagh. The Vice-Chancellor sayth, that ‘the preacher was censured by the Most Reverend Lord Primate of Ireland, who heard him, to be a bold or rash fellow for it.’ Hereupon, I attended that learned, pious, and painefull Primate, and did read these words of the Vice-Chancellour unto him. His answer was, that he takes it as an aspersion upon him. He remembers the sermon, and commends it. This is an additionall to the Report ; and, with this, I leave Mr, Vice-Chancellor, and the Bishop's Chaplen (Fulham) to the wisdome and consideration of this Grand Committee.”— Speeches, p. 43, 48.

page 88 note † This must be an error of Sir Edward's for “Tuesday.”

page 95 note * These clauses within the brackets do not stand in this place in the manuscript. They are there inserted at the end of the book, but with a reference to this place, as though intended to come in here. It appears also from the context that this is their proper place.

page 96 note * Ideo Rep. i.e. “Report accordingly.”

page 97 note * i. e. the Committee are of opinion.

page 99 note * He has omitted Pemberton from this list.

page 99 note † These lists do not contain the names of all the witnesses, authors, licensers, &c., but seem to have been as commencements of incomplete indices.