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APPENDIX III.
Speech in Parliament in 1630 on comparing leligione in order to
diaoover Trnth, referred to above, pp, 46.
The speech referred to in the first Lecture was first pointed out,
to me in Cobbett's Parliamentary History, VoL i, p. 603, by my
friend Mr. AUanson Picton. It is there taken word for word from
an older and anonymous work, now rare, entitled, The Parliomen
"tary or Constitutional History of England____by several Hands,"
of which the second edition appeared in 1762. The speech is so
interesting that I need make no apology for quoting it in full, with
the context. The passage occurs in VoL in. of the earlier work,
pp. 57 and foil
"Many Abuses which the laity received daily from the Clergy
"were loudly complained of; and the King, being now willing that
" they should he strictly inquired into, referred the Redress thereof
"to the Commons in the Parliament. Complaints also being made
"in that House1 against exactions for Probates Of Testimonies and
"Mortuaries; for Pluralities, Non-residence, and against Priests
"that were Farmers of Lands, Tanners, Woolbuyers, &c., the Spi-
rituality were much offended at these Proceedings; and when'the
"Bills for regulating these Exorbitances were brought before the
" House of Lords, John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, made a remark-
" able Speech against them. As the Design of these Inquiries is to
" preserve an exact Impartiality, we shall give this Speech verbatim;
1 These Complaints were drawn up into six Articles, and are in Fox'a Acta
and Monuments, Vol. il. p. 907 (edit. 1095). |
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