1. The first witness was Mr Kendall. f He says, that speaking with me about Presteen, ' I thanked God that I had overthrown this foeffment.'
2. The second witness, Mr Miller,]: says he heard me say, ' They would have undone the church, but I have overthrown their feoflment.' These two witnesses prove no more than I confess. For in the manner afore- said, I deny not but I did my best in a legal way to overthrow it. And if I did thank God for it, it was my duty to do so, the thing being in my judgment so pernicious as it was.
3. The third witness was Mr White, one of the feoffees. § He says, * that coming as counsel in a cause before me, when that business was done, I fell bitterly on him as an underminer of the church.' I remember well his coming to me as counsel about a benefice. And 'tis very likely I spake my conscience to him, as freely as he did his to me ; but the parti- culars I remember not ; nor do I remember his coming afterwards to me to
* Sir Lcolin Jenkins liath a copy of it out of the records of the exchequer. W. S. A. C. (See liushwortli's Collections, vol. ii. pp. 151, 152.)
t ' William Kendall.'— Prynue's Cant. Doom, p. 388.
i ' Tempest Miller.'— Ibid.
§ John Wliitc. He was, in 1640, M.P. for Southwark, and chairman of the ComniiUoe for Relijiijion. Ho was commonly called ' Century' White from the title of his celebrated tractate, 'The Firat Century of Malignant Priests,' (Wood. Ath. Ox. iii. 144, 145).
MEMOIR OF RICHAUD SIBBES, D.D. Ixxvii
Fulham; nor his offer ' to change the men or the course, so the thing might stand.' For to this I should have been as willing as he was ; and if I re- member right, there was order taken fortius in the decree of the Exchequer. And his majesty's pleasure declared, that no penny so given should be turned to other use. And I have been, and shall ever be, as ready to get in impropriations, by any good and legal way, as any man (as may appear by my labours about the impropriations in Ireland). But this way did not stand either with my judgment or conscience.
1. First, because little or nothing was given by them to the present in- cumbent, to whom the tithes were due, if to any ; that the parishioners which payed them, might have the more cheerful instruction, the better hospitality, and more full relief for their poor.
' 2. Secondly, because most of the men they put in, were persons dis- affected to the discipline, if not the doctrine, too, of the Church of Eng- land.
' 3. Thirdly, because no small part was given to schoolmasters, to season youth above, for their party ; and to young students in the univer- sities, to purchase them and their judgments to their side, against their coming abroad into the church.
' 4. Fourthly, because all this power to breed and maintain a faction, was in the hands of twelve men, who were they never so honest, and free from thoughts of abusing this power, to fill the church with schism, yet who should be successors, and what use should be made of the power, was out of human reach to know.'
5. Because this power was assumed by, and not to themselves, without any legal authority, as Mr Attorney assured me.
He further said, ' that the impropriations of Presteen, in Radnorshire, was specially given to St Autolin's, in London.* I say the more the pity, considering the poorness of that country, and the little preach- ing that was among that poor people, and the plenty which is in Lon- don. Yet because it was so given, there was care taken after the decree, that they of St Autolin's had consideration, and I think to the fidl. He says, ' that indeed they did not give anything to the present incumbents, till good men came to be in their places.' Scarce one incumbent was bettered by them. And what then ? Li so many places not one ' good man' found? 'Not one factious enough against the church, for Mr White to account him good ? ' Yet he thinks ' I disposed these things afterwards to unworthy men.' ' TruW, had they been at my disposal, I should not wittingly have given them to Mr White's worthies.' But his majesty laid his command upon his attorney, and nothing was done or to be done in these things, but by his direction. For Dr Heylin, if he spake anything amiss concerning this feoffment, in any sermon of hisf he is living to answer it ; me it concerns not. ' Mr Brown in the sum of the charge omitted not this. And I answered as before. And in his reply he
* This impropriation was, after the forfeiture, granted by King Charles I. to the rector of Presteign for ever. This gi-ant was revoked during the Eebellion, hut con- firmed by King Charles II. at the beginning of his reign.
t The Sermon to which reference is here made, was preached by Heylin, at St Mary's, Oxford, July 11. 1630, at the Act. The passage relating to the feoffees will be found in Prynne fCant. Doom, p. 386), who transcribed it from a MS. copy of the Sermon in Abp. Laud's study ; and in Heylin (Cypr. Ang. p. 199, Lond. 1671). who appears in his turn to have transcribed it from Prynne.