2 The H I S TORY of the PURITANS., Chap. I. diocefes, nor fo much as fet foot upon Englifh ground, but fent for all their profits to a foreign country nay, fo covetous was his holinefi, that before livings became void, he fold them provitonally among his Italians, infomuch, that neither the king nor the clergy, had any thing to difpofe Barnet's of, but every thing was 'bargained for before-hand at Rome. This awa- Hy?.Ref. kened the refentments of the legifature, who in the 25th year of King Vo1.Lp.107 Edward III. paffed an act, called the flatute of provifor's, whereby it is Statute of enaéted, " That the king, and other lords, (hall prefent unto benefices p ovfor's " of their own, or their anceflors foundation, and not the bifhop of An, zgso. « Rome. That all foreftalling of benefices to foreigners (hall ceafe; and " that the free eleftions, prefentments, and collations of benefices, (hall " ftand in right of the crown, or of any of his majefty's fubjedts, as " they had formerly enjoyed them, notwithftanding any provi /ions from " Rome." But ftill the power of the court of Rome ran veryhigh, for they removed all the trialsof titles to advowfons, into their own courts beyond fea ; and though by the 7th of Richard H. the power of nomination to benefices, without the king's.licence, was taken from them, they ftill claimed the benefit of confirmations, the tranflations of bifhops, and of excommuni- cations; the Archbifhops of Canterbury and York might ftill by virtue of bulls from Rome, affemble the clergy of their feveral provinces, at what time and place they thought fit, without leave obtained from the crown ; and all the canons and conftitutions concluded upon in thofe fynods were binding, without any farther ratification from the king ; fo that the power of thechurch was independant of the civil government. This being re- prefented to the parliament of the 16th of Richard II. they palled the Statute of flatute commonly called PRÆMUNIRE, by which it was enadted, " that Lmunire, " if any of the clergy did purchafe tranflations to benefices, proceffes, . 1393 " fentences of excommunication, bulls, or other inflruments from the sap. . ii court of Rome, againft the king or his crown, or whoever brought " ° them into England, or did receive or execute them ; they were declared " to be out of the king's proteftion, and fhould forfeit their goods and ii chattels to the king, and their perlons be imprifoned." From this Fuller's Ch. time the archbifhops called no more convocations by their foie authority, H?JIory, but by licenfe from the king ; their fynods being formed by a writ or P. 19°' precept from the crown, direfled to the archbifhops, to affemble their clergy, in order to confult upon fuch affairs as his majefty fhould lay be- fore them. But ftill their canons were binding, though confirmed by no authority except their own, till the ad of fupremacy took place. Life and About this time flourifhed the famous )ohnWicklfe, the morning-flar wrin tings of Wck- of the reformation. He was born at Wickliÿè, near Richmond in Tork- Joh ;We. fhire,
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