A SPEECH, DELIVERED IN PARLIAMENT; Novemb. 13. 1641. By Sr JOHN WRAY, a worthy Member of that Honourable ASSEMBLY. Concerning the unlawfulness of Bishops, and Episcopal Authority.  
LONDON: Printed for Tho. Banks. 1641.   

SIR JOHN WRAYES Speech the 13th. of November, Concerning Episcopal Authority. 1641.  
THE first Challenge for Lordly Primacy hath of old been grounded out of the great Charter, by which they hold an Episcopal Primacy or jurisdiction to belong to their states of Prelacy, this is their Temporal foundation and main objection.  
Here I demand of them, unto what Church this great Charter was granted, and whether it were not granted to the Church of GOD in England, let the word of Magna Charta, decide this, which are their Concessimus pro nobis & in perpetuum quod Ecclesia Anglicana libera sit habeat omnia, sua Jura Integra, & libertates suasillaesus. Now by this Charter if it be rightly interpreted, there is first provision made, the honour and worship should be yielded unto God, as truly, and indeed belongs to him.  
2. Secondly, That not only such Rights and Liberties as the King and his Progenitors, but also such as God had ordained the Church of England, which should be inviolably preserved. And indeed such only are to be preserved, indeed such only are to be called the rights and Liberties of the Church of England, which God himself hath given by his Law unto the universal Church. And not that which the King of England by their Charter have bequeathed to the particular Church of England. And this no doubt was the cause that moved Hen. the eighth so effectually and powerfully to bend himself against the Pope's Supremacy usurped at that time over the Church of England, (for saith the King) we will with hazard of our life, and loss of our Crown, uphold and defend in our Realms, whatsoever we shall know to be the will of God.  
The Church of God in England not being free according to the great Charter, but in bondage and servitude to the See of Rome, contrary to the Law of God, the King judged it to stand highly with his Honour, and with his Oath, to reform, redress, and amend the abuses of the same See.  
If therefore it might please our gracious Sovereign Lord King CHARLES in imitation of those his Noble Progenitors, to vouchsafe an abolishment of all Lordly Supremacy, executed by archiepiscopal and Episcopal Authority, over the Ministers of Christ: his Highness in so doing could not more rightly be charged with the violation of the great Charter, then might King Hen. the eighth with the banishment of Pope's Supremacy, or then our late Sovereign Queen Eliz could be justly burdened with the breach of her Oath, by the establishment of the Gospel.  
Now if the Kings of England by reason of their Oath, were so straight tied to the words of the great Charter, that they might not in any sort have disannulled any supposed Rights or Liberties of the Church then used, and confirmed by the said Charter unto the Church that then was supposed to be the Church of God in England. Then belike King Hen. the eight might be attainted to have gone against the great Charter, and against his Oath, when by the overthrow of Abbeys and Monasteries, he took away the Rights and Liberties of Abbots and Priors, for the express word of the great Charter, Abbots and Priors, had as large and ample a Patent for their Rights and Liberties, as our Archbishops and Bishops can at this day challenge for their Primacy.  
If then the Rights and Liberties of the one as being against the Law of God, be duly and lawfully taken away, notwithstanding any matter, clause, or sentence contained in the great Charter, the other have but little reason under the colour of the great Charter to stand upon their pantofles, and contend for their painted sheaths: for this is a Rule and Maxim in God's Laws, Quod in omni juramento semper excipitur authoritas Maioris: Unless then they be able to justify by the holy Scriptures to such Rights and Liberties as they pretend for their spiritual Supremacy over the Ministers of Christ, be in deed and truth conferred unto them by the holy Law of God, I suppose the King's Highness as Successor to Hen. 8. and as more just Inheritor to the Crown of England, by the words of the great Charter, and by his Oath, are bound utterly to abolish all Lordly Primacy as hitherto upheld, and defended, partly by Ignorance, and partly by unreasonable and evil Custom.  
FINIS.