IN the County of Berkes, at a place called Abingdon there dwelt one Master Edward Rood, a man of a very civill and godly behaviour, which was such a heart-burning to the wicked, that they sought by all meanes they could possibly, to undoe this honest, religi­ous, and well-meaning man. To this intent ther­fore they came oftner to Church then they would have done, onely to intrap him. Now it hapned one time that he had some object to raise a point after this manner, it was concerning the equality and inequality betweene a Minister and a King: A King (said he) may take a man and binde him hand and foot, and cast him in prison, nay hee may take away his life, but there his power ends, it extends no further; but what the Minister binds on earth shall be bound in heaven, and therein a Minister outstrips a King.

[Page]When they heard these words to come from him, they thought that they were well enough now, for surely he was ensnared, and as they ordered the matter, it was so indeed.

Now you must understand that they had got­ten a man as fit for such a mischievous purpose as possibly can bee: he was called by a nick-name Nuncle Nob, but his right name is Robert Mayot the elder, as farre in folly and knavery outstrip­ping the other, as the light of the Sunne the light of the Moone.

This Nuncle Nob was presently furnished with all things fit for a journey, and hyes to Lon­don as fast as he can, and then to the Archbishops Palace at Lambeth he goes, where hee makes a most heavie complaint against this Master Ed­ward Rood, that was Minister of the Parish of St. Helens in Abingdon, that he should speak treason in the Pulpit, and say that a Minister was above a King. Forth with now a Pursevant was sent for this Master Edward Rood, where he was exa­mined in the High Commission Court, and up­on this Nuncle Nobs complaint he was commit­ted to prison, where he endured a great deale of misery, which to relate at full would be more then my pen could write, or paper hold; he was kept so close that no body could have accesse to speake with him; thinking, I perswade my selfe, there to starve him; for he called for diet, & their answer was still, By and by, Master Rood; a pox by and by such unlucky knaves: insomuch that for the space of three or foure daies he was with­out; [Page] then he remembred himselfe he had a pound of dyet broad which was to be sent to his wife, that he made a shift to make serve him a weeke, and then againe when that was gone, they kept him a weeke againe without diet: at last his friends missed him, and [...]ought from prison to prison, till at last they heard where he was, and caused a posset to be made; and it was carried by his daughter, her name was Dorcas, and to the prison they came, and they were men of such note, that the Keeper durst not deny them the sight of him for feare of hearing of it hereafter.

When they came there they found the poore gentleman, poore master, Rood in bed, which when he saw his daughter, and the rest of his friends, his heart began to leape for joy, in so much that joyfull teares bedewed his face: well, they were merry with him for a while, and hee poore man fed heartily, having beene kept so long from dyet, and then began to open his cause unto them, how close he was kept, and that hee was afraid that their intentions were fully bent to starve him. They heard him, but said but [...], but they went downe to the Keeper, and did fo [...] schoole him, wishing him to take heed, for if they heard that he was misused againe, the best in the kingdome should quickly know of it: and so they departed. But after that time hee was sure to have diet brought unto him three or foure times each day, in so much, that that penury was over, which he suffered before by hunger.

This is but a proæmium to his troubles, for now [Page] they began to enact such cruelty upon him that would be almost incredible to relate. There was one now came against him to sweare that the words that Nob had related were true, he sware very franckly that he should say that a Minister was above a King, which if Nuncle Nob would also have beene so wicked to have sworne to, surely poore Master Rood had lost his life, but God overlooked their deeds, and he will be sure to pay them home at last. Well, this man tooke his oath against him; upon which he was dismis­sed of his Ministerial function, and so sent abroad to shift in the wide world. Now this poore man was faine to turne Physician to maintaine him­selfe and his familie which was great, and so he was turned from post to pillar, from one place to another, that he could scarse get any long abi­ding any where; at length hee came to live in a place in Oxford-shire, called Tame, where hee was arrested for debts, and carried to Oxford Castle, as cursed a place for poore prisoners to lie in as any is in this Kingdome; for there is one Thorpe which is Keeper, a man of a haughtie, and proud spirit, tyrannizing over poore men abomi­nably, and his Brother Gabriel is tapster, and he hath gotten the true art of cheating, I know it for mine own part to be true what I write. Wel, there he lay a great while in great want, and more he had suffered if his friends in Abingdon had not stuck very close to him. At last it pleased God to deliver him thence, from that hell of misery, and miserable usage, and hee was abroad againe to [Page] shift for himselfe and his poore family. At last it pleased God to call a Parliament to settle things concerning his glory in this Kingdome; and up­on heynous complaints and misdemeanors, my Lord of Canterbury was committed to the tow­er; and fearing that this businesse being so foule, (as you may perceive by the story) he desi­red to stop the businesse, that it might not come to the eares of the Parliament. And thus it hap­ned.

There was one Mr. Newsteed who was Minister all this wile in Mr. Roods place, a man whom I know very well, but not for any dishonesty, for he behaved himselfe very honestly, and like a gentleman all the time of his abode in Abing­don, now he hearing that this Mr. Rood was re­solved to petition the Parliament to have his wrongs redressed, came unto two frinds of Mr. Roods (whose names were Mr. William Castle, and Mr. Benjamin Tesdall) and told them his minde after this manner; Gentlemen I heere that Mr. Rood which was your ancient Vicar, doth now intend to petition the Parliament for his Vicarage againe; I protest I am not willing to eate any mans bread, if Mr. Rood please we will come to some honest and lawfull com­position, I desire you that you would be pleased somewhat to busie your selves in this charitable office.

These two loving Mr. Rood so well would do any thing that might tend to his good, wherfore they sought him out, and brought Mr. Newsteed, [Page] and Mr. Rood together, and after some talke be­tweene them they presently agreed to goe to counsell, and aske what might be done in this bu­sinesse, and so it was ordered that Mr. Rood should have his Vicarage againe, whereupon Mr. New­steed resigned. Thus may you see how many troubles this poore Mr. Rood hath undergone, but I perswade my selfe had he stood it out to the end, and put it into the Parliaments hands he had had reward for his troubles eleven hundred pounds, for hee was without his Vicarage ele­ven yeares, which is worth an hundred pound a yeare.

This have I writ that the world might see and know that all my Lord Lauds faults are not knowne; for as you may see this thing hath lien smothered to this day.