It also
complained about the great increase of idle, lewd, and dissolute,
ignorant and erroneous men in the ministry who wanted only to wear
a canonical coat, a surplice, and a hood, bow at the name of
Jesus, and be zealous of superstitious ceremonies. It also
complained about the swarming of lascivious, idle, and
unprofitable books, pamphlets, play-books, and ballads, such as
Ovid's "Fits of Love", "The Parliament of Women", Barn's "Poems",
and Parker's "Ballads". Further it opposed the restraint of
reprinting books formerly licensed without relicensing. It
protested the growth of popery and increase of priests and
Jesuits, the strict observance of saints' days whereby large fines
were imposed on people working on them, the increase of whoredoms
and adulteries because of the bishops' corrupt administration of
justice and taking of bribes, and the practice of excommunicating
for trivial matters such as working on a holy day or not paying a
fee. It further protested the fining and imprisoning of many
people; breaking up men's houses and studies; taking away men's
books, letters, and writings; seizing upon their estates; removing
them from their callings; and separating them from their wives, to
the utter infringement of the laws and of people's liberties. It
complained that these practices caused many clothiers, merchants,
and others to flee to Holland, thus undermining the wool industry.
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