II. God and holly scripture, and also by the deliberate advice, BOOK consultation, consent and agreement, as well of the bishops and clergie, as by the nobles and comons temporall of this our realme, assembled in our high court of parliament, and by auctoritie of the same, the abuses of the bishop of Rome his auctoritie and jurisdiction, of longe time usurped against us, have been not only utterly extirped, abolished and secluded; but also the same our nobles and comons, both of the clergie and temporaltie, by another severall acte and upon like fundation for the publique weale of this our realme, have united, knyt and annexed to us and the corone imperiall of this our realme, the title, dignitie and stile of supreme hed in earthe, immediatly under God, of the church of England, as undoubtedly evermore we have been. Which things also the said bishops and clergie, particularly in their convocations, have holly and entierly consented, recognised, ratified, confermed and approved autentiquely in writing, both by their speciall othes, profession and wryting, under their signes and seales. So utterly renouncyng all other othes, obedience and jurisdiction, either of the said bishop of Rome, or of any other potentate, we late you witt, that perpendyng and consideryng the charge and commission in this behalf geven unto us by Almighty God, together with the great quietnes, rest and tranquillite, that hereby may ensue to our faithful subjects, both in their consciences, and other wise to the pleasure of Almighty God, in case the said bishops and clergie of this our realme, should sincerely, truly and faithfully sett forth, declare and preach unto our said subjects, the very true word of God, and without all maner or culor of dissimulation, hipocrisie, manifest, publishe and declare, the great and innumerable enormities and abuses, which the said bishop of Rome, as well in title and stile, as also in auctoritie and jurisdiction, of long tyme unlawfully and injustly hath usurped upon us, our progenitors, and all other Christen princes; have not only addressed our letters generall to all and every the same bishops, straitly chargyng and commanding them, not only in their proper persons, to declare, teach and preach unto the people, the true, mere III. PART and sincere word of God: and how the said title, stile, and jurisdiction of supreme hed, apperteyneth unto us, our corone and dignitie royall. And to gyve like warnyng, monition and charge, to all abbots, priors, deanes, arche deacons, provosts, parsons, vicars, curats, scole masters, and all other ecclesiastical persons within their dioces, to do the semblable, in their churches, every Sunday and solem feast, and also in their scoles; and to cause all maner of prayers, orisons, rubrics and canons in masse books, and all other books used in churches, wherin the said bishop is named, utterly to be abolished, eradicat, and rased out in such wise, as the said bishop of Rome, his name and memorie for evermore, (except to his contumelly and reproche) may be extinct, suppressed and obscured: but also to the justices of our peas, that they, in every place within the precint of their commissions, do make and cause to be made diligent serche wayse and especially, whether the said bishops and clergie do truly and sincerly, without any maner cloke or dissimulation, execute and accomplish their said charge to them commytted in this behalf; and to satisfie us and our councill, of such of them that should omytt or leave undone any parte of the premisses, or elles in the execution therof, should coldely, fainedly use any maner of synister addition, interpretation or cloke, as more plainly is expressed in our said letters. We considering the great good and furderaunce, that ye may do in these matters in the parts about you, and specially at your being at sises and sessions; in the declaration of the premisses, have thought it good, necessary and expedient, to write these our letters unto you; whom we esteem to be of such singuler zeale and affection towards the glory of Almighty God, and of so faithfull and loving harte towards us, as ye woll not only, with all your wisdome, diligences and labours, accomplish all such things, as might be to the preferment and setting forward of Godes worde, and the amplification, defence and maintenance of our said interests, right, title, stile, jurisdiction and auctoritie, apperteyning unto us, our dignitie, prerogative, and corone imperiall of this our realme, woll and desire you, and II. nevertheles straitely charge and command you, that laying BOOK aparte all vain affections, respects, and carnal considerations; and setting before your eyes the mirror of truth, the glorie of God, the right and dignitie of your soveraigne lord; thus tending to the inestimable unitie and commoditer both of your self, and all other our loving and faithfull subjects, ye do not only make diligent search within the precinct of your commission and auctoritie, whether the said bishops and clergie doe truly, sincerely as before, preach and teach, and declare to the people the premisses, according to their duties, but also at your said setting in sises and sessions ye do persuade, shewe, and declare unto the same people the tenor, effect, and purpose of the premisses in such wise, as the said bishops, and clergie, may the better, not only do therby, and execute their said dueties, but that also the parents, and rulers of families, may declare, teach, and informe their children and servants in the specialties of the same, to the utter extirpacion of the said bishops usurped authority, name, and jurisdiction; for ever shewyng and declarying also to the people at your said sessions the treasons trayterously commytted against us and our lawes, by the late bishop of Rochestre, and sir Thomas Moore, knight, who thereby, and by diverse secrete practises of their maliciouse mynds against us intended, to semynate, engender, and brede amongs our people and subjects, most mischievous and sediciouse opynyon, not only to their own confusion, but also of divers others who lately have condignely suffered execucion according to their demerites, and in such wise dilating the same with persuacions to the same our people, as they may be the better fixed, established, and satisffied in the truth, and consequently, that all our faythfull and true subjects may therby detest and abhore in their harts and deeds, the most recreant and traiterouse abuses, and behaveours of the said maliciouse malefactors as they be most worthy, and fynding any defaulte, negligence, or dissimulacion in any manner of person, or persons, not doyng his duetie in this partie, ye immediately doe advertise us and our counsel of the defaulte, manner, and facion of the same, III. PART lating you witt, that considering the greate moment, weight, and importance of this matter, as wherupon dependeth the unity, rest, and quietnes of this our realme, yf ye should contrary to your dueties, and our expectations, and trust, neglect, be slake, or omytte to doe diligently your dueties in the true performance and execucion of our mynde, pleasure, and commandment as before, or wold halte or stumble at any person, or specialtie of the same, be ye assured that we, like a prince of justice, well so punish and correct your defaulte and negligence thereyn, as it shall be an example to all others, how contrary to their allegeance, othes and dueties, they do frustrate and deceive, and disobey the just and lawfull commandment of their soveraign lord, in such things as by the true hartie and faithfull execucion whereof, they shall not only prefer the honour and glory of God, and sett forth the majesty and imperial dignitie of their soveraign lord, but allso importe and bring an inestimable unitie, concorde, and tranquillitie of the publique, and common state of this realme: whereunto both by the lawes of God and nature and man, they be utterly obliged and bounden, and therefore fail ye not most effectually, ernestly, and entierly to see the premisses done and executed upon paine of your allegeance; and as ye woll advoyde our high indignacion and displeasure, at your uttermost perills: given under our signet at our manor besids Westminster, the xxvth day of June. Cotton lib. Number 33. By the king. A proclamation against seditious preachers. RIGHT trusty and well-beloved cousyn, we grete you well, Cleop. E. 6. and where it is commen to our knowledge that sundry per sons aswell religious, as secular priests and curats in their parishes, and divers places within this our realme, do dailly asmuch as in them is, sett forthe and extolle the jurisdiction and auctoritie of the bishop of Rome, otherwise called pope, II. sowyng their sediciouse, pestylent, and false doctryne, pray- BOOK ing for him in the pulpyt, and makyng him a god, to the great deceyte, illudyng and seducyng of our subjects, bryngyng them into errors, sedicion, and evil opynyons, more preferryng the powers, lawes, and jurisdiction of the said bishop of Rome, then the most holly lawes and precepts of Almighty God. We therefore myndyng not only to provide for an unitie and quietnes, to be had and contynued amongs our said subjects, but also covetyng and desyryng them to be brought to a profession and knowledge of the mere verity and truth, and no longer to be seduced, nor blynded with any such supersticiouse and false doctryne of any earthly usurper of Gods lawes, woll therefore and command you, that wher and whensoever ye shall fynde, perceive, know, or here tell of any such sedicious personnes, that in such wise do spreade, teach, or preach, or otherwise sett forth any such opynions and perniciouse doctryne, to the exaltacion of the power of the bishop of Rome; brynging therby our subjects into error, grudge, and murmurracion, indelaydly do apprehend and take them, or cause them to be apprehended and taken, and so committed to warde, there to remayne without bayl or maynprize, untyll upon your advertisement thereof unto us, or our council, ye shall know our further pleasure in that behalfe: given under our signet, at our manor of Grenewich the XII day of April. Number 34. P. 236. A letter of the archbishop of York's, setting forth his zeal in the king's service, and against the pope's authority. PLEASE it youre highnes to understande, that the VIIIth Cotton lib. daye of June, I received by the hands of sir Francise By- Cleop. E. 6. gott, your moste honorable letters; by tenor whereof I perceive, that your highnes is enformed, and so doth take it, that wher as the same your highnes, as well by convocations of your clergies of both provinces, as by your highe courte of parliament is declared the suppreme hed in yerthe of the |