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poralibus, in simul transierunt ad viros illos qui pro communitate Regni ad Parliamentum hujusmodi venerant in loco solito, viz. in Refectorio Abbatiæ Westmonasteriensis prædictæ personaliter existentes, et incontinenter eisdem Dominis Spiritualibus cum reverentia debita, prout decuit a viris hujusmodi communitatem Regni facientibus et repræsentantibus, receptis: Præfatus Reverendissimus Pater Archiepiscopus Cantuariensis causam adventus sui et con-fratrum suorum ad tunc exponere cœpit in vulgari; Protestando primitus, et protestabatur idem Dominus Cantuariensis vice sua et confratrum suorum prædictorum, quod pro dicendo tunc ibidem non intendebat ipse Reverendissimus Pater, aut aliquis confratrum suorum, Domino Regi Angliæ aut Coronæ suæ vel communitati Regni in aliquo derogare, et sic adhærendo Protestationi suæ hujusmodi, idem Reverendissimus Pater prosequebatur et exposuit solemniter causam adventus sui et confratrum suorum, sumpto quasi pro themate, Reddite quæ sunt Cæsaris, Cæsari, et quæ sunt Dei Deo. Super quo procedendo, ea quæ ad Jurisdictionem Ecclesiasticam, et ea quæ ad Cæsaream pertinebant, notabiliter et ad longum declaravit, materiam Provisionis et pro Statuti illius contra Provisores editi abolitione, cum bona et matura deliberatione prosequendo, et in processu declarationis hujusmodi jura nonnulla et Sacræ Scripturæ Auctoritates convenientes allegavit, pro jure Domini nostri Papæ in Provisionibus habendis, sicut Sancti Prædecessores sui sumani Pontifices in Regno Angliæ et alibi per Universalem Christianitatem habuerunt, ipseq; Dominus Papa modernus in cæteris Regnis habet et possidet in præsenti: Unde præmissis, Bullisq; et literis Apostolicis, quas pro hac re idem Dominus Papa jam tarde ad Regnum transmiserat, diligenter consideratis, et quod dictus Dominus noster Papa tot Ambassiatas et nuncios solemnes ad prosequendum jus suum et Ecclesiæ libertatem in præmissis, non absq; laboribus magnis, periculis et expensis, de Curia Romana ad Regnum Angliæ destinavit, idem Reverendissimus Pater Cantuar. Archiepiscopus, nomine suo et confratrum suorum ad tunc ibidem præsentium, et absentium in dicto Parliamento per Procuratores comparentium, ad quos ut asseruit divisim saltem principalis cura animarum totius Communitatis Regni pertinere dignoscitur, dictos viros omnes et singulos tunc præsentes, Communitatem (ut præmittitur) repræsentantes, requisivit et in Domino exhortabatur, quatenus ob salutem animarum suarum totiusq; Regni prosperitatem et pacem, materiam prædictam sic ponderarent, et taliter in eodem Parliamento super eadem deliberarent, ut Sanc

tissimus Dominus noster Papa placari, ac Regis zelum ad Sedem Apostolicam totiusq; Regni devotionem in hac parte habere posset materiam commendandi. Et addidit ultra hujusmodi Requisitionem et Exhortationem præfatus Reverendissimus Pater Archiepiscopus Cantuariensis; et ex corde, ut apparuit, exposuit, lacrymando, pericula per censurarum, viz. Ecclesiasticarum et etiam Interdicti fulminationem, et alias tam Regi quam Regno (quod absit) verisimiliter eventura alia, in casu quo responsio Parliamenti illius, in materia tunc declarata, grata non foret Domino Papæ et accepta, sic dicendo; Forte videtur quibusdam vestrum, quod hæc quæ Regni Prælatos potissime concernunt ex corde non profero, Sciatis pro certo, et in fide, qua Deo teneor et Ecclesiæ, affirmo coram vobis, quod magis mihi foret acceptum nunquam conferre aut etiam habere aliquod beneficium Ecclesiasticum quam aliqua talia pericula seu processus meo tempore in Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ Scandalum venirent. Ulterius idem Reverendissimus Pater expresse declaravit, qualiter dictus Dominus noster Papa in diversis Bullis suis obtulit et promisit, se et Sedem Apostolicam, ad quascunq; causas et occasiones editionis Statuti prædicti rationabile, remedium apponere, et materias causarum et occasionum hujusmodi Statuti in toto tollere et abolere; et sic Requisitione, Exhortatione et periculorum hujusmodi expositione finitis, Reverendissimi Patres Cantuar. et Eborac. Archiepiscopi, cum confratribus suis Episcopis et Prælatis prædictis, recesserunt, Regni Communitate, seu saltem dictis viris Communitatem Regni repræsentantibus remanentibus, et circa materiam eis expositam tractantibus, præsentibus, et Declarationem, Requisitionem, et Exhortationem, hujusmodiq; periculorum expositionem per dictum Dominum Archiepiscopum Cantuariensem (ut præmittitur) factas audientibus, venerabilibus viris Richardo Coudray Archidiacono Norwici in Ecclesia Norwicensi, Magistro Joanne Forster Canonico Lincolnensi, &c. et Johanne Boold Notario Publico et multis aliis.

XLI.

An Act concerning Restraint of payment of Annates to the See of Rome.

Act. 33. Anno Regni vicesimo tertio.

FORABMUCH as it is well perceived, by long approved experience, that great and inestimable Sums of Mony have

been daily conveyed out of this Realm, to the impoverishment of the same; and specially such sums of Mony as the Pope's Holiness, his Predecessors, and the Court of Rome, by long time have heretofore taken of all and singular those Spiritual Persons which have been named, elected, presented, or postulated to be Arch-Bishops or Bishops within this Realm of England, under the Title of Annates, otherwise called First-Fruits. Which Annates, or First Fruits, have been taken of every Arch-Bishoprick, or Bishoprick, within this Realm, by restraint of the Pope's Bulls, for Confirmations, Elections, Admissions, Postulations, Provisions, Collations, Dispositions, Institutions, Installations, Investitures, Orders, Holy Benedictions, Palles, or other things requisite and necessary to the attaining of those their Promotions; and have been compelled to pay, before they could attain the same, great Sums of Mony, before they might receive any part of the Fruits of the said Arch-Bishoprick, or Bishoprick, whereunto they were named, elected, presented, or postulated; by occasion whereof, not only the Treasure of this Realm hath been greatly conveighed out of the same, but also it hath hapned many times, by occasion of death, unto such Arch-Bishops, and Bishops, so newly promoted, within two or three years after his or their Consecration, that his or their Friends, by whom he or they have been holpen to advance and make paiment of the said Annates, or First Fruits, have been thereby utterly undone and impoverished. And for because the said Annates have risen, grown, and encreased, by an uncharitable Custom, grounded upon no just or good title, and the paiments thereof obtained by restraint of Bulls, until the same Annates, or First-Fruits, have been paied, or Surety made for the same; which declareth the said Paiments to be exacted, and taken by constraint, against all equity and justice. The Noble Men therefore of the Realm, and the Wise, Sage, Politick Commons of the same, assembled in this present Parliament, considering that the Court of Rome ceaseth not to tax, take, and exact the said great Sums of Mony, under the Title of Annates, or First-Fruits, as is aforesaid, to the great damage of the said Prelates, and this Realm; Which Annates, or First-Fruits, were first suffered to be taken within the same Realm, for the only defence of Christian People against the Infidels, and now they be claimed and demanded as mere duty, only for lucre, against all right and conscience. Insomuch that it is evidently known, that there hath passed out of this Realm unto the Court of Rome, sithen the second year of the Reign of the most Noble Prince, of famous memory, King

Henry the Seventh, unto this present time, under the name of Annates, or First-Fruits, payed for the expedition of Bulls of Arch-Bishopricks and Bishopricks, the sum of eight hundred thousand Ducats, amounting in Sterling Mony, at the least, to eightscore thousand pounds, besides other great and intolerable Sums, which have yearly been conveighed to the said Court of Rome, by many other ways and means, to the great impoverishment of this Realm. And albeit, that our said Sovereign the King, and all his natural 'Subjects, as well Spiritual as temporal, been as obedient, devout, Catholick and humble Children of God, and Holy Church, as any People be within any Realm christned; yet the said exactions of Annates, or First Fruits, be so intolerable and importable to this Realm, that it is considered and declared, by the whole Body of this Realm now represented, by all the Estates of the same assembled in this present Parliament, that the King's Highness, before Almighty God is bound, as by the duty of a good Christian Prince, for the conservation and preservation of the good Estate and Common- Wealth of this his Realm, to do all that in him is to obviate, repress, and redress the said abusions aad exactions of Annates, or First-Fruits. And because that divers Prelates of this Realm being now in extream Age, and in other debilities of their Bodies, so that, of likelyhood, bodily death in short time shall or may succeed unto them; by reason whereof great sums of Mony shall shortly after their deaths be conveighed unto the Court of Rome, for the unreasonable and uncharitable Causes abovesaid, to the universal damage, prejudice, and impoverishment of this Realm, if speedy remedy be not in due time provided: It is therefore ordained, established, and enacted, by Authority of this present Parliament, That the unlawful paiment of Annates, or First-Fruits, and all manner Contributions for the same, for any Arch-Bishoprick, or Bishoprick, or for any Bulls hereafter to be obtained from the Court of Rome, to or for the foresaid purpose and intent, shall from henceforth utterly cease, and no such hereafter to be payed for any ArchBishoprick, or Bishoprick, within this Realm, other or otherwise than hereafter in this present Act is declared; And that no manner Person nor Persons hereafter to be named, elected, presented, or postulated to any ArchBishoprick, or Bishoprick, within this Realm, shall pay the said Annates, or First-Fruits, for the said Arch-Bishoprick, or Bishoprick, nor any other manner of Sum or Sums of Mony, Pensions or Annates for the same, or for any other like exaction, or cause, upon pain to forfeit to our

said Sovereign Lord the King, his Heirs and Successors, all manner his Goods and Chattels for ever, and all the Temporal Lands and Possessions of the same Arch-Bishoprick, or Bishoprick, during the time that he or they which shall offend, contrary to this present Act, shall have, possess, or enjoy, the Arch-Bishoprick, or Bishoprick; wherefore he shall so offend contrary to the form aforesaid. And furthermore it is enacted, by Authority of this present Parliament, That if any Person hereafter named and presented to the Court of Rome by the King, or any of his Heirs or Successors, to be Bishop of any See or Diocess within this Realm hereafter, shall be letted, deferred, or delayed at the Court of Rome from any such Bishoprick, whereunto he shall be so represented, by means of restraint of Bulls Apostolick, and other things requisite to the same; or shall be denied, at the Court of Rome, upon convenient suit made, any manner Bulls requisite for any of the Causes aforesaid, any such Person or Persons so presented may be, and shall be consecrated here in England by the ArchBishop, in whose province the said Bishoprick shall be, so always that the same Person shall be named and presented by the King for the time being to the same Arch-Bishoprick And if any Persons being named and presented, as aforesaid, to any Arch-Bishoprick of this Realm, making convenient suit, as is aforesaid, shall happen to be letted, deferred, delayed, or otherwise disturbed from the same Arch-Bishoprick, for lack of Pall, Bulls, or other to him requisite, to be obtained in the Court of Rome in that behalf, that then every such Person named and presented to be Arch-Bishop, may be, and shall be, consecrated and invested, after presentation made, as is aforesaid, by any other two Bishops within this Realm, whom the King's Highness, or any of his Heirs or Successors, Kings of England for the time being, will assign or appoint for the same, according and in like manner as divers other ArchBishops and Bishops have been heretofore, in antient time by sundry the King's most noble Progenitors, made, consecrated, and invested within this Realm: And that every Arch-Bishop and Bishop hereafter, being named and presented by the King's Highness, his Heirs or Successors, Kings of England, and being consecrated and invested, as is aforesaid, shall be installed accordingly, and shall be accepted, taken, reputed, used, and obeyed, as an ArchBishop or Bishop of the Dignity, See, or Place whereunto he so shall be named, presented, and consecrated requireth; and as other like Prelates of that Province, See, or Diocess, have been used, accepted, taken, and obeyed, which

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