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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.

XXXIII.

A Proclamation against Seditious Preachers.

(Cott. Libr. Cleop. E. 6.)

HENRY VIIIth.

BY THE KING.

RIGHT Trusty and Well-beloved Cousyn, we grete you well, and where it is commen to our Knowledge that sundry Persons as well 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, sowyng their Sediciouse, Pestylent, and False Doctryne, praying 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 Laws 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 Usurpers 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, indelayedly 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 Greenwich the xii Day of April.

XXXIV.

A Letter of the Archbishop of York's, setting forth his Zeal in the King's Service, and against the Pope's Authority.

(Cotton Library, Cleop. E. 6. p. 236).

PLEASE it youre Highnes to understande, that the vith Daye of June, I received by the Hands of Sir Francise Bygott, your most Honorable Letters; by tenor whereof I perceive, that your Highness 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 Church of England, and also by the Clergie of the said Convocations, it is avowed, that the Bishop of Rome by Gods Lawe hathe no more Jurisdiction within this Realme than any other Foreigne Bishope; and therefore ordre taken by your Highe Courte of Parliament, by the Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commens in the same assembled, as well for the Unitynge and Knittinge of your sayde Style and Title of Suppreme Hed to your Imperiall Crowne, as for the Abolishement of the saide Bishope of Rome's Autoritie and Jurisdiction, yet I nevertheless, nodre remembring my Consent given to the same, by my Subscription and Profession, signed with my Hande, and sealed with my Seal, have not done my dewe Endevorment to teach the same, nor cause to be taught within my Diocese and Province; so that the foresaid Truths myght be imprinted and rooted in the Harts of the Ignorant People your Highnes Subjects, wherefore your Highnes commanduth me, not onlie to Preache the forsaide things in my Person, and also to commande others to Preache the same, but also to give Commandment in your Highnes Name, to all maner of Prelates and Ecclesiastical Persons within my Diocese and Province, to declare and cause to be declared everie Sunday; and therewith to open to the People your Highnes just and raysonable Cause, moveing the same to refuse and to exclude out of your Realm all the Jurisdiction and Autoritie of the said Bishop of Rome; and ferthermore your Highnes commandeth me to cause all Collects and Places of the Masse-Booke, wher anie mention is made of the saide Bishope of Rome to be rased out, and nodre the sayd Collects, nor any other Thing, wherbie the said Bishops Autoritie is magnified, to be had anie more in Use, but to be utterlie suppressed with Silence; and besides this, your Highnes in the same your most honourable Letters, giveth order for Scole Masters, how they shall instill

and inculke the foresaid Trueths into the Harts of theyre Disciples, to the intent, that so beeing enplanted and rooted in tender Aige, they may so allwaies continue. In moste humble Maner prostrate, I beseech your Highnes to take in good Parte my Answer. I trust your Highnes is not unremembred, that about this Tyme the last Year, anoune after my Return from your Highnes, my Lord of Canterburie by your Commandment sent to me a Booke, wherein was an Order for Preachinge, and in the same Forme devised, as well for Preachers as Curats, for the Beads; in which Forme, your Highnes Style and Title of Suppreme Hedde is mentioned, and ferther in the same Booke, your Highnes hath given Commandment, that every Preacher sholde afore Easter last past ones in solempne Audience declare the usurped Jurisdiction within this Realme of the Bishope of Rome, and your Highnes just Causes to decline from the same; and also to open and declare such Things, as myght avowe and justifie your Highnes refusall of Mariage with the Princes Doager, and Lawful Contract of now with your most dear Wife Queen Ann, and in the same an Order also given for the Suppression of the Generall Sentence; After the Recepte of which Booke, the Sunday next following, which was then the Second Sunday after Trinitie Sunday, I went from Cawood to York, and ther in my own Person, declared as well your Highnes Cause touchinge the Ma trimonie, as also your Refusall of the Popes Jurisdiction, furnishinge both so at leangth, that I trust that nothing that needed to be opened and spoken, was left unspoken: And to the intent, that I wolde have the Thing the more spred abrode, I forthwith upon the Recepte of the forsaide Booke, sent to York to publishe ther, that I wolde be ther Sundaye followinge, and cawsed the Churches to make an Order of theyre Service, in suche Tyme, as everie Man myght have oportunities to be at the Sermon, and speciallie required the Mayer and his bretherne, and your Faithful Chaplaine and Servants, Mr. Magnus, and Sir George Lawson to be ther, and ther and than afore a great Multitude, and as it is to be supposed in that Multitude werr a great number of sundry Parts of the Contree, which never lack in that Citie, it may be thought ther was the greater number, because it was noysed that I sholde Preache, takenge occasion of thees Words in the Gospell of that Daye, Uxorem duxi ideo non possum venire, so I uttered, explained, declared, and opened both the forsaide Matters, and the Injuries doon to your Highnes by the Bishope of Rome Clement, that your saide Chapleyne and Servants, Mr. Magnus and Sir George Lawson, thought that the Audience was satisfied.

These ii bee my Witnesse hearin, with a very great Multitude besides them, that I nothinge fayne heerin. As for your Highnes Title of Supreme Hed, I touched not than, for somutche, as no order was given than, but onlie to meke mention therof in the Prayors; and it is well known to all that have herde me Preache ever sins my first commynge into my Diocese, that for more speed of Tyme, and more utterance of Mater, I never have made Prayours in any Sermond, but proceeded forward without stope, nor have anie Thinge, or not muche, rehersed in Latin, but English it in course, for the same Purpose. Also opon the Recept of the same Booke, furthwith I commanded my Officers and others that coulde Write, to make out a great Number of the saide Books, and cause to be delivered to everie Preacher within my Dyocese a hole Booke, chargenge them, to doe according to the Instruction therof, and generallie everie Curate a Booke comprisenge as muche as touched theyre Charge, and if he were a Preacher, he had the hole. And I assured your Highnes, I have not yet herde, but that every one of the said Curats foloweth theyre Books in everie Poynte; and speciallie praye for your Highnes as Chief Hedde of the Church, and all other Things observe in the same; and yet I have done my Diligence to herken and know if it were otherwise. And I doe not know but all the Preachers have done theyre Duetie; and to the great Number of them I spake my selfe, and delivered them Books, and Charged them. And ferther, I charged all Curatts and others, that they sholde suffer no Man to preache in theyr Churches; to the intent, that all that would preache, should be constrained to come to me, that I might deliver them the foresaid Instructions. And never yet anie had Licence of me to preache, but he had suche a Book delivered hym. To every House of Fryars, and other Religiouse Houses, wher anie Preachers werr, I gave Books; and likewise to all that I knewe, or coulde learne to be within my Dyocese, with Charge that they sholde folow the Booke. When anie Religiouse Men came to me for Counsell, I told them what I had done, and gave them Counsell to doe the same. Of divers Sorts have come to me, both Observants and Cartusians, and others. Opon Good Frydaye last past, I charged the Treasurer of Yorke, that he sholde leave out the Collect pro Papa. Lykewies I charged the Deacon that songe the Hyme Exultet Angelica, in the Hallowing of the Paschall, that he sholde leave out mentiou therin made de Papa. The Trueth of all these Things may be examined and known, if it shall so please your Highnes: By wiche it shall appear,

I trust, that I ame not in suche Blasme as your Highnes imputethe to me; enformed by them, peradventure, that be not my Friends. Your Highnes somewhat knoweth me. I have been allwayes open and plain, and hidreto I dare avowe I never deceived you, nor herafter shall in any Thing that I take upon me, as my Lernynge and Conscience woll serve. And now, after the Receipte of your most Honorable Letters by Sir Francis Bygott, I forthwith caused Letters to be made to my Lord of Duresme and Carlisle, and to all Archedeacons, gevinge to them (on your Highnes behalf) streight Commandement, to follow truelie and syncerlie theffecte of such Commandements, as your Highnes hath given me in your most Honourable Letters; and have charged all Archedeacons to see, that all Things, according to the Tenor of your saide most Honorable Commandment, bee done without Delaye; and have charged them to deliver Books to all Curats and others, of the olde Instructions, putting to them all that is nowe encreased in these your Highnes last most Honorable Letters: So that I trust, all Things shall bee done according to your Highnes Commandment, with all Speed, Efficacie and Diligence, wherunto I shall hearken. And for my Parte, I have (on Sunday last past, which next followed the Receipte of your Highnes most Honourable Letters) declared all Things comprised in the same; so that, I trust, the Audience was satisfied. I caused the Citie to be warned afore, and diverse of the Contree were present. And your faythful Chapleigne and Servants, Magnus and Sir George Lawson, I specially required to be ther; as in deed they werr, and can reaport what they think therof. Ther werr also present the Abbot of Saincte Maries of Yorke, the Treasorer of Yorke, Sir Francis Bygott; these werr there, your Servants and Chapleignes, and others. I trust your Highnes shall never fynde in me, but that I promise, I shall fullfill, and all things doe with good Haste, that I may doe, at your Highnes Commandement, God not offended. And most humblie prostrate, Ibeseche your Highnes to be so graciouse, good Lord, not to beleive any Complaynts of me afore you have herde my Answer. The Tyme is now suche, that some Men think they doo highe Sacrifice, whan they may bring into your Highnes displeasure, such a poor Priest as I am: But I trust in our Lorde, that your Highnes dothe not soe take it, and that our Lorde woll continewe your Highnes graciouse Mynde towards your poore Preests and Chapleignes; and that he shall sende to them, that cawsleslie provoke the grevouse Displeasure of your Highnes against your saide Preests, better Grace hereafter. For which, and for the

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