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the Lead, Bells, Debts, Goods, Chattels, Plate, Jewels, Ornaments, Stock and Store, to the King's use; and to make sale of the Goods, Chattels, and other Implements, Plate and Jewels only excepted.

Item; The said Commissioners in every such House, to send such of the Religious Persons that will remain in the same Religion, to some other great House of that Religion, by their discretion, with a Letter to a Governor for the receipt of them; And the residue of them that will go to the World, to send them to my Lord of Canterbury, and the Lord Chancellor for their Capacities, with the Letter of the same Commissioners.

Item; The said Commissioners to give the said Persons that will have Capacities, some reasonable Rewards, according to the distance of the place, by their discretions to be appointed.

Item; The said Commissioners to command the Governour to resort to the Chancellor of the Augmentation for his yearly Stipend and Pension.

item; If there be any House dissolved or given up to the King by their Deed, then the Commissioners shall order themselves in every point and purpose, as the Houses given by the King to any other Person in form aforesaid.

Item; Every of the said Commissioners having in charge to survey more than one Shire within the Limits of their Commission, immediately after they have perused one Shire, parcel of their Charge, in form aforesaid, shall send to the Chancellor of the Court for the Augmentation of the Revenues of the King's Crown, a brief Certificate of all these Comperts, according to the Instructions aforesaid, what they have done in the Premisses, and in every County so surveighed, then to proceed further to another County; and so as they pass the said Counties to make like Certificate, and so forth, till their Limits be surveighed, and there to remain till they know further of the King's plea

sure.

Item; If the said Commissioners have but one County in charge, then to certifie the said Chancellor in form aforesaid, and there to remain till they know further of the King's pleasure.

VII-Injunctions given by the Authority of the King's Highness to the Clergy of this Řealm.

[Register, Cranm. fol. 47.]

In the Name of God, Amen. In the Year of our Lord God one thousand five hundred thirty-six, and of the most noble Reign of our Sovereign Lord, Henry the Eighth, King of England and France, the 28 Year, and the day of I Thomas Cromwel Knight, Lord Cromwel, Keeper of the PrivySeal of our said Sovereign Lord the King, and Vicegerent unto the same, for and con

cerning all his Jurisdictions Ecclesiastical within the Realm, visiting by the King's Highness's Supream Authority Ecclesiastical, the People and Clergy of this Deanery of by my trusty Commissary lawfully deputed and constitute for this part, have, to the glory of Almighty God, to the King's Highness's honour, the publick Weal of this his Realm, and encrease of Vertue in the same, appointed and assigned these Injunctions ensuing to be kept and observed, of the Dean, Parsons, Vicars, Curates, and Stipendaries, resiant or having cure of Soul, or any other Spiritual Administrations within this Deanery, under the pains hereafter limited and appointed.

The first is; That the Dean, Parsons, Vicars, and other, having cure of Soul anywhere within this Deanery, shall faithfully keep and observe, and as far as in them may lie, shall cause to be observed and kept of other, all and singular Laws and Statutes of this Realm, made for the abolishing and extirpation of the Bishop of Rome's pretensed and usurped Power and Jurisdiction within this Realm. And for the establishment and confirmation of the King's Authority and Jurisdiction of the same, as of the Supream Head of the Church of England; and shall, to the utter-most of their Wit, Knowledge, and Learning, purely, sincerely, and without any colour or dissimulation, declare, manifest, and open, for the space of one quarter of a year next ensuing, once every Sunday, and after that at the least-wise twice every quarter, in their Sermons and other Collations, that the Bishop of Rome's usurped Power and Jurisdiction, having no establishment nor ground by the Law of God, was of most just causes taken away and abolished; and therefore they owe unto him no manner of obedience or subjection; and that the King's Power is within his Dominion the highest Power and Potentate, under God, to whom all Men within the same Dominions, by God's Commandment, owe most loyalty and obedience, afore and above all other Powers and Potentatés in Earth.

Item; Whereas certain Articles were lately devised and put forth by the King's Highness's Authority, and condescended upon by the Prelates and Clergy of this his Realm in Convocation, whereof part are necessary to be holden and believed for our Salvation, and the other part do concern and teach certain laudable Ceremonies, Rites, and Usages of the Church, meet and convenient to be kept and used for a decent and politick order in the same; the said Dean, Parsons, Vicars, and other Curates, shall so open and declare in their said Sermons, and other Collations, the said Articles unto them that be under their Cure, that they may plainly know and discern which of them be necessary to be believed and observed for their Salvation, and which he not necessary, but only do concern the decent and politick order of the said

Church according to such Commandment and Admonition as hath been given unto them heretofore, by Authority of the King's Highness in that behalf.

Moreover, That they shall declare unto all such as be under their Cure, the Articles likewise devised, put forth, and authorized of late, for and concerning the abrogation of certain superfluous Holy-days, according to the effect and purport of the same Articles: and perswade their Parishioners to keep and observe the same inviolable, as things honestly provided, decreed, and established, by common consent, and publick Authority, for the Weal, Commodity, and Profit of all this Realm.

Besides this, to the intent that all Superperstition and Hypocrisie, crept into divers Mens hearts may vanish away, they shall not set forth or extol any Images, Reliques, or Miracles, for any superstition or lucre; nor allure the People by any inticements to the pilgrimages of any Saint otherwise than is permitted in the Articles lately put forth by the Authority of the King's Majesty, and condescended upon by the Prelates and Clergy of this his Realm in Convocation: as though it were proper or peculiar to that Saint to give this Commodity, or that: seeing all Goodness, Health, and Grace, ought to be both asked and looked for only of God, as of the very Author of the same, and of none other, for without him it cannot be given: But they shall exhort, as well their Parishioners as other Pilgrims, that they do rather apply themselves to the keeping of God's Commandments, and fulfilling of his Works of Charity; perswading them that they shall please God more by the true exercising of their bodily Labour, Travail, or occupation, and providing for their Families, than if they went about to the said Pilgrimages; and that it shall profit more their Souls health, if they do bestow that on the Poor and Needy, which they would have bestowed upon the said Images or Reliques.

Also in the same their Sermons, and other Collations, the Parsons, Vicars, and other Curats, aforesaid, shall diligently admonish the Fathers and Mothers, Masters and Governors of Youth, being within their Cure, to teach, or cause to be taught, their Children and Servants, even from their Infancy, their Pater Noster, the Articles of our Faith, and the Ten Commandments, in their Mother Tongue: And the same so taught, shall cause the said Youth oft to repeat and understand. And to the intent that this may be the more easily done, the said Curats shall, in their Sermons, deliberately and plainly recite of the said Pater Noster, the Articles of our Faith, and the Ten Commandments, one Clause or Article one day, and an other another day, till those be taught and learnt by little; and shall deliver the same in writing, or shew where printed Books containing the same be to be sold, to them that can read or

will desire the same. And thereto that the said Fathers and Mothers, Masters and Governors, do bestow their Children and Servants, even from their Childhood, either to Learning, or some other honest Exercise, Occupation, or Husbandry: exhorting, counselling, and by all the ways and means they may, as well in their said Sermons and Collations, as otherwise, perswading the said Fathers, Mothers, Masters, and other Governors, being under their Cure and Charge, diligently to provide and foresee that the said Youth be in no manner-wise kept or brought up in idleness, lest at any time afterwards they be driven, for lack of some Mystery of Occupation to live by, to fall to begging, stealing, or some other unthriftiness; forasmuch as we may daily see, through sloth and idleness, divers valiant Men fall, some to begging, and some to theft and murder; which after brought to calamity and misery, impute a great part thereof to their Friends and Governors, which suffered them to be brought up so idely in their Youth; where if they had been well educated and brought up in some good Literature, Occupation, or Mystery, they should, being Rulers of their own Family, have profited, as well themselves as divers other Persons, to the great commodity and ornament of the Common-weal.

Also, that the said Parsons, Vicars, and other Curats, shall diligently provide that the Sacraments and Sacramentals be duly and reverently ministered in their Parishes; and if at any time it hapned them, either in any of the Cases expressed in the Statutes of this Realm, or of special license given by the King's Majesty to be absent from their Benefices, they shall leave their Cure, not to a rude and unlearned Person, but to an honest, well learned, and expert Curate, that may teach the rude and unlearned of their Cure wholesome Doctrine, and reduce them to the right way that do err; and always let them see, that neither they, nor their Vicars, do seek more their own profit, promotion, or advantage, than the profit of the Souls that they have under their Care, or the Glory of God.

Also, that every Parson, or Proprietary of any Parish Church within this Realm, shall on this side the Feasts of St. Peter ad Vincula next coming, provyde a Book of the whole Bible, both in Latin, and also in English, and lay the same in the Quire, for every Man that will to read and look therein, and shall discourage no man from the Reading any Part of the Bible, either in Latin or in English; but rather comfort, exhort, and admonish every Man to read the same, as the very word of God, and the Spiritual Food of Man's soul, whereby they may the better know the Dutys to God, to their Sovereign Lord the King, and their Neighbour: ever gently and charitably exhorting that using a sober and modest Haviour in the Reading and Inquisition of the true sense of the

same; they do in no wise stiffly or eagerly contend or strive one with another about the same, but refer the Declaration of those Places that be in Controversy to the Judgment of them that be better Learned.

Also, the said Dean, Parsons, Vicars, Curats, and other Priests, shall in no wise, at any unlawful time, nor for any other cause, than for their honest necessity, haunt or resort to any Taverns or Ale-houses; And after their Dinner and Supper, they shall not give themselves to Drinking or Riot, spending their time idly, by Day or by Night, at Tables or Cards-playing, or any other unlawful Game; but at such times as they shall have such leisure, they shall read or hear somewhat of Holy Scripture, or shall occupy themselves with some other honest Exercise; and that they alway do those things which appertain to good congruence and honesty, with profit of the Common-weal, having alway in mind, That they ought to excel all others in purity of life, and should be examples to all other to live well and Christianly.

Furthermore; Because the Goods of the Church are called the goods of the Poor, and at these days nothing is less seen than the Poor to be sustained with the same; all Parsons, Vicars, Pensionaries, Prebendaries, and other Beneficed Men within the Deanery, not being resident upon their Benefices, which may dispend yearly 201. or above within this Deanry, or elsewhere, shall distribute hereafter yearly amongst their poor Parishioners, or other Inhabitants there, in the presence of the Church-wardens, or some other honest Men of the Parish, the fortieth part of the Fruits and Revenues of the said Benefices: lest they be worthily noted of Ingratitude; which reserving so many parts to themselves, cannot vouchsafe to impart the fortieth portion thereof amongst the poor People of that Parish, that is so fruitful and profitable unto them.

And to the intent that Learned Men may hereafter spring the more for the execution of the Premisses: Every Parson, Vicar, Clerk, or beneficed man within this Deanry, having yearly to dispend in Benefices, and other promotions of the Church, an 100l. shall give competent exhibition to one Scholar; and for as many hundred pounds more as he may dispend, to so many Scholars more, shall give like exhibition in the University of Oxford or Cambridg, or some Grammar School; which after they have profited in good Learning, may be Partners of their Patrons Cure and Charge, as well in preaching as otherwise, in the execution of their Offices; or may, when need shall be, otherwise profit the CommonWealth with their Counsel and Wisdom.

Also, that all Parsons, Vicars, and Clerks, having Churches, Chappels, or Mansions within this Deanry, shall bestow yearly here. after upon the same Mansions, or Chancels of their Churches being in decay, the fifth part of their Benefices till they be fully re

paired; and the same so repaired, shall always keep and maintain in good state.

All which and singular Injunctions shall be inviolably observed of the said Dean, Parsons, Vicars, Curats, Stipendiaries, and other Clerks and beneficed Men, under the pain of suspension and sequestration of the Fruits of their Benefices, until they have done their duty according to these Injunctions.

VIII.-Cromwel's Letter to Shaxton, Bishop of Sarum, taken from a Copy writ by Morison his Secretary.

[Cotton Libr. Cleop. E. 4.]

My Lord, after hearty Commendations, I cannot but both much marvel that you whom I have taken as my trusty Friend, should judg me, as I perceive by your Letters you do, and also be glad that ye so frankly utter your Stomach to me. I would thank you for your plain writing and free monitions, saving that you seem fuller of suspition than it becometh a Prelate of your sort to be: and (to say that maketh me more sorry) much worse perswaded of me than I thought any of your Learning and Judgment could have been. I took a Matter out of your hands to mine, if upon considerations mine Office bind me to do so, what cause have ye to complain? if I had done this, either upon affection, or intending prejudice to your estimation, you might have expostulated with me; and yet if ye then had done it after a gentler sort, I should both sooner have amended that I did amiss, and also had better cause to judge your writing to me, to be of a friendly heart towards me. If ye be offended with my sharp Letters, how can your testy words (I had almost given them another Name) delight me? I required you to use no extremity in your Office, durus est hic sermo, ye call it; and when ye have done, ye begin again, even as tho all being said, all were still behind. If ye have used none extremity, I am, I ensure you, as glad of it as I ought to be: And though ye do not, yet upon a complaint my Office bindeth me to succour him that saith he is over-matched, and is compelled to sustain wrong. I was thus informed, and by Persons to whom I gave more credit than I intended to do hereafter, if they have abused me, as ye would make me believe they have They thus complaining, could I do less than grant unto them such Remedies as the King's Highness and his Laws give indifferently to all his Subjects? Might I not also somewhat gather, that ye proceeded the sorer against the Reader, Roger London, when I had seen how much you desired the preferment of your Servant to that Revenue? My Lord, you had showed yourself of much more patience, I will not say of much more prudence, if ye had contented your self with their lawful Appeal, and my lawful Injunctions; and rather have written somewhat fully to instruct

us in this Matter, than thus to desire to con- things when I know them; if ye had taken que me by shrewd words, to vanquish me even then but half the pains to send up such by sharp threp of Scripture, which as i know things against him as ye now send, neither to use travel, so I trust to God as great a you should have had cause, no nor occasion Clerk as ye be, is done already. Thus out thus easily to divine of my good or evil will toof their place, it becometh me not, neither wards you, nor I have been cumbered with this yet I am wont to vaunt my self of well-doing, answer. My Lord, I pray you, while I am your I know who worketh all that is well wrought Friend, take me to be so; for if I were not, by me, and whereas he is the whole Doer, I or if I knew any cause why I ought not, I intend not to offer him this wrong, to labour, would not be afraid to show you what had aliand I to take the thanks; yet as I do not cease enated my mind from you; so you should well to give thanks, that it hath pleased his Good- perceive that my displeasure should last no I pass over ness to use me as an Instrument, and to longer than there were cause. I pray with work somewhat by me, so I trust I am as your Nemo læditur nisi a seipso, ready to serve him in my Calling, to my little you this first part, Our Lord have pity upon me; the other part is not in my Prayers, power, as ye are prest to write worse of me than ye ought to think. My Prayer is, that That God should turn my heart, for he is my God give me no longer life, than I shall be Judge, I may err in my doings for want of glad to use mine Office in ædificationem, and knowledge, but I willingly bear no misdoers, not in destructionem, as ye bear me in hand II willingly hurt none whom honesty and the Undo not you do. God, ye say, will judg such using of King's Laws do not refuse. Authority, meaning flatly, that I do abuse your self, I intend nothing less than to work If hitherto I have such Power as hath pleased God and the you any displeasure. King's Highness to set me in; God, I say, showed you any pleasure, I am glad of it: [ will judg such Judges as ye are, and charge showed it to your Qualities and not to you; also such thoughts as ye misuse: ye do not if they tarry with you, my good-will cannot so well as I would ye should do, if ye so depart from you, except your Prayer be think of me as your Letters make me think heard, that is, My Heart be turned. I assure ye do. The Crime that ye charge me withal, you I am right glad ye are in the place ye are in, and will do what shall lie in me to is greater than I may or ought to bear, untruer, I trust, than they that would fainest, aid you in your Office, to maintain your Reshall be able to prove. It is a strange thing, putation, to give you credit among your you say, that I neither would write, nor send Flock, and elsewhere; as long as I shall see you word by mouth, what ye should do with you faithful to your Duty according to your the Popish Monks of Abington; and that the Calling. I will not become your good Lord, Abbot of Redding could get streight-way my as your desire is, I am and have been your Letters to inhibit your just doings: That was Friend, and take you to be mine; cast out not my mind which I wrote, I did not intend vain suspition, let rash Judgment rule Men to lett your just doings, but rather to require of less wit and discretion; wilfulness beyou to do justly; neither I was swift in grant- cometh all Men better than a Bishop, which ing my Letters to him, albeit I am much should always teach us to lack gladly our readier to help him that complains of wrong, own Will, because you may not have your Here is Christus paup. facit et than prest to further on him that desireth own Will. punishment of a Person whom I am not sure ditat, cum Dominus dedit et Dominus abstulit, hath offended. I made you no answer, a to what purpose? Sit nomen Domini benedicstrange thing! my Lord, I thought ye had tum, can never lack his place, it becometh better known my Business, than for such a alwise in season; or else as great a Divine Matter to esteem me not your Friend; you as ye are, I would say, it were not the best might have better judged that I was too Placed here, except ye wist better, you had much cumbered with other Affairs, that those rather lose all than any part of your will. I which sued for the Abbot, could better espy pray you teach Patience better in your their time than you could. Some Man will Deeds, or else speak as little of it as ye can. think it rather utter displeasure conceived My Lord, you might have provoked another before, than that ye have any urgent occa- in my place, that would have used less pasion here to misjudg my mind towards you. tience with you, finding so little in you; As concerning your Manor you must use your but I can take your Writings, and this Heat Privileges as things lent unto you, so long as off your Stomach, even as well as I can, I ye shall occupy them well, that is, according trust, beware of Flatterers. As for the Abbot to the mind and pleasure of them that gave of Redding, and his Monk, if I find them as you them. I took neither the Monk's Cause, ye say they are, I will order them as I shall nor any other, into my hands to be a bearer think good; ye shall do well to do your of any such whom their upright dealings is Duty, if you so do, ye have no cause to misnot able to bear. No, you know I think, trust my Friendship; if ye do not, I must that I love such readers of Scripture as little tell it you, and that somewhat after the as ye do: would God Men of your sort were plainest sort, To take a Cause out of your as diligent to see that in all their Dioceses hands into mine, I do but mine Office, you good were made, as I am glad to remove meddle further than your Office will bear you,

thus roughly to handle me for using mine. If sua progenie conjuge, cum qua publice in ye do so no more, I let pass all that is past, and offer ye such kindness as ye shall lawfully desire at my hands. Thus fare you well.

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[Cherubini Bullarium, Tom. 2. p. 704.] EJUS qui immobilis permanens sua providentia ordine mirabili dat cuncta moveri, disponente clementia, vices, licet immeriti gerentes in terris, et in sede justitiæ constituti, juxta prophetæ quoque Hieremiæ vaticinium dicentis: Ecce te constitui super gentes et Regna, ut evellas et destruas, ædifices, plantes, præcipuum super omnes Reges Universæ Terræ cunctosq; populos obtinentes principatum: ac illum qui pius et misericors est, et vindictam ei qui illam prævenit paratam temperat, nec quos impoenitentes videt severa ultione castigat, quin prius comminetur, in assidue autem peccantes et in peccatis perseverantes, cum excessus misericordiæ fines prætereunt, ut saltem metu pœnæ ad cor reverti cogantur, justitiæ vires exercet, imitantes; ex incumbenti nobis Apostolicæ sollicitudinis studio per-urgemur, ut cunctarum personarum nostræ curæ cælitus commissarum salubri statui solertius intendamus, ac erroribus et scandalis, quæ Hostis antiqui versutia imminere conspicimus, propensius obviemus, excessusq; et enormia ac scandalosa crimina congrua severitate coerceamus, et juxta Apostolum inobedientiam ovium promptius ulciscendo, illorum perpetratores debita correctione sic compescamus, quod eos Dei iram provocasse pœniteat, et ex hoc aliis exemplum cautelæ salutaris accedat.

Sane cum superioribus diebus nobis relatum fuisset, quod Henricus Angliæ Rex, licet tempore Pontificatus fæl. record. Leonis Papæ X. Prædecessoris nostri diversorum hæreticorum Errores, sæpe ab Apostolica Sede et Sacris Conciliis præteritis temporibus damnatos, et novissime nostra ætate per perditionis alumnum Martinum Lutherum suscitatos et innovatos, zelo Catholica Fidei, et erga dictam Sedem devotionis fervore inductus, non minus docte quam pie, per quendam librum per eum desuper compositum, et eidem Leoni Prædecessori ut eum examinaret et approbaret ob latum, confutasset, ob quod ad eodem Leone Prædecessore ultra dicti libri, cum magna ipsius Henrici Regis laude et commendatione, approbationem, titulum Defensoris Fidei reportaverit, a recta Fide et Apostolico tramite devians, ac propriæ salutis, famæ, et honoris immemor, postquam Charissima in Christo Filia nostra Catharina Angliæ Regina illustri

facie Ecclesia Matrimonium contraxerat, et per plures annos continuaverat, ac ex qua, dicto constante Matrimonio, prolem pluries susceperat ; nulla legitima subsistente causa, et contra Ecclesiæ prohibitionem dimissa, cum quadam Anna Bolena, Muliere Anglica, dicta Catharina adhuc vivente, de facto Matrimonium contraxerat, ad deteriora prosiliens, quasdam leges ceu generales Constitutiones edere non erubuit, per quas subditos suos ad quosdam hæreticos et schismaticos quod Romanus Pontifex Caput Ecclesiæ, et Articulos tenendos, inter quos et hoc erat Christi Vicarius non erat, et quod ipse in Anglica Ecclesia supremum Caput existebat, sub gravibus etiam mortis pœnis cogebat. Et his non contentus, Diabolo sacrilegii crimen suadente, quamplures Prælatos, etiam Episcopos, aliasq; personas Ecclesiasticas, etiam Regulares, necnon Sæculares, sibi ut hæretico et schismatico adhærere, ac Articulos predictos Sanctorum Patrum decretis et Sacrorum Conciliorum Statutis, imo etiam ipsi Evangelicæ veritati contrarios, tanquam tales ahos damnatos approbare, et sequi nolentes, et intrepide recusantes, capi et carceribus mancipari. Hisq; similiter non contentus, mala malis accumulando, bonæ memoria Jo. H. S. Vitalis Presbyt. Cardinal. Roffen. quem ob fidei constantiam et vitæ Sanctimoniam ad Cardinalatus dignitatem promoveramus, cum dictis hæresibus et erroribus consentire nollet, horenda immanitate et detestanda sævitia, publice miserabili supplicio tradi et decollari mandaverat, et fecerat, Excommunicationis, et Anathematis, aliasq; gravissimas sententias censuras, et poenas in literis et constitutionibus recolendæ mem. Bonifacii VIII. Honorii III. Roman. Pontificum prædecessorum nostrorum desuper editis contentas, et alias in tales a jure latas damnabiliter incurrendo, ac Regno Angliæ, et dominiis quæ tenebat, necnon regalis fastigii celsitudine ac præfati tituli prærogativa, et honore se indignum reddendo.

2. Nos licet ex eo, quod prout non ignorabamus, idem Henricus Rex certis censuris Ecclesiasticis, quibus a piæ memoriæ Clemente Papa VII. etiam prædecessore nostro, postquam humanissimis literis et paternis exhortationibus, multisq; nunciis et mediis, primo et postremo etiam judicialiter, ut præfatam Annam a se dimitteret, et ad prædictæ Catharinæ suæ veræ Conjugis consortium rediret, frustra monitus fuerat, innodatus extiterat, Pharaonis duritiam imitando, per longum tempus in clavium contemptum insorduerat, et insordescebat, quod ad cor rediret, vix sperare posse videremus, ob paternam tamen Charitatem, qua in minoribus constituti donec in obedientia, et reverentia Sedis præ dictæ permansit, eum prosecuti fueramus, utq; clarius videre possemus, an clamor qui ad nos delatus fuerat, (quem certe etiam ipsius Henrici Regis respectu falsum esse desideramus) verus esset, statuimus ab ulteriori contra ip

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