And first of all, how the former acte of the ratifying of the matrimony seemed unto me myche defectuous; in that the Parlament, taking for cheffe grounde, the wisdome and goodnes of the parentes of both parties in making the matrimonye, doth nott folowe that wisedome in the conclusion and stablishing of the same. Theyre wisedome in making hitt was, that they thought nott sufficient to conclude the matrimonye, notwithstanding the consent of the partyes, onlesse by the Popes dispensation and authorite of the see apostolique, the impedimentes of conjunction, named in the lawes of the Churche, were taken away, and hitt so made legitimate. And hereof the act of the Parlament, that would justifye the same, with derogation of another acte, made to the condempnacion of that matrimonye, maketh no mention. Which me seameth as great a defecte, as yf oon shulde take a cause to defende, whiche hathe diverse causes al concurrent to oon effecte, whereof the oon dependeth apon the other, and oon beyng principall above all the other, and wolde in the defence thereof name the other causes, and leave owte the principall. For so yt ys in the cause of the matrimonye: the consent of the partyes and parentes depended upon the dispensation of the Churche, and the see of Rome: withowte the whiche the wisedome of the parentes dyd nott thincke hitt coulde be well justifyed, as the effecte dyd showe, in demaunding the same: and this ys that whiche nowe ys lefte owte in the justification, that the Parlament hath made, alleaging onlye the wisedome of the two parents, the kings of Ingland and of Spayne.

And if it be here sayd, as I understonde some do say, that the dispensation was asked of those prynces, not because it was so necessarye, that the mariage coulde nott be justifyed withowte that, butt as they say ad majorem cautelam: how this answere cannott stande to that effecte, I have so sufficientlye informed yow, that yow of your selfe I dowbte nott, withowte further declaration by wrytinge can expounde the same. Therfore leaving that to your memorye and capacite, to flye multiplication of wrytinge, this only I wyll putt yow in remembrance of, that yf the dispensation of the Pope in that mater was asked of those two princes ad majorem cautelam, which was to stoppe all menes mowthes, making pretense of justice, that might have bin brought fourthe, or objected, againste that matrimonye, unlesse thys dispensation had bin obteyned; at the least for this cause in this act shulde also have bin made mention of the dispensation, following the wisedome of those princes ad majorem cautelam; beynge now more feare of pretensed justice against that matrimonye, as the effecte hath, and doth shewe, then ever coulde be imagined by the wytte of those princes, when they obteyned fyrste the dispensation.

As towchinge th'other acte of the confirmation of the sacramentes, ye shall showe also wherein hit seameth to me defectyve. Whiche ys, that whereas the grounde of the makinge therof, as the acte doyth expresse, ys taken for to redresse the temerytye of them, whiche, being affected to the nueltye of opinions, dyd other take them awaye, or abuse the administration of them, against the auncient and laudable custome of the Catholique churche; this beinge a verey necessarye and piouse cause to make that acte in the prosecuting and concluding of the same

I fynde this greate defecte, that never being approbate by the Churche, that those persones which remayne in scisma, shuld have the right use of the sacramentes; but rather to suche ys interdicte the use of them: this acte maketh the gate open to them, that be nott yet enteryd into the unite of the Cherche; to the use of the sacramentes, declaring hytt selfe how they shulde be ministered, with relation to the tyme and yeare of that king; and namyng him, that ys known to be cheffe author of the scisme. Whatt defect this is it seemeth manifest of yt selfe.

This shewed, wherein both these actes were defectuouse, and thereby not bringing me full comforte, ye shall then expounde wherin, at the readinge of them, I toke some comforte. Which was that the conclusion of both was passed, graunted, and inacted by the Parlament. So that touching the effecte, there coulde be no difficultye hereafter in the Parlament, the same being now bounde, to the approvinge and observancie of theyr owne acte. And wherein they were defectuese, this owght to be supplyed by the princes authority, that ys to saye, by her graces authoryte, as right quene. To whom it apperteyneth, as cheffe head of the Parlament, and of the hole realme withall, in all actes, that the Parlament dothe determe, both to interpreate that that ys obscure, and to supplye and make perfecte that which ys defectuouse, as well in the tyme of the Parlament, as when yt ys dissolved. So that now these both actes, being passed by the Parlament, they are brought to her graces hand to interpreate and supplye, as yt shall be judged by her graces wisedom, howe they may beste take effecte. And to do the same other owte of the tyme of Parlament, or in another Parlament, byndinge them, by theyre owne decree, ratefyeng the mariage, and the use of the sacramentes, accordinge to the forme of the Catholike churche, to admitt the authoryte of the see of Rome. Whiche not admitted, nother thone acte nor thother can take effect and admittinge and stablishing of the same both those acts, by this oon, (wherin ys comprised the reduction of the realme to the unite of the Churche) shalbe stablished and made perfecte.

For conclusion of al this, ye shall informe her grace, that as I consider dayly the wonderfull goodnes of God to her hieghnes with all paternall cure of her sowle, parson and state, and hys all so manifest protection every waye, and by so meny wayes calling her grace to stablishe this unite of the Churche in the realme, whereof the breakinge hath bin cause of so great miserye, in the realme, both spirituall and temporall, with travayle temporall of her majestye and utter jeopardye of losyng her state: so also I do consider whatt wayes the enymye of mankynde Satan, "Qui expetivit cribrare Ecclesiam tanquam triticum," hath used, and continuallye useth to lett, that her grace can nott putt in execution that wherunto God continuallye doth call her. I dare be bold to say in this particular cause, that that the apostle sayth generally, speakinge of Satans malice, "Non ignoramus cogitationes ejus."

And so herein I do se how by all meanes he dothe tempte to make her grace fall from that simplicite, "Quæ est in Christo Jhesu," the whiche God hath ever hytherto maintened in her. And this I havinge

noted of the especiall goodnes of God toward her, how all the rest fallinge from the unite of the Church at the tyme of her fathers reygne, when she was in most trowble and travayle, yett her hieghnes never committed eny thing that was prejudice to the same, being protected of God in that simplicite, and bringeng that mynde with her to the crowne: Sathan knowing that by open temptinge her to do against that, by the way of commission, he should not prevayle, he dothe attempte to make her to fall by this other way of omission: wherbye his malice trusteth, that commission shall folowe. Against the whiche, albeit my verey truste ys, the prayere of the Churche at this tyme for her grace shal defend her; yet untyll I se by her graces goodnes so necessarye and godlye acte of the reduction of the realme to the perfecte obedience of the Churche concluded, I cannot be without some feare and therfore be more solicitouse in advertiseing her majtie of the greate peryll, wherof fewe or none do, or wyll, speake unto her and nott onlye to advertise her grace, butt withall to shewe the reamedye; wherof yow being sufficientlye informed, this shall be the end of my commission by wrytinge: prayeng Almightye God to inspire her hieghnes to accepte your sayings on my behalfe, as he hath inspired me with all sincere affection by suche meanes to utter the same.

No. LXXV. a

[Supplement to Cardinal Pole's Instructions for his Messenger to the Queen.

FOR the conclusyon of all thatt ys comprysed in your instruction, as that the whiche conteyneth the hole somme of my poore advise and counsell it pleasyth her grace to aske of me, yow shall saye that my moste humble desyer is that in all deliberation her grace shall make toucheing the mayntenaunce of her state, the same wyll euer well pondre and consydre what the providence of God hath showed therein, above that which hath bene showed in her predecessours kyngs of the realme in this one poynct, which is to have the crowne not onle as a kyngs dowghther and heyr, but hath ordered that this poyncte off ryght inherytaunce shall depend, as it doyth, of the authoritie he hath geven to his Churche, and off the see of Rome, whiche is the see apostolyk approveng her mother to be legittimate wyffe off Kyng Henrye the Eyght, wherebye she is bounde both afore God and man as she wyll showe her selffe the very doughther off the sayde Kyng Henrye the Eyght ryght heyr off the crowne, so also to showe her selffe ryght doughtier off the Church and of them that be resyde.. in the see apostolyke, who be the ryght heirs to Peter, to whome and hys successours Christe chiefe hedd of the Church in heven and in earthe hath gyven in earth to bere hys place, toucheng the rule off the same Churche, and to have the crowne thereoff. Which well consydered and pondered her grace shall sone see how in her person the prouydence of God hath ioyned the ryght she hath by her father in the realme, wyth the ryght of the Church, thatt she can nott prevayle by the one, excepte she ioyne the other wythall, and they thatt wyll seperate thise twoo, take away not onlye

halfe her ryght, but her hole ryght, beyng not so moch heyr because she ys Kyng Henryes onlye doughtier wythout yssue male, as she ys his lawefull doughtier, which she hath by the authorytie off the Churche.

Which thing prudentlye and godlye considred she can nott but see what faithfull counsell this is, that above all acts that in this Parlament shall be made, doth aduertyse her grace, to establesh that the wych parteyneth to the establesheng off the authoritie off the Church and the see of the same, wyth rendreng to hym that is ryght successour to Peter therein his ryght tytle off hedde in the Church in yearthe, wythout the which she can not be ryght hedde in the realme, and this estableshed, all controuersye is taken awaye, and who wyll repyne vnto this, he doth repine to her ryght off the crowne.

Wherefore this is my furst aduyse, that this poyncte above all other shuld be entreated and enacted in the Parlament, and so I knowe her graces full mynd was and is that it shuld be, but she fearith difficultyes, and hereapon dependeth that her grace asketh my poore aduyse how this difficultyes may be taken away.

Vnto this yow may saye, that they muste be taken away by the healpe off him that by his highe provydence above mannes expectation hath gyven her all redye the crowne, which wyll have as well this second act knowen of the mayntenaunce thereof to depend off him, as the furst in atteyneng therto. And to have his healpe the meane is, by humble prayer, wherein I wold advertise her highnes not onlye to gyve her selff to prayer, but also by almes to the nede excitate the myndes off other to prayer, these be the meanes off moste effycacye, and wyth this to take that ardent mynde to stableshe the authoritie off the Church casteng away all feare off man, that she toke to have her crowne, and not so moche for her owne sake as for the honour off God, which gave her the crowne, and yf ony dyfficultye shuld be feared in the Parlament herein, leve the honor to take away the dyfficultie thereoff to none other, but assume that parson to her selffe, as most bound therevnto, and to propone yt her selffe, which I wold trust to be off that efficacye that yff inwardlye ony man wyll repugne, outwardlye the reasons be so evydent for this part that ioyned wyth the authoritie off her parson beyng proponent, none wyll be so hardye, temerariouse, nor impious, that wyll resyste. And if in this deliberation it shuld seme straunge to put furth thise matters in the Parlement, as I have sayd in the instructions wythout comunicateng the same wyth ony off her cownsell, I wold thinke ytt well her grace myght conferre it wyth twayne off the chefest that be counted off the people moste nere her fauour, one spirituall and an nother temporall, wyth declareng to them, furst how touching her conscyence afore God, and her ryght afore the world she can neuer be qwyett vn tyll this matter be stableshed touching the authorytie off the Churche, reqwyreng their vttermost healpe in that as if she shuld fyght for the crowne, her majestye may be suer the putteng the same furth wyth that erneste maner, they wyll not lacke to serve her, and thei may serve greatlye in the Parlament after her grace hath spoken, to prosecute and justyfye the same wyth efficacye off wordes to gyve all other example to follow, her grace leaveng this part vnto them,

that if the name off obedyence to the Pope shuld seme to bryng as it were a yoke to the realme or ony other kynde of seruytute, besyde that it shuld be profytable to the realme both afore God and man, that her grace that bryngeth it in again wyll neuer suffir it, nor the Pope himselfe reqwyreth no such thing, and herein also yf they saye that my person beyng the meane to bryng it in wold neuer agree to be an instrument thereoff, if I thought ony thraldome shuld com therbye, thei shall neuer be decyued off me. And yff thei wold say besyde I wold neuer haue taken this enterpryce apon me except I thought by the same to bryng greate comfert to the countreye, wherein the Popes authorytie beyng accepted I wold trust shuld be so used that it myght be an example off comfort not onlye to that countreye butt to all other that hath rejected it afore and for that cawse hath bene euer syneth in great myserye. This is the summe off all my poore aduyse at this tyme, in this case, whereoff I besech Almyghtie God so moche may take effect as shall be to his honour, and welth to her grace, and the hole realme besyde. Amen.]

No. LXXV. b

The Form of the Restitution of a maried Priest.*

DECIMO Octavo die mensis Octobr. anno Dom. 1554, in ædibus solitæ residentiæ magistri Anthonij Huse, armigeri, in occidentali angulo vici nuncupati Pater Noster Row, civitatis London, notorie situatis, coram venerabili viro magistro Henrico Harvy, LL.D. vicario in spiritualibus generali, [decani et captli eccliæ cathis et metropolitica Xri Cantuariens: custodam spiritualitatis sede archiepali Cantuarien: jam vacante] in presentia mei Joannis Incent, notarij publici propter absentiam magistri Anthonij Huse, registrarij, &c. assumpti, &c. comparuit personaliter Robertus Vevian presbyter. nuper rector ecclesiæ parochialis de Hever, decanat. de Shoreham, ecclesiæ Christi Cantuariensis jurisdictionis immediatæ, ac quandam professionem in scriptis redactam et conceptam fecit, et publice legebat, sub eo qui sequitur verborum tenore.

Wheras I Robert Vevian, clerk, late parson of Hever in the county of Kent, being of the peculiar jurisdiction of the church of Canterbury, being ordered a prest about xxvij. yeres past, having ministred as a prest in al kind of prestly function and ministration of sacraments and sacramentalls, as to the office of a prest appertaineth; have sithins that time, contrary to the state of myne orders, decrees of the Church, and laudable customes of the same, marryed one Agnes Stanton, being a single or solute woman, and with her in one house, as man and wief, have cohabited and dwellid, to the offence of my Christen brethren, and brech of the unity of Christs said Church: I the said Robert do now lament and bewail my lief past, and thoffence by me committed: intending firmly by Godds grace hereafter to lead a pure, chast and

* Regist. Eccles. Christ. Cant.