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Itaque quid facturi sint alii Christiani principes et fideles prorsus nescientes, ac quid denique nobis visum est paucis aperientes, (quod nostrum factum bonos omnes boni consulturos esse minime dubitamus) Deum Optimum Maximum cujus nutu ac renatu disponantur ac fiunt omnia, ex animo precamur, ut miseriarum humanarum, de piissima ac infinita illa et immensa sua benignitate, misertus, sublatis ubique discordiis, ac gravibus rerum tumultibus, liberum tandem, sincerum, purum, verum, catholicum ac christianum oecumenicum concilium, de consensu principum congregatum, quo de illius honore et gloria, Christianorum omnium utilitate et fructu, catholice, concorditer ac unanimiter tractetur, suo gregi Christiano, cujus causa et amore, tot tamque diros et indignos cruciatus, tormenta, et afflictiones, unigenitus Dei Filius in hoc mundo sua sponte perpessus est, concedere dignetur. quo celebrando quemadmodum hactenus nihil omnino prætermisimus, quod ut fieret expedire videbatur; ita nec prætermittemus unquam, ubi aliqua vel levissima occasio et opportunitas nobis dabitur.

Pro

Et tamen (ut libere sincereque et aperte loquamur) ea jam videtur esse et rerum, et temporum tam miseranda conditio, ut quanquam multa non solum dici, sed fieri etiam in Christi laudem, nominisque sui propagationem concupiscimus et optamus, tamen sic in immensum veteres errores et abusus crevere, et quotidie novi exoriuntur, ut salubrem aliquam medicinam multo facilius sit optare quam sperare; adeo quod (quemadmodum nobis videtur) vel nulla jam est, tot, tamque gravibus et multiplicibus, denique tam inveteratis, et confirmatis morbis sanandis, curandisque medicina ex parte consentanea, et sufficiens. Vel saltem hæc via esse videtur admodum compendiaria, ut si ad tollendos corrigendosque hujusmodi errores et excessus, concilium tale, loco, tempore, et circumstantiis legitimis, in hac rerum et temporum malignitate, congregari fieri, et haberi non possit, (id quod modis multis et rationibus plusquam videtur verisimile) saltem concilio provinciali, cum videlicet et vigilantia singulorum principum, in sua cujusque ditione, regimine et imperio, excessus et abusus hujusmodi debite reformarentur corrigerenturque: qua quidem in re nostrarum partium esse, obiter et reliquos Christianos principes nostro exemplo, factoque et consilio, redderem admonitos: ne callidis et vafris ipsius Pauli commentis et fraudibus, sub

scribere, aut se illius usurpatæ, violentæ, et injustæ tyrannidi subjicere, sed honorem ac majestatem suam integram, et sartam tectam habere velint, ac ut debita reformatio fiat, modis omnibus contendant.

Illud autem (quod minime tacendum est) addimus, quod si in hoc Mantuæ concilio (sic enim Paulus, non Apostolus tamen, nec adeo bonus episcopus appellandum censet, quanquam nos contrarium, et minime sic appellandum putamus) quicquam gestum, tractatum, ordinatum, seu conclusum fuerit, quod cum sacro Evangelio, religioneque Christiana prorsus, et omnimodo conveniat; qua quidem in re tamen, non Pauli illius judicio, conjuratorumque suorum et complicum; sed sententiæ et opinioni eorum qui vere et sincere Evangelio favent, accessuros nos esse profitemur: non quia illic, aut ab ipso Paulo gestum et factum fuerit, sed quoniam revera jure divino est congruum, ac rationi humanæ consonum, accepturi probaturique sumus: id quod in infidelium etiam dictis et factis nos posse facere quis neget?

Quod si in illo asserto concilio quicquam tractetur, geratur, aut fiat, quod cum Evangelicis litteris pugnat, aut in Christi dedecus, ignominiam, et contemptum cedat; vel denique in Romani episcopi assertum, usurpatumque primatum et imperium, nostri aut amicorum nostrorum, vel subditorum regni nostri præjudicium, gravamen, aut injurias, tendat, (quod sane valde est verisimile futurum, et quasi certum, si ut cœperit, pergat, et ex præteritis futura liceat colligere) id nos non esse accepturos probaturosve, ut rejicere ac reprobare, damnareque protinus, et pro nullo irrito et inani habere velimus: id quod in casum et eventum hujusmodi, etiam exnunc non acceptamus, nec probamus; sed rejicimus, reprobamus ac damnamus per præsentes.

Protestantes postremo, quod fuit, et est intentio, animique nostri propositum et voluntas, hanc præsentem protestationem et singula contenta in eadem, pro loco et tempore opportunis et congruis, quotiens et quando nobis melius expedire, et magis prodesse videbitur, emendare, corrigere, reformare, ac in meliorem et competentiorem formam redigere, necnon eidem addere, ac ab eadem subtrahere, juxta et secundum consilium doctorum proborumque virorum, prout juris fuerit et rationis.

Hæc sunt christiane ac pie lector, quæ tibi, et per te cæteris omnibus dicta declarataque esse voluimus: nihil addubitantes

quin jamdudum tibi persuaserimus, pontificem ipsum Paulum, et astute nobiscum, et inique hic egisse. Deinde honestissimas nos habere rationes quamobrem concilium illud declinavimus, ejusque concilii assertum mendacemque parentem, minime pro concilii præside, aut summo illius authore, vel judice aut monarcha, acceptandum putavimus.

Testamur autem apud te cæterosque catholicos et fideles, christiane lector, eam sinceram fidem, et doctrinam nos tenere, et (Deo dante) sincere et integre, quamdiu spiritus hos regit artus amplexuros, professuros, et retenturos esse, quam vera et catholica Ecclesia hactenus semper prædicavit et docuit: quodque ab hac veræ catholicæ Ecclesiæ unitate nunquam quavis causa vel occasione discessuri sumus: denique quod in tota hac causa nihil aliud expectamus aut quærimus, quam Dei gloriam, et publicam christiani orbis utilitatem et pacem : quam animi affectionem tam in nobis quam in reliquis principibus omnibus auctam abunde atque multiplicatam esse summis votis exoptamus. Quod præstare dignetur Jesus Christus, omnis boni et author et consummator: cui sit honor et gloria in æternum. Amen.

Ex Biblioth.

XXXIX.

King Henry VIII.'s Letter to some of the Bishops, reprimanding them for not reading the Articles lately set forth, and for speaking against some of the Ceremonies of the Church.

Right reverend Father in God, right trusty and wellbeloved R. Harley, we greet you well: and whereas upon the good opinion which Armig. Nov. 20. of your virtue, learning, and good qualities we had heretofore A.D. 1536. conceived, purely and plainly to set forth the Word of God, and instruct our people in the truth of the same, in a simple and plain sort for their better instructions, unity, quiet, and agreement in the points thereof, we advanced you to the room and office of a bishop within this our realm, and so endowed you with great revenues and possessions; perceiving after that, by the contrariety of preaching within this our realm, our said people were brought into a diversity of opinion, whereby there ensued contention among them, which was only engendered by a certain contemptuous manner of speaking against honest, laudable, and tolerable ceremonies, usages, and customs of the Church, we were enforced by sundry letters to admonish and command

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you, amongst others, to preach God's Word sincerely, and declare abuses plainly, and in no ways contentiously to treat of matters indifferent, which be neither necessary to our salvation, as the good and virtuous ceremonies of holy Church, ne yet in any wise to be contemned and abrogate, for that they be incitements and motions to virtue, and allurements to devotion. All which our travel notwithstanding, so little regards you took to our advertisements therein, that we were constrained to put our own pen to the book, and to conceive certain Articles, which were by all you, the bishops and whole clergy of this our realm in convocation agreed on, as catholic, meet, and necessary to be by our authority, for avoiding of all contention, set forth, read, and taught to our subjects, to bring the same in unity, quietness, and good concord: supposing then that no personage having authority under us, as ye have, would either have presumed to have spoken any word that might have offended the sentence and meaning of the same, or have been any thing remiss, slack, or negligent in the plain setting forth of them, as they be conceived, so as by that means the fruit of quiet and unity should not grow thereupon, as we desired and looked for of the same. And perceiving eftsoons by credible report, that our labours, travail, and desire therein, is nevertheless defeated, and in manner, by general and contemptuous words, contemned and despised: so that by the abstinence of direct and plain setting forth of the said Articles, and by the fond and contentious manner of speaking, that ye, and some others of your sort, do still use, against the honest rites, customs and usages, and ceremonial things of the Church: our people be much more offended than they were before, and in manner exclaim, that we will suffer that injury at your hands; whereby they think God, us, and our whole realm highly offended; insomuch as principally upon that ground, and for the reformation of your abuses therein, they have made this commotion and insurrection, whereby they have offended us, damaged themselves, and troubled many of our good subjects. We be now inforced for our discharge towards God, and for the tender love and zeal we bear to the tranquillity, love, and unity of our said subjects, again to address these our letters unto you, as a peremptory warning to advise you to demean and use yourselves as shall hereafter be declared, upon pain

of deprivation from your bishopric; and further to be punished for your contempt, if you shall offend in the contrary, as justice shall require for your own trespass, and as may serve for the example of others. And First. We especially charge and command you, that plainly and distinctly, without any additions, you shall every holy-day, wheresoever you shall be within your diocese, when you may so do with your health, openly in your cathedral church, or in the parish church where you shall fortune to be, read and declare our said Articles, and in nowise in the rest of your words, which you shall then speak of yourself (if you speak any thing), utter any word that shall make the same, or any word in the same, doubtful to the people.

Secondly. We will and command you, that you shall, in your person, travel from place to place in all your diocese, as you may with your commodity, and endeavour yourself every holy-day to make a collation to the people, and in the same to set forth plainly those texts of Scripture that you shall treat off, and with the same also, as well to declare the obedience due by God's law to your prince and sovereign lord, (against whose commandment they ought in no wise, though the same were unjust, to use any violence) as to commend and praise all the honest ceremonies of the Church, as they be to be praised in such plain and reverend sort, that the people may perceive that they be not contemned, and yet learn how they were instituted, and how they ought to be observed and esteemed. Using such a temperance therein, that our said people be not corrupted by putting over much affiance in them, which should more offend than the clean silencing of the same. And that our people may therewith the better know their duty to us, being their king and sovereign lord.

Thirdly. We straightly charge and command you, that neither in your private communications you shall use any words that may sound to the contrary of this our commandment; ne that you shall keep or retain any man of any degree, that shall in his words, privately or apertly, directly or indirectly, speak in those matters of the ceremonies contemptuously or contentiously. But we will, in case you have, or shall have any such person that will not better temper his tongue; ye shall as an offender and seducer of our people, send the same in safe custody to us and our council, to be punished as shall