to their merities and the lawes of his realme, to thentent his subjects shall take exemple by their punyshmentes and not adhere to their false and detestable opinions but vtterly forsake and relinquishe the same which his hieghnes straightly commaundeth them soo to doo vppon payn of like punyshment and also that whersoever any suche be knowne they shall be detected and with a convenyent diligence as may be informe his maieste or summe of hys counsell to the intente they may be punishyd accordyng to theyre desarts and the maynteners abetters or prynters off the same oppinions wt any owther abiections off all bokes ought of whyche any shuche leude oppinions mygh be gederyd And over this his Matie straitly chargeth and commaundeth all other straungers of the same Anabaptistes and Sacramentaries erroneouse sects not being apprehended or knowne that they within viij or a days after this present proclamacion wt all celeritie shall departe oute of this realme and all other his domynions vppon payn of losse of their lyves and forfeicture of all their goods w'owt any fauor remission or Indulgence to be administred to any of the offendo's against the tenor of this present Article.

Item forasmuch as the moost blessed and holye sacrament of the Awter is the veraye body and bludd of or lorde Ihus Crist or only savior and redemo' and so hath and ought to be taken and beleved by the hole congregacion of Christen men vppon the perill of dampnacion truly and w'owt any synistre Argumentes or Sophisticall opynyons grounded wtowt fayth vppon fantasticall reasons. His hieghnes therfor myndyng ernestly to conserve his people in the true and iust fayth of the said holly and blessed sacrament, and that they shall not be seduced or bigyled by fantasticall reasons and argumentes straictly chardgeth and commaundeth all and singular his louing subjects and other resiaunts w'in this his realme and all other his domynions that they nor any of theim from hensforth shall reason dispute or argue vppon the saide hooly and blissed sacrament nor of the mysteries therof vppon payne of losse of their lyves and forfaiture of their goodes wtowt any favour or pardon to be shewed by his Maiestie to any offending in this bihalf. Except and reserued to lerned men in holye scripture inY y

structed and taught in the Uniuersities their libertie and priuilege in their scoles and places accustumed concerning the same and otherwise in communicacion w'owt slaunder of any man for the onely confirmation and declaration of the trweth therof.

Item forasmuch as dyuerse and sundry personnes have presumed and doo arrogantly attempt of their sensuall appetits and frowarde rashe wills to contempne breke and violate dyuerse and many laudable ceremonies and rites heretofore vsed and accustumed in the Churche of Englande and yet not abrogated by the Kings hieghnes authoritie, wherby dayly riseth much difference strife and contention amongs diuerse and sundry his loving subiects, As for and concerning the ceremonyes of holy bredd, holye water, processyon, kneling and kreping oon good fryday to the crosse and ester daye, setting vpp of lights before the Corpus Christi, beryng of Candels vppon the daye of the puryfycacion of or ladye, ceremonyes vsed at the purificacion of wemen deliuered of child, and offering of their crysomes keping of the foure offering dayes, payment of tythes according to the old custumes of the Realme, and all other such like laudabyll ceremonyes heretofore vsed in the church of England which as yet be not abholished nor taken awaye by the Kings hieghnes. His Matie: for advoyding such contentions and the occasions of the same amongs his loving subiects, dooth straictly chardge and commaunde all- and singuler his subiects and other resyaunts wtin this his Realme that they and euery of them shall obserue and kepe all and singuler the ceremonyes bifore specyfied and all other such like ceremonyes heretofore vsed and accustumed in this realme and not abrogated nor abolished by his hieghnes nor by his lawes or authoritie royall, soo as they shall vse and obserue the same wtowt superstition and esteme them for good and laudable ceremonyes, tokyns and signes, to put vs in remembraunce of things of hiegh perfection and non otherwise, and not to repose any trust of saluacion in theim but take them for good Instructions vntyll such tyme as his Matie: doo chaunge or abrogate any of them, As his hieghnes vppon resonable consyderacions and respects if it shall hereafter seme, to his moost excellent wisedom so to be

convenyent and expedyent for the quyetnes of his people and the advauncement of his coem wealth bothe may and intendyth to doo.

Finally his Matie vnderstanding, that a fewe nombre of this his realme being prestes aswell Religious as other, haue taken wifs and maryed themselfs contrary to the holsumme monissions off saint Palle ad Thimotheum ad Titum and ad Corintheos bothe first and seconde and contrary alsoo to the oppinions off meny off the olde faders and expositers off scripture not estimyng also the Awowe and promyse of chastitie which they made at the receyving of their holye ordres hys hyghtnes in no wise myndyng that the generalitie of the clergie of this his realme shuld wt thexemple of such a fewe nomber of light persones procede to maryage wtowt a coem consent of his hieghnes and the realme Dothe therfor straictly chardge and commaunde aswell all and singuler of the said prestes as haue attempted maryages as all such as woll hereafter presumptuously procede in the same, that they ne any of them shall ministre any sacrament or other ministry misticall ne have any office, dignitie, cure, privilege, profite or commodytie heretofore accustumed and bilonging to the clergie of this realme but shall vtterly after such maryages be expelled and deprived from the same and be had and reputed as laye personnes to all purposes and entents, And that suche as shal after this proclamacion contrarie to this commaundement of their presumptuous mynd take wifs and be maryed shall rune in his grac's Indignacion and suffre further punishment and enprisonement at his grac's will and pleasor.

NUM. IX.

Bishop Fisher to Secretary Crumwel, declaring his willingness to swear to the Succession.

13

AFTER my most humyl commendacions. Where ass ye be Cotton content, that I shold wryte unto the Kyngs Hyghnes, in Libr. Cleop. gode fathe I dread me, that I kannot be soo circumspect

E.6. F. 172.

in my writeng, but that some word shal eskape me, wherewith his Grace shal be moved to some farther displeasure aganste me, wherof I wold be veray sory. For as I wyll answer byfor God, I wold not in eny maner of poynte offend his Grace, my deuty saved unto God, whom I must in every thing prefer. And for this consideracion I am full loth, and full of fear to write unto his Hyghness in this matter. Nevertheless sythen I conceyve, that it is your mind, that I shal so doo, I wyl endevour me to the best that I kan. But first hear, I must byseche yow, good M. Secretary, to call to your rememberance, that at my last beyng byfor yow, and the other Comyssionars, for taking of the othe concernyng the Kyngs most noble succession, I was content to be sworn unto that parcel concernyng the Succession. And ther I did rehears this reason, which I sade moved me. I dowted nott but that the Prynce of any Realme, with the assent of his Nobles and Comons, myght appoynte for his Succession royal such an order, as was seen unto his Wisdom most accordyng. And for this reason I sade that I was content to be sworn unto that part of the othe, as concerning the Succession. This is a veray trowth, as God help my sowl att my most neede; albeitt I refused to swear to some other parcels, bycause that my Conscience wolde not serve me so to doo.

Cotton

Libr. Cleop.

b.

NUM. X.

Lee Bishop Elect of Litchfield and Coventry to Secretary
Crumwel concerning Bp. Fisher.

PLESSEYTH

you to be aduertisseyd, that I have been E. 6. F. 165. with my Lorde of Rochester, whoe is as yee lefte hym: that is to say, ready to make hys othe for the Succession, and to swere never to mell more in disputacion of the validite of the Matrimony, or invalidite, with the Lady Dooger; but that utterly to refuce. But as for the case of the prohibition Leviticall, hys conscience is soe knytt, that he cannot put it off frome him, whatsoeever betyde hym. And

zeytt hee wyll and dothe fermely profess his Allegians to our Soveraign Lorde, the Kyng, during hys lyfe. Treuly the man is negh goyne, and dowtlesse cannot contynew, onles the Kyng and his Counsell be merciful to hym. For the body cannot bere the clothes on his bake as knewyth God. Whoo preserve you. In hast scriblyd by your own mest bounden.

Roland Co. et Litch. electus et confirmatus.

NUM. XI.

The Archbishop to Secretary Crumwel, in behalf of Bp. Fisher, and Sir Thomas More.

Right Worshipful Maister Crumwel,

14

AFTER most harty Commendations, &c. I doubte not Cotton

Libr. Cleop.

but you do right wel remembre, that my Lorde of Ro- E. 6. F. 181. chester and Master More were contented to be sworne to the Act of the Kings Succession, but not to the b Preamble of the same. What was the cause of thair refusal thereof, I am uncerten, and thay wolde by no means expresse the same. Nevertheless it must nedis be, either the diminution of the auoritie of the Bushope of Rome, or ells the reprobation of the Kyngs first pretensed Matrimony. But if thay do obstinatly persiste in thair opinions of the Preamble, yet, me semeth, it scholde not be refused, if thay wil be sworne to the veray Acte of Succession: so that they wil be sworne to mayntene the same against al powers and potentates. For hereby shalbe a greate occasion to satisfy the Princesse Dowager and the Lady Mary, which do thynk that they sholde dampne thair sowles, if thay sholde abandon and relinquysh their astates. And not onely it sholde stoppe the mouthes of thaym, but also of th'Emperor, and other thair freinds, if thay gyve as moche credence to my Lorde of

b The Preamble to this Act may be read in the History of the Reformation, part i. p. 145.