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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B21152	The increase of popery in England, since the reformation made by King Henry VIII shewing the great encouragement that priests, Jesuits, and other promoter of that bloudy religion have had from persons of power and authority, the discouragements and notorious hardships, even to silencing, and banishment from cities and corporations, that have been the portion of many able and faithful Protestant ministers, that have eminently opposed it : with an essay towards what may possibly befall the Churches of Christ from the hellish contrivances and damnable plots of Romish emissaries : with a faithful extract out of the most authentick records of the most memorable things referring to the reformation, viz. Henry VIII, his reasons given in his proclamation for taking away the Popes usurped power, his protestation against the pope, his injunctions to his clergy, Bishop St[e]phen Gardener's oath or protestation, and his reasons against the Popessupremacy in England and the publick agreement of the whole clergy of England, as confirmed and ratified in the book called the Bishops book, published in the year 1534 / by .. William Dell ...	Darrell, William, 1651-1721.	1681 (1681)	Wing D923	53,277	58

Agreement of the whole Clergy of England confirmed and ratified in their own publick Book called The Bishops Book Anno 1534. with the Names of the Witnesses WE think it convenient Te●timonies out o●●he Bishops Book against the Popes Supremacy that all Bishops and Preachers shall instruct and teach the People committed unto their spiritual charge that whereas certain men do imagine and affirm that Christ should give unto the Bishop of Rome power and authority not onely to be Head and Governour of all Priests and Bishops in Christs Church but also to have and occupy the whole Monarchy of the World in his hands and that he may thereby lawfully depose Kings and Princes from their Realms Dominions and Seigniories and so transfer and give the same to such persons as him liketh that is utterly false and untrue for Christ never gave unto S. Peter or unto any of the Apostles or their Successors any such Authority And the Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul do teach and command that all Christian People as well Priests and Bishops as others should be obedient and subject unto the Princes and Potentates of the World although they were Infidels And as for the Bishop of Rome it was many hundred years after Christ before he could acquire or get any Primacy or Governance above any other Bishops out of his Province in Italy since the which time he hath ever usurped more and more And though some part of his power was given to him by the consent of the Emperours Kings and Princes and by the consent also of the Clergy in General Councils assembled yet surely he attained the most part thereof by marvellous subtilty and craft How the Bishop of Rome rose by ambition and especially by colluding with great Kings and Princes sometime training them into his Devotion by pretence and colour of Holiness and Sanctimony and sometime constraining them by force and tyranny Whereby the said Bishops of Rome aspired and rose at length unto such greatness in Strength and Authority that they presumed and took upon them to be Heads Concilium tertium Cartha inense cap. 6. and to put Laws by their own Authority not onely unto all other Bishops within Christendom but also unto the Emperours Kings and other the Princes and Lords of the world and that under the pretence of the Authority c●●mitted unto them by the Gospel First the General Council of Nice decreed that the Patriarchs of Alexandria and Antiochia should have like power over the Countries about those Cities as the Bishops of Rome had over the Countries about Rome In the Council of Milevitan it was decreed that if a Clerk of Africk would appeal out of Africk un●o any Bishop beyond the Sea he should be taken as a person Excommunicate In the General Council of Constantinople the first it was likewise decreed that every Cause between any persons should be determined within the Provinces where the matters did lie and that no Bishop should exercise any power out of his own Diocese or Province And this was also the mind of holy S. Cyprian and of other holy men of Africa To conclude therefore the Pope hath no su h Primacy g●ven him either by the words of Scripture or by any General Council or by common consent of the holy Ca●holick Church ●●●rein the said Bishops of Rome do no● nely abuse and pervert the true sense and meaning of Christs Word but they do also clean contrary to the use and custom of the Primitive Church and so do manifestly violate as well the holy Canons made in the Church immediately after the time of the Apostles as also the Decrees and Constitutions made in that behalf by the holy Fathers of the Catholick Church assembled in the first General Councils And finally they do transgress their own profession made in their Creation For all the Bishops of Rome always when they be consecrated and made Bishops of that See do make a solemn profession and vow that they shall inviolably observe and keep all the Ordinances made in the first eight General Councils among the which it is specially provided and enacted that all Causes shall be finished and determined within the Province where the same begun and that by the Bishops of the same Province and that no Bishop shall exercise any Iurisdiction out of his own Province Gregorius l. 4. Epistolarum indictione 13. Epist 13. and divers such other Canons were then made and confirmed by the said Councils to repress and take away out of the Church all such Primacy and Iurisdiction over Kings and Bishops as the Bishops of Rome pretend now to have over the same And we find that divers good Fathers Bishops of Rome did greatly reprove yea and abhor as a thing clean contrary to the Gospel and the Decrees of the Church that any Bishop of Rome or elsewhere should presume usurp or take upon him the Title and Name of Vniversal Bishop or of the Head of all Priests or of the Highest Priest or any such like Title For confirmation whereof it is out of all doubt that there is no mention made neither in Scripture nor in the Writings of any authentical Doctor or Author of the Church being within the time of the Apostles that Christ did ever make or institute any distinction or difference to be in the preheminence of Power Order or Iurisdiction between the Apostles themselves or between the Bishops themselves but that they were all equal in Power Order Authority and Iurisdiction And that there is now and since the time of the Apostles any such diversity or difference among the Bishops it was devised by the antient Fathers of the Primitive Church for the conservation of good order and unity of the Catholick Church and that either by the consent and authority or else at the least by the permission and sufferance of the Princes and Civil Powers for the time ruling c. And shortly after followeth And for the better confirmation of this part we think it also convenient that all Bishops and Preachers shall instruct and teach the people committed unto their spiritual charge that Christ did by express words prohibit that none of his Apostles nor any of their Successors should under the pretence of the Authority given unto them by Christ take upon them the Authority of the Sword that is to say the Authority of Kings or of any Civil Power in this world yea or any Authority to make Laws or Ordinances in causes appertaining unto Civil Powers Truth it is the Priests and Bishops may execute all such Temporal Power and Iurisdion as is committed unto them by the Ordinance and Authority of Kings or other Civil Powers and by the consent of the people as Officers and Ministers under the said Kings and Powers so long as it shall please the said Kings and People to permit and suffer them so to use and execute the same Notwithstanding if any Bishop of what estate or dignity soever

he be be he Bishop of Rome or of any other City Province or Diocese do presume to take upon him Authority or Iurisdiction in causes or matters which appertain unto Kings and the civil powers and their Courts and will maintain or think that he may so do by the Authority of Christ and his Gospel although the Kings and Princes would not permit and suffer him so to do no doubt that Bishop is not worthy to be called a Bishop but rather a Tyrant The Bishop os Rone judged to be a Tyrant and Usurper and as Vsurper of other mens rights contrary to the Law of God and is worthy to be reputed none otherwise than he that goeth about to subvert the Kingdom of Christ For the Kingdom of Christ in his Church is a spiritual and not a carnal Kingdom of the world that is to say the very Kingdom that Christ by himself or by his Apostles and Disciples sought here in this world was to bring all Nations from the carnal Kingdom of the Prince of darkness unto the light of his spiritual Kingdom and so himself to reign in the hearts of the people by grace faith hope and charity And therefore ●ith Christ did never seek nor exercise any worldly Kingdom or Dominion in this world but rather refusing and flying from the same did leave the said worldly Governance of Kingdoms Realms and Nations to be governed by Princes and Potentates in like manner as he did find them and commanded also his Apostles and Disciples to do the semblable as it was said before whatsoever Priest or Bishop will arrogate or presume to take upon him any such Authority and will pretend the Authority of the Gospel for his defence therein he doth nothing else but in a manner as you would say crowneth Christ again with a Crown of Thorn and traduceth and bringeth him forth again with his Mantle of Purple upon his back to be mocked and scorned of the world as the Iews did to their own damnation This Doctrine was subscribed and allowed by the witness and testimony of these Bishops and other Learned Men whose Names hereunder follow as appeareth in the Bishops Book before named TESTES Testimonies of Bi●hops and Doctors of England against the Pope Thomas Cantuariensis Edouardus Eboracensis Johannes Londonensis Cuthbertus Dunelmensis Stephanus W●ntonlensis Robertus Carliolensis Johannes Exoniensis Johannes Lincolniensis Johannes Bathoniensis Rolandus Coventr Lichfield Thomas Eliensis Nicolaus Sarum Johannes Bangor Edouardus Herefordiensis Hugo Wigorniensis Johannes Roffensis Richardus Cicestrensis Gulielmus Menevensis Robertus Assavensis Robertus Landavensis Guilielmus Norwicensis Richardus Wolman Archidiacon Sudbur Guilielmus Knight Archidiacon Richmond Johannes Bell Archidiacon Gloucester Edmundus Bonner Archidiacon Leicester Gulielmus Skippe Archidiacon Dorset Nicolaus Heth Archidiacon Stafford Cuthbertus Marshall Archidiacon Nottingham Richardus Curten Archidiacon Oxon. Guilielmus Glife Galfridus Dounes Robertus Oking Radulphus Bradford Richardus Smith Simon Matthew Johannes P●in Guilielmus Buckmaster Guilielmus May Nicolaus Wotton Richardus Cox Johannes Edmunds Thomas Robertson Johannes Baker Thomas Barret Johannes Hase Johannes Tyson These were Doctors of Divinity and both Laws A Protestation in the name of the King and the whole Council and Clergy of England why they refuse to come to the Popes Council at his call SEeing that the Bishop of Rome calleth Learned Men from all parts conducting them by great rewards The Kings Protestation why he sends not to the Popes Council making as many of them Cardinals as he thinketh most m●et and most ready to defend Frauds and Vntruths we could not but with much anxiety cast with our selves what so great a preparance of Wits should mean As chance was we guessed even as it followed We have been so long acquainted with Romish Subtilties and Popish Deceits The Popes craft espied that we well and easily judged the Bishop of Rome to intend an Assembly of his Adherents and men sworn to think all his Lusts to be Laws we were not deceived Paul the Bishop of Rome hath called a Council to the which he knew well either few or none of the Christian Princes could come both the time that he indicted it and also the place where he appointed it to be might assure him of this But whither wander not these Popish Bulls whither wander they not astray What King is not cited and summoned by a proud Minister and Servant of Kings to come to bolster up Errors Frauds Deceits and Vntruths and to set forth this feigned General Council For who will not think that Paul the Bishop of Rome goeth sooner about to make men believe that he pretendeth a General Council than that he desireth one indeed No who can less desire it than they that do despair of their Cause except they be Iudges and give sentence themselves against their Adversaries The King not bound to come at the Popes call We which very sore against our will at any time leave off the procurement of the Realm any common weal need neither to come our selves nor yet to send any Procurators thither no nor yet to make our Excuse for either of both For who can accuse us that we come not at his call which hath no Authority to call us But for a season let us as a sort of Blindlings do grant that he may call us and that he hath Authority so to do yet we pray you may not all men see what availeth it to come to this Council Who be they that have place in the Popes Council where ye shall have no place except y● be known both willing to oppress truth and also ready t● confirm and stablish Errors Do not all men perceive 〈◊〉 as we with what integrity fidelity and religion these men go about to discuss matters in controversie that take them in hand in so troublesom a time as this is Is it not plain what fruit the Commonweal of Christendom may look for there The place of the Council not indifferent whereas Mantua is chosen the place to keep his Council in Is there any Prince not being of Italy yea is there any of Italy Prince or other dissenting from the Pope that dareth come to this Assembly and to this place If there come none that dare speak for trodden truth none that will venture his life is it marvel if the Bishop of Rome being Iudge No reason that the Pope should be Judge in his own cause no man repining no man gainsaying the Defenders of the Papacy obtain that Popish Authority now quailling and almost fasten to be set up again Is this the way to help things afflict to redress troubled Religion to lift up oppressed truth Shall men this way know whether the Roman Bishops which in very deed are The Bishop of Rom in learning and life far under other Bishops if ye look upon either their Doctrine or Life far under other Bishops ought to be made like their Fellows that

is to be Pastors in their own Diocese and so to use no other power or else whether they may make Laws not onely unto other Bishops but also to Kings and Emperours O boldness meet to be beaten down with force and not not to be convinced with Arguments Can either Paul that now Lordeth or any of his earnestly go about if they alone or at the least without any Adversary be th●● in a corner assembled together to heal the Sicknesses to take away the Errors to pluck down the Abuses that now are crept into the Church and there be bolstered up by such Councils as now is like to be at Mantua Paul the Pope proleth for his own profit Is it very like that these which prole for nothing but profit will right gladly pull down all such things as th●●● Forefathers made onely for the increase of Money Wh●●● as their Forefathers when their Honour Power an●●macy was called into question would either in despigh●●f Gods Law maintain their Dignity or to say better their intolerable Pride Is it like that these will not tread in their steps and make naughty new Canons whereby they may defend old evil Decrees Howbeit what need we to care either what they have done or what they intend to do hereafter England taketh her leave of the Pope for ever forasmuch as England hath taken her leave of Popish Crafts for ever never to be deluded with them hereafter Roman Bishops have nothing to do with English People the one doth not traffick with the other at least though they will have to do with us yet we will none of their merchandise none of their stuff we will receive them of our council no more England refuseth the Popes Merchandise We have sought our hurt and bought our loss a great while too long Surely their Decrees either touching things set up or put down shall have none other place with us than all Bishops Decrees have that is if we like them we admit them if we do not we refuse them But lest peradventure men shall think us to follow our senses too much and that we moved by small or no just causes forsake the Authority Censures Decrees and Popish Counsels we thought it best here to shew our mind to the whole world Wherefore we protest before God and all men that we embrace profess and will ever so do the right and holy Doctrine of Christ All the Articles of his Faith no jot omitted be all so dear unto us that we should much sooner stand in jeopardy of our Realm than to see any point of Christs Religion in jeopardy with us England goeth not from the unity of Faith although it goeth from the Pope We protest that we never went from the unity of his Faith neither that we will depart an inch from it No we will much sooner lose our Lives than any Article of our Belief shall decay in England We which in all this cause seek nothing but the glory of God the profit and quietness of the World The Faith of England Catholick England ready to send to any General Council where truth may be advanced protest that we can suffer Deceivers no longer We never refused to come to a General Council no we promise all our labour study and fidelity to the setting up of trodden Truth and troubled Religion in their place again and to do all that shall lie in us to finish such Controversies as have a great while too long vexed Christendom Onely we will all Christian men be admonished that we can suffer no longer that they be esteemed willing to take away Errors which indeed by all the ways their Wits will serve them go about this alone that no man under pain of Death may speak against any Error or Abuse We would have a Council we desire it yea and crave nothing so oft of God as that we may have one But yet we will that it be such as Christian men ought to have that is frank and free where every man without fear may say his mind We desire that it be an holy Council What a true General Council ought to be where every man may go about to set up Godliness and not apply all their study to oppressing of Truth We will it be General that is to say kept at such time and in such place that every man which seeketh the glory of God may be present and there frankly utter his mind Conditions of a true General Council For when it shall seem General either when no man that dissenteth from the Bishop of Rome is compelled to be from it or when they that be present are not letted by any just terror to say boldly what they truly think for who would not gladly come to such a Council except it be the Pope his Cardinals and Popish Rishops On the other side who is so foolish whereas the chief point that is to be handled in this Council is the Popes own Cause Power and Primacy to grant that the Pope should reign should be Iudge should be President of the Council If he which indeed can never think himself able to defend his Cause before any other Iudge The Pope would be Judge in his own cause be evermore made his own Iudge and so Controversies not decided but Errors set up what can be devised in the Commonwealth of Christendom more hurtful to the truth than General Councils The Pope hath no power to summon Councils And here to touch somewhat their impudent Arrogancy By what Law Power or honest Title take they upon them to call Kings to summon Princes to appear where their Bulls command them In time past all Councils were appointed by the Authority Consent and Commandment of the Emperour Kings and Princes why now taketh the Bishop of Rome this upon him Some will say It is more likely that Bishops will more tender the cause of Religion gladlier have Errors taken away than Emperours Kings and Princes The world hath good experience of them and every man seeth how faithfully they have handled religious matters Is there any man that doth not see how vertuously Paul now goeth about by this occasion to set up his Tyranny again The Pope how he can watch his time Is it not like that he that chooseth such a time as this is to keep a Council much intendeth the redress of things that now are amiss that he seeketh the restoring of Religion that now calleth a Council the Emperour and the French King two Princes of great power so bent to Wars that neither they nor any other Christian Prince can in a manner do any thing but look for the end of this long War Go too go t o Bishop of Rome occasion long wish'd for offereth her self unto you take her she openeth a Window for your Frauds to creep in at call your Cardinals your own Creatures shew them that this is a jolly time to deceive Princes in O

to the King yielding and rendering unto him onely the Style of Supreme Head next under Christ of the Church of England all other Service Subjection and Obedience to be given to any other forein Potentate which should be prejudicial to the Kings Highness in this behalf being excluded and that both frankly and freely of their own voluntary motion and also upon the faith and fidelity of their Priesthood as by their own words and handwriting may appear in form as hereunder followeth The Oath of Stephen Gardener Bishop of Winchester made to King Henry VIII EGO Stephanus Wintoniensis Episcopus pure sponte The Oath of Stephen Gardener to the King absolute in verbo Pontificio profiteor ac spondeo illustrissimae vestrae Regiae Majestati singulari ac summo Domino meo Patrono Henrico Dei gratia Angliae Franciae Regi Fidei Defensori Domino Hiberniae atque in terris Ecclesiae Anglicanae Supremo immediate sub Christo Capiti quod posthac nulli externo Imperatori Regi Principi aut Praelato nec Romano Pontifiei quem Papam vocant fidelitatem obedientiam c. Translated into English thus I Stephen Bishop of Winchester do purely of mine own voluntary accord and absolutely in the word of a Bishop profess and promise to your Princely Majesty my singular and chief Lord and Patron Henry the Eighth by the grace of God King of England and of France Defender of the Faith Lord of Ireland and in earth of the Church of England Supreme Head immediately under Christ That from this day forward I shall swear promise give or cause to be given to no forein Potentate Emperour King Prince or Prelate nor yet to the Bishop of Rome whom they call Pope any Oath or Fealty directly or indirectly either by word or writing but at all times and in every case and condition I shall observe hold and maintain to all effects and intents the quarrel and cause of your Royal Majesty and your Successors and to the uttermost of my power shall defend the same against all manner of persons whomsoever I shall know or suspect to be Adversaries to your Majesty or to your Successors and shall give my faith truth and obedience syncerely and with my very heart onely to your Royal Majesty as to my Supreme Prince I profess the Papacy of Rome not to be ordained of God by holy Scripture Stephen Gardener abrenounceth the Pope but constantly do affirm and openly declare and shall declare it to be set up onely by Man and shall cause diligently other men likewise to publish the same Neither shall I enter any Treaty with any person or persons either privily or apertly or shall consent thereto that the Bishop of Rome shall have or exercise here any Authority or Iurisdiction or is to be restored to any Iurisdiction hereafter Furthermore that the said Bishop of Rome now being or any that shall succ●ed him hereafter in the said See is not to be called Pope nor Supreme Bishop or Vniversal Bishop nor most holy Lord but onely ought to be called Bishop of Rome and Fellow Brother as the old manner of the most ancient Bishops hath been This I shall to my power openly maintain and defend And I shall firmly observe and cause to be observed of other to the uttermost of my cunning wit and power all such Laws and Acts of this Realm how and whatsoever as have been enacted and established for the extirpation and suppression of the Papacy and of the Authority and Iurisdiction of the said Bishop of Rome Neither shall I appeal hereafter to the said Bishop of Rome nor ever consent to any person that shall appeal to him neither shall I attempt prosecute or follow any Suit in the Court of Rome for any cause of right or justice to be had or shall make answer to any Plea or Action nor shall take upon me the person and office either of the Plaintiff or Defendent in the said Court And if the said Bishop by his Messenger or by his Letters shall make any means or signification unto me of any matter whatsoeuer it be I shall with all speed and diligence make declaration and advertisement thereof or cause the same to be signified either to your Princely Majesty or to some of your secret Council or to your Successors or any of their privy Council Neither shall I send or cause to be sent at any time any writing or messenger to the said Bishop or to his Court without the knowledge or consent of your Majesty or your Successors willing me to send writing or messenger unto him Neither shall I procure or give counsel to any person to procure Bulls Briefs or Rescripts whatsoever either for me or for any other from the said Bishop of Rome or his Court. And if any such shall be procured against my will and knowledge either in general or in special or else howsoever they shall be granted unto them I shall utter and disclose the same and not consent thereunto nor use them in any case and shall cause them to be brought to your Majesty or your Successors Furthermore for the confirmation hereof I give my faith and truth by firm promise and in the faith of a Bishop that against this my foresaid Profession and Promise made I shall defend my self by no Dispensation Exception nor any remedy or cautel of Law or Example during this my natural life And if heretofore I have done or made any Protestation in prejudice of this my Profession and Promise here made the same I do revoke at this present and for ever hereafter and here utterly do renounce by these presents Whereunto I have subscribed and underwritten the name both of my self and of my Bishoprick with my proper hand and thereto also have put to my Seal in perpetual and undoubted testimony of the premisses Given the tenth day of February Anno 1534 and of our Sovereign Lord King Henry the eight twenty six Stephanus Wintoniensis The same Bishop of Winchester's Reasons against the Pope's Supremacy MOreover the said Gardener in the forenamed Book De vera Obedientia what Constancy he pretendeth Steph. Wint. a Lutheran in his Book De vera obedientia what Arguments he inferreth how earnestly and pithily he disputeth on the Kings side against the Vsurped State of the Bishop of Romes Authority by the words of his Book it may appear whereof a brief Collection here followeth IN the process of his foresaid Book The Sword of the Church how far it extendeth he alledging the old distinction of the Papists wherein they give to the Prince the Regiment of things Temporal and to the Church of things Spiritual comparing the one to the greater Light the other to the lesser Light he confuteth and derideth the same distinction declaring the Sword of the Church to extend no further than to Teaching and Excommunication and referreth all preheminence to the Sword of the Prince alledging for this the

to be denied for first he confessed first he taught the Iews first he stood in defence of the Verity and was the first and chief Prolocutor among them but yet that maketh not that he should therefore vindicate a general Primacy and Rule over all other States and Potentates of the world no more than Apelles because he is noted the first and chief of all Painters therefore ought to bear rule over all Painters or because the Vniversity of Paris is nominate for the first and chief of other Vniversities shall therefore the French King and all other Princes in their publick Administration wherein they are set of God become Subjects and Vnderlings to that Vniversity Thus after many other reasons and persuasions contained in the said Book De obedientia for I do but superficially skim over the top onely of his Probations and Arguments finally in the end of his Peroration he concludeth the whole summ of his mind in this effect first denying that the Bishop of Rome had ever any such extern Iurisdiction assigned to him absolutely from God to reign over Kings and Princes for the probation whereof he hath alledged sufficiently as he saith the examples and doings of Christ himself which ought to be to us all a sufficient Document And as concerning the term of Primacy albeit it be used sometimes of the Fathers yet the matter being well considered and rightly expounded maketh nothing for the large Dominion of the Bishop of Rome which now he doth usurp Also as for the Prerogatives granted unto Peter by the which Prerogatives our Saviour would crown his own Gifts given unto him crowning not the flesh and bloud of Peter but the marvellous testimony of his Confession all this maketh nothing for the Popes purpose Likewise as concerning the Local Succession of Peter Succession of Peter the Pope hath nothing thereby to claim If he will be Successor of Peter he must succeed him in Faith Doctrine and Conditions and in so doing he neither will neither yet shall need to seek for Honour but shall be honoured of all good men according as a good man should be and that much more than he being a good man would require Steph. Wint. takes his Vale of the Pope but not his Vltimum Vale. And thus Stephen Winchester taking his leave and bidding the Pope farewell endeth with a friendly Exhortation willing him to be wise and circumspect and not to strive stubbornly against the truth The light of the Gospel saith he so spreadeth his beams in all mens eyes that the works of the Gospel be known the Mysteries of Christs Doctrine are opened both learned and unlearned Men and Women being English born do see and perceive that they have nothing to do with Rome nor with the Bishop of Rome but that every Prince in his own Dominion is to be taken and accepted as a Vicar of God and Vicegerent of Christ in his own bounds And therefore seeing this Order is taken of God and one in the Church should bear the Office of Teaching The Office of Teaching another should bear the Office of Ruling The Office of Ruling which Office is onely limited to Princes he exhorteth him to consider the truth and to follow the fame wherein consisteth our true and special Obedience c. A Letter of the University of Cambridge against the Usurped Power of the Bishop of Rome UNiversis Sanctae Matris Ecclesiae filiis ad quos praesentes Literae perventurae sunt coetus omnis regentium non regentium Academiae Cantabrigiensis salutem in omnium salvatore Jesu Christo Cum de Romani Pontificis potestate c. Translated into English thus TO all and singular Children of the holy Mother Church to whose hands these presents shall come A Letter of the University of Cambridge the whole Society of Regents and not Regents of the Vniversity of Cambridge sendeth greeting in our Saviour Iesus Christ Whereas now of late it hath risen up in question among us concerning the Power of the Bishop of Rome which he doth both claim to himself by the holy Scripture over all Provinces and Nations in Christendom and hath now of long time exercised in this Realm of England And forasmuch as our Censure concerning the cause is required to wit Whether the Bishop of Rome hath any Power or Authority in this Kingdom of England allotted to him by God in the Scripture more than any other forein Bishop or no We thought it therefore good reason and our duty for the searching out of the verity of the said Question that we should imploy therein our whole endeavour and study whereby we might tender and publish to the world what our reason and censure is touching the premisses For therefore we suppose that Vniversities were first provided and instituted of Princes to the end that doth the people of Christ might in the Law of God be instructed and also that false Errors if any did rise might through the vigilant care and industry of learned Divines be discussed extinguished and utterly rooted out For the which cause we in our Assemblies and Convocations after our accustomed manner resorting and conferring together upon the Question aforesaid and studiously debating and deliberating with our selves how and by what order we might best proceed for the finding out of the truth of the matter and at length choosing out certain of the best learned Doctors and Batchelors of Divinity and other Masters have committed to them in charge studiously to insearch and peruse the places of holy Scripture by the viewing and conferring of which places together they might certifie us what is to be said to the Question propounded The Censure of the University of Cambridge against the Popes Supremacy Forasmuch therefore as we having heard and well advised and throughly discussed in open Disputations what may be said on both parts of the foresaid Question those Reasons and Arguments do appear to us more probable stronger truer and more certain and sounding much more near to the pure and native sense of Scripture which do deny the Bishop of Rome to have any such power given him of God in the Scripture By reason and force of which Arguments we being persuaded and conjoyning together in one Opinion have with our selves thus decreed to answer unto the Question aforesaid and in these writings thus resolutely do answer in the name of the whole Vniversity and for a Conclusion undoubted do affirm approve and pronounce The Bishop of Rome hath no more State in England than hath any other Bishop That the Bishop of Rome hath no more State Authority and Iurisdiction given him of God in the Scriptures over this Realm of England than any other extern Bishop hath And in testimony and credence of this our Answer and Affirmation we have caused our common Seal to be put to these our foresaid Letters accordingly At Cambridge in our Regent House Anno Dom. 1534. The publick and general

of God is prostituted to the Abuse and Contempt of every base Villain where the Preaching of the Word and Prayer the Highest and most Sacred Ordinances of God are scorned and jeered in the presence of great Persons where all Vice and Wickedness and Filthiness are made familiar and pl●asant to the People These are the Nurs●ries of Hell and the Seed-plots of Damnation whereby most of our greatest Persons and of the Gentry are corrupted and rendred wholly useless for any worthy or noble employment in the Commonwealth they being through their influence become bruitish and without understanding worse than the Beasts that perish and viler than the Earth For the Pope knows that as Christ gathers his Kingdom here in the world of the Elect and Faithful so his Wickedness must gather his Kingdom out of th●m that perish who have made shipwrack of Faith and good Consci●nce and are throughly practised to commit all inquity with gr●ediness And now when Men are brought to this sad pass that they are of no Religion at all but are very Atheists so that they can mock at the Name of God and at his Holy Word and most Blessed Spirit then are they become sit Subjects to receive Antichrists Religion which can please them with Organs and Anthems and with Vain-Shews Ceremonies and May-Games and thereby can stifle their unquiet Consciences and He by his false Pardons and Indulgences can yet drive them more headlong into Sin bearing them in hand in the mean time that though his favour which also is to be procured by Money though they commit all these abominations they are notwithstanding in a fair way to Heaven By which Catholique Cheat of his he destroys innumerable Souls of those whom God in his just Judgment because they received not the Truth of the Gospel in the love of it hath given up to his strong delusions to believe his Lyes By these Three Means besides others things are brought to that pass that Popery is become the onely safe and thriving way and thousands of People whose Names are not Written in the Book of Life seeing safety favour and preferments attend it run headlong to it and greedily take Antichrists Mark in their Forehead and in their right hand for the sake of present security and profit not considering their latter end Yea they are become so thorough and hearty in this their new Undertaking for the Catholique Cause that through the help they have received by Money and Arms together with their strong Incouragements from Rome which is the chief Wheel in this Motion they are now ready at a Day and an Hour when the Watch-Word shall be given that I may use their own word of Mystery To begin their Heats that is to rise up and destroy all that are or are called Protestants of what Degree Condition or Sex soever by Fire and Sword and other Methods of Destruction and not to leave any of their Persons or so much as their Names if it may be to survive in this Nation This is like to be their first attempt and had been put in Execution before this if the Lord himself whose Eyes behold the Nations had not most graciously disappointed them And their second Design which stands behind the Curtain is like the first to wit if that succeed then afterwards to destroy all the English Bloud against which they have the greatest Antipathy and to plant this Land with French and other Foreigners that so they may throughly restore it to its former Popish Splendor to the great Satisfaction of all Popish Christendom Wherefore if it be possible and if it be the good Pleasure of the Lord to put a Stop and Oh that it might be a full Point and Period to these Bold Intrusions of Popery and to all the Cruel Designs in the Breast of it it was thought meet for the common utility of all Protestants and Englishmen to represent afresh unto them the Memorable Acts of Henry the VIII King of England for the extirpating the Pope and his Cursed Religion out of his Dominion And what He saw so great cause to reject and cast out as Abominable and Intollerable upon such unanswerable grounds as He expresseth sure no man that is in his right Wits and of a sound Judgment hath any just ground to endeavour to bring in again And this thou thy self whoever thou art that art either in the right Faith of a Christian or in the right Wits of a Man wilt judge if thou shalt wisely and impartially r●ad and observe what followeth King Henry VIII his Proclamation for the Abolishing the Usurped Power of the Pope as it is recorded in Fox his Book of Martyrs Fol. 335. Vol. 2. TRusty and Well-beloved We greet you well The Kings Proclam●tion against the Pope And whereas not onely upon good and just and vertuous grounds and respects edified upon the Laws of holy Scripture dy due consultation deliberation advisement and consent as well of all other our Nobles and Commons Temporal as also Spiritual assembled in our high Court of Parliament and by Authority of the same we have by good and wholsom Laws and Statutes made for this purpose extirped abolished separated and secluded out of this our Realm the Abuses of the Bishop of Rome his Authority and Iurisdiction of long time usurped as well upon us and our Realm as upon all other Kings and Princes and their Realms like as they themselves have confessed and affirmed but also for as much as our said Nobles and Commons both Spiritual and Temporal assembled in our high Court of Parliament have upon good lawful and vertuous grounds and for the publick weal of this our Realm by one whole Assent granted annexed knit and united to the Crown Imperial of the same the Title Dignity The Style of Supreme Head annexed to the Crown of England and Style of Supreme Head or Governour in earth immediately under God of the Church of England as we be and undoubtedly have hitherto been Which Title and Style both the Bishops and Elergy of this our Realm have not onely in Convocation assembled consented recognized and approved lawfully and justly to appertain unto us but also by Word Oath Profession and Writing under their Signs and Seals have confessed ratified corroborated and confirmed the same utterly renouncing all other Oaths and Obedience to any other forein Potentates and all forein Iurisdictions and Powers as well of the said Bishop of Rome as of all other whatsoever they be as by their said Professions and Writings corroborated with the Subscription of their Names and Appension of their Seals more plainly appeareth We let you to wit that calling to our remembrance the Power Charge and Commission given unto us of Almighty God and upon a vehment love and affection toward our loving and faithful Subjects perceiving right well what great rest quietness and tranquillity of Conscience and manifold other commodities might insurge and arise unto them if that the said Bishops

than he can now keep them in He is an open Enemy he dissembleth no longer provoking all men by all the means that he can to endamage us and our Country These three years he hath been occupied in no one thing so much as how he might stir up the Commons of England and corrupting some with Money some with Dignities We let pass what Letters he hath written to Christian Princes with how great fervent study he hath exhorted them to set upon us The good Vicar of Christ by his doing sheweth how he understands the words of Christ he thinketh he playeth Christ's part well when he may say as Christ did Non veni pacem mittere in terram The Pope bringeth not peace but the sword to the earth otherwise than Christ did sed gladium I come not to make peace in earth but to send swords about and not such swords as Christ would his to be armed withall but such as cruel Manquellers abuse in the slaughter of their Neighbours We marvel little though they vex'd other Princes oft seeing they recompence our favour shewed to them with contumelies our benefits with injuries We will not rehearse here how many our Benefits bestowed upon Roman Bishops be lost Benefits cast away upon the Pope God be with such ungrate Carles unworthy to be numbered amongst men Certes such that a man may well doubt whether God or Man hath better cause to hate them But that we have learned to owe good will even to them that immortally hate us what could we wish them so evil but they have deserved much worse We wish them this hurt alone that God send them a better mind God be thanked we have made all their seditious intents sooner to shew their great malice towards us than to do us much hurt yea they have well taught us evermore to take good heed to our Enemies Vndoubtedly it were good going to Mantua and to leave their Whelps among the Lambs of our Flock When we be weary of our Wealth we will even do then as they would have us now do No no as long as we shall see his heart so good towards us we trust upon his warning we shall well provide to withstand his cruel malice No let him now spend his deceits when they can hurt none but such as would deceive and are deceived They have by sundry ways made us privy how much we be bound to them It went nigh their hearts to see the judgment of July of Clement the seventh of Paul the third nothing to be regarded with us They be afraid if we should sustain no hurt because we justly rejected their Primacy that other Princes would begin to do likewise The Popes Curses not feared in England and to shake from their shoulders the heavy burthens that they so long have born against Scripture all right and reason They be sorry to see the way stopped that now their Tyranny Avarice and Pride can have no passage into England which was wont to walk to triumph to toss to trouble all men They can scarce suffer Privileges that is to say Licence to spoil our Citizens given them by our Forefathers and brought in by errorfull Custom to be taken from them They think it unlawful that we require things lawful of them that will be under no Laws They think we do them wrong because we will not suffer them to do us wrong any longer They see their Merchandize to be banished The Popes Trumpery dispa●●ned out of England to be forbidden they see that we will buy no longer Chalk for Cheese They see that they have lost a fair fleece vengeable sorry that they can dispatch no more Pardons Dispensations Totquots with the rest of their baggage and trumpery England is no more a Babe there is no man here but now he knoweth that they do foolishly that give Gold for Lead Gold given for Lead more weight of that than they receive of this they pass not though Peter and Pauls Faces be graven in the Lead to make Fools fain No we be sorry that they should abuse holy Saints Visages to the beguiling of the world Surely except God take away our right wits not onely his Authority shall be driven out for ever but his Name also shall be forgotten in England God grant We will from henceforth ask counsel from him and his when we list to be deceived when we covet to be in error when we desire to offend God Truth and Honesty If a man may guess the whole work by the foundation The Popes foundation to all deceits where Deceits beginneth the work can any other than Deceits be builded upon this foundation What can you look for in this Mantuan Council other than the oppression of Truth and true Religion If there be any thing well done think as every man doth Bishops of Rome to be accustomed to do a few things well that many evil may the better be taken at their hands The Pope doth a few things well that many evils may the bet er proceed They when they list can yield some part of their right they are content that some of their Decrees some of their Errors and Abuses be reprehended but they are never more to be feared than when they shew themselves most gentle For if they grant a few they ask many if they leave a little they will be sure of a great deal Scarce a man may know how to handle himself that he take no hurt at their hands yea when they bless him which seldom do good but for an intent to do evil Certainly come who so will to these Shops of Deceits to these Fairs of Frauds we will lose no part of our right in coming at his call The Pope ought to be called and not to call that ought to be called and not to call We will neither come at Mantua nor send thither for this matter c. And so the King proceeding in the said his Protestation declareth moreover how the Pope after he had summoned his Council first to be kept at Mantua The Pope again pro●●g●es his Council the three and twentieth day of May An. 1537 shortly after directed out another Bull to prorogate the same Council to the moneth of November pretending for his excuse that the Duke of Mantua would not suffer him to keep any Council there unless he maintained a number of Warriours for defence of the Town And therefore in his later Bu●l he prorogueth this Assembly commanding Patriarchs Archbishops Bishos Abbats and other of the Spiritualty by the vertue of Obedience and under pain of Cursing to be present but sheweth no place at all where he would be nor whither they should come And in very deed no great matter though no place were named for as good a Council no where to be called as where it could not be and as well no place served him that intended no Council as all places And to say truth

and Iurisdiction within the same as of the Supreme Head of the Church of England and shall to the uttermost of their Wit Knowledge and Learning purely syncerely and without any colour or dissimulation declare manifest and open by the space of one quarter of a year now next ensuing once every Sunday and after at the least twice every quarter of a year in their Sermons and other Collations that the Bishop of Romes Vsurped Power and Iurisdiction Against the Popes Primacy having no establishment nor ground by the Law of God was for most just causes taken away and a bolished and that therefore they owe unto him no manner of Obedience or Subjection and that the Kings Power is within his Dominion the highest Potentate and Power under God to whom all men within the same Dominion by Gods commandment owe most Loyalty and Obedience afore and above all other Potentates in earth Item Whereas certain Articles were lately devised and put forth by the Kings Highness Authority and condescended unto by the Prelats and Clergy of this his Realm in Convocation whereof part were necessary to be holden and believed for our Salvation and the other part do concern and touch certain laudable Ceremonies Rights and Vsages 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 Curats shall so open and declare in their 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 be not necessary but onely 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 the Authority of the Kings Highness in that behalf The Kings Articles to be read to the people 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 abrogating of certain superstitious Holydays according to the effect and purport of the same Articles and persuade their Parishioners to keep and observe the same inviolably as things wholsom provided decreed and established by the common Consent and publick Authority for the Commonweals commodity and profit of all this Realm Images abolished Besides this to the intent that all Superstition and Hypocrisie crept into divers mens hearts may vanish away they shall not set forth or extoll any Images Reliques or Miracles for any superstition or lucre nor allure the people by any intreatments to Pilgrimages Pilgrimages Forbidden of any Saints otherwise than is permitted in the Articles lately put forth by the Authority of the Kings Majesty and condescended unto by the Prelats 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 looked and asked for onely 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 Gods Commandments and the fulfilling of his works of Charity persuading them that they shall please God more by the true exercise of their bodily Labour Travel or Occupation and providing for their Families than if they went about to the said Pilgrimages and 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 Prayers in the Mother Tongue the Parsons Vicars and other Curats aforesaid shall diligently admonish the Fathers and Mothers Masters and Governours of Youth being within their Cure to teach or cause to be taught their Children and Servants even from their Infancy the 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 this may be the more easily done the said Curats shall in their Sermons deliberately and plainly recite of the said Pater noster Articles or Commandments one Clause or Article one day and another another day till the whole be taught and learned by little and 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 Governours do bestow their Children and Servants even from their Childhood either to Learning or to some 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 the said Fathers Mothers Masters and other Governours being under their cure and charge diligently to provide and foresee For bringing up of Youth in some Art or Occupation that the said Youth be in no manner wise kept or brought up in idleness lest at any time afterward they be driven for lack of some Mystery or 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 some to theft and murther which after brought to calamity and misery impute a great part thereof to their Friends and Governours which suffered them to be brought up so idly in their Youth where if they had been brought up and educated in some good Literature Occupation or Mystery they should being Rulers of their own Families have profited as well themselves as divers other persons to the great commodity and ornament of the Commonweal Placing of good Vicars and Curats Also that the said Parsons Vicars and other Curats shall diligently provide that the Sacraments and Sacramentals be duly and reverently ministred in their Parishes And if at any time it happen them either in any of the cases expressed in the Statutes of this Realm or of special Licence given by the Kings 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 Curat that may teach the rude and unlearned of their Cure wholsom Doctrine and reduce them to the right way that they do not erre 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 Cure or the glory of God Every Parish to provide a Bible in English Item that every Parson or Proprietary of any Parish Church within this Realm shall on this side the Feast of S. Peter ad