all goodes be iÌ whose handê soeuer they come And so the parliament hath full power to ordre them / so that the lawe of god be nat broken by their ordre And it is nat to thynke that the kiÌge and his lordes spyrituall teÌporall and the comeÌs that were at that parliament wolde haue ben so farre ouer seen / to haue made a statute againste the lawe of god / and if it be sayde that the tenthe parte amonge the Iewes in the olde lawe / was a lawe of god / that therfore it ought to be obserued / among cristen men as other morall lawes be Yt may be answered / that payeng of the tenth parte for tythes is no morall lawe / and therfore it cessed whan the passyon of Christe was fully preched knowen amoÌge the people as other Iudicyalles and Ceremonialles dyd And therfore if it were prohibyted / that it shulde nat herafter be lawfull for any man / to saye that the sayde statute is agaynst the lawe of god It is very like that it shuld cause great quyetnes herafter betwene the Curattes and their parysshons in many places in this realme ⣠The .ii. question the fyth cha wHether the Iuges in spryrituall courtes be bounde in any case to take knowlege of the kynges lawes / and to iuge therafter or nat The fyfth chapiter ¶ An answere to the seconde question IF any questyon or doute ryse in the spuÌall spirituall courte concerniÌg the ryght or possessyon of any teÌporal thyng / wherof they in the spyrytuall courte / after the custome of the realme maye holde ple. The iuges there are bounde to iudge the right to him that hathe right by the kynges lawes As if a man haue two sonnes / one borne before espousels / and another after and he bequeth to his sonne and heyre an hundreth pounde / they in the spyrituall courte are bounde to iuge the hundreth pouÌde to him that is heyre by the lawes of the realme Also if a man haue a porcyon of tythes in another parysshe / so longe tyme that it maketh a prescryption in the spyrytuall courte / but nat in the lawes of the realme He hath no ryght to that porcyon for lyke as a lawe made by the Clergye / that one curate shulde haue a porcyon of tythes in another parysshe were voyde So is a prescription voide that is grouÌded onely by the lawe made by the Clergye / agaynst the prescryptioÌs of the law of the realme And in the lawe of the realme there is no lesse prescryption / thaÌ fro the tyme wherof no mynde of man renneth to the contrarie Also if a man by his wyll byqueth certayne money or goodes to a monke / that by quest is voyde in the lawes of the realme And so they in the spyrituall courte oughte to iudge it ⣠The .iii. questyon the syxt cha WHether it be agaynste the lawe of god to arraigne prestes before laye meÌ or nat The .vi. cha ¶ An answere to the .iii. question AS to the very auncyeÌt grouÌdes of the comeÌ lawe of this realme prestes shulde be put to answere before the kiÌges iustyces as well in actions real and personall / As iÌ felonyes murdrers treasons / as farforth as any laye men shulde be Neuerthelesse / by a contynuall pretence that the clergy haue made that it is agaynste the lawe of god that clerkê shulde be put to answere before laye men / or their bodyes arested They haue hadde great fauoure in suche thinges / more than laye men haue had Howbeit whaÌ they haue had such fauour / they haue natte taken it as a fauoure of the kynge or his lawes but as a thiÌge whiche they ought of right to haue by the lawe of god And thervpon they haue at many parliameÌtes made pretence to haue more lybertie in that behalfe than the comen lawe custome of the realme hathe gyuen them / and more than laye men haue had And to cause the matter more playnly to appere I shall recyte soÌe statutes that haue been made in dyuers parlyamentes in tyme past / coÌcernynge the pretence of the clergye therin Fyrst in the statute of Marlebrygge in the .lii. yere of kynge Henry the thyrde It is inactyd thus If a clerke be arrested for any offence belongyng to the crowne and after by the kynges coÌmaundemente he is let to bayll or is repleuied So that they to whom he is taken to vayle shall haue hym before the kynges iustyce c. That they to whoÌ he is taken in bayle / nor his other pledges shall nat frotheÌsforth be amercyed / if they haue his body before the iustyce though he wyl nat or maye nat answere before theym / for the priuylege that he is a clerke / by which statue it appereth that before that statute clerkes were arrested for offeÌces agaynst the crowne and it appereth also that clerkes clamed their priuyleges than / as they do nowe / but the Statute doth nat afferme or alowe that they oughte to haue it For the statute was nat made to that entente / but it was made onely for the indempnytie of the pledges / that though the clerkes in such case wolde nat answer for trust of their sayd priuylege / that yet the pledges shulde bere no losse therby as some men take it that they shuld haue done by the lawe / but the priuylege of clerkes was lefte in dout as it was before And prestes were put to answere before the kynges iustyce after that statute as they were before / and so contynued the varyaunce / vntyll the treatyce of Articuli cleri was made / which as it is sayde is a statute / and was made in the .ix. yere of Kynge Edwarde the .ii. at whiche tyme the Clergye made many artycles of certayn grefes done / as they sayd to the church of Englande / wherby is vnderstande the clergye of Englande wherof one was that though a clerke ought nat as they sayde to be iuged before a seculer iudge / ne any thynge to be done agaiÌste him wherby he might come to the parell of deth Neuerthelesse / they sayde that seculer Iuges make clerkes that fle to churches and there knowlege their offences to abiure the realme / and admitte the abiuratioÌs for that cause / though thei be nat their iuges thervpon And so sayde they that there was gyuen to laye men an indyrecte power to punysshe clerkes if they come into the realme agayne To this coÌplainte the seyde treatise answereth thus / sayth A clerke fleeng to the church for felony / to haue the defence of the church / if he afferme him selfe to be a clerke shall nat be compelled to abiure the realme / but yeldynge hiÌselfe to the lawe of the realme he shall enioye the lybertie of the church / after the laudable custome of the realme vsed iÌ tyme past And it semeth that by this worde Clericus in the sayd treatyse is vnderstande only a Clerke that
that who so euer had any variaunce and wolde put it in iugement of the bysshops / that anon without doutyng it shuld be sent to the iugement of the bysshoppes yet that graunt is of none auctoritye in this realme for the kinges grace here knoweth no superiour vnder god And therfore for hiÌ lyeth no appeale And ouer that / if the kiÌges grace made such a grauÌte to his bysshops in this realme / that they might holde ple of Temporall thynges / the graunte were voyde for it were agaynst his lawes And furthermore we knowe no auctorite to proue that the seyde Emperours made the seyd grauÌt confyrmacoÌn but onely the recytall of the seyde lawe made ex de iudicus Ca nouit And that semeth nat suffycient to bynde the Emperoures / ne their successours / onles their assent could be proued by other suffyciente matters of recorde The .viii. reason ALso it is sayde Deutro xvii If any thynge be harde and doutfull to the bytwext blode and blode / cause and cause / leprye and leprye / thou seest the iugemeÌt variant bytwext the persones / thou shalt come to the prestes of the Leuytycall kynde to the iudge that shal be that tyme / which shall shewe the the truth of the iugement / and thou shalte do what so euer they that be there in the place that our lord hath chosen saye / and thou shalt folowe their sentence / and than they saye that syth prestes in the newe law be of no lese auctorytie and power thaÌ preestes of the olde lawe were c. that they ought to haue no lese auctorytye and power than the other hade / but rather more An answere to this .viii. reason ¶ It is no dout but that the offyce and ministracyon of the prestes of the newe lawe are more notable more worthy than the offyce or ministracyon of the prestê of the old law were For they were iÌ a derknesse these in the lyght They in fygure / these in truth of the thinge fygured And therfore for the highnes of their auctoritye in spuÌall spirituall thynges / the iugement orderynge of temporall thinges is the more vnconuenyente for them And for that cause it was that the apostels sayd Act. vi It is nat mete for vs to leue the worde of god and minyster to the tables And sith the appostles thought that the ministracyon to the tables / thoughe it were a right charitable dede / was vnmete for their offyce which stode specyally in preachyng and teching and in prayer and contemplacyon / and other ghostly counseyls and ministracyons to the people How far vnmete is it thaÌ to their successours to take vpon them as it were a dede of highe êfectyon / to iuge betwixt cause and cause / tytle and tytle / as well of landes tenementes / as of goodes and catales yea and somtyme of thynges concernynge the lyfe of man Therfore the same reason that is made to proue that bycause the auctorytie and power of prestes in the newe lawe / is no lesse thaÌ the auctorite and power of the prestes of the olde law was / that therfore they shulde haue as moch auctorite to iuge betwyxte blode and blode / cause and cause / leprie and leprie as the other had / maketh right strongly agaynst theÌ And further it is to be noted that in the seid texte of Deu. xvii It is nat sayde onely that the partye shall come to the prestes of the leuytycall kynde / but that he shall come also to the iudge that shall be that tyme / but whether that iudge muste be of the leuytycall kynde or nat it doth nat appere c. ⧠The .ix. reason ALso in this mater in hath beÌ sayde / that Emperours at the begynnynge had some right in the Empyre / but for their siÌne that they dyd agaynst holy sayntes / and that specyally agaiÌste the high bysshops they were depryued of the right of the Empyre / and that the right therof was translated vnto the church / for he deserueth to lese his priuilege that abuseth the power to him coÌmitted xi q. iii. Ca. priuilegium An answere to the .ix. reason ¶ Emperours had tytle to the Empyre of the immediat gyfte and ordynaunce of god long tyme before the comynge of Christ / and it appereth nat that euer Christe toke that power from them And though soÌe of them mysdemeaned themselfe agaynst holy sayntes / and that specyally against the high bisshoppes Yet why they / or their successoures shulde therfore lese the right of the Empier which was gyuen to them of god There is no reason / for though some of theÌ were euyll / the successoures might be good as vndoutedly many of theym haue ben And some tyme an euyll man is suffered of god / for the proufe of good men / ouer that admytte that they wer worthy to be depriued for their offences fro the right of the Empier Yet why that right shulde be translated to the churche / it wyll be harde to proue it by reason For as for to the lawe that is aleyed for the proufe therof that is to say .xi. q. iii. Ca. PriuilegiuÌ That he deserueth to lese his priuilege that abuseth the power to him coÌmytted / proueth nothynge that it shulde be translated to the churche / takiÌge by that terme church / the bysshops and clergye For it is no dout but that the emperours receyued nat the emprye of the Clergye / wherfore it semeth that that reason is but of lytell streÌgth to proue that both powers / that is to say spuÌal and teÌperal shulde be in the clergy ⧠The tenth reason ALso it is sayde Psal lxxi Deus iudicium tuum regida et iusticiam tuaÌ filio regis iudicare populum tuuÌ in iusticia et pauperes tuos in iudicio That is to saye / O lorde god gyue thy iugement to a kynge / and thy iustyce to the sonne of a kynge to iuge thy peple in iustyce / and thy poore folke in iugemeÌt And thaÌ this reason hath ben made thervpon / that these wordes were spoken lytterally of christ as they were in dede / as a prayer that the father of heuen wolde gyue his iugement iustyce to Christ And they saye as the trouth is / that that power was fulfylled iÌ Christ as it appereth Ioh. v. Where it is sayd Pater omne iudicium dedit filio The father hath gyuen all the iugement to his sonne And also christe sayth himself Mat. xxviii All power is gyuen to me in heuen and in erth And than this reason is made further That that power that christe had he neuer gaue to emperours or kynges / but to his discyples / whan he sayd to them QuodcuÌque liga c Wherfore bothe powers spuÌall spirituall and teÌporall syth the tyme of christe hath ben in his appostels and discyples / and in their successours An answer to this tenth reason ¶ It is no dout
And of .iiii. of the most dyscrete brethern of the sayd coueÌt Yet neuertheles / the statute is that it shal be put into the kepyng of the sayd foure brethern vnder the priuate seale of the Abbot / and so the wordes that folow after in the statute / that is to say / so that the Abbot or Prior of the house may in no wyse make a contracte or obligacyon by him selfe / be voyed and of none effecte / for natwithstandynge that the comen Seale be in the kepyng of the foure brethern vnto the priuate seale of Abbot Yet may the Abbot make a contracte or obligacyon / as well as he might haue done before the makynge of the seyde statute And so the vncertainte therof is one cause why it hath nat ben put in executyon Ther be also dyuers other statutê / whrein the miÌde and intente of the makers / were nat so playnly declared / that the iuges after the ordre of the lawe might iuge vpon them / tyll they were more plainly declared and interpreted by parlyament For none maye interpretate a statute but the parlyament onely And one of the statutes that were in themselfe vncertayn for the Iuges to iuge vpoÌ is this It was inacted in the seuenth yere of kynge Rycharde the seconde the .xv. chap That no man shulde cary / armour corne / vytayll / nor other refresshement into any party of Skotlande on payne of forfeyture c. And for bycause Berwicke which is in skot laÌde was nat excepted iÌ the statute though it were than as it is nowe in the Kynges handes yet it was thought that the goodes caried thy ther were forfeyt And the Iudges wolde nat take vpon them to enterprete the statute otherwyse than the expresse wordê of the statute warraÌted theÌ to do Wherfore in the .xv. yere of his reygne it was declared by êlyament That it was nat th entent of the seyde fyrste statute / that they that caryed anye vytayles to Berwycke shuld ronne therfore iÌto any penaltie of that fyrst statute Also a statute was made in the .viii. yere of kynge HeÌry the .vi. wherby it was ordeyned that the chusers of the knightê of the parlyamente shulde be of the same countye / haue landes to the yerely value of .xl. shyllynges ouer the reprises But the statute sayd nat expresly that the chusers shulde haue laÌdes to the yerely value of .xl shyllynges within the same shyre / wherfore som men were of an oppynyon / that if he dwelled in the same shyre and had .xl. shillynges yerely in another shyre that it sufficed / and some other thought the contrary And that lyke as the entente of the makers of the seyde Statute was that suche an elysour shulde dwell within the same shyte / that their intente was that he shulde also haue landes within the same shyre And finally the matter was shewed in the parlyament in the tenth yere of kynge Henry the syxte / where it was inacted That euery chewser of the knyghtes of the parlyamente shulde haue .xl. shillingê of freholde within the same shyere And so we thynke that one cause why the seide statute of Carleole was natte putte in executyon / was the vncertayntie of the wordes of the statute And therfore / if it were yet declared and made more certayne / we thynke it were a right good dede Another cause why the seyde statute was nat put in executyon / we suppose to be this That is to saye / that abbottes and other spiritual meÌ in tho dayes pretended that it was nat in the power of the parlyament to ordre such spyrituall matters / as they thought the kepynge of the comen seales in spyrituall houses was / that therfore / they were vnder the pretence of a more clere way in consyence encouraged the iuges to suffre the seyd statute to lye vnexecuted / and what so euer the occasyon therof was / the truth is / that the seyde statute was neuer yet put in execucyon But if the statute were playnly declared put in execucyon herafter it shulde seme to be a right expedyente acte / for the well ordringe of many relygyouse howses within this realme ¶ The .xi. questyoÌ The .xiiii. cha IF a man be accursed for dysobeyenge of any of the constytucyons prouyncyall or decres that be agaynste the kynges lawes and his prerogatyue / what daunger he renneth in by that excomunicacion The .xiiii. chapiter ¶ An answere to the .xi. questyon IF a man be accursed for dysobeynge of any of the constitucyons prouyncyall or decres / that be agaynste the kynges lawes and his prerogatyue / or for anye cause wherof the sute parteyneth to the kiÌges courte / the excommunicacyon is nat suffycyente in the lawes of the realme / ne a significauit lyeth nat in suche case if the truth of the matter appere to the kynge / and if the bysshoppe certifye the excommunicatyon to the kynge / and sheweth nat the case therof And therupon the excoÌmunicate is taken by a significauit put in prison / than he by his frendes sheweth the matter before the kyng in his Chauncery / the partye oughte therupon to be delyuered out of prison And if the bysshoppe wyll in nowyse assoyle him whan he is delyuered out of the prison he offendeth agaynst the kynge and his lawes right greuously for denyenge the absolucyon ¶ The .xii. question / The .xv. cha WHether the kynges Courte be put out of iurisdictyon for tythes by the lawe of god or by custoÌe of the realme The .xv. chapiter ¶ An answere to the .xii. question THe people be bounde by the lawe of reason and also by the lawe of god to gyue vnto theyr spirituall mynysters a suffycyente portion of their goodes to sustayne them with But that the spirituall mynysters shulde haue the .x. parte in the name of the reasonable porcion is onely by the lawe of man and by a custome of the realme And therfore if that .x. parte were nat suffycyent in any place for a reasonable sustentacion of the spirituall mynistres the people were bounde to gyue them more And yf it be to much and ouer greuous to the people / the parliament may moderate it But than though a reasonable porcyon be due to the spirituall mynystres by the law of god as is sayd before yet that the sute shal be takeÌ for that reasonable porcyon in the spirituall courte yf it be denyed is only grouÌ dyd vpon a fauour that the kyngê of this realme and the hole realme haue in tyme paste borne vnto the clergye / for though the porcyon be due by lawe of god yet it were no thynge agaynste the lawe of god though the sute for the porcyon shulde be takeÌ in the kynges courte And paraueÌture it were the more indifferent wey if it were so / for nowe they be both iudges and partyes / but as for the tenth parte it is much more stronger that the sute myght be taken in
the kynges courte with out offendyng the lawe of god and so we thynke that the kyngê courtê be put out of iurysdyccioÌ for tythes by a custome of the realme and nat by the immediat power of the lawe of god And that it is so / it maye more playnly appere thus / longe after that the kynges courtes of his Benche and Comen place / and also other inferiall courtes were put out of iurisdiccyon for tythes Yet neuertheles writtes of Scire facias were comenly sued in the Chauncerye for tythes / and the defendauntes were ther vpon put to answere / wherfore at the petycion of the clergy / and in coÌsyderation of a dysme that the clergye grauÌted to the kynge it was enacted in the parliament holden at westmÌ in the .xviii. yere of kynge Edward the .iii. the laste Chapiter that such writtê of Scire facias shulde nat fro thensforthe be graunted for tythes / that the proces than depending vpon such writtes shulde be voyde / and that the êtyes shulde be dysmyssed afore seculer iudges of suche maner of plees / sauinge to the kynge suche right as he his auncestours haue had / and of reason ought to haue / And by reason of this statute no sute maye be taken in the Chauncery for tythes / but onely by the kynges patentes / and therfore yf it were ordeyned by parlyament that the sutes for tythes shuld here after be taken in the kynges courte The parlyament ought to be obeyed therin / aswel by spirituall men as by teÌporall How be it we wyll nat fully afferme that it were good so to haue it ordered / for as longe as the spirituall iurisdyction wyll ordre the sutes therof there accordyng to right and good indyfferencye / it is sufferable that the sutes be taken there for tythes herafter as they haue ben in tymes paste But if they vse them selfe in such percyall maner / that the peple haue iust cause to complayne of the parcyalyte / thaÌ shall the parlyameÌt be bounde in conscyence to loke dylygently on the matter and to see it reformed Also it is only by the custome of the realme / that dyuers thiÌges be tryed by the spyrituall court and nat by the kynges lawes as it is of this Issue He is a monke professed or nat professed / dereyned or nat dereygned / admytted and instituted or nat admytted / able or nat able / Bygamus or nat Bygamus / playne or nat playne All these Issues and many other may somtyme be tryed by the ordynary / but âarte alway for if such maters be pleded in abatemente of the writte / or that such matters be aledged iÌ them that be straungers to the ple or if disabylyte be aleyed in one that is deed or if the ordynarye certifye that he in whom professyon is aleyed / is exeÌpted from his iurisdyction It shall be tryed euyn as the lawe is nowe / by the kinges lawes And tf it were enacted that it shulde be so in al cases / the lawe af god were nothynge offended therby Howbeit we saye nat this to thentente it shulde be so enacted / but that we thynke it conuenyent that the clergy shuld know that they haue that power by the fauour of the kyng and of his realme by reason of a specyall trust and coÌfydence that the kynges of this realme / and the hole realme haue had in the ordynaryes in tyme past But if they mysordre them selfe therin / and refuse to obeye the kynges lawes / or clayme that power onely by the lawes of god / so that it maye in no wyse be taken fro them / where it is natte so in dede Than as it semeth good charite wolde that to gyue theÌ the more occasyon of mekenes / that they shulde knowe the power of the kynge and of his parlyameÌt therin And it is no dout but that the parlyament maye with a cause take that power fro them / and might also haue done lykewyse before it was recognysed by the parlyameÌt / and by the clergye that the kynge was the heed of the church of Englande / for he was so before that recongnicion was made as all other cristen princes be in theire owne realmes ouer all their Subiectes spirituall and temporall ¶ The .xiii. question the .xvi. cha WHether the determinatioÌs vpoÌ certayn artycles here after folowyng and that be recyted in the summes called SuÌma angelica Summa rosella / stande with the lawes of the realme or nat And if nat whether any hurte maye come by them if they be suffred to contynewe any lengre or nat The .xvi. chapiter ¶ If a seculer Iuge be neclygente in doynge of Iustyce / whether a spirytual iuge may compell him to do iustyce / or to supply his rome here the cause it is said there that he may SuÌma Ro. Iudex .ii. para iiii Whether the goodes of them that minister the goodes of the churche be bounde for the churche goodes And if suche ministers doo pledge their goodê for necessyty to another whether the goodes pledged stande charged And it is sayde there that they do Ro. pignus para ii in priÌ Whether relygyouse persoÌs shall succede to their auncestours And it is answered that they shall excepte freres minours Ros religio iiii Para. xiiii Whether any gyfte betwene the husbaÌde and the wyfe may be good And it is sayd yea whaÌ the husbaÌd gyueth it causa remuÌeracionis ro in the tytle donatio i. Para. xxxii If a man do treason whether the gyfte of goodes after the treason before atteyndre be good Summa an in the tytle donacio i Para. xii And it semeth there naye And loke SuÌ an iÌ the title alienatio pa. xxiiii If a man make a wyll and enter into religton / whether he may after reuoke the wyll And it is sayd that Freres Mynours maye nat and other may SuÌ Ro. in the tytle donacio i. Para. xxxv in fine Whether all that is bought with the money of the church be the churches And it is answered ye Sum. Ro. in the tytle Ecclia i. Para. vii Whether the bysshops palayes be sent wary And it is answered yes Sum. Ro. iÌ the tytle Emunitatas .ii. Para. xxiiii Whether the dignite of a bisshop or presthod discharge bondage and it is sayd yes / but it is agreed that they ought nat to be receyued therto c. SuÌ Ro. in the tytle EpÌus in principio Whether a clerke be bouÌde to pay any imposicions or tallages for his patrymony or otherwyse SuÌ Ro. in the tytle excoÌmunicacio octaua pa. iiii v. et vi et diuisione nona Para. i. If it were ordeyned by statute that if a man sell c. that he shall giue to the kynge .ii. pence whether a clerke be bouÌde if he sell of his prebende And it is sayde nay Sum. Ro. in the tytle excoÌmunicacio i. diuisione nona Para. iii. If it be ordeyned by statute that there shall nat be layde
vpon a deed persone but such a certayne cloth or thus many tapers or candeles / whether the statute be good And it is lefte for a question SuÌ Ro. in the tytle excoÌicatio .i. diuisione .xviii. Para. viii in fine Thinges iÌmouable of the church maye nat be gyuen SuÌ Ro. in the tytle feodum Para. i. et vide ibi in principio / what feodum is To whom treasure founde belongeth And the answere therin varyeth moch fro the lawe of the realme / and is also agaynste the kyngê prerogatyue Summa Ro. in the tytle furtum Para. xi The goodes of deed men go to the heyres / and that of dampned men / and by that terme goodes they vnderstande landes tenymeÌtê SuÌ / Ro. in the tytle hereditas Para. i. If goodê be fouÌde that were lefte of the owner as forsaken who hathe right to them Sum. Ro. in the tytle inuenta Para. ii et vide Sum. Ro. in the tytle furtum Para. xvii If a man bequeth another mans good of what effecte it is SuÌ Ro. in the tytle legare para i. et .ii. If a man bequeth to his wyfe his ornamentes whiche haue certayne golde and Iuelles vpon theÌ that is nat lawfull to vse after the statutes of the countrey whether the golde Iuelles passe Ro. Legare para xiiii et xv If a maÌ bequeth to his daughter whaÌ she maryeth a certaine soÌme of money / she entreth in to relygion whether the bequeste holde Ro. in the tytle legare Para. xxvii If two haue an house in comen and one wyll sette it / and the other wyll dwell in it / who shal be preferred Ro. locatio Para. vi wherby the rent of a thiÌg set to ferme shal be released Ro. locacio pa. ix et .x. And it is sayd by tempeste and enemyes c. et vide pedagiuÌ .xviii Whether the rente shal be encreased if the thynge let be amended of it selfe Ro. locacio Para. xi et .xii. And it is saide if a myll encrease by decaye of other mylles / the reÌte shal be encreased If a prelate relygiouse without assente of the couente make a lease for terme of lyfe / or to a certayne terme / he is suspended / nought goth to the grauÌtee Ro. locacio pa. xxiiii Whether laÌdes of the church may be pledged Ro. pignus para vi Whether a prescription serueth agaynste him that hath payed a thiÌg longe without cause And it is aunswered naye Ro. pÌscripcoÌ pa. xxii Whether vpon a nude contracte may be grounded any accion And it is sayd yea Ro. êmissio pa. v. If a monke that is fugytiue / or a postata come to goodes / to whom beloÌgeth the goodes And it is said there to the monasterye Ro. religio para i. and Loke Ro. religio .iiii. para xii Whether goodes that a man gyueth to the monastary that he goth to folow him if he go to another monastery Ro. religio .iiii. Para. xi ¶ An answere to the artycles contryued in the seyd .xiii. question WE thynke that all the seyd artycles be eyther agaynst the kinges lawes / orels that they be of non auctorite in this realme And therfore whosoeuer in this realme ordre their conscyence after the determynacyons of the seyde soÌmes mencioned in the seyd .xiii. questyon / and by the auctorite of the seyd sommes we thynke they erre in conscyence And we thiÌke ferther also that it is very lyke that soÌme spirituall men in ar by tremeÌtes other couÌselles / and also in their iugementes haue ben disceyued therby in tyme past And that it is very lyke that many of them wyll be so / tyll a playne declaracyon be made therupon / accordynge to the lawes of the realme And the daunger is such / that they that gyue sentence accordynge to the seyd artycles or any other that be agaynst the lawe of the realme bynde theÌself therby to restitucoÌn nat only of the thinge in variaÌce / but also of all the costê damages that the êtye shall sustayn by occasion of the same ¶ The .xiiii. questioÌ the .xvii. cha WHat shulde cause the hyghest comeÌ welth now in these daies The .xvii. chapiter ¶ An answere to the .xiiii. questioÌ THe hyghest comeÌ welth that could be now in these dayes wer this That al kynges priÌces wolde fall to a louynge pease and concorde togyther / that they wold than consyder what highe power auctorite they haue receyued of our lorde ouer his people / how strayt accoÌpte they haue to make therfore herafter / and that they wolde thervpon with all dilygeÌce fro tyme to tyme put that power in execucyon to the honoure of god and welth of the people And that they specially by such counsell as they shall thiÌke most disposed to saye the truthe Haue this verse whiche is written Psalmo .ii. Et nunc reges intelligite erudimini qui iudicatis terraÌ And this text Rex sapiens populi stabilimentuÌ est which is Sap. ii Playnly and truly expounded and declared vnto them / and dilygently to folowe the same And certayne it is that he that sayde My delyte is to be with the sonnes of men / wolde nat haue his people lyue out of ordre / ne be blynded with darkenesse of ignorauÌce And if the seyd textes be wel vnderstande / it wyll appere therby / that the high iugemente is in princes / and that it lyeth in princes to appease all varyaunces and vnquyetnesse that shall ryse amoÌge the people / by what occasion soeuer it ryse spyrituall or temporall / and it wyll appere therby also / that the kynges grace hathe nowe no newe auctorite by that / that he is coÌfessed by the clergy / and auctorised by the parlyameÌt to be the heed of the churche of Englande For it is but only a declaracyon of his fyrst power by god commytted to kynglye regall auctorite / no newe graunte and that for all the power that he is the heed of the churche / that yet he hath none auctorite to minister any of the sacrameÌtes / ne to do any other thiÌg spyrituall / wherof oure lorde gaue power only to his apostles and discyples And bycause princes haue nat here tofore commenly ben lerned of theym selfe to knowe their owne power in all thynges to them coÌmytted by god It is therfore expedyent that they haue trewe / iuste and indyfferent counseyle / as well spyrituall as temporall / the whiche as minysters vnder them / maye fro tyme to tyme declare theire power vnto them / and put them in mynde what is expedyent to be done for the coÌmen welth settyng alway truthe before their eyen / with the faithe and obedyence that they are bounde to bere vnto their prince / specyally coÌcernynge the power and auctoritye that he hathe receyued of god / for mynistracyon of Iustyce vnto his subiectes / and for kepynge of them in peace and quyetnesse ¶ Of dyuers auctorities and reasons / wherby many