¶How some of the Clergy and theyr adherentis causeles haue sklāderously spoken agayns this noble realme of Englande and agayns dyuers of the Kynges lay subiectes / and haue prechyd & wrytyn agaynst small offē ­sys / leuyng y ^e greter offensys in the law of god vntouheyd. Ca. i.

THe grace of our lorde Ihu Chryst / the charyte of god / and the comunycacyon of y ^e holy goste / be euer with our noble Kyng with his nobles & coun­sellours and with vs all Amen.

OF late tyme aboute the begynnȳg of this presente parlyament / that was begonne the thryd day of No­vember in the .xxj. yere of the Reygne of our moste drad soueraygne lorde y ^t now is / Kyng henry the yght, defensor of our feyth / when the clergye hard tell that the greate extorcyon that they had long tyme vsed / in the wrongfull takyng of mortu­aryes / and by probate of testamentys / shulde be reformed / and more meanely qualyfyed to the greate relyfe and com­forte of all the kynges laye subyectes / Then one of theym stode vp / and sayde opynly / that it was to be feared that the comons of this realme of Englonde / be mych infected with heresye bycause they intendyd to minyshe and to plucke from [Page] the churche y ^e lybertyes of Chrystes chur­che / dredyng that thereby it myght for­tune to this realme / as lately be fell to the realme of Boeme / that was the subuercion of that same realme / But it se­myth that therin y ^e clarke there opyned his couetous stomake / then callynge theyr wrongfull exaccyōs to be the lybertyes of Christes church / nat consideryng that there be .ii. lybertyes in the churche / one that is temporall that hath be geuyn by the kyng & by his noble progenytours which may be resumed by lyke auctoryte And there is an other spirytuall lyberty that comyth only from god / that is spokē of .i. Coryn .iij. sayeng Our lorde is the spyryte / and where the spyryte of god is / there is lybertye / and that lybertye none Emperoure ne Kyng can ne may take from the churche.

¶Now although percase the sayde clerk be a famouse doctor / & precher of y ^e wor­de of god / and be also a chaste man of his body / yet it aperyth euydētly by y ^t seyeng [Page] that he is sore infected w ^t Aueryce / which is the seruytude and bondage of Idolls and is also roote of all euylls / god of his grace amend it in hym and all other / but he wolde nat there speke of y ^e volupteous conuersacion / and extorcion / and other abhomynacyōs of the clergy / that ryseth of the superfluite of theyr temporall possessions / and of the mysusyng thereof / ney­ther of the vsurpacion of theyr temporall dyngnytes and auctorytes / neyther yet of the grete and moste detestable heresye of symonye vsed and longe tyme accusto­med among theym selfys / as shall be sayde here after.

¶And also sythyn that tyme of y ^e begyn­nyng of this same forsayd presente par­lyamente it hath byn a comon sayeng of dyuerse of the clergy / that there were neuer so many herytykes in Englond / as be now at this present day / yea and also dyuerse of the lay gentlemen lerned in the comon law of this realme / and other folkes beyng of kynred or hauyng offy­ces [Page] / fees or rewardes or belyechere of the clergy / with a counterfett petye / monefully affyrme / and openly speke the­same / wherein it semyth that they be nat well circumspect in theyr sayenges / for onlese that they be able to name / and to bryng forth those persons that they speke of / and meane it by / and also that they can shew theyr opynyons / and can proue them to be heretycall / It shulde ells seme to be a greate blasphemy to the Kynges hyghnes / beyng moste catholyke and chrystyane defensor of the feyth And also to be an vnnaturall and execrable sclander to his most honorable counsel / to this his hygh courte of parlyament / and to all this noble and good catholyke realme / wherein is no lytell offence yf it be well considered. ¶And yet percase in theyr so sayng all though they mystake the lay fee therein yet regardyng the clergy in theyr sayd sayenges / they may for­tune to say more trewly therin than they be ware of / as shalbe sayd hereafter / [Page] ¶And although the heresye of dyuerse of the clergye shalbe here sum what spo­ken of / yet the good sorte of good catho­lyke and vertous clerkes be nat offēded thereby / for this wryter and compyler / euer hath sayd / and contynually wyll say with saynt Austen / O veneranda sacerdotum dignitas / in quorum manibus dei filius velud in vtero virginis incar­natur / O felices sacerdotes / si sacerdo­taliter vixeritis. &.c. yet of the voluptu­ous and heretycall sorte of the clergye it may be sayde in contrary wyse as thus / O misera et detestanda superborum / cu­pidorum / Iracūdorum / luxuriancium / gulosorum / Inuidorum / accidiosorum / voluptuosorum & hereticancium sacerdo­tum / animalis & diabolica condicio / in quorum manibus dei filius iterum quantum in vobis est) crucifigitur & morti tra­ditur / et non defensi sepulcro / (sed) fetido sterquilinio mittitur / videlicꝪ in ora et corpora sacerdotū multiphariis viciis & heresi plenorum / O infelices sacerdotes / si non [Page] sacerdotaliter vixeritis / And it is sayd Dist. xl. Ca. multi sunt. &.c. that there be many prestes / and that there be but few prestes / many in name and but few indede / and therof reade in aboke called Dextra pars oculi sacerdotis.

¶And also where some men haue lately taken greate study & pleasure / to ympung a vertuous Clerke & a good holsom pre­cher of y ^e word of god / so estemed to be in the opyniō of many good mē / & also dyuerse mē hath byn sett w ^t theyr talles in theyr handes to wryte & to marke many of his sayenges in y ^e pulpit thynkyng therby to confounde / to abiure or to brenne hym / wherein appered greate lacke of good benygnyte / & of charyte / & therby semith to appere greate plentye of craftye & ēuyoꝰ cruelnes / & also some mē wryte agaynst dyuerse good catholyke & crystyn laymē / callyng some of theym ī mockage / y ^e pacy­fyer & some other of them Euāgelyke broders / & other dyuerse names at theyr ple­sure / w ^tout any louȳg & frainall spryte of [Page] good councell / or of charytable or secrete reformacyon.

¶And also they haue taken greate study in confutyng of some other mens wry­tynges / which they thought to be erro­neous / and it semyth to them to be well­don ¶But yet percase it may be sayd to suche wryters of those thynges which be but tryfles in comparyson of other great matters that they neuer lust to speke ne to wryte of / & yet they be greate errours & comōly vsed / as Chryst sayd to y ^e pharyseys Ipocrytys / Math. xxiij. & Luc. xi. Woo be to you scrybys and pharyseys Ipocrytys / that teche to pay tythȳges of Myntys / Rwe / Annes / Cūmyn / & suche other potteherbys / and ye leue vntaught gretter thynges of more grauyte in y ^e la­we Iugment / mercy / charyte / and feyth / These thynges (sayth Chryst) must be done / and the other nat lefte vndone / suche blynde guydes spytt out a flee or gnatt / and swalow the greate Camell / and outwardely shew them selfys lyke to [Page] be Iust men / but inwardly they be full of Ipocryse and of inyquyte / Trewly ye be witnessys to your selfys (seyth Chryst) for ye be the sonnys of them that haue kylled the prophettys / and ye be (sayth Chryst) serpentes and y ^e broode or spaw­ne of venemous adders / ¶And These wordes be now here spoken and also rehersed for causes folowyng / for there be farre greater vycys and more detestable synnys / customably vsed / contrarye to the law of god / than these thynges before rehersyd / which of necessite ought to be wryten and prechyd of / And as yet belefte vnspoken / vnprechyd / and vn­wryten of / as of late season / As of Irre­gularyte of dyuerse of the clergy / sacry­lege by them vsually comytted in myse­pendynge the tythynges & oblacions of Chrystes churche / on fresshe apparell on them selfes / theyr seruantes / theyr hor­sys / mulys / and wenches / And in theyr costely byldynges and repayryng of theyr housys and the superfluous apparell of [Page] the same / with Arras and other thynges theyr wyne & pompous plate / The great expencys and coste in dayntye vytells / The vnlaufull coniuracyons vsed by frerys and other clerkes / The vsuall bre-Kyng of the .iij. essencyall vowes of rely­gyon The dylygent study of dyuerse of the clergye in y ^e sleyght of craftye hand­lyng and settynge of dyse and cardes to theintent to begyle all men that playeth with them as doctor dewys ase / byshope prymero / and such other The felonyes and murders oftyntymes conmytted by clerkys Theyr conuicciō therof / and theyr acquitall from y ^e conuycte prysone by wylfull periury of .xii. forsworne clerkys / The hauyng & mysusyng of tēporall pos­sessions of the clergy / contrary to the co­maundement of god in y ^e olde lawe / and contrarye to the example and techyng of Chryst in the newe lawe of his gospell / and cōtrary to y ^e ordynaūce of many holy canōs ī y ^e decrees / & cōtrary to y ^e wrytȳgꝭ of diuers holy doctors now saȳtes ī heuē / [Page] ¶The vsuall symonye of dyuerse of the clergy / which is moost greate and moost detestable heresy / as partly shalbe sayde hereafter / These and suche other be the greate offensys agaynst the law of god / and yet fewe or none of the comoun pre­chers / do speke agaynst any of them / ne­ther yet he nor any of them which hath taken vpon thē to wryte agaynst y ^e sayde tryfels beyng worthy to be called but trysyls in comparyson of the sayd more gre­uos offencys wryte no thyng of the fore­sayd greate and greuous offencys in the lawe / nether ons sterr theyr pennes therto.

¶Wherfore it semyth that it maybe sayd to dyuerse of the prechers and to other of the clergy & to such wryters of such lesse offencys / as Chryst sayd to the pharyseys Ipocrytys Mat. xxiii. woo be to you scrybys & pharyseys Ipocrytys which theche / preche or wryte / of / or agaynst y ^e smaller offēcys in goddes lawe / & vse your selfes to cōmytt y ^e greater offēcys / & ye neyther [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] vse to teche / to preche neyther to wryte agaynst them / which if the great mercye of god / were nat ouer vs / were myche lyke to be the cause of subuersion of this noble Realme / and of all other Regiōs where they be vsed / without correccyon God and oure noble Kyng defēsor of y ^e fayth a mende it amen.

¶Of the kynges grete benyngnyte and fauor vsyd alwey toward y ^e clergy And of theyr grete presumpcyon and cruelte shewed agaynst his grace and his lay subiectys. Ca. ij.

¶It is wryten in the holy decrees that yf any man at any tyme after his baptysme / happen to slee a pagaue / although it were in his defence / he shall neuer be Receyued into holy orders / yf he happē to take any holye orders / he shalbe put from them as it aperyth Distinci. .l. de hiis clericis / yet that natwithstādyng / it hath oftyntymes beseen that one prest [Page] hath Robbed / and wylfully murdered a good cristen man / yea and somtime one preste hath wylfully Robbed and murdered an other preste / and theruppon he hath byn attached / indyted / arayned / and conuicted / wheruppō / his ordynary hath byn redye at y ^e barre and there hath alowed and Receyuyed him for his cler­ke / contrary to the sayd canons / and thereuppon / he hath byn cōueyed to the conuycte preson / and in short tyme ther­after / he hath byn acquytt by a quest of xij. Forsworne clerkes / and after that he hath song and sayde masse at his pleasure and hathe seruyd a cure / and hathe songe trentalles for soulis / contrary to the ordyuauncis of the sayd canons / And also in the sayd / .l. Dystincion / Cap. i. expremissis & secūdo / Si lapsus / and other canons there / as Qui igi­tur / and Si quis Ep̄us / And si post ordinacionē / and other / ¶It is also there ordeyned that if any clerke at any tyme after the Receyuyng of holye orders, [Page] happen to fall in synne of the flesshe / thā he shalbe put frome all holy orders / and from mynystryng at the Aulter / & that same is affermed by saynt Gregory. xi. q̄. iii. Ip̄e ligādi / & there p̄uilegni oino / & ther by saynt Austyn Rediclin est / And suche a clerke ons deposed or disgradyd shall neuer be admytted ageyne to any holye orders / as it aperith Dist. l. Si / quis / and / qui semell / and presbiterū de quo / Suche prestis haue hadde to myche fauoure here / in this lande / of y ^e Kyng / of his lordys tēporall / and of all his laye subiectis / for godis sake / and yet they be none of goddis seruaūtes / as it aperyth in dyuers holy canons Dist. l. As is beforesaid / And also it aperyth by / christꝭ gospell Math. vij. that god vtterly Refusyth all suche clerkys / To be any of his. seruauntis / where it aperyth that suche clerkys presomtuously shall saye to god / Lorde, Lorde, haue nat we prophesied & preched in thy name / and in thy name / we haue cast out deuyles / & in thy name [Page] we haue done or made many vertues / And thē Christ shall knowlege to them / that he neuer knew theym (as to theyre saluacion) and wyll bid theym / go ye frō me all ye synners / & workers of īyquite. ¶And here ye shal ꝑceyue on y ^e one syde y ^e great superfluous fauour heretofore shewed to y ^e clergye, by y ^e Kyng / & by his noble ꝓgenytours / & by y ^e lordes and by other theyr laye subiectꝭ / and on y ^e other syde ye shall ꝑceyue the great crueltye / & ꝑcyalyte of y ^e ordynaries & of other Cler­kys of auctoryte / custumably shewed to the Kynge & to his noble ꝓgenytouris / to his lordis & to other his laye subiectis / ¶For where Clerkis many tymes by theyr euyll gouernaunce / as by theyr thefte / murder / sacrilege & other theyr gre­uous offēcys haue loste the pryuylege of theyr Clergy / as hath byn sayd before / by theyr owne law / y ^t is by many holy ca­nons in y ^e holy decrees / & by Christis gospell / yet y ^e Kyngꝭ hyghtnes / & his noble ꝓgenytourꝭ y ^e lordys / & other theyr laye [Page] subiectis haue alweys ben contented at theyr desyrys and requestys / to make statutys / in fauour of suche clerkys mur­derers and other / thynkyng thereby / to haue deserued thanke of god / and of the other good sorte of y ^e clergy / where they in recompēce of such reuerence & greate curtesy / and good fauorable humanyte shewed to them / haue alweys ī contrary wyse shewed to y ^e noble progenytourys of y ^e kyng / & to his grace / to his lordys temporall / and to all other y ^e kynges lay subiectys / all cruelty / and customable percyalyte in suche theyr auctorytes as they haue vsyd / sumetyme presomtuously and cruelly / & few tymes or neuer louyngly / nether fauorably nether yet indyfferently / as now shalbe sayd And fyrst of theyr presumpcyon.

¶Where god by y ^e mouth of the prophet Esaye .x. cursyth all them that maketh any wyked lawes / yet the prelatys and other the clergy nat dredyng that curse haue made secretely in theyr conuocaciō [Page] house / here within the Kynges realme presumtuously certeyne constituicions that they call prouyncyall / wherein ī sum case they spare nat to curse & to ēterdyte y ^e Kynges castels royall / & other honora­ble his dominyons & all the inhabytaūce therof / how noble / how good / how ver­tuous / howsyke / and how nygh the artetycle of deth so euer they be / as it appreth in the constitucions prouynciall in y ^e cha­piter / Contingit aliquando / and all that is done for mayntenaunce of theyr tem­porall possessions and of theyr temporall honourys / where it semyth y ^t none such shulde be longyng to them.

¶And here now folowith sōwhat more of the cruelte and percyalyte longe tyme shewed and contynued by the prelates and other y ^t Clergy to all y ^e Kynges laye subiectes and of the vnlawfull and par­cyall fauour borne by the sayd prelatys to the vnthryfty & cursyd sorte of the clergy In the holy decrees Dist .l. There is a lytell chapter y ^t begynyth thus / Si quis [Page] viduam / wherin it is ordeyned that yf a­ny man marye a wedow or woman lefte of an other man he shall neuer there af­ter take any holy orders / and yf he hapen to take any suche holy orders he shalbe put from them / And in the same chapiter it is ordeyned y ^t who so euer at any tyme after his baptysme be in dede / or by counsell / or in his defence / gyltye or agreable to any murder / or manslaughter / he shal neuer take holy orders / And yf he hap­pen to take any then he shallbe put from them / and he shall neuer take commu­nyō or howsyll but lyke a laye man / And also in the nexte chapiter folowyng Per­uenit ad nos There it is ordeyned that yf any clerke at any tyme after holy or­ders by hym taken / fall in lapse of y ^e fles­she he shalbe put from all holy orders & he shall neuer serue at the aulter as be­fore is sayd.

¶Now / no man can rede that euer any lay man hath byn fauoryd or dyspensed withall by his ordynary in this case / how [Page] honest / how good / and how vertuous so euer he and his wyfe or wyffys were / and yet all his doyng in that case / hath be done by y ^e law of god & of the holy church / wherin the sayd ordynaryes haue vsyd eyther to hygh Iustyce or to greate cruel­te without dyscrecyon or mercy.

¶And on y ^e other syde few men or none can tell or hath redd that euer any of the clergye comyttȳg felony wylfull murder fornycacyō adultery inceste sacrelege / or tape before takyng of holy orders / or aft takyng of them / hath at any tyme lost any orders / or y ^t he hath ben forbodyn or denayed minystraciō at the aulter at any tyme / wherin the prelates hath shewed theyr vndyscrete fauour and great per­cialyte / Therfore it were a charytable dede to make an acte of parlyament that all such vnhappy prestes whom the holy canons puttyth from mynystracyon at y ^e aulter / shulde at y ^e temporall law lose all maner of benefytes of theyr clergy / and shulde dye for felony or morder done by [Page] them for they be no clerkys ne shall ne­uer be admyttyd to theyr clergy as before is sayd. Dist. .l.

¶And although diuers prelates may percase trewly say y ^t they neuer comytted nether such presumptuous rygoure nether suche vndyscrete & ꝑeyall fauour as now hath byn spokȳ of / yet they can nat excuse them selfys / but that they know that hyt hath byn so this long tyme vsyd / and yet euery one of them sufferyth it / and ney­ther speke / neyther preche / neyther yet wryte agaynst it / wherefor it may be sayd to them as chryst sayd to y ^e phareseys Ipocrytys Math. xxiij. wo be to you. &.c.

¶And yet ouer this the sayd clergy hath made an ordynaūce and decre that who so euer teche preche or frowardly menyth contrary to any of the fore sayd decrees decretallys or ordynaunces in theyr con­stitucyons prouyncyall shallbe Iugyd an heretyke / as it aperyth in the sayd con­stytucions ꝓuyncyall titulo / de hereticis Cap. nullus quo (que) / And where the kyng [Page] of his Iustyce and gracyous fauour pro­claymyth all his Actys made in his hygh courte of parlyamente / in euery shere within this his realme / and causyth them to be in prynte bycause no man shulde be excusyd by ygnoraunte / The clergye doth in a contrary wyse / make theyr con­stycyons to be secrete from / the temporall & lay subiectes of y ^e Kyng / whereby they may daylye fall in daunger of heresye / and that Ignorantly / wherin semyth to be myche craftye cruelte

¶Of the most detestable heresye of symonye vsyd customably by them of the clergy and the most cōuenyēt order for the punyshment of the same. Cap. iij.

¶Also he that lusteth to rede in the holy decrees. i. .q̄. i. he shall there fynde a greater daūger amonge the clergy thā is yet spoken of / or moche preched / or wryten of / that is y ^t euery Symonyte is an infydele and an heretyke / and that he is [Page] no member of Chrystys church / and that he is so cursed that nothyng cā be blessed by hym / And yet moste comonly they be the gouerners and rulers of the church here in this world / yea and among ma­nye sundry kyndys of heresyes rehersyd xxiiij. q̄. iij. Quidam autē heretici / That heresy of symony is furst named as most detestable before god / yea and it is so detestable & abhomynable y ^t it can nat wel­be otherwise lykoned but to y ^e treason of Iudas y ^t solde and betrayed god / yea and yet morouer it is so detestable before god / that euery man beyng of auctoryte that knowyth it / and is nat vehemently chaufed therwith / & agaynst y ^e offēders therin is cursed with Symon Magus / which as clerkys say is dāpned in hell.

¶What prelate or other clerk of Auctoryte / can a voyde now that curse / that fell on Symon Magus / And also y ^e Clergy tell the lay men / that who so euer know any maner of person / to be an heretyk and doth nat dysclose that person / and [Page] also his heresy / he is afauorer of y ^e here­sy / and he may be thought as gyltye therin as the pryncypall heretyke / as it ap­peryth .xxiij. q̄. iij. Qui potest obuiare / & Also it is wryten Consenciētes & agen­tes pari pena punientur / And also Ioh .ij. Qui dixerit ei aue cōicat operibꝰ eius malignis Ecce predixi vobis vt in die dn̄i nō cōfundamini / Now than by the Kynges comaundement or assente It may be asked of y ^e Clergy / in theyr house of conuocacyon which and how manye of them can trewly say / that he neuer comytted that heresy of symony / nether hath consentyd therto / nether hath at any tyme knowyn one or mo clerkꝭ to haue offendyd therein / & yet he hath nat dysclosed it / It is to be thought by vehemēt suspiciō / y ^t fewe of thē can Iustely excuse thē selfys therof / And yet they be nether attached / imprysoned / examyned / abiu­red / neyther burned therfore But they be alwayes cruel on the Kynges lay sub­iectys / in arestyng thē / by force / by cruell [Page] imprysonyng of theym in theyr Darke and close prysons / where none of theyr frendes or other good charytable / and catholyke men / can be suffred to cum to theym / to see theym and to Relyefe the vnholsom diete of theym / with theyr re­fuse of a lytell colde meat / small & palled drynke / with honger thurst / and coulde / with harde lodgyng among vermyn / w ^t many subtyll and crafty opposyngys / & thretinyngꝭ for theyr lucure / yea and in abiuryng or burnyng of theym / which sūtyme skantely know what good fayth / & heresye meaneth / ¶The grace of god / and of good Kyng harry amend it / and graunte that the byll of the laye cōmons callyd the byll / ex officio may haue good furtheraunce and spede / or ells the crueltye of the clergye is lyke to encrease / & nat to be pacyfyed / for it semyth that they had as leue dye / as to forgoo any parte of theyr temporall power in suche cruell hā delynge the Kynges laye subiectys with the sworde of vengeaunce and of cruell [Page] blodeshedyng / as it apperyth in theyr aunswer to the sayd byll exofficio / alleggyng for theym this text / Non veni mit­tere pacem / (sed) gladiū / wherin they shew theyr foule Ipocrysye couered with sāctite / And vnder that name and coloure of charyte / they be cruell murderers & blode sheders / as before is sayd / It is also sayd that euery good Chyristyn man shulde rather sufferdeth than to receyue the holy sacrament of the handys of anye heretycall preest knowyngly / as it apereth / xxiiij. q̄. i. Si quis dederit.

¶Symony is comyttyd thre dyuers ways / furst by reward of the tonge / as by flateryng or fayre wordes of request / or crauynge / geuyn by your selfe or by any o­ther persone for you to y ^e entente to haue therby spūall promocyon / ye knowyng it furst or last / are bounde in medyately to resygnacyon and to restytucyon / Secondly by reward of vndewe seruyce as when ye or any other person for you do [Page] seruyes / or promyse seruice to any man to thentente to haue spyrytuall promocyon / ye that knowyng are bounde to restytu­cyon / Thrydly by reward of money or of any thyng that is money worth as yf ye or any person for you geue or ꝓmyse any sume of mony any catell or ferme any stuffe of housholde or any other thynge that is money worth / as sone as ye may haue knowlege therof / ye are bounde to resygnacyon and to restytucyon of all your profytes before reseyuyd therof / as it appreth .i. q̄. iii. Saluator predicit / and also ī destructorio vicō (rum) in the tytle and chapyter of Symony.

¶It hath byn oftentymes knowen to many men that dyuers Clerkes haue comytted and vsyd this heresye of symo­nye / But it hath nat byn myche knowyn that any of them hath truly repentyd thē therof / nether by fre resygnacyon / of theyr benefyces so symonytely gotyn / ne­ther yet by restytucyon of theyr temporall goodes simonytely and heretically gotē / [Page] nether in theyr testamētes at the poynte of deth / wherfore it is to be supposed and is myche to be fered / that all suche here­tycall clerkys haue lacked / and shall lack grace of trew repētaunce / and of satys­faccion / In confyrmacyon whereof / it is nat redd / y ^t balam / of whom it is wry­ten Nū. xxii. and deut .xxiiij. nether of Geysye of whom .iiij. regum. v. nether of Iudas y ^e traytour of whō Mat. xxvi. neyther of the fals Byshoppys scrybes & phareseys Ipocritꝭ / which bought Christ of Iudas / of whom in many placys of holy scrypture nether of Symon Magus of whō Actū. viij. All whiche were symo­nytys / byyng or sellyng spūall thȳges for tēporall rewarde / of whō it is nat fownd that euer any of thē dyd frutefull penāce but by all lykelyhod / they dyed Impeny­tente / and out of the state of grace / And here ye may marke a meruelous vsurpa­cion in the pope / for where saynt Peter neuer dyd / ne wolde assoyle Symon Magus of that detestable cryme and [Page] heresye of Symony / but suffered hym to perysh both in body and in soule / yet the pope hath vsyd to assoyle all symonyte clerkes for money / yea and also to dyspence with them / and to lycence them contynually for terme of theyr lyues / to retayne and enioye the benefycys and all the frutys and profytes of the same symonytly and heretycally gotten / with­out scrupulosyte of conscyence.

¶And yet the pope and the clergye wyll nat be contented / that the Kyngys hyghnes shall at any tyme perdone the lyfe of any lay heretycall persone / that they haue onys Iuged to the fyer or haue put from them to the lay handes / although it be euydently knowen / that the kyng hath more power ouer the bodyes of his subiectes / than the pope and all his cler­gye hath / where by it shulde seme that the pope is nat only an heretyke hym selfe / but also a customable maynteyner and vpholder of heretykes and heresies And yet herof we can here no prechyng [Page] nether see no wrytyng of late seson / but some one hath scornefully sayd / I pray you be good to the clergye / wherefore it may be sayde to many of the prechers / and to such wryters and confuters of y ^e smaller heresyes / that leuyth the greter offencys in goddys lawe as the sayde symonycall heresyes and other be / to be vnprechyd / vnwrytyn and nat cōfuted / as Christ sayd to the phareseys Ipocrytꝭ Math. xxiii. as before is wryten / wo be to you. &.c.

¶The correccion of all suche enormytes in the clergye of this realme be longyth to the kynges hyghnes as to his seculer-power / as it aperyth by dyuerse holy ca­nons y ^t is .xxiii. q̄. i. Si apud carnales. xxiii. q̄. iii. Qui pōt. xxiii. q̄. v. Sunt que dā enormia / and there de lyguribus & vene ticis / and there Regum officium est & ther / Qui malos ꝑcutit / and there Si ꝓpterea / and in manye other dyuerse placis of the holy decrees.

¶And euery man both temporall and [Page] spūall is bownde to be obedyent and to beleue in all the holye canons / and to maynteyn / nothing contrary to any of theym vppon payne of heresye as it is sayd and cōmaunded in the sayd cōstitu­cions ꝓuyncyall / Titulo de hereticꝭ Ca. Nullus quo (que) and also .xxv. q̄. i. viola­tores canonum / ¶And in cōfyrmaciō of the Kynges Auctoryte for correccion of all enormytees in the Clergye / ye may harkyn what is sayd therof Ioh. xix. Whan Christ stode before Pylate and was there vntrewly accused of treson agaynst Cesar / there Pylate sayd to Christ / knowest nat thou that I haue power to crucyfye y ^e / and also to dyscharge and to forgyue the / Chryst denayed it nat / but affermed it / saying / Thou shuldest haue no power vppon me, but yf it had be geuyn the from aboue / as from god / Harkyn also saynt Paule Ro. xiii. Wher he wylleth euery man to be obedient to the hygh power of y ^e Kyng seying lett euery man be subiect to the powers / [Page] There is no power but of god / he that resysteth power / doth resyst y ^e ordynaunce of god / And they that so resyste gere dampnacion to theym selfys / for pryncis be nat sett here in drede of anye good warke / but of euyll &.c. He berith the sword nat without cause / he is goddys mynystre and auenger wrathfullye to hym that euyll doth. &c.

And saynt Peter. i. Petri. ii. sayth Be ye subiect to euery humayne creature for god &.c. to the vengeaunce of euyll doers and to y ^e laude and prayse of good men. &.c.

¶The prechyng / wrytyng / & shewyng of theyse forsayd and other great and greuous offēsys agaynst y ^e lawe of god / And the declaraciō of y ^e Kynges power in punysshyng therof / had byn and yet wylbe moche plesant to god / And also it shuld haue bene good acceptable seruice to the Kynges hyghnes / for it shulde haue put / and yet may put his grace in good perfyte knowledge / what belōgyth [Page] for a Kyng or prynce to do herafter in all suche outrageous offēsis / yf y ^e Clergye / do nat cease ther of / And so the correcion thereof had byn / and yet may be a helpe & furtheraunce to the mayneteynaūce of the Kynges honour / and of his preroga­tyfe reyall / For by estymaciō the knowlege therof hathe byn longe tyme kepte from his grace / and from his noble pro­genytours / and from y ^e temperall lordes peeris of this Realme / wherfore in the honoure of god and for the dewtye that ye owe to the Kyng / ye prechers & wry­ters that haue herto fore prechyd / and wryten / of suche tryfyls and smaller of fensys in godys lawe as is before reher­sed / Now preche ye and wryte ye furste in reprouyng and oppressyng of these for sayde greate and detestable vycys / and that done than may ye preche and wryte of other smaller offencys at your plea­sure (quia ipsa oportet facere & illa non omittere) And so ye maye also a voyde frō your selfys y ^e greate & perelous curse [Page] that is fallen on Symon Magus / or els the foresayde holy canon. i. q̄. i. quis­quis per pecuniam / reporteth that ye be in greate daunger therof / And in so do­yng / the tyme shalbe well spente / and god and the Kynge shalbe well seruyd / and the comynaltye of this realme may be therby sett at moche rest and peace / ¶For the clergye in theyr cruell persecu­cyon of the kynges laye subiectes do all contrarye to Chrystes doynges and to his comaundementes and also contrary to y ^e holy canon. xxiiij. q̄. iii. Cap. vltimo in which holy canō is rehersed Chrystes acte and comaundement Math. xiij. Seyeng / suffyr ye as well the cokell as the good corne to growe bothe to gether tyll haruyst tyme / for drede that when ye wolde wede and plucke vp the cokell ye shall also therwith plucke vp the goode corne by the rote / And there the sayde holy canon seyth It is necessarye that some heresyes & heretykes be / And also Math. xv. where Chrystis appostolys [Page] sayd to hym / Thou knowyst that in this thy worde the pharyseys be sklanderyd / And there Chryst bade & comaunded those pharyseys to be suffred / seyyng they were blynde and leders of blynde men or of blynde thynges / And no clerk dowtyth but knowyth those pharysees to be heretykes / and yet Chryst bade suffer them / But y ^e sayd cruell sorte of the Cler­gye hath nat of late season done so / But some tyme it hath ben thought that they wold abiure a good crystyan man cause­les / as yt semyth by some persons lately beyng in theyr daunger & prison / where­fore these premyssys well consydered it shulde seme to be very necessarye coun­sell to the ordynaryes spūall and to other the Clergye / to aduyse thē / to leue theyre cruell handelyng of the kynges lay sub­iectes for such heresyes as be but small heresyes in comparysō of greter / tyl they may clere and clense theym selfys from symonye that is the gretest and moste abhomynable heresye or ells tyll they can [Page] proue by good auctoryte that symony is none heresye / for it semyth to be agreat abuse that where a prelates dewtye is to fede Chrystes flocke that is put to his kepyng with holsom doctryne / yea and to anoynte and to hele them that be infected or scabbed / louyngly with softe salnys / and nat to bete them / nether to shere or poll them / nether to slee theym in there good name / ne other wyse / but louyngly and secretely to reforme them that be in errours / lyke a good shepherd and nat to be amonge them lyke awolfe or lyke a bere / that all weyes fedyth hymselfe on y ^e flocke / and neuer cheressheth them / for to suche one it may wel be say­de ye Ipocryte and archeherytyke / yf ye lust to pyke a strawe or mote out of myne eye / furste it wylbe myche necessary / that ye drawe out the greate poste or beame from your owne eye / and so shall ye the better see to pyke the strawe or more out of myne eye.

¶And yf y ^e Clergye wyll nat be therew ^t [Page] contented / then it is to be thought that the kynges hyghnes hathe good cause to say to them / as Chryst sayd to the scrybys and pharyseys Ipocrytes as is before sayd Math. .xxiii. ye be wyttenessys to your owne selfys for ye haue wryten in your byll of answere / to the byll of com­playnte that my lay subiectes hath put to me in theyr supplycacyon agaynst you y ^e spūall ordynaryes of this my realme / cal­led the byll ex officio / that ye were neuer greuous to your bretherne / and gostly chylderne but onely to suche as were infected with the pestelent poyson of here­sye / with whom (ye saye) that ye are cō ­maunded by Chrystes gospell to haue no peace sayenge. Math. x. Non veni mit­tere pacem (sed) gladiū / And although yet as it semyth by the prosese of that chapy­ter / it is nat in tended nether mente as ye haue applyed yt / for in foure or fyue hundered placys of scrypture / god hath comaunded loue & peace / and nat stryfe warre / nether blod shedȳg / And therfor [Page] it aperyth that it may be Iustely sayd to you as Chryst sayd to y ^e pharyseis Ipocrytes in the foresayd gospell Math. xxiii. ye be the sonnes of them that slewe the prophetys / ye wyll say seyth Chryst that yf ye hadd byn offycers in that tyme whē your fathers slew the prohetꝭ that ye wolde nat haue byn theyr felowes in blode shedyng / but it is nat so / for at this day ye say ye loue your brothers / and yet ye wyll kyll them / but ye cā nat do both / and therfore Chryst calleth you in that sayde gospell / the spawne or seede of ve­nemous Adders and ye wolde blynde the people and say that therin ye esteme that ye do acceptable seruyce to god in all suche your craftye cruelte / but ye know the contrarye / though ye lust to applye and to expounde holye scrypture at your pleasure and to your wretched and syn­full appetytis / to colour and to hyde your cruelty and your Ipocrysye / And yf any of my lay subietꝭ shew to you holy scryp­ture suffycyent to confoūde your wrong [Page] applynge of scrypture / and your Iwysh fables / Anon ye say that no lay man shulde medell with holy scrypture / but therin Chryst cōfoundeth you / Luc. .xi. sayeng to you of y ^e clergy wo be to you y ^t be lerned in y ^e lawe / y ^t haue taken or borne away y ^e kaye of cūnynge / & your selfe haue nat ētred or gone ī / & ye haue forbo­den those y ^t ētred / & hereby ye thynke to coloure & to hyde your greate cruell Ipocrysy / but it is wrytē by a famous doctor in a boke called Destructoriū victorū / That by dyuers wayes a mā may know an Ipocrite / wherof one now folowyth / ¶Ccognoseuntur ipocrite ex opp̄ssione bono (rum) / Opprimunt enim bonos ꝑsequē do factis / & detrahēdo verbis / cuiusmo­di uidēt (ur) esse hoēs multi suꝑiores eccle tā seclares (quam) regulares / qui fideles & humi­les seruos xp̄i perseqūtur / id est eos incarcerādo & aliquādo comburēdo occidūt / (sed), quare hoc faciunt / Certe experientia do cente / pro eo ꝙ eorum vitam reꝓbant voluptuosam / & negligenciam reprehendunt [Page] / SꝪ o miser qui taliter agis / quare respiciendo scripturas sacras / & speciali­ter euangelia / non consideras / ꝙ ī aug mentacionem sue proprie dampnacionis ita fecerunt predecessores tui pontifices falsi / scribe & pharesei / qui de bonis ec­clesie voluptuose vixerūt / sicut tu nunc Nonne ep̄i occiderunt rp̄m / aplos & scōs martires / reputando eos hereticos ꝓeo ꝙ eorum peccā reꝓbauerunt / sic tu repu­tas eos hereticos qui tuam vitam repro­bant voluptuosam. &.c.

¶Now sythens it is suffycyently layde and prouyd to you by dyuerse greate auctorytees of y ^e holy lawe canon / that clerkes symonytes be grettest heretykes / yea and archeheretykes in cōparyson of a lay man that is an heretyke / and sythens also that the same holy law canon affermyth and declareth euery man of auctoryte that is nat vehemently chafyd and dysplesed with you for y ^t same your symony / and heresye / to be cursed with Symon Magus which all ye wyll grāte [Page] and afferme to be dampned in to hell perpetually / And also sythens it is sufficiētly prouyd by holy scrypture and also it is decreed by dyuers of the sayd holy canons before alleged / that the punysshmēt therof belongyth to me that am your kynge & gouernour / as to our seculer power / what cā ye now say but y ^t of very Iustice in goddys cause and in eschewyng / and avoydyng of that terryble curse y ^t fell on Symon magus / from which almyghtye god of his great mercy saue and defende vs / wee muste be vehementley sterede and chaufed agaynste you / and accor­dyng to your demeritis / and to your for sayd aunswere to the sayd byll ex officio / to haue no peace with you / and to say to you with criste / Math. x. Non venimittere pacem (sed) Gladium / for heryn ye be wyttenessis to your owne selfis / And so of necessite we must se you punys­shed with the sworde of sharpe execuciō / as ye haue caused other small heretykys beyng but small in cōparyson of them y ^t [Page] be gretter heretykes of late tyme to be punysshed / as with cruell arestyng you / harde impresonyng opynlye abiuryng you / and greuously amersyng you with great fynys / and with takyng from you / all that ye haue here / before symonytely and heretycally goten / and longe recey­ued / or elles with fyer consume you / yf ye luste nat to abiure / for in this case ye be wyttnessys to your selfys as before is sayd ¶And it is congruent / and well consonant and agreable to good reasō / and to all lawes of god and of man / furst to punysshe / and to confownde the greatter offenders / and archeretykys / and afterwarde the lesse / for euery bys­shop and preest heretyk maye trewly be called an Archeherytyke in comparyson of a laye heretyke / aswell for the qualy­tees and dyfference of theyr spūall dyg­nyte / as of theyr offensys / and therfore it ought aswell to be furst punysshed / as also most greuously / and most openly punysshed / wytnes of saynt Bar. sayyng / [Page] Non enim par debet esse pena / vbi disparest causa.

¶Nowe yf any clerke lust to make an­swer here to / then for the loue of god lett theyr aunswere be put in wrytyng charytably / that it may be Replyed to / yf nede be / Or elles lett theym yelde theym sel­fys gyltye therin / and put theym selfys holye to y ^e mercye & grace of the Kynges hyghnes / whiche is / and hath alweys ben / mercyfull and gracyous /