be, which by any maner of spirituall authoritie or iurisdiction ought or may lawfully bee reformed, repressed, ordered, redressed, corrected, restrayned, or amended, most to the pleasure of almightie God, the encrease of vertue in Christes Religion, and for the conseruation of the peace, vnitie, and tranquilitie of this Realme, any vsage, custome, foreine lawes, foreine authoritie, prescription, or any thyng or thynges, to the contrary hereof notwithstandyng.

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MarginaliaThe kings proclamation agaynst the pope.TRustie and welbeloued, we greete you well, and where as not onely vpon good and iust and vertuous groundes & respectes, edified vpō the lawes of holy Scripture, by due consultatiō, deliberatiō, aduisement & cōsent, aswell of all other our nobles & cōmons temporall, as also spirituall assembled in our hyghe Court of Parliament, and by authoritie of the same, we haue by good and wholesome lawes and statutes made for this purpose, extirped, abolished, separated and secluded out of this our Realme, the abuses of the Byshop of Rome, his authoritie and iurisdiction of long tyme vsurped, as well vpon vs and our Realme, as vpon all other kyngs and Princes and their Realmes (lyke as they them selues haue confessed and affirmed) but also for as much as our sayd nobles and commons, both spirituall and temporall, assembled in our hygh Court of Parlament, haue vpon good, lawfull, and vertuous groundes, and for the publicke weale of this our Realme, by one whole assent, MarginaliaThe stile of supreme head annexed to the crowne of England.graunted, annexed, knit and vnited to the crowne imperiall  

of the same, the title, dignitie, and style of supreme head or gouernour in earth immediatly vnder God of the Church of Englād, as we be, and vndoubtedly haue hetherto ben, whiche title and stile both the Bishops and Clergie   of this our realme, haue not onely in conuocation, assembled, consented, recognised, and approued lawfully and iustly to apperteine vnto vs, but also by word, othe, profession and writyng vnder their signes & seales, haue confessed, ratified, corroborated and confirmed the same, vtterly renouncyng all other othes and obedience to any other foreine Potentates, and all foreine iurisdictions and powers, as well of the sayd Byshop of Rome, as of all other whatsoeuer they bee, as by their sayd professions and writynges corroborated with the subscription of their names & appension of their seales more plainly appeareth: We let you wytte that calling to our remēbraunce the power, charge, and commission geuen vnto vs of almightie God, and vpon a vehement loue and affection toward our louyng and faythfull subiectes, perceiyng right well what great rest, quietnes, and trāquillitie of conscience, and manifold other cōmodities might insurge and aryse vnto them, if that the sayd Byshops & other of the Clergie of this our realme, should set forth, declare and preache to them the true and sincere word of God, and without all maner colour, dissimulation and hyposcrisie, manifest and publishe the great and innumerable enormities and abuses, whiche the sayd Bishop of Rome, as well in the title and stile, as also in authoritie and iurisdiction of long tyme, vnlawfully and vniustly hath vsurped vppon vs and our progenitours, and also other Christen Princes: haue therefore adressed our letters vnto the Byshop of the dioces straightly chargyng and commaundyng hym in the same, that not onely hee in his owne proper person, shall declare, teache, & preach vnto the people forthwith vppon the receate of our sayd letters vnto him directed, euery Sonday and other high feastes through the yeare, the true, mete, & sincere worde of God, and that the same title, stile, and iurisdiction of supreme head, apperteineth onely to our crowne and dignitie Royall, likewyse as the sayd Byshop and all other the Byshops of our Realme, haue by othe affirmed and confirmed by subscription of their names, and settyng to their seales, but also geue warnyng, monition & charge to all maner Abbottes, Priours, Deanes, Archdeacons, Prouostes, Persons, Vicares, Curates, and all other Ecclesiasticall persons within hys said dioces, as well to teache, preache, publishe, and declare in all maner Churches, our foresayd iust title, stile, and iurisdiction, euery Sonday and hyghe feast through the yeare, and further, to monishe and cōmaunde all other scholemasters within his said dioces, to instruct and teach the same vnto the children committed vnto them, as also to cause all maner Praiers, Orizons, Rubrickes, Canons of Masse bokes, and all other bookes in the Churches, wherein the saydMarginaliaThe popes name and memory abolished.Byshop of Rome is named, or hys presumptuous and proude pompe and authoritie preferred, vtterly to bee abolished, eradicate, and rased out, and hys name and memorye to bee neuer more (except to hys contumely and reproch) remembred, but perpetually suppressed and obscured: and finally, to desiste and leaue out all such articles as be in the generall sentence, which is vsuallye accustomed to be read foure times in the yeare, and do tend to the glorye and aduauncement of the Bishop of Rome, hys name, title, and iurisdiction.

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Wherupon we esteming & reputing you to be of such singular and vehement zeale & affection toward the glorye of almightie God, and of so faythfull, louing, & obedient hart towardes vs, as ye will not onely doe and accomplishe with all power, wisedome, diligence and labour, what soeuer should or might be to the preferment and setting forward of Gods worde, but also practise, studye, and endeuour your selfe, with all your policie, witte, power, and good will, to amplifye, defend, and maintayne all such interest, right, title, style, iurisdiction, and authoritie, as is in any wyse appertaining vnto vs, our dignitie, prerogatiue, and crowne imperiall of thys our realme, haue thought good and expedient, not only to signifye vnto you by these our letters, the particularities of the charge, monition, and commaundement geuen by vs vnto the sayd Byshop, as before is specifyed: but also to requyre, and straightly charge and commaūd you, vpon payne of your allegeaunce, and as ye shall auoyde our high indignation and displeasure at your vttermost perill, laying aparte all vayne affections, respectes, or other carnall considerations, and setting only before your eyes the mirrour of truth, the glory of God, the dignitie of your soueraigne Lord and kyng, and the great concorde and vnitie, and inestimable profite and vtilitie, that shall by the due execution of the premisses, insue to your selfe and all other faythfull and louing subiectes, ye make or cause to be made diligēt search, & waite, and especially in euery place of your shirewike, whether the sayd Byshop do truely, syncerely, and without all maner cloke, colour, or dissimulation, execute, & accomplishe our will and commaundement, as is aforesayd. And in case ye shall heare, perceaue, and approuablie vnderstand, and know that the sayd byshop or any other ecclesiasticall person within hys dioces, doe omitte and leaue vndone any part or parcell of the premisses, or ells in the execution and setting forth of the same, doe coldlye and faynedlye vse any maner sinister addition, wronge interpretation or paynted colour: then we straightlye charge and cōmaund you, that forthwith vpon any such default, negligence, or dissimulation, of the sayd byshop or any other ecclesiasticall person of hys dioces, contrary to the true tenour, meanyng, & effecte of the sayd charge by vs to hym appoynted aforesayd, ye do make indelaidly and withall speede and diligence, declaration and aduertisement to vs and our counsell, of the sayd defaulte, and of the behauiour, maner, and fashion of the same.

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And for as much as we vpon singular trust, and assured confidence which we haue in you, and for the speciall loue and zeale, which we suppose and thinke ye beare towardes vs and the publicke and cōmon wealth, vnitie, and tranquilitie of thys our realme, haue speciallye elected and chosen you amonge so many, for thys purpose, & haue reputed you such men, as vnto whose wisedome, discretion, truth, and fidelitie, we myght commit a matter of such great waight, moment, and importaunce, as wherupon the vnitie and tranquilitie of our realme doth consiste, if ye shoulde, contrarye to our expectation and trust which we haue in you, and against your duetie and allegiaunce towardes vs, neglect or omitte to doe with all your diligence and wisedome, what soeuer shall be in your power for the due performaunce of our minde and pleasure to you before declared in thys behalfe, or halte, or stomble at any parte or specialtie of the same, be ye assured that we like a prince of iustice, will so extremely punishe you for the same, þ^t all the world besides, shall take by you ensample, & beware, contrary to their allegeaunce, to disobey the lawfull cōmaundement of their soueraigne Lord & prince in such thinges: as by the faythfull execution wherof, ye shall not ony aduaunce the honour of almightie God, & set forth the maiestie & imperiall dignitie of your soueraign lord, but also bring an inestimable weale, profite, & cōmoditie, vnitie & traquilitie, to all þ^e cōmon state of this our realme, wherunto both by þ^e lawes of God, nature, & man, ye be vtterly bound.

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Geuen vnder our signet at our Pallace
of Westminster the 9. day of Iune.