also defēd þ^e sayd partie being therin possessed, MarginaliaExcommunication abused.denoūcing þ^e sentence of excōmunication agaynst all such as shal w^tstand þ^e same: All maner of customs, or statutes to þ^e cōtrary notwithstāding, corroborated either w^t othe, or cōfirmations of the see apostolike, or by what stay or let so euer: Or whether þ^e said Frid. be not presēt to take þ^e othe accustomed to be geuē for obseruing the customes of the sayd church: Or whether it be geuen and graunted by the sayd see to the foresayd byshop, or to the chapiter of the sayd church ioyntlye & seuerallie, or to what person or persons els, þ^t no mā by compulsiō should haue admission or prouision for any person in theyr church wherby they cannot be interdicted, suspended, or excommunicate by the letters apostolicall obtayned, or to be obtained hereafter, vnder what forme of words so euer: ye although the whole tenour of the sayd indulgence be incerted word for word in the sayd your letters or by any other indulgences to what person or persons so euer, of what estate dignitie or place so euer, vnder any maner or forme of wordes graunted to to be graūted hereafter by the see apostolike: by the which indulgences the effecte of the sayd prouision may bee by any maner of wayes hindred or deferred:* Marginalia* Some thyng lacketh here in our copy.That you will cause them to be cited on our behalfe, so that they beyng cited perēptorily shall within the space of two monethes of your citacion, personally appeare before vs there accordyng to the law to make aunswere to the sayd Fridericke, vpon the premisses: Any priuilegies or indulgencies what soeuer, geuen and graūted either generally to the kingdome of England, or perculiarly to any other person of what state, degree, and place soeuer, graunted by the foresayd see, vnder what soeuer maner and forme of wordes for thē not to be called vp beyond the see, or out of their own citie or dioces by letters Apostolicall, vnder what soeuer forme of wordes obtayned, to the contrary in any wyse notwithstandyng: All whiche priuilegies and indulgences, we will in no case shall stand in any force or effect to the sayd partes. Moreouer, the day and forme of the citacion, we will that ye faythfully do intimate vnto vs by your letters contaynyng the tenor therof. MarginaliaA double commendation of B. Grostede.And if both of you cānot be present at the execution hereof, yet we will notwithstandyng that one of you do execute the same without fayle. Dated the vij. Kal. Febr. the 10. yeare of our Popedome.

As there is no mā which hath any eyes to see, but may easelie vnderstand in reading this letter of þ^e pope, how vnreasonable his request is, how impudentlye he commaundeth, how proudly he threatneth, how wickedlye he oppresseth and racketh the church of God, in placing boyes and straungers in the ministerie & cure of soules, and also in making them his prouisiours, to rauen vp the church goods: So is it no great maruel, if this godly B. Robert Grosted was offended therwith. Who in my mind, deserueth herein a double cōmendation, not only that he so wisely did discerne errour from sinceritie and truth: but also that he was so hardie and constante to stand to the defence therof agaynst the pope, according as in this his answere to the pope agayne may appeare, as followeth.

MarginaliaThe aunswer of R. Grosted to the pope.Salutem. Pleaseth your wisedome to vnderstād, that I am not disobedient to any the apostolike preceptes: but bothe deuoutlye and reuerentlye with the naturall affection of a sonne obey the same: And also am an vtter enemie to all those that resist such apostolike preceptes, as a childe zelous of his fathers honour. And truely I am no lesse then bounde therunto by the precept and cōmaundement of God. For the apostolike preceptes are none other nor can be, then the doctrine of the Apostlees, and of our Sauiour Christ being the maister and Lord of all the Apostles: whose type and person, speciallye in the consonant & vniforme hierarchie of the church, thelord pope semeth to beare (the same our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christe, saying) who soeuer is not with me, the same is agaynst me: Therfore, agaynst hym, neither is nor can be, the most diuine sanctitie of the see apostolicall. The tenour then of your foresayde Apostolicall letter is not consonant to true sanctitie but vtterly dissonaunt and disagreing to the same. Fyrst, for that vpon the clause of this your letter and many such other letters like, which clause always ye so much do vrge (Non obstante) induced and brought in vpon no necessitie of any naturall lawe to be obserued: doth swarme, and floweth wyth all inconstancie, boldnes, pertinacie, impudencie, lying & deceauing, and is also a sea of mistrust in geuing credit to no mā. Which as it swarmeth with these, so in like maner with innumerable other vices which hange and depend vpon the same: mouing and disturbing the puritie of Christiā religion and life agreable to the same, as also the publique tranquillitie of men. Moreouer, next after the sinne of Lucifer (which shall be in the latter tyme, to wit, of Antechrist the childe of perdition, whom the Lord shall destroy with þ^e breath of his mouth) there is not, nor can be any kinde of sinne so repugnant and contrarye to the doctrine of the Apostles and holy Scripture and to our sauiour Christ him selfe more hatefull, detestable and abhominable: then to destroy and kill mens soules by defrauding them of the mysterye of the pastorall office which by the ministerie of the pastorall cure ought to saue and quicken þ^e same. Which sinne, by most euident places of the Scripture such men are decerned and knowen to commit: which being in þ^e authoritie of that pastoral dignitie, doe serue their own carnal desires and necessaries, with the benefitte of the mylke and woolle of the sheepe and flocke of Christ: and do not minister the same pastorall office and charge to the benefit and saluation of those their shepe. The same therfore by the testimonie of the Scripture, is not the administration of the pastorall ministerie but the killyng and destruction of the sheepe. And that these two kinde of vices bee moste vile and wicked (although after a differyng sorte) and far excedyng all other kind of wickednes, hereby it is manifest: For that the same are directly cōtrary to two vertues most chiefly good (although differring in them selues) and vnlyke together. For that is called most wicked whiche is cōtrary to a thyng most best. So much then as lyeth in the offenders, the one of their offences is directly agaynst the deitie, whiche of him selfe is alwayes essentially and supernaturally good: The other is agaynst the deification and the Image of God in man, whiche is not alwayes but onely by the participation of Gods lightsome, grace essentially and naturally God. And for as muche, as in thinges beyng good the cause of good is better then the effect: and like as agayne in euill things, the cause of euil is worse, then the effect of euill procedyng therof: hereby it is manifest: That the inducers of such wicked destroyers of gods Image and deification in the shepe of Christ (that is the church of God) are worse then those chief destroyers to wyt Lucifer and Antechrist.

And as in these degrees of wickednes how much more excellent such be, who hauing a great charge cōmitted to them of God (to edification, and not to destructiō) are more bound to keepe away and exclude such wicked destroyers frō the church of God: MarginaliaPower geuē to masters to edification only not to destruction.So much is it also of þ^t, that this holy seat apostolical to whom the Lord Iesus Christ hath geuen all maner of power (to edification as the apostle sayth, and not to destruction) can cōmaund, or wil to go about any such thing, vrging vnto so great wickednes, so odible, detestable, and abhominable to our Lord Iesus Christ, and also so pernicious to mankinde. For this should be a great defection, corruption, and abuse of the sayd seate and fulnes of power, and an vtter seperation from the glorious throne of our Lorde