As touchynge these reseruations, prouisions, and collations, with the electiõs, of Archbishops, Bishops, beneficed men and other, wherewith the Pope vexed this realme of England, as before you haue hearde. The K. by the consent of the Lordes and commons, in the xxv. yeare of his raigne enacted: that accordyng to a statute made in þ^e 30. yere of his graūdfather Edward the first, wherin was made an Acte  

agaynst the rauanous pillage of the pope, through the same prouisions reseruations, & collations. &c. but not put in executiõ. By þ^e which prouisions, the state of the realme decreased more & more, the kings royaltie & prerogatiue greatly obscured & diminished, Innumerable treasure of the realme transported, Aliens and straungers placed in the best and fattest byshoprikes, Abbeyes, & benefices within the realme. And such, as either for theyr offices in Rome, as Cardinallshyps and such lyke could not be here resident, or if resident yet better away for causes infinitie, as partly haue been touched before: MarginaliaThe law of premunire with the penaltie therof.Not onely reuiued the sayd statute made by Edward the first his graundfather, but also inlarged the same.   Addyng thereunto very strayt & sharpe penalties agaynst the offēders therin or in any part therof, as exemption out of the kynges protection, losse of all their landes, goodes, and other possessions, and theyr bodies to be imprisoned at the kynges pleasure: And farther, who so euer was lawfully conuict, or otherwise for want of apperance by prosses directed forth, were within the lappes of this statute or premunire (for so bare the name therof) should suffer all and euery such molestation and iniuries, as men exempted the protection of the kyng. In so much, that who so euer had killed such men, had been in no more daunger of lawe therfore, then for the kyllyng of an vtlaw or one, not worthy to lyue in a common weale. Like vnprofitable members were they, then in that tyme (ye of ignoraunce) estemed in this common weale of England, as would offer them selues to the wilfull slauerie and seruile obedience of the Pope: whiche thyng in these dayes, ye and that amongest no small fooles, is counted more then Euangelicall holines. He that lyst to peruse the statute, and would see euery braunch and article thereof at large discussed and handled, with the penalties therfore due: MarginaliaThe pops primacye here in England bridled.Let him read the statute of prouision and premunire made in the 25. yeare of this kyngs dayes. And let hym read in the statutes made in the parlamentes holden the 27. yeare, and 38. yeare of his raign: And vnder the same title of prouision and premunire shall finde, the popes primacie & iurisdiction w^tin this realm more nerely touched, & much of hys Papal power restrayned: In so much, that who soeuer for any cause or controuersie in law, either spirituall or tēporal the same being determinable in any of þ^e kings courtes (as all matters were) whether they were personall or reall, citations or other: or should either appeale or consent to any appellation, to be made out of the realme to the pope or see of Rome: should incurre the sayd penaltie and daunger of premunire. Diuers other matters wherin the Pope is restrayned of his vsurped power, authoritie, and Iurisdiction, within this realme of England: are in the sayd titles and statutes expressed and at large set forthe, who euer list to peruse the same, whiche for breuities sake I omitte, hastenyng to other matters.

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MarginaliaS. Bridget.About thys tyme,  

being þ^e yeare of our Lord. 1370. lyued holy Brigit, whom the churche Rome hath canonised not onely for a saynt, but also for a prophetis: MarginaliaEx lib. reuelationū Diua Bridgitta.who notwithstanding in her booke of reuelatiõs, which hath bene oft times imprinted, was a great rebuker of the Pope, and of the filth of his clergy, calling hym a murtherer of soules, a spyller, and pyller of the flocke of Christ: more abhominable then Iewes, more crueller then Iudas: more vniust then Pilate, worsse then Lucifer hymselfe. The see of the Pope she prophesieth, shalbe throwne downe into the deepe, lyke a mylstone. And thathis assister shall burne with brimstone: Affirming that the prelates, bishops, and priestes are the cause, why the doctrine of Christ is neglected, and almost extincted. MarginaliaDa pecuniam.And that the clergy haue turned the. x. commaondements of God into two woordes, to wyt, Da pecuniam, that is, Geue money. It were long and tedious to declare all that she agaynst them writeth. MarginaliaRome a fertile grounde of weedes and cockle.Among the rest which I omit, let this suffice for all, where as the sayd Brigit affirmeth in her reuelations, that when the holye virgine should say to her sonne, how Rome was a fruitfull and fertile field: yea, sayd he, but of weedes only & cockle. &c.

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MarginaliaCatherina Senensis.To this Bridget I wyll ioyne also Catherina Senēsis, an holy virgin  

, which lyued much about the same tyme, an. 1379. Of whom writeth Antoninus. part. historiæ 3. Thys Katherine hauing the spirite of prophesye, was woont muche to complayne of the corrupt state of the church, namelye of the prelates, of the court of Rome, and of the pope: prophesieng before of the great schisme, which then folowed in the churche of Rome, and dured to the councell of Constance, the space of. xxxix. yeares. MarginaliaEx Antonino part. 3. histor.Also of the great warres and tribulation, which ensued vpon the same. And moreouer declared before and foretold, of this so excellent reformation of religion in the church now present. The words of Antoninus be these. MarginaliaThe reformation of religion prophecied of before.After this virgin in her going to Rome, had told her brother of the warres and tumultes that should ryse in the countries about Rome, after the schisme of the. 2. popes, I then curious to know of thinges to come, and knowing that she vnderstood by reuelation what should happen, demaunded of her: I pray you (good mother) sayde I, & what shall befall after these troubles in the churche of God? And she sayd: MarginaliaThe prophesye of Katherine.By these tribulations and afflictions, after a secrete maner vnknowen vnto man, God shall purge his holy church, and styrre vp the spirite of hys elect. MarginaliaNote.And after these thinges shall follow suche a reformation of the holy church of God, and such a renouation of holy pastors, that the onely cogitation and remēbraunce therof maketh my spirite to reioyce in the lord. And as I haue oft tymes told you heretofore, the spouse which now is all deformed and ragged, shall be adorned and deckt wyth moste ryche and precious ouches and brouches. And all the faythfull shall be glad and reioyce to see them selues so beutified with so holy shepheardes. Yea, and also the Infidels then allured by the swete sauour of Christ, shall returne to the catholique folld, and be conuerted to the true bishop and shepheard of theyr soules.. Geue thankes therefore to God, for after thys storme, he wyll geue to his a great calme. And after she had thus spoken, she stayed and sayd no more. &c.

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Beside these aforenamed, the Lord which neuer ceaseth to worke in hys church  

: styrred vp agaynst the malignaunt church of Rome, the spirites of diuers other good and godly teachers, as Matthias Parisiensis,MarginaliaMathias Parisiensis a wryter against the pope. a Bohemian borne   , who about the yeare of the Lorde. 1370. wrote a large booke of Antichrist, MarginaliaAntichrist already come.and proueth hym already come, and noteth the Pope to be the same. Which booke one Illiricus a wryter in these our dayes hath, and promiseth to put it in prynt   . In this booke he doth greatly inueygh agaynst the wyckednes and filthynes of the Clergy, and agaynst the neglecting of their deuty in gouerning the church. MarginaliaThe doctrine and protestation of Mathias.The Locustes mentioned in the Apocalips, he saith, be the hipocrites raigning in the church. The workes of Antichrist he sayth be these, the fables and inuentions of men raygning in the churche: the Images and fayned relickes that are worshipped euery where. Item, that men do worship euerye one hys proper saynt and sauiour beside Christ, so that euerye man and Citye almoste hath hys diuers and peculiar Christ. He taught and affirmed moreouer, that godlynes and true worship of God, are not bounde to place, persons, or tymes, to be heard more in this place, then in an other, at this tyme more then at an other. &c. He ar-

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