mation therof, and for encrease of vertue in Christes Religion within this Realme of England, and to represse and extirpe all errours, heresies, and other enormities and abuses heretofore vsed in the same: be it enacted by authoritie of this present Parlament, þ^t the kyng our soueraigne Lord, his heyres & successours, kings of this realme, shalbe taken, accepted and reputed the onely supreme head in earth of þ^e church of England, called Anglicana ecclesia, & shal haue & enioy annexed and vnited to the Imperiall crowne of this realme, as well the title and the style therof, as all honours, dignities, preeminences, iurisdictions, priuileges, authorities, immunities, profites, and commodities to the sayd dignitie of supreme head of the same Church belongyng and apperteinyng: and that our sayd soueraigne Lord, hys heires & successours, kynges of this realme, shall haue full power & authoritie from tyme to tyme, to visite, represse, redresse, reforme order, correct, restrayne, and amend all such errours, abuses, offences, contemptes and enormities, whatsoeuer they be, which by any maner of spirituall authoritie or iurisdiction ought or may lawfully be reformed, repressed, ordered, redressed, corrected, restrayned, or amended, most to the pleasure of almighty God, the encrease of vertue in Christes religiō, and for the conseruation of the peace, vnitie, and tranquility of this realme, any vsage, custome, foreine lawes, foreyne authoritie, prescription, or any thing or thinges, to the contrary hereof notwithstandyng.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaThe kinges proclamatiō agaynst the Pope. TRustie and welbeloued, we greete you well, and where as not onely vpon good and iust and vertuous groundes and respectes, edified vppon the lawes of holy Scripture, by due consultation, deliberation, aduisement and consent, aswell of all other our nobles and commons temporall, as also spirituall assembled in our hyghe Court of Parliament, and by authoritie of the same, wee haue by good and wholesome lawes and statutes made for this purpose, extirped, abolished, separated and secluded out of thys our Realme, the abuses of the Byshop of Rome, his authoritie and iurisdiction of long time vsurped, as well vpon vs and our Realme, as vpon al 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 cōmons both spirituall and temporall, assembled in our hygh Court of Parlament, haue vpon good, lawfull, and vertuous groundes, & 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 eath immediatlye vnder God of the Churche of England, as we be, and vndoubtedly haue hetherto bene, whiche title and stile both the Bishops and Clergie   of this our realme, haue not onely in cōuocation, assembled, consented, recognised, and approued lawfullye and iustly to apperteine vnto vs, but also by word, othe, profession and writing vnder their signes and 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 be, as by their sayd professions and writinges corroborated with the subscription of their names and apension of their seales more playnely appeareth: We let you wytte that callyng to our rem?braūce the power, charge, and commissiō geuen vnto vs of almighty God, and vpon a vehement loue and affection towarde our louing and faythfull subiectes, perceiuing right well what great rest, quietnes, and tranquillitie of conscience, & manyfold other commodities myght insurge and aryse vnto them, if that the sayd Byshops and other of the Clergye of this our realme, shoulde set forth, declare and preache to them the true and sincere word of God, and without all maner colour, dissimulation and hyposcrisie, manyfest 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 vniustlye hath vsurped vpon vs and our progenitours, and also other Christen Princes: haue therefore adressed our letters vnto the Bishop of the dioces straightly chargyng and commaundynge hym in the same, that not onely he in his owne proper person, shall declare, teache, and preach vnto the people forthwith vpō the receat of our said letters vnto him directed, euery Sonday and other high feastes through the yere, the true, mete, & sincere word of God, and that the same title, stile, and iurisdiction of supreme head apperteineth onely to our crowne and dignitie Royall, likewise as the sayd Byshop and al other the Bishops of our Realme, haue by othe affirmed and confirmed by subscription of their names, and settyng to their seales, but also geue warnyng, monition and charge to all maner Abbottes, Priours, Deanes, Archdeacons, Prouostes, Persons, Vicares, Curates, and all other Ecclesiasticall persons, within hys sayde diocesse, as well to teache, preache, publishe and declare in all maner Churches, our foresayde iust title, stile, and iurisdiction, euery Sonday and high feast through the yeare, & further to monish & cōmaunde all other scholemasters within hys said diocesse, to instruct and teach the same vnto the children committed vnto them, as also to cause all maner prayers, orizons, rubrickes, Canons of Masse bokes, and all other bookes in the Churches, wherein the saidMarginaliaThe Popes name and memory abolished. Byshop of Rome is named, or hys presumptuous & proud pompe and authoritie preferred, vtterly to be abolished, eradicate, and rased out, and hys name and memory to be neuer more (except to hys contumely and reproche) remembred, but perpetually suppressed and obscured: and finally, to desist and leaue out all such articles as be in the generall sentence, which is vsuallye accustomed to be read foure tymes in the yeare, and do tend to the glory and aduauncement of the bishop of Rome, his name, title, and iurisdiction.

[Back to Top]

Whereupō we esteming and reputing you to be of such singular and vehement zeale and affection toward the glorye of almightye God, and of so faythfull, louyng, and obedient hart towards vs, as ye will not onely do & accomplish with all power, wisedome, diligence and labour, whatsoeuer 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 goodwil, to amplify defend, and maintaine all such interest, right, title, stile, iurisdiction, and authoritie, as is in any wise apertaining vnto vs, our dignitie, prerogatiue, and crowne imperiall of this 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 specified: but also to require, and straightly charge and commaund you, vpon payne of your allegeance, and as ye shall auoyde our high indignation and displeasure at your vttermost perill, laying apart all vayne affections, respectes, or other carnall cōsiderations, and setting only before your eyes the mirror 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 executiō of the premisses, insue to your selfe and all other faythfull and louing subiectes, ye make or cause to be made diligēt search and waite, and especially in euery place of your shirewicke, whether the sayd Byshop do truely, sincerely, and without all maner cloke, colour, or dissimulation, execute, & accomplish our will and commaundement, as is aforesayd. And in case ye shall heare, perceiue, and approuably vnderstād, and know that the sayd Byshop or any other ecclesiasticall person within his dioces, doe omitte and leaue vndone any part or parcell of the premises, or ells in the execution and setting forth of the same, doe coldelye and faynedlye vse any maner sinister addition, wronge interpretatiō or painted 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 his dioces, contrary to the true tenour, meaning, and effecte of the sayd charge by vs to hym appointed aforesayd, ye do make indelaidly, and withall speede and diligence, declaratiō and aduertisement to vs and our counsell, of the sayd defaulte, and of the behauiour, maner, and fashion of the same.

[Back to Top]

And for as much as we vpon singular trust, and assured confidence which we haue in you, and for the speciall loue and zeale we suppose and thinke ye beare towardes vs and the publicke and common wealth, vnitie, and tranquilitie of this our realme, haue specially elected and chosen you among so many, for thys purpose, and haue reputed you such men, as vnto whose wisedome, discretion, truth, and fidelitie, we might commit a matter of such great waight, moment, and importaunce, as wherupon the vnitie and trāquilitie of our realme doth consiste, if ye should contrarye to our expectation and trust which we haue in you, and agaynst your duetie and allegeaunce towardes vs neglect or omitte to do with all your diligence and wisedome, whatsoeuer shall be in your power for the due performaunce of our minde and pleasure to you before declared in this behalfe, or halte, or stomble at any parte or specialtie of the same, be ye assured that we like a prince of iustice, wyll so extremely punish you for the same, that all the world besides, shall take by you ensample, and beware cōtrary to their allegeaunce, to disobey the lawfull commaūdement of their soueraigne Lord and prince in such thinges: as by the faythful execution wherof, ye shall not ony aduance the honor of almightie God, and set forth the maiestie and Imperiall

[Back to Top]