dignitie of your soueraigne Lord, but also bryng an inestimable weale, profite, and commoditie, vnitie and traquilitie, to all the common state of this our realme, whereunto both by the lawes of God, nature, and man, ye be vtterly bound.

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

Furthermore that no man shall cauille or surmise this fatall fall and ruine of the Pope to haue come rashly vppon the kynges owne partiall affection, or by any sensuall temeritie of a few, and not by the graue and aduised iudgement, approbation and consent generally and publickely, as well of the nobles and commons temporall, as also vpon substantiall groundes, and the very strength of truth, by the discussion & consultation of the spirituall and most learned persons in this realme: it shalbe requisite moreouer to these premisses to adioyne the wordes and testimonies also of the Byshops owne othes and profession made to the kyng, yeldyng and rendering vnto hym onely the stile of supreme head next vnder Christ, of the Church of England, all other seruice, subiection, and obedience to be geuen to any other forreine Potentate, which should be preiudiciall to the kynges hyghnes in this behalfe beyng excluded, and that both frankely & freely, of their owne voluntary motion, and also vpon the faith and fidelitie of their priesthode, as by their own wordes and hand writing may appeare, in forme as here vnder foloweth.

EGo Stephanus Wintonien. Episcopus pure, sponte, & absolute, in verbo pontifico, profiteor ac spondeo, Illustrissimæ vestræ Regiæ maiestati, singulari ac summo Domino meo, & patrono, Henrico Dei gratia Angliæ & Franciæ Regi, fidei defensori, Domino Hiberniæ, atq̀ in terris Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ supremo immediatè sub Christo capiti, quod posthac nulli externo Imperatori, Regi, Principi aut Prælato, nec Romano pontifici (quem Papam vocant) fidelitatem & obedientiā. &c.

MarginaliaThe othe of Steph. Gardiner to the kyng. I Steuen bishop of Winchester do purely of myne own voluntary accorde and absolutely, in the worde of a Bishop, professe and promise to your princely maiestie, my singulare and chiefe Lord and Patrone Henry the 8. by the grace of God king of England and of France, defendor of the faith, lord of Ireland, and in earth of the Church of England supreme head immediately vnder Christ, that from this day forward I shall swere, promise, geue, or cause to be geuen to no forein potentate, emperour, king, prince, or prelate, nor yet to the B. of Rome, whom they call Pope, any othe or feaultie directly or indirectly, eyther by worde or writing, but at all tymes and in euery case and condition I shall obserue, hold, and mainteine to all effects and intents, the quarell and cause of your royal maiestie and your successors, and to the vttermost of my power, shall defend the same against al maner of persons whom soeuer I shall know or suspect to be aduersaries to your maiestie or to your successours, & shall geue my fayth, truth, and obedience sincerelye and with my very harte, onely to your Royall maiestie, as to my supreme Prince.MarginaliaStephen Gardiner abrenounceth the Pope. I professe the Papacie of Rome not to bee ordeined of God by holy Scripture, but constantly doe affirme and openly declare and shall declare it to bee set vp onely by man, and shall cause diligently other men likewise to publishe the same. Neither shall I enter any treatie w^t any person or persons either priuely or apertly, or shall consent therto, that the Byshop of Rome shall haue or exercise here any authorite or iurisdiction, or is to be restored to any iurisdiction hereafter.

Furthermore that the sayd Byshop of Rome now beyng or any that shall succede him hereafter in the sayd Sea, is not to bee called Pope nor supreme Byshop or vniuersall Byshop, nor most holy Lord, but onely ought to be called Byshop of Rome and felow brother (as the old maner of þ^e most auncient byshops hath bene) this I shal to my power openly mainteine and defende.

Also I shall firmely obserue and cause to be obserued of other, to the vttermost of my cunning, witte, and power, al such lawes and Actes of this realme, how and what so euer, as haue bene enacted and established for the extirpation and suppression of the Papacie, and of thee authoritie, and iurisdiction of the sayde Byshop of Rome. Neither shall I appeale hereafter to the sayd Byshop of Rome, nor euer cōsent to any person, that shall appeale to hym, neither shall I attempt, prosecute or folowe any suite in the Court of Rome for any cause of right or Iustice to bee had, or shall make aunswere to anye plee or action, nor shall take vppon me the person and office either of the plaintife or defendent in the sayd Courte. And if the sayd Byshop by his messenger or by his letters shall make any meanes or signification vnto me of any matter what so euer it be, I shall with all speede & diligence make declaration and aduertisement therof, or cause the same to be signifyed, either to your princely maiestie, or to some of your secret counsail, or to your successors or any of their priuy counsell: Neither shall I sende or cause to be sende at any tyme, any writyng or messēger to þ^e sayd Byshop or to his Court without thee knowledge and consent of your maiestie or your successoures willing me to send writing or messenger vnto him. Neither shall I procure or geue counsail to any person to procure buls, brieues, or rescriptes whatsoeuer, either for me or for any other, from the said B. of Rome or his court. And if any such shall be procured against my wil and knowledge either in generall or in speciall, or els howsoeuer they shall be graunted vnto them, I shall vtter and disclose the same, and not consent therunto, nor vse them in any case, and shal cause them to be brought to your maiestie or your successors.

Furthermore for the cōfirmation hereof, I giue my faith & truth by firme promise and in the fayth of a byshop, that against this my foresaid profession, & promise made, I shal defend my selfe by no dispensation, exception, nor any remedy or cautell of law or example, during this my naturall lyfe. And if heretofore I haue done or made any protestatiō in preiudice of this my profession and promise here made: the same I do reuoke at this present and for euer hereafter, and here vtterly do renounce, by these presentes. Whereunto I haue subscribed and vnder written the name both of my selfe and of my Byshoprike, with my proper hand and therto also haue put to my seale, in perpetuall & vndoubted testimony of the promisses. Geuen the x. day of February. an. 1534. and of our soueraigne Lord K. Henry viij. 26.

Steph. Winton.

MarginaliaThe oth of Stokesley. I Iohn Bishop of London, do purely, and of myne own voluntary accord, and absolutely in the word of a bishop, professe and promise to your princely maiestie, my singular, and chiefe Lord and patrone Henry 8. by the grace of God king of England, and of Fraunce, defender of the fayth, Lorde of Ireland, and in earth of the same Church of England Supreme head immediatly vnder Christ, &c. Lyke to the othe before.

Ioan. London.

MarginaliaThe othe of Lee Archb. of Yorke. I Edward by the permission of God, Archb. of Yorke, doe purely, of myne owne voluntary accord, and absolutely, in the worde of a bishop, professe and promise to your royall Maiestie, my singular and chiefe Lorde and patrone, &c. In lyke forme to the othe before.

Edovardus Eborac.

MarginaliaThe othe of Tonstall of Duresme. I Cuthbert by the permission of God bishop of Duresme, do purely of myne owne voluntary accord, and absolutely, in the worde of a Bishop, professe and promise to your royall maiestie, my singular and chiefe Lord and patrone, &c. As before.

Per me Cutbertum Dunelm.

And so likewise all the other Byshops after the same order and forme of othe were obliged and bound to the kyng, as to their supreame hed of the Church of England immediatly vnder Christ renouncing and abiuring vtterlye and voluntarilye, the Popes too long vsurped iurisdiction in this realme: testifiing moreouer the same, both with their own hand, and also with their seale.

Besides these cōfirmations & testimonials of the bishops aforsayd, ye shall heare yet moreouer, the decree and publicke sentence of the vniuersitie of Cambridge writen likewise and subscribed & signed with the publike seale of there vniuersitie, the tenor of which their letter here followeth.

VNiuersis Sanctæ matris Ecclesiæ filijs, ad quos præsentes literæ peruenturæ sunt, cœtus omnis regentium et nō regentium Academiæ Cantabrigiensis, salutem in omniū saluatore Iesu Christo. Cū de Romani pontificis potestate. &c.