cōstitutions of þ^e clergy mē, here cōmeth in more to be said and noted touching þ^e foresayd Statute ex Officio to proue the same not onely to be cruell and impious but also to be of it selfe of no force and validitie for the burning of anye person for cause of Religion, for the disprofe of whiche statute we haue sufficient authoritie remayning as yet in the parliament Rolles to be seene in her maiesties Courte of Recordes: which here were to be debated at large but that vppon speciall occasiō we haue differred the ample discourse therof to the cruell persecution of the Lord Cobhame hereafter ensuing as may appeare in the defence of the sayd lord Cobham agaynst Nicholas Happesfield vnder the title and name of Alanus Copus And thus referring them for the examination of this statute to the place aforesaid, let vs now returne to Thomas Arundel, and his bloudy constitutions aboue mentioned. The stile and tenour wherof, to the intent the rigour of the same may appeare to all men I thought hereunder to adioyne, in wordes as followeth.

MarginaliaA cruell constitution by the Archb. agaynst the Gospellers with 13. articles.THomas by the permission of God, Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of all Englande, and Legate of the see Apostolicke: To all and singuler our reuerend brethren fellow Bishops, and our Suffraganes. And to Abbots, Priours, Deanes of Cathedrall Churches, Archdeacons, Prouostes and Canons: also to all persons, vicares, chaplaynes, & Clerkes in Parish Churches, and to all lay mē whome and where so euer, dwelling w^tin our prouince of Canterbury, greeting: & grace to stand firmely in the doctrine of the holy mother Church. It is a manifest & playne case: that he doth wrong and iniury to the most reuerend councell, who so reuolteth from the thinges, being in the sayd Councell once discussed and decided. And whosoeuer dare presume to dispute of the [illegible text]supreme or principall iudgment here in earth, in so doing incurreth the payne of sacrilege, according to the authoritie of ciuill wisedome and and manifest tradition of humayne law. Much more then they who trusting to theyr own wittes, are so bold to violate and with contrary doctrine to resist, and in word and deede to contemne the preceptes of lawes and Canons, rightly made and proceeding from the kaybearer and porter of eternall life and death: bearing the rowme and person, not of pure man, but of true God here in earth:MarginaliaBlasphemy, not of pure man, but of true God. which also haue bene abserued hitherto, and of þ^e holy fathers our predecessoures, vnto the glorious effusion of theyr bloud, & voluntary sprinkling out of theyr braynes:MarginaliaHee meaneth here of Thomas Becket his predecessour, who had his braynes beat out in the time of K. Hen. 2. Are worthy of greater punishmēt, deseruing quickly to be cut off, as rotten members, from the body of the Church militent.MarginaliaScripture clarkly applyed. For such ought to consider, what is in the old testament writcen: Moses and Aaron among hys Priestes, that is, were chiefe heads amongst them.MarginaliaThis geare hangeth togea. ther lyke germanes lyppes. And in the new Testament among the Apostles there was a certayne difference: And though they were all Apostles yet was it graunted of the Lord to Peter, that he should beare preeminence aboue the other Apostles: And also the Apostles themselues woulde the same, that he shoulde be the chiefetayn ouer all the rest.Marginaliaκεφας απο της κεφαλη, marke this you Grammarians. And being called Cephas, that is, head: shold be as Prince ouer the Apostles. Vnto whome it was sayd: Thou beyng once conuerted, confirme thy brethren: as though he wold say, If there happen any doubt among them, or if anye of them chaunce to erre and stray out of the way of fayth, of iust liuing, or right conuersation: Doe thou confirme and reduce him in the right way againe. Which thing no doubt the Lord would neuer haue sayd vnto him, if he had not so minded, þ^t the rest should be obedient vnto him.MarginaliaMarke well the popes diuinitie. And yet al this notwithstanding, we know and dayly proue, that we are sory to speake, howe the olde Sophister, the enemy of mankinde, (foreseeing and fearing lest þ^e sound doctrine of the church determined from ancient times by the holy forefathers: should withstand his malices, if it might keep the people of god in vnitie of faith vnder one head of þ^e church)MarginaliaAn argument far fet that true doctrine consisteth in making one head of the Church. doth therfore endeuonr by al meanes possible, to extirp the sayd doctrine, feyning vices to be vertues. And so vnder false pretences of veritie dissimuled, soweth discorde in catholike people, to the intent, þ^t some goyng one way, some an other:MarginaliaHow aptly he painteth the proceedinges of his owne popish Church He in the meane time may gather to himselfe a Church of the malignant, differing wickedly from the vniuersall mother holy church. In the which Satan transforming hymselfe into an Angell of light, bearing a lying and deceitfull ballaunce iu hys hād, pretendeth great righteousnes, in contrarying the ancient doctrine of the holye mother church, and refusing the traditions of the same determined and appoynted by holy fathers: perswading mē (by fayned forgeries) the same to be nought: and so inducing other new kindes of doctrine, leading to more goodnes, as he by his lying perswasions pretendeth, althoughhe in very truth neither willeth nor mindeth any goodnes but rather that he may sow schismes, wherby diuers opinions & contrary to themselues being raysed in þ^e Church fayth thereby may be diminished, and also the reuerend holy misteries through the same contention of words may be prophaned with Paganes, Iewes, and other infidels, and wicked miscreantes. And so that figure in the Apoc. 6.MarginaliaApoc. 6. is well verified, speaking of him that sate on the blacke horse, bearing a payre of balaunce in hys hand, by þ^e which heretiques are vnderstand. Who at the first appearaunce lyke to weightes or ballance, make as though they would set forth right and iust thinges, to allure the hartes of the hearers. But afterward, appeareth the blacke horse, that is to say, their intention, full of cursed speaking. For they vnder a diuers shew and colour of a iust ballance, with the tayle of a blacke horse sprinkling abroad heresies and erroures, do strike.MarginaliaThe figure of the black horse in the Apoc. doctorly expoūded. And beyng poysoned themselues, vnder colour of good, rayse vp inifinite slaunders, and by certayn persons fitte to doe mischiefe, do publish abroad as it were the sugred tast of hony mixt with poyson, therby the soner to be taken: working and causing through their slight and subtiltyes, that errour should be taken for veritye, wickednes for holines, and for the true will of Christ. Yea and moreouer the foresayd persons thus picked out, do preach before they be sent, and presume to sow the seede, before the seede discreetely be seperate from the chaffe. Who not pondering the constitutions and decrees of the Canons, prouided for the same purpose agaynst suche pestilent sowers, do preferre sacrifice Diabolicall (so to terme it) before obedience be geuen to the holy Church militant

We therfore considering the weying, that error which is not resisted, seemeth to be allowed, and hee that openeth hys bosome to wyde, whiche resisteth not the viper thinking there to thrust out her venome:MarginaliaBehold the true image of Wolues vnder sheepes clothing. And willing moreouer to shake off the dust from our feete, and to see to the honor of our holy mother Church, whereby one vniforme holye doctrine may be sowne and planted in the churche of God, (namely in thys our prouince of Caunterbury) so much as is vs doth lye, to the encrease of fayth and seruice of God, first rooting the euill weedes and offendicles which by the meanes of peruerse preaching, mad doctrine, haue sprong vp hitherto, and are lyke more hereafter to grow: purposing by some conuenient way with all dilligence possible to withstand them in tyme, and to prouide for the perill of soules, whiche we see to ryse vnder pretence of the premisses: also to remoue al such obstacles by which the sayd our purpose may be stopped, by the aduise and assent of all our Suffragans and other Prelates, being present in this our conuocation of the Clergie, as also of the procuratours of them that be absent: and at the instaunt petition of the procurators of the whole Clergie within this our prouince of Canterbury, for the more fortification of the common law in this part, adding thereunto punishment and penalties condigne as be here vnder written, we will and commaund ordayne and decree.

MarginaliaThe first cōstitution.That no maner of person seculer or reguler, being authorised to preach by the lawes now prescribed, or licenced by special priuiledge: shal take vpon him the office of preaching the word of God, or by any meanes preach vnto the clergy or Laitie, either within the Churche or without, in English, except he first present himselfe, and be examined of the Ordinary of the place where he preacheth. And so being found a fitte person, as well in maners as knowledge he shall be sent by the sayd Ordinary, to some one Church or more as shalbe thought expedient by the sayd Ordinary according to the quallitie of the person. Nor any person aforesayd shall presume to preach, except first he geue faythfull signification in due forme of his sending and authoritie, that is: That he that is authorised, doe come in forme appoynted him in that behalfe: and those that affirme they come by speciall priuiledge, do shew their priuiledge vnto the Parson or Vicare of the place where they preach. And those that pretend themselues to be sent by the ordinary of the place, shall likewise shew the Ordinaries letters made vnto hym for that purpose, vnder hys great seale. Let vs alwayes vnderstand, the Curate (hauing the perpetuitie) to be sent of right vnto the people of his owne cure.MarginaliaNo priestes to preach, but by limitation of the prealates. But if any person aforesayd, shalbe bidden by the ordinary of the place, or any other superiour to preach, by reason of his errors and heresies whiche before peraduenture he hath preached and taught: that then and from thēceforth, he abstayne from preaching within our prouince: vntill he haue purged hymselfe, & be lawfully admitted agayne to preach by the iust arbitrement of him that suspended and forbad him. And shall alwaies after that, cary with hym to al places wheresoeuer he shall preach, the letters testimoniall of him that restored him.