11.

PART tive, Thomam Cranmer nuper Cantuariensem archiepiscopum, fore hæresiarchum, anathematizatum, et hæreticum manifestum, propter suos varios nefandos errores manifestos et damnabiles hæreses, et detestandas et pessimas opiniones, fidei nostræ catholicæ, et universalis ecclesiæ determinationi obviantes et repugnantes: et prædict. Thomam Cranmer multis modis contract. comiss. dict. affirmat. perpetrat. et publice et pertinaciter tent. et defens. judicavit, declaravit, pronunciavit et condemnavit, et eadem causa idem sanctissimus pater noster papa Paulus quartus judicialiter et definitive, more solito, prædictum Thomam Cranmer a prædicto archiepiscopatu, aliis prælaturis, dignitatibus, officiis et beneficiis deprivavit et abjudicavit, prout cunctam inde habemus noticiam: cumq; etiam reverendus in Christo pater Edmundus Londini episcopus, et Thomas Elien.episcopus authoritate ejusdem sanctissimi nostri patris papæ prædictum Thomam Cranmer ab omni ordine, gradu, officio et dignitate ecclesiastica, tanquam hæresiarcham et hæreticum manifestum realiter degradaverunt; vigore cujus idem Thomas Cranmer in presenti hæreticus et hæresiarcha juste, legitime, et canonice judicatus, condemnatus et degradatus existit; et cum etiam mater ecclesia non habet quod ulterius in hac parte contra tam putridum et detestabile membrum et hæresiarchum faciat aut facere debeat, iidem reverendi patres eundem Thomam Cranmer damnatum hæreticum et hæresiarcham brachiis et potestati nostris secularibus tradiderunt, commiserunt et reliquerunt, prout per literas patentes eorundem reverendorum patrum superinde confect. nobis in cancellaria nostra certificatum est. Nos igitur ut zelatores justiciæ, et fidei catholicæ defensores, volentesque ecclesiam sanctam, ac jura et libertates ejusdem, et fidem catholicam manutenere et defendere, hujusmodi hæreses et errores ubique, quantum in nobis est, eradicare et extirpare, et prædictum Thomam hæresiarcham ac convictum, damnat. et degradat. animadversione condigna punire. Attendentesque hujusmodi hæretic. et hæresiarch. in forma prædicta convict. damnat. et degradat. juxta leges et consuetudines regni nostri Angliæ in hac

II.

parte consuetas ignis incendio comburi debere; vobis præ- BOOK cipimus quod dictum Thomam Cranmer, in custodia vestra existen. in loco publico et aperto, infra libertatem dictæ civitatis nostræ Oxon. ex causa prædicta, coram populo igni committi, ac ipsum Thomam Cranmer in eodem igne realiter comburi facietis, in hujusmodi criminis detestationem, aliorum Christianorum exemplum manifestum: et hoc sub pœna et periculo incumbente, ac prout nobis subinde respondere volueritis, nullatenus omittatis. Test. nobis ipsis apud Westmonasterium, vicesimo quarto Februarii, annis regis et reginæ secundo ac tertio.

And this bill, signed with the hand of us the said queen, shall be your sufficient warrant and discharge for the same.

Number 28.

A commission to Bonner, and others, to search and raze

records.

PHILIP and MARY, &c.

et 4. Phil.

par.

Mar. 12.

To the right reverend father in God, Edmond bishop of Rot. pat. 3. London; and to our trusty and well-beloved Henry Cole, et doctor of divinity, and dean of the cathedral church of St. Paul, London; and Thomas Marten esq; doctor of the civil law, greeting. Where is come to our knowledg and understanding, that in the time of the late schism, divers and sundry accompts, books, scroles, instruments, and other writings, were practised, devised, and made, concerning professions against the pope's holiness, and the see apostolick and also sundry and divers infamous scrutinies were taken in abbeys, and other religious houses, tending rather to subvert and overthrow all good religion, and religious houses, than for any truth contained therein; which writings, and other the premises, as we be informed, were delivered to the custody and charge of divers and sundry registers, and other officers and ministers of this our realm of England, to be by them kept and preserved. And minding to have the said writings, and other the premises, brought

PART to knowledg, whereby they may be considered and ordered, according to our will and pleasure. And trusting in your fidelities, wisdoms, and discretions, we have appointed, and assigned you to be our commissioners; and by these presents do give full power and authority unto you, or two of you, to call before you, or two of you, all and singular the said registers, and other officers and ministers within this our said realm, to whose hands, custody, knowledg, or possession, any of the said accompts, books, scroles, instruments, or other writings concerning the premises, or any part thereof, did, or is come; giving streight charge and commandments to them, and every of them, to bring before you, or two of you, at their several appearance, all and singular the said accompts, books, writings, and other the premises whatsoever: and them, and every of them, to charge by oath, or otherwise, to make a true certificate and delivery of all and singular the said premises, to the hands of you, or two of you; commanding you, or two of you, to attend and execute the premises, with effect, by all ways and means, according to your wisdoms and discretions.

And of all and singular your doings therein, our pleasure and commandment is, ye shall make certificate unto the most reverend father in God, and our dearest cousin Reginald Pool, lord cardinal, arch-bishop of Canterbury, metropolitan and primate of England, with diligence, to the intent that further order may be taken therein as shall appertain; charging and commanding all and singular justices of peace, mayors, sheriffs, bayliffs, constables, and all other our officers, ministers, and subjects, to be aiding, helping, assisting, and at our commandment in the due execution hereof, as they tender our pleasure, and will answer to the contrary at their perils.

In witness whereof, &c. Witness the king and queen, at Greenwich, the 29th day of December.

Per regem et reginam.

Number 29.

Cromwell's commission, to be lord vicegerent, in all eccle

siastical causes.

BOOK

II.

HENRICUS Octavus, Dei gratia, Angliæ et Franciæ, rex, Cotton lib. Cleop. F. 2. fidei defensor, dominus Hiberniæ ac in terris supremum totius ecclesiæ Anglicanæ sub Christo caput, dilectis nobis A. B. C. D. salutem. In terris, supremam ecclesiæ Anglicanæ sub Christo autoritatem, etsi regiæ nostræ dignitati, ut præcellenti, jam inde ab adepto primum divina disponente gratia, hujus regni nostri Angliæ sceptro, jure nobis competierit, nunc denuo exercere quodam modo impellimur ; nempe quum hi, qui curam illius et regimen sibi potissimum arrogabant, suis potius ipsorum privatis commodis, quam publicæ illius saluti, aut compendio consulentes, eam tandem eo calamitatis, tum nimia licentia et in officiis eis commissis oscitantia, tum suis malis exemplis devenire passi sunt, ut non ab re metuendum sit, ne illam Christus nunc suam non agnoscat sponsam. Quamobrem nostræ regiæ excellentiæ, cui prima et suprema post Deum auctoritas in quoscunq; hujus regni nostri incolas, nullo sexus, ætatis, ordinis aut conditionis habito discrimine, sacro testante eloquio, cœlitus demandata est, ex muneris hujusmodi debito potissimum incumbit, dictam ecclesiam vitiorum vepribus, quantum cum Deo possumus, purgare, et virtutum seminibus, et plantis conserere. Porro cum hi, qui in eadem de cæteris antehac censuram sibi vindicabant, de se vero nullam a quovis mortalium haberi sustinebant, tum aliis hominibus plura indies corrigenda committant, tum ex eorum corruptis moribus majori præ cæteris sunt plebi offendiculo; ut non immerito iidem et bonorum omnium, si boni, et malorum omnium, si contra certissimi sint authores: ab his igitur veluti fonte et scaturigine ad universalem hujus regni nostri et ecclesiæ Anglicanæ reformationem jure auspicandum esse duximus, haud vanam spem habentes, quod, fonte primitus purgato, purus deinde et limpidus decurret rivus. Cæterum quia ad singula hujus regni nostri loca pro præmissis exequendis nos ipsi personaliter obire non valemus, alios quorum vicaria fide freti munus hujusmodi veluti

II.

camus.

PART per ministros exequamur, qui quum vices nostras in ea parte suppleant, in partem solicitudinis adstitimus et voCum itaque nos alias prædilectum nobis Thomam Cromwell secretarium nostrum primarium, et rotulorum nostrorum magistrum sive custodem, nostrum, ad causas ecclesiasticas quascunq; nostra autoritate uti supremi capitis dictæ ecclesiæ Anglicanæ quomodolibet tractand. seu ventiland. atq; ad exercend. expediend. et exercend. omnem et omnimodam jurisdictionem, authoritatem, sive potestatem ecclesiasticam, quæ nobis tanquam supremo capiti hujusmodi competit, aut quovismodo competere possit, aut debeat, ubilibet infra regnum nostrum, Angliæ et loca quæcunq; nobis subjecta, vicem gerentem, vicarium generalem, ac commissarium specialem et principalem, cum potestate alium vel alios commissarium sive commissarios ad præmissa, vel eorum aliqua ordinanda et deputanda, per alias literas nostras patentes, sigillo nostro majori communitas, constituerimus, deputaverimus et ordinaverimus, prout ex tenore literarum nostrarum hujusmodi plenius liquet. Quia tamen et ipse nostris et totius hujus regni nostri negotiis præpeditus existit, quominus præmissa personaliter obire et exequi possit; idem Thomas Cromwell vicem gerens, vicarius generalis et officialis principalis noster hujusmodi, vos A. B. C. D. prelibatos ad infra-scripta omnia et singula vice et nomine nostris exequenda commissarios nostros deputaverit, ordinaverit et constituerit; nos igitur deputationem, ordinationem, et constitutionem hujusmodi ratam et gratam habentes, ad visitandum tam in capite quam in membris, de tam plena, quam vacante, quoties, et quando vobis opportunum visum fuerit, omnes et singulas ecclesias, etiam metropoliticas, cathedrales et collegiatas, hospitalia quæque et monasteria, tam virorum quam mulierum, prioratas, preceptorias, dignitates, officia, domos et loca alia ecclesiastica, tam scholaria quam regularia, exempta et non exempta, quæcunque infra regnum nostrum Angliæ, et provincias, civitates, terras, dominia et loca nobis subjecta, ubicunque sita seu constituta, cujuscunque dignitatis, prærogativæ, ordinis, regulæ sive conditionis existant: deque statu et