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england_n	lord_n	say_a	seal_n	3,083	5	9.0207	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B21152	The increase of popery in England, since the reformation made by King Henry VIII shewing the great encouragement that priests, Jesuits, and other promoter of that bloudy religion have had from persons of power and authority, the discouragements and notorious hardships, even to silencing, and banishment from cities and corporations, that have been the portion of many able and faithful Protestant ministers, that have eminently opposed it : with an essay towards what may possibly befall the Churches of Christ from the hellish contrivances and damnable plots of Romish emissaries : with a faithful extract out of the most authentick records of the most memorable things referring to the reformation, viz. Henry VIII, his reasons given in his proclamation for taking away the Popes usurped power, his protestation against the pope, his injunctions to his clergy, Bishop St[e]phen Gardener's oath or protestation, and his reasons against the Popessupremacy in England and the publick agreement of the whole clergy of England, as confirmed and ratified in the book called the Bishops book, published in the year 1534 / by .. William Dell ...	Darrell, William, 1651-1721.	1681 (1681)	Wing D923	53,277	58

much better no place to be named than to name such as he purposed not to come to for so should he break no promise which maketh none And so going forward in his Oration toward the later end he thus inferreth by his words of Protestation saying No Princes as the● gave the Pope Primacy so they take it from him again we will the Pope and his Adherents to understand that which we have oft said and now say and ever will say He nor his hath no Authority nor Iurisdiction in England we give him no more than he hath that is never a deal That which he hath usurped against Gods Law and extorteth by violence we by good right take from him again But he and his will say we gave them a Primacy We bear them well we gave it you indeed if you have Authority upon us as long as our Consent giveth it you and you evermore will make your plea upon our Consent then let it have even an end where it began we consent no longer your Authority must needs be gone If we being deceived by false pretence of evil-alledged Scriptures gave to you that ye ought to have refused why may we not our Error now perceived and your Deceit espied take it again We Princes wrote our selves to be inferiour to Popes as long as we thought so we obeyed them as our Superiours Now we write not as we did and therefore they have no great cause to marvel if we hereafter do not as we did both the Laws Civil and also the Laws of God be on our side For a Fraeman born doth not lose his Liberty no nor hurt the plea of his Liberty though he write himself a Bondman Again if they lean to Custom Custom we send them to S. Cyprian which saith That Custom if Truth be not joyned with it is nothing but Erroris vetustas that is an old Error Christ said Ego sum via veritas vita I am the way the truth and the life he never said Ego sum consuetudo I am the Custom Wherefore seeing Custom serveth you on the one side and Scripture us on the other are ye able to match us In how many places doth Christ monish you to seek no Primacy to prefer your selves before nobody no to be obedient unto all Creatures Your old Title Servus Servorum evil agreeth your new forged Dignity The Popes Title and his Dignity agree not together But we will not tarry in matters so plain we onely desire God that Caesar and other Christian Princes would agree upon some holy Council where truth may be tried and Religion set up which hath been hurt by nothing so sore as by general not General Councils Errors and Abuses grow too fast Erudimini qui judicatis terram Get you Learning you that judge the earth and excogitate some Remedy for these so many Diseases of the sick Church They that be wisest do despair of a General Council Best that every Prince reform his own Realm and tarry not for General Councils wherefore we think it now best that every Prince call a Council Provincial and every Prince to redress his own Realm We make all men privy what we think best to be done for the redress of Religion if they like it we doubt not but they will follow it or some other better Our trust is that all Princes will so handle themselves in this behalf that Princes may enjoy their own and Priests of Rome content themselves with that they ought to have Princes as we trust will no longer nourish Wolves Whelps they will subscribe no more to Popish Pride to the Papacy c. Favour our doings O Christian Princes your Honour and ancient Majesty is restored Remember there is nothing peetaining so much to a Princes Honour as to set forth Truth and to help Religion Take you heed that their Deceits work not more mischief than your Vertue can do good and everlasting War we would all Princes had with this Papacy As for their Decrees so hearken to them that if in this Mantuan Assembly things be well done ye take them but not as authorized by them but that Truth and things that maintain Religion are to be taken at all mens hands And even as we will admit things well made so if there be any thing determined in prejudice of Truth for the maintainance of their evil grounded Primacy or that may hurt the Authority of Kings we protest unto the whole world that we neither allow it nor will at any time allow it Ye have Christian Readers our mind concerning the General Council we think you all see that Paul and his Cardinals Bishops Abbats Monks Friers with the rest of the Rabblement do nothing less intend than the Knowledge of Truth Ye see this is no time meet Mantua no place meet for a General Council and though they were both meet yet except some other call this Council you see that we neither need to come nor to send You have heard how every Prince in his own Realm may quiet things amiss If there be any of you that can shew us a better way we promise with all our hearty desire to do that that shall be thought best for the settling of Religion and that we will leave our own Advices if any man shew us better Which mind of ours we most heartily pray God that gave it us not onely to increase in us but also to send it unto all Christian Princes all Christian Prelats and all Christian People Injunctions given by King Henry VIII to the Clergy of his Realm IN the Name of God Amen In the Year of our Lord God 1536 and of the most Noble Reign of our Sovereign Lord Henry VIII King of England and of France Defender of the Faith Lord of Ireland and in the earth Supreme Head of the Church of England the twenty eighth c. I Thomas Cromwell Knight Lord Cromwell Keeper of the Privy Seal of our said Sovereign Lord the King and Vicegerent to the same for and concerning all his Iurisdiction Ecclesiastical within this Realm to the glory of Almighty God to the Kings Highness Honour the publick weal of this Realm and increase of Vertue in the same have appointed and assigned these Injunctions ensuing to be kept and observed of the Dean Parsons Vicars Curats and Stipendaries resident or having Cure of Souls or any other Spiritual Administration within this Deanry under the Pains hereafter limited and appointed THE first is that the Dean Parsons Vicars and other having Cure of Souls any where within this Deanry shall faithfully keep and observe and as far as in them may lie shall cause to be kept and observed of all other all and singular Laws and Statutes of this Realm made for the abolishing and extirpation of the Bishop of Romes pretended and usurped Power and Iurisdiction within this Realm Confirmation of the Kings Supremacy and for the establishment and confirmation of the Kings Authority

of God is prostituted to the Abuse and Contempt of every base Villain where the Preaching of the Word and Prayer the Highest and most Sacred Ordinances of God are scorned and jeered in the presence of great Persons where all Vice and Wickedness and Filthiness are made familiar and pl●asant to the People These are the Nurs●ries of Hell and the Seed-plots of Damnation whereby most of our greatest Persons and of the Gentry are corrupted and rendred wholly useless for any worthy or noble employment in the Commonwealth they being through their influence become bruitish and without understanding worse than the Beasts that perish and viler than the Earth For the Pope knows that as Christ gathers his Kingdom here in the world of the Elect and Faithful so his Wickedness must gather his Kingdom out of th●m that perish who have made shipwrack of Faith and good Consci●nce and are throughly practised to commit all inquity with gr●ediness And now when Men are brought to this sad pass that they are of no Religion at all but are very Atheists so that they can mock at the Name of God and at his Holy Word and most Blessed Spirit then are they become sit Subjects to receive Antichrists Religion which can please them with Organs and Anthems and with Vain-Shews Ceremonies and May-Games and thereby can stifle their unquiet Consciences and He by his false Pardons and Indulgences can yet drive them more headlong into Sin bearing them in hand in the mean time that though his favour which also is to be procured by Money though they commit all these abominations they are notwithstanding in a fair way to Heaven By which Catholique Cheat of his he destroys innumerable Souls of those whom God in his just Judgment because they received not the Truth of the Gospel in the love of it hath given up to his strong delusions to believe his Lyes By these Three Means besides others things are brought to that pass that Popery is become the onely safe and thriving way and thousands of People whose Names are not Written in the Book of Life seeing safety favour and preferments attend it run headlong to it and greedily take Antichrists Mark in their Forehead and in their right hand for the sake of present security and profit not considering their latter end Yea they are become so thorough and hearty in this their new Undertaking for the Catholique Cause that through the help they have received by Money and Arms together with their strong Incouragements from Rome which is the chief Wheel in this Motion they are now ready at a Day and an Hour when the Watch-Word shall be given that I may use their own word of Mystery To begin their Heats that is to rise up and destroy all that are or are called Protestants of what Degree Condition or Sex soever by Fire and Sword and other Methods of Destruction and not to leave any of their Persons or so much as their Names if it may be to survive in this Nation This is like to be their first attempt and had been put in Execution before this if the Lord himself whose Eyes behold the Nations had not most graciously disappointed them And their second Design which stands behind the Curtain is like the first to wit if that succeed then afterwards to destroy all the English Bloud against which they have the greatest Antipathy and to plant this Land with French and other Foreigners that so they may throughly restore it to its former Popish Splendor to the great Satisfaction of all Popish Christendom Wherefore if it be possible and if it be the good Pleasure of the Lord to put a Stop and Oh that it might be a full Point and Period to these Bold Intrusions of Popery and to all the Cruel Designs in the Breast of it it was thought meet for the common utility of all Protestants and Englishmen to represent afresh unto them the Memorable Acts of Henry the VIII King of England for the extirpating the Pope and his Cursed Religion out of his Dominion And what He saw so great cause to reject and cast out as Abominable and Intollerable upon such unanswerable grounds as He expresseth sure no man that is in his right Wits and of a sound Judgment hath any just ground to endeavour to bring in again And this thou thy self whoever thou art that art either in the right Faith of a Christian or in the right Wits of a Man wilt judge if thou shalt wisely and impartially r●ad and observe what followeth King Henry VIII his Proclamation for the Abolishing the Usurped Power of the Pope as it is recorded in Fox his Book of Martyrs Fol. 335. Vol. 2. TRusty and Well-beloved We greet you well The Kings Proclam●tion against the Pope And whereas not onely upon good and just and vertuous grounds and respects edified upon the Laws of holy Scripture dy due consultation deliberation advisement and consent as well of all other our Nobles and Commons Temporal as also Spiritual assembled in our high Court of Parliament and by Authority of the same we have by good and wholsom Laws and Statutes made for this purpose extirped abolished separated and secluded out of this our Realm the Abuses of the Bishop of Rome his Authority and Iurisdiction of long time usurped as well upon us and our Realm as upon all other Kings and Princes and their Realms like as they themselves have confessed and affirmed but also for as much as our said Nobles and Commons both Spiritual and Temporal assembled in our high Court of Parliament have upon good lawful and vertuous grounds and for the publick weal of this our Realm by one whole Assent granted annexed knit and united to the Crown Imperial of the same the Title Dignity The Style of Supreme Head annexed to the Crown of England and Style of Supreme Head or Governour in earth immediately under God of the Church of England as we be and undoubtedly have hitherto been Which Title and Style both the Bishops and Elergy of this our Realm have not onely in Convocation assembled consented recognized and approved lawfully and justly to appertain unto us but also by Word Oath Profession and Writing under their Signs and Seals have confessed ratified corroborated and confirmed the same utterly renouncing all other Oaths and Obedience to any other forein Potentates and all forein Iurisdictions and Powers as well of the said Bishop of Rome as of all other whatsoever they be as by their said Professions and Writings corroborated with the Subscription of their Names and Appension of their Seals more plainly appeareth We let you to wit that calling to our remembrance the Power Charge and Commission given unto us of Almighty God and upon a vehment love and affection toward our loving and faithful Subjects perceiving right well what great rest quietness and tranquillity of Conscience and manifold other commodities might insurge and arise unto them if that the said Bishops

to the King yielding and rendering unto him onely the Style of Supreme Head next under Christ of the Church of England all other Service Subjection and Obedience to be given to any other forein Potentate which should be prejudicial to the Kings Highness in this behalf being excluded and that both frankly and freely of their own voluntary motion and also upon the faith and fidelity of their Priesthood as by their own words and handwriting may appear in form as hereunder followeth The Oath of Stephen Gardener Bishop of Winchester made to King Henry VIII EGO Stephanus Wintoniensis Episcopus pure sponte The Oath of Stephen Gardener to the King absolute in verbo Pontificio profiteor ac spondeo illustrissimae vestrae Regiae Majestati singulari ac summo Domino meo Patrono Henrico Dei gratia Angliae Franciae Regi Fidei Defensori Domino Hiberniae atque in terris Ecclesiae Anglicanae Supremo immediate sub Christo Capiti quod posthac nulli externo Imperatori Regi Principi aut Praelato nec Romano Pontifiei quem Papam vocant fidelitatem obedientiam c. Translated into English thus I Stephen Bishop of Winchester do purely of mine own voluntary accord and absolutely in the word of a Bishop profess and promise to your Princely Majesty my singular and chief Lord and Patron Henry the Eighth by the grace of God King of England and of France Defender of the Faith Lord of Ireland and in earth of the Church of England Supreme Head immediately under Christ That from this day forward I shall swear promise give or cause to be given to no forein Potentate Emperour King Prince or Prelate nor yet to the Bishop of Rome whom they call Pope any Oath or Fealty directly or indirectly either by word or writing but at all times and in every case and condition I shall observe hold and maintain to all effects and intents the quarrel and cause of your Royal Majesty and your Successors and to the uttermost of my power shall defend the same against all manner of persons whomsoever I shall know or suspect to be Adversaries to your Majesty or to your Successors and shall give my faith truth and obedience syncerely and with my very heart onely to your Royal Majesty as to my Supreme Prince I profess the Papacy of Rome not to be ordained of God by holy Scripture Stephen Gardener abrenounceth the Pope but constantly do affirm and openly declare and shall declare it to be set up onely by Man and shall cause diligently other men likewise to publish the same Neither shall I enter any Treaty with any person or persons either privily or apertly or shall consent thereto that the Bishop of Rome shall have or exercise here any Authority or Iurisdiction or is to be restored to any Iurisdiction hereafter Furthermore that the said Bishop of Rome now being or any that shall succ●ed him hereafter in the said See is not to be called Pope nor Supreme Bishop or Vniversal Bishop nor most holy Lord but onely ought to be called Bishop of Rome and Fellow Brother as the old manner of the most ancient Bishops hath been This I shall to my power openly maintain and defend And I shall firmly observe and cause to be observed of other to the uttermost of my cunning wit and power all such Laws and Acts of this Realm how and whatsoever as have been enacted and established for the extirpation and suppression of the Papacy and of the Authority and Iurisdiction of the said Bishop of Rome Neither shall I appeal hereafter to the said Bishop of Rome nor ever consent to any person that shall appeal to him neither shall I attempt prosecute or follow any Suit in the Court of Rome for any cause of right or justice to be had or shall make answer to any Plea or Action nor shall take upon me the person and office either of the Plaintiff or Defendent in the said Court And if the said Bishop by his Messenger or by his Letters shall make any means or signification unto me of any matter whatsoeuer it be I shall with all speed and diligence make declaration and advertisement thereof or cause the same to be signified either to your Princely Majesty or to some of your secret Council or to your Successors or any of their privy Council Neither shall I send or cause to be sent at any time any writing or messenger to the said Bishop or to his Court without the knowledge or consent of your Majesty or your Successors willing me to send writing or messenger unto him Neither shall I procure or give counsel to any person to procure Bulls Briefs or Rescripts whatsoever either for me or for any other from the said Bishop of Rome or his Court. And if any such shall be procured against my will and knowledge either in general or in special or else howsoever they shall be granted unto them I shall utter and disclose the same and not consent thereunto nor use them in any case and shall cause them to be brought to your Majesty or your Successors Furthermore for the confirmation hereof I give my faith and truth by firm promise and in the faith of a Bishop that against this my foresaid Profession and Promise made I shall defend my self by no Dispensation Exception nor any remedy or cautel of Law or Example during this my natural life And if heretofore I have done or made any Protestation in prejudice of this my Profession and Promise here made the same I do revoke at this present and for ever hereafter and here utterly do renounce by these presents Whereunto I have subscribed and underwritten the name both of my self and of my Bishoprick with my proper hand and thereto also have put to my Seal in perpetual and undoubted testimony of the premisses Given the tenth day of February Anno 1534 and of our Sovereign Lord King Henry the eight twenty six Stephanus Wintoniensis The same Bishop of Winchester's Reasons against the Pope's Supremacy MOreover the said Gardener in the forenamed Book De vera Obedientia what Constancy he pretendeth Steph. Wint. a Lutheran in his Book De vera obedientia what Arguments he inferreth how earnestly and pithily he disputeth on the Kings side against the Vsurped State of the Bishop of Romes Authority by the words of his Book it may appear whereof a brief Collection here followeth IN the process of his foresaid Book The Sword of the Church how far it extendeth he alledging the old distinction of the Papists wherein they give to the Prince the Regiment of things Temporal and to the Church of things Spiritual comparing the one to the greater Light the other to the lesser Light he confuteth and derideth the same distinction declaring the Sword of the Church to extend no further than to Teaching and Excommunication and referreth all preheminence to the Sword of the Prince alledging for this the

second Psalm And now you Kings be wise Psal 2. and be learned ye that judge the earth c. Also the example of Salomon who being a King 2 Par. 28. according to his Fathers appointment ordained the Offices of the Priests in their Ministeries and Levites in their Order Exod. 32. that they might give thanks and minister before the Priests after the order of every day and Porters in their divisions gate by gate And speaking more of the said Salomon he saith 1 Reg. 22. For so commanded the Man of God neither did the Priests nor Levites omit any thing of all that he had commanded c. Besides this he alledgeth also the example of King Ezechias 2 Paralyp 28. He alledgeth moreover the example and fact of Justinian which made Laws touching the Faith Bishops Clerks Hereticks and such other Aaron saith he obeyed Moses Salomon gave sentence upon Abiathar the High Priest 1 Macch. 10. 1 Macch. 14. Alexander the King in the first of Macchabees writeth thus to Jonathas Now have we made thee this day the High Priest of thy people c. So did Demetrius to Simon Then coming to the words of Christ spoken to Peter Matthew 16. Matth. 16. upon which words the Pope pretendeth to build all his Authority to this he answereth That if Christ by those words had limited to Peter any such special state or preheminence above all Princes then were it not true that is written Coepit Jesus docere facere forasmuch as the words of Christ should then be contrary to his own facts and example who in all his life never usurped either in himself any such domination above Princes shewing himself rather subject unto Princes nor yet did ever permit to his Apostles any such example of ambition to be seen but rather rebuked them for seeking any manner of Majority amongst them The Kings Style and Title approved by Steph. Wint. And where he reasoneth of the Kings Style and Title being called the King of England and of France Defender of the Faith Lord of Ireland and Supreme Head in earth of the Church of England immediately under Christ c. thus he addeth his mind and censure saying That he seeth no cause in this Title why any man should be offended that the King is called the Head of the Church of England rather than of the Realm of England and addeth his reason thereunto saying If the Prince and King of England be the Head of his Kingdom that is of all Englishmen that be his Subjects is there any cause why the same English Subjects should not be subject to the same Head likewise in this respect because they are Christians that is to say for the title of Godliness as though that God which is the cause of all Obedience should now be the cause of Rebellion At length thus he concludeth with an Exclamation saying To say saith he that a King is the Head of a Kingdom and not of the Church what an absurd and a foolish saying is this The King is as well the Head of the Church as of his Kingdom And further adding for example the subjection of the Servant and Wife If the Servant saith he be subject to his Master or Wife to her Husband being Infidels doth their Conversion afterward or name of Christians make them less Subjects than they were before As Religion therefore doth not alter the Authority of the Master over the Servant nor of the Husband over the Wife no more saith he doth it between the Prince and Subjects Paul making no exception nor distinction of Subjection save onely of that which belongeth to God willeth all men to obey their Princes and what Princes Those Princes which bear the sword And although we are bound by the Scripture to obey our Bishops and Spiritual Pastors of the Church yet that obedience diminisheth nothing the chief and head Authority that ought to be given to the Prince no more than the obedience of the Servant to his Master or of the Wife to her Husband exempteth them from Subjection due to their Superiour Powers And herewithall he inferreth a principle of the Law A Rule of the Law Divers Iurisdictions saith he proceeding from one person do not marry nor hinder themselves but rather do confirm and fortifie one another Again whereas the Bishop of Rome under the name of Peter doth appropriate to himself the highest place in the Church for that he is the Successor of Peter Thereunto he answereth in one word but in that one word he answereth enough and to the full I would saith he he were Wenchesters with that the Pope were Peters Successor for so in very deed he might well exceed and pass all Kings and Princes if not in preheminency of Dignity yet in admiration and excellency of Virtue in which kind of superiority the Lord Christ would his Apostles and Ministers to go before all Kings and Emperours in the whole world After this in prosecuting the Argument of Peters Confession he argueth thus and saith Argument The Prerogative was given to him which confessed Flesh and Bloud in Peter did not confess Christ Ergo the Prerogative was not given to the Flesh and Bloud of Pet●r that as flesh and bloud did not reveal to Peter that Confession so neither was that Prerogative given to the flesh and bloud of Peter but to the better part that is to the spirit of Peter which is to mean in respect of the spiritual Confession of Peter and not in respect of any carnal place or person c. Item If the Scholar ought not to be above the Master how then could either Peter take that upon him which Christ his Master so constantly did refuse Or how can the Bishop of Rome now claim that by Succession whereof no example is to be found either in the Head or his Predecessor before him For so we read in Eusebius both of Peter James and John that they did arrogate no such Primacy unto them but were content that James surnamed Justus should be the Bishop of the Apostles And as for the name and signification of the word Primatus i. Primacy Pr●matus or Primacy what it signifieth if it be taken for the first nomination or the first place given so he granteth that Peter had the preferment of the first name and place in the order of the Apostles but it followeth not that with this Primacy he had also a Kingdom given He saith Confirm thy Brethren but not thy Subjects And though he were bid of the Lord to confirm his Brethren yet was he not bid to exercise an Impery upon his Brethren for so were they not his Brethren but his Subjects Primus Primatus i. Primacy meaneth as much as the first standing in Vocation and is the name of Vertue and not of Power That Peter was Primus that is first or chief in the number of them which confessed Christ it is not

to be denied for first he confessed first he taught the Iews first he stood in defence of the Verity and was the first and chief Prolocutor among them but yet that maketh not that he should therefore vindicate a general Primacy and Rule over all other States and Potentates of the world no more than Apelles because he is noted the first and chief of all Painters therefore ought to bear rule over all Painters or because the Vniversity of Paris is nominate for the first and chief of other Vniversities shall therefore the French King and all other Princes in their publick Administration wherein they are set of God become Subjects and Vnderlings to that Vniversity Thus after many other reasons and persuasions contained in the said Book De obedientia for I do but superficially skim over the top onely of his Probations and Arguments finally in the end of his Peroration he concludeth the whole summ of his mind in this effect first denying that the Bishop of Rome had ever any such extern Iurisdiction assigned to him absolutely from God to reign over Kings and Princes for the probation whereof he hath alledged sufficiently as he saith the examples and doings of Christ himself which ought to be to us all a sufficient Document And as concerning the term of Primacy albeit it be used sometimes of the Fathers yet the matter being well considered and rightly expounded maketh nothing for the large Dominion of the Bishop of Rome which now he doth usurp Also as for the Prerogatives granted unto Peter by the which Prerogatives our Saviour would crown his own Gifts given unto him crowning not the flesh and bloud of Peter but the marvellous testimony of his Confession all this maketh nothing for the Popes purpose Likewise as concerning the Local Succession of Peter Succession of Peter the Pope hath nothing thereby to claim If he will be Successor of Peter he must succeed him in Faith Doctrine and Conditions and in so doing he neither will neither yet shall need to seek for Honour but shall be honoured of all good men according as a good man should be and that much more than he being a good man would require Steph. Wint. takes his Vale of the Pope but not his Vltimum Vale. And thus Stephen Winchester taking his leave and bidding the Pope farewell endeth with a friendly Exhortation willing him to be wise and circumspect and not to strive stubbornly against the truth The light of the Gospel saith he so spreadeth his beams in all mens eyes that the works of the Gospel be known the Mysteries of Christs Doctrine are opened both learned and unlearned Men and Women being English born do see and perceive that they have nothing to do with Rome nor with the Bishop of Rome but that every Prince in his own Dominion is to be taken and accepted as a Vicar of God and Vicegerent of Christ in his own bounds And therefore seeing this Order is taken of God and one in the Church should bear the Office of Teaching The Office of Teaching another should bear the Office of Ruling The Office of Ruling which Office is onely limited to Princes he exhorteth him to consider the truth and to follow the fame wherein consisteth our true and special Obedience c. A Letter of the University of Cambridge against the Usurped Power of the Bishop of Rome UNiversis Sanctae Matris Ecclesiae filiis ad quos praesentes Literae perventurae sunt coetus omnis regentium non regentium Academiae Cantabrigiensis salutem in omnium salvatore Jesu Christo Cum de Romani Pontificis potestate c. Translated into English thus TO all and singular Children of the holy Mother Church to whose hands these presents shall come A Letter of the University of Cambridge the whole Society of Regents and not Regents of the Vniversity of Cambridge sendeth greeting in our Saviour Iesus Christ Whereas now of late it hath risen up in question among us concerning the Power of the Bishop of Rome which he doth both claim to himself by the holy Scripture over all Provinces and Nations in Christendom and hath now of long time exercised in this Realm of England And forasmuch as our Censure concerning the cause is required to wit Whether the Bishop of Rome hath any Power or Authority in this Kingdom of England allotted to him by God in the Scripture more than any other forein Bishop or no We thought it therefore good reason and our duty for the searching out of the verity of the said Question that we should imploy therein our whole endeavour and study whereby we might tender and publish to the world what our reason and censure is touching the premisses For therefore we suppose that Vniversities were first provided and instituted of Princes to the end that doth the people of Christ might in the Law of God be instructed and also that false Errors if any did rise might through the vigilant care and industry of learned Divines be discussed extinguished and utterly rooted out For the which cause we in our Assemblies and Convocations after our accustomed manner resorting and conferring together upon the Question aforesaid and studiously debating and deliberating with our selves how and by what order we might best proceed for the finding out of the truth of the matter and at length choosing out certain of the best learned Doctors and Batchelors of Divinity and other Masters have committed to them in charge studiously to insearch and peruse the places of holy Scripture by the viewing and conferring of which places together they might certifie us what is to be said to the Question propounded The Censure of the University of Cambridge against the Popes Supremacy Forasmuch therefore as we having heard and well advised and throughly discussed in open Disputations what may be said on both parts of the foresaid Question those Reasons and Arguments do appear to us more probable stronger truer and more certain and sounding much more near to the pure and native sense of Scripture which do deny the Bishop of Rome to have any such power given him of God in the Scripture By reason and force of which Arguments we being persuaded and conjoyning together in one Opinion have with our selves thus decreed to answer unto the Question aforesaid and in these writings thus resolutely do answer in the name of the whole Vniversity and for a Conclusion undoubted do affirm approve and pronounce The Bishop of Rome hath no more State in England than hath any other Bishop That the Bishop of Rome hath no more State Authority and Iurisdiction given him of God in the Scriptures over this Realm of England than any other extern Bishop hath And in testimony and credence of this our Answer and Affirmation we have caused our common Seal to be put to these our foresaid Letters accordingly At Cambridge in our Regent House Anno Dom. 1534. The publick and general

and Buildeth this City Jericho which was accordingly fulfiled in Hiel the Bethelite in the days of Ahab I am very well assured that that and a greater Curse will be the Portion of that Man from the Lord that shall rise up and Rebuild this Spiritual Babylon again in England to wit the Antichristian Church which the Word and Power of God hath destroyed and now for several happy Years kept out of this Nation Et nunc Reges intelligite erudimini qui Judicatis terram Be wise now therefore O Ye Kings be instructed Ye that judge the Earth And Oh ye People be not as the Horse and Mule that have no Understanding but as Men at least and if it may be as Christians consider and weigh well with your selves the great and inexplicable Evils that the poor Nation now groans under none can tell for how long some of which are these that follow and greater cannot be told 1. The Suppressing the Glorious Light of the Gospel and Banishing it out of Publique View the silencing the Grace of Christs own Lips and causing the Joyful Sound that Proclaims the Acceptable Year of the Lord to cease out of our Borders And this is the Evil of Evils and the Misery of Miseries which brings all other Evils and Miseries along with it yea this shuts up the Kingdom of Heaven from the World and sets Hell wide open for all men to run headlong into it as we see it done this day This excludes the Love Mercy and Goodness of God from the World as much as possibly it can and brings in his Wrath and heavy Displeasure to wast and consume it of which we have had the sad and most exquisite Experience now alas for several years together For since the Gospel under several Mulcts and Penalties hath been forbidden to be Preach'd how many Manifestations of Gods Just Anger have we seen in many strange and unusual Prodigies in the Heavens in the Earth in the Waters c. being loud Warnings of the Wrath to come What a grievous and desolating Plague the Scourge of the Almighty hath destroyed Thousands and Ten Thousands in that late great C●● and in many other parts of the Nation the like whereunto hath not been heretofore What a dreadful Conflagration hath devoured that Famous and Incomparable City the Head and Glory of these Nations and laid it in Ashes and Ruines like Sodom and Gomorrah which Cities were set on Fire from Heaven but this from Hell by the Locusts of the Bottomless Pit the Emissaries of the Pope and his Clergy which Vermin have swarmed in this Nation since the removal of the Gospel And this provoking Sin is not so much the Sin of the People as of the Powers of the Nation who as it were of very Malice have openly renounced Christ and desired Barabbas to be given to them in his stead they have rejected the Sweet and Meek Gospel of Christ and have desired to be given to then the Cruel and Murderous Religion of Antichrist a Religion written in Red Letters even in Letters of Bloud for it hath shed the bloud of innumerable Saints and Martyrs in the several Ages since Antichrist first lift up his Head out of Hell into this World seduceing the Powers of the World to take part with him in this bloudy Work This Religion or rather this Iniquity in the Suburbs of it we see Erected already and now the great City thereof is ready to be built again and this Kingdom of Darkness could never have been founded but in the absence of the Light which they have violently chased away And this one thing carrys weight in it that they who tolerate Popery to take its ease among us and to lengthen its Cords and to strengthen its Stakes though it be directly against Christ and they who tolerate the open exercise of the Jewish Religion which denies and blasphemes Christ will by no means suffer nor endure the true and sincere Gospel of Christs Kingdom to be published by any but under great Penalties Whereby they declare that they are of one Council and Work with Satan who hath with all his Subtilty and Cruelty fought against Christ and his Gospel from the first day of their Heavenly Birth hitherto This is the first and greatest Evil the Nation mourns and groans under but this is not all For Secondly From hence follows the greatest and deepest ignorance of God and Christ that can be and of all their unsearchable Riches which the Gospel hath discovered to the World The greatest ignorance of the Law and of the Gospel of Sin and of Righteousness of Salvation and Damnation of Heaven and Hell in a word the grossest ignorance of all the Revealed Truths of God which concern us either to obtain Eternal Life or to avoid Endless Death So that in India and Ethiopia in Calno and Carchemish in Pathros and Cush in Mesech and the Tents of Kedar there is not greater ignorance of Christ and his Gospel and of the way of Salvation to be found than in many places and among many People in England the true report that may be given of it is even incredible And would it not grievously affect any Christian Mans heart to behold so many thousands of Children in this Nation brought up without any right instruction in the Christian Religion Oh consider what a Profane and Heathenish Nation this must necessarily become in a few years for what the Children and Youths now are the Common-Wealth will be in twenty or thirty Years And what a bruitish and beast-like Generation will then People be in this Land if the Lord take not care of this matter in the mean time When few will be found who shall know any more of Christs Name than what thay capacitate them to blaspheme it or of his most Precious Death and Crucifying more than to serve them to Swear by his Bloud and Wounds For the glorious Sun of Divine Knowledge is three quarters Eclipsed already the Good Lord prevent the Total Eclipse thereof by sending forth again Ministers of his own choosing and anointing to feed his People with true Knowledge and Understanding Thirdly The third Misery we sigh under is the overflowing of Iniquity like the mighty Waves of the Sea Never was there such a Deluge of Sin seen upon Earth as now covers the Face of the Nation this is even become the covering of all Flesh All sorts of People of High and Low Degree whether Secular or Ecelesiastical are all drencht and dyed in it in such sort that Men live in this World in the manifest likeness of the Devil and if Satan himself were Incarnate you could not easily discern one from the other They set their Faces against Heaven and call out upon God to Damn them Soul and Body So Divelish they are that they would fain be tormented before their time and do often provoke Hell to swallow them up for because they can be no liker to the Devil in this World they

them thou didst frequent the Solemn Assemblies of the Saints with the Multitude of them that kept right Holy-Day The Out-casts of Christ were wont to dwell with thee and thou wast a Covert to them from the face of the Spoiler Many Fatherless Children had harbour and succour in thee and thou wast a Husband to the Widows It was thy Meat and Drink to feed the hungry and to cloath the naked and to visit the Prisoners of Jesus Christ Thou wast as the Vine-tree amongst the Trees of the Forest Verily a Noble Vine But why hast thou so suddenly turned into the Degenerate Plant of a Strange Vine Why of a right Seed did you so easily become strange Children whose Mouth talketh Vanity and your Right Hand is a Right Hand of Falshood Why didst thou join thy self with the Wicked and help the Ungodly Why didst thou love them that hate the Lord and didst turn thy heart and hand against them that love the Lord Thou didst reject his Ministers thou didst persecute his People thou didst hunt the steps of the Righteous that they could not go in thy Streets thou didst hawll to Prison the Assemblies of the Saints and didst make havock of the Church of Christ till there was no remedy For when the Lord saw this he was angry for he looked for Grapes from you and you brought forth wild Grapes he looked for Judgment from you but behold Oppression for Righteousness but behold a Cry Wh●refore he bent his Bow against thee like an Enemy He stood with his Right Hand like an Adversary He sent a Fire into the midst of thee that could not be quenched and it hath devoured thee and brought thee to Ashes on the Earth in the sight of all them that beheld thee He hath swallowed up thy Habitations he hath thrown down in his Wrath your pleasant Dwellings your stately and beautiful Buildings He sent into thee treacherous Dealers to deal treacherously with thee and Spoilers to spoil thee whilst thou wast become a silly Dove without heart He hath brought upon thee the days that have not come on thee since thou wast a City He hath stained the Pride of thy Glory and brought into contempt all thy Honourable Persons they that did feed delicately were left desolate in the Streets they that were brought up in Silks and Scarlet embraced Dunghils they that dwelt in well built Houses were glad to shelter themselves in Booths and to crowd their heads in desolate places they are come down from their Glory to sit in Dust For thy filthiness was found in thy Skirts therefore thou wast brought down wonderfully How are thy Merchandise of Gold and Silver and Precious Stones and of Pearl and of fine Linnen and Purple and Silk thy broidered Works thy Chests of rich Apparel thy Spices and Odors thy Vessels of precious Wood of Brass and Iron and Marble thy Wine and Oil thy stately Buildings and beautiful Structures of many Generations how in three or four days are they all brought to nothing London the Glory of the Kingdom the Beauty of England's Excellency is become as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and is now at present a place for doleful Creatures for Owls to dwell in and for Satyrs to dance in and for Wild Beasts to cry among the desolate Houses and Dragons in their Dwellings For thou art swept with the Besom of Destruction and the Line of Emptiness is stretched out upon thee because thou didst reject the Word of the Lord and knewest not the day of thy Visitation How art thou brought down which wast inhabited by Seafaring Men the renowned City which wast strong at Sea and thy Inhabitants did cause terrour to all Nations All that knew thee formerly are astonisht at thee thou art become a Terror to them that see thee and they that hear of thee are pained for thee I was bowed down at the hearing of it I was dismayed at the seeing of it O Lord b●hold my affliction for the Enemy hath magnified himself see and consider for I am become Vile Our Enemies say This this is the Day we have looked for we have found it we have seen it This Day shall do that which the Fifth of November could not do now shall we see our desire upon them for the Strength of the Protestant Interest is broken we have broken the Head of it and now shall we rase it to the very foundation of it But O Lord thou hast seen my wrong judge thou my Cause Thou hast seen all their Vengeance and all their imaginations against me thou knowest the Contrivers the Abettors the Incouragers the Actors the Favourers of this Hellish Mischief and all those that rejoice in it Give unto them All Sorrow of Heart thy Curse unto them Persecute and destroy them in Anger from under the Heavens of the Lord. And let all the People say Amen But now I must shake hands with thee O London in thy Dust and Ashes for there is hope in this thy End And I must turn my self back again to England the Land of my Nativity and take up a Lamentation for it O England what Nation was like unto thee from the Rising of the Sun to the Setting thereof thou wast a People satisfied with favour and full with the Blessings of the Lord but art now suddenly become a poor and peeled People meeted out and trodden down Thou art smitten with a perpetual stroke in anger by a heavy hand thou art oppressed spoyled and crushed in pieces evermore and there is no man to save thee For God hath remembred our Iniquities against us and set our sins in the light of his Countenance For by Lying and Swearing and Oppressing and Slaying and Drink●ng and Whoring and Blaspheming c. the Land is defiled under the Inhabitants thereof We have forsaken the Laws of God changed the Ordinances of Christ and broken the Everlasting Covenant and therefore hath the Curse devoured us Our Labours yield us no Profit our Plowing Sowing and Reaping eats up the Husband-Man our Trade is every where decayed our Gold and Silver are exhausted and drained away our Estates are impoverisht and wasted the Abundance we had gotten and laid up is departed our Exactions and Taxes are heavy upon us so that we eat our Bread with sorrow and drink with sighing for they have found out our Riches as a Nest and as one gathereth Eggs that are left so have they gathered the Substance of the Nation and there was none that durst move the Wing or open the Mouth to the People We are brought so low that we have forgotten Prosperity but we daily mourn and fade away for we are filled with bitterness and made drunk with Wormwood For our Wise Counsellors are become Fools Understanding is perished from them our Princes are rebellious and Companions of Thieves they are Riotous Persons that eat not for Strength but for Drunkenness Our Counsellors take Counsel but not of God but against him our Judges