Page 747
The Copy of the Bull for the Offerings to the Curates of the Parishes of the City of LONDON in Latine and English, and of the composition of the same. Chap. LXXXVI.
NIcholaus Episcopus servus servo∣rum Dei ad perpetuam rei memo∣riam, &c.
The Copy of the Bull of Pope Nicholas for the same matter.
OVr holy fader pope Nico∣las, for perpetuall memo∣ri wylleth to sequester & avoyed all doughtis, by the whiche stryues dys∣cordes and grete loffys that is feryd to happen to Curatis and their Perys∣shens, lest that if it be not remedyid, grete hurt might happen bothe to the curatis and perysshens, as well in things temporall as spyrituall. So it is that now of late, after that the right honou∣rable Thomas Archibishop of Canter∣bury, had shewed that he had found as he Rode in his visitation, that one Ro∣ger, byishop of London, had made a constytucyon upon offryngis on hooly dayes and solemp and doble festis, and namely of the appl'es whoos vygyls ben fasted by the inhabitants of houses, hostryes, and shops howsoever they be occupyed within the cite of london: that is to say, that all inhabitants and e∣very of them, occupyenge the sayd hou∣ses, hostryes, or shoppis, and pay for the yerly rent of them ten s. shall offer a q And yf his rente be twenty s. ob. and so upward as it hath ben used to bee payd by the sayd peryshes tyme out of mynde of man. And that the same constytucyon was good and laufull, it appereth by that, that divers of the pre∣decessours of Archbisshops of Canter∣bury; by theyr Letters patents, hath it confirmed and approuyd, and whan some evyll dysposed of the perysshens wolde labour and study to construe this constytucyon to other sensys than it was made for: They made explanaci∣ons of the same, and ordained that the Mayre and Aldyrmen of the said Cite, and all the inhabytants that wolde bee rebell therto, sholde stonde a cursyd by the same dede, and many other things than expressed, ordayned our holy fa∣der and predecessour Innocentius vii. ratefyenge and confermynge the let∣ters of the said Thomas Archbysshop, addinge and amendynge defaultys if ony were, as more plainely apperyth by the lytters of the foresaide Innocent, wherin be contayned the lytters of the forsaid Thomas. And after as it hath been shewed vs of diuers credible per∣sones that thought the Mayre, Sherefs, Aldyrmen, the Citezens, and the inha∣bytantes aforesaid, of the more part of them, after the olde and laudable cu∣stume in their offryngys on Sondayes and other folempne and double festys of the Appostles, namely whose euyns be fastyd yet within foure yeres or there aboute, Diuers hauyng litell regard to the well of their soules, and vnkinde to their moder the holy Chyrche, coue∣tinge be litell and litell to minishe and