Articles deuisid by the holle consent of the kynges moste honourable counsayle, his gracis licence opteined therto, not only to exhorte, but also to enfourme his louynge subiectis of the trouthe

¶The kynges moste honourable counsayle to the residue of his louynge subiectes.

SIns it is the parte of all honourable and elect per¦sons chosen by the prince, when they do declare and vtter matters of weight, to obserue an equitie and trouthe in vtteryng of them, and to shew beneuolence to the people, whiche be vnder theyr prince, in admonysshinge them of thinges, which are necessarie for thē to know: We therfore the kyng our souerayns most faithful counsaillours and sub∣iectes, with hole assent and by his li∣cence haue thought most conuenient and necessarie to intimate vnto you (the reste of his subiectes) these ar∣ticles folowyng, for your better eru∣dicion and knowledge, and to open vnto you truly the manifold iniuries done vnto oure kynge and souerayn,

whiche (we beyng his true and feith∣ful subiectes) may in no wyse susteine or suffer: But study and endeuoyr our selfes by all wayes to vs possible, to redoube and requite the same, and to take the iniuries and wronges done to his person (in whome is all oure wealthe and ioye) more ernestly, than if it were doone to vs alone. And so shall we do according to our duties, and therby deserue merite of god, to whome most humbly we praye, that he wyll vouchesafe to haue, supporte, defende, and kepe vnder his wynge and tuicyon oure most noble prince, the quene, now being his wyfe, with theyr issue, and all vs his true and louynge subiectes.

Quia in te domine speramus.

The fyrst Article.

FIrste the mere truthe is, that no lyuinge creature, of what astate, degree, or dignytie so euer he be, hath power gyuen hym by god, to dispense with goddes la∣wes, or lawe of nature. Which thing is confirmed and determined in oure princis case, by an infinite nombre of well lerned men straungers, by the most part also of al the moste famous vniuersities of Christendome: And speciallye, and aboue all (to our esti∣mations) the hole clergie of this re∣alme. Whervpon and in discharge also of his conscience, beinge aucto∣rysed by acte of parlyament our Me∣tropolytane Archebyshoppe of Can∣turbury, hath adiudged the first ma∣trimonye, to be contrarie to goddis lawes, & therby not laufull, & this pre¦sent matrimonie nowe enioyed, lau∣fulle and perfyte. Wherfore we all (that be oure princis true subiectes)

oughte in this his iuste & true matri¦monie, to lyue and dye with him, and his, of this venter come, or cōmyng

The .ij. Article.

SEcondly, the counsayles of Nyce, Melyuence, and Aphricane, with others also, haue determyned, that causes of stryfe or controuersie, being ones begon in any region, shal there, and in the sayde region, be finally de∣termined, and none other where, ex∣pressely denienge the courtes of be∣yonde the see, to oblige any manne to appere at them for dyuers weightie considerations in them expressed, whi¦che notwithstandynge the byshop of Rome by some men called Pope, the vsurper of goddes lawe, and infrin∣ger of general counsels, hath hyther∣to wrongfully deteined at Rome, and wolde do stylle, except otherwise our prince and his parlyament had proui¦ded, his gret and weightie cause, con¦trary to all righte and conscience, to

the vtter vndoinge of this realme. Whiche thynges the prince and his holle parlyamente considerynge, and takinge some lyght vpon the forsaide generall counsailes, and waying also other wyse and politike reasons, thin¦kynge verily this amongest other cō∣sideratiōs, that it were not mete that the inheritance of this realme shulde depende vpon the bysshop of Rome, or any other straungiers wyll & ple∣sure, whiche other by affection, mede or feare, might and wolde order it af∣ter his worldly affections and appe∣tites, as it wel appereth this holy by∣shoppe of Rome wolde: haue made a commodious and welthy law lately, both for vs & him, By which, good pe¦ple (liuing within the limittes of true matrimonie within this realme) shal not by malyce, or euyl wyl be so longe deteyned and interrupted from theyr ryghte, as in tymes passed, they haue ben, Nor iniuste matrymonye shall

haue his vnlauful and incestuous de¦moure, as by delays to Rome, it was wont to haue, whiche may euidently apere now, by that, that our Princes weightie and longe protracted cause of Matrimonie, hath nowe here his final and prosperous ende, with brefe successe of issue all redy had, and o∣ther lyke to folowe, laudes be vnto god, thonly werker of the same: with whiche issue bothe you and we, muste both lyue and dye, accordynge to our allegeaunce.

The .iij. Article.

THirdly, it is to be takē for a truth & equitie agreing with lerning, that an excusatour in any bysshoppes court of the worlde, the partie eyther not beinge bounde personally to ap∣pere there (as bi al lerning our prince is not at Rome) or being impedite by any other lauful causes, whiche they by their own law haue limited, shuld be admitted to answer for the parte,

ageinst whiche equitie, the byshop of Rome hathe also reiected our princis excusatour, whiche iniurie although it be not yet put in execution ageinste any other persone (sauyng our prince and kyng) yet that example shall re∣mayne for a president, in preiudice of al princis and potestates. Wherfore, we wolde aduyse them briefly to loke vpon it, and we and ye the rest of his subiectes, so to deteste this greate in∣iurie done to oure prince, and conse∣quentely to vs, that the bysshoppe of Rome, and all his, shall se, that ex∣cepte it and all other iniuries done to our prince and souerayne, be shortly redoubed, we wyll reuenge it to the vttermost of our power, and in so do∣ing, we do but oure dutie, yet surely we doubte not but it shall be very ac∣ceptably takē bi our prince and king.

The fourthe Article.

FOurthely the ryght beleue of all true christien people is, that the

general counsel (laufully gathered) is superiour and hath power ouer al by¦shoppes and spiritualle powers, not exceptynge the byshoppe of Rome. In confirmation of whiche opinion the approbate conseyle of Basil sayth these wordes: Who so euer opponeth him self obstinatly ageinst this truth, is to be taken by all true christen peo∣ple, as an heritike. Wherfore, louing frendes, lette vs so handell oure selfe bothe in wordes & dedes, that we be not taken, for ani fōde scruple in this trap, and let not herein our eies be so blynded, nor our eares made so defe with the sayingis or prechinges of a∣ny papystes, that we ron heedlonge ageynste the true beleue of all righte Christen people.

The fyfte Article.

FIftly, by the lawe of nature it is graūted and admitted for lauful, that a man beinge greued, vexed, or troubled iniustely, may appele frome

the bysshop of Rome, to the generall counsel, whiche so beinge, then specy∣ally suche libertie is moste conueni∣ent for princis, and they not to be re∣iected therfro, nor it is not a thynge by them to be neglected or omytted, whiche haue but two wayes princi∣pally where none other can preuayle, to atteyne ryght the one agaynste the other, that is to sey, in causes concer∣nynge the soule and mere spirituall, appellation to the general counseyle, In temporall, the sword only, except by mediacyon of frendes, the maters may be compounded, so that who so euer wolde go about to take away a∣ny of these naturelle defenses frome them, is to be manly withstande both by the prince and his subiectes. And therto, we be animate by oure ryght father, which redemed vs, our lorde Iesu Christe, in that he seyth, Obeye ye princes aboue all, and then their deputies, not gyuynge power to any

other within theyr rules and domi∣nions.

The .vi. article.

SIxtly after that appellatiōs be lau¦fully made frō the bishop of Rome (whiche calleth hym selfe pope) vnto the generall counsell, he is bounde by the lawe neither to do, ne attempt a∣ny further proces, in preiudice of the appellant, whiche, if he do, by the forsayde lawes, his doinges can not preiudice the appellante, and also it standeth voyde, The effecte of whi∣che lawe must nowe take his strēgth in the benefite of our prince, except to great iniurie be ministred vnto him. For our prince and kynge, according to the libertie of nature and consti∣tucions of generall counsailles (as afore) hath bothe prouoked and appe¦led to the general counsayle nexte en∣suinge, rightfully congregate, from the vsurper of goddes lawes, and in∣fringer of generall counsailles, whi∣che

callethe hym selfe Pope. In the whiche our princis doinges, all iuste and true christen men, I doubte not, wyll supporte and meynteyne hym, whiche prouocations & appellations also standyng in force, and being in∣timate to the person of the saide vsur∣per (as in dede they be) sequestreth hym rightfully from all maner of pro¦ces belongynge or in any wise apper∣teinyng to our princis facte and ma∣ter, in any of his courtes. Other dia∣bolike actes & statutes by some of his predecessours made, as hereafter shal appere, not withstandynge. Wher∣fore, what censures, interdictions, or other his cursed inuentions, what so euer they be, ought to be dispised and mannefullye withstande, for they be noughte in dede, and we (so doinge) shall haue for our buckeler, the latter and better part of this verse ensuing, And the maligners, the fore parte of the same,* 1.1 whiche is, Quoniam qui

malignantur exterminabuntur, susti∣nētes autē dominū, ipsi here ditabunt terram.

The .vii. Article.

SEuenthely the sentence of excom∣munication, ought not to be exe∣cuted by any minister of Christes churche, agaynst any creature, except it be for deedly syn prohibite by god∣des lawe and scripture, nor yet then, excepte the partie stande in contu∣macie or be heddye: howe sklender∣ly shuld we then esteme his censures and curses, which extendeth them v∣pon vs chefly, bicause we haue made holsome lawes, for the commoditie and welthe of our prince and realme, secondly, bycause they do preiudicate his worldly appetites and profyte, Thirdely bycause our prince wyl not (contrarie to his conscience, directed by goddis lawe, and thoppinions of the moste parte of all the beste lerned men in christendome, as afore is re∣hersed)

lyue an incestuous lyfe & ab∣homynable? These thinges be so con∣trarious to equitie, reson and iustice, that by his doinges it maye appere, what maner a man he is, accordynge to a texte of scripture, whiche saith: Ex operibus eorum cognoscetis eos.* 1.2 Wher∣fore, we al (our princis true subiectis) oughte to recken, as reason and ler∣nynge leadeth vs, besides the due o∣bedience to our prince, that the curse of hym, whiche ministrethe hit in∣iustly, as this is ministred, thoughe it were within his iurisdiction, as it is not: shall redounde to hym selfe, and hurte no man elles. Wherfore in this, lette vs all shewe our selfes like true and obedient subiectes, not este∣mynge or hangyng vpon any lyuing creature, saue onely oure prince and king, accordynge to an olde prouerbe here in England, of olde tyme paste, moche wont to be set by, & ofte tymes by true men rehersed, which is, One

god and one kyng, myndynge ther∣by, that al other folkis doinges shuld be despysed, which in any poynt may be contrarie to them, in confirmation wherof the prophete Dauid sayeth these wordes,* 1.3 Inimici uero domini mox honorificati fuerint et exaltati, deficientes quemadmodum fumus deficient.

The .viij. Article.

EIghtly, it is the office of all ma∣ner of bysshoppes, and a graunt also indifferentely made to theym all by God, that they shoulde fyrste frendely admonysshe, and secretelye reproue. Secondely, afore recorde charitably to refourme (if they can) all maner of offenders of goddis la∣wes within their dioces, not vsynge any compulsories, except the parties persiste obstinate and in contumacie, whiche happenyng, then is it laufull for them to vse censures and excom∣munications.

And this manier of wayes onely, ought euery byshoppe to vse, all thoughe the bysshoppe of Rome, wolde them to do neuer so mo¦che to the contrary, for they be bound more to obey god, then man, Whiche office and wayes, (accordynge to his duetie) oure good byshoppe of Can∣turbury (nowe lyuynge) hath begon to shew and folowe. For fyrst he ap∣perceyuinge when he came to his di∣gnitye, that his prince and soueraine lyued in vnlaufull and vnsytting ma¦trimonie (accordynge to his duetie) mekely dydde admonyshe hym, and therin also reproued hym, exhortyng hym to leaue it, or els he wold do fur¦ther his duetie in it, So that at the laste, accordynge to goddes lawes, he did separate his prince from that vn∣laufull matrimonie. In whiche do∣inge, we thinke that euery trewe sub∣iecte shoulde moche the better esteme hym, bycause he wold execute goddis

commaundement, and sette this re∣alme in the waye of true heyres. And howe God herewith is pleased, we thynke it doeth euidentely appere by many thynges. First so briefly vpon this latter and lawfull matrimonie, so soone issue hadde: Secondely, so fayre wether, with greatte plentie of corne and cattal: Thirdly peace and amitie lately sought by dyuers prin∣cis and potentatis, of oure Prince: Fourthely the purenes of ayre with∣out anye pestilenciall or contagious disease, by so longe tyme during, whi¦che thynges we ought to thanke god for, and to take them for demonstra∣cions, that he is pleased, bothe with our prince and his doinges. Wher∣fore, let vs all that be his true subie∣ctes, bothe reioyce in it, and applye vs accordyngly to serue bothe god, hym and his in it, accordynge to our bounden dueties.

The .ix. article.

NInthely, that where in dede by scripture, there is none auctori∣tie ne iurisdiction graunted more to the bysshoppe of Rome, then to anye other, Extra prouinciam, yet bicause that sufferance of people, and blyndenes of Princis with theyr supportacyon hitherto, hath susteined the same, do∣inge them selfes therby to greate in∣iurie, it is thought nowe conuenient, and more then necessarie, to open the same to the worlde, to the intente it esteme not, ne honour hym as a god, for feare of idolatrie, he beinge but a man, and what maner a man, a man neyther in lyfe nor lernynge, Chri∣stis disciple, a man also, thoughe the see apostolike were of neuer so highe auctoritie, contrarious, vnlaufulle also by their owne decrees, to occupy and enioye his vsurped place. For fyrste he is both baste and cam to his dignitie by Symony, and now in de¦nieng the prouocation and appele of

our soueraygne lorde the kynge, and supportinge the diabolike decree of his predecessour Pius, is determined by a generall counsaile Vere haereticus, that is to saye, an Heretycke.

Wherfore, all we (beinge trewe chri∣sten people, he thus contynuynge) oughte to despyce bothe hym and his factes, and be no lenger blinded with hym, but gyue our selfes holly to the obseruance of Christis lawe, in whi∣che is all swetnes and truthe, adioy∣ninge with it the lawes of this re∣alme, vtterly relynquyshynge the o∣ther, in whiche is nothynge elles, but pompe, pride, ambition, and wayes to make them selfes ryche, whiche is moche contrarious to his profession, our lorde amende hym, and giue vs grace no lenger to be blynded with hym. Amen.

Finis.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Psal. 36.
• * 1.2

  Mat. 7.
• * 1.3

  Psal. 36.