The first-[third] tome of an exact chronological vindication and historical demonstration of our British, Roman, Saxon, Danish, Norman, English kings supreme ecclesiastical jurisdiction from the original planting, embracing of Christian religion therein, and reign of Lucius, our first Christian king, till the death of King Richard the First, Anno Domini 1199 ... / by William Prynne, Esq.

GAlfridus filius Petri Comes Essex, Universis Vicecomitibus Balliae suae, salutem▪ Sciatis quod dominus Rex Angliae ad instantiam, & praedicationem cujusdam Cardinalis a summo Pontifice missi in Franciam, de consilio Magnatum suo∣rum de partibus transmarinis concessit, ad sanctae Ierusalem subsi∣dium, quadragessimam partem valoris omnium redituum, et terra∣rum suarum unius Anni, tam de Wardis, quam de Excaetis in ma∣nu sua existentibus. Quod etiam ipsi Magnates sui ultra mare volun∣tarie concesserunt; Ad eorum etiam instantiam scripsit Dominus Rex omnibus Angliae Magnatibus per literas patentes, rogans et inducens eos, quatenus puro Corde et Charitatis intuitu, idem il∣lud de valore omnium reddituum et terrarum suarum unius Anni concederent, * 1.1 quod quidem nec de debito, nec de consuetudine, nec de coactione, nec de aliqua alia Authoritate Apostolica conceditur vel postulatur. Unde precepit quod omnes Comites et Barones de qualibet Ballia in primis admoneantur, inducantur diligenter, qua∣tenus pro se hanc collectam faciant in terris suis hoc modo, scilicet ut quilibet qua∣dragesimam partem valoris cujuslibet Villae suae, sicut posset poni ad firmam per an∣num. Et si in eadem Villa fuerint per servitium militare tenentes, dent quadragesi∣mam portionem modo praedicto; si autem fuerint libere tenentes, similirer dent eandem portionem modo praedicto, computato reditu quem Dominis suis solverint per annum. Hanc autem collectam, colligi faciant per tam discretos, & legales qui ad hoc possint & sciant sufficere, qui eam recipiant tam de Comitibus, quam de Baronibus praedictis. Et postquam per manus eorum, fuerit collecta, receptores predictae collectae faciant in scriptum redigi distincte & aperte, quantum de quolibet receperint tam de Comitibus quam de Baronibus & Militibus, & libere tenentibus, & nomina singulorum, & Villarum, quantumcun{que} de singulis Villis & quorum quae∣libet sit, imbreviari faciant. Summam autem de Dominicis, & de Wardis, & excaeris, & redditibus Domini Regis faciant separatim imbreviari. Si quis vero Clericus Lai∣cum Feodum habuerit in Ballia aliqua, vel homines tenentes Laicum Feodum in eo∣rum terris, fiat haec collecta per praedictos collectores modo praedicto. De terris autem Cruce signatorum praedicta Collecta fiat modo praedicto; Ita tamen quod eorum pecunia seperatim reponetur ab alia, & summa pecuniae, & nomina singu∣lorum, quorum ipsa pecunia fuerit subscribantur, ut illi, qui iter arripuerint pecu∣niam suam prompte recipiant. Provideatur autem quod pecunia illa sit collecta; ita quod unusquisque Vicecomes simul cum Collectoribus habeat eam apud Novum Templum Londoniae a die S. Hillarii in quindecim Dies, & imbreviamentum modo predicto ordinatum. Viz de summa pecuniae & nominibus eorum qui eam deberint,

& nominibus Villarum, de quibus data fuerit pecunia praedicta, & quantum de qua∣libet datum fuerit. Si qui autem contradixerint huic collectae assensum praebere, nomina eorum imbrevientur, et coram nobis represententur, apud Lundonium, ad terminum praedictum, & hoc breve, & nomina collectorum ibi∣dem habeantur. Valete.

This therefore was but a voluntary precarious Almes and Collection, left arbitrary by the Pope to the King, who by advise of his Nobles and Barons beyond Seas, re∣duced it to a certainty, and recommended it to the Nobles and Barons of England by way of intreaty, with directions how to levy it in the proportion he had fixed on, as a thing not granted, nor required by the King out of debt, duty or custome, or by any Apostolical authority, but meerly as a voluntary Almes and Benevolence, which other Nobles beyond Sea had voluntarily granted, and the King at their re∣quest did by his Letters Patents intreat the English Nobles and Barons out of meer charity to imitate. So as this is a most pregnant evidence against the Popes pretended Jurisdiction to impose any such Tax upon King, Clergy, or Subjects, (as some Popes and Pontificians would thence inferr) from this Usurping Popes Letters, whose Agent embezelled much of this coyn for the Popes own private Coffers, as our Historians observe. Indeed this Pope by his special * 1.2 Letter to all the Archbishops and Bishops of England, commanded them to admonish all those who had formerly taken the Crosse upon them, and afterwards laid it down, to resume it, and repair forthwith to the Earl of Flanders, notwithstanding any Papal Dispensation fraudulently obtained to the contrary from his Predecessors, or else after admonition given them, publikely to excom∣municate them by name (if known) on every Lords day and Holy day, with Bell, Book, and Candle, and likewise to interdict them, without admitting any appeal, and to seclude them from all Divine Offices wheresoever they came. But that any Archbishop or Bi∣shop put this Antichristian severe command of his in execution, I find not in our Historians, who barely recite it, and the premises prove it was never put in execution.

In the fourth year of King John, some Irish Bishops and Archdeacons, Suffragans* 1.3 to the Archbishop of Dublin, endeavoured without this Kings precedent license and assent, to elect an Archbishop, and get him confirmed at Rome by the Pope, against the Kings right and dignity: Whereupon he entred this Appeal against them before himself, to preserve his right and dignity therein.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Note this me∣morable clause▪
• * 1.2

  Hoveden An∣nal. pars poste∣rior, p. 819, 820.
• * 1.3

  An. Dom. 1202