Such were the bold encroachments of the Bishops, Deans, Chapters, and their Officers then, as to draw most temporal Officers into their Courts, and there vex and excommunicate them, for executing their Offices upon any Clerk, Prelate, or their Tenants, Tenements; and to hold Plea of Lands and Goods, not belonging to their Jurisdiction, but the Kings Courts; and invade the Rights of the Kings Crown, the Kingdoms and Subjects Liberties in sundry particulars, in a very high degree; which intollerable grievances, in high affront to the Kings Crown and dignity, ob∣structing the execution of publick Justice, tending to make Prelates, Clergymen lawlesse, and all Laymen meer slaves to their Lordly wills, and exorbitant Courts, these Prohibitions timely prevented, and checked in some measure; witnesse this memorable complaint of the Mayor and Citizens of York, against the Dean and Chapter of St. Peters of York, and this memorable Prohibition issued thereupon, wherein their intollerable Usurpations in sundry kinds upon the Kings Rights, Royal Authority, Officers, Courts, and proud presumption in Excommunicating the Mayor and Citizens, tendring an illegal Oath unto them de parendo jure Ecclesiasti∣co, are particularly recited, severely prohibited; and their obstinate contemptuous persisting in these their Usurpations and Extravagancies, notwithstanding the Kings Prohibitions, fully displayed.
REX Decano & Capitulo Sancti Petri Eborum, salutem. Ex querelis Majoris &* 1.1 Civium nostrorum Eborum frequenter intelleximus, quod usurpastis vobis placita de Laicis feodis, et de catallis et debitis quae non sunt de Testamento vel Matrimonio, et alia jura et libertates in praedicta Civitate ad Majorem et Ballivos nostros ejusdem Civitatis spectantes: Nec permittitis custodes mensurarum nostrarum in eadem Civitate probare mensuras in terris quas dicitis esse vestras, nec eas signo nostro signare, sed signo adulterino eas facitis signari. Item non permittitis eosdem Cives capere nomina hominum vestro∣rum pro debitis suis, secundum tenorem Chartae nostrae quam inde habent, in qua nec homines vestri, nec alii excipiuntur. Item ap∣propriastis vobis homines nostros, et omnia placita eorum tenetis* 1.2 in Curia vestra, vi excommunicationis, ratione terrarum in quibus manent; nec permittitis Ballivos nostros praedictae Civitatis ingredi terras quas dicitis esse vestras, licet non sint, ad debita nostra le∣vanda, nec ad latrones seu malefactores capiendos vel arrestandos, sed si terras vestras ad hoc sine licentia vestra ingrediantur, vel gra∣vaminibus praedictis, pro jure nostro salvando se opposuerint, statim in eos assensu nostro irrequisito, de emendis faciendis sententiam Excommunicationis promulgari facitis, (the Popes, Prelates, Clergy∣mens grand, intollerably prophaned, abused engine, to oppresse, vex, suppresse, en∣slave both Emperors, Kings, Kingdoms, Subjects of all sorts, and wreck their malice or revenge upon them:) nec eam pro aliquo mandato nostro relaxa∣re curatis, nisi praestito Sacramento de parendo jure Ecclesiastico,* 1.3 (an abuse, usurpation since practised by such Courts, persons, to the Subjects grand oppression) Cum igitur praemissa in jurium nostrorum praejudicium non modicum, et dignitatis Regiae maximam cedant laesionem, (let all Prelates, persons guilty of such exorbitances well observe it) et per Li∣teras nostras frequenter requisiti fueritis, quod ab hujusmodi ex∣actionibus et usurpationibus desisteritis; Vos iterato monendos duximus, et exortandos mandantes, quatenus Majorem et Balli∣vos et Cives praedictos, imo nos juribus et libertatibus prius usitatis