FYRSTE AS TOVCHYNGE the mayntenance of the faythe, the termes be so generall, that it wolde be very harde to make certaine an­swere to the same, but if they mean the faithe of Christe, to the whiche all christen menne be only bounde, We declare and proteste our selfe to be that prince, that dothe en­tende and hath always mynded to lyue and dye in the mayntenaunce defence and obseruation of the puritie of the same, And that no man can or dare set his fote by vs in prouynge of the contrary. We meruayle therfore moche, that ignoraunt people woll go about to take vpon them, to instructe and teche vs, which haue ben noted somthynge lerned, What the feyth shuld be, and also that they being ignorant people, be so presumptuous (seinge that we and our hole clergy in conuocation haue in ar­ticles declared it) to take vpon them to correcte vs all therin: or that they wold be so ingrate and vn­naturall towardes vs, theyr moste rightfull kyng and soueraigne lorde, without any our deserte, v­pon fals reportes or surmyses, to suspect vs of the same, and gyue rather credence to forged lyght ta­les, than to the very trouthe by vs these .xxviii. ye­res vsed, and by our dedes approued.

¶ TO THE second, which towcheth the mayn­tenance of the church & the lyberties of the same, we saye, It is so generall a proposicion, that with­out distinctions no man can well aunswere it. For [Page] fyrste the churche, which they meane, must be kno­wen. Seconde whyther those thinges, whych they calle lyberties, and saye they wolde maynteyne, be thinges lawfull and beneficiall to the prynce and common welthe, or otherwyse. And these knowen, we doubt not, but they shal be answered according to goddis lawes equitie and Iustyce. Neuertheles for al their generalite this we dare affirme, that meanynge what churche they lyst, we haue doone nothynge, that maye not be abyden by, bothe by goddis lawes and mans lawes: or that is preiu­diciall to the common welthe, if our procedynges may be indifferently wayed and consydered. And in our owne churche of Englande, whereof we be the supreme heed in erthe, we haue done nothynge so onerous and chargeable to theym, as many of our predecessours haue doone vppon moche lesse groūdes. For dyd not kynge Edwarde the thyrde, of most noble memory our progenitour, suppresse all the monasteries of one hole religion, that were within this realme, and conuerted theym holly to his owne vse, sauynge a certayne of the same, that he gaue to his noble men and gentyll men, as we haue at this tyme lyke wyse done? Dyd not kyng Henry the .v. suppresse aboue one hundreth mona­steryes, takynge the greate benefite of the same to his owne propre vse and behoufe? And what acte dyd he agayne within this realme, that coulde be noted to the prouffite of the common weale of the same, onles it were the erection of Syon, and the house of the Charterhouse at Shene? Dydde not [Page] kynge Henry the .vi. semblably suppresse a good nombre of monasteries for the makynge of a col­lege in Cambridge, and yet neuertheles but a very fewe of them were cōuerted to the vse therof? Dyd not our Grandame in lyke maner, for the edifieng of two colleges in our vniuersitie of Cambridge, procure the suppression of a great many houses of religion? Dyd not byshop Alcock, beinge noted a good man, procure the suppression of certayn mo­nasteries for the building of an other college with­in the same vninersitie? Dyd not the cardinall of yorke lately for the erectiō of a college in Oxforde, cōpasse the supp̄ssion of thirty monasteries? Howe many byshops besydes, as of Canturbury, Wyn­chester, Rochester, Lyncolne, & others, haue procu­red the putting downe of abbeys, for the buylding and endowementes of dyuers Colleges, whiche sundry of them haue made within dyuers vnyuer­sities, and also for sundrie other purposes and fū ­dations? Wherfore sythens this article perteynith nothyng to any of our cōmons, nor that they beare any thynge therin, we can not but recken a greate vnkyndenes and vnnaturalnes in theym, whiche had leauer a chorle or twayne shulde enioye those profites of their monasteryes, for the supportation and mayntenaunce of abhomynable lyfe, thanne that we their prince shuld receyue the same, to war­des our extreme charges done and daily susteyned for their defence agaynst forayn ennemies.

¶ The thirde article toucheth thre thynges. The fyrst is the lawes: The second is the cōmon welth: [Page] The thirde the directours of the lawes vnder vs. Touchynge the lawes, as it becometh not blynde men to iudge any colours, ne to take vpon theym to be iudges in the same, so we dare expressely and boldly affirme, as a thynge that may be easily and duely proued, that there was neuer in any one of our predecessours dayes, so many holsom commo­dious and beneficiall actes made for the common welth, as haue ben made in our tyme, and sythens some of them hadde credite and doynge in our af­fayres, that wolde nowe perchaunce fayne pycke them thanke without deserte: for our lord forbede, that bothe we and our counsayle shulde haue loste so moche tyme, as not to knowe better nowe, than we dyd in the begynnyng of our reigne, what were a common welth, and what were against the good and commoditie of the same, seinge we haue ben a kynge these .xxviii. yeres, and by experience lerned the perfytenes therof. and all thoughe the folye and vnkyndnes of some wol not percase so know­lege it: yet we truste and doubte not, but the most parte of our louyng subiectes, specially those whi­che be not seduced by fals reportes, do both thinke it, accepte it, and fynde it soo.

¶ Nowe touchyng the cōmon welthe, what kyng hath kepte his subiectis so longe in welth & peace, so longe without takynge or doing wronge one to an other, so indyfferently minystred Iustice to all estates bothe hygh and lowe, so defēded them from al outwarde ennemies, so fortified the fronters of his realme, to his no lytell and in maner inestima­ble [Page] charges, and all for their welthes and sureties? What kynge hathe gyuen amonge his subiectes mo generall or free pardons? What kynge hath ben lother to punysh his subiectis, or shewed more mercy amonges them? These thynges beinge soo true, as no true man can denye them, It is an vn­naturall & an vnkynd demeanour of you our sub­iectis, to beleue or deny the contrary of it, by whose reporte so euer it shuld be set forth ageynst vs.

¶ And touchynge the begynnyng of our reygne, where it is sayde, that so many noble menne were counsaylours, we do not forget, who were thenne of our coūsayle. For of the temporaltie, there were but two worthy to be called noble, the one the treasorer of Englande, the other the hyghe Steward of our housholde, others, as the lord Marney and Darcy, but meane borne gentylmen, ne yet of any great landes, tyl they were promoted by the kinge our father of most noble memorie, & by vs, and so made knyghtes & lordes. The rest were lawiers & prestes, sauyng the two byshoppes of Canturbu­ry and Wynchesire. If these then be the great nō ­ber of noble men, that is spoken of, & that our subiectes semed at that tyme to be contented withall, why then be they not nowe moche better conten­ted with vs, whiche haue so many nobles in dede, bothe of byrthe and condition, of our counsayle. For fyrste of the temporaltie, in our priuye coun­sayle, we haue the Duke of Norfolke, the Duke of Suffolke, the Marques of Excester, the lorde Stewarde, whenne he is presente, the Erle of [Page] Oxforde, The Erle of Sussex, the lorde Sandes, our Chamberlayne, the lorde Admyral, treasorer of our house, syr wyllyam Poulet Comptroller of our house, syr Wyllyam Kyngston our vicecham­berlayne, And of the spiritualtie, the byshoppes of Canturbury, Wynchester, Hereford, and Chiche­ster. And for bycause it is more then necessary, to haue some of our pryuy counsaylle lerned in our lawes, and acqueynted with the polycies & prac­tises of the worlde, we, by thaduise of our hole coū ­sayle before named, did electe and chose into our priuye counsayle, and also into theyr roumes, sire Thomas Audeley knyght, our Chancellour, and the lorde Crumwel, keper of our priuy seale, thin­kynge them men in all our opinions mooste mete for the same roumes. And we with our hole coun­sayle thynke it ryghte straunge, that you, whiche be but ignorant and vnexpert folkes, shulde take vppon you to appoynte and limitte to vs, who be mete to be of our coūsayl, and who be not. Marke therfore nowe, howe these sedicious persons, whi­che so wrongfully haue borne you thus in hande, haue falsely abused you, that reaken, there were then moo noble men of our priuie counsaile, then be nowe. But yet thoughe of our great clemency & princely goodnes, we declare now the truthe, to pul you our subiectes from that errour and blind­nes you be trayned and brought into, by false and vntrue surmyses, and reportes: we wold agayne, that euery of you knowe, that it apperteyneth not to any subiecte, to presume to take vppon hym, to [Page] appoynte his kynge and soueraigne lordis coun­saile, ne for our part we wol take any such thing at any of our subiectes handes. Wherfore we wolde, that from hensforth, they shulde better remembre the duities of good subiectis towardes their natu­ral liege lorde, and medel not with these and suche lyke thynges, as they haue nothinge to do withal.

¶ To the .iiii. article, where the comons do name certayne of our counsaile to be subuerters both of goddis lawe and the lawes of the realme, we doo take and repute them, as iust and true executours bothe of goddis lawes and of ours, as farre as theyr commissions vnder vs do extende. And if a­ny of our subiectes can duely proue the contrary, we shall procede ageynst them, and all other offen­dours therin, accordynge to Iustice, as to our e­state and dignitie royall doth apperteyne. And in case it be but a false and an vntrue reporte, as we veryly thynk it is, then it were as mete, and stan­deth as wel with iustice, that they shulde haue the selfe same punyshement, whiche wrongfully haue obiected this to them, that they shuld haue had, if they hadde deserued it. And one thyng amonges others causeth vs to thynke, that this sklaunder shulde be vntrue, bycause it procedeth from that place, whiche is bothe farre distante from that, where they inhabyte, and also from those people, which neuer harde them preache, nor yet knoweth any parte of theyr conuersation. Wherfore we ex­horte you al our comons of those parties, to be no more so light of credyte in the beleuynge of euyll [Page] thynges, spoken of vs your naturall prynce and soueraigne lorde, nor of any of our counsailours or prelates, but to thynke, that your kynge, ha­uynge soo longe reigned ouer you, hath as good discretion, to elect and chose his counsaylours, by thaduyse of his counsayle before named, as those what soeuer they be, that haue put this into your heades, and moche better thenne you, being but ignorant people, and out of al experience of prin­cis affayres, can haue. And as vnto the last arti­cle, and also vnto the mater of the hole dyscours of your peticions, we veryly thynke, that the rest of all our hole commons, of many countreys, to whom you be in maner but an handful, wyl gret­ly disdayne, and not beare it, that you take vpon you, to set order to vs and them, and specially to vs beinge soueraygne lord to you bothe: and that you beinge rebelles, wold make them as bearers and parttakers of your mischiefe, wyllynge them to take pardon for insurrections, whyche veryly we thynke and doubt not, they neuer mynded, but lyke true subiectes, to the contrary haue both with harte and dede bene redy at our calle, to defende bothe vs and them selfes.

¶ And nowe for our parte, as to your demandes, we late you wyte, that pardon of suche thynges, as you demaunde, lyethe onely in the wylle and pleasure of vs your soueraygne lorde and prince: But it semeth by your lewde proclamations and saufe conductis, that there be amonges you, whi­che take vppon them bothe the partes of kynges [Page] and of counsaylours, whiche neither by vs nor by the generall consent of our realme, haue ben ad­mitted to any such rome. What arrogancy is then in those wretches, being also of none experience, y^t wol presume to reise you our subiectis without cō ­mission or auctoritie, ye & agaynst vs, vnder a clo­ked color of your welth, and in our name, & as the succession and ende wol declare, if we shuld not be more mercyful vnto you, than you haue deserued, to your owne vtter confusions? Wherfore we late all you our sayde subiectes again witte, that were it not, that our pryncely harte can not reken this your shameful insurrection, and most ingrate and vnnaturall rebellion, to haue ben done of malyce or rancour, but rather by a lightnes of credite gy­uē in maner by a naughty nature to a comminal­tie, and a wonderous sodayn surrection of gentyl­men, we must nedes haue executed an other maner of punyshement, than if you wyll humbly know­ledge your fawte, and submytte your selfes to our mercy, we entende to do, as by our proclamations, we doubt not but you be informed. And now ther­fore note our benignitie, nowe considre howe mo­che we desire the preseruation of you our subiectis, and thaduoydynge of theffusion of christen blode, and nowe consider, what hurte you haue in this lyttell tyme done vnto your selfes, and lerne by this gentyl refourmation, to auoyde a greatter y­uell, to loue honour and dreade your prynce and soueraine lorde, that thus tendreth you, and from hensforthe to lyue lyke true subiectes to vs, and to beleue no moo suche fals and lyght tales.