WHere as we ꝑceiued that after we had created mā, settinge him in a place of high pleasure, leuīg him in the councell of his owne handes to chose whether that he wolde die or not die. And thus beynge a spiri­tual body, after our own similitude coulde not for all this stande in the same state but abusinge our celesti­all giftes, and fel from our precept, neglecting what liberte to him was deliuered, so chaunginge him selfe from heuenli libertie vnto eternall bondage, in whome we se what he was of him selfe nothinge but sin­fulnes, refusing our liberties & fill vnto the fulnes of his owne sinne. Whom we lamented of oure mere mercy, coūcelling with our selfe we wolde not haue him whole lost, vpō which consideracion we exiled him [Page] our compani, and to liue in the bor­ders of our wast grounde, takinge him & his as aliantes & straungers vnto vs, exempt from eternal wise­dom and so brought to worldly po­licies. Notwithstāding as we haue said our petie and clemencie proui­ded al maner of thinges and como­dites for him by the which he might ꝑceiue our potencial power, as wel before towarde him as then. Wher­fore vpon cōsideracion of our owne good will we enacted by oure owne councel so to prouide & to set againe at libertie, the daūgers also to take away that mā was fallen in, which coulde not be done but thorow him that was clene & pure without sin­ne, for sinne coulde not take awaye sinne? but the time we reserued vn­to our owne selfe, and at the length to stablishe and confirme our saide act and purpose we sent downe our only begottē sonne to ꝓclaime oure [Page] wil what it was, vnto the which he set to his seales hanginge vpon the crosse, giuinge vp his life thorowe moste painful death, by the whiche the attonement was made betwene man and vs, and so our anger was pacified and we haue also prepared eternal rest for mā so that after this he wil kepe couenant with vs, and liue in our lawes and statutes that we haue set forth by our high court of parliament, both of lordes spiri­tual and temporal to the same con­sentinge.

¶ We haue enacted in our heuēly court that man shall loue vs aboue al thinge with hert, soule, & minde, and al the powers he hath, & to ha­ue none other God or goddes but vs, and vs onely to serue vpon the paine of euerlastinge dampnacion. ¶ We haue enacted also by the au­ctorite aforesaid that our blessed name be not taken in vaine but moste [Page] reuerētly to be had in honor vpon y^e paine before rehersed, & vterly of vs forsakē to y^e cōfirmaciō wherof our vicegerēt Iesus Christ willeth mā not swere at al, but y^t his othe shalbe yea, yea, nay, nay, for what soeuer is more is sin. Also Iames the apostle archbishop of al Galacia sayth. Let your yea be yea & your nay be nay, & Salomō to whom we gaue great wisedō so y^t many regions wondred ther at, giueth warnīg to great swerers & sayth y^t our plage shal not depart frō y^e house of a customable swerer. wherfore who y^e offēdeth in this is vtterly of vs forsaken.

¶ Prouided always yf ye shalbe required of your faith of any in auctorite to whō ye are doutful or y^e obe­diens to your prīce shalbe required of you by othe, & besydes to testifie for y^e truth of your neibour so much as eqⁱte & iustice doth reqⁱre ye maye lawfully take vs to witnes for your [Page] faith, & to take vs to witnes for yo^r obediēs & to iustify your neibour in a right cause ye may reherse our name for so is it not in vaine the acte before notwithstandinge.

Furthermore we wilbe worshipped y^e .vii. day, y^e mā shal giue vs honor & worship for y^e beneficial kindnes y^t we haue done to him, seasing frō al labours that daye both he & al his. ¶ Prouided always wher as nede shal reqⁱre as our only sonne & vicegerent Iesus Christ gaue exāple in healing y^e lame mā vpon y^e sabboth day: so y^e al actes may redoūde vnto our glory lawfully to be vsed y^e acte before notwithstandinge.

¶ Further be it enacted for y^e vnite & concorde which we wold shuld be betwene our creatures, we will one shal do vnto another as he wold be don to. To y^e cōfirmaciō of this said act our only son & vicegerēt saieth, man shall praye vnto vs for the [Page] forgiuenes of his sinnes, none o­therwise then he doth forgiue other Also the said Iesus Christ saieth: o­peninge this acte very plainly. Yf ye shal forgiue those that hath offē ­ded you your heuenly father shal al so remit you your offences he wil al so that man shal forgiue his mortal enemies, and to blesse where as they do curse. And although the auctoritie of this acte be sufficient as is before spoken yet mā shal vnderstāde our lordes of our ꝑliamēt haue giuē their voice vnto it. And first the lord secretary Ihon the euangelist sette his hande and writ: Deus caritas est. God is charite, who that abi­deth in charite abideth in God and God in him. And Paule, the lorde chaūceler sayeth: Yf he could speak with tonges of men or with tonges of angels so that he coulde remoue mountaines with his faith. Yf he shulde giue his body to be burned [Page] without he haue charite it ꝓfiteth nothinge, so that in conclusion he doth affirme and saieth. Caritas nō querit que sua sunt. Charite seketh not only his owne but that that longeth to Iesus Christ our only sōne and Vicegerent, whose example we wil mā shal folow, sayeng: Mandatum nouum do vobis, vt diligatis inuicem sicut dilexi vos. To you I giue a new cōmaundement, that ye loue one another euen as I haue loued you. Also mā shal vnderstande, our loue was vnspeakable towarde him as our lord secretary Iohn the euāgelist writ. Sic deus dilexit mū dum, vt vnigenitum suū daret pro mundum. We had suche loue vnto man, that we gaue our welbeloued sonne for him, that al that beleue in him shuld not perishe, but haue lyfe euerlastinge. Wherfore we will by our heuenly cōmaūdemēt that this acte do extende to all creatures one [Page] to loue another, for as our lord chā ­celer Paul saith loue is y^e fulfilling of y^e lawe, & y^e cōtrary where loue is not there is not god, & where god is not there is wickednes, and where wickednes is there is dampnacion. ¶ Also it is enacted mā shalbe obe­diēt vnto his father & mother in doyng their cōmādemēt, & in so doing we made mā a ꝓmise y^t his life shuld be longe vpō y^e erth to this we haue cōstitute kīges & rulers to gouerne the erthe to whō we will haue dewe honor geuē, for we haue set them as oure cōmissioners vnder vs to exe­cute our will for the whiche we will they be had in reuerens, for the cor­boratinge of the same, our only son obeyd them, & also gaue cōmaunde­ment y^t tribute, tol, & custome shulde be giuen vnto them. Also lord chanceler Paul sayth, let euery soule submit them selues vnto the higher powers & not to obey thē only for fere [Page] but for cōsciēs sake. Moreouer Pe­ter which was y^e poore fisher & toke fyshe dayly w^t his nettes we exalted him to be of y^e domestical housholde w^t our only sonne & vicegerent, & so boldned his hert & sprete y^t we made him to take mē in y^e spūal net whose faith cōfessed y^t Christ was y^e son of vs y^e liuing god, to y^t whiche al y^e fe­lowship agreed, & for y^e which cōfes­sion so made by faith he was trans­lated to an high office there made y^e suꝑuiser of our church spūal, whose auctorite is no lesse toward vs then the lord secretary Ihon or the lorde chāceler Paule to be beleued. And this act doth Peter suꝑuiser of our buildinge cōfirme, sayenge: submit yo^r selues to al maner of ordināces of mē for y^e lordes sake whether it be vnto y^e kynge as vnto y^e chefe heed, or vnto rulers, as vnto them y^t are sent of him for y^e ponishmēt of euell doers, but for y^e praise of them y^t do [Page] well, for so is the will of God here mā must obey them for our sake, for so willeth Peter ther helpe & socour with bodye and goodes to be at the kinges cōmaundement, therfore we wil and by the consent of our lordes spiritual and tēporal, that this acte doth stāde in ful strength & vertue. ¶ Prouided alwaies so that yf fa­ther or mother commaunde any thinge contrarie vnto oure wil, or more then they haue in our cōmissi­on, that then it shalbe leful for man to saye as Peter superuiser answe­red the rulers, what time they wold haue put him to scilence in confes­singe and preachinge Iesus Christ & that they had cast asyde the stone as Peter layed vnto their charge, which was become the head corner stone and that ther was no helth in none other, nor no name wherin a­ny saluacion shuld consist but only our only sonne and Vicegerent Ie­su [Page] Christ, boldlye he said howe that he was more bounde to obey God then mā, so wol we haue you to say, the acte before notwithstandinge. ¶ Further it is enacted, thou shalt not kil. Thou shalt not stele. Thou shalt beare no false wytnes against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not lust after thy neighbours wyfe. Thou shalt not lust after thy neighbours house, lande, seruāt, maide, oxe, asse, or what so euer he hath, to this acte al lordes in heuen both spirituall & temporall doth confirme and agre vnto the same, and vnto the trans­gressours ther longeth dāpnacion. ¶ Also we enacted, Cursed is he that maketh any caruen ydol or y­mage, whiche we abhorre, (for it is the owrke of mans handes) and cursed is the handes that maketh them to the intent to haue them worship­ped, for we wil no worshippe shalbe giuen vnto them. For we are God [Page] al alone & al honor lōgeth vnto vs, who was honored whē we were all alone in our own glory, who is worthy to haue honor, but he y^t made al thinge honorable. Therfore as our lorde chāceler Paule sayth, Soli deo honor et gloria. Honour glory w^t al praise be vnto vs. It reioiseth vs to heare mā say w^t a faythful hert. Tu solus dn̄s, tu solus sanctꝰ, tu solus altissimꝰ. Also we knowe that they praise vs & laude vs, when they say or singe w^t a faithful herte. Lauda­mꝰ te, vn̄dicimꝰ, te, adoramꝰ te. The do we laude, y^e do we blisse, y^e do we worship, & the do we glorify. Graci­as agimꝰ tibi ꝓpt magnā gliam tuā Vnto the giue we thākes for thyne owne great glorye, so y^t no creature hath any glory to glory in but we, y^e which glory cā not be expressed with tonges nor yet w^t hert, yet we be not strāge therof, but in our house ther is many māsiōs prepared for our louing subiectes, as christ hath decla­red, [Page] & yet notw^tstāding whē y^e course of y^e trāsitory worlde shall haue his ende & al thinge cōcluded as we ha­ue decreed what cā any of our crea­tures say, how they dyd attaine to y^e inestimable ioyes y^t they shall haue of thē selues? no no. Could they bye it by any man̄ of wayes, & to say we had no nede of no helpe but of oure owne power cam we hether? no no, they must cōfesse w^t our ambassitor Dauid. Nō nobis dn̄e nō nobis, sed noīe tuo da gliā. Not of vs lord, no not of vs y^t we possessed these ioyes, but y^e glory must redoūde to thy na­me. as christ saith, ther is none good but god, so wil we y^t mā shal knowe w^tout vs they cā do nothing: for we herd y^t our childrē of Israel sayd to Moses▪ y^t tstey wold ꝑforme & do al y^t we had cōmāded. Neuertheles to bringe thē from their owne truste & holines, & y^t they myght knowe & ꝑ­ceyue y^t it is we y^t worketh all in all thinges: we axed Moses who shuld [Page] giue them such a hert. Therfore we wil haue al honour we wilbe praied vnto, we will be trusted vnto, for ther is none to matche with vs, for they are oure creatures and we are their God, so is there no gods that hath ani such vertues or graces but onely we. Wherfore we streytly cō ­maunde by the vertue of this oure sayd acte that no person or persons do not take any part or parts of our honour from vs, and to giue vnto ydolles or ymage, but to gyue vnto euery creature his honour, as we haue it enacted, vppon the paine of our euerlastinge punishmēt & dred­ful indignaciō without redemptiō. ¶ Furthermore we haue enacted by our owne power, and also by the consent of our lordes spiritual and temporal, that no man dothe eyther adde or take frō our heuenly lawes otherwise then we haue enacted as we our selfe haue said vnto Moses [Page] the speaker of our ꝑliamēt what ti­me he receiuid our actes deliuering those same vnto the childern of Is­raell. Also our vicegerent Iesus Christe saieth that man shal do the father of heuins wil for I come not saieth he to do mine owne will, but his will that hath sent me. Also Io­hā the euāgelist our secretary saith: Cursed is he that shall adde any thinge vnto that that is written in the mistery of this lawe, yf any man shal adde any thing, God shal adde vnto him the plages that are con­tained in the same. Moreouer the said lorde secretarye sayeth, yf any man come vnto you and bringe not this doctrine, receiue him not into your houses, neither salute him, for he that saluteth him is partaker of his euel dedes. Furthermore Paule lorde chaunceler sayeth. Other foū ­dacion canne no man laye, then that which is laid alredy. The lorde chā celer [Page] cōfirmith it more & sayth yf an āgel shuld come frō heuē to declare any other doctrine, he forfendeth to giue no credens, wherfore we wyll that our lawes doth stāde in his ful strength & vertue without corrupcion of other doctrine.

¶ Further be it enacted it shalbe lawful for al men to haue these our lawes ordinances and statutes day lye red in their houses, as oure cap­taines of oure armies had both Iosue and also Esdras, and also oure speaker of parliamēt Moses sayd. Audi filii Israel, declaring to them they shulde writ it vpon the postes and gates of their houses, and to haue it in remembrance it shulde be boūde vnto their handes and so whetted vpō their childrē that none other doctrine shuld take place that according as Paule lorde chanceler sayeth. He wold of one to go before another in spiritual knowlege. And [Page] Dauid the noble kynge and one of oure chefe ambassitours y^t brought message of oure godlye pleasure to come, settynge forth also what profitablenes was in y^e knowlege of our lawe sayd. Lex dn̄i immaculata conuertens aīas testimoniū dn̄i fideli sapientiam prestans paruulos. The lawe of the lorde is parfyte, refreshynge the soule, the testimony of the lorde is faithful ministringe wyse­dome vnto the vnlerned, the cōmaū dementes of the Lord are ryght makinge glad the herte, tho thinges whyche God cōmaūdeth are plaine and pure? and they lyghtē the eyes. The feare of the Lorde is pure and holye abydynge for euer, the plea­sures of the Lorde are trewe and ryghte in euerye parte more wor­thyer to be desyred then golde and precious stones, swetter then the honye combe when it droppeth.

Thys ambassitour kynge Dauid [Page] was in assurauns he neuer fel after he had our holye and heuenly lawe in his hert where as he said. Lucer­na pedibus meis, verbum tuum domine, et lumen semitis meis.

O Lord thy worde is a lanterne vnto my fete, and also a light vnto my pathes. And more ouer he said. Iu­raui et statui custodiri iudicia iusticie tue. I haue sworne euen in the botome of my hert and shal ꝑforme it to kepe thy iuste pleasures. So that in euery place this faithful Dauid professed our lawe to be of wonders efficacy strengthe and vertue, that in maner he dyd wonder at thē, and with a great vehemency spake. Mirabilia tua domine &c. Merue­lous are thy testimonies, wherfore my soule obserueth them, to come but to the dore of thy scripture lighteneth and giueth vnderstandynge to the vnlearned. This was he of whome we sayde we haue chosen a [Page] mā euen to our owne hert. Further­more our secretary Iohn the euan­gelist at the entringe first into hys office sayd. In the beginninge was the worde and the worde was wyth God, & God was the worde, so that by his auctorite who so euer recei­ueth our lawe receiueth vs, and the contrary who so receiueth not oure lawe, receiueth not vs. Wherfore man shal vnderstande, it is our wil & godly pleasure to haue our moste sacred worde to go forth whiche is the comforte for man to guyde hys whole lyfe with all, and it was full auctorised by our only sonne & Vi­cegerent Iesus Christe whiche dyd performe the consummacion of our sayd lawe, but we wil by the vertue of this said acte, that any person or ꝑsons do not onely receiue this our law carnally but we wil it shalbe re­ceyued spiritually, or els as Peter the maister of our buildinges sayth [Page] it shulde be better yf they had neuer aknowen it.

¶ Prouided alwayes that yf any person or persons do not accōplishe and fulfyl this our sayd lawe, that then it shalbe leful for hym or them to saye with our faithfull ambassi­tour Dauid peccaui or peccauimus cū patribꝰ nr̄is. Iniuste egimꝰ iniqⁱ tatem fecimus. I haue sinned or we haue sinned with our fathers we haue lyued & walked sinfully, & haue done iniquite, so that yf we shal perceyue amendement of lyfe be had a­monge men that then we wyll euen fatherly accepte their hertes for the sayd confessions sake & spūall myn­des the act before notwithstādinge. ¶ Further be it enacted that euery person or persons which murmure or groge y^t this our sayd lawe shuld prosecute for mannes consolacion, we abiecte clene our heuēly regimēt to euerlasting punyshment, & euery [Page] person or persons that be transgres­sours of oure sayd lawes, and be in minde to cōtinue styl in such rebellious life, shal haue like punishmēt & be wiped clene out of y^e boke of lyfe. ¶ Prouided alwayes we wold mā shuld knowe our pardon is incōpa­rable so that men wilbe obedient & reconsiled vnto our lawe, when so e­uer our grace is offerde. For we wil not the death of no synner, yf he wil cōuert & turne, we wil turne to hym againe & wyl thinke nomore on his disobediēs, his sinnes shal passe frō our syght as corrupt water that is put into a faire running ryuer. So y^t we wyl mā shall lay ful holde tru­styng hole to y^e restituciō y^t we haue by our owne sōne & vicegerent ꝓui­ded for hī which is y^e painful passiō y^t our sōne dyd suffer in whose blode we be moued to mercy, when so euer mā by fayth layeth the same before vs. Clerelye as we sayde before (of [Page] the synnes that man hathe done) to thinke no more on them, that act before notwithstandinge.

¶ Further be it enacted our Beatitude shalbe vpon almen, that shall with a willynge herte do or consent to obserue and do all that we haue cōmaunded, their catel, their corne, with al other their substance, shalbe multiplied and encreased. And con­trary euery person or persons that with a grudgynge hert do not or at the least consent vnto al that we haue cōmaunded to the vttermoost of their powers, that then let them be sure that oure moste godly encrease shalbe withdrawen from them, for cursed shal they be, their corne, their catel, with al other their substance. ¶ Prouided alwayes, it shalbe mete for vs to take oure pleasure a­boue al other. And where as we dyd permyt sathan to tempt oure onelye sonne and Vicegerent Iesus Christ [Page] And also in lyke case oure faythfull seruāt Iob, to be tried by aduersite. It shalbe vnderstande many times we be so minded to proue our faith­full, & to withdrawe vaine thinges frō them to bring them to the knowlege of more parfiter gyftes. For it is our nature diuers times to set vp and after to pul downe many times we exalt the wicked to drowne them hole in their lubricite. For of al creatures, we know the intent of the creaciō, we are as the potter that maye do what him lyst with the lumpe of claye when he hath it in his hādes, to make it a vessell of honoure or a vessel of dishonour, and yet we wyll not be resoned with al for the cause, but we wyl man shal aplye his hole wil vnto our will, and to saye wyth our only sonne and Vicegerent Ie­sus Christ. Fiat voluntas tua. Not our wylles, but this thy wyll in all thinges maye be done. For thy wyll [Page] is holy and is a wyll that can not alter and chaunge, vnto the which all creatures in heauen, earth, and hell muste obeye. Yf man shall thus obedientlye prostrate his whole herte vnto oure correction. Whether it be in losse of goodes sycknes or any other aduersities, what so euer it shall please vs to touche man with all. That then man shall be sure we wyll so vse hym at length, he shal not be tempted aboue that he is a­ble to beare. And as our lorde chan­celer Paule sayeth. Who so euer doth put their truste in vs shall not be confounded. And oure ambassi­tour kynge Dauid sayeth. Mul­ti tribulationes iustorum, et de om­nibus hiis liberauit eum dominus. Vnto the iuste happeneth many tribulacions, but the lorde deliuereth them from all. Therfore we wyll man shalbe faythful in temptacion yea and to gyue vp hys hole lyfe into [Page] our handes, and to feare nothing that shall come of vs, what so euer shalbe layed to his charge but to remember that in all thinge we seke his profyte, yea thoughe that we take his temporall lyfe from hym in the whiche we wyll be glorifyed, and glorifie him agayne. For as it is sayd. Preciosa in conspectu domini, mors sanctorum eius. That is the death of the faithful is precious in our syght we wyl man shall take no paines for our pleasure but that we wyl double recompens agayne. For our only sonne and vicegerent hath sayd. Beati qui lugent. Beati qui persecuntur &c. Blessed are they that mourne for they shalbe com­forted, blessed are they that suffer ꝑsecucion for righteousnes sake for thers is y^e kingdome of god, blessed are you when men shall reuile you & persecute you, & falsly saye al ma­ner of euyl saynges against you for [Page] my names sake. Reioyce & be glad for great is your rewarde in heuen. what may be more sayd, what thing can we more promise, wherfore mā shall vnderstande in all thynges we wyll that man shalbe obedient and confirmable vnto our will and godly pleasure, the acte before not­withstandynge.

¶ Also we haue enacted that euery person or persons shal vnderstande that neuer after this we shall alter or chaunge any parte or partes of that we haue inacted but as our Vicegerent sayeth. Heuen & earth shal alter, but our worde shall not alter, for our word is our owne selfe, and we are not chaungeable in our selfe we are omnipotēt, w^tout beginning w^tout endinge, holiest of al holiest, so fixed & knet in euerlastinge truth that al that we haue said can not al­ter nor be vndone, but euermore to stande. Wherfore by vertue of this [Page] said acte we wyl that none other of oure terrestriall creatures shall in their counsel or councelles, inueye or suppresse any parte or partes of that that we haue sayde or enacted, but that euery person or persons in al their councels shal haue prospect to our lawes groundynge them sel­ues on our foūdacion that we haue layed. For we knowe our selfe to be as wyse as they in al thinges, what was mete and what was vnmete, whose lawes also be sanctifyed by our lawes if they be consonant, and whose lawes also be acursed by our lawes, yf they be contrarye, so that with what measure so euer is dely­uered, the same shalbe delyuered a­gayne yet by our law, althinge shal be iustly iuged.

¶ Be it knowen therfore that thys is the fyrste and the last parliament that we haue or wyll to enacte oure lawes for euermore. And when the [Page] tyme shall come (as we haue it ap­pointed) to cal kinges & emperours with all other potentates before vs to render accompt before vs for the executinge of oure wyll and lawes whether they haue bene done wor­thelye or vnworthelye before vs it shal appere, and those that we haue founde faythfull and trusty we shal deliuer them from the daungers of the lawe to raigne wyth vs euerla­stinge. And againe the transgres­sours or malefactours of the same, shal fal into euerlasting curse of the lawe, which is dampnacion for euer more.