ARTICLES DEVISID 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.
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¶ The kynges moste honourable counseylle to the residue of his louynge subiectes.
SIns it is the parte of all honourable and elect persons chosen by the prince, when they do declare and vtter matters of weighte, to obserue an equitie and trouth in vtteryng of them, and to shew beneuolence to the people, whiche be vnder their prince, in admonyshynge them of thynges, which are necessary for thē to know: We therfore the king our souerayns most faithful counsaylours and subiectes, with hole assent and by his licence haue thought most conuenient and necessarie, to intimate vnto you (the reste of his subiectes) these articles folowynge, for your better erudition and knowledge, and to open vnto you truly the manifold iniuries done vnto our kynge and souerayne, [Page] whiche (we beinge his true and feithful subiectes) may in no wyse susteine or suffre: But study and endeuoir our selfes by all wayes to vs possible, to redoube and requite the same, and to take the iniuries and wronges done to his persone (in whome is all our wealthe and ioye) more ernestly, then if it were done to vs alone. And so shall we do accordyng to our duties, and therby deserue merite of god, to whom moste humbly we praye, that he wyll vouchesafe to haue, support, defende and kepe vnder his wynge and tuicyon our moste noble prince, the quene, now beinge his wyfe, with theyr issue, and all vs his true and louynge subiectes.
FIrste the mere truthe is, that no lyuinge creature, of what astate, degree, or dignytie soo euer he be, hathe power gyuen hym by god, to dispense with goddes lawes, or lawe of nature. Which thing is confirmed and determyned in our princis case, by an infinite nombre of well lerned men straungiers, by the most part also of all the most famous vniuersities of Christendome: And speciallye, and aboue all (to our estimations) the holle clergie of this realme. Whervpon and in discharge also of his conscience, beinge auctorysed by acte of parlyament our Metropolytane Archebyshoppe of Canturbury, hath adiudged the fyrst matrimonye, to be contrarye to goddis lawes, & therby not laufull, & this present matrimonie nowe enioyed, laufulle and perfyte. Wherfore we all (that be our princis trewe subiectes) [Page] oughte in this his iuste & true matrimonie, to lyue and dye with him, and his, of this venter come, or cōmyng.
The .ij. Article.
SEcondly, the counsailes of Nyce, Melyuence, and Aphricane, with others also, haue determyned, that causes of strife or controuersie, being ons begon in any region, also there, and in the sayde region, be finally determined, and none other where, expressely denienge the courtes of beyonde the see, to oblige any manne to appere at them for diuers weightie cōsiderations in them expressed, whiche not withstandinge the byshop of Rome by some men called Pope, the vsurper of goodis lawe, and infringer of general counsels, hath hitherto wrongfully deteined at Rome, and wolde do stylle, except otherwise our prince and his parlyament had prouided his gret and weightie cause, contrarye to ryghte and conscience, to [Page 4] the vtter vndoinge of this realme.
Whiche thynges the prince and his holle parlyament considerynge, and takynge some lyght vpon the forsaid general counsailes, and waying also other wyse and politike reasons, thinkinge verily this amongest other cō sideratiōs, that it were not mete that the inheritance of this realme shulde depende vppon the byshop of Rome, or any other straungiers wyll & plesure, whiche other by affection, mede or feare, might and wold ordre it after his worldly affections and appetites, as it wel appereth this holy byshoppe of Rome wolde: haue made a commodious and welthy law lately, both for vs & him, By which, good peple (liuing within the limites of true matrimonie within this realme) shal not by malice, or euil wyl be so longe deteyned and interrupted from their righte, as in tymes passed they haue bene, Nor iniuste matrimonie shall [Page] haue his vnlauful and incestuous demoure, as by delays to Rome, it was wont to haue, whiche may euidently appere now, by that, that our princis weightie and longe protracted cause of Matrimonie, hath nowe here his final and prosperous ende, with brefe successe of issue all redy hadde, and other lyke to folowe, laudes be vnto god, thonly werker of the same: with whiche issue bothe you and we, muste bothe lyue and dye, accordyng to our allegeance.
The .iij. Article.
THirdly it is to be takē for a truth & equitie agreing with lernyng, that an excusatour in any byshoppes court of the worlde, the partie eyther not beinge bounde personally to appere there (as bi al lerning our prince is not at Rome) or being impedite by any other lauful causes, whiche they by theyr own law haue limited, shuld be admitted to answere for the parte, [Page 5] ageinste whiche equitie the byshop of Rome hath 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 remayne 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 great iniurie done to our prince, and consequently to vs, that the bysshoppe of Rome, and all his, shall se, that excepte 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 doinge, we do but our duetie, yet surely we doubte not but it shall be very acceptably takē bi our prince and king.
The fourth Article.
FOurthely the righte beleue of all true Christien people is, that the [Page] general counsel (laufully gatherid) is superiour and hath power ouer al by shoppes and spiritualle powers, not exceptynge the bysshoppe of Rome. In confirmation of whiche opinion the approbate coūsell of Basil seyth these wordes: who so euer opponeth him self obstinatli ageinst this truth, is to be taken by al true christen people, as an heritike. Wherfore, louing frendes, lette vs so handell our selfe bothe in wordis & dedes, that we be not taken for any fōde scruple in this trap, and let not herin our eies be so blynded, nor oure eares made so defe with the sayinges or prechinges of any papistes, that we rūne heedlonge ageynste the true beleue of all ryght Christen people.
The fyfte Article.
FIftly, by the lawe of nature it is granted and admitted for lauful, that a man beinge greued, vexed, or troubled iniustely, may appele from [Page 6] the bysshop of Rome, to the generall counsel, whiche so beinge, then speciallye suche libertie is moste conuenient for princis, and they not to be reiected therfro, nor it is not a thynge by them to be neglected or omytted, whiche haue but two wayes principally where none other can preuayle, to atteyne ryght the one ageynste the other, that is to sey, in causes concernynge the saule and mere spirituall, appellation to the general counseyle, In temporall, the sword only, except by meditation of frendes, the maters may de compounded, so that who so euer wolde go about to take away any of these naturelle defences frome them, is to be manly withstande both by the prince and his subiectes. And therto, we be animate by oure ryght father whiche redemed vs, our lorde Iesu Christe in that he sayth, Obeye ye princis aboue all, and then theyr deputies, not gyuynge power to any [Page] other within theyr reules and dominions.
The .vi. Article.
SIxtly after yt appellations be laufully 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 attempte any further proces, in preiudice of the appellante, whiche yf he do, by the forsayde lawes, his doinges can not preiudice the appellante, and also it standeth voyde, The effecte of whithe lawe must now take his strength in the benefite of our prince, except to great iniurie be ministred vnto him. For our prince and kynge, accordyng to the libertie of nature and constitutions of generalle counsayles (as afore) hath both prouoked and appeled to the general counsayle next ensuinge, rightfully congregate, from the vsurper of goddis lawes, and infringer of generall counsayles, whiche [Page 7] calleth hym selfe Pope. In the whiche our princis doinges, all iuste and true christen men, I doubte not, wylle supporte and meynteyne hym, whiche prouocations & appellations also standynge in force, and being intimate to the person of the said vsurper (as in dede they be) sequestrethe hym rightfully from al maner of proces belongyng or in any wise apperteynyng to our princis facte and mater, in any of his courtis. Other diabolike actis & statutes by some of his predecessours made, as herafter shal appere, not withstandynge. Wherfore, 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 & better parte of this verse ensuinge, And the maligners,Psal 36. the fore part of the same, whiche is, Quoniam qui [Page] malignantur exterminabuntur, sustinētes autē dominū, ipsi here ditabunt terram.
The .vii. Article.
SEuenthely the sentence of excommunication, oughte not to be executed by anye minister of Christes churche, agaynst any creature, except it be for deedly syn prohibite by goddes lawe and scripture, nor yet then, excepte the partye stande in contumacye or be heddye: howe sklenderly shuld we then esteme his censures and curses, which extendeth them vpon vs chefly, bicause we haue made holsome lawes, for the commoditie and welthe of our prince and realme secondly, bycause they do preiudicate his wordly appetites and profyte,
Thirdly by cause our prince wyl not (contrarie to his conscience, derected by goddis lawe, and thoppinions of the moste parte of all the beste lerned men in christendome, as afore is rehersed) [Page 8] lyue an incestuous lyfe & abhomynable? These thinges be so contrarious 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. Wherfore, we al (our princis true subiectis) oughte to recken, as reason and lernynge leadeth vs, besides the due obedience to our prince, that the curse of hym, whiche ministrethe hit iniustly, 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 al shewe our selfes lyke true and obedient subiectes, not estemyng or hangynge vpon any lyuing creature, saue onely oure prince and king, accordyng to an olde prouerbe here in Englande, of olde tyme past, moche wont to be set by, & ofte tymes by true men rehersed, whiche is, One [Page] god and one kyng, myndyng therby, that all other folkes doinges shulde be despised, whiche in any poynt may be contrary to them, in confirmation wherof the prophete Dauid sayeth these wordes, Inimici uero domini mox honorificati fuerint et exaltati, sal. 56. deficientes quemadmodum fumus deficient.
The .viij. article.
EIghtly, it is the office of all maner of byshoppes, and a graunte 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 lawes 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 excommunications. [Page 5] And this manier of wayes onely, ought euery byshoppe to vse, althoughe the bysshoppe of Rome, wolde them to do neuer so moche to the contrary, for they be boūde more to obey god then man, whiche office and wayes, (accordynge to his duetie) our good bysshoppe of Caunturbury (nowe lyuynge) hath begon to shewe and folowe. For fyrst he apperceyuyng, when he came to his dignitie, that his prince and souerayne lyued in vnlaufull and vnsittyng matrimonie (accordynge to his duetie) mekely dydde admonyshe hym, and therin also reproued hym, exhortynge hym to leaue it, or els he wolde do further his duetie in it, So that at the laste, accordynge to goddis lawes, he did separate his prince from that vnlaufull matrimonie. In whiche doing, we thinke that euerye trewe subiecte shulde moche the better esteme hym, bycause he wold execute goddis [Page] commaundement, and sette this realme in the waye of true heyres. And howe God herewith is pleased, we thinke it doeth euidentlye appere by many thynges. First so brefely 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 diuers princis and potentates, of oure Prince: Fourthely the purenes of ayre without anye pestilenciall or contagious disease, by so longe tyme during, whiche thynges we ought to thanke god for, and to take them for demonstracions that he is pleased, bothe with our prince and his doinges. Wherfore, let vs all that be his true subiectes, bothe reioyce in hit, and applye vs accordynglye 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 auctoritie ne iurisdiction graunted more to the byshoppe of Rome, than to any other, Extra prouinciam, yet bycause that sufferance of people, and blyndenes of Princis, with their supportation hitherto, hath susteined the same, doinge them selfes therby to greate iniurie, 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, Christis disciple, a man also, though the see apostolike were of neuer so highe auctoritie, contrarious, vnlaufulle also by their owne decrees, to occupie and enioye his vsurped place. For fyrst he is bothe baste and cam to his dignitie by Simony, and now in denieng the prouocation and appele of [Page] 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 say, an Herityke.
Wherfore, all we (beinge trewe christen people, he thus contynuynge) oughte to dispice bothe hym and his factes, and be no lenger blinded with hym, but gyue our selfes holly to the obseruance of Christis lawe, in whiche is all swetnes and truthe, adioyninge with hit the lawes of this realme, vtterlye relyngquishynge the other, in whiche is nothinge 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.