XXI. King Henry VIII's Letter to the College of Cardinals, for a Henricus Dei gratia Rex Angliæ et Franciæ, Fidei Defen- Paper-office, sor ac dominus Hiberniæ; reverendissimis in Christo patribus A.D. 1532. May 19. et dominis, episcopis, presbyteris, ac diaconis S. R. E. cardinalibus, &c., amicis nostris charissimis salutem. Non tam crebro apud reverendissimas dominationes vestras de eadem re ageremus, nisi imprimis cordi nobis esset, futurumque aliquando speraremus, ut honoris nostri meritorumque aliqua tandem ab ipsis ratio haberetur: non oblitas putamus esse reverendissimas dominationes vestras quam sedulo, et quam ex animo, sæpe ante egerimus, ut reverendus dominus episcopus Wigorniensis (quem ejus in nos fides virtutesque non vulgares nobis charissimum efficiunt) ad cardinalatus dignitatem nostro intuitu promoveretur: hoc tamen ingens desiderium nostrum, una vel altera injecta occasione, hactenus dilatum est. Verum tamen cum res hæc præter domini Wigorniensis merita, honoris quoque nostri respectu, imprimis cordi nobis sit; intelligamusque de novis cardinalibus in aliorum principum gratiam creandis, nunc tractari, voluimus iterum atque iterum his nostris literis reverendissimas dominationes vestras rogare, ut hujus etiam desiderii nostri, nostrorumque meritorum in hoc nostro exornando oratore, rationem aliquam habeant. Nos certe quam ex corde possumus rem hanc vestris reverendissimis dominationibus commendamus; eo quidem animo ut benevolentiæ vicissitudinem reponamus; memorique pectore acceptam gratiam conservemus. Et feliciter valeant reverendissimæ dominationes vestræ. Ex regia nostra Greenwici, 19 Maii, 1532. Vester bonus Amicus, XXII. HENRY R. Cranmer's Protestation made in the Chapter House at West minster, before his Consecration. Regist. In Dei nomine, Amen. Coram vobis autentica persona et Cranmer, testibus fide dignis hic præsentibus, Ego Thomas in Cant. A.D. 1533. fol. 4. archiepisc. electus, dico, allego, et in his scriptis palam, publice, et expresse, protestor; quod cum juramentum sive juramenta ab electis in Cant. archiepiscop. summo pontifici præstari solita, me, ante meam consecrationem, aut tempore ejusdem, pro forma potius, quam pro esse aut re obligatoria, ad illam obtinendam, oporteat: non est, nec erit meæ voluntatis aut intentionis per hujusmodi juramentum, vel juramenta qualitercumque verba in ipsis posita sonare videbuntur, me obligare ad aliquod ratione eorundem posthac, dicendum, faciendum, aut attemtandum, quod erit, aut esse videbitur contra legem Dei, vel contra illustrissimum regem nostrum Angliæ, aut rempublicam hujus sui regni Angliæ, legesve, aut prærogativas ejusdem; et quod non intendo per hujusmodi juramentum aut juramenta quovis modo me obligare, quo minus libere loqui, consulere, et consentire valeam, in omnibus et singulis reformationem religionis Christianæ, gubernationem Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ, aut prærogativam coronæ ejusdem, reipublicæve commoditatem, quoquo modo concernentibus: et ea ubique exequi, et reformare, quæ mihi in Ecclesia Anglicana reformanda videbuntur: et secundum hanc interpretationem et intellectum hunc, et non aliter, neque alio modo dicta juramenta me præstaturum protestor, et profiteor. Protestorque insuper quodcunque juramentum sit quod meus procurator summo pontifici meo nomine ante hæc præstitit, quod non erat intentionis aut voluntatis meæ, sibi aliquam dare potestatem, cujus vigore aliquod juramentum meo nomine præstare potuerit, contrarium aut repugnans juramento per me præstito, aut in posterum præstando, præfato illustrissimo Angliæ regi. Et casu quo aliquod tale contrarium aut repugnans juramentum meo nomine præstitit; protestor, quod illud me inscio, et absque mea authoritate præstitum pro nullo et invalido esse volo: quas protestationes in omnibus clausulis et sententiis dictorum juramentorum repetitas et reiteratas volo; a quibus per aliquod meum factum vel dictum quovis modo recedere non intendo, nec recedam, sed eas mihi semper salvas esse volo. XXIII. King Henry VIII's Warrant to the Abbot of Evesham to excuse his Attendance in Parliament. HENRY REX. 23 Hen. 8. Trusty and well-beloved in God, we greet you well and Ex Biblioth. albeit that you have monition among them other prelates of Harley Armig. this our realm to be present at our high court of parliament An original. next to be holden; yet nevertheless we of our special grace, 15. considering your debility and age, be content, and by these presents license you to be absent from our said parliament during the continuance, prorogation, or adjournment of the same; the said monition, or any our writs directed unto you, or a commandment by us given you, notwithstanding. Given under our signet at our palace of Green wich, the sixth of January, the twenty-third XXIV. King Henry VIII.'s Letter to Archbishop Cranmer, authorizing him to give a final Determination concerning the Marriage between the King and Catharine of Spain. R. Harley 1533. Most Reverend Father, &c., we greet you well. Doing you Ex Biblioth. to understand, that the twelfth day of this month of April we Armig. received letters from you, dated at Lambeth the 11th of the April, A. d. said month; in which letters ye writ, that, forasmuch as our great cause of matrimony (which has long depended in question) is divulgated, as it is thought, throughout all Christendom, and it is so commented of the mouths of no small number of our people, that many of them fear not to say and report, that thereof is likelihood hereafter to ensue great inconvenience, danger, and perils to this realm, and much uncertainty to our succession, whereby our said people is seemed to be not a little offended. Whereupon ye, whom God and we have ordained Archbishop of Canterbury, and Primate of all this our realm of England; to whose office it has been and is appertaining, by the sufferance of us and our progenitors, as ye write yourself most justly and truly, to order, judge, and determine mere spiritual causes within this our realm. Having due consideration to the said inconveniences, dangers, and perils, and incertainty, if the said cause of matrimony should be suffered still to continue in question undecided; and also reducing to your remembrance the great blame that has been arrected to the clergy of this our realm, especially to the heads and presidents of the same; because they have not hitherto studied and travelled for remedies to exclude and put out of doubt such uncertainty, inconveniences, perils, and dangers, being moved in your conscience by reason of the premises to endeavour yourself as far as you may, by reason of your said office of primacy, to set some direction and end in the said cause of matrimony, according to the pleasure of Almighty God. And thereupon ye duly recognizing, that it becomes you not, being our subject, to enterprize any part of your said office, in that so great and weighty cause pertaining to us, being your prince and sovereign, without our licence obtained so to do. And therefore, in your most humble wise ye supply unto us, in your said letters, to grant unto you our licence to proceed to the examination and final determination of the said cause, in exoneration of your conscience towards God; and for the satisfying of your bounden duty towards us, our realm, succession and posterity, in avoiding of the said inconvenience. And finally, in the end of your said letters, ye beseech us to pardon your boldness and rude writing in that said behalf, and to take the same in good sense and part as you do mean, calling God to your record, that only for the zeal you have to the premises, ye have written the said letters, and for none other intent, cause, or purpose. My Lord, where you write in the last part of your said letters, whereunto we make you first answer, that ye be moved only by the zeal you have to justice, and for the exoneration of your conscience against God, to write as you do unto us, we cannot of reason be discontented therewith, but condignly praise you therein, and for that we perceive that ye have such a good mind and fervent zeal to do justice according to your office, for the quieting of our realm, and for the excluding of such dangers and perils as be in your said letters mentioned; and also for putting our succession and posterity out of question, doubt, and uncertainty, we cannot but much commend and laud your good and virtuous intended purpose in that behalf. In consideration whereof, albeit we being your king and sovereign, do recognize no superior in earth, but only God, and not being subject to the laws of any other earthly creature; yet, because ye be under us by God's calling and ours, the most principal minister of our spiritual jurisdiction within this our realm, who we think assuredly is so in the fear of God, and love towards the observance of his laws, (to the which laws we, as Christian king, have always heretofore, and shall ever most obediently submit ourself) will not therefore refuse (our pre-eminence and authority to us and our successors in this behalf nevertheless saved) your humble request, offer, and towardness, that is to mean, to make an end according to the will and pleasure of Almighty God, in our said great cause of matrimony, which has so long depended (as our Saviour Christ knows) undetermined, to our great and grievous inquietness and burthen of our conscience. Wherefore we inclining to your humble petition, by these our letters sealed with our seal, and signed with our signmanual, do license you to proceed in the said cause, and to the examination and final determination of the same; not doubting but that you will have God and the justice of the said cause only before your eyes, and not to regard any earthly or worldly affection therein; for assuredly, the thing that we most covet in this world, is to proceed in all our acts and doings as may be most acceptable to the pleasure of Almighty God our Creator, and to the wealth and honour of us, our succession and posterity, and the surety of our realm and subjects within the same. XXV. The Archbishop of York and the Bishop of Durham's Letter to the King: in which they report their message delivered to the Queen; and her answer upon the sentence of divorce, pronounced May 20th, 1533. 16. Please it your Highness to understand, that this day we Paper-office. repaired to the princess dowager, and there I, the archbishop of York, for an introduction, did declare to her the effect of our commission, and said to her: 1st. That your Highness had often sent unto her divers of your counsel, and amongst them me one, to declare to her the invalidity of the marriage between your Highness and her. 2dly. That carnal knowledge, which is the great key of the matter, is sufficiently |