of way is so far out of this realm, so that the necessary proofs nor the true knowledge of the cause can neither there be so well known nor the witnesses there so well examined as within this realm, so that the parties grieved by means of the said appeals be most times without remedy:

(In consideration whereof it is enacted that such cases shall be determined by the king's courts spiritual and temporal, despite any process of foreign jurisdiction, or any inhibition, excommunication or interdict.)

And it is further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that if any person or persons, inhabiting or resident within this realm or within any the king's said dominions or marches of the same, or any other person or persons of what condition or degree soever he or they be, at any time hereafter for or in any the causes aforesaid do attempt move, purchase or procure from or to the See of Rome or from or to any other foreign court or courts out of this realm, any manner foreign process, inhibitions, appeals, sentences, summons, citations, suspensions, interdictions, excommunications, restraints or judgments of what nature kind or quality soever they be, or execute any of the same process or do any act or acts to the let impediment, hinderance, or derogation of any process, sentence, judgment, or determination had made done or hereafter to be had done or made in any courts of this realm or the king's said dominions or marches of the same for any of the causes aforesaid, contrary to the true meaning of this present act and the execution of the same, that every such person or persons so doing and their fautors, comforters, abbetors, procurers, executors and counsellors and every of them being convict of the same for every such default shall incur and run in the same pains and forfeitures ordained and provided by the statute of provision and præmunire made in the XVI year of the reign of the noble Prince, King Richard the Second, against such as attempt, procure or make provision to the See of Rome, or else where for for any thing or things to the derogation or contrary to the prerogative or jurisdiction of the Crown and dignity of this realm." Stat. Realm III, 427, Gee & Hardy. 187.

Act of Supremacy 1534, 26 Hen. VIII, c. 1.

"Albeit the king's majesty justly and rightly is and ought to be the supreme head of the Church of England, and so is, recognized by the clergy of this realm in their convocations, yet nevertheless

for corroboration and confirmation thereof, and for increase of virtue in Christ's religion within this realm of England, and to repress and extirp all errors,.heresies, and other enormities and abuses heretofore used in the same; be it enacted by authority of this present parliament, that the king our sovereign lord, his heirs and successors, kings of this realm, shall be taken, accepted, and reputed the only supreme head in earth of the Church of England, called Anglicana Ecclesia; and shall have and enjoy, annexed and united to the imperial crown of this realm, as well the title and style thereof, as all honors, dignities, pre-eminences, jurisdictions, privileges, authorities, immunities, profits, and commodities to the said dignity of supreme head of the same church belonging and appertaining; and that our said sovereign lord, his heirs and successors, kings of this realm, shall have full power and authority from time to time to visit, repress, redress, reform, order, correct, restrain, and and amend all such errors, heresies, abuses, offences, contempts, and enormities, whatsoever they be, which by any manner spiritual authority or jurisdiction ought to be or may lawfully be reformed, repressed, ordered, redressed, corrected, restrained, or amended, most to the pleasure of Almighty God, the increase of virtue in Christ's religion, and for the conservation of the peace, unity and tranquility of this realm; any usage, custom, foreign law, foreign authority, prescription, or any other thing or things to the contrary notwithstanding."

Stat. of the Realm, III, 492; Gee and Hardy, 234.

Act for the Suppression of Monasteries, 1536, 27 Hen. VIII, c. 28.

"Forasmuch as manifest sin, vicious, carnal and abhominable living is daily used and committed commonly in such little and small abbies, priories and other religious houses of monks, canons and nuns, where the congregation of such religious persons is under the number of twelve persons, whereby the governors of such religious houses, and their covent, spoil, destroy, consume and utterly waste, as well their churches, monasteries, priories, principal houses, farms, granges, lands, tenements and hereditaments, as the ornaments of their churches, and their goods and chattels, to the high displeasure of Almighty God, slander of good religion, and to the great infamy of the king's highness and the realm, if redress should not be had thereof. And albeit that many continual visitations hath been heretofore had, by the space of two hundred years and more, for an honest and charitable reformation of such unthrifty, carnal

and abhominable living, yet nevertheless little or none amendment is hitherto had, but their vicious living shamelessly encreaseth and augmenteth, and by a cursed custom so rooted and infected, that a great multitude of the religious persons in such small houses do rather choose to rove abroad in apostacy than to conform themselves to the observation of good religion; so that without such small houses be utterly suppressed and the religious persons therein committed to great and honorable monasteries of religion in this realm, where they may be compelled to live religiously, for reformation of their lives, the same else be no redress nor reformation in that behalf.

In consideration whereof, the king's most royal majesty, being supreme head on earth, under God, of the church of England, daily studying and devising the increase, advancement and exaltation of true doctrine and virtue in the said church to the only glory and honor of God, and the total extirpating and destruction of vice and sin, having knowledge that the premises be true, as well by the accounts of his late visitations, as by sundry credible informations, considering also that divers and great solemn monasteries of this realm, wherein-thanks be to God-religion is right well kept and observed, be destitute of such full number of religious persons, as they ought and may keep, hath thought good that a plain declaration should be made of the premises, as well to the lords spiritual and temporal as to other his loving subjects the commons, in this present parliament assembled; whereupon the said lords and commons, by a great deliberation, finally be resolved, that it is and shall be much more to the pleasure of Almighty God, and for the honor of this his realm, that the possessions of such small religious houses now being spent, spoiled and wasted for increase and maintenance of sin, should be used and committed to better uses, and the unthrifty religious persons, so spending the same, to be compelled to reform their lives; and thereupon most humbly desire the king's highness that it may be enacted by authority of this present parliament, that his majesty shall have and enjoy to him and his heirs forever, all and singular such monasteries, priories and other religious houses of monks, canons and nuns, of what kinds of diversities of habits, rules or order soever they be called or named, which have not in lands, tenements, rents, tithes, portions and other hereditaments, above the clear yearly value of two hundred pounds. And in like manner shall have and enjoy all the sites and circuits of every such

religious houses, and all and singular the manors, granges, meases, lands, tenements, rents, reversions, services, tithes, pensions, churches, chapels, advowsons, patronages, annuities, rights, entries, conditions, and other hereditaments appertaining or belonging to every such monastery, priory, or other religious house, not having as is aforesaid, above the said clear yearly value of two hundred pounds, in as large and ample manner as the abbots, priors, abbesses, prioresses, or other governors of such monasteries, priories, and other religious houses now have, or ought to have the same in the right of their houses. And that also his highness shall have to him and to his heirs all and singular such monasteries, abbeys, and priories, which at any time within one year next before the making of this act have been given and granted to his majesty by any abbot, prior, abbess, or prioress, under their convent seals, or that otherwise, have been suppressed or dissolved, and all and singular the manors, lands, tenements, rents, services, reversions, tithes, pensions, portions, churches, chapels, advowsons, patronages, rights, entries, conditions, and all other interests and hereditaments to the same monasteries, abbeys, and priories, or to any of them appertaining or belonging; to have and to hold all and singular the premises, with all their rights, profits, jurisdictions, and commodities, unto the king's majesty, and to his heirs and assigns forever, to do and use therewith his and their own wills, to the pleasure of Almighty God, and to the honor and profit of this realm.

(Grantees of suppressed abbey lands to enjoy the same as fully as the late possessors, saving the rights of those holding lands, etc., from the monasteries to be dissolved. Ornaments, jewels, goods, chattels and debts of the dissolved monasteries given to the king. Abbots, Priors, etc., elected since January 1, 1534, discharged from the payment of the first fruits.)

In consideration of which premises to be had to his highness, and to his heirs, as is aforesaid, his majesty is pleased and contented, of his most excellent charity, to provide every chief head and governor of every such religious house, during their lives, such yearly pensions and benefices as for their degrees and qualities shall be reasonable and convenient; wherein his Highness will have most tender respect to such of said chief governors as well and truly conserve and keep the goods and ornaments of their houses to the use of his majesty, without spoil, waste or embezzling the same; and also his majesty will ordain and provide that the convents of every such

religious house shall have their capacities, if they will, to live honestly and virtuously abroad, and some convenient charity disposed to them towards their living, or else shall be committed to such honorable great monasteries of this realm wherein good religion is observed, as shall be limited by his highness, there to live religiously during their lives; and is ordained by the authority aforesaid, that realm wherein good religion is observed, as shall be limited by his highness, there to live religiously during their lives; and it is ordained. by the authority aforesaid, that the chief governors and convents of such honorable great monasteries shall take and accept into their houses, from time to time, such number of the persons of the said convents as shall be assigned and appointed by the king's highness, and keep them religiously, during their lives, within their said monasteries, in like manner and form as the convents of such great monasteries be ordered and kept.

(Saving of the rights of founders, etc., of the houses suppressed. Grantees of the sites of suppressed monasteries to keep up hospitality and husbandry as before accustomed. Justices of the peace to inquire of and punish offenders).

Stat. of the Realm, III, 575; Gee and Hardy, 257

Act of Uniformity, the Six Articles. 1539, 31 Hen. VIII, c. 14.

"Where the king's most excellent majesty is by God's law supreme head immediately under him of this whole church and congregation of England; intending the conservation of the same church and congregation in a true, sincere and uniform doctrine of Christ's religon, calling also to his blessed and most gracious remembrance, as well as the great and quiet assurance, prosperous increase, and other innumerable commodities, which have ever insued, come and followed of concord, agreement and unity in opinions, as also the manifold perils, dangers and inconveniences, which have heretofore, in many places and regions grown, sprung and arisen of the diversities of minds and opinions, especially of matters of Christian religion, and therefore desiring that such an unity. might and should be charitably established in all things and concerning the same, as the same so being established might chiefly be to the honor of Almighty God, the very author and fountain of all true unity and sincere concord, and consequently redound to the commonwealth of this his highness most noble realm, and of all his loving subjects, and other residents and inhabitants of or in the