ment, and are not taken Notice of, either in the KingHenry VHI. printed Statutes, or in Lord Herbert, or other Historians; the Statute-Books only making them twentytwo in Number, but the Journals thirty-four. This is remarkable, because fome of thefe Statutes have a plain Reference to the History of thefe Times, and feem to want a farther Explanation.

An Act concerning the Confirmation of Dower

to the Lady Catharine, late Wife to Prince Arthur, A&ts país'd. eldest Son to King Henry VII.

Another for abrogating the ufurped Authority of the Pope of Rome; who, for a long Time has unlawfully used it in this Kingdom.

Another for the confirming the Jointure, fettled upon the most excellent Princefs, the Lady Ann, Queen of England.

An Act for depriving the Bishops of Salisbury and Worcester from their Sees (a).

For confirming to the King and his Heirs the Lands belonging to the Priory of Chrift-Church in London.

An Act to declare the Manner of Elections and Confirmations of Archbishops and Bifhops within this Realm.

Another, concerning a Confirmation of the Marriage, between our most illuftrious King and the most excellent Princefs Ann, his Wife, lately folemnized. With feveral other more private Bills.

King Henry and his Parliament agreed fo very well together in every Thing, that it now plainly appears, by thefe frequent and annual Prorogations, that he had no Mind to part with them, till the great Work of Reformation, which he had taken in Hand, was accomplished. Much had been, already, done towards it, but much more remained behind to do; by far, more difficult and dangerous than the other. However, the next Seffion of this Parliament gave the

(a) Thefe Bishops were two Italians; the one was Laurence Campegius, a Roman Cardinal, made Bishop of Salisbury, by Papa! Provifion, 1525; and the other Jerome de Ghinucei, Bishop of Worcester, Anno1523. Both deprived for Non-Reficence.

LE NEVE's Fafti Ecc. Ang.

King Henry VIII. the King feveral convincing Proofs of their great Zeal for his Service; and as Lord Herbert obferves, the Statutes then enacted were fo important, as evidently to fhew the great Refpect and Awe born by the Nation to their King (b).

Anno Regni 26,

1535.

The King declared Supreme Head of the Church.

The Journal Books here again forfake us; the Seffions of Parliament, in the 26th and 27th Year of this King, being loft from the Office; fo that we muft depend upon the printed Statutes and Hiftories, for the farther Proceedings of this Parliament to its Diffolution.

According to the laft Prorogation, they met again, on February the 3d by the Statute-Books, but Hall and Lord Herbert say, November the 3d. At which Time the following Acts were made;

The first was to this Effect; That albeit the King was the Supreme Head of the Church in England, and fo recognised by the Clergy of this Realm in their Convocations, yet for more Corroboration. thereof, as alfo for extirping all Errors, Herefies, and Abuses of the fame; it was enacted, That the King, his Heirs and Succeffors, Kings of England, fhould be accepted and reputed the Supreme Head on Earth of the Church of England, called, Ecclefia Anglicana. And have and enjoy, united and annexed to the Imperial Crown of this Realm, as well the Title and Stile thereof, as all Honours, Dignities, Preheminences, Jurifdictions, Privileges, Authorities, Immunities, Profits, and Commodities to the faid Dignity of Supreme Head of the fame Church belonging or appertaining. And that our faid Sovereign Lord, his Heirs and Succeffors, Kings of this Realm, fhall have full Power and Authority from Time to Time, to vifit and reprefs, redress reform, order, correct, restrain and amend all fuch Errors, Herefies, Abufes, Offences, Contempts and Enormities, whatfoever they be, which, by any Manner of fpiritual Authority or Jurifdiction, ought or may lawfully be reformed, repreffed, ordered, redreffed, corrected, reftrained, or amended, moft to the Pleasure of Almighty

• God,

(b) Lord Herbert.

God, the Encrease of Virtue in Chrift's Religion, KingHenry VII. and for the Confervation of the Peace, Unity and Tranquility of this Realm, any Ufage, Custom, foreign Laws, foreign Authority, Prescription, or any Thing or Things to the contrary hereof notwithstanding. Which Act, though much for the Manutention of the Regal Authority, feem'd yet not to be fuddenly approved by our King, nor before he had confulted with his Council (who fhewed him Precedents of Kings of England, that had ufed this Power) and with his Bifhops, who having difcuffed the Point in their Convocations, declared, That the Pope had no Jurifdiction warranted to him by God's Word in this Kingdom. Which alfo was feconded by the Univerfities, and by the Subfcriptions of the feveral Colleges, and Religious Houses, fo far as they bound their Succeflors thereunto; the Particulars whereof are to be seen in our Records. However, the Bufinefs was both publickly controverted in foreign Countries, and defended here by many at this prefent, while they produced Arguments for fejecting the Pope's Authority; and together maintained it neceffary, that fuch a Power should be extant in the Realm for fupporting and strengthening of the Religion profeffed in it, and excluding the impertinent and ill-grounded Reformations of many Sectaries of thofe Times. The Arguments of all which, may be seen in the King's Book De vera Differentia Regice et Ecclefiaftica Poteftatis (which we have formerly mentioned) as being printed and published on this Occafion; whence alfo the learned Bishop Andrews in his Tortura Torti, feems to have drawn divers Affertions of the Regal Authority, to which therefore the curious Reader may have further Recourse.

It was alfo declared Treafon to attempt, imagine Other Acts pak. or speak evil against the King, Queen, or his Heirs, ed.

or to attempt or deprive them of their Dignity or

Titles.

Also, that no Traitor fhall have Benefit of Sancquary. And though he be out of the Realm, yet прой

King Henry VIII. upon Commission given by the King for his Trial, if he be found guilty by the Jury, the Law fhall proceed against him, as effectually as he were present. 'An Act alfo made the laft Parliament for an Oath to be taken by all the King's Subjects for the Surety of the Succeffion by Queen Ann was now confirmed, and the Oath prefcribed; for the more validating whereof alfo, it was declared that, all former Oaths, concerning Succeffion, taken by the King's Subjects, should be reputed thenceforth vain and annihilated.

• That towards the Augmentation, Maintenance and Defence of the King's Royal Estate and Dignity of Supreme Head, the First Fruits of all Benefices, Dignities, Offices &c. Spiritual, fhall be paid to his Highness. As alfo a yearly Revenue, being the tenth Part of all fuch Livings; the Prior andthe Brethren of St. John's of Jerufalem not excepted.

'Whereas also it was doubted, left in these troublesome Times, fome Commotion might follow in this Kingdom, and that particularly Wales, as being a strong and fast Country, might be a Refuge for ill-affected Perfons, and the rather that there were so many Lordships Marches in those Parts (the feveral Lords whereof having ampler Power than they now enjoy, did protect Offenders flying from one Place to the other) divers Laws were enacted against Perjuries, Mrders, Felonies in Wales; Paflage over Severn alfo at unlawful Times was prohibited, and Clerks convict in Wales not to be releafed till they found Sureties for their good abearing. Notwithstanding which, the Year following, upon mature Deliberation, Wales was united and incorporated totally unto the Crown of England, it being thought better to adopt that People into the fame Form of Government with the English, than by keeping them under more fevere and ftrict Laws than others in the Ifland were fubject unto, to hazard the alienating of their Affections.

'An Act alfo was made, declaring by whom, and in what Manner Bishops Suffragans fhould be no

minated

minated and appointed, and what their Authority and KingHenryVi■. Privileges fhould be. And thus, after a free and ge

neral Pardon from the King was enacted, the Parliament was prorogued.

The Act of Supremacy being paffed, the King proceeded more confidently to abolish, by Proclamation, the Pope's Authority out of his Kingdom, and eftablifh his own; the Doctrine whereof he commanded not only to be often preached in the most frequented Auditories, but taught even to little Children ; enjoining further, that the Pope's Name fhculd be razed out of all Books (z); his Refolution being after this Time to treat him no otherwife than as an ordinary Bishop. In Confequence whereof alfo. he not only proceeded with an high Hand against ali the Oppofers of his Supremacy, (as fhall be related in its due Place) but accepted a yoluntary Oath or Promife, from his Bishops, under their Hands and Seals declaring, their Acknowledgement of the fame, together with a Renunciation of the Pope's pretended Authority, and any Oath or Promise made to him heretofore. The Form of this Oath or Promife, made by Stephen Gardener, Bishop of Winchester, Febr. the 10th, 1535, may be seen in Foxe, to which we remit the Reader.'

If we may credit the Preamble to the printed Statutes, this Seffion of Parliament continued fitting from the Date above, to the 18th of December following. But, this is fcarce probable, for we find that they met once more by Prorogation on the 4th of February, in the Beginning of the next Year; which is hardly Time enough for fome of the more diftant Members to go home and return again. It is true, they had a great Deal to do in it; the Length and Breadth of the Acts which were paffed at this Seffion, requiring great Skill in the making and dreffing of them. But the grand Coup de Grace of all, was the Act declaring King Henry, SUPREMUM CAVOL. III. PUT

H

(z) We have seen several Books printed, before this Time, wherein the Word POPE is entirely obliterated; particularly, one in our Collection, FABIAN's Chronicle; in which, the Name of Porr is blot ted out, by a Pen, throughout the whole Volume. It is probable the Bookfellers durft not then fell a Book without this Alteration.