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By the following document, agreed to by Convocation on May 15, 1532, and handed to the king on the following day, the clergy made their submission to the king's demands. The transcript below is taken from a regularly certified copy from the Register of Convocation, which copy is now preserved amongst the State Papers. A contemporary draft of the preceding, with some verbal differences and an extra article, is also preserved amongst the State Papers (S. P. Hen. VIII, v. 1023 ii.). Its material difference is the omission of the word new. Its precise relation to the one here printed is not quite clear. Presumably the one agreed to by Convocation is that given below. The words contained in square brackets are those in which 1023 i. differs from the text of 1023 ii. these differences are given in the foot-notes. Many verbal differences will be noticed between both these forms here given and that printed by Collier, ix. 97, and other authorities who quote him; his basis is Cotton MS.
The clergy with all confidence in the king do promise We your most humble subjects, daily orators and bedesmen of your clergy of England, having our special trust and confidence in your most excellent wisdom, your princely goodness and fervent zeal to the promotion of God's honour and Christian religion, and also in your learning, far exceeding, in our judgment, the learning of all other kings and princes that we have read of, and doubting nothing but that the same shall still continue and daily increase in your majesty- 1. Not to make ant new cannons without the kings licence and ratification First, do offer and promise, in verbo sacerdotii, here unto your highness, submitting ourselves most humbly to the same, that we will never from henceforth [enact], put in ure, promulge, or execute, any [new canons or constitutions provincial, or any other new ordinance, provincial or synodal], in our Convocation [or synod] in time coming, which Convocation is, always has been, and must be, assembled only by your highness' commandment of writ, unless your highness by your royal assent shall license us to [assemble our Convocation, and] to make, promulge, and execute [such constitutions and ordinances as shall be made in] the same; and thereto give your royal assent and authority. 2.To submit previous cannons to a commitee of revision on condition that those approved be put in force. Secondly, that whereas divers [of the] constitutions, [ordinances,] and canons, provincial [or synodal,] which have been heretofore enacted, be thought to be not only much prejudicial to your prerogative royal, but also overmuch onerous to your highness' subjects, [your clergy aforesaid is contented, if it may stand so with your highness' pleasure, that ] it be committed to the examination and judgment [of your grace, and] of thirty-two persons, whereof sixteen to be of the upper and nether house of the temporalty, and other sixteen of the clergy, all to be chosen and appointed by your [most noble grace]. So that, finally, whichsoever of the said constitutions, [ordinances, or canons, provincial or synodal,] shall be thought and determined by [your grace and by] the most part of the said thirty-two persons [not to stand with God's laws and the laws of your realm, the same] to be abrogated and [taken away by your grace and the clergy; and such of them as shall be seen by your grace, and by the most part of the said thirty-two persons, to stand with God's laws and the laws of your realm, to stand in full strength and power, your grace's most royal assent and authority] once impetrate and fully given to the same. |