FYRSTE AS TOVCHYNGE the mayntenance of the faythe , the termes be so generall , that it wolde be very harde to make certaine answere to the same , but if they mean the faithe of Christe , to the whiche all christen menne be only bounde , We declare and proteste our selfe to be that prince , that dothe entende and hath always mynded to lyue and dye in the mayntenaunce defence and obseruation of the puritie of the same , And that no man can or dare set his fote by vs in prouynge of the contrary . We meruayle therfore moche , that ignoraunt people woll go about to take vpon them , to instructe and teche vs , which haue ben noted somthynge lerned , What the feyth shuld be , and also that they being ignorant people , be so presumptuous ( seinge that we and our hole clergy in conuocation haue in articles declared it ) to take vpon them to correcte vs all therin : or that they wold be so ingrate and vnnaturall towardes vs , theyr moste rightfull kyng and soueraigne lorde , without any our deserte , vpon fals reportes or surmyses , to suspect vs of the same , and gyue rather credence to forged lyght tales , than to the very trouthe by vs these .xxviii. yeres vsed , and by our dedes approued .

¶ TO THE second , which towcheth the mayntenance of the church & the lyberties of the same , we saye , It is so generall a proposicion , that without distinctions no man can well aunswere it . For fyrste the churche , which they meane , must be knowen . Seconde whyther those thinges , whych they calle lyberties , and saye they wolde maynteyne , be thinges lawfull and beneficiall to the prynce and common welthe , or otherwyse . And these knowen , we doubt not , but they shal be answered according to goddis lawes equitie and Iustyce . Neuertheles for al their generalite this we dare affirme , that meanynge what churche they lyst , we haue doone nothynge , that maye not be abyden by , bothe by goddis lawes and mans lawes : or that is preiudiciall to the common welthe , if our procedynges may be indifferently wayed and consydered . And in our owne churche of Englande , whereof we be the supreme heed in erthe , we haue done nothynge so onerous and chargeable to theym , as many of our predecessours haue doone vppon moche lesse groundes . For dyd not kynge Edwarde the thyrde , of most noble memory our progenitour , suppresse all the monasteries of one hole religion , that were within this realme , and conuerted theym holly to his owne vse , sauynge a certayne of the same , that he gaue to his noble men and gentyll men , as we haue at this tyme lyke wyse done ? Dyd not kyng Henry the .v. suppresse aboue one hundreth monasteryes , takynge the greate benefite of the same to his owne propre vse and behoufe ? And what acte dyd he agayne within this realme , that coulde be noted to the prouffite of the common weale of the same , onles it were the erection of Syon , and the house of the Charterhouse at Shene ? Dydde not kynge Henry the .vi. semblably suppresse a good nombre of monasteries for the makynge of a college in Cambridge , and yet neuertheles but a very fewe of them were conuerted to the vse therof ? Dyd not our Grandame in lyke maner , for the edifieng of two colleges in our vniuersitie of Cambridge , procure the suppression of a great many houses of religion ? Dyd not byshop Alcock , beinge noted a good man , procure the suppression of certayn monasteries for the building of an other college within the same vninersitie ? Dyd not the cardinall of yorke lately for the erection of a college in Oxforde , compasse the supp̄ssion of thirty monasteries ? Howe many byshops besydes , as of Canturbury , Wynchester , Rochester , Lyncolne , & others , haue procured the putting downe of abbeys , for the buylding and endowementes of dyuers Colleges , whiche sundry of them haue made within dyuers vnyuersities , and also for sundrie other purposes and fundations ? Wherfore sythens this article perteynith nothyng to any of our commons , nor that they beare any thynge therin , we can not but recken a greate vnkyndenes and vnnaturalnes in theym , whiche had leauer a chorle or twayne shulde enioye those profites of their monasteryes , for the supportation and mayntenaunce of abhomynable lyfe , thanne that we their prince shuld receyue the same , to wardes our extreme charges done and daily susteyned for their defence agaynst forayn ennemies .

¶ The thirde article toucheth thre thynges . The fyrst is the lawes : The second is the common welth : The thirde the directours of the lawes vnder vs . Touchynge the lawes , as it becometh not blynde men to iudge any colours , ne to take vpon theym to be iudges in the same , so we dare expressely and boldly affirme , as a thynge that may be easily and duely proued , that there was neuer in any one of our predecessours dayes , so many holsom commodious and beneficiall actes made for the common welth , as haue ben made in our tyme , and sythens some of them hadde credite and doynge in our affayres , that wolde nowe perchaunce fayne pycke them thanke without deserte : for our lord forbede , that bothe we and our counsayle shulde haue loste so moche tyme , as not to knowe better nowe , than we dyd in the begynnyng of our reigne , what were a common welth , and what were against the good and commoditie of the same , seinge we haue ben a kynge these .xxviii. yeres , and by experience lerned the perfytenes therof . and all thoughe the folye and vnkyndnes of some wol not percase so knowlege it : yet we truste and doubte not , but the most parte of our louyng subiectes , specially those whiche be not seduced by fals reportes , do both thinke it , accepte it , and fynde it soo .

¶ Nowe touchyng the common welthe , what kyng hath kepte his subiectis so longe in welth & peace , so longe without takynge or doing wronge one to an other , so indyfferently minystred Iustice to all estates bothe hygh and lowe , so defended them from al outwarde ennemies , so fortified the fronters of his realme , to his no lytell and in maner inestimable charges , and all for their welthes and sureties ? What kynge hathe gyuen amonge his subiectes mo generall or free pardons ? What kynge hath ben lother to punysh his subiectis , or shewed more mercy amonges them ? These thynges beinge soo true , as no true man can denye them , It is an vnnaturall & an vnkynd demeanour of you our subiectis , to beleue or deny the contrary of it , by whose reporte so euer it shuld be set forth ageynst vs .

¶ And touchynge the begynnyng of our reygne , where it is sayde , that so many noble menne were counsaylours , we do not forget , who were thenne of our counsayle . For of the temporaltie , there were but two worthy to be called noble , the one the treasorer of Englande , the other the hyghe Steward of our housholde , others , as the lord Marney and Darcy , but meane borne gentylmen , ne yet of any great landes , tyl they were promoted by the kinge our father of most noble memorie , & by vs , and so made knyghtes & lordes . The rest were lawiers & prestes , sauyng the two byshoppes of Canturbury and Wynchesire . If these then be the great nomber of noble men , that is spoken of , & that our subiectes semed at that tyme to be contented withall , why then be they not nowe moche better contented with vs , whiche haue so many nobles in dede , bothe of byrthe and condition , of our counsayle . For fyrste of the temporaltie , in our priuye counsayle , we haue the Duke of Norfolke , the Duke of Suffolke , the Marques of Excester , the lorde Stewarde , whenne he is presente , the Erle of Oxforde , The Erle of Sussex , the lorde Sandes , our Chamberlayne , the lorde Admyral , treasorer of our house , syr wyllyam Poulet Comptroller of our house , syr Wyllyam Kyngston our vicechamberlayne , And of the spiritualtie , the byshoppes of Canturbury , Wynchester , Hereford , and Chichester . And for bycause it is more then necessary , to haue some of our pryuy counsaylle lerned in our lawes , and acqueynted with the polycies & practises of the worlde , we , by th aduise of our hole counsayle before named , did electe and chose into our priuye counsayle , and also into theyr roumes , sire Thomas Audeley knyght , our Chancellour , and the lorde Crumwel , keper of our priuy seale , thinkynge them men in all our opinions mooste mete for the same roumes . And we with our hole counsayle thynke it ryghte straunge , that you , whiche be but ignorant and vnexpert folkes , shulde take vppon you to appoynte and limitte to vs , who be mete to be of our counsayl , and who be not . Marke therfore nowe , howe these sedicious persons , whiche so wrongfully haue borne you thus in hande , haue falsely abused you , that reaken , there were then moo noble men of our priuie counsaile , then be nowe . But yet thoughe of our great clemency & princely goodnes , we declare now the truthe , to pul you our subiectes from that errour and blindnes you be trayned and brought into , by false and vntrue surmyses , and reportes : we wold agayne , that euery of you knowe , that it apperteyneth not to any subiecte , to presume to take vppon hym , to appoynte his kynge and soueraigne lordis counsaile , ne for our part we wol take any such thing at any of our subiectes handes . Wherfore we wolde , that from hensforth , they shulde better remembre the duities of good subiectis towardes their natural liege lorde , and medel not with these and suche lyke thynges , as they haue nothinge to do withal .

¶ To the .iiii. article , where the comons do name certayne of our counsaile to be subuerters both of goddis lawe and the lawes of the realme , we doo take and repute them , as iust and true executours bothe of goddis lawes and of ours , as farre as theyr commissions vnder vs do extende . And if any of our subiectes can duely proue the contrary , we shall procede ageynst them , and all other offendours therin , accordynge to Iustice , as to our estate and dignitie royall doth apperteyne . And in case it be but a false and an vntrue reporte , as we veryly thynk it is , then it were as mete , and standeth as wel with iustice , that they shulde haue the selfe same punyshement , whiche wrongfully haue obiected this to them , that they shuld haue had , if they hadde deserued it . And one thyng amonges others causeth vs to thynke , that this sklaunder shulde be vntrue , bycause it procedeth from that place , whiche is bothe farre distante from that , where they inhabyte , and also from those people , which neuer harde them preache , nor yet knoweth any parte of theyr conuersation . Wherfore we exhorte you al our comons of those parties , to be no more so light of credyte in the beleuynge of euyll thynges , spoken of vs your naturall prynce and soueraigne lorde , nor of any of our counsailours or prelates , but to thynke , that your kynge , hauynge soo longe reigned ouer you , hath as good discretion , to elect and chose his counsaylours , by th aduyse of his counsayle before named , as those what soeuer they be , that haue put this into your heades , and moche better thenne you , being but ignorant people , and out of al experience of princis affayres , can haue . And as vnto the last article , and also vnto the mater of the hole dyscours of your peticions , we veryly thynke , that the rest of all our hole commons , of many countreys , to whom you be in maner but an handful , wyl gretly disdayne , and not beare it , that you take vpon you , to set order to vs and them , and specially to vs beinge soueraygne lord to you bothe : and that you beinge rebelles , wold make them as bearers and parttakers of your mischiefe , wyllynge them to take pardon for insurrections , whyche veryly we thynke and doubt not , they neuer mynded , but lyke true subiectes , to the contrary haue both with harte and dede bene redy at our calle , to defende bothe vs and them selfes .

¶ And nowe for our parte , as to your demandes , we late you wyte , that pardon of suche thynges , as you demaunde , lyethe onely in the wylle and pleasure of vs your soueraygne lorde and prince : But it semeth by your lewde proclamations and saufe conductis , that there be amonges you , whiche take vppon them bothe the partes of kynges and of counsaylours , whiche neither by vs nor by the generall consent of our realme , haue ben admitted to any such rome . What arrogancy is then in those wretches , being also of none experience , that wol presume to reise you our subiectis without commission or auctoritie , ye & agaynst vs , vnder a cloked color of your welth , and in our name , & as the succession and ende wol declare , if we shuld not be more mercyful vnto you , than you haue deserued , to your owne vtter confusions ? Wherfore we late all you our sayde subiectes again witte , that were it not , that our pryncely harte can not reken this your shameful insurrection , and most ingrate and vnnaturall rebellion , to haue ben done of malyce or rancour , but rather by a lightnes of credite gyuen in maner by a naughty nature to a comminaltie , and a wonderous sodayn surrection of gentylmen , we must nedes haue executed an other maner of punyshement , than if you wyll humbly knowledge your fawte , and submytte your selfes to our mercy , we entende to do , as by our proclamations , we doubt not but you be informed . And now therfore note our benignitie , nowe considre howe moche we desire the preseruation of you our subiectis , and th aduoydynge of th effusion of christen blode , and nowe consider , what hurte you haue in this lyttell tyme done vnto your selfes , and lerne by this gentyl refourmation , to auoyde a greatter yuell , to loue honour and dreade your prynce and soueraine lorde , that thus tendreth you , and from hensforthe to lyue lyke true subiectes to vs , and to beleue no moo suche fals and lyght tales .