fences, contempts, and enormities, whatsoever they be, which by any manner spiritual authority ought 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 tranquillity of this realm; and usage, custom, foreign laws, foreign authority, prescription, or any other thing or things to the contrary hereof notwithstanding. (Ed, from Statutes at Large, ed. cit., III, p. 187.) 112. Denial of the Authority of the Pope Statutes at Large of England The absolute renunciation of all allegiance to the See of Rome was the natural corollary to the Act of Supremacy, and the Act containing this renunciation is one of the shortest in the statute books. Yet its meaning was unmistakable, and it gave promise of stern determination. The Act was repealed by the general words of I and II. Philip and Mary, c. VIII; but it was afterward practically re-affirmed by Elizabeth. AN ACT EXTINGUISHING THE AUTHORITY OF THE BISHOP OF ROME If any person shall extol the authority of the bishop of Rome, he shall incur the penalty of pramunire provided by Stat. 16 R. 2 c. 5. Every ecclesiastical and lay officer shall be sworn to renounce the said bishop and his authority, and to resist it to his power, and to repute any oath taken in maintenance of the said bishop, or his authority, to be void; and the refusing of the said oath, being tendered, shall be adjudged high treason. (Ed. from Statutes at Large, ed. cit., III, p. 262.) 113. The Dissolution of the Monasteries Statutes at Large of England The dissolution of the lesser monasteries was a severe blow to the Church of Rome. The following Act sets forth the reasons assigned for the suppression of these houses, as well as the determination that they shall be suppressed. It will be noted that the greater monasteries are highly spoken of; the good faith of the statements can be judged by the subsequent destruction of the last citadels of the old faith. AN ACT THAT ALL RELIGIOUS HOUSES UNDER THE YEARLY REVENUE OF TWO HUNDRED POUNDS SHALL BE DISSOLVED AND GIVEN TO THE KING AND HIS HEIRS. "Forasmuch as manifest synne, vicious, carnal, and abominable Living is daily used and committed commonly in such little and small Abbeys, 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 Religios Houses and their Covent spoyle, destroye, consume, and utterly waste, as well their Churches, Monasteries, Priories, principal Houses, Farms, Granges, Lands, Tenements, and Heriditaments, 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 abominable living, yet nevertheless little or none amendment is hitherto had, but their vicious living shamelessly increaseth 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 honourable 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, dayly studying and devysing the Increase, Advancement, and Exaltation of true Doctrine and Virtue in the said Church, to the only Glory and Honour of God, and the total extirping and Dystruction of Vice and Sin, having Knowledge that the Premises be true, as well by the Accompts of his late Visitations, as by sundry credible Informations, considering also that diverse 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 Premisses, 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 Honour 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 for ever, 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, Portions, 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 afore said, above the said clear yearly Value of two hundred Pound, in as large and ample manner as the Abbots, Priors, Abbesses, Prioresses, and 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 hath been given and granted to his Majesty by any Abbot, Prior, Abbess, or Prioress, under their Covent Seals, or that otherwise hath 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 be longing; to have and to hold all and singular the Premisses with all their Rights, Jurisdictions, and Commodities, unto the King's Majesty, and his Heirs and Assigns for ever, to do and use therewith his and their own Wills, to the Pleasure of Almighty God, and to the Honour and Profit of this Realm. (Ed. from Statutes at Large, ed. cit., III, p. 256.) 114. Confession made with Surrender of a Monastery Records, Burnet When the monasteries were surrendered, their heads were induced by promises or threats to make confessions justifying the action of the king. The document given is typical of the rest. and its veracity is at least questionable, however the falsehood may have been excused by the necessities of the case. Forasmuch as we, Richard Green, abbot of our monastery of our blessed Lady St. Mary of Betlesden, and the convent of the said monastery, do profoundly consider, That the whole manner and trade of living, which we and our pretensed religion have practised, and used many days, does most principally consist in certain dumb ceremonies, and other certain constitutions of the bishops of Rome, and other forinsecal potentates, as the abbot of Cistins, and therein only noseled, and not taught in the true knowledge of God's laws, procuring always exemptions of the bishops of Rome from our ordinaries and diocesans: submitting ourselves principally to forinsecal potentates and powers, which never came here to reform such disorders of living and abuses, as now have been found to have reigned among us. And therefore now assuredly knowing, that the most perfect way of living is principally and sufficiently declared unto us by our master Christ, his evangelists and apostles, and that it is most expedient for us to be governed and ordered by our Supreme Head, under God, the king's most noble grace, with our mutual assent and consent, submit ourselves, and every one of us, to the most benign mercy of the king's majesty; and by these presents do surrender, etc. (Collection of Records in vol. II, p. LXVII, History of the Reformation of the Church of England, G. Burnet, Lond., 1880.) 115. Directions for Visitation of Monasteries Records, Burnet Before a religious house was suppressed it was visited and inspected. The general directions to the king's agents are given in the important document given below. This is presented in full because of its great value in describing the ideal manage ment of a monastery and its implication of prevailing irregulari ties. INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE GENERAL VISITATION OF THE MONASTERIES Articuli Regiæ Inqisitionis, in Monasticam vitam agentes, exponendi, et præcipue in exemptos a jurisdictione Diocasana, jam tantum Regiæ Majestati et ejus jurisdictioni subditos et subjectos, ac hujus inclyti sui Regni Statutis et legibus, nullisq; aliis penitus, obnoxios et astrictos. 1. In primis, Whether divine service be solemnly sung, said, observed, and kept, in this monastery, according to the number and the abilities thereof, by night and by day, in due time and hours? and how many be present commonly at mattins, and other service, and who be absent, and so accustomed to be, without cause or sickness? 2. Item, How many monks, canons regulars, or nuns, be within this monastery, and how many there ought to be, and whether the number be complete according to the founder's will, or the statutes, ordinances, and laudible custom of this house; and whether the number be augmented or diminished now of late? 3. Item, Who were the first founders of this house? Fundationem primam, secundam, tertiam, et quotquot habent, exhibeant. 4. Item, Whether this house hath had any increase of lands given to it sithence the first foundation thereof? by whom? by how many? and when? 5. Item, To what sum of money those revenues and rents of this house do extend and amount unto yearly. 6. Item, Whether this house was ever translated from one habit and order to another? by whose authority? and for what cause? Translationem exhibeant. 7. Item, How the lands and possessions appertaining unto this monastery, given by the first founder, and all other lands given sithence the first foundation, were granted, given, and established, and so first brought to morte main? whether by the only authority of the giver, or by the authorization of the prince for that time reigning, and by what tenor and form ye hold them? Donationem et Confirmationem exhibeant. |