Chap. I. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 11 " houfes of parliament, and as many of the clergy, to be named by the He King " king, who fhould have full power to revife theold canons, -and to abro- 1534 " gate, confirm, or alter them as they found expedient, the king's affent tm' " being obtain'd." Thisfubmj on was confirm'd by parliament ; and by 1103 for revi- the fame ad, all appeals to Rome were again condemned. If any parties "the Ca- found themfelves aggrieved in the archbifhop's courts, an appeal might be 25 H. 8. made to the king in the court of chancery, and the lord chancellor was to cap. r9. grant a commit ion under the great Peal for a hearing before delegates, whole determination fhould be final. All exempted abbots were alfo to appeal to the king ; and the at concluded with a provifo, That tillfuch correctionof the canons was made, all thofe which were then receivedfhould remain inforce, except fuch as were contrary to the laws and cufloms of the realm, or were to the damage or hurt of the king'sprerogative. Upon the provifo of this aft, the jurifdiétion of the commons, and otherfpiritual courts is founded at this day ; for the canons not being corre led, the old ones are in force with the exceptions abovementioned; and this provifo is probably the rea- fon why the canons were not correfted in the following reigns, for now it lies in the breaft of the judges to prohibit proceedings contrary to the laws, or rights of the crown, which is more for the fubjeéts fafety, than to make a colleftion of ecclefiaftical laws which fhould be liable to no controul. Before the parliament broke up, they gave the annates or firfl fruits of benefices, and the yearly revenue of the tenthpart of all livings which had been taken from the pope laft year, to the king. This difpleafed the cler- gy who were in hopes of being freed from that burthen, but found them- felves miftaken, for by the 32d of Henry VIII. cap. 45. a court of record is ordered to be erected, called the court of the firfi fruits and tenths, for the levying and government of the Paid firft fruits for ever. The feffion being ended, commifiioners were fent over the kingdom, to Oath ofSuc- adminifter the oath offucceQion to all his majefty's fubjefts, according to a Cel1an and late aft of parliament, by which it appears that betides renewing their alle- Supremacy. giance to the king, and acknowledging him to be head of the church, they declared upon oath, the lawfulnefi ofhis marriage withqueen Anne, and that Hi/!. Ref. they would be true to the ifue begotten in it ; that the bi/hop of Rome had Vol. I. no more power than any other bifhop in his own diocefe; that they wouldfub- P. 555 mit to all the king's laws, notwithflanding the pope's cenfures; that in their prayers they wouldpray farfl for the king as fupreme head of the church of England, then fir the queen [Anne, then for the archbifhop ofCanterbury, and the other ranks of the clergy. Only Fier bifhop of Rochefler, and Sr Thomas More lord chancellor refufed to take the oath, for which they were afterwards executed. C 2 The
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