An abridgement of the book of acts and monuments of the ChurchAn abridgement of the booke of acts and monumentes of the Church

Anno 1530. ¹In the month of November was summoned a general parliament to be holden at Westminster, in which, Sir Thomas Moore succeedeth in the Lord Chancellorship unto the Cardinal. The Commons in this Parliament propounded their griefs against the spirituality,² which were especially six. First, the excessive fines that the Ordinaries took for probate of Testaments: as, a thousand marks paid for the will of Sir William Compton knight, as Sir Henry Guilforde knight, one ⟨p. 8⟩of the executors, declared in open Parliament. The second §2cause, the great polling which the spiritual men used in taking of corps, presents or mortuaries. The third, that §3priests being surveyors, stewards, and officers to Bishops, Abbots &c. had and occupied farms, granges and grassing in every country. The fourth cause was, that Abbots, Priors, §4and spiritual men kept Tannehouses, and bought and sold wool, cloth, and all manner of merchandise, as other temporal merchants did. The fifth cause was their non residencie §5from their flocks, and residency in the court of Lords houses. The sixth was, that unlearned priests had ten or §6twelve benefices, and learned scholars in the universities wanted both benefice and exhibition: all which grievances were redressed the same parliament. During the same parliament, there was brought down to the commons the book of Articles, which the Lords had put up to the king against the Cardinal, the chief whereof were these: First, that he without the Kings consent had procured himself to be Legate.³ 2. In all writings that he wrote to Rome, he wrote I and my King. 3. That he slandered the Church of England to the Court of Rome,⁴