In 1524, on September 2nd, through the mediation of Cardinal Wolsey, a composition and final agreement was sealed between the prior and the city at the Guildhall, by which the city resigned all jurisdiction within the walls of the priory, the whole site thereof being hereby acknowledged to be part of the County of Norfolk and in the Hundred of Blofield; and the church gave up all right of jurisdiction in every place without their walls and within the walls of the city; so that now, Tombland, with the fairs kept thereon, and all things belonging to those fairs—and Holmstrete, Spytelond, and Ratten Row, with their letes—were adjudged to belong to the city, and to be part of the county thereof. The prior and convent and their successors were also exempted from all tolls, customs, and exactions whatever, by land or water in the whole city, or county of the city and its liberties, for goods or chattels bought or sold for the use of the prior and convent, their households, or families. In 1525 the king granted the city another charter, confirmed likewise by parliament, in which the late composition and agreement between the city and prior was fully recited and established, and new privileges were granted. In 1530 the king was declared supreme head of the church of England; and was acknowledged so by act of parliament in 1535. In the latter year an act was passed for recontinuing liberties in the crown, by which all cities, boroughs, and towns corporate, had their liberties and privileges fully confirmed. BILNEY’S MARTYRDOM. A short account of the martyrdom of Thomas Bilney, in 1531, may serve to illustrate the persecuting spirit of the age. He had renounced the tenets of the Church of Rome, and was condemned on the following passages extracted from two sermons which he had preached in 1527, at Ipswich. “Our Saviour Christ is our Mediator between us and the Father; what need have we therefore for any remedy from saints? It is a great injury to the blood of Christ to make such petitions, and blasphemeth our Saviour.” “Man is so imperfect by himself, that he can in no wise merit by his own deeds.” “The coming of Christ was long prophesied before, and desired by the prophets; but John Baptist, being more than a prophet, did not only prophesy, but with his finger shewed Him, saying, ‘_Behold the Lamb of God_, _which taketh away the sins of the world_.’ Then, if this was the very Lamb which John did demonstrate, that taketh away the sins of the world, what injury is it to our Saviour Christ, that to be buried in St. Francis’ cowl should remit four parts of penance? What is then left to our Saviour Christ, which taketh away the sins of the world? This I will justify to be a great blasphemy to the blood of Christ.”