Life and Letters of Thomas Cromwell, Vol. 1 of 2: Life, Letters to 1535Merriman, Roger Bigelow
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Life and Letters of Thomas Cromwell, Vol. 1 of 2: Life, Letters to 1535
Merriman, Roger Bigelow
Cromwell, Thomas, Earl of Essex, 1485?-1540
And Furthermore Where the saide spyrytuall Ordynaries {many tymes
purposedlie to revenge their inwarde greves and displeasures and to put
their saide lawes in execucion} _theyr Co_m_myssaryes & Substytuttes_
sumtyme _for thayr own pleasures Su_m_tyme_ by the Synister procurement
of other sp_iri_tuall p_er_sons vse to make out proces ayenst dyu_er_s
of your saide Subiect_es_ and thereby compell them to appere before
themselff_es_ to answer at a certen day and place to suche articles as
by them shalbe of office afore themselff_es_ then purposed _and that
Secretlye and not in oppen places_ and fourthw_i_t_h_ vppon their
apparaunce w_i_t_h_out cause or any declaracion then made or shewed
co_m_mytt and sende them to warde Where they remayne w_i_t_h_out bayle
or mayneprise sumtyme half a yere and somtyme a hole yere and more or
they may in any wise knowe either the cause of their imprysonement or
any name of their accuser and fynallie their grete cost_es_ charges and
expenc_es_ therin when all is examyned and nothing can be proued ayenst
them but they clerelie Innocente for any Faute or cryme that can be
layed vnto them in that parte ben set ayen at large w_i_t_h_out any
recompence or amend_es_ in that behalf to be toward_es_ them adiudged.
And also if percase vppon the saide proces and apparaunce any p_ar_tie
be vppon the saide matier cause or examynacion brought Fourth and named
either as p_ar_tie or wytnes and then vppon the proffe and tryall
thereof not able to prove and verefie his saide accusacion or testymonye
ayenst the p_ar_tie so accused to be trew then the person so causeles
accused is {clerely} _for the more parte_ w_i_t_h_out any remedie for
his charges and wrongful vexacyon to be {in that parte} toward_es_ him
adiuged and recouered.
Also vppon thexamynacion of the saide accusacion if heresie be
ordynarylie layed vnto the charge of the p_ar_tie so accused then the
saide ordynaries or their ministres vse to put to them suche subtile
interrogatories concerning the high misteries of our feith as ar able
quyckelye to trappe a simple vnlerned or yet a well wytted lay man
w_i_t_h_out lerning and bryng them by suche sinyster introduction sone
to his owne confusion And Fourthw_i_t_h_ if there chaunce any heresie to
be by suche subtill polycie by him confessed in wo_ur_d_es_ and yet
neu_er_ co_m_mytted nor thought in dede, then put they _with_out ferther
fauour the saide person either to make his purgacion and so thereby to
lose his honestie and credence for eu_er_ orell_es_ as som simple sely
Sowle precyselie stonding to the clere testymonye of his owne well
knowen conscience rather then to confesse his innocent trouth to abyde
{thextreme examynacion of deth by the Fyer} _thextremyte in that behalf_
and so is vtterly distroyed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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