this Realm, more than ever were before, viz. that now of late our Holy Father the Pope, by Procurement of Clerks and otherwise, hath reserved, and doth daily reserve to his Collation, generally and especially, as well Archbishopricks, Bishopricks, Abbeys, and Priories, as all other Dignities, and other Benefices of _England_, which be of the Advowry of People of Holy Church, and doth give the same as well to Aliens as to Denizens, and taketh of all such Benefices, the First Fruits, and many other Profits, and a great Part of the Treasure of the said Realm is carried away and dispended out of the said Realm by the Purchasers of such Graces; and also by such privy Reservations many Clerks advanced in this Realm by their true Patrons, which have peaceably holden their Advancements by long Time, be suddenly put out: Whereupon, the said Commons have prayed our said Lord the King, &c.” And again, in Statute 6 _Hen._ IV.[49] (A.D. 1404) cap. 1. _Sur la grevouse compleint_, &c. “For the grievous Complaints made to our Sovereign Lord the King by his Commons of this Parliament, holden at _Coventry_, the vj. Day of October, the vj. Year of his Reign, of the horrible Mischiefs and damnable Custom which is introduct of new in the Court of _Rome_, that no Parson, Abbot, nor other, should have Provision of any Archbishoprick or Bishoprick, which shall be void, till he hath compounded with the Pope’s Chamber, to pay great and excessive Sums of Money, as well for the First Fruits of the same Archbishoprick or Bishoprick, as for other less Services in the same Court, and that the same Sums, or the greater part thereof, be paid beforehand, &c.” Thus it appears that the Exactions of the Papal Court were attracting great Attention in _England_, at the Period when this Tract was written. The Parliament, viewing the Matter as Politicians, denounced the Papal Claims on the Grounds that large Sums of Money were annually sent out of _England_, and Aliens advanced to spiritual Livings in the Church; _Wyclyffe_ taking up the Question as a Theologian, censures these Exactions as Simoniacal, and refers to them as symptomatic of the Approach of _Antichrist_. The _Dismes_ mentioned in the Text are the _Decimæ Decimarum_, or Tenths of all Livings, which, with the First Fruits, were originally claimed by the Pope, although subsequently annexed to the Crown; and which now form the Foundation of the Fund called _Queen Anne’s Bounty_.[50]