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And Where also the said prelatis and ordinaries daily do permytte and suffer the parsons vicars Curates parishe prestes and other spirituall parsons hauing Cure of soule within this your Realme Ministring {vnto your said loving subgiettes} to exact and take of your humble & obedyent Subiectes dyuers Summys of money for the Sacramentes & sacramentalles of holy churche {as the holy sacrament of the Aulter Baptyme, Matrimonye Confession, buriall weddyng churchinges and suche other} Sumtyme denying the same without they Fyrst be payd the sayd Summys of money {& to take for the ministracion of the same of your said Subiectes diuers and certen sommes of money allegging the same to be their dueties.} Whiche sacramentes and sacramentalles your saide most humble & obedient subiectes vnder the protection of your highnes doo suppose & think ought to be in most Reuerent charitable & goodlie wise freely mynystred vnto them at all tymes requisite withoute denyall or {any maner somme or} exaccyon of any maner sommes of money {or other duetie or contribucion to be asked demaunded or required for the same} to be demaundyd or askyd for the same And also where in the spirituall courtes of the said Prelatis & ordinaries ben lymyted and appoynted for many Judges Scribes Apparitours Somoners praysours and other ministres for the approbacion of testamentes Whiche coveting somoche theire owne priuate Lucres and satisfaccion of the appetites of the said prelates and Ordinaries that when any of your said loving subiectes do Repaire to any of the said Courtis for the probate of any testamentes they do in suche wise {extorte and} make long delays or excessively take of theym so large fees and Rewardes for the same as is Importible for theym to beare directly against all Justice lawe equite and goode conscience
{And also where most gracious soueraigne the Judges Constituted and appoynted by the said spirituall Ordinaries in their said Courtes to here and determyne causes there, do in likewise daily take many grete and excessive fees and rewardes of your said pore subiectes having any cause or matier depending before theym as is aforsaid And ouer that when any Judgement or sentence by the said Judge shalbe yeven before them wille also have grete sommes of money for the same. So that no thing is or can be obteyned in any of the said Courtes withoute money.}
Wherfor Your said most humble and obedient subiectes do therfore vnder your gracious correction and supportacion suppose it were veray necessary that the said ordinaries in the deputacion of suche Judges shulde be bounde to appoynte and assigne suche discrete gravous and honest persons having sufficient Lernyng witte discrecion & vnderstonding and also being indewed with such spirituall promocions stipend and salarye as they being Judges in their said Courtes myght and may mynystre to euery parson repairing to the same Justice withoute taking any maner fee or Rewarde for any maner sentence or Judgement to be yoven before theym. And also where as diuerse spirituall persons being presented aswell by your highnes and by other patrons within this your Realme to {any} dyuers benefices or other spirituall promocion. The said ordinaries and there mynystres do not onely take of theym for theyr Letteres of Institucion and Induction many grete and {excessive} large sommes of money & Rewardes But also do pact and couenaunte with the same, taking sure bondes for their indempnite to aunswer to the said ordinaries the first frutes of the said benefices after their Institucion so as they being ones presented or promoted as is aforesaid ben by the said ordinaries veray {extremely} vncharytablye handled to their no litle hynderaunce & impouerisshement whiche your said subgiettes suppose not onely to be against all lawes right & good consciens but also to be Symony and contrary to the Lawes of god.
And also where as the said spirituall Ordinaries do daily conferre and geve sundry benefices vnto certen yong folkes calling them their Nephews or Kynsfolkes being in their mynorite and within age not apt ne able to Serue the Cure of any suche benefice Wherby the said ordinaries do kepe and deteyn the frutes & profittes of the same benefices in their owne handes and therby accumulate to themselffes right grete and large sommes of money & yerely profittes to the most pernicious exsample of all your said lay subiectes and so the Cures & other promocions youen vnto suche Infantes ben onely {youen but} Imployed to {enriche} thenryching of the said ordinaries & the pore sely soules of your people and subiectes whiche shulde be taught in the paroches yoven as aforsaid for lak of good curates do perisshe withoute doctrine or any good teaching.
And also where a grete nombre of holy daies whiche nowe at this present tyme with veray smalle Devocion be solempnised and kept thorough oute this your Realme vppon the whiche many grete abhomynable and execrable vices idle and wanton sportes ben vsed and exercised whiche holy daies if it may stond with your gracious pleasure and specyall suche as Fall in the heruest myght by your maiestie by thadvice of your most honourable counseill prelates and ordinaries be made fewer in nombre and those that shall herafter be ordeyned to stond & contynue myght and may be the more Devoutely religiously & reuerently obserued to the Laude of almyghty god and to thencrease of your high honour & fame.’
Endd. ‘A boke ayenst the clergy for takyng excessyve Fees’