And for lack of justice at or in any the courts of the Archbishops of this realm, or in any the king's dominions, it shall be lawful to the parties grieved to appeal to the King's Majesty in the King's Court of Chancery; and that upon every such appeal, a commission shall be directed under the great seal to such persons as shall be named under the King's Highness, his heirs or successors, like as in case of appeal from the Admiral's Court, to hear and definitely determine such appeals and the causes concerning the same. Which commissioners, or appointed, shall have full power and authority to hear and so by the King's Highness, his heirs or successors, to be named definitively determine every such appeal, with the causes and all circumstances concerning the same; and that such judgement and sentence as the said commissioners shall make and decree, in and upon any such appeal, shall be good and effectual, and also definitive; and no further appeals to be had or made from the said commissioners for the same.
THE ECCLESIASTICAL APPOINTMENTS ACT. THE ABSOLUTE RESTRAINT OF ANNATES, ELECTION OF BISHOPS AND LETTERS MISSIVE ACT (1534).
Source.—25 H. VIII. cap. 21. (Statutes of the Realm, III. 462.)
And for as much as in the said Act it is not only plainly and certainly expressed in what manner and fashion archbishops and bishops shall be elected, presented, invested, and consecrated within this realm and in all other the King's Dominions; be it now therefore enacted by the King our sovereign Lord, by the assent of the Lords spiritual and temporal, and the Commons, in this Present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that the said Act, and everything herein contained shall be and stand in strength, virtue, and effect; except only, that no person or persons hereafter shall be presented, nominated, or commended to the said Bishop of Rome, otherwise called the Pope, or to the See of Rome, to or for the dignity or office of any archbishop or bishop within this realm, or in any other the King's Dominions, nor shall send nor procure there for any manner of bulls, briefs, palls or other things requisite for an archbishop or bishop, nor shall pay any sums of money for Annates, first-fruits or otherwise, for expedition of any such bulls, briefs or palls; but that by the authority of this act, such presenting, nominating, or commending to the said Bishop of Rome, or to the See of Rome, and such bulls, briefs, palls, annates, first-fruits, and every other sums of money heretofore limited, accustomed, or used to be paid at the said See of Rome, for procuration or expedition of any such bulls, briefs or palls, or other thing concerning the same, shall utterly cease and no longer be used within this realm or within any of the King's Dominions: anything contained in the said Act aforementioned, or any use, custom, or prescription to the contrary thereof notwithstanding.
ACT FORBIDDING PAPAL DISPENSATIONS AND THE PAYMENT OF PETER'S PENCE (1534).
Source.—25 H. VIII. cap. 21. (Statutes of the Realm, III. 464.)
For where this your Grace's realm recognizing no superior under God, but only your Grace, has been and is free from subjection to any man's laws, but only to such as have been devised, made, and ordained within this realm, for the wealth of the same, or to such other as, by sufferance of your Grace and your progenitors, the people of this your realm have taken at their free liberty, by their own consent, to be used amongst them, and have bound themselves by long use and custom to the observance of the same, not as to the observance of the laws of any foreign prince, potentate, or prelate, but to the accustomed and ancient laws of this realm, originally established as laws of the same, by the said sufferance, consents, and custom, none otherwise.
FIRST ACT OF SUCCESSION (1534).
Source.—25 H. VIII. cap. 22. (Statutes of the Realm, III. 471.)
... In consideration whereof, your said most humble and obedient subjects, the nobles and Commons of this realm, calling further to their remembrance that the good unity, peace and wealth of this realm, and the succession of the subjects of the same, most especially and principally above all worldly things consists and rests in the certainty and surety of the procreation and posterity of your Highness, in whose most royal person, at this present time, is no manner of doubt nor question; do therefore most humbly beseech your Highness, that it may please your Majesty, that it may be enacted by your Highness, with the assent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that the marriage heretofore solemnized between your Highness and the Lady Katherine, being before lawful wife to Prince Arthur, your elder brother, shall be, by authority of this Present Parliament, definitively, clearly and absolutely declared, deemed, and adjudged to be against the laws of Almighty God, and also accepted, reputed, and taken of no value nor effect, but utterly void and annulled, and the separation, thereof, made by the said Archbishop, shall be good and effectual to all intents and purposes; any licence, dispensation, or any other act or acts going afore, or ensuing the same, or to the contrary thereof, in anywise notwithstanding; and that every such licence, dispensation, act or acts, thing or things heretofore had, made and done or to be done, to the contrary thereof, shall be void and of none effect; and that the said Lady Katherine shall be henceforth called and reputed only dowager to Prince Arthur, and not Queen of this realm, and that the lawful matrimony had and solemnized between your highness and your most dear and entirely beloved wife Queen Anne, shall be established, and taken for undoubtful, true, sincere, and perfect ever hereafter, according to the just judgement of the said Thomas, Archbishop of Canterbury, metropolitan and primate of all this realm, whose grounds of judgement have been confirmed, as well by the whole clergy of this realm in both the Convocations, and by both the universities thereof, as by the Universities of Bologna, Padua, Paris, Orleans, Toulouse, Anjou, and divers others, and also by the private writings of many right excellent well-learned men; which grounds so confirmed, and judgement of the said Archbishop ensuring the same, together with your marriage solemnized between your Highness and your said lawful wife Queen Anne, we your said subjects, both spiritual and temporal, do purely, plainly, constantly, and firmly accept, approve and ratify for good and consonant to the laws of Almighty God, without end or default, most humbly beseeching your Majesty, that it may be so established for ever by your most gracious and royal assent.