But within two daies after was sent vp the bill concerning probats of testaments; at the which the archbishop of Canturburie in especiall, and all other bishops in generall both frowned and grunted, for that touched their profit. Insomuch as doctor Iohn Fisher bishop of Rochester said openlie in the parle|ment chamber these words: My lords, you sée dailie what billes come hither from the common house,The saieng of Iohn Fi|sher bishop of Rochester and all is to the destruction of the church. For Gods sake sée what a realme the kingdome of Boheme was; and when the church went downe, then fell the glorie of the kingdome: now with the commons is nothing but Downe with the church; and all this me séemeth is for lacke of faith onlie. When these words were reported to the commons of the nether house, that the bishop should saie, that all their dooings were for lacke of faith, they tooke the matter gréeuouslie, for they imagined that the bishop estéemed them as heretikes, and so by his slanderous words would haue persuaded the temporall lords, to haue restrai|ned their consent from the said two billes, which they before had passed, as you haue heard before.

Wherefore the commons, after long debate, deter|mined to send the speaker of the parlement to the kings highnesse,A complaint made to the king against the bishop of Rochester. with a gréeuous complaint against the bishop of Rochester. And so on a daie, when the king was at leasure, Thomas Audleie speaker for the commons, and thirtie of the chéefe of the common house, came to the kings presence in his palace at Westminster, whi [...]h before was called Yorke place; and there verie eloquentlie declared what a dishonor to the king and the realme it was, to saie, that they which were elected for the wisest men of all the shires, cities, and boroughs, within the realme of England, should be declared, in so noble and open presence, to lacke faith: which was equiualent to saie, that they were infidels, and no christians, as ill as Turkes, or Saracens, so that what paine or studie soeuer they tooke for the common wealth, or what acts or lawes soeuer they made or stablished, should be taken as la [...]es made by Painims and heathen people, and not woorthie to be kept by christian men. Wherefore he most humbly besought the kings highnesse to call the said bishop before him, and to cause him to speake more discréetlie of such a number as was in the com|mon house.

EEBO page image 912The king was not well contented with the sai|eng of the bishop, yet he gentlie answered the spea|ker, that he would send for the bishop, and send them word what answer he made, and so they departed a|gaine. After this the king sent for the archbishop of Canturburie and six other bishops, and for the bishop of Rochester also, and there declared to him the grudge of the commons; to the which the bishop an|swered, that he meant the dooings of the Bohemians was for lacke of faith, and not the dooings of them that were in the common house.The bishops excuse to the kings ma|iestie. Which saieng was confirmed by the bishops being present, who had him in great reputation: and so by that onelie sai|eng the king accepted his excuse, and thereof sent word to the commons by sir William Fitz Willi|ams knight, treasuror of his houshold; which blind excuse pleased the commons nothing at all.Hard hold be|twéene the lords spiritu|all and tem|porall about the probats of willes and mortuaries. After diuerse assemblies were kept betwéene certeine of the lords, and certeine of the commons, for the billes of probats of testaments, and the mortuaries; the temporaltie laid to the spiritualtie their owne lawes and constitutions; and the spiritualtie sore defended them by prescription & vsage, to whom this answer was made by a gentleman of Greies inne: The v|sage hath euer beene of théeues to rob on Shooters hill, ergo is it lawfull?