dding the buying or
selling of spiritual gifts or promotions; and forasmuch as all good
Christian men be more bound to obey God than any man; and forasmuch as St.
Paul willeth us to withdraw from all such as walk inordinately; may it
please your Highness to ordain in this present parliament that the
obedience of your Highness and of the people be withdrawn from the See of
Rome."[354]

It was perhaps cruel to compel the clergy to be the first to mention
separation--or the language may have been furnished by the Erastian party
in the Church, who hoped to gratify the King by it, and save the annates
for themselves; but there was no intention, if the battle was really to be
fought, of decorating the clergy with the spoils. The bill was passed, but
passed conditionally, leaving power to the Crown if the pope would consent
to a compromise of settling the question by a composition. There was a
Papal party in the House of Commons whose opposition had perhaps to be
considered,[355] and the annates were left suspended before Clement at once
as a menace and a bribe.

"Forasmuch," concluded the statute, "as the King's Highness and this his
high Court of Parliament neither have nor do intend in this or any other
like cause any manner of extremity or violence, before gentle courtesy and
friendly ways and means be first approved and attempted, and without a very
great urgent cause and occasion given to the contrary; but principally
coveting to disburden this Realm of the said great exactions and
intolerable charges of annates and firstfruits: [the said Court of
Parliament] have therefore thought convenient to commit the final order and
determination of the premises unto the King's Highness, so that if it may
seem to his high wisdom and most prudent discretion meet to move the Pope's
Holiness and the Court of Rome, amicably, charitably, and reasonably, to
compound either to extinct the said annates, or by some friendly, loving,
and tolerable composition to moderate the same in such way as may be by
this his Realm easily borne and sustained, then those ways of composition
once taken shall stand in the strength, force, and effect of a law."[356]

The business of the session was closing. It remained to receive the reply
of convocation on the limitation of its powers. The convocation, presuming,
perhaps, upon its concessions on the annates question, and untamed by the
premunire, had framed their answer in the same spirit which had been
p