[1587/7/13]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Our sovereign lord and his three estates convened in this present parliament ratify and approve the acts and statutes made of before concerning the punishment of the adversaries of God's true religion, presently professed and by laws established in this realm, and the seducers and persuaders of his highness's obedient and faithful subjects to decline from there, and ordain the same to have full effect and execution in time coming, with this addition: that whatsoever professed and avowed Jesuits or seminary priests shall be found in any part of his realm within the space of one month after the publication of the acts of this present parliament shall be taken, apprehended, called and pursued and incur the pain of death and confiscation of all their goods moveable; and whoever willingly and wittingly resets or supplies any of them thereafter by the space of three days and three nights, together or severally at three times, upon certain knowledge that they are persons of that profession, and be lawfully and orderly convicted of the same, shall incur the loss of their liferents; and that they, as also all sayers and hearers of mass or profaners of the sacraments, or other persons suspected to have declined from the true and Christian religion, or refusing to resort to the preaching of God's word, or whatsoever person that shall, by reasoning or dispersing of books or letters, presume to persuade any of his majesty's subjects to decline from the profession of the said true religion, being called to compear and answer thereupon before his highness and his privy council, in case the persons so accused and dilated, or any of them, shall be found culpable by his highness's privy council, or any five of them, his majesty's chancellor and clerk register being two of that number, either by the confession of the said persons accused or by the deposition of reputable witnesses, or if the said persons dilated being called and adjudged criminally (in case his highness and his council shall so think good) and be found culpable and guilty in the premises, that they thereupon incur the pain of loss of all their moveable goods, together with the liferents of their lands and livings whatsoever, to be taken up and employed to his highness's own use, and in no way to be conveyed to the persons to be convicted or fugitive for the cause aforesaid.