Dei, or any crosses, pictures, beads or such-like vain and superstitious things, from the Bishop or see of Rome . . . and divers pardons, immunities and exemptions granted by the authority of the said see, to such as shall receive and use the same; and that if the same person so bringing in as is aforesaid such Agnus Dei and other like things as be before specified, shall deliver . . . the same to any subject of this realm... to be worn or used in any wise: That then as well the same person so doing, as also every other person which shall receive the same, to the intent to use or wear the same, being thereof lawfully convicted and attainted by the order of the common laws of this realm, shall incur into the penalties ordained by the Statute of Præmunire and Provision ...

VI. And be it further enacted, That all persons which at any time since the beginning of the first year of the Queen's Majesty's reign have brought . . . into this realm any such bulls [&c.] ... and now have any of the same bulls [&c.] in their custody, and shall within the space of three months next after the end of any session or dissolution of this present parliament deliver all such bulls [&c.] . . . to the bishop of the diocese where such absolution hath been given and received . . . and shall publicly before such bishop confess their offence therein and humbly desire to be restored . . . to the Church of England, shall be clearly pardoned and discharged of all offences done in any matter concerning any of the said bulls [&c.] touching such absolution or reconciliation only; and that all persons which have received any absolution from the said Bishop of Rome. . . since the said first year of the reign of our said Sovereign Lady the Queen, and shall within the said space of three months next after any session or dissolution of this present parliament, come before the bishop of the diocese of such place where such absolution or reconciliation was had or made, and shall publicly before the same bishop confess . . . their offence therein, and humbly desire to be restored, and admitted to the Church of England, shall be clearly pardoned and discharged of all offences committed in any matter concerning the said bulls [&c.] touching only receiving such absolution or reconciliation ..

VIII. [Peers to be tried by Peers.]

13 ELIZ. CAP. XII.

An Act to reform certain disorders touching Ministers of the Church.

I. That the churches of the Queen's Majesty's dominions may be served with pastors of sound religion, Be it enacted... That every person under the degree of a Bishop, which doth or shall pretend to be a priest or minister of God's Holy Word and Sacraments, by reason of any other form of institution, consecration or ordering, than the form set forth by parliament in the time of the late king of most worthy memory, King Edward the Sixth, or now used in the reign of our most gracious Sovereign Lady, before the feast of the Nativity of Christ next following, shall, in the presence of the Bishop or guardian of the spiritualities of some one diocese where he hath ecclesiastical living, declare his assent and subscribe to all the Articles of Religion which only concern the confession of the true Christian faith and the doctrine of the sacraments, comprised in a book imprinted, intituled, Articles whereupon it was agreed by the archbishops and bishops of both provinces and the whole clergy in the Convocation holden at London in . . . 1562 . . ., upon pain that every such person which shall not before the said feast do as is above appointed, shall be ipso facto deprived, and all his ecclesiastical promotions shall be void, as if he were then naturally dead.

II. And that if any person ecclesiastical, or which shall have ecclesiastical living, shall advisedly maintain or affirm any doctrine directly contrary to any of the said articles, and being convented before the bishop of the diocese or the ordinary, or before the Queen's Highness' Commissioners in causes ecclesiastical, shall persist therein, . . . such maintaining ... shall be just cause to deprive such person of his ecclesiastical promotions; and it shall be lawful to the bishop of the diocese or the ordinary or the said commissioners to deprive such person so persisting, . . . and upon such sentence of deprivation pronounced he shall be indeed deprived.

III. And that no person shall hereafter be admitted to any benefice with cure, except he then be of the age of three and

twenty years at the least, and a deacon, and shall first have subscribed the said Articles in presence of the ordinary, and publicly read the same in the parish church of that benefice, with declaration of his unfeigned assent to the same

...

IV. And that none shall be made minister or admitted to preach or minister the sacraments, being under the age of four and twenty years, nor unless he first bring to the bishop of that diocese, from men known to the bishop to be of sound religion, a testimonial both of his honest life, and of his professing the doctrine expressed in the said Articles: nor unless he be able to answer and render to the ordinary an account of his faith in Latin, according to the said Articles, or have special gift and ability to be a preacher: nor shall be admitted to the order of deacon or ministry, unless he shall first subscribe to the said Articles.

V. And that none hereafter shall be admitted to any benefice with cure of or above the value of £30 yearly... unless he shall then be a bachelor of divinity, or a preacher lawfully allowed by some bishop within this realm or by one of the universities of Cambridge or Oxford.

FOURTH PARLIAMENT: FIRST SESSION.

May 8-June 30, 1572.

14 ELIZ. CAP. I.

An Act for the punishment of such as shall rebelliously take or detain or conspire to take or detain from the Queen's Majesty any of her castles, towers, fortresses, holds, &c.

I. For the better avoiding of all such unlawful practices... as lately have been stirred and moved by some evil disposed persons against our most gracious Sovereign Lady the Queen, ... be it enacted... That if any persons whatsoever at any time hereafter do, within this realm or elsewhere, unlawfully . conspire. . . maliciously and rebelliously to take or to detain from our said Sovereign Lady the Queen any of her

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castles... or maliciously and rebelliously to raze, burn or destroy any castle. . . having any munition or ordnance of the Queen's Majesty's therein or appointed to be guarded with any soldiers for defence thereof within this realm . . ., and the same... conspiracies shall advisedly... express, utter or declare for any the malicious and rebellious intents aforesaid, that then every such person so hereafter offending, their aiders [&c.] knowing thereof, being thereof lawfully convicted according to the laws of this realm, shall be judged felons .., and the offenders therein, their said aiders [&c.], being thereof lawfully convicted, shall suffer pains of death as in cases of felony, without having any benefit of clergy or sanctuary . . .

II. And be it further enacted, That if any person do at any time hereafter with force maliciously and rebelliously ... withhold from the Queen's Majesty any of her castles... within this realm... or do . . . withhold from her Majesty any of her ships, ordnance, artillery or other munitions or fortifications of wars... or shall . . . burn or destroy . . . any of the Queen's ships, or . . . bar any haven within any of the Queen's Majesty's dominions, that then every such person so offending, their aiders [&c.], being thereof lawfully convict according to the laws of this realm, shall be adjudged traitors, and their offences in any of the premises shall be taken for high treason, and the offenders therein. . . shall suffer such pains of death, and also shall forfeit and lose, as in cases of high treason is limited and accustomed.

III. This Act to endure during the Queen's Majesty's life that now is only.

14 ELIZ. CAP. II.

An Act against such as shall conspire or practise the enlargement of any prisoner committed for high treason.

I. Forasmuch as great danger may ensue to the Queen's Majesty's person and great trouble to the state of the realm by unlawful conspiracies. . . to set at liberty such persons as be committed to any custody for any treason touching the royal person of our said Sovereign Lady; against which conspiracies sufficient remedy by the laws of this realm hath not been

heretofore had, unless the same conspiracies ... were executed and brought to effect: be it therefore enacted . . . That if any person at any time after the end of this present session of parliament shall conspire. . . to set at liberty any person committed to any custody by her Highness' especial commandment, for any treason or suspicion of treason concerning the person of our said Sovereign Lady the Queen, before any indictment of such person..., and the same conspiracies... shall ... utter or declare, that then every person so offending shall incur the penalty and forfeiture of misprision of treason...

II. And be it also enacted, That if any person ... shall, . . conspire... to set at liberty any person committed to any custody, being indicted of any treason in any wise concerning the person of our said Sovereign Lady the Queen, and the same conspiracies . . . shall . . . utter or declare, that then every such person so offending shall be deemed a felon . . .

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III. And be it further enacted, That if any person . . . shall . . . conspire . . . to set at liberty any person being committed to any custody, after the same person shall be attainted or convicted of any treason in any wise concerning the royal person of our said Sovereign Lady the Queen, and the same conspiracies... shall . . . utter or declare, that then every such person so offending shall be deemed an high traitor and shall suffer loss and forfeit as in cases of high treason by the laws and statutes of this realm.

IV. This Act to endure during the Queen's Majesty's life that now is only.

14 ELIZ. CAP. V.

An Act for the punishment of vagabonds, and for relief of the poor and impotent.

I. Where all the parts of this realm of England and Wales be presently with rogues, vagabonds and sturdy beggars exceedingly pestered, by means whereof daily happeneth in the same realm horrible murders, thefts and other great outrages, to the high displeasure of Almighty God, and to the great annoy of the commonweal; and for avoiding confusion by reason of numbers of laws concerning the premises standing in