Hidden Works of Darkness Brought to Public Light, Floating text 15 – Floating text 16
By the KING. A Proclamation declaring His Majesties Royall Pleasure and Command, for putting the Lawes and Statutes made against Jesuits, Priests, and Popish Recusants in due execution.
WHereas We have found by experience, that notwithstanding the strict and severe Lawes made and standing in force against Iesuits, Priests, and others having taken Orders by authority derived, or pretended to be derived from the Sea of Rome; and notwithstanding Our former restraints and prohibition, by Proclamation and otherwise many of them have presumed to resort and remaine within this Our Realme and other parts of Our Dominions, and there doe daily endeavour to withdraw and seduce Our Subjects from the true Religion of Almighty God, and from there due Allegiance and Obedience towards Us their Liege Lord, and that many of Our Subjects missed by them, have adventured to receive, harbour and maintaine them and thereby have incurred the danger of Our Lawes.
And therefore not finding that good effect which We did, and might justly expect of any former course taken in that behalfe, We have thought fit,NOTE. and doe hereby publish Our royall pleasure and Command, that carefull and diligent search be made by all Our Officers and Ministers, and by all others to whom it may appertaine, for all Iesuits, Priests, and others having taken Orders by authority, derived or pretended to be derived from the Sea of Rome, and that wheresoever, and whensoever they shall be found, they be apprehended, and committed to the common Goale of that County where they shall be found, there to remaine without Baile or Mainprize, untill by due course of Law they be tryed,Qu…re, whether it were so done… and proceeded with according to Law; which We will shall be done with all convenient expedition: And if upon their tryall and Conviction there shall be cause to respire the execution of any of them, yet We are resolved not to let them lye in those common Goales, much lesse to wander about at large, but according to the example of former times, to send them to the Cattle of Westbich, or some other safe Prison where they shall remaine under strait and close custody, and be wholly restrained from exercising their Functions, or spreading their superstitious and dangerous Doctrine.
And We are also resolved, whereof We doe hereby give notice to all, whom it may concerne at their utmost perils, That the Harbourers, Receivers and Maintainers of Iesuits, Priests and all such others as hauehave received or shall receive Orders as aforesaid, shall be left to the due and ordinary course of Law.
And We doe further will and command that all Our Judges, Justices and Ministers of Justice in their severall places, not onelyonly doe observe Our will and pleasure before expressed, in all and every the premises, but also doe put all other Out Lawes in due execution against Popish Recusants, and that Our Judges of Assise at their returne out of their Circuits doe from time to time hereafter give a strict accompt of their proceedings therein unto Our Lord Keeper of the great Seale, and Our Lord Keeper doe present the same unto VsUs.
And whereas We heretofore granted severall Commissions, for Leasing and demising of the Lands of Recusants liable to their forfeitures, with Instructions for the direction of Our Commissioners in that service,NOTE. We, minding a due reformation of the manifold neglects and abuses of our inferiour officers and others whereby that part of our Revenue hath been extreamly lessened, and those who were backward in Religion have been encouraged to persist in their obstinacy and blindnesse have caused those Commissions and Instructions to be revived, and many parts altered, for our better service and profit; And We doe hereby declare the same, to the intent that such as shall be willing to contract with Us, or to further our service, or advance our profit in that behalfe, may attend our said Commissioners.
And whereas We are informed, that divers have contracted for Leases of Recusants Lands, who doe not sue out their Leases, to our great hinderance, our will and pleasure is, That all such as have already contracted with our Commissioners for Leases of Recusants Lands shall passe them under our Seales before the end of Michaelm… Terme next; and such as shall hereafter contract for any such Leases, shall passe ther… under our Seales, before the end of the Terme then next following after such contracts made, or else their Contracts to be utterly voyd.
And We doe straitly charge all our said Commissioners, that they be carefull to advance our profit herein, according to the true intent of our Commissions and Instructions; and that they use all diligence to discover and avoid all abuses which may tend to the diminution of our profit, or to the encrease of Popery, and back-sliding from the true Religion established in the Church of England.
Given at Our Court at Southwicke, the third day of August in the fourth yeere of Our reigne of Great Britaine, France and Ireland.
A little before the next Session of Parliament, and during the Session it selfe, the King likewise issued out these successive Proclamations following, against Doctor Smith Bishop of Calcedon.
By the KING. A Proclamation for the apprehension of Richard Smith a Popish Priest, stiled, and calling himselfe the Bishop of Calcedon.
FOrasmuch as We certainly understand that Richard Smith, an English man borne, by profession a Popish Priest, now is, and for some yeeres past hath been in this Realme, and here not onelyonly … our Subjects in their Religion, but both also both by his writings in print and otherwise, and by his … practice, perswade those our Subjects to whom he hath accesse, from their Allegiance to Us their Liege Lord, and usurpeth to himselfe Episcopall Jurisdiction from the Sea of Rome, and exerciseth the same within this Kingdome, and holdeth continuall Intelligence with our Enemies whereby, according to the just Lawes of this Realme, he hath committed the offence of high treason: And yet neverthelesse divers of our Subjects seduced by him, doe receive, harbour and entertaine him, contrary to our Lawes, and have thereby incurred, and doe incurre the penalty of those Lawes which are capitall to the ostenders. We therefore being justly provoked by the boldnesse of the said Smith, doe hereby straitly command all out loving Subjects, of whatsoever condition, quality or degree, that none of them directly or indirectly doe permit or suffer him to be concealed or harboured, but that forthwith they arrest and apprehend his body, and bring him before the next Justice of Peace, to the place where he shall be apprehended, whom We straitly command to commit him to prison without baile or mainprize, and presently thereupon informe VsUs, or our Privy Counsell of his apprehension.
And We doe further declare hereby, that if any person shall hereafter directly or indirectly harbour or conceale the said Smith, or use, or connive at any meanes, whereby the said Smith may escape from being apprehended or … it at then We shall extend the uttermost severity of our Lawes against every such offender. And We further charge and command all and singular our Judges, Justices of Peace, Majors, Sheri…fs, Constables and all other our Officers, Ministers and loving Subjects, that if they shall find any person offending herein hereafter that then they and every of them proceed with all diligence and roundnesse, not onelyonly against the said Smith, but also against all such as shall harbour, conceale or connive at his concealment, or shall not me their best endeavours for his discovery and apprehension, according to the uttermost extent of our Lawes.
Given at Our Court at White-hall the 11. day of December, in the fourth yeere of Our reigne of Great Britaine, France and Ireland.