... nse Junii Anno regni metuendissimi Domini nostri Regis Henrici
Octavi xxij.
A PROCLAMATION, made and divysed by the Kyngis Highnes, with the
advise of His Honorable Counsaile, for dampning of erronious bokes
and heresies, and prohibitinge the havinge of Holy Scripture
translated into the vulgar tonges of englische, frenche, or duche,
in suche maner as within this proclamation is expressed.
The Kinge, oure most dradde soveraigne lorde, studienge and providynge
dayly for the weale, benefite, and honour of this his most [n]oble
realme, well and evidently perceiveth, that partly through the
malicious suggestion of our gostly enemy, partly by the yvell and
perverse inclination and sedicious disposition of sundry persons,
divers heresies and erronio[us] [o]pinions have ben late sowen and
spredde amonge his subjectes of this his said realme, by blasphemous
and pestiferous englishe bokes, printed in other regions and sent into
this realme, to the entent as well to perverte and withdrawe the people
from the catholike and true fayth of Christe, as also to stirre and
incense them to sedition and disobedience agaynst their princes,
soveraignes, and heedes, as also to cause them to contempne and neglect
all good lawes, customes, and vertuous maners, to the final subversion
and desolacion of this noble realme, if they myght have prevayled
(which God forbyd) in theyr most cursed [p]ersuasions and malicious
purposes. Where upon the kynges hignes (_sic_), by his incomparable
wysedome, forseinge and most prudently considerynge, hath invited and
called to hym the primates of this his gracis realme, and also a
sufficient nombre of discrete, vertuous, and well-lerned personages in
divinite, as well of either of the universites, Oxforde and Cambrige,
as also hath chosen and taken out of other parties of his realme;
gyvinge unto them libertie to speke and declare playnly their advises,
judgmentes, and determinations, concernynge as well the approbation or
rejectynge of suche bokes as be in any parte suspected, as also the
admission and divulgation of the Olde and Newe Testament translated
into englishe. Wher upon his highnes, in his owne royall person,
callynge to hym the said primates and divines, hath seriously and
depely, with great leisure and longe deliberation, consulted, debated,
inserched, and discussed the premisses: and finally, by all their free
assentes, consentes, and agrementes, concluded, resolved, and
determyned, that these bokes ensuynge, that is to say, the boke
entitled the wicked Mammona, the boke named the Obedience of a Christen
Man, the Supplication of Beggars, and the boke called the Revelation of
Antichrist, the Summary of Scripture, and divers other bokes made in
the englisshe tonge, and imprinted beyonde y^e see, do conteyne in them
pestiferous errours and blasphemies; and for that cause, shall from
hensforth be reputed and taken of all men, for bokes of heresie, and
worthy to be dampned, and put in perpetuall oblivion. The kingis said
highnes therfore straitly chargeth and commandeth, all and every his
subjectes, of what astate or condition so ever he or they be, as they
wyll avoyde his high indignacion and most grevous displeasure, that
they from hensforth do not bye, receyve, or have, any of the bokes
before named, or any other boke, beinge in the englisshe tonge, and
printed beyonde the see, of what matter so ever it be, or any copie
written, drawen out of the same, or the same bokes in the frenche or
duche tonge. And to the entent that his highnes wylbe asserteyned, what
nombre of the said erronious bokes shal be founde from tyme to tyme
within this his realme, his highnes therfore chargeth and commaundeth,
that all and every person or persones, whiche hath or herafter shall
have, any boke or bokes in the englisshe tonge, printed beyonde the
see, as is afore written, or any of the sayde erronious bokes in the
frenche or duche tonge: that he or they, within fyftene dayes nexte
after the publisshynge of this present proclamation, do actually
delyver or sende the same bokes and every of them to the bisshop of the
diocese, wherin he or they dwelleth, or to his commissary, or els
before good testimonie, to theyr curate or parisshe preest, to be
presented by the same curate or parisshe preest to the sayd bisshop or
his commissary. And so doynge, his highnes frely pardoneth and
acquiteth them, and every of them, of all penalties, forfaitures, and
paynes, wherin they have incurred or fallen, by reason of any statute,
acte, ordinaunce, or proclamation before this tyme made, concernynge
any offence or transgression by than commytted or done, by or for the
kepynge or holdynge of the sayde bokes.
Forseen and provided alwayes, that they from hensforth truely do
observe, kepe, and obey this {423} his present gracis proclamation and
commaundement. Also his highnes commaundeth all mayres, sheriffes,
bailliffes, constables, bursholders, and other officers and ministers
within this his realme, that if they shall happen by any meanes or
wayes to knowe that any person or persons do herafter bye, receyve,
have, or deteyne any of the sayde erronious bokes, printed or written
anywhere, or any other bokes in englisshe tonge printed beyonde the
see, or the saide erronious bokes printed or written in the frenche or
duche tonge, contrarie to this present proclamation, that they beinge
therof well assured, do immediatly attache the said person or persons,
and brynge hym or them to the kynges highnes and his most honorable
counsayle; where they shalbe corrected and punisshed for theyr
contempte and disobedience, to the terrible example of other lyke
transgressours.
Moreover his highnes commaundeth, that no maner of person or persons
take upon hym or them to printe any boke or bokes in englisshe tonge,
concernynge holy scripture, not before this tyme printed within this
his realme, untyll suche tyme as the same boke or bokes be examyned and
approved by the ordinary of the diocese where the said bokes shalbe
printed: And that the printer therof, upon every of the sayde bokes
beinge so examyned, do sette the name of the examynour or examynours,
with also his owne name, upon the saide bokes, as he will answere to
the kynges highnes at his uttermost peryll.
And farthermore, for as moche as it is come to the herynge of our sayde
soveraigne lorde the kynge, that reporte is made by dyvers and many of
his subjectes, that it were to all men not onely expedyent, but also
necessarye, to have in the englisshe tonge bothe the newe testament and
the olde, and that his highnes, his noble men, and prelates, were
bounden to suffre them so to have it: His highnes hath therfore
semblably there upon consulted with the sayde primates ... discrete,
and well lerned personages, in divinite forsayde, and by them all it is
thought, that it is not necessary th ... to be in the englisshe tonge,
and in the handes of the commen people; but that the distrib ... the
said scripture ... denyenge therof dependeth onely upon the discretion
of the superiours, as ... to the malignite of this present tyme, with
the inclination of the people to erroni ... the olde in to the vulgare
tonge of englysshe, shulde rather be the occasyon of ... people, than
any benfyte or commodite to warde the weale of their soules. And ... e
have the holy scripture expouned to them by preachers in theyr sermons,
ac ... this tyme, All be it if it shall here after appere to the kynges
highnes, that his sa ... rse, erronious, and sedicious opinyons, with
the newe testment and the olde, corrup ... ge in printe: And that the
same bokes and all other bokes of heresye, as well ... termynate and
exiled out of this realme of Englande for ever: his highnes e ... great
lerned and catholyke persones, translated in to the englisshe tonge, if
it sha[ll] than seme t ... conv ... his highnes at this tyme, by the
hoole advise and full determination of all the said primates, and ...
discrete and subs ... lerned personages of both universites, and other
before expressed, and by the assent of his nobles and others of his
moste hon[orab]le Counsayle, wylleth and straytly commaundeth, that all
and every person and persones, of what astate, degre, or condition so
ever he or they be, whiche hath the newe testament or the olde
translated in to englysshe, or any other boke of holy scripture so
translated, beynge in printe, or copied out of the bokes nowe beinge in
printe, that he or they do immediatly brynge the same boke or bokes, or
cause the same to be broughte to the bysshop of the dyocese where he
dwelleth, or to the handes of other the sayde persones, at the daye
afore limytted, in fourme afore expressed and mencioned, as he wyll
avoyde the kynges high indignation and displeasure. And that no person
or persons from hensforth do bye, receyve, kepe, or have the newe
testament or the olde in the englisshe tonge, or in the frenche or
duche tonge, excepte suche persones as be appoynted by the kinges
highnes and the bisshops of this his realme, for the correction or
amending of the said translation, as they will answere to the kynges
highnes at theyr uttermost perils, and wyll avoyde suche punisshement
as they, doynge contrary to the purport of this proclamation shall
suffre, to the dredefull example of all other lyke offenders.
And his highnes further commaundeth, that all suche statutes, actes and
ordinances, as before this tyme have been made and enacted, as well in
y^e tyme of his moste gracious reigne, as also in the tyme of his noble
progenitours, concernying heresies, and havynge and deteynynge
erronyous bokes, contrary and agynst the faythe catholyke, shall
immediatly be put in effectuall and due execution over and besyde this
present proclamation.
And god save the kynge.
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THO. BERTHELETUS, Regius impressor excusit.
Cum privilegio.
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