SIXTVS the fifte, by Gods prouidence the vniuersal pastor of Christes flocke, to vvhome by perpetual and lavvful succession, ap­perteyneth the care and gouernemēt of the Catholike Churche, seinge the pittyfull calametyes vvhich heresy hath brought into the renou­med cuntryes of Englande and Irelande, of olde so famouse for vertue, Religion, & Christian obedience; And hovv at this present, through the impietie and peruerse gouernemēt of Elizabeth the pretensed Quene, with a fewe her adhearētes, those kingdomes be brought not one­ly to a disordered and perillouse state in them selues, but are become as infected members, contagious and trublesome to the whole body of Christendome; And not hauinge in those parts the ordinary meanes, vvhich by the assistāce of Christian Princes he hath in other prouinces, to remedy disorders, and kepe in obedience and ecclesiastical discipline the people, for that Henry the 8. late kinge of Englande, did of late yeares, by rebellion and reuolte from the See Apostolike, violently seperate him selfe and his subiects from the cōmunion and societie of the christian comonvvelth; And Elizabeth the present vsurper, doth continevve the same, vvith perturbation and perill of the cuntryes aboute her, shevvinge her selfe obstinate and incorrigible in such sorte, that vvithout her depriuation and deposityō there is no hope to reforme those states, nor kepe Christendome in perfect peace & trāquillety: Therfore our Holy Father, desyringe as his duty is, to prouide present & effectuall remedy, inspired by God for the vniuersall benefite of his Chur­che, moued by the particuler affection vvhich him selfe and many his predecessors haue had to these natyons, And solicited by the Zelous and importunate in­stance of sundry the most principall persones of the same, hath dealt earnestly vvith diuers Princes, and specially vvith the mighty and potent Kinge Ca­tholike of Spaine, for the reuerence vvhich he beareth to the See Apostolike, for the olde Amity betvvene his house and the Croune of England, for the specyall loue which he hath shewed to the Catholikes of those places, for the obteyninge of peace and quietnesse in his cuntryes adioyninge, for the augmentinge and increase of the Catholike faith, and finally for the vniuersall benefite of all Europe; that he will employe those forces vvhich almighty God hath giuen him, to the deposition of this woman, and correctiō of her complices, so wicked and noysome to the worlde; and to the reformation and pacification of these kingdomes, vvhence so greate good, and so manifold publike commodeties, are like to ensue.

AND to notefy to the vvorld the iustice of this acte, and giue full satisfaction to the subiects of those kingdomes and others vvhosoeuer, and finally to ma­nyfest Gods iudgements vpon sinne; his Holynes hath thought good, together vvith the declaratory sentence of this vvomans chasticement, to publish also the causes, vvhich haue moued him to procede against her in this sorte. FIRST for that she is an Heretike, and Schismatike, excōmunicated by two his Holines predecessors; obstinate in disobedience to God and the See Apostolike; presuminge to take vpon her, contrary to nature, reason, and all lavves both of God and man, supreme iurisdiction and spirituall auctority ouer mens soules. SECONDLY for that she is a Bastard, conceyued and borne by incestuous adultery, and therfore vncapable of the Kingdome, asvvell by the seuerall sentences of Clement the 7. and Paule the 3. of blessed memory, as by the publike declaration of Kinge Henry him selfe. THIRDLY for vsurpinge the Croune vvithout right, hauinge the impediments mentioned, and contrary to the auncyent acorde made betvvene the See Apostolike and the realme of England, vpon reconciliation of the same after the death of S. Thomas of Canterbury, in the time of Henry the second, that none might be lawfull kinge or Quene therof, vvithout the approbation and consent of the supreme Bishopp: vvhich aftervvard vvas renevved by kinge Iohn, and confirmed by othe, as a thinge most beneficiall to the kingdome, at request and instance of the lordes and Comons of the same. AND FVRTHER for that vvith sacrilege and impiety, she continevveth violating the solemne Othe made at her coronation, to mainteyne and defende the auncyent priuile­ges and ecclesiasticall libertyes of the lande. FOR MANY and greuous iniuryes, extorsions, oppressions, and other wronges, done by her, and suffered to be done against the poore and innocent people of both cuntryes. FOR sturringe vp to sedition and rebellion the subiects of other nations about her, against their lavvfull and naturall princes, to the destructyon of infinite soules, ouerthrow and desolation of most goodly cittyes and cuntryes. FOR harboringe and pro­tectinge Heretikes, fugetiues, rebelles, and notorious malefactors, vvith greate iniury and preiudice of diuers comon vvealthes: and procuringe for the oppressiō of Christendome and disturbance of comon peace, to bringe in our potēt and cruell enemy the Turke. FOR so longe and barbarouse persecution of gods saints, aflictinge, spolynge, and imprisoninge the sacred Bishops, tormentinge, and pittyfully murtheringe numbers of holy Preists, and other catholike persons. FOR the vnnatural and iniust imprisonment, and late cruelty vsed against the most gracyous Princesse, Mary Quene of Scotland, vvho vnder promise and assurance of protection and succor, came first into Englande. FOR abolishinge the trevv Catholike religion; prophaninge holy Sacramēts, Monasteryes, Churches, Sacred persons, Memories of saints, and vvhat els so euer might helpe or further to eternal saluation: And in the Comon vvelth, disgraceing the auncyent Nobility, erecting base and vnvvorthy persons to all the Ciuile and Ecclesiastical Dignetyes, sellinge of lavves and iustice, And finally exercysinge an absolute Tyrannie, with high offence to almighty God, oppressyon of the people, perdition of soules, and ruine of those cuntryes.

WHERFORE, these thinges beinge of such nature & qualety, that some of thē make her vnable to reigne, others declare her vnworthy to liue; His Holinesse, in the almighty power of God, and by Apostolical auctority to him committed, doth renewe the sentēce of his predecessors Pius 5. and Gregorie the 13. tooching the Excōmunication and deposition of the sad Elizabeth: and further a nevve doth Excommunicate, and depriue her of all auctority and Princely dignety, and of all title and pretensy on to the said Croune and Kingdomes of England and Ireland; declaringe her to be illegittimate, and an vniust vsurper of the same; And absol­uinge the people of those states, and other persons whatsoeuer, from all Obedience, Othe, and other bande of Subiection vnto her, or to any other in her name. And further doth straitely commaunde, vnder the indignation of almighty God, and nayne of Excōmunication, and the corporal punishmēt appoynted by the lawes, that none, of whatsoeuer condition or estate, after notice of these presents, presume to yeilde vnto her, Obedience, fauor, or other suceurse, But that they and euery of them concurre by all meanes possible to her chastisement. To the ende, that she which so many wayes hath forsaken God and his Churche, beinge now destitute of wordly comforte, and abandoned of all, may acknowledge her offence, and humbly submitt her selfe to the iudgements of the highest.

BE IT THERFORE notefyed to the inhabitants of the said Cuntryes, and to all other persons, that they obserue diligently the premisses, withdrawinge all succor publike and priuate, from the party pursued and her adherents, after they shall haue knowlege of this present: And that forthwith they vnite them selfs to the Catholike army conducted by the most noble and victorious Prince, Alexander Farnesius, Duke of Parma and Placentia, in name of his Maiesty, with the for­ces that eche one can procure, to helpe and cōcurre as ys aforesaid (yf nede shall be) to the deposition and chasticement of the said persons, and restitutiō of the holy Catholike faith. Signifyenge to those which shall doe the contrary or refuse to doe this here cōmaunded, that they shall not escape condigne punishment.

MOREOVER BE IT KNOVVEN that the intention of his Holynesse, of the Kinge Catholike, and the Duke his highnesse in this enterprise, ys not to in­uade and conquere these kingdomes; chaunge lawes, preuileges or customes; bereaue of liberty or liuely hoode may man (other then rebels and ostinate persons) or make mutation in any thinge, except suche, as by comon accorde, betwene his Holinesse, his Catholike maiesty, and the states of the lande, shalbe thought necessary, for the restitution and continuance of the Catholike Religion, and punishment of the vsurper and her adhearents. Assuringe all men, that the con­trouersyes which may arise by the depriuation of this woman, or vpon other cause, eyther betwene particuler partyes, or touching the successyon to the Croune, or betwene the Churche and Comon vvelthe, or in other wise whatsoeuer, shalbe decyded and determined wholy accordinge to iustice and Christian equity without iniury or preiudice to any person. AND there shall not onely due care be had, to saue from spoyle the Catholikes of these cuntryes, which haue so longe endured, but mercy also shewed to such penytent persons, as submitt them selues to the Capitane generall of this army. Yea for so much as infor­mation ys giuen, that there be many, which onely of ignorance or feare be fallen from the fayth, and yet notwithstandinge are taken for heretikes; Neyther ys yt purposed, presently to punish any such persons, but to supporte them with clemency, till by conference with lerned men and better consideration, they may be informed of the truth, if they doe not shew them selues obstinate.

TO PREVENT also the sheadinge of Christiane bloode, and spoyle of the cuntry, which might ensewe by the resistance of some principall offenders. Be it knowne by these presents, that it shal not onely be lawfull for any person publike or priuate (ouer and besides those which haue vndertaken the enterprise) to areste, put in holde, and deliuer vp vnto the Catholike parte, the said vsurper, or any of her complices; But also holden for very good seruice and most highly re­warded, accordinge to the qualety and condition of the partyes so deliuered. And in like maner, all others, which here to fore haue assisted, or herafter shall helpe and concurr to the punishment of the offenders, and to the establishmēt of Catholike Religion in these prouinces, shall receyue that aduauncement of honor and estate which their good and faithful seruice to the comon welthe shall require; in which, respecte shalbe vsed, to preserue the auncyent and honora­ble famelyes of the lande, in as much as ys possible. AND finally by these presents, fre passage ys graunted to such as wil resorte to the catholike campe, to brin­ge victuals, munytion, or other necessaryes; promisinge liberall paymēt for all such things, as shal be receiued from thē for seruice of the army. Exhorting with all and straitely commaunding, that al men accordinge to theire force and ability, be redy and diligent to assiste here in; to the ende no occasion be giuen to vse violence, or to punish such persons as shall neglect this commaundement.

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