THe Queenes most excellent Maiestie being giuen to vnderstande that there are sent frō the partes beyond the seas, sundry seditious, scismaticall, and erronious printed Bookes and libelles, tending to the deprauing of the Ecclesiastical gouernment established within this Realme, set foorth by Robert Browne and Richard Harrison, fled out of the Realme as seditious persons, fearing due punishment for their sundry offences, and remaining presently in Zealande: which seuerall bookes, doe manifestly conteine in them very false, seditious, and scismatical doctrine and matter, and haue notwith­standing bene secretly solde, published, and dispersed in sundry places within this Realme, to the end to breede some scisme among her Maiesties subiectes, being persons vnclearned, and vnable to dis­cerne the errors therein conteined: Her highnesse therefore perceiuing the wickednesse of these euil spirits, and the malicious disposition of lewde and euill disposed persons to be readie to violate and breake the peace of the Church, the Realme, and the quietnesse of her people, and knowing it also to be most requisite and conuenient for her highnesse to vse those meanes which God hath appoin­ted for preuenting thereof, doeth will, and also straightly charge and commaunde that all maner of persons what so euer, who haue any of the sayde Bookes or any of like nature in his or their Custodie, that they and euery of them doe foorthwith vpon the publishing hereof, bring in and deliuer vp the same vnto the Ordinarie of the Diocesse, or of the place where they inhabite, to the intent they may bee burned, or vtterly defaced by the sayde Ordinary. And that from henceforth no person or persons whatsoeuer, be so hardy as to put in print or writing, sell, set foorth, receiue, giue out or distribute any more of the same or such like sedicious bookes or libels, as they ten­der ber Maiesties good fauour, and will answere for the contrary at their vttermost perils, and vpon such further paynes as the Lawe shall inflict vpon the offendours in that behalfe, as persons main­tayning such seditious actions, which her Maiestie myndeth to haue seuerely executed.

Giuen at her Maiesties Mannor of Greenewich the last day of Iune, in the fiue and twentieth yeere of her high­nesse Reigne.

God saue the Queene.