Certain Perfons

the Benefit of this Statute.

Treafon, Pety Treafon or Mifprifion of Treason, by Words, Writing, Ciphering, Deeds or otherwife whatfoever, thall be taken, had, deemed, or adjudged to be High Treafon, Pety Treafon or Mifprifion of Treafon, but only fuch as be declared and expreffed to be Treafon, Pety Treafon or Mifprifion of Treafon, in or by the Act of Parliament or Statute made in the xxv. Year of the Reign of the most noble King of famous Memory, King Edward the Third, touching or concerning Treafon or the Declarations of Treafons, and none other; nor that any Pains of Death, Penalty or Forfeiture in any wife enfue or be to any Offender or Offenders, for the Doing or Committing any Treafon, Pety Treafon or Misprifion of Treafon, other than fuch as be in the faid Eftatute made in the faid xxv. Year of the Reign of the faid King Edward the Third, ordained and provided; any Act or Acts of Parliament, Statute or Statutes, had or made at any Time heretofore, or after the faid xxv. Year of the Reign of the faid late King Edward the Third, or any other Declaration or Matter to the contrary in any wife notwithstanding.

IV. Provided always, and be it ordained and enacted by the exempted out of Authority aforefaid, That this Act of Parliament, or any 'Thing therein mentioned, fhall not in any wife extend to give any manner of Benefit, Advantage or Commodity to any Perfon or Perfons, being the latt Day of September dal paft, arrefted or imprisoned for Treafon, Pety Treafon or Mifprifion of Treafon, or to any Perfon or Perfons heretofore being indicted of Treafon, Pety Treafon or Milprifion of Treafon, or being outlawed or attainted. of Treafon, Pety Treafon or Mifprifion of Treafon, before the faid laft Day of September laft paft, or being commanded to keep his or their Houte or Houfes, or other Mens Houfes, or otherwife excepted out of the Queen's Highnefs moit gracious Pardon given the Day of her Coronation, but that they and every of them, for any the Offences before mentioned perpetrated, committed or done by them or any of them, before the faid laft Day of September, fhall fuffer fuch Pains of Death, Loffes and Forfeitures of Lands and Goods, as in Cafes of Treafon, as though this A&t had never been had ne made; any Thing in this Act to the contrary in any wife notwithstanding. EXP.

Offences made

Cafe of Premunire, fince I H.8 repealed.

V. And be it further ordained and enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That all Offences made Felony, or limited or appointed to be within the Cafe of Premunire, by any Act or Acts of Parlia ment, Statute or Statutes, made fithence the First Day of the First Year of the Reign of the late King of famous Memory, King Henry the Eighth, not being Felony before, nor within the Cafe of Premunire, and alfo all and every Branch, Article and Clause mentioned or in any wife declared in any of the fame Eftatutes, concerning the Making of any Offence or Offences to be Felony, or within the Cafe of Premunire, not being Felony nor within the Cafe of Premunire before, and all Pains and Forfeitures concerning the fame, or any of them, fhall from henceforth be repealed, and utterly void and of none Effect.

[Here follow on the Roll,

An Act for the Reftitution in Blood of the Lady Garterede Courtneye, late Wife of Henry Courtneye, late Lord Marquis of Exeter.

An Act for the Reftitution in Bloed of Sir Edward Courtneye Knight, Earl of Devon.]

Anno

Anno primo MARIZE, Seffio Secunda. (A.D.1553.) STATUTES made in the Second and laft Seffion of this prefent Parliament, holden upon Prorogation at Westminster the Four and Twentieth Day of October in the First Year of the Reign of the most excellent and gracious Sovereign Lady MARY, by the Grace of God, Queen of England, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, and in Earth Supreme Head of the Church of England and of Ireland, and there continued to the Diffolution of the fame, being the Sixth Day of December in the faid Year, viz.

[The Aas following are numbered in the Roll from the Firft Seffion.]

CA P. I.

An A& declaring the Queen's Highness to have been born in a most just and lawful Matrimony; and alfo repealing all Acts of Parliament, and Sentences of Divorce had and made to the contrary.

FOR

ORASMUCH as Trueth (being of her own Nature of a moft excellent Vertue, Efficacy, Force and Working) cannot but by Procefs of Time break out and fhew herselfe, how foever for a while fhe may, by the Iniquity and Frailty of Man, 'be fuppreffed and kept clofe; and being revealed and manifefted, ought to be imbraced, acknowledged, confeffed and profeffed in all Cafes and Matters whatsoever, and whomfoever they touch or concern, without Refpect of Perfons, but in fuch Cafes and Matters fpecially, as whereby the Glory and Honour of God in Heaven (who is the Author of Trueth itselfe) is to be specially fet forth, and whereby also the Honour, Dignity, Surety and • Prefervation of the Prince, and Ruler under God in Earth • dependeth, and the Welfare, Profit and fpecial Benefit of the • univerfal People, and Body of a Realme is to be continued and • mainteined.

II. We your Highnefs moft loving, faithful and obedient Subjects, understanding the very Trueth of the State of Matrimony between the Two most excellent Princes of most worthy • Memory King Henry the Eight and Queen Katherine, his loving, godly and lawful Wife, your Highnefs lawful Father and • Mother, cannot but think ourself moft bounden, both by our Duty of Allegiance to your Majefty, and of Confcience towards God, to fhew unto your Highnefs first how that the fame Matri· mony being contracted, folemnized, and confummated, by the Agreement and Affent of both their mott noble Parents, by the Counfel and Advife of the most wife and gravelt Men of both their Realms, by the deliberate and mature Confideration and • Confent of the best and most notable Men in Learning in those B 2 • Days

Days of Christendome, did even fo continue by the Space of Twenty Years and more between them, to the Pleasure of Almighty God and Satisfaction of the World, the Joy and • Comfort of all the Subjects of this Realm, and to their own Repofe and good Contentment, God giving for a fure Token and Teftimony of his good Acceptation of the fame, not only godly Fruit, your Highneffe moft noble Perfon (whom we Befeech the Almighty and Ever-living God long to profper and preferve here amongst us) and other Iffue alfo, whom it hath pleafed God to take out of this tranfitory Life, unto his eternal Glory, but alfo fending us a happy flourishing and moft profperous Common Wealth in all Things; and then afterward, how that the malitious and perverfe Affections of fome (a very few Perfons) envying the great Felicity, wherein by the Goodnefs of God your faid molt noble Father and Mother, and all their good Subjects, lived and continued in many Yeres, did for their own fingular Glory and vain Reputation conceive fundry fubtil and difloyal Practifes, for the Interruption and Breach of the faid moft lawful and godly Concord; and travelling to put the fame in Ure, devifed firit to infinuate a Scruple into the King your Father's Confcience, of an unlawful Marriage between him and his moft lawful Wife the Queen, your Highnefs Mother, pretending for the Ground thereof, that the fame was against the Word of God, and thereupon ceafed not to perfwade continually unto the faid King your Father, that he could not, without Danger of the Lofs of his Soul, continue with his faid moft lawful Wife, but mufl be feparated and divorsed from her; and to this Intent caufed the Seals, as well of certain Universities in Italy and France, to be gotten (as it were for a Teftimony) by the Corruption with Moncy of a few light Perfons, Scolers of the fame Univerfities, as alfo the Seals of the Universities of this Realm to be obteined, by great Travell, finifter Working, fecret Threatnings and Intreatings of fome Men of Authority, fpecially fent at that Time thither for the fame Purpofes, and how that finally Thomas Cranmer, then newly made Archbishop of Canterbury, mot ungodly and againit all Lawes, Equity and Confcience, profecuting the faid wicked Devife of Divorfe and Separation of the faid King your Father, and Queen your Mother, called before him ex officio, the Hearing of the faid Matter of Marriage, and taking his Foundation partly upon his own unadvifed Judgment of the Scripture, joyning therewith the pretended Teftimonies of the faid Univerfities, and partly upon bare and moft untrue Conjectures, gathered and admitted by him upon Matters of no Strength or Effect, but only by Suppofal, and without admitting or hearing any Thing that could be faid by the Queen your Mother, or by any other on her Behalf, in the Abfence of the faid late Queen your Mother, proceeded, pronounced, difcerned, declared and gave Sentence the fame moft lawful and undoubted Matrimony to be nought, and to be contracted againit God's Law, and of no Value, but lacking the Strength of the Law. And the faid moft noble King your Father, and the faid noble Queen your Mother fo married together, did feparate and divorfe, and the fame your moft noble Father King Henry the Eight, and the faid noble Queen your Mother, from the Bands of the fame moft • lawful

lawful Matrimony, did pronounce and declare by the fame his unlawful Sentence, to be free, difcharged and fet at Liberty; which Sentence and Judgment fo given by unlawful and corrupt Means and Wayes, by the faid Archbishop of Canterbury, was 'afterwards upon certain Affections ratified and confirmed by • Two feveral Acts, the One made in the 25. Year of the Reign of

the faid King your Highnefs Father, and intituled, An Ad 15 H.3. c.22. declaring the Stablishment of the Succeffion of the King's most royal

Majefty of the Imperial Crown of this Realm. The other Act of
Parliament made in the 28. Year of the Reign of the faid

King your Highness Father, intituled, An Act for the Sta- 28 H. 8. c. 7. blijbment of the Succeffion of the Imperial Crown of the Realm. In which faid Two Acts was contained the Illegitimations ' of your mo't noble Perfon, which your faid moit noble Perfon being borne in fo folemne a Marriage, fo openly approved in the World, and with fo good Faith both firit contracted, and alfo by fo many Years continued between your most noble Parents, and the fame Marriage in very Deed not being prohibited by the Law of God, could not by any Reafon or Equity in this Cafe be fo fpotted. And now we your Highness 'faid most loving, faithful and obedient Subjects, of a godly Heart and true Meaning, freely and frankly, without Fear, Fantie or any other corrupt Motion or fenfural Affection, confidering that this forefaid Marriage had his Beginning of God, and by him was continued, and therefore was ever and is to be taken for a mot true, jutt, lawful, and to all Refpects a fincere and perfect Marriage, nor could nor ought by any Man's Power, Authority or Jurifdiction, be diffolved, broken or feparated (for whom God joyneth, no Man can nor ought to put afunder) and confidering alic, how during the fame Marriage in godly Concord, the Realm in all Degrees flourished to the Glory of God, the Honor of the Prince, and the great Reputation of the Subjects of the fame, and on the other Side understanding manifeilly that the Ground of the faid Devife and Practife for the Divorse proceeded firft of Malice and vain Glory, and after was pro'fecuted and followed of fond Affection and fenfual Fantafie, and finally executed and put in Effect by Corruption, Ignorance and Flattery; and feeling to our great Sorrow, Damage and Regret, how fhameful Ignominies, Rebukes, Slanders, Contempts, yea, what Death, Peftilence, Wars, Dilobediences, Rebellions, Infurrections, and divers other great and grievous Plagues, God of his Juftice hath fent upon us, ever fince this faid ungodly Purpofe was firft begun and practifed, but also feeing evidently before our Eyes that unless fo great an Injuftice as this hath bin, and yet continueth, be redubbed, and that the faid falfe and wrongful Procefs, Judgment and Sentence, with their Dependences, be repealed and revoked, nothing is lefs to be doubted, then that greater Plagues and Strokes are like to increafe and continue daily more and more within this Realm, do befeech your moft excellent Majefty, as well in refpect of your own Honour, Dignity and juft Tile, as for Truth's Sake, wherewith (we doubt not) but your Highnefs alfo will be fpecially moved in Confcience, and alfo for the entire Love, Favour and Affection which your Majetty beareth to the Commonwealth of this your Realme, and for the good Peace, Unity and Reft of us your

B 3

• moft

Sentence of Divorce repealed.

25 H. 8. c. 22.

and Part of

28 H. 8. c. 7. repealed.

Marriage of
H. 8. and Q.

Katherine valid.

moft bounden Subjects, and our Pofteritie, that it may be enacted by your Highness, with the Confent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons, in this prefent Parliament affembled; and be it enacted by the Authority of this prefent Parliament, That all and every Decree, Sentence and Judgment of Divorse and Separation between the said King your Father, and the faid late Queen your Mother, and all the Procefs commenced, followed, given, made or promulged by the faid Thomas Cranmer then Archbishop of Canterbury, or by any other Perfon or Perfons whatsoever, whereby the fame moft juft, pure and lawful Marriage betwixt the faid late King your Father and the faid late Queen your Mother, was or is pronounced, or in any wife declared to be unlawful, or unjust, or against the Law of God, be and shall be from the Beginning, and from henceforth, of no Force, Validity or Effect, but be utterly nought, void, fruftrat and adnihilat, to all Intents, Conftructions and Purposes, as if the fame had never been given or pronounced.

III. And be it alfo enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That as well the faid Act of Parliament, intituled, An Act declaring the Eftablishment of the Succeffion of the King's moft Royal Majefty of the Imperial Crown of this Realm, made in the 25. Year of the Reign. of the King your Father be repealed, and be void and of none Effect, as alfo all and every fuch Claufes, Articles, Branches and Matters conteined and expreffed in the forefaid Act of Parliament, made in the faid 28. Year of the Reign of the faid late King your Father, or in any other A&t or Acts of Parliament, as whereby your Highnefs is named or declared to be illegitimate, or the faid Marriage between the faid King your Father, and the faid Queen your Mother, is declared to be against the Word of God, or by any Means unlawful, fhall be, and be repealed, and be void and of no Force nor Effect, to all Intents, Conftructions and Purpofes, as if the fame Sentence or Acts of Parliament had never been had nor made. And that the faid Marriage had and folemnized betwixt your faid moft noble Father King Henry and your faid moft noble Mother Queen Katherine, fhall be diffinitively, clearly and abfolutely declared, deemed and adjudged to be and ftand with God's Law and his most holy Word, and to be accepted, reputed and taken of good Effect and Validity, to all Intents and Purposes.

CA P. II.

An Act for the Repeal of certain Statutes made in the Time of the Reign of King Edward the Sixth.

"STAT. 1 E.6. c. 1. 1 E.6. c.2. 2 E.6. c. 1. 2 & 3 E.6. c.21. 66 3 4 E.6. c. 10. 3 & 4 E.6. c.12. 56 E.6.c.1. 5 & 6 "E.6. c. 3. 5 & 6 E.6. c. 12. repealed. All fuch Divine Service " and Adminiftration of Sacraments as were most commonly "ufed in England in the laft Year of Hen. 8. fhall be used thorow "the Realm, after the 20th Day of December, Anno Domini 1553, and no other Kind of Service nor Administration of Sa"craments.

66

[Repealed as to Sacraments, 1 Eliz. c. 2. § 2. and wholly repealed & Jac. 1. c. 25. §48.]

САР.