for their advantage, so as though many of them are well known to be
teachers and spreaders abroad of these dangerous and damnable sects,
yet by their own confession they cannot be condemned, whereby they are
more dangerous in any Christian Realm: Therefore, her Majesty being
very sorry to see so great an evil by the malice of the Devil, first
begun and practised in other countries, to be now brought into this
her Realm, and that by her Bishops and Ordinaries she understandeth
it very requisite, not only to have these dangerous Heretics and
Sectaries to be severely punished, but that also all other means be
used by her Majesty's Royal authority, which is given her of God
to defend Christ's Church, to root them out from further infecting
her Realm, she hath thought meet and convenient, and so by this her
Proclamation she willeth and commandeth, that all her Officers and
Ministers temporal shall, in all their several vocations, assist
the Archbishops and Bishops of her Realm, and all other persons
ecclesiastical, having care of souls, to search out all persons duly
suspected to be either teachers or professors of the foresaid damnable
sects, and by all good means to proceed severely against them
being found culpable, by order of the Laws either ecclesiastical or
temporal: and that, also, search be made in all places suspected, for
the books and writings maintaining the said Heresies and Sects, and
them to destroy and burn.

"And wheresoever such Books shall be found after the publication
hereof, in custody of any person, other than such as the Ordinaries
shall permit, to the intent to peruse the same for confutation
thereof, the same persons to be attached and committed to close
prison, there to remain, or otherwise by Law to be condemned, until
the same shall be purged and cleared of the same heresies, or shall
recant the same, and be thought meet by the Ordinary of the place to