Pius, bishop, servant of the servants of God, for the future 220. Bull of of the matter. memory

He who reigns in the highest, to whom has been given all power in heaven and earth, in the plenitude of his power has given the governance of one holy Catholic and apostolic church, outside of which there is no salvation, to one upon earth, that is to say, to Peter, prince of the apostles, and to the Roman pontiff, the successor of Peter. Him alone has he appointed prince over all nations and all kingdoms, to pluck out, to overthrow, to scatter, to destroy, to plant, to build up, in order that he may keep his people faithful in the unity of the spirit, bound with the bond of mutual love, and that he may deliver them unharmed to their Saviour. In the fufillment of this duty, we, called by the grace of God to the government of the same church, have neglected no labor, striving with all our strength that the unity and entirety of that church should remain unbroken, which its founder has for the testing of our faith and our correction permitted to be smitten by so many storms. But the number of the wicked has so increased in strength that there is no place left upon earth which they have not tried to corrupt with the most evil teachings.

deposition of Elizabeth

(1570)

ascribed to Elizabeth

Assistance has been given them among others, by Elizabeth, Wicked doings servant of evil doers, pretended queen of England, to whom as to an asylum the most wicked of all have come for refuge. She, after she had gained the throne, usurped to herself monstrously the place of supreme head of the church in all England and the principal authority and jurisdiction in it; and called back again to miserable destruction that realm which had but just then been restored to the Catholic faith and good fruit. For she has taken away by a violent hand the use of true religion which had been previously overthrown by the apostate Henry VIII, but restored by the legitimate Queen Mary, of distinguished memory, with the help of this see; she has followed and embraced the errors of heretics; she has dissipated the royal council, formed of the English nobility, and filled it with obscure men who are heretics. She has oppressed holders of the Catholic faith; she has restored agitators and dealers in impieties; she has abolished the sacrifice of the

The oath of supremacy

mass, prayers, fastings, choice of foods, celibacy, and Catholic rites; she has commanded books which contain manifest heresy to be spread through the whole kingdom; she has required services which are impious and instituted according to the prescriptions of Calvin to be accepted and observed by herself and to be acknowledged by her subjects.

She has ventured to eject bishops, rectors of churches, and other Catholic priests from their churches and benefices, and to confer their goods and other ecclesiastical possessions upon heretics, and to give decisions concerning ecclesiastical causes. She has forbidden prelates, clergy, and people to acknowledge the Roman church or to obey its precepts and canonical sanctions. She has compelled by an oath very many to agree to her wicked laws and to abjure the authority and obedience of the Roman pontiff, and to recognize her alone as mistress in temporal and spiritual affairs; she has imposed pains and penalties upon those who were not obedient to her word and those who persevered in the aforesaid obedience and in the unity of the faith. Catholic bishops and rectors of churches she has cast into bonds, where many, worn out by long-continued weariness and sadness, have finished their days miserably.

Since all these things are familiar and well known among all nations and so well established by the strongest testimony of many men that there is no place left for any excuse, defense, or denial; and since other crimes and impieties are being multiplied, and the persecution of the faithful and the affliction of religion daily growing by the influence and the action of the said Elizabeth; and since her mind is, we understand, so confirmed and hardened that not only has she treated with contempt the pious prayers and advice of Catholic princes for her well being and conversion, but has not permitted the ambassadors of this see to come to England to her on this matter; we have been compelled to turn the arms of justice against her, though we cannot subdue our grief that we are required to take action against one whose forefathers have merited so much from the Christian commonwealth.

And so, supported by the authority of him who has willed that we should be placed in this supreme throne of justice, though

heretic and

unequal to such a burden, out of the plenitude of apostolic Elizabeth depower we declare the aforesaid Elizabeth a heretic and a favorer clared to be a of heretics, and those who adhere to her in the aforesaid matter deprived of to have incurred the sentence of anathema, and to be cut off the right to rule in Engfrom the unity of the body of Christ. Moreover she is deprived land of her pretended right to the aforesaid kingdom and to all dominions, dignity, and privileges whatsoever of every kind. Likewise the nobles, subjects, and people of the said kingdom, and all others who have taken an oath to her of any kind we absolve by the authority of these presents and declare them absolved perpetually for the future from all duty, fidelity, and obedience due. We deprive the same Elizabeth of the pre- The queen's tended right to the kingdom and to all the things named above; subjects forand we require and order each and all nobles, subjects, people, and others above said, not to venture to obey her instructions, mandates, or laws. Those who shall act differently we bind with the same sentence of anathema.

Because, however, it would be too difficult to take the present writings wherever there is need of them, we will that copies of them, signed with a seal by the hand of a notary public and of a prelate of the church or of his court, should obtain the same confidence in court and out of it among all nations as these presents would if they should be exhibited or shown.

Given at Rome, at St. Peter's, in the year of the Lord's incarnation, 1570, the fifth of the Calends of March, in the fifth year of our pontificate.

In retaliation for the bull and other Roman Catholic activity, the English government began to treat the English Catholics more harshly. One of the first steps was an attempt to show that if they were faithful to the pope they were necessarily traitors to the queen. The following questions were ordered to be submitted to such men as were suspected of being Roman Catholics.

1. Whether the bull of Pius V against the queen's Majesty be a lawful sentence, and ought to be obeyed by the subjects of England?

bidden to

obey her

221. Ques

2. Whether the queen's Majesty be a lawful queen and ought tions subto be obeyed by the subjects of England, notwithstanding the mitted to English bull of Pius V or any other bull or sentence that the pope hath Roman Cath- pronounced, or may pronounce, against her Majesty?

olics to test

their loyalty

222. Answers of Henry Orton

3. Whether the pope has, or had, power to authorize the earls of Northumberland, Westmoreland, and others of her Majesty's subjects, to rebel, or take arms against her Majesty ; or to authorize Dr. Saunders or others to invade Ireland, or any other of her dominions, and to bear arms against her, and whether they did therein lawfully, or not?

4. Whether the pope hath power to discharge any of her Highness' subjects, or the subjects of any Christian prince, from their allegiance or oath of obedience to her Majesty or to their prince for any cause?

5. Whether the said Dr. Saunders, in his book the Visible Monarchy of the Church, and Dr. Bristowe, in his book of Motives, written in allowance, commendation, and confirmation of the said bull of Pius V, have therein taught, testified, or maintained a truth or a falsehood?

6. If the pope do by his bull or sentence pronounce her Majesty to be deprived and no lawful queen, and her subjects to be discharged of their allegiance and obedience unto her, and, after, the pope or any other of his appointment and authority do invade this realm, which part would you take, or which part ought a good subject of England to take?

Two typical sets of answers follow, one in which the person questioned declares his entire loyalty to the queen, another in which he expresses grave doubts concerning his duty, yet may be loyal. The second is countersigned by the royal officials who submitted the questions.

To the first he sayth, that he thinketh the bull of Pius V was at no time a lawful sentence, or of force to binde any of her Majestie's subjects, and that notwithstanding, her Majestie was and is to be obeyed by every of her subjects.

To the second, he thinketh that her Majestie is to be holden for lawfull queene of this realm, and ought to be obeyed by all

her subjects, notwithstanding any thing that the pope eyther hath done, or can doe.

To the third, he thinketh the pope neither hath nor had authoritie to warrant any of the persons here named, to doe as they have done, or any other of her subjects, to take armes against her Majestie, and that those which have taken armes against her, upon that, or the like warrant, have done unlawfully.

To the fourth, he thinketh the pope hath no authoritie to discharge any subject from his allegiance and obedience to his prince.

To the fifth, he thinketh that Dr. Saunders and Dr. Bristowe have, in the poyntes mentioned in this article, taught and maintayned an untruth and a falshood.

To the last, he sayth, that in the case here supposed, he would take part with her Majestie against the pope, or any other invading the realme by his authoritie.

HENRY ORTON

To the first, he saith, that it is a difficult question, and that 223. Answers he cannot make answere thereto.

To the second, hee saith, that her majestie is lawful queene, and ought to be obeyed, notwithstanding the bul supposed to be published by Pius V. But whether she ought to be obeyed and taken for lawful queene, notwithstanding any bul or sentence that the pope can give, he saith, he cannot answere.

To the third, he cannot answere, and further saith, that he will not meddle with any such questions.

To the fourth, he saith, he is not resolved, and therefore he cannot answere.

To the fifth, he saith, he will not deale with any such questions, and knoweth not whether Saunders and Bristowe have taught wel herein or not.

To the last, he saith, that when such a case shall happen, he will then advise what becommeth him to do, for presently he is not resolved.

This hee did acknowledge to us, after hee had fully perused the same, but refused to subscribe to it.

JOHN POPHAM THOS. EGERTON DA. LEWIS

JOHN HAMMOND

of John Hart