Religion Act 1580
| Year | 1580 |
(23 Eliz. 1) C A P. I.
'W H E R E sithence the Statute made in the thirteenth Year of the Reign of the Queen our Sovereign Lady, intituled, Rome, divers evil affected Persons have practised, contrary to the Meaning of the said Statute, by other Means than by Bulls or Instruments written or printed, to withdraw divers the Queen's Majesty's Subjects from their natural Obedience to her Majesty, to obey the said usurped Authority ofRome , and in respect of the same to perswade great Numbers to withdraw their due Obedience from her Majesty's Laws, established for the due Service of Almighty God:'
II Treason to withdraw any from the Religion established to the Romish Religion, 1 Leon. 239.
II. For Reformation whereof, and to declare the true Meaning of the said Law, be it declared and enacted by the Authority of this present Parliament, That all Persons whatsoever, which have or shall have, or shall pretend to have Power, or shall by any Ways or Means put in Practice to absolve, perswade or withdraw any of the Queen's Majesty's Subjects, or any within her Highness Realms and Dominions, from their natural Obedience to her Majesty: (2) Or to withdraw them for that Intent from the Religion now by her Highness Authority established within her Highness Dominions, to theRomish Religion, (3) or to move them or any of them to promise any Obedience to any pretended Authority of the See of Rome , or of any other Prince, State or Potentate, to be had or used within her Dominions, (4) or shall do any overt Act to that Intent or Purpose; and every of them shall be to all Intents adjudged to be Traytors, and being thereof lawfully convicted shall have Judgment,suffer and forfeit, as in Case of High Treason. (5) And if any Person shall after the End of this Session of Parliament, by any Means be willingly absolved or withdrawn as aforesaid, or willingly be reconciled, or shall promise any Obedience to any such pretended Authority, Prince, State or Potentate, as is aforesaid, That then every such Person, their Procurers and Counsellors thereunto, being thereof lawfully convicted shall be taken, tried and judged, and shall suffer and forfeit as in Cases of High Treason.
III The Penalty of Aiders, Maintainers and Concealers.
III. And be it likewise enacted and declared, That all and every Person and Persons, that shall wittingly be Aiders or Maintainers of such Persons so offending as is above expressed, or any of them, knowing the same, or which shall conceal any Offence as aforesaid, and shall not within twenty Days at the furthest, after such Persons Knowledge of such Offence, disclose the same to some Justice of Peace or other higher Officer, shall be taken, tried and judged, and shall suffer and forfeit, as Offenders in Misprision of Treason.
IV The Forfeiture for saying or hearing of Mass.
IV. And be it likewise enacted, That every Person which shall say or sing Mass, being thereof lawfully convicted, shall forfeit the Sum of two hundred Marks, and be committed to Prison in the next Gaol, there to remain by the Space of one Year, and from thenceforth till he have paid the said Sum of two hundred Marks: (2) And that every Person which shall willingly hear Mass, shall forfeit the Sum of one hundred Marks, and suffer Imprisonment for a Year.
V The Penalty for not coming to the Church by the Space of a Month according to the Stat. 1 El. c. 2.
V. Be it also further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That every Person above the Age of sixteen Years, which...
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