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Indeed a Man may be indicted for a Mifdemeanour in uttering Blafphemy, or Herefy, at Common Law; and it is in the Difcretion of thofe Courts to inflict fuitable Punishments for the Offence (faving Life and Limb) as appears by the Tryal of Keach at the Affizes for the County of Bucks, who was indicted for making an Heretical Primmer. I fhall now proceed to give an Inftance or two of the Procefs iffued after a Conviction of Heresy.

The FORM of the WRIT de Heretico comburendo for executing a Perfon convicted of Herefy in Convocation.

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EX, &c. Majori & Vic London falutem. Cum venerabilis Pater Thomas Archiepifcopus Cantuar totius Angliæ Primas, & Apoftolica Sedis Legatus, de Confenfu & Affenfu, ac Confilio Epifcoporum & Confratrum Suffragan' fuorum, necnon totius Cleri Provincia fue in Confilio fuo provinciali congregat, juris Ordinibus in hac parte requifit in omnibus obfervat W. Sawtre aliquando Capellanum in Hæref damnat, & per ipfum Willielmum præantea in forma Juris abjurat, & ipfum Willielmum in Hærefin prædict' relaps' per fuam fententiam definitivam Hæreticum manifeftum pronunciar declarav', ac degradandum fore decreverit, & ab omni prærogativa & privilegio clericali ea de caufa realit' degradaverit, ipfumq; Will' Foro feculari relinquendum effe decreverit, & realiter reliquit, juxta Leges & canonicas Sanétiones editas in hac parte, & fancta Mater Ecclefia non habet ulterius quod fac' in pramif. Nos igitur zelator Juftitia & Fidei Catholica cultor, volentes Ecclefiam Sanctam ac Jura & Libertates ejufdem manutenere & defendere, & hujufmodi Hærefes & Errores de Regno noftro Angliæ (quant' in nobis eft) radicitns extirpar', ac Hæreticos fic conviclos animadverfione

condigna

condigna puniri, attendentefq; hujufmodi Hareticos in forma pradict' convictos & damnatos juxta Legem divinam & humanam canonica Inftitutione, & in hac parte confuetudinar' ignis incendio comburi debere; Vobis diftinctius quo poffimus præcipimus, firmiter injungentes, quod præfat Will' in Cuftodia veftra exiften in aliquo loco publico & aperto infra libertat Civitatis prædict caufa pramiffa coram populo publice Igni committ', ac ipfum in eodem Igne realiter comburi fac' in hujus Criminis deteftationem, aliorumq; Chriftianorum exemplum manifeftum; & hoc fub periculo incumbente nullatenus omittatis. Tefte, &c. .

The FORM of the WARRANT to the Lord Chancellor for iffuing the WRIT de Hæretico comburendo, on a Conviction for Herely before the Ordinary:

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JAMES Rex.

AMES, by the Grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. To our right Trufty, and right well-beloved Counsellor, Thomas Lord Ellef mere, our Chancellor of England, greeting. Whereas the Reverend Father in God, John Bifhop of London, having judicially proceeded in a Caufe of Herefy against Bartholomew Legatt of the City of London, in the Diocefs of the faid Bishop of London, concerning divers wicked Errors, Herefies, and blafphemous Opinions, holden, affirmed and published by the faid Bartholomew Legatt, and chiefly in thefe thirteen blafphemous Pofitions following, viz. That the Creed called the Nicene Creed, and Athanafius's Creed, contain not a Profeffion of the true, Chriftian Faith; or that he will not profefs his Faith according to the fame Creeds That Chrift is not God of God begotten, not made, but begotten and made: That there

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there are no Perfons in the Godhead: That Chrift was not God from everlafting, but began to be God when he took Flesh of the Virgin Mary: That the World was not made by Christ: That the Apostles teach Chrift to be Man only: That there is no Generation in God, but of Creatures: That this Affertion, God to be made Man, is contrary to the Rule of Faith, and monftrous Blafphemy: That Chrift was not before the Fulnefs of Time, except by Promife That Chrift was not God otherwife than anointed God: That Christ was not in the Form of God equal with God, that is, in Substance of God, but in Righteoufnefs and giving Salvation: That Chrift by his Godhead wrought no Miracle: That Chrift is not to be pray'd unto. Wherein he the faid Bartholomew Legatt hath, before the faid Reverend Father, maintain'd his faid most dangerous and blafphemous Opinions, as appeareth by many of his Confeffions publickly made and acknowledged. For which his damnable and heretical Opinions, he is by definitive Sentence by the faid Reverend Father John Bifhop of London, with the Advice and Confent of other Reverend Bifhops, Learned Divines, and others Learned in the Laws, affifting him in Judgment, juftly adjudged, pronounced and declared to be an obftinate and incorrigible Heretick, and is left by them under the Sentence of the great Excommunication, and therefore as a corrupt Member to be cut off from the Church of Chrift, and Society of the Faithful, and is to be by our fecular Power and Authority, as an Heretick, punished, as by the Significavit of the faid Reverend Father in God the faid Bifhop of London, bearing Date at London the third Day of March, in the Year of our Lord 1611. in the ninth Year, of Our Reign, and remaining in our Court

Chancery, more at large appeareth. And al

though

though the faid Bartholomew Legatt hath, fince the faid Sentence pronounced against him, been often very charitably moved and exhorted, as well by the faid Bishop, as by many grave and learned Divines, to diffuade, revoke and remove him from the faid blafphemous and heretical Opinions, yet he arrogantly and wilfully perfifteth and continueth in the fame. We therefore, according to our Regal Function and Office, minding the Execution of Juftice in this behalf, and to give Example to others, left they fhould attempt the like hereafter, have determined, by the Affent of our Council, to will and require, and do hereby authorize and require You our faid Chancellor, immediately upon the Receipt hereof, to award and make out, under our Great Seal of England, our Writ of Execution, according to the Tenor in thefe Presents enfuing. And thefe Prefents fhall be your fufficient Warrant and Discharge for the fame.

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The WRIT de Hæretico comburendo.

EX Vicecomitibus London, Salutem. Cum Reverendus in Chrifto Pater Johannes, London Epifcopus, nobis fignificavit, quod cum ipfe in quodam hæretica Pravitatis negotio contra quendam Bartholomeum Legatt, fubditum noftrum Civitatis London dicti London Epifcopi Dioces & jurifdict rite & legitime procedens, per Acta inactitata, deducta, propofita, & per Confeffiones ipfius Bartholomei Legatt coram prafato Epifcopo judicialiter factas & recognitas, comperit &invenit præfatum Bartholomeum Legatt quamplurimos nefandos Errores, falfas Opiniones, Hærefes & Blafphemias execrandas, & fcelerata Dogmata Catholica & Orthodoxa Fidei & Religioni, & facrofanéto Dei Verbo expreffe contraria & repugnantia, fcienter, maliciofe, animoq; pertinaci obdurato planeque incorri

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gibili

gibili credere, tenere, affirmare & publicare, idem Reverendus Pater London Epifcopus cum Confilio & Confenfu tam Reverendorum Epifcoporum & aliorum Theologorum quam Juris etiam peritorum in Judicio affiden & affiften' eundem Bartholomeum Legatt per fententiam fuam definitivam, obduratum, contumacem & incorrigibilem Hæreticum pronunciavit, decrevit declaravit, eaque occafione tanquam protervum Hæreticum & Membrum putridum & contagio fum ab Ecclefia Chrifti & Fidelium Communione recifum & amputatum fore. Cum igitur fancta Mater Ecclefia non habeat quod ulterius facere & exequi valeat in hac parte, idem Reverendus Pater præfatum Bartholomeum Legatt, ut Blafphemum Hæreticum, brachio noftro feculari reliquit condigna animadverfione plectend", prout per Literas Patentes præfati Reverendi in Chrifto Patris London Epifcopi in hac parte fuperinde confect Nobis in Chancellar' noftram certificat' eft. Nos igitur ut Zelator Juftitia, & Fidei Catholica Defenfor, vclentefq; Ecclefiam fanétam ac Jura & Libertate's ejuf dem, & Fidem Catholicam manutenere & defendere, ac hujufmodi Hærefes & Errores ubiq; (quantum in Nobis eft) eradicare & extirpare, ac Hæreticos fic convictos animadverfione condigna puniri, attendentefq; hujufmo di Hæreticum in forma pradict convictum & damnatum juxta Leges & Confuetudines Regni noftri Angliæ in hac parte confuet Ignis incendio comburi debere. Vobis pracipimus quod dictum Bartholomeum Legatt in Cuftod' veftra exiften' apud Weft-Smithfield in loco publico & aperto ex caufa pramiffa coram populo publice Igni committi, ac ipfum Bartholomeum Legatt in eodem Igne realiter comburi fac' in hujufmodi Criminis deteftationem, aliorumq; Chriftianorum exemplum manifeftum, ne in fimile Crimen labantur. Et hoc fub periculo incumbente nullatenus omittatis. Tefte,

&c.

Henry Hibirte.

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