Historic%20Yorkshire
Historic%20Yorkshire
Historic%20Yorkshire
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CATHOLIC PERSECUTION. 125<br />
twenty pounds,or six months' imprisonment; and for the<br />
third the forfeiture of all goods andchattels, and imprisonment<br />
for life.<br />
It was found that many persons failed to attend the<br />
church on Sundays and holy days after the change of the<br />
religion, and to cause them to go a severelaw was made,<br />
and in default, for the first offence, they had to suffer<br />
imprisonment for sixmonths, withoutbail; for the second<br />
offence a year's imprisonment; and for the third offence<br />
imprisonment for life. The foregoing laws were passed<br />
in the reign ofEdwardVI. Coming down to the timeof<br />
Elizabeth,we readthatin the first year that she occupied<br />
the throne"it was required that laymenor womenshould<br />
pay one shilling for every time they didnot attend their<br />
parish churches, and that if they should speak against the<br />
Book of Common Prayer, for the first offence they should<br />
be imprisoned for six months; for the second should<br />
suffer a year's imprisonment; and for the third should be<br />
incarcerated for life. And if anyone,after Aprilist,1563,<br />
should maintain in writing the Pope's supremacy in the<br />
Church, he should be guilty of high treason — that is,if a<br />
man, he should be hung, but cut down alive, his breast<br />
and stomach shred open, his heart, still palpitating, be<br />
drawnout, and then that whileyet warmhis limbs should<br />
be hacked off, dipped in boilingpitch, and exposed over<br />
the gates on spikes ; but isa woman, that she should be<br />
burned alive."<br />
We learn that another law,passed at a later period,<br />
provided " that they who should reconcile any person to<br />
the Church of Rome, and those who should leave the<br />
Established Church ofthe RomanCommunion, should be<br />
guiltyof high treason — that is,be subjected to the same<br />
horrible death. And also that such as should relieve anyone<br />
who had so reconciled others, or should bring any<br />
crosses,pictures, rosaries, etc., into England,consecrated<br />
by the Pope, should undergo the penalty of præmunire —<br />
that is, their lands and goods were forfeited, and their<br />
bodies imprisonedat the King's pleasure."
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