Laws Against the Lollards
Whereas it is showed to our sovereign lord the king on behalf of the prelates and clergy of his realm of England in this present Parliament, that although the Catholic faith, founded upon Christ, and by His apostles and the Holy Church sufficiently determined, declared, and approved, has been hitherto by good and holy and most noble progenitors of our sovereign lord the king in the said realm, amongst all, the realms of the world, most devoutly observed, and the English Church by his said most noble progenitors, and ancestors, to the honor of God and of the whole realm aforesaid, laudably endowed,,and in her rights and liberties sustained, without which the same faith or the said Church was hurt or grievously oppressed, or else disturbed by any perverse doctrine or wicked, heretical, or erroneous opinions :
Yet nevertheless divers false and perverse people of a certain new sect, damnably thinking of the faith of the sacraments of the Church and the authority of the same, and, against the law of God and of the Church, usurping the office of preaching, do perversely and maliciously in various places within the said realm, under the color of dissembled holiness, preach and teach in these days, openly and privily, various new doctrines and wicked, heretical, and erroneous opinions, contrary to the same faith and, blessed determination of the Holy Church.
And of such sect and wicked doctrine and opinions, they make unlawful conventicles, and confederacies, they hold and exercise schools, they make and write books, they do wickedly instruct and inform people and, as much as they may, excite and stir them to sedition and insurrection;. and make great strife and division among the people, and do daily perpetrate and commit other enormities horrible to be heard, in subversion of the said Catholic faith and doctrine of the Holy Church in diminution of God's honor, and also in destruction of the estate, rights, and liberties of the said English Church; by which sect and wicked and false preachings, doctrines, and opinions of the said false and perverse people, not only the greatest peril of souls, but also many more other hurts, slanders, and perils, which God forbid, might come to this realm, unless it be the more plentifully and speedily helped by the king's majesty, in this behalf, namely:
Whereas the diocesans of the said realm cannot by their jurisdiction spiritual, without aid of the said royal majesty, sufficiently correct the said false and perverse people, nor, refrain. their malice, because the said false and perverse people go from diocese to diocese, and will not appear before the said diocesans, but the same diocesans and their jurisdiction spiritual, and the keys of the church, with the censures of the same, do utterly disregard and despise, and so they continue and exercise their wicked preachings and doctrines, from day to day, to the utter destruction of all order and rule of right and reason.
Upon which novelties and excesses above rehearsed, the prelates and clergy aforesaid, and also the Commons of the said realm being in the same Parliament have prayed our sovereign lord the king, that his royal highness would vouchsafe in the said Parliament to provide a convenient remedy: the same our sovereign lord the king graciously considering the premises, and also the laudable steps of his said most noble progenitors and ancestors, for the conservation of the said Catholic faith, and sustentation of God’s honor, and also the safeguard of the estate, rights, and liberties of the said English Church, to the praise of God, and merit of our said sovereign lord the king, and prosperity and honor of all his said realm, and for the eschewing of such dissensions, divisions, hurts, slanders, and perils, in time to come, and that this wicked sect’s preachings, doctrines, and opinions should from henceforth cease and be utterly destroyed by the assent of the estates and other discreet men of the realm, being in the said Parliament has granted, established, and ordained from henceforth firmly to be observed: That none within the said realm, or any other dominions, subject to his royal majesty, presume to preach, openly or privily, without the licence of the diocesan of the same place first required and obtained curates in their own churches, and persons hitherto privileged, and others of the canon law granted, only except. And that none, from henceforth, preach, hold, teach, or instruct anything, openly or privily, or make or write any ok contrary to the Catholic faith or determination of the holy Church, nor that any of such sect and wicked doctrines and opinions shall make any conventicles, or in any wise hold r exercise schools. And also that none from henceforth in any way favor such preacher, or maker of any such and be like conventicles, or holding or exercising schools, or making or writing such books, or so teaching, informing, or exciting the people, nor them, nor any of them, maintain or in any way sustain.