WHereas at the last Session of Parliament among other good and necessary Lawes and ordinances established for the maintenance , continuance and preseruation of her Maiesties most happy and quiet gouernment , and for the preuenting and auoiding of Treasons and practises traiterously attempted by certaine of her Maiesties euill-affected Subiects , being Iesuites and Seminarie Priests , made and created at Rome and Rhemes , and other places beyond the Seas , who at the instigation of the Pope and others , fauouring his pretended tyrannous authoritie ouer the Crowne of England , and enuying the happie and blessed estate of her Maiesties saide gouernment , came dayly into the Realme , to peruert and seduce her Maiesties good Subiects vnder colour of Religion , to draw them from their due and naturall obedience towards her Maiestie & her Crowne , & to prepare their minds and bodies to assist such forraine inuasion , as was certainely discouered to be intended by the said Pope & his adherents , as by sundr●e effects and proofes hath manifestly appeared , namely by the late Rebellion in the North , the inuasion attempted in Ireland , and by the discouerie of sundrie late plottes and purposes of Treason , aswell against her Maiesties sacred person , as against the common quiet of the Realme : There was for these considerations an Act made against the said Iesuites and Seminarie Priests , by the which their accesse into the Realme for the like seditious and traiterous purposes was prohibited , and ordered to be punished as in cases of Treason : Contrary to which Act of Parliament , one William Marsden , and Robert Anderton , Seminarie Priests , being reconciled at Doway in Artois , by a Iesuite called father Columbine , and made Priests by the Cardinall of Guyse at Rhemes , arriuing secretly out of France , lately at the Isle of Wight , where they were apprehended , haue confessed their purpose of comming into the Realme , to haue bene to win soules , ( as they terme it ) being in effect , ( as is before mentioned ) to perswade her Maiesties Subiects vnder colour of maintenance of Popery , to rebellion . For the which , they hauing bene by the due and orderly course of her Maiesties Lawes , tryed and conuicted at the last Assyses holden at Winchester in the Countie of Southhampton , vpon the statute aforesaid , were neuerthelesse by the Iudges of that Circuite ( knowing the mercifull minde and gracious disposition of the Queenes Maiestie towards all her Subiects ) conferred withall concerning their meaning towards her Maiesties person and the Realme , at which time they pretended in wordes , and exterior shew to acknowledge her Maiestie to be rightfull Queene of this Realme , and to vowe and protest , that they would at all times aduenture their liues in defence of her Maiestie and her Realmes , against the Pope , or any forraine power whatsoeuer , that should attempt to inuade the Realme with force , and that they would not meddle or perswade with any in matter of Religion , but onely keepe their owne consciences to themselues : Wherevpon they were stayed from their execution , her Maiestie minding nothing lesse , then that any of her Subiects , though disagreeing from her in Religion , should die for the same , as by them and their companions hath bene most falsely and slanderously published and affirmed . Vpon report whereof made by the said Iudges to the Lords and others of her Maiesties most honorable Priuie Councill , they following the milde and temperate course of her Maiesties gouernment , caused the said Marsden and Anderton to be stayed from execution , and to be remooued from Winchester to London , where they were further conferred withall , and examined concerning their obedience and duetie towardes her Maiestie for Ciuill causes , onely to prooue whether they would remaine constant in their protestations in that behalfe made to the Iudges at their arraigment and conuiction , that her Maiestie might thereupon haue bene mooued to extend her mercie towardes them . The said Marsden and Anderton being accordingly examined by two principall persons thereunto appointed by her Maiesties said Priuie Councill , and put in remembrance of their former shew of duetie made before the Iustices of Assyse , and aduised to confirme the hope conceiued of their reformation in matters of their alleageance to her Maiestie , to the ende they might thereby mooue her Maiestie to shew mercie vnto them : Whereupon first the said Anderton , being required to explaine his true meaning in his protestation of her Maiesties right to the Crowne , and of his alleageance , and particularly whether he did acknowledge her Maiestie to be lawfull Queene , notwithstanding any sentence which the Pope either had giuen , or could giue against her : and whether he meant that it was his duetie , and the dueties of all her Maiesties Subiects , to withstand the Pope , not onely if his inuasion were for temporall respects , as to make conquest of the Realme , but also if he would attempt such an inuasion by force to reduce the Realme to his obedience by colour of Religion : he answered , that they be questions where with he doth not deale , and required to bee respited for his answere , vntill such cases should happen , adding by way of abusion , that in the meane time hee may possibly be a Protestant , and so then become of other opinion then he is now of .

William Marsden to the same questions before propounded to Anderton , answered , That he acknowledged her Maiestie to be lawfull Queene of this Realme , and of other her Dominions : and that he tooke himselfe bound to obey her Maiestie , so far as his obedience impeached not his duetie to God and to the Church , ( meaning the Church of Rome ) requiring that he might not bee asked his opinion any further , vntill such case of sentence giuen by the Pope should happen , and further saith , that in case the Pope would send any forces into the Realme , to reduce the same to the Catholique Religion , ( meaning Popery ) he would then doe the duetie of a Priest , that is , hee would pray , that right might take place .

And whereas they had both promised before the Iustices of Assise , that they would not meddle in perswading of any person in matter of Religion , but onely keepe their owne conscience to themselues : they now in this examination , denie that euer they promised not to deale with her Maiesties Subiects , to perswade them in matter of Religion : Anderton saying , That he taketh such as be out of the vnitie of the Church of Rome , to stand in state of damnation , and that therefore hee is bound in conscience to do what he can to reclaime them . And Marsden sayth , He may not promise not to deale with any of her Maiesties subiects in matters of Religion : for that he comming into the Realme to perswade the Catholique Religion , ( meaning Poperie ) hee can not binde himselfe not to do that duetie .

Hereby may appeare to all her Maiesties louing and true hearted Subiects , the traiterous purpose of these two Seminarie Priests , being borne Subiects of the Realme , who though in generall termes and speeches they seemed and made shew to the Iustices of Assise , of true and duetifull alleageance to the Queenes Maiestie their naturall Soueraigne : yet when endeuoure is vsed to vncouer their masked and fained protestations , they can not hide their malice and treasonable intentions euen to their owne confusions : which appearing thus manifestly to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie , hauing subscribed these former answeres with their owne hands , whereas shee was much inclined vpon the report of the said Iustices to afford them grace and pardon , if they wold haue persisted in their former protestations , finding them now vnworthy thereof , hath left them to the punishment appointed by the Law to be inflicted vpon them for their iust offence .