EXCOMMUNICATION OF QUEEN ELIZABETH.

            The following paragraphs form a part of the “Damnation and Excommunication of Elizabeth, Queen of England, and her adherents,” by Pope Pius in the year 1570.

“PIUS, FOR A PERPETUAL MEMORIAL OF THE MATTER.

“I. He that reigneth on high, to whom is given all power in heaven and on earth, committed one Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, out of which there is no salvation, to the one alone upon earth, to Peter the Prince of the Apostles, and to Peter’s successor the Bishop of Rome, to be governed in fulness of power. Him alone he made Prince over all people, and all kingdoms, to pluck up, destroy, scatter, consume, plant, and build, that he may retain the faithful, that are knit together with the band of charity, in the unity of the Spirit, and present them spotless and unblameable to their Saviour. In discharge of which function, we who are, by God’s goodness, called to the government of the aforesaid church, spare no pains, labouring with all earnestness, that unity and the religion, which the author thereof hath for the trial of his children’s faith, and for our amendment, suffered to be exercised with so great afflictions, might be preserved uncorrupted.

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“IV. Being, therefore, supported with this authority, whose pleasure it was to place us, though unequal to so great a burden, in this throne of justice, we do, out of the fulness of our apostolic power, declare the aforesaid Elizabeth, being a heretic, and a favourer of heretics, and her adherents in the matter aforesaid, to have incurred the sentence of anathema, and to be cut off from the unity of the body of Christ. And, moreover, we do declare her to be deprived of her pretended title to the kingdom aforesaid, and of all dominion, dignity, and privilege whatsoever: and also the nobility, subjects, and people of the said kingdom, and all others which have in any sort sworn unto her, to be for ever absolved from any such oath, and all manner of duty, of dominion, allegiance, and obedience; as we also do, by the authority of these presents, absolve them, and do deprive the same Elizabeth of her pretended title to the kingdom and all other things aforesaid. And we do command and interdict all and every one of the noblemen, subjects, people, and others aforesaid, that they presume not to obey her, or her admonitions, mandates and laws; and those who shall do the contrary, we do innodate the like sentence of anathema.”

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