# Renewal Of The Previous Bloody Decrees Of Emperor Charles V., Against The Baptists Or So-Called Anabaptists, By Philip Ii., King Of Spain, A. D. 1556.

1556 · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: RENEWAL OF THE PREVIOUS BLOODY DECREES OF EMPEROR CHARLES V., AGAINST THE BAPTISTS OR SO-CALLED ANABAPTISTS, BY PHILIP II., KING OF SPAIN, A. D. 1556.

Source heading; not independently verified

Up to this time, Emperor Charles V. was alone,
or at least chiefly responsible for the shedding of
the blood of the saints in the Netherlands, as also
for the most cruel tyrannies which, through the instrumentality
531of the Inquisition, and through what
followed afterwards, were inflicted upon them, by
fire, water, sword, and otherwise; but in this year,
his son, Philip II., King of Spain, following in his
father’s footsteps (instead of lightening the constraint
of conscience) caused all the previous bloody
and cruel decrees which his father had issued against
the so-called heretics, to be renewed and confirmed,
especially the most cruel decree published on the
25th of September, 1550, the contents of which we
have reserved until the present time, but will now,
as renewed A. D. 1556, adduce here, however not
with all its particulars, but only so far as it was directed
(principally) against the Anabaptists and
their doctrine.

In the book in which the prince of Orange, William
I., defends himself against the false charges,
which his adversaries sought unjustly to bring
against him, printed 1569, mention of this is made
(p. 165, letter L. VI.), in the following words.

Of the ordinances and decrees made for all times,
and for general observance, and proclaimed
everywhere, from the 25th of September,
1550, and renewed and confirmed by
his Royal Majesty in the year 1556.

We likewise forbid all lay persons, and others, to
converse or dispute concerning the holy Scriptures,
whether openly or secretly, especially in doubtful
and difficult matters; or to teach, expound or interpret
the holy Scriptures to others, unless they [who
do so] be theologians and versed in divinity and
spiritual law, and approved by some notable university,
or others authorized thereto by the ordinary
of the place; be it well understood, however, that
this is not to be regarded as relating to those who
simply and exclusively converse together on the
aforesaid holy Scriptures, adducing thereto the expositions
of holy and approved doctors; but to
those who, in order to seduce others, or to teach
and instruct them in that which is forbidden, maintain
and teach, contrary to the ordinances of our
mother, the holy church, evil and false propositions
and doctrines, who are notoriously considered heretics;
or to preach, defend, allege or maintain,
openly or secretly, any doctrines of the aforementioned
authors.

On pain, that if any be found to have acted contrary
to any of the above stated points, they shall
be punished as seditious persons, and disturbers of
our realm and the common peace, and be executed
as such:

Namely, the men with the sword, and the women
buried alive; that is, if they will not maintain or defend
their errors; but if they persist in their errors,
opinions, or heresies, they are to be executed with
fire; and in every case all their property is declared
confiscated, and forfeited for our benefit.

And as regards what we had ordained in our
previous decrees and our last ordinances, that from
the day they had acted contrary thereto, or had
fallen into the aforesaid errors, they should be disqualified
from disposing of their property, and that
all alienations, gifts, cessions, sales, conveyances,
transfers, testaments, or last wills, made and executed
by them from said day on, should be null,
invalid and void.

Again (page 168): Since many, from our aforesaid
countries, suspected of heresy, especially of the
sect of the Anabaptists, change their place of abode,
to infect the simple in places where their character
is not known; we, in order to guard against this,
will, ordain, and decree, that none of the inhabitants
of our aforesaid Netherlands, of whatever state,
quality or condition he be, shall be admitted or received
into any city or village, of said countries,
there to live, except he bring with him a certificate
from the parish-priest of the place where he last
resided.

Which certificate he shall be obliged to show and
deliver into the hands of the principal officer of the
city or village where he intends to live; on pain that
those who do not bring such certificates shall not be
admitted there to live.

And we charge the officers diligently to inform
themselves with regard to them, and to proceed
therein as shall be proper, without our aforesaid
officers, or the particular lords, and their officers,
being permitted to grant such persons any pass or
safe conduct.

Again (page 171): That all who have knowledge
of any that are tainted with heresy, shall be bound,
immediately and without delay to accuse, report,
and indicate them to all spiritual judges, deputies of
the bishops, and other proper persons.

Likewise, if any be found to have acted contrary
to these our ordinances and prohibitions, showing
himself to be infected, or favorer of the heretics,
or committing any act contrary to these our ordinances
and prohibitions, especially anything tending
to scandal or sedition, that those who have
knowledge of them shall be bound, immediately to
report it to our proctors, or their substitutes and
commissaries, or to the officers of the place where
such tainted favorers or offenders shall live; and
this on pain of arbitrary punishment.

In like manner, they shall be bound, if they know
the place where any of such heretics keep or shelter
themselves, to indicate it to the officer of said
place, on pain of being considered, as stated before,
favorers, entertainers and adherents of heresy, and
punished with the same punishment as would be
inflicted upon the heretic or offender, if he should
be apprehended.

And in order that the aforesaid judges and officers,
who shall apprehend said heretics, Anabaptists, and
transgressors of our aforesaid ordinances and prohibitions,
may have no reason, under the pretense
that the punishments seem too great and severe,
and were only decreed to deter the delinquents
(Anabaptists), and offenders, to dissemble with
them, their accomplices and favorers, or to punish
them less than they have deserved, as has been
found to have frequently been done heretofore;
therefore, we will that those whom they know to
have acted contrary to these ordinances, or who
have kept in their possession, printed, sold, distributed,
or published any heretical scandalous
books, writings . . . or have contravened the
532
points already indicated, or to be stated hereafter,
or some of them, shall be actually punished and
corrected with the punishments set forth above.

We forbid all our judges, justiciaries and officers,
as also our vassals and subjects, temporal lords, who
exercise high justice, and their officers, in any wise
to alter, mitigate or change the aforesaid punishments,
(those ordained to be inflicted with the
sword, earth, or fire); but, on having taken cognizance
of such contravention plainly do declare
and decree the aforesaid punishments, pursuant to
these present ordinances, on pain of being severely
punished; unless that in some particular case, said
judges, because of great and important considerations,
should find difficulty as to the exact execution
of the punishment decreed against the transgressor
by our aforesaid ordinances.

In which case they may nevertheless not mitigate
the punishment of their own accord; but shall be
bound to carry or send the criminal process, faithfully
closed and sealed, to the sovereign or provincial
council, under whose jurisdiction they shall belong,
there to be examined and deliberated on as
to whether any alteration or mitigation of the aforesaid
punishment is proper or not.

And if our aforesaid councilors find, that in good
justice, according to right and reason (in regard to
which we charge their consciences), any mitigation
or alteration is proper, in such a case they may advise
them by writing, and send it all to said judges
and officers, that the latter may finish and terminate
said process in accordance with it.

We command them to do nothing less, and enjoin
them very expressly and strictly, on pain of
being arbitrarily corrected and punished, not to
make use of said consultations without great and
important reasons, but be governed, as much as
they can, by the contents of these present ordinances.

Extracted from the great book of decrees of Ghent
in which are collected all the decrees, mandates, and
ordinances of Emperor Charles V., and of King
Philip II.; and cited by William I., Prince of
Orange, in his defense against his adversaries,
edition 1569, from p. 165–174 inclusive.





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