These productions, which include a miscellaneous collection of books and tracts on the peculiar principles of the sect called The Family of Love, were by royal proclamation dated October 13, 22 Elizabeth, ordered to be burnt, and all persons declared punishable for having them in their possession without the ordinary's permission.

This Family of Love or House of Charity as they styled themselves, were sectaries out of Holland who persuaded their followers "That those only were elected and should be saved, who were admitted into that Family, and all the rest Reprobates, and to be damned; and that it was lawful for them to deny upon their oath before a magistrate whatsoever they pleased, or before any other who was not of their family." Of this fanatical vanity they dispersed books amongst their followers, translated out of the Dutch tongue into the English, they were entitled The Gospel of the Kingdom, Documental Sentences, The Prophecy of the Spirit of Love, The publishing of Peace upon Earth. The author, H. N., they could by no means be persuaded to reveal; yet was it found afterwards to be Henry Nicholas of Leyden, who with a blasphemous mouth gave out, that he did partake of God, and God of his humanity. (Camden's Life and Reign of Queen Elizabeth, p. 477.)

A black letter tract dedicated to "Maister H. S., by R. B., from Winchester." Slade and Bodye were sufferers under the oppressive laws of the time against the adherents of the Catholic religion, and were executed in the autumn of 1583. (See Challoner's Memoirs of Missionary Priests.) This tract was suppressed and the author punished.

This book was alleged to have been published or dispersed on January 22nd, 1584, by one Robert Sutton, a yeoman, and Charles Ratclyffe, gentleman, both of Aylsham in Norfolk, for which they were prosecuted; but the indictment was held to be insufficient.[3] It charges that "Robertus Sutton nuper de Aylesham in comitatu Norfolciæ yoman vicesimo secundo die Januarii anno regni dominæ Elizabethæ Dei gratia Angliæ Franciæ et Hiberniæ Reginæ fidei defensoris &c., vicesimo sexto apud Aylesham prædictam in comitatu prædicto advisate anglice advysedly et voluntarie publicavit ut veritati consentaneum quendam librum continentem in se hæc anglicana verba sequentia videlicet not to be wyth the Pope is to be wyth antecryste Et sic prædictus Robertus Sutton tunc et ibidem assistebat anglice stode wyth ad extollendam jurisdictionem Pontificis Romani præantea usurpatam infra hoc regnum Angliæ contra formam statuti in hujusmodi casu nuper editi et provisi et contra pacem dictæ dominæ Reginæ nunc coronam et dignitatem suas &c. Item alias scilicet die et anno prædictis ad sessionem prædictam coram præfatis justiciariis per sacramentum juratorum prædictorum similiter extitit præsentatum quod Carolus Ratclyffe nuper de Aylesham in comitatu Norffolciæ generosus vicesimo secundo die Januarii anno regni dominæ Elizabethæ Dei gratia Angliæ Franciæ et Hiberniæ Reginæ Fidei Defensoris &c. vicesimo sexto apud Aylesham prædictam in comitatu Norffolciæ prædicto advisate anglice advysedly et voluntarie publicavit ut veritati consentaneum quendam librum continentem in se hæc anglicana verba sequentia videlicet not to be wyth the Pope is to be wyth antechryste Et sic prædictus Carolus Ratclyffe tunc et ibidem assistebat anglice stode wyth ad extollendam jurisdictionem Pontificis Romani præantea usurpatam infra hoc regnum Angliæ contra formam statuti in hujusmodi casu nuper editi et provisi et contra pacem dictæ dominæ Reginæ nunc coronam et dignitatem suas &c."

This book was published anonymously, but is known to be the production of Cardinal Allen. Thomas Allfield, a priest, who had (says Dr. Challoner)[4] found means to import into the realm some copies thereof, "and had dispersed them by the help of one Thomas Webley, a dyer; was called to an account, as was also the said Webley, and both the one and the other were most cruelly tortured in prison; I suppose in order to make them discover the persons to whom they had distributed the said books. They were afterwards brought to their trial and condemned on the 5th of July, (1585), and suffered at Tyburn on the day following; where both the one and the other had their life offered them if they would renounce the pope, and acknowledge the queen's church headship; which they refusing to do were both executed."

The indictment against Allfield is as follows, (Lansdowne M.S. British Museum 33, no. 58.)

Londonia scilicet. Juratores pro domina Regina præsentant quod cum per quendam actum in Parliamento dominæ Reginæ nunc tento per prorogationem apud Westmonasterium sexto decimo die Januarii anno regni sui vicesimo tertio editum et provisum inter alia inactitatum et stabilitatum existit authoritate parliamenti illius quod si aliqua persona sive personæ post finem quadraginta dierum proximo sequentium post finem illius sessionis ejusdem parliamenti infra hoc regnum Angliæ vel in aliquo alio dominiorum dominæ Reginæ nunc vel in aliquo alio loco extra dominia dictæ dominæ Reginæ advisate et cum maliciosa intentione versus dictam dominam Reginam nunc devisarent et scriberent imprimerent vel exponerent devisaret et scriberet imprimeret vel exponeret anglice sett forthe aliquem librum rythmum canticum vocatum a ballade literam sive scriptum continentem aliquam falsam seditiosam et