The Catholic Reformation 173 No one, whatsoever his rank or condition, shall print, transcribe, copy, or knowingly have by him, receive, carry, keep, conceal, have in his possession, sell, buy, give, dis- tribute, scatter, or let fall in churches, or on the street, or in other places, any books or writings composed by Martin Luther, John (Ecolampadius, Ulrich Zwingli, Martin Bucer, John Calvin, or other heretics or promoters of their sects, or of other bad and false sects condemned by the holy Church. . . . No one shall represent, or cause to be represented, sell, or offer for sale, have, keep, or possess, any scandalous figures, pictures, or images of the Virgin Mary, or of the saints canonized by the Church, or of the clergy. Nor shall any one break, destroy, or pull down the images or pictures made in their honor. No one shall, in his house or elsewhere, hold, or suffer to be held, any secret conventicles or improper assemblies, nor attend such, in which the said heretics and seducers sow and privily inculcate their errors, rebaptizing and conspiring against the holy Church and the government. Moreover we forbid every one, laymen and others, to dis- cuss or argue about the Holy Scriptures, whether in secret or in public, especially touching important and doubtful matters ; or to read aloud or teach to others the Holy Scrip- tures, unless they be theologians versed in theology and ap- proved by some well-known university. . . . The penalty in case any one shall be discovered to have violated any of the provisions herein stated shall be pun- ishment fitting for seditious persons who are a peril to our realm and the common weal, and as such they shall be exe- cuted, the men by the sword, the women by being buried alive, should they show no disposition to maintain or defend their errors. Should they, however, persist in their opinions, errors, and heresies, they shall be burned alive, and in every case their goods shall be confiscated and declared forfeit to us. . . . All those who know of any one infected with heresy shall be held to denounce, report, name, and bring him to the 283. "Pla- card," or denuncia- tion of heretics, issued by Charles V (1550). Punishment for heretics.
