church), compiled by the reverend bishops and clergy, set forth in one book, intituled, The Book of Common Prayer, and Administration of Sacraments, and other rites and ceremonies in the Church of England, and enjoined to be used by act of parliament, holden in the said first year of the said late queen, intituled, An act for the uniformity of common prayer and service in the church, and administration of the sacraments, very conformable to all good people desirous to live in christian conversation, and most profitable to the estate of this realm; upon the which the mercy, favour, and blessing of almighty God is in no wise so readily and plentifully found, as by common prayers, due using of the sacraments, and often preaching of the gospel, with devotion of the hearers; and yet this notwithstanding, a great number of people in divers parts of this realm, following their own sensuality, and living without knowledge and due fear of God, do wilfully and schismatically abstain and refuse to come to their parish churches, and other public places where common prayer, administration of the sacraments, and preaching of the Word of God is used upon the Sundays and other days ordained and appointed to be kept and observed as holy-days: And whereas by the great and scandalous neglect of ministers in using the said order or liturgy so set forth and enjoined as aforesaid, great mischiefs and inconveniences, during the times of the late unhappy troubles, have arisen and grown, and many people have been led into factions and schisms, to the great decay and scandal of the reformed religion of the Church of England, and to the hazard of many souls: For prevention thereof in time to come, for settling the peace of the church, and for allaying the present distempers which the indisposition of the time hath contracted, the King's Majesty, according to his declaration of the five and twentieth of October, one thousand six hundred and sixty, granted his commission under the Great Seal of England to several bishops and other divines, to review the Book of Common Prayer, and to prepare such alterations and additions as they thought fit to offer: And afterwards the convocations of both the provinces of Canterbury and York, being by his Majesty called and assembled, and now sitting, his Majesty hath been pleased to authorize and require the presidents of the said convocations, and other the bishops and clergy of the same, to review the said Book of Common Prayer, and the book of the form and manner of the making and consecrating of bishops, priests, and deacons; And that after mature consideration they should make such additions and alterations in the said books respectively, as to them should seem meet and convenient; and should exhibit and present the same to his Majesty

in writing for his further allowance of confirmation: Since which time, upon full and mature deliberation, they the said presidents, bishops, and clergy, of both provinces, have accordingly reviewed the said books, and have made some alterations which they think fit to be inserted to the same; and some additional prayers to the said Book of Common Prayer to be used upon proper and emergent occasions, and have exhibited and preferred the same unto his Majesty in writing, in one book, intituled, The Book of Common Prayer and administration of the sacraments, and other rites and ceremonies of the church, according to the use of the Church of England, together with the psalter, or psalms of David, pointed as they are to be sung or said in churches; and the form or manner of making, ordaining, and consecrating, of bishops, priests, and deacons : All which his Majesty having duly considered, hath fully approved and allowed the same, and recommended to this present parliament, That the said Books of Common Prayer, and of the form of ordination and consecration of bishops, priests, and deacons, with the alterations and additions which have been so made and presented to his Majesty by the said convocations, be the book which shall be appointed to be used by all that officiate in all cathedral and collegiate churches and chapels, and in all chapels of colleges and halls in both the universities, and the colleges of Eaton and Winchester, and in all parish churches and chapels within the kingdom of England, dominion of Wales, and town of Berwick upon Tweed, and by all that make or consecrate bishops, priests, or deacons, in any of the said places, under such sanctions and penalties as the houses of parliament shall think fit.

II. Now in regard that nothing conduced more to the settling of the peace of this nation, (which is desired of all good men), nor to the honour of our religion, and the propagation thereof, than an universal agreement in the public worship of almighty God; and to the intent that every person within this realm may certainly know the rule to which he is to conform in public worship, and administrations of sacraments, and other rites and ceremonies of the Church of England, and the manner how and by whom bishops, priests, and deacons, are and ought to be made, ordained, and consecrated; be it enacted by the King's most excellent Majesty, by the advice and with the consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and of the commons, in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, That all and singular ministers in any cathedral, collegiate or parish church or chapel, or other place of public worship within this realm of England, dominion of Wales, and town of

Berwick upon Tweed, shall be bound to say and use the Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, celebration and administration of both the sacraments, and all other the public and common prayer, in such order and form as is mentioned in the said book annexed and joined to this present act, and intituled, The Book of Common Prayer and administration of the sacraments, and other rites and ceremonies of the church, according to the use of the Church of England; together with the psalter or psalms of David, pointed as they are to be sang or said in churches; and the form or manner of making, ordaining, and consecrating bishops, priests, and deacons: And that the morning and evening prayers therein contained shall, upon every Lord's day, and upon all other days and occasions, and at the times therein appointed, be openly and solemnly read by all and every minister or curate, in every church, chapel, or other place of public worship, within this realm of England and places aforesaid.

III. And to the end that uniformity in the public worship of God (which is so much desired) may be speedily effected, be it further enacted... That every parson, vicar, or other minister whatsoever, who now hath or enjoyeth any ecclesiastical benefice or promotion within the realm of England or places aforesaid, shall, in the church, chapel, or place of public worship, belonging to his said benefit or promotion, upon some Lord's day before the feast of St. Bartholomew which shall be in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred and sixty and two, openly, publicly, and solemnly read the Morning and Evening Prayer appointed to be read by and according to the said Book of Common Prayer, at the times thereby appointed; and after such reading thereof, shall openly and publicly, before the congregation there assembled, declare his unfeigned assent and consent to the use of all things in the said book contained and prescribed, in these words, and no other:

IV. 'I, A. B. do here declare my unfeigned assent and consent to all and every thing contained and prescribed in and by the book, intituled, The Book of Common Prayer and administration of the sacraments, and other rites and ceremonies of the church, according to the use of the Church of England, together with the psalter or psalms of David, pointed as they are to be sung or said in churches; and the form or manner of making, ordaining, and consecrating of bishops, priests, and deacons.'

V. And that all and every such person, who shall (without some lawful impediment to be allowed and approved of by the ordinary of the peace) neglect or refuse to do the same within the time aforesaid, (or in case of such impediment, within one month after such impedi

ment removed,) shall ipso facto be deprived of all his spiritual promotions: And that from thenceforth it shall be lawful to and for all patrons and donors of all and singular the said spiritual promotions, or any of them, according to their respective rights and titles, to present or collate to the same, as though the person or persons so offending or neglecting were dead.

VI. And . . . That every person who shall hereafter be preferred or collated, or put into any ecclesiastical benefice or promotion, within this realm of England or places aforesaid, shall, in the church, chapel, or place of public worship belonging to his said benefice or promotion, within two months next after that he shall be in actual possession of the said ecclesiastical benefice or promotion, upon some Lord's day, openly, publicly, and solemnly read the morning and evening prayers appointed to be read by and according to the said Book of Common Prayer, at the times thereby appointed; and after such reading thereof shall openly and publicly, before the congregation there assembled, declare his unfeigned assent and consent to the use of all things therein contained and prescribed, according to the form before appointed: And that all and every person who shall (without some lawful impediment to be allowed and approved by the ordinary of the place) neglect or refuse to do the same within the time aforesaid, (or in case of such impediment, within one month after such impediment removed) shall (ipso facto) be deprived of all his said ecclesiastical benefices and promotions: And that from thenceforth it shall and may be lawful to and for all patrons and donors of all and singular the said ecclesiastical benefices and promotions, or any of them, according to their respective rights and titles, to present or collate to the same, as though the person or persons so offending or neglecting were dead.

VII. And . . . That in all places where the proper incumbent of any parsonage or vicarage, or benefice with cure, doth reside on his living and keep a curate, the incumbent himself in person (not having some lawful impediment to be allowed by the ordinary of the place) shall once (at the least) in every month openly and publicly read the common prayers and service in and by the said book prescribed, and (if there be occasion), administer each of the sacraments and other rites of the church, in the parish church or chapel, of or belonging to the same parsonage, vicarage, or benefice, in such order, manner, and form, as in and by the said book is appointed; upon pain to be forfeit the sum of five pounds to the use of the poor of the parish for every offence, upon conviction by confession, or proof of two credible witnesses, upon oath, before two justices of the peace of the

county, city or town corporate, where the offence shall be committed, (which oath the said justices are hereby impowered to administer) and in default of payment within ten days, to be levied by distress and sale of the goods and chattels of the offender, by the warrant of the said justices, by the churchwardens or overseers of the poor of the said parish, rendering surplusage to the party.

VIII.1 And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That every dean, canon, and prebendary of every cathedral or collegiate church, and all masters and other heads, fellows, chaplains, and tutors of or in any college, hall, house of learning or hospital, and every public professor and reader in either of the universities, and in every college elsewhere, and every parson, vicar, curate, lecturer, and every other person in holy orders, and every schoolmaster keeping any public or private school, and every person instructing or teaching any youth in any house or private family as a tutor or schoolmaster, who upon the first day of May, which shall be in the year of our Lord God one thousand six hundred sixty-two, or at any time thereafter, shall be incumbent or have possession of any deanery, canonry, prebend, mastership, headship, fellowship, professor's place or reader's place, parsonage, vicarage, or any other ecclesiastical dignity. or promotion, or of any curate's place, lecture, or school, or shall instruct or teach any youth as tutor or schoolmaster, shall, before the feast day of St. Bartholomew, which shall be in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred sixty-two, or at or before his or their respective admission to be incumbent or to have possession aforesaid, subscribe the declaration or acknowledgment following, scilicet,

IX. 'I, A. B. do declare, That it is not lawful, upon any pretence whatsoever to take arms against the king; and that I do abhor that traitorous position of taking arms by his authority against his person, or against those that are commissionated by him; and that I will conform to the liturgy of the Church of England, as it is now by law established: And I do declare that I do hold, there lies no obligation upon me or on any other person, from the oath commonly called, The solemn league and covenant, to endeavour any change or alteration of government either in church or state, and that the same was in itself an unlawful oath, and imposed upon the subjects of this realm against the known laws and liberties of this kingdom.'

X. Which said declaration and acknowledgment shall be subscribed by every one of the said masters and other heads, fellows, chaplains, and tutors of or in any college, hall, or house of learning, 1 Repealed 28 and 29 Vict. c. 122, § 15.