dral Churches, or other places, where the faid Books fhall be attained and gotten, before the faid Feaft of the Nativity of Saint John Baptift, fhall within three weeks next after the faid Books fo attained and gotten, ufe the faid Service, and put the fame in ufe according to this Act.

And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That no perfon or perfons fhall be at any time hereafter impeached, or otherwife molefted of or for any of the offences above mentioned, hereafter to be committed, or done contrary to this Act, unless he or they fo offending be thereof indicted at the next general Seffions, to be holden before any fuch Justices of Oyer and Determiner, or Juftices of Affize, next after any offence committed or done, contrary to the tenour of this A&t.

Provided always and be it Ordained, and Enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That all and fingular Lords of the Parliament, for the third offence above mentioned, fhall be tried by their Peers.

Provided alfo, and be it Ordained, and Enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That the Mayor of London, and all other Mayors, Bailiffs, and other Head officers of all, and fingular Cities, Boroughs, and Towns Corporate within this Realm, Wales and the Marches of the fame, to the which, Juftices of Affize do not commonly repair, fhall have full power and Authority, by vir tue of this Act, to enquire, hear, and determine the offences abovefaid, and every of them year

ly,

ly, within fifteen days after the Feast of Eafter, and Saint Michael the Archangel, in like manner and form, as Juftices of Affize, and Oyer, and Determiner may do.

Provided always, and be it Ordained and Enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That all and fingular Archbishops and Bishops, and every of their Chancellors, Commiffaries, Archdeacons, and other Ordinaries, having any peculiar Ecclefaftical jurifdiction, fhall have full power and Authority, by virtue of this Act, as well to enquire in their Vifitations, Synods, and elsewhere within their jurifdiction, at any other time, and place, to take accufations, and informations of all, and every the things above mentioned, done, committed or perpetrated within the limits of their jurifdictions and Authority, as to punifh the fame by admonition, excommunication, fequeftration, or deprivation, and other cenfures, and process, in like form, as heretofore hath been used in like cafes by the Queen's Ecclefiaftical Laws.

Provided always, and be it Enacted, That whatfoever perfon offending in the premises fhall for the offence first receive punishment of the Ordinary, having a teftimonial thereof under the faid Ordinary's feal, fhall not for the fame of fence eftfoons be convicted before, the Juftices; and likewife receiving for the faid first offence punishment first by the Juftices, he thall not for the fame offence eftfoons receive punishment of the Ordinary: Any thing contained in this Act to the contrary notwithstanding. Provided

Provided always, and be it Enacted, That fuch ornaments of the Church and of the Minifters thereof, shall be retained, and be in use, as were in this Church of England, by the Authority of Parliament, in the fecond year of the reign of King Edward the Sixth, until other order fhall be therein taken by the Authority of the Queen's Majesty, with the advice of Her Commiffioners, appointed and authorized under the great feal of England for causes Ecclefiaftical, or of the Metropolitan of this Realm. And also, That if there fhall happen any contempt, or irreverence to be ufed in the Ceremonies, or Rites of the Church, by the mifufing of the Orders appointed in this Book; The Queen's Majefty may, by the like advice of the faid Commiffioners, or Metropolitan, ordain and publish such further Ceremo nies, or Rites, as may be moft for the advancement of God's glory, the edifying of his Church, and the due reverence of Chrift's holy Myfteries and Sacraments.

And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That all Laws, Statutes, and Ordinan ces, wherein, or whereby any other Service, Adminiftration of Sacraments, or Common-Prayer, is limited, eftablished, or fet forth to be used within this Realm, or any other the Queen's Dominions, or Countries, fhall from henceforth be ut terly void, and of none effect.

An

An Att for the Uniformity of Public Prayers, and Adminiftration of Sacraments, and other Rites and Ceremonies: And for eftablishing the Form of making, ordaining, and confecrating Bishops, Priefts, and Deacons in the Church of England. 14 Carol. II.

WHEREAS in the firft year of the late

Queen Elizabeth, there was one Uniform: Order of Common-Service and Prayer, and of the Administration of Sacraments, Rites and Ceremonies in the Church of England (agreeable to the Word of God, and Ufage in the Primitive Church) compiled by the Reverend Bishops and Clergy, fet forth in one Book, intituled, "The "Book of Common-prayer, and Administration "of Sacraments, and other Rites and Ceremo"nies in the Church of England," and enjoined to be used by Act of Parliament, holden in the faid firft year of the faid late, Queen, intituled, "An Act for the Uniformity of Common-prayer "and Service in the Church, and Adminiftra"tion of the Sacraments," very comfortable to all good people defirous to live in Christian converfation, and most profitable to the Eftate of this Realm, upon the which the Mercy, Favour, and Bleffing of Almighty God is in no wife fo readily and plentifully poured, as by Com mon-Prayers, due ufing of the Sacraments, and often Preaching of the Gofpel, with devotion of the hearers: And yet this notwithstanding, a

t

great

.

great number of people in divers parts of this Realm, following their own fenfuality, and living without knowledge and due fear of God, do wilfully and fchifmatically abstain, and refufe to come to their Parifh-Churches, and other public places, where Common-prayer, Adminiftration of the Sacraments, and preaching of the Word of God is ufed upon the Sundays and other days, ordained and appointed to be kept and

1

as Holidays And whereas by the great and fcandalous neglect of Minifters in the faid Order, or Liturgy, lo fet forth and enjoined as aforesaid, great mifchiefs and inconveniencies, during the times of the late unhappy troubles, have arifen and grown; and many people have been led into Factions and Schifms, to the great decay and fcandal of the Reformed Religion of the Church of England, and to the hazard of many fouls: for prevention thereof in time to come, for fettling the peace of the Church, and for allaying the prefent diftempers, which the indifpofition of the time hath contracted; The King's Majefty (ac-, cording to his Declaration of the Five and twentieth of October, One thoufand fix hundied and fiaty) granted His Commiffion under the Great Seal of England, to feveral Bifhops and other Divines to review the Book of Common prayer, and to prepare fuch Alterations and Additions, as they thought fit to offer: And afterwards the Convocations of both the provinces of Canterbury and York, being by his Majefly called and affembled (and now fitting) His Majefty

hath