Ecclesiastical History of England, Volume 4—The Church of the Restoration [part 2]

No. I.—See Vol. I., p. 60.

I find in the Record Office a very curious letter, dated Llanothyng,[610] the 8th of April, and addressed to Linwell Chapman. There is placed in the same bundle in which I discovered it a fairly transcribed copy. As the contents are remarkable, I shall give a full description of them, and supply a few extracts.

The letter purports to come from more persons than one, and it commences by expressing their joy on account of suffering for Christ’s sake, their spirits being borne up by the fury of the adversary, by the patience dispensed to the godly, and the great spirit of prayer poured out, together with active faith in the most precious promises. They had sent messengers to their brethren, all over the nation, including three to South Wales, exhorting them to stand by the good old cause, once the most precious in the eyes of the saints. They mention “Dr. Owen, that precious servant of Christ,” as having had a sinecure in their neighbourhood, and as having sent them word “that he doubted not of good issue.” “We hope very speedily,” they proceed, “to give you a good account when that discontented part of the army we expect is come up, to countenance us until we can get together. We have laid out £10,000 in arms, and distributed most of them; we have raised such a jealousy here between the Cavaliers and Presbyterians as opens us a wider door than otherwise could be expected; and, indeed, were we considerable, the Presbyterians would close with us, upon any terms, rather than undergo an intolerable yoke under an implacable enemy.” The writers refer to an attempt upon “Charles Stewart,” which, they heard, “did not succeed in the way intended, but there was another way more successful.” They afterwards state,—“Mr. Kiffin, and Mr. Cockam, Mr. Hudson, Mr. M. the Committee-man, and Mr. Feake, write to us of securing the General and the Parliament about the 6th of May, to which they say all the congregations in London agree, except Mr. Caryles and Mr. Griffiths. Mr. Nie [Nye] doth great service in it, we hear. Mr. Brooks is very willing. Mr. Barker is, they say, indifferent. Indeed Sir Harry Vane is a man that seems to be born for such a time as this. He will come up, we hear, to head us; for we shall rise first, being furthest off.” After further explanation of their policy, they continue: “This we know, that we shall be (the Lord assisting us), a month hence, so considerable, coming towards London, that most of your Londoners must draw out, and then you have your opportunity. We hope you have received the arms, ammunitions, &c. V. A. L. was appointed to bring from C. to B., and then to D., where your carts were to meet him. What use you may make of the training day at London we leave to your discretion. Would we were rid of all the carnal and self-interested men on our side, and we doubt not but to do well. Mr. Thomas, the bearer hereof, will tell you how far we prevailed upon the Irish Brigade, and pray do you tell him how far you prevailed upon your London forces. The report of their being to be disbanded makes much for us here; what it doth there we know not. Col. Okey is very successful, and it’s believed his agitation may produce what may make both their ears tingle. Whether Mr. Powell, Mr. Mostyn, and Mr. Lloyd, be come up to you, we hear not. When they come, we doubt not they will put life in the cause. Mr. Jessey, with the brethren of Swan Alley, Mr. Rogers, Mr. Spilsbury, &c., are very zealous. And it’s good to be zealous in a good matter. Mr. Row, of Westminster, hath been very instrumental in a late design. The Lord strengthen the hands of such faithful souls. I pray, let us hear what the brethren of Gloucestershire intend to do. Mr. Helme, of Winchcombe, is diligent, spending himself and being spent among the neighbouring congregations if they be not already at London.” (The congregations referred to were either Independents or Baptists.) The writers further state that they heard a piece was “coming out on the character of the wretched villain Monk,” and an account of his plots. They advised that the first work should be to secure the militia and gentry, seize several of the Welsh castles, and be at Gloucester by the 12th of May, and tempt the General out. “Let the Quakers,” the letter goes on to say, “have the knottiest piece, for they are resolute in performing, though but rash in advising. It were to be wished the House had some bones to pick, that they might determine nothing until the 12th of May.” The writers then ask, whether the Long Parliament members, under whose authority they and their friends were acting, would sit at Shrewsbury as a place of rendezvous; that would be the safest place. They refer to Scotland, adding, “If it may be, it were well all places were at once disordered by a common alarm, while one place is chiefly aimed at. We expect Sir Arthur here suddenly, and then, when a convenient number of the old Parliament and army are met, we declare. The declaration is already agreed on.” ... “We are apt to believe that every honest man of all interests will acquiesce in it. Verily some Presbyterians, upon their late experience, are ready to hear and submit to the reason of it, when proposed to them. The press is free enough for it, there being no restraint upon that as yet.” The letter concludes with an exhortation to prosecute the design on the Tower, the House, and the head-quarters.

Besides this letter, there is another dated a few days earlier, addressed to Master Evan Thomas Taylor, relating to the same subject, but not containing any important information.

When I first lighted upon the letter of the 8th of April, 1660, with the actual outbreak under Lambert, in the same month, fresh in my mind, I was startled at the sight of these extraordinary statements, and began to think that they supplied new and important information respecting Republican movements going on at that confused period. A little reflection, however, sufficed to raise very considerable doubts as to whether much reliance could be placed upon several parts of the letter of the 8th, in which mere rumours are related, and accounts are given of what was going on at a distance. Further consideration made me suspicious as to the origin of the papers altogether. For the fabrication of letters said to be intercepted, and containing treasonable matter, was no uncommon device in those days, of which a signal instance is furnished in our notice of William Kiffin (Vol. I., p. 211). Besides, there are certain things about these professed communications from Wales, which the more I thought of them the more suspicious they appeared,—such as the statement respecting Dr. Owen, the expenditure of so large a sum as £10,000 by poor Welshmen in procuring arms, the reference made to Quakers as engaged in military movements, and the engagement of all the Congregational Churches in London, with two exceptions, in a plot to secure Monk and the Parliament. The more I considered these circumstances the more incredible they looked. Impressed with very strong doubts, I applied to my kind friend, the late Mr. John Bruce, whose judgment on the point I felt would be most valuable.

He gave the following opinion:—“I have looked at the letters dated 4th and 8th of the 2nd month of 1660, and the copy of the latter, which is endorsed in the handwriting of the Secretary, Sir Joseph Williamson. That they are all of the period assigned to them is, I think, pretty certain, but whether they are genuine or fabricated is a question not easily answered.

“It seems to me probable that the two letters were written by the same hand, the writing of the letter of the 4th being a feigned hand. That of the 4th was intended to contain that of the 8th, which is rather strange, and the oddity is increased by the circumstance, that in that of the 4th there is an allusion to that of the 8th as if it were already written:—‘Pray tell Mr. Chapman, which I forgot to write.’

“The letter of the 8th, purporting to be dated at ‘Llanothyng,’ a place I do not know; that of the 4th at ‘Llanvaire,’ I suppose in Monmouthshire. The former mentions ‘Dr. Owen, that precious servant of Christ,’ as having had a ‘sinecure here.’ If this be John Owen, it seems very like a blunder.

“Probably many other strangenesses might be discovered upon a close study of the letters, but that which in my mind makes most against the genuineness of the letter of the 8th, is the enormous improbability that any one would have sent a letter in such manner as this has been forwarded, which disclosed a plot to kill the King and other members of the Royal Family, and implicated in movements connected with it, not one or two persons only, but all the most conspicuous persons of the Republican party. The letter is in this respect so overdone as on that account alone to be a subject of very great suspicion. But, supposing it possible that a man could be found who was fool enough to write such a letter, I cannot believe that it would have been transmitted in the careless, half-open way in which these have been sent to Master Thomas in Quart-Pot Alley, Philpot Lane—if that be the address.

“My present impression is that these letters are not genuine, but if anything turns upon a point, or you are about to publish an opinion, I should like to reconsider the question.”

A little while afterwards, Mr. Bruce wrote the following:—“I have looked again at the letters said to have been intercepted, and am more and more convinced they are not genuine. Contents, handwriting—everything—is against them. They are not papers upon which any one ought to found an historical conclusion.

“Mr. Hardy came in just as I was putting up the bundle which contains these letters. I took them out and asked him what he thought of them. He shook his head, and pronounced them to be most suspicious-looking papers.”

After such an opinion, confirmatory of my own strong doubts, I could not think of using these documents in the text, but, as curiosities, I have transferred them to this Appendix.

No. II.—Vol. I., p. 244.

The following important Memorandum from W. J. Thoms, Esq., House of Lords, on the MS. Prayer Book attached to the Act of Uniformity, 1662, occurs in the Appendix to the Minutes of Evidence taken before the Royal Commission on Ritual:—

“In the course of a conversation with the Dean of Westminster on Tuesday week (30th July), after calling my attention to a pamphlet of Mr. Hull on the subject of the supposed loss of the Book of Common Prayer attached to the Act of Uniformity, the Dean expressed a wish to see the tower (formerly a portion of the Abbey) in which the original Acts of Parliament were till lately kept, the rooms in the Victoria Tower where the Acts are now deposited, and the Act of Uniformity itself. I promised to make the necessary arrangements for his doing so, on the following Thursday (1st August).

“My attention having been called by the Dean to the Prayer Book before alluded to, when settling with the person who arranges the Acts in the Victoria Tower to be in the way at the time the Dean had appointed to come, I spoke to him about the book; and he then told me, that when the Acts were removed, he had found, among other books, MS. Journals, &c., a Manuscript Prayer Book, which he had handed over to the Chief Clerk, Mr. Smith. I at once felt satisfied that that was the book respecting which there seems to have been so much mistaken anxiety; but the accidental absence of Mr. Smith prevented my then examining the book; and until I had seen it, and positively ascertained the fact, I thought it better, in case I should prove mistaken, not to mention to the Dean that the book was in Mr. Smith’s custody.

“Mr. Smith, who came to me in the Library a few minutes after the Dean had left, at once said the Prayer Book was in his custody, showed it to me, and I communicated the fact on the same evening to the Dean.

“William J. Thoms.

“Library, House of Lords,
“8th August, 1867.”

“An inspection of this MS. Prayer Book has proved to the Commissioners that the ‘Order for Morning and Evening Prayer daily to be said and used throughout the year,’ is identical in all respects with that which is ordinarily prefixed to the Book of Common Prayer.”

It would be beyond my purpose to attempt a description of these books—indeed no full and correct idea of their appearance and contents could be supplied except by a fac-simile reprint of them, which I hope will be some day published—but in the meanwhile I will present the reader with a transcript of the list of alterations inserted at the beginning of the MS. volume. This copy was carefully compared with the original by Mr. Thoms and myself.

With the MS. volume now in the Library of the House of Lords, there is also a copy of the Prayer Book, printed by Robert Barker, in 1636, containing alterations of the text made with a pen in a very neat hand, believed to be that of Sancroft. I have been permitted to inspect these volumes on three occasions; and there are two instances of alterations made in the printed copy, and in the MS. book, so curious, and indeed important, that I will transfer them to these pages.

The first relates to a passage at the end of the service for the public baptism of infants. In the printed book it stands thus:—

“It is certain by God’s Word, children persons w^ch are
that children being baptized, dying before they committ actuall sinne are
have all things necessary for their salvation, and be undoubtedly saved.”

The MS. book presents the same sentence thus:—

“It is certain by God’s Word, that children which are baptized, dyeing before they commit actuall sin, are undoubtedly saved.”

The second instance relates to the last rubric prefixed to the Communion service. In the printed book it stands thus:—

In the MS. book it appears thus:—

“The table at the Communion time having a fair white linen cloth upon it, shall stand in the body[612] of the church, or
or convenient place in the upper end of the chancel where Morning and Evening Prayer are appointed to be said.
or of the body of the church where there is no chancel.

And the priest standing at[613] the north side
part of the table, shall say the Lord’s Prayer with the Collect followeing, the people kneeling.”

LIST OF ALTERATIONS PREFIXED.

NOTE y^t All y^e Epistles & Gospels & most of y^e Sentences of Scripture are put in y^e last Translation of y^e Bible.

These are all y^e materiall alterations--y^e rest are onely verball, or y^e changeing of some Rubricks for y^e better performing of y^e service or y^e new moulding some of y^e Collects.

ADDITIONS.

No. III.—Vol. I., p. 180.

Points in which the Prayer Book, according to Cardwell’s Conferences, was modified in 1662, in compliance with the recommendation of the Puritans.

This list of alterations has been given me by my kind friend, Dr. Swainson.

Page 314. Lord’s Prayer. The Doxology was added at the beginning of Morning and Evening Prayer, in the Post-Communion service, and in the Churching of women.

Page 315. Plain tune. Altered.

 „  316. Collect for Christmas Day. This day altered.

 „  316.   „   „  Whit Sunday.   „  „  altered.

 „  317. Very many of the Collects were altered.

 „  317. “Time assigned not sufficient.” Rubric altered.

 „  317. The next Rubric was altered too, though insufficiently.

Page 318. [The preface asked for was inserted in the written book which we saw in the Library of the House of Lords, and then erased.[614]]

Page 319, line 10. Exhortation altered; the words are read now on the Sunday before the administration, and not “at the Communion.”

Page 319, line 30. The confession is now appointed to be made “by one of the Ministers,” not by one of the people.

Page 320, line 11, &c. The words “this day” altered, “as at this time.”

Page 320, line 17, &c. This is interesting. My note from the MS. book is this. The words there ran, “that our sinful bodies and souls may be made clean by his body, and washed through his most precious blood.” This would have pleased the Puritan party. It was however altered back.

Page 321, line 1. Thus it was in accordance with the wishes of the same party that the marginal directions were added in the prayer of Consecration.

Page 322, line 15. The Rubric was added with alterations, not however affecting the point at issue.

Page 324, line 5. Expressions altered. (Query, sufficiently?)

 „  324, line 18. “Doest thou forsake?” The words were altered, but not as the Puritans desired.

Page 325, line 10. Unless by a lawful minister. (Altered accordingly.)

Page 325, line 13. [No part is reiterated.]

Page 327, line 1. Altered. Note the praise of that part of the catechism which concerns the doctrine of the Sacraments.

Page 327, line 20. [Rubrick was altered, whether satisfactorily, I question.]

Page 327, line 32. The words “are come to a competent age,” were added, and another rubric limiting the children to be presented, to those whom the Curate shall think fit.

Page 328, line 23. Altered slightly.

 „  329, line 30. Altered.

 „  330, line 31. Depart. Altered to “Do part.”

 „  331, line 13. Omitted.

 „  331, line 18. Altered.

 „  331, line 30. Altered.

 „  333, line 14. Altered. “Resurrection” into “the resurrection.”

Page 333, line 22. Altered.

Page  „ , line 1–9. Altered.

Page  „ , line 11. The Psalm 121 altered.

So much for details.

I will make a few more notes in the same direction:—

The prayer, “O God, whose nature and property,” altered as recommended in 1641. (Cardwell, page 277, line 10.)

Thanksgiving added. (Cardwell, page 309, line 30.)

New Translation used in Gospels and Epistles. (Cardwell, page 307, line 4, &c.)

“Portion of Scripture appointed for the Epistles.” (Cardwell, page 308, line 13.)

The first Rubric in the Burial Service, “Here it is to be noted, &c.,” would clearly gratify the Puritans.

The position of the woman at churching was altered. (Cardwell, page 334.)

No. IV.—Vol. I. chap. x.

The following is a copy of the Act of Uniformity taken from the Rolls by a clerk connected with the House of Lords. All the passages printed within brackets, with a broader margin or underlined, are amendments upon the Bill in its original form, and notified accordingly in the original.

Whereas in the first yeare of the late Queene Elizabeth there was one uniforme Order of Comon Service and Prayer and of the Administration of Sacraments rites and Ceremonies in the Church of England (agreeable to the word of God and usage of the primitive Church) compiled by the Reverend Bishopps and Clergy set forth in one Booke entituled the Booke of Comon prayer and Administration of Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies in the Church of England and enjoyned to be used by Act of Parliament holden in the said first yeare of the said late Queene entituled An Act for the Uniformity of Comon prayer and Service in the Church and Administration of the Sacraments very comfortable to all good people desirous to live in Christian conversation and most profitable to the Estate of this Realme upon the which the Mercy Favour and Blessing of Almighty God is in no wise so readily and plentifully poured as by Comon prayers due useing of the Sacraments and often preaching of the Gospell with Devotion of the Hearers And yet this notwithstanding a great number of people in divers parts of this Realm following their own sensualitie and liveing without knowledge and due feare of God do willfully and schismatically abstaine and refuse to come to theire Parish Churches and other publique places where Comon Prayer Administration of the Sacraments and preaching of the word of God is used upon the Sundayes and other dayes ordained and appointed to be kept and observed as Holy dayes. 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 mischeefs inconveniences during the times of the late unhappy troubles have arisen and grown and many people have been led into Factions and Schismes to the great decay and scandall of the Reformed Religion of the Church of England and to the hazard of many souls [For prevention whereof in time to Amendment. come for setling the Peace of the Church and for allaying the present distempers which the indisposition of the time hath contracted. The The King’s declaration 25th October 1660.King’s Majestie according to His Declaration of the five and twentieth of October One thousand six hundred and sixty granted Commission for Conference.His Comission under the Great Seale of England to severall Bishopps and other Divines to review the Booke of Comon prayer and to prepare such alterations and additions as they thought fitt to offer. And afterwards the Convocations of both the provinces of Convocation.Canterbury and Yorke being by His Majesty called and assembled and now sitting His Majestie hath beene pleased to authorize and require the presidents of the said Convocations and other the Bishopps and Clergy of the same to review the said Booke of Comon prayer and the booke of the forme and manner of the making and consecrating of Bishops Preists and Deacons. And that after mature consideration they should make such additions and alterations in the said Bookes 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 or confirmation since which time upon full and mature deliberation they the said President Bishops and Clergy of both provinces have accordingly reviewed the said Bookes and have made some alterations which they thinke fitt to be inserted to the same and some additionall prayers to the said booke of Comon prayer to be used upon proper and emergent occasions. And have exhibited and presented the same unto His Majestie in writing in one Booke entituled the Booke of Comon Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and other rites and Ceremonies of the Church according to the use of the Church of England togeather with the psalter or Psalmes of David pointed as they are to be sung or said in Churches and (the) forme and manner of making ordaining and consecrating of Bishopps Preists and Deacons All which His Majesty haveing duly considered hath fully approved and allowed the same and recomended to this present Parliament that the said bookes of Comon prayer and of the forme of ordination and consecration of Bishops priests and Deacons with the alterations and additions which have beene soe made and psented to His Majesty by the said Convocations be the Booke which shall be appointed to be used by all that officiate in all Cathedrall and Collegiate Churches and Chappells and in all Chappells of Colledges and Halls in both the Universities and the Colledges of Eaton and Winchester and in all Parish Churches and Chappells within the Kingdome of England Dominion of Wales and Toune of Berwick upon Tweed and by all that make or consecrate Bishops Preists or Deacons in any of the said places under such sanctions and penalties as the Houses of parliament shall thinke fitt] II. Religion advanced by Uniform worship.Now in regard that nothing conduceth more to the setling 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 universall agreement in the publique worshipp of Almighty God and to the intent that every person within this Realme may certainely knowe the rule in which he is to comforme in publique worship and administration of Sacraments [and other rites and ceremonies of the Church of England and the manner how and by whom Bishops Preists and Deacons are and ought to be made ordained and consecrated]. Be it enacted by the Kings most Excellent Majestie by the advice and with the consent of the Lords [Spirituall and Temporall and of the] Comons in this present parliament assembled and by the authority of the same That all and singular Ministers in any Cathedrall Collegiate or Parish Church or Chappell or other place of publique worship within this Realme of England Dominion of Wales and Toun of Berwick upon Tweed shall be bound to say and use the morning prayer Evening prayer Celebracon and administracon of both the Sacraments and all other the publique and Comon prayer in such order and forme as is menconed in the [said] booke annexed and joyned in this present Act and intituled The Booke of Comon prayer and administration of the Sacraments and other rites and Ceremonies of the Church [according to the use of the Church] of England [togeather with the psalter or Psalmes of David pointed as they are to be sung or said in Churches and (the) forme or manner of making ordaining and consecrating of Bishops Preists & Deacons] And that the Morning and Evening prayers therein contained shall upon every Lords day and upon all other [dayes and] occasions and att the times therein appointed be openly and solemnly read by all and every minister or Curate in every Church Chappell or other place of publique worshipp within this Realme of England and places aforesaid III. All ministers to declare assent to Book of Common Prayer.And to the end that uniformity in the publique worshipp of God (which is so much desired) may be speedily effected bee it farther Enacted by the authority aforesaid That every parson vicar or other Minister whatsoever who now hath and enjoyeth any Ecclesiasticall Benefice or promotion within this Realme of England or places aforesaid shall in the Church Chappell or place of publique worshipp belonging to his said benefice or promotion upon some Lords day before the Feast of Saint Bartholomew which shall be in the yeare of our Lord God One thousand six hundred sixty and two openly publiquely and solemnly read the morning and Evening prayer appointed to be read by and according to the said Booke of Comon prayer att the times thereby appointed and after such reading thereof shall openly and publiquely before the congregation there assembled declare his unfeigned assent & consent to the use of all things in the said booke contained and prescribed Amendment.[in these words and no other. I, A. B doe declare my unfaigned assent and IV. Form of Declaration.consent to all and everything contained and prescribed in and by the booke intituled The booke of Comon Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and other rites and ceremonies of the Church according to the use of the Church of England togeather with the psalter or psalmes of David poynted as they are to be sung or said in Churches and the form or manner of making ordaining and consecrating of V. Penalty of refusing.Bishops Preists and Deacons] And that all and every such person who shall (without some lawfull impediment to be allowed and approved of by the Ordinary of the place) neglect or refuse to doe the same within the time aforesaid (or in case of such impediment) within one moneth after such impediment removed shall (ipso facto) be deprived of all his spirituall promotions And that from thenceforth it shall be lawfull to and for all patrons and donors of all and singuler the said Spiritual promotions or of any of them according to theire respective rights and titles to present or collate to the same as though the person or persons so offending or neglecting were dead. VI. Declaration to be made in all cases of promotion.And bee it further Enacted by the authority aforesaid that every person whoe shall hereafter be presented or collated or put into any Ecclesiastical Benefice or promotion within this Realme of England and places aforesaid shall in the Church Chappell or place of publiq worshipp belonging to his said benefice or promotion within two moneths next after that he shall be in the actuall possession of the said Ecclesiastical benefice or promotion upon some Lords day openly publiquely and solemnly read the morning and Evening prayers appointed to be read by and according to the said booke of Comon prayer att the times thereby appointed and after such reading thereof shall openly and publiquely before the Congregation there assembled declare his unfeigned assent and consent to the use of all things therein contained and prescribed [according to the forme before appointed] And that all and every such person who shall (without some lawful impediment to be allowed and approved by the ordinary of the place) neglect or refuse to doe the same within the time aforesaid (or in case of such impediment within one moneth after such impediment removed) shall [ipso facto] be deprived of all his said Ecclesiasticall Benefices and promotions And that from thenceforth it shall and may be lawfull to and for all patrons and Donors of all and singuler the said Ecclesiastical Benefices and promotions or any of them (according to theire respective rights and titles) to present or collate to the same as though the person or persons so offending or neglecting were dead VII. Amendment Incumbents to read the Common Prayer once a month.[And be it further Enacted by the authority aforesaid that in all places where the proper Incumbent of any parsonage or vicaridge or Benefice with Cure doth reside on his living and keepe a Curate the Incumbent himselfe in person (not haveing some lawful impediment to be allowed by the Ordinary of the place) shall once (at the least) in every moneth openly and publiquely read the Comon prayers and service in and by the said Booke prescribed and (if there be occasion) administer each of the sacraments and other rites of the Church in the parish Church or Chappell of or belonging to the same parsonage vicarage or benefice in such order manner and forme as in and by the said booke is appointed upon pain to forfeit the sum of five pounds to the use of the poore of the Parish for every offence upon conviction by confession or proofe of two credible witnesses upon Oath before two Justices of the peace of the County City or Toun Corporate where the offence shall be comitted (which Oath the said Justices are hereby impowered to administer) and in default of payment within ten dayes to be levied by distresse and sale of the goods and chattells of the offender by the warrant of the said Justices by the Church Wardens or Overseers of the poore of the said Parish rendring the surplusage to the party VIII. Deans and Canons, &c., shall subscribe declaration following.And be it further Enacted by the authority aforesaid that every Deane Canon and prebendary of every Cathedrall or Collegiate Church and all Masters and other Heads Fellowes Chaplaines and Tutors of or in any Colledge Hall House of Learning or Hospitall and every publique professor and Reader in either of the Universities and in every Colledge elsewhere and every parson viccar curate lecturer and every other person in Holy Orders and every Schoolmaster keeping any publique or private Schools 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 yeare of our Lord God One thousand six hundred sixty two or at any time thereafter shall be Incumbent or have possession of any Deanry Canonry Prebend Mastershipp Headshipp Fellowshipp Professors place or Readers place Parsonage vicarage or any other Ecclesiasticall Dignity or promotion or of any Curates 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 yeare of our Lord One thousand six hundred sixty two or at or before his or theire respective admission to the Incumbent or have possession aforesaid subscribe the Declaration or acknowledgement following scilicet.—I, A, B, do declare that it is not lawfull upon any pretence whatsoever to take Armes against the King and that I do abhorr that traiterous position of taking IX. The declaration of non-resistance and repudiating the Covenant.Armes by his Authority against his person or against those that are commissionated by him And that I will conforme 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 obligacon upon me or on any other person from the Oath comonly called the Solemne League and Covenant [to endeavour any change or alteration of Government either in Church or State] And that the same was in itselfe an unlawfull Oath and imposed upon the subjects of this Realme against the knowne lawes and liberties of this X. Penalty for not subscribing.Kingdome.—Which said Declaration and acknowledgment shall be subscribed by every of the said Masters and other Heads fellowes Chaplaines and Tutors of or in any Colledge Hall or House of Learning and by every publique professor and Reader in either of the Universities before the Vice-Chancellor of the respective Universities for the time being, or his Deputy And the said Declaration or acknowledgment shall he subscribed before the respective Archbishopp Bishopp or Ordinary of the Diocesse by every other person hereby enjoyned to subscribe the same upon pain that all and every of the persons aforesaid failing in such subscription shall loose and forfeit such respective Deanery Canonry Prebend Mastershipp headshipp fellowshipp Professors place Readers place parsonage viccarage Ecclesiasticall Dignity or promotion Curates place Lecture and School and shall be utterly disabled and (ipso facto) deprived of the same And that every such respective Deanry Canonry Prebend Mastership headship fellowship Professors place Readers place parsonage viccarage Ecclesiasticall Dignity or promotion Curates place lecture and schools shall be void as if such person so failing were naturally XI. Schoolmasters in private houses included.dead.—And if any Schoolmaster or other person instructing or teaching youth in any private House or family as a Tutor or Schoolmaster shall instruct or teach any youth as a Tutor or Schoolmaster before licence obtained from his respective Archbishop Bishop or Ordinary of the Diocesse according to the Lawes and Statutes of this Realme (for which he shall pay twelve pence onely) and before such subscription and acknowledgement made as aforesaid then every such Schoolmaster and other instructing and teaching as aforesaid shall for the first offence suffer three moneth imprisonment without baile or mainprize and for every second and other such offence shall suffer three months imprisonment without baile or mainprize and alsoe forfeit to his Majesty the sume of five pounds And after such subscription made every such Parson Viccar Curate and Lecturer shall procure a Certificate under the hand and seal of the respective Archbishop Bishop or Ordinary of the Diocese (whoe are hereby enjoyned and required upon demaund to make and deliver the same) and shall publickly and openly read the same togeather with the declaration or acknowledgement aforesaid upon some Lords day within three moneths then next following in his Parish Church where he is to officiate in the presence of the Congregation there assembled in the time of Divine Service upon pain that every person failing therein shall loose such Parsonage Viccarage or Benefice Curates place or Lecturers place respectively and shall be utterly disabled (ipso facto) deprived of the same And that the said Parsonage Viccarage or Benefice Curates place or Lecturers place shall be void as if he was naturally dead Provided alwaies that from and XII. Omissions in declaration after 25 March, 1682.after the twenty fifth day of March which shall be in the yeare of our Lord God one thousand six hundred eighty two there shall be omitted in the said Declaration or Acknowledg^t. so to be subscribed and read these words following scilicet.—And I do declare that I do hold there lies no obligacon on me or any other person from the Oath comonly called the Solemne League and Covenant to endeavour any change or alteration of Government either in Church or State and that the same was in itselfe an unlawfull Oath and imposed upon the Subjects of this Realme against the knowne lawes and liberties of this Kingdome So as none of the persons aforesaid shall from thence forth be at all obliged to subscribe or read that part of the said declaration or acknowledgement XIII. Persons not episcopally ordained incapable of ecclesiastical referment.Provided alwaies and be it Enacted that from and after the feast of St. Bartholomew which shall be in the yeare of our Lord One thousand six hundred sixty and two no person who now is Incumbent and in possession of any Parsonage Vicarage or Benefice and who is not already in Holy Orders by Episcopall Ordination or shall not before the said feast day of St. Bartholomew be ordained Preist or Deacon according to the forme of Episcopall Ordination shall have hold or enjoye the said Parsonage Vicarage Benefice with Cure or other Ecclesiasticall Promotion within this Kingdome of England or the Dominion of Wales [or town of Berwick upon Tweed] but shall be utterly disabled and (ipso facto) deprived of the same And all his Ecclesiastical promotions shall be void as if he was naturally dead. And be it further Enacted by the authority aforesaid that no person whatsoever shall thenceforth XIV. And of administering sacraments.(be capable to bee admitted to any parsonage vicarage benefice or other Ecclesiastical Promotion or Dignity whatsoever nor shall) presume to consecrate and administer the Holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper before such time as he shall be ordained Preist according to the forme and manner in and by the said booke prescribed unlesse he have formerly beene made Preist by Episcopall Ordination upon pain to forfeit for every offence the sum of one hundred pounds one moyety thereof to the Kings Majesty the other moyety thereof to be equally divided betweene the poore of the parish where the offence shall be comitted and such person or persons as shall sue for the same by Action of debt bill plaint or information in any of His Majesties Courts of Record wherein no essoine protection or wager of law shall be allowed and to be disabled from taking or being admitted into the order of Preist by the space of one whole yeare then next following XV. Exception on behalf of foreigners.Provided that the penalties in this Act shall not extend to the forreiners or aliens of the forrein Reformed Churches allowed or to be allowed by the Kings Majestie his heires and successors in England XVI. Cases of voidance or deprivation.Provided alwaies that no title to conferre or present by lapse shall accrewe by any avoydance or deprivation (ipso facto) by vertue of this Statute but after six moneths after notice of such voidance or deprivation given by the Ordinary to the patron or such sentence of deprivation openly and publiquely read in the Parish Church of the Benefice Parsonage or Vicarage becomeing void or whereof the Incumbent shall be deprived by vertue of this Act. XVII. No other form of prayer to be publicly used.And be it further Enacted by the authority aforesaid that no form or order of Comon prayers administracon of Sacraments rites or Ceremonies shall be openly used in any Church Chappell or other publique place of or in any Colledge or Hall in either of the Universities the Colledges of Westminster Winchester or Eaton or any of them other than what is pscribed and appointed to be used in and by the said booke And that the present Governour or Head of every Colledge or Hall in the said Universities and of the said Colledges of Westminster Winchester and Eaton within one moneth after the feast of S^t. Bartholomew which shall be in the yeare of our Lord One thousand six hundred sixty and two And every Governour or Head of any of the said Colledges or Halls hereafter to be elected or appointed within one moneth next after his Election or Collation and admission into the same Government or Headship shall openly and publiquely in the Church Chappell or other publique place of the same College or Hall and in the psence of the fellowes and Sckolars of the same or the greater part of them then resident subscribe Subscription to Articles.unto the nine and thirty Articles of Religion mentioned in the Statute made in the thirteenth yeare of the Reigne of the late Queene Elizabeth And unto the said booke and declare his unfeigned assent and consent unto and approbation of the said Articles and of the same booke and to the use of all the prayers rites and ceremonies formes and orders in the said Booke prescribed and contained according to the form aforesaid And that all such Governours or Heads of the said Colledges and Halls or any of them as are or shall be in Holy Orders shall once (at least) in every quarter of the yeare (not having a lawfull impediment) openly and publiquely read the Morning prayer and service in and by the said booke appointed to be read in the Church Chappell or other publique place of the same Colledge or Hall upon pain to loose and be suspended of and from all (the) benefitts and profitts belonging to the same Government or headshipp by the space of six moneths by the Visitor or visitors of the same Colledge or hall And if any Governour or head of any Colledge or Hall suspended for not subscribing unto the said Articles and booke or for not reading of the Morning prayer and service as aforesaid shall not att or before the end of six moneths next after such suspension subscribe unto the said Articles and booke and declare his consent thereunto as aforesaid or read the Morning prayer and service as aforesaid then such Government or headshipp shall be (ipso facto) void. XVIII. Who may use the service in Latin.Provided alwaies that it shall and may be lawful to use the Morning and Evening prayer and all other prayers and service prescribed in and by the said booke in the Chappells or other publique places of the respective Colledges and Halls in both the Universities in the Colledges of Westminster Winchester and Eaton and in the Convocations of the Clergies of either province in Latine any thing in this Act contained to the contrary notwithstanding.]