Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 2.djvu/476

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438 '€.*. Anno quiato 6c fexto Edwardi VI, A. D. i 552 Mmfc-95. Every Perfon /hall refort to his Parifli Church or Chapel upon Sundays and ^Holidays. They whkh - come not to Church may be jmnifhed by the Cenfures of the '£hurch. "The Book of Common Prayer, -with the Form •<jf confecrating Bifhops, Priefts, Deacons. 1 JEd, 6. c. 2. .2 & 3 Ed, 6. Tie Penalties for being pre- fent at any other Common Prayer ov Sacraments. Altered as to . the Penalty by l El. c. z. §. 7, -3. 4 the Devotion- of the Hearers: (2) And yet this notwith [landing, a great Number of People in diver ' Parts of this Realm, following their own Senfuality, and living either without Knowledge or due Fea ' of God, do wilfully and damnably before Almighty God abftain and refufe to come to their Parif ' Churches and other Places where Common Prayer, Adminiftration of the Sacraments, and Preaching c ' the Word of God, is ufed upon Sundays and other Days ordained to be Holydays.' II. For Reformation hereof, be it enacted by the King our Sovereign Lord, with the AfTentof the Lord and Commons in this prefent Parliament aflembled, and by the Authority of the fame, That from an after the Feaft of All Saints next coming all and every Perfon and Perfons inhabiting within this Realm or any other the King's Majefty's Dominions, fhal! diligently and faithfully (having no lawful or reafon able Excufe to be abfent) endeavour themfelves to refort to their Parifh Church or Chapel accuftomed [2) or upon reafonable Let thereof, to fome ufual Place where Common Prayer and fuch Service of Go fhall be ufed in fuch Time of Lett, (3) upon every Sunday, and other Days ordained and ufed to b kept as Holydays ; (4) and then and there to abide orderly and foberly during the Time of Common Prayei Preachings or other Service of God there to be ufed and miniftred ; (5 ) upon Pain of Punifhment b the Cenfures of the Church. ■III. And for the due Execution hereof, the King's moil excellent Majefly, the Lords Temporal, and a the Commons, in this prefent Parliament aflembled, doth in God's Name earneftly require and charge a the Archbifhops, Bifhops and other Ordinaries, that they fhall endeavour themfelves to the uttermoft < their Knowledges, that the due and true Execution thereof may be had throughout their Dioceffes an 'Charges, as they will anfwer before God for fuch Evils and Plagues wherewith Almighty God may jufll puniih his People for neglecting this good and vvholefome Law. IV. And for their Authority in this Behalf, be it further likewife enacled by the Authority aforefaid That all and angular the fame Archbifhops, Bifhops and all other their Officers exercifing Ecclefiaftic; Jurifdiction, as well in Place exempt as not exempt, within their Dioceffes, fhall have full Power aiU Authority by this Act to reform, correct and pur.ifh by Cenfures of the Church, all and fmgular Perfor which fhall offend within any their Jurifdictions or Dioceffes, after the faid Feaft of All Saints next comi ing, againft this Act and Statute; any other Law, Statute, Privilege, Liberty or Provifion heretofore mad(| had or fuffered to the contrary notwithftanding. ' V. And becaufe there hath arifen in the Ufe and Exercife of the aforefaid Common Service in the Churc. ' heretofore fet forth, divers Doubts for the Fafhion and Manner of the Miniftration of the fame, rath? '.by the Curiofity of the Minifter and Miftakers, than of any other worthy Caufe ; (2) therefore as we I ' for the more plain and manifeft Explanation hereof, as for the more Perfection of the faid Order of Com

  • mon Service, in fome Places where it is neceffary to make the fame Prayers and Fafhion of Servic

' more earneft and fit to flir Chriftian People to the true honouring of Almighty God ;' (3) The King' moft excellent Majefly, with the Affent of the Lords and Commons in this prefent Parliament affemblec and by the Authority of the fame, hath caufed the aforefaid Order of Common Service, entituled, 77 i Book of Common Prayer, to be faithfully and godly perufed, explained and made fully perfect, and by th | aforefaid Authority hath annexed and joined it, fo explained and perfected, to this prefent Statute: (4 Adding alfo a Form and Manner of making and confecrating of Archbifhops, Bifhops, Priefts and Deacon: to be of like Force, Authority and Value as the fame like forefaid Book, intituled, The Book of Comma Prayer, was before, and to be accepted, received, ufed and efteemed in like Sort and Manner, and wit the fame Claufes of Provifions and Exceptions, to all Intents, Conftructions and Purpofes, as by the At! of Parliament made in the fecond Year of the King's Majefty's Reign was ordained, limited, expreffed an appointed for the Uniformity of Service and Adminiftration of the Sacraments throughout the Realm upon fuch feveral Pains as in the faid Act of Parliament is expreffed. {<,} And the faid former Act to ftan in full Force and Strength, to all Intents and Conftructions, and to be applied, practifed and put in Un to and for the eftablifhing of the Book of Common Prayer, now explained and hereunto annexed, and all the faid Form of making of Archbifhops, Bifhops, Priefts and Deacons hereunto annexed, as it was fc the former Book. VI. And by the Authority forefaid it is now further enacted, That if any Manner of Perfon or Perfon inhabiting and being within this Realm, or any other King's Majefty's Dominions, fhall after the fai Feaft of All Saints willingly and wittingly hear and be prefent at any other Manner or Form of Commo Prayer, of Adminiftration of the Sacraments, of making of Minifters in the Churches, or of any othc Rites contained in the Book annexed to this Act, than is mentioned and fet forth in the faid Book, c that is contrary to the Form of fundry Provifions and Exceptions contained in the forefaid former Sta tute, and ftiall be thereof convicted according to the Laws of this Realm, before the Juftices of Affifi Juftices of Oyer and Determined, Juftices of Peace in their Seffions, or any of them, by the Verdict of twelv. Men, or by his or their own Confeffion or otherwife, fhall for the firlt Offence fuffer Imprifonment for fi Months, without Bail or Mainprife ; (z) and for the fecond Offence, being likewife convicted as is above faid, Imprifonment for one whole Year; and for the third Offence in like Manner, Imprifonment durin his or their Lives. (3) And for the more Knowl edge to be' given hereof, and better Obfcrvation of th 1 Law, be it enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That all and lingular Curates fhall, upon one Sunday ever 1 Quarter of the Year, during one whole Year next following the forefaid Feaft of All Saints next comins read this prefent Act in the Church at the Time of the moft Affembly, and likewife once in every Ye: following; at the fame Time declaring unto the People by the Authority of the Scripture, how the Merc and Goodnefs of God hath in all Ages been {hewed to his People in their Neceffiities and Extremities, b Means of hearty and faithful Prayers made to Almighty God, efpecially where People be gathered togetht with one Faith and Mind, to offer up their Hearts by Prayer, as the heft Sacrifices that Chriftian Men ca yield. .[This Act is repealed by rMa. Seff.z. c. 2. which is repealed by r El. c. 2. & 1 Ja. 1. c. 28. §. 48. A: this Act is now made perpetual by 5 Ann. c. 5. as to the Eftablifliment of the Church. Farther Provijh a rclath