A.D. 1570. Anno xiii Reginos Elizabeth, r. C. 1 2. 597 C A P. XII. An Aft for the Minifters of the Church to be of 1'ounJ Rdi-ion. THAT the Churches of thy f^'ocn; Mr.j -fly'!, Donii'iions may h<: fcrvtd yit ; found Rt-Ii - ■.- gion, (.'.) Be it enaftcd I" the Authority of this ttrefcnt Pajliiment, Thatererj Degree of a Bifhop, which doth or thai! pretend to be a Pi left or Miniftei of God's hi merits, by realbn of any other Form of Institution, Confecration ot Or erii Form (el Parliament in the Time of the late Kin" r,f molt worthy Memory, King £ ttvard te ixth, ■ in the Reign of our moft gracious Sovereign Ladv, before theFeafl of the N.-tp-ity of Chrift (3) (hall in the Prefcnee of the Bifhop or Guardian of the Spiritualities offorae one Di fomc Sunday in the Time of the publiclc Service afore Noon, in every Church where by reafon of any I i clefiaftical Living he ought to attend, read both the faid Teftimonial and the faid Articles ; (6} upon I'.iin ' that every fuch Perfon which fhall not before the faid Feaft do as is above appointed, (hall be i:fofa[fo dc-£>' prived, and all his Ecclefiaftical Promotions {hall be void, as if he then were naturally dead. iRoll 83,473. Reading of the Articles andTc(Umoni;l. Hob. 168. II. And that if any Perfon Ecclefiaftical, or which (hall have Ecclefiaftical Living, (hall advifeJly main-' ! " tain or affirm any Doctrine directly contrary or repugnant to any of the fail Article-, and being convenred {T';' before the Bifhop of the Diocefe or the Ordinary, or before the Queen's Highnefs Commilfioners in Cai Ecclefiaftical, fhall pcriift therein, or not revoke his Error, or after fuch Revocation efefoon affirm fuch For ; deed deprived. 6 Slat. I. r. iS. crJz-} Cn. z. e. 18. III. And that no Perfon fhall hereafter be admitted to any Benefice with Cure, except he then be of the Several Tl Age of three and twenty Years at the leaft and a Deacon, and fhall tuft have fublcribed the laid Articles in"./' Prefcnee of the Ordinary, and publickly read the fame in the Parilh Church of that Benefice, with Dccla- mined to » Be- * ration of his unfeigned Ailent to the fame : (2) And that every Perfon after the End of this Seffion of Parlia- r.efice. ment, to be admitted to a Benefice with Cure, except that within two .Months after his Induction he do «1« publickly read the faid Articles in the fame Church whereof he fhall have Cure, in the Time of Common ' Anacri. 6i. Prayer there, with Declaration of his unfeigned Affent thereunto, and be admitted to minifter the Sacra- ments within one Year after his Induction, if he be not lb admitted before, fhall be upon every fuch De- fault,' ipfo failo, immediately deprived. IV. And that no Perfon now permitted by any Difpenfation or otherwife, fhall retain any Benefice with Cure, being under the Age of one and twenty Years, or not being Deacon at the leaft, or which fhall not be admitted as is afcrefaid, within one Year next after the making of this Aft, or within fix Months after he fhall accompiifh the Age of four and twenty Years, on Pain that fuch his Difpenfation fhall be meerly void. V. And that none fhall be made Minifter, or admitted to preach or admin ifter the Sacraments, being T! ? e . A & eo, ' a under the Age of four and twenty Years ; (2) nor un'.efs he firft bring to the Bifhop of that Diocefe, fR^np^^ ^ Men known to the Bifhop to be of found Religion, a Teftimonial both of his honeftLife and of his profeffing hisTeitimoniaJs, the Doctrine expreffed in the faid Articles : (3) Nor unlefs he be able to anfwer, and render to the Ordinary 3 Bulrtr. 90. an Account of his Faith, in Latin according to the faid Articles, or have fpecialGift or Ability to be a3 :i1 ^- 6 7- Preacher : (4) Nor fhall be admitted to the Order of Deacon or Miniftry, unlefs he fhall firft fubferibe to+„g ' ,3S * the faid Articles. - Sa!k. - - VI. And that none hereafter fhall be admitted to any Benefice with Cure of or above the Value of thirty who may have Pounds yearly in the Queen's Books, unlefs he fhall then be a Batchelour of Divinity, or a Preacher lawfully a Benefice of the allowed by fome Bifhop within this Realm, or by one of the Universities of Cambridge or Oxford. VII. And that all Admiffions to Benefices, Inftitutions and Inductions, to be made of any Perfon con- Admiffions trary to the Form or any Provifion of this Act, and all Tolerations, Difpenfations, Qualifications and i„j U ai on!) ' Licences whatfoever to be made to the contrary hereof, fhall be meerly void in Law, as if they never Tolerations. were.
- VIII. Provided alway, That no Title to confer or prefent by Lapfe, fhall accrue upon any DejmvatiorfNo Lapfe npon^
ipfo fafio, but after fix Months after Notice of fuch Deprivation given by the Ordinaty to the Patron. Jj^JJoSS I Roll I55. Djcrj-;. CAP.
