184, G. 4— -6. Anno quinto Georgii Regis. A. D. 171 8. CAP. IV. An Act For ftrengthning the Proteftant Intereft in thefe Kingdoms. 20 Ann, c. 2. I. IIEREAS an Act of Parliament was made in the tenth Year -of the Reign of the late Queen Anne, intituled, An Atl for prefcrving the Protejiant Religion, by better f curing the Church of England, as by Law ejiablified; and for confirming the Toleration granted to Protejiant Difjenters by an Atl ' intituled,, An Act for exempting their Majeities Proteftant Subjects, diffenting from the Church of Engl ' land, from the Penalties of certain Laws, and for fupp/ying the Defetls thereof; and for the further fecu-
- ring the Proteftant Succefjian, by requiring the Praclicers of the Law in No/th Britain to take the Oaths and
' fubferibe the Declaration therein mentioned : And whereas Part of the faid Act, as alfo another Act herein
- after mentioned, have been found to be inconvenient;' Be it therefore enacted by the King's moft Ex-
P f the Aft ce " ent Majefty, by and with the Advice and Confent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Com- 10 Ann. c?z. mon s, in Parliament affembled, and by the Authority of the fame, That the faid recited Act paned in the and'the'sc'hFrm- tenth Year of the late Queen Anne, from the Beginning thereof to thefe Words, ' And it is hereby fur- Aft of 12 Ann. ' ther enabled and declared by the Authority aforefaid, That the Toleration granted to Proteftant Diffen- ftat. 2. c. 7. ' terS) > an( j a jf one Act made in the twelfth Year of the Reign of the late Queen Anne, intituled, An Atl to prevent- the Growth of Schifm, and for the further Security of the Churches of England and Ireland, as by Law eftablifhcd, fliall be and" are hereby repealed, annulled and made void. fortHr'toM ,C " ^' *f >rov ^ ec ' always, and be it enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That if any Mayor, Bailiff or other Conventiclewitb Magiftrate, in that Part of Great Britain called England, the Dominion of JVales, or the Town of Ber- theEnfignsof wick upon Tweed, or the Ifles of Jerfey or Guernfey, fhall knowingly or wilfully refort to, or be prefent at his Office, dif- any publick Meeting for religious Worfhip, other than of the Church of England 2.% by Law eftablilhed ab |fi d X 'n'i any m the Gown or other peculiar Habit, or attended with the Enfign or Enfigns of or belonging to fuch his publick Office, office, that every fuch Mayor, Bailiff or other Magiftrate, being thereof convided by due Courfe of Law, fliall be difabled to hold fuch Office or Offices, Employment or Employments, and jfhall be adjudeed incapable to bear any publick Office or Employment whatfoever within that Part of Great Britain called ' England, the Dominion of JVales, and Town of Berivick upon Tweed, or Ifles of Jerfey and Guernfey. CAP. V. An Act for punifhing Mutiny and Defertion, and for the better Payment of the Army and their Quarters. EXP. . , CAP. VI. An Act for quieting and eftabliihing Corporations. 13 Car. 2. a. 2. e I.T7H.£REAS by an Act made in the thirteenth Year of King Charles the Second, intituled, An ci, ' W Act for the well governing and regulating of Corporations, it is, amongft other Things enacted, ' That every Perfon or Perfons, who from and after the Expiration of the Commiffions of in the faid ' Act mentioned, fhould be placed, elected or chofen, in or to any the Offices or Maces of Mayors, Re- ' corders, Bailiffs, Town-clerks, Common Council-men, or to any Office or Offices of Magistracy, or ' Places or Trufts, or other Imployment relating to or concerning the Government of Cities, Coiporati- 19 n V C ' 7 ' ' ons anc ^ P° rou g ns 5 an d Cinque-ports and their Members, and other Port-towns, fhould at the fame V&'jP.&^M. ' Time when the Oath for the due Execution of the faid Places and Offices refpectively fhould be admi- c. iS. ' ' niftred, take the following Oath, viz. The Oath in the T A. B. do declare and believe, Thai it is not lawful, upon any Pretence whatfoe-vcr, to take Arms againf the King; recited Aft. Jj[ and that 1 do abhor .that traitorous Pofition of taking Arms by his Authority agaiuft his Perjon, or againjl thoje that are commmijjioned by him. So help me God.
- ■ And fubferibe the following Declaration, viz.
ThcDedantion. "¥" A. E. do declare, That I hold that there lies no Obligation upon me, tr at.y ether Perfon, from the Oath commonly '[_ called, The Solemn League and Covenant; and that the Jame was in itjelf an unlawful Oath, and imp oj, id upon the Subjects of this Realm agaiuft the known Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom. ' And that in Default thereof every fuch Placing, Election and Choice mould be void : And whereas the ' taking the faid Oath, and fubfciibing the faid Declaration, have for feveral Years laft paft been gene- ' rally omitted, and Queftions have of late arifen, Whether the faid Statute made in the faid thirteenth j3Car.2.it. 2. « Year of King Charles the Second, 'as to the faid Oath and Declaration, be yet in Force;' Therefore c - »• for avoiding of all fuch Queftions for the future, and for the efiabliihing the Peace and Quiet of Corpora- Members cf tions, Be it declared and enacted by the King's moft Excellent Majefty, by and with the Advice and Con- Corporations f en t of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this prefent Parliament affembled, and by « e cnn!ir med in the Authority of the fame, That all and every Member and Members of any Corporation within this thek ofllces > Kingdom,
