by the authority aforefaid, That all and fingular Archbishops and Bifhops, and every of their Chancellors, Commiffaries, Archdeacons, and other Ordinaries, having any peculiar ecclefiaftical jurifdiction, fhall have full power and authority, by virtue of this Act, as well to enquire in their vifitation, fynods, 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, and to punish 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. 24. Provided always, and be it enacted, That whatsoever perfons offending in the premises, fhall, for their offences, first receive punishment of the Ordinary, having a teftimonial thereof under the faid Ordinary's feal, fhall not for the fame offence eftfoons be convicted before the Juftices and likewife receiving for the faid offence. punishment first by the Juftices, fhall not for the fame offence eftfoons receive punishment of the Ordinary: any thing contained in this Act to the contrary notwithstanding. : 25. Provided always, and be it enacted, That fuch ornaments of the Church and of the Minifters thereof fhall be retained, and be used, as was in this Church of England, by authority of Parliament, in the fecond year of the reign of King Edward the Sixth, until other order fhould be therein taken by the authority of the Queen's Majefty, with the advice of her Commiffioners, appointed and authorized under the Great Seal of England for caufes ecclefiaftical, or of the Metropolitan of this realm. 26. And also, that if there fhould happen any contempt or irreverence to be used 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 fuch further ceremonies 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 Mysteries and Sacraments. 27. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That all laws, ftatutes, and ordinances, wherein or whereby any other Service, Adminiftration of Sacraments, ог or Common Prayer, is limited, established, or fet forth to be used within this realm, or any other the Queen's dominions or countries, fhall from henceforth be utterly void and of none effect. 14 Car. II. Cap. iv. An Act for the Uniformity of Public Prayers, and Adminiftration of Sacraments, and other Rites and Ceremonies: and for establishing the Form of Making, Ordaining, and Confecrating of Bishops, Priefts, and Deacons in the Church of England. WH HEREAS in the first 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 of the Church of England, (agreeable to the Word of God, and usage of the pri mitive Church,) compiled by the reverend Bishops and Clergy, fet forth in one Book, intituled, The Book of Common Prayer, and Adminiftration of Sacraments, and other Rites and Ceremonies in the Church of England, and enjoined to be used by Act of Parliament, holden in the faid first year of the faid late Queen, intituled, An A& for the Uniformity of Common Prayer, and Service in the Church, and Adminiftration of the Sacraments, very comfortable to all good people defirous to live in Christian e conversation, and moft 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 Common Prayers, due ufing of the Sacraments, and often preaching of the Gofpel, with devotion of the hearers: and yet this notwithstanding, a 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 parish-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 obferved as holy-days and whereas by the great and fcandalous neglect of Ministers in ufing the faid Order or Liturgy fo fet forth and enjoined, as aforefaid, great mifchiefs and inconveniences, during M 4 the the time of the late unhappy troubles, have arisen and grown; and many people have been led into factions and fchifms, to the great decay and scandal of the reformed religion of the Church of England, and to the hazard of many fouls: for prevention whereof 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 (according to his declaration of the five and twentieth of October, one thoufand fix hundred and fixty) granted his commiffion, under the Great Seal of England, to several Bishops, 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 Majefty called and affembled, (and now fitting,) his Majefty hath been pleased to authorize and require the Prefidents of the faid Convocations, and other the Bishops and Clergy of the fame, to review the faid Book of Common Prayer, and the Book of the Form and Manner of the Making and Confecrating of Bithops, Priests, and Deacons; and that, after mature confideration, they fhould make fuch additions and alterations in the faid Books refpectively, as to them fhould feem meet and convenient; and fhould exhibit and prefent the fame to his Majefty in writing, for his further allowance or confirmation: fince which time, upon full and mature deliberation, they the said Prefidents, Bithops, and Clergy of both provinces, have accordingly reviewed the faid Books, and have made fome alterations which they think fit to be inferted to the fame; and fome additional prayers to the faid Book of Common Prayer, to be used upon proper and emergent occafions; and have exhibited and prefented the fame unto his Majesty in writing, in one Book, intituled, The Book of Common Prayer, and Administration of the Sacraments, and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, according to the use of the Church of England: together with the Pfalter or Pfalms of David, pointed as they are to be fung or faid in Churches ; and the Form or Manner of Making, Ordaining, and ConJecrating of Bifhops, Priefts, and Deacons: all which his Majefty having duly confidered, hath fully approved and allowed the fame, and recommended to this prefent Par liament, that the faid Books of Common Prayer, and of the Form of Ordination and Confecration of Bifhops, Priests, and Deacons, with the alterations and additions, which have been fo made and presented to his Majefty by the faid Convocations, be the Book which fhall be appointed to be ufed by all that officiate in all cathedral and collegiate churches and chapels, and in all chapels of colleges and halls in both the Universities, and the colleges of Eaton and Winchester, and in all parish-churches and chapels within the kingdom of England, dominion of Wales, and town of Berwick upon Tweed, and by all that make or confecrate Bishops, Priefts, or Deacons, in any of the faid places, under fuch fanctions and penalties as the Houfes of Parliament fhall think fit. 2. Now in regard that nothing conduceth more to the fettling of the peace of this nation (which is defired of all good men) nor to the honour of our religion, and the propagation thereof, than an univerfal agreement in the public worship of Almighty God; and to the intent that every perfon within this realm may certainly know the rule, to which he is to conform in public worship, and adminiftration of Sacraments, and other rites and ceremonies of the Church of England, and the manner how and by whom Bishops, Priefts, and Deacons are and ought to be made, ordained, and confecrated; Be it enacted by the King's moft excellent Majefty, by the advice and with the confent of the Lords fpiritual and temporal, and of the Commons in this prefent Parliament affembled, and by the authority of the fame, That all and fingular Ministers, in any cathedral, collegiate, or parish church or chapel, or other place of public worthip within this realm of England, dominion of Wales, and town of Berwick upon Tweed, fhall be bound to fay and ufe the Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, Celebration and Adminiftration of both the Sacraments, and all other the public and common prayer, in fuch order and form as is mentioned in the faid Book annexed and joined to this prefent Act, and intituled, The Book of Common Prayer, and Adminiftration of the Sacraments, and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, according to the use of the Church of England: together with the Pfalter or Pfalms of David, pointed as they are to be fung or faid in Churches; and the Form or Manner of Making, Ordaining, and Confecrating of Bifhops, Priests, and Deacons: and that the Morning and Evening Prayers therein contained fhall upon every Lord's day, and upon all other days and occafions, and at the times therein appointed, be openly and folemnly read by all and every Minifter or Curate, in every church, chapel, or other place of public worship within this realm of England, and places aforefaid. 3. And to the end that uniformity in the public worship of God (which is fo much defired) may be speedily effected; Be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That every Parfon, Vicar, or other Minifter whatsoever, who now hath and enjoyeth any ecclefiaftical benefice or promotion, within this realm of England, or places aforefaid, fhall in the church, chapel, or place of public worship belonging to his faid benefice or promotion, upon fome Lord's day before the feast of Saint Bartholomew, which shall be in the year of our Lord God one thousand fix hundred fixty and two, openly, publicly, and folemnly read the Morning and Evening Prayer appointed to be read by and according to the faid Book of Common Prayer, at the times thereby appointed; and after such reading thereof, fhall openly and publicly, before the congregation there affembled, declare his unfeigned affent and confent to the ufe of all things in the faid Book contained and prescribed in these words, and no other; 4. pre I A. B. do hereby declare my unfeigned affent and confent to all and every thing contained and fcribed in and by the Book, intituled, The Book of Common Prayer, and Adminiftration of the Sacraments, and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, according to the ufe of the Church of England: together with the Pfalter or Pfalms of David, pointed as they are to be fung or faid in Churches; and the Form or Manner of Making, Ordaining, and Confecrating of Bishops, Priefts, and Deacons. 5. And that all and every fuch perfon, who fhall (without fome lawful impediment, to be allowed and approved of by the Ordinary of the place) neglect or refufe to do the fame within the time aforefaid, or (in cafe of fuch impediment) within one month after fuch impediment removed, fhall, ipfo facto, be deprived of all his fpiritual promotions and that from thenceforth it fhall be lawful to and for all patrons and donors of all and fingular the faid fpiritual promotions, or of any of them, according to their refpective rights and titles, to prefent or collate to the fame, as though the perfon or perfons fo offending or neglecting were dead. : 6. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That every person who fhall hereafter be prefented or collated, or put into any ecclefiaftical benefice or promotion, within this realm of England, and places aforefaid, fhall in the church, chapel, or place of public worship, belonging to his faid benefice or promotion, within two months next after |