AN ACT FOR UNIFORMITY OF COMMON PRAYER.

soever Minister, that ought or should sing or say Common Prayer mentioned in the said Book, or minister the Sacraments, from and after the Feast of the Nativity of St. John Baptist next coming, refuse to use the said Common Prayer, or to minister the Sacra­ments in such Cathedral or Parish­Church, or other places, as he should use to minister the same, in such order and form, as they be mentioned, and set forth in the said Book; or shall wilfully, or ob­stinately standing in the same, use any other Rite, Ceremony, Order, Form, or Manner of celebrating of the Lord's Supper, openly or pri­vily, or Mattins, Evensong, Ad­ministration of the Sacraments, or other open Prayers, than is mention­ed and set forth in the said Book, [ open Prayer in and throughout this Act, is meant that Prayer which is for others to come unto or hear, either in Common Churches, or Private Chapels, or Oratories, commonly called the Service of the Church or shall preach, declare or speak any thing in the deroga­tion, or depraving of the said Book, or any thing therein contained, or of any part thereof, and shall be thereof lawfully convicted, accord­ing to the laws of this Realm, by verdict of twelve men, or by his own confession, or by the noto­rious evidence of the fact, shall lose and forfeit to the Queen's Highness, her Heirs and Succes­sors, for his first Offence, the profit of all his Spiritual Benefices, or Promotions, coming or arising in one whole Year next after his Con­viction: And also that the Person so convicted, shall for the same Offence suffer Imprisonment by the space of six Months, without Bail or Mainprise. And if any such Person, once convict of any Offence concerning the Premisses, shall after his first conviction eftsoons offend, and be thereof in form aforesaid lawfully convict; That then the same Person shall for his second Offence suffer Imprison­ment by the space of one whole

iv

Year, and also shall therefore be deprived, ipso facto, of all his Spi­ritual Promotions, and, That it shall be lawful to all Patrons, or Donors of all and singular the same Spiritual Promotions, or of any of them to present or collate to the same, as though the Person or Per­sons so offending were dead. And that if any such Person or Persons, after he shall be twice convicted in form aforesaid, shall offend a­gainst any of the Premisses the third time, and shall be thereof in form aforesaid lawfully convicted; That then the Person so offending, and convicted the third time, shall be deprived ipso facto of all his Spiri­tual Promotions, and also shall suf­fer 1mprisonment during his life. And if the Person that shall offend, and be convicted in form aforesaid, concerning any of the Premisses, shall not be beneficed nor have any Spiritual Promotion, that then the same Person so offending and con­vict, shall for the first offence suffer Imprisonment during one whole Year next after his said Conviction, without Bail or Mainprise. And if any such Person, not having any spiritual Promotion, after his first Conviction shall eftsoons offend in any thing concerning the Premis­ses, and shall in form aforesaid be thereof lawfully convicted, that then the saine Person shall for his second Offence suffer Imprison­ment during his Life.

And it is Ordained and Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if any Person or Persons whatso­ever, after the said Feast of the Nativity of St. John Baptist next coming, shall in any Enterludes, Plays, Songs, Rhimes, or by other open Words, declare or speak any thing in the derogation, depraving, or despising of the same Book, or of any thing therein contained, or any part thereof; or shall by open fact, deed, or by open threaten­ings, compel or cause, or otherwise procure or maintain any Parson, Vicar, or other Minister in any Cathedral or Parish- Church, or in Chapel, or in any other place, to