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be allowed and approved by such person or persons, in such manner, as such officer or officers respectively should by law have been allowed and approved.

VII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that no person dissenting from the church of England, iv holy orders, or pretended holy orders, or pretending to holy orders nor any preacher or teacher of any congregation of dissenting protestants, that shall make and subscribe the declaration aforesaid, and take the said oaths, at the general or quarter-sessions of the peace to be held for the county, town, parts, or division where such person lives, which court is hereby impowered to administer the same; and shall also declare his approbation of, and subscribe the articles of religion mentioned in the statute made in the 13th year of the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth, except the 34th, 35th, and 36th, and these words of the 20th article, viz. [the church hath power to decree rites or ceremonies, and authority in controversies of faith, and yet,] shall be liable to any of the pains or penalties mentioned in an act made in the 17th year of the reign of King Charles II.§ entitled, an act for restraining non-conformists from inhabiting in corporations; nor the penalties mentioned in the aforesaid act made in the 22d year of his said late majesty's reign, for or by reason of such persons preaching at any meeting for the exercise of religion. Nor to the penalties of 1001. mentioned in an act made in the 13th and 14th of King Charles II.|| entitled, an act for the uniformity of public prayers, and administering of sacraments, and other rites and ceremonies; and for establishing the form of making, ordaining, and consecrating of bishops, priests, and deacons, in the church of England, for officiating in any congregation for the exercise of religion permitted and allowed by this aet.

VIII. Provided always, that the making and subscribing the said declaration, and the taking the said oaths, and making the declaration of approbation and subscription to the said articles, in manner as aforesaid, by every respective person or persons herein before-mentioned, at such general or quarter-sessions of the peace as aforesaid, shall be then and there entered of record in the said court, for which sixpence shall be paid to the clerk of the peace, and no more; provided that such person shall not at any time preach in any place but with the doors not locked, barred, or bolted, as aforesaid.

IX And whereas some dissenting protestants scruple the baptizing of infants, be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, that every person in pretended holy orders, or pretending to holy orders, or preacher, or teacher, that shall subscribe the aforesaid articles of religion, except as before excepted: and also except part of the 27th article teaching infant-baptism, and shall take the oaths, and make and subscribe

* 17 Car. II. cap. 2, 13 and 14. Car. II. cap. 4.、

§ 17 Car. II. cap. 2.

† 13 Eliz. cap. 12. 13 and 14 Car. II. cap. 4.

the declaration aforesaid, in manner aforesaid; every such person shall enjoy all the privileges, benefits, and advantages, which any other dissenting minister, as aforesaid, might have or enjoy by virtue of this act.

X. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that every teacher or preacher in holy orders, or pretended holy orders, that is a minister, preacher, or teacher of a congregation, that shall take the oaths herein required, and make and subscribe the declaration aforesaid; and also subscribe such of the aforesaid articles of the church of England, as are required by this act in manner aforesaid, shall be thenceforth exempted from serving upon any jury, or from being chosen, or appointed to bear the office of churchwarden, overseer of the poor, or any other parochial or ward office, or other office in any hundred, or any shire, city, town, parish, division, or wapentake.

XI. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that any justice of the peace may at any time hereafter require any person that goes to any meeting for exercise of religion, to make and subscribe the declaration aforesaid, and also to take the said oaths, or declaration of fidelity herein after mentioned, in ease such person scruple the taking of an oath; and upon the refusal thereof, such justice of the peace is hereby required to commit such person to prison, without bail or mainprize, and to certify the name of such person to the next general or quarter-sessions of the peace to be held for that county, city, town, part, or division, where such person then resides; and if such person so committed shall, upon a second tender at the general or quarter-sessions, refuse to make and subscribe the declaration aforesaid, such person refusing shall be then and there recorded, and shall be taken thenceforth to all intents and purposes for a popish recusant convict, and suffer accordingly, and incur all the penalties and forfeitures of the aforesaid laws.

XII. And whereas there are certain other persons, dissenters from the church of England, who scruple the taking of any oath, be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, that every such person shall make and subscribe the aforesaid declaration; and also this declaration of fidelity following :*

I A. B. do sincerely promise, and solemnly declare, before God and the world, that I will be true and faithful to King William and Queen Mary. And I solemnly profess and declare, that I do from my heart abhor, detest, and renounce, as impious and heretical, that damnable doctrine, and position, that princes excommunicated, or deprived by the pope, or any authority of the see of Rome, may be deposed or murdered by their subjects, or any other whatsoever. And I do declare, that no foreign prince, person, prelate, state, or potentate, hath, or ought to have any power, jurisdiction, superiority, pre-eminence, or authority, ecclesiastical, or spiritual, within this realm.

8 Geo. I. cap. 6.

And shall subscribe a profession of their christian belief in these words:

I A. B. profess Faith in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ his eternal Son, the true God, and in the Holy Spirit, one God blessed for evermore; and do acknowledge the holy scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be given by divine inspiration.

Which declaration and subscription shall be made and entered of record at the general quarter-sessions of the peace for the county, city, or place, where every such person shall then reside. And every such person that shall make and subscribe the two declarations and profession aforesaid, being thereunto required, shall be exempted from all the pains and penalties of all and every the afore-mentioned statutes made against popish recusants, or protestant non-conformists; and also from the penalties of an act made in the 5th year of the reign of the late queen Elizabeth, intitled an act for the assurance of the queen's royal power over all estates and subjects within her dominions, for or by reason of such persons not taking or refusing to take the oath mentioned in the said act. And also from the penalties of an act made in the 13th and 14th years of the reign of King Charles II.† entitled, an act for preventing mischiefs that may arise by certain persons called quakers refusing to take lawful oaths, and enjoy all the other benefits, privileges, and advantages, under the like limitations, provisoes, and conditions, which any other dissenters should or ought to enjoy by virtue of this aet.

XIII. Provided always, and be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, that in case any person shall refuse to take the said oaths when tendered to them, which every justice of the peace is hereby impowered to do, such person shall not be admitted to make and subscribe the two declarations aforesaid, though required thereunto, either before any justice of the peace, or at the general or quarter-sessions, before or after any conviction of popish recusancy, as aforesaid, unless such person can, within thirty-one days after such tender of the declaration to him, produce two sufficient protestant witnesses to testify upon oath, that they believe him to be a protestant dissenter, or a certificate under the hands of four protestants who are conformable to the church of England, or have taken the oaths, and subscribed the declaration above-named, and shall produce a certificate under the hands and seals of six or more sufficient men of the congregation to which he belongs, owning him for one of them.

XIV. Provided also, and be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, that until such certificate, under the hands of six of his congregation, as aforesaid, be produced, and two protestant witnesses come to attest his being a protestant dissenter, or a certificate under the hands of four protestants, as aforesaid, be produced, the justice of peace shall, and hereby is required to take a recognizance, with two sureties, in the pe* 5 Eliz, cap, 1 † 13 and 14 Car. II. cap. 1.

nal sum of fifty pounds, to be levied of his goods and chattels, lands and tenements, to the use of the king's and queen's majesties, their heirs and successors, for his producing the same; and if he cannot give such security, to commit him to prison, there to remain until he has produced such certificate, or two witnesses as aforesaid.

XV. Provided always, and it is the true intent and meaning of this act, that all the laws made and provided for the frequenting of divine service on the Lord's day, commonly called Sunday, shall be still in force, and executed against all persons that offend against the said laws, except such persons come to some congregation, or assembly of religious worship, allowed, or permitted by this act.

XVI. Provided always, and be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that neither this act, nor any clause, article, or thing, herein contained, shall extend, or be construed to extend, to give any ease, benefit, or advantage, to any papist or popish recusant whatsoever, or any person that shall deny, in his preaching or writing, the doctrine of the blessed trinity, as it is declared in the aforesaid articles of religion.

XVII. Provided always, and be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, that if any person or persons, at any time or times after the 10th day of June, do, and shall willingly, and of purpose, maliciously, or contemptuously, come into any cathedral, or parish church, chapel, or other congregation, permitted by this act, and disquiet or disturb the same, or misuse any preacher or teacher; such person or persons, upon proof thereof, before any justice of the peace, by two or more sufficient witnesses, shall find two sureties to be bound by recognizance in the penal sum of fifty pounds, and in default of such sureties shall be committed to prison, there to remain till the next general or quarter-sessions, and upon conviction of the said offence,at the said general or quarter-sessions, shall suffer the pain and penalty of twenty pounds, to the use of the king's and queen's majesties, their heirs and successors.*

XVIII. Provided always, that no congregation, or assembly for religious worship, shall be permitted or allowed by this act, until the place of such meeting shall be certified to the bishop of the diocese, or to the archdeacon of that archdeaconry, or to the justices of the peace, at the general or quarter-sessions of the peace for the county, city, or place, in which such meeting shall be held, and registered in the said bishop's or archdeacon's court respectively, or recorded at the said general or quarter-sessions, the register or clerk of the peace whereof respectively is hereby required to register the same, and to give certifieate thereof to such person as shall demand the same, for which there shall be no greater fee or reward taken than the sum of six-pence.

*See Geo. I. stat. 2, cap. 5, § 4.

No. XIII.

The OCCASIONAL CONFORMITY ACT, entitled, an Act for preserving the Protestant Religion, by better securing the Church of England, as by Law established; and for confirming the Toleration granted to Protestant Dissenters by an Act, entitled, an Act for exempting their Majesties Protestant Subjects, dissenting from the Church of England, from the Penalties of certain Laws, and for supplying the defects thereof; and for the further securing the Protestant Succession, by requiring the Practisers of the Law in North-Britian to take the Oaths, and subscribe the Declaration therein mentioned.

WHEREAS an act was made in the thirteenth year of the reign of the late King Charles the second, entitled, an act for the well-governing and regulating of corporations. And another act was made in the five-and-twentieth year of the reign of the said late King Charles the second, entitled, an act for the preventing dangers which may happen from popish recusants. Both which acts were made for the security of the church of England, as by law established. Now for the better securing the said church, and quieting the minds of her Majesty's protestant subjects dissenting from the church of England, and rendering them secure in the exercise of their religious worship; as also for the further strengthening the provision already made for the security of the succession to the crown in the house of Hanover; be it enacted by the Queen's most excellent Majesty, bý and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons in parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that if any person or persons, after the five-and-twentieth day of March, which shall be in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and twelve, either peers or commoners, who have, or shall have any office or offices, civil or military, or receive any pay, salary, fee, or wages, by reason of any patent or grant from or under her Maj esty, or any of her Majesty's predecessors, or of her heirs or successors, or shall have any command or place of trust from or under her Majesty, her heirs or successors, or from any of her Majesty's predecessors, or by her or their authority, or by authority derived from her or them, within that part of Great-Britain called England, the dominion of Wales, or town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, or in the navy, or in the several islands of Jersey or Guernsey, or shall be admitted into any service or employment in the houshold or family of her Majesty,

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