2()6 C. 3. Anno decimo feptimo Caroli II. A. D. 1665-, fciiJs Burgent-s to the Parliament, within his Majefty's Kingdom of England, yunc'ipzWty of TFalcs or pi J fcnt. 63. 3tS. the Town of Berwick upon Tweed; (3) or within five Miles of any Parifli, Town or Place, wherein he or they have fince the Acl of Oblivion been Parfon, Vicar, Curate, Stipendary or Lecturer, or taken upon them to preach in any unlawful Aflembly, Conventicle or Meeting, under Colour or Pretence of any Altered by i W. Exercife of Religion, contrary to the Laws and Statutes of this Kingdom; (4) before he or they have
- -' '^- !'=■ '• taken and fubfcribed the Oath aforefaid, before the Jullices of the Peace at thJr Quarter- Seffions to be
c. iS. ^. . holden for the County, Riding or Divifion next unto the faid Corporation, City or Borough, Parifh, Place or Town, in open Court, (which faid Oath the faid Juflices are hereby impowered there to adminifter; •The-Penalty. (j) upon Forfeiture for every fuch OfFence the Sum of forty Pounds of lawful EngViJh yVonty ; the one third Part thereof to his Majcfly and his Succeffors ; the other third Part to the Ufe of the Poor of the Parifh where the OfFence fliall be committed ; and the other third Part thereof to fuch Perfon or Perfons as fhall or will fue for the fame by Action of Debt, Plaint, Bill or Information, in any Court of Record at fFeJlminJIer, or before any Juftices of Affize, Oyer and Terminer or Gaol-delivery, or before any Jultices of the Counties Palatine of Chejhr, Lancajier or Durham, or the Juftices of the Great-Seflions in IFales, or before any Jurtices of Peace in their Quarter-SefKons, wherein no Eflbin, Protedion or Wager of Law .i ji fhall be allowed. IV. P/ovided aKvays, and be it further enaded by the Authority aforefaid. That it fliall not be lawful for any Perfon or Peribns reftrained from coming to any City, Town Corporate, Borough, Parifli, Town or Place, as aforefaid, or for any other Perfon or Perfons as (hall not firft take andfubfcribe the faid Oath, «.&3Ed. 6. c. 1. and as (hall not frequent Divine Service eflabiifhed by the Laws of this Kingdom, and carry him or her 5 &6Ed. 6. C.I. felf reverently, decently and orderly there, to teach any publick or private School, or take any Boarder* ^ ^^t' '^c * "Tablers that are taught or inftrucSed by him or her fclf, or any other ; upon Pain for every fuch OfFence c^A '^^ to forfeit the Sum of forty Pounds, to be recovered and diftributed, as aforefaid. V. Provided alfo, and be it further enafted by the Authority aforefaid. That it (hall be lawful for any /o'nlnhtC^h'erc- ^^o Juftices of the Peace of the refpeftive County, upon Oath to them of any OSence againil: this Aft, 10" i J'r'."& M.' which Oath they are hereby impowered to adminifter, to commit the Offender for (Ix Months without Bail fiaf. I. c. iS. or Mainprize, unlefs upon or before fuch Commitment, he fhall before the faid Juftices of the PeacCj fwear amliyCeo.-z. and fubfcribe the aforeiaid Oath and Declaration.
- ■• ^^' VI. Provided always. That if any Perfon intended to be reftrained by Virtue of this Aft, (hall without 1
Fraud or Covin be ferved with any Writ, Suhprena, Warrant, or other Procefs, whereby his perfonal Ap- , ' pearance is j-equired, his Obedience to fuch Writ, Subpcsna or Procefs, (hall not be conftrued an Offence agairtft this A6t. ■ . CAP. IlL An A£l for uniting Churches in Cities and Towns Corporate. -, ^T TT. ■?. c. 21. ' T?Orafmuch as the fettled Provifion for Minifters in moft Cities and Towns Corporate within this Reakrti Farther provided ' _|/ is not fufficient for the Maintenance of able Minifters fit for fijch Place?, whereby mean and ftipenr wm'^ S ' dary Preachers are entertained, to ferve the Cures there; who wholly depending for their Maintenance .C..12. c ,ypQ,^ the Good-will and Liking of their Auditors, have been and are thereby under Temptation of too ■' much complying and fuiting their Doftrine and Teaching to the Humour rather than Good of their Au^ ' ditors, which hath been a great Occafion of Faftion and Schifm, and of the Contempt of the Miniftry: ' [z) The Lords and Commons in Parliament alTembled, being deeply fenfible of the ill Confequence 'thereof, and pioufly defiring able Minifters in fuch Places, and a competent fettled Maintenance for ' them by the Union of Churches ; v/hich is alfo become necefFary, by Reafon of the great Ruin of many ' Churches and Pariflies in the late ill 'I'imes, and otherwife ;' Do therefore moft humbly befeech your moft- Excellent Majefty, That it may be enacted ; (3} and be it enabled by the King's moft Excellent Mar jefty, by and with the Advice and Confent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons, ia In wfet Cittes this ,pVefen't Parliament ailembled, and by the Authority of the fame. That in every City or Town Corr and Towns, and por;vte and their Liberties within the Kingdom of England ^nA Dominion of JValcs, which have a Mayor °rrii'^.'i'*"T ^"'^ Aldermen,^ and particular Juftices of the Peace by Charter or Commiflion, or BailifF or Bailiffs, or ■be united^ ^ ™^ °'-'^^ ^'^'^ ^^'-"^'^ ° *^-'^'-^'^' ^""^ Other Affifl-ants, by like Charter ; and where tv/o or more Churches "„ " or Chapels, or a Church and a Chapel, and the Parifiies thereunto belonging, do lie within the faid Cor- m. .21. 594, pq|-^{.Jq^ qj. Liberties thereof, convenient to he united.:, In fuch Cafes the Bilhop of the Diocefe where fucn Parifli and Pariflies are, with the Confent of fhe Mayor, Aldermen and Juftices of the Peace, Bailiff" or Bailiffs, or other Chief Officer or OiHcers, or the major Part of them, and of the Patron or Patrons of' Tuch Church or Churches, Chapel or Chapels, fhall .or may according to due Form of Law unite the faij Churches or Chapels, or Church and Ciiapel, or any of them ; (4) and fliall appoint at which Church or Chapel, Churches or Chapels, the faid Parifliioners and Inhabitants of the faid Pariflies or Places, to which . the faid Ciiurches or Chapels or Chu-ch and Chapel do belong, ftiall uiually meet for the "NVorfliip of God, and which of the faid Churches or Chapels or Church or Chape-l fliall be united and annexed unto the i' !■ other, which fliall be the Church Pre/ijntatiys, unto which all Prefentations fliall thereafter be only made. Mod. Cafcjln and unto which the Parifhioners fliall refort as their proper Church; (5) and after fuch Order made, the law 5, 6. faid Churches or Chapels or Church and Chapel fliall accordingly for ever-ftand united : And the Parifhioners', Landholders and Inhiibitants of the faid Pariflies and Places belonging to fuch Churches or Chapels or Church and Chapel fo united and annexed, fliall as they or any of them become void, and from thence- forward, pay all I'uch Tithes and other Duties as belong or did belong to the Incumbent of any of the fafd -Churches qr Chapelsor Qhurch and Chaptl fo united and annexed, unto the Incumbent of the laid Preferr- ■"' ■■: ■■:'■■ '"■'■:'■'■■ ' . ' tative
