A. D. 1677; Anno trlcelimo Carol I IL Stat. 2. 395 i s T A T. II. ' •An A(9: for the more effectual Preferving the King's Perlbn and Government, by dlfabling Papifts from fitting in either Houfe of Parliament. !
- TOOrafrniich as divers good Laws have been made for preventing the Increafe and Danger of Popery in 3 Car. i, c.i
' X? this Kingdom, which have not had the defned Effects, by reafon of the free Accefs which Popifh Re- [3-] -I
- cufants have had to his Majefty's Court, and by reafon 0/ the Liberty which of late fome of the llecu-
■* fants have had and taken to fit and vote in Parliament.' j II. Wherefore, and for the Safety of his Majefty's Royal Perfon and Government, be it enacted by the I •King's moft Excellent Majefty, by and with the Advice and Confentof the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, ' ■and of the Commons, in this prefent Parliament aiTembled, and by the Authority of the fame. That from • ^• and after the firfl: Day of DeMmber, which ihall be in the Year of our Lord God one thoufand fix hundred j ■ieventy and -eight, no Perfon that now is or hereafter fliall be a Peer of this Realm, or Member of the I Houfe of Peers, fiiall vote, or make his Proxy in the Houfe of Peers, or fit there during any Debate in the ! faid Houfe of Peers i (2) nor any Perfon that now is, or hereafter fball be a Member of the Houfe of Commons, ihall vote in the Houfe of Commons, or fit there during any Debate in the faid Houfe of Com- ! TOons after their Speaker is chofen ; (3) until fuch Peer or Member fhall from Time to Time refpeclively, For thefe Oatht and in Manner following, firft take the feveral Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy, and make, fubfcribe fee i w. & M;' ' and audibly repeat this Declaration following. Se/r. r. c i. §• 3' ^'^• •* III.T A. B. do folemnly and fincerely in the Prefence of God profefs, teftify and declare. That I do be- The DecUra- j J. lieve that in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper there is not any Tranfubftantiaticn of the Ele- tion.
- ments of Bread and Wine into the Body and Blood of Chrift at or after the Confecration thereof by any ]
' Perfon whatfoever : (2) And that the Invocation or Adoration of the Virgin Mary or any other Saint, and •:
- the Sacrifice of the Mafs, as they are now ufed in the Church of Rome, are fuperftitious and idolatrous. |
- (3) And I do folemnly in the Prefence of God profefs, teftify and declare, That I do make this Declara- 1
' tion, and every Part thereof, in the plain and ordinary Senfe of the Words read unto me, as they are xhis Oeclara- ' ' ■* commonly underftood by ^no-A}^ Proteftants, without any Evafion, Equivocation or mental Refervation tion to be fnii- 1 I
- whatfoever, and without any Difpenfation already granted me for this Purpofe by the Pope, or any other '<^''^'=^. X ^U .
- Authority or Perfon whatfoever, or without any Hope of any fuch Difpenfation from any Perfon or Au- p™*^'" P-'pi^s
■* thority whatfoever, or without thinking that! am or can be acquitted before God or Man, or abfolved of ^J„ht"'„ P,° ^
- this Declaration or any Part thereof, alEhough the Pope, or any other Perfon or Perfons, or Power v/hat- Anna:, Stat, i,
- focver, fliould difpenfe with or annul the fame, or declare that it was null or void from the Beginning.' c. 3z. §. 7. J
rV. Which faid Oaths and Declaration fhall be in this and every fucceeding Parliament folemnly and The Time and ; | publickly made and fubfcribed betwixt the Hours of Nine in the Morning and Four in the Afternoon, by PJjce of taking ', ■every fuch Peer and Member of the Houfe of Peers, at the Table in the Middle of the faid Houfe, before ^4?n"'-nd^i-ub ' lie take his Place in Ae faid Houfe of Peers, and whilft a full Houfe of Peers is there with their Speaker |"r;^i'J^gf]Jg P^" j in his Place; (2) and by every fuch Member of the Houfe of Commons, at the Table in the Middle of ciaration. i the faid Houfe, and whilft a full Houfe of Commons is there duly fitting with their Speaker in his Chair ; ■ (3) and that the fame be done in either Houfe in fuch like Order or Method as each Houfe is called over by 1 reftiefiively. j V. And be it further enailed, That from and after the faid firft Day of i)i'(f,?»z3^r every Peer of this Realm, 1 and Member of the Houfe of Peers, and every Peer of the Kingdom of 'Scotland, or of the Kingdom of ; Ireland, being of the Age of one and twenty Years or upv/ards, not having taken the faid Oatiis, and j made and fubfcribed the faid Declaration ; (aj and every Member of the faid Houfe of Commons, not Memb=rsof Par- having as aforefaid taken the faid Oaths, and made and fubfcribed the faid D- .daration; (3) and every Per-liament not I fon now, or hereafter convicted of Popifh Recufancy, (4) who hereafter iliall at any i ime after the faid ^^^""S ^"'* ,.; firfl Day of December come advifedly into or remain in the Prei'ence of the King's Majefty or Queen's Ma- ^"Ji?™^^^^^ < jefty, or fhall come into the Court or Houfe where they or any of them refide, as well during the Reign of Recufants con- ! his prefent Majefty (whofe Life God long preferv^e) as during the Reigns of ariy ihis Royal Succefiors Kings vici, forbidden or Queens oi England; (9} fhall incur and fufFer all the Pains, Penalties, Forfeitures and Difnbilities -in tbe King's or • this A(5t mentioned or contained ; (6) unlefs fuch Peer, Member or Perfon fo convicted, do refpeftively in^""'^ •^'=". the next Term after fuch his Coming or Remaining, take the faid Oaths, and ma!;e and fubfcribe the faid "'"'^'^' • Declaration in his Majefty's High Court of Chanceiy between the Hours of nine and twelve in the Fore- j noon. . . , . . VI. And be it further ena<5ted by the Authority aforefaid. That if any Perfon that now is or hereafterThe Penalty ihall be a Peer of this Realm, or Member of the Houfe of Peers, or Member of the Houfe of Commons, upon Menbefs ] ihall prefume to do any Thing contrary to this Aft, or fnall offend in any of ihs Cafes aforefaid ; That "' ■'"'i^ni'^n' , then every fuch Peer and Member fo ofFendiiig frail from thenceforth be deemed and adjudged a Popifti°^3j"j|,"fij"^^ RecufMnt convift: to all Intents and Purpofes v.'hatfoever, {^) and fhall forfeit and fuffer as a Popifh Recu-' * ' '. fant coiivift ; (3) and fhall be difabled to hold or execute any Office or Place of Profit or Ttuft Civil or '■' Military, in any of his Majefty's Realms of England or Ireland, L^minion of IFales, orTov/n oi Berwick upon iweed, or in any of his Majefty's Iflands or Foreign Plantations to the faid Realms belonging ; (4) and fhall be difabled from thenceforth to fit or vote in either Houfe of Parliamerit, or make a Proxy in the i Houfe of Peers, (5) or to fue or ufe any Aition, Bill, Plaint or Informatinn in Courfe of Law, or to pro- : fecute any Suit in any Court of Equity, (6) or to be Guardian of any Child, or Executor or Adminiftrator ' of any Perfon, (7) or capable of any Legacy or Deed of Gift; (3) and fhall forfeit for every wilful Of- ' fence againft this Aft the'Sum of five hundred Pounds, to be recovered and received by him or them that Diail fue for the fatne, and to be profecuted by any Adh'on of Debt, Suit, Bill, -Plaint or Information in 1 any of his Majefty's Courts at V/eJiminJter^ wherein no EfToin, Protediion or Wager of Law flaall lie. E e e 2 VII. Arid
