S52 C. II. Anno fecundo & tertio Ann ^ ReginsB. A. D. 1703. vifion for the Clergy not fufficiently providrd for; and to the Intent your Majefty's fingular Zeal for the Support of the Clergy, and the Honour, Intercft, and future Security of the Church, as by Law efta- blifhed, may be perpetuated to all Ages, do moft humbly befeech your Majefty that it may be ena£ted; and be it ena<Sted by the Qiieen's moft Excellent Majefty, by and with the Advice and Confent of the The QMen may Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons, in this prefent Parliament affembled, and by the Authority erea a Corpora- ^f jj^^ fame. That it fhall and may be lawful for the Queen's moft Excellent Majefty, by her Letters Pa- on"the^m and ^ tents under the Great Seal of England, to incorporate iuch Perfons as her Majefty fnall therein nominate their Succedors, Or appoint, to be one Body Politick and Corporate, to have a common Seal, and perpetual Succeifioni the Firft Fruits and alio at her Majefty's Will and Pleafure, by the fame, or any other Letters Patents, to grant, limit, and Tenths, for q^ fettle, to or upon the faid Corporation, and their Succeifors for ever, all the Revenue of Firft Fruits^ Augmentation of g^j^ J y£^ly perpetual Tenths of all Dignities, Offices, Benefices, and Promotions Spiritual whatfoever, of the meaner ^^ ^^ applied and difpofed of, to and for the Augmentation of the Maintenance of fuch Parfons, Vicars, Clergy. Curates, and Minifters, officiating in any Church or Chapel within the Kingdom of England, Dominioi,! ' By 3 Geo. i. of I'Vales, and Town of Berwick upon Tiv^ed, where the Liturgy and Rites of the Church of England, t'fi°'^°t ^^ "°^ '^y ^^^ eftabliflied, are or ihall be ufed and obferved, with fuch lawful Powers, Authorities, Di- 3°ppointed°' -reiStions, Limitations and Appointments, and under fuch Rules and Reftriftions, and in fuch Manner and Form, as fhall be therein expreflad; the Statute made in the firft Year of her faid Majefty 's Reign, I Aunss,&it. I. intituled, Jn j£i for the better Support of her Majefty s Hoii/liold, and of the Honour and Dignity of the ■' 7' Crown, or any other Law to the contrary in any wife notwithftanding. All StatBtes, &c IL Provided always, and it is hereby declared, That all and every the Statutes and Provifions, touch- , relating to Firft jng or concerning the ordering, levying, and true anfwering and Payment, or Qualification of the faid T'^"'th T'^ Firft Fruits and Tenths, or touching the Charge, Difcharge, or Alteration of them, or any of them, or .tijiue in force." ^"Y Matter or Thing relating thereunto, which were in Force at the Time of making this A61, fhall bey remain and continue in their full Force and Eftecl, and be obferved and put in due Execution according to the Tenors and Purports of the fame, and every of them, for fuch Intents and Purpofes neverthelefs, as fhall be contained or directed in or by the faid Letters Patents. Aft not to avoid HI. Provided alfo, That this Aft, or any thing therein contained, fliall not extend to avoid, or any any Grant, &c. ^^y [q impeach or afi^eft any Grant, Exchange, Alienation, or Incumbrance, at any Time heretofore ^"an" "Ihi^M ™'-°5 of or upon the faid Revenues of Firft Fruits and Tenths, or any Part thereof; but that the fame Jlfivenues. fiiall, during the Continuance of fuch Grant, Exchange, Alienation, or Incumbrance refpedlively, be and remain of and in fuch Force and Virtue, and no other, to all Intents and Purpofes, as if this A&. had not been made. IV. And for the Encouragement of fuch well-difpofed Perfons as fhall, by her Majefty's Royal Ex- ample, be moved to contribute to fo pious and charitable a Purpofe, and that fuch their Charity may be rightly applied; Be it enafted by the Authoiity aforefaid. That all and every Perfon and Perfons, having •in his or their own Right any Eftate or Inteveft in Poffeffion, Reverfion, or Contingency, of or in any Lands, Tenements or Hereditaments, or any Property of or in any Goods or Chattels, Ihall have full Power, Licence and Authority, at his, her and their W'ill and Pleafure, by Deed inrolled, in fuch Man- ner, and within fuch Time, as is directed by the Statute made in the twenty-feventh Year of the Reign 27 H.^. c. 16. of King Henry the Eighth, for Inrolment of Bargains and Sales, or by his, her, or their laft Will or
- ^"eT^ T^ Teftament in writing, duly executed according to Law, to give and grant to, and veft in the faid Cor-
^cmen« or ^' pciration, and their Succeflbrs, all fuch his, her or their Eftate, Intereft or Property in fuch Lands, Te- Goods, &c. to nements and Hereditam.ents, Goods and Chattels, or any Part or Parts thereof, for and towards the the faid Cor^o- Augmentation of the Maintenance of fuch Minifters as aforefaid, officiating in fuch Church or Chapel, jstion, where the Liturgy and E.ites of the faid Church are or fnall be fo ufed or obferved as aforefaid, and having no fettled competent Provifion belonging to the fame, and to be for that Purpofe applied accor- <ljng to the Will of the faid Benefaftor, in and by fuch Deed inrolled, or by fuch Will or Teftament executed as aforefaid, exprefl'ed : And in Default of fuch Direction, Limitation or Appointment, in fuch Manner as by her Majefty's Letters Patents fhall be direfled or appointed as aforefaid. And fuch Corporation, and their Succeflbrs, fliall have full Capacity and Ability to purchafe, receive, take, hold and enjoy, for the Purpofes aforefaid, as well from fuch Perfons as fhall be fb charitably difpofsd ta give
- t -fell or aliene the fame, as from all other Perfons as lliall be willing to fell or aliene to the faid Corporation any MaT
any Manors, nors. Lands, Tenements, Goods or Chat;els, without any Licence or V/rit of Ad quod Damnum; the JLands, &c. Statute of Mor-tmain, or any other Statute or Law to the contrary notv/ithftanding. Perfons excepted V. Provided always, That this Aft or any thing therein contiiined fliall not extend to enable any Per- ""h GiT'^'i- '°" ^ Perfons, being within Age, or of Non fane A'lemory, or Vv^omen Covert, without their Husbands, -*<■ t«) -c^ ^Q mak« any fuch Gift, Grant or Alienation; any thing in this Aft contained to the contrary in any wife notwithftanding. ' Vl. And whereas four Bon:!s for four half yearly Paymrnts of the Firft Fruits, as the fame are rated, ' and aifo a fifth Bond for a further Value or Payment, in' refpeft of the fa iie Firft Fruits, have been r?-.
- "h ^"u* "'f' ' l"'^^'^ ^"'l taken from the Clergy, to their great and unneceflary Burden and Grievance :' For Remedy
the four Pay- thereofbe itenafted and declared by the Authority aforefaid, That from and after the twenty-fifth Day of .Tients of' the March in the Year of our Lord one thoufand ftven hundred and four, one Bond only fhall in fuch Cafe be ^(jaV?xuits. given or required for the four Payments of the faid Firft Fruits : Which faid Firft Fruits, as well as the Tenths payable by the Clergy, fhall hereafter be anfwered and paid by them according to fuch Rates and Proportions only as the fame have heretofore been ufually rated and paid : And no fuch fifth Bond already given fhall, from and after the faid uventy-fifth Day of Mnrch'
the Yeai" one thoufand feven hundred i|
iAd four, be fued or recovered, ■ ' C A P.
