The contents of this Book. 1. An act for the uniformity of Common prayer. 3. Of Ceremonies, why some be abolished, and some retained. 4. The order how the Psalter is appointed to be read. 5. The table for the order of the Psalms to be said at Morning and Evening prayer. 6. The order how the rest of holy Scripture is appointed to be read. 7. Proper Psalms and Lessons at Morning and Evening prayer, for sundays, and certain feasts and days. 8. An Almanack. 9. The table and Calendar for Psalms and Lessons, with necessary Rules, appertaining to the same. 10. The order for Morning prayer and Evening prayer, throughout the year. 11. The Litany. 12. The Collects, Epistles, and Gospels, to be used at the ministration of the holy Communion, throughout the year. 13. The order of the ministration of the holy Com munion. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. Baptism both public and private. Confirmation, where also is a Catechism for children. Matrimony. Visitation of the sick. The Communion of the sick. Burial. 20. The thanksgiving of women after childbirth. 21. A Commination against sinners, with certain prayers to be used divers times in the year. An Act for the uniformity of Common Prayer, and Service in the Church, and the adminis tration of the Sacraments. WHERE at the death of our late Sovereign lord King Edward the sixt, there remained one uniform order of common service and prayer, and of the administration of Sacraments, Rites, and Ceremonies, in the church of England, which was set forth in one book, entituled: The book of common prayer, and administration of Sacraments, and other Rites and ceremonies in the church of England, authorized by Act of Parliament, holden in the fift and sixt years of our said late Sovereign lord king Edward the sixth, entituled: An act for the uniformity of Common prayer, and administration of the Sacraments, the which was repealed and taken away by act of Parliament, in the first year of the reign of our late Sovereign Lady Queen Mary, to the great decay of the due honour of God, and discomfort to the professors of the truth of Christ's religion : Be it therefore enacted by the authority of this present parliament, that the said statute1 of repeal, and every thing therein contained, only concerning the said book, and the Service, administration of Sacraments, Rites, and Ceremonies, contained or appointed, in, or by the said book, shall be void and of none effect, from, and after the feast of the Nativity of S. John Baptist, next coming. And that the said book, with the order of service, and of the administration of Sacraments, Rites and Ceremonies, with the alterations, and additions, therein added and appointed by this estatute, shall stand, and be from and after the said feast of the nativity of Saint John Baptist, in full force and effect, according to the tenor and effect of this statute1, any thing in the aforesaid estatute of repeal, to the contrary notwithstanding. And further be it enacted by the queen's highness, with the assent of the lords and commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by authority of the same, that all and singular ministers, in any cathedral, or parish church, or other place within this realm of England, Wales, and the marches of the same, or other the queen's dominions, shall from, and after the feast of the Nativity of Saint John Baptist next coming, be bounden to say and use the Mattins, Evensong, celebration of the Lord's supper, and administration of each of the Sacraments, and all their Common and open prayer, in such order and form, as is mentioned in the said book, so authorized by Parliament in the said [Grafton, estatute.] Grafton, statute.] [ Grafton, alteracion.] .v. and .vi. year of the reign of king Edward the sixt, with one alteration or addition of certain lessons to be used on every Sunday in the year, and the form of the Litany altered and corrected, and two Sentences only added in the delivery of the Sacrament to the communicants, and none other, or other wise. And that if any manner of person', vicar, or other whatsoever 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 Saint John Baptist next coming, refuse to use the said common prayers, or to minister the Sacraments in such Cathedral or parish Church, 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 other to come unto, or hear, either in Common Churches, or privy 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 .xii. 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 this conviction. And also that the person so convicted, shall for the same offence suffer imprisonment by the space of .vi. months, without bail or mainprise. And if any such person once convict of any offence, concerning the premises, 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 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 and 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 premises the third time, and shall be thereof in form aforesaid lawfully convicted: That then the person so offending, and convict the third time, shall be deprived, ipso facto, of all his spiritual promotions, and also shall suffer imprisonment during his life. AND if the person that shall offend, and be convict in form aforesaid, concerning any of the premises, 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 [Person or parson: rector.] [ Grafton, conuicted.] 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 premises, and shall in form aforesaid be thereof lawfully convicted: That then the same person shall for his second offence, suffer imprisonment during his life. 3 AND it is ordained and enacted by the authority abovesaid, that if any person or persons whatsoever, after the said feast of the Nativity of Saint John Baptist next coming, shall in any Enterludes, Plays, Songs, Rhymes, 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 sing or say any common and open prayer, or to minister any Sacrament otherwise, or in any other manner and form than is mentioned in the said book, or that by any of the said means shall unlawfully interrupt or let any parson, vicar, or other minister, in any Cathedral, or parish Church, Chapel, or any other place to sing or say common and open prayer, or to minister the Sacraments or any of them, in such manner and form, as is mentioned in the said book: That then every such parson being thereof lawfully convicted in form above said, shall forfeit to the Queen our Sovereign Lady, her heirs and successors, for the first offence a hundreth marks. And if any parson or parsons, being once convict of any such offence eftsoons offend against any of the last recited offences, and shall in form aforesaid be thereof lawfully convict: That then the same parson so offending and convict, shall for the second offence forfeit to the Queen our Sovereign Lady, her heirs and successors, four hundreth marks. And if any parson after he, in form aforesaid, shall have been twice convict of any offence, concerning any of the last recited offences, shall offend the third time, and be thereof in form abovesaid lawfully convict: That then every parson so offending and convict, shall for his third offence, forfeit to our Sovereign Lady the Queen, all his goods and catelles, and shall suffer imprisonment during his life. And if any person or persons that for his first offence, concerning the premises, shall be convict in form aforesaid, do not pay the sum to be paid by virtue of his conviction, in such manner and form as the same ought to be paid, within .vi. weeks next after his conviction, that then every person so convict, and so not paying the same, shall for the same first offence, in stead of the said sum, suffer imprisonment by the space of .vi. months, without bail or mainprise. And if any person or persons, that for his second offence concerning the premises, shall be convict in form aforesaid, do not pay the said sum to be paid by virtue of his conviction, and this estatute, in such manner and form as the same ought to be paid, within .vi. weeks next after his said second conviction: that then every person so [Parson' often stands in this Act for person.] convicted and not so1 paying the same, shall for the same second offence, in the stead of the said sum, suffer imprisonment during .xii. months, without bail or mainprise. And that from and after the said feast of the Nativity of S. John Baptist next coming, all and every person and persons, inhabiting within this realm or any other the Queen's Majesty's dominions, shall diligently and faithfully, having no lawful or reasonable excuse to be absent, endeavour themselves to resort to their parish Church or Chapel accustomed, or upon reasonable let thereof, to some usual place where common Prayer, and such Service of God shall be used in such time of let upon every Sunday, and other days ordained and used to be kept as holy days. And then and there to abide orderly, and soberly during the time of the common prayer, preachings, or other service of God, there to be used and ministered, upon pain of punishment by the censures of the church. And also upon pain that every person so offending shall forfeit for every such offence .xii. d. to be levied by the Churchwardens of the parish, where such offence shall be done, to the use of the poor of the same parish, of the goods, lands, and tenements of such offender, by way of distress. And for due execution hereof, the Queen's most excellent Majesty, the lords Temporal, and all the commons in this present parliament assembled, doth in God's name earnestly require and charge all the Archbishops, Bishops, and other ordinaries, that they shall endeavour themselves to the uttermost of their knowledges, that the due and true execution hereof may be had throughout their diocese, and charges, as they will answer before God for such evils and plages, wherewith almighty God may justly punish his people for neglecting this good and wholesome law. And for their authority in this behalf, be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, that all and singular the same archbishops, bishops, and all other their officers, exercising ecclesiastical jurisdiction, as well in place exempt as not exempt, within their diocese, shall have full power and authority by this act, to reform, correct, and punish by censures of the church, all and singular persons, which shall offend within any their jurisdictions or diocese, after the said feast of the Nativity of Saint John Baptist next coming, against this act and statute. Any other law, statute, privilege, liberty, or provision heretofore made, had, or suffered to the contrary notwithstanding. AND it is ordained and enacted by the authority aforesaid, that all and every justices of Oyer and determiner, or justices of Assize, shall have full power and authority in every of their open and general Sessions, to enquire, hear and determine all, and all manner of offences that shall be committed or done contrary to any article contained in this present act, within the limits of the commission to them directed, and to make process for the execution of the same, as they may do against any person being indicted before them of trespass, or lawfully convicted thereof. [1 Misprint in both editions of 1559 for, so not.] |