standing, or now not being in esse or not standing, or to any manors, lands, tenements, possessions, revenues, or hereditaments annexed, united, belonging, or appertaining to any college, chapel, chantry, or other thing mentioned in this Act, now being in esse or standing, or now not being in esse or not standing, or to any other thing or things mentioned or expressed in this Act, which any person or persons, bodies politic or corporate, have had or obtained by the assent, licence, confirmation, grant, or letters patent of the said late king, or of the king's majesty that now is, nor shall extend to any manors, lands, tenements, revenues, possessions, hereditaments, or other thing or things mentioned, expressed, or contained in any such licence, confirmation, grant, or letters patent: but that every such person and persons, bodies politic and corporate, their heirs, successors, and assigns, and the heirs, successors, and assigns of every of them, shall have, hold, and enjoy all and every the same colleges, chapels, chantries, manors, lands, tenements, revenues, possessions, and hereditaments, and all and every other thing and things whatsoever so by them had or obtained by the assent, licence, confirmation, grant, or letters patent of the said late king, or of the king's majesty that now is, according to the words, sentences, form, effect, meaning, and intent of the same licences, confirmations, grants, and letters patent; this Act, or the said Act made in the said thirty-seventh year of the reign of the said late King Henry VIII, or any clause, article, sentence, matter, or thing mentioned, expressed, or contained in any of the same Acts to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding. 1547. 1549. Divers uses, or forms, of prayer in England and Wales. LXIX. THE FIRST EDWARDINE ACT OF UNIFORMITY, 2 & 3 EDWARD VI, CAP. 1. THE following Act was passed January 21, 1549. The subsequent editions of the Prayer-book were established by the Acts 5 & 6 Edward VI, cap. 1 (post, No. LXXI); 1 Elizabeth, cap. 2 (post, No. LXXX); a Proclamation of James I (post, No. LXXXIX); and by 14 Charles II, cap. 4 (post, No. CXVII). Both the Edwardine Acts were, of course, included in Mary's first Act of repeal (post, No. LXXIII). [Transcr. Statutes of the Realm, iv. 37.] Where of long time there has been had in this realm of England and in Wales divers forms of common prayer, commonly called the service of the Church; that is to say, the Use of Sarum, of York, of Bangor, and of Lincoln; and besides the same now of late much more divers and sundry forms and fashions have been used in the cathedral and parish churches of England and Wales, as well concerning the Matins or Morning Prayer and the Evensong, as also concerning the Holy Communion, commonly called the Mass, with divers and sundry rites and ceremonies concerning the same, and in the administration of other sacraments of the InconChurch and as the doers and executors of the said rites veniences and ceremonies, in other form than of late years they have therefrom. been used, were pleased therewith, so other, not using the Failure of endeavours to : same rites and ceremonies, were thereby greatly offended. And albeit the king's majesty, with the advice of his most entirely beloved uncle the lord protector and other of his novations highness's council, has heretofore divers times essayed to stay innovations or new rites concerning the premises; yet check in or new rites. the same has not had such good success as his highness required in that behalf: 1549. abstain innovators, sion to form order Whereupon his highness by the most prudent advice The king, aforesaid, being pleased to bear with the frailty and weak- content to ness of his subjects in that behalf, of his great clemency from has not been only content to abstain from punishment of punishing those that have offended in that behalf, for that his highness appointed taketh that they did it of a good zeal; but also to the a commisintent a uniform quiet and godly order should be had con- consider cerning the premises, has appointed the Archbishop of the premises, and Canterbury, and certain of the most learned and discreet to draw up bishops, and other learned men of this realm, to consider one uniand ponder the premises; and thereupon having as well of Common eye and respect to the most sincere and pure Christian Prayer. religion taught by the Scripture, as to the usages in the primitive Church, should draw and make one convenient and meet order, rite, and fashion of common and open prayer and administration of the sacraments, to be had and used in his majesty's realm of England and in Wales; the Their conwhich at this time, by the aid of the Holy Ghost, with one embodied uniform agreement is of them concluded, set forth, and in the Book delivered to his highness, to his great comfort and quietness of mind, in a book entitled, The Book of the Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments, and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, after the use of the Church of England: clusions of Common Prayer past Wherefore the Lords spiritual and temporal, and the Parliament Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, consider- thanks the king for ing as well the most godly travail of the king's highness, of the same; the lord protector, and of other his highness's council, in prays that gathering and collecting the said archbishop, bishops, and offenders learned men together, as the godly prayers, orders, rites, and ceremonies in the said book mentioned, and the siderations of altering those things which be altered and now at the retaining those things which be retained in the said book, in the as to the same,other con- than those Tower or 1549. but also the honour of God and great quietness, which by Fleet, may the grace of God shall ensue upon the one and uniform be par. doned, rite and order in such common prayer and rites and external ceremonies to be used throughout England and in Wales, at Calais and the marches of the same, do give to his highness most hearty and lowly thanks for the same; and humbly pray, that it may be ordained and enacted by his majesty, with the assent of the Lords and Commons in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that all and singular person and persons that have offended concerning the premises, other than such person and persons as now be and remain in ward in the Tower of London, or in the Fleet, may be pardoned thereof; and that all and singular ministers in any cathedral or parish church or other place within this realm of England, Wales, Calais, and the marches of the same, or other the may be king's dominions, shall, from and after the feast of Penteenjoined throughout cost next coming, be bound to say and use the Matins, the realm. Evensong, celebration of the Lord's Supper, commonly called the Mass, 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, and none other or otherwise. and that the use of the said book Any not using it and other rites and cere monies And albeit that the same be so godly and good, that they give occasion to every honest and conformable man most willingly to embrace them, yet lest any obstinate person who willingly would disturb so godly order and quiet in this according realm should not go unpunished, that it may also be to the use ordained and enacted by the authority aforesaid, that if any Church of manner of parson, vicar, or other whatsoever minister, that England, ought or should sing or say common prayer mentioned in of the the said book, or minister the sacraments, shall after the said feast of Pentecost 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 1549. any other manner of the said follows: first or minister the same, in such order and form as they be mentioned and set forth in the said book; or shall use, wilfully and obstinately standing in the same, any other or using rite, ceremony, order, form, or manner of Mass openly or privily, or Matins, Evensong, administration of the sacra- prayer, ments, or other open prayer 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 private chapels or oratories, commonly called the service of the Church); or shall preach, declare, or speak anything in the derogation or deor depraving of the said book, or anything therein con- praving tained, or of any part thereof; and shall be thereof lawfully book shall convicted according to the laws of this realm, by verdict of suffer as twelve men, or by his own confession, or by the notorious evidence of the fact:-shall lose and forfeit to the king's Penalty highness, his heirs and successors, for his first offence, the for the profit of such one of his spiritual benefices or promotions offence; as it shall please the king's highness to assign or appoint, coming and arising in one whole year next after his conviction and also that the same person so convicted shall for the same offence suffer imprisonment by the space of six months, without bail or mainprize: and if any such person once convicted of any offence concerning the premises, shall after his first conviction again offend and be thereof in form aforesaid lawfully convicted, that then for the the same person shall for his second offence suffer offence. 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, donors, and grantees of all and singular the same spiritual promotions, to present to the same any other able clerk, in like manner and form as though the party so offending were dead and that if any such person or persons, after he shall be twice convicted in form aforesaid, shall offend second |