1Anno Regni
2Gulielmi
3et
4Mariae,
5regis & reginae
6Angliae, Scotiae, Franciae & Hiberniae,
7primo.
8On the Twenty fourth day of May, Anno
9Dom[ini] 1689. In the First Year of
10Their Majesties Reign this Act
11Passed the Royal Assent.

12London,
13Printed by Charles Bill and Thomas Newcomb, Printers
14to the King and Queen`s most Excellent Majesties, 1689.↑

15Anno Primo

16Gulielmi & Mariae.

17An Act for Exempting Their
18Majesties Protestant Subjects
19Dissenting from the Church of
20England from the Penalties of
21certain Laws.↑

22Forasmuch as some
23Ease to Scrupulous
24Consciences in the
25Exercise of Religion
26may be an effectual
27means to Unite
28Their Majesties Pro--
29testant Subjects in
30Interest and Affection,
31Be it Enacted by the King and Queens
32most Excellent Majesties, by and with
33the Advice and Consent of the Lords,
34Spiritual and Temporal, and the Com--
35mons, in this present Parliament As--
36 [Seite: 304] sembled and by the Authority of the
37same; That neither the Statute made
38in the Three and twentieth Year ofa the
39Reign of the late Queen Elizabeth, In--
40tituled, An Act to Retain the Queens Maje--
41sties Subjects in their Due Obedience; Nor
42the Statute made in the Twenty ninth
43Year of the said Queen, Intituled, An
44Act for the more Speedy and Due Execution
45of certain Branches of the Statute made in the
46Three and twentieth Year of the Queens
47Majesties Reign, Vi[delicet] The aforesaid Act;
48nor that Branch or Clause of a Statute
49made in the First Year of the Reign of
50the said Queen, Intituled, An Act for
51the Uniformity of Common Prayer and Service
52in the Church, and Administration of the Sa--
53craments; whereby all Persons, having
54no Lawful or Reasonable Excuse to be
55Absent, are required to Resort to their
56Parish Church or Chappel, or some usual
57Place where the Common Prayer shall
58be used, upon pain of Punishment by the
59Censures of the Church, and also upon
60pain that every Person so Offending shall
61forfeit for every such Offence Twelve
62pence; Nor the Statute made in the
63Third Year of the Reign of the late
64King James the First, Intituled, An
65Act for the better Discovering and Repressing
66Popish Recusants; Nor that other Sta--
67tute made in the same Year, Intituled,
68An Act to Prevent and Avoid Dangers which
69may grow by Popish Recusants; Nor any
70 [Seite: 305] other Law or Statute of this Realm
71made against Papists or Popish Recu--
72sants, Except the Statute made in the
73Five and twentieth Year of King Charles
74the Second, Intituled, An Act for Pre--
75venting Dangers which may happen from Po--
76pish Recusants; And Except also the Sta--
77tute made in the Thirtieth Year of the
78said King Charles the Second, Intitu--
79led, An Act for the more Effectual Preserving
80the Kings Person and Government, by Disa--
81bling Papists from Sitting in either House
82of Parliament; Shall be Construed to
83Extend to any Person or Persons Dis--
84senting from the Church of England,
85that shall take the Oaths mentioned in
86a Statute made this present Parlia--
87ment, Intituled, An Act for Removing
88and Preventing all Questions and Disputes
89Concerning the Assembling and Sitting of
90this present Parliament; And shall Make
91and Subscribe the Declaration menti--
92oned in a Statute made in the Thir--
93tieth Year of the Reign of King Charles
94the Second, Intituled, An Act to Pre--
95vent Papists from Sitting in either House of
96Parliament; Which Oaths and Declara--
97tion the Justices of Peace at the Ge--
98neral Sessions of the Peace, to be held
99for the County or Place where such Per--
100son shall live, are hereby Required to
101Tender and Administer to such Persons
102as shall offer themselves to Take,
103Make, and Subscribe the same, and
104 [Seite: 306] thereof to keep a Register; And like--
105wise none of the Persons aforesaid shall
106give or pay, as any Fee or Reward, to any
107Officer or Officers belonging to the
108Court aforesaid, above the Sum of Six
109pence, nor that more thanb once, for his or
110their Entry of his taking the said
111Oaths, and Making and Subscribing
112the said Declaration; Nor above the fur--
113ther Sum of Six pence for any Certifi--
114cate of the same, to be made out and
115Signed by the Officer or Officers of the
116said Court.

117And be it further Enacted by the Au--
118thority aforesaid, That all and every
119Person and Persons, already Convicted
120or Prosecuted in order to Conviction of Re--
121cusancy, by Indictment, Information,
122Action of Debt, or otherwise, grounded
123upon the aforesaid Statutes, or any of
124them, that shall take the said Oaths
125mentioned in the said Statute made
126this present Parliament, and Make and
127Subscribe the Declaration aforesaid, in
128the Court of Exchequer, or Assizes, or
129General or Quarter Sessions to be
130held for the County where such Person
131lives, and to be thence respectively
132Certified into the Exchequer, shall be
133thenceforth Exempted and Discharged
134from all the Penalties, Seizures, Forfei--
135tures, Judgments, and Executions, In--
136curred by Force of any the aforesaid Sta--
137 [Seite: 307] tutes, without any Composition, Fee,
138or further Charge whatsoever.

139And be it further Enacted by the Au--
140thority aforesaid, That all and every
141person and persons that shall, as aforesaid,
142take the said Oaths, and Make and
143Subscribe the Declaration aforesaid,
144shall not be liable to any Pains, Penal--
145ties, or Forfeitures, mentioned in an Act
146made in the Five and thirtieth Year of
147the Reign of the Late Queen Elizabeth,
148Intituled, An Act to Retain the Queen`s Ma--
149jesties Subjects in their due Obedience; Nor
150in an Act made in the Two and twenti--
151eth Year of the Reign of the late King
152Charles the Second, Intituled, An Act to
153Prevent and Suppress Seditious Conventicles;
154Nor shall any of the said Persons be Pro--
155secuted in any Ecclesiastical Court, for or
156by reason of their Nonconforming to the
157Church of England.

158Provided always, and be it Enacted by
159the Authority aforesaid, That if any
160Assembly of persons Dissenting from the
161Church of England shall be had in any
162place for Religious Worship with the
163Doors Locked, Barred, or Bolted, during
164any time of such Meeting together, all
165and every person or persons, that shall
166come to and be at such Meeting, shall
167not receive any benefit from this Law,
168but be liable to all the Pains and Penal--
169 [Seite: 308] ties of all the aforesaid Laws recited in
170this Act, for such their Meeting, not--
171withstanding his taking the Oaths, and
172his Making and Subscribing the Decla--
173ration aforesaid.

174Provided always, That nothing here--
175in contained shall be Construed to Ex--
176empt any of the persons aforesaid from
177paying of Tythes or other Parochial
178Duties, or any other Duties to the
179Church or Minister, nor from any Pro--
180secution in any Ecclesiastical Court or
181elsewhere, for the same.

182And be it further Enacted by the Au--
183thority aforesaid, That if any person
184Dissenting from the Church of England,
185as aforesaid, shall hereafter be Chosen or
186otherwise Appointed to bear the Office
187of High Constable, or Petty Constable,
188Church Warden, Overseer of the Poor,
189or any other Parochial or Ward Office,
190and such person shall Scruple to take
191upon him any of the said Offices in re--
192gard of the Oaths, or any other Mat--
193ter or Thing required by the Law to be
194taken or done in respect of such Office,
195Every such person shall and may execute
196such Office or Employment by a suffici--
197ent Deputy, by him to be provided, that
198shall Comply with the Laws on this
199behalf.

200 [Seite: 309] Provided always, the said Deputy be
201Allowed and Approved by such person
202or persons, in such manner as such Of--
203ficer or Officers respectively should by
204Law have been Allowed and Appro--
205ved.

206And be it further Enacted by the Au--
207thority aforesaid, That no person Dis--
208senting from the Church of England in
209Holy Orders, or pretended Holy Orders,
210or pretending to Holy Orders, nor any
211Preacher or Teacher of any Congregati--
212on of Dissenting Protestants, that shall
213Make and Subscribe the Declaration
214aforesaid, and take the said Oaths at
215the General or Quarter Sessions of the
216Peace to be held for the County, Town,
217Parts, or Division where such person
218lives, which Court is hereby impowered
219to Administer the same, and shall also
220Declare his Approbation of and Sub--
221scribe the Articles of Religion mention--
222ed in the Statute made in the Thir--
223teenth Year of the Reign of the late
224Queen Elizabeth, Except the Thirty
225fourth, Thirty fifth, and Thirty sixth,
226and these words of the Twentieth Ar--
227ticle, Vi[delicet] [The Church hath power to De--
228cree Rights or Ceremonies, and Authority in
229Controversies of Faith, And yet], shall be li--
230able to any of the Pains or Penalties
231mentioned in an Act made in the Seven--
232 [Seite: 310] teenth Year of the Reign of King Charles
233the Second, Intituled, An Act for Re--
234straining Non-Conformists from Inhabiting in
235Corporations; Nor the Penalties mention--
236ed in the aforesaid Act made in the Two
237and twentieth Year of his said late Ma--
238jesties Reign, for or by reason of such per--
239sons Preaching at any Meeting for the
240Exercise of Religion; Nor to the Penal--
241ty of One hundred pounds mentioned
242in an Act made in the Thirteenth and
243Fourteenth of King Charles the Second,
244Intituled, An Act for the Uniformity of
245Publick Prayers, and Administration of Sacra--
246ments, and other Rites and Ceremonies: And
247for Establishing the Form of Making, Ordain--
248ing, and Consecrating of Bishops, Priests, and
249Deacons in the Church of England, for Offi--
250ciating in any Congregation for the Ex--
251ercise of Religion permitted and allowed
252by this Act.

253Provided always, That the Making
254and Subscribing the said Declaration,
255and the Taking the said Oaths, and
256Making the Declaration of Approbati--
257on and Subscription to the said Articles,
258in manner as aforesaid, by every respe--
259ctive person or persons herein before men--
260tioned, at such General or Quarter Ses--
261sions of the Peace as aforesaid, shall be
262then and there Entred of Record in the
263said Court, for which Six pence shall be
264paid to the Clerk of the Peace, and no more.

265 [Seite: 311] Provided that such Person shall not at
266any time Preach in any Place, but with
267the Doors not Locked, Barred, or Bolted,
268as aforesaid.

269And Whereas some Dissenting Prote--
270stants Scruple the Baptizing of In--
271fants; Be it Enacted by the Authority
272aforesaid, That every Person in pre--
273tended Holy Orders, or Pretending to
274Holy Orders, or Preacher, or Teacher,
275that shall Subscribe the aforesaid Arti--
276cles of Religion, Except before Excepted,
277and also Except part of the Seven and
278twentieth Article touching Infant Baptism,
279and shall take the said Oaths, and Make
280& Subscribe the Declaration aforesaid, in
281manner aforesaid, every such Person shall
282enjoy all the Priviledges, Benefits, and
283Advantages, which any other Dissenting
284Minister, as aforesaid, might have or en--
285joy by vertue of this Act.

286And be it further Enacted by the Au--
287thority aforesaid, That Every Teacher
288or Preacher in Holy Orders, or pretended
289Holy Orders, that is a Minister, Preach--
290er, or Teacher of a Congregation, that
291shall take the Oaths herein Required,
292and Make and Subscribe the Declarati--
293on aforesaid, And also Subscribe such
294of the aforesaid Articles of the Church of
295England, as are Required by this Act in
296manner aforesaid, shall be thenceforth

297 [Seite: 312] Exempted from serving upon any Jury,
298or from being Chosen or Appointed to
299bear the Office of Church Warden, Over--
300seer of the Poor, or any other Parochial
301or Ward Office, or other Office in any
302Hundred of any Shire, City, Town, Pa--
303rish, Division, or Wapentake.

304And be it further Enacted by the Au--
305thority aforesaid, That every Justice of
306the Peace may at any time hereafter
307Require any Person, that goes to any
308Meeting for Exercise of Religion, to
309Make and Subscribe the Declaration
310aforesaid, and also to take the said Oaths
311or Declaration of Fidelity herein after
312mentioned, in Case such Person scruples
313the taking of an Oath, and upon refusal
314thereof, such Justice of the Peace is here--
315by Required to Commit such Person to
316Prison without Bail or Mainprize, and
317to Certifie the Name of such Person to
318the next General or Quarter Sessions of
319the Peace to be held for that County, Ci--
320ty, Town, Part, or Division, where such
321Person then Resides; and if such Person
322so Committed shall upon a second tender
323at the General or Quarter Sessions re--
324fuse to Make and Subscribe the Decla--
325ration aforesaid, such Persons refusing
326shall be then and there Recorded, and he
327shall be taken thenceforth to all Intents
328and Purposes for a Popish Recusant
329Convict, and suffer accordingly, and in--
330 [Seite: 313] cur all the Penalties and Forfeitures of
331all the aforesaid Laws.

332And whereas there are certain other
333persons, Dissenters from the Church of
334England, who Scruple the taking of any
335Oath; Be it Enacted by the Authority
336aforesaid, That every such person shall
337Make and Subscribe the aforesaid Decla--
338ration, and also this Declaration of Fi--
339delity following, Vi[delicet]:

340I A. B. Do sincerely Promise and
341Solemnly Declare before God and
342the World, that I will be True and Faith--
343ful to King William and Queen Mary;
344And I do Solemnly Profess and Declare,
345that I do from my Heart Abhor, Detest,
346and Renounce, as Impious and Heretical,
347that damnable Doctrine and Position,
348That Princes Excommunicated or De--
349prived by the Pope, or any Authority
350of the See of Rome, may be Deposed
351or Murthered by Their Subjects, or any
352other whatsoever. And I do Declare,
353that no Foreign Prince, Person, Prelate,
354State, or Potentate hath or ought to
355have any Power, Jurisdiction, Superio--
356 [Seite: 314] rity, Preeminence, or Authority, Ecclesi--
357astical or Spiritual, within this Realm.

358And shall Subscribe a Profession of
359their Christian Belief in these Words:

360I A. B. Profess Faith in God the Fa--
361ther, And in Jesus Christ his Eter--
362nal Son, the true God, And in the Ho--
363ly Spirit, one God blessed for evermore,
364And do acknowledge the Holy Scri--
365ptures of the Old and New Testament
366to be given by Divine Inspiration.

367Which Declarations and Subscription
368shall be made and Entred of Record at the
369General Quarter Sessions of the Peace
370for the County, City, or Place where every
371such Person shall then Reside. And eve--
372ry such Person that shall Make and Sub--
373scribe the Two Declarations and Pro--
374fession aforesaid, being thereunto Requi--
375red, shall be Exempted from all the Pains
376and Penalties of all and every the afore--
377mentioned Statutes made against Po--
378pish Recusants, or Protestant Noncon--
379formists, and also from the Penalties of
380an Act made in the Fifth Year of the
381Reign of the late Queen Elizabeth, Inti--
382tuled, An Act for the Assurance of the Queen`s
383Royal Power over all Estates, and Subjects
384 [Seite: 315] within Her Dominions, For or by reason of
385such Persons not taking or refusing to
386take the Oath mentioned in the said Act;
387And also from the Penalties of an Act
388made in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth
389Years of the Reign of King Charles the
390Second, Intituled, An Act for Preventing
391Mischiefs that may arise by certain Persons cal--
392led Quakers, refusing to take Lawful Oaths;
393And enjoy all other the Benefits, Privi--
394ledges, and Advantages under the like
395Limitations, Provisoes, and Conditions,
396which any other Dissenters shall or
397ought to enjoy by Virtue of this Act.

398Provided always, And be it Enacted
399by the Authority aforesaid, That in case
400any person shall refuse to take the said
401Oaths, when tendred to them, which eve--
402ry Justice of the Peace is hereby Im--
403powered to do, such person shall not be
404admitted to Make and Subscribe the
405Two Declarations aforesaid, though
406required thereunto either before any Ju--
407stice of the Peace, or at the General or
408Quarter Sessions, before or after any
409Conviction of Popish Recusancy, as afore--
410said, unless such person can, within Thir--
411ty one days after such tender of the De--
412clarations to him, produce Two sufficent
413Protestant Witnesses, to Testifie upon
414Oath, that they believe him to be a Pro--
415testant Dissenter, or a Certificate under
416the hands of Four Protestants, who are
417 [Seite: 316] Conformable to the Church of England,
418or have taken the Oaths and Subscribed
419the Declaration above mentioned, and
420shall also produce a Certificate under the
421Hands and Seals of Six or more sufficient
422Men of the Congregation to which he
423belongs, owning him for one of them.

424Provided also, and be it Enacted by the
425Authority aforesaid, That until such
426Certificate, under the Hands of Six of his
427Congregation, as aforesaid, be produced,
428and Two Protestant Witnesses come to
429attest his being a Protestant Dissenter,
430or a Certificate under the hands of Four
431Protestants, as aforesaid, be produced,
432the Justice of the Peace shall and here--
433by is Required to take a Recognizance
434with Two Sureties in the Penal Sum
435of Fifty pounds, to be Levyed of his
436Goods and Chattels, Lands, and Tene--
437ments, to the Use of the King and
438Queens Majesties, Their Heirs and
439Successors, for his producing the same;
440And if he cannot give such Security, to
441Commit him to Prison, there to remain
442until he has produced such Certificates,
443or Two Witnesses, as aforesaid.

444Provided always, and it is the true
445Intent and Meaning of this Act, That
446all the Laws made and provided for the
447frequenting of Divine Service on the
448Lord`s Day, commonly called Sunday,
449 [Seite: 317] shall be still in Force, and Executed a--
450gainst all persons that offend against
451the said Laws, Except such persons
452come to some Congregation or Assembly
453of Religious Worship, allowed or permit--
454ted by this Act.

455Provided always, and be it further
456Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That
457neither this Act, nor any Clausec, Article, or
458Thing herein Contained, shall Extend or
459be Construed to Extend to give any Ease,
460Benefit, or Advantage to any Papist or
461Popish Recusant whatsoever, or any per--
462son that shall deny in his Preaching or
463Writing the Doctrine of the Blessed Tri--
464nity, as it is Declared in the aforesaid
465Articles of Religion.

466Provided always, and be it Enacted by
467the Authority aforesaid, That if any per--
468son or persons, at any time or times after
469the Tenth day of June, do and shall wil--
470lingly and of purpose, Maliciously or Con--
471temptuously come into any Cathedral or
472Parish Church, Chappel, or other Con--
473gregation permitted by this Act, and
474Disquiet or Disturb the same, or Misuse
475any Preacher or Teacher, such person or
476persons, upon proof thereof before any Ju--
477stice of Peace, by Two or more sufficient
478Witnesses, shall find Two Sureties to
479be bound by Recognizance in the Penal
480Sum of Fifty pounds, and in default of
481such Sureties shall be Committed to
482 [Seite: 318] Prison, there to remain till the next Ge--
483neral or Quarter Sessions; And upon
484Conviction of the said Offence at the
485said General or Quarter Sessions, shall
486suffer the Pain and Penalty of Twenty
487pounds, to the Use of the King and
488Queens Majesties, Their Heirs and Suc--
489cessors.

490Provided always, That no Congrega--
491tion or Assembly for Religious Worship
492shall be permitted or allowed by this Act,
493until the place of such Meeting shall be
494Certified to the Bishop of the Diocess, or
495to the Arch-Deacon of that Arch-Deaco--
496nary, or to the Justices of the Peace at
497the General or Quarter Sessions of the
498Peace for the County, City, or Place in
499which such Meeting shall be held, and
500Registred in the said Bishops, or Arch--
501Deacons Court respectively, or Recorded
502at the said General or Quarter Sessions;
503The Register or Clerk of the Peace
504whereof respectively is hereby Required
505to Register the same, and to give Certifi--
506cate thereof to such Person as shall De--
507mand the same, for which there shall be
508none greater Fee nor Reward taken, thand
509the Sum of Six pence.

510Finis.