APPENDIX (A) No. 1. Statute 1 W. & M., s. 1, c. 18, usually called THE TOLERATION ACT. A. D. 1688. An Act for exempting their Majesties' Protestant Subjects, dissenting from the Church of England, from the Penalties of certain Laws. "FORASMUCH as some ease to scrupulous consciences, in the exercise of religion, may be an "effectual means to unite their Majesties' Protestant "subjects, in interest and affection :" extend to II. Be it enacted by the King's and Queen's most The several excellent Majesties, by and with the advice and con- laws not to sent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and the Dissenters. commons, in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that neither the statute made in the three and twentieth year of the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth, intituled, An Act to retain 23 Eliz.c.l. the Queen's Majesty's Subjects in their due Obedience, nor the statute made in the twenty-ninth year of 29 Eliz. c. 6 the said queen, intituled, An Act for the more speedy s. 14. and due execution of certain branches of the statute made in the three and twentieth year of the Queen's Majesty's reign, viz. the aforesaid act, nor that branch or clause of a statute made in the first year 1 Eliz. c. 2, of the reign of the said queen, intituled, An Act for the Unifomity of Common Prayer, and Service in the Church, and Administration of the Sacraments; whereby all persons, having no lawful or reasonable excuse to be absent, are required to resort to their parish church or chapel, or some usual place where the common prayer shall be used, upon pain of punishment by the censures of the church, and also upon pain that every person so offending shall forfeit for every such offerce, twelvepence nor the statute made in the third year the reign of the late king James the First, intituled, 4. 3 Jac. 1, c. 5. of 3 Jac. 1, c. An Act for the better discovering and repressing Popish Recusants; nor that other statute made in the same year, intituled, An Act to prevent and avoid Dangers which may grow by Popish Recusants; nor any other law or statute of this realm made against Papists or Popish recusants, except the statute made in the five and twentieth year of Exception king Charles the second, intituled, An Act for preventing Dangers which may happen from Popish 25 Car. 2, st. 2. Recusants; and except also the statute made in the thirtieth year of the said king Charles the 30 Car. 2, second, intituled, An Act for the more effectual preserving the King's Person and Government by disabling Papists from sitting in either House of st. 2. st. 2. oaths, &c. Parliament; shall be construed to extend to any person or persons dissenting from the church of England, that shall take the oaths mentioned in a statute made this present parliament, intituled, An Act for removing and preventing all Questions and Supra, c. 1. Disputes concerning the assembling and sitting of this present Parliament; and shall make and subscribe the declaration mentioned in a statute made in the thirtieth year of the reign of king Charles the second, intituled, An Act to prevent Papists from sitting 30 Car. 2, in either House of Parliament; which oaths and declaration the justices of peace, at the general Taking sessions of the peace, to be held for the county or place where such person shall live, are hereby required tered. to tender and administer to such persons as shall offer themselves to take, make, and subscribe the same, and thereof to keep a register: and likewise none of the persons aforesaid shall give or pay, as any Fee for register and fee or reward, to any officer or officers, belonging to certificate. the court aforesaid, above the sum of six-pence, nor that more than once for his or their entry of his taking the said oaths, and making and subscribing the said declaration; nor above the further sum of sixpence, for any certificate of the same, to be made out and signed by the officer or officers of the said court. III. And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that all and every person and persons already convicted, or prosecuted in order to conviction, of recusancy, by indictment, information, action of debt, or otherwise, grounded upon the aforesaid statutes, to be regis Persons convicted, &c. taking the oaths, &c. shall be discharged. 116 APPENDIX. or any of them, that shall take the said oaths, mentioned in the said statute made this present parliament, and make and subscribe the declaration aforesaid, in the court of Exchequer, or assizes, or general or quarter sessions to be held for the county where such person lives, and to be thence respectively certified into the Exchequer, shall be thenceforth exempted and discharged from all the penalties, seizures, forfeitures, judgments, and executions incurred by force of any of the aforesaid statutes, without any composition, fee, or further charge whatsoever. IV. And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that all and every person and persons that shall, as aforesaid, take the said oaths, and make and subscribe the declaration aforesaid, shall not be liable to any pains, penalties, or forfeitures, mentioned in an act made in the five-and-thirtieth year of the reign 35 Eliz. c. 1. of the late queen Elizabeth, intituled, An Act to retain the Queen's Majesty's Subjects in their due Obedience; nor in an act made in the two-andtwentieth year of the reign of the late king Charles 22 Car. 2, the second, intituled, An Act to prevent and suppress seditious Conventicles; nor shall any of the said Ecclesiasti- persons be prosecuted in any Ecclesiastical court, for cal court. or by reason of their non-conforming to the church of England. c. 1. Private meetings excluded. V. Provided always, and be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, that if any assembly of persons dissenting from the church of England, shall be had in any place for religious worship, with the doors |