and sub

and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that every person dissenting from the church Protestant Dissenting of England, in holy orders, or pretended holy orders, ministers or pretending to holy orders, being a preacher or taking oaths teacher of any congregation of Dissenting Pro- scribing detestants, who, if he scruple to declare and subscribe claration. as aforesaid, shall take the oaths and make and subscribe the declaration against Popery required by the said act, in the first year of the reign of king William and queen Mary, to be taken, made, and subscribed by Protestant Dissenting ministers, and shall also make and subscribe a declaration in the words following: videlicet.

'I. A. B., do solemnly declare, in the presence ' of Almighty God, that I am a Christian and a Pro'testant, and as such, that I believe that the scrip'tures of the Old and New Testament, as commonly ' received among Protestant churches, do contain 'the revealed will of God; and that I do receive the

same as the rule of my doctrine and practice,'shall be, and every such person is hereby declared Entitled to be, entitled to all the exemptions, benefits, pri- to privilevileges, and advantages, granted to Protestant Dis- ges of 1 W. & M., s. 1, senting ministers by the said act, made in the c. 18,and 10 Ann, c. 2. first year of the reign of king William and queen Mary; and by an act made in the tenth year of the reign of queen Anne, intituled, An Act for preserving the Protestant Religion, by better securing the Church of England as by Law established; and for confirming the Toleration granted to Protestant

128

APPENDIX.

Dissenters, by an Act, intituled, An Act for exempting their Majesties' Protestant Subjects, dissenting from the church of England, from the Penalties of certain Laws; and for supplying the defects thereof; and for the further securing the Protestant succession, by requiring the Practisers of the Law in North Britain to take the Oaths and subscribe the Declaration therein mentioned; and the justices of the peace, at the general sessions of the peace to be holden for the county or place where any Protestant Dissenting minister shall live, are hereby required to tender and administer the said last-mentioned declaration to such minister, upon his offering himself to make and subscribe the same, and thereof to keep a register: and such minister shall not give or pay, as a fee or reward to any officer or officers belonging to the court aforesaid, above the sum of six-pence, for his or their entry of such minister's making and subscribing the said last-mentioned declaration, and taking the oaths, and making and subscribing the declaration against Popery, required by the said act, made in the first year of the reign of king William and queen Mary, to be taken, made, and subscribed by Protestant Dissenting ministers, nor above the sum of six-pence for any certificate thereof, to be made out and signed by the officer or officers of the said court; and every such person qualifying himself as aforesaid, shall be exempted from serving in the militia of Exempted this kingdom; and shall also be exempted from from serving any imprisonment, or other punishment, by virtue of an act made in the thirteenth and fourteenth years

in militia,

and from

of the reign of king Charles the Second, intituled, punishment An Act for the Uniformity of public Prayers, and Uniformity, Administration of Sacraments, and other Rites and &c., 13 & Ceremonies; and for establishing the Form of 14 Car. 2, making, ordaining, and consecrating Bishops, Priests and Deacons, in the Church of England; or by

c. 4.

an act made in the fifteenth year of the same reign, 15 Car. 2, intituled, An Act for Relief of such Persons as by c. 6. Sickness, or other Impediment, were disabled from subscribing the declaration in the Act of Uniformity, and Explanation of Part of the said Act; for preaching or officiating in any congregation of Protestant Dissenters for the exercise of religion permitted and allowed by law.

II. And be it further enacted, by the authority Dissenters aforesaid, that no Dissenting minister, nor any allowed to qualifying, other Protestant dissenting from the church of instruct England, who shall take the aforesaid oaths, and youth.

make and subscribe the above-mentioned declaration against Popery, and the declaration hereinbefore mentioned, shall be prosecuted in any court whatsoever, for teaching and instructing youth as a tutor or schoolmaster; any law or statute to the contrary notwithstanding.

III. Provided always, that nothing in this act No Discontained shall extend, or be construed to extend, senter to hold masto the enabling of any person dissenting from the tership of church of England to obtain or hold the mastership any college, of any college or school of royal foundation, or of any other endowed college or school for the education of youth, unless the same shall have been founded since the first year of the reign of their late

&c.

1 W. & M.

and this act deemed public acts

majesties king William and queen Mary, for the immediate use and benefit of Protestant Dissenters. IV. And whereas it hath been doubted whether s. 1, c. 18, the said act, made in the first year of the reign of king William and queen Mary, be a public or pri'vate act;' be it enacted and declared, that the said act, and also this present act, shall be adjudged, deemed, and taken to be public acts; and shall be judicially taken notice of as such, by all judges, justices, and other persons whomsoever, without specially pleading them, or either of them.

(A).

No. 3.

Statute 52 Geo. III., c. 155.

29th July, 1812.

An Act to repeal certain Acts, and amend other Acts relating to Religious Worship and Assemblies, and Persons teaching or preaching therein.

6

WHEREAS it is expedient that certain acts of parliament, made in the reign of his late majesty 'king Charles the Second, relating to nonconformists and conventicles, and refusing to take oaths, 'should be repealed, and that the laws relating to certain congregations and assemblies for religious worship, and persons teaching, preaching, or officiating therein, and resorting thereto, should be

6

6

6

amended:' Be it therefore enacted by the King's most excellent majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that from and after the passing of this act, an act of parliament made in the session of parliament held in the thir- 13 & 14 Car. teenth and fourteenth years of his late Majesty king 2, c. 1. Charles the Second, intituled, An Act for preventing the Mischiefs and Dangers that may arise, by certain Persons called Quakers, and others, refusing to take lawful Oaths; and another act of parliament, made in the seventeenth year of the reign of his late 17 Car. 2, majesty king Charles the Second, intituled An Act c.2. for restraining Nonconformists from inhabiting in Corporations; and another act of parliament, made

c. 1, repeal

ed.

in the twenty-second year of the reign of the late 22 Car. 2, king Charles the Second, intituled An Act to prevent and suppress seditious Conventicles; shall be and the same are hereby repealed.

II. And be it further enacted, that from and after Places of religious the passing of this act, no congregation or assembly worship for religious worship of Protestants (at which there certified and shall be present more than twenty persons besides registered.

the immediate family and servants of the person in whose house, or upon whose premises such meeting, congregation, or assembly, shall be had), shall be permitted or allowed, unless and until the place of such meeting, if the same shall not have been duly certified and registered under any former act or acts of parliament relating to registering places of re