[1662/5/16]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
The estates of parliament, calling to mind that in the last session of this present parliament there was an act made and passed, upon most pious and weighty considerations, appointing 29 May, yearly forever, to be set apart as a holy day unto the Lord, and that in all the churches of the kingdom it be employed in public prayers, preaching, thanksgiving and praises to God, for the transcendent mercies bestowed upon this kingdom, that day which God Almighty has specially honoured and rendered auspicious, both by his majesty's royal birth and by his blessed and happy restoration to his government, and that at such a time when all his good subjects were lying and groaning under most sad dispensations and inexpressible sufferings from base and cruel usurpers, regicides and strangers. And albeit the sense of so great and unparalleled deliverances and mercies could not but have laid an obligation upon the hearts and spirits of all who are truly loyal and fearing God in this land, for the discharging of so obvious and necessary duties, without any statute or act commanding the same; yet such is the perverse and wicked disposition of some ministers (and such who pretend to a greater measure of zeal and piety and no less loyalty than others, but who, under that pretext, always have been and are desperate and incorrigible enemies to the present ancient and laudable government of church and state), in manifest contempt of his sacred majesty's authority, and to the great scandal of others, have maliciously been wanting to give obedience to the foresaid so just and pious act; therefore, the king's majesty, with advice and consent of the estates of parliament, decrees and ordains that all such who have transgressed or shall hereafter dare to transgress the foresaid act of parliament, be and are henceforth discharged and incapacitated to possess and enjoy any benefice within this kingdom; but that the same are ipso facto vacant without declarator, and their stipends, manses, glebes and other duties payable to them for their service are, from the date hereof, also declared vacant, and to be employed and disposed upon to pious uses by advice of their ordinary bishops; and all who are liable discharged to make payment thereof to them in all time coming, excepting for this present year, such who between now and 20 September next to come shall, before the archbishop or bishop of the dioceses in which they live, give good reason for excuse or then acknowledge their fault, promise exact obedience for the future and, in presence of the bishop, take the oath of allegiance to his majesty as it is set down in the eleventh act of this present parliament, and make intimation thereof to their people at their first preaching in time of divine service, and for the time to come only such as shall have and make known most necessary and satisfactory excuses to their ordinary bishop of the dioceses. And his majesty does hereby recommend to the lords of privy council and all judges, magistrates and ministers of the law, and others whom it may concern, to be careful to see this act put into execution conforming to the tenor thereof.