Nonconformist Relief Act 1779

AN ACT for the further Relief of Protestant Dissenting Ministers and Schoolmasters

WHEREAS by an Act made in the first year of the reign of King William and Queen Mary (intituled An Act for exempting their Majesties Protestant subjects dissenting from the Church of England from the penalties of certain laws), persons dissenting from the Church of England, in holy orders or pretended holy orders, or pretending to holy orders, and preachers or teachers of any congregation of dissenting Protestants are required, in order to be entitled to certain exemptions, benefits, privileges and advantages, to declare their approbation of and to subscribe the articles of religion mentioned in the statute made in the thirteenth year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth (except as in the said Act made in the first year of the reign of King William and Queen Mary is excepted): And whereas many such persons scruple to declare their approbation of and to subscribe the said articles not excepted as aforesaid: For giving ease to such scrupulous persons in the exercise of religion, may it please your Majesty that it may be enacted, and be it 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 every person dissenting from the Church of England, in holy orders or pretended holy orders, or pretending to holy orders, being a preacher or teacher of any congregation of dissenting Protestants, who shall 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 Protestant, and as such that I believe that the Scriptures 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 to be, entitled to all the exemptions, benefits, privileges and advantages granted to Protestant dissenting ministers by the said Act made in the first year of the reign of King William and Queen Mary; and the justices of the peace at the general session of the peace to be holden for the county or place where any Protestant dissenting minister shall live and 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 sixpence for his or their entry of such minister's making and subscribing the said last-mentioned declaration, nor above the sum of sixpence 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 this kingdom, and shall also be exempted from any imprisonment or other punishment by virtue of an Act made in the thirteenth and fourteenth years of the reign of King Charles the Second, intituled "An act for the uniformity of publick prayers, and administration of sacraments, and other rites of ceremonies, and for establishing the form of making, ordaining and consecrating bishops, priests and deacons in the Church of England," or by an Act made in the fifteenth year of the same reign, intituled "An Act for relief of such persons as by 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.

AND no dissenting minister, nor any other Protestant dissenting from the Church of England, who shall make and subscribe the declaration herein-before 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.

PROVIDED always, that nothing in this Act contained shall extend or be construed to extend to the enabling of any person dissenting from the Church of England to obtain or hold the mastership 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 Majesties King William and Queen Mary, for the immediate use and benefit of Protestant dissenters.

AND whereas it hath been doubted whether the said Act made in the first year of the reign of King William and Queen Mary be a publick or private Act: Be it enacted and declared, that the said Act, and also this present Act, shall be adjudged, deemed and taken to be publick 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.