Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 2.djvu/561

A.D. 1558. sign assign, name and authorize, when and as often as your Highness, your Heirs and Successors, shall think meet and convenient, and for such and so long Time as shall please your Highness, your Heirs and Successors, as your Majesty, your Heirs and Successors, shall think meet, to exercise, use, occupy and execute under your Highness, your Heirs and Successors, all Manner of Jurisdictions, Privileges and Preheminences, in any wise touching or concerning any Spiritual or Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, wtihin these your Realms of England and Ireland, or any other yor Highness Dominions and Countries: (2) And to visit, reform, redress, order, correct and amend all such Errors, Heresies, Schisms, Abuses, Offences, Contempts and Enormities whatsoever, which by any Manner of Spiritual or Ecclesisastical Power, Authority or Jurisdiction, can or may lawfully be reformed, ordered, redressed, corrected, restrained or amended, to the Pleasure of Almighty God, the Increase of Virtue, and the Conservation of the Peace and Unity of this Realm; (3) and that such Person or Persons so to be named, assigned, authorized and appointed by your Highness, your Heirs and Successors after the said Letters Patents to him or them made and delivered, as is aforesaid, shave full Power and Authority by Virtue of this Act, and of the said Letters Patents under your Highness, your Heirs and Successors, to exercis, use and execute all the Premisses, according to the Tenour and Effect of the said Letters Patents; any Matter or Cause to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding

XIX. And for the better Observation and Maintenance of this Act, may it please your Highness that it may be further enacted by the Authority aforesfaid, That all and every Archbishop, Bishop, and all and every other Ecclesiastical Person, and other Ecclesiastical Officer and Minister, of what Estate, Dignity, Preheminence or Degree soever he or they be or shall be, (2) and all and every Temporal Judge, Justice, Mayor and other Lay or Temporal Officer and Minister, and every other Person having your Highness Fee or Wages, (3) within this Realm, or any your Highness Dominions, shall make, take and receive a corporal Oath upon the Evangelist, before such Person or Persons as shall please your Highness, your Heirs or Successors, under the Great Seal of England to assign and name, to accept and to take the same according to the Tenour and Effect hereafter following; that is to say,

"I A. B. do utterly testify and declare in my Conscience, That the Queen's Highness is the only SupreamSupreme [sic] Governor of this Realm, and of all other her Highness Dominions and Countries, as well in all Spiritual or Ecclesiastical Things or Causes, as Temporal; and that no foreign Prince, Person, Prelate, State or Potentate, hath or ought to have any Jurisdiction, Power, Superiority, Preheminence, or Authority Ecclesiastical or Spiritual, within this Realm; and therefore I do utterly renounce and forsake all foreign Jurisdictions, Powers, Superiorities and Authorities, and do promise, that from henceforth I shall bear Faith and true Allegiance to the Queen's Highness, her Heirs and lawful Successors, and to my Power shall assist and defend all Jurisdictions, Preheminences, Privileges and Authorities granted or belonging to the Queen's Highness, her Heirs and Successors, or united and annexed to the Imperial Crown of this Realm. So help me God, and by the Contents of this Book."

XX. And that it may also be enacted, That if any such Archbishop, Bishop or any other Ecclesiastical Officer or Minister, or any of the said Temporal Judges, Justiciaries, or other Lay Officer or Minister, shall peremptorily or obstinately refuse to take or receive the said Oath; that then he so refuting shall forfeit and lose only during his Life all and every Ecclesiastical and Spiritual Promotion, Benefice and Office, and every Temporal and Lay Promotion and Office, which he hath solely at the Time of such Refusal made; and that the whole Title, Interest, and Incumbency, in every such Promotion, Benefice, and other Office, as against such Person only so refuting, during his Life shall clearly cease and be void, as though the Party so refusing were dead.

XXI. And that also all and every such Person and Persons so refusing to take the said Oath, shall immediately after such Refusal, be from thenceforth, during his Life, disabled to retain or exercise any Office or other Promotion which he at the Time of such Refusal hath jointly, or in common, with any other Person or sons.

XXII. And that all and every Person and Persons, that at any Time hereafter shall be preferred, promoted or collated to any Archbishoprick or Bishoprick, or to any other Spiritual or Ecclesiastical Benefice, Promotion, Dignity, Office or Ministry; or that shall be by your Highness, your Heirs or Successors, preferred or promoted to any Temporal or Lay Office, Ministry or Service within this Realm, or in any your Highness Dominions, before he or they shall take upon him or them to receive, use, exercise, supply or occupy any such Archbishoprick, Bishoprick, Promotion, Dignity, Office, Ministry or Service, shall likewise make, take, and receive the said corporal Oath before mentioned, upon the Evangelist, before such Persons as have or shall have Authority to admit any such Person to any such Office, Ministry or Service, or else before such Person or Persons as by your Highness, your Heirs or Successors, by Commission under the Great Seal of England, shall be named, assigned or appointed to minister the said Oath.

XXIII. And that it may likewise be further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if any such Person or Persons, as at any Time hereafter shall be promoted, preferred or collated to any such Promotion Spiritual or Ecclesiastical, Benefice, Office or Ministry, or that by your Highness, your Heirs or Successors, shall be promoted or preferred to any Temporal or Lay Office, Ministry or Service, shall and do peremptorily and obstinately refuse to take the same Oath so to him to be offered; that then he or they so refusing shall presently be judged disabled in the Law to receive, take or have the same Promotion Spiritual or Ecclesiastical, or the same Temporal Office, Ministry or Service within this Realm, or any other your Highness Dominions, to all Intents, Confirmations and Purposes.

XXIV. And that it may be further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That all and every Person and Persons Temporal, suing Livery or Oustre le maine out of the Hands of your Highness, your Heirs or cessors,