Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 2.djvu/565

A.D. 1558. Donors of all and singular the same Spiritual Promotions or of any of them, to present or collate to the same, as though the Person or Persons so offending were dead.

VI. And that if any such Person or Persons, after he shall be twice convicted in Form aforesaid, shall offend against any of the Premisses the third Time, and shall be thereof in Form aforesaid lawfully convicted that then the Person so offending and convicted the third Time, shall be deprived, ipso facto, of all his Spiritual Promotions, and also shall suffer Imprisonment during his Life.

VII. And if the Person that shall offend, and be convicted in Form aforesaid, concerning any of the Premisses, shall not be beneficed, nor have any Spiritual Promotion, that then the same Person so offending and convict, shall for the full Offence suffer Imprisonment during one whole Year next after his said Conviction, without Bail or Mainprise.

VIII. And if any such Person, not having any Spiritual Promotion, after his first Conviction shall eftsoons offend in any Thing concerning the Premisses, and shall in Form aforesaid be thereof lawfully convicted, that then the same Person shall for his second Offence suffer Imprisonment during his Life.

IX. And it is ordained and enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if any Pcrfon or Perfons whatsoever, after the said Feast of the Nativity of St. John Baptist next coming, shall in any Enterludes, Plays, Songs, Rhymes, or by other open Words, declare or speak any Thing in the Derogation, Depraving or Despising of the same Book, or of any Thing therein contained, or any Part thereof; (2) Or shall by open Fact, Deed or by open Threatnings, compel or cause, or otherwise procure or maintain, any Parson, Vicar or other Minister in any Cathedral or Parish Church, or in Chapel, or in any other Place, to sing or say any Common or open Prayer, or to minister any Sacrament otherwise, or in any other Manner and Form, than is mentioned in the said Book; (3) or that by any of the said Means shall unlawfully interrupt or let any Parson, Vicar or other Minister in any Cathedral or Parish Church, Chapel, or any other Place, sing or say common and open Prayer, or to minister the Sacraments or any of them, in such Manner and Form, as is mentioned in the said Book; (4) that then every such Person, being thereof lawfully convicted in Form abovesaid, shall forfeit to the Queen our Sovereign Lady, her Heirs and Successors, for the first offence an hundred Marks.

X. And if any Person or Persons being once convict of any such Offence, eftsoons offend against any of the the last recited Offences, and shall in Form aforesaid be thereof lawfully convict; that then the same Person so offending and convict shall for the second Offence forfeit to the Queen our Sovereign Lady, her Heirs and Successors, four hundred Marks.

XI. And if any Person, after he in Form aforesaid shall have been twice convict of any Offence concerning any of the last recited Offences, shall offend the third Time, and be thereof in Form abovesaid lawfully convict, That then every Person so offending and convict shall for his third Offence forfeit to our Sovereign Lady the Queen, all his Goods and Chattels, and shall suffer lmprisonment during his Life.

XII. And if any Person or Persons, that for his first Offence concerning the Premisses shall be convict in Form aforesaid, do not pay the Sum to be paid by Virtue of his Conviction, in such Manner and Form as the same ought to be paid, within six Weeks next after his Conviction; that then every Person so convict, and so not paying the same, shall for the same first Offence, instead of the said Sum, suffer lmprisonment by the Space of six Months, without Bail or Mainprise.

XIII. And if any Person or Persons, that for his second Offence concerning the Premisses shall be convict in Form aforesaid, do not pay the said Sum to be paid by Virtue of his Conviction and this Estatute, in such Manner and Form as the same ought to be paid, within six Weeks next after his said second Conviction; that then every Person so convicted, and not so paying the same, shall for the same second Offence, in the stead of the said Sum, suffer Imprisonment during twelve Months, without Bail or Mainprise.

XIV. And that from and after the said Feast of the Nativity of St. John Baptist next coming, all and every Person and Persons inhabiting within this Realm, or any other the Queen's Majesty's Dominions, shall diligently and faithfully, having no lawful or reasonable Excuse to be absent, endeavour themselves to resort to their Parish Church or Chapel accustomed, or upon reasonable Let thereof, to some usual Place where Common Prayer and such Service of God shall be used in such Time of Let, upon every Sunday, and other Days ordained and used to be kept as Holy Days, and then and there to abide orderly and soberlv during the Time of the Common Prayer, Preaching, or other Service of God there to be used and ministred; (2) upon Pain of Punishment by the Censures of the Church, and also upon Pain that every, Person so offending shall forfeit for every such Offence twelve Pence, to be levied by the Churchwardens of the Parish where such Offence shall be done, to the Use of the Poor of the same Parish, of the Goods, Lands and Tenements of such Offender, by Way of Distress.

XV. And for due Execution hereof, the Queen's most excellent Majesty, the Lords Temporal, and all the Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, do in God's Name earnestly require and charge all the Archbishops, Bishops and other Ordinaries, that they shall endeavour themselves to the uttermost of their Knowledges, that the due and true Execution hereof may be had throughout their Diocese and Charges, as they will answer before God, for such Evils and Plagues wherewith Almighty God may justly punish his People for neglecting this good and wholsome Law.

XVI. And for their Authority in this Behalf, be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That all and singular the said Archbishops, Bishops, and all other their Officers exercising Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction, as well in Place exempt as not exempt, within their Diocess, shall have full Power and Authority by this Act to reform, correct and punish by Censures of the Church, all and singular Persons which shall offend within any their Jurisdictions or Diocess, after the said Feast of the Nativity of St. John Baptist next coming, against