159. Act for the Dissolution of Chantries

(1547. I Edward VI. c. 14. 4 S. R. 24. The whole act reprinted in G. and H. 328-357.)

THE

HE king's most loving subjects, the Lords spiritual and temporal, and the Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, considering that a great part of superstition and errors in Christian religion has been brought into the minds and estimations of men, by reason of the ignorance of their very true and perfect salvation through the death of Jesus Christ, and by devising and phantasying vain opinions of purgatory and masses satisfactory to be done for them which be departed, the which doctrine and vain opinion by nothing more is maintained and upholden, than by the abuse of trentals, chantries, and other provisions made for the continuance of the said blindness and ignorance; and further considering and understanding, that the alteration, change, and amendment of the same, and converting to good and godly uses, as in erecting of grammar schools to the education of youth in virtue and godliness, the further augmenting of the universities, and better provision for the poor and needy, cannot, in this present Parliament, be provided and conveniently done, nor cannot nor ought to have any other manner person to be committed, than to the king's highness, whose majesty, with and by the advice of his highness's most prudent council, can and will most wisely and beneficially, both for the honour of God and the weal of this his majesty's realm, order, alter, convert, and dispose the same;

IX. And furthermore be it ordained and enacted by the authority aforesaid, that the king our sovereign lord shall, from the said feast of Easter next coming, have and enjoy to him, his heirs and successors for ever, all fraternities, brotherhoods, and guilds, being within the realm of England and Wales, and other the king's dominions; and all manors, lands, tenements, and other hereditaments belonging to them or any of them other than such corporations, guilds, fraternities, companies, and fellowships of mysteries or crafts, and the manors, lands, tenements, and other hereditaments pertaining to the said corporations, guilds, fraternities, companies, and fellowships of mysteries or crafts above mentioned and shall by virtue of this Act be judged and deemed in the actual and real possession of our said sovereign lord the

king, his heirs and successors, from the said feast of Easter next coming, for ever, without any inquisition or office thereof to be had or found.

XI. And also that the same commissioners, or two of them at the least, by virtue of this Act and of the commission to them directed, shall have full power and authority to assign, and shall appoint (in every such place where guild, fraternity, [or] the priest or incumbent of any chantry in esse, the first day of this present Parliament, by the foundation ordinance or the first institution thereof, should or ought to have kept a grammar school or a preacher, and so has done since the feast of St. Michael the Archangel last past) lands, tenements, and other hereditaments of every such chantry, guild, and fraternity to remain and continue in succession to a schoolmaster or preacher for ever, for and toward the keeping of a grammar school or preaching, and for such godly intents and purposes, and in such manner and form, as the same commissioners, or two of them at the least, shall assign or appoint.

And also to make and ordain a vicar to have perpetuity for ever in every parish church, the first day of this present Parliament, being a college, free chapel, or chantry, or appropriated, annexed, or united to any college, free chapel, or chantry, that shall come to the king's hands by virtue of this Act, and to endow every such vicar sufficiently, having respect to his cure and charge; the same endowment to be to every such vicar, and to his successors for ever, without any other licence or grant of the king, the bishop, or other officers of the diocese.

And also the said commissioners, or two of them at the least, shall have authority by force of this Act, to assign in every great town or parish, where they shall think necessary to have more priests than one, for the ministering of the sacraments within the same town or parish, lands and tenements belonging to any chantry, chapel, or stipendiary priests, being within the same town or parish the first day of this present Parliament, to be to such person and persons as the said commissioners, or two of them at the least, shall assign or appoint to continue in succession for ever, for and towards the sufficient finding and maintenance of one or more priests within the same town or parish, as by the said commissioners, or two of them, shall be thought necessary or convenient; and as well to make ordinances and rules concerning the service, use, and demeanour of every such priest and school

master, as is aforesaid, to be appointed, as also by what name or names he and they shall from henceforth be named and called.

XIX. Provided always, and be it ordained and enacted by the authority aforesaid, that this Act, or any article, clause, or matter contained in the same, shall not in any wise extend to any college, hostel, or hall being within either of the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford; nor to any chantry founded in any of the colleges, hostels, or halls being in the same Universities; nor to the free chapel of St. George the Martyr, situate in the castle of Windsor; nor to the college called St. Mary's College of Winchester beside Winchester, of the foundation of Bishop Wykeham; nor to the college of Eton; nor to the parish church commonly called the Chapel in the Sea in Newton, within the isle of Ely, in the county of Cambridge; nor to any manors, lands, tenements, or hereditaments to them or any of them pertaining or belonging; nor to any chapel made or ordained for the ease of the people dwelling distant from the parish church, or such like chapel whereunto no more lands or tenements than the churchyard or a little house or close does belong or pertain; nor to any cathedral church or college where a bishop's see is, within this realm of England or in Wales, nor to the manors, lands, tenements, or other hereditaments of any of them, other than to such chantries, obits, lights, and lamps, or any of them, as at any time within five years next before the beginning of this present Parliament have been had, used, or maintained within the said cathedral churches, or within any of them, or of the issues, revenues, or profits of any of the said cathedral churches, to which chantries, obits, lights, and lamps it is enacted by the authority aforesaid that this Act shall extend.

XXXIV. Provided also, and be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, that this present Act, nor anything therein contained, shall in any wise extend or be prejudicial or hurtful to the general corporation of any city, borough, or town within this realm, or any other the king's dominions, nor shall extend to any the lands or hereditaments of them or any of them; anything herein contained to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.

160. First Act of Uniformity of Edward VI

(1549. 2 & 3 Edward VI. c. 1. 4 S. R. 37. G. and H. 358–366.)

WHERE of long time there has been had in this realm of

England and in Wales divers forms of common prayer, commonly called the service of the Church; that is to say, the Use of Sarum, of York, of Bangor, and of Lincoln; and besides the same now of late much more divers and sundry forms and fashions have been used in the cathedral and parish churches of England and Wales, as well concerning the Matins or Morning Prayer and the Evensong, as also concerning the Holy Communion, commonly called the Mass, with divers and sundry rites and ceremonies concerning the same, and in the administration of other sacraments of the Church and as the doers and executors of the said rites and ceremonies, in other form than of late years they have been used, were pleased therewith, so others, not using the same rites and ceremonies, were thereby greatly offended;

:

And albeit the king's majesty, with the advice of his most entirely beloved uncle, the lord protector, and other of his highness's council, has heretofore divers times essayed to stay innovations or new rites concerning the premises; yet the same has not had such good success as his highness required in that behalf:

Whereupon his highness by the most prudent advice aforesaid, being pleased to bear with the frailty and weakness of his subjects in that behalf, of his great clemency has not been only content to abstain from punishment of those that have offended in that behalf, for that his highness taketh that they did it of a good zeal; but also to the intent a uniform quiet and godly order should be had concerning the premises, has appointed the Archbishop of Canterbury, and certain of the most learned and discreet bishops, and other learned men of this realm, to consider and ponder the premises; and thereupon having as well eye and respect to the most sincere and pure Christian religion taught by the Scripture, as to the usages in the primitive Church, should draw and make one convenient and meet order, rite, and fashion of common and open prayer and administration of the sacraments, to be had and used in his majesty's realm of England and in Wales; the which at this time, by the aid of the Holy Ghost, with one uniform agreement is of them concluded, set forth, and delivered to his highness, to his great comfort and quietness of mind, in a book

entitled, 'The Book of the Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments, and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, after the Use of the Church of England':

Wherefore the lords spiritual and temporal, and the commons, in this present parliament assembled, considering as well the most godly travail of the king's highness, of the lord protector, and of other his highness's council, in gathering and collecting the said archbishop, bishops, and learned men together, as the godly prayers, orders, rites, and ceremonies in the said book mentioned, and the considerations of altering those things which be altered and retaining those things which be retained in the said book, but also the honour of God and great quietness, which by the grace of God shall ensue upon the one and uniform rite and order in such common prayer and rites and external ceremonies to be used throughout England and in Wales, at Calais and the marches of the same, do give to his highness most hearty and lowly thanks for the same; and humbly pray, that it may be ordained and enacted by his majesty, with the assent of the lords and commons in this present parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that all and singular person and persons that have offended concerning the premises, other than such person and persons as now be and remain in ward in the Tower of London, or in the Fleet, may be pardoned thereof; and that all and singular ministers in any cathedral or parish church or other place within this realm of England, Wales, Calais, and the marches of the same, or other the king's dominions, shall, from and after the feast of Pentecost next coming, be bound to say and use the Matins, Evensong, celebration of the Lord's Supper, commonly called the Mass, and administration of each of the sacraments, and all their common and open prayer, in such order and form as is mentioned in the same book, and none other or otherwise.

And albeit that the same be so godly and good, that they give occasion to every honest and conformable man most willingly to embrace them, yet lest any obstinate person who willingly would disturb so godly order and quiet in this realm should not go unpunished, that it may also be ordained and enacted by the authority aforesaid, that if any manner of parson, vicar, or other whatsoever minister, that ought or should sing or say common prayer mentioned in the said book, or minister the sacraments, shall after the said feast of Pentecost next coming refuse to use the said common prayers, or to minister the sacraments in such cathedral or parish church or other places as he should use or minister the same, in such order and form as they be mentioned and set forth in the

T