TOLERATION. 



church, and to infant baptifm ; or if they fcruple fubfcribing 

 the articles, upon making and fubfcribing the declaration 

 prefcribcd by ftat. 19 G*o. III. cap. 44. profefTuig thcm- 

 fclves to be Chriftians and Proteftants, and that they be- 

 lieve the Scriptures of the Old and New Tellament, as 

 commonly received among Proteflant churches, to contain 

 the revealed will of God, and that tiiey receive the fame as 

 the rule of their doftrine and pra&ice ; for the rcgifter of 

 which they (hall pay 6d. to the officer of the court and no 

 more, and 6d. for a certificate thereof figned by fuch officer. 

 A farther enlai'gement of the Toleration Aft, in favour of 

 thofe who impugn the doftrine of the Trinity, was made 

 by 53 Geo. III. c. 160. 



Any preacher or teacher, duly quahfied, Oiall be allowed 

 to officiate in any congregation, although the fame be not 

 in the county where he was fo qualified, provided that the 

 place of meeting hath been duly certified and rcgillered, 

 and fuch teacher or preacher (hall, if required, produce a 

 certificate of his having fo qualified himfelf, and before any 

 juftice of fuch county where he officiates, make and fub- 

 fcribe fuch declaration, and take fuch oaths as aforefaid, if 

 required. ( 10 Ann. cap. 2.) And every inch teacher, 

 having taken the oaths, and fubfcribed as above, fliall from 

 tlienceforth be exempted from ferving in the militia, or on 

 any jury, or from being appointed to bear the office of 

 churchwarden, overfeer of the poor, or any other parochial 

 or ward office, or other office in any hundred, city, town, 

 parifh, divifion, or wapentake. For the (late of diffenting 

 fchool-mafters, fee ScuooL-MaJler. 



In confequence of the Toleration Aft, non-conformity 

 ic no longer a crime in the eye of the law, and the penalties 

 to which it was obnoxious are not only fufpended, but 

 abfolutely annulled with regard to thofe diflenters who are 

 qualified as the aft direfts. See Furneaux's Letters to 

 Judge Blackftone, letter i. See Dissenters. 



For an account of the laws relating to Papifls or Catho- 

 lics, fee Papists. We (hall here Hate the toleration granted 

 to Catholics by the 31 Geo. III. c. 32. By this aft it (hall 

 be lawful for perfons profefling the Roman Catholic religion, 

 to appear in any of the courts at Wellminfter, or at the 

 general quarter feffions for the county, city, or place where 

 he ffiall refide, and there in open court, between the hours 

 of nine in the morning and two in the afternoon, take, make, 

 and fubfcribe the following declaration and oath : -viz. 



" I A. B. do hereby declare, that I do profefs the Roman 

 Catholic religion. 



I A. B. do fincerely promife and fvvear, that I will be 

 faithful and bear true allegiance to his majelly king George 

 the Third, and him will defend to the utmoft of my power, 

 againft all confpiracies and attempts whatfoever, that (liall 

 be made againft his perfon, crown, or dignity ; and I will 

 do my utmoft endeavour to difclofe and make known to his 

 majeliy, his heirs and fucceffors, all trcafons and traitorous 

 confpiracies which may be formed againft him or them : 

 and I do faithfully promife to maintain, fupport, and de- 

 fend, to the utmoft of my power, the fucceffion of the 

 <;rown ; which fucceffion, by an aft intitled, yin ^ff for the 

 further Umitalion of the crown and better fecurity of the rights 

 ' and liberties of the fubjeB, is and ftands limited to the princefs 

 Sophia, eleftrefs and duchefs dowager of Hanover, and the 

 heirs of her body, being Proteftants, hereby utterly re- 

 nouncing and abjuring any obedience or allegiance unto any 

 other perfon claiming or pretending a right to the crown of 

 thefe realms. And I do fwear, that 1 do rejeft and deteft, 

 as an unchriftian and impious pofition, that it is lawful to 

 murder or deftroy any perfon or perfons whatfoever, for or 

 •mider pretence of their being heretics or infidels ; and alfo 



12 



that unchriftian and impious piinciplo, th.Tt faith it not to 

 be kept with heretics or infidels. And I do furtlier declare 

 that it is not an article of my faith, and that I do renounce, 

 rejeft, and abjure the opinion, that princes excommunicated 

 by the pope and council, or any authority of tlie fee of 

 Rome, or by any authority whatfoever, may be dcpofed or 

 murdered by their fubjefts, or any perfon vhatfoever. And 

 I do promife that I will not hold, maintain, or abet any 

 fuch opinion, or any other opinion contrary to what is ex- 

 preffed in this declaration. And I do declare, that I do 

 not believe that the pope of Rome, or any other foreign 

 prince, prelate, ftate, or potentate, hath or ought to have 

 any temporal or civil jurifdiftion, power, fuperiority, or 

 pre-eminence, direftly or iudireftly, within this realm. And 

 I do folemnly, in the prefence of God, profefs, teftify, and 

 declare, that I do make this declaration, ?. d every part 

 thereof, in the plain and ordinary fenfe of the words of this 

 oath, without any evafioH, equivocation, or mental refcrva- 

 tion whatever ; and without any difpcnfation already granted 

 by the pope, or any authority of the fee of Rome, or any 

 perfon whatever ; and without thinking that I am or can 

 be acquitted before God or man, or abfolved of this de- 

 claration, or any part thereof, although the pope or any 

 other perfon or authority whatfoever (li;dl difpenfe with or 

 annul the fame, or declare that it was null or void." 



Which faid declaration and oath (hall be fubfcribed by 

 fuch perfon with his name at full length, if he can write, 

 and if not, with his mark, and his name fhall be written 

 by the officer, adding his title, addition, and place of abode, 

 which (hall there remain of record : and fuch officer (hall 

 make, fubfcribe, and deliver a certificate of fuch declara- 

 tion and oath having been duly made and taken, if de- 

 manded, for which he (hall have 2s. ; which certificate (hall 

 be competent evidence, unlefs falfified. 



And fuch officer (haU yearly, on or before the 25th of 

 December, tranfmit to the privy council lifts of the perfons, 

 with their titles, additions, and places of abode, who (hall 

 have made and fubfcribed fuch declaration and oath in the 

 preseding year. 



And no Roman Catholic, who (liall have taken and fub- 

 fcribed the faid oath as aforefaid, (hall be convifted upon 

 any of the afts following ; -viz. i Eliz. c. 2. 23 Eliz. c. i. 

 29 Eliz. c. 6. 35 Eliz. c. 2. I .Tac. I. c. 4. 3 Jac. I. c. 4. 

 3 Jac. I. c. 5. and 7 Jac. I. c. 6. or any otlir ftatute or 

 law of this realm ; or in any ecclefiaftical court, for not re- 

 forting to church, or having fervants who (hall not refort to 

 church, or other place of common prayer. 



And by 43 Geo. III. c. 30. Roman Catholics takiug 

 and fubfcribing the declaration and oath contained in the 

 31 Geo. III. c. 32. (hall be entitled to all the benefits of 

 the 18 Geo. III. c. 60. to every purpofe as if they had 

 taken the oath thereby prefcribed. 



And whereas, by 23 Ehz. c. 2. 27 Ehz. c. 2. 35 Eliz. 

 c. 2. 2 Jac. I. c. 4. 3 Jac. I. c. 5. 3 Car. I. c. 2. 

 25 Car. II. c. 2. Papifts are made fubjeft to feveral puni(h- 

 ments, penalties, and difabilities, it is enafted that no per- 

 fon who (hall take and fubfcribe the faid oath in manner 

 aforefaid fhall be profccuted or convifted for being a Papift, 

 or reputed Papift, or for profeffing or being educated in the 

 Popiih religion, or for hearing or faying mafs, or for being 

 a prieft or deacon, or entering or belonging to any ecclefi- 

 aftical order or community of the church of Rome, or for 

 being prefent at or performing or obferving any rite, cere- 

 mony, praftice, or obfervancc of the popiih religion, or 

 maintaining or affifting others therein. 



Provided always, that no place of congregation or af- 

 fembly for religious worftiip (hall be allowed, until the place 



of 



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