The Samaritan Showing Healing, Bill 2 – Errata
THE Bill for Indulgence.
FOraſmuch as Some Eaſe to Tender Conſciences in the Exerciſe of Religion, may be an Effectual Means to Unite His Majeſties Proteſtant Subjects in Intereſt and Affection, which is highly neceſſary in this time of Eminent Danger from the common Enemy the Papists: Be it Enacted By the Kings Moſt Excellent Majeſty, by and with the Advice and Conſent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Commons in this preſent Parliament Aſſembled, That neither the Statute made in the 23d. Year of the Reign of the Late Queen Elizabeth, Entituled An Act to retain the Queens Majesties Subjects in their due Obedience: Nor the Statute made in the Twenty Eighth Year of the ſaid Queen, Entituled An Act for the more ſpeedy and due Execution of certain Branches of the Statute made in the Twenty Third Year of the Queens Majesties REIGN, (Videlicet) the aforeſaid Act: Nor Statute made in the Third Year of the Reign of the Late King James, Entituled An Act to prevent and avoid dangers which may grow by Popiſh Recuſants: Nor any other Law or Statute of this Realm, made againſt Popiſh Recuſants, ſhall be conſtrued to Extend to any Perſon or Perſons Diſſenting from the Church of England, that ſhall (being lawfully required) take the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy (which Oath of Allegiance is contained in a Statute made in the Third Year of the Late King James), and make and Subſcribe the Declaration mentioned in a Statute made in the Twentieth Year of His Majeſties Reign that now is, Entituled An Act to prevent Papists from Sitting in either Houſe of Parliament. And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforeſaid, That all and every Perſon and Perſons already Convicted, or Proſecuted in Order to Conviction of Recuſancy, by Indictment, Information, Action of Debt, or otherwiſe grounded upon the aforeſaid Statutes, or any of them that ſhall take the ſaid Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy, and make and Subſcribe the aforeſaid Declaration, in the Court of Exchequer or Aſſizes, or General or Quarter Seſſions, to be held for the County where ſuch Perſon lives, and to be thence reſpectively certified into the Exchequer, ſhall be thenceforth diſcharged from all the Penalties, Seizures and Forfeitures incurred by force of any the aforeſaid Statutes, without any Compoſition, Fee, or further Charge whatſoever. And be it further Enacted By the Authority aforeſaid, that all and every Perſon and Perſons, (that being lawfully required) ſhall take the ſaid Oaths, and make and ſubſcribe the Declaration aforeſaid, ſhall not be liable to any Pains, Penalties or Forfeitures mentioned in an Act, made the Thirty Fifth Year of the late Queen Elizabeth, Entituled, An Act to retain the Queens Majeſties Subjects in their due Obedience; Nor in an Act made in the Twenty Second Year of His Majeſty that now is, Entituled, An Act to prevent and ſuppreſs Seditions Conventicles; Nor ſhall any of the ſaid Perſons be Proſecuted in any Eccleſiaſtical COURT, for or by reaſon of their Non-conforming to the CHURCH of ENGLAND.
The Bill proceeds next to a Proviſo, That the Doors be not Locked, Barred, or Bolted, where there are Meetings: Then to the Relieving Conſtables, Church-Wardens, and the like Officers, that Scruple the Oaths that be long to thoſe Offices, by admitting a Deputy: Then to the Repealing the Oxford Act (or Releaſing the Penalty) to all ſuch as ſhall take the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance, and Subſcribe to the Declaration aforeſaid, and the Doctrinal Articles of the Church of England, with the exceptions of the former Bill: Upon the ſame Terms, Liberty is granted to any Perſon, to teach a School, or be a Tutor in a Private Family. It Proceeds to giving Eaſe upon the ſame, to Diſſenting Proteſtants, who Scruple the Baptizing Infants: Then to the Eaſing other Perſons, who ſcruple Taking all Oaths; whom it ſhall ſuffice to ſay, That J. A. B. Acknowledge, Profeſs, and Teſtify, inſtead of J. A. B. Swear That, &c. According to the Words of the Oaths of Allegiance, and Supremacy. Then there is an Excellent Proviſo, That no Perſons who do not go upon Sundays, to ſome Congregation of Religious Worſhip, allowed by this Act, ſhall have any benefit at all by it.
The Bill is Long upon theſe Contents, and therefore upon Conſideration alſo, that it hath been once Printed already, ſo that the Copy thereof is in the hands of many (when it is not ſo, nor could be ſo with the other) it is conceived beſt, to forbear any further Repetition. For indeed, if the whole Bill for Indulgence were waved, and one Clauſe onelyonly advanced into the Bill before for Comprehenſion (giving it the Title of a Bill for Comprehenſion and Indulgence both) it were rather to be Choſen, and eaſier Paſſed. That Clauſe ſhould be to this effect.
ANd foraſmuch as there are ſome Ministers of a good Life, that cannot (according to their Judgments) allow of our Parochial Churches, nor a Book of Liturgy; but do chuſe to Worſhip God and Jeſus Chriſt, in the way of their Gathered or Separate Congregations, and crave the Protection and Clemency of the King, upon their Allegiance, as other Subjects.
Be it finally Enacted for the Happineſs and quiet of the Realm, and the Reduction of theſe Men, by other means than thoſe which have hitherto proved unſucceſsful, That every Christian Subject throughout the Land, that profeſs the Reformed Religion, be pardoned all Faults and Penalties, incurr'd upon the Account of any forepaſt Nonconformity; And that all Proſecutions of the Paenal Laws, which concern the Proteſtants, and not the Papiſts, in the matter of Religion, ſhall be Suſpended, Ʋntil by a further Act of Parliament, thoſe that are fit to be tollerated, and the Intollerable be diſtinguiſhed; and ſuch Order be taken, as is neceſſary to the ſettling a more Firm and Lasting Ʋnion in the Nation.
ERRATA.
PAge 20. l. 8. read cuervo. p. 27. l. 15. r. Nachmanides. p. 45. l. 31. r. many other. p. 51. l. 5. for hope r. help p. 56. l. 10. r. deſquels. l 23. r. function. p. 58. l. 8. f. as r. or p. 61. l. 7. r. propoſition. p. 72. l. 21. after are r. not. Some literal miſtakes there are in the Oriental words, as Cheth for Ain, and Pe for Mem, and others, which I omit. Beſides the mangling ſome French and Italian Quotations.
FINIS.
End of the text · Edward Polhill, The Samaritan Showing Healing (1682)