THe Lords and Commons in Parliament taking into their ſerious Conſiderations, how well pleaſing it is to God, and conduceable to the bleſſed Reformation in his Worſhip, ſo much deſired by both Houſes of Parliament, That all Monuments of Superſtition or Idolatry ſhould be removed and demoliſhed; Do Ordain, That in all and every the Churches and Chappels, as well Cathedrall and Collegiate, as other Churches and Chappels, and other uſuall places of publick Prayer, authoriſed by Law within this Relam of England and Dominion of Wales, all Altars and Tables of Stone ſhall before the firſt day of November, in the yeer of our Lord God 1643, be utterly taken away and demolliſhed; And alſo all Communion Tables removed from the Eaſt end of every ſuch Church, Chappell, or place of publick Prayer, and Chancell of the ſame, and ſhall be placed in ſome other fit & convenient place or places of the body of the ſaid Church, Chappell, or other ſuch place of publick Prayer, or of the body of the chancel of every ſuch Church, Chappell, or other such place of publick Prayer; And that all Rails whatſoever, which have been erected neer to, before, or about any Altar, or Communion Table, in any of the ſaid Churches or Chappells, or other ſuch place of publick Prayer as aforeſaid, ſhall before the ſaid day be likewiſe taken away; And the Chancell ground of every ſuch Church or Chappell, or other place of publick Prayer, which hath been within twenty yeers laſt paſt, raiſed for any Altar or Communion Table to ſtand upon, ſhall before the ſaid day be laid down, and levelled as the same was before the ſaid Twenty yeers laſt paſt, And that all Tapers, Candleſtickes and Baſons, ſhall before the ſaid day be removed and taken away from the Communion Table in every ſuch Church, Chappell, or other place of publick Prayer, and neither the ſame, nor any ſuch like ſhall be uſed about the ſame at any time after the ſaid day; And that all Crucifixes, Croſſes, and all Images and Pictures of any one or more Perſons of the Trinity, or of the Virgin Mary, and all other Images and Pictures of Saints, or ſuperſtitious Inſcriptions in, or upon all and every the ſaid Churches or Chappells or other places of publick Prayer, Church-yards, or other places to any the ſaid Churchas and Chappels; or other place of publick Prayer, belonging, or in any other open place, ſhall before the ſaid firſt day of November be taken away and defaced, and none of the like hereafter permitted in any ſuch Church or Chappell, or other places as aforeſaid.
And be it further Ordain'd that all and every ſuch removall of the ſaid Altars, Tables of ſtone, Communion Tables, Tapers, Candleſticks and Baſons, Crucifixes and Croſſes, Images and Pictures as aforeſaid, taking away of the ſaid Rayles levelling of the ſaid grounds, ſhalbe done and performed, and the walls, Windowes, Grounds and other places which ſhall be broken, impaired or altered by any the meanes aforſaid, ſhall be made up and repaired in good and ſufficient manner, in all and every of the ſaid Pariſh-churches or Chappels, or uſuall places of publick Prayer belonging to any Pariſh, by the Churchwarden, or Church-wardens of every ſuch Pariſh for the time being reſpectively; And in any Cathedrall or Collegiate Church or chappell, by the Dean or Sub-Dean, or other chiefe Officer of every ſuch church or chappell for the time being; And in the Univerſities, by the ſeverall Heads abd Governours of every Colledge or Hall reſpectively; And in the ſeverall Innes of Court by the Benchers and Readers of every of the ſame reſpectively, at the coſt and charges of all and every ſuch Perſon or Perſons, Body Politick or corporate, or pariſhioners of every pariſh reſpectively, to whom the charge of the repaire of any ſuch church, chappell, chancel, or place of publick Prayer or other part of ſuch church or chappell, or place of publick prayer doth, or ſhall belong: and in caſe default be made in any of the Premiſſes by any of the perſon or perſons thereunto appointed by this Ordinance from, and after the ſaid firſt day of November, which ſhall be in the yeer of our Good Lord 1643. That then every ſuch perſon or perſons ſo making default, ſhall for every ſuch neglect or default, by the ſpace of Twenty dayes, forfeit and loſe forty ſhillngs to the uſe of the poore of the ſaid Pariſh wherein ſuch default ſhall be made, or if it be out of any pariſh, then to the uſe of the poore of ſuch pariſh whoſe Church is or ſhall be neereſt to the Church or Chappell, or other place of publick prayer where ſuch default ſhalbe made; and if default ſhalbe made after the firſt day of December, which ſhall be in the ſaid yeer 1643. Then any one Juſtice of the Peace of the county, City or town where ſuch default ſhall be made, upon information thereof to him to be given, ſhall cauſe or procure the premiſſes to be performed according to the Tenor of this Ordinance at he coſt and charges of ſuch perſon or perſons, bodies politick or corporate, or Inhabitants in every pariſh who are appointed by this Ordinance to bear the ſame.
Provided, that this Ordinance, or any thng therein contained ſhall not extend to any Image, Picture, or coate of Armes in Glaſſe, Stone, or otherwiſe; in any Church, Chappell, Church-yard or place of publick prayer as aforeſaid, ſet up or graven only for a Monument of any King, Prince, or Nobleman, or other dead perſon which hath not been commonly reputed or taken for a Saint: But that all ſuch Images, Pictures, and coates of Armes may ſtand and continue in like manner and forme, as if this Ordinance had never been made.
F I N I S.
Ordered by the Commons aſſembled in Parliament,
That this Ordinance be forthwith printed; And divulged and disperſed through the ſeverall and respective Counties, Cities and Towns, by the ſeverall and respective Knights and Burgeſſes:
H: Elſynge, Cler. Parl. D. Com.