of two shillings and sixpence, and by any action of debt, bill, plaint no more: and such certificate or information in any of his Mashall be conclusive evidence that jesty's Courts of Record at Westthe party named therein has made minster, or the courts of Great Ses and taken the oaths and subscribed sions in Wales or the court of the the declaration in manner required counties palatine of Chester, Lanby this Act. caster and Durham (as the case shall require); wherein no essoign, pri. vilege, protection, or wager of law, or more than one imparlance shall be allowed. IX. And be it further enacted, That every person who shall teach or preach, in any such congrega. tion or assembly, or congregations or assemblies as aforesaid, who XI. And be it further enacted, shall employ himself solely in the That no meeting, assembly, or duties of a teacher or preacher, congregation of persons for religi and not follow or engage in any ous worship, shall be had in any trade or business, or other profes place with the door locked, bolted, sion, occupation or employment, or barred, or otherwise fastened, for his livelihood except that of a so as to prevent any persons enter. schoolmaster, and who shall pro. ing therein during the time of any duce a certificate of some justice such meeting, assembly, or con of the peace, of his having taken gregation; and the person teach. and made and subscribed the ing or preaching at such meeting, oaths and declaration aforesaid, assembly, or congregation, shall shall be exempt from the civil ser. forfeit for every time any such vices and offices specified in the meeting, assembly, or congregasaid recited Act, passed in the tion, shall be held with the door first year of King William and locked, bolted, barred, or otherQueen Mary, and from being wise fastened as aforesaid, any balloted to serve and from serving sum not exceeding twenty pounds, in the militia or local militia of nor less than forty shillings, at the any county, town, parish, or place discretion of the justices convictin any part of the Uuited Kingdom. X. And be it further enacted, That every person who shall pro. duce any false or untrue certificate or paper, as and for a true certificate of his having made and taken the oaths and subscribed the declarations, by this Act required, for the purpose of claiming any exemption from civil or military duties as aforesaid, under the provisions of this or any other Act or Acts of Parliament, shall forfeit for every such offence the sum of fifty pounds; which penalty may be recovered by and to the use of any person who will sue for the same, ing for such offence. XII. And be it further enacted, That if any person or persons, at any time, after the passing of this Act, do and shall wilfully and maliciously or contemptuously disquiet or disturb any meeting, assembly, or congregation of persons assembled for religious wor. ship, permitted or authorized by this Act, or any former Act or Acts of Parliament, or shall in any way disturb, molest, or misuse any preacher, teacher, or person officiating at such meeting, assembly, or congregation, or any person or persons there assembled, such person or persons so offending, upon proof thereof before any justice of the peace by two or more credible witnesses, shall find two sureties to be bound by recognizances in the penal sum of fifty pounds to answer for such offence, and in default of such sureties shall be committed to prison, there to remain till the next General or Quarter Sessions; and upon conviction of the said offence, at the said General or Quarter Sessions, shall suffer the pain and penalty of forty pounds. acts passed in the reign of King Charles the Second herein before repealed, relating to the people called Quakers, or relating to any assemblies or meetings for religious worship held by them. XV. And be it further enacted, That every person guilty of any offence, for which any pecuniary penalty or forfeiture is imposed by this Act, in respect of which no special provision is made, shall and may be convicted thereof by information upon the oath of any one XIII. Provided always, and be or more credible witness or wit it further enacted, That nothing in nesses before any two or more jus this Act contained shall affect or tices of the peace acting in and be construed to affect the celebra- for the county, riding, city or tion of Divine service according to place wherein such offence shall the rites and ceremonies of the be committed; and that all and united Church of England and every the pecuniary penalties or Ireland, by ministers of the said forfeitures which shall be incurred church, in any place hitherto used or become payable for any offence for such purpose, or being now or offences against this Act, shall or hereafter duly consecrated or and may be levied by distress, licensed by any archbishop or under the hand and seal or hands bishop or other person lawfully and seals of two justices of the authorized to consecrate or license peace for the county, riding, city, the same, or to affect the jurisdic- or place, in which any such oftion of the archbishops or bishops or other persons exercising lawful authority in the Church of the United Kingdom over the said church, according to the rules and discipline of the same, and to the laws and statutes of the realm; but such jurisdiction shall remain and continue as if this Act had not passed. fence or offences was or were committed, or where the forfeiture or forfeitures was or were incurred, and shall when levied be paid one moiety to the informer, and the other moiety to the poor of the parish in which the offence was committed; and in case of no sufficient distress whereby to levy the penalties, or any or either of XIV. Provided also, and be it them imposed by this Act, it shall further enacted, That nothing in and may be lawful for any such this Act contained shall extend justices respectively before whom or be construed to extend to the the offender or offenders shall be people usually called Quakers, nor convicted, to commit such offen. to any meetings or assemblies for der to prison for such time not exreligious worship held or convened ceeding three months, as the said by such persons; or in any man. justices in their discretion shall ner to alter or repeal or affect any think fit. act other than and except the VOL. VII. 4 F XVI. And be it further enacted, That in case any person or persons shall be brought or commenced who shall hereafter be convicted against any person or persons for of any of the offences punishable any thing done in pursuance of by this Act, shall conceive him, this Act, that every such action her or themselves to be aggrieved or suit shall be commenced within by such conviction, then and in three months next after the fact every such case, it shall and may committed, and not afterwards, be lawful for such person or per- and shall be laid and brought in sons respectively, and he, she, or the county wherein the cause or they shall or may appeal to the alleged cause of action shall have General or Quarter Sessions of the accrued, and not elsewhere; and Peace, holden next after such the defendant or defendants in conviction in and for the county, such action or suit may plead the riding, city or place, giving unto general issue, and give this Act the justices before whom such and the special matter in evidence conviction shall be made, notice on any trial to be had thereupon, in writing within eight days after and that the same was done in any such conviction, of his, her, pursuance and by authority of this or their intention to prefer such Act; and if it shall appear so to appeal; and the said justices in be done, or if any such action or their said General or Quarter Ses- suit shall be brought after the time sions shall and may, and they are so limited for bringing the same, hereby authorized and empowered or shall be brought in any other to proceed to the hearing and de- county, city, or place, that then termination of the matter of such and in such case the jury shall appeal, and to make such order find for such defendant or defen. therein, and to award such costs dants; and upon such verdict, or to be paid by and to either party, if the plaintiff or plaintiffs shall not exceeding forty shillings, as become nonsuited, or discontinue they in their discretion shall think his, her, or their action or actions, fit. or if a verdict shall pass against XVII. And be it further enacted, the plaintiff or plaintiffs, or if That no penalty or forfeitures upon demurrer judgment shall be shall be recoverable under this given against the plaintiff or plainAct, unless the same shall be sued tiffs, the defendant or defendants for, or the offence in respect of shall have and may recover treble which the same is imposed is pro- costs, and have the like remedy secuted before the justices of the for the same, as any defendant or peace or Quarter Sessions, within defendants hath or have for costs six months after the offence shall of suit in other cases by law. have been committed; and no person who shall suffer any imprisonment for non-payment of any penalty shall thereafter be liable to the payment of such penalty or forfeiture. XVIII. And be it further enacted, That if any action or suit XIX. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall be deemed and taken to be a public Act, and shall be judicially taken notice of as such by all judges, justices, and others, without specially pleading the same. Form of the Oaths and Declara. tion mentioned in the last Act. 1, A. B. of [specify the Christian and Surname and the Parish and County where the Party resides] do sincerely promise and swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to his Majesty King George SO HELP ME GOD. 1, A. B. [insert as before directed] do swear that I do from my heart abhor, detest, and abjure, as impious and heretical, that damnable doctrine and position, that Princes excommunicated or deprived by the Pope or any authority of the See of Rome, may be deposed or murthered by their subjects or any other whatsoever, and I do declare that no foreign prince, person, prelate, state or potentate, hath, or ought to have, any jurisdiction, power, superiority, pre-eminence, or authority, ecclesiastical or spiritual, within this realm. So HELP ME GOD. I, A. B. of [insert as before directed] do solemnly deciare in the presence of Almighty God, that I am a Christian and a Protestant, and as such, that I believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, as commonly received among Protestant Churches, do contain the revealed Will of God, and that I do receive the same as the rule of my doctrine and practice. Examined Form of a Certificate of a Place intended to be used by a Congregation or Assembly for religious Worship. A. B. To the Right Reverend the Lord to the Reverend (A. B) Archdeacon of (as the case may be and to his Registrar, or to the Justices of the Peace [of the County, Riding, Division, City Town, or Place, as the case may be, and to the Clerk of the Peace thereof. I, A. B. of [describing the Christian and Surname, and place of alode, and trade or profession of the party certifying] do hereby certify that a ce. tam building messuage or tenement, barn, school, meeting house, or part of a messuage, tenement, or other building, as the case may be situated in the pish of and county of (as the case may be, and specifying also the number of the messuage &c. if numbered, and the street, lane, &c. wherein it is situate, and the name of the present or last occupier and owner) is intended forthwith to be used as a place of religious worship by an assembly or congregation of Protestants, and I do hereby require you to register the same according to the provisions of an act passed in the forty-second year of the reign of his Majesty King George the Third, intituled, An Act to repeal certain Acts, and amend other Acts, relating to religious worship and assemblies, and persons teaching or preaching therein." mess my hand, this dred and Witday of One Thousand Eight Hun- A. B. And which may be signed by one or more persons, who should keep an examined duplicate of the copy which is left with the registrar or clerk, and be provided with a respectable witness of such delivery. INTELLIGENCE. A Speech delivered at the Annual Many as are the years, Sir, in which I have appeared in the character of a public speaker, I feel great diffidence in addressing you and this numerous assembly on the present occasion; and could not reconcile myself to it, but under the indulgence of delivering my sentiments from prepared notes; and I am sensible, that with the aid of which I avail myself, I stand up under great disadvantages to speak on a subject on which the most brillant talents have, in different places, displayed a copious ness. invention, and energy of diction to which I ought to make no claim and on a subject on which, it must be very fresh in the memory of most of us, such a torrent of pathetic, po ver ul, and ready oratory was poured out on our listening ears last year as sent us all away amazed, transported and deeply impressed will, however, cast myself on the can I dour of this respectable auditory, while from a sense of duty to an excellent cause, I offer a few sentiments that may revive in the minds of many a conviction of its utility and importance. Whether we reflect on the simplicity of the plan adopted by the English and Foreign Bible Society, on the patronage with which it has been honoured, on the rapidity of its progress, on the extent of its influence, or the greatness of the object, there is nct a light in which this institution presents itself to our view, in which it does not strike the mind with proofs of its utility and efficacy. It com menced only eight years since, and in that short space of time, it has, as it were, with a force and quickness of vegetation, like that of the smallest seed, fixed its roots deep, and extended its luxuriant branches iar and wide, even over the globe; it has been the mens of preaching the gospel in fifty-four different languages every year has added to the number of its members: every year has afforded new and joyful proofs of the spread of its operations, and the success of its exertions. It has issued from its Repository in London, more than 325,000 copies of the Scriptures, independently of those which have been printed under its auspices, beyond the limits of the United Kingdoms; and it has expended in this period more than 81,cocl. in promoting its object. Venerated be the name of Pamphilus, the Presbyter of Cæsarea, in the third century, who always kept a supply of copies of the Scriptures to give or lend; venerated be the names of those who translated the sacred books into the vulgar tongues of different countries; venerated be the memory of our pious reformers, who laid open their enlightening pages to the common people; venerated be the names of the Hon. Mr. Boyle, a Bishop Hall and a Lord Wharton, who by testamentary grants, provided for the annual distribution of Bibles through future generations. Great respect is due to the extended plans of the Society formed for promoting Christian Knowledge, and of that which directs its exertions to the attainment of the same object, under the name of Religious Knowledge. I honour the memory of the philanthropic Dr. Bray*, the pro Dr. Bray had the living of Sheldon, near Coleshill; and afterwards was miI ister of Aldgate, London. moter, if not the founder of the former of these institutions. I would not overlook the society formed about 30 years since, for the specific purpose of giving Bibles to our soldiers and sailors. But the light which those efforts have kindled, in comparison with that which this institution has excited and diffused, is scarcely more than are the glitterings of a glow-worm to the splendor of the meridian sun. High praise belongs to those who distribute practical Treatises on Religion, Summaries of Faith and Morals, Books of Devotion and the Commion Prayer. But the best of these are only human compos tions; they are all in some respect defective; in purity and completeness, but above all in authority, they are defective. They are only streams from the fountain of truth and knowledge; whatever is excellent in them originates from the Bible; they mechanically draw the attention of the reader to the man, from whose heart and pen they proceeded. A Bible speaks to us with Divine authority. It turns the thoughts, it elevates the mind in the first instance to God alone, whose word it contains. The institution which you are called, Christians and townsmen, to support, appears to be most honourable to the Holy Scriptures in this view, that its single object is to circulate them only "without note or comment." It is honourable to the scriptures, for "it proclaims, in opposition to infidelity, the public belief of thousands in the truth of revelation." It expresses, in contrast with lukewarmness and a spirit of indifference to the best interests of men, a, generous solicitude for the salvation of man, with an ardent concern for the spread of Divine truth, and a full persuasion that both will be most effectually promoted by the circulation of the scriptures. It is honourable to the Scriptures, for it is our voluntary testimony to their fuliness and sufficiency; it attests our conviction, to use the language of the sixth article of our national church, "that Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation; so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an article of faith; or to be thought requisite or necessary to salvation." It is honourable to the Scriptures, for it employeth them as the means of expressing |