Sq. The HISTORY of the PURITANS Chip. IV. peen Tome -of thepenal laws, and enafted, That no perfon fhould be punifhed Ebz,beth, for exerciling the religion ufed in the loft year of king Edward. They 55ß. appointed the publick fervice to be performed in the vulgar tongue. They empowered the queen to nominate bithops to the vacant bifhopricks by conge d' elire, as at prefent. They fupprefled the religious houles found- ed by queen Mary, and annexed them to the crown; but the two princi- pal aLls puffed this feffion, were the as of SUPREMACY, and of UNIFoR MITY OF COMMON PRAYER. `rhe Ate of The former is entitled, An AS for re/loring to the crown the ancient Supremacy. jurifdiSion over theflare ecclefa/lical and fpiritual; and for abolifhing f. reign power. It is the fame for fubftance with the 25th of Henry VIII. already mentioned, but the commons incorporated feveral other bills into it; for befides the title of fpreme governor in all caufes ecclefrflical and temporal, which is reftored to the queen, the aft revives thofe laws of king Henry VIII. and king Edward VI. which had been repealed in the late reign. It forbids all appeals to Rome, and exonerates the fubjefls from all exaftions and impofitions heretofore paid to that court ; and as it re= vives king Edward's laws; it repeals a fevere aft made in the late reign for puni(bing herefy ; and three other old flatutes mentioned in the laid aft: " Moreover, all perlons in any publick employs, whether civil or ecelefi " aftical, are obliged to take an oath in recognition of the queen's right " to the crown, and of her fupremacy in all caufes-ecclefraffical and ci.r " vil, on penalty of forfeiting all their promotions in the church, and of " being declared incapable of holding any public office." In fhort, by this fingle aft of thefupremacy, all that had been done by queen Mary was in a manner, annulled, and the,external policy of the churchrefored to the fame foot, as it flood on at the death of king Edward VI. Further, " The aft forbids all writing, printing, teaching, or preaching, " and all other deeds or afts, whereby any foreign jurifdiftion over thefe " realms is defended, upon pain that they and their abettors being there. ". of convifed, (hall for the firft offence forfeit their goods and chattels; " and if they are not worth 20 pounds, Puffer a year's imprifonment; " fpiritual perlons (hall lofe their benefices, and all.ecclefiaftical prefer- ". ments ; for the fecond offence they fhall incur the penalties of a pm- " munire; and the thirdoffènce (hall be deemed high treafon." Original of There is a remarkable claufe in this aft, which:gave rife to a new court, the Court of called the court of HIGH COMMISSION. The words are theee, " The High Cam- " queen and her fuccefiors (hall have power, by their letters patents un- Sope, p.6g. " der the great feat, to affign, name,. and authorize, as often as they fhall think meet, and for as long time as they fhall pleafe, perlons be- " ing natural born fubjefls, to ufe, occupy, and exercife under, her and '' them, -44
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