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13 January, 2012
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Royal Declaration Of Indulgence, 1672
(1672)
Our care and endeavours for the preservation of the rights and interests
of the church have been sufficiently manifested to the world by the whole
course of our government since our happy restoration, and by the many and
frequent ways of coercion that we have used for reducing all erring or
dissenting persons and for composing the unhappy differences in matters of
religion, which we found among our subjects upon our return. But, it being
evident by the sad experience of twelve years that there is very little fruit
of all those forcible courses, we think ourselves obliged to make use of that
supreme power in ecclesiastical matters which is not only inherent in us but
hath been declared and recognized to be so by several statutes and acts of
parliament. And therefore we do now accordingly issue out this our royal
declaration, as well for the quieting the minds of our good subjects in these
points, for inviting strangers in this conjuncture to come and live under us,
and for the better encouragement of all to a cheerful following of their trades
and callings — from whence we hope, by the blessing of God, to have many
good and happy advantages to our government — as also for preventing for
the future the danger that might otherwise arise from private meetings and
seditious conventicles.
And in the first place, we declare our express resolution, meaning, and
intention to be that the Church of England be preserved and remain entire in
its doctrine, discipline, and government, as now it stands established by law;
and that this be taken to be, as it is, the basis, rule, and standard of the
general and public worship of God; and that the orthodox conformable clergy do
receive and enjoy the revenues belonging thereunto; and that no person, though
of different opinion or persuasion, shall be exempt from paying his tithes or
other dues whatsoever. And further we declare that no person shall be capable
of holding any benefice, living, or ecclesiastical dignity or preferment of any
kind in this kingdom of England, who is not exactly conformable.
We do in the next place declare our will and pleasure to be that the
execution of all and all manner of penal laws in matters ecclesiastical against
whatsoever sort of nonconformists or recusants be immediately suspended, and
they are hereby suspended. And all judges of assize and jail-delivery,
sheriffs, justices of the peace, mayors, bailiffs, and other officers
whatsoever, whether ecclesiastical or civil, are to take notice of it, and pay
due obedience thereunto; and, that there may be no pretence for any of our
subjects to continue their illegal meetings and conventicles, we do declare
that we shall from time to time allow a sufficient number of places, as shall
be desired, in all parts of this our kingdom, for the use of such as do not
conform to the Church of England to meet and assemble in, in order to their
public worship and devotion — which places shall be open and free to all
persons. But to prevent such disorders and inconveniences as may happen by this
our indulgence, if not duly regulated, and that they may be better protected by
the civil magistrate, our express will and pleasure is that none of our
subjects do presume to meet in any place until such place be allowed and the
teacher of that congregation be approved by us. And lest any should apprehend
that this restriction should make our said allowance and approbation difficult
to be obtained, we do further declare that this our indulgence as to the
allowance of public places of worship, and approbation of teachers, shall
extend to all sorts of nonconformists and recusants, except the recusants of
the Roman Catholic religion; to whom we shall no ways allow in public places of
worship, but only indulge them their share in the common exemption from the
executing the penal laws and the exercise of their worship in their private
houses only. And if, after this our clemency and indulgence, any of our
subjects shall presume to abuse this liberty and shall preach seditiously, or
to the derogation of the doctrine, discipline, or government of the established
church, or shall meet in places not allowed by us, we do hereby give them
warning and declare we will proceed against them with all imaginable
severity....
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