what was the first act of uniformity

When was the first Act of Uniformity?

1549Book, enacted by the first Act of Uniformity of Edward VI in 1549, was prepared primarily by Thomas Cranmer, who became archbishop of Canterbury in 1533. It was viewed as a compromise between old and new ideas and was in places diplomatically ambiguous in its implied teaching; it aroused opposition…

What did the Act of Uniformity mean?

The full title of this Act is, 'An Act for the Uniformity of Public Prayers and Administration of Sacraments, and other Rites and Ceremonies, and for establishing the Form of making, ordaining and consecrating Bishops, Priests and Deacons in the Church of England. '

What did the Act of Uniformity 1662 do?

The Act of Uniformity 1662 is an Act of the Parliament of England. It prescribed the form of public prayers, administration of sacraments, and other rites of the Established Church of England, according to the rites and ceremonies prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer.

When was the 2nd Act of Uniformity?

March 1552In March 1552, a second Act of Uniformity was passed. This made it an offence for any member of the clergy or laity not to attend a church service. Offenders could be fined or imprisoned. Cranmer's new 'Book of Common Prayer' became the official basis for Church of England services.

How many acts are there in uniformity?

Four actsUniformity, Acts of Four acts of Parliament (1549, 1552, 1559, 1662) which regulated the worship of the Church of England and the use of the Book of Common Prayer. The 1662 Act, part of the Restoration settlement, contained as an annex the BCP still in use, and required all ministers to assent to it.

What was the Act of Uniformity and who wrote it?

An Acte for the Unyformytie of Comon Prayer and admynistracion of the Sacramentes. It was enacted by Edward VI of England to supersede his previous Act of 1549. It was one of the last steps taken by the 'boy king' and his councillors to make England a more Protestant country before his death the following year.

Why was the Act of Uniformity important?

The Act of Uniformity made Protestantism England's official faith, established a form of worship which is still followed in parish churches in England today, and showed the country that Elizabeth was bent on following a middle road where religion was concerned.

Why did Puritans not like the Act of Uniformity?

Puritan priests rejected the surplice as it was used by Catholics. This became a problem as the Act of Uniformity had made it the law for priests to wear one. At first Elizabeth had ignored this fact that Puritan priests were ignoring the law, however, this changed in 1565.

Who created the Act of Uniformity 1558?

Elizabeth IThe act was part of the Elizabethan Religious Settlement in England instituted by Elizabeth I, who wanted to unify the church. Other acts concerned with this settlement were the Act of Supremacy 1558 and the Thirty-Nine Articles (1563).

What was the Act of Uniformity GCSE?

The Act of Uniformity 1559 It said that the newly formed Prayer Book, based on that of Edward's reign should be used in all churches and that people would be fined one shilling if they did not attend. People who refused to attend Church services were called recusants.

What was the 1599 Act of Uniformity?

Liturgical conformity in the Church was not established until 1549, when Parliament in a constitutionally significant move passed an Act of Uniformity, which enforced the use of a book of common prayer.

What was the 1547 Act of Uniformity?

In July 1547, the Council used the law to order all bishops to instruct their clergy that services had to be in English and that there had to be a service every Sunday. Further to these, bishops were ordered to remove all 'superstitious' images from churches and to ensure that all parishes had an English Bible.

What was the Act of Uniformity GCSE?

The Act of Uniformity 1559 It said that the newly formed Prayer Book, based on that of Edward's reign should be used in all churches and that people would be fined one shilling if they did not attend. People who refused to attend Church services were called recusants.

Why did Puritans not like the Act of Uniformity?

Puritan priests rejected the surplice as it was used by Catholics. This became a problem as the Act of Uniformity had made it the law for priests to wear one. At first Elizabeth had ignored this fact that Puritan priests were ignoring the law, however, this changed in 1565.

What was the Act of Uniformity and how did it impact England and America?

The Act of Uniformity This made Protestantism England's official faith and also set out rules of religious practice and worship in a revised prayer book. This retained some Catholic traditions which Elizabeth hoped would make a good compromise and keep her people happy.

When did the Act of Uniformity end?

Repeal. In 1650 the Rump Parliament of the Commonwealth of England repealed the act on 27 September 1650 with the "Act for the Repeal of several Clauses in Statutes imposing Penalties for not coming to Church", but this act was rendered null and void with the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660.

When was the Act of Uniformity enacted?

The Act of Uniformity 1559 (1 Eliz., c. 2), adopted on the accession of Elizabeth I. The Act of Uniformity 1662 (14 Car 2, c. 4), enacted after the restoration of the monarchy.

What is the Act of Uniformity?

Over the course of English parliamentary history there were a number of Acts of Uniformity. All had the basic object of establishing some sort of religious orthodoxy within the Church of England . The Act of Uniformity 1549 (2 & 3 Edw. 6, c. 1), also called Act of Equality, which established the Book of Common Prayer as ...

Which act established the Book of Common Prayer as the only legal form of worship?

The Act of Uniformity 1549 (2 & 3 Edw. 6, c. 1), also called Act of Equality, which established the Book of Common Prayer as the only legal form of worship. The Act of Uniformity 1552 (5 & 6 Edw. 6, c. 1) required the use of the Book of Common Prayer of 1552.

Uniformity, Act of

Uniformity, Act of (1662) English Act of Parliament regulating the form of worship in the Church of England after the Restoration of the monarchy. It required all ordained clergy to follow the Book of Common Prayer.

Uniformity, Act of

Uniformity, Act of in British history, any of four acts (especially that of 1662) establishing the foundations of the English Protestant Church and securing uniformity in public worship and use of a particular Book of Common Prayer.

What was the act of 1872?

The act of 1872 permitted the use of a shortened form of morning and evening prayer, the use of a special form of service approved by the ordinary on a special occasion, and additional services for Sundays and holy days.

What were the acts of 1549 and 1552?

Uniformity, Acts of, 1549, 1552, 1559, 1662. By enforcing the use of successive Prayer Books, the Acts provided liturgical conformity in Books of Common Prayer instead of the diverse uses of Sarum, York, Bangor, and Lincoln. Constitutionally and ecclesiastically, though not liturgically, the 1549 Act was ‘a momentous moment’, because Parliament set a precedent by itself authorizing doctrine and liturgy, a royal preserve since 1534. Liturgically the 1549 book, broadly an abridged Sarum rite in English, catholic in tone, made little change. The 1552 book marked a Zwinglian shift; the mass became the communion, tables replaced altars, the surplice replaced eucharistic vestments. Despite recent debate as to Elizabeth's intention, the 1559 book was decidedly comprehensive. Catholic elements were added to the 1552 book and vestments were to be as in 1548. The 1661 Prayer Book (authorized 1662) roughly followed 1559, and was uniformly used until the 20th cent., though Anglo-catholic ritualists often illegally used Tridentine rites in English.

What was the Catholic Relief Act of 1791?

In 1791 some relief for Catholics from the penalties and disabilities to which they were subjected by the Acts of Uniformity and other acts was provided by the statute 31 Geo. III, c. 32 (given the short title "The Roman Catholic Relief Act, 1791," by the Short Titles Act, 1896), but advantage could be taken of this act only by those who had subscribed the oath of allegiance and abjuration and a simple declaration prescribed by the act; this act was repealed, as to the taking and subscribing of any oath, by the Promissory Oaths Act, 1871 (34 & 35 Vict., c. 48). In 1846 the statute 9 & 10 Vict., c. 59 (given the short title "The Religious Disabilities Act, 1846," by the Short Titles Act, 1896) provided further relief for all dissenters from the Church of England with respect to their religious opinions. This act repealed (in so far as such dissenters were affected) so much of the Act of Uniformity of 1551 – 52 as required all persons to resort to their parish church at the prescribed times, and so much of the Act of Supremacy of 1559 as made it punishable to defend a foreign ecclesiastical jurisdiction. (It may be noted, in passing, that attendance at public worship is still theoretically enforceable under the Act of 1551 – 52, except with regard to persons dissenting from the Church of England.) The Book of Common Prayer remained unaltered until the second half of the 19th century. In 1869 royal commissioners were appointed to consider, with a view to securing uniformity, the differences in practice that had arisen as a result of varying interpretations of the rubrics regulating public worship, and to consider the proper lessons to be read on the Sundays and holy days throughout the year. As a result of the reports of this commission two statutes were passed. The first, the Prayer Book (Table of Lessons) Act, 1871 (34 & 35 Vict., c. 37), substituted in the Book of Common Prayer a new Table of Proper Lessons in place of the existing table; and the second, the Act of Uniformity Amendment Act, 1872 (35 & 36 Vict., c. 35), amended the Act of Uniformity of 1662 (the term "Act of Uniformity" was defined as meaning the Act of 1662, and as including the enactments confirmed by that act and applied by it to the Book of common prayer). The act of 1872 permitted the use of a shortened form of morning and evening prayer, the use of a special form of service approved by the ordinary on a special occasion, and additional services for Sundays and holy days. An alternative lectionary was provided by the Revised Table of Lessons Measure, 1922 (12 & 13 Geo. V., No. 3), and the Vestures of Ministers Measure, 1964 (1964, No. 7), regulating the vestures worn by the ministers of the Church of England, amended the Ornaments Rubric of the Prayer Book and s. 13 of the Act of Uniformity of 1559 (or 1558 as cited in the Measure). Finally, the Prayer Book (Alternative and Other Services) Measure, 1965 (1965, No. 1), authorized the experimental use of approved alternative services deviating from the Prayer Book annexed to the Act of 1662, and certain other forms of service not provided for therein. Meanwhile, in 1874 there had been passed the Public Worship Regulation Act, 1874 (37 & 38 Vict., c. 85), which established a unified procedure for enforcing the law relating to the form of services and ornaments as declared by or pursuant to the various Acts of Uniformity.

What is the Act of Uniformity 1558?

Act of Uniformity 1558. An Acte for the Uniformitie of Common Prayoure and Dyvyne Service in the Churche, and the Administration of the Sacramentes. The Act of Uniformity 1558 (1 Eliz 1 c 2) was an Act of the Parliament of England, passed in 1559 to regularise prayer, divine worship and the administration of the sacraments in the English church .

What was the purpose of the Act of Supremacy?

The Act was part of the Elizabethan Religious Settlement in England instituted by Elizabeth I, who wanted to unify the Church. Other Acts concerned with this settlement were the Act of Supremacy 1558 and the Thirty-Nine Articles (1563).

Which Act authorised the citation of this Act by this short title?

^ The citation of this Act by this short title was authorised by section 5 of, and Schedule 2 to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1948. Due to the repeal of those provisions, it is now authorised by section 19 (2) of the Interpretation Act 1978.

What was Elizabeth trying to achieve?

Elizabeth was trying to achieve a settlement after thirty years of turmoil during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary I , during which England had swung from Catholicism to Protestantism and back to Catholicism.

When did the Acts of Parliament come into effect?

However, all Acts of Parliament prior to the Acts of Parliament (Commencement) Act 1793 were ex post facto laws that came into effect on the first day of the session. The first Parliament of Elizabeth I met three months earlier in January 1558; the year 1559 did not begin until 25 March 1559.

When was the rump repealed?

Repeal. In 1650 the Rump Parliament of the Commonwealth of England repealed the Act on 27 September 1650 with the "Act for the Repeal of several Clauses in Statutes imposing Penalties for not coming to Church", but this Act was rendered null and void with the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660.

When was the first Act of Uniformity passed?

In the end, the first Act of Uniformity was passed on 21 January 1549. It allowed for a one-year transition period after which English churches were required to adopt the Book of Common Prayer.

What was Devon's resistance to the first Act of Uniformity?

Devon, in particular, mounted a strong resistance to the first Act of Uniformity and its Book of Common Prayer. In the summer of 1549 Devon submitted the following petition to the crown: We demand the restoration of the Mass in Latin without any to communicate, and the Reservation of the Blessed Sacrament: Communion in one kind, ...

What was the harshest punishment?

The harshest punishment was reserved for any three-time offender: life in prison. As would be expected from the harsh nature of the punishments involved, the first Act of Uniformity was met with open rebellion in certain regions of England. This unrest was further exacerbated by poor economic and social conditions.

What was the effect of the Act of 1792 on the English Church?

The Act elevated the king to be the head of the English church–a position that allowed him to obtain the new marriage he sought–and brought the extensive lands and wealth of the monasteries under the crown’s control. Wars in France and Scotland drained the king’s newfound wealth, and over time monasteries began to be dissolved.

When was the title page of the Book of Common Prayer made mandatory?

Title page from the Book of Common Prayer, 1549, made mandatory by the first Act of Uniformity.

Who pushed Henry VIII to increase the Protestant Reforms in the Church?

On one side Cromwell and the Archbishop Canterbury Thomas Cranmer pushed Henry to increase the Protestant reforms in the church; on the other side Thomas Howard, duke of Norfolk, worked to keep Catholic traditions in the church. Little reform took place during the final stages of Henry VIII’s reign.

What was the religious reformation?

Religious reformation was a 16th century phenomenon that affected a large swath of European nations, but the reformation in England was unique. The continental reformations were creatures of their mercurial instigators, men such as Luther and Calvin. The English reformation was more so a creature of the state, undertaken by the king and Parliament for largely political reasons.

What were the first uniformity acts?

But as the principle of unity had been lost when communion with the See of Peter was broken off, all such attempts were foredoomed to failure. They were resisted by Catholics on the one hand and the Nonconformists on the other. The first of these Acts (2 and 3 Edward VI, c. 1) was called “An Act for Uniformity of Service and Administration of the Sacraments through-out the Realm”. After a long preamble setting forth the reasons which had led to the drawing up of “The Book of the Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments, and other rites and ceremonies of the Church after the use of the Church of England “, and the desirability of having one uniform rite and order in use in all churches through England and Wales, the statute enacts that after Pentecost, 1549, all ministers shall be bound to follow the same in all public services. Then follow penalties against such of the clergy as shall substitute any other form of service, or shall not use the “ Book of Common Prayer “, or who shall preach or speak against it. Further penalties are decreed against all who in plays or songs shall mock the said book. Private persons were allowed to use the forms for Matins and Evensong in Latin, Greek, or Hebrew in their own private devotions, and liberty was reserved to the universities to have the service in their college chapels conducted in any of these tongues. There is nothing in this Act to enforce attendance at public worship, but the provisions of the Act apply to every kind of public worship or “open prayer”, as it was called, which might take place. The Act itself defines “open prayer” as “that prayer which is for others to come unto or near, either in common churches or private chapels or oratories, commonly called the service of the Church “. This Act was confirmed by 5 and 6 Edw. VI, c. 1, repealed by I Mary, sess. 2, c. 2, revived by 1 Eliz., c. 2, and 1 James I, c. 25, and made perpetual so far as it relates to the Established Church of England by 5 Anne, c. 5 (or c. 8 according to some computations).

What relief was granted to Catholics by the Act of Uniformity?

Relief from the Acts of Uniformity was granted to Catholics by the Second Catholic Relief Act (31 Geo. III, c. 32), though the benefits of the Act were limited to those who made the declaration and took the oath under the Act. So much of this statute as related to the declaration and oath was repealed in 1871 by the Promissory Oaths Act (34 and 35 Vict., c. 48). There were certain restrictions and conditions as to Catholic places of worship, but these were changed in 1832 by the Act 2 and 3 Wm. IV, c. 115, by which Catholics were placed on the same footing as Protestant dissenters in this and some other respects. Incidentally this statute made it compulsory to certify Catholic chapels to the Anglican bishop and archdeacon and the quarter sessions. But this restriction was abolished in 1855 by 18 and 19 Vict., c. 81, which provided that such buildings could be notified to the registrar-general instead. Even this provision has long fallen into disuse and it is not customary to register Catholic churches except for the solemnization of marriage. Thus for Catholics, as for Nonconformists, the provisions of the Uniformity Acts have been gradually repealed and now they apply only to the Established Church of England; but to that extent they are still on the statute books and as late as 1872 a statute entitled “An Act for the Amendment of the Act of Uniformity” was passed (35 and 36 Vic., c. 35). As long as the Church of England is the established religion its worship will be regulated by statute, so that Acts of Uniformity in one shape or another will remain part of the English code of law unless, and until, disestablishment takes place.

What is the fifth section of the Common Prayer?

The fifth section refers to the new “ Book of Common Prayer “, to which had been added a “ Form and Manner of making and consecrating archbishops, bishops, priests, and deacons”,. and declares that all the provisions of the previous Act shall apply to it.

Overview

Over the course of English parliamentary history there were a number of Acts of Uniformity. All had the basic object of establishing some sort of religious orthodoxy within the Church of England.
• The Act of Uniformity 1549 (2 & 3 Edw. 6, c. 1), also called Act of Equality, which established the Book of Common Prayer as the only legal form of worship

Nature of the Book of Common Prayer

Preparation of the Act

Later History of the Act

Repeal

See also

Notes

External links