Preamble.
The Church
of England,
established
within this
Province.
What Churches
shall be
deemed settled
and established
Churches.
40 lb Tobacco
per Poll to
be annually
levied and
paid to the
Incumbent.
Every Minister
to employ
and pay a
Parish Clerk.
Ministers,
&c. joining
Persons together. |
FORASMUCH as in well-grounded Christian Common-Wealths, Matters
concerning Religion and the Honour of GOD, ought in the first
Place to be taken into Consideration, and honest Endeavours to attain
to such good Ends countenanced and encouraged, as being not only most
acceptable to GOD, but the best Way and Means to obtain his Mercy,
and
Blessing upon a people or Country:
II. Be it therefore
Enacted, by the King's most excellent Majesty, by and with
the Advice and Consent of this present General Assembly, and by
the Authority of
the same, That the Book of Common Prayer, and Administration
of the Sacraments,
with other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, according to the
Use of the Church of England, the Psalter or Psalms of David,
and Morning
and Evening therein contained, be solemnly Read by all and every Minister
or Reader ion every Church which now is, or hereafter shall be, settled
and established within this Province; and that all Congregations and
Places
for Public Worship, according to the Usage of the Church of England,
within
this Province, for the Maintainance of those Ministers, and the Persons
officiating
therein, any certain Income or Revenue is, or shall, by the Laws of
this Province, be established and enjoined to be raised or paid, shall
be deemed
settled and established Churches.
III. And for
the Encouragement of faithful and able Ministers, labouring
in the Work of the Gospel, to come and reside in this Province, Be
it Enacted
by the Authority aforesaid, That a Tax or Assessment of Forty
pounds of
Tobacco per Poll, be yearly and every Year, successively, levied upon every
taxable Person, within each respective Parish, within this Province, as
they
have been, now are, or hereafter shall be laid out, limited or appointed,
by
Laws of this Province, and entered upon Record, as the said former Laws
therein did direct; which said Assessment of Forty Pounds of Tobacco per
Poll, shall always by paid and allowed to the Minister of each respective
parish,
having no other Benefice to officiate in, presented, inducted or appointed
by his Excellency the Governor, or Commander in Chief, for the Time
being. And every such Minister is hereby required and enjoined to
appoint,
and constantly to keep a Clerk of such Parish-Church, and to pay and satisfy
such Clerk the Sum of One Thousand Pounds of Tobacco yearly and very
Year, out of the said Forty per Poll.
IV. And to
prevent all illegal and unlawful Marriages, not allowable by
the Church of England, but forbidden by the Table of Marriages,
be it Enacted |
