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exigencies in affairs of a temporal or civil nature, as far as a
difference of circumstances will admit; the general assembly
having therefore taken the premises into serious consideration,
and conceiving themselves indispensably bound to secure and
preserve the same equality of rights, privileges and advantages,
to all quiet and inoffensive Christian societies in this state,
without any exception, whereby religion may be encouraged
and diffused, and peace, order and universal tranquillity prevail,
have agreed to enact,
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SEC. 2. And de it enacted, That in every Christian church,
or society or congregation, of whatsoever sect, order or denomi-
nation, now known, or which shall at any time hereafter be
known and acknowledged in this state, and protected in the
free and full exercise of their religion by the constitution and
laws of the same, there shall be and remain sufficient power
and authority in all the male persons above twenty-one years of
age belonging to any such church, society or congregation, to
elect, at their discretion, certain sober and discreet persons, not
less than five or more than thirteen, which persons, so elected,
shall be and are hereby constituted a body politic or corporate,
upon being registered as herein after directed, to act as trustees,
in the name and behalf of the particular church, society or
congregation, for which they are respectively chosen, and to
manage the estate, property, interest and inheritance of the
same, in the most upright and careful manner, and shall more-
over have perpetual succession in law, fact and name, as herein
after prescribed, and shall, by their name of incorporation, have
full power and lawful authority to sue and to be sued, to im-
plead and to be impleaded, to answer and to be answered unto,
in any court or courts of law or equity within this state, before
any judge or judges, justice or justices, in all manner of suits
and pleas whatever, and of what nature or kind soever such
suits, pleas or actions may be, in as full and effectual a manner
as any other person or persons, bodies politic or corporate, may
or can do.
This act confirmed by November, 1809, ch. 139, the words 'by the
general assembly of Maryland,' in the enacting style, having been omitted.
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Certain
persons in-
corporated
in every
Christian
church.
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SEC. 3. And be it enacted, That every such body politic shall
be chosen, and the succession kept up, at such times and places
as are ordinarily used for public meetings of the said church,
society or congregation, and by such persons as are allowed to
have a voice in the management and direction of congregational
or temporal concerns, according to the known custom and
usage of their respective denominations ; or the said body poli-
tic or corporate shall be chosen, and the succession kept up,
according to the rules, regulations and practice, that may
have been heretofore adopted and used! or that shall be at
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When and
where
every body
politic shall
be chosen.
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