Struggle for Constitutional Government 257 common prayer and service in the Church and administra- tion of the sacraments," very comfortable to all good peo- ple desirous to live in Christian conversation, and most profitable to the estate of this realm ; upon the which the mercy, favor, and blessing of Almighty God is in no wise so readily and plentifully poured as by common prayers, due using of the sacraments, and often preaching of the gospel, with devotion of the hearers ; and yet, this notwith- standing, a great number of people in divers parts of this Perversity realm, following their own sensuality, and living without °? the dissenters* knowledge and due fear of God, do willfully and schismat- ically abstain and refuse to come to their parish churches, and other public places where common prayer, administra- tion of the sacraments, and preaching of the word of God is used upon the Sundays and other days ordained and ap- pointed to be kept and observed as holydays ; and whereas, by the great and scandalous neglect of ministers in using the said order or liturgy so set forth and enjoined as afore- said, great mischiefs and inconveniences, during the times of the late unhappy troubles, have arisen and grown, and many people have been led into factions and schisms, to the great decay and scandal of the reformed religion of the Church of England, and to the hazard of many souls, . . . be it enacted by the king's most excellent majesty, by the advice and with the consent of the lords spiritual and tem- poral, and of the commons in this present Parliament assembled, that all and singular ministers in any cathe- dral, collegiate, or parish church or chapel, or other place of public worship, shall be bound to say and use the morning prayer, evening prayer, celebration and adminis- tration of both the sacraments, and all other the public and common prayer, in such order and form as is men- tioned in the said book annexed and joined to this present act and entitled The Book of Common Prayer. 1 . . . 1 The act provides in the succeeding clauses that all clergymen who refuse to declare their " unfeigned assent and consent to all and every- thing contained and prescribed in and by the book entitled " The Book of Common Prayer " shall be deprived of their benefices.
