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and necessary, that the true Protestant religion, as presently professed within this kingdom, with the worship, discipline, and government of this church, should be effectually and unalterably secured; therefore her Majesty, with advice and consent of the said estates of Parliament, doth hereby establish and confirm the said true Protestant religion, and the worship, discipline, and government of this Church, to continue without any alteration to the people of this land in all succeeding generations; and more especially, her Majesty, with advice and consent aforesaid, ratifies, approves, and for ever confirms, the fifth Act of the first Parliament of King William and Queen Mary, intitled, " Act ratifying the Confession of Faith, and settling Presbyterian church government," with all other Acts of Parliament relating thereto, in prosecution of the declaration of the estates of this kingdom, containing the claim of right, bearing date the eleventh of April, one thousand six hundred and eighty-nine; and her Majesty, with advice and consent aforesaid, expressly provides and declares, that the foresaid true Protestant Religion, contained in the above-mentioned Confession of Faith, with the form and purity of worship presently in use within this church, and its Presbyterian church government and discipline, that is to say, the government of the church by kirk sessions, presbyteries, provincial synods, and general assemblies, all established by the foresaid Acts of Parliament, pursuant to the claim of right, shall remain and continue unalterable; and that the said Presbyterian government shall be the only government of the church within the kingdom of Scotland. And further, for the greater security of the foresaid Protestant religion, and of the worship, discipline, and government of this church as above established, her Majesty, with advice and consent foresaid, statutes and ordains, that the universities and colleges of St Andrew's, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Edinburgh, as now established by law, shall continue within this kingdom for ever. And that, in all time coming, no professors, principals, regents, masters, or others, bearing office in any university, college or school, within this kingdom, be capable, or be admitted or allowed to continue in the exercise of their said functions, but such as shall own and acknowledge the civil government in manner prescribed, or to be prescribed by the Acts of Parliament. As also, that before, or at their admissions, they do and shall acknowledge and profess, and shall subscribe to the foresaid Confession of Faith, as the confession of their faith; and that they will practise and conform themselves to the worship presently in use in this church, and submit themselves to the government and discipline thereof, and never endeavour, directly or indirectly, the prejudice or subversion of the same; and that before the respective presbyteries of their bounds, by whatsoever gift, presentation, or provision, they may be thereto provided.

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And further, her Majesty, with advice aforesaid, expressly declares and statutes, that none of the subjects of this kingdom shall be liable to, but all and every one of them for ever free of any oath, test, or subscription, within this kingdom, contrary to, or inconsistent with, the foresaid true Protestant religion and Presbyterian church government, worship, and discipline, as above established; and that the same, within the bounds of this church and kingdom, shall never be imposed upon, or required o them in any sort. And, lastly, that, after the decease of her present Majesty (whom God long preserve) the sovereign succeeding to her in the royal government of the kingdom of Great Britain shall, in all time coming, at his or her accession to the Crown, swear and subscribe, that they shall inviolably maintain and preserve the foresaid settlement of the true Protestant religion, with the government, worship, discipline, right, and privileges of this church, as above established by the laws of this kingdom, in prosecution of the claim of right. And it is hereby statute and ordained, that this Act of Parliament, with the establishment therein contained, shall be held and observed, in all times coming, as a fundamental and essential condition of any treaty or Union to be concluded betwixt the two kingdoms, without any alteration thereof, or derogation thereto, in any sort, for ever. As also, that this Act of Parliament, and settlement therein contained, shall be insert and repeated in any Act of Parliament that shall pass, for agreeing and concluding the foresaid treaty or Union betwixt the two kingdoms; and that the same shall be therein expressly declared to be a fundamental and essential condition of the said treaty or Union, in all time coming; which Articles of Union, and Act immediately above-written, her Majesty, with advice and consent foresaid, statutes, enacts and ordains to be, and continue, in all time coming, the sure and perpetual foundation of a complete and entire Union of the two kingdoms of Scotland and England, under the express condition and provision, that the approbation and ratification of the foresaid Articles and Act shall be no ways binding on this kingdom, until the said Articles and Act be ratified, approved, and confirmed, by her Majesty, with and by the authority of the Parliament of England, as they are now agreed to, approved and confirmed, by her Majesty, with and by the authority of the Parliament of Scotland. Declaring nevertheless, that the Parliament of England may provide for the security of the church of England as they think expedient, to take place within the bounds of the said kingdom of England, and not derogating from the security above provided, for the establishing of the church of Scotland within the bounds of this kingdom. As also, the said Parliament of England may extend the additions and other provisions contained in the Articles of Union, as above insert in favours of the sub

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jects of Scotland, to and in favours of the subjects of England, which shall not suspend or derogate from the force and effect of this present ratification, but shall be understood as herein included, without the necessity of any new ratification in the Parliament of Scotland. And, lastly, her Majesty enacts and declares, that all laws and statutes in this kingdom, so far as they are contrary to, or inconsistent with, the terms of these Articles as above-mentioned, shall, from and after the Union, cease and become void.

And whereas an Act hath passed in this present session of Parliament, entitled, "an Act for securing the church of England as by law established," the tenor whereof follows, Whereas, by an Act made in the Session of Parliament held in the third and fourth year of her Majesty's reign, whereby her Majesty was empowered to appoint commissioners, under the Great Seal of England, to treat with commissioners, to be authorized by the Parliament of Scotland, concerning an Union of the kingdoms of England and Scotland, it is provided and enacted, that the com. missioners to be named in pursuance of the said Act should not treat of or concerning any alteration of the liturgy, rites, ceremonies, discipline, or government of the church, as by law established, within this realm; and whereas certain commissioners appointed by her Majesty, in pursuance of the said Act, and also other Commissioners, nominated by her Majesty, by the authority of the Parliament of Scotland, have met and agreed upon a treaty of Union of the said kingdoms, which treaty is now under the consideration of this present Parliament; and whereas the said treaty, with some alterations therein made, is ratified and approved by Act of Parliament in Scotland, and the said Act of ratification is by her royal command laid before the Parliament of this kingdom; and whereas it is reasonable and necessary that the true Protestant religion professed and established by law in the church of England, and the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, should be effectually and unalterably secured; Be it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords spiritual and tem poral, and the Commons in this present Parliament assembled, and by authority of the same, that an Act made in the thirteenth year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth of famous memory, entitled, 66 an Act for the ministers of the Church to be of sound religion;" and also another Act made in the thirteenth year of the reign of the late King Charles the Second, entitled, "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" (other than such clauses in the said Acts, or either of them, as have been repealed or altered by

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any subsequent Act or Acts of Parliament), and all and singular other Acts of Parliament now in force, for the establishment and preservation of the Church of England, and the doctrine, wor. ship, discipline, and government thereof, shall remain and be in full force for ever. And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that after the demise of her Majesty (whom God long preserve!) the Sovereign next succeeding to her Majesty in the royal government of the kingdom of Great Britain, and so for ever hereafter every King or Queen succeeding and coming to the royal government of the kingdom of Great Britain, at his or her coronation, shall, in the presence of all persons who shall be attending, assisting, or otherwise then and there present, take and subscribe an oath to maintain and preserve inviolably the said settlement of the Church of England, and the doctrine, worship, discipline, and government thereof, as by law established within the kingdom of England and Ireland, the dominion of Wales, and town of Berwick upon Tweed, and the territories thereunto belonging. And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that this Act, and all and every the matters and things therein contained, be, and shall for ever be, holden and adjudged to be a fundamental and essential part of any Treaty of Union to be concluded between the said two kingdoms; and also that this Act shall be inserted in express terms in any Act of Parliament which shall be made for settling and ratifying any such Treaty of Union, and shall be therein declared to be an essential and fundamental part thereof. May it, therefore, please your most Excellent Majesty, that it may be enacted, And be it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords spiritual and temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by authority of the same, that all and every the said articles of Union as ratified and approved by the said Act of Parliament of Scotland as aforesaid, and herein before particularly mentioned and inserted, and also the said Act of Parliament of Scotland, for establishing the Protestant religion, and Presbyterian Church government, within that kingdom, entitled, "Act for securing "the Protestant religion and Presbyterian Church government,' and every clause, matter, and thing in the said articles and Act contained, shall be, and the said articles and Act are hereby for ever ratified, approved, and confirmed. And it is hereby further enacted, by the authority aforesaid, that the said Act passed in this present session of Parliament, entitled, "An Act for secur“ing the Church of England as by law established,” and all and every the matters and things therein contained, and also the said Act of Parliament of Scotland, entitled, "Act for securing the "Protestant religion and Presbyterian Church government," with the establishment in the said Act contained, be, and shall

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for ever be, held and adjudged to be and observed as fundamental and essential conditions of the said Union, and shall in all times coming be taken to be, and are hereby declared to be, essential and fundamental parts of the said articles and Union: and the said articles of Union so as aforesaid ratified, approved, and confirmed, by Act of Parliament of Scotland, and by this present Act, and the said Act passed in this present session of Parliament, entitled, "An Act for securing the Church of England as by law “established," and also the said Act passed in the Parliament of Scotland, entitled, "Act for securing the Protestant religion and "Presbyterian Church government," are hereby enacted and ordained to be and continue, in all times coming, the complete and entire Union of the two kingdoms of England and Scotland.

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