The First Enactment of William and Mary’s Reign

1 W & M Ch 1

An Act For Removing & Preventing All Questions

Statutes of King William and Queen Mary

Anno 1° Gulielmi & Mariae A.D 1688

Statutes Made in The Session of Parliament, Begun to be Holden at Westminster, on The Thirteenth Day of February, in The First Year of The Raign of K. William and Q. Mary

Er Rotulo Parli enti de Anno regni Gulielmi et pariae, Primo

IN Parliamento ten’ apud Westmonasteriu tertio dechno die Februarii Anno Domini millesimo sextentessimo octogessimo octavo Anno Regni Serenissitni Domini nri Gulielmi et Marie Anglie Francie et Hibernie Regis et Regine Fidei Defensor’ &c. primo communi omniU Dominorü et Communitatis consensu et Reg’ Majestatis assensu Sancita inactitata et Stabilita fuerunt hec sequentia Statuta videlicet

Chapter 1

An Act for Removing & Preventing all Questions & Disputes Concerning the Assembling & Sitting of This Present Parlyament 1 W & M Ch 1

F OR Preventing all Doubts and Scruples which may in any wise arise concerning the
Meeting Sitting and Proceeding of this present Parlyament Bee it Declared and Enacted
by the King and Queenes most Excellent

Majestyes by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spirituall And Temporall and
Commons now Assembled. and by Authorite of the same

(1) THAT the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and Commons Convened at Westminster
the Two and twentyeth day of January in the Yeare of Our Lord One thousand six hundred
eighty eight and there Sitting on the Thirteenth day of February following are the Two
Houses of Parlyament and soe shall be and are hereby Declared Enacted and Adjudged to be
to all Intents Constructions and Purposes whatsoever Notwithstanding any want of Writt or
Writts of Summons or any other defect of Forme or Default whatsoever as if they had beene
Summoned according to the usuall Forme, And that this present Act and all other Acts, to
‘which the Royall Assent shall at any time be given before the next Prorogation after the said
Thirteenth of February shall be Understood Taken and Adjudged in Law to Benginne and
Commence upon the said Thirteenth of February on which Day Their said Majestyes at the
Request and by the Advice of the Lords and Commons Did Accept the Crowne and Royall
Dignity of King and Queene of England France and Ireland and the Dominions and Territories
thereto belonging.

AND bee it further Enacted by the Authoritie aforesaid That the Act made in the
Thirtyeth Yeare of King Charles the Second Entitled An Act for the more effectuall preserveing
the Kings Person and Government by Disableing of Papists from Sitting in either
House of Parliament [and all other Act of Parlyament as to soe much of the said Act or Acts
onely as concerns the Takeing the Oathes of Supremacy and Allegiance or either of them in
the said Act or Acts respectively mentioned by any Member or Members of either House of
Parlyament with relation to their Sitting and Voteing in Parliament 2] shall be and are hereby
Repealed to all Intents and Purposes Any thing in the said recited Act or Acts to the contrary
notwithstanding.

AND bee it further Enacted That the (3) Takeing the Oathes herein after mentioned
and the Makeing Subscribeing and Repeateing the Declaration in the said Act of the Thirtieth
Yeare of King Charles the Second mentioned by every Member of either House of this
present Parlyamnent from and after the. First day of March next ensueing in such Manner as
the Takeing the said Oathes of Allegiance and Supremacie and the Makeing Subscribeing
and Repeating the said Declaration in the said last mentioned Act are required shall be good
and effectuall to all Intents and Purposes as if the said Oathes of Allegiance and Supremacie
had beene Taken and the said Declaration had beene Made Subscribed and Repeated in such
Manner and at such Time as by the said Act or Acts or any of them they are required And
that in all future Parlyaments, the Oathes herein after mentioned and the Declaration in the
said Act made in the Thirtyeth Yeare of King Charles the Second mentioned shall be Taken
Made Subscribed and Repeated by every Member of either House Of Parlyament within the
Time, and in the same Manner and Forme and under the Penalties and Disabilities as the said
Oathes of Allegiance and Supremacy and the said Declaration by the said Act of the
Thirtyeth Yeare of King Charles the Second are Limitted Ordained and appointed to be
Taken Made Subscribed and Repeated and not at any other Time or in any other Manner to
enable them to Sitt and Vote in Parliament Any thing in the said Act or Acts or any of them
to the contrary notwithstanding.

AND it is hereby further Enacted and Declared by the Authoritie aforesaid That the
Oathes above appointed by this Act to be taken in the stead and place of the Oathes of Allegiance
and Supremacy, shall be in the Words following and noe other.

I A B Doe sincerely Promise and Sweare that I will be Faithfull and beare true Allegiance
to Their Majestyes King William and Queene Mary Soe helpe me God.

I A B Doe Sweare that I doe from my Heart Abhorr Detest and Abjure as Impious and
Hereticall that damnable Doctrine and Position That Princes Excommunicated or Deprived
by the Pope or any Authoritie of the See of Rome may be Deposed or Murdered by
their Subjects or any other whatsoever And I doe Declare that noe Forreigne Prince, Person,
Prelate State or Potentate hath or ought to have any Power Jurisdiction Superiority Preeminence
or Authoritie Ecclesiasticall or Spirituall within this Realme Soe helpe me God.

PROVIDED alwayes and be it Declared That this present Parlyament may be Dissolved after
the usuall manner as if the same had been Summoned and called by Writt.

1. This Clause is annexed to the original act in a separate Schedule. 2. Ibid.
3. From thence to the end of the Act is annexed to the Original Act in a separate Schedule: and the Words “ with
relation to their sitting and voting in Parlament,” are interlined on the Roll.

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