The Clergy Act 1661 ( 13 Cha. 2 St. 1. c. 2) was an act of the

Parliament of England The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England from the 13th century until 1707 when it was replaced by the Parliament of Great Britain. Parliament evolved from the Great Council of England, great council of Lords Spi ...

passed in 1661. It "repealed, annulled and made void to all intents and purposes" the

Clergy Act 1640 The Clergy Act 1640 ( 16 Cha. 1. c. 27), also known as the Bishops Exclusion Act, or the Clerical Disabilities Act, was an act of the Parliament of England, effective 13 February 1642 that prevented men in holy orders from exercising any temp ...

, which had prevented those in

holy orders In certain Christian denominations, holy orders are the ordination, ordained ministries of bishop, priest (presbyter), and deacon, and the sacrament or rite by which candidates are ordained to those orders. Churches recognizing these orders inclu ...

from exercising any temporal jurisdiction or authority and so, expelled the bishops, as

Lords Spiritual The Lords Spiritual are the bishops of the Church of England who sit in the House of Lords of the United Kingdom. Up to 26 of the 42 diocesan bishops and archbishops of the Church of England serve as Lords Spiritual (not including retired bish ...

, from the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

Legacy

The whole act was repealed by section 1 of, and the schedule to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1863 ( 26 & 27 Vict. c. 125).

Notes

References

*''The Law & Working of the Constitution: Documents 1660-1914'', ed. W. C. Costin & J. Steven Watson. A&C Black, 1952. Vol. I (1660-1783), p. 9
Text of the Clergy Act 1661
at British History Online. Acts of the Parliament of England 1661 Acts of the Parliament of England concerning religion Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom concerning the House of Lords Repealed English legislation Christianity and law in the 17th century Constitutional laws of England Reform of the House of Lords {{England-statute-stub