The Act of Uniformity 1662 ( 14 Cha. 2. c. 4) is an act of the

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. (It was formerly cited as 13 & 14 Cha. 2. c. 4, by reference to the regnal year when it was passed on 19 May 1662.) It prescribed the form of public

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s, administration of sacraments, and other rites of the Established

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, according to the rites and ceremonies prescribed in the 1662 ''Book of Common Prayer''. Adherence to this was required in order to hold any office in government or the church, although the new version of the ''Book of Common Prayer'' prescribed by the Act was so new that most people had never even seen a copy. The Act also required that the ''Book of Common Prayer'' "be truly and exactly Translated into the British or Welsh Tongue". It also explicitly required episcopal

ordination Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...

for all ministers, i.e. deacons, priests and bishops, which had to be reintroduced since the

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s had abolished many features of the Church during the

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. The act did not explicitly encompass the

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. The Act has mostly been repealed in the United Kingdom, except for sections 10 and 15 which have nevertheless been superseded by other legislation in the Provinces of Canterbury and York except in the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

Great Ejection

As an immediate result of the act, over 2,000 clergymen refused to take the oath and were expelled from the

in what became known as the Great Ejection of 1662. Although there had already been ministers outside the established church, this created the concept of non-conformity, with a substantial section of English society excluded from public affairs for a century and a half.

Clarendon Code

The Act of Uniformity itself is one of four crucial pieces of legislation, known as the Clarendon Code, named after Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, Charles II's Lord Chancellor. They are: *The Corporation Act 1661 ( 13 Cha. 2 St. 2. c. 1) – This first of the four statutes which made up the Clarendon Code required all municipal officials to take Anglican communion, and formally reject the Solemn League and Covenant of 1643. The effect of this act was to exclude nonconformists from public office. This legislation was rescinded in 1828. *The Act of Uniformity 1662 – This second statute made use of the Book of Common Prayer compulsory in religious service. Upwards of 2000 clergy refused to comply with this act, and were forced to resign their livings. *The Conventicle Act 1664 ( 16 Cha. 2. c. 4) – This act forbade conventicles (a meeting for unauthorized worship) of more than 5 people who were not members of the same household. The purpose was to prevent dissenting religious groups from meeting. *The Five Mile Act 1665 – This final act of the Clarendon Code was aimed at Nonconformist ministers, who were forbidden from coming within five miles of incorporated towns or the place of their former livings. They were also forbidden to teach in schools. This act was not rescinded until 1812. Combined with the Test Act, the Corporation Acts excluded all nonconformists from holding civil or military office, and prevented them from being awarded degrees by the

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and

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Book of Common Prayer

The ''Book of Common Prayer'' introduced by Charles II was substantially the same as Elizabeth's version of 1559, itself based on Thomas Cranmer's earlier version of 1552. Apart from minor changes this remains the official and permanent legal version of prayer authorised by Parliament and Church.

Amendment and repeals

The provisions of the Act of Uniformity 1662 were modified by the Act of Uniformity Amendment Act 1872 ( 35 & 36 Vict. c. 35) to permit shortened forms of service. (This has been repealed by the

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.) The Act was repealed by Measures of the Church of England passed in 1974 and 1988.

Notes

References

External links

Digital reproduction of the Original Act on the Parliamentary Archives catalogue

Text of the Act, in ''Statutes of the Realm'', vol. 5 at British History Online
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Act Of Uniformity 1662 1662 in Christianity Acts of the Parliament of England 1662 Acts of the Parliament of England concerning religion Acts of the Parliament of England still in force Christianity and law in the 17th century History of the Church of England Great Ejection The Restoration