Licensing of the Press Act 1662

Recital that the regulating of Printers is matter of public Care, and that many have been of late encouraged to print and sell seditious. Pamphlets, &c.

No Persons to print Seditious and Heretical Pamphlets.; or import or publish; such Pamphlets.

Whereas the well-government and regulating of Printers and Printing Presses is matter of Publique care and of great concernment especially considering that by the general licentiousnes of the late times many evil disposed persons have been encouraged to print and sell heretical schismatical blasphemous seditious and treasonable Bookes Pamphlets and Papers and still doe continue such theire unlawfull and exorbitant practice to the high dishonour of Almighity God the endangering the peace of these Kingdomes and raising a disaffection to His most Excellent Majesty and His Government For prevention whereof no surer meanes can be advised then by reducing and limiting the number of Printing Presses and by ordering and setling the said Art or Mystery of Printing by Act of Parliament in manner as herein after is expressed. The Kings most Excellent Majesty by and with the Consent and Advise of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal & Commons in this present Parliament assembled doth therefore ordaine and enact And be it ordained and enacted by the Authority aforesaid That no person or persons whatsoever shall presume to print or cause to be printed either within this Realm of England or any other His Majesties Dominions or in the parts beyond the Seas any heretical seditious schismatical or offensive Bookes or Pamphlets wherein any Doctrine or Opinion shall be asserted or maintained which is contrary to X1 Christian Faith or the Doctrine or Discipline of the Church of England or which shall or may tend or be to the scandall of Religion or the Church or the Government or Governors of the Church State or Common wealth or of any Corporation or particular person or persons whatsoever nor shall import publish sell or [X2 dispose] any such Booke or Books or Pamphlets nor shall cause or procure any such to be published or put to sale or to be bound stitched or sowed togeather

Editorial Information

X1 Variant reading of the text noted in The Statutes of the Realm as follows: the O. [O. refers to a collection in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge]

X2 Variant reading of the text noted in The Statutes of the Realm as follows: disperse O. [O. refers to a collection in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge]