Sedition Act 1661

III. The Parliament begun 3d Nov. 1640 declared to be dissolved.

No legislative Power in either or both Houses of Parliament without the King. Affirming that the said Parliament is not dissolved, or that there lies any Obligation upon any Person to endeavour a Change of Government, or that the Parliament has a legislative Power without the King.; Premunire.; 16 R. II. c.5.; The solemn League and Covenant unlawful.; Orders and Ordinances of both or either Houses of Parliament void.; Proviso for Indemnity by 12 Car. II. c. II.

And to the end that no man hereafter may be misled into any seditious or unquiet demeanour out of an opinion that the Parliament begun and held att Westminster upon the third day of November in the yeare of our Lord One thousand six hundred and forty is yet in being which is undoubtedly dissolved and determined and so is hereby declared and adjudged to be fully dissolved and determined or out of an Opinion that there lies any obligation upon him from any Oath Covenant or Engagement whatsoever to endeavour a change of Government either in Church or State or out of an Opinion that both Houses of Parliament or either of them have a Legislative Power without the King All which assertions have beene seditiously maintained in some Pamphlets lately printed and are daily promoted by the active enemies of our Peace & Happines Be it therefore further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid That if any person or persons at any time after the four and twentieth day of June in the yeare of our Lord One thousand six hundred sixty and one shall maliciously and advisedly by Writing Printing Preaching or other speaking express publish utter declare or affirm That the Parliament begun at Westminster upon the third day of November in the yeare of our Lord One thousand six hundred and forty is not yet dissolved or is not determined or that it ought to be in being or hath yet any continuance or existence or that there lies any Obligation upon him or any other person from any Oath Covenant or Engagement whatsoever to endeavor a change of Government either in Church or State or that both Houses of Parliament or either House of Parliament have or hath a Legislative Power without the King or any other words to the same effect That then every such person & persons soe X1 aforesaid offending shall incurr the danger and penalty of a Premunire mentioned in a Statute made in the sixteenth yeare of the Reigne of King Richard the Second And it is hereby alsoe declared That the Oath usually called the Solemn League and Covenant was in it selfe an unlawfull Oath and imposed upon the Subjects of this Realm against the Fundamentall Laws and Liberties of this Kingdome and that all Orders and Ordinances or pretended Orders and Ordinances of both or either Houses of Parliament for imposing of Oathes Covenants or Engagements Leavying of Taxes or Raising of Forces and Armes to which the Royall Assent either in Person or by Commission was not expresly had or given were in theire first creation and making and still are and soe shall be taken to be null and void to all intents and purposes whatsoever [X2 Provided neverthelesse that all and every person and persons Bodies Politique and Corporate who have beene or shall att any time hereafter be questioned for any thing acted or done by colour of any the Orders or Ordinances herein before menc[i]oned and declared to be null and void and are indempnified by an Act entituled An Act. of Free and Generall Pardon Indempnity and Oblivion made in the twelfth yeare of His Majesties Reign that now is or shall be indempnified by any Act of Parliament shall and may make such use of the said Orders and Ordinances for theire Indempnity according to the true intent and meaning of the said Act and no other as he or they might have done if this Act had not beene made Any thing in this Act contained to the contrary notwithstanding]

Editorial Information

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

X2 annexed to the Original Act in a separate Schedule.