Clergy Act 1640

Recital that Spiritual Persons ought not to be entangled with secular Jurisdiction.

Archbishops, &c. and Persons in Holy Orders, not to have Seat or Voice in Parliament, &c. or execute any Temporal Authority.

Whereas Bishops and other persons in Holy Orders ought not to be intangled with secular jurisdiction the Office of the Ministerie being of such great importance that it will take up the whole man And for that it is found by long experience that theire intermedling with secular jurisdictions hath occasioned great mischeifs and scandall both to church and state His Majestie out of his religious care of the church and souls of his people is gratiously pleased that it be enacted And by authoritie of this [X1 p[re]sent] Parliament Be it enacted that no Archbishop or Bishop or other person that now is or hereafter shall be in Holy Orders shall at any time after the fifteenth day of February in the yeare of our Lord One thousand six hundred forty one have any Seat or place suffrage or Voice or use or execute any power or authority in the Parliaments of this Realm nor shall be of the Privy Councell of his Majestie his heires or successours or Justice of the Peace of Oyer and Terminer or Goal Delivery or execute any temporall authoritie by vertue of any Commission but shall be wholly disabled and be uncapable to have receive use or execute any of the said Offices Places Powers Authorities and things aforesaid.

Editorial Information

X1 interlined on the Roll.

II. All Acts, &c. done by such Persons, void.

And be it further enacted by the authoritie aforesaid that all Acts from and after the said fifteenth day of February which shall be done or executed by any Archbishop or Bishop or other person whatsoever in Holy Orders and all and every suffrage or voice given or delivered by them or any of them or other thing done by them or any of them contrary to the purport and true meaning of this present Act shall be utterly void to all intents constructions and purposes.