kind, applicable to the purposes of the former Act, or to the support of any charities for the benefit of poor persons in like manner as under the former Actf; and all proceedings and copies, or extracts of wills, required by the Commissioners, are exempted from stamp duties 5.

The seventh section exempts the two English Universities, and various religious and other institutions therein particularly mentioned, from the inquiry of the commission; but the Commissioners are to report the names of such charities as have special Visitors, Governors, or Overseers, to his Majesty and both houses of Parliament.

The eighth section exempts from the inquiries of the Commission institutions wholly or principally maintained by voluntary contributions, and under the controul of a Committee, &c. and the application of any donation or bequest to the purposes of such institution is not to subject it to the examination of the Commission: nevertheless, the management of any real estates belonging to such institution for twenty years before the passing of the Act, is to be subject to the commission h. The Acts of the Commissioners under the former Act are declared to be validi; and the former Act, which was temporary, is continued so far as it is not altered by this Act k; and the section relating to the limitation of actions, pleading, evidence, and costs, is reenacted1.

Stat. 1 and 2 GEO. IV. Cap. 92.

Any person or corporation in whom any lands, &c. are vested for charitable purposes, may convey to any person or corporation such lands in exchange for other landsm; and whenever it shall be thought advisable to exchange such lands, application shall be made to the Bishop, stating the objects of the charity, and other particulars; which statement is to be verified upon oath: whereupon the Bishop may direct inquiries to be made before issuing a commission: and in case the Bishop shall think proper to issue s. 6. 536. h s. 8. 537. i s. 9. ib. k s. 10. 538. I And to continue in force until August 1, 1823, and from thence until the end of the then next Session of Parliament, continued by stat. 5 Geo. 4. c. 58. and further by the statute of 9 and 10 Geo. 4. I s. 1. p. 539.

f s. 5. 535.

a commission, he may do so under his episcopal seal, directed to the persons mentioned: the Commission are then to proceed upon their inquiries as directed by the Act, and certify what appears to them to the Bishop, together with the evidence laid before them, and surveys relating to the lands, &c."

The Bishop may lay the proceedings, under the commission and title of land, before counsel; and if the Bishop is not satisfied with the return made by the Commissioners, he may issue a new commission: but if he is satisfied, he may signify his approbation in the manner specified. The section then prescribes minutely the mode in which the trustees of charity lands are to convey them, and the several proceedings therein o.

Before any commission issues, three months' notice of the proposed exchange shall be given in the newspapers in general circulation in the particular counties for three successive weeks; and also by affixing a notice on the church door for three successive Sundays P. All vacancies of trustees are to be filled up prior to any application for an exchange, unless where there are six or more trustees, and a certain number of trustees must consent 9. And in cases where it does not appear in whom the lands, &c. are vested, the Bishop may appoint persons to act as trustees for the purpose of the exchange; and if it afterwards appear in whom the lands were vested, the persons in possession of the property by exchange may obtain a confirmation from the persons in whom it was so vested: exchanges may be effected, although the trustees may be proprietors of the lands, &c. to be given in exchange; and the Bishop in such case is to appoint trustees who have no interest in the exchange, to act on behalf of the charitys. The remaining sections make provisions for eviction, in case of a defective title of the lands conveyed in exchange, in the whole or in part; also regulates the expenses attending exchanges, and the jurisdiction of the Diocesan in cases of exempt jurisdiction t.

HIS MAJESTY'S DECLARATION.

BEING by God's ordinance, according to our just title, Defender of the Faith, and Supreme Governor of the Church, within these our dominions, we hold it most agreeable to this our kingly office, and our own religious zeal, to conserve and maintain the Church committed to our charge, in the unity of true religion, and in the bond of peace; and not to suffer unnecessary disputations, altercations, or questions to be raised, which may nourish faction both in the Church and Commonwealth. We have therefore, upon mature deliberation, and with the advice of so many of our Bishops as might conveniently be called together, thought fit to make this Declaration following:

That the Articles of the Church of England (which have been allowed and authorized heretofore, and which our Clergy generally have subscribed unto) do contain the true doctrine of the Church of England, agreeable to God's Word: which we do therefore ratify and confirm, requiring all our loving subjects to continue in the uniform profession thereof, and prohibiting the least difference from the said Articles; which to that end we command to be new printed, and this our Declaration to be published therewith.

That we are Supreme Governor of the Church of England: and that if any difference arise about the external policy, concerning the Injunctions, Canons, and other Constitutions whatsoever thereto belonging, the Clergy in their Convocation is to order and settle them, having first obtained leave under our Broad Seal so to do, and we approving their said Ordinances and Constitutions; providing that none be made contrary to the laws and customs of the land.

That out of our princely care, that the Churchmen may do the work which is proper unto them, the Bishops and Clergy, from time to time in Convocation, upon their humble desire, shall have license under our Broad Seal to deliberate of, and to do all such things, as being made plain by them, and assented unto by us, shall concern the settled continuance of the doctrine and discipline of the Church of England now established; from which we will not endure any varying or departing in the least degree.

B

That for the present, though some differences have been ill raised, yet we take comfort in this, that all Clergymen within our realm have always most willingly subscribed to the Articles established; which is an argument to us, that they all agree in the true, usual, literal meaning of the said Articles; and that even in those curious points, in which the present differences lie, men of all sorts take the Articles of the Church of England to be for them; which is an argument again, that none of them intend any desertion of the Articles established.

That therefore in these both curious and unhappy differences, which have for so many hundred years, in different times and places, exercised the Church of Christ, we will, that all further curious search be laid aside, and these disputes shut up in God's promises, as they be generally set forth to us in the holy Scriptures, and the general meaning of the Articles of the Church of England, according to them. And that no man hereafter shall either print or preach to draw the Article aside any way, but shall submit to it in the plain and full meaning thereof; and shall not put his own sense or comment to be the meaning of the Article, but shall take it in the literal and grammatical sense.

That if any Public Reader in either of our Universities, or any Head or Master of a College, or any other person respectively in either of them, shall affix any new sense to any Article, or shall publicly read, determine, or hold any public disputation, or suffer any such to be held either way, in either the Universities or Colleges respectively; or if any Divine in the Universities shall preach or print any thing either way, other than is already established in Convocation with our royal assent; he or they the offenders shall be liable to our displeasure, and the Church's censure in our commission ecclesiastical, as well as any other: and we will see there shall be due execution upon them.

ARTICLES

Agreed upon by the Archbishops and Bishops of both Provinces, and the whole Clergy, in the Convocation holden at London, in the year 1562, for the avoiding of Diversities of Opinions, and for the stablishing of Consent touching true Religion.

I. Of Faith in the Holy Trinity.

THERE is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body, parts, or passions; of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the Maker and Preserver of all things both visible and invisible. And in unity of this Godhead there be three Persons, of one substance, power, and eternity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

II. Of the Word or Son of God, which was made very Man.

THE Son, which is the Word of the Father, begotten from everlasting of the Father, the very and eternal God, of one substance with the Father, took man's nature in the womb of the blessed Virgin, of her substance: so that two whole and perfect natures, that is to say, the Godhead and Manhood, were joined together in one Person, never to be divided, whereof is one Christ, very God, and very Man; who truly suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, to reconcile his Father to us, and to be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for actual sins of men.

III. Of the going down of Christ into Hell.

AS Christ died for us, and was buried; so also is it to be believed that he went down into hell.

IV. Of the Resurrection of Christ.

CHRIST did truly rise again from death, and took again his body, with flesh, bones, and all things appertaining to the perfection of man's nature; wherewith he ascended into heaven, and there sitteth, until he return to judge all men at the last day.