THe Lords and Commons in Parliament taking into their serious Considerations, how well pleasing it is to God, and con­duceable to the blessed Reformation in his Worship, so much desired by both Houses of Parliament, That all Monuments of Super­stition or Idolatry, should, be removed and de­mollished; Do Ordain, That in all and every the Churches and Chappels, as well Cathe­drall and Collegiate, as other Churches and Chappels, and other usuall places of publick Prayer, authorised by Law within this Realm of England and Dominion of Wales, all Altars and Tables of Stone, shall before the first day of November, in the yeer of our Lord God 1643. be utterly taken away and demollished; And also all Communion Tables removed from the East end of every such Church, Chap­pell, or place of publick Prayer, and Chancell of the same, and shall be placed in some other [Page 4] fit & convenient place or places of the body of the said Church, Chappell, or other such place of publick Prayer, or of the body of the chancel of every such Church, Chappell, or other such place of publick Prayer; And that all Rails whatsoever, which have been erected neer to before, or about any Altar, or Communion Table, in any of the said Churches or Chap­pells, or other such place of publick Prayer at aforesaid, shall before the said day be likewise taken away; And the Chancell ground of eve­ry such Church or Chappell, or other place o [...] publick Prayer, which hath been within twen­ty yeers last past, raised for any Altar or Com­munion Table to stand upon, shall before the said day be laid down, and levelled as the same was before the said Twenty yeers last past; And that all Tapers, Candlestickes and Basons, shall before the said day be removed and taken away from the Communion Table in every such Church, Chappell, or other place of publick Prayer, and neither the same, nor any such like shall be used about the same at any time after the said day; And that all Cru­cifixes, Crosses, and all Images and Pictures [Page 5] of any one or more Persons of the Trinity, or of the Virgin Mary, and all other Images and Pictures of Saints, or superstitious Inscrip­tions in, or upon all and every the said Chur­ches or Chappells or other places of publick Prayer, Church-yards, or other places to any the said Churches and Chappels; or other place of publick Prayer, belonging, or in any other open place, shall before the said first day of November be taken away and defaced, and none of the like hereafter permitted in any such Church or Chappell, or other places as a­foresaid.

And be it further Ordain'd that all and every such removall of the said Altars, Tables of stone, Communion Table Tapers Candle­sticks and Basons, Crucifixes and Crosses, I­mages, and Pictures as aforesaid, taking away of the said Rayles, levelling of the said grouds, shalbe done and performed, and the walls, Windowes, Grounds, and other places which shall be broken, impaired or altered by any the meanes aforesaid, shall be made up and re­paired in good and sufficient manner, in all and every of the said Parish-churches on Chap­pels, [Page 6] or usuall places of publick Prayer belong­ing to any Parish, by the Churchwarden, or Church-wardens of every such Parish for the time being respectively; And in any Cathe­drall or Collegiate Church or chappell, by the Dean or Sub-Dean, or other chiefe Officer of every such church or chappell for the time be­ing; And in the Universities, by the severall Heads and Governours of every Colledge or Hall respectively; And in the severall Innes of Court, by the Benchers and Readers of every of the same respectively, at the cost and charges of all and every such Person or Persons, Body Politick or corporate, or parishioners of every parish respectively to whom the charge of the repaire of any such church, chappell, chancel, or place of publick Prayer, or other, part of such church or chappell, or place of publick prayer doth, or shall belong: and in case default, be made in any of the Premisses by any of the person or persons thereunto appointed by this Ordinance from, and after the said first day of November, which shall be in the yeer of our Lord God 1643. That then every such person or persons so making default, shall for every [Page 7] such neglect or default, by the space of Twen­ty dayes, forfeit and lose forty shillings to the use of the poore of the said Parish wherein such default shall be made, or if it be out of any parish, then to the use of the poore of such pa­rish whose Church is or shall be neerest to the Church or Chappell, or other place of publick prayer where such default shalbe made; and if default shalbe made after the first day of De­cember, which shall be in the said yeer 1643. Then any one Justice of the Peace of the coun­ty, City or town where such default shall be made, upon information thereof to him to be given, shall cause or procure the promisses to be performed according to the Tenor of this Ordinance at the cost and charges of such per­son or persons, bodies politick or corporate, or Inhabitants in every parish who are appointed by this Ordinance to bear the same.

Provided, that this Ordinance, or any thing therein contained, shall not extend to any I­mage, Picture, or coate of Armes in Glasse, Stone, or otherwise; in any Church, Chap­pell, Church-yard or place of publick prayer [Page 8] as aforesaid, set up or graven only fo [...] [...] [...] ment of any King, Prince, or Nobleman, or other dead person which hath not been com­monly reputed or taken for a Saint: But that all such Images, Pictures, and coates of Armes may stand and continue in like manner and forme, as if this Ordinance had never been made.