Act of Uniformity 1558

The Act of Uniformity 1558^[a] (1 Eliz. 1. c. 2) was an act of the Parliament of England, passed in 1559,^[d] to regularise prayer, divine worship and the administration of the sacraments in the Church of England. In so doing, it mandated worship according to the attached 1559 Book of Common Prayer. The act was part of the Elizabethan Religious Settlement in England instituted by Elizabeth I, who wanted to unify the church and abolish the influence of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. Other acts concerned with this settlement were the Act of Supremacy 1558 (1 Eliz. 1. c. 1) and the Thirty-Nine Articles.

Act of Uniformity 1558^[a]

Act of Parliament
Parliament of England
Long title	An Acte for the Uniformitie of Common Prayoure and Dyvyne Service in the Churche, and the Administration of the Sacramentes.[b]
Citation	1 Eliz. 1. c. 2
Territorial extent	England and Wales
Dates
Royal assent	8 May 1559
Commencement	24 June 1559[c][1]
Repealed	1 September 1975[2]
Other legislation
Amends	First Statute of Repeal
Amended by	Statute Law Revision Act 1863 Statute Law Revision Act 1888
Repealed by	Church of England (Worship and Doctrine) Measure 1974
Relates to	Act of Uniformity 1548 Act of Uniformity 1551 Act of Supremacy 1558
Status: Repealed
Revised text of statute as amended

Background

Elizabeth was trying to achieve a settlement after 30 years of turmoil during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary I, during which England had swung from Roman Catholicism to Protestantism and back to Catholicism. Though reformers had rejoiced with the accession of Elizabeth to the throne, they found that Catholicism was more deeply rooted in England than what they had thought. The bishops issued in February 1559 a document affirming the belief in the Real Presence, Transubstantiation, the sacrificial and sacramental character of the Mass and papal supremacy. Therefore, the reform would need to be pushed through by the parliament.^[4] Parliamentary sessions on discussion of the act began on 23 January 1559.

The act

The act was clearly Protestant in its nature and repealed all legislation of Mary. The outcome of the Elizabethan Settlement was a sometimes tense and often fragile union of High Church and Low Church elements within the Church of England and Anglicanism worldwide. Though it was less radical than the act of 1552 and made some minor concessions to Catholics in hope they would comply with the new order.^[1] The vote in parliament was passed by only three votes: the creation of the new Church of England was therefore dependent on a slim majority in parliament and against the will of the bishops.^[4] Though most protestants accepted this compromise, some were disappointed which led to the rise of a "Puritan" party that made the case for more thorough and consistent Reformation.^[1] These Protestants were against the inclusion of saints' feast days in the Church calendar, against the "cult of Elizabeth" that developed at the court and the use of crosses, vestments, holy water and blessings.^[4]

The act replaced the Latin Mass with the Communion Service and set the order of prayer to be used in the 1559 Book of Common Prayer.^[4] All persons had to attend Anglican services once a week or be fined 12 pence (equal to about three days wages or around £24 today).^[e]

Repeal

On 27 September 1650, the act was repealed by the Rump Parliament of the Commonwealth of England with the "Act for the Repeal of several Clauses in Statutes imposing Penalties for not coming to Church",^[6] but this act was rendered null and void with the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660.

Section 7 of the act was repealed by section 1 of, and the schedule to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1863 (26 & 27 Vict. c. 125)

Section three, from "it is" to first "abovesayd"; five, from "it is" to "aforesaid that", section six, section nine, section ten, section eleven, from "and be yt (or it)" to first "aforesaid", section eight, section fourteen, from "be it (or yt)" to "aforesaid that" and in sections twelve and thirteen, the words "and bee it enacted", were repealed by section 1 of, and the schedule to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1888 (51 & 52 Vict. c. 3).

The whole act, so far as unrepealed, was repealed by section 6(3) of, and schedule 2 to, the Church of England (Worship and Doctrine) Measure 1974 (1974, No. 3).

See also

• Acts of Supremacy
• Acts of Uniformity
• Conformist
• Nonconformist
• Religion in the United Kingdom
• A View of Popish Abuses yet remaining in the English Church

Notes

1. The citation of this act by this short title was authorised by section 5 of, and schedule 2 to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1948 (11 & 12 Geo. 6. c. 62). Due to the repeal of those provisions, it is now authorised by section 19(2) of the Interpretation Act 1978.
2. These words are printed against this Act in the second column of schedule 2 to the Statute Law Revision Act 1948 (11 & 12 Geo. 6. c. 62), which is headed "Title".
3. Section 1. The Feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist.
4. The Act of Uniformity was passed in April 1559.^[3] However, all acts of Parliament prior to the Acts of Parliament (Commencement) Act 1793 (33 Geo. 3. c. 13) were ex post facto laws that came into effect on the first day of the session. The first Parliament of Elizabeth I met three months earlier in January 1558; the year 1559 did not begin until 25 March 1559. Therefore, the Act of Uniformity was officially dated 1558 by the Statute Law Revision Act 1948 (11 & 12 Geo. 6. c. 62).
5. Average earnings in 1558 were £6.06 per annum, equal to 2s. 4d. a week or 4d. a day.^[5]