Anno quinto et sexto Eduardi Sexti Actes made in the session of this present parlament, holden vpo[n] prorogacion at Westminster, the. xxiii. daie of Ianuarie, in the fiueth yere of the reigne of our moste drad souereigne Lorde, Edward the. VI. by the grace of God, kyng of Englande, Fraunce, and Irelande, defendour of the faith, and of the Churche of Englande and Irelande, in yearth [sic] the supreme hed: and there continued and kept to the. xv. daie of Aprill, in the vi. yere of the reigne of our saied souereigne lorde, as foloweth

¶ The .xiii. Chapiter. ¶ An Acte, for the declaracion of a statute, made in the .xxxi. yere of Kyng Henry the eight, touchyng Religious persones.

WHere by an Acte of Parlament, made in the .xxxi. yere of the reigne of the moste noble Prince, of fa∣mous memorie, kyng Henry theight, for, and con∣cernyng the enablemēt of professed, and religious persones, to purchase to them, and to their heires, in fee simple, fee tatle, for terme of life, for yeres, or at will: manours, landes, tenementes, tentes, an∣nuities, and other hereditamentes, and thynges whatsoeuer: And that thei, and euery of theim, should or might, from thencefurthe vse, and exercise, receiue, take, haue, and enioye, all, and e∣uery lawfull thyng, and thynges, to bee growen, fallen, or happened to them, or any of them, after thesame decraiment, or departyng out of re∣ligion. And in whiche said acte of Parlament, there is a prouiso contei∣ned, that none of thesame teligious persones should, or might, at any tyme after the makyng of thesame Acte, bee taken, demed, or iudged, for, or as heire, or heires, or enheritable to any persone, or persones, to any purpose, respect, construccion, or entent in the lawe, as by thesame acte, emong other thynges therin conteined, more fully at large it may and doth appere. And forasmuche as sithe the tyme of the makyng of thesaid acte, there hath been certain ambiguities and doubtes, growen and arisen, and hereafter are like to growe, and arise, vpon the exposi∣cion of thesaid acte, whether thesaied late teligious, and professed per∣sones should, or might be adiudged, able to enherite, and to be enheri∣table, as heire, or heires, to any of his, or their auncestour, or aunce∣stours,

and to haue, and enioye, all, and euery thyng, and thynges, de∣scended, growen, fallen, or happened, to them, or any of them, after the∣saied deraiment, or departyng out of Religion, yea; or no. For the full and plain declaracion whereof, be it enacted, declared, and expounded, by the aucthoritie of this present Parlament, and by the aucthoritie of thesame, that all, and euery of thesame late Religious, and professed persone, and persones, shall, and maie, by aucthoritie of this Acte, bee enabled, to all ententes, construccions, and purposes, at all tyme, and tymes hereafter, to be taken, demed, and iudged, as heire, or heires, and enheritable to all, and euery their auncestour, or auncestours, and to haue, chalenge, enioye, receiue, and take, all manours, landes, tenemen∣tes, and Hereditamentes, and euery other thyng, and thynges, to them or any of them, fallen, come, growen, or descended, from any their aun∣cestours, by any maner of waies, sence the tyme of their seuerall derai∣mentes, or departyng out of their religion, in as ample and large ma∣ner, fourme, and condicion, as thei had neuer been professed, nor ente∣ted into Religion, thesame profession, or Religion, or any Lawe, cu∣stome, or vse, within this Realme to the contrary thereof in any wise, notwithstandyng.

Prouided alwaies, and be it further enacted, by thaucthoritie afor∣saied, that none of thesaied religious persones, shall, or maie, by vertue of this acte, at any tyme hereafter, be taken, demed, or iudged for heire, or heires, or enheritable to any persone, or persones, to any construcci∣on, or entent in the Lawe, by reason of any former right, title, enterest, matter, or cause, had, made, doen, descended, or growen, to any respecte or purpose, before their saied seuerall detaimentes, or departyng out of their Religion, any thyng before in this Acte, or in thesaied former acte conteined to the contrary hereof in any wise, notwithstandyng.