Scottish Episcopalians Act 1711

Short description: Act of the Parliament of Great Britain

Short description: United Kingdom legislation

Scottish Episcopalians Act 1711[lower-alpha 1]Act of Parliament

Parliament of Great Britain

Long title| An Act to prevent the disturbing those of the Episcopal Communion in Scotland in the Exercise of their Religious Worship and in the Use of the Liturgy of the Church of England and for repealing the Act passed in the Parliament of Scotland intituled Act against irregular Baptisms and Marriages
Citation|

* 10 Ann. c. 10[lower-alpha 2]
* 10 Ann. c. 7[lower-alpha 3]

Territorial extent|

* England and Wales
* Scotland

Dates
Royal assent| 3 March 1712
Commencement| 7 December 1711[lower-alpha 4]
Other legislation
Amended by|

* Statute Law Revision Act 1867
* Promissory Oaths Act 1871
* Statute Law Revision Act 1888
* Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1977

Status: Amended

Text of statute as originally enacted
Text of the Scottish Episcopalians Act 1711 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.
Revised text of statute as amended

The Scottish Episcopalians Act 1711[lower-alpha 1] (10 Ann. c. 10)[lower-alpha 2], also referred to as the Toleration Act 1712,[1] is an act of the Parliament of Great Britain. Its purpose was "to prevent the disturbing those of the Episcopal Communion in Scotland in the Exercise of their Religious Worship and in the Use of the Liturgy of the Church of England and for repealing the Act passed in the Parliament of Scotland intituled Act against irregular Baptisms and Marriages".[1]

As of 2025[update], the act was partly in force in Great Britain.[2]

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Notes
* 3 References
* 4 External links

## History

In 1690, the national Church of Scotland abolished the Bishops in the Church of Scotland due to their refusal to swear loyalty to King William II of Scotland and following the Glorious Revolution.[3] The now-deposed bishops continued to minister and it led to the creation of the Scottish Episcopal Church. In the early 1700s, Scottish episcopal worship increased, usually relying on ordained priests from the Church of England.[4] In 1709, Reverend James Greenshields was conducting a service in accordance with Church of England liturgy when he was arrested at the behest of the Church of Scotland's Presbytery of Edinburgh for "being within their bounds and without their allowance and introducing a form of worship contrary to the purity and uniformity of the church established by law".[4] He was found guilty at Edinburgh Magistrates' court and lost an appeal to the Court of Session. He spent seven months in prison before being freed after a successful appeal to the House of Lords who ruled that he was acting legally.[4]

Due to the ambiguity of their status under Scots law, the act was passed by the Parliament of Great Britain. The act affirmed that the Scottish Episcopal Church and any other worship carried out under Anglican liturgy were legal in Scotland. It also granted protection from criminal or civil actions brought by the Church of Scotland and prohibited any civil or criminal action being taken against any person who partook in episcopal worship, even if they had been excommunicated from the Church of Scotland.[4] The act did however require Scottish Episcopalians to pray for the monarch during services.[5]

## Notes

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 The citation of this act by this short title was authorised by section 1 of, and schedule 1 to, the Short Titles Act 1896. Due to the repeal of those provisions, it is now authorised by section 19(2) of the Interpretation Act 1978.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 This is the citation in The Statutes of the Realm.
3. ↑ This is the citation in The Statutes at Large.
4. ↑ Start of session.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Guild, Ivor (2 January 1996). "Synodical Government in the Scottish Episcopal Church". Ecclesiastical Law Journal 4 (18): 493–496. doi:10.1017/S0956618X00002386. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/ecclesiastical-law-journal/article/synodical-government-in-the-scottish-episcopal-church/0FAB75BC1133F7C78FB5D4E8787E9A2B. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
2. ↑ The Chronological Table of the Statutes, 1235 - 2010. The Stationery Office. 2011. ISBN 978-0-11-840509-6. Part I. Page 82, read with pages viii and x.
3. ↑ "The Origins of the Scottish Episcopal Church". DCD Churches. 11 July 2011. https://dcdchurches.org.uk/the-origins-of-the-scottish-episcopal-church/. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Wilkinson, A. B. (2019). "5 Scottish Episcopal Church: Polity, Law and Governance". Scottish Episcopal Church: Polity, Law and Governance. Edinburgh University Press. pp. 43–56. doi:10.1515/9781474470551-006. ISBN 978-1-4744-7055-1. https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9781474470551-006/html. Retrieved 2025-04-02.
5. ↑ "How the Union came within four votes of ending almost as soon as it began". 23 March 2021. https://www.thenational.scot/news/19179552.union-came-within-four-votes-ending-almost-soon-began/. Retrieved 2 April 2025.

## External links

* Text of the Scottish Episcopalians Act 1711 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.

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