Chapter XXVI: Section II

1. All religious Assemblies of Protestants, not exceeding Twenty Persons, besides the family of the person in whose premises such Assembly shall be held, are lawful without registering the place of Meeting, so that there will be no absolute necessity to register the houses where Prayer, and other Social Meetings are held. However, as it is attended with scarcely any inconvenience, it is recommended that ALL PLACES where, in probability, more than Twenty Persons may assemble for Religious Instruction, including Sunday Schools, be certified and registered.

2. It is not necessary to register any place, which has been registered previous to the passing of this Act.

3. It is not necessary to wait till the place is actually registered, but a Religious Assembly may lawfully be held after a certificate that the place is intended to be used for Religious Worship is lodged with the person or any one of the persons mentioned in the Section.

4. The following form of Certificate to be sent to the Bishop, or Archdeacon, or Justices of the General or Quarter Sessions, is recommended, to sign which only one person is necessary, that is to say,

“To the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of ________ (as the case may
be) or the Reverend (_A. B._) Archdeacon of ______ (as the case may
be) and to his Registrar, or to the Justices of the Peace (of the
County, Riding, Division, City, Town, or Place, as the case may be)
and to the Clerk of the Peace thereof.”

“I, _A. B._ of (describing the christian and surname, and place of
abode, and trade or profession of the party certifying) do hereby
certify, that a certain Building, (Messuage, or Tenement, Barn,
School, Meeting House, or part of a Messuage, Tenement, or other
Building, as the case may be) situated in the Parish of ______ and
County of ______ (as the case may be, and specifying also the number
of the Messuage, &c. if numbered, and the Street, Lane, &c. wherein
it is situate, and the name of the present or last Occupier or
Owner) is intended forthwith to be used as a place of Religious
Worship by an Assembly or Congregation of Protestants, and I do
hereby require you to register and record the same according to the
provisions of an Act passed in the 52d year of the Reign of His
Majesty King George the Third, intituled An Act to repeal certain
Acts, and amend other Acts, relating to Religious Worship, and
Assemblies, and Persons teaching or preaching therein, and I hereby
request a Certificate thereof. Witness my hand this __ day of ______
181__

_A. B._”

The address to be used must depend upon the person or persons with whom the Certificate is to be deposited. Between the different Sessions, the Bishop and Archdeacon’s Registry is generally open.

It is not necessary that this Certificate should express that the place is to be registered for protestant Dissenters, the Act mentions only Protestants, and it is recommended that no Certificate be accepted from the Registrar of the Bishop, or Archdeacon, or from the Clerk of the Peace, which narrows the term, or which states the place to be for any specific denomination of Protestants. The Certificate should mention Protestants only.

Two copies of the above Certificate should be prepared, and signed in the presence of a respectable witness. One to be delivered to the Bishop, Archdeacon, or Clerk of the Peace, and the other to be kept by the party, signing the same, who is to require from the Registrar or Clerk of the Peace, to sign a Certificate on the part to be kept, that such Certificate as above has been delivered to him. Such Certificate to be written beneath the name of the party or parties signing the original Certificate, in the following form:

“I, _C. D._ (Registrar of the Court of the Bishop of ______ or
Archdeacon of ______ or Clerk of the Peace for the County of ______
as the case may be) do hereby certify that a Certificate, of which
the above is a true copy, was this day delivered to me, to be
registered and recorded pursuant to the Act of Parliament therein
mentioned. Dated this __ day of ________ 181__

_C. D._ Registrar, or Clerk of the Peace.”

Thus in case any accidental delay in the Registration should take place, and it be needful to use the place, as a place of religious Assembly, proof will exist that the Certificate was duly delivered and consequently the parties be free from penalty, if they use the place for Religious Worship after it is certified, but before it is registered.

5. At the time the Certificate of the parties is presented to the Bishop, or Archdeacon, or to the Sessions, the Fee of 2s. 6d. should be paid to the Registrar, or Clerk of the Peace, for registering and certifying the same, and his Certificate should be required accordingly.