Laws Regulating Religious Activity
March 5, 1623/24
(W. W. Hening, ed. Statutes at Large of Virginia, Vol. I, pp. 122-124.)
1. That there shall be in every plantation, where the people used to meet for the worship of God, a house or room sequestered for that purpose and not to be for any temporal use whatsoever, and a place empaled in, sequestered only to the burial of the dead.
2.
That whosoever shall absent himself from divine service any Sunday without an allowable excuse shall forfeit a pound of tobacco and he that absents himself a month shall forfeit 50 pounds of tobacco. 
{hit 'em where it hurts!}
3. That there be an uniformity in our church as near as may be to the canons in England, both in substance and circumstance, and that all persons yield ready obedience unto them under pain of censure.
4. That the 22nd of March be yearly solemnized as holiday, and all other holidays, except when they fall two together, betwixt the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin and St. Michael the Archangel, then only the first to be observed by reason of our necessities.
5. That no minister be absent from his church above two months in all the year upon penalty of forfeiting half his means. And whosoever shall absent above four months in the year shall forfeit his whole means and cure.
6. That whosoever shall disparage a minister without bringing sufficient proof to justify his reports, whereby the minds of his parishioners may be alienated from him and his ministry prove the less effectual by their prejudication,
shall not only pay 500 pounds weight of tobacco but also ask the minister so wronged forgiveness publicly in the congregation.
7.
That no man dispose of any of his tobacco befory the minister be satisfied, upon pain of forfeiture double his part of the minister's means, and one man of every plantation to collect his means out of the first and best tobacco and corn.
[Edited on 3-28-2006 by crhoades]
Linear Mode
