Putting away of Books and Images Act 1549


The Act for the abolishing and putting away of diverse books and images 1549 was an Act of the Parliament of England.
The preamble of the Act recites:
Whereas the king's most excellent majesty hath of late set forth, and established, by authority of parliament, an uniform, quiet, and godly order of common and open prayer, in a book entitled, The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments, and other rites and ceremonies of the Church, after the Church of England, to be used and observed in the said Church of England, agreeable to the order of the Primitive Church, much more comfortable unto his loving subjects than other diversity of service, as heretofore of long time hath been used, being in the said book ordained, nother to be read but the pure word of God, or which is evidently grounded thereon &c.

It then proceeds to order the abolishing of all other religious books, as they tend to superstition and idolatry; and commands all persons to deface and destroy images of all kinds that were erected for religious worship, under a penalty for any to prevent the same. In this proclamation are the following clauses: "Provided always that this act, or anything therein contained, shall not extend to any image or picture set, or engraven upon any tomb in any church, chapel, or church-yard, only for a monument of any dead saint."
It was also enacted that the people might still keep the primers set forth by the late king Henry VIII provided they erased the sentences of invocation, and names of popish saints.
The act was repealed by Mary I, but James VI and I re-established it.