Act of Uniformity 1558

{{Short description|United Kingdom law of religion and the Church of England}}

{{Use British English|date=April 2025}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{Infobox UK legislation

|short_title=Act of Uniformity 1558{{efn|The citation of this act by this short title was authorised by section 5 of, and schedule 2 to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1948 (11 & 12 Geo. 6. c. 62). Due to the repeal of those provisions, it is now authorised by section 19(2) of the Interpretation Act 1978.}}

|type=Act

|parliament=Parliament of England

|long_title=An Acte for the Uniformitie of Common Prayoure and Dyvyne Service in the Churche, and the Administration of the Sacramentes.{{efn|These words are printed against this Act in the second column of schedule 2 to the Statute Law Revision Act 1948 (11 & 12 Geo. 6. c. 62), which is headed "Title".}}

|year=1558

|citation=1 Eliz. 1. c. 2

|territorial_extent=England and Wales

|royal_assent=8 May 1559

|commencement=23 January 1559{{efn|Start of session.}}

|repeal_date=12 December 1974

|amends=First Statute of Repeal

|amendments={{ubli|Statute Law Revision Act 1863|Statute Law Revision Act 1888}}

|related_legislation={{ubl|Act of Uniformity 1548|Act of Uniformity 1551|Act of Supremacy 1558}}

|repealing_legislation=Church of England (Worship and Doctrine) Measure 1974

|status=Repealed

|revised_text=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=pst.000017915519&seq=443

}}

The Act of Uniformity 1558 (1 Eliz. 1. c. 2) was an act of the Parliament of England, passed in 1559,{{efn|The Act of Uniformity was passed in April 1559.{{cite web |title=Elizabeth's Act of Uniformity (1559), 1 Elizabeth, Cap. 2 |url=https://history.hanover.edu/texts/engref/er80.html |website=Hanover Historical Texts Project |access-date=23 December 2018 |date=March 2001}} However, all acts of Parliament prior to the Acts of Parliament (Commencement) Act 1793 (33 Geo. 3. c. 13) were ex post facto laws that came into effect on the first day of the session. The first Parliament of Elizabeth I met three months earlier in January 1558; the year 1559 did not begin until 25 March 1559. Therefore, the Act of Uniformity was officially dated 1558 by the Statute Law Revision Act 1948 (11 & 12 Geo. 6. c. 62).}} to regularise prayer, divine worship and the administration of the sacraments in the Church of England. In so doing, it mandated worship according to the attached 1559 Book of Common Prayer. The act was part of the Elizabethan Religious Settlement in England instituted by Elizabeth I, who wanted to unify the church. Other acts concerned with this settlement were the Act of Supremacy 1558 (1 Eliz. 1. c. 1) and the Thirty-Nine Articles.