'Ihe HIST ·ORY of the PuRITANs; VoL. I!. King " to the i1iformer or his aj)iflants, regard being had to their diligence and Cl~a~~"~.ll . " induflry in difccvering, difperjing, and punijhing the /aid conventicles. ~~ " The. fines upon minifters for preaching, are to be levied alfo by dift:refs ; " and m <:afe of poverty, upon the goods and chattels of any other pre– ·« fcnt; and the like upon the houfe where the conventicle is held, and '! the money to be divided as above. " And it is further enacted, that the jufl:ice or jull:ices of peace, con– " fl:able, beadboroughs, &c. may by warrant, with what aid force and " ailifl:ance, they lhall think necelfary, break open, and enter intoany " houfe or place, where they {hall be informed of the conventicle, and " take the perfons fo alfembled into cufl:ody --And the lieutenants, " or other commiilioned officers of the militia, may get together fuch '' force an<) afilfl:ance as they think nece!lary to difiolve, diilipate, and " difperfe fuch unlawful meetings, and take the perfons into cufl:ody." 'l'luadditionThen follow two extraordinary claufes, " that if any jullice of peace "' claujes. " refufe to do his duty in the execution of this act, he lhall forfeit five " pounds. " And be it further enacted, that all claufes in this aCl:, jha/1 be con– " Jlrued mrft largely and benificially for tbe Juppr€fjing conventicles, andfor " the jzV!ijication and encouragement of all perjons to be employed in the " execution thereqf. No warrant or mittimus fhall be made void, or re– " verfed, for any default in the form; and if a perfon fly from one " county or corporation to another, his goods and chattels {hall be feiz– " able wherever they are found. If the party offending be a wife •· cohabiting with her huiband, the fine fhall be levied on the goods " and chattels of the huiband, provided the profecution be within three '' ·months." Remarks. The wit of man could hardly invent any thing fhort of capital pu- :nifhment, more cruel and inhuman. One would have thought a prince ·of fo much clemency as Charles II. who had often declared againfl: per– fecution, fhould not have confented to it, and that no chriftian bifhop fhould have concurred in the pafilng it. Mens houfcs are to be plun– dered, their perfons imprifoned, their goods and chat tels carried away, and fold to thofe who would bid for them. Encouragement is given to a vile fet of iriformers, and others, to live upon the labour and indufl:ry Burnet. p. of their confcientious neigbours. Multitudes of thefe i'![arnous wretches -:L7o. {pent their profits in ill houfes, and upon lewd women, and then went about the fl:reets again to hunt for further prey. The law is to be con– firued in their favour, and the power to be lodged in the hand of every individual ju~ice of peace, who is -to be fined five pounds if he refufes his warrant. Upon this, many honefl: men who would not be the in– firuments of fuch feverities, quitted the bench. Mr. Eachard being · ' alhamed
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