Selected quad for the lemma: peace_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
peace_n indictment_n justice_n session_n 2,138 5 10.8610 5 false
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A65675 An ansvver to the order of the Middlesex justices, dated the 20th of December last, touching the suppressing of conventicles which order is here compared with the act of the 22d of this king, on which the same is grounded : wherein it will appear that the said order is lame and insufficient for any constable, or other officers to act by : being an answer to a letter received from a friend in Middlesex : wherein is also laid down some directions to the officers touching the execution of that act, according to the true intent and meaning of that law / by D. R. Whitaker, Edward. 1682 (1682) Wing W1699; ESTC R8053 8,931 12

There is 1 snippet containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

commands none of the Constables or other Officers to Swear against any And this may be said of the Order in general That were it not an Order of Sessions it might be taken to be a force upon Men to Swear and looks something like an Invitation to Barratry or at least setting up a new Trade of Swearing and as to that part which commands the Constables to return the Names to them at the Sessions there is no pretence in the Act to warrant such a Command Therefore as to the whole Order of the Sessions and their Warrants thereupon to the Constables sent by the High Constables wherein they are commanded to act according to that Order I do here affirm There is not the least ground in the Act for such Orders nor can the Constables or Headburroughs Answer the same in case they should turn Informers if questioned hereafter no more than some of the Justices of the Peace of Middlesex can answer the stopping Indictments from being found by the Grand Jury at Hick's Hall about three or four Sessions ago which was so bold an Attempt and Stab to the Common Law that I dare affirm there never was so great an Offence committed by any Justice since the Saxon Race began in England Thus having given you my Opinion of the Order and compared the same a little with the Act I shall go on a little further to shew what the Constables and Officers Duties are upon the Act. And first I do say Where the Constable receives a Warrant to seize any Person convicted he ought to obey it and go with the Informers to seize the Person but nevertheless if the Person be in any House that is shut and the Doors refused to be opened the Constable hath no Power to break it open nor to stand by while it is done unless it be where there is a Meeting and then no more but to get into the Meeting if they are refused entrance and no other ways will the Act bear them out in nor is it the Constables work to be an Informer but to keep the Peace and if any Constable have a Warrant from a Justice to go to such a place where there is a Meeting to take the Names of the People who will not give their Names the Constables nor Justices cannot force them nor are they bound to be over forward in asking for the Act appoints no such thing nor are the Constables or any under Officers obliged to enter into any Meeting-house to disturb them unless that first they have a Certificate under the Hand and Seal of some Justice of the Peace of such Meeting which appears plainly in the 9th Paragraph of that Act. But admit such a Certificate should be made of a Meeting had or intended to be had Sect. 〈◊〉 consider how dangerous a thing this will be to the Constables or any under Officers to seize Persons in the same Meeting for how can he that comes to seize the Persons tell but that those very People there met is according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England And if it be so that the same Duties of Religion are performed there in a peaceable manner as are in the Church of England then it is most plain that the same is no Conventicle and so not within the compass of the Law Now it will not be amiss to consider what is used for Service in the Church of England In the first place Prayer is used in the Church both by the Common-Prayer-Book and without in the Pulpit then Singing of Psalms then a Sermon Now if the Meetings do perform nothing but these Exercises it cannot by this Act be made a Conventicle and if there be any Meeting in England that doth not all or the most of those Duties then let the Middlesex Justices and Constables do what they please with them and if they do all these Exercises though one of them may be omitted yet I think it cannot be made a Conventicle for the words are viz. In other manner then according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England and how any Officer can Swear or Prove that Prayer Preaching and Singing of Psalms are not the Practise and Usage of the Church of England I know not but must leave them to consider the Consequences London Printed for Ab. Green 1682.