An Abstract of the Penal-Laws Against Immorality, and profaneness, Commanded to be put in Speedy and Vigorous Execution, by His MAJESTY's Gracious and Pious PROCLAMATION, pursuant to the Humble ADDRESS of the Honourable House of Commons. Published for the Ease and Direction of all Officers, or others, for the better Discharge of their Duty, by giving Information to the Magistrates of the Breach of the said LAWS. OFFENCES. LAWS and STATUTES PENALTIES. profanation of the Lord's-Day. ALL Laws in force concerning the Observation of the Lord's-Day, shall be put in Execution: This Day is by every one to be Sanctified and kept Holy, and all Persons must be careful herein to exercise themselves in the Duties of Piety, and true Religion publicly and Privately; and every one on this Day( not having a reasonable Excuse) must diligently resort to some public place, where the Service of God is exercised, or must be present at some other Place,( allowed of by Law) in the practise of some Religious Duty, either of Prayer, Preaching, Reading, or Expounding of the Scriptures, or Conference upon the same. 29 Car. 2. C. 7. 1 Will.& M. Cap. 18. 1 Eliz. Cap. 2. 3 Jac. Cap. 4. NOTE, That His Majesty's Protestant Subjects dissenting from the Church of England, and qualified according to the late Statute of Indulgence, are exempted from the Penalties of the Statutes, 3 Jac. 1 Eliz. 23. Eliz. 29. Eliz. and some other Statutes. Such as repair not to Church, &c. on Sundays and Holidays, One Witness, Absenting for a Month, If a Twelve-month or more, If any come not to the Sacrament of the Lord's-Supper once a Year, None shall speak or do any thing in Contempt of the most Holy Sacrament. 1 Eliz. Cap. 2. 23 Eliz. Cap. 1 3 Jac. Cap. 1. 3 Jac. Cap. 4. 1 Ed. 6. Cap. 1. Twelve Pence for every Default, to be levied by Distress, and for want of Distress, to be committed to some Prison, until the same be paid. vid. 14. 15.§. Twenty Pounds per Month, and forfeiture of Two parts in Three of their Estates. Their Names and surnames to be Presented: Forty Shillings Reward to such as Present them. By Oath of Two lawful Witnesses, by Three Justices Quorum un. to be Bound over and Prosecuted in Sessions. Whosoever shall disturb any Preacher allowed in his open Sermon or Collation, or be procuring or abetting thereunto, or shall Rescue, &c. any Offender, &c. Accusation must be by Two Witnesses, or Confession. 1 M. Cap. 3. To be Committed by any Justice of the County to safe Custody, and within six days the said Committing Justice, with one other Justice,( if the Offender upon Examination shall be found Guilty) shall Commit him to Gaol without Bail, &c. for Three Months, and farther to the next Quarter-Sessions. Such as Meet or Assemble out of their own Parish upon the Lord's-Day, for any Sports or Pastimes whatsoever; or such as shall use any Unlawful Exercise or Pastime in their own Parish upon the Lord's-Day. 1 Car. Cap. 1. 3 Car. Cap. 2. Three Shillings and Four Pence to the Poor, where▪ &c. to be levied by Distress and Sale, restoring the Overplus, &c. and for want of Distress, to be sent to the Stocks for Three Hours; but they must be questioned within a Month. If any Carrier, waggoner, Butcher, &c. with Horse, Wain, or Cart, or Drover with Cattle, shall travail upon the Lord's-Day by themselves, or any other for them, 3 Car. Cap. 2 Twenty Shillings for every Offence, to be levied by Distress and Sale, to the Use of the Poor. If any Butcher, or any other for him, shall Kill or Sell any Victuals upon the Sunday, Two Witnesses, View, or Confession, 3 Car. Cap. 2. He shall Forfeit Six Shillings and Eight Pence, if questioned within Six Months, to be Levied, &c. or may be Sued for in Sessions, &c. If any Shoe-Maker shall go with intent to Sell any Boots, Shoes, &c. on the Sunday, 1 Jac. Cap. 22. He shall Forfeit such Goods, and Three Shillings and Four Pence for every Pair. If any Person of the Age of 14, shall on the Lord's-Day, or any part thereof, do any Worldly Labour, Business, or Work, &c. except Works of Necessity and Charity, 29 Car. 2. Cap. 7. He shall Forfeit Five Shillings for every Offence. If any Person shall Cry, show forth, or put to Sale any wears, Fruit, Goods, &c. except Milk only, before the Hours of Nine in the Morning, and after Four in the Afternoon, 29 Car. 2. Cap. 7. He shall Forfeit the said wears, Fruit, Goods, &c. to the Use of the Poor. No Drover, Horse-Courser, waggoner, Butcher, Higler, or any of their Servants, shall travail, or come to their Inns, on the Lord's-Day. 29 Car. 2. Cap. 7. The Forfeit is Twenty Shillings for every Offence. No Person shall use to travail upon the Lord's-Day with any Horse, Boat, Wherry, &c. except allowed by one Justice of Peace so to do, By View, Confession, or one Witness. This Act extends not to dressing of Meat in Cooks-Shops, Inns, or Victualling-Houses; nor to Hackney-Coaches that are licenced. 29 Car. 2. Cap. 7. The Forfeiture is Five Shillings for every Offence. The Conviction upon the Statute must be before any Justice of the County, &c. who shall give Warrant to the Constables, &c. to Seize the Goods shewed, &c. and to Levy the Forfeitures by Distress, &c. and for want of Distress, to put the Offender in the Stocks for Two Hours: The Justices, &c. may reward the Informer out of the Forfeitures, not exceeding the Third part. Every Person must be Impeached upon this. Act within Ten Days after the Offence. Drunkenness. If any be Convicted for being Drunk, by One Witness, or View, If any Ale House-Keeper be Convicted of Drunkenness, he is disabled for Three Years to keep any Ale-House. This Conviction of Drunkenness must be within Six Months after the Offence committed. 4 Jac. Cap. 5. 21 Jac. Cap. 7. The Offender for the first to pay Five Shillings to the Church-Wardens, where, &c. within one Week after Conviction, or else to be Levied by Distress and Sale; and for want of Distress, to sit in the Stocks Six Hours. For the second Offence, must be Bound in Ten Pounds, with Two Sureties, to the good Behaviour; and for want of Sureties, to be sent to Gaol. If the Constable levy not the Forfeitures, he Forfeits Ten Shillings to the Poor, ut supra. Inn-Keepers, alehouse-keepers, or Victuallers, that suffer any of the same Parish to continue tippling in their Houses, One Witness, or View, 1 Jac. Cap. 9. 21 Jac. Cap. 7. Ten Shillings to be Levied by Distress and Sale, after six days; and for want of Distress, to be Committed till Payment, and Disabled for Three Years from Keeping any Ale-House, &c. If the Constable or Church-Warden do not Levy the Penalty, or shall not certify the want of Distress within Twenty Days, he Forfeits Forty Shillings, to be levied by Distress and Sale, ut supra. If any Inn-Keeper, Ale-House-Keeper, Victualler, or Taverner, suffer any Person( wheresoever his Habitation be) to continue tippling in his House, Two Witnesses, or View, 1 Jac. Cap. 4. 21 Jac. Cap. 7. 1 Car. Cap. 4. Ten Shillings to be Levied by Distress, and for want of Satisfaction, in six days to be Sold, restoring the Overplus; and for want of Distress, to be Committed till Payment. Townsmen, or others, which shall remain tippling in any Inn, Ale-House, or Victualling-House, One Witness, or View, 4 Jac. Cap 5. 21 Jac. Cap. 7. Three Shillings and Four Fence to be Levied by Distress, after one Weeks Neglect of Payment; or to sit in the Stocks four Hours. Constables shall be charged on their Oaths to present Offences committed against these Acts. 1 Car. Cap. 4. 21 Jac. Cap. 7. The Constable for his Neglect Forfeits Ten Shillings, ut supra. These Statutes do Prohibit all Quaffing, and Drinking of Healths, such Houses being solely appointed for the Accommodation of Travellers, and for the Relief of the Poor. Dalt. Cap. 7. Every such Taverner, which shall suffer any Person whatsoever to Tiple in his House, contrary to the said Statutes, shall be adjudged within the Statute, 1 Jac. Cap. 9. Swearing and Cursing. If any Person shall profanely Swear or Curse in the Hearing of a Justice of Peace, Mayor, &c. or be Convicted of such Swearing, by one Witness, or Confession of the Party, Every Offence against this Act must be proved within Ten Days after the Offence Committed. Every Justice shall certify to the next Quarter-Sessions of Peace all Convictions made before him upon this Act, and the time of making thereof, and for what Offence. None shall in any Stage-Play, show, May-game, Interlude, or Pageant, Jestingly or profanely speak or use the Holy Name of God, Christ Jesus, the Holy Ghost, or Trinity, 21 Jac. Cap. 20 3 Car. Cap. 4. 17 Car. Cap. 4. 6, 7 Gulielm. Cap. 11. 3 Jac. Cap. 21. He shall forfeit for every such Offence to the Use of the Poor, the respective Sums following; every Servant, Day-Labourer, common soldier, and common Seaman, One Shilling; every other Person, Two Shillings: If any Person, after Conviction, shall offend a Second time, such Person shall pay Double; and if a Third time, treble the Sum respectively to be paid for the first Offence. Every Justice, Head-Officer, &c. may Command the Constables, &c. to Levy the same by Distress: And for want of Distress, the Offender, being above the Age of Sixteen Years, shall be set in the Stocks, for every single Offence, one Hour; for any Number, at one and the same time, two Hours: If under Sixteen Years old, and shall not pay the said Twelve-pence, he shall be whipped by the Constable, by Warrant of the Justice, or by the Parent or Master, in the Presence of the Constable. Every Justice, Wilfully omitting the Performing of his Duty, shall forfeit Five Pounds, to be recovered by Action. The Act of the Sixth and Seventh of King WILLIAM, to be red four times in the Year, in all Churches and chapels, under the pain of Twenty Shillings for Neglect thereof. On pain of Ten Pounds, to be divided between the King and the Prosecutor, to be recovered by Action. lewd and Disorderly Practices. Keeping of Baudy-Houses, &c. is against the Law of God, on which our Common Law in this Case is grounded: Therefore the Keepers of Houses of bawdry and Incontinence. Resorters and Frequenters of Baudy-Houses, Adultery, &c. and all Acts of Bandry, are Breaches of the Peace, Col. 3. Instit. 11 Hen. 6. Cap. 1. 1 Hen. 7. cap. 6. Are to be Punished, being a Common nuisance, by Indictment at Common Law by Fine and Imprisonment. To be Bound with Sureties to the good Behaviour. For which an Indictment will lye. If a Constable, &c. has Notice that a Woman is in Adultery, &c. with a Man▪ or that a Man or Woman of evil famed is gone to a suspected House, Strangers, or others, that are suspicious, that walk by Night, especially if they haunt lewd Houses, or keep lewd Company, or commit Outrages, Cook 3 Instit. Dal. Cap. 124. 7 Jac. Cap. 4. 39 Eliz. Cap. 4. 43 Eliz. Cap. 2 4 Hen. 7. Cap. 12. He may take Help with him, and if he find them so, he may carry them to Prison, or to a Justice, to be Bound over and Prosecuted. To find sufficient Sureties for the Good Behaviour. Idlers that refuse to Work, and Disorderly Persons, Wandring Rogues, &c. If the Constable punish them not, 39 Eliz. Cap. 4 1 Jac. Cap. 7. To be Committed to the House of Correction. To be whipped, and sent to the Place of Birth. He Forfeits Ten Shillings, to be Levied by a Warrant from Two Justices. Such as shall not apprehended Rogues, &c. being at their Doors, Two Witnesses, or Confession,   Ten Shillings to be Levied, ut supra. Every Constable who does not punish such as are brought to him, Such as disturb the Punishment o● Rogues, &c. 39 Eliz. Cap. 4 7 Jac. Cap. 4. Twenty Shillings to be Levied, ut supra. Five Pounds to be Levied by Distress, and Bound to the Good Behaviour by Two Justices, Quorum un. Officers remiss in Punishing of Rogues, &c. Such as run away, and leave their Charge upon the Parish, Such as threaten to run away, Two Witnesses, If any Woman shall have a Bastard Child which may be chargeable to the Parish, 7 Jac. Cap. 4. Ten Pounds to be Levied by Distress and Sale, ut supra. To be Punished as Rogues, &c. To be sent to Bridewell, or give Security to discharge the Parish. Bridewell for One Year, to be sent by Two Justices, and Bound not to Offend so again. game. Keepers of Play-Houses, and Unlawful Games, Upon View, Such as Play in such Houses, 33 Hen. 8. Cap. 9. Forty Shillings, and Imprisonment until he become Bound by recognisance to keep no more. Imprisonment until he be bound to Play no more, and to pay Six Shillings and Eight Pence, to be recovered in Quarter-Sessions. Upon View, Such as out of christmas shall Play at Unlawful Games any where, All Licenses to keep Houses or Places of Unlawful Games shall be voided. 2, 3 Ph.& M. Cap. 9. Imprisonment, and bound to the King to Play no more, Twenty Shillings by Indictment in Quarter-Sessions. LONDON, Printed by William Downing, in St. Bartholomew-Close, near Smithfield, 1698.