Page:Ruffhead - The Statutes at Large - vol 9.djvu/654

 i8o APPENDIX. Anm Regni Caroli II. Regis Ang/ia, Scotia t Francice Gf Hibernia, Decitm tertio. At the Parliament begun and holden at Wefiminjler, the Eighth day of May, Anno Dotn. 1661. in the thirteenth year of the Reign of our moft gracious Sovereign Lord Charles the Second, by the Grace of God, of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, King, De- fender of the Faith, &c. And there continued until Tuefday the Thirtieth of July, 1661. And from that day the faid Parliament was adjourned unto the Twentieth of November then next following ; To the high pleafure of Almighty God, and to the weal- publick of this Realm, were enacted as followeth. The grounds and Induce- ments of this Aft. Seditious Ser- mons, Pam- phlets and Speeches. 13 Eliz. cap. 1. What (hall be adjudged Trea- son during the life of the King, Being declared and proved by two witneffes. Convicted by due courfe of Law, Offences [du- ring his Ma- jesties life) which difahle perfons to bear any Office. CAP. I. An Act for Safety and Prefervation of his Majefties Perfon and Government, againft Trea-J fonable and Seditious Practices and Attempts. TH E Lords and Commons affembled in Parliament, deeply weighing and confidering the Miferies and Calamities of well nigh twenty years, before your Majefties happy Return, and withal re- flecting upon the caufes and occafions of fo great and deplorable Confufions, do in all humility and thankfulnefs acknowledge your Majefties incomparable Grace and Goodnefs to your people, in your Free and General Pardon, Indemnity and Oblivion, by which your Majefty hath been pleafed to de- liver your Subjects, not^only from the punifhment, but alfo from the reproach of their former mifcarri- ages, which unexampled Piety and Clemency of your Majefty hath enflamed the hearts of us your Subjects with an ardent defire to exprefs all poflible Zeal and Duty in the Care and Prefervation of your Majefties Perfon (in whofe Honor and Happinefs confifts the good and welfare of your people) and in preventing (as much as may be) all Treafonable and Seditious Practices and Attempts for the time to come ; And becaufe the growth and encreafe of the late Troubles and Diforders, did in a very great meafure proceed from a multitude of Seditious Sermons, Pamphlets and Speeches, daily preached, printed and publifhed, with a tranfeendent Boldnefs defaming the Perfon and Government of your Ma- jefty and your Royal Father, wherein Men were -too much encouraged, and (above all) from a wilful miftake of the Supreme and Lawful Authority, whilrt Men were forward to cry up and maintain thofe Orders and Ordinances, Oaths and Covenants, to be Acts Legal and Warrantable, which in them- felves had not the leaft Colour of Law or Juftice to fupport them ; from which kind of diftempers, as the prefent Age is not yet wholly freed, fo Pofterity may be apt to relapfe into them, if a timely re- medy be not provided : We therefore, the Lords and Commons in Parliament affembled, having duly confidered the Premiffes, and remembring that in the thirteenth Year of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth of ever bleffed Memory, a right good and profitable Law was made for prefervation of her Majefties Perfon, do moft humbly befeech your moft excellent Majefty, that it may be enacted, And be it enacted by the Kings moft excellent Majefty, by and with the advice and confent of the Lords and Commons in this prefent Parliament affembled, and by authority of the fame, That if any perfon or perfons what- foever, after the Four and twentieth day of June, in the Year of our Lord, One thoufand fix hundred fixty and one, during the natural life of our "moft gracious Sovereign Lord the King, (whom Almighty God preferve and blefs with a long and profperous Reign) (hall within the Realm, or without, com- pafs, imagine, invent, devife, or intend death or deftruction, or any bodily harm tending to death or deftruction, maim or wounding, imprifonment or reftraint of the perfon of the fame our Sovereign Lord the King, or to deprive or depofe him from the Stile, Honor, or Kingly Name of the Imperial Crown of this Realm, or cf any other 'his Majefties Dominions or Countries, or to levy War againft his Ma- jefty within this Realm, or without, or to move or ftir any Foreigner or Strangers with force to invade this Realm, or any other his Majefties Dominions or Countries, being under his Majefties Obeyfance : And fuch Compaffings, Imaginations, Inventions, Devices or Intentions, or any of them, ihall ex- prefs, utter or declare, by any Printing, Writing, Preaching, or malicious and advifed Speaking, being legally convicted thereof upon the Oaths of two lawful and credible Witneffes, upon trial, or otherwife convicted or attainted by due Courfe of Law, then every fuch perfon and perfons, fo as afore fa id offend- ing, (hall be deemed, declared and adjudged to be Traytors, and (hall fuffer pains of death, and alfo iofe and forfeit, as in cafes of High-treafon. II. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That if any perfon or perfons at any time after the Four and twentieth day of June, in the year of our Lord, One thoufand fix hundred fixty and one, during his Majefties Life, (hall maliciouily and advifedly publifh or affirm the King to be an Heretick or a Papift, or that he endeavours to introduce Popery, or (hall maliciouily and advifedly, by Writing, Printing, Preaching, or other Speaking, exprefs, publifh, utter or declare any Words, Sen- tences, or other Thing or Things, to incite or ftir up the people to hatred or diflike of the Perfon of his Majefty, or the eftabliihed Government, then every fuch perfon and perfons, being thereof legally convicted, (hall be difabled to have or enjoy, and is hereby difabled and made incapable of having, hold- ing, enjoying, or exercifing any Place, Office, or Promotion Ecclefiaftica!, Civil or Mritary, or any other