WHEREAS by a Statute made in the Seventeenth year of the Reign of his Majesty that now is amongst other things it is enacted , that all such Persons , who take upon them to Preach in any unlawful Assembly , Conventicle or Meeting , under colour or pretence of any Exercise of Religion , contrary to the Laws and Statutes of this Kingdom , shall not at any time come within Five miles of a Corporation , nor any person teach School , who shall not frequent Divine Service established by the Laws of this Kingdom , as by the said Statute more at large appeareth , under the penalty of Forty pounds for every offence . And whereas by another Statute made in the Two and twentith year of the Reign of his said Majesty , it is amongst other things enacted , That if any person of the age of sixteen years and upwards , shall be present at any Assembly , Meeting , or Conventicle , under colour or pretence of any Exercise of Religion , in other manner than according to the Liturgy and practice of the Church of England , where there shall be assembled five persons or more , over and besides those of the Houshold : And every person who shall take upon him to preach or teach in any such Meeting , Assembly , and Conventicle , shall forfeit for every such offence , as in the said Statute is provided : And whereas Papists , Seminary Preists and Iesuits may likewise in Conventicles and Schools , withdraw his Majesties Subjects from their Obedience , and corrupt them both in their Religion and duty to his Majesty ; And whereas the Iustices are informed , that divers Houses have been lately erected and built within this County , for such Conventicles and Meetings , and frequented by great numbers of persons inhabiting in the said County and others , to the great disturbance of the Government , and may be of dangerous consequence , and if not timely suppressed , such publick Conventicles not being permitted in any Christian Country ; no , not in these very Countries where most Religions are tollerated ; And whereas the Iustices are likewise informed , that divers persons keep Schools within the said County contrary to the said Statute , and other Laws by whom ill principles will be planted in young Children , which will grow up with them , and thereby continue the Separation and Division which is in this Kingdom , to the certain ruine and destruction of his Majesties Peace and the established Government . Now for the prevention of the mischiefs which may arise by the said Conventicles and Schools , the Iustices are of opinion that the said Statutes of Seventeenth and Two and twentith of this King ought to be put in due Execution , and do esteem themselves obliged by the Oaths which they have taken , to see them duly executed ; And that they may do , all that in them lies , in order thereunto , They do declare that all House-keepers within this County who kéep Alehouses and other publick houses for Entertainment by vertue of any License from the Iustices of the Peace of this County , and shall not go to their Parish Church and receive the Sacrament according to the practice in the Church of England , and shall after the Sixtéenth day of February 1681 / 2 , go to any such Conventicle as aforesaid , contrary to the said Statutes , shall have their Licences taken from them , and the Houses of Entertainment suppressed ; and if any such for the future happen to be licensed , as soon as they shall be discovered , they shall likewise be suppressed , The Iustices further declare , that if the Church-wardens and Overseers of the Poor , shall dispose of any of the Parish mony by way of Pension or otherwise to poor people who frequent Conventicles , and do not come to their Parish Church , and receive the Sacrament there ( except in case of sickness and necessity to be allowed by a Iustice of Peace ) the mony paid to such people shall not be allowed by the said Iustices in the Accounts of the Church-wardens and Overseers of the Poor , because such persons who never come to the Parish Church ought not to be reckoned of the Parish . The Iustices further declare , that they will appoint some fitting persons to prosecute all Offenders against the said Statutes , such publick houses being the place where Factious Persons méet to keep Clubs , and consult together how to disturb the Government . It is Ordered by this Court , that the aforesaid Declaration made in Sessions be published , that all persons concerned may take notice of it .

WHereas by an Order made by the Kings most Excellent Majesty in Council , dated the Fourteenth day of December last past ; wherein his Majesty is pleased to express his Resolution , and doth require that the Iustices of the Peace of this County should use their utmost Endeavour to suppress all Conventicles and unlawful Méetings , under colour and pretence of Exercise of Religion , in other manner than according to the Liturgy and practice of the Church of England ; and that the Laws be put in Execution against them both in City and Country : It is therefore Ordered by his Majesties Iustices of the Peace , in Obedience to his Majesties Command , That the Laws for the Suppressing such Meetings and Conventicles be put in due Execution : And that the said Iustices will use their utmost Endeavour to suppress all Conventicles and unlawful Meetings upon pretence of Religious Worship , within this County . And to the end this good Work may be effectually performed , It is futher Ordered , That Warrants be made and directed to the Constables , Headboroughs , Tything-men , Churchwardens , and Overseers for the Poor , of every Parish and Precinct within this County , by Name commanding them and every of them , within their Parishes , Divisions and Limits , that they and every of them , do make a diligent Enquiry of all the Conventicles and unlawful Meetings , in their several Parishes and Precincts ; and that they do take the Christian-Name , Sir-Name , and place of Abode , of every person that hath preached within a Month last past , or shall preach any time before the Sixtéenth day of February 1681 / 2 , in any Conventicle or unlawful Meeting , and also the Christian and Sir-Name , with the additions of the most considerable persons that frequent the said Conventicles ; and on Thursday the 16th of February 1681 / 2 , they do make a true Return in Writing of the Preachers in such Conventicle , and Conventicles , most considerable persons that frequent the same , together with the day of the Month when , and the place where such Conventicles or unlawful Meetings were held ; to the Sessions to be held at Hicks-Hall in St. John-Street : And that the respective Officers or some of them do prove the same upon Oath , to the end that every such Preacher in Conventicles and unlawful Meetings , and such considerable persons as aforesaid , may be convicted according to Law . And it is further ordered that the said Iustices do by their said Warrant require the Constables of , and within their respective Divisions , forthwith , and so from time to time to assemble the Headboroughs , Church-wardans , and Overseers of the Poor within their seeveral Constablewicks , to agrée together for putting this present Order in execution ; and that when the Officers before mentioned , or any of them , do or shall repair to any Place or Méeting-house where such Conventicles are held , as aforesaid , and demand the Names of the Preacher or persons there assembled , and they or any of them shall refuse to tell the said Officer or Ocffiers their true Christian-Names , Surnames , and Place of Abode , that then the said Officer or Officers , or some of them , do immediately apprehend such person or persons so refusing , and bring them before the next or some other of his Majesties Iustices of the Peace of this County . And it is further Ordered by this Court , that in case any of the Officers above mentioned méet with any resistance , by the shutting or barring up any Doors or Gates of any house or place where such unlawful Conventicles or Méetings are held , that then in such case the said Constables , Headboroughs Church wardens , and Overseers of the Poor , or any of them , do , and they are hereby required , to break open such Doors or Gates , to the intent such unlawful Méetters as aforesaid may be procéeded against according to Law .