keeper thereof, and shall be liable to be fued or profecuted, and punifhed as fuch, notwithstanding he or she be not in fact the real owner or keeper thereof: and wherever any fuch house, room, or place, fhall belong to or be kept by divers perfons in partnership, as joint-owners or jointkeepers thereof, each and every fuch joint-owner or jointkeeper of fuch houfe, room, or place, fhall be deemed the keeper thereof, and fhall be liable to be fued or profecuted, and punished as fuch: and any houfe, room, or place, at which perfons fhall be fupplied with tea, coffee, or any other refreshments of eating or drinking on the Lord's day, at any greater prices than the common and ufual prices at which the like refreshments are commonly fold upon other days at fuch house, room, or place, or at coffeehoufes, or other houfes where the fame are ufually fold, fhall be deemed a houfe, room, or place, to which perfons are admitted by the payment of money, although money be not there taken in the name of or for admittance, or at the time when perfons enter into or depart from fuch houfe, room, or place; and any houfe, room, or place, which shall be opened or used for any public entertainment or amusement, or for public debate, on the Lord's day, at the expence of any number of fubfcribers or contributors to the carrying on any fuch entertainment or amusement, or debate, on the Lord's day, and to which perfons fhall be admitted by tickets, to which the fubfcribers or contributors fhall be entitled, fhall be deemed a house, room, or place, to which perfons are admitted by the payment of money, within the meaning of this Act.

3. And, for the better preventing perfons affembling on the Lord's day for fuch irreligious purpofes as aforefaid, be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That any perfon advertising, or caufing to be advertised, any public entertainment or amusement, or any public meeting for debating on any subject whatsoever, on the Lord's day, to which perfons are to be admitted by the payment of money, or by tickets fold for money, and any perfon printing or publishing any fuch advertisement, fhall refpectively forfeit the fum of fifty pounds for every fuch offence, to any person who will fue for the fame.

4. And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That any perfon entitled to either of the aforefaid forfeitures may fue for the fame by action of debt in any of his Majefty's courts of record at Westminster, in which it fhall be fufficient to declare, that the defendant is indebted to the plaintiff in the fum of [being the fum demanded

demanded by the faid action,] being forfeited by an Act made in the twenty-first year of the reign of his Majefty King George the Third, intituled, An Act for preventing certain Abufes and Profanations on the Lord's Day, called Sunday; and the plaintiff, if he recover in any fuch action, fhall have his full cofts.

5. Provided, That no action fhall be brought for either of the faid penalties by this Act imposed, unless the same be brought within fix calendar months next after the offence committed.

6. Provided alfo, That if any action or fuit fhall be brought against any perfon for any thing done in pursuance and in execution of this Act, the defendant may plead the general iffue; and if a verdict pafs for the defendant, or the plaintiff difcontinue his or her action, or be nonfuited, or judgment be given against the plaintiff, then fuch defendant fhall have treble cofts.

7. Provided alfo, That the ecclefiaftical jurifdiction within this realm fhall not by this Act be altered or abridged; but that the ecclefiaftical courts may punish the faid offences, as if this Act had not been made.

.

8. Provided alfo, That nothing in this Act contained fhall be conftrued to extend to take away, alter, or abridge, any of the liberties or immunities to which the Proteftant fubjects of this kingdom are entitled, by an Act made in the first year of the reign of King William and Queen Mary, intituled, An A&t for exempting their Majeflies Proteftant Subjects, diffenting from the Church of England, from the Penalties of certain Laws.

An A&t to reftrain the Abuses of Players,

FOR the preventing and avoiding of the great abuse of the holy name of God in ftage-plays, interludes, maygames, fhews, and fuch like, be it enacted by our fovereign Lord the King's Majefty, and by the Lords fpiritual and temporal, and the Commons, in this prefent Parliament affembled, and by the authority of the fame, That, if at any time or times after the end of this prefent feffion of Parliament, any perfon or perfons do or fhall, in any stageplay, interludes, fhew, may-game, or pageant, jeftingly or profanely speak, or use the holy name of God, or of Chrift Jefus, or of the Holy Ghoft, or of the Trinity, which are not to be spoken but with fear and reverence, fhall forfeit for every fuch offence by him or them committed, ten pounds; the one moiety thereof to the King's Majefty, his heirs and fucceffors, the other moiety thereof to him or them that will fue for the fame, in any Court of Record at Westminster, wherein no effoin, protection, or wager of law fhall be allowed.

9, 10 Will.

An Act for the more effectual Suppreffing of Blafphemy and Profaneness.

any

WHEREAS many perfons have of late years openly avowed and published many blafphemous and im pious opinions, contrary to the doctrines and principles of the Chriftian religion, greatly tending to the difhonour of Almighty God, and may prove deftructive to the peace and welfare of this kingdom: wherefore, for the more effectual fuppreffing of the faid deteftable crimes, be it enacted by the King's moft excellent Majefty, by and with the advice and confent of the Lords fpiritual and temporal, and the Commons, in this prefent Parliament affembled, and by the authority of the fame, That if perfon or perfons, having been educated in, or at any time having made profeffion of the Chriftian religion within this realm, fhall by writing, printing, teaching, or advised fpeaking, deny any one of the Perfons in the holy Trinity to be God, or thall affert or maintain there are more Gods than one, or fhall deny the Chriftian religion to be true, or the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Teftament to be of divine authority, and fhall upon indictment or information in any of his Majefty's Courts at Westminster, or at the affizes, be thereof lawfully convicted, by the oath of two or more credible witneffes; fuch perfon or perfons for the first offence shall be adjudged incapable and difabled in law, to all intents and pur poses whatsoever, to have or enjoy any office or offices, employment or employments, ecclefiaftical, civil, or military, or any part in them, or any profit or advantage appertaining to them, or any of them: and if any person or perfons fo convicted, as aforefaid, fhall, at the time of his or their conviction, enjoy or poffefs any office, place, or employment, fuch office, place, or employment fhall be void, and is hereby declared void: and if fuch person or perfons fhall be a fecond time lawfully convicted, as aforefaid, of all or any the aforefaid crime or crimes, that then he or they fhall from thenceforth be difabled to fue, prosecute, plead, or ufe any action or information in any court

of

of law or equity, or to be guardian of any child, or executor, or adminiftrator of any perfon, or capable of any legacy or deed of gift, or to bear any office, civil or military, or benefice ecclefiaftical, for ever, within this realm, and fhall alfo fuffer imprifonment for the space of three years, without bail or mainprize, from the time of fuch conviction.

2. Provided always, and be it enacted by the authority aforefaid, That no perfon fhall be profecuted by virtue of this Act, for any words spoken, unless the information of fuch words thall be given upon oath before one or more Juftice or Juftices of the Peace, within four days after fuch words fpoken, and the profecution of fuch offence be within three months after fuch information.

3. Provided alfo, and be it enacted by the authority aforefaid, That any person or perfons, convicted of all or any of the aforefaid crime or crimes, in manner aforefaid, fhall for the first offence (upon his, her, or their acknowledgment and renunciation of fuch offence or erroneous opinions, in the fame court where fuch perfon or perfons was or were convicted, as aforefaid, within the space of four months, after his, her, or their conviction) be difcharged from all penalties and difabilities incurred by fuch conviction; any thing in this Act contained to the contrary thereof in any wife notwithstanding.

19 Geo.