Presentments of the grand juries for the county of Middlesex, at their general sessions

' ' W,::
IP RE S E NT M E NTS
O F X H E
GRAND JURIES
For the County of Middlefex, at their General
SefFions ; Together, with the Opinions and
Orders of the Juffices thereupon.
Middlefex fll Ad General’ Sejfionem pads Dom. Regis tent’ pro Com
Middix apud Hick’s-Hall w St-Johns-Street, m Com
pr£diB. die Lun£ fcill'Quarto die Decemb’. Anno Regni
Regis Carol’ Secmdi mnc AngP &c. Tricejjimo quarto
a HIS Cam, having received a Prefect mem from the Grand-Jury, Returned and Sworn to Serve
in this Selfions. In hac verba,
Middlefex ff. To the Right WorJbipfuU His Majejifs Juft ices of f he
Peace of the County of Middlefex, Sitting in Open Sejjfi-
ons at Hick’s-Hall in 5A-Johns-Street, in the faid
Countyon Monday being the Fourth day of December,
Annoq\ Dom. 1682. f
A Prefentment of the Grand Jury for the Body ofthe faid County ^Middi*
KE Prefent, as our Opinion, That Conventicles are deftrudive to the Intereft of this
Kingdom. They Publilh our Divifiohs to Princes abroad; and cohfequently, the^
Weaknefs of the Kingdom': And will inevitably perpetuate tb e Unhappy S eparatioa
which is amongft Usy which every Good Man mull: deplore* and every Wife Man
ought to ufe his Endeavours to Reconcile. We efteem it*our Duty, in the Station,
we now are, to make an Eflay towards Union, a part of our Service: And therefore humbly pray.
This Honourable Court, before this Seffions ends, to Conlult, and take fome effedual Courfe, that the,
Conventicles in this County may forthwith be SupprelTed * which, We are of Opinion, will be a Ready
and Sure Way to Eftablifti the Peace and Prolperity of this Kingdom; Which certainly, every Honell;
Man defires.
And like wife, having a Prefent mem f Made by the Grand Jury of the Hundred of OJJidfion, in Michael-
ittafs-Texm laft paft, and by Them delivered to His Majefty’s Court of King s-Benclo) laid before this
Court. In hac Verba: : • , . u.: . V
The Prefentment of the Grand Jury for the Hundred o/^Offulfton, in the
County o/' Middlefex.
\\fE prefent, as Our Opinion, That the beft way to Secure the Monarchy, To Preferve the
■e Kings Perfon in Safety, and His A^Vhfys Government in Peace, is the due Execution of
the Laws/ /
_ That it is the Duty of all Magiftrates iii their feveral Places, to take care, that the Laws be impart
tially Executed.
That all Perfons, who AJfociate together with a greater Number than the Law allows, in Conven-.,
ticks, dabs, or Cabals, todp UnkwvTOL>Aps,iand dQ^yfecfi Ad, are Riotous Perfons, and Ought
tobe Proceeded again ft,'as Riotors.- '•* * 'v zr
W e prefent, That all Perfons who do not frequent the Church, according to Law* are Pec afants £
, it being not poffible to know the Hearts of Men, for what Caufe they refufe to come to Church *
and that allponnivance, or Indulgence in that Cafe, upon an^ Pretence, isaready Way to bring in
Popery.
We prefent. That all fuch Perfons, who go from County "to County, and Aflbciate in Numbers,
to do Unlawful-Ads, are to be taken as Vagrants, and Perfons very dangerous to the Govern-
; ment. . ’ / tn ■ -, ,. ' . . \/
We prefent. That thofe Perfons, who Publifti Libclbus Matters againft the Government, or Falfe
News, ought to be Enquired after, and Punilhed.
That by the Statute of the 1.3 tk and 14th. of His Majefty that now is, all Perfons are to be v
Difarro’d, whom the Lord Lieutenant,. I or the Demy - Lieutenants, fhall judge Dangerous to the
ilSa Peace of the Kirigdom. And we prefent. That all fuch Perfons, who in Multitudes wilfully, and
in Contempt of the Government, break the Laws, are dangerous to the Peace of the Kingdom.
We prefent, as Our Opinion, That Popery, and Phanattcifn, are equally dangerous to the Govern-
_ ment, by Law Eftablifhed. The Papifts, ever fince the Reformation, have Plotted, and Contrived ma-
- ny Defigns' againft this Kingdom •, out fecretly, not by the Appearance of any open Force * but, by
Providence, and theWifdom of the Government, they have been always difappointed. The
; Phanaticks