A. D. 1547. Anno primo Edward-! VI. C. 1. 85 of which Sort of Men, many Things well and godly infl ' fication of iy, be perverted and abufed, and turned to their ov ' nc- • time to extreme Deftrudtion : The which doth appear in nothing more or fooncr, than in Re- in, and in the great and high noft comfort ' and Blood of our Saviour Jefus Chrift, commonly called the Sacrament of th in p, r and " Tabic of the Lord, tin- ' Communion and ,: Partaking of the Body and Hlood of Chrill :
- for the a Remiffion of Sins, that " whenfoever we fbould do the fame, we fhould do it in the Remcmbr.:!
4 of him, and to declare and fet forth his Death and mod glorious Paffion, until his Coming. Of the ' which ° Bread whofoevcr catcth, or of the which Cup whofoever drinlccth unworthily, p cateth and ' drinketh Condemnation and Judgment to himfelf, making no Difference of the L rd's Body. (5) The ' Inllitution of which Sacrament being ordained by Chrift, as is before laid, and the faid Words fpoken of ' it here before rehearfed, being of eternal, infallible and undoubted Truth: Yet the faid Sacrament fall TheCaolfc»of ' this notwithstanding) hath been of late marvclloufly abufed by fuch manner of Men before rehearfed, j"?'^ ' who of Wickedncfs, or clfc of Ignorance and want of Learning, for certain Abufts heretofore commit- mc ' ted of fomc, in mifufing thereof, have condemned in their Hearts and Speech the whole Thing, and ' contcmptuoufly depraved, defpifed or reviled the fame moft Holy and Bleffed Sacrament, and not only dif- ' puted and rcafoned unreverently and ungodly of that moft high Myftcry, but alfo in their Sermons, ' Preachings, Readings, Lectures, Communications, Arguments, Talks, Rhimes, Songs, Plays or Jefts; ' name or call it by fuch vile and unfeemly Words, as Chriftian Ears do abhor to hear rehearfed :' (6) For Reformation whereof, be it enadted by the King's Highnefs, with the Aflent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and of the Commons, in this prefent Parliament affembled, and by the Authority of the fame, That whatfocver Pcrfon or Perfons, from and after the firft Day of May next coming, fhall deprave, defpifd The Penalty for or contemn the laid moft Bleffed Sacrament, in Contempt thereof, by any contemptuous Words, or by any fpeakingunrere. Words of depraving, defpifing or reviling; Or what Perfon or Perfons fhall advifedly in any other wife ren «y (fcdSa- contcmn, defpife or revile the laid moft Bleffed Sacrament, contrary to the Effects and Declaration above- ",„(„', faid : That then he or they fhall fufter Imprifonment of his or their Bodies, and make Fine and Ranfom at the King's Will and Pleafure. (7) And for full and effectual Execution of the Premiffes before deviled, ordained and enacted by this Act, be it furthermore enacted bv the Authority of this prefent Parliament, That immediately after the firft Day of May next coming, the Juftices of Peace, or three of diem at the leaft, whereof one of them to be of the Quorum, in every Shire of this Realm, and JFales, and all other Places within the King's Dominions, fhall have full Power and Authority by Vertue of this Aft, as well to take Information and Accufation by the Oaths and D pofitions of two able, honeft and lawful Perfons at the leaft, (3) and after fuch Accufation or Information fo had, to enquire by the Oaths of xii. Men, in every of their four Quarter-Seffions yearly to be holden, of all and lingular fuch Accufations or Informa- tions to be had or made of any of the Offences abovefaid, to be committed or done after the faid firft Day of May, within the Limits of their . niffion: (9) And that upon every fuch Accufation and Informa- Jufh'ces of Peace tion, the Offender and Offenders fliall be enquired of, and indicted before the faid Juftices of Peace, or ™'y en "J ulre of three of them at the leaft, as i- id, of the faid Contempts and Offences, bv the Verdict of twelve ; honeft and indifferent Men, if the Matter of the faid Aecufation and Information (hall feem to the faid Jury good and true. II. And it is alfo further enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That the faid Juftices of Peace, or three of Examination of them at the leaft, as is aforefaid, before whom any fuch Prefentment, Information and Accufation fliall be theAccuk-is. made or taken as is aforefaid, fhall examine the Accufers, what other Witnefs were by and prefent at the Time of the doing and committing of the Offence, whereof the Information, Accufation and Prefentment fhall be made, and how many others than the Accufers have Knowledge thereof, (2) and fhall have full Power and Authority by their Difcrttions to bind by Recognizance to be taken before them, as well the faid Accufers, as all fuch other Perfons whom the faid Accufers fhall declare to have Knowledge of the Offences by them prefented and informed, every of them in five Pounds to the King, to appear before the laid Ju- ftices of Peace, before whom the Offender or Offenders fhall be tried at the Day of Trial and Deliverance of fuch Offenders. III. And it is further enacted by the Authority aforefaid, That the faid Juftices of Peace or three of them l£h*'v°*'f at the leaft, as is abovefaid, by Virtue of this Act, fhall have full Power and Authority to make Procefs ^^"^ " againft every Perfon and Perfons fo indicted, by tv/o Capias and an Exigent, and by Capias XJila«atv.m, as againft the Per- within the Limits of their Commiffion, as into all other Shires and Places of this Realm, Wales and Tons iadifted. the King's Dominions, as well within Liberties as without, and the fame Procefs to be good and ef- il in the Law to all Intents, Conftructions and Purpofes ; (2) and upon the Appearance of any of the Juftice^ of Peace Offenders, fhall have full Power and Authority by Virtue of this Act and the Commiffion of Peace, to de- Ju^qS?™" 16 termine the Contempts and Offences aforefaid, according to the Laws of this Realm and the Effects of this Act: (3) And rhat the faid juftices of Peace, or three of them at the leaft, as is abovefaid, liia!! have BsilrneritofPer- full Power and Authority to let any fuch Perfon or Perfons fo endicted, upon fufficient Sureties, by their fonsindiQed. Difcretions, to Bail for their Appearance to be tried, according; to the Tenor, Form and Effect of this Act.
- »Cor. Ti.20. b 1 Gor. to. il. c i Cor. 10. 16. d i Cor. to. Ij. 17. e Mat. 26. 26. f Luke 22 :o. ZiCnr.
11.14. » Mat. 26. 27. > Mar. 14. 23. * Mar. 14. 24. I Lukez'3. 'ig. °> Mar. 14. 14. "Mat. z6.aS. ' i Cor. J 1. ' .;. P i Cor. II. 26. Vol. II, ' D d d IV. Pro-
