House of Commons Journal Volume 7: 23 March 1657

Monday, 23d of March, 1656.

Proceedings against Stranger, &c.

ORDERED, That the Lord Chief Justice of the Upper Bench do dispose of John Stranger, and Hannah his Wife, Martha Symond, and Dorcas Erbury, as in his Judgment he shall think fit, according to Law.

Catechism.

Ordered, That the Report of the Amendments to the Bill for Catechising be made on Friday Morning next; nothing to intervene.

Remonstrance.

The House, according to former Order, resumed the Debate upon the Remonstrance.

Mr. Recorder of London reports from the Committee to whom a Clause in the Fourth Article, touching examining Members elected to serve in Parliament, Whether they be qualified, as in this Remonstrance is appointed, several Votes of the said Committee: Which were twice read; and were as followeth;

"And that these Qualifications may be observed, and yet the Privileges of Parliament maintained, we desire, that it may, by Your Highness' Consent, be ordained That Commissioners be appointed by Act of Parliament; who shall be authorized to examine, and try, Whether the Members to be elected for the House of Commons in future Parliaments, be capable to sit according to the Qualifications mentioned in this Remonstrance: And in case they find them not qualified accordingly, then to suspend them from Sitting, until the House of Commons shall, upon hearing of their particular Cases, admit them to sit: Which Commissioners are to stand so authorized for that End, until the House of Commons, in any future Parliament, shall nominate a like Number of other Commissioners in their Places; and those other Commissioners, so to be nominated in any future Parliament, to have the same Powers and Authorities."

"That the said Commissioners shall certify, in Writing, to the House of Commons, within Six Days of their First Meeting, the Causes and Grounds of their Suspensions of any Persons so to be elected, as aforesaid.

Resolved, That these Commissioners shall have Power to examine touching Popery and Delinquency.

Resolved, That they shall have Power to examine, Whether the Persons elected are of the Age of One-andtwenty Years.

Resolved, That they shall have Power to examine touching those Persons who are disabled by the Act of 17 Caroli, intituled, An Act for disannulling all Persons in Holy Orders to exercise any Temporal Jurisdiction or Authority, or publick Ministers, or publick Preachers of the Gospel.

Resolved, That they shall have Power to examine touching such as are guilty of any of the Offences mentioned in an Act of Parliament bearing Date the Ninth of August 1650, intituled, An Act against several atheistical, blasphemous, and execrable Opinions derogatory to the Glory of God, and destructive to human Society.

Resolved, That they shall have Power to examine touching such as are common Scoffers, or Revilers of Religion, or of any Person or Persons for professing thereof.

Resolved, That they shall have Power to examine touching such as have married, or shall marry, a Wife of the Popish Religion; or hath trained, or shall train, up his Child or Children, or any other Child or Children, under his Tuition or Government, in the Popish Religion; or that shall permit or suffer such Child or Children, to be trained up in the said Religion: or that hath given, or shall give, his Consent, that his Son or Daughter shall marry any of that Religion.

Resolved, That they shall have Power to examine touching such as shall deny the Scriptures to be the Word of God; or the Sacraments, Prayer, Magistracy, and Ministry, to be the Ordinances of God; such as are common Profaners of the Lord's Day, or profane Swearers or Cursers, or Drunkard, or common Haunter of Taverns or Alehouses.

Resolved, That the Accusation shall be upon the Oath of the Informer, or of some other Person.

Resolved, That a Copy of the Accusation shall be left by the Party accusing, in Writing, under his Hand, with the Party accused; or, in his Absence, at his House in the County, City, or Town, for which he shall be chosen, if he have any such House; or if not, with the Sheriff of the County, if he be chosen for a County; or with the chief Magistrate of the City or Borough, for which he is chosen.

Resolved, That the Number of the Commissioners shall be One-and-forty; and the Quorum Fifteen.

Resolved, That this Number be Part of the Remonstrance.

And the Report being put to the Question, in Parts; and, instead of "within Six Days after," these Words, "the First Day of their Meeting," being, upon the Question, inserted; the Report so amended, was agreed; and the same ordered to be Part of the Remonstrance; being as followeth; viz.

"And that these Qualifications may be observed, and yet the Privilege of Parliament maintained, we desire, That it may, by Your Highness' Consent, be ordained,"

"That Forty-one Commissioners be appointed by Act of Parliament; who, or any Fifteen, or more of them, shall be authorized to examine, and try, Whether the Members to be elected for the House of Commons, in future Parliaments, be capable to sit, according to the Qualifications mentioned in this Remonstrance; and, in case they find them not qualified accordingly, then to suspend them from Sitting, until the House of Commons shall, upon Hearing of their particular Cases, admit them to sit: Which Commissioners are to stand so authorized for that End, until the House of Commons, in any future Parliament, shall nominate a like Number of other Commissioners in their Places; and those other Commissioners, so to be nominated in any future Parliament, to have the same Powers and Authorities."

"That the said Commissioners shall certify, in Writing, to the House of Commons, on the First Day of their Meeting, the Causes and Grounds of their Suspensions of any Persons so to be elected, as aforesaid.

The Lord Commissioner Lisle reports, A Clause, to be inserted in the Remonstrance, next after the Clause, "That a Confession of Faith, to be agreed on by his Highness," in these Words; viz.

"That none may be suffered, or permitted, by opprobrious Words or Writings, maliciously, or contemptuously, openly to revile or reproach the Confession of Faith, to be agreed upon as aforesaid."

The Question being put, That the Word "openly" do stand in this Clause;

It passed in the Negative.

The Question being put, That the Word "and" in this Clause, next after "maliciously," do stand;

It passed in the Negative.

Resolved, That the Word "or" be inserted in the room thereof: And the Clause, so amended, was agreed, and ordered to be Part of the Remonstrance, in these Words; viz.

"That none may be suffered or permitted, by opprobrious Words, or Writing, maliciously, or contemptuously to revile or reproach the Confession of Faith, to be agreed upon, as aforesaid."

Resolved, That the House do sit upon this Remonstrance on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, in this Week, both Forenoon and Afternoon.

Ordered, That this Debate be adjourned till Tomorrow Morning.

Dartmouth Writ.

Whereas Mr. Edward Hopkins was elected, and returned to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough of Dartmouth, in the County of Devon, as a Burgess, and is since deceased: It is

Ordered, That a Writ issue forth for the Election of another Burgess in his Stead.