[ 9~
J
liy the Adviqe and Co1ljmt ajorefoz~1, and at the jjNdal Requcft ql the Commons, Hath Ordained and .Eftabliihed, '!'hat fitch ~hapters' 4nd Cbtig1~egati6ns '}hall not be hcrcqftn· holden:.· 41~t{, fflfnyfu-c/J be.made, 'fthey, that ·qaqfofuch Chapters and Congregations to b~·-4fembled {lnd holdfn, if they thereof be con'vtCl, foal! be judged for Felons : And that ot,ber Mafons ;;_.ho come to fitch Chapters and Congregations be·purtijhed. by Impr!fonment Pj' their Bodifs, and mqke Fine. and Riuifr;m at the. King's }f/il/. · .BuT this ACt i~ . explained inJudgeCoKE's In11itutes; Pa::t UL feL r9. where we:fiodthattheCilufewhy this.Offence was made. Felmry, is for that the good Courfe and EffeCt of the Stat~Jtes of Labourers was thereby violated and broken. Now, fays n1y ~ord Coke, . · ~ All the Statutes tr;nr:~rning Labourers~bifore this AB, and where--: unto tht's Ac1 doth refer, arerepealed.bythe 5 ELiz. Cap. 4· about A. D. I .56 z, whereby the Caufl and End qf making thts AB zs taken away, and corifequently the AB is become qfno Force; for, ceifante ·ratione legis, ceifat ipfa lex: rtnd t~ lnditernent qf Felony· z~von this §tatute mufi contai~, '!'hat tbife'Chapters~~qngregations are tfJ ti.Je viplati1Jg and.breaking ofthe good Courfe anfJrE.ffWi:i]ft~e Stt,frute, ·if Labourers; which·nazu: eannot be fo alledged, becaufe thofe Statutei be repealed. 'I'herefore this jhould be put out of the Charge if Jzijtices 1{/the Peace. . &
. Bu-r ~tA&;w.as,.neY:t:.t::;~c~.~- MPJons from holding their C.Qapter.r ana.(;'
'l.(ltir.rlis, leifer Ol," larger; nor did ~ver the. Working ·Majbns defire their Noble and Eminent Brothers to get it repealed, but always laughed at it: For they ever had, and ever will have, their own Wages, while they .coalefce in· due Form, and carefully preferve the Cement under their own ~~ann ,Jllt1alltt; let Cowans do as they pleafe. And that · the King himfelf in Time defi~ed, and was admitted a FREE and AccEPTED MAsON, may fairly be inferred from the following Examination,,r.e~ocded to have been feen in King Henry VI's own ;Hand-writing, jmbliihed by Mr. Locke. · 22Jtejf.