THE LORDS and COMMONS in Parliament Assembled, Taking notice of the great neglect and prophanation of the Monethly Fast, in diverse places of this King­dome, do for prevention thereof in time to come, Order and Ordaine, and be it Ordai­ned by the said LORDS and COMMONS, that all Justices of the Peace, Mayors, Bayliffes, Constables, and other Officers and Ministers whatsoever in their respective places shall put in Execution all Orders, and Ordinances of PARLIAMENT heretofore made for the due observation of the said monethly Fast, and are hereby authorized and re­quired to use and exercise the same power, and to inflict penalties upon the offenders there­in in such manner and form as is limited and appointed by any Statute Law, Order, or Ordinance whatsoever now in force for the Sanctification of the Lords Day, or against the prophanation thereof: And for the better incouragement of all such Persons as have or shall testifie their good affections to the State by their readinesse in observing and putting in Execution of this and other the Ordinances of this PARLIAMENT, and for preven­tion of causelesse and contentious suits against them; It is further Ordained by the said Lords and Commons that if any Action, Bill, Plaint, or Suite upon the Case, Trespasse, Battery, or false Imprisonment now be or here­after shall be brought, for or concerning any matter, cause, or thing done, or to be done hereafter by any Person or Persons whatsoever, by Vertue of any Ordinance of PARLIAMHNT or by any Person or Persons in their ayde and assistance or by their Commandment, according to any such Ordinance of PARLIAMENT, the said Action, Bill, Plaint, or Suite shall be layed within the County where the Trespasse or Fact was or shall be done, and committed and not elsewhere; and that it shall be lawfull to and for all and every Person, and Persons afore­said to plead thereunto the General issue that he or they are not Guilty, And for their Justification to give in Evidence to the Jury which shal try the same, any Ordinance, or Ordinance of PARLIAMENT which they or any of them shal produce, by vertue whereof the Fact Complained of was done or Committed. And that if upon the Tryal of any such Action, Bil, Plaint, or Suit the Plaitiffe or Plaintiffs therein shal not prove to the Jury which shal try the same, that the Trespass, Batterv, Imprisonment, or other Fact or Cause of his, her, or their said Action, Bil, Plaint, or Suit was or were, had, made, committed, or done, within the Coun­ty wherein such Action, Bil, Plaint, or Suit, is or shal be layed, That then in every such Case the Jury which shal Try the same, shal find the Defendant or Defendants in every such Action, Bil, Plaint, or Suit not Guilty without having regard or respect to any evidence given by the Plaintiff or Plaintiffs therein touching the Trespass, Battery, Imprisonment, or other Cause for which the same Action, Bil, Plaint, or Suit, is or shal be Brought: And if the Verdit shal Pass with the Defendant or Defendants in any such Action, Bil, Plaint, or Suit, or the Plaintiff or Plaintiffs therein become Non-suits or suffer any discountenance thereof, that in every such Case the Justices, or Justice, or such other Judge, before whom the said Matter shal be tryed, shal by force, and vertue of this Ordinance allow unto the Defendant, or Defendants, his, or their double Costs, which he or they shal have susteined by reason of their wrongful vexation in Defence of the said Action, or Suit, for which the said De­fendant or Defendants shal have remedy as in other Cases, where Costs, by the Laws of the Realm are given to the Defendants.