Diary of Samuel Pepys — Complete 1664 N.S. eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 356 pages of information about Diary of Samuel Pepys — Complete 1664 N.S..

Diary of Samuel Pepys — Complete 1664 N.S. eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 356 pages of information about Diary of Samuel Pepys — Complete 1664 N.S..
the Bill for Conventicles.  The Lords would be freed from having their houses searched by any but the Lord Lieutenant of the County; and upon being found guilty, to be tried only by their peers; and thirdly, would have it added, that whereas the Bill says, “That that, among other things, shall be a conventicle wherein any such meeting is found doing any thing contrary to the Liturgy of the Church of England,” they would have it added, “or practice.”  The Commons to the Lords said, that they knew not what might hereafter be found out which might be called the practice of the Church of England; for there are many things may be said to be the practice of the Church, which were never established by any law, either common, statute, or canon; as singing of psalms, binding up prayers at the end of the Bible, and praying extempore before and after sermon:  and though these are things indifferent, yet things for aught they at present know may be started, which may be said to be the practice of the Church which would not be fit to allow.  For the Lords’ priviledges, Mr. Walter told them how tender their predecessors had been of the priviledges of the Lords; but, however, where the peace of the kingdom stands in competition with them, they apprehend those priviledges must give place.  He told them that he thought, if they should owne all to be the priviledges of the Lords which might be demanded, they should be led like the man (who granted leave to his neighbour to pull off his horse’s tail, meaning that he could not do it at once) that hair by hair had his horse’s tail pulled off indeed:  so the Commons, by granting one thing after another, might be so served by the Lords.  Mr. Vaughan, whom I could not to my grief perfectly hear, did say, if that they should be obliged in this manner to, exempt the Lords from every thing, it would in time come to pass that whatever (be [it] never so great) should be voted by the Commons as a thing penall for a commoner, the contrary should be thought a priviledge to the Lords:  that also in this business, the work of a conventicle being but the work of an hour, the cause of a search would be over before a Lord Lieutenant, who may be many miles off, can be sent for; and that all this dispute is but about L100; for it is said in the Act, that it shall be banishment or payment of L100.  I thereupon heard the Duke of Lenox say, that there might be Lords who could not always be ready to lose L100, or some such thing:  They broke up without coming to any end in it.  There was also in the Commons’ House a great quarrel about Mr. Prin, and it was believed that he should have been sent to the Towre, for adding something to a Bill (after it was ordered to be engrossed) of his own head—­a Bill for measures for wine and other things of that sort, and a Bill of his owne bringing in; but it appeared he could not mean any hurt in it.  But, however, the King was fain to write in his behalf, and all was passed over.  But it is worth my remembrance,
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Diary of Samuel Pepys — Complete 1664 N.S. from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.