November, 1653
[4 November, 1653.]
Be it Enacted by this present Parliament, and the Authority
thereof, That one Branch of a certain Act of the late Parliament,
Entituled, An Act for Subscribing the Engagement, in these
words following; That is to say,
And it is Further Enacted and Declared, That all and every
person or persons that expects benefit from the Courts of Justice
of this Commonwealth; and that either now are, or hereafter
shall be Plaintiff or Plaintiffs, Demandant or Demandants, in
any Suit, Plaint, Bill, Action, Information, Writ, Demand,
Execution, or any other Proces whatsoever, in any of the Courts
of Chancery, the Upper Bench, Common Pleas, Publique Exechequer, Dutchy Court, or in any other Court of Record, or in
any other Court in the County, City, Town Corporate, or in any
place of Priviledge, or any other place whatsoever within the
Commonwealth of England; or before any Judge or Judges, or
other person or persons that have, or claim to have cognizance
of any maner of Pleas; or before any Commissioner or Commissioners under the Great Seal of England, or by any other
lawful Authority; or before any person or persons as Committees
or Commissioners, or otherwise authorized by Authority of
Parliament, shall take and subscribe, and are hereby required
to take and subscribe the aforesaid Engagement, as in this
present Act is directed and appointed: And that it shall and may
be lawful for all and every person or persons that are and shall be
Defendant and Defendants, or that are or shall be sued, impleaded; attached, arrested, molested or complained against in
any such Courts as abovesaid; or before any the said Judges,
Commissioners or persons aforesaid, by themselves, or by some
others on his or their behalf, from and after the Twentieth of
April, in the year One thousand six hundred and fifty, to plead,
aver, or to move in arrest of Judgement, or to move for a Supersedeas, or stopping further Proceedings in such Suits, Plaints,
Bills, Actions Informations, Writs, Demands or Execution, or
any other Proces whatsoever as abovesaid; That the Plaintiff
or Plaintiffs, Demandant or Demandants, person or persons com
plaining, or any of them, in such Suit, Plaint, Bill, Action,
Information, Writ, Demand, Execution, or other Proces whatsoever as abovesaid, have not taken and subscribed the said
Engagement as above is directed and appointed: And thereupon
all and every the Judges of such Courts, and persons as abovesaid, before whom such suits, plaints, bills, actions, complaints,
informations, Writs, Demands, Executions or other Proces is or
shall be depending, shall and may, and are hereby authorized
and required to admit such Plea or Averment, in stop of all or
any such Suits, Plaints, Bills, Actions, Informations, Writs,
Demands, or other Proces as abovesaid: And all such Pleas,
Averments, or such Motions in Arrest of Judgement, or in Superseding or stopping further Proceedings as abovesaid, and to hear
and determine the same, and to stop all further Proceedings in
all such Suits, Plaints, Bills, Actions, Informations, Writs, Demands, Executions, or other Proces as abovesaid, until it shall
duly appear to the said Judges, Comissioners and persons abovesaid respectively, That the said Plaintiff or Plaintiffs, Demandant
or Demandants, or persons complaining, have or shall subscribe
the said Engagement.
And all and every Clause, Sentence, Matter and thing in the
said recited Branch, and every or any part thereof contained,
shall from and after the Fifth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand six hundred fifty and three, be repealed,
made null and void to all intents and purposes, Any thing in
the aforesaid Act for Subscribing the Engagement, contained to
the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding.