Acts. 153

be and should suffer such penalties As by the said Law was thereafter
appointed but Forasmuch As the said Act has not its desired Effect
for Want of Ascertaining what Women shall be Accounted Lewd.
Be it therefore Enacted by the Queens most Excellent Majesty by
and with the Advice and Consent of her Maj^tys President Councill
and Assembly of this Province and the Authority of the same That
It shall and may be lawfull for the Minister Vestry & Churchwardens
of any parish where there is a Minister and for the Vestry and
Churchwardens where there is noe Minister before any Admonicon
by them or any them given in pursuance of the direccons of the afore
menconed Act to give notice or Cause Notice to be given to any
person or persons by them or the Major part of them Suspected of
Lewdness or Incontinency & being Resideing within their respective
parishes to appeare before them or the Major part of them At such
Time & place As they or the Major part of them shall appoint, And
on the Appearance of such person or persons to Acquaint them of
the suspicon that is had of them and to heare what reasonable Ex-
cuse such persons shall offer why they ought not to be proceeded
against according to Law As Fornicators or Adulterers As the Case
shall happen, And in Case the person or persons haveing such
Notice given them shall not appeare according to such Notice on
Affidavit of such Notice given or appearing doe not Excuse or
Acquitt themselves of the Grounds of such Suspiccon in such Man-
ner As such Minister Vestry and Churchwardens As afores^d shall
approve. That then it shall and may be lawfull for such Minister
Vestry & Churchwardens or the Major part of them As aforesd,
And they are hereby required to Admonish such person or per-
sons according to the direccons of the afore menconed Act which
Admonicon together with proof of the Cohabitacon of the parties
soe Admonisht or they frequenting the Company of each other
Contrary to and after such Admonicon given shall be sufficient Evi-
dence in any Court of this Province to Convict the psons soe
Cohabiteing or frequenting each others Company after such Ad-
moniccon given As aforesaid of Fornicaccon or Adultery As the
Case shall happen and Subject them to the penalties Exprest in the
afore menconed Act for punishing the Offences of Adultery & Forni-
cacon Any Law Statute or Custome to the Contrary notwithstanding.
And Forasmuch As Severall Lewd Women within this Province

Liber LL, 4
Acts

to Colour their Ill practices And to avoid being Seperated from those
That Entertain them doe frequently Enter into feigned Articles
Coven^ts or Indentures to serve such psons for a Terme who Claime
them As their property for the Terme by them Agreed or p^r tended to
be Agreed on when really such Articles Coven^ts or Indentures have
noe other Consideracon but are purely devised by them to Elude the
Law and Continue their wicked & Lewd Conversacon.
Be it therefore Enacted by the Authority Advice & Consent af^d
That it shall & may be lawfull for the Justices of the respective

p. 41