Militia Act of 1662, 13 & 14 Car. 2, c. 3, § 13 (1662)

XIII. and for the better securing the Peace of the Kingdom be it further enacted and ordained and the respective Lieutenants or any two or more of their deputies are hereby enabled and authorized from time to time by Warrant under their Hands and Seals to employ such Person or Persons as they shall think fit (of which a Commissioned Officer and the Constable or his Deputy or the Tythingman or in the absence of the Constable and his Deputy and Tythingman some other Person bearing Office within the Parish where the Search shall be shall be to to search for and seize all arms in the custody or possession of any person or persons whom the said Lieutenant or any two or more of their deputies shall judge dangerous to the Peace of the Kingdom and to secure such arms for for the service aforesaid and thereof from time to time to give accounts of the said respective Lieutenants and in their absence as aforesaid or otherwise by their directions to their deputies or any two or more of them. [Provided that no such search be made in any house or houses between Sun setting and Sun rising other than in Cities and their suburbs and towns, Corporate market towns and houses within the bills of Mortality where it shall and may be lawful to search in the night time by Warrant as aforesaid if the warrant shall so direct and in case of resistance to enter by force and that no dwelling house of any peer of this Realm be searched by virtue of this Act but by immediate warrant from his Majesty under his sign manual or in the presence of the Lieutenant or one of the Deputy Lieutenants of the same Country or Riding and that in all places and houses whatsoever where search is to be made as aforesaid it shall and may be lawful in case of resistance to enter by force and that the arms so seized may be restored to the owners again if the said Lieutenants or in their absence as aforesaid their deputies or any two or more of them shall so think fit.