An Act for Ordering the Forces in the Several Counties of this Kingdom, 14 Car. 2, ch. 3, § 13 (1662).

“CHAPTER III.
An Act for ordering the Forces in the several Counties of this Kingdom…

    …And for the better securing the Peace of the Kingdome be it further enabled and ordained and the respective Leiutenants or any twoe or more of theire Deputies are hereby enabled & authorized from time to time by Warrant under theire Hands and Seales to employ such Person or Persons as they shall thinke fitt (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 two) to search for and seize all Armes in the custody or possession of any person or persons whom the said Leiutenants or any two or more of theire Deputies shall judge dangerous to the Peace of the Kingdome and to secure such Armes for the service aforesaid and thereof from time to time to give Accounts to the said respective Leiutenants and in theire absence as aforesaid or otherwise by theire directions to theire 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 then in Cities and theire Suburbs and Townes Corporate Market Townes and houses within the bills of Mortality where it shall and may be lawfull 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 Peere of this Realme be searched by vertue of this Act but by immediate Warrant from His Majesty under His Sign Manual or in the presence of the Leiutenant or one of the Deputy Leiutenants of the same County or Riding And that in all places and houses whatsoever where search is to be made as aforesaid it shall and may be lawfull in case of resistance to enter by force And that the Armes so seised may bee restored to the Owners againe if the said Leiutenants or in theire absence as aforesaid theire Deputies or any two or more of them shall so thinke fitt.]"