Page:The Laws and Acts of Parliament of Scotland.djvu/575

Act 8, 9 VIII. Act againt Papits, Preits, and Jeuits.

Ur Soveraign Lord conidering, that the publick contempt of, and diobedience to, lawful Authority, (though covered with the motpecious pretexts) is alwayes accompanied with great confuions and provocations, to the dihonour of GOD, and ruine of the People;And.that thereby occaion is offered to wicked and ill affected perons, of all orts, upon one pretence or other, to ubvert Religion, and pervert the Duty and Allegiance of the Subjects; Whereof there be too ad evidence, by the increae of Popery, and the number of Jeuits, Priets, and Papits; which have of late, and do now abound in this Kingdom, in far greater numbers then ever they did under the Government of His Majeties Royal Father and Grand-Father, of bleed memory. And His Majety, being deirous to trace thee His Royal Ancetors, in a due and Vigorous proecution of thee many excellent Laws made by them, againt the Saying of Mes, and the tay and reet of Jeuits, Seminary and Mes Priets, and trarficking Papits, within this Kingdom: Doth therefore, With advice and conent of His Etates of Parliament, command and charge all, and undry Jeuits, Priets and Trafrickinc Papits, that none of them preume hereafter to Say Mes within this Kingdom; And that Within a moneth after the publication hereof, they remove forth of the Kingdom, under the pain of death; And ickiike, His Majety, with advice and confent foreaid, doth command, charge, and inhibite all His Majeties Subjects, of What quality or degree oever, that none of them preume to hear Mes, reet, upply, entertain, furnih meat or drink, nor keep intelligence or correpondence with any Priets, Jeuits or Trafficking Papits, under the pains contained in the Laws and Acts of Parliament made in that behalf. And to the end that this Act may receive the more exact obedience and proecution, His Majety, with advice and conent foreaid, doth hereby command all Sheriffs or Shires and their Deputes, all Magistrates of Burghs, and other publick Miniters of the Laws, to make exact enquiry and earch in their everal bounds and juridictions, and to apprehend all Rich Jeuits, Priets and Trafficking Papits, as they hall find Within the ame, alter the lat day of March next to come; and to commit them to the next ure Prion, there to remain till they receive due punihment, according to the Laws, And alo, that with all poible diligence, they end in to the Parliament, or in cae of their not Sitting, to His Majeties Privy-Council, the Lit of uch perons within their bounds, as are known, or upected to be Papits; that coure may be taken with them, conform to the Laws of the Kingdom: And hereof, the Sheriffs and Magitrates, and their Deputes are to take pecial notice, as they will be anwerable at their highet peril: Likeas, His Majety conidering how dangerous it is that Children be educat by perons Popihly affected, do therefore, conform to former Acts of Parliament, appoint that Children under Popih Parents, Tutors or Curators hall be taken from them, and committed to the education of ome well affected and religious friend, at, the ight and by order of His Majeties Privy Council: And ordains publication hereof to be made at the Mercat Cros of Edinburgh, and other places needful.

IX. Act approving the Engagement, 1648. and annulling the pretended Parliaments and Committes kept thereafter.

Oramuch as in the year one thouand ix hundred fourty and eight, the Etates of Parliament of this Kingdom, and His Majeties good Subjects therein, from the ene of their duty to Almighty GOD and the King's Majety, did chearfully undertake and concurr in an Engagement, for relief of His late Majety of glorious memory from His imprionment, and for His retitution to the Royal Government of His Kingdoms. And the Etates of Parliament, now conveened by His Majeties pecial Authority, taking that Engagement to their conideration, do find it to have been an Honourable, Jut, Neceary and Seaonable Dicharge of that indipenible Duty, whereunto this Kingdom, and the Subjects thereof, are by the Law of GOD, by the Law of Nature and Nations, by the Municipal Laws of the Land, by their Allegiance, and by all the strictet bonds of Concience and Honour, obliged to the mot Sacred Peron, and Royal Authority of their King's Majety. And therefore, Our Soveraign Lord, with advice and conent of His Etates of Parliament, doth Ratiffe and Approve that Engagement for His Majeties relief and retitution to His Royal Government. And doth declare, that as it was a mot noble and pious Tetimony of the Loyalty of His Majesties good Subjects of His ancient Kingdom, and of their affection and zeal to His Majeties Peron and. Government: So His Majety, for Himelf and His Succeors, doth aure, that They will always retain a grateful reentment thereof; And have appointed thee preents to remain upon Record, for the due honour of thee perons who did engage therein, and of their poterity for ever.

And whereas the neceity and jutice of this undertaking, with the interet this Kingdom had in His Majeties Peron, by the honour of His Royal Birth, and By thee many and ingular Acts of Grace He had lately conterr'd upon it, might jutly have claimed a ready concurrence of all the Subjects; Yet there wanted not ome, and even uch, whom not long before, His Majety, had obliged by marks of His Royal favour both of honour and profit, who made it their, work to diappoint