Page:The Laws and Acts of Parliament of Scotland.djvu/576

6 diapoint and oppoe the ame; And for that end, having gathered ome mutinous Commons and others, who by a few editious Miniters, had been preached into an open Rebellion, they in the moneth of September, one thouand ix hundred fourty and eight years, without any lawful Authority, (and not giving the Oath mentioned in the Commiion of Parliament: without which, it was exprely provided, they were not to have accede to, nor place in, the Commitee) did uurpe to themelves the name and power of a Commitee of Etates; and having by their own Edicts, declared all uch perons as had given tetimoney of their duty and loyalty to the King, to be uncapable of being Members of Parliament, or of having voice in the Elections to the Parliaments. They then, without any lawful Authority, called a Packt meeting of Parliament, to conit only of perons of their own tamp and faction: who accordingly met in January, one thouand ix hundred fourty and nine years: and auming to themelves the Soveraign Authority and Government of the Kingdom, intended to Etablih and fix the power in their own perons for ever. For which purpoe, having publickly declared againt that neceary and jut Engagement, for His Majeties relief and retitution to His Royal Government: Having approven all the oppoitions and riings in Armes againt the ame, and by Oath olemnly engaged themelves to a contant adherence thereunto: Having for their aitance called in the Uurper Cromwel, and a part of his Army: Having by publick engagement, given up the honour and afety of this ancient Kingdom to the Englih: and declared, that His Majety hould be oblieged to Ratifie that unworthy act, before any Treaty were with Him for His relief: Having given order to their Commiioners, to protet againt any agreement betwixt His Majety and His Subjects in England, in the Treaty at the Ile of Wight: Having, o far as in them lay, weakned and diolved the common Allegiance of the Subjects to the King's Majety, by proclaiming His Right to the Crown, with bae retrictions and limitations, and preing the Subjects againt their conciences, to ubcribe the ame: Having diowned His Majeties interet in the Quarrel betwixt them and the Englih, who had invaded this Kingdom, meerly to detroy His Majeties Interet in it: Having taken the lives of ome, and forced others of His Majeties good Subjects, of bet quality, to flee to Forraign parts for their afety: Having fined, confined, imprioned, and eized upon the livelihood of many: Having put digraceful characters and incapacities upon all who had witnefed any affection to His Majeties Government: Having unjutly pronounced, and with cruelty executed Sentences of Forfeiture againt the lives and fortunes of uch as from conference of their duties, did oppoe them: Having in their publick Meetings, appointed, that the innocent Wives and Children of thee, who offered to vindicate His Majeties Authority, hould be eized on, and tran ported to Forraign Countries: Having once and again ollicite their Brethren in England, that uch of this Kingdom, as (for venturing their lives for the King) were then prioners in England, hould be till kept Prioners,as Pledges of the Peace: Having thrut out of the Offices of State, places of Judicatory and publick Trut, all uch as were willing to engage for His Majeties relief and retitution to His Government, and put uch in their places, as did oppoe the ame: Having laid on, and raied, great exactions and ums of money from the people, and employed them for their own ues; Having eized on His Majeties Revenues, and betowed them upon themelves, and uch others as were in open Oppoition and Arms againt Him: Having alo eized upon the Properties and due Rights of the Subjects, and the Patronages by Law ecured unto them: And having, by thee and many uch like Acts, endeavoured to perpetuate themelves in their uurped Power, they prorogated the meetings of their pretended Parliaments from time to time, ubtituting ome of their Trutees, for carrying on of their deigns in the while. And the Etates of Parliament, having taken thee proceedings unto their erious conederation, Do find, that there was no Law, nor lawful Authority for the Meetings of thee pretended Parliaments and Committes of Etates; But that the perons, meeting therein, did without any lawful warrand, and in contempt of His Majeties Authority, uurp the power to themelves.

And therefore, the King's Majety, with advice and conent of His Etates of Parliament, doth Recind and Annul thee pretended Meetings of Parliament, and Committes above mentioned, and all other Meetings of any pretended Parliaments or Committees flowing from the ame, and all Acts, Deeds and Treaties, done by them or their warrand: Excepting alwayes all uch Acts as were pat in any Meeting of Parliament, or Committee of Etates, authorized by His Majeties preence, and are not inconitent with this preent Act. And alo Declares any Ratification, which thereafter was pat, of thoe Meetings and Acts, to have been void from the beginning: Except in o far as is expret in the lndempnity, Declarations and Proviions, after-mentioned. Yet, notwithtanding of all thee provocations, the King's Majety, from His innate goodnes, being more deirous to reclaim His Subjects to their duty by Acts of Mercy, then to reduce them by their too much deerved Cenure, Doth of His meer favour and grace, with advice and conent foreaid, Indemniie all uch perons, who far and acted in thee pretended Parliaments and Committees, or who acted in order thereunto, or by vertue of, and in obedience to, the ame, To be in all time coming, unquetioned in their lives and fortunes, for thee their actings; Excepting uch as hall be excepted in a general Act of Indemnity, to be pat by His Majety in this Parliament. And