Page:The Laws and Acts of Parliament of Scotland.djvu/654

 g The third Seffion of the fir Ji Parliament of fliall hereafter be admitted to any publickTruft or Office, they are to fign the Declaration in the maner, and undc- the certifications, expreft in the former Act of Parliament of the fifth of September. And His Majefty doth hereby recommend to the Lords of His Majefiies Privy Council, to be careful that thefc Acts be put to due execution, and receive obedience conform to the tenor thereof. IDofincerely affirm and declare, that I judge it unlawful 'toSubJetts, upon pretence of Reformation or other pretence what foever, to enter into Leagues and Covenants, or to take tiPArmes against the King or thofe commijfionated by Him ■. hud that all thefe Gatherings, Convoca- tions, Vetitions, Trote stations, andereaingand keeping of Council-tables, that were ufed in the beginning and for carrying on, of the late troubles, were unlawful andfeditwus. And particularly, that thefe Oathes, whereof the one was commonly called, The National Covenant, ( as it was f worn and explained m the year one thoufand, fix hundred and thirty eight, and thereafter) and the other cntituled, A Solemn League and Covenant, were, and are, in them/elves unlawful Oaths, and were taken by, and impofed upon, the Subjects of this Kingdom, against the fundamental Laws and Liberties of the fame : x^And that there lyeth no obligation upon me, or any of the Subjects from the /aids Oaths, or either of them, to endeavour any change or alteration of the Government, either in Church or State, as it is now establijhed by the Laws of the Kingdom. I V. _Ac~l againjl 'Protections. T He Kings mofl Excellent Majefty being careful, that the benefit of the Law in the administrations of Juftice, be free to all HisMajefties good Subjects; And confidering the prejudices many have for- merly fuftained, in the flopping of the courfe of Juftice , by the too frequent granting of Protections againft perfonal execution. Therefore, and for preventing of the like for the future, His Majefty, with advice and confent of His Eftates in Parliament, Doth Ratifie , Approve and Renew all former Ads of Parliament* made againft the granting of Protections ; And Difchargeth the Lords of His Majefties Privy Council, Sef- fion and Exchequer, to grant Protections to any perfons againft perfonal execution , certifying fuch as fhall grant the fame, they fliall be lyable for the debt againft which they grant the Protection ; and all execution fliall pafs againft the havers thereof, as if the fame had not been granted. It is alwayes hereby Declared, That notwithftanding hereof, it fhall be free to the Lords of His Maje- fties Privy Council, Lords of Seffion and Exchequer , and to the Juftice-general and his Deputes , when any perfonor perfons are fummoned and appointed to appear perfonally before them, to give order now, as they have been in ufe formerly to do , for fufpending perfonal execution againft the perfons fo fummoned and appointed to appear, for fuch few dayes , as they may come to give their appearance, and during their neceflarftay, and fome few dayes for their return, and that according as thefaids reflective Judges fliall find reafon, upon the particular applications to be made thereupon. V.. Act for the eftablijhment and confitution of a National Synod. FOrafmuch as the ordering and difpofal of the external Government of the Church, and the nominati- on of the perfons, by whofe advice, maters relating to the (aire are to be fetled, doth belong to His Majefty, as an inherent right of the Crown, by'vertue of His Prerogative-royal, and fupream Authority in caufes Ecclefiaftical : And in profecutio'n of this Trail , His Majefty, confidering -how fit andneceffary it is , for the honour and fervice of Almighty God , the good and quiet of the Church , and the better Government thereof in unity and order , that there be a National Synod and Afiembly duly conftitute within this Kingdom , Hath therefore Appointed and Declared , and by thefe prefents A points and Declares , that there fhall be a National Synod of the Church of Scotland; Andthatthis Sy lod , for the lawfull Members thereof, fliall confift and be conftitute of the Archbifliops of Sanct-A#- d/ews and Glafgow , and the remanent Bifhops of thefe two Provinces , of all Deans of Cathedral Churches, Arch-deacons , of all the Moderators of Meetings for exercife , allowed by the Bifhops of the refpective Diocefles , and of one Presbyter or Miniftef of each Meeting , to be chofen and elected by the Moderator and plurality of Presbyters of the fame ; and of one or two from the Univerfity of Sana- Andrews, one from Glafgow , one from the King's Colledge , one from Marfhals Colledge , of x_Aberdeen , and one from the Colledge of Edinburgh ; And this Synod , thus conftitute , is to meet at fuch times and places as His Majefty , by His Proclamation , fliall appoint ; and is to debate , treat, con- iider, confult, conclude and determine upon fuch pious maters, caufes and things, concerning the Doc- trine, Worfhip, Difcipline and Government of this Church, as His Majefty fliall from time to time , un- der His Royal hand, deliver, or caufe be delivered , to the Archbifliop of St. Andrews , Prefidentofthefaid National