Page:The Laws and Acts of Parliament of Scotland.djvu/711

 King CHARLES the 1 I 137 V I. ACT againfi diforderly Baptifms. Edinburgh, 17. ofAuguft, 1670. FOrafmuch as the diforderly carriage offome Perfons, in withdrawing from the Ordinances of the Sacra- ments in their own Pariih Churches &,procurmg their Children to be Baptized by perfons not publickly authorized or allowed,is highly fcandaiousjo the Proteftant Religion,and tends exceedingly to the increafe of Schifm and Profanity -. Therefore the Kings Majefty, with advice and confent of His Eftates in Parliament, doth Statute and Prohibit all His Majefties Subjects, that none of them, of whatfoever degree or quality, pre- fume to offer their Children to be Baptized by any but fuch as are their own Pariih Minifters ; or elfe by fuch Minifters as are Authorized by the prefent cilabliihed Government of the Church, or Licenced by His Ma- efties Council, Upon a Cerrificat from the Minifler of the Pariih , if he be prefent ; or in his abfence , by one pftheNeighb .uring Minifters: Anddeclares, that the Father of any Child which ihall be otherways Bap- tized, fliall be lyable to the pains and penalties following, viz. Every Heretor, Life-renter, or proper pod-fetter, fhall bei fined in a fourth part of his valued yearly Rent; Every perfon above the degree of a Tennent, having a perfonal, butnorealEftate, in one hundred pounds Scots : Every confiderable Mer-
 * hant in one hundred pounds : Every inferior Merchant, or confiderable Tradef-nian, and every Tennent la-

)ouringLand, in fifty pounds: Every meaner Burgefs, Tradef-man, Inhabitant within Burgh, and every Cottar , in twenty pounds Scots ; and every Servant in half a years Fee. And His Majefty, with advice fore- aid, requires the Sheriffs, Stewarts, Lords of Regalities and their Deputes , and Magiftrates of Burghs Royal, vithin their feveral Bounds and Jurifdiftions , to be careful to put this Aft in execution ; and that upon Infor- nationfromtheBifhopoftheDiocefs, or any other, they call before them , and judge the Perfons Contra-, reeners thereof, and uplift the Penalties forefaids. Likeas , His Majefty , for the further encouragement of he faids Sheriffs , and others forefaids, to do their duty herein , doth allow them to retain for their own ufe, the r ines of the feveral Perfons above-mentioned, except thefe of the Heretors , for which they are to be compt- ible to the Commifiioners of His Majelties Thefaury. V I I. L/^.C T againfi Separation and withdrawing from the publick Meetings of T)ivine Worfhip. Edinburgh, zo. of Augutt, 1670. Orafmuch as it is the duty of all His Majefties good Subjects , to acknowledge and comply with His Majefties Government . as it is by the Lawes of the Kingdom eftablifhed in Church and tate ; and in order thereunto , to give their cheerful concurrence and countenance to fuch Mini- ers , as by Publick Authority are , or fliall be admitted in their feveral Parilhes , and to attend 1 die Publick and Ordinary Meetings of Divine Worlhip in the fame. And feeing the Laws of the ingdom hath declared a withdrawing, and not keeping of, andjoyningin, thefe Meetings, to be feditious, nd of dangerous example and confequence : His Majefty conceives Himfelf alfo bound in Confcience and jDuty to interpofe His Authority .that thePublick Exercifes of Gods Worlhip be countenanced by all His good Bubjefts, and that fuch as upon any pretext do diforderly withdraw, be by the Cenfures of the Law made fen- fible of their mifcarriages, and by the Authority of the Law, drawn to a dutiful obedience to it. And there- fore, His Majefty , with advice and confent of His Eftates in Parliament, Statutes, Ordains , and commands ill His good Subjects of the Reformed Religion within this Kingdom, to attend and frequent the ordinary Meetings appointed for Divine Worlhip, in their own Pariih Churches ; Declaring hereby, that every fuch rerfon who mall three Lords Days together withdraw & abfent themfelves froni their own Pariih Churches, without a reafonable excufe to be allowed or difallowed by the Judges and Magiftrats after-mentioned, fliall hties quoties be liable to the pains and penalties following, viz. Every perlbn having Land in Heretage,- iLile-rent, or proper Wod-fet ^ in the eight part of his or her valued yearly Rent : Every Tennent in fix pounds Scots: Every Cottar or Servant, in fourty fliillings Scots : Every perfon above the degree of a Ten- sent, and who hath a perfonal, butnorealEftate, in twelve pounds Scots: Every confiderable Merchant ■ n twelve pounds Scots : Every inferior Merchant, and confiderable Tradef-man , 1 n fix pounds Scots : fi- nery other meaner Burgefs, Tradef-man, and Inhabitant within Burgh, in fourty ihillings Scots. . And His jvlajefty, with advice and confent forefaid, doth commit the execution of this Ad, and the raifing the Pe- nalties above-mentioned, to the Sheriffs , Stewarts, Lords of Regalities and their Deputs, and to Magi- Itrats of Burghs within their feveral refpeftive Jurifdiftions r And doth hereby Authorize and require rhem 10 be careful to fee this Aft put in due execution; and in order thereunto, that they Examine upon Oath iich perfons in every Pariih as they lhall think fitteft, for difcovery oi fuch as fliall withdraw , and thereby $ incur