VIII.
Act againſt Papiſts, Preiſts, and Jeſuits.
OUr Soveraign Lord conſidering, that the publick contempt of, and diſobedience to, lawful Authority, (though covered with the moſtſpecious pretexts) is alwayes accompanied with great confuſions and provocations, to the diſhonour of GOD, and ruine of the People;And.that thereby occaſion is offered to wicked and ill affected perſons, of all ſorts, upon one pretence or other, to ſubvert Religion, and pervert the Duty and Allegiance of the Subjects; Whereof there be too ſad evidence, by the increaſe of Popery, and the number of Jeſuits, Prieſts, and Papiſts; which have of late, and do now abound in this Kingdom, in far greater numbers then ever they did under the Government of His Majeſties Royal Father and Grand-Father, of bleſſed memory. And His Majeſty, being deſirous to trace theſe His Royal Anceſtors, in a due and Vigorous proſecution of theſe many excellent Laws made by them, againſt the Saying of Meſs, and the ſtay and reſſet of Jeſuits, Seminary and Meſs Prieſts, and trarficking Papiſts, within this Kingdom: Doth therefore, With advice and conſent of His Eſtates of Parliament, command and charge all, and ſundry Jeſuits, Prieſts and Trafrickinc Papiſts, that none of them preſume hereafter to Say Meſs within this Kingdom; And that Within a moneth after the publication hereof, they remove forth of the Kingdom, under the pain of death; And ſickiike, His Majeſty, with advice and confent foreſaid, doth command, charge, and inhibite all His Majeſties Subjects, of What quality or degree ſoever, that none of them preſume to hear Meſs, reſſet, ſupply, entertain, furniſh meat or drink, nor keep intelligence or correſpondence with any Prieſts, Jeſuits or Trafficking Papiſts, 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 proſecution, His Majeſty, with advice and conſent foreſaid, doth hereby command all Sheriffs or Shires and their Deputes, all Magistrates of Burghs, and other publick Miniſters of the Laws, to make exact enquiry and ſearch in their ſeveral bounds and juriſdictions, and to apprehend all Rich Jeſuits, Prieſts and Trafficking Papiſts, as they ſhall find Within the ſame, alter the laſt day of March next to come; and to commit them to the next ſure Priſon, there to remain till they receive due puniſhment, according to the Laws, And alſo, that with all poſſible diligence, they ſend in to the Parliament, or in caſe of their not Sitting, to His Majeſties Privy-Council, the Liſt of ſuch perſons within their bounds, as are known, or ſuſpected to be Papiſts; that courſe may be taken with them, conform to the Laws of the Kingdom: And hereof, the Sheriffs and Magiſtrates, and their Deputes are to take ſpecial notice, as they will be anſwerable at their higheſt peril: Likeas, His Majeſty conſidering how dangerous it is that Children be educat by perſons Popiſhly affected, do therefore, conform to former Acts of Parliament, appoint that Children under Popiſh Parents, Tutors or Curators ſhall be taken from them, and committed to the education of ſome well affected and religious friend, at, the ſight and by order of His Majeſties Privy Council: And ordains publication hereof to be made at the Mercat Croſs of Edinburgh, and other places needful.
IX.
Act approving the Engagement, 1648. and annulling the pretended Parliaments and Committes kept thereafter.
FOraſmuch as in the year one thouſand ſix hundred fourty and eight, the Eſtates of Parliament of this Kingdom, and His Majeſties good Subjects therein, from the ſenſe of their duty to Almighty GOD and the King's Majeſty, did chearfully undertake and concurr in an Engagement, for relief of His late Majeſty of glorious memory from His impriſonment, and for His reſtitution to the Royal Government of His Kingdoms. And the Eſtates of Parliament, now conveened by His Majeſties ſpecial Authority, taking that Engagement to their conſideration, do find it to have been an Honourable, Juſt, Neceſſary and Seaſonable Diſcharge of that indiſpenſible 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 stricteſt bonds of Conſcience and Honour, obliged to the moſt Sacred Perſon, and Royal Authority of their King's Majeſty. And therefore, Our Soveraign Lord, with advice and conſent of His Eſtates of Parliament, doth Ratiffe and Approve that Engagement for His Majeſties relief and reſtitution to His Royal Government. And doth declare, that as it was a moſt noble and pious Teſtimony of the Loyalty of His Majesties good Subjects of His ancient Kingdom, and of their affection and zeal to His Majeſties Perſon and. Government: So His Majeſty, for Himſelf and His Succeſſors, doth aſſure, that They will always retain a grateful reſentment thereof; And have appointed theſe preſents to remain upon Record, for the due honour of theſe perſons who did engage therein, and of their poſterity for ever.
And whereas the neceſſity and juſtice of this undertaking, with the intereſt this Kingdom had in His Majeſties Perſon, by the honour of His Royal Birth, and By theſe many and ſingular Acts of Grace He had lately conterr'd upon it, might juſtly have claimed a ready concurrence of all the Subjects; Yet there wanted not ſome, and even ſuch, whom not long before, His Majeſty, had obliged by marks of His Royal favour both of honour and profit, who made it their, work to
diſappoint
