King CHARLES the II. 83 fices or Mantes, that they take prefent courfetofee them difpofieft; and if they mall thereafter prefume to exercife their Miniftry, that they bepunifhed as feditious perfons, and fuch as contemn the Authority of Church and State. And as His Majefty doth expect, from all His good and dutiful Subjects, a due acknowledgment of, and hearty complyance with, his Majefties Government* Ecclefiaftical and Civil, as it isnoweftablifhedby Law within this Kingdom, and that in order thereunto they will give their chearful concurrence, counte- nance and affiftance to fuch Minifters, as bypublick Authority are or lhall be admitted in their feveral Paro- dies, and attend all the ordinary Meetings for divine Worihip in the fame; So His Majeiiy doth Declare, that He will and doth, account a with-dravving from, and not keeping and joyning in, thefe Meetings, to be feditious, and of dangerous example and confequence. And therefore , and lor preventing the fame for the future, HisMajefty, with advice and confent of His Eftates in Parliament, doth hereby Statute, Ordain and Declare, That all and every fuch perfon or perfons, who lhall hereafter ordinarly and willfully with- draw and abfent themfeives from the ordinary Meetings of divine Worihip in their o yn Paroch-Church on the Lords-day, (whether upon account of Popery or other difafreetion to the prefent Government of the Church) iha!l thereby incur the pains and penalties under-written, viz. Each Noble-man, Gentleman andHeretor, the lofs of a fourth part of ilk years Rent, in which they lhall be accufed and convicted ; and every Yeoman, Tennent or Farmer, the lots of fuch a proportion ot their free moveables ( after the pay- ment of their Rents due to their Matter and Land-lord ) as His Majefties Council lhall think fit , not exceed- ing a fourth part thereof; and every Burgefs to lofe the liberty of Merchandizing, Trading, and all other Priviledges within Burgh, and fourth part of their moveables. And HisMajefty, with advice forefaid, doth hereby authorize and require the Lords of His Majefties Privy Council, to be careful to fee this A ct put to - due execution ; and for that end, to call before them all fuch perfons as after admonition of the Minuter, in prefence of two fufficient witnefles, and by him fo attefted, fhall be given up to the Council as tranfgrefTors of this Act, inwith-drawinglrom their Paroch Churches asaforefaid;andthefame, after hearing of the par- ties, being duly found, to decern and inflict the cenfurcs and penalties above-mentioned , and fuch other corporal punifhment as they lhall think fit, and direct all execution necefiary for making the fame effectual, and to do every other thing theyihall find necefiary, for procuring obedience to this Act, and putting the fame to punctual execution, coniorm to the tenor and intent thereof. I I I. Additional %^4 C T concerning the ^Declaration to bejlgnedby all perfons inpublkk Truit. FOrafmuch, as by an Act, paltin thefecond SefTion of this Parliament, on the fifth of September laft, concerning the Declaration to betaken by all perfons in publick Truft, It is remitted to His Majefties Commiflioner to take fuch courfe as he fliould think fit , how thefe, who are prefently in Office, may fubfcribe the Declaration; And the King's Majeftie being refolved, that all in publick Truft, fhould without further delay, fign the fame : But confidering , that in this vacand time, many of the Courts of Juftice do not fit, fo as fome longer time, mult be allowed unto them. Therefore, the King's Majefty, with advice and con- fent of His Eftates in Parliament, Statutes and Ordains all perfons, who enjoy or poffefsany publick Truft or Office within this Kingdom, as Officers of State , Members of Parliament, Privy Counceltors, Lords of SefTion, CommiiTioners in Exchequer, all Members of the Colledge of Juftice ; Sheriffs, Stewarts, Bailies of Regalities, Commiflaries, Juftices of Peace and their refpective Deputs and Clerks, and all who enjoy any other publick Charge, Office or Truft within the Kingdom, to fubfcribe the Declaration hereunto fubjoyned, in prefence of the feveral Courts they relate to, betwixt and the eleventh of November next to come, orfooner, as theyihall have occafion or be required thereto by His Majefties Council ; Difcharging hereby all fuch of them, who lhall not fign the fame, as faid is, to exerce any publick Truft or Office within the Kingdom, after the faid eleventh of November. And that a fpeedy account may be returned hereof, It is hereby Ordained, that the Sheriffs in the feveral Shires be careful in requiring due obedience to this Act, and that they and all others concerned therein, make report thereof to His Majefties Council, betwixt and the firft of January next to come. And feeing the election of the Magiftrates and Council of Burghs will occur about CMichaelmafs next, and that fome difaffec ted perfons in Burghs, having none or fmall advantages by their Magiftracy, may, upon account of this Declaration, refufe to accept any Charge or Truft; It is there- tore, by His Majefty, with advice forefaid, Statute, That at the next enfuing elect ion of Magiftrates with- in Burah, all fuch perfons who lhall continue in, or be of new elected to be Magiftrates, Clerks, or of the Council of Burghs, lhall at fuch their elections, if they be prefent , orotherwife, how foon thereafter they lhall be required thereto by thofe who did elect them, fign the Declaration at orefaid; Declaring hereby , all who fhall refufe or delay the fame, to be from thenceforth not only incapable of , andtohaveforfaulted, the priviledges ol a Magiftrate, but alfo all the priviledges of Merchandizing, Trading, and others belong- ing to a Burgefs; And that the feveral Burghs make report of their proceedings therein to HisMajefties Council betwixt &the forefaid eleventh ofAfouas they will be anfwerable upon their duty & alleagiance-. And for fuch as L x fhall
