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current Parliament, intitled, At ratifying the Confeffion of Faith, and fettling Prefbyterian Church Government, in the whole Heads, Articles, and Claufes thereof: And do further ftatute and ordain, that no Perfon be admitted, or continued, for hereafter, to be a Minifter or Preacher within this Church, unless that he, having first taken and fubfcribed the Oath of Allegiance, and fubfcribed the Affurance, in Manner appointed by another Act of this prefent Seffion of Parliament, made thereanent, do alfo fubfcribe the Confeffion of Faith ratified in the forefaid fifth Act of the fecond Seffion of this Parliament, declaring the fame to be the Confeffion of his Faith, and that he owns the Doctrine therein contained to be the true Doctrine, which he will conftantly adhere to; as likewife, that he owns and acknowledges Prefbyterian Church-Government, as fettled by the aforefaid fifth Act of the fecond Seffion of this Parliament, to be the only Government of this Church, and that he will fubmit thereto, and concur therewith, and never endeavour, directly or indirectly, the Prejudice or Subverfion thereof. And their Majefties, with Advice and Confent aforesaid, statute and ordain, that Uniformity of Worship, and of the Adminiftration of all publick Ordinances within his Church, be observed by all the faid Ministers and Preachers, as the fame are at prefent performed and allowed therein, or fhall be hereafter declared, by the Authority of the fame and that no Minifter or Preacher be admitted or continued for hereafter, unless that he subscribe to obferve, and do actually observe, the aforefaid Uniformity. And for the more effectual fettling the Quiet and Peace of this Church, the Eftates of Parliament do hereby make an humble Address to their Majefties, that they would be pleafed to call a General Affembly, for the ordering the Affairs of the Church. And to the End that all the present Minifters poffeffing Churches, not yet admitted to the Exercife of the aforefaid Church-Goverment, conform to the faid Act, and who fhall qualify themselves in Manner aforefaid, and fhall apply to the faid Affembly, or the other Church-Judicatures, competent in an orderly Way, each Man for himfelf, be received to partake with them in the Government thereof; certifying fuch as fhall not qualify themselves, and apply to the faid Affembly, or other Judicatures, within the Space of thirty Days after meeting of the faid first Affembly, in Manner aforefaid, that they may be depofed by the Sentence of the faid Affembly, and other Judicatures, tam ab officio, quam a beneficio; and withal declaring, that if any of the faid Minifters, who hath not been hitherto received into the Government of the Church, fhail offer to qualify themfelves, and to apply in Manner aforefaid, they shall have their Majefties full Protection, ay and while they fhall be admitted and received in Manner aforefaid: Providing always, that this Act, and the Benefit thereof, fhall no ways be extended to fuch of the faid Ministers as are

aie. That none of the Forms be retained in the Publick Worship of God, that are not ufed by the Prefbyterians; viz. the Lord's Prayer, the Doxology, the

Apoftles Creed; and that the Holy Scriptures muft not be read in the publick Affemblies as heretofore.

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fcandalous, erroneous, negligent, or infufficient, and against whom the fame shall be verified within the Space of thirty Days after the faid Applica tion; but these, and all others, in like Manner guilty, are hereby declared to be liable and fubject to the Power and Cenfure of the Church, as accords. And to the Effect that the Reprefentation of this Church, in its General Affemblies, may be more equal in all Time coming, recommends it to the firft Affembly that shall be called, to appoint Minifters, to be fent as Commiffioners from every Prefbytery, not in equal Number, which is manifeftly unequal where Prefbyteries are fo, but in a due Proportion to the Churches and Parochines within every Prefbytery, as they fhall judge convenient. And it is hereby declared, that all School-Mafters, and Teachers of Youth in Schools, are, and fhall be, liable to the Trial, Judgment, and Cenfure of the Prefbyteries of the Bound, for their Sufficiency, Qualifications, and Deportment in the faid Office. And, lastly, their Majefties, with Advice and Confent aforefaid, do hereby ftatute and ordain, that the Lords of their Privy Council, and all other Magiftrates, Judges, and Officers of Juftice, give all due Affiftance for making the Sentences and Cenfures of the Church, and Judicatures thereof, to be obeyed, or otherwise effectual, as accords.

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Extracted forth of the Records of Parliament, by

TARBAT, Cls. Regift. GOD fave King William and Queen Mary.

NUMBER IV.

At anent Intruders into Churches.

HE Lords of her Majefty's Privy-Council, having taken to their ferious Confideration a Representation made to them by the Commiffion of the late General Affembly of the Church, and in the Name, and by the Warrant of the faid Affembly, of feveral Church-Irregularities and Disorders, as particularly, that where Churches happen to vaik by Death, or otherwife, the Keys thereof are withdrawn by difaffected Perfons, and the Prefbytery of the Bounds refufed or hindred to have Access thereto, notwithstanding of the frequent Orders and Acts made for Remedy of these Abuses. Secondly, That Perfons having no Authority from, or within this Church, but pretending Warrant from the late exauctorat Bifhops, do take upon them to preach and exercise other Acts of the Minifterial Function, contrary to all good Order, and to perpetuate an unhappy Schifm. And, Thirdly, That where Intruders are removed from Kirks or Paroches, by Sentence of the Lords of Council, for their Intrufion, yet, for eluding of the faid Sentence, they do either remove only to the Border of a neighbouring Paroch, and there continue to exercife, or otherwife intrude elfewhere, as if no Sentence had past against them. The faid Lords of Privy-Council, for Remedy of the faid Abufes, do therefore, in the firft Place, in Profecution, and for the

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more effectual Execution of the Acts of Parliament and Privy Council made for that Effect, require and command all Sheriffs, and their Deputies, and all other Magiftrates and Officers of the Law, within whofe Bounds any Church is, or fhall happen to be vacant, that, upon Application made to them by the Prefbytery of the Bounds, or any in their Name, they make, or caufe to be made, the fame Patent to the Prefbytery; and deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the faid Prefbytery, or any having their Warrant, either the ufual Keys of the faid Church, or new Keys, in Place of the former ufual Keys, abftracted and withdrawn, whereby the Church may be made freely Patent; and that, within the Space of fifteen Days after, they fhall be requir'd thereto, by Form of Inftrument taken against them, perfonally for that Effect, with Certification, that if they refufe to make, or caufe to be made, the faid Church-Patent to the Prefbytery, in Manner aforefaid, within the faid Space of fifteen Days, Letters fhall be direct, at the Inftance of the Kirk-Agent, by Deliverance of Privy-Council, fummarily against them, charging them thereto fimpliciter, within the Space of ten Days. And the faid Lords of her Majefty's Privy Council do hereby order and warrant the aforefaid Letters to be direct conform to the faid Certification, and that without Prejudice of the Pains contained in the Act of Parliament 1698, against the faid Sheriffs, and others, who fhall refuse to obtemper in the Terms of the faid Act. And, in the next Place, the faid Lords of Privy Council do hereby expressly prohibit and discharge all Perfons, who neither had, nor have, any Authority, from or within this Church, but pretend allennerly to a Warrant or Licence from the late exauctorat Bishops, fince they were exauctorat, to take upon them to preach, or exercise any Part of the Minifterial Function, within this Church, or within any Kirk or Paroch thereof; certifying fuch as fhall prefume to preach or exercise in the contrary, without being duly authorized and qualified according to Law, they fhall not only be liable, upon due Information, to be fummarily seized and secured by the Magiftrates of the Bounds, in order to their Trial, (and which Magiftrates are hereby authorized to feize them accordingly) but alfo, upon due Trial, they fhall be banished, by Sentence of the Lords of the Privy-Council, forth of the Kingdom, conform to the Act of Parliament 1693; and farther, the late Bifhops exauctorat, as faid is, are hereby discharged to grant any fuch Warrant or Licence, as they will be anfwerable upon their highest Peril. And, Thirdly, the faid Lords of Privy-Council do hereby declare and certify, that if any Minifter or Preacher, either depriv'd by Sentence of the Lords of Privy-Council, or not qualified according to Law, and who shall be removed from any Church or Paroch, as an Intruder, by Sentence of the faid Lords, fhall be found again tranfgreffing, by intruding into any other Kirk or Paroch, contrary to the Act of Parliament 1695, made against intruding into Churches, without a legal Call and Admission thereto, he fhall not only be fummarily feized and fecured, upon due Information, by the Magiftrate of the Bounds, to answer for his Tranfgreffion (and which Magiftrates are hereby authorized to seize him accordingly) but

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alfo, after due Conviction, he fhall be banished forth of the Kingdom, conform to the faid Acts of Parliament. And the Lords of her Majefty's Privy-Council do hereby ordain thefe Prefents to be printed and published at the Mercat-Cross of Edinburgh, and all other Places needful, that none pretend Ignorance.

Given under our Signet at Edinburgh, the 21st Day of March, 1706, and of our Reign the fourth Year.

Per Altum Dominorum Secreti Concilii,

AL. MAITLAND, Cls. Sti. Concilii.

GOD fave the QUEEN.

A Copy of a Letter from a Gentleman at London, to a Lord at Edinburgh, concerning the Scots Peerage. My Lord,

TH

HO' I have not any perfonal Concern or Prospect in the Scots Peerage, I cannot but entertain a very high Regard for that once illuftrious Body, and think myself bound to acquaint you, that I have too juft Grounds to believe, that what was lately defigned against the very Being thereof, will be once more attempted in this, or fome fubfequent Seffion of the prefent Parliament.

I must own, that I was much furprized at the fupine Silence, with which fuch of the Scots Peers, who had no Defigns or Hopes of being amongst the Number of those predeftinated to be elected, nor influenced by the Threats or Promises of any Power whatsoever, did receive the Accounts of this intended Violation of their Rights, as it afforded an Handle to reprefent them in this Place, as a Pack of defpicable, fpiritlefs Creatures, who might be kick'd and cuff'd at Pleafure, or as tacitly fubmitting to, and approving of what was defigned against them: And give me Leave to tell you, if they take not Care timeously to exert themselves, and publickly manifeft a Spirit of Oppofition to this Measure, they are for ever utterly undone: And as a Vacancy has happened by the Marquis of Annandale's Death, if they take not fuch Measures as will evidently declare their Averfion to the Scheme, particularly by choofing fuch a Reprefentative as will not betray and defert his Constituents, it will, in all human Probability, be the laft Occafion Porvidence will caft in their Way, of providing for their future Honour and Profperity.

Whence this ftrange Indolence proceeded is to me unaccountable: The Scots Peers were formerly taxed with being Proud, Ambitious and AvariVOL. III. tious;

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tious; but furely fuch as tamely fubmit to this Scheme are unjustly accused One would think they had fufficiently humbled themselves, by being reduced to the Condition we find them in at prefent; but, if once the new Scheme take Effect, what will remain to the reprobate Peers, but empty despicable Titles, and the melan choly Reflection of what they and their Predeceffors formerly enjoyed? How contemptible muft they be, when they have not the Privilege of the meaneft Freeholder, I mean that of being reprefented any Manner of Way in the national Affembly of the States? Being thereby reduced to a State more fuitable to Slaves than Members of any civil Society, whilft a Parcel of other Peers, the best of them but their Equals, and fome of them far inferior in perfonal Merit, or the Antiquity and Dignity of their Families, enjoy, at their Coft, the full Fruition of the moft extenfive Privileges of the British Peerage. In Days of Yore, the Interefts of the Crown and Peers of Scotland were fo interwoven, that they became reciprocal, these fupported the former, who, on that Account, cherifhed and rewarded them: But henceforward, when their Affiftance will not be wanted in the only Point remaining to render them fignificant, viz. The Election of their own Reprefentatives: From whence can they imagine or expect to reap any the fmallest Portion of the regal Bounty? Our Kings now-a-days have too many preffing Demands upon them, to think of beftowing Favours on any Set of Men, who are but useless Drones in the Commonwealth, and can be of no Service to them, and from whom no Danger can be apprehended; fo that these reprobate Peers may bid adieu to all Penfions and Offices, to all Honours and Preferments, and their Children need not expect to be provided for as formerly in the Army and Judicatures. The hereditrry Peers and Commoners will be henceforward entitled to these, whilft the Families of the other will be left to ftarve and dwindle away into the most abject forlorn Condition. Thefe, and the like obvious Confiderations, fhould, I humbly prefume, deeply affect fuch (if any fuch there be) who ftupidly incline to grafp at any prefent Benefit or Temptation, in Prejudice of the future Profperity of their Families, and prevail with them to look one Inch before their Nofes, and behold the helpless defpicable Condition, into which, by their own Act and Deed, they will irretrievably plunge themselves and their Pofterity; and refolve for their own Sakes to make one noble Stand and Effort to prevent their utter Mifery, in which, tho' they should not fucceed, they'll have the Satisfaction of having acted as became Men of Honour, and the Approbation and Pity of all the impartial Part of Mankind; and in Order thereto, no Time, nor no Pains fhould be neglected, every felfifh perfonal View fhould be poftponed, and fuch joint Measures concerted and profecuted, as may moft probably tend to promote and advance fo juft and honourable a Caufe; and whilst we have fo good and gracious a King, and fo hopeful an Heir to fucceed him, there is no Danger to be apprehended, nor Reason to doubt of Succefs in the Undertaking. Here then is a noble Opportunity for a Perfon of Diftinction, and Abilities to eftablish his Character, and raise his Reputation, by fettling himself at the

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