POLICE,

-RELI

minifters.

fince the first day of January One thoufand fix hundred wм. MARY, fixty-one, or banished for not conforming to Prelacy, and 1, c2. not complying with the courses of the Time, have forthwith free Access to their Churches, that they may pre- GION. fently exercise the Miniftry in these Paroches without any new Call thereto; and allows them to bruik and enjoy the Restoration Benefices and Stipends thereunto belonging, and that for the whole Cropt One thousand fix hundred eighty-nine, and immediately to enter to the Churches and Manfes, where the Churches are vacant; and where they are not vacant, then their entry thereto is declared to be the half of the Benefice and Stipend, due and payable at Michaelmass laft, for the half year immediately preceeding, betwixt Whitfunday and Michaelmafs; declaring, that the present Incumbent fhall have Right to the other half of the Stipend and Benefice payable for the Whitsunday last bypast: And to the Effect that thefe Minifters may meet with no stop or hinderance in entering immediately to their Charges, the prefent Incumbents in fuch Churches are hereby Epifcopal appointed, upon Intimation hereof, to defift from their Mi- minifters of niftry in these Paroches, and to remove themselves from the Manfes and Gleibs thereunto belonging, betwixt and dered to reWhitfunday next to come, that the Presbyterian Ministers, move. formerly put out, may enter peaceably thereto. And appoints the Privy Council to fee this Act put to Execution.

No. LXI.

WILLIAM and MARY, Parl. 1, 1690, c. 5. A&t ratifying the Confeffion of Faith, and fettling Prefbyterian ChurchGovernment.

OUR Soveraign Lord and Lady, the King and Queen's Majefties, and three Eftates of Parliament, conceiving it to be their bound Duty, after the great Deliverance that God hath lately wrought for this Church and Kingdom; in the first place, to fettle and fecure therein the true Proteftant Religion, according to the truth of God's Word, as it hath of a long time been profeffed within this Land; as

fuch pa

POLICE,
-RELI-
GION.

Claim of right.

of acts

pery.

WM. MARY, alfo the Government of Chrift's Church within this NaI, C. 5. tion, agreeable to the Word of God, and most conducive to the advancement of true Piety and Godliness, and the eftablishing of Peace and Tranquillity within this Realm; and that by an Article of the Claim of Right, it is declarNarrative. ed, That Prelacy, and the Superiority of any Office in the Church above Prefbyters, is, and hath been, a great and infupportable Grievance and Trouble to this Nation, and contrary to the Inclinations of the generality of the People ever fince the Reformation, they having reformed from Popery by Prefbyters, and therefore ought to be abolished. Likeas, by an Act of the laft Seffion of this Parliament, Prelacy is abolished; therefore, their Majefties, with Advice and Confent of the faids three Eftates, do hereby Revive, Ratifie, and perpetually Confirm, all Laws, StaRatification tutes, and Acts of Parliament made against Popery and Papiits, and for the maintainance and prefervation of the againft po- true reformed Proteftant Religion, and for the true Church of Chrift within this Kingdom, in fo far as they confirm the fame, or are made in favours thereof. Likeas, they, by these Presents, ratifie and establish the Confeffion of Faith, now read in their prefence, and voted and approven by them as the publick and avowed Confeflion of this Church, containing the fum and Subftance of the DocConfefion trine of the reformed Churches (which Confeffion of Faith is fubjoyned to this prefent A&t.) As alfo, they do eftablifh, ratifie, and confirm, the Prefbyterian Church-Government and Difcipline; that is to fay, the Government of the Church by Kirk-Seffions, Prefbytries, Provincial Synods, and General Affemblies, ratified and established by the 114th Act, James VI, Parl. 12, anno 159, entituled, Prefbyte Ratification of the Liberty of the true Kirk, &c. and thereafter received by the general confent of this Nation, to be the only Government of Chrift's Church within this Kingdom; reviving, renewing, and confirming, the foreDifcipline. faid Act of Parliament, in the whole Heads thereof, except that part of it relating to Patronages, which is hereafter to be taken into confideration, and refcinding, annulling, and making void, the Acts of Parliament following, viz. A&t anent Reftitution of Bishops, James VI, Parl. 18, Cap. 2; A&t ratifying the Acts of the Affembly, 1610,

of faith.

rian go

vernment and

POLICE,

refcinded.

James VI, Parl 21, Cap. 1; A&t anent the Election of wM. MARY, Archbishops and Bishops, James VI, Parl. 22, Cap. 1; I, C. 5. A& entituled, Ratification of the Five Articles of the Ge- -RELI neral Affembly, at Perth, James VI, Parl. 23, Cap. 1; A&t GION. entituled, For the Reftitution and Re-establishment of the Ancient Government of the Church, by Archbishops and Bishops, Cha. II, Parl. 1, Seff. 2, Act 1; Anent the Conftitution of a National Synod, Cha. II, Parl. 1, Seff. 3, A& 5; A&t against fuch as refuse to Depone against Delinquents, Cha. II, Parl. 2, Seff. 2, A&t 2; Act entituled, Statutes Act acknowledging and afferting the right of Succeffion to the Imperial Crown of Scotland, Chas II, Parl. 3, A& 2; A& entituled, A&t anent Religion and the Teft, Cha. II, Parl. 3, Act 6. With all other Acts, Laws, Statutes, Ordinances, and Proclamations, and that in fo far allanerly as the faids Acts and others generally and particularly above mentioned, are contrary or prejudicial to, inconfiftent with, or derogatory from, the Proteftant Religion, and Prefbyterian Government, now established; and al- Allowing lowing and declaring, that the Church Government be the church established in the hands of, and exercised by, thefe Prefby- ment to be terian Minifters, who were outed fince the firft of January exercifed 1661, for non-conformity to Prelacy, or not complying by the furviving miwith the courfes of the times, and are now reftored by the nifters who late Act of Parliament, and fuch Ministers and Elders on- were outed. ly as they have admitted or received, or fhall hereafter admit or receive; and alfo, that all the faid Prefbyterian Minifters have, and shall have, right to the Maintainance, Rights, and other Priviledges by Law provided, to the Minifters of Chrift's Church within this Kingdom, as they are, or shall be, legally admitted to particular Churches. Likeas, in pursuance of the Preinifles, their Majefties do hereby appoint the first Meeting of the General Affembly of this Church, as above eftablished, to be at Edinburgh, the third Thursday of October next to come, in this inftant year 1690. And becaufe many conform Minifters First meeteither have deferted, or were removed from Preaching in ing of aftheir Churches, preceeding the thirteenth day of April fembly. 1689, and others were deprived for not giving obedience to the Act of the Eftates, made in the faid thirteenth of April 1689, entituled, Proclamation against the owning of

govern

I, C. 5.

POLICE,

-RELI-
GION.

WM. MARY, the late King James, and appointing public Prayers for King William and Queen Mary, therefore, their Majefties, with advice and confent forefaid, do hereby declare all the Churches, either deferted, or from which the conform Minifters were removed or deprived, as said is, to be Vacant; and that the Prefbyterian Minifters exercifing their Ministry within any of these Paroches (or where the laft Incumbent is dead) by the defire or confent of the Paroch, fhall continue their poffeffion, and have right to the Benefices and Stipends, according to their entry in the year 1689; and in time coming, ay and while the Church, as now established, take further course therewith. And to the effect the Disorders that have happened in this Church may be redreffed, their Majefties, with advice and confent forefaid, do hereby allow the General Meeting, and Representatives of the forefaid Prefbyterian Ministers and Elders, in whole hands the Exercife of the ChurchGovernment is established, either by themselves, or by fuch Minifters and Elders as fhall be appointed and authorized Visitors by them, according to the Custom and Practice of Prefbyterian Government throughout the whole ed vacant. Kingdom, and several parts thereof, to try and purge out all infufficient, negligent, fcandalous, and erroneous Minifters, by due courfe of Ecclefiaftical Process and Cenfures, and likeways for redreffing all other Church diforders. And, further, it is hereby provided, that whatsoever Minifter, being conveened before the faid General Meeting, and Reprefentatives of the Prefbyterian Minifters and Elders, or the Vifitors to be appointed by them, fhall either prove contumacious in not appearing, or be found guilty, and fhall be therefore cenfured, whether by Sufpenfion or Depofition, they fhall ipfo facto be fufpended from, or de prived of, their Stipends and Benefices.

What churches

are declar

No. LXII.

WILLIAM and MARY, Parl. 1, 1690, c. 27. A& refcinding the Laws for Conformity.

I, C. 27,

acts re

OUR Soveraign Lord and Lady, the King and Queen's WM. MARY, Majefties, and three Eftates of Parliament, confidering POLICE, how neceffary it is for the well and Peace of this King--RELIdom, and of Christ's Church within the fame, as now by GION. Law established, that the Acts following be refcinded; do therefore refcind, cafs, annul, and make void, the A&t Conformity Cha. II, Parl. 1, Seff. 2, Cap. 4, concerning Mafters of fcinded. Univerfities, Ministers, &c.; A& 5, ibidem, concerning the Declaration to be figned by all Perfons in public Truft; A& Cha. II, Parl. 1, Seff. 3, Cap. 2, against Separation and Difobedience to Ecclefiaftick Authority, A&t, Cap. 3, ibidem; additional Act concerning the Declaration, Act, Cha. II, Parl. 2, Seff. 2, Cap. 5, against Conventicles; Act, Cap. 6, ibidem, against diforderly Baptifms; Act, Cap. 7, ibidem, against Separation and withdrawing from the Public Meetings of Divine Worship; Act, Cha. II, Parl. 2, Seff. 3, Cap. 9, against unlawful Ordinances; A&t, Cha. Il, Parl. 2, Seff. 3, Cap. 17, against Keepers of Conventicles, and Withdrawers from Public Worship; Act, Cha. II, Parl. 3, Cap. 4, for Securing of the Peace of the Countrey; Act, James VII, Parl. 1, Seff. 1, Cap. 6, obliging Hufbands to be lyable for their Wives Fines, Act, Cap. 8, ibidem; against Preachers at Conventicles, and Hearers at Field-Conventicles; Act, Cap. 24, ibidem, ordaining that Tennents be obliged by their Tacks to live regularly; and generally all other A&ts, Claufes, and Provifions, in Acts whatsoever, made fince the year 1661, inclufive, against Non-conformity, or for Conformity to the Church and Government thereof, as then established under Archbishops and Bishops.