The estates of parliament, now conveened in the fyift session of this first trienniall parliament, understanding from the generall assemblie the great abuse of printing and publishing buikis, letters and other papers concerning religion and the kirk without license, therfore, for remedie thairof, inhibits and discharges all and everie ane to preswme hereftir to print or reprint any declarations, protestations, covenantis, confessions, letters, actis or anie thing issueing from kirk judicatories or any bookis, treatises, histories, sermons, commentaries, disputs or other papers quhatsomevir treating of religion or any point of religion in doctrine, worship or discipline or concerning the kirk, the officers, government or condition of affaires therof without speciall licence and priviledge of the general assemblie or their commissionars, or suche as sall have power from them, and that under the pane of confiscation of the saids buikis and other paperis printed without license aforesaid and of the presses, types and other moveable guidis quhatsomevir belonging to the printers thairof, the one halfe quhairof sall belong to the kirk to be made use of and imployed upon pious uses, beside any further personall punishment of the saids printers that the lordis of secrete councell or the committies of parliament or convention sall think fitt to inflict; and the saidis estates ordaines the magistrats of burghes where the printers dwell, upon information from the generall assemblie, their commissionars or others haveing power from them, to arreist, tak and apprehend the saidis printers, contraveners of this act, with the bookis and other papers aforesaid to be presented to the lordis of counsell or committies of parliament or convention to underly the law for the said offence, that eftir tryell thairof the saids buikis and paperis and all the other guidis aforementioned may be confiscat in maner foresaid and the offenders further punished at the discretion of the said judges.
[1645/11/179]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
The estates of parliament, now conveened in the fyifth session of this first trienniall parliament, haveing hard and considdered the act of the committie of estates of the 29 of November 1644, quherof the tenor followis: The committie of estates, taking to there consideration the prejudice that doe ensue through the uncontrolled libertie that printers tak to themselfis to print and publish bookis and paperis at thair pleasur without anie warrand, and that in all well governed kingdomes it is expreslie prohibited that anie subject tak upon hand to print or publish buikis of whatsomevir discipline or science, bot speciallie lybellis or chronicles concerning the state of the kingdome or ages past, without warrand or allowance for that effect, thairfore the committie of estates, according to the practise of the convention of estates in formar tymes, statutes and ordanes that no persones of whatsoevir rank, degrie or calling tak upon hand to print, publish or set out anie maner of book, lybell, historie or uthir paper; as also that no book being printed out of the kingdome be brocht in and sauld within the same quhill first they be sene and reveised be his majesties secretarie, certifieing them that does in the contrare they sall forfault thair saidis bookes and papers and there haill uthir moveable guidis and salbe further punished at the discretion of the councell or committie of estates. And this act to endure till the nixt session of parliament, and to be without prejudice of the act of the generall assemblie anent printing or any order to be given be the publict judicatories of the kingdome. The saidis estates renewis the foresaid act and doe heirby statute and ordane that no act, lybell, chronicle or anie maner of book, historie or uthir paper concerning the estate of this kingdome be printed or brocht in and sold without advyce and licence of some of the supreme judicatories within this kingdome or secretarie thairof, without prejudice alwayis of the act of parliament of the date of thir presentes made in favors of the commissionars of the kirk, and alse but prejudice to the clerk of registre, his power for printing of the actes of parliament.
[1645/11/180]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
The estates of parliament, considdering the great abuse of lykewakes, doe thairfore inhibite and discharge all persones of whatsomevir qualitie to have lykewakes heireftir and that under the pane of tuentie punds [Scots]† to be payed by the contraveenars toties quoties to the kirk session for pious uses, and ordanes the fynes to be uplifted conforme to the act of parliament made at Perth [anent the uplifting of pecuniall paines]†.