[1645/11/181]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
1. That your lordships will be pleased according to the remonstrance represented to recommend to the general officers of the army to take special notice of the insolencies, oppressions and other enormities of the soldiers, that they may be restrained and exemplarily punished.
2. To provide some way how the supreme and inferior courts and judicatories and public offices in burgh and land and in our armies may be purged of malignants and of such as have made defection from the cause by corresponding or complying with the public enemies of this kirk and kingdom, and that none be put in these places but such as are of known and approved honesty and affection to the present cause.
3. That your lordships would be pleased to consider how securely excommunicated persons live, notwithstanding of the fearful sentence of excommunication of Mr John Guthrie, sometime pretended bishop of Moray, and various other scandalous and malicious malignants, and also various obstinate papists, that some way may be provided whereby the censures of the kirk may not be so abused and eluded and that the civil pains appointed by the laws of the kingdom be really and severely executed against them.
4. That your lordships, according to the frequent desires of this kirk tendered to every parliament and at almost every session of parliament, would be at length pleased to consider the acts of former parliaments against adultery and incest, that they may be in such sort revived and renewed, as these odious sins, yet so risen and grown to such a height of abomination as is horrid to express, may be restrained and exemplarily punished; and when these laws are so established, that some course may be provided how the ordinary judges may be authorised and enabled for executing them in all the parts of the kingdom.
5. That as your lordships will consider and restrain the power of papists and malignants in the north, so also that you will be pleased to take some solid course how the south borders may be strengthened and secured against the plots of papists and malignants who are of a considerable number and strength there and in the north of England, and how our borders may be also freed of the insolencies committed by thieves and moss troopers which still continues and increases there.
6. That some way may be provided whereby noblemens' children may not be educated by papistical or malignant parents or tutors, but that the care and trust of their education be committed to some religious and well affected friends, which will contribute very much both to the good of kirk and state.
7. That according to the frequently reiterated desires of this kirk, the act of his majesty's first parliament concerning schools be enlarged and made effectual for founding and maintaining schools in every congregation, the want whereof is the main obstruction of piety and virtue in this kingdom.
8. That as the estates have discharged weekly markets on Monday and Saturday as occasion of profanation of the Sabbath, so they will be pleased to discharge fairs on these days seeing the Lord's Sabbath is profaned no less upon these occasions.
9. That according to their humble desire in their remonstrance, special consideration be taken of the losses of such as have given testimony of their affection to the cause, and particularly of poor ministers who have sustained the losses of all means of livelihood for themselves, their wives, children and family.
10. That your lordships will give answer to the humble desire presented to the late session of parliament at Perth concerning the planting of vacant places in the universities, seeing it was delayed to this time.
11. That your lordships will provide some way how the pensions granted to deposed and malignant ministers may be discharged.
Which particular overtures above-mentioned being read in audience of the parliament and considered by the estates of parliament, they approve the first overture and agree thereto, and find the second satisfied by the act of classes made for punishing and fining malignants and delinquents. Item, for the third, the estates ordain warrant to be given to the committees of war of each shire for securing excommunicated persons in the most sure places and the officers of the army present in the shire to assist. Item, for the fourth article against adultery and incest, the estates ratify the former acts made relating thereto. Item, concerning the fifth article against papists, malignants, thieves and moss troopers, the estates ordain the noblemen and gentlemen of the borders to meet and think upon overtures and thereafter to represent the same to the committee of estates. Item, anent the sixth overture, the estates agree thereto and ordain the particulars to be condescended on and represented to the committee of estates. Item, for the seventh article anent schools, the estates find the same answered by the act made relating thereto this day. Item, anent the eighth article, the estates ordain an act to be extended relating thereto and ordain Mr Robert Farquhar [of Mounie], commissioner to this session of parliament for the burgh of Aberdeen, to see the act formerly passed put to execution in Aberdeen concerning markets in that town. Item, as concerning the ninth article, ordain the losses of such as have given testimony of their affection to the cause, and particularly these ministers who have sustained the loss of all means of livelihood, to be specially recommended to the committees of the monies for the south and north. Item, as concerning the tenth article anent the planting of vacant places in universities, the estates find the same answered by the deliverance and act made upon the supplication in favour of the university of St Andrews of the date of this act. And for the eleventh article anent the pensions of deposed and malignant ministers, the estates agree that course be taken how the pensions granted to deposed and malignant ministers may be discharged.