[1593/4/45]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Forasmuch as in the parliament held at Edinburgh, 22 August the year of God 1584 it was statute and ordained that all gifts, provisions and dispositions of successors of prelacies, abbacies, priories and nunneries made and granted by his highness to whatsoever of his subjects upon the resignations or demissions of the possessors of the said abbacies, priories and titulars of the same are and shall be of no value, force nor effect with all that has followed or may follow thereupon without any further process, as at more length is contained in the said act. The which act and constitution being made against the form of other good acts and constitutions made of before, which were only extended in future, likewise of all equity and reason all laws, acts and constitutions of parliament ought only to have effect in such cases as happens to follow after the making thereof, therefore our sovereign lord and estates of this present parliament decree, declare and ordain that the said act and constitution shall have no effect, force nor strength against such gifts, provisions and dispositions of prelacies and abbacies granted by his highness at any time preceding the day and date of the foresaid act to whatsoever person or persons' bairns or nearest kinsfolk upon the resignations or demissions of the possessors, commendators or titulars at the time of their demission, with reservation of their own liferents; and decree, statute and ordain the said gifts, provisions and dispositions to be and to have been from the date thereof sufficient rights and titles to them to possess the said abbacies and benefices enduring their lifetime, notwithstanding the reservation therein contained; and make void and annul the foresaid act of parliament in so far as the same may be extended to any gifts and provisions of any abbacy or prelacy conveyed before the said 22 August the year of God 1584, with reservation in form above-expressed; and decree the foresaid act in that part to have no force of law, either by way of action, exception, reply or objection against the validity thereof, and that the said act shall be extended to such provisions and demissions of abbacies and prelacies as have passed or given and granted since the date thereof only.