[A1597/1/6/2]¹

Legislation: ratification of certain preceding acts

Ratificatioun of certane actis preceding etc.

²The quhilk day, in presens of the kingis majestie, his nobilitie and counsale presentlie convenit, the act maid be his majestie, with avise of the lordis of his secreit counsale, sessioun and chekker, at Edinburgh upoun the xiij day of December lastbipast, be the quhilk it is statute and ordanit that ilk schireff, stewart, baillie of regalitie, provest, baillies and counsall within burrowis, noblemen, baronis and gentilmen of pouer to landwart and ilkane of thame conjunctlie and severalie quha salbe present auditouris and heiraris of ony fals, sklanderous, seditious or tressounable speicheis utterit in pulpettis, publict sermonis or utherwayes in contempt, disdayne and reproche of his majestie, his parentis and progenitouris, his hienes counsaill and procedingis, or melling ony wayes with the effearis of his estate present, bigane and to cum, sall according to his majesteis act of parliament maid be his hienes and his esteatis in the yeir of God j^M v^C lxxxiiij yeiris incontinent stop and interrupt the sayaris and utteraris of the saidis fals, seditious, sklanderous or tressounable speicheis off all forder preicheing in the saidis kirkis or pulpettis or within ony privat houses, thair boundis and jurisdictioun respective quhair thay have sufficient pouer to mak the said stop and impediment, undir certane panes specialie mentionat in the said act maid thairupoun; and siclike the act of secreit counsale maid be his majestie, with advise of the saidis lordis, at Lynlythqw upoun the xxij day of December last concerning the interprise attemptit and committit at Edinburgh upoun the xvij day of the same moneth aganis his majesteis royall persone, his nobilitie and counsall, being as it wer besegeit in the tolbuith thairof be the violence of a rascall multitude in armes at the instigatioun of certane seditious ministeris and baronis convenit and sworne to joyne hand in hand to that effect, be the quhilk act it is foundin and declairit that the foirsaid interprise wes maist tressounablie undirtakin aganis his hienes persone, his nobilitie and counsale then present for the tyme; and thairfoir statute and ordanit that all the divisaris, executouris, counsallouris and pairttakaris, or that heireftir sall protect, fortifie, mantene or assist ony of the saidis divisaris, executouris or ony of thair compliceis be help, supplee, counsale or ratihabitioun, hes and sall incur the pane of tressoun in the maist hie degree thairof, to be punist and demanit thay and thair posteritie as tressounable tratouris. And in lykemaner, the forme of confessioun and grant presentit be his majestie in write of the pastouris and ministeris, that his majestie is and salbe soverane juge to thame and ilkane of thame in all causes of seditioun and tressoun and uthiris civile and criminale materis and to all thair speichis quhilkis may importe the saidis crymes albeit utterit be ony of thame publictlie in pulpettis (as God forbid) or in ony uthir placeis, and that the saidis pulpettis nor na uther place quhatsumevir hes that previlege immunitie tobe ane occasioun or pretence to ony of thame of declynning his majesteis jugement in ony of the saidis civile and criminale causes intentit or tobe intentit aganis ony of thame in tyme cuming; quhilk forme of confessioun and grant the saidis pastouris and ministeris salbe appointit to subscryve the samin befoir they gett ony modificatioun or assignatioun of thair yeirlie stipendis. Being at lenth red, hard, sene and considderit be the kingis majestie, his saidis nobilitie and counsaill, and thay haveing ryplie advisit and ressonit upoun everie heid, point, claus and articlis thairof, the kingis majestie, with advise of his saidis nobilitie and counsaill, hes ratifeit and approvin and be thir presentz ratifeis, apprevis and confermeis all the saidis actis, confessioun and grant of the saidis pastouris and ministeris in maner abonewrittin and all uthiris actis, ordinanceis and lawis maid to this effect in every point, article, clauses, heidis and conditionis thairof particularlie expressit thairin, and ordanis the samin tobe putt to forder executioun in all pointis in tyme cuming according to the tennour thairof and tobe inviolablie observit and followit oute as gude, necessair, meit and convenient lawis for the advancement of the trew religioun presentlie professit within this realme, suirtie of his hienes persone and croun and quietnes of the cuntrey.