[A1641/8/142]¹

[Act regarding mortifications to colleges, schools and hospitals]

Act regarding mortifications²

Our sovereign lord and estates of this parliament presently convened, for the better encouragement of all charitably disposed Christians to advance in promoting of good works and mortifying of some of their worldly talents bestowed upon them by the special providence of God to colleges, hospitals and schools of learning, and for to silence and stop the mouths of the adversaries of the profession of the Gospel and reformation now approved who are not ashamed to aver and affirm that the professors of the Gospel are impugners of good works, do by this act ratify and approve all acts of parliament made by us and our predecessors ratifying and approving the mortifications and donations to colleges, hospitals and schools; and especially the sixth act of our first parliament held at Edinburgh in June 1633, with this addition: that it shall in no way be lawful to any parties entrusted in the said mortifications or donations to apply the means mortified to any other use than they are destined by the founder, nor in any way to invert, alter or change directly or indirectly the true meaning and express words of the founders in the foundations expressed by them, but that the same shall be from time to time punctually in the whole heads, articles and clauses observed as the same are conceived and no advantage taken against the same. Certifying those who alter since the majority of our late father of worthy memory, or shall in time coming do in the contrary, directly or indirectly, under pretext of legal doing or any other way whatsoever, contrary to the true meanings of the founders and their mortifications, that the same shall be rectified and redressed by the ordinary judge within the kingdom upon complaint of any having interest thereto.

[...]³ November 1641

Read in audience of the parliament.

16 November 1641

Read and continued until tomorrow.