OUR Sovereign Lord, with his Estates of Parliament, consi­dering that albeit by many good and wholesome Laws made by his Royal Grandfather and Father, of Glorious Memory, and by himself, in this and his other Parliaments, since his happy Restauration, the Protestant Religion is carefully as­serted, established, and secured, against Popery and Phana­ticisme; yet the restless Adversaries of our Religion do not cease to propa­gate their Errors, and to seduce His Majesties Subjects from their Duty to God and Loyalty to his Vicegerent, and to over-turn the Established Reli­gion, by introducing their Superstitions and Delusions into this Church and Kingdom; and knowing that nothing can more increase the numbers and confidencies of Papists and Schismatical Dissentors from the Established Church, than the supine neglect of putting in Execution the good Laws provided against them, together with their hopes to insinuate themselves into Offices and Places of Trust and Publick Employment: THERE­FORE His Majesty, from his Princely and Pious Zeal to maintain and preserve the True Protestant Religion contained in the Confession of Faith recorded in the First Parliament of King JAMES the Sixth; which is founded on, and agreeable to, the Written Word of God, doth with Advice and Consent of his Estates of Parliament, Require and Command [Page 2]all his Officers, Judges, and Magistrates, to put the Laws made against Popery and Papist Priests, Jesuits, and all Persons of any other Order in the Popish Church; especially against Sayers and Hearers of Mass, Venters and Disposers of Forbidden Books, and Ressetters of Popish Priests and Excommunicate Papists, as also against all Phanatical Separatists from this National Church, against Preachers at House or Field Conventicles, and the Resetters and H [...]rbourers of Preachers who are Intercommuned, a­gainst Disorderly Baptisms and Marriages, and Irregular Ordinations, and all other Schismatical Disorders, to full and vigorous Execution, according to the Tenor of the respective Acts of Parliament there annent provided.

AND that His Majesties Princely Care to have these Laws put in Execution against these Enemies of the Protestant Religion, may the more clearly ap­pear, he doth with Advice and Consent foresaid, STATUTE and OR­DAIN, That the Minister of each Parish give up once in October yearly to their respective Ordinary, tru [...] and compleat Lists of all Papists and Schis­matical With-drawers from the Publick Worship in their respective Parishes; which Lists are to be subscribed by them: and that the Bishops give in a Dou­ble of the said Lists subscribed by them to the respective Sheriffs, Stuarts, Bailies of Royalty and Regality, and Magistrates of Burghs, to the effect the said Judges may proceed against them according to Law; as also the Sheriffs and other Magistrates foresaid, are hereby ordained to give an Account to His Majesties Privy Council in December yearly of their Pro­ceedings against these Papists and Phanatical Separatists, as they will be answerable at their highest Peril; and that the diligence done by the Sheriffs; Bailies of Regalities, and other Magistrates foresaid, may be the better inquired into by the Council, the Bishops of the respective Di­ocesses are to send exact Doubles of the Lists of the Papists and Phana­ticks to the Clarks of the Privy Council; whereby the diligencies of the Sheriffs and other Judges foresaid, may be Comptrolled and Examined: And to cut off all hopes from Papists and Phanaticks of their being em­ployed in Offices and Places of Publick Trusts, it is hereby STATUTE and ORDAINED, That the following Oath shall be taken by all Persons in Offices and Places of Publick Trust, Civil, Ecclesiastical, and Military; especially by all Members of Parliament, and all Electors of Members of Parliament; all Privy Councellors, Lords of Session, Members of the Exchequer, Lords of Justiciary, and all other Members of these Courts, all Officers of the Crown, of State, all Arch-Bishops and Bishops, and all Preachers and Ministers of the Gospel what somever, all persons of this Kingdom named or to be named Commissioners for the Borders; all Members of the Com­mission for Church Affairs, all Sheriffs, Stuarts, Bailies of Royallities and Regallities, Justices of Peace, Officers of the Mint, Commissio­ners and their Deputies, their Clerks and Phefcalls, all Advocates and Proctors before any of these Courts, all Writers to the Signet, all Pub­lick Notaries; and other Persons Imployed in Writing and Agenting. The Lyon King at Arms, Heraulds, Pursevants, and Messengers at Arms; all Collectors, Sub-Collectors, and Farmers of his Majesties Customs and Excise. All Magistrates, Deans of Guilds, Councellors, and Clerks of Burghs, Royal Regallity and Barony, and Deacons of Trades, and Dea­cons Conve [...]ners i [...] the said Burghs; all Masters and Doctors in Universi­ties, [Page 3]Colledges, or Schools; all Chaplains in Families, Pedagogues to Children; and all Officers and Souldiers in Arms, Forts, or Militia; and all other persons in any Publick Trust or Office within this Kingdom, who shall publickly swear and subscribe the said Oath as follows: Viz.

The Arch Bishops, Chief Commanders of the Forces, and Officers of the Crown and State, and Councellors, before the Secret Councel, all the Lords of Session, and all Members of the Colledge of Justice, and others depending upon them, before the Session. The Lords of Justiciary, and those depending on that Court, the Lords and other Members of Exchequer before the Exchequer. All Bishops before the Arch Bishops, all the Inferiour Clergy, Commissaries, Masters and Doctors of Univer­sities and Schools, Chaplains and Pedagogues, before the Bishops of the respective Diocesses: Sheriffs, Stuarts, Bailies of Royallity and Regallity, and those depending on these Jurisdictions, before these respective Courts.

All Provosts, Bailies and Ushers of the Burghs before the Town Councel: All Collectors and Farmers of the Rings Customs and Excise, before the Exchequer; the Commissioners of the Borders before the Privy Coun­cel, all Justices of Peace before their Conveener, and the Officers of the Mint, before the General of the Mint; and the Officers of the For­ces before the Commander in Chief, and Common Souldiers before their Respective Officers, the Lyon before the Privy Councel, and Heralds Persuivants and Messengers at Arms before the Lyon: And his Majesty with Consent foresaid STATUTES and ORDAINS, That all those who presently possess or enjoy any of the foresaid Offices, Publick Trusts, or Employments, shall take and subscribe the following Oath in one of the foresaid Offices in manner before prescribed, betwixt and the First of Ja­nuary next; which is to be recorded in the Register of the respective Courts and Extracts thereof, under the Clarks hand, to be reported to His Majesties Privy Council, betwixt and the First of March next 1682, and thereafter in any other Courts, whereof they are Judges or Members, the first time they shall sit or exercise in any of these respective Courts. And ORDAINS, That all who shall hereafter be promoted to, or imployed in any of the foresaid Offices, Trusts, or Imployments, shall at their Entry into, and before their Exercising thereof, take and subscribe the said Oath in manner foresaid, to be recorded in the Registers of the respective Courts, and reported to His Majesties Privy Council, within the space of [...] after their taking the same: And if any shall presume to exercise any of the said Offices or Employments, or any Publick Office or Trust within this Kingdom (the Kings lawful Brothers and Sons only excepted) until they take the Oath foresaid and subscribe it; to be recorded in the Register of the respective Courts, they shall be declared incapable of all Publick Trusts thereafter, and be further punished with the loss of their Movea­bles, the one half whereof to be given to the Informer, and the other half to belong to His Majesty. And His Majesty, with advice foresaid, Recommends to his Privy Council, to see this Act put to due and vigorous Execution.