OVr Soveraign Lord Ordains an Commiſsion to be paſt and expede, under His Majeſties great Seal of the Kingdom of Scotland; making mention, that in conſideration of the multiplicity and weight of the Affairs of State, incumbent upon the Lords of the Privy Council, ſo as they cannot attend the due execution of the Laws againſt Popery, Separation and Diſobedience to Eccleſiaſtical Authority; And to the effect, that the diſorders and contempt of Authority, and the Laws, in the Provinces of St. Andrews and Glaſgow, may be timeouſly ſuppreſt, and the ſcandalous and diſobedient may not, through impunity or connivance, be imboldened to violate and affront the Laws, to creat diſturbances, to foment ſedition and diſaffection to the Government of Church and State, upon pretence of any Engagements: His Majeſty, by vertue of His Prerogative-royal, and Supremacy in all Cauſes, and over all Perſons, as well Eccleſiaſtical as Civil, hath given and granted, like as His Majeſty, by the tenor hereof, gives and grants full Power and Commiſsion to the Archbiſhop of St. Andrews, the Lord Chancellor, Lord Treaſurer, Archbiſhop of Glaſgow, Duke Hamiltoun, Marqueſs of Montroſe; the Earls of Argyl, Athol, Eglintoun, Linlithgow, Murray, Hume, Galloway, Annadail, Tweddail, Leiven; the Biſhops of Edinburgh, Galloway, Dunkell, Aberdeen, Brichen, Argyl and the Iſles; the Lords Pitſligo and Fraſer, Drumlanerick, Cochrane, Hackertoun, and the Lord Ballenden; the Preſident of the Seſsion, the Clerk of His Majeſties Regiſters and Rolls, His Majeſties Advocat, Sir John Hume Iuſtice Clerk, Charles Maitland of Hattoun, the Laird of Philorth elder; Sir Andrew Ramſay Provoſt of Edinburgh, Sir William Thomſon, the Provoſts of St. Andrews, Glaſgow, Aberdeen for the time, Air and Dumfries, Sir James Turner and the Dean of Edinburgh, or to any five of them, (an Archbiſhop or Biſhop being one of the number) to uſe their utmoſt endeavours, that the Acts of Parliament and Council made, for the Peace and Order of the Church, and in behalf of the Government thereof by Archbiſhops and Biſhops, be put into vigorous and impartial execution, againſt all and every one within the Kingdom of Scotland, who preſume to violate, contemn or diſobey theſe Acts and the Eccleſiaſtical Authority now ſetled. To ſummon and call before them, at whatſoever place or time they ſhall appoint, all Popiſh-traffikers, Intercommuners and Reſſetters of Ieſuits and Seminary-prieſts; all who ſay or hear Maſs, all obſtinat Contemners of the Diſcipline of the Church, or for that cauſe ſuſpended, deprived or excommunicated; all keepers of Conventicles; all Miniſters, who contrary to the Laws, Acts of Parliament and Council aforeſaid, remain in, or intrude themſelves upon, the exerciſe of the function of the Miniſtry, in thoſe Paroches and Bounds inhibited by the ſaid Acts, all Preachers who come from England or Ireland without ſufficient Teſtimonials, or leave of the Biſhops of the Dioceſs; all ſuch who preach in private houſes or elſewhere, without Licence of the Biſhop of the Dioceſs; all ſuch perſons who keep meetings at Faſts, and the adminiſtration of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, which are not approven by Authority; all who ſpeak, preach, write or print, to the ſcandal, reproach, or detriment of the Eſtate and Government of the Church or Kingdom, as now eſtabliſhed; all who contemn, moleſt or injure Miniſters, who are orderly and obedient to the Laws; all who do not ordinarily attend the divine Worſhip, adminiſtration of the Word and Sacraments, performed in the reſpective Pariſh Churches, by Miniſters legally authorized, for taking the Cure of thoſe Pariſhes, in which thoſe perſons are Inhabitants; all ſuch, who without any lawfull Calling, as buſiebodies, do go about houſes and places for corrupting and diſaffecting people from their alleagiance and reſpect, and obedience to the Laws. And generally, without prejudice of the particulars above-ſpecified, all who expreſs their diſaffection to His Majeſties Authority, by contraveening Acts of Parliament or Council, in relation to Church-affairs. With power to the ſaid Commiſsioners, or any five of them, (an Archbiſhop or Biſhop being one of the number) to appoint Miniſters to be cenſured, by ſuſpenſion and depoſition; and to puniſh by fining, confining, committing and incarcerating them, and all other perſons, who ſhall be found tranſgreſſors as aforeſaid, according as they ſhall judge the quality of their offence to deſerve, they alwayes not exceeding the fines and puniſhments enjoyned by the Acts of Parliament and Council. Commanding the Captain of His Majeſties Guards, the Officers of the ſtanding Forces, or Militia, the Sheriffs, Bailies of Regalities, Iuſtices of the Peace, the Provoſts and Bailies of Burroughs, to ſearch, ſeek, take and apprehend all ſuch delinquents, and preſent them before the ſaids Commiſsioners, upon the warrant of any five of them as aforeſaid: Commanding likewiſe, the Conſtables and Captains of His Majeſties Caſtles, Keepers of Priſons, and other places of firmance, to receive and detain thoſe, who ſhall be directed unto them by the ſaids Commiſſioners, upon warrant as ſaid is, as they will anſwer upon their obedience and utmoſt peril: Ordaining further, the Lords of Privy Council, upon Certificat ſubſcribed by the ſaid Commiſſioners, or any five of them as aforeſaid, to direct Letters of Horning for paying of the fine impoſed by the ſaid Commiſsioners, in caſe of the delinquents diſobedience or refuſal, to compear where they are cited before them: Of which Letters and Charges, no Suſpenſion or Relaxation ſhall be granted, without the teſtimony of the Archbiſhop or Biſhop, bearing their obedience to the Commiſsioners, and ſatisfaction according to Law. And His Majeſty doth make, conſtitute and ordain Mr. Thomas Young, Clerk to the Commiſsion for plantation of Kirks, to be Clerk to this Commiſsion. With power to him to appoint Officers and other attenders neceſſary; and to direct Summons or Precepts, in His Majeſties name, for citing whatſoever parties or perſons, in any of the caſes foreſaids; which Precepts ſhall be ſealed by the Signet, and ſubſcribed by the ſaid Clerk. With power to ſummon witneſſes under the pains preſcribed by Law or Practice: And if the ſaids witneſſes refuſe to compear, or the ſaid perſons decerned in a fine, delay to make paiment of the ſame, His Majeſty Ordains the Lords of His Secret Council, to direct Letters and Charges, upon the Certificat of the ſaid Commiſsioners, as is above-ſpecified: Of the which fines to be collected and uplifted by Alexander Keith, Vnder-clerk to the Council, the one half ſhall be imployed for defraying the charges neceſſary, for executing of the ſaid Commiſsion at the ſight of the ſaid Commiſsioners; the other half ſhall be imployed for pious uſes, according as His Majeſty ſhall appoint. And generally, the Commiſsioners aforeſaid are authorized and impowered, to do and execute, what they ſhall find neceſſary and convenient for His Majeſties ſervice, in the premiſes; for preventing and ſuppreſsing the ſeeds of Schiſme and Separation, for planting of vacand Churches, and for procuring Reverence, Submiſsion and Obedience unto the Eccleſiaſtical Government now eſtabliſhed. And to the end, that a buſineſs of ſo great importance to the peace and well-being of Church and Kingdom, may take a ſpeedy and ſucceſsfull effect, as His Majeſty hath thought fit to make choice of ſuch perſons, in whoſe judgement and affection to His ſervice and the Churches good, He doth repoſe ſpecial truſt; So it is His pleaſure, that this Commiſsion ſhall endure till the firſt of November, one thouſand ſix hundred and ſixty four, and after, till it be diſcharged by His Majeſty: and that the firſt meeting thereof be kept at Edinburgh, the firſt Wednesday of March next to come; and after, Meetings ſhall be appointed in ſuch places, and as often as ſhall be found neceſſary, for attaining the ends of the ſaid Commiſsion. And His Majeſty doth expect from the Commiſsioners, an exact report of their proceedings therein, from time to time, as of a ſervice, whereof He will take ſpecial notice, and its ſucceeding will be very acceptable to Him. Commanding laſtly, all His Majeſties Lieges, who are, or may be concerned, to anſwer and obey the ſaid Commiſsioners, or any five of them, (an Archbiſhop or Biſhop being one of the number) under all higheſt pains that after may follow: and Ordains theſe preſents to be an ſufficient warrant to the Director of the Chancellary, for writing the ſame to the great Seal, and for the Lord Chancellor for appending the Seal thereunto, without any further order or warrant.