C R  HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE  royal blazon surmounted by a crown  
A PROCLAMATION, AGAINST PAPISTS.  
Edinburgh, the thirteenth day of January, one thousand six hundred and seventy.  
CHARLES, By the Grace of GOD, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith; To Our Lovits, 〈…〉 Macers or Messengers at arms, Our Sheriffs in that part, conjunctly and severally specially constitute, Greeting.  
Forasmuch, as since the Reformation of Religion, the suppression of Popery, and due punishing of the Advancers and Promoters of the same, have been always carefully looked to, as a special means for preserving and securing of the true Reformed Religion, professed and established within this Our Kingdom: And in order thereto, divers good Laws and Acts of Parliament have been made by Us and Our Royal Ancestors, with the advice of the Estates of Parliament, against Papists; and in special against the saying and ring of Mass, the stay of jesuits, Mass-Priests and Trafficking-Papists within this Our Kingdom, and their Ressetters: And particularly, by the ninth Act of the first Parliament of King James the sixth, Our Royal Grandfather, it is Statute and Ordained, that none bear public Office removable of Judgement, nor be admitted Procurator, Nottar nor Member of Court, unless he profess the true Religion presently established within the Realm, which by the fifth Act of the twentieth Parliament of Our said Grandfather, is extended to all and whatsoever Offices, without any exception or restriction. And by the forty fifth Act of His third Parliament, the Archbishops and Bishops are appointed by themselves and the Ministers, to take up the names of all suspected to be Papists, or that do not communicate in the Sacraments, and to admonish them to recant their Errors, and to give confession of their Faith, and to participate in the Sacraments, and submit themselves to the Discipline of the Church within a certain short space; and in case of failʒie, to excommunicate them, and to present the names of the persons disobedient, obstinate or relapse, to the King, that the same might be affixed on the Tol of Edinburgh, and other public places of Judgement, and these persons declared infamous and unable to stand in Judgement, bear ce, to be Assizers or Witnesses against any professing the true Religion. Likeas, by the first Act of the nineteenth Parliament of Our said Grandfather, all wilful ressetters of excommunicate Papists, being at the Horn for that cause, after publication made by the Ministers the time of Preaching or Prayers at the Paroch-kirk where the ressetters dwell for the time, are declared liable in the penalties following, viz. Every Earl in one thousand pounds, every Lord one thousand marks, every baron five hundred pounds, every Freeholder three hundred marks, every Yeoman forty pounds Scots, and every Burgess according to the King and Councils modification. And by the first Act of His twentieth Parliament, all Noblemen and others, who shall direct any Pedagogues with their Sons out of the country ▪ are holden to have a Testimonial from the Bishop of the diocese where the Pedagogue lately before made his residence, testifieing the Pedagogue to be godly, of good Religion, learned and instructed in the same. And in case any Nobleman or other sand their Sons out of the country with a Pedagogue wanting such a Testimonial, they are declared to incur the penalties following, viz. Every Earl contraveening f●ve thousand pounds, every Lord five thousand marks, and every baron three thousand marks, to be applied to His Majesties use. And by the second Act of the same Parliament, it is Ordained, That where Parents sand their Sons out, of the country, and that they turn Papists, that their Parents find Caution in the Books of Secret Council, under such penalties as they shall modify, not to entertain or furnish them with any thing, after it be known that they are become Papists, except their reasonable expenses in bringing them home. And by the third Act of the same Parliament, it is Declared, That no persons, excommunicate for not comforming themselves to the Religion presently professed, shall be suffered either in their own persons, or by any others to their behove, to enjoy the possession of their Land-rents and Revenues, but that the same be intrometted with, and uplifted for His Majesties use. And further, by the thirty fourth Act of the first Session of Our first Parliament, it is Statute and Ordained, That whatsoever person or persons shall hereafter mary, or procure themselves to be married by jesuits, Priests or any others not authorised by this Kirk, shall be imprisoned for three moneths, and besides shall pay, each Nobleman one thousand pounds, each baron and Landed-Gentlemen one thousand marks, each Gentleman and Burgess five hundred pounds, each other person one hundred marks; and shall remain in prison until they make payment of these respective penalties, and the Celebrators of these Marriages to be banished the Kingdom. And seing, by reason of the not due and punctual execution of the saids Laws and Acts of Parliament, occasioned through the late troubles, the number of Papists in this Kingdom is increased, and their insolency risen to such height, that they keep Meetings avowedly in Towns and other places of the Kingdom, for saying and hearing of Mass, to the contempt of Our Authority, the great scandal and p●ejudice of the true Religion, and discouragement of the Professors thereof: And We, from Our render care of, and zeal to, the true Protestant Religion, whereof We always have given evidence, being desirous to prevent the further growth and increase of so dangerous an evil; Have thought fit, with advice of the Lords of Our Privy Council, to declare Our Royal purpose and resolution, that the Laws and Acts of Parliament abovewritten be carefully observed and put to due and vigorous execution, and the pains and penalties therein contained, severally inflicted upon the contraveners of the saids Acts in time coming: Likeas, in pursuance of the saids Acts of Parliament, We Command and Charge all and sundry jesuits, Priests and Trafficking-Papists; that none of them hereafter say Mass within this Our Kingdom, and that they depart forth thereof, betwixt and the first day of March next, under all highest pains; And inhibits and discharges all Our Lieges of whatsoever quality or degree in time coming, to hear Mass, resset, supply, entertain, furnish meat or drink, or keep correspon●●●●● with any Priests, jesuits, or Trafficking-Papists; Certifying them, if they contravene, they shall be liable to, and incur the penalties, which by the foresaid first Act of the nineteenth Parliament of Our said Grand-father, are provided against wilful ressetters of excommunicate Papists, according to their several qualities and degrees. And We do declare, that such Persons who shall be married, or procure their Children to be baptized, by Priests, jesuits or any other not publicly authorised or allowed, shall according to their several qualities and degrees, incur the pains and penalties, which by the foresaid thirty fourth Act of the first Session of Our first Parliament, are appointed in the case of marrying by Priests and jesuits; which penalties in both these cases, We ordain to be levied and exacted with all rigour. And further, We do Authorize and empower the Sheriffs of Shires, Bailiffs of Regalities, Stewarts of Stewartries and their Deputes, Magistrates within Burghs Royal, and all other Ministers of the Law, upon information of Meetings keeped within their bounds by Papists, for saying and hearing of Mass, to make open and patent the doors of the houses where the saids Meetings are keeped, and to apprehended any jesuits and Priests they shall find and commit them to prison, there to remain until Our Privy Council be acquainted therewith, and we order concerning them; and that they likewise seize upon, and secure the rest of the persons present at these Meetings, unless they de caution to compear and answer before the Council for their transgression. And further, We do inhibit and discharge any person or persons, who are of the Popish profession, after the last day of February next, to accept or exerce any public employment or Office, civil or military within this our Kingdom; And particularly, that none of them in time coming, presume to be Judge, Procurator, or Member of Court, or to be Sheriffs or Sheriff-dep●tes, Bailiffs of Baileries or Bailiff-deputes, Stewarts of Stewartries or Stewart-deputes, Justices of Peace, Commissioners of Excise, or for the Militia, Officers of the Militia, Bailiffs of baronies, Magistrates and Councellors within Burgh; And sicklike, prohibits and discharges any person, having right to any of the saids Offices, to substitute or appoint any Papist to be their deputy in any of the saids employments: Certifying them, if they contravene, they shall incur the pains following, viz. The party accepting or exercing the said employment, shall be fined in the sum of one thousand marks, and the person who substitutes him therein, in the sum of two thousand marks Scots money, the one half thereof to be applied to Our use, and the other half to the informer: And it is hereby Declared, that such persons who are or shall be suspected to be Papists, and shall be questioned thereupon, shall be holden and esteemed as Papists, unless within forty dayes after they are questioned, they produce a sufficient Testimonial under the hand of the Bishop of the diocese, of their conformity to the Religion presently established, by their frequenting of the Church and communicating in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper. And Ordains these presents to be printed, and published at the Mercat-cross of Edinburgh, and at the several other Mercat-crosses of the head Burghs of the Shires of th●s Kingdom, that none pretend ignorance.  
Al. Gibsone, Cl. Sti Concilii.   

EDINBURGH, Printed by Evan tiler, Printer to the King's most Excellent Majesty, 1670.