C R  HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE  royal blazon surmounted by a crown  
A PROCLAMATION For procuring obedience to ECCLESIASTICAL AUTHORITY. Edinburgh, the eleventh day of October, one thousand six hundred and sixty six.  
CHARLES, by the Grace of GOD, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, To 〈…〉 Macers of Our Privy Council, and Messengers at Arms, Our Sheriffs in that part, conjunctly and severally specially constitute, Greeting:  
Forasmuch as by the first Act of the third Session of Our late Parliament, entitled, Act against separation and disobedience to Ecclesiastical Authority, it is recommended to the Lords of Our Privy Council to take speedy and effectual course that the said Act, enjoining obedience to the Government of the Church, as it is now settled by Law, receive due and ready obedience from all Subjects; with power to them to decern and inflict such censures, penalties and corporal punishments, as they shall think fit, upon the contraveners, and direct all execution necessary, for making the same effectual, and to do every other thing needful for procuring obedience to the said Act, and putting the same to punctual execution, comform to the tenor and intent thereof. And by divers other Acts of Parliament and Council, made against Papists, Quakers, and other disaffected persons, they are commanded, under great pains and penalties, to frequent the Ordinances, in hearing Sermon and partaking of the Sacraments, and all other acts of public Worship, at their own Paroch-churches, and not to keep any private Meetings or Conventicles: Nevertheless, the saids Acts have not received that vigorous execution and obedience in some parts of the Kingdom, which might have been given, if Masters of Families, heritors and Lands-lords in the country, and Magistrates within Burghs-royal, had been careful and zealous in their stations in procuring obedience from their Servants, tenants and Inhabitants over whom they have power and jurisdiction; So that it is more then high time to prevent the increase and spreading of these disorders, which by evil example, might poison and infect these that are yet found in their Principles and well-affected to Our Government. our WILL IS HEREFORE, and We charge you straitly and commands, that incontinent, these Our Letters seen, ye pass to the Mercat-cross of Edinburgh, remanent head Burghs of the several Shires and other places needful, and there, by open Proclamation, in Our Name and Authority, command and charge all Masters of Families that they cause their Domestick-servants, Grieves, Chamberlains, and others entertained by them, to give obedience to Our Laws foresaids and Acts of Council; and particularly that they frequent the public Worship and Ordinances at their own Paroch-churches, and participate of the Sacraments, and abstain from all Conventicles and private Meetings, and that they retain none in their service but such as they will be answerable for; and in case ●f their disobedience, that they remove them out of their service immediately after intimation thereof by the Minister of the Paroch: As also, that all heritors, Lands-lords and Life-renters, who have granted any Tacks or Rentals to their ●●nnents, which are yet standing unexpired, cause their tenants and Rentallers give sufficient bond and surety for obeying the saids Acts of Parliament and Council, and specially for frequenting public Worship and Ordinances, as said is, and abstaining from private Meetings; and if need be, that they raise Letters under the Signet of Our Privy Council, and charge them, for that effect, upon six dayes, and in case of disobedience, to denounce them to Our Horn and registrate the same; for which end, warrant is given to direct Letters in their name against all and sundry their tenants and Rentallers: And We do declare, that We will give and bestow the Escheats falling to us by the saids Hornings, upon the Lands-lords and Setters of these Tacks and Rentals, in so far as may be extended thereto; recommending hereby to Our Thesaurer-principal and Thesaurer-depute, and others of Our Exchequer, to grant the same accordingly: And in case the tenants be removable and refuse to give obedience, that they warn and pursue them to remove, and obtain Decreets of ejection against them; and that no Heretor, Lands-lord or Life-renter, set their Lands hereafter to any person, by Word or Writ, but to such as they will be answerable for, as said is; and that they take surety from them by provisions and obliegements to be insert in their Tacks, or otherways by Bond apart, in case there be no Writ, that the saids Tacks-men, Rentallers and all others their hinds, Cottars and Servants, who shall live under them upon the saids Lands, shall give obedience in manner foresaid; otherways, that their Tacks, Rentals and whole Interest, Right and Possession shall be vow and expire, ipso facto, as if they had never been granted, and that without any Declarator or farther Process, and then as now, and now as then, that they shall renounce all Right that they shall have thereto, and shall remove themselves without any warning; and in case of failʒie, the Lands-lords and others are to charge and denounce them in manner foresaid. As likeways, that all Magistrates of Royal Burroughs take special care and notice and be answerable, that their Burgesses and Inhabitants be obedient to the foresaids Acts of Parliament and Council, and that they cause charge such of them as they shall think fit and are suspected, to give Bond and Surety, as said is; and for the Magistrates own relief, in case they contravene, and if they failʒie, to denounce them in manner foresaid: With certification, that all Masters of Families, Lands-lords and Magistrates of Burghs, who shall not give punctual obedience in manner above-written, that they shall be liable to the same pains and penalties due to the contraveners, but prejudice always of proceeding against the contraveners themselves, and inflicting the saids pains, and all other pains contained in any Act of Parliament or Council heretofore made against Papists, Quakers and persons disobedient: Certifying also all concerned, that the Lords of Our Privy Council will not only take special care to secure the public Peace, but also to discover all secret attempts and designs to disturb the same, and to punish all persons that shall be found guilty, according to the quality of their offence. And ordains these presents to be printed and published, that none pretend ignorance.   

Edinburgh, Printed by Evan tiler, Printer to the King's most Excellent Majesty, 1666.