C R  HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE  royal blazon surmounted by a crown  
EDINBURGH, The thirteenth day of August, one thousand six hundred and sixty three.  
FOrasmuch as it doth appear, that divers Ministers, who, by the Law, have no right to preach or remain in those parochs which did belong to their Cure, do notwithstanding presume to assemble His Majesties Subjects in Churches and elsewhere, to preach, administer the Sacraments, and to keep Conventicles and disorderly Meetings; and do go about to corrupt and dissuade the people from that affection, duty, obedience and gratitude they owe to His Majesties Government, the Laws and Authority established, under which the Kingdom doth enjoy this great tranquillity and the blessings thereof: As likewise, that many Subjects do countenance and join in these unlawful Meetings, contrary to the Acts of Parliament prohibiting the same. Therefore, the Lords of His Majesties Privy Council, in discharge of the Trust reposed in them, for preserving the public Peace and the Laws in their Authority and vigour, and that turbulent and dis-affected Ministers may not have such opportunity, as they have hitherto had, to continue their evil practices in seducing too many people into ways of schism, Separation and Sedition, tending to the disquieting and overturning of the established Government of the State, as well as that of the Church; and in pursuance of what is recommended by His Majesty and the Estates of Parliament, in the late Act of the tenth of July, entitled, Act against Separation and Disobedience to Ecclesiastical Authority, Do hereby command and charge all Ministers, who are or shall be found to preach seditiously against the Government of Church and State, who entered in or since the year, one thousand six hundred and forty nine, and have not since obtained Presentations from their lawful Patrons, and Collations and Admissions from their Ordinary, and have notwithstanding continued to preach or exercise any duty, proper to the Function of the Ministers, either at these Paroch Churches where they were Incumbents, or at any other place, House or family, to remove themselves, their families and goods belonging to them, within twenty dayes after publication hereof, out of these respective parochs where they were Incumbents, and not to reside within twenty miles of the same, nor within six miles of Edinburgh or any Cathedral Church, or three miles of any Burgh Royal within this Kingdom; with certification, that if they fail to remove themselves, as said is, and to give exact obedience hereunto,( unless they have the permission of the Lords of Privy Council, or of the Bishop of the diocese) they are to incur the penalties of the Laws against movers of sedition, and to be proceeded against with that strictness that is due to so great contempts of His Majesties Authority over Church and State. And do hereby inhibit and discharge all heritors and householders in Burgh or Land, to give any presence or countenance to any one or more of these Ministers, removed by this Act, to preach or exercise any act of the office of a Minister; with certification, if they, after publication hereof, shall presume so to do, they are to be proceeded against according to Law. And being likewise informed, that divers Ministers who were entered by lawful Presentations before the year, one thousand six hundred and forty nine, and do still continue in the exercise of their Ministry, do yet forbear to attend ecclesiastical Meetings appointed by Authority, and to exercise Discipline in their parochs, without giving any account of their Administrations, to the great detriment of the Order and Peace of the Church; Therefore, they command and charge all those Ministers to keep the diocesian Synods, and other ecclesiastical Meetings appointed by Authority; with certification, that if, after publication hereof, they fail so to do, and disobey the Acts of Parliament and Council made thereanent, they are to be proceeded against as contemners of His Majesties Authority. And Ordains these presents to be printed, and published at the Mercat across of Edinburgh, and other places needful, that none pretend ignorance.  
Pet. Wedderburne, Cl. Sti. Concilii.   

EDINBURGH, Printed by Evan tiler, Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majesty, 1663.