A PROCLAMATION, Againsthe Resetting of Tenents, or Servants without Testificats.

Forasmuch, as We have for the preservation of the Protestant Religion, as it is now established by the Laws of thi [...] Our ancient Kingdom, taken care that all unlawfull Meetings, upon pretence of Religion, may be restrained, by which many of the Commons of that Our Kingdom, have been for several years withdrawen from their Paroch Churches, and been thereby de­prived of the appointed means for their establishment in the true[?] Fear of God, and the Duty they ow to Us, and Our Government, and have b [...]n seduced to keep seditious Field-Conventicles in a tumultuous way, and other Disorderly Meetings, where they may and do actually hear, declared T [...]nours, Intercommuned and Vagrant Preachers, and any who without licence or authority, do impiously asume the holy Orders of the Church, and [...]ake it their business to diffuse amongst the unwarry and credulous multitude seditious and false doctrines, and pernicious prin­ciples, which are destructiv [...] to all Order and Constitution of Societies, by which these who frequent those Meetings, are observed to be corrupted and poysoned with an open and o [...]stinate contempt of all authority Civil or Ecclesiastick, and to be led into most irregular prastices, which are inconsistent with, all Order and Government, [...]d are not to be allowed in any Protestant or Christian Church: For remeding of which growing evils, and vindicating Our Authority and Laws fr [...] such gross violations and affronts, We have commanded a Band to be subscribed, whereby Heretors, Life [...]enters, and Masters are obliged for their [...]enents, Servants, and others living upon their Lands and they for themselves, for obeying such Laws as may secure against schisme and separation; and [...] the same be eluded, and the Heretors, Liferenters, and Masters prejudged by the Tenents, Servants, and others fore­saids, deserting such as t [...]ke the said Band, nor least the saids Tenents Servants or others, may be encouraged not to take the same upon expectation that after they are removed by their Masters, or run away from their Masters, for not taking the Band or for going to Conventicles, withd [...]awing from publick Ordinances, or upon any other account provided against by the Masters Band, they may or will be sheltered others: We therefore, with advice of the Lords of Our Privy Council, do hereby Require and Command, That no Tenents, Ser­vants or other [...]oresaids whatsoever within this Kingdom, be resett upon another mans ground or in his service, without a Testificate from the Heretor, Master, or from[?] the Ministere of the Paroch where they live, that they have lived orderly, in manner foresaid, Declaring hereby, That whatsoever He­retors, Lif [...]enters, or Master, shall receive any such Tenents, or Servants, or others foresaids, without such a Testificate, they shall be lyable to such Fines as Our Privy Councill shall think fit to inflict suitable to their Guilt, both for repairing the Dammage done to the Heretor, Liferenter, or Master, and for unishing their Conterant of this Our Proclamation: And to the effect, Our pleasure in the premisses may he made known to all persons concer­ned: OUR WILL is herefore, and we charge you strictly and command, That incontenent these Our Letters seen, ye pass to the Mercat Cross of Edin­burgh and other places needfull, and thereat, in Our Name and Authority, by open Proclamation, with all Solemnities requisite, make Publication of the Premisses, that none of Our Leiges may pretend ignorance thereof. And Ordain these presents, and the Band, and Act of Councill underwritten, to be printed, and subjoyned hereunto: The which to do, We committt to you conjunctly and severally. Our full power by those Our Letters, delivering them by you duely execute and indorsed again tothe Bearer.