THE Lord Commissioner His Grace, and Lords of His Majesties Privy Council, Considering, That by the fifth Act of the second Session of His Majesties first Parliament, His Majesty, with Advice of His Estates of Parliament, did Statute, Ordain, and Enact, That all such persons as should thereafter be called or admitted to any publick Trust or Office, under His Majesties Government within this Kingdom; That is to say, to be Officers of State, Mem­bers of Parliament, Privy Counsellers, Lords of Session, Com­missioners of Exchequer, Members of the Colledge of Justice, She­riffs, Stewarts, or Commissaries their Deputs and Clerks, Magi­strates, and Council of Burghs, Justices of Peace and their Clerks, or any other publick Charge, Office and Trust within this Kingdom, shall at and before their Admission to the Exercise of such places or Offices, publickly in face of the respective Courts they relate to, sub­scribe the Declaration thereto subjoyned, and that they shall have no Right to the said Offices or Benefites thereof, untill they subscribe the same as said is; but that every such person who shall offer to enter and exerce any such Office, before he subscribe the Declaration, is to be reputed and punished as an Usurper of His Majesties Authority, and the Place to be disposed of to another: And by the second Act of the third Session of His Majesties said first Parliament, relating to the former Act, It is recommended to His Majesties Privy Council to be carefull, that these Acts be put in due Execution, and receive obedience conform to the tenour thereof. And whereas the Lord Commissioner his Grace, and Lords of His Majesties Privy Councill are informed, That the Magistrates of several Burghs of Regality and Barrony, and their Clerks, who exerce publick Jurisdiction, Office and Trust in their several Bounds, and who by the said Acts of Parliament, are obliged, at or before they enter to the Exercise of such Offices and Plac [...]s, to take the Oath of Alleadgeance and signe the Declaration, yet do take upon them the exercise of the said publick Trust, Office and Jurisdiction, without taking the said Oath and signing the Declaration: Do therefore hereby Require and Command, all such Magistrates of Burghs of Regality and Barrony, and their Clerks, (who have not at their entry to their saids Offices, taken the Oath of Alleadgeance and signed the Declaration) to take the said Oath, and sign the Declaration, publickly in face of the respective Courts to which they relate, betwixt and the Term of Michaelmas next: And it is hereby Declared, That the saids Magistrates of Burghs of Regality and Barrony, and their Clerks, shall hereafter have no Right to their saids Offices or Benefites thereof, untill they take the said Oath, and subscribe the Declaration, as said is; But that every one of them who shall exerce any such publick Office, Charge or Jurisdiction, before they so do, is to be reputed and punished as an usurper of His Majesties Autho­rity, and the Place to be disposed of to another, conform to the saids Acts of Parliament: Hereby requi­ring the Sheriffs of the several Shires to see this Act put in Execution, and to report to the Council their Diligence, betwixt and the second Thursday of November next. And Ordains these presents to be Printed, and Published at the Mercat Cross of Edinburgh, and Mercat Crosses of the head Burghs of the seve­ral Shires, that none pretend ignorance.