X.
Anent the Auctoritie of the thrie Estatis of Parliament.—Eo die, c. 3.[36]
The Kingis Majestie, considering the honour and the auctoritie of his Supreme Court of Parliament, continewit past all memorie of man vnto thir dayis, as constitute vpon the frie votis of the thrie Estatis of this antient kingdome, Be quhom, the same, under God, ever hes bene vphaldin, rebellious and traterous subiectis pvnisit, the guid and faithfull preseruit and mantenit, and the lawis and actis of Parliament (be quhilkis all men ar governit) maid and establisit. And finding the power, dignitie, and authoritie of the said Court of Parliament of lait zeris callit in sum doubt, at least sum curiouslie travelling to haue introducit sum innovatioun thairanent, his Maiestie’s firme will and mynd alwayis being as it is zit, that the honour, authoritie, and dignitie of the saids thrie Estatis sall stand and continew in the awin integritie, according to the ancient and louable custome, obseruit in tyme bygane, without ony alteratioun or diminutioun. Thairfoir it is statute and ordinit be our said Souerane Lord, and his thrie Estatis assemblit in this present Parliament, That none of his lieges and subiectis presume or tak vpoun hand to impugne the dignitie and authoritie of the saids thrie Estatis, or to seik or procure the innovatioun or diminutioun of the former auctoritie of the same thrie Estatis, or ony of thame, in tyme cuming, vnder the pane of treasoun.
XI.
Ane Act confirming the Kingis Maiesties Royall Power over all Statis and Subiectis within this Realme—Act 1584, c. 2.[37]
Forsamekle as syndrie personis, being laitlie callit befoir the Kingis Majestie and his secreit Counsell, to answer upon certaine pointis to have bene inquirit of thame, concerning sum treasounable, seditious, and contumelious spechis, utterit by thame in Pulpet, Scolis, and utherwayis, to the disdane and reprooche of his Hienes, his Progenitouris, and present Counsell, contemtuouslie declinit the jugement of his Hienes and his said Counsell in that behalf, to the evill exemple of utheris to do the like, gif tymous remeid be not providit: Thairfoir our Souerane Lord, and his thrie Estatis assembled in this present Parliament, ratifeis and apprevis, and perpetuallie confirmis the royall power and authoritie over all statis, alsweil Spirituall as Temporall, within this Realme, in the persoun of the Kingis Majestie, our Souerane Lord, his airis and successouris: And als statutis and ordainis, that his Hienes, his said airis and successouris, be thameselffis and thair counsellis, ar, and in tyme to cum sallbe, juges competent to all personis his Hienes subjectis, of quhatsumever estate, degrie, functioun, or conditioun that ever they be of, Spirituall or Temporall, in all matteris, quhairin they, or ony of thame, sallbe apprehendit, summound, or chargeit to answer to sik thingis as sallbe inquirit of thame, be our said Soverane Lord and his Counsell. And that nane of thame, quhilkis sall happin to be apprehendit, callit, or summound, to the effect foirsaid, presume, or tak upoun hand to decline the jugement of his Hienes, his airis or successouris, or thair Counsell, in the premisses, under the pane of treasoun.
XII.
Ane Act dischargeing all jurisdictionis and judgementis, not approuit be Parliament, and all Assembleis and Conventionis, without our Souerane Lordis speciall licence and commandement.[38]—Act 1584, c. 4.
Forsamekle as in the trublous tymis, during thir xxiiij zeris bypast, syndrie formis of jugementis and jurisdictionis, alsweil in Spiritual as Temporal causes, ar entrit in the practis and custome, quhairby the Kingis Majesties subjectis ar oftymis convocat and assemblit togidder, and panis alsweil civill and pecuniall, as Ecclesiasticall, inioinit unto thame; proces led and deduceit; sentences and decreitis gevin, and the same put in executioun: Na sik ordour as zit being allowit of, and approuit be his Majestie, and his thrie Estatis in Parliament, contrare the custome obseruit in onie other Christiane Kingdome, or weill governit commoun weill; and to the diminissing of the force and power of his Hienes awin lawis, be the quhilkis his Majesties subjectis aucht to be rewlit; and speciallie his Hienes and his Estatis, considering that in the saidis assembleis, certane his subjectis have takin upon thame to justifie, and auctorize the fact perpetrate aganis his Hienes persoun and Estate at Ruthven, and prosecutit thairefter, quhill his Majestie, at Goddis pleasour, recoverit his libertie, having, in thair pretentit maner, maid actes thairupoun, kepis the same in Register, and as zit seimis to allow the said attemptat, althoucht now publictlie condemnit be his Hienes and Estatis as treasounable, nane of the authoris thairof having cravit his Hienes pardone thairfoir. For remeid quhairof, in tyme cumming, swa that according to the lovable act of his darrest Guidsir, King James the Ferd, of worthie memorie, all his Hienes liegeis (being under his obeissance) man be rewlit be his awin lawis, and the commoun lawis of this Realme, and be nane uther lawis: Our Soverane Lord, and his thrie Estatis, assemblit in this present Parliament, dischargeis all jugements and jurisdictionis, Spirituall or Temporall, accustomat to be usit and execute, upoun ony of his Hienes subjectis, quhilkis ar not approvit be his Hienes, and his saidis thrie Estatis, convenit in Parliament: and decernis the same to ceis in tyme cumming, quhill the ordour thereof be first sene and considerit be [his Hienes, and his saidis thrie] Estatis [convenit] in Parliament, and be allowit and ratifeit be thame: Certefeing thame, that sall proceid in using and exerceing of the saidis jugementis and jurisdictionis, or in obeying of the same, not being allowit, and ratifeit, as said is, They sallbe repute, haldin, callit, persewit, and punissit as usurparis, and conteminaris of his Hienes auctoritie, in exemple of utheris. And als it is statute and ordainit, be our said Soverane Lord, and his thrie Estatis, that nane of his Hienes subjectis, of qwhatsumever qualitie, estate, or functioun they be of, Spirituall or Temporall, presume or tak upoun hand, to convocat, convene, or assemble thameselflis togidder, for halding of councellis, conventionis, or assembleis, to treat, consult and determinat in ony matter of Estate, Civill or Ecclesiasticall, (except in the ordinare judgementis) without his Majesties speciall commandement, expres licence, had and obtenit to that effect, under the panis ordinit be the lawis and actis of Parliament, aganis sic as unlawfullie convocatis the Kingis lieges.