Protestant Religion and Presbyterian Church Act 1707

Our Sovereign Lady and the Estates of Parliament considering that by the late Act of Parliament for a Treaty with England for an Union of both Kingdoms It is provided that the Commissioners for that Treaty should not treat of or concerning any alteration of the Worship Discipline and Government of the Church of this Kingdom as now by Law established Which Treaty being now reported to the Parliament and it being reasonable and necessary that the true Protestant Religion as presently professed within this Kingdom with the Worship Discipline and Government of this Church should be effectually and unalterably secured Therefore Her Majesty with advice and consent of the said Estates of Parliament Doth hereby Establish and Confirm the said true Protestant Religion and the Worship Discipline and Government of this Church to continue without any alteration to the people of this land in all succeeding generations And more especially Her Majestie with advice and consent foresaid Ratifies Approves and for ever Confirms the fifth Act of the first Parliament of King William and Queen Mary Entituled Act Ratifieing the Confession of Faith and settleing Presbyterian Church Government with the haill other Acts of Parliament relating thereto in prosecution of the Declaration of the Estates of this Kingdom containing the Claim of Right bearing date the eleventh of April Im vjc and eighty nine And Her Majesty with advice and consent foresaid expressly Provides and Declares that the foresaid true Protestant Religion contained in the above mentioned Confession of Faith with the form and purity of worship presently in use within this Church and it’s Presbyterian Church Government and Discipline that is to say the Government of the Church by Kirk Sessions Presbytries Provincial Synods and General Assemblies all established by the foresaid Acts of Parliament pursuant to the Claim of Right shall remain and continue unalterable And that the said Presbyterian Government shall be the only Government of the Church within the Kingdom of Scotland And further for the greater security of the foresaid Protestant Religion and of the Worship Discipline and Government of this Church as above established Her Majesty with advice and consent foresaid Statutes and Ordains That the Universities and Colledges of Saint Andrews Glasgow Aberdeen and Edinburgh as now established by Law shall Continue with this Kingdom for ever . . . F1 . And further Her Majesty with advice foresaid expressly Declares and Statutes That none of the Subjects of this Kingdom shall be lyable to but all and every one of them for ever free of any Oath Test or Subscription within this Kingdom contrary to or inconsistent with the foresaid true Protestant Religion and Presbyterian Church Government Worship and Discipline as above established And that the same within the bounds of this Church and Kingdom shall never be imposed upon or required of them in any sort And Lastly That after the decease of her present Majesty (whom God long preserve) the Sovereign succeeding to her in the Royal Government of the Kingdom of Great Britain shall in all time comeing at his or her accession to the Crown Swear and Subscribe that they shall inviolably maintain and preserve the foresaid Settlement of the true Protestant Religion with the Government Worship Discipline Right and Priviledges of this Church as above established by the Laws of this Kingdom in prosecution of the Claim of Right And it is hereby Statute and Ordained That this Act of Parliament with the Establishment therein contained shall be held and observed in all time comeing as a fundamental and essential condition of any Treaty or Union to be concluded betwixt the two Kingdoms without any alteration thereof or derogation thereto in any sort for ever As also that this Act of Parliament and settlement therein contained shall be insert and repeated in any Act of Parliament that shall pass for agreeing and concluding the foresaid Treaty or Union betwixt the two Kingdoms And that the same shall be therein expressly Declared to be a fundamental and essential Condition of the said Treaty or Union in all time comeing

Textual Amendments

F1 Words repealed by Churches (Scotland) Act 1905 (c. 12), Sch. 2 and Statute Law Revision (Scotland) Act 1964 (c. 80), Sch. 1