Act of Classes

The Act of Classes was passed the Scottish Parliament in 23 January 1649. It was probably drafted by Lord Warriston a leading member of the Kirk Party, who along with the Marquess of Argyll were leading proponents of its clauses.^[1][2]

Royalists banned from holding public office

The act banned Royalists from holding public office. Its broad wording not only banned those who had fought with or supported Royalists such as Marquess of Montrose, it also banned those who had supported the Engagement (now discredited and political weakened after the Engager's army's defeat at the Battle of Preston (1648)), those who had not vehemently protested against the Engagement and those not of upright character.^[3][4]

Rescinding

The rescinding of this act in 1651 led to a serious breach in the ranks of the Scottish clergy. The Resolutioners, or supporters of the resolution to rescind that act, were opposed by the Protesters, the rigid adherents to the strictest interpretation of the Covenant. The period of the Commonwealth was filled with the strife between these two parties, its bitterness not lessened by the fact that the assembly, dissolved in 1653 by Cromwell's soldiers, was not allowed to meet again in his protectorate.^[5]

See also

• Third Civil War in Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
• English invasion of Scotland in Third English Civil War

Notes

References

• Mitchison, Rosalind (2002). A history of Scotland (3, illustrated ed.). Routledge. p. 227. ISBN 0415278805. 
• The Reformed Presbyterian Church (2010). "Reformation History: The Engagement (1647)". The Reformed Presbyterian Church. http://reformationhistory.org/theengagement.html. 
•  Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). "Warriston, Archibald Johnston, Lord". Encyclopædia Britannica. 28 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 332,333. http://www.archive.org/stream/encyclopaediabri28chisrich#page/332/mode/1up. 
• Lee, Sidney (1903). Dictionary of National Biography Index and Epitome. p. 697.  (also main DNB vol. 30 p. 56)

Attribution

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). "Scotland, Church of". Encyclopædia Britannica. 24 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 460. http://www.archive.org/stream/encyclopaediabri24chisrich#page/460/mode/1up.