# Act of Classes > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Act_of_Classes > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Act_of_Classes.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Act_of_Classes > Source revision: 1257701160 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Former Scottish Law (1649–1650)}} {{Use dmy dates|date = February 2019}} {{Use British English|date = February 2019}} The '''Act of Classes''' was passed by the [Parliament of Scotland](/source/Parliament_of_Scotland) on 23 January 1649. It was probably drafted by [Lord Warriston](/source/Archibald_Johnston%2C_Lord_Warriston), a leading member of the [Kirk Party](/source/Kirk_Party), who along with the [Marquess of Argyll](/source/Archibald_Campbell%2C_1st_Marquess_of_Argyll) were leading proponents of its clauses.{{sfn|Lee|1903|p=697}}{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=333}} It banned Royalists and those who had supported [the Engagement](/source/The_Engagement_(1647)) from holding public office including positions in the army. Against sizeable opposition the rescinding of the Act took effect on 13 August 1650.{{sfn|Sime|1837|p=134}} ==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](/source/James_Graham%2C_1st_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)](/source/Battle_of_Preston_(1648))), those who had not vehemently protested against the Engagement and those not of upright character.{{sfn|Mitchison|2002|p=227}}{{sfn|The Reformed Presbyterian Church|2010}} ==Rescinding== The rescinding of the Act of Classes 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 (such as [James Sharp](/source/James_Sharp_(bishop))), were opposed by the Protesters, the rigid adherents to the strictest interpretation of the Covenant (such as [Patrick Gillespie](/source/Patrick_Gillespie_(minister)) and [James Guthrie](/source/James_Guthrie_(Scottish_Presbyterian_divine))). The period of the [Commonwealth](/source/Commonwealth_(England)) 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](/source/Oliver_Cromwell) soldiers, was not allowed to meet again in [his protectorate](/source/The_Protectorate).{{Source-attribution|sentence=yes|{{harvnb|Chisholm|1911|p=462}}}} ==See also== * [Third Civil War](/source/Scotland_in_the_Wars_of_the_Three_Kingdoms) in [Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms](/source/Scotland_in_the_Wars_of_the_Three_Kingdoms) * [English invasion of Scotland](/source/Third_English_Civil_War) in [Third English Civil War](/source/Third_English_Civil_War) * [Western Remonstrance](/source/Western_Remonstrance) ==Notes== {{reflist}} ==References== *{{cite book|last=Mitchison |first=Rosalind |year= 2002 |title=A history of Scotland |edition=3, illustrated |publisher=Routledge|isbn=0-415-27880-5|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=ptklKx05AQ0C&pg=SL1-PA27 227]}} *{{cite web|author=The Reformed Presbyterian Church|year=2010|title=Reformation History: The Engagement (1647)|publisher=The Reformed Presbyterian Church|url=http://reformationhistory.org/theengagement.html}} *{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Warriston, Archibald Johnston, Lord|volume=28|pages=332–333}} *{{cite book|last=Lee |first=Sidney |author-link=Sidney Lee |year=1903 |title=[Dictionary of National Biography](/source/Dictionary_of_National_Biography) |page=[https://archive.org/stream/dictionaryofnati00leesuoft#page/697/mode/1up 697]}} (also main DNB vol. 30 p. 56) *{{cite book|last=Sime |first=William |year=1837 |title=History of the covenanters in Scotland |volume=1 |publisher=J. Johnstone |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=G20VAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA134 134]}} ;Attribution *{{EB1911|wstitle=Scotland, Church of |volume=24 |pages=460–467|ref=none}} Category:1649 in Scotland Category:1649 in law Category:Acts of the Parliament of Scotland Category:Scottish monarchy Category:Scotland in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms {{Scotland-poli-stub}} {{UK-statute-stub}} --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Act of Classes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Act_of_Classes) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Act_of_Classes?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.