HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE   royal blazon or coat of arms  
GOD save the KING.  
A DECLARATION OF HIS M. Pleasure anent the Religion & present Kirk governament.  
CHARLES by the grace of GOD, King of great Britanne, France, and Ireland: Defender of the Faith; etc. To Our Loveds Messengers, Our sheriffs in that part, conjunctly and severally specialie constitute; greeting, Forsamekle, As WE are informed that now in the beginning of Our Reign, Some restless and unquiet spirits popishly disposed, have praesumed to disperse false bruits & rumours, That WE intent to make some Innovation concerning the estate of Religion, or at the least to give too much toleration and connivance to the popish profession: And by that and others their seditious and factious proceed, They do what in them lieth to disquiet the minds of Our good Subjects, And to possess them with some apprehensions and doubts of the sincerity of Our disposition, towards the true Religion presently professed, And by the Law established with in this Our Kingdom. And sicklyke that others disconforme and Averse persons from the present governament of the Kirk, and contemners of Our authority, by transgressing of the Orders established by Acts of Parliament; have traveled to persuade sundry of Our good Subjects, That WE intent to make some alteration of the Kirk governament, and Cannons thereof happily established by Our dearest FATHER of blessed memory, And that WE mind not to urge any more the observance of the Acts concluded at Perth and ratified in Parliament: Howsoewer WE do know that such foolish rumours deserve not to be regairded: Yet lest the unstable minds of the vulgar sort should be drawn to expect that which WE never intended, and thereby be diverted from their due obedience to GOD and WS. And to the intent that all such false and foolish rumours may be suppressed and the further growth and progress thereof prevented. WE do hereby Declare, that as Our laite dear FATHER of famous and wortthie memory, Did sincerely maintain the true Religion presently professed in Our Kingdoms; Which even a little before his Death during the time of his seiknesse, It was his special cairo in a Pious manner to make public known. So WE have resolved constantly to profess and maintain the same, And to propagate and advance the same by Our Royal Authority. And lykewayes that WE are so fare from any purpose of Innovating the governament of the Kirk now happily established, That if the same had not allreddie been determined; WE would with all Our cair have advanced the same, As knowing it to be the only best governament whereby a Christian Kirk can be we'll reuled in Monarchies and Kingdoms; And most conform to the best times of the Primitive Kirk. And therefore WE have resolved to maintain that governament and policy of the Kirk already established, and so far as Our Laws do allow, shall punish any person that dare seek to disturb the peace aither of Religion, or present Kirk Governament  
OUR WILL IS herefore, and WE charge you straitly and commands, that incontinent these Our Letters seen Ye pass, And in Our Name and Authority, Make publication hereof by open Proclamation at the market Croces of the head Burrowes of this Our Kingdom and other places needful, wherethrow none pretend ignorance of the same. The which to do WE commit to you conjunctly and severally Our full power By these Our Letters, Delyvering the same by you duly execute and endorsed again to the Bearer.  
Given under Our Signet At Edinburgh the twenty sixth day of Julie, And of Reign the first year. 1625. Ordained to be published in Print. Per Actum D. Secreti Consilii.   

EDINBURGH  
❧ Printed by Thomas Finlason his M. printer.