THE KING'S MAJESTY'S DECLARATION To all His loving Subjects of His Kingdom of SCOTLAND.  
WITH An Act of the Lords of His Majesty's Privy Council for the printing and publishing thereof.  
EDINBURGH, Printed by Evan Tyler, Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majesty. 1643.   

At Edinburgh the first day of June, 1643.  
THe Lords of His Majesty's Privy Council of Scotland, having read and considered His Majesty's Letter and Declaration this day exhibit unto them by the Earl of Lanerick His Majesty's Secretary, Do with all humble duty and thankfulness acknowledge His Majesty's grace and goodness, so fully expressed therein towards this Kingdom, And that the same may be made known to all His Majesty's good Subjects, do, conform to His Majesty's warrant, ordain the said Declaration to be printed and published at the market Cross of Edinburgh, by Heralds and Pursuivants, with sound of Trumpet and displayed coats of Arms, and that the Sheriffs, Stewarts, Bailiffs of Regalities and their Deputes, and Magistrates of Burrows within this Kingdom, have a special care to see the same with all diligence published and proclaimed at the market Crosses of all Burghes within their several jurisdictions.  
Arch. Primrose Cler. S. Cons.   


C R  HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE  royal blazon or coat of arms  
HIS MAJESTY'S Declaration to his loving Subjects of his Kingdom of SCOTLAND.  
AS there hath been no means left unattempted by some seditious persons, which the malice and wit of rebellion could devise, to infect and poison the affections and loyalty of our good Subjects of our Kingdom of England, and to withdraw their hearts from us, by the most pernicious and desperate calumnies that could be invented, to undervalue and lessen Our reputation with Foreign Princes, by injuries and affronts upon their public Ministers, and by procuring Agents to be sent, qualified for negotiation, without Our consent; and thus to expose Us and Our Regal Authority to scorn and contempt, by assuming a power over Us: So these pernicious contrivers of these bloody distempers, have not delighted in any art more, then in that by which they have hoped to stir up Our good Subjects of that Our Native Kingdom of Scotland to join with them, and to infuse into them a jealousy and  of Our true affection, and Our gracious intentions towards that Nation. To this purpose they have used great industry to convey into that Our Kingdom, and to scatter and disperse their divers seditious pamphlets, framed and contrived against Our Person and Government, and have procured Agents to be sent to reside there, and to promote their designs. One of which lately resident there, one Pickering, 
These are Pickerings informations, which We hope ●re ●●lse.  by his Letters of the 9 of January, from Edinburgh to Master Pym, assures him of the concurrence of that Kingdom, and that the Ministers in the pulpits do in downright terms press the taking up of Arms. And in another of his Letters of the same date, to Sir John Clatworthy, worthy, he says, That the trumpets sounded to the Battle, and all cried, Arm, arm. With many other bold, scandalous, and seditious passages, very derogatory from that duty and affection which We are most confident Our good Subjects of that Our Native Kingdom bear unto Us. To this purpose they traduce Us with the raising and making of War against Our Parliament; of having an Army of Papists, and favouring that Religion; of endeavouring to take away the liberty and property of Our Subjects. And upon these grounds they have procured a public Declaration, to invite Our good Subjects of that Our Kingdom of Scotland, to join with them, and to take up Arms against Us their natural Liege Lord. Lastly, to this purpose they endeavour aswell in public, as by secret sly insinuation, to beget an apprehension in them, That if we prevail so fare here, as by the blessing of God, to preserve Ourselves from the ruin they have designed to Us, that the same will have a dangerous influence upon that Our Kingdom of Scotland, and the Peace established there; and that the good Laws lately consented to by Us, for the happiness and welfare of that our Native Kingdom, will be no longer observed and maintained by Us, than the same necessity which they say extorted them from Us, hangs upon Us; but that We will turn all Our Forces against them: A calumny so groundlessly and impiously raised, that if We are in any degree conscious to Ourselves of such wicked intentions, We should not only not expect a dutiful sense in that Our Native Kingdom of Our sufferings, but should think Ourselves as unworthy of so great blessings and eminent protection, as We have received from the hands of the Almighty, to whom We know We must yield a dear account for any breach of trust, or failing of Our duty towards Our People.  
But as We have taken especial care from time to time to inform Our good Subjects of that Our Native Kingdom of the Occurrences here, particularly by Our Declaration of the 12 of August, wherein is a plain clear narration of the beginning and progress of Our sufferings to that time; So the bold and unwarrantable proceed of these seditious persons, have been so public and visible to the world, that Our good Subjects of Scotland could not but take notice of them, and have observed, that after we had freely and voluntarily consented to so many Acts of Parliament, as not only repaired all former grievances, but also added whatsoever was proposed to Us for the future benefit and security of Our Subjects, in so much as in truth there wanted nothing to make the Nation completely happy, but a just sense of their own excellent condition; a few discontented ambitious and factious persons, so far prevailed over the weakness of others, that in stead of receiving that return of thanks and a knowledgment, which we expected and deserved, Our people were poisoned with seditious and scandalous fears and jealousies concerning Us; We were encountered with more importunate and unseasonable demands; and at last were driven by force and tumults, to flee from Our City of London for the safety of Our life: after which We were still pursued with unheardof insolences and indignities; and such members of either house, as refused to join in those unjustifiable resolutions, likewise driven from those Counsels, contrary to the freedom and liberty of Parliament; in so much as above four parts of five of that Assembly were likewise forced, and are still kept from thence: Our Forts, Towns, Ships, and Arms were taken from Us; Our Money, Rents, and Revenue seized and detained; and that then a powerful and formidable Army was raised and conducted against Us (a good part of which was raised and mustered before we had given Our Commissions for raising one man) That all this time we never denied any one thing that by the law we were required to grant, or asked one thing but what by the known law was unquestionably Our Own, That we earnestly pressed and desired a Treaty, that we might but know at what price we might prevent the miseries and desolation which were threatened; That this was absolutely and scornfully refused and rejected, and we compelled with the assistance of such of Our good Subjects as came to Our succour, to make use of Our defensive Arms for the safety of Our Life, and preservation of Our Posterity. What hath since passed. That battle hath been given Us, Our own Person, and Our Children endeavoured to be destroyed, That unheardof pressures have been exercised upon our poor Subjects, by rapine, plundering and prisonment, And that confusion which is since brought upon the whole excellent frame of Government of this Kingdom, is the discourse of Christendom: We are very far from making a War with or against Our Parliament, of which We Ourselves are an assential part; Our principal quarrel is for the Privileges of Parliament, aswell those of the two Houses, as Our own; if a few persons had not by arts and force first awed, and then driven away the rest, these differences had never arisen, much less had they ever come to so bloody a decision.  
We have often accused these persons against whom Our quarrel is, and desire to bring them to no other trial, than what by the Law of the Land they ought to be tried: And we have been compelled to take up these defensive Arms for the safety of Our Life, assaulted by rebellious Arms, the defence of the true Reformed Protestant Religion, scornfully invaded by Brownists, Anabaptists, and other independent Sectaries (who in truth are the principal Authors and sole Fomenters of this unnatural civil War) for the maintenance of the liberty and propriety of the Subject, maliciously violated by a vast unlimited arbitrary power, and for the preservation of the rights, dignity and privileges of Parliament, almost destroyed by tumults and faction. So what hath by violence been taken from Us, being restored, & the freedom of meeting in Parliament being secured, We have lately offered (though We have not been thought worthy of an Answer) to disband our Army, and leave all differences to the trial of a full and peaceable convention in Parliament; and We cannot from Our Soul desire any blessing from Heaven more than We do a peaceable and happy end of these unnatural distractions. For the malicious groundless aspersion of Our having an Army of Papists, though in the condition and strait to which We were brought, no man had reason to wonder, if We received assistance from any of Our Subjects of what Religion soever, who by the Laws of the Land are bound to perform all offices of duty and allegiance to Us; yet it is well known that we took all possible care by Our Proclamations to inhibit any of that Religion to repair to Us, which was precisely and straight observed (notwithstanding even at that time We were traduced, as being attended on by none but Papists, when there hath not in a month together not one Papist been near Our Court) though great numbers of that Religion have with all alacrity been entertained in that Rebellious Army against Us, and others have been endeavoured to be seduced, to whom We had formerly denied employment, as appears by the examination of many prisoners, of whom We have taken twenty and thirty at a time of one Troup, or Company of that Religion. What Our opinion is of the Popish Profession, Our often solemn Protestations before Almighty GOD, who knows Our heart, do manifest to all the World, and what Our practice is in Religion, is not unknown to Our good, Subjects of that Our Native Kingdom. And as We have omitted no way Our Conscience and Understanding could suggest to Us, for the advancing & promoting the true Protestant Religion, having protested Our readiness in a full & peaceable Convention of Parliament, to consent to whatsoever shall be proposed to Us by Bill, for the better discovery and speedier conviction of Recusants, for the education of the Children of Papists by Protestants in the Protestant Religion, for the prevention of the practices of Papists against the State, And the due execution of the laws against them: So We shall further embrace any just Christian means, to suppress Popery in all Our Dominions: of which inclination and resolution of Ours, that Our Native Kingdom hath received good evidence.  
For the other malicious and wicked insinuation, that Our success here upon the Rebellious Arms raised against Us, to destroy Us, will have an influence upon Our Kingdom of Scotland, And that We will endeavour to get lose from these wholesome laws which have been enacted by Us there: We can say no more, but that Our good Subjects of that Kingdom do well remember with what Deliberation, Ourselves being present at the debates, We consented to these Acts. And We do assure Our good Subjects there, and call GOD Almighty to witness, of the uprightness and resolution of Our heart in that point, That We shall always use Our utmost endeavour to defend and maintain the Rights and Liberties of that Our Native Kingdom, according to the Laws Civil and Ecclesiastical, established there, And shall no longer look for obedience, than We shall govern by the Laws. And We hope, that Our zeal and courage in the defence only of the Laws and Government of this Kingdom, And for the subjecting Ourselves to so great hazard and danger, will be no Argument, that when that Work is done, We would pass through the same difficulties, to alter and invade the Constitutions of that Our other Kingdom: We find disadvantages enough to struggle with, in the defence of the most upright, innocent, just cause of taking up Arms. And therefore if we wanted the Conscience, We cannot the discretion to tempt GOD in an unjust Quarrel: the Laws of that Our Kingdom shall be always sacred unto Us: We shall refuse no hazard to defend them; but sure We shall run none to invade them.  
And therefore We do conjure all Our good Subjects of that Our native Kingdom, By the long, happy, & uninterrupted Government of Us, and Our Royal progenitors over them, By the memory of those many, large, and public blessings they enjoyed under Our dear Father, By these ample favours and benefits they have received from Us, By their own solemn Nationall Covenant, and their obligation of Friendship and Brotherhood with the Kingdom of England, Not to suffer themselves to be misled or corrupted in their affections and duty to Us, by the cunning malice and industry of these seditious persons, and their adherents: but to look upon them as persons who would involve them in their guilt, and sacrifice the honour, fidelity, and allegiance of that Our Native Kingdom, to their private end and ambition. And We require Our good Subjects there, to consider, that the persons who have contrived, fomented, and do still maintain these bloody distractions, and this unnatural Civil War, what pretence soever they make of the care of the true Reformed Protestant Religion, are in truth Brownists and Anabaptists, and other independent Sectaries. And though they seem to desire an Uniformity of Church-government with Our Kingdom of Scotland, do no more intent, and are als far from allowing the Church-government, by Law established there, or indeed any Church-government whatsoever, as they are from consenting to the Episcopal. And We cannot but expect a greater sense of Our sufferings, since the obligations We have laid upon that Our Native Kingdom, are used as arguments against Us here: And Our free consenting to some Acts of Grace and Favour there (which were asked of Us, by reason of Our necessary residence from thence) hath encouraged these ill affected persons, to endeavour by force to obtain the same here, where We usually reside.  
To conclude, We cannot doubt Our good Subjects there, will so far hearken to the treason and malice of Our enemies, as to interrupt their own present peace and happiness. And God so deal ●●●h Us and Our Posterity, as We inviolably observe the Laws and Statutes of that Our Native Kingdom, and the Protestations We have so often made to this, for the defence of the true reformed Protestant Religion, the Laws of the Land, and the just Privileges and Freedom of Parliaments.  
FINIS.