THE DECLARATION OF THE Commissioners of the Kingdom of Scotland, Concerning a PAPER entitled, The Kings Letter to the Marques of Ormond, Presented to both Houses of Parliament the 8. of this instant June, 1646.  
Together with two Proclamations, the one, made by the Committee of Estates of the Kingdom of Scotland at edinburgh.  
The other, by His Excellency the Earl of leaven and others.  
As also an Order of the Committee of Estates, for disbanding a Regiment of about Four hundred Horse, by reason of some Complaints presented against them by the country people.  

Published by Special Command.   
London, Printed for Laurence Chapman. june 9. 1646.   

Right honourable,  
THis enclosed Paper having very lately come to our hands, which although it hath not so much as colour enough to deceive, yet nevertheless as General mayor Monro in testimony of his integrity did communicate the thing to the Commissioners of Parliament in Ulster; so we for preventing mistakes( many Copies of the same thing being spread among the people) thought good to communicate the same to the honourable Houses, with our sense upon it, that by their wisdom and reciprocal care, a right understanding in all things may be still preserved between the Kingdoms. Whether any such Letter was signed by the King at Oxford, or whether it was invented of purpose to support a declining Party, we know not: What may concern the King in it, we leave it to Himself, who as He hath since the Date of that Paper expressed contrary Intentions and Resolutions in His Messages to both Kingdoms, so He can best tell what He wrote at that time. We are only to speak to the matter of the Paper, which cometh from the hand of Secretary Nicholas, unto whose Informations what credit ought to be given, the Houses very well know. It doth consist in our perfect knowledge( and we declare it with as much confidence as ever we did or can do any thing) that the matter of the Paper so far as concerneth any assurance or capituiation for joining of Forces, or for combining against the Houses of Parliament, or any other private agreement whatsoever between the King or any about him on the one part, and the Kingdom of Scotland, their Army, or any in their Name, and having power from them upon the other part, is a most damnble untruth. We shall not need to express how improbable it is, if there had been any such Agreement, that the King about the same time should have sent a Message to both Houses, offering to come to London, and to follow their Advice in all things, without effering any satisfaction to the Kingdom of Scotland; And that before he received the Answer of the Houses, He should writ such a Letter to Ireland, and give Order to make it known not only to His Privy council, but to His other Subjects of that Kingdom: Nor will we insist how improbable it is, that the King should make this known to the marquis of Ormond, and neglect to acquaint the late Earl of Montrosse, who had been much more concerned, And who would, no doubt, if he had known any such thing, have communicated the same to General mayor Middleton, and prevented the desearing of himself, his Associates and Forces about the middle of May, after the King was with the Scotish Army: Nor how unlikely it is that he who is for the time Commander in chief of the Scotish Forces in Ireland, should be for the space of seven or eight week totally ignorant of any such Agreement, Or if he had known any such thing, that he would have communicated it to the Commissioners of the Parliament, and immediately marched himself to the Fields against the Enemy. Nor shall we need to call to mind the expressions in the Lord Digbies intercepted Letters, which gave our Nation the Character of such as could not be gained to that side, no not after all applications used. There are other more sure & public testimonies since the date of that lying Paper, which makes the falsehood of it more then palpable, as if Divine Providence had purposely ordered all the late Actions of the Kingdom of Scotland and of their Forces, both before and since the third of April, to be so many real confutations of that groundless invention: We mean, several late fights with the Rebels under the late Earl of Montrosse and Alaster mac Donald; the delivery of N●wark; the restraining and debarring of Delinquents and Malignants from the Kings Person and from our Army; the late public Declarations of the Church and State of Scotland in the beginning of April; as likewise of the General and Committee with the Army, agreed upon about the end of April, and published about the 15. of May in Scotland, against a Band of the Earl of Seaforth and his Associates, as for other reasons, so especially for this, That the said Band did tend to the weakening of the Confidence and Union between the two Kingdoms, firmly joined and mutually engaged for Assistance to each other in this Cause, as may appear more fully by the Declarations herewith presented. Nor can we pass the Paper delivered to the King by the Committee of Estates upon the 15 of May last, Expressing that if His Majesty should delay to go about the readiest ways and means to satisfy both His Kingdoms, they would be necessitated for their own exoneration, to acquaint the Committeee of both Kingdoms at London, that a course might be taken by joint Advice of both Kingdoms, for attaining the just ends expressed in the Solemn League and Covenant. We shall say no more of this particular, God hath his own time to make manifest who have dealt sincerely and who falsely. And as our Nation did refuse to join with the Enemies forces when they were strongest, And did join with our Brethren of England in their weakest and most necessious condition; so we shall never look for a blessing from God upon either Nation, longer then they continue faithful to God, and to each other according to the Covenant and Treaty: And we do confidently expect from the Wisdom and Justice of the honourable Houses, that this and such like Papers shall find no more credit here, then Papers and Informations against themselves did formerly find in Scotland: And that Declarations & public Papers from the kingdom of Scotland, or their Committees or Commissioners, shall have such acceptation with both Houses, as they desire Declarations from themselves or Papers from any in their Name, may have with their Brethren of Scotland. Nor do we doubt but God will dissipate all the clouds of calumaies and scribblings endeavoured thereby, And will give such a frame of Spirit to both Nations, as may continue them in a Brotherly accord and mutual confidence, for the good both of this and of the succeeding generations, which hath been, is, and shall be, most earnestly wished and faithfully endeavoured by  
Your Lordships very affectionate Friends and humble Servants, Lauderdail, A: Johnston, charles Erskin, Hugh Kennedy, Ro: Barclay. 8. June, 1646.  
We have sent you here enclosed an Order of the Committee of Estates at the Army, which will evidence their care to remove out of that Army all such against whom any just Complaints have been made by the country.  

Newcastle the 31 of May, 1646.  
THe Committee for good consideration moving them, have Ordained the Regiment of Horse under the command of General mayor Vondruisqne forth with to be disbanded and reduced, And that no foreigner whatsoever, nor Scotish man, take on, or engage in the Army, but such as shall be known to be without exception.  
Signed Loudoun. I. P. D. come.   
THe Letter pretended to be sent from His Majesty to the marquis of Ormond, whereof a Copy was sent by the said marquis to General mayor Mouro, Commander of the Scotish Forces in Ireland, and by him communicated to the English Commissioners there, is already printed, and therefore here omitted.   

The Proclamation of the Committee of Estates against a traitorous BAND contrived in the North of the Kingdom of Scotland.  
CHARLES, By the grace of God, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith. To Our Lovits Our Lion King at Arms, and his brethren Heralds and pursuivants Our Sheriffs, in that part, greeting. Whereas the Committee of Estates of Our Kingdom of Scotland. being most careful, according to the trust committed to them, To use all means for advancing the Cause of God, settling the public Peace, and for preventing the practices of such as would in any wise hinder or oppose the same. And seeing a Paper emitted under the Title of An humble Remonstrance, yet being in effect, A Band against God and his Covenant, us and Our Authority, and this Our native Kingdom and its Peace and happiness, the covered with the specious pretences of Piety and public Liberty, Have found themselves obliged in duty to take notice thereof, And to undeceive Our good Subjects, by unfolding the wickedness and treachery of the same, which evidently appears, The persons who have special hand therein being formerly under the like guiltiness of Banding, contrary to the National Covenant which themselves had sworn; And having since by several Bands and Oaths to be seen under their hand writings joined themselves to the Rebellion of that Excommunicate Traitor james Grahame and his Irish Associates, with whom they have corresponded this time past, Have now( as it seems) by his advice entred into this Band( the natural issue of those consultations and meetings they have kept together of late) without the knowledge of the public judicatories of Our Kingdom, contrary to the Law of the Land, and Acts of Parliament expressly made in that behalf: And that they may the more easily inveigle the simpler sort, they have usurped to themselves the flourishing Titles of Lovers of Religion, Our Royal Authority, and Our Kingdoms Peace; their Paper notwithstanding clearly evidencing their intentions to be contrary to all these, By their changing and omitting several essential Articles in the Covenant, which are at length discovered by the Commissioners of the Kirk in their Declaration; By their slighting and contemning the ways proposed by both Our Kingdoms, in sending Propositions to us, for attaining a safe and well-grounded Peace: And presumptuously taking upon themselves to prescribe other ways, and to be Arbitrators of the present Differences betwixt us and Our people: By their traducing the public proceedings of that Our Kingdom, in their seeming regrait of the silence of the civil judicatories, which by the Plague of Pestilence and present Rebellion( fomented by the Remonstrants themselves, who despised the main Orders given to them by the public judicatories for suppressing thereof) hath been so long occasioned, and is now happily provided for by the care of Our Parliament, which hath appointed these judicatories to meet at the ordinary time, if they be not letted by the indired practices of their Banders, and such others, who under fair pretexts study the continuance of the present troubles, And by their open withholding their assisting, and secret resisting the resolutions of the Kingdom. Do what in them lies to weaken the strength thereof, and render it a prey to foreign powers: As also by their large enumerating the public Burdens, which have been so necessary laid on for preserving Our Kingdom from ruin, and are so much the heavier on these parts, That these who now complain most, have by their compliance with the Rebels, and refusal to join against them, been altogether free thereof as yet: and which have been so sparing imposed and providently disposed of, that no just occasion of complaint can be made thereof; as will appear by the public accounts at length perused by the Estates of Our Parliament, and yet extant to the view of the world. And last, these Banders finding no readier mean so dishearten Our good Subjects in the pursuance of this Cause, make large expressions of their sense of the distressed condition of the country, whiles they themselves by their by-gone correspondence and present Banding with declared Traytors and bloody Irishes who have invaded this Our Kingdom, Do really witness their intentions to continue, ( so far as they are able) increase the troubles and distresses thereof, and sear the Bowels of the same. For which purpose they labour to weaken the confidence and union betwixt Our Kingdoms of Scotland and England, which are so firmly joined in the solemn League and Covenant, that no respects can make them forget their mutual engagements, or withhold their assistance from others, as the condition of affairs shall require. All which being at length considered by the Committee of Estates, And they finding this Band to be Destructive to the Covenant, and ends contained therein, Illegal, and against the Laws of Our Kingdom, Prejudicial to the public Peace( now drawing towards a happy close, if not interrupted by such Treacherous Plets) and Divisive for fomenting of jealousies, and continuing the bloody wars within Our Kingdoms, Have declared they will proceed against the same accordingly: And therefore  
OUR WILL IS, and We charge you straitly and command, that incontinent their Our Letters seen, you pass, and by open Proclamation hereof at the Market Crosses of Edinburgh, Stirling, Glasgow, Dundee, Perth, Forfar, Aberdeen, innerness, and other places needful, In Our Name and Autherity command, charge, and inhibit all Our good Subjects, That none of them presume nor take upon hand, to aclowledge or sign the said Band, nor join themselves with the subscribers thereof in pursuance of the same, under all highest pains which by the Law or practise of this Our Realm can be execute upon such unlawful and seditious Bands. And yet because possibly some of Our good Subjects have been through misinformation, fear, or other means ensnared and drawn to join herein, without any ill intention of themselves; And we being willing to reclaim all such, Do therefore Declare, That whosoever hath signed or joined in this Band, and will betwixt this and the fifteenth of May next to come disclaim and quit the same, shall be free of all cansure therefore. The which to do, we commit to you Our full power by their Our Letters.  
Given under Our Signet at Edinburgh the 5. of April, & of Our reign the 22. Year. 1646. Per actum Dominorum Commiss. predict. ARCH. primrose, clear.   

A Declaration of his Excellency the earl of LEUEN, and chief Officers of the Scottish ARMY. Testifying their adherence to his majesties Proclamation and Declaration of the Commissioners of the general Assembly against the earl of Seaforth's Remonstrance.  
HAving communicated to the Officers and Souldiers of this Army under my command, a Letter sent to me from the earl of Seaforth, with a paper carrying the title of an humble Remonstrance( though relating to no person nor judicatory in the kingdom) and considering the same to be but a wicked inveigling snare, which the spirit of Malignancy( now broken loose, & raging in the minds of men, hath devised to hinder the advancement of Gods work, and involve the simpler sort in the fearful breach of the Covenant; And the right honourable Committee of estates, and reverend Commissioners of the general Assembly, have therefore most justly condemned the same, Ordaining the authors and abettors thereof to be proceeded against, as the enemies of the public peace, wee have all jointly conceived it a part of that care and the duty( which in the times of defection might be required of us) to declare how far we detest and abominate the said traitorous band as a seditious paper, and to the end our constant affections to the cause of God, and our firm resolutions, not to suffer ourselves by any terrors or allurements to be divided may the better appear, to give public testimony to the world, that we judge all the ways, and desires therein expressed pernicious to the Church and State, destructive to the common happiness of both, ministering matter of encouragement to our enemies, languishing in the hopes of our divisions, disheartening the honest and well affencted in the pursuance of the cause, a traducing of the public Government, & rendering the well deserving suspected to the people, a great hindrance & impediment of the desired peace, a traitorous plot directly crossing the union, and weakening the confidence between the two kingdoms, a sure evidence of their compliance with the bloody Rebells, while as by winding up the black guiltiness of the horrible bloodshed of that excerable Traitor, in a general Pardon, and Close of Peace, they proclaim to the world, they are moving their way, and driving their interst without any purpose to bring these cruel enemies to condign punishment, but to lay the foundation of more bitter and lasting miseries; As we do therfore much wonder at the arrogancy of these remonstrants, Who fancying, that in their singular zeal and wisdom, they have over-reached and out-stripped the Parliaments of both kingdoms by falling upon a better and more expeditious way of Peace, then what was resolved on with so much piety, and wisdom, have presumed to apply themselves to the three estates of the kingdom, and the Army with confidence that such a Malignant unseasonable paper might find approbation and adherence, So do we resolve in testimony of our dislike thereof, with our best endeavours, God willing to oppose the same; and are so far from resigning ourselves to bee lead in their by-ways or depart any whit from our Covenant, that we are rather strengthened thereby in the integrity of our intentions, and quickened with more vigorous resolutions( by Gods blessing) effectually to carry on and set forward the just desires of both Kingdoms; whereby we are not to move by the hateful counsels of these pretended peace-makers, but to trace the ways that shall be laid down propounded to us by the Parliaments of both kingdoms; In pursuance whereof, as subjects of the Kingdom of Scotland and members of the Church thereof, we do firmly and Cordially adhere to the Proclamation published at edinburgh of the date the 5. of April 1646. and to the public declaration emitted by the Commissioners of the general Assembly printed at edinburgh,  
Signed by his Excellency and a number of the chief Officers of the Army the general Leiut. David Leisly, Sir james Lumsden, and general mayor holborn. Edinburgh 15. May 1646.   

By warrant from the Committee of Estates, and Commissioners of the Assembly, printed at Edinburgh by Evan tiler, Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majesty, Anno 1646.