A PROCLAMATION For Restoring the CHURCH of SCOTLAND to Its ANCIENT Government By BISHOPS: At Edinburgh the sixth day of September, One thousand six hundred and sixty one years.  

C R HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE   
THe Lords of His Majesty's Privy Council, having considered His Majesty's Letter of the date at Whitehall the fourteen●h day of August last, bearing, that whereas His Majesty, by His Letter to the Presbytery of Edinbu●gh, in the month of August, One thousand six hundred and sixty years, Declared His Ro●al purpose, to maintain the Government of the Church of Scotland settled by Law: And the Estates of Parliament of this Kingdom, having since that time, not only rescinded all the Acts since the Troubles began, rela●ing to that Government, bu● also Declared all those Parliaments null and void, leaving to His Majesty, the Settling of Church Government: Therefore, in compliance with that Act Rescissory, and in pursuance of His Majesty's Proclamation of the tenth of June last, and in contemplation of the Inconveniencies that accompanied and issued from the Church Government, as it hath been exercised these twenty three years past, and of the unsuteableness thereof to His Majesty's Monarchical Estate, and of the sadly experienced confusions, which during these late Troubles have been caused by the violences done to His Majesty's Royal Prerogative, and to the Government Civil and Ecclesiastical, established by unquestionable Authority: His Majesty having respect to the Glory of GOD, and the good and interest of the Protestant Religion; and being zealous of the Order, Unity, Peace and Stability of the Church within this Kingdom, and of its better harmony with the Government of the Churches of England and Ireland; hath been pleased, after mature deliberation, to Declare unto His Council, His firm resolution to interpose His Royal Authority, for restoring of this Church to its right Government by Bishops, as it was by Law before the late Troubles, during the Reigns of His Majesty's Royal Father and Grandfather of blessed memory, and as it now stands settled by Law; and that the Rents belonging to the several Bishoprics and Deaneries, be restored and made useful to the Church, according to justice and the standing Law; Have therefore in obedience of, and conform to, His Majesty's Royal pleasure aforesaid, Ordained, and by these presents Ordains the Lion King at Arms, and his brethren Heralds, Pursuivants and Messengers of Arms, to pass to the Mercat Cross of Edinburgh and other Royal Burroughs of the Kingdom, and there by open Proclamation, to make publication of this His Majesty's Royal pleasure, for restoring the Church of this Kingdom to its right Government by Bishops; and in His Majesty's Name, to require all His good Subjects to compose themselves to a cheerful acquiescence and obedience to the same, and to His Majesty's Sovereign Authority now exercised within this Kingdom. And that none of them presume upon any pretence whatsomever, by Discoursing, Preaching, Reviling, or any irregular and unlawful way, the endeavouring to alienate the affections of His Majesty's good Subjects, or dispose them to an evil opinion of His Majesty or His Government, or to the disturbance of the peace of the Kingdom, and to inhibit and discharge the assembling of Ministers in their several Synodical Meetings, until His Majesty's further pleasure therein be known; Commanding hereby, all Sheriffs, Baylies of Bayleries, Stewarts of Stewartries and their Deputes; all justices of Peace, and Magistrates and Council of Burroughs, and all other public Ministers, to be careful within their several bounds and jurisdictions, to see this Act punctually obeyed: And if they shall find any person or persons, upon any pretexts whatsomever, by Discoursing, Preaching Reviling, or otherways as aforesaid, failzying in their due obedience hereunto, or doing any thing in the contrary thereof, that they forthwith commit them to prison, till His Majesty's Privy Council, after information of the offence, give further order therein. And hereof the Sheriffs, and others aforementioned, are to have a special care, as they will answer upon their Duty and Allegiance to His Majesty. And further, the Lords of His Majesty's Privy Council do hereby inhibit and discharge all persons liable in payment of any of the Rents formerly belonging to the Bishoprics and Deaneries, from paying of the Rents of this present year, one thousand six hundred and sixty one years, or in time coming, or any part thereof, to any person whatsomever, until they receive new order thereanent from His Majesty or His Council. And Ordains these presents to be printed and published as said is, that none may pretend ignorance of the same. Extract. per me  
Pet. Wedderburne, Cl. St. Concilii.  
GOD SAVE THE KING.