A PROCLAMATION Reviving and Renning a former Proclamation against Slanderers and Leesing-makers.  
JAMES by the Grace of GOD, King of Great-Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, To Macers of Our Privy Council, or Messengers at Arms, Our Sheriffs in that part, conjunctly and severally, specially constitute, Greeting;  
Whereas We judge it a matter of great Importance to Our Service, that Our late Proclamation Against Leesing-makers etc. dated the 17 of June last passed, and subjoined to this Our Proclamation, should be published in the most effectual method for rendering the same known to the Subjects of this Our Kingdom, so as none of them may hereafter pretend Ignorance; We therefore with Advice of Our Privy Council, Require the several Bishops of this Our Kingdom, to Enjoin and Command all and sundry the Ministers within their respective Dioceses, to read publicly Our said Proclamation against Losing makers, etc. in their respective Churches, (which is to be performed by the Ministers themselves, and not by their Readers, or Clerks) immediately after ending their Sermons, upon the Lordsday, and that Four times in the Year at least, to wit, the Frist Lordsday of every Three Months, Commencing the first reading thereof upon the Lordsday being the twenty fourth of October next ensuing for this Year, and upon the first Lordsday of October yearly thereafter, and so forth to continue yearly, the first Lordsday of every Three Months constantly in time coming, to wit, the said first Lordsday of October for the year 1687; after this Year, the first Lordsday of January, April, July and October, until the same shall be discharged by Us, And that Our Pleasure in the premises may be known, Our Will is, and We Charge you strictly and Command, that incontinent, these Our letters seen, ye pass to the Mercat-Cross of Edinburgh, and all other Mercat-Crosses of the Head-Burghs of the Shires of this Kingdom, and there in Our Royal Name and Authority, by open Proclamation, make Publication of our Pleasure in the Premises, and of Our said other Proclamation hereunto subjoined, that none may pretend Ignorance thereof, but that all Our lieges may give due and punctual Obedience thereto, as they will be answerable at their highest Peril: And further, We do hereby strictly Require and Command all Our Sheriffs, immediately after these Presents come to their Hands, to cause publish the same in manner above-set-down, under such Pains and Penalties, as We or Our privy Council shall think sit to inflict upon them for contempt and neglect of their Duty.  
Given under Our Signet at Edinburgh, the Sixteenth day of September 1686. And of Our Reign the second Year. Per Actum Dominorum Secreti Concilii. WILL PATERSON, Cls. Sti. Concilii.   

Follows the tenor of the abovesaid Proclamation bereunto appointed to be subjoined.  
JAMES, by the Grace of GOD, King of Great-Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith; To Our Lion King at Arms, and his Brethren Heralds, Macers of Our Privy Council, Pursuivants, and Messengers at Arms, Our Sheriffs in that part, conjunctly and severally, specially constitute, Greeting:  
Whereas We are Informed, That divers Ministers, and others, to promote their Seditious Designs, do take upon them in Sermons, and other Discourses, To Alarm the People, and to raise dislike of Our Person and Government in their Hearts, Defaming and Slandering Our Designs, or at least, meddling in Our Affairs; All which are highly punishable, and the punishments Declared by Our Laws and Acts of Parliament; Especially by the seventh Act of the eighth Parl. of King James the Sixth, Our Royal Grandfather, (of ever Blessed Memory) Cap. 134 Entitled, Anent Slanderers of the King, His Progenitors, Estate and Realm; And of which, in so far as relates to these Affairs, The tenor follows: Forasmuch as it is understood to Our Severaign Lord, and his three Estates Assembled in this present Parliament, What great harm and inconvenient has fallen in this Realm, chief since the beginning of the Civil Troubles, occurred in the time of His Highness' Minority, through the wicked and licentious, public and private Speeches, and antrue Calamnies of divers His Subjects, to the Disdain, Contempt and Reproach of His Majesty, His Council and Proceed, and to the dishonour and prejudice of His Highness, His Parents, Progenitors and Estate: Stirring up His Highness' Subjects thereby to Misliking, Sedition, Unquietness, and to cast off their due obedience to His Majesty, to their evident peril, tinsel and destruction; His Highness continuing always in Love and Clemency toward all His good Subjects, and mosts willing to seek the safety and preservation of them all, Which wilfully, needless and upon plain malice, after His Highness' Mercy and Pardon, ofttimes before granted, has procured to themselves by their I reasonable Deeds, to be cut off as corrupt Members of this Common-well: I herefore it is Statute and Ordained by our Sovereign Lord, and His three Estates in this present Parliament, That none of His Subjects (of whatsoever Function, Degree, or Quality in time coming) shall presume to take upon hand privately, or publicly in Sermons, Declamations, or familiar Conferences, to utter any false, slanderous, or untrue Speeches, to the disdain, reproach, and contempt of His Majesty, His Council and Proceed; or to the dishonour, hurt or prejudice of His Highness, His Parents and Progenetors, or so meddle in the Affairs of His Highness, and His Estate presence, bygone, and in time coming, under the pains contained in the Acts of Parliament, against makers and tellers f Leese: Certifying them that shall be tried Contraveeners thereof, or that hea● sick slanderous Speeches, and reports not the same with diligence, the said pains shall be executed against them with all rigour, in example of others. And to the end that so necessary and laudable a Law may receive due and punctual obedience; We therefore, with Advice of Our Privy Council, Do hereby Declare, that the Contraveeners hereof any manner of way, shall be examplarly punished with all rigour, conform to the prescript of the said Statute in all points. And that Our Royal Pleasure in the Premises may be made public and known, Our Will is, And We Charge you strictly, and Command, That incontinent, these Our Letters setters seen ye pass to the. Mercat Cross of Edinburgh, and all the other Mercat Crosses of the head burgh's of the Shires of his Kingdom, And there, in Our Name and Authority, by open Proclamation, make Publication of Our Royal Pleasure in the Premises, that all Our Liedges may have notice thereof, and giveobedience thereto, as they will be answerable at their highest peril.  
Given under Our Signet at Edinburgh, the Seventeeths day of June 1686. And of Our Reign the second Year. Per actum Dominorum Secreti Concilii. COL. McKENZIE, Cls. Sti. Concilii.  
GOD save the KING.   

Edinburgh, Printed by the Heir of Andrew Anderson, Printer to His most Sacred Majesty, Anne DOM. 1686.