His MAJESTIES GRACIOUS LETTER To His Parliament of Scotland: WITH THE SPEECH OF HIS Royal Highness the Duke, His Majesties High Commissioner, At the Opening of the Parliament at EDINBURGH, the 28th Day of July, 1681.  
TOGETHER WITH The Parliaments most Loyal and Dutiful Answer to His Majesties Letter.  
Published by His Majesties special Command.  
In the SAVOY: Printed by THOMAS NEWCOMB. 1681.   

His Majesties Gracious LETTER to His Parliament of SCOTLAND.  
CHARLES R. 
 My Lords and Gentlemen,  
OUR Inclination to embrace all Opportunities to express Our constant Care of, and affection to Our Ancient Kingdom, hath moved Us to Call You together at this time, to advice with Us what may truly conduce to the Security and Interest thereof: And as We have ever judged Our Own and the Interests of Our Subjects to be unseparable, and such as would divide them, to be in their Hearts Enemies to Both;( Experience having sufficiently evinced, that all Invasions upon, or Diminutions of, the Rights and Prerogatives of Our Crown, prove fatal, and destructive to the Security and Property of Our People, which can only thereby be protected) so are they then best managed and secured, when provided for by Unanimous Counsels and Joint Resolutions. And as it is one of Our greatest Satisfactions that We have been always careful of that Our Ancient Kingdom, with a Tenderness suitable to Our great Interest in it; so when We remember the firm and dutiful Constancy which it hath always paid to the Royal Line and Family; and that now it is your Interest as well as Duty to adhere unto it with Unshaken Loyalty as much as ever; We cannot doubt of your Ready and Zealous Compliance at this time, with what shall be Proposed as fit for Our Service; which can never be divided from the Happiness of Our People.  
And since some( corrupted with the Rebellious Principles of the Last Age, or the Blind Zeal of this) have at first raised Schisms and Separation in the Church, and afterwards frequent Rebellions against Us; We cannot but expect from your Prudent Consultations, effectual and adequate Remedies for curing these Violent Distempers at present, and preventing them for the future: And that you will not despise or connive at the smallest Appearances of these Wicked and Seditious Principles, which( bow plausibly soever they may be disguised under the old Pretences and fallacious Masks of Liberty and Religion, which are ever least minded by the most Clamorous Pretenders to them) yet in the Issue led to such Monstrous Effects, and Rebellious Extravagances, as necessary tend to the Dissolution of all Government ●nd Order: And of which you cannot choose but be deeply sensible.  
This being once effectually done, We may reasonably hope that Our Government in Church and State, as by Law presently Established, shall receive its due Reverence and Obedience, and that all Our good Subjects shall be preserved in Peace, T●anquility and Happiness. For promoting these Great Ends, so necessary to the securing the Protestant Religion, Our Authority and Government, and the Common Interest of Our People, by your Joint Advice, who are so much concerned; and for Enacting of such laws as Experience hath discovered to be wanting for distribution of Justice in several Cases, which have emerged since Our last Parliament, We have called This; and as an Eminent Expression of Our Favour to You, have name Our most Dear and most Entirely Beloved Brother JAMES Duke of Albany and York, &c. to be Our Commissioner therein, whom We have found so Affectionate to You, and to whom You have testified so much Duty during His long stay amongst You, which have enabled Him so well to understand the Affairs and Interest of that Our Ancient Kingdom. And since His Interest is so unseparable from Ours, We shall not doubt of Your Ready and cheerful Concurrence to render His Endeavours amongst You successful for securing Our Government, and your own Peace and Happiness. By doing whereof you will answer the entire confidence We have in your Prudence and Loyalty; and so We bid you hearty farewell.  
Given at Our Court at Windsor-Castle, the 12th Day of July, 1681. and of Our Reign the 33th Year. By His Majesties Command. MORRAY.   

The Speech of His Royal Highness the Duke, His Majesties High Commissioner, at the Opening of the Parliament at Edenburg, the 28th Day of July, 1681.  
My Lords and Gentlemen,  
AS I have had the Honour to Serve His Majesty in other Capacities, so I esteem it a great Honour and Happiness, that he hath been pleased to make Choice of Me to serve Him as His Commissioner in this His Ancient Kingdom; Since it shows to all the World, the Goodness He hath for Me, as well as the Trust and Confidence He hath in Me, and puts Me not only in a Capacity of serving Him as becomes a Dutiful and Loyal Subject, but also gives Me the Opportunity of letting You all see, the real Concern I have for the Good of this Country, and My readiness to serve it, and promote its true Interests.  
I do not doubt but that this will be a happy Meeting, and end to the Satisfaction of His Majesty, and all His Loyal Subjects; which I say with the greater Confidence, having now been so long amongst You, and found so great a Readiness in all of You for the Advancing of His Majesties Service.  
You have heard in His Majesties Gracious Letter, the Reasons of his Calling you together at this time, and what He doth, and may, expect from this His Ancient Kingdom; of whose Loyalty and Affection to His Service, He doth in no manner doubt.  
He hath commanded Me to assure You, That He will inviolably Maintain and Protect the Protestant Religion, as now Established by Law in this His Kingdom; and that He will upon the same Account, Protect and Maintain the Government of the Church by Arch-Bishops, and Bishops, and will take their Persons, and all other their Concerns into His Royal Care and Protection: And doth seriously recommend to You, to fall upon Effectual Courses, for Suppressing those Seditious and Rebellious Coventicles, from whence proceed all Disorder and Confusion, and those Horrid and Extravagant Doctrines, which are a Scandal to Christianity, and a Subversion of all public and Private Interests.  
I am also to Declare to You in His Majesties Name, that it 〈◇〉 and was always His Intention, that Law should have its due Course, for the Security of His Subjects Properties and Rights; and that He will always discountenance all Courses contrary to, and inconsistent with the Laws of this Kingdom; none being so much concerned for their due Observance as Himself.  
And now He doth expect You will not be short of the Loyalty of your Ancestors, in vigorously asserting and clearing His Royal Prerogative, and in declaring the Rights of His Crown in its Natural and Legal course of Descent▪ and that You will take Care to settle and provide such seasonable and necessary Supplies, which the Support and Interest of His Government call for and require.  
And now I hope, that as the council have already begun to do their parts to promote the Trade of this Kingdom, that You will also do Yours, that at may Flourish.  
My Lords and Gentlemen, 
 A● the Inclination I h●d to serve and promote the Interest of 〈◇〉 Kingdom hath been the chief Inducement to His Majesty to ●ive Me thi● Opportunity to convince You of it, 〈…〉 may 〈…〉 do what becomes Me to satisfy You o● 〈…〉 th and I hope you will have that Consideration and Kindness for Me, as to enable Me to perform His Service.   

The Parliaments most Loyal and Dutiful Answer to His Majesties Letter.  
May it please Your Sacred Majesty,  
THe manifold sad Experiences of the fatal Mischiefs and Calamities which attend Rebellions, must needs in due proportion, dispose all Your Majesties Subjects to higher measures of Loyalty, more particularly Us in this Your Ancient Kingdom; being sensible that as we have a more special interest in Your Majesties Sacred Person and Family, so must we inevitably share the more deeply in all the Inconveniencies which may disturb or subvert Your Royal Government: And therefore as by our Allegiance we own it our Duty to be Obedient and Loyal to Your Majesty, and your Lawful Heirs and Successors, so Your Majesties extraordinary Kindness to such as have continued in their Duty, and Your wonderful Clemency( by Your repeated Indemnities) to such as have fallen from it, cannot but kindle in us strong and ardent desires to serve Your Majesty with all the Courage and Alacrity of which we are capable, and to let Your other Kingdoms and all the World see, that we esteem our Lives and Fortunes to be best employed in maintaining of the just Rights and Prerogatives of your Majesties Crown and Monarchy; the Native Succession whereof cannot be invaded without the utter Subversion of the Fundamental Laws of this your Majesties Ancient Kingdom: And this our Loyalty we esteem our alone Security to avoid those Confusions and that Slavery which distracted and ruined us in the last Age, and seemeth to threaten us so apparently in this.  
SIR, 
 Though some Rebellious and deluded People have disturbed your Majesties Government here, yet their Principles are so extravagant, and so few Persons of any Note or Quality are engaged with them, that we may justly hope their Crimes cannot be imputed to this Kingdom, whose Representatives in this your Majesties Parliament will, no less for their Vindication as to what is past, than for their own Security for the time coming, che●●fully provide suitable and sufficient Remedies; all of us being very sensible that those Distractions and Disorders would in the issue tend to the Dissolution, not only of your Majesties Government in Church and State, as the same is by Law Established, but even of all human Society.  
It is a great satisfaction to us, to find Your Majesty so concerned for the Protestant Religion, not only in your Gracious Letter to us, but in the whole Conduct of your Royal Government; and we shall with all Christian Care and Duty, endeavour to confirm it, so as it may become a solid and pious Support to your Royal Family and Monarchy, and a sure Fence in this disturbed and divided Church, against all the Usurpations and Disorders of Popery and Phanatischim; that so for the future the pretence of its Insecurity may not be made( as formerly) an Engine for carrying on disloyal Designs and Practices  
We offer our most humble and hearty Thanks to Your most Sacred Majesty for calling us together at this time, to consult jointly the Interests of your Majesties Government, and of your Subjects in this your Ancient Kingdom, which we trust shall never be divided: And therefore as the Prerogatives and just Rights of the Monarchy, are absolutely necessary for the defence of our Properties and Liberties, so in pursuance of our own Interest, and for further clearing of our Duty and Allegiance by positive Laws, we shall not fail to declare our humble and hearty acknowledgements of the just Rights and Prerogatives of your Imperial Crown in its Just, Native and Lineal Course of Descent, and to secure the just Rights and Liberties of your Subjects, so as may fully demonstrate our unalterable Resolutions never to depart from our Duty to your Royal Family, and your Lawful Heirs and Successors, to whom we are tied by so many sacred Obligations  
We do also with all humble gratitude acknowledge, the Grace and Honour done to this Kingdom, in naming Your Royal Brother to be your Majesties High Commissioner in this present Parliament; and indeed the beholding a Son of our Ancient Monarchs( under whom we and our Ancestors have been so long and happily Governed) in this Character, doth vigorously awaken in us the remembrance of our native Kindness and Obligation, as his just Temper and steady Equality in all our Concerns, cannot but extinguish in us all fears and jealousies of Severity or Partiality, his Interest being inseparable from your Majesties, and he being well acquainted with all our Concerns, and so affectionate to and careful of them, your Majesty may justly expect from a Parliament under the Conduct of such a Commissioner, all that can be judged necessary for the Honour and Support of your Royal Government and Authority, and for securing the just Rights and Liberties of your Subjects; and that, with all the Loyalty, Readiness, and Sincerity which can be expressed by Us.  
Edenburg, the 1st of August. 1681. Signed in Name and by Order of the Parliament, By Your Majesties most Humble, most Faithful, and most Obedient Subject and Servant, ATHOL, J. P. D. Par.   
FINIS.