Forasmuch as We and Our Royal Ancestours, have always made it Our chief Care to preserve Religion in its purity, and to see the Almighty God (from whom alone We derive Our Power) Worshipped in Our Dominions, with that profound Submission and Reverence, which is due to His Great and Holy Name, knowing that Sincerity in Religion is the surest Foundation of Obedience to Us, and Unanimity in it, is the firmest Band of Peace and Concord among Our Subjects: And We having of late found, that the Bloody, as well as Idolatrous Principles of the Papists, have incited these of that Profession, to contrive Plots against Our Royal Person, and Alterations in the Government of Our Kingdoms, to the Subversion of the Pro­testant Religion, which is (through God's infinite Goodness) established by Law, and of the Civil Rights and Prerogatives of Our Crown, endeavouring to enslave Us, Our Subjects and Our Consciences, to the Pope and See of Rome, notwithstanding of the great Clemency shown by Us to them, since God Re­stored Us to Our Government, under which they have abundantly tasted of the Fruits of that Peace, which We have procured to Our Subjects by Our Royal Care: And yet We being ever unwilling to punish such as may be reclaimed, or to surprize even such as are irreclameable, Have therefore, with Advice of Our Privy Council, thought fit, hereby to Command all Jesuits and other Priests, or Trafficking Papists, to Depart forth of this Our Kingdom, betwixt and the first day of March next; with Certification, that all such Jesuits, Priests, and Trafficking Papists, as shall be found within this Our Kingdom after that day, shall be proceeded against Criminally, conform to the 120. Act of the 12, Parl. of K. James the 6. Whereby they, and such as Ressett them, are declared guilty of, and made lyable to the pains of Treason; and that We will put the Laws in Execution, which are made by Us and Our Predecessours, against Sayers and Hearers of Masse. And to the end, that Our Faithful and Orthodox Subjects, may be secured against the dreadfull Effects of such blind and bloody Zeal, as concludes nothing a Crime which may enlarge that Sect, or advance that Profession. We do hereby Command and Charge all Papists, of what quality soever, within this Our Kingdom, To deliver up (upon Oath) their Arms of all sorts to the Sheriffs, Stewarts, Lords of Regality, and Magistrates of Burghs, within whose Juris­diction they live, and that betwixt and the respective dayes following, viz. These on the South side of the Water of Esk, betwixt and the twenty day of February; and these on the North side of the said Water, betwixt and the twenty day of March next: Certifying them, if they shall be found to have any Arms, after the dayes foresaid respective, they shall be proceeded against with all Rigor, as Contemners of Our Authority: Ordaining hereby our saids Sheriffs, and other Magistrates foresaid, to search for Arms suspect to be undelivered, belonging to Papists in any houses or places suspected, and to seize upon and secure the same; As also in their several Bounds to search for, take, and apprehend, all such Jesuits, Priests, and Trafficking Papists, as shall be found therein after the day foresaid, and to commit them to the next convenient and sure Prison, therein to remain, till they receive due punishment according to Law, as it is appointed by the 8. Act of the 1. Session of Our 1. Parliament: And to return to Our Council an Exact Account of their Diligence in the Premisses, betwixt and the days following, viz. These on the South-side of the said Water of Esk, betwixt and the first Thursday of March; and these on the North side of the said Water of Esk, betwixt and the first Thursday of April next, as they will be answerable at their highest perill. And further, We do hereby Command all the Judges, in Our respective Judicatures, that they suffer none to bear any publick Office, nor be admitted Procura­tor, Notar, or Member of Court, as also that the Officers of our standing Forces and Militia, permit none to bear Arms under Us, unless they profess the True Reformed Protestant Religion, establisht within this Our Realm, conform to the 5. Act of the 1. Parl. of King James the 6. And we hereby disscharge all Our Nobility, and others, to send their Children abroad with Pedagogues or Governours to be bred in Forraign Kingdoms, unless they have Testimonials from the Bishop of the Diocess, and that at their Return, the saids Children go to the Bishop, and give him an Account of the Confession of their Faith; discharging their Parents, if they turn Papists, to entertain or fur­nish them after their perversion, unless with as much as may bring them home under the pains and penalties exprest in the 71 Act of the 6. Parl. of K. James the 6. And in the first Act of the 16. Parl. of K. James the 6. viz. Every Earl contraveening, five thousand pounds Scots; Every Lord, five thousand Merks; Every Baron, three thousand Merks; And for preventing of which Errors in the rising Generations, We Ordain the Lords of Our Privy Council to take from Popish Parents and Tutors, all their children or pupills, and to commit their Education to such well affect­ed and Religious Friends, as We or they shall name, conforme to the 9. Act of the 1. Session of Our first Parliament: And to the end all Our good Subjects may unanimously joyne, not only in Hearing the Word of GOD, but in participating His Holy Sacraments, We do hereby revive that excellent Statute, made by Our Royal Grand-Father, in the 17. Act of His 16. Parl. whereby it is Statute and Ordain'd, That all the Sub­jects of this Realme shall communicate once every year; And that if any shall abstain upon any pretence or excuse whatsoever, they being by their Pastors thereto required, that they shall pay the penalties mentioned in the said Act, viz. Every Earl so oft as he contraveens, one thousand pounds Scots; Every Lord, one thousand Merks; Every Baron, five hundred pounds; Every Free-holder, three hundred Merks; Every Yeoman, fourty pounds; and every Burgess according as We and Our Privy Council shall modifie: Requiring hereby all Our Judges and Magistrates in their respective Jurisdictions, to put the foresaid Act in Execution against all persons, of what profession soever, conforme to the Words as well as the meaning of the Act it self; and which We the rather do at this time, because many of the Romish Church do delude and abuse Our people, under the profession of some one or other of those who refuse to conforme to the worship in this Reformed Church, as it is presently establish'd by Law: And We being desirous that the Papists within this Our Realm, may be either Convinced or Convicted, do require and Command them betwixt and the twenty day of March next, to appear before the Archbishops or Bishops of their respective Diocesses, and give satisfaction to them after con­ference, and obtain Testimonials thereupon; and in case they failzie to appear [...] and give satisfaction as said is, The Archbishops or Bishops are hereby Ordained to take up lists of the whole Papists within their Bounds, and to mark particularly who of them are Excommunicate, and who not, (who of them having been bred up in the true Reformed Religion, or having professed the same) have made Defection, and to report the saids Lists to Our Council, betwixt and the first Thursday of April next; with Certification to such Papists as shall not give Satisfaction as said is, Letters shall be direct against them to compear before Our privy Council, to produce Testimonials of their Satisfaction, under the pain of Rebellion. [...] they failzie they shall be denounced Our Rebels, and not only their [...]veable Goods, but the Liferent of whatsoever their Lands, Rooms, possessions, and others belonging to them, shall pertain to us as Escheat, and [...] intrometted with, and disponed upon as We shall think good, We being fully resolved, to proceed to greater Degrees of Rigor against such as being bred up in the true reformed Religion, or having professed the same, have suffered themselves to be deluded by, or have thrown themselves into that dangerous Heresie: And we do declare, that neither the saids Papists who shall be denounced in manner, and for the cause foresaid, shall enjoy their Lands, Rents, or Revenues, either by themselves di­rectly, or by any others covertly, or indirectly for their behoove; But that the [...]me shall be intrometted with for Our Use; and appoints the Rolls of all Excommunicate Papists to be printed, divulged, and affixed upon the Session-house of Edinburgh, and other publick places of Judge­ment, Discharging hereby all the Judges of the respective Judicatures, to permit any contained in that List, to pursue or bear witness in any Cause or Process, till they be reconciled to the Church, and produce a Testimonial thereof as aforesaid, conforme to the 45. Act of the 1. Parl. and the third Act of the 20. Parl. of King James the sixth. OUR WILL is therefore, and We Charge you strictly, and Command, that inconti­nent, these Our Letters seen, ye pass to the Mercat Cross of Edinburgh, and the Mercat Crosses of the head Burghes of the respective Shires of this Kingdom; and thereat, by open Proclamation, make publication of the Pre [...]isses: And We Ordain these presents to be printed, that none pretend Ignorance.

GOD save the KING.