Foraſmuch, as ſeveral Inſolent, and Deſperat Rebels, having frequently refuſed the reiterated Offers of Our Clemency, have of late aſſociated themſelves under a pretended Form of Government, in Societies, Fellowſhips, &c. and have in their Meetings at laſt pulled off the Mask, under which they formerly endeavoured to Diſguiſe their Bloody and Execrable Principles, and openly and avowedly declared in a late Treaſonable Paper, emitted by them, and affixt at ſeveral Paroch Churches; (Intituled, The Apologetical Declaration, and Admonitory Vindication of the true Presbyterians of the Church of Scotland, eſpecially anent Intelligencers and Informers) That they have diſowned Us and Our Authority, and have declared War againſt Us; and from that do infer, that it is not only lawful, but a Duty upon them, to Kill and Murder all who do any manner of way Serve Us, or bear Charge under Us, or who do aſſiſt Our Judicatures, or Forces, in the Execution of Our Laws (Principles inconſiſtent with all Government and Society, and tending to the Deſtruction of the Lives of Our Loyal and Honeſt Subjects) Therefore We, with advice of the Lords of Our Privy Council, Do hereby Ordain, That whoſoever ſhall own the ſaid moſt Execrable and Treaſonable Declaration, or Aſſaſſinations thereinmentioned, and the Principles therein-ſpecified, or whoſoever ſhall refuſe to diſown the ſame, in ſo far as it declares a War againſt His Sacred Majeſty, and aſſerts that it is lawful to kill ſuch as Serve in Church, State, Army, or Countrey, ſhall be Try'd, and Executed to the Death; And furder, We hereby Require and Command, all Our Good Subjects, eſpecially theſe Dwelling in the Southern and Weſtern Shires of this Our ancient Kingdom, beſouth the River of Tay, that they be ready upon all occaſions, to concur with Our Magiſtrates and Officers, in ſeeking, ſearching, and apprehending; and that they, and each of them do their outmoſt endeavour, to ſeek, ſearch, delate, and apprehend any who ſhall own the ſaid Apologetical Declaration, and the Treacherous and Aſſaſſinating Principles therein-mentioned, or refuſe to diſown the ſame, as ſaid is; Certifying them, if they fail herein, they ſhall be proceeded againſt, for their ſaid Colluſion and Connivance, with the outmoſt ſeverity of Our Laws: As alſo, that when they are Required, they ſhall actually concur to keep and ſecure (as Priſoners) the ſaids Rebels, when they are taken; and to ſearch for, and drive away their Goods, when Required by thoſe Commiſſionated by Us. And ſince theſe Rebels, after Declaring their Helliſh Intentions, for the better performance of their miſchievous Deſigns, do lurk in ſecret, and are never diſcerned, but in the Acts of their horrid Aſſaſſinations, and paſſing up and down unknown amongſt Our Loyal Subjects, take opportunity to Murder and Aſſaſſinat, and it being neceſſary to provide a Remedy againſt ſo imminent a danger, which cannot be ſo well done, as when the good are differenced from the bad by Diſcriminating Signs; and leaſt conſtant Inqueries may occaſion a continual trouble, even to Our good Subjects; Therefore as a Remedy for theſe Inconveniences, We Declare it to be Our Royal Will and Pleaſure; and We hereby Command and Require, all Our Subjects within this Our ancient Kingdom, both Men and Women, paſt the age of ſixteen years, not to preſume to Travel, without Teſtificats of their Loyalty, and good Principles, which they are to have in manner following. And We hereby Command all Heretors, Liferenters, and Wodſetters; and in their abſence, their Factors and Chamberlains, to Convocat all the Inhabitants upon their Lands, in every reſpective Paroch, ad to bring them before any of Our Privy Counſellors, or Our Commiſſioners appointed by Our Council, in the Shires and bounds underwritten, viz. Lanerk, Renſnv, Air, Dumbartoun, Stirling, Nithiſdale, and Stewartry of Annandale, Wigtoun, and Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, Berwick, Selkirk, Fife, and Kinroſs, Mid, Weſt, and Eaſt Lothians, and Bathgate, (including Our City of Edinburgh, with the Suburbs, and Liberties thereof,) and Bounds betwixt Spey and Neſs, (including Strath-Spey, and Abernethy) or any three of them, or before the Sheriffs of the Shire, where there are no ſuch Commiſſion, to deliver to them, an exact Liſt of the Names of all their Inhabitants; and the Maſter and all the Inhabitants, ſhall in ſolemn manner in preſence of the ſaids Commiſſioners, take the following Oath: To wit,

I A. B. Do hereby abhore, renounce, and diſown, in preſence of the Almighty God, the pretended Declaration of War, lately affixed at ſeveral Paroch Churches in ſo far as it declares a War againſt His Sacred Majesty, and aſſerts that it is lawful to Kill ſuch as Serve His Majeſty in Church, State, Army, or Countrey.

And ſuch as can ſubſcrive, are to ſubſcrive the ſame on a large Sheet of Paper for every Paroch, and on performance thereof, the ſaids Commiſſioners are hereby ordained to deliver to every ſuch perſon a Teſtificate of the tenor following, to wit: We A. B. &c. Do by theſe teſtifie and declare that C. in the Paroch of D. did compear before us, and on his, or her ſolemn Oath, before Almighty God, did abjure and renounce the late Traiter of is Apologetical Declaration in ſo far as it declares War againſt His Majeſty, and aſſerts, that it is lawful to kill ſuch as ſerve His Majeſty in Church, State, Army, or Countrey.

Which Teſtificate we declare is to ſerve for a free Paſs to all who have the ſame for all timethereafter, and ſhall preſerve them from all moleſtation and trouble in going about their Affairs; and if it ſhall happen any of the ſaids Teſtificats: to be loſt by the perſons who receive the ſame, that they are to have them renewed by theſe who firſt granted them, and the Miniſters of the reſpective Paroches; Certifying hereby all ſuch who ſhall adventure to travel without a Teſtificate in manner foreſaid, that they ſhall be holden and uſed as Concurrers with the foreſaids excerable Rebels, and as guilty of the foreſaid treaſonable Declaration, and acceſſory to the deſigns therein. And to the effect this Our Will and Pleaſure may be made knowen to all concerned, We hereby Require and Command all Our Sheriffs, and Magiſtrats of Our Royal Burrows reſpective, to cauſe intimate the ſame at all the Paroch Churches within this Kingdom, upon the Lords day, after Divine Service, and that with all poſſible diligence. And that the Heretors, Liferenters, and Wodſetters in every Paroch, give in their foreſaids Liſt before the regular incumbent Miniſter, and ſuch a perſon or perſons as ſhall be appointed by the Sheriff and Stewart of each Shire and Stewartry, within the ſpace of fifteen days after the ſaid intimation at the Paroch Churches reſpectivè; And in caſe it ſhall happen any to be abſent from their R • ſidences at that time upon lawful occaſion, their Maſter ſhall take a competent day to produce them, conform to the diſtance of the place; and all who are otherways abſent, and for whom their Maſters will not engage in manner foreſaid, ſhall be conſidered as Fugitives, their Families ſeized on in order to their Tranſportation, and their Goods inventar'd and ſecur'd; And it is hereby declared, that the Maſter ſhall be anſwerable that none of the Goods of the ſaids perſons be taken off the Ground until thoſe employed by us ſhall intromit with them: And if any of theſe who compear ſhall own the ſaid Traiterous Declaration, and the principles and practices therein aſſerted, or ſhall refuſe to diſown the ſame in manner above-preſcrived, the ſaids Commiſſioners are hereby required inſtantly to ſecure and apprehend their perſons, and carry them to the next Burgh, Sheriff, Bailiff of Regality, or any of Our Forces w • o are neareſt; and any who ſhall receive them, are hereby Required to carry them to the ſureſt Priſon next adjacent, there to be kept, till Our Council be acquainted therewith and give order therein; and the Apprehenders are hereby impowered to call to their A •… ance, ſuch of Our Lieges as they ſhall think fit, for executing of Our Commands; And if any ſhall refuſe to concur, We Declare, they are to be holden as Concurrers with, and Aſſiſters of theſe Rebels; And that if any Heretor, Liferenter, or Wodſetter ſhall fail in doing as aforeſaid, they ſhall be holden as guilty of the foreſaids Crimes, and purſued and puniſhed accordingly: And we do hereby ſtrictly prohibite and diſcharge all Our Leiges whither to Burgh or Land, as well all other Houſe-keepers, as Hoſtler-houſes, Inn-keepers, and other Houſes of common, reſet, to harbour, lodge, or entertain any perſon whatſomever, unleſs they have ſuch Certificates as is above preſcrived under the pain of being puniſhed as Reſetters of, and Intercommuners with Rebels. And for further ſecurity and prevention of Fraud, It is hereby Required, that the uſers and havers of the foreſaids Teſtificates, ſhall be holden and oblig'd to ſwear, that theſe Teſtificates are true and unforg'd Teſtificates, and that they are the perſons mentioned and expreſs'd in them, if the ſame ſhall be required of them. And Finally, for the encouragement of ſuch as ſhall diſcover any of the ſaids Traitors and Aſſaſſins, or any who have been any wayes in acceſſion to the ſaid Traiterous and Damnable Paper, or to the publiſhing and ſpreading of the ſame, as ſaid is, or to have been a Member of the ſaids pretended Societies and Fellowſhips, &c. We hereby declare and enſure to them, and every one of them, who ſhall diſcover any of theſe Aſſaſſinats, or pretended Members, a Reward of the ſum of five hundred Merks Scots for each of them who ſhall be diſcovered, ſo as to be apprehended, and found guilty. And to the effect, that all Our Lieges may have notice of Our Pleaſure in the Premiſſes; 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 remanent Mercat Croſſes of the whole Head Burghs of the Shires of this Kingdom, and there, in Our Name and Authority, by open Proclamation, make publication of theſe Preſents, that all perſons concerned may give exact and punctual obedience thereunto, as they will be anſwerable at their higheſt peril. And We Ordain theſe Preſents to be Printed.