CHARLES the Second, by the Grace of GOD, King of Scotland, England, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. To all and ſundry Our good Subjects whom theſe preſents do or may concern, Greeting: We having, with the advice and conſent of Our Parliaments, paſt ſo many Acts in favours of the Proteſtant Religion, againſt Field-Conventicles, whereby our Subjects were withdrawn from publick Ordinances, in ſuch ways as expoſed them to hear Jeſuits, or any other Irregular Preachers, and were at laſt debauched to meet with Arms informed Rebellions; We might have expected a moſt hearty concurrence from all ſuch as reſolved to live to live Religiouſly and Peaceably in ſuppreſſing thoſe Diſorders: In place whereof Magiſtrates having by their negligence, and Maſters by their connivance, hightned thoſe Diſtempers into a formed Rebellion, founded upon Extravagancies, inconſiſtent with the Proteſtant Religion and Our Monarchy; Which, We having by the Mercy of God, and the Affection of Our Subjects, overcome s;o totally, that Our Clemency cannot be lyable to any miſ-conſtruction: We have therefore thought fit, with the Advice of Our Privy Council, to recommend the vigorous Execution of all Our former Laws and Proclamations againſt ſuch Rendezvouzes of Rebellion; Commanding hereby Our Judges, Magiſtrates and Officers of all Ranks and Degrees to apprehend, condemn and puniſh all ſuch as frequent any Field-conventicles, the Miniſters by Death, and the Hearers by Fining, and otherways according to the preſcript of Our Laws; ſuch as bear Arms there, being to be demained as Traitors, conform to Our former Proclamation, dated the 13. day of May laſt, and ordaining that all Maſters ſhall be lyable for preſenting ſuch of their Tennants, and ſuch live upon their Ground to underly the Law in Our Juſtice-airs, conform to the ſixth Act, Par. third James the fifth. As alſo, We moſt peremptorily Command all in Office under Us, to proſecute with all legal Rigor, thoſe Inhumane and Execrable Murderers of the late Arch-biſhop of St. Andrews, and all ſuch as have had acceſſion thereto, by concealing or reſſetting the Aſſaſſinates. But We, being deſirous to reclaim all ſuch in that Our ancient Kingdom, as have been miſled by Ignorance, or blind Zeal (the pretexts of Diſorders) and to convince all indifferent Perſons, that too great ſeverity is as far from Our Deſign, as Our Inclinations, have according to the Power reſerved to Us, by the fifth Act, and ſecond Seſſion of Our ſecond Parliament, ſuſpended the Execution of all Laws and Acts againſt ſuch as frequent Houſe-conventicles in the Low Countreys on the South-ſide of the River of Tay only: Excepting always the Town of Edinburgh, and two Miles round about the ſame, with the Lordſhips of Muſſelburgh and Dalkeith, the Cities of St. Andrews and Glaſgow, and Stirling, and a Mile about each of them; being fully reſolved, not to ſuffer the Seat of Our Government, nor Our Univerſities to be peſtred with any irregularities whatſoever. And for a further evidence of Our Protection to all who reſolve to live peaceably, We hereby ſuſpend all Diligences for Fines upon the account of Conventicles, except ſuch Fines as are impoſed by Our Privy Council, and ſuch Fines of Inferiour Judicatures, as were uplifted or tranſacted for, prior to the 29. of May laſt, and all Letters of Intercommuning, and other Executions, except in ſo far as concerns thoſe who were Our actual Servants, or in Publick Truſt. But to the end, that none whom We may juſtly ſuſpect, ſhall under the colour of this Favour, continue to Preach Rebellion, Schiſm and Hereſie; We hereby Ordain all ſuch as ſhall be ſuffered to Preach, to have their Names given in, and ſurety found to Our Privy Council for their peaceable behaviour, only one Preacher being allowed to a Paroch; and none to be allowed who have appeared againſt Us in this late Rebellion, nor none who ſhall be admitted by the Un-conform Miniſters in any time hereafter: Aſſuring all thoſe to whom We have extended this Favour, that if they or any of them, ſhall for the future frequent any Field-conventicles, or diſturb the Peace of theſe Our Kingdoms, We will ſecure Our People, and maintain Our Authority and Laws by ſuch effectual courſes, as in ruining the Authors, cannot be thought rigid, after ſo inſufferable and unneceſſary Provocations. This Our forberance being to continue in Force only during Our Royal Pleaſure, as We ſhall ſee thoſe Diſſenters deſerve Our favour. And to the end, all Our good Subjects may have notice of this Our Royal Will and Pleaſure, We do hereby Command Our Lyon King at Arms, and his Brethren Heraulds, Macers, Purſevants, Meſſengers at Arms, to make Proclamation hereof, at the Mercat-Croſs of Edinburgh.