THE King's Majesties GRACIOUS LETTER TO HIS PARLIAMENT, Conveened at EDINBURGH, the twelfth of November, 1673.
WITH HIS GRACE the Duke of Lauderdale, His MAJESTIES High Commissioner, His Speech to the PARLIAMENT, after the reading of the Letter.
By His Majesties special Command.
EDINBƲRGH, Printed by Andrew Anderson, Printer to the King's most Excellent MAjESTY, Anno Dom. 1673.
THE KINGS Majesties GRACIOUS LETTER To His Parliament conveened at Edinburgh, the twelfth of November, 1673.
At the opening of the last Session of this Parliament, We did acquaint you how, and upon what grounds, We were ingadged in a very just and necessary Warre against the States Generall of the United Provinces; to the end you might consider your own security, as well as Our honor and interest; and that you might provide fitting remedies against all accidents that might befal that Kingdom, through this occasion: and you did then cheerfully raise such a summe as might probably provide against any suddain Invasion or intestine [Page 4]Commotion; For which We return you Our hearty thanks. And seing the War doth still continue, We have thought fit to send the Duke of Lauderdale Our Commissioner for keeping this Session of Parliament, at the day to which We did many moneths ago adjourn it. He will acquaint you how We have, by Our Ambassadors at Cologne, used all possible endeavours for attaining a just and honourable Peace, and what hath been the insolence and stubbornness of Our Enemies, who have never yet made any step towards Peace; So that We are necessitate to continue the War for Our own honour, the maintenance of Our just rights, and the protection of all Our Subjects; wherein VVe nothing doubt the hearty concurrence of you and of all Our Kingdoms. But one of the principal reasons of keeping this Session of Parliament, is, to the end effectual courses may be laid down for curbing and punis [...]ing the insolent Field-conventicles and other seditious practices which have, since your last Session, too much abounded. You are Our witnesses what Indulgences We have given, and with what lenity VVe have used such dissenters as would be peaceable, and bow much Our favours have been abused. You have made many good Laws, but still they have failed in the execution against the contemners of the Law: VVe must now therefore, once for all, lay down such solide and effectual courses, as the whole Kingdom may see, that VVe and you are both in earnest; And that, if fairnesse will not, Force must compell the refractory to be peaceable and obey the Law.
VVe have had frequent experience of your affection to Our service upon several occasions, and therefore [Page 5]VVe are confident you will eminently do your duty in this which doth so much concern Our Authority, and your own peace and quyetness. VVe leave the wayes and means to your own wisdom, and VVe do expect that you will lay down such solide grounds, and take such effectual wayes, as may put an end to those disorders, and evidence to the world that Our ancient Kingdom of Scotland is at quyet, and united to Ʋs. VVe have instructed Our Commissioner fullie in this, and all things relating to Our service and your advantage; and he can well inform you of Our constant affection to, and care of, all the concerns of that Our Kingdom: which consideration, at this time, hath made us dispence with him here, when his service was so useful to Ʋs. VVe need not again repeat that which VVe have so often said of his great sufferings for Ʋs, and great services that he hath, for many years, done to Ʋs; And therefore you shall give him entire trust, as VVe have hitherto done in all things; Knowing, We could not have pitched upon any that is more faithful to Our service, or that is a greater lover of your good and tranquillity, which maketh Ʋs not doubt a happy result to this Session. And so We bid you heartily farewell.
His Grace The Duke of LAUDERDALE, HIS MAJESTIES High Commissioner, His Speech to the Parliament, the twelfth of November, 1673.
LAst time I had the honor to serve the King in this Place, I did, by His Majesties command, acquaint you with the grounds, and motives of His ingaging in this so inavoydable a Warre against the States General of the United Provin [...] For securing His Kingdom against them who would have made us long ere now have felt what was then only foreseen, if by Gods good Providence and the Kings Wisdome this Warre had not beer made.
I did at that time recommend to you to consider His honor, His interest and your own security, (which are certainly most inseparable) and to lay down such reall and effectuall wayes, That the Forces of this Kingdom might be supplyed to serve His Majesty upon occasions, to be a terror to His enemies, and a security to this His Kingdom. You then did most cheerfully raise such a Sum as might probably provide against any Forraign invasion, or intestine commotion the Enemy could raise here; For which His Majesty does again return you His hearty thanks. He hath not diverted any of it from the ends for which it was granted; And so great were His Navall preparations, together with His Landforces, this last Summer, That He had great reason to have expected a just and reasonable Peace: But such hath been the insolent stubbornness of His Enemies, that He is disappointed of that hope.
Therefore He did command me to keep this Session of Parliament at this day, to which it was many moneths ago adjourned: And, as He acquainted you with the motives of the War; So, to [Page 7]let you know how He hath used all means possible for ending it, The Sweds, who are the Mediators, proposed a Treaty, His Majesty accepted it, and offered Dunkirk as the most convenient place for all that were concerned in the War to Treat in: But the Enemy refused it, though His Majesty had Treated with them at their own Town of Breda, during the last War. The Mediators proposed a Cessation of Armes before any ingagement, last Summer: His Majesty agreed to it; but the Enemy insolently refused it also: And the King accepted of the City of Cologne proposed by the Enemy for the Place of Treaty. Thither He sent His Plenipotentiaries with reasonable proposalls; and those He did so moderat, that the Mediators declared they were not reasonably to be refused: Yet the Enemy have been so very averse to peace, that they would never declare what would satisfie them, nor so much as answer any proposall made by the Mediators for the King or His Allies: Nay, such was their insolency, that they gave in Papers stuffed with such unhandsome language, that the Mediators were ashamed and refused to shew them: Therefore the King is forced to continue the War, for His own honor, the maintenance of His just Rights, and the protection of all His Subjects: Wherein He doubts not of the hearty concurrence of this and of all His Kingdoms.
Another main reason of keeping this Session of Parliament, is, to joyn with you, in taking such effectuall course for curbing, and punishing insolent Field-conventicles, and other seditious Practices, as that the good Laws you have made may receive due obedience, and that Peace and Order may be preserved in this Kingdom.
The Wayes and Means for this good End He leaves to your wisdome, not doubting of the same care and affection to His service in this, which he hath found all along from you.
And whereas the malicious tongues of the disaffected may still bespatter His Majesty and His Government with slanders and false suggestions, I am again particularly commanded to renew to you the fullest assurance of His Majesties most constant continuance in His firm and unalterable resolutions to maintain the true reformed Protestant Religion, and the Government of this Church by Arch-Bishops and Bishops against Popery and Separation. And I am fully Authorized to all such further Acts as you shall think convenient for the quieting the minds of peaceable People, for preventing the increase of Popery or Schisme, and by all good means securing the true reformed Religion and the Peace of this Church.
I am likewise fully impowered to give His Majesties Royall assent to such good Laws as you shall offer, for increasing of Trade, the improving of Manufacture, or any way promoving the good of this Kingdom: So that I doubt not, by Gods blessing, and your wisdom, of as happie an end of this, as I have seen in former Sessions of Parliament.