Forasmuch, as albeit by the Fundamental Laws of all Monarchies, the power of Arms is Lodged in the King, and the rising in Arms be punishable as Treason; and that the Estates of Parliament of this Kingdom, reflecting with horror upon the great confusions and distempers, and the execrable rebellion of the last Age, occasioned by the unwarrantable rising in Arms against Our Royal Father of blessed Memory, whereby, not only the Royal Government was endeavoured to be overturned, but the Properties and Liberties of the Subjects destroyed, under the specious, but false pretext of Religion and Conscience; Did by the first Act of Our first Parliament, Declare, that it should be high Treason to the Subjects of this Kingdom, or any number of them, more or less, upon any ground or pretext whatsoever, to rise or continue in Arms, without Our special Warrant and Authority first interpon'd thereto; and by the second Act of the second Session of that same Parliament, they likewise Declar'd, that if any Person or Persons, should Levy, Warr, or take up any Arms against Us, or any Commissionated by Us, they should be declared and adjudged Traitors, and should suffer forefeiture of Life, Honour, Lands and Goods, as in cases of High-Treason: Yet We being always most desirous to essay all means of Clemency, for correcting such of Our Subjects as could be any ways reclaimable, Have not hitherto put those Acts into such execution as the disorders and irregularities of some of Our Subjects did require, hoping their going to Field-meetings, those Rendevouzes of Rebellion with Arms, might have proceeded meerly from Custome, or mistake; But now finding by the frequent opposition made in Arms to Our Forces, acting in Our Name, the invading of Our Officers, and the exciting others to go to such Meetings in Arms, upon design to oppose Our Forces, that such as frequent these Meetings, do go there in Arms upon a criminal and treacherous design, which grows to that same proportion that We use Clemency: And We being desirous that none of Our Subjects should be led in a snare by Our former Lenity, and to the end their condign punishment according to these Laws, may be the more justly chargeable upon the obduredness, and obstinacy of the Offenders; Have therefore, with advice of the Lords of Our Privy Council, after mature deliberation, thought fit to Declare, that We will hereafter order the Judges of Our respective Judicatures, and the Officers of all Our Forces, to proceed against all such who go with any Arms to those Field-meetings, as Traitors. And least that any of Our Subjects may pretend, by the just rigor We will use against such as do go to Conventicles in Arms, that We resolve to slacken Our prosecution of other Field Conventicles; We have therefore thought fit, to require all Our Judges and Officers to put Our Laws and former Commands in vigorous Execution, even against those who frequent these Field-meetings without Arms; We being fully convinced both by reason and experience, that those meetings do certainly tend to the ruine and reproach of the Christian Religion and Discipline, to the introduction of Popery and Heresie, the subversion of Monarchy, and the contempt of all Laws and Government. Our Will is herefore, and We charge you straitly, and Command, that incontinent, these Our Letters seen, ye pass to the Mercat Cross of Edinburgh, and other Head-Burghs of the several Shires of this Kingdom, and thereat, in Our Name and Authority, by open Proclamation, make publication of the Premisses, that none pretend ignorance.