His Majesties Letter to His Honourable Privy Council of Scotland, together with their Answer.
ON Thursday, the 17th Instant, His Majesties Gracious Letter to the Lords of His Majesties most Honourable Privy Council of this Kingdom was Read at the Board; After which their Lordships Unanimously Ordered, That His Majesties Royal Proclamation therein Enclosed, should be published here the next day, which was accordingly performed with great Solemnity and Demonstrations of Joy. The Copies of which Gracious Letter, together with the Councils dutiful Answer to His Majesty thereupon, do here follow.
His Majesties Letter to His Privy Council of Scotland.
Whereas by Our Letter of the 21st day of August last past, We were Graciously pleased to Inform you of Our Designs in order to the Ease of Our Roman Catholick Subjects, unto which We had your Dutiful Answer in some days thereafter; We have now thought fit to publish these Our Royal Intentions, and to give an Additional Ease to those of Tender Consciences, so to convince the World of Our Inclinations to Moderation, and to evidence that those of the Clergy who have been Regular, a [...]e Our most particular Care; though We have given some Ease to those whose Principles We can with any Safety trust: We have at the same time expressed Our highest Indignation against those Enemies of Christianity, as well as Government and Humane Society, The Field-Conventiclers, whom We recommend to you to Root out with all the Severities of Our Laws, and with the most vigorous Prosecution of Our Forces, it being equally Our, and Our People's concern, to be rid of them. As for the other Particulars of Our Royal Proclamation here inclosed, We doubt not but they will appear to you most just and reasonable, as they do to Us, and that you will in your respective Capacities assert, and defend Our Royal Rights and Prerogatives, which We are resolved to maintain in that Splendor and Greatness, which can only make them Safe for Us, Supports for Our Friends, and Terrors to Our Enemies. It is evident, We do not mean to incroach on the Consciences of any, and what We will not do, We are resolved not to suffer in others: And therefore it is Our Will and Pleasure, That these Our Commands be forth-with obeyed and that in order thereunto, this Our Proclamation be forth-with Printed and Published in the usual manner in such Cases accustomed; And if any shall be so bold as to shew any dislike of this Our Procedour, We desire to be informed thereof by you, To the end We may convince the World that We are in Earnest, assuring All, That as We expect Obedience therein, and a Readiness from you and all Our Judicatures to assert Our Rights, so it shall be Our Care on all Occasions to shew Our Royal Favours to all of you in General, and to every one in Particular. For doing all these things as well contained in this Our Letter, as in Our Proclamation aforesaid, These Presents shall be to you, and all others respectively who may be therein any way concerned, a sufficient Warrant. And so We bid you Heartily Farewell.
The Answer of the Lords of the Council to His Majesties Letter.
YOur Majesties Commands are Exactly Obeyed; Your Royal Proclamation is Printed and Published, by which Your Majesty hath given a farther Evidence of your Favour and Goodness to all Your Subjects. And we are hopeful, that by Your Majesties extraordinary Acts of Mercy to some, who have been too ready on many Occasions to abuse the Clemency of Your Royal Predecessors, they will be at last convinced what they owe to so Gracious a King; And if any shall be still so obstinate as to make any wrong Use of Your Majesties Goodness, We do Unanimously assure Your Majesty, That we will maintain and assert Your Royal Prerogatives and Authority with the hazard of our Lives and Fortunes; And all of us shall in our several Capacities do our Utmost, that Your Government may be easie to all whom Your Majesty thinks worthy of Your Protection.
We are very willing that Your Majesties Subjects who are Peaceable and Loyal, may be at Ease and Security, notwitstanding of their Profession and Private Worship, and do conceive that such of them as are or shall be employed by Your Majesty in Offices of Trust Civil or Military, are sufficiently secured by Your Majesties Authority and Commission for their exercing the same.
We return Your Majesty our most humble Thanks for giving Us Your Royal Word for maintaining the Church and our Religion as it is now Established by Law, and rest satisfied, believing Your Majesties Promise to be the best and greatest Security we can have. We are,
- The Earl of Perth Lord High Chancellor,
- the Lord Archbishop of St. Andrews,
- the Lord Archbishop of Glasgow Elect,
- the Lord Marquis of Athole Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal,
- the Duke of Gordon,
- the Lord Marquis of Douglas,
- the Earl of Linlithgow,
- the Earl of Dumfermling,
- the Earl of Strathmore,
- the Earl of Lauderdale,
- the Earl of Southesque,
- the Earl of Traquair,
- the Earl of Airlie,
- the Earl of Belcarres,
- the Lord Viscount of Tarbat,
- the Lord Viscount of Strathallan,
- the Lord Livingstoun,
- the Lord Kinnaird,
- Sir George Lockhart of Carnwarth Lord President of the Session,
- Sir John Dalrymple younger of Stair Lord Advocat,
- Sir James Foulis of Colinton Lord Justice Clerk,
- Sir John Lockhart of Castlehill one of the Senators of the Colledge of Justice,
- Lieutenant General James Douglas,
- Sir Andrew Ramsay of Abbotshall,
- Major General John Graham of Claverhouse, and Andrew Wachop of Nidry.
And His Majesties said Privy Council having Ordered, That the said Letter should afterwards be Signed by such of the Counsellors as were not then present; It was accordingly Signed at Westminster by the Earl of Morray, and the Earl of Melfort, Principal Secretaries of State for the said Kingdom, the Earl of Arran, the Earl of Drumlangrig, the Earl of Wintoun, the Ea [...] [...] Seafort, the Earl of Ancrum, and the Earl of Dumbarton.
Printed a [...] [...]ndon, and Re-printed at Edinburgh by the Heir of Andrew [...]nderson, Printer to His most Sacred Majesty, 1687.