In the Parliament holden at Edinburgh, the eleventh day of Iun. 1640 yeares the Estates of Parliament Presently conveened, by his Majesties speciall authority, Considering that whereas, after many petitions and supplycations given in and presently to his Majestie, and the Lords of his secret councell, by divers of the No­bility, Barrons, and Burgesses of this Kingdome, for granting a free Generall Assembly, and Parliament, for reforming of many great abuses, and novations, tending to the overthrow of the true reformed Religion, and undoing of this Kirk. and Kingdom de­vised and brought in by the late pretended Bishops, who by their subtile practises, during his Majesties absence, thir many years, had iugrost in their persons all the Ecclesiastick, and civill power of this his Maiesties ancient and native Kingdome, it was gran­ted by his Majestie, out of his Royall Iustice, and accorded by the Articles of pacification, madeat his Majesties Camp in the moneth [Page 2]of Jun. 1639 yeares, last past, that a free generall assembly, and Parliament, should be indicted by his Majesty, and that all matters Ecclesiasticall should bee determined by the assemblies of the Kirke: and matters civill, by Parliaments, and other inferiour Iudicatories, establisht by Law, and that according thereunto, his Majestie did indict an Assembly to be held at Edinburgh, the twelfth of August, and a Parliament for ratifying the Conclusi­ons of the same Assembly, and setting downe such other thing, as might conduce to the peace and good of the Kingdome, To be holden at Edinburgh the twenty fixt of August last by-past: in the which assembly, the matters concerning the purity of the true reformed Religion, and peace of this Kirke, after great debaite, delayes, and protracting of time, made by Iohn, Earle of Traquair his Majesties Commissioner, being at length concluded upon the [...] day of August, 1639 yeares, The Parliament sitting downe immediately thereafter, upon the penult day of the said month of August the ratifications of the Conclusions of the same assembly and many other matters of great importance, conducing necessarly to the setling of the peace, of this Kingdome, being proponed in Parliament, were like wayes shifted and delayed, and the closing of the Parliament, protracted from time to time, unto the [...] day of November, last by past: at the which time, the said John Earle of Traquaire did take upon him without the consent of the Estates, to prorogat the foresaid Parliament to the second day of Iune instant, not onely contrary to the Articles of pacification, but also to the prejudice of the Liberties of the Parliament, for preservation whereof, the said Estates were forced to make a declaration in Parliament against the same: And that albeit since the said [...] day of November, unto this time, the said Estates have vsed all possible meanes to give his Majesty full satisfaction both by their peaceable carriage at home, and by sending their Commissioners, to acquaint his Majesty with all their just de­sires, and the reasons thereof, yet they have not onely received no answer, but upon the contrary have bin condemned as Rebelli­ous, without hearing: and our Commissioners, sent for cleering thereof, all restrained in private houses for a long time, and Iohn Lord Lowdoun, being one of them, committed to the Tower, where he is still detained prisoner.

The Castles of Edemburgh, and Dunbertane have in meane time beene fortified and provided with all sort of Ammunition, in great abundance, and Garisons of Souldiers, (not being natives of this Kingdome) put therein; the Garison in the Castle of Eden­burgh, daily killing diverse of the inhabitants of this City, and spoyling their houses with Musquets and great Ordinance, all ships belonging to this Kingdome arrested in England, and Ire­land, and many of them comming from other places, layed wait for, and taken by the way, their owners and passengers spoyled of their goods, and apparell, layed in the yrons, and barbarously abused: A Commission granted to the Generall of the English forces by sea and land, to kill, destroy, and subdue this whole na­tion, a Printed Declaration put forth, denouncing warre against it, perswading, exhorting, and provoking the other two King­domes to grant subsidies, and take Armes against the inhabitants of this Kingdome as traitours and rebels: And the Parliament of Ireland hath proceeded so farre as to declare them to be such: All which they have hitherto endured patiently, and thereby given an evident demonstration to the world of the loyalty of their af­fections to their Soveraigne, which no extremity shall ever make them to forget: And now being prest by the present exigence of the Estate of this Kingdome, and bound by the necessity of that naturall duety they ought to themselves and their posterity, to provide for the safety of the Common-wealth, and their owne, and timously to prevent the utter ruine of this Nation, which can no longet subsist under so great a burden, that time appointed being come, to the which the Parliament was prorogat, and no advertisement come from his Majesty to them anent any course to be taken, for redeeming of the great disorders, they being the great Councell of the Kingdome could not be altogether so for­getfull of themselves, and decident to their Countrey, as to suffer this Parliament which they had so often petitioned from his Majesty, which was conditioned and accorded by the said Arti­cles of Pacification, and inflicted by his Majesties Authority, to be deserted and expyred without any conclusion to the good of the Common-wealth in so great extremity: But rather thought themselves bound in conscience and duty to proceed to the deter­mination of such matters as are necessary for the establishing of [Page 4]the peace of this Kirk and Kingdome, as being the expresse and speciall ends of all their Supplications, and agreeable to the saids Articles of Pacification, without tri [...]ching any wayes on Sove­raigntie, or derogating in any sort from his Majesties Royall Au­thority, but on the contrary, onely looking first upon the consti­tutions of the generall Assembly, p [...]st in presence of his Majesties Commissioner, and the necessar consequences thereof, and then providing remedies for the present evils of the Kingdome, by re­moving the cause, and establishing necessar conclusions for pre­venting the like hereafter: In doing whereof as they have procee­ded uprightly in the way of Justice, and with due reverence, and regard to his Majesties Authority, and thereby have hopped the calumnious mouthes of their adversaries, so they rest assured, that his Majesty after due examination of their proceedings, finding the same agreeable to the fundamentall lawes and custom [...]s of this his ancient and native Kingdome, and no wayes repugnant to Monarchiall government, will out of his Royall Justice and good­nesse give his full consent thereunto; And thereby totally remo­ving and extinguishing all ground and occasion of contraversie a­gainst his faithfull and loyall Subjects, restore this Kingdome to a perfect and solide peace, which they pray the Lord put in his Ma­jesties Royall Heart, that he may long and prosperously reigne o­ver them And on the other part, considering from by gone expe­rience how malicious and diligent their adversaries will be to calumniat these their proceedings, and by their suggestions to the Kings Majesty, and to the Lieges, to kindle and intertaine facti­ons and divisions there anent, and how necessar it is for the safety and peace of this Kirk and Kingdome, that the Members of both doe unanimously with heart and hand testifie by their subscripti­on their resolution, and Obligation to acknowledge this Parlia­ment so often desired by their petitions and supplications, and conveened by his Majesties solemne indiction, according to the Articles of Pacification, to be a free, lawfu [...]l, and necessary Parli­ament, and to obey, observe, and maintaine the same for them­selves constantly and faithfully, and to the uttermost of their power, to joyne and concurre, in their severall stations and cal­lings, with others to advance, further, and assist the execution, obedience, and observing of the Acts and constitu [...]ions of this pre­sent [Page 5]Parliament, as the most fit and necessary remedies of the by­ [...]one and present evils and distractions of this Kirk and King­dome, and for preservation of the Religion, lawes and liberties thereof, and of his Majesties Authority, and that in the first Par­liament which shall be holden hereafter within this Kingdome, and at all other occasions, against any opposition whatsoever, ex­cept in so farre as shall hereafter be thought fit and expedient by the common advise and consent of the Estates: They have ordai­ned and ordaines the Band under-written, to be subscribed by all the Members of Parliament present and absent, and by Noble­men, Barons, Burgesses, and all other Subjects and inhabitants of the Kingdome, in their Shyres, and Burghs, as they shall be di­rected by the Commissioners of Parliament left at Edinburgh, and to be reported to the Clerke, betwixt and the first day of Septem­ber nixt, with certification, that such as refuse or post-pone, and delay to subscribe to same, shall be holden as Enemies and Oppo­sits to the common Cause, consisting in the maintenance of the true reformed Religion, and of the lawes, and liberties of this Kingdome, and his Majesties Authority.

VVEe Noblemen, Barons, Burgesses, and others, under­subscribers, considering how necessary it is to establish our Union in the preservation, and maintenance of the Religion, Lawes, and Liberties of this Kingdome, and of his Majesties Au­thority, and to prevent all factions, contentions, and divisions, which may arise in prejudice thereof, from malicious suggestions and mis-informations of our adversaries, doe all, and every one of us with our heart and hand testifie and declare our Resolution and Obligation, (for the reasons and causes at length exprest in the Act of Parliament immediatly preceeding) to acknowledge the aforesaid Parliament to have beene and to be a free and lawfull Parliament, Likewise wee bind and oblish us, and every one of us upon our honours and credit, and as we desire to be, and to be holden true lovers of our Countrey, and of the Religion, lawes, and liberties thereof effauldly and faithfully to the uttermost of our power, to joyne and concurre with our persons and estates every one of us according to our several stations & callings, in the maintenance of the freedome and lawfulnesse of the aforesaid [Page 6]Parliament, and in the advancement, further [...]nce, and assistan [...] of the execution, obedience, and observation of the Acts and con­stitutions thereof, as the most fit and necessary remedies of the by gone and present evils and distractions of this Kirk and King­dome, and for the preservation of Religion, lawes, and liberties thereof, and of his Majesties Authority, and that in the first Par­liament, which shall be holden hereafter within this Kingdome, and at all other occasions, and against any opposition whatsoever, except in so far as shall be hereafter thought fit and expedient, by the common advise and consent of the Estates: In witnesse where­of we have signed and subscribed these presents with our hands, At, &c.