Forasmuch, as albeit by the Act of the Meeting of Estates of this Our Antient Kingdom, Dated the thirteenth Day of April, One thousand six hundred and eighty nine, Our Leidges were Certified; not to owne; or acknowledge the late King James the Se­venth for their King, but that they and every one of them should render their Dutiful Obedience to Us; and in particular, that all the Ministers of the Gospel within this Kingdom should publick­ly Pray for Us, as King and Queen of this Realm, under the Pains and Certifications specified in the said Act: As also, We with Advice of Our Estates of Parliament, by Our Act of the twenty second of July, One thousand six hundred and ninety, Ordained the said Act and Proclamation of the Estates of this Kingdom; to be put to further Execution, against all such Ministers; who had not given Obedience thereto, by Praying for Us, in manner mentioned in the said Act; And that the Lords of Our Privy Council should proceed therein, or impower other Magistrats to do the same within their respective bounds, as they should see Cause; Yet nevertheless; the saids Acts have been so far from receiving the punctual and exact Obedience due to them. That many Preachers have either presumed wholly to neglect Praying for Us, as King and Queen of this Realm, conform to the saids Acts, or at least have so far testified a want of ingenuity and plainness required in a Duty of this Na­ture, that they make use of such ambiguous and unclear Expressions in their Prayers, as the hearers cannot distinctly know they Pray for Us, to the great Disparagement of the saids Laws, and contempt of our Authority. Therefore We, with Advice of the Lords of Our Privy Council, do strictly Require and Command the Sheriffs of the several Shires, Baillies of Regalities, Stewarts of Stewartries, and Magistrats of the Burghs Royal of this Kingdom within their bounds, and Jurisdictions respective, to make due and exact tryal what Ministers Preaching in Churches or Meeting-Houses, within their respective bounds, Pray not ordinarly for Us, in such circumstantiat Terms, as their Hearers may distinctly know that they Pray for Us, as King and Queen of this Realm; And for that effect, We with Advice foresaid, Hereby Require and Impower the several Magistrats respective foresaids; To conveen and call before them such persons as they shall think fit, to give Information and Evidence against such Ministers Preaching in Churches or Meeting-Houses, who fail in their Obedience to the Acts above-mentioned, in manner above set down, and that the saids Magistrats respective, Transmit under their Hands, to the Clerks of Our Privy Council, betwixt and the first day of June next to come, (for such as are on this side of the Water of Tay, and the fifteenth day of the said Month, for these on the other side thereof,) the Names of the several Ministers offending in the Premisses, with the place of their residence, and the original Information and Evidence they have received and taken against them, To the Effect they may be prosecute with all rigor, and the Penalties and Certifications in the saids Laws contained, justly inflicted and exe­cute against them; With Certification to the saids respective Magistrats, who fail herein, they shall be repute as Connivers at, and Abettors of the saids Offenders, and negligent in the Execution and Performance of their Offices, and Duty committed to them, and pro­secute as such accordingly. OUR WILL IS Herefore; and we Charge you strictly and Command, that incontinent these Our Letters seen, ye pass to the Mercat-Cross of Edinburgh, and to the remanent Mercat-Crosses of the Head-Burghs of the several Shires of this Our Antient Kingdom, and there, in Our Name and Authority, by open Proclamation, make intimation of the Premisses; And Ordains these Presents to be Printed, and Published in manner foresaid.