The annals of King James and King Charles the First ... containing a faithful history and impartial account of the great affairs of state, and transactions of parliaments in England from the tenth of King James MDCXII to the eighteenth of King Charles MDCXLII : wherein several material passages relating to the late civil wars (omitted in former histories) are made known.

The Protestation of the Noble-men, Barons, Gentlemen, Burroughs, Ministers, and Commons, &c.

WE Noble-men, Barons, Gentlemen, Bur∣gesses, Ministers, and Commons, That whereas we the King's Majesties true and loyal Subjects, who have ever esteemed it our great∣est happiness to live under a Religious and Righ∣teous King, and our greatest glory to testifie our best affections to our gracious Soveraign, have been in his Majesties absence from this His native Kingdom heavily pressed for a long time past, And especially of late, with diverse inno∣vations, which both in themselves, and in the way wherein they have been urged, do manifest∣ly tend to the prejudice of the King's Honour, and of our Religion, Laws and Liberties, And by which we were brought to such extremity, that there was no way left betwixt the Rock of Excommunication, and the high pain of Rebel∣lion on the one part, and the desperate danger of forsaking the way of true Religion, and the breach of our Covenant with God on the other, but to represent our Case, and present our Sup∣plications to the Lords of Secret Council, that being equally pondered by them, they might ei∣ther be answered by themselves, or by their re∣commendation might ascend to his Majesties own consideration: And therefore in all hum∣ble manner we did to this effect supplicate their Lordships: we were most willing (for the mo∣dest following of our Supplications) to obey their direction in choosing Commissioners for the great number of Supplicants, who flocked toge∣ther from all quarters of the Kingdom; were careful to order our selves in all Christian and quiet carriage, and against the tediousness of ma∣ny and long delaies did wait for a long time with very great patience, till at last they were plea∣sed to receive our Supplications, Complaints and Bills: And conceiving them to contain weightier matters than could by themselves be determined, they did promise and undertake to represent and recommend the same, accord∣ing to their more than ordinary importance, un∣to his Majesties Royal consideration, and to re∣port his Majesties answer.

While his Majesties good Subjects of all Ranks, throughout the whole Kingdom, had their minds wakened, and their hearts filled with the expectation of a gracious and satisfa∣ctory answer, worthy of his Majesties pious and equitable disposition, in the Month of February last, incontinent a rumour flyeth through the Country, and filleth all ears, That the Lords of his Majesties Secret Council were command∣ed to make such a Proclamation concerning the Service Book, Book of Canons, and the peace∣able meetings of his Majesties good Subjects in time coming, as we were perswaded to have been procured by the secret working, and ma∣lignant mis-information of our Adversaries, Seeking for their own private ends, without re∣spect to his Majesties honour, and welfare of this Kirk and Kingdom, to stop the course of our legal proceedings, and to escape their own due censure: And therefore intending to make known to the Lords of Secret Council what was noised concerning the Proclamation; how far the whole Kingdom had been by some sinistrous mis-information frustrate of their hopes, and their constant desire to have some course taken by their Lordships advice; how his Majesty being further informed, might deliver his good Sub∣jects from so great grievances and fears, and establish a sure peace in this Country for time to come; we found our selves tyed by order of Law to decline those against whom we had made our complaint, unless we would admit our Parties to be our Judges: And in case our Decli∣nator should not be accepted, we behoved to pro∣test, that we might have immediate recourse to the King himself, &c.

Thereafter in the Month of March, finding that by the foresaid Proclamation the Innovati∣ons supplicated against were approven, our lawful proceedings condemn'd, our most necessary meet∣ings prohibited, there being no other way left unto us, we were necessitate to renew the natio∣nal Covenant of this Kirk and Kingdom, there∣by to reconcile us to God, provoked to wrath against us, by the breach of his Covenant with∣in this Land, to clear our Soveraigns mind from all jealousies and suspicions, arising from our Ad∣versaries mis-information of our intentions and carriage; and so to make way for his acceptance of our humble Supplications, and grant of their lawful remedies, to guard this Land in defence of Religion, Authority and Liberty against in∣ward divisions, and external violences. And that our actions might be answerable to our holy Profession, we afterward drew up an humble Supplication, containing our grievances, and desires of the ordinary remedies thereof, to

have been delivered to the King himself: In the mean time we were directed by those, who were intrusted by his Majesty, to attend his Declara∣tion here in Scotland, which would free us of all fears of innovations of Religion, and prove sa∣tisfactory: And lest for want of true informati∣on of our just grievances and desires it should fall out otherwise, we expressed to them, with the greatest modesty we could, our desires in some few Articles, and with great patience have at∣tended his Majesties pleasure thereanent: And all this Month by-gone being frequently convened to hear the same delivered by his Majesties Com∣missioner the right Noble and potent Lord James Marquess of Hamilton, &c. we presented a new Petition to his Grace as his Majesties Commissio∣ner, craving most humbly the indiction of a free Assembly and Parliament, as the only remedies thereof: Like as finding a mis-information, or mistake of our Covenant with God, as if it had been an unlawful combination to be the ma•• hinderance of obtaining our desires, in a new Supplication; we have fully removed that im∣pediment, renewed our desires of those supreme Judicatories, to be indicted with diligence, for settling of the Kirk and Kingdom: But being answered only with delaies after these nine Months attendance, and with this Proclamati∣on that contained his Majesties gracious Decla∣ration of his pious intentions, not to admit of any innovations in Religion or Law, nor any stain of Popish Superstition, But on the contra∣ry to be resolved to maintain the true Christian Religion professed in this Kingdom; which we were ever so far from calling in question, as in our Supplications, Complaints, and Bills we used the same as one cause of our desires, one ground of our confidence of a gracious answer, and argument of our Adversaries malignant mis∣information of so Religious a King. And now most humbly (with bended knees and bowed hearts) thank our gracious Sovereign for the same, Wishing and praying the Lord of Heaven, truly and fully to inform his Majesty how far these Books, Judicatories, and all our other evils and grievances are full of Idolatrous Super∣stitions, and Popish errours, How destructive of the Reformation of Religion in this Land, and of the Laws and Liberties of this Church and Kingdom, and so directly contrary to this his Majesties pious intention and Declaration.

Yet seeing that no Proclamation could suffici∣ently remove the present evils, nor settle our fears, nor secure us from the re-entry of any evil or Innovation, which it seemed to discharge or prevent the like in time coming, nor satisfie our humble Supplications, craving the present indiction of a free Assembly & Parliament, as the only remedies of our evils, and means to prevent the like: And seeing this Proclamation doth not so much as make mention, or acknowledge any of our Supplications, Complaints, and Grievances, or any just cause thereof, except under the name of great increase of disorders, faults, and mis-demeanors, but only our fears of some future Innovation of Religion or Laws, occasioned only (as is pretended) by the Intro∣duction of the Service Book, Book of Canons, and High Commission; which fea•• his Majesty hoped to have been abundantly and sufficiently satisfied by his two former Proclamations of the ninth of December, and nineteenth of February. And by this his present Declaration, except his Subjects be blindly (under pretext of Religion) led unto disobedience, Doth mis-ken,▪ pass over, and so in effect deny all our supplications, bills, articles, and desires, especially our complaints against the Prelat•• our parties. And, that once for all, in a fair and perswasive way, even after the resaite of our last supplication, clear∣ing us from the calumny of unlawful combinati∣on; Doth not disallow nor discharge any of the innovations, and evils complained upon, but only assureth that his Majesty will not press their practice, but in such a fair and legal way, as shall satisfie his Subjects of his intention; which (joyned with the other clause, allowing and confirming the Proclamation the nineteenth of February) evidenceth the liberty left to any Pre∣late or persons to practise the same, and by all other fair waies to perswade others thereunto; and his Majesties resolution to press their pra∣ctice in a fair and legal way: And also confirm∣eth the former Declaration, that the Service Book is a ready mean to maintain the true Religi∣on already professed, and to beat out all Super∣stition, and no waies to be contrary to the Laws of this Kingdom, but to be compiled and ap∣proved for the universal use and edification of all his Majesties Subjects; Doth not abolish, but promiseth to rectifie the High Commission, with advice of his Privy Council, implying the King's power, with consent of the Council, to establish this or any Judicatory within this King∣dom•• ••ithout consent of the three Estates con∣vened in Parliament, contrary to the fundamental and express Laws thereof; and by consequent with the like reason, to establish Laws and Ser∣vice Books, without consent of the Assembly and Parliament; Which is contrary to the main ground of all our Supplications, against the manner of their Introduction; Doth only pro∣mise to take into his consideration in an Assem∣bly and Parliament, which shall be called at his best convenience, while as the evident and ur∣gent necessity, for settling the combustions, threatning the total dissolution and desolation of this Church and State, excuseth our uncessant and importune calling for these present reme∣dies: Doth insinuate the continuance and exe∣cution of any pretended Laws for these innova∣tions of Worship, and corruptions of Church Government, and civil places of Church-men, which by our Covenant, we have obliged our selves to forbear, and the re-establishment of these evils in an Assembly and Parliament, which he will call in his best conveniencie, to wit, for that and this other end of satisfying his Subjects judgments anent the Service Book and Book of Canons; Doth condemn all our former proceed∣ings, even our supplicating, complaining, pro∣testing, subscribing of our Covenant together, and our continual Meetings, as great disorders, increase of disorders, deserving justly a power∣ful rather than a perswasive way, a running head∣long into ruin, a perishing in our faults, a blind disobedience under pretext of Religion, and doth threaten and denounce, Now once for all, If we be not heartily satisfied, and give testimony of our obedience after this Declaration, but con∣tinue, as by our former proceedings, to draw on our own ruin, that albeit unwillingly, he must make use of that power which God hath indued him with, for reclaiming of so disobedi∣ent people.

THerefore we, in our own name, and in the name of all who will adhere to the Confes∣sion of Faith, and Reform••tion of Religion with∣in this Land, are forced and compelled, out of our bound duty to God, our King, native Coun∣try, our selves and our posterity, (lest o••r silence should be prejudicial to so important a cause, as concerns God's Glory and Worship, our Religi∣on and Salvation, the Laws and Liberties of this Church and Kingdom, or derogatory to our for∣mer Supplications, Complaints, Protestations, Articles and proceedings, or unanswerable to the solemn Oath of our Nation Covenant with God) To declare before God and man, and to protest, Primo, That we do, and will constantly adhere, according to our vocation and power, to the said Reformation, in Doctrine, use of Sacra∣ments, and Discipline; And that notwithstand∣ing of any innovations introduced therein, either of old or of late. Secundo, We protest, That we adhere to the Grievances, Supplications, and Protestations given in at Assemblies and Parlia∣ments, and to our late Supplications, Com∣plaints, Protestations, and other lawful proceed∣ings against the same, and particularly against the Service Book, and Book of Canons, as main innovations of Religion and Laws, and full of Popish Superstition, and so directly contrary to the King's Declaration, And against the High Commission, as a Judicatory established ••ontra∣ry to the Laws and Liberties of this Church and Kingdom, and destructive of other lawful Judi∣catories, which both in respect of the nature of it, and manner of Introduction, without con∣sent of the three Estates of Parliament, cannot be any waies rectified, but absolutely discharged: Tertio, we protest, That we adhere with our hearts to our Oath and subscription of the Con∣fession of Faith, the solemn Covenant between God, this Church and Kingdom, and the clauses particularly therein expressed and generally con∣tained, and to our last Articles for the peace of this Kirk and Kingdom, drawn out of it, and to all the matters therein contained, and manner of remedy therein desired. Quarto, we protest, That this Proclamation or Act of Council, or any other Act, or Proclamation, or Declara∣tion, or ratification thereof, By Subscription, or Act, or Letter, or any other manner of way what∣soever, or any precondemnation of our cause or carriage, before the same be lawfully heard and tried in the supreme Judicatories of this Kirk and Kingdom, the only proper judges to national causes and proceedings, or any certification or threatning therein denounced, shall no waies be prejudicial to the Confession of Faith, Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom, nor to our supplicati∣ons, complaints, protestations, articles, lawful Meetings, proceedings, pursuits, mutual defences, nor to our Persons and Estates, and shall no waies be disgraceful either in reality or opinion, at home or abroad, to us or any of us: But on the con∣trary, that any Act, or Letter, or subscription of the Council, carrying the approbation of the Declaration, and condemnation of our proceed∣ings, indicta causa, is and ought to be reputed and esteemed unjust, illegal and null, as here before God and man we offer to clear, and to verifie both the justice of our cause and carriage, and the injustice of such Acts against us, in the face of the first gen. Assembly of the Church and Parliament of the Estates, unto whom with all solemnities re∣quisite, we do publickly appeal. Quinto, We pro∣test, that seeing our former supplications, last Ar∣ticles, and our last desire and Petition to his Ma∣jesties Commissioner, which petitioned for the present indiction of a free general Assembly and Parliament, according to the Law and Custom of all Nations, and of this Nation in the like case, to hear the desires, case the grievances, and settle the fears of the body of the Church and Kingdom, are thus delayed, and in effect refused, to wit, Once for all, till his Majesties conveniency for the end con∣tained in this Proclamation, that We continue by their presents to supplicate his Majesty again and again, for the granting of the same: And what∣soever trouble or inconvenience fall out in this Land in the mean time, for want of these ordina∣ry remedies, and by the practice of any of these in∣novations and evils, contrary to our supplications, articles, and confession, it be not imputed unto us who most humbly beg these lawful remedies, but also that it is, and shall be lawful unto us, to de∣fend and maintain the Religion, Laws and Liber∣ties of this Kingdom, the King's Authority in defence thereof, and every one of us one another in that cause, of maintaining the Religion, and the Kings foresaid Authority, according to our power vocation and Covenant, with our best counsel, bodies, lives, means, and whole strength, against all persons whatsoever, and against all external or internal invasions menaced in this Proclamation. Like as that in the great exigency of the Church, necessitating the use of these ordinary and lawful remedies, for settling the commotions thereof, it is and shall be leasome unto us to appoint, hold and use the ordinary means, our lawful Meetings and Assemblies of the Church agreeable to the Law of God, and practice of the Primitive Church, the Acts of the general Assemblies, and Parlia∣ments, and the example of our Worthy Refor∣mers, in the like case. Sexto, We protest, that our former Supplications, Complaints, Protestations, Confessions, Meetings, Proceedings and mutual defences of every one another in thi•••• ause, as they are, and were in themselves most necessary, and orderly means agreeable to the laws and pra∣ctice of this Church and Kingdom, to be com∣mended as real duties of faithful Christians, loyal Subjects, and sensible members of the body of the Church and Kingdom, and no wise to be stiled nor accounted great disorders, misdemeanors, blind disobedience under pretext of Religion, and run∣ning headlong into ruin, &c. So they proceeded only from conscience of our duty to God, our King, native Country, and our posterity, and doth tend to no other end, but to the preservation of the true reformed Reformed Religion, the confession of Faith, Laws, Liberties of this His Majesties most ancient Kingdom, and of His Ma∣jesties authority in defence thereof, and satisfacti∣on of our humble desires, contained in our Sup∣plications, complaints and articles, unto the which we adhere again and again, as we would eschew the curse of the Almighty God, following the breach of his Covenant: And yet we do certainly expect, according to the King's Majesty his ac∣customed goodness and justice that his sacred Ma∣jesty after a true information of the justice of our cause and carriage, will presently indict these ordi∣nary remedies of a free Assembly and Parliament, to our just Supplications, complaints, and articles, which may be expected, and useth to be granted from so just and gracious a King, towards most loyal and dutiful Subjects, calling for redress of so pressing grievances, and praying heartily that His Majesty may long and prosperously reign over us.

Whereupon a Noble Earl, John Earl of Cassles, &c. in name of the Noble-men, M. Alexander Gibson younger of Dury in name of the Barons, James Fletcher Provost of Dundy, in name of the Burrowes, M. John Ker Minister at Salt-Prestoun, in name of the Ministers, and Master Archbald Johnston, Reader hereof, in name of all who adheres to the Confession of Faith and Covenant lately renewed within this Kingdom, took Instruments in the hands of three Notars present, at the said Mercat-Cross of Edenburgh, being invironed with great numbers of the foresaid Noble-men, Barons, Gentlemen, Burrows, Ministers and Commons, before ma∣ny hundred witnesses, and craved the extract thereof: And in token of their dutiful respect to his Majesty, confidence of the equity of their cause, and innocency of their carriage, and hope of his Majesties gracious acceptance, they of∣fered in all humility, with submiss reverence, a Copy thereof to the Herauld.

NOw we must appeal to the Judgment of the World, whether there was any thing in this Proclamation which deserved such an unduti∣ful and rebellious Protestation, or the seditious clamours, which both at their private and pub∣lick Meetings, especially in their Pulpits, were made against it.

This Protestation needeth no answer; for af∣ter the first part of it, which is nothing but a Re∣petition of that which they have so often said, there is nothing but a number of falsities heaped up to∣gether, the Reader may easily perceive: For whereas they alledge, That they have removed the impediment which caused their Covenant to be mistaken, as if it had been an unlawful Combination; 'tis nothing so, for no Covenant or Oath can be made or im∣posed without his Majesties Authority. We sup∣pose that thereby they mean that which they ten∣dered to his Majesties Commissioner, and called it by the name of an Explication of their Cove∣nant; which Explication was so far from giving unto his Majesty any satisfaction, that both to the King and all reasonable men it must needs appear to be a stronger confirmation of their unlawful combination: For whereas they refused to except the King out of the number of those persons against whom their band of mutual maintenance is in∣tended, it plainly demonstrateth, that in their in∣tention his Majesty is the person chiefly aimed at. In some few lines after this, they profess that they never so much as called in question his Majesties re∣solution to maintain the Religion professed in that Kingdom, and his care for not admitting any Inno∣vations in Religion, or any stain of Popish Super∣stition: Whereas 'tis notoriously known that in their private Meetings, nay, even in their publick Assemblies and Sermons, they have endea∣voured to settle in his Majesties good Subjects minds, opinions, fears, and jealousies, quite con∣trary to these their Printed asseverations. In the last part they ground their Protestation upon no grounds but such as these: That they will con∣tinue together, because they have obliged them∣selves by Oath so to do, and because they will and are resolved to adhere constantly to what they have done, and because they offer to clear them∣selves before a general Assembly and Parliament, where they themselves make accompt to be Judges. Now these and such like false and weak grounds it is very unnecessary to confute, the rehearsal of them being upon the first view, their sufficient conviction. After all these, they end their Prote∣station with two very unsavoury conclusions: The first is, that if the King will not allow of their pro∣ceedings, they themselves will call it a General Assem∣bly, which they shall be sure to allow of them. A no∣table piece of hypocrisie and disloyalty together, to be suiters to the King for that which they (as they say) both may do and are resolved to do with∣out his leave: The second is, they protest, that, notwithstanding any thing which his Majesty doth or shall say to the contrary, all their proceedings are in themselves most necessary, and orderly means agreeable to the Laws and practice of that Church and Kingdom, to be commended as real duties of faithful Christians, loyal Subjects, and sensible members of the body of that Church and Kingdom, and no way to be stiled or accounted great disorders, misdemeanors, blind disobedience, under pre∣text of Religion, and running headlong into ruin: All which words are multiplied, only to make up a very unmannerly contradiction to the very words of the King's Proclamation.

The Lord Commissioner seeing, not that he was not able to give, but that they were resolute not to receive any satisfaction by what was offered, and that the most that they could be brought to, was that which they called an explication of their Co∣venant, but indeed was none; for they would never yield that these words, whereby in their Covenant they bound themselves in a mutual defence against all persons whatsoever, should admit this interpre∣tation (except the King:) He told them plainly, that since his Instructions were out, he could proceed no further with them without new conference with, and Instructions from his Majestie; and therefore he resolved a speedy Journey to England, to inform his Majesty of what had passed, and make him ac∣quainted with that Explication of their Covenant which they had given him, though as it had given no satisfaction to himself, so he was sure it would give none to his Majesty: In the mean time, he en∣treated them to behave themselves more quietly and peaceably than they had done, until the King's pleasure were further known.

That pretended Explication of their Covenant was conceived by way of Petition, and was as sol∣loweth: