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.

An Act of Council.

THE Lords of Secret Councel having read and maturely considered his Majesties Let∣ters, and particular Declaration of his plea∣sure anent the annulling of the Service-Book, Book of Canons, and High Commission, dis∣charging the pressing of the practice of the five Articles, making all persons, Ecclesiastick and Civil, of what Title or Degree soever, liable to the tryal and censure of Parliament, general Assembly, and other Judicatories competent, anent the not Administrating to Ministers at their entry any other Oath than that which is contained in the Act of Parliament anent the subscribing and renewing the Confession of Faith, subscribed by his Majesties Father of bles∣sed memory, and his Houshould, in Anno 1580. and Band following thereupon, anent the indi∣ction of a General Assembly, to be holden at Glasgow the 21 day of November, 1638. and Parliament at Edenburgh the 15 of May, 1639. and anent his gracious goodness in forgetting and forgiving all by-gones, and indiction of a Fast for craving of God's blessing to this Assem∣bly; find themselves so fully satisfied therewith, and the same to be so satisfactory for removing all the fears of the Subjects anent innovation of Religion or Laws, that we hold our selves bound in duty, not only to acquiesce therewith, as the best mean to secure both Religion and Laws, but also to use our best endeavours that all his Majesties good Subjects may likewise rest satisfied therewith: And that they with us, and we with them, may testifie our thankfulness for so great a grace and goodness, with all the hear∣ty expressions of dutifulness and loyalty; And that our true sense hereof may the more clearly appear to our Sacred Soveraign, We do by these humbly and heartily make offer of our Lives and Fortunes in the defending and assisting of his Majesties Sacred Person and Authority, in the maintenance of the foresaid Religion and Confes∣sion, and repressing of all such as shall hereaf∣ter press to disturb the peace of this Kirk and Kingdom.

In witness whereof we have heartily and free∣ly Subscribed these Presents with our hands. At Holy-rood-house the twenty second day of Sep∣tember, 1638.

Sic Subscribitur.

HAMILTON,

Traquair, Roxburgh, Mairsheall, Mar, Munray, Linlithgow, Perth, Wigton, Kingorne, Tulli∣bardin, Hadington, Annandail, Lauderdail, Kinnoul, Dumfreis, Southesk, Belheaven, An∣gus, Lorn, Elphinston, Naper, Dalyell, Amont, J. Hay, S. Thomas Hope, S. W. Elphinston, Ja. Carmichael, J. Hamilton, Blackhall.

The Letter of Our Council.

Most Sacred Soveraign,

IF ever Faithful and Loyal Subjects had reason to acknowledge extraordinary favours, shown to a Nation, and in a most submissive and hear∣ty manner give real demonstrations of the grace vouchsafed; then do we of your Majesties Coun∣cil, of this your ancient Kingdom, unani∣mously profess, that such Acts of Clemency vouchsafed us, cannot proceed from any Prince, saving him who is the lively Image on Earth of the great God Author of all goodness. For re∣turn of so transcendent grace, fortified with the real expression of unparallel'd Piety, Royal in∣clination to Peace, and Universal Love, not on∣ly to those of our number, but likewise to all your Majesties loyal Subjects, we do all in one voice, with all resentment can be imagined, in all humility render our most bounden thanks, and offer, in testimony of our full satisfaction and acquiesc••nce herewith, to Sacrifice our Lives and Fortunes in seconding your Sacred Majesties Commandments, and repressing all such as shall hereafter press to disturb the Peace of the Kirk and Kingdom. And for some small signification of our alacrity and diligence in your Sacred Majesties Service, we have all, without the least shadow of any scruple, Sub∣scribed the Confession of Faith and Band ap∣pointed to be received by all your Majesties loy∣al Subjects, sent the Act passed in Council, with our other proceedings, which we do most hum∣bly represent to your Royal view. And we be∣seech your Majesty to be pleased, to be per∣swaded of the unviolable devotion of all here Subscribers, who do all in all humility pray for your Majesties most happy and flourishing Reign.

Sic Subscribitur.

• HAMILTON,
• Traquair,
• Roxburgh,
• Mairsheall,
• Mar,
• Murray,
• Linlithgow,
• Perth,
• Wigton,
• Kingorne,
• Tulli∣bardin,
• Hadinton,
• Annandail,
• Lauderdail,
• Kinnoul,
• Dumfreis,
• Southesk,
• Belheaven,
• An∣gus,
• Lorn,
• Elphinston,
• Naper,
• Dalyell,
• Amont,
• J. Hay,
• S. Thomas Hope,
• S. W. Elphinston,
• Ja. Carmichael,
• J. Hamilton,
• Blackhall.

Upon all which his Majesty in his Declaration makes a reflection that might have reclaimed the most obstinate of Rebels, had they not been Scots, as followeth:

IT is not for men to judge of other mens hearts, and of their secret desires, but we do challenge the most rigid Covenanters to name any one par∣ticular ever desired by them, in any of their Sup∣plications, Remonstrances, Protestations, Decla∣rations, written or Printed, exhibited to Us, Our Commissioner, or Council, which is not in this our gracious Declaration granted to our people: For not only all and every one of their particular grievances any way petitioned against by them, are hereby discharged and removed, but even the two general things, which they made the people believe was the sum of all their desires and ex∣pectations, viz. a free General Assembly and a Parliament are indicted, and in that order upon which they stood so earnestly, first the Assem∣bly, and then the Parliament: And besides all these, their own Confession of Faith, the ground as they pretend, of their Covenant renewed and established.

Who would not now have expected a happy period to all the distractions of that Kingdom, upon this our gracious assenting to all their own desires? But the devillish obstinacy and malice of those factious spirits, who did see that all their designs were utterly defeated, and that their hopes for compassing of them were now a bleeding and drawing their last breath, if they could not find some means to blindfold our peoples eyes, and so keep them from discerning and acknowledging our grace and goodness towards them: They presently before the hour that this our Declara∣tion was to be proclaimed, filled our peoples minds and ears with fearful expectations of most terrible things to be delivered in this our Proclamation, and so destructive of the Laws and Liberties of that Church and Kingdom, espe∣cially of their late sworn Covenant, that present∣ly they wrought the people to a detestation of our Declaration, before they knew what it was: They presently erected a large Scaffold under the Cross where our Proclamation was to be made, upon which were mounted, not one or two from every Table, to protest in the name of the rest, as heretofore they had done, but a great number of Earls, Lords, Gentlemen, and others, with their Swords in their hands, and hats on their heads, not without jeering and laughing during all the time of our Proclamation; which no sooner was ended, but with a most insolent and rebellious be∣haviour they assisted one Johnston in reading of a most wicked, treasonable, and ignorant Protesta∣tion, which within few daies after they Printed, and we do here insert, as being confident that all Subjects in the World who shall come to read it, will abhor and detest it, if ever they did feel in their own hearts the least touch or taste of a Princes favour and clemency, or carry any affecti∣on to loyalty, justice, and Government: The ve∣ry reading of it will bring every good Subject and religious honest man so far out of Love with it, as it needeth no further confutation than the very perusal of it: For who can endure to hear Scrip∣ture so grosly abused, the holy name of God so solemnly invocated as a witness to such notorious falshoods; to their rebellious courses and Cove∣nant those attributes of Infallibility given, which are only proper to the Sacred Scripture; and Royal Authority affronted with such perempto∣ry asseverations, ignorant and sensless reasons, the falshood and inconsequence whereof must needs appear upon first view to any one who shall cast his eye upon them? The Protestation fol∣lows, thus: