[1643/6/74]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
The estaites of this kingdome presently conveined, haveing takin to thair consideratione that by thair act daittit the 5 of this instant, for the reasounes and causses at lenth therin conteined, they have statute and ordained the sume of tuelff hundreth thusand merks Scottis money, togidder with the sowme of ane hundreth thusand merks money foirsaid as allowance for charges of collecting of the same to collectoures, clerkes and other necesser memberes and officeres to be imployed therin, and for the exemptiounes mentionatt in the said act, to be upliftit and raised be way of loane out of the severall shireffdomes and burghes of this kingdome, in forme and maner and at the termes at lenth mentionatt in the foirsaid act of conventioun; and quhilk sowme it is by the foirsaid act appoyntit to be imployed for releiff and payment of the greate sowmes and uther provisioun already advanceit and undertakin and to be advanceit and undertakin for the interteinment and supplie of the Scottisch airmie now in Ireland in maner also specifit in the said act. Lykas be the same act, the saids estaites have grantit, statute and ordained ane taxt of ane hundreth and tuentie thusand pund Scottis to be upliftit furth of the saids severall shyres and burghes of the kingdome in maner also specifid in the said act for interteinment of the horse troupes and foote companies ordained and appoyntit be the said conventioun of estaites, to be presently levied for preventing of any divisiounes, factiounes and insurrectiounes quhilk may occasioun or aryse to the disturbance of the peace of the kingdome, as the foirsaid act of conventione in the selff mair fully proports. And seing it is necesser that ther be ane generell collectour appoyntit and nominat be the saids estats for collecting and resaveing of the foirsaid loane and taxt respectively, and the saids estaitis haveing goode proofe and experience of the trust and fidelitie of Sir Adame Hepburne of Humbie, knyght, ane of the senatoures of the colledge of justice, and of his ability for dischargeing of the said place, thairfoir the saids estaits of this kingdome now presently conveined have nominat and appoyntit, and be thir presents nominats and appoynts, the said Sir Adame Hepburne to be generall collectour of the foirsaid soume and loane of tuelff hundreth thusand merkis and ane hundreth thusand merks allowit for expenses and exemptiounes as said is, and siclyk nominates and appoynts the said Sir Adame to be generall collectour of the foirsaid taxt of ane hundreth and tuentie thusand pund Scottis, to be raised and upliftit in maner and for the use abovementionat; with power to the said Sir Adame, be him selff, his deputs, under receiveres, subcollectoures and utheres in his name, to creave, exact, receive, intromett with and uplift the foirsaids sumes appoyntit and ordained to be raised be way of loane and taxt respective furth of every shyre, burgh, parochin and lands within this kingdome, and fra the severall commissioners and collectors for shyres and subcollectors for parochines and fra all utheres lyable and addebtit in payment of the same or of ather of them respective, conforme to the tenor of the foirsaid act of conventione; and to raise and direct letteres and all maner of execution necesser and requisite for collecting and payment theroff in his awin name, or in the names of his deputs and subcollectors for shyres and paroches respective, and utheres to be intrustit with the collecting and upgathering theroff, and to caus put the foirsaid letter to dew executioune, conforme to the tenour of the said act of conventioun; and with power to the said Sir Adame and his deputtes, underreceaveres, subcollectoures and utheres officeres to be constitute and substitute for that effect to give and subscryve acquittances and discharges upon the recept of the said loane and taxt respectively to the persones, payeres of the samen, whilk shalbe valeid and sufficient to the receaveres thairoff. And generallie with power to the said Sir Adame Hepburne, be himselff and his deputs and underreceaveres, collectoures and uther officeres to be appoyntit, to doe, use and exerse everie thing necesser and expedient anent the premises siclyk and als freily in all respects as any utheres collectoures generall of any preceding taxatioun, thair deputs, subcollectors, underreceaveres and uther officeres have done at any tyme heirtofoir. With power also to the said Sir Adame Hepburne to nominat and appoynt the saids deputtes and under receaveres under him, for whom he shall be answerable, for receiving of the said loane and taxt respective from the severall comissioneres and subcollectors for shyres and paroches and utheres intromettoures thairwith and addebtit in payment theroff. As also to nominat and appoynt subcollectors for the haill shyres of the kingdome quher the samyn are not already nominat be the said act of conventioune for receiveing, collecting and inbringing of the samyn; and siclyk with power to the said Sir Adame Hepburne to nominat and appoynt clerkes to the foirsaid loane and taxt, and to authorize them with all priveledges dew and apperteining to the said office or quhilk hes bein dew to the clerkis of any preceiding taxation heirtofoir. Lykas the saids estaits gives and grantis to the said collectour generall and his deputtes, subcollectoures and under receaveres, and to the clerks to be appoyntit be him and ther deputtes, the fies and allowances partly mentionat in ane list and roll of the samen set doun and appoyntit be the saids estaites and registrat in the books of the said conventione. It is heirby provyddit and ordainit that the said Sir Adame and his deputtes salbe comptable to the saids estaites of this kingdome, or to the committies to be appoyntit be them and haveing thair power and warrand for that effect, for compt and reckoning of thair intromissione with the foirsaid loane and taxt respective, and shalbe obleist to depurse, pay and give out the saids sowmes for the uses foirsaids according to the foirsaid act of convention; and as he and his saids deputtes shall receive warrand and ordour fra the saids estaites or committies to be appoyntit be them for that effect, whose ordoures and warrands theranent the said collectour generall and his deputtes are heirby warranted to answer and obay. Lykas the saids estaites heirby requyres and commands all commissioneres and collectoures for shyres and thair clerkes and utheres subcollectoures and persounes lyable in compt and payment for the foirsaid loane and taxt respective that they and every on[e] of them, according to thair severall charge and imployments, readily sett doun, perfyt and report the stent rolls of the said collectioun and taxt within the severall bounds committit to them, and mak tymeous payment thairoff; and that they and all utheres within this kingdome give readie obedience to all letteres and executoriells to be direct in name and at the instance of the said collectour generall, his deputtes, subcollectoures or underreceaveres for that effect, conforme to the foirsaid act of conventioune; for all quhilks letters and ordoures to be direct for that effect, the foirsaid act of conventioune with thir presents salbe ane sufficient warrand. And this present commissioun the saids estaites appoyntes and ordaines to continew and indure ay and whill the foirsaid loane and taxt respective and ather of them be fully and compleitly upliftit and payit and the accompts of the samyn perfytted and cleired.
[1643/6/75]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
The quhilk day the earle of Lindsay produceit and exhibite befoir the conventioun of estaites ane covenant agreit upon betuixt the committies of the conventioun of estaites and of the generall assembly and the comissioneres of both the housses of the parliament of Ingland, as the result of thair consultationes concerneing the desyres of both housses of the parliament of Ingland for a neir and strict union to be entered into by the tuo kingdomes. Off the quhilk covenant the tenour followes:
We noblemen, barrones, knichts, gentlemen, citizenes, burgesses, ministeres of the Gospell and comones of all sortes of the kingdomes of Ingland and Scotland, by the providence of God liveing in on[e] illand under on[e] king and of on[e] true Protestant reformed religione, haveing befoir our eyes the glory of God and the advancement of the kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Chryst, the honour and happines of the king's matie and his posteritie and the true publict libertie, saffetie and peace of the kingdomes quherin every ones privat condition is includeit; and calling to mynd the treatcherous and bloodie plots, conspiracies, attemptes and practisies of the enemies of God against the true religione and professoures theroff in all places, especially in this illand ever since the reformatione of religione, and how much thair rage, power and presumptione are of lait and at this tyme increassed and exerceised, wheroff the deplorable estate of the church and kingdome of Ireland, the distressit estait of the church and kingdome of Ingland and the dangerous estaite of the church and kingdome of Scotland are present and publict testimonies. We have now at last (efter the uther meanes of supplication, remonstrance, protestatione and sufferings) for the preservatione of our selffes and our religione from utter rwine and distructione, according to the commendable practise of these kingdomes in former tymes and the exemples of God's people in other nationes, efter mature deliberatione, resolved and determined to enter into a mutuall and solemne league and covenant, wherin we subscryve and with our hands liftit up to the most hich God doe sweir:
1. That we sall all and each on[e] of us sincerelie, really and constantly thruch the grace of God endevour in our severall callings and places the preservation of the true Protestant reformed religion in the church of Scotland in doctrine, worship, discipline and governement according to the word of God, and the reformation of religione in the church of Ingland, according to the same holy word and the example of the best reformed churches, and as may bring the churches of God in both nationes to the nearest conjunction and uniformitie in religione, confession of faith, forme of church governement, directorie for worship and catechesing, that we and our posteritie efter us may as breithrein leive in faith and love.
2. That we shall in lyk maner without respect of persounes indevour the exstirpation of poperie, prelacie, superstitione, heresie, shisme and profainnes and quhatsoever salbe fund to be contrairie to sound doctrine and the power of godlines in both nationes, least we partak in other menes sinnes and thairby be in danger to receive of thair plagues, and that the Lord may be on[e] and his name on[e] in both kingdomes.
3. We shall with the same sinceritie, realitie and constancie in our severall vocatiounes endevour with our estaites and lyffes to preserve the richts and priveledges of parliaments and the liberties of the kingdomes respectively, and to preserve and defend the king's matie, his persone and authoritie in the preservatione and defence of the true religione and liberties of the kingdomes, that the world may beir witnesse with our consciencies of our loayelties and that we have no thocht nor intentiounes to diminisch his maties just power and greatnes.
4. We shall also with all faithfulnes endevour the discoverie of all such as have bein or shalbe incendiaries, malignantes or evell instrumentes to hinder the reformatione of religione, or to devyde the king from his people, or the on[e] kingdome from the uther, that they may be brought to publict tryell and receave condigne punishment as the degre of thair offence shall requyre or deserve, or the supreame judicatories of both kingdomes respectively or utheres haveing power from them shall judge convenient.
5. That we shall all and each of us according to our place and interest inviolablie observe the articles of the late treattie of peace betuixt the tuo natiounes, and shall by all good meanes indevour that justice be done without partialitie in maner foirsaid upon the opposeres of it, to the end that this blissed peace may be perpetuall to all posteritie.
6. That we shall also to the utmost of our abilitie in this common cause of religion, libertie and peace of the kingdomes assist and defend all these that enter into this league and covenant in the mantaining and preserving thairoff, and shall not suffer our sellffes directly or indirectlie by quhatsumever combination, persuasion or terrour to be devydit and withdrawin from this blissed union and conjunctione, whither to mak defection to the contrair pairtie or to geve our selffes into a detestable indifference or newtralitie in the cause of God, good of the kingdomes and honour of the king, but shall all the dayes of our lyffes zealously and constantly continew thairin against all opposition and promote the samen according to our power against all lettes and impediments quhatsumever, and quhat we are not able our selffes to suppresse and overcome, we shall reveill and mak knowen, that it may be timelie prevented and removed; all which wee sall doe as in the sicht of God. And becaus both nationes are guiltie of many sinnes and provocatiounes against God and his sonne, Jesus Chryst, as is manifest by our present distresses and dangeres, the fructs thairoff we professe and declair befoir God and the world our unfained desyre to be humbled for our awin sines and the sines of both natiounes, especially that we have not as we oucht valued the inestimable benefit of the Gospell, that we have not laboured for the puritie and power thairoff, that we have not endevoured to receive Chryst in our heartes, which are the causses of other transgressiounes so much abounding amongst us; and our true and unfainyed purpose, desyre and indevour for our selffes and all other under our power and charge, both in publict and private, in all dueties we ow to God and man to amend our lyffes, and each on[e] to goe befoir [the] other in the example of a reall reformatione that the Lord may turne away his wraith and heavie indignatione and establisch both the natiounes in treuth and peace. And this covenant wee mak in presence of the almichty God, the searcher of all heartes, with a true intentione to performe the same as we shall answer at that great day when the secreits of all heartes shalbe disclosed, most humblie beseitching the Lord to strengthen us by his holy spirite for this end, and to blisse our desyres and proceidings with such successe as may be delyverance and saiftie to his people and incuragement to other Christian churches groaning under or in danger of the yock of anti-Christiane tyrranie, to joyne in the samen or [the] lyk associatione and covenant to the glory of God, the inlairgement of the kingdome of Jesus Chryst and the peace and tranquilletie of Christiane states and commonwealth.
The committies of the conventioun of estaites of Scotland and of the general assemblie, being appoyntit to meit with the commissioners of the tuo housses of the parliament of Ingland upon the paperes delyverit in be the said commissioners unto the convention of estaits and unto the generall assemblie upon the [...] of this instant 1643 concerneing the desyres of both housses for a neir and strict union to be entered into by the tuo kingdomes; and it being declaireit of the said meitings with quhat sensible affectiounes the general assemblie and conventione did receive the desyres above mentionat, and how beneficiall it wold be for the more firme satlement of the said union that a covenant sould be entered into by both nationes, and this forme thairoff being by all the foirsaids persounes takine to most serious debate and consideratioun and agreid unto, it was thairupon resolved by them that it should be presentit to the generall assemblie, to the conventione of the estaites of Scotland and to the tuo housses of the parliament of Ingland by thair respective committies and commissioners, that it micht with all speid receive thair respective resolutiones.
[1643/6/76]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
We noblemen, comissioneres of shyres and burrowes now conveined, haveing received the covenant abovewrittin from thare committie as the result of thair consultationes with a committie of the generall assemblie and the commissioneres from both housses of the parliament of Ingland, and haveing takin that covenant into thair greatest consideratione, did, with all thair heartes and greate expressiones of joy and unanimitie, approve and imbrace the same as the most powerfull meane by the blissing of God for setling and preserveing the true Protestant religion with a perfytte peace in all his maties dominiounes and propogatting the samen to other natiounes and for estableisching his maties throane to all aiges. And being very confident that thair breithreine in the kingdome of Ingland will heartily receave and approve the samen, thairfoir, according to the earnest recommendatione of that venerable assemblie of this kirk now mett, thinks it most necessarie for the good ends foirsaids that it be sent into that kingdome with all diligence, that being receaved and approved by thair breithrein there, the samen may be with all religious solemnities sworne and subscribit by all true professors of the reformed religione and all his maties good subjectes in both kingdomes.