[1643/6/77]*[print] [email] [cite] [preceding] [following]
Forsameikle as the estates of this kingdome presently conveined, taking into thair most serious consideration the greate and imminent danger of the trew Protestant reformed religion and of the peace of the kingdome from the treatcherous and bloodie plottes, conspiracies, attemptes and practisies of papistes, prelattes, malignantes and thair adherents, have efter mature deliberatione thoucht expedient to enter into a solemne and mutuall covenant with the kingdome of Ingland for the defence of the true Protestant reformed religione in the kirk of Scotland and the reformatione of religioune in the kirk of Ingland according to the word of God, the exemple of the best reformed kirks, and as may bring the kirk of God in both kingdomes to the nearest conjunctione and uniformitie in religione and kirk governement, and sicklyk to preserve and defend the richtes and priveledges of parliament and liberties of the kingdomes respective, and to preserve and defend the king's maties persoune and authoritie in the preservatione of the said true religione and liberties of the saids kingdomes, and to preserve the articles of the late traittie and peace betuixt the tuo natiounes, and to assist and defend all that enter into this covenant in the maintaining and persewing thairoff, as the same more fully proportes, which as it wilbe a comfort and encouragement to all Christianes who feare God and love religione, to all good and loayell subjectes who trewlie honour the king and to all true patriottes who tender the libertie of thair cuntrey, so doubtles it will exasperate and inrage the saids papists, prelates, malignantes and thair adherentes to practise and execute all the mischeiff and crueltie they can against this church and kingdome, as they have done in Ingland and Ireland. For preventing wherof, the saids estaites, according to the practise of the counsall, conventioun of estaites and acts of parliament in former tymes of exigence, hes resolved to put this kingdome with all possible speid in a present posture of defence, and for the better securetie and saiftie thairoff, hes statute and ordained, lykas by thir presents they statute and ordaine that immediatly efter the publicatione heiroff all the fensible persounes within this kingdome betuixt 60 and saxtein of quhatsumever qualitie, rank or degrie sall provyde themselffis with 40 dayes provisioune, with ammunitione, airmes and other warlyk provisione of all sort in the most substantious maner for horse and footte, with tentes and all uther furnisching requisite, and that the horsemen be airmed with pistolls, bread swords and steill capes; and quher thir airmes cannot be had, that thei provyde jackes or secreites, lances and steill bonnettes and swords, and that the footemen be airmed with musquet and sword or pik and sword; and quher these cannot be had, that they be furnisched with halbert, lochwaber axes or jedburgh staffes and swords; and thairfoir ordaines letteres to be direct chargeing heraulds, purseventes [and] messingers of airmes to pas to the mercate croce of Edinburgh and the severall burrow and paroch kirks of this kingdome, and ther by oppen proclamatione to mak publicatione of this present act and ordinance, wherthrow nane pretend ignorance of the samen, and to command and charge all and sindrie his maties subjects (being fensible persounes betuixt 60 and 16) to provyde themselffes in maner forsaid, and to be in readines to mak thair randivous thus armed at the places to be appoynted by the saids estaites or committies haveing power from them within 48 hours efter they salbe lawfully wairned by ordour from them to that effect, as they will testifie thair affectione to the true Protestant religione, the liberties of the kingdome, his maties honour and the peace and saiftie of this thair native cuntrey, under the paines to be esteimed and punisched as enemies to religione, the king and cuntrey, and thair haill goods to be confiscat to the use off the publict.