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Prayers said, rolls called.
1. You shall with all possible diligence proceed to the king's majesty, deliver our letters, show your commission and tell the true reasons and excuses of your not coming sooner to his majesty.
2. You shall show his majesty that as this kingdom was not wanting in their faithful counsels to his royal father for preventing the dangers which were then feared and have since (to our great grief) fallen out, so did they with all care and faithfulness contribute their utmost endeavours for preservation of their late sovereign, as their letters, instructions, declarations and commissioners' papers can witness.
3. You shall show his majesty with what unanimity, alacrity, diligence and solemnity the parliament did acknowledge and proclaim him king of Great Britain, France and Ireland.
4. You shall show his majesty that his father's opposition to the covenant and work of reformation was the chief cause of his and the kingdom's troubles.
5. You shall show his majesty how unacceptable the enemies and opposers of the covenant and reformation are to this church and kingdom.
6. You shall communicate to his majesty the act of the date 7 February instant as that which contains the necessary satisfaction which is desired and expected from his majesty by this kirk and kingdom for securing religion and the peace of the kingdom, and for gaining not only the outward obedience but also the inward affections of all his good people to his royal person, authority and government after so great distractions and troubles. And notwithstanding the appearance and apprehensions of new disturbances and dangers, likewise you shall by all the good reasons you can think upon endeavour to persuade the king's majesty to give the satisfaction desired heartily and speedily.
7. If his majesty shall show his willingness and resolution to give the satisfaction desired in the said act and to make the same known to the parliament here and to the commissioners of the kirk, you shall in their name invite his majesty to come to his kingdom of Scotland and assure his majesty that he shall be received and entertained with all safety, freedom, honour, duty and respect which can be demanded or expected by a gracious king from contented subjects who are tied to him by so many bonds and oaths.
8. If his majesty upon these grounds resolves to come here, his majesty would be pleased to leave all those persons who were excluded by the propositions of both kingdoms or against whom this kingdom has just cause of exception, and declare that in matters civil he will follow the counsels of his parliament and such as are or shall be authorised by them, and in matters ecclesiastic the counsels of the general assembly and such as are or shall be authorised by them.
9. You shall deliver our letters to the queen of Bohemia, to the prince of Orange and to the princess royal, and you shall desire them to interpose and make use of their assistance to move the king to give satisfaction as is above-desired.
10. You shall likewise deliver our letters to the estates of Holland and show them how aware we are of their kind respects to our king and our desires to entertain all friendship and amity with them. And you shall deal both with the prince of Orange and them for a safe and honourable convoy to his majesty to this kingdom.
11. You shall show his majesty the great dangers and irreparable losses which must inevitably ensue upon his delay or refusal of the aforesaid desires, for by delay his enemies will be encouraged and strengthened and the people be forced to couch under their burdens and submit to their yoke, despairing of any means of relief or deliverance; and then the redress will be more difficult, and opportunity once lost cannot be recovered. The neglect of opportunities which were frequently offered and not taken hold of by his royal father (as may be evidently instanced) was the chief cause of his and the kingdom's troubles and proved sad and fatal at last; and the sooner his majesty begins to move that way which may be acceptable to God and good men, and offer to settle religion and peace and upon these grounds claim the right of his government before democracy or any new model of government under the name of an agreement of the people or any other name or device be settled and take root, it will be more easy to maintain monarchical government than to repeal and cast out any new form of government after it is once established and the people habituated thereto. And if now when by the power and prevalence of sectaries and the army in England that kingdom is subdued and almost lost and Ireland in very great distraction, his majesty shall delay or refuse to satisfy the desires of the kingdom of Scotland, especially concerning religion and the covenant, which is the strongest bond to tie subjects to their king, it will weaken all who love religion and government in England and Ireland and will wholly discourage and disable Scotland to do for him and constrain them in such an extremity to resolve upon some effectual course by the parliament to preserve religion and the kingdom from ruin and destruction. And his majesty's granting of the aforesaid desires will so far endear him to this nation and assure their affection and duty to him as they will not only receive him with all cheerfulness and most willingly render to him that subjection and dutiful obedience which can be expected from loyal subjects to their king, but likewise to contribute their utmost endeavours by all necessary and lawful means according to their covenant and the duty of loyal and faithful subjects that his majesty may be restored to the peaceable position of the government of his other kingdoms according to his undoubted right of succession. And as his majesty's joining in the covenant with God and his people for settling religion is the surest foundation of a safe and well grounded peace, so it will certainly be the best and most effectual way to establish his throne in righteousness.
12. You shall concur with and be assisting to the commissioners of the church in pursuance of their instructions, taking their advice also in the managing of your power, especially in these things relating to religion.
13. If the king's majesty be willing to give satisfaction to this kingdom, you shall desire him to recall all commissions issued forth for acting any thing by sea or land to the prejudice of the covenant or to this kingdom or to the prejudice of any who shall do or shall adhere to the Solemn League and Covenant and monarchical government in any of his other kingdoms.