[1640/6/81]¹

Declaration: closure of parliament

Act 60

Declaration and cloisure of the parliamente

The saidis estats of parliament made this declaratione eftirspecified, which was red, voitted, past and subscryveit be the president in open and plaine parliament befor the rysing therof viz:

The humble and continoued desyris of your majesties subjectis conveened in parliament by your majesties authoritie, these are the actis of this parliament called at first and conveened againe the second tyme by your majesties authoritie, not in a commoun way of calling of parliamentis but by your majesties speciall and solemne promeis in your majesties royall declaratione at the tyme of pacificatione groundit therwpoun, which we now in all humilitie present wnto your majesties veiue and princlie consideratione as conteining no new thing different from our first and continowed desyris and serveing for the preservatione of oure religioune and lawes and for setling the peace of this kirke and kingdome wnder your majesties governement. As it was never our mynd to deny wnto your majestie, our native king and dread soveraigne, any pairt of temporall and civill obedience, soe doe we now, all of ws with one heart and voyce, testifie to your majestie befor the world, against the open raillingis and secreet suggestiones of our enemyes, that we accompt no earthlie thing so desyreable as to have the happines of enjoying this peace wnder the long and prosperous rigne of your majestie and your royall successouris in whom wee heave so great and kyndlie intrest, and therfor, as it heath beene our caire and diligence to keepe our selfis within the boundis of moderatione (as if your majesties throne standing befor our eyes had beene filled and we honnored with your majesties personall presence), enacting nothing bot the ratificatioun of the constitutions of the late assembly approvine by your majesties commissioner and suche other thingis as doe conduce for your majesties honnour and the good and peace of the kingdome, and makeing no kynd of alteratione but suche as ather by wnavoydable necessitie and by strenth of the mater itselfe was origined and deryved from the actis of the assemblie and without which they could not be ratified according to your majesties declaratione or according to the lawes war most necessar for the preservatione of our religione and liberties in tyme comeing, so it is now our humble petitione and confident expectatione that your majestie will judge equallie of the proceedingis of your loyall and weell meaneing subjectis, and will accompt of these actis as your majesties owne lawes since they have beene presented with there particular reasones to your majesties examinatione by our commissionaris and nothing remonstrated to ws againes the equitie and necessitie of them, and since they are concludit in parliament eftir once prorogatione conveened by your majestie, for this effect wee had beene inexcusable and could nather have ansuerit to God Almightie nor to your majestie, his vicegerent, for our good if wee had not in the extreme exigence of this kirke and kingdome made use of the libertie which by his divyne providence and your majesties authoritie and permissione was put in our handis. When your majestie shalbe graciouslie pleased to command these actis to be published in your owne name as our soverane lord, with the estates of parliament conveened by your majesties authoritie, when the Lord Loudoun, one of our commissioners sent from the parliament wpoun your majesties warrand, shalbe returned in saiftie, the castle of Edinburghe and wther strenthis of the kingdome shall, with the advyse of the estates, according to ther first fundatione, be furnished and used for our defence and securitie, some of our cuntriemen in your majesties other dominionis shall be frie frome censure for subscryveing the covenant and be no more pressed with oathes and subscriptiones wnwarranted by our lawes and contrair to our Nationall Oath and Covenant approved by your majestie, wtheres of them who have beene wicked instrumentis to worke ws all our woe and to devyd betuixt your majestie and the kingdome shalbe sent hither and put to a tryell according to the lawes, our shipis and goodis, souldieris and otheris imprisoned restored, and our loisses and wrongis which all this tyme we have susteened repaired, declarationes againest ws as tratoures recalled, and when your majestie shall be pleased to condiscend to a stable and weell groundit peace for our enjoying of our religione and liberties againest all feires of molestatione, then will the reall testimonies and royall proofis of your majesties justice and goodnes be so stronge bondis of love and invincible chaynis to ty our heartis that never was ther a people more obsequious to a king nor a king more contented and happie in a people. And why shall wee not thinke that your majestie will regaird the sound judgement and wnfained affectione of a whole kingdome above the opinione and selfe love of a few malecontentis who are at discord with the tymes and accompt your majesties danger and dishonnour and our commoun calamities to be a mitigatione of there justlie deserved miseries? Why shall wee not hope that your majesties wisdome will judge it more convenient to bestowe your royall favoures upoun this whole kingdome wherine everie one of ws may have our owne benefiet then wpon some few persones who, by ther interventioun, make ane ecclipse of your majesties countenance and goodnes at so great a distance? And why shall not ane obedient people that curseth all rebellioun and treasone to hell wher it is hatched looke for bettir dayes when this storme is blowne over, quhairin God may have his owne glorie, your majestie alse much honnour as a good king can requyre, and wee, your majesties subjectis, that peace and happines which may make us hartilie pray for the long and prosperous rigne of our native king and monarche?

Eftir divyne service by preaching, prayeris and thankisgiveing the parliament rose and sua this session was concludit wt supra.