By the King. A proclamation declaring those of Scotland, who have entred, or shall enter this kingdom in a vvarlike manner, and their adherents, to be rebels and traitours to His Majestie.

DIEV ET MON DROIT HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE royal blazon surmounted by a crown and flanked by the English lion on one side and the Scottish unicorn on the other ❧ By the King . ❧ A Proclamation declaring those of Scotland , who have entred , or shall enter this Kingdom in a Warlike manner , and their Adherents , to be Rebels and Traitours to His MAJESTIE .

WHereas the Kings most Excellent Majestie , for a long time now together , by all wayes of Mildnesse and Clemencie ( beyond that of Soveraign Princes ) hath endeavoured to appease the disorders and Rebellious courses and proceedings of His Subjects of Scotland , who upon pretences of Religion have sought to shake off His Regall Power and Government : His Majestie now findeth that His Princely Lenity towards them hath produced no better effects then their encouragements still to persist in their disloyalties and Rebellions against Him : And in these their Insolencies they have now so far proceeded as to take up Arms , to gather Forces , and in a Hostile manner have entred and invaded this Kingdom of England . And as for their pretences of enjoying their Religion and Liberties , His Majestie hath already often assured them of His cleer Intentions and Resolutions therein . Wherefore His Majestie out of His continued Princely and tender care of that His native Kingdom , hath thought fit ( by the advice of His Privie Councell ) once more to make this publike Declaration to the world , that He hath left no wayes ( beseeming a Prince ) unattempted , whereby to reclaim and reduce them to that dutie and obedience which Loyall Subjects do owe to their lawfull Soveraign .

And therefore His Majestie doth hereby further declare , That all those of Scotland who have already entred , or hereafter shall presume to enter , ( in an Hostile or Warlike manner ) into any part of this His Kingdom of England , and their Adherents and Assistants and parts of the Kingdom without any consent , nay without all knowledge of Vs , Our Commissioner , or Councell , and directly contrary to many standing Laws at this day in force in that Kingdom , and yet pretend violation of their Laws , as one of the main causes of their brain-sick distemners .

Here therefore We take God and the world to witnesse , We hold Our self forced and constrained to Arm , not onely to reclaim them , and to set our kingly authority right again in that Our ancient and native Kingdom , but also for the safety of this Kingdom , Our loyall Subjects in it , with their wives , children , and goods , as well as Our own , against the rage and fury of these men and their Covenant . And this We think fit to let you further know , that We hope in time to make the best of them see that We will endure no such Covenant and Band in Our Kingdom , to which We shall not consent : So the question is not now , whether a Service Book to be received or not ; nor whether Episcopall government shall be continued , or Presbyteriall admitted , but whether We are their King or not : For though in some of their Libels they give Vs good words , and speak Vs fair for their own ends , especially in their last , Printed at Edenburgh , February quarto 1639. yet some of them refuse both the Oath of Allegiance and Supremacy , and publikely maintain that they are not obliged to take the same . Now how can We think these men are dutifull and loyall in their hearts , that broach such dangerous Opinions , or Religiously minded that teach such Rebellious Doctrine , and so contrary to all which Protestant Divines teach towards the King and the Civill Magistrate ; Nay , they have infected divers of their Countrey-men ( which are come into other parts ) with the same Venome ; for three Scots-men taken in Wales , are at this day Imprisoned for direct denyall of Our Supremacie and their Allegiance , saying , They cannot take those Oathes , because they have sworn to the Covenant . But though We have been thus milde towards them , and continued so long , yet We would not have any of them , or any of Our other Subjects think , that We can or will permit Episcopall Government , established by many Acts of Parliament in that Our Kingdom , to be abolished , seeing it is known to the whole Christian world , that the same is most Christian in it self , and most Peaceable for the Civill State , and most consonant to Monarchicall Government .

And We would have Our Subjects of that Kingdome consider , what will become of the third Estate there in Parliament , if Episcopacie should be abrogated .

And further , We think fit to Declare unto you , and to the Christian World , That by Our Intention of introducing the Service-Book into that Kingdome , We had not the least thought of Innovation of Religion in this or that , but meerly to have a Conformity with that Worship of God which is observed within both Our other Kingdomes , though ill minded men have wrested some things in it to a sinister sence .

We further give you to understand , that there is a large Declaration coming forth , containing all the particular passages which have occurred in this businesse from the very beginning , attested with their own foul Acts , to disanull and shame their fair , but false words . But because this cannot so soon be made ready , We hold it most expedient to let this short Declaration forerun it , that Our loyall Subjects here and elsewhere , may not be infected with their false , wicked , specious , but most Seditious Informations . For example sake in their last Pamphlet ( besides divers other false , base , and fawning Passages ) there are these scandalous and most notorious untruths : As first , they say , That We have committed the Arms Wee now take , and the Armies Wee now raise , into the hands of professed Papists , which is not more dishonourable to Our self , and the noble Persons intrusted by Vs , then odiously and notoriously false . Again they say , That some of power in the Hierarchie of England , have been the cause of Our taking Arms to Invade Our native Kingdom , and of medling with their Religion ; whereas it is most certain , that no one of them have done any thing therein , but by Our own Princely direction and command . And for Arms , it is notoriously known to all Our Councell then present , That their Counsels were for Peace , and have been the perswaders ( asmuch as in them lay ) of the undeserved Moderation wherewith We have hitherto proceeded towards so great Offenders .

And further they say , That they intend no Act of Hostility against England , unlesse they shall be necessitated in their own defence . We would fain know , defence of what ? Is it of disobedience ? Defence against whom ? Is it not against Vs their True and Lawfull Soveraign ? If they will defend against Vs , it ought to be by Law , and not by Arms : That defence We shall never deny them ; This by Arms We shall never permit them . Now Our Laws which they seem so much to value , are in a manner opprest by them , in so much that Our Iudges are so awed , as that they dare hardly proceed according to Law .

With these , and the like mutinous Libels , We desire Our good Subjects should not be infected , but that all of them might know the present necessity We have to Arm Our Self , which is for no other end , save onely for the safety and security of this Our Kingdom , the reestablishment of Our Authorities in that , and the suppressing of such as have misled and abused Our Subjects there , and would ( if not prevented ) do the like here ; but is no way to inforce any Innovation of Religion established in that Kingdom , or any wayes to infringe the Laws thereof , or any of their Liberties whatsoever , which are according to Law .

These are therefore to Will and Command all Our loving Subjects of this Our Kingdom , That they receive no more of their seditious Pamphlets sent from Scotland , or any other place concerning those affairs , which can have no other use or influence then to draw the hearts of Our loyall People to the like rebellious courses . And that such of Our Subjects here , as have already received any of these Rebellious Pamphlets , do presently deliver them to the next Iustice of Peace , that he may send them to one of Our Secretaries , as both they and the Iustices of Peace will answer it at their uttermost perils .

And Our further Will and pleasure is , That this Our Proclamation and Declaration be read in time of Divine Service in every Church within the Kingdom , That all Our People to the meanest , may see the notorious carriages of these men , and likewise the Iustice and Mercy of all Our proceedings .

Given at Our Court at Whitehall the seven and twentieth day of February , in the fourteenth yeer of Our Reign of England , Scotland , France , and Ireland . ❧ God save the King .