and his desire to have come and lived in Scotland till all differences in both Kingdoms had been setled an act of Parliament was made for abandoning his Majesty to the mercy of his inveterate enemies the said army of Sectaries It is answered that as he must continually acknowledge the late King and his present Majesties acts of favour honour and trust so must be still deny as he safly may in the presence of God who is the searcher of all hearts and of all men that he never intertained any dis-loyall thought or contrived any treasonable plot or machination against the sacred persons dignity or authority of his late soveraign or of his present most sacred Majesty and therefore with a clear conscience may answer this dittay 1. That the same is not special not clear but very obscure and general how and in what manner he was chief Ringleader of any factious partie 2. Who that factious partie were nor 3. By what deeds and how he swayed the state of affairs nor 4. These means by which and upon whom the procured his influence to prevail 5. The alledged offers made by his Majesty are not exprest And therefore the said articles are altogether general and inept 2. The act of Parliament which the defender is alledged to have procured to have been made is not produced no indicat by number or Rubrick nor does the Defender know any act of the tenour and title lybelled And the Defender in humidity conceives that it is not consistent with the act libelled on in the opposition of the Dittay discharging persons to impugn the authority of the Estates of Parliament to term the members thereof especially in making an act which being carried by plurality of voices as the deed on the whole and specially such an act as is mentioned in the Libel where there were none or very few of a contrary judgement A factious party 13. The cause of the first member of the said eight Article anent the pretended act of Parliament as is libelled for abandoning and leaving his Majestie to the disposal and mercy of his enemies the Sectarian Army does debond from the Acts of Parliament as clearly appears and can be subsumed on under none of the Acts of Parliament libelled For if the tenth Act of Parliament 1647. be understood and meaned as the Act libelled that being an Act of Parliament the Defender humbly alledges That an Act of an acknowledged lawful Parliament should be made a crime of accession whereunto a Member of Parliament shall be indicted especially for so high a crime as Treason is without ground of Law of practice and is hoped the honorable Parliament will no ways sustain it and therefore that he needs say no more now in confirmation hereof 14. Likewise all that is in that Act and substance thereof being the Estates of Parliament there declaring their concurrence for His Majesties going to Homeby-house or some other of his Houses in and about London and that expresly to satisfie the desire both of His Majestie himself and of His two Houses of Parliament in England And there to remain not under the power of Sectaries but with such attendance about him as both Houses should think fit to appoint with respect also had to the safety and preservation of his Royal Person And the Estates therein do also declare against all harm and prejudice violence or injury to be done to the same as indeed it was horrid to think that any on earth should have done or prejudice to His Majesties Posterity But thereafter it is clear from the fourth and seventh Acts of the Parliament 1648. that the Sectarian Army disobeyed and threatened the Houses of Parliament imprisoned and banished faithful Members and by a sudden surprizing violently seized upon the Person of the Kings Majestie carried Him from His House at Homeby against His own will and declared Resolutions of both Kingdoms and kept him under their guards till at length by their Power and Prevalency He was committed and kept close Prisoner at the Isle of Wight this being the true case out of the express words of the Acts before cited As to that Declaration Act. 10. Parl. 1647. The Defender alledges 1. The Act bears express That it was to satisfie His Majesties own desire 2. That it is homologat and approven by the Parliament 1648. in so far as by their fourth Act institulate Anext their Resolutions concerning the breaches of Covenant and Treaties betwixt the Kingdom of Scotland and England and demands for reparation thereof findes the violent seising on his Sacred Majesties Person and taking Him away from Homeby-house as appears by Act 7. by that Army against the resolutions of both Kingdoms a breach And amongst the Reparations they desire expresly that conform to the former desires of this Kingdom the Kings Majestie may come with Honour Freedom and Safety to some of his Houses in or near London that the Parliaments of both Kingdoms may make applications to him And in their seventh Act intituled A Declaration of the Parliament of Scotland to all His Majesties good Subjects of this Kingdom concerning their resolutions for Religion King and Kingdom c. After they declare That violent seizing on His Majesties Person and carrying Him away by that Army against the resolutions of both Kingdoms so be a breach And they declare they intend to send to the two Houses of the Parliament of England the Desires following which they call Necessary and just Desires for Religion His Majesties good and Peace of these Kingdoms whereof this is one That conform to the former desires of this Kingdom The Kings Majestie may come with Honor Freedom and Safety to some of His Houses in or near London and declares that thereafter they will endeavour it and Act 8. in their desires to both Houses Parliament in England the same desire is repeated Conform to the former desires of this Kingdom By all which it is clear That the seizing upon His Sacred Majesties Person was the violent deed of that wicked-Army done with a violent surprisal against the declared resolutions of both Kingdoms And that His Majesties coming to some of His Houses in or about London where both Kingdoms might make applications to Him conform to His Kingdoms desire which is that wherein the the Estates declares their concurrence with His Majestie and both Houses of Parliament in Englands desire in the said tenth Act is approven as a just and necessary desire for His Majestie and accordingly enacted among that Parliament 1648. their desires to the said Houses and declare it should be endeavoured if refused so highly is it approven by the said Parliament In respect whereof specially of the standing Acts of Parliaments 1648. the Defender humbly craves That albeit the Article was relievantly distinctly and clearly libelled and subsumed on some of the Acts of Parliament in the Proposition condescended on as he humbly conceives is not yet he ought to be assolized therefrom And for further clearing
for maintenance of religion King Kingdome which was thereafter approved by the Partia 1644. And fift act thereof and prosecute by wars both within and without the Kingdome by the authority of divers succeding Parliament's Church and state going unanimously along together without any apparent publicke difference till the year 1648. And even then that Parliamâ—nt 1648. so highly homologate the said league and covenant that they declare the breaches thereof to be the grounds of their resolutions of that Warre act 4. 7. and 8. And their desires for preventing thereof to be the fulfilling of the same Ibidem The necessary qualification required in all with whom they would joyne either in their armies or committies is that they be such who were of known faithfullnesse to the cause and covenant in the said act 7. and that they would oppose and endeavour to suppresse the enemies to the cause and covenant on hands all Ibidem Witnessing to the world that they â—werved not from the principles conteined in the nationall covenant and league and covenant and that they resolved closly and constantly to adhere there unto and to all the ends thereof So that at that time there was still no difference as to the cause and covenant any difference being only in the manner and not in the matter of that engagement Thereafter what straits this poor Kingdome was redacted to be the defeat of that engagement and how unable it was to make resistance to that English army who in prosecution of their victory came to the borders entred the same is noture to all wherewith the whole Kingdome being surprized with amazement and in evident hazard it was hard in that juncture of affairs to resolve upon any course for preventing the same or rather incumbate hazard of the Kingdome Whereupon a quorum of the committed of estates appoynted by the said Parliament 1648 were necessitated to take upon them the managing of affairs and to see for conditions of peace not being able to resist by force the flowre and strength of the Nation being broke by the said defeat and to accept the same upon the easiest termes that could be had for the time which as it was endeavoured upon no other intention or for any other end but that which they were constrained to by inevitable necessity So at that time it was generally lookt upon as good service and which at that time was most necessary to evite very great and otherwise inevitable evils being either necessitat'd to condensenâ— to their demands at that time or otherwise to have delivered the persons of all that did prosecute the said engagements according to the obleasment of the large treaty together with the forts and strength of the Kingdome The succeeding Pâ—rliament for the time in the year 1649. after Proclamation of his present Majesty did send commissioners to Holland and afterwwds according to his Majestys desire to Breda where there was a treaty concluded by his sacred Majesty Wherein he was graciously pleased to approve of the said Parliament in anno 1644. and remanner Parliaments and their proceedings from the year 1641 preceding the said treaty which was thereafter ratified by his sacred Mâ—jesty and his Parliament at Pearth and Starlin and after the royall example of his ever glorious father an act of oblivion was indulged whereby all that might be ground of question was buried in oblivione and pardoned by a general act of oblivion in a most full and ample form This being the state of publick affairs during the time foresaid albeit by the first ten articles of the dittay The deffender is charged with deeds and publick actings coming within the compass of the said approbation and oblivion foresaid yet such firme relyance hath he of his Majesty presisting in his gracious clemency which does in his royall heart so much abound That albeit his Majesty by his Proclamation Dadet the 12. Of October 1660. Is pleased graciously to declare that he has remitted to his Parliament the tryall of the carriage of his subjects in Scotland during the late troubles That the late troubles has only respect to the tyme during the usurpers possession and that tryall should be taken during that time of the subjects carriage The defender in all humility conceiving that it is no wayes to be supposed that his gracious Majesty did therebey intend to rip up or revive or to institute any new tryall of old offences forgotten and forgiven as said is especially seeing it is not to be supposed that the bowells of his mercyes should be so straitned to this his ancient Kingdome to which he has upon all occasions given so many signall and recent testimonies of his superabundant favour then they are and have been to his Subjects of his other dominions to whom according to his Majesties declarations he hath granted a full and free pardon from which few and these only the unpardonable murderers of his royal father are excluded for whom or any guilty thereof no punishment can be sufficient and therefore the defender in all humility conceives the said articles though libelled are not to be insisted on The solemnity of the oaths both of Covenant and League will be as the defender hopes pregnant presumptions to put and end all controversie anent the sincerity of his as of the Church and Kingdome their loyal intentions for the maintenance of the person and authority of our dread Soveraign whereunto they were thereby so religiously ingaged and the constant tenor of his acting still by vertue of publick Orders and Warrants of Parliament and their commitâ—ees wherein his faithfulness in the execution was also in the like manner approved will witness that what he did was not for any private interest but for the publich ends where unto he conceived himself ingaged in manner foresaid nor was the Defender for continuing of these unnatural civill discords as he did witnesse by his inclination to unaccommodation with Montross in the year 1645. mentioned after in answer to the tenth article which albeit fully agreed to betwixt him and the defender yet he could not obtain the commitees approbation thereof which is in evidence that the defender had not the chief sway of affaires and was alwayes inclinable to peace religion being secured like as the carrying on the ingagement in the year 1648. though the defender differed in his judgement as to the way and manner upon the grounds and reasons thereafter exprest in answer to the ninth Articles does clearly evince that he had not the chief sway in publict actings and what power and interest he had in the year 1649. he did faithfully according to his bond duty improve the same for removing these differences betwixt his Majesty and his subjects wherein he was pationately earnest as shall be made appear in answer to the said tenth article and after his Majesties hom-coming and during his being in this Kingdom and thereafter till the enemy had fully prevailed and that by his articles of agreement
Earl meerly for his loyalty to his Majesty it is gratis dictum against that presumption quâ— unusqiusque praesumitur bonus and against that loyalty to his Majesty that is hoped shall more and more appear in the defender Lastly the defender ought to be assoyled from the said article and all deeds therein mentionat Because the same precedit the act of oblivion in anno 1641. whereby all things that did fall forth in these tumultous times whether prejudiciall to his Majestys honour and safety or to the lawes and practises of the Church and Kingdome or to the paticular interests of the subject buried in perpetuall oblivion as more fully is conteined in the said act 3. As to the third article annent the beseiging of dumbration Castle and trasporting Cannon and ammunition out thereof It is alledged for the defender 10 that the assaulting of the said Castle is not relevant to inferre the conclusion of the dittay because as is before alledged none can be declared triators but these who hes contraven'd a special act made under the pain of treason But so it is that none of the particular acts of Parliament whereupon the proposition is founded mentions any thing against these who assaults the Kings Castle nor does any of them infer the pain of treason therefore But only the 25 act of Parliament 6. Iac. 6. intituled sundry poynts of treason by the which acts they only are to be punished as traytors who assaults the castle or places where the Kings person is and that without warant of Estates but it is neither libelled nor was the Kings person in the said Castle the time of the alledged assaults thereof nor did the defender assault and lay siege to the same without warrand from the estates but by their expresse order commission and the truth is the defender himselfe did not appear before the said house till the said Sir John Henrison being straitned with the seige sent for the defender offered to surrender the house upon honorable conditions which the defender suffered him to make himself and which were accordingly kept not without some difficulty the inhabitans of the town by reason of prejudice done to them being highly insenced against the said Collonel As to that part of the said article annent the transporting of the Kings Cannon and ammunition none relevat to infer the conclusion none of the acts libelled on concluding against any such fact the said crime of treason and the truth is the defender did never transport any Cannon or ammunition out off the said Castle but two Cannons which the duke of Richmont heritable keeper thereof gifted to the defender and which he would never have gifted if they had not been his own and not the Kings 2. The defender ought to be assoyled from the said article all deeds therin contained the same having also proceeded the saidact of oblivion in anno 1641. 4. And as to the fourth article of the dittay anent the defenders calling or causing to be called a convention of the estates in anno 1643 entring in league with his Majesties enemies imposing excise and subsidies on the Kingdomes raising an army entring England therewith fighting for and with the rebells there It is answered that the whole points of this article of the ditty are charged personally on the defender so contrary to the notority of the matter of the fact known to both Kingdomes and to his Majestyes commissioners grace and to the wholâ— Parliament yea to the fifth act of Parliament 1644 relating and approving all the acts that are made points of this article That there needs no more but propond as known to all and to repeit out of the said publick law and act of Parliament what is there in libelled to evince that they are not the defenders personal deeds but the comittees comissioners establisht by his Masty convention of estates and of the whole Church and Kingdom of Scotland and approven by that Parliament 1644. in the said 5. act thereof first then as it is noture so it is clear by that act that the said convention of Estates was called not by the defender as it is libellit but by his Majesty privy Counsel Commissioners for conserving the articles of the Treaty therein mentioned and Commissioners of common burdens all establisht by his Majesties authority in anno 1641. which Conservators concerning that article 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 Treaty bearing the Kingdom of Scotland their desire for unity in religion and conformiâ—y in Church-Government as a special meaâ—s for conserving of peace betwixt the two Kingdomes In answer thereto His Majesty with advice of both houses of Parliament in England doth declare his approbation of their affection in their desire of having conformity of Church-Government between the Nations and as the Parliament had already taken to consideration the reformation of Church Government so they would proceed therein in due time and this was one of the main grounds whereupon both houses entred the said League 2. That the enacting and entring the League and Covenant was an act of that convention of Estates not the defenders personal act 3. That the League and Covenant was entred in with the two houses of the long Parliament and assistance given to them in fighting with or for their army or otherwise which is libelled fighting with rebels The point of fact being thus cleared in opposition to the dittâ—y 2. It is alledged that the first two members of this article is subsumed under none of the acts of Parliament libelled on in the proposition there being no act of Parliament libelled against meetings bands or leagues in general or in special betwixt the two Nations or Estates thereof 3. As to the remanent members of the article they can no wayes be relevant with all submission except it were qualified that the two houses of the long Parliament to whom the assistance libelled was given that they were enemies and rebels but that the defender is confident it will not be said because by his Majesties act of Oblivion 2â— April 1660 his Majesty after his happy restitution declares that what was acted even against his Majesty and his royal Father by his Subjects in England during these times thereafter shall not be called in question at all so much as to the prejudice of their reputation in manner at length conteined in that gracious act and how loyal the long Parliament was did appear in that the usurper durst never attempt any thing against his late Majesties person till they were broken as also what loyalty the secluded Members of that Parliament has as became them shewed to his Majesty in his just and glorious restitution is known to all Europe to their eternal commendation and renown No doubt as from conscience of their oath of duty and allegiance so of the oath of God whereunto they bound themselves to maintain his Majesties person authority and greatness as well as religion in that Covenant 4. All the foresaid