TrueCovenanter.com Editor's Note Please note: we hope it goes without saying, that this document is provided strictly for its historical significance and to satisfy the interest of those who would like to know more of the details concerning the contendings of Messrs. Cameron, Cargil, &c. during the "killing times." The following proclamation is full of lying slanders against Messrs. Cameron, Cargil, etc. and the faithful Covenanters who contended for Christ's cause in Scotland during the 1600's. We hope that the reader will, by comparing this document with historical facts, learn how much tyrannical and pretended governments should be trusted in the news and propaganda that they spew forth about the "Troublers in Israel" (1 Kings 18.17.) in every age, and always entertain such rumours with much doubting, granting a judgment of charity rather to their brethren in Christ, than to those who are his public and avowed enemies, the "raging heathen" who both imagine and speak vain things against King Jesus and his servants. (Psalm 2.)

CHARLES, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, To ________ Our Lyon King at Arms, and his Brethren, Heralds, Macers, Pursevants, and Messengers at Arms, our Sheriffs in that part, conjunctly, and severally, specially constitute, Greeting: Forasmuch, as Mr. Richard Cameron, _______ Cameron his Brother, Mr. Thomas Douglas, Mr. Donald Cargill, and others their Accomplices, Have now at last shaken off all respect to Our Laws, and their Allegiance itself to Us their undoubted Sovereign, and have entered into express and open Combinates and Covenants, wherein they most Sacrilegiously do by a solemn Oath, Engage themselves to disown Us and Our Authority, and declare it not only lawful, but a Christian duty upon all Our Subjects to rise in Arms against Us, and to Murder such as are in any Trust or Employment under Us, declaring Us an Usurper, and that none should obey them who are in Authority under Us, but such as would obey the Devil and his Vice-gerents; and that they will choose and set up Magistrates, who shall govern them according to the Judicial Law of Moses, and not according to the Laws made by Us or any of our Predecessors. Which Covenant, with several most Impious, Scandalous, and Seditious Pamphlets, were taken from the said Mr. Donald Cargil, (one of their Preachers) at the Queens Ferry, upon the Third day of June instant. Likeas, the said Mr. Richard Cameron, and his Brother, and Mr. Thomas Douglas, accompanied with several Ruffians, and particularly John Vallang, Brother-in-Law to Robert Park, one of the Bailiffs of Sanquhar, Daniel Mackmitchel in Lorgfoot, Thomas Campbel, Son to _______ Campbel late of Dalblair in Auchinleck Parish, John Moodie, Brother to the Miller at Cubs-Milne in the same Parish, John Fowller, sometimes servant to the deceased, _____ Lindsay of Covingtown, Patrick Gemill, Son-inlaw to Charles Logan, Messenger at Cumnock-maines, James Stewart, Son to Archibald Stewart at Calsey-end, near to the Earl of Galloway's House, Alexander Gordown, called of Kilsture, Francis Johnstoun Merchant in Clidsdale, _____ Creichtown, Son to Robert Creichtown of Achtitinch, now in Water-head, and others to the number of twenty-one persons, did upon the twenty-two of June, enter within the Burgh of Sanquhar, with drawn Swords and Pistols in their hands, and after a solemn procession through the Town, did draw up at the Cross, and published and affixed upon the Cross, and other publick places thereof, a most Treasonable and unparalleled Paper, disowning Us to be their King, and defaming Us with the very same Names and Designations used by the Usurpers in their greatest rage after they had Murdered the King, our Royal and blessed Father of eternal memory, and overturned all the Fundamental Laws and Rights belonging to Us and Our Subjects, whose Principles and Footsteps they exactly renew and follow: The reading and affixing of which Proclamation by these Traitors and Rebels, being clearly proved to Our Privy-Council by Witnesses upon Oath; and it being notour and undeniable, that these Traitors, to the number of seventy, or thereby, continue in Arms, committing all manner of Outrages and Insolencies. We have therefore, with Advice of our Privy-Council, thought fit, as use is in such cases, to declare the said Mr. Richard Cameron, ______ Cameron his Brother, Mr. Thomas Douglas, Mr. Donald Cargill, John Vallang, Daniel Mackmitchel, Thomas Campbel, John Mudy, Patrick Gemill, James Stewart, Alexander Gordown, Franck Johnstown, and ______ Creichtown, open and notorious Traitors and Rebels against Us and Our Authority, empowering and requiring all Our good Subjects to treat them as such. And particularly, We hereby require and command all Our good Subjects, as they will be answerable upon their Allegiance, to do their utmost diligence to discover the said Traitors, and to give timeous Intimation with all possible speed, in case they be not able to seize and apprehend them themselves, to the nearest Officer of Our standing Forces, (if any be within twelve Miles) and if none be within the said distance, to the next Magistrate, commanding all persons to concur with Our Forces for apprehending the said Traitors. And to the effect, the Harbourers and Resetters, or those who neglect to discover them, may be known and punished, We do require the hail Heretors, or their Bailiffs or Chamberlands, in case of the Heretors absence, to cause call and cite before them in a Court, all persons living upon their respective Lands, Men or Women, above the age of sixteen years, in all the Parishes under-written, viz. Carsfern, Balmaclellan, Dalry, Kells, Barr in Carrick, the Moor Kirk of Kyle, Galstown, Lowdon, Tindergarth, Streven, Lesmahago, Sanquhar, Irongray, Glencairn, Cumnock, Monigaff, and Penningham, upon the second and last Tuesdays of July and August next. And to take the Oaths of all the said persons living upon the respective Lands, whether any of these Traitors foresaid were in that Parish, and where and when: and lest they may pretend not to know the saids Traitors, that they discover upon Oath any skulking or lurking persons which they have known to have been in that Parish, after the Publication hereof in the respective shires; and the Heretors or their Bailiffs and Chamberlands in their absence, to give an account of their diligence in Writing, within eight days after each Diet foresaid, to the Sheriffs, Stewarts, Bailiffs of Regalities, Magistrates of Burghs, and shall adjoin thereto the following Declaration upon Oath.

I _________________ do solemnly swear by the Eternal God, that I have truly and faithfully examined upon Oath, the whole Persons Men and Women living upon my Lands who compeared, who are above the age of sixteen Years, whereof I am Heretor, Bailiff, or Chamberlain, within the Parish of _______ and that I caused my Officers give Execution upon Oath, that he did cite all the said Persons to the foresaids Diets, and have given account of the Persons who compeared not, or compearing, refused to give Oath. And in case the saids Traitors should leave and dishaunt the abovenamed Parishes, and repair to other Parishes or places, that immediately upon notice from the Lieutenant-General, or any authorized by him to the Sheriffs and other Magistrates of the respective Burghs, where from time to time they resort, the said Magistrates are ordained to make intimation of the Hereots of their Bailiffs, or their Chamberlains in their absence, to the end they may make the same enquiry after the same way and method, and to return an account of their diligence within two Months after such Intimation from the Lieutenant-General as aforesaid; with certification to such as compear not and Depone, shall be holden and repute as connivers at, and concealers, of the said Traitors; and that the Heretors, or in their absence their Bailiffs and Chamberlains who shall not return their accounts to the said respective Magistrates as aforesaid, or their Deputs, and the said Magistrates who shall not return their accounts to our Council the first Council day in August, for their diligence in July, and the first council day of September for their diligence in August, shall be proceeded against with all rigor, as connivers at, and concealers of the said Traitors. And further, We do hereby require and command all Sheriffs, Stewarts, Bailiffs of Regalities, and Magistrates of Burghs where the said Traitors use to haunt or resort, to raise such persons in their respective Jurisdictions, as they shall find necessar for that Service, for whom they will be answerable; and that the Sheriffs and other Magistrates foresaids, require the assistance of the Commissioners of the Militia, in their respective Jurisdictions: And to search for, take and apprehend the said Traitors in their respective bounds; and in case they fly forth thereof, to advertise the Neighbouring, Sheriffs, and other Magistrates who are appointed to do the like diligence, conform to the 144 Act, 12 Par. K. Ja. 6. And if in pursuit of the said Traitors they resisting to be taken, any of Our saids Magistrates, or other Our good Subjects shall happen to kill or mutilate them, or any of them, We do hereby declare that they nor none assisting them shall ever be called in question, or pursued Civilly or Criminally therefore in time coming; but that these Presents shall be as sufficient for their exoneration, as if they had Our special Remission, and that their doing thereof shall be repute good and acceptable service done to Us. And for the better encouragement of such as shall apprehend and bring in the saids Traitors dead or alive, the Apprehender of Mr. Richard Cameron shall, as a Reward, have five thousand Merks; and of Mr. Thomas Dowglas, M. Donald Cargil, and for the said _______ Cameron, brother M. Richard, who read and affixed the saids Traitorous Declaration at Sanquhar, three thousand Merks for each of them, and one thousand Merks for each one of the rest of the Traitors abovementioned, to be instantly paid to them by the Commissioners of our Thesuarary. And ordains these Presents to be Printed, and published at the Mercat Crosses of Edinburgh, and Mercat Crosses of the remnant head Burghs of the several Shires of this Kingdom on the South-side of the Water of Tay, and other places needful, by the Sheriffs of the respective Shires foresaid, that none pretend ignorance.

Given under our Signet at Edinburgh, the last day of June, One thousand six hundred and eighty, and of our Reign the thirty two Year.

Per Actum Dominorum Secreti Concilii.
WILL. PATERSON, Cl. Sti. Concil.

God Save the King.

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Reprinted at London, for Andrew Forrester in Kingstreet, Westminster, Anno Dom. 1680.

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