dius and
intromitt, but soffer the same to run to tham.

with the quhilk her majestie shall not BOOK

The answer of the rest of the articles is referred to
the parliament.

The kirk's reply to the queen's majesties answers aforesayd.

FIRST, whar her majestie answers that she is not persuadit in the religion; neather that she understands any impietie in the masse, bot that the same is well grounded, &c. This is no smale greafe to the Christian harts of her godlie subjects; consideringe that the trompet of Christ's evangell hes ben sa lange blawin in this countrie; and his mercy sa plainly offerit in the same: that her majestie yet remaynes unperswadit of the trewth of this our religion; for our religion is not ells, but the same religion quhilke Christ in the last days revelit fra the bossome of his Father: quharof he mad his apostells messengers, and quhilke they preachit and establysht amoungst his faithfull to continu till gaine coming of the Lord Jesus: quhilk differs from the impietie of the Turks, the blasphemy of the Jewes, and vaine superstition of the papists in this, that onlie our religion hes God the Father, his only Sonne our Lord Jesus, his Holy Spirit speakinge in his prophets and apostles, for authors therof: and the doctrine and practice for ground of the same. The quhilk assurance no other religion upon the face of the yearth can justly alleage or plainly prove; yea, quatsoever assurance the papists hes for their religion, the same hes the Turk for mayntenance of the Alcarone; and the Jewys far greter for the defence of their cerimonies; quihidder it be antiquity of tyme, consent of people, authority of princes, great number or multitud consentinge together, or any other sike like cloks, that they can pretent. And therefore as we are dolorous that her majestie in this our religion is not perswadit, so maist reverently wee require in the name of the eternal God, that her highnes wald embrace the meanes quharby she may be perswadit in the trewth. Quhilke presently we offer unto her grace, aswell

VI.

III.

PART by preachinge of his worde, quhilk is the chiefe means appointed be God to perswade all the chosen children of his infailable veritie. As be publick disputacion against the adversaries of this our religion descivers of her majestie whensoever it shall be thought expedient to hir grace. And as to the impietie of the masse, we dare be bauld to affirme, that in that idoll thare is great impietie, ye it is na thinge ells but a messe of impietie fra the beginninge to the endinge. The author, or sayer, the action it selfe, the opinion therof conteanit, the hearers of it, gasars upon it, avoure it pronouncis blasphemy, and comytts maist abhomynable ydolatry, as we have ever offerit, and yet offer our selves maist manifestly to prove. And quhar hir majestie estemes that the change of hir religion should dissolve the confederacy and allyance, that she hes with the kinge of France and other princes, &c.

Assuredly Christ's true religion is the undowtid means to knit up surly perfect confederacy and friendship with him that is King of all kings; and quha hes the harts of all princes in his hands. Quhilk aucht to be more precious unto her majestie, nor the confederacy of all the princes of the yearth; and without the quhilke, neather confederacy, love, or kindness can long endure.

Concerning her majesties answer to the second article, quhar as she thinks yt no ways resonable to defraud hir selfe of hir patronage of the benefices, quhilk her majestie estemes to be a portion of hir patrimony. And that hir majesty is mindit to retaine an gud parte of the benifices in her own hands to support her comon charges: as to the first point, our mind is not that hir majestie, or any other patrone of this realme, shuld be defraudit of their just patronages, but we mean that quhen soever hir majestie, or any other patrone dois present any personage to any benefice, that the parson presently shuld be tryed and examined by the learned men of the kirke, sic appertaineth, as the superintendaunts appointit there to. And as the presentacion of the benefices appertayne to the patrons, so ought the collation therof by lawe and reason appertayne to the

VI.

church; of the quhilke collation the kirk shuld not be BOOK defrauded, maire nore the patrons of their presentation; for otherwise, if it shall be lawfull to the patrons absolutely to present quhom thai please, without triall or examination, quhat than can abyde in the kirke of God, but mere ignorance without all ordre. As to the second parte, concerninge the retention of a gude parte of the benefices in her majesties owne hands, this point abhorris sa far fra gud conscience, as well of God's law, as fra the publicke ordre of all common laws; that we ar loth to open up the ground of the matter, be any long circumstances. And therefore maist reverently we wish that hir majestie wold consider the matter with her selfe, and with her wise councell, that howsoever the patronages of the benefice may appertayne to her selfe, yet the retention therof in hir own hands undisponing them to qualyfyt persones, is both ungodly, and also contrary to all polyticke order, and finall confusion to the pure saules of the common people: quha be this means shuld be instructit of their salvation. And quhar hir majestie concludis in her second answer, that she is content that an sufficient and resonable sustentacion of the ministers be provydat to tham, by assignation in placis most commodious and easiest to tham; consideracion beinge had of hir owne necessitie. As we are altogether desirous that hir gracis necessitie be relevit, so our duty craves that we should notefie to your grace the true order that shuld be observed in this behalfe, quhilk is this, The teynds are properly to be reputed to be the patrimony of the kirke, upon the quhilks befor all things they that travells in the ministery thairof, and the pore indigent members of Christ body are to be sustenit. The kirks also repaired, and the youthead brought up in gud letters: quhilks things be and done, than other necessitie resonable might be supportede accordinge as her majestie and hir godlie counsaile could think expedient. Allways we cannot but thank her majestie most reverently, of her liberall offer, of assignations to be made to the ministers for their sustentation. Quhilk not the lesse is so generally conceived that without mare speciall

PART condiscendinge upon the particularity therof, no expectacion III. is able to follow therupon. And so to conclud with her ma

Cotton lib.
Calig. B.10.

jestie at this parliament, we desire most earnestly the performance of the said articles, beseching God that as they are resonable and godly in thamselvis; so your majesties hart, and the estates jointly convenit, may be inclynit and perswadit to the performance therof.

Number 90.

The supplication to the queen's majestie of Scotlande. To the queen's most excellent majesty, her grace's humble subjects, professing the evangell of Christe Jesus within this realme, wisheth longe prosperitte, with the spirit of righteous judgment.

It is not unknown unto your majestie, that within this realme the evangell of Jesus Christ was lately so planted, the trewe religion so established; idolatry, to wit, the masses, and all that therto appertenyth, together with the usurped and tyrannicall power of that Romaine ante-christ, called the pope, so suppressed, aswel by the mighty power and hand of God, as by just lawes and decres of parliament, that none within this realme durst in publick have gainsaid the one nor mayntenet the other. It is further known, that such as in whose hands God of his mercye had prospered the begynninge of this his worke, were going forwarde to an exact and parfect reformation, concerninge the policy of the churche, accordinge to the word of God, and sustentation of them that travell in the same. But theis nowe our most just and godlie begynnings have nowe bene staied and trobled nere the space of 4 yeres, to the great grief of all godlie hartes within this realme. Shortlie after your grace's arrival, was that idol the masse erected up againe and there after were wicked men enemyes to Christ Jesus, and his holy evangell reposed in the places wich they never possessed, and were admitted to receive the fruts, that by no just lawe can apperteane to them: and that under color they shold pay ther thirds to your majesties comp

VI.

troller, and suche as he shold depute for the receiving of BOOK the same; to thend as we understond, that our mynysters and mynisterye might have bene planted and sustanid according to Gods comaundement. And albeyt we were plainly forwarned, that suche begynnynge wold not have eny happy ende; yet the love that we bare to the tranquyllitie of your realme, and esperance and hope that we had, that God of his mercye wold molyfye your highness hart, to heare his blessed evangell publickly preched, we quyetly past over many things that were in our harts, as also many tymes by our supplicacions unto your majestie, we desiered to have bene redressed; but howe litle we have proffyted to this daie, bothe great and small amongest us begynne now to consider. For laws we see violated, idolatrye encreased, your highnes owne gates (against proclamations) made patent to the foolishe people, to commytt idolatrye: the patrymony of the churche we see bestowed upon persons most unworthie, and to other uses then was at first intended: and thereby the tyrannye of that Romaine antichrist to be intruded upon us againe; our mynisters brought to extreme povertie; some of them trobled in ther function, some prechers hurt, and no redresse maide. Fornicacion, adulterye, incest, murther, sorcerers, bewytchers, and al impietie so to abounde universallie within this your highnes realme, that God cannot lange spaire to stricke the heade and the members, onless speedye repentance followe. We therfore, nowe contynuinge in our former humble sewte, most humbly requere of your majestie a speadye reformation of the innormyties aforesaid, and a favorable answere of our just petycions; as more fullye your majestie please receive in articles; most humbley beseaching your highnes to have this opynon of us, that as to this daie your grace have founde nothinge in us but dewe obbedyence to your majesties lawes and auctoritie, which we have given, because we are thonly part of your people that treuly fear God, so to esteame of us, that God his Christ Jesus, and his trewe religion which we professe, (and by his grace shal be) to us more dear then lives, possessions, or respect of prosperitie.