Acts and Proceedings: 1561, May

A. D. M.D.LXI.

At Edinburgh, the 26 of May 1561. The haill kirk conveinit in the Tolbuith of Edinburgh, hes determinit and thoght good that ane humble complaint be made and givin in, in thair names, tuitching the suppression of idolatrie, and other points after following, to the Lords of Secreit Counsell.

In the first, for suppressing of idolatrie throughout the whole realme, and punishing the users thereof, maintainers of the samein, haunters and frequenters therto.

Item, for mantaining and speciall provision to be made for superintendents, for the erecting and establishing of moe in places convenient, and for punishing of the contemners of the said superintendents and dissobeyars of them.

Item, for ordour to be takin anent the abusers of the sacraments, and contemners of the samein.

Item, that no letters of the sessioun be givin, to ansuer or pay to any person ther teinds, without speciall provisioun that the parochiners retaines sae meikle in ther hands as is appointed to the minister; and that all sick as are els givin be callit in and dischairgit, and lykewayes that no shiress give precepts to that effect.

Item, that the sessioun nor no uther judges proceid upon sick precepts or warnings, past at the instance of them that hes obtained fewes of lait of viccarages, persones mansses, and kirkyeards.

Item, that no letters take place whill the stipends contained in the Booke of Discipline for sustentation of the ministers, be first consignit in the hands at the least of the principall of the parochiners.

Item, for ordour to be takin for the punishment of such as purchases, and brings hame, and executes within this realme, the Popes bulles.

[The tenour of the Supplicatioun.

Pleis your Honours, and the wisdome of sick as ar presently conveined with you in counsaill, to understand, that be mony arguments we perceave quhat the pestilent generatioun of that Romane antichrist within the realme pretendis, to wit, that they wald of new erect thair idolatry, tak upoun thame to impyre above our conscience, and so to command us, the treu subjectes of this realme, and sick as God of his mercy hes (under our Soverane) subjected unto us, in all things to obey their apetites. Honesty craveth, and conscience movethe us, to mak the very secreits of our hairts patent to your honours in that behalf, quhilk is this, That befoir that evir these tyrantes and dum dogis impyre above us, and above sick as God hes subjected unto us, that we, the barones and gentilmen professing Christ Jesus within this realme, have fullie determined to hazard lyfes, and quhatsoever we have receaved of our God in temporall thingis. We maist humely tharefoir beseik your honours, that sick ordour may be taiken, that we have not occasioun to tak agane the sword of just defence into our handis, quhilk we have willingly (efter that God hes gevin victory, bothe to your honours and us) resigned over into your hands; to the end that Gods evangell may be publictly, within this realme, preiched; the trew preicheours thareof ressonably susteined, idolatry suppressed, and the comitteris thareof punisched, according to the lawes of God and man. In doing quhareof, your honours sall find us not onely obedient unto you in all things lawfull, bot also redy at all tymes to bring under ordour and obedience sick as wald rebell against your just authority, quhilk, in absence of our Soverane, we acknawledge to be in your hands, beseiking your honours, with upricht jugement and indifferency, to luik upoun these our few artickles, and by these our brethren, to signifie unto us sick answer agane as may declair your honours worthy of that plaice, quhairunto God (efter sum dangers susteined) in his mercy hath called yow. And let these enemies of God assure thameselfis, that if your honours put not ordour unto thame, that we sall schortely tak sick ordour, that they sall neyther be abell to do quhat they lift, neyther yit to leve upoun the sweit of the browes of sick as ar no detteris unto thame. Let your honours conceave nothing of us, bot all humill obedience in God. But let the Papistes be yit ones agane assured, that thair pryde and idolatry we will not suffer.] K.

May 28, 1561.

The kirk convenit, after that they heard the supplication and articles forsaid, beand put in forme, red in thair presence, at length advysit therewith, ordainit the samein to be presented to the secreit counsell; and for presenting thereof and obtaining of ansuers therto, nominat and ordained thir brethren after mentioned to awaite theron: The Mr of Lindsay, the Laird of Fernihirst elder, Thomas Menȝies provest of Aberdein, the laird of Lochinvar, the laird of Whittingham and George Lovell burges of Dundie.

Upon the whilk supplication, articles and sute thereof was grantit and followit be the lords of secreit counsell, and act and ordinance therupon, with letters therupon, ansuering to every heid of the said articles and supplicatioun, at length specified in the act of secreit counsell made therupon; whilk is to be had in the hands of Johne Johnstoun, scrybe therof, and letters and publication past therupon.