The strait Commissione we haue receavit of the Eternall, our God,
qwhen, as in this your Majestie’s realme, we were made watchmen
of his people, and fearfull threatening pronuncit against such
as neglect faithfully to execute every pairt of their weighty
charge, compells us presently to haue recourse unto your Majestie,
percewing many things to fall furth, greatly to the prejudice of
God’s Glory, and no small appearance of utter wrack of this his Kirk
and Commonwealth, unless some heastie remead be put thereto; most
humblie, therefore, beseikand your Majestie diligently to weighe and
consider thir few heids, qwhilks, with all reverence and observance
we present, looking for graceous answer and speedy redress thereof.
1. It is ane great griefe to the hearts of all these that fears
God, that apostates, sworne enemies to Christ, your Grace, and all
your faithfull subjects, forfault for their treasone--some also
suspect and bruitit with the murther of the most noble persone
of your umquhill father--impugners of the truth be word and
wreite--continuing still in their wickedness, unreconcilit to the
Kirk, to receave of your Majestie the benefite of pacificatione to
the prejudice of the faithfull ministers, qwham violently be their
meanes they labour to dispossesse.
2. That wthers from their youth, nurischit in the Kirk of God,
with us, and sensyne fearfullie fallen back therefrae, and become
greit runnagats, and blasphemers of the truth, and maintainers
of idolatrie, and that Man of Sinne, Liutennant of Satane, and
oppressors of God’s people; and yet, notwithstanding, are receivit
in court, authorised, and so far countenanced, that they are becum
familiars with your Majestie, qwhairthrough, besyde the grief of your
Majestie’s subjects, many are brought to doubt qwhat shall ensew upon
such beginnyngs.
3. That a wicked obstinate Papist sent in the countrie to traffique
against God and quyetness of your Grace’s estate, and therefore is
worthy of death, committit in ward at your Grace’s command, with sure
promise that he sould not escape punischment, yet as we understand,
was, be indirect meanes, let depart, and no tryall taken of the
author of his delyverie.
4. That your Majestie seems to have over great lyking of the enemies
of God, alsewell in France as some within this realme, who hes never
gine testimony of any good meining aither in religione or in your
Majestie’s seruice, have succeidit to men that were knawne zealous in
God’s cause, and faythfull to your Grace from your tender age.
5. Sen your Majestie took the government in your awne hand, many fair
promises hes been made that order should be taken for preservatione
of the Kirk of God, and continuance thereof to the posteritie: yet,
after lang and continuall sute, nothing is performed; but in place of
redress, daily the Kirk is bereft of her priviledges and liberties.
6. The thirds are sett in tack for soumes of money, in defraud of the
Kirk, so that no minister hereafter can be provydit.
7. Abbacies are disponit, without any provisione made for the
ministers serving in the Kirks annexit thereto, directlie against the
act of Parliament.
8. Spirituall livings are gine to bairnes, and translatit in
temporall lordships.
9. That there is no punischment of incest, adulterie, witchcrafts,
murthers, abominable oathes, and uther horrible oathes, in such sorte
that daily some increases and provockes the wrath of God against the
haill countrie.
10. There is a sair murmuring against your Grace’s leiges, and
a lamentable complaint that the lawes of the countrie have no
place--that no man can be sure neither of his lands, lyfe, nor goods,
qwhilk threatens ane miserable confusione, and the heavie hand of God
to insew thereupon.
11. That oftentymes your Majestie interpones your Heines’ authoritie,
be letters of hornyng, to stope the executione of the acts made in
the Generall Assemblie, in matters properly belonging to the Kirk,
and nothing touching the civill estate.
12. Lastly, we most humblie beseik your Majestie to suffer us to
lament the great divisione amongest your Heines’ nobilitie and
subjects--the ane pairt seeking be all meanes possible, for their
awne particulars, to persuade your Majestie to wrack the uther,
qwhilk fosters ane continuall stryfe, malice, and rancour, to the
great danger of your Grace’s persone, qwham God preserve to keep the
Kirk of God and this poor countrie: beseiking your Majestie, for the
tender mercy of God, to call to your Heines, some of the most wyse,
discreet, and indifferent, to be your Councill; to take a moderate
course, that unquiet spirits may be brydlit, good men cherishit and
intertained, and the hearts of all your Majestie’s subjects unite, to
the maintenance of God’s glory, preservation of your Royall estate,
and comfort of all them that bewaill this miserable dissolutione.
Particular Instructiones, and maire full Declarations giuen be
the Generall Assemblie to their Commissioners, direct to the
King’s Majestie, the 13th of October, upone every heid of the
Articles generally proponit.
1. First, How heavilie the godlie are offendit, and the haill
Kirk sclanderit, that Mr David Chalmers, a man notoriously knawne
unto his Grace’s Counsell to be not only a formall and professt
enemie against the truth of Christ’s religione, a plaine practizer
and traffiquer against the same, but also against his Heines’
authoritie and estate, in all partes qwhair he hes travellit;
having herewith, resting upon his head, the foul bruite and common
suspitione conceiveit in the hearts of many men, upon no small or
obscure presumptiones, of the cruell and most barbarous murther of
the most noble persone of your Majestie’s umqwhill father, of good
memory--sould be so suddenly and with so small accompt enterit in
fauour, and receiue his Majestie’s pacificatione, with Letters to
dispossess faithfull servants and ministers of God of their livings
and possessiones, no dew satisfactione beand made to the Kirk;
a matter no less importing great prejudice to his Heines’ noble
estate, then touching his Majestie in the highest poynt of his honor;
and therefore his Honour would be moued wisely to looke upon the
consequence thereof, in consideratione of his weightie grief, wald
call back and suspend the force and effect of any thing yet grantit
to him, and the charges gine to his repossessione, unto the tyme that
just and lawfull tryell of his innocencie be cognoscit, and the haill
Kirk, so farr offendit in his persone, be satisfyit, and the same
satisfactione be returned from the Kirk to his Grace.
2. The young Laird of Fintrie, direct unto this countrie, as we are
surely informit, to practise with his Grace and faithfull subjects
for overthrow of religione, be moyen of friends cruppen in Court, and
qwherever he comes, plainly maintaines Papistrie, and, under collour
of conferrence, qwhill be all meines he flyes, does great sclander in
this countrie.