1. As it is the dewtie of the godlie magistrat to mantene the present
libertie quhilk God of his mercie hes grantit to the preacheing of
his word, and the trew ministratioun of the sacraments within this
realme; sa is it to provyd, that all abusis as zit remaining in the
Kirk, sould be removit, and utterly takine away.
2. Thairfoir, first, the admissioun of men to Papisticall titles of
benefices, sic as seruis not, nor hes na functioun in the reformit
Kirk of Chryst, as abbottis, commendatoris, priouris, priouressis,
and uther titles of abbayis, quhais places are now for the maist
pairt be the iust jugements of God demolished and purgit of
idolatrie, is plaine abusioun, and is not to ressaue the kingdome of
Chryst amangis us, bot rather to refuse it.
3. Of the lyke natour ar the deanis, archdeanis, chanteris,
subchanteris, thesauraris, chancelaris, and uthers having the lyke
titles flowit frome the Paip and canon law onlie, wha haue na place
in the reformit Kirk.
4. Siclyk, they that war callit of auld, the chapteris and conventis
of abbayis, cathedrall kirkis, and siclyk places, seruis for
nathing now, bot to set fewis and takis (gif ony thing be left) of
kirk-landis and teindis, in hurt and prejudice thairof, as daylie
experience teiched, and thairfoir aucht to be allutterlie abrogat and
abolischit.
5. The Kirks also quhilks ar unitit and joynit togidder be
annexatioun to thair benefices, aucht to be seperated and diuidit,
and gevin to qualifeit ministeris, as Goddis word cravis.
6. Neither aucht sic abuseris of the patrimony of the Kirk of Chryst,
to haue voit in Parliament, nor sit in counsall under the name of the
kirk and kirk-men, to the hurt and preiudice of the libertie thairof,
and lawis of the realme maid in fauouris of the Reformit Kirk.
7. Mekleless is it lawfull, that ane persone amangis thais men sould
haue fyue, sax, ten, twentie, or ma kirkis, all hauing the charge of
saulis, and bruik the patrimony thairof, ayther be admissioun of the
prince, or of the Kirk, in this licht of the Evangell; for it is bot
mockage to craue reformatioun whare sic hes place.
8. And albeit it wes thocht guid for avoiding grett inconuenientis,
that the auld possessouris of sic benefices quha imbracit the
religioun, sould inioy be permissioun, the twa pairt of the rentis
quhilks thay possesst befoir, induring thair lyfetymis, zit it is not
tollerable to continew in the Kirk lyke abuse, and gif thais places
and utheris benefices of new to als onmeit men or rather onmeitar,
quha ar not myndit to serue in the Kirk, bot leid a lone and idle lyf
as the utheris did quha bruikit thame in the tyme of blindnes.
9. And insafar as in the ordour tane at Leyth in the zeir of our Lord
Jaj. v^c. seventie-ane year, it appeiris that sic may be admittit,
being fund qualifeit, &c. ather that pretended ordour is agains all
guid ordour, or ellis it must be onderstandit not of thame that be
qualifeit to worldlie effaires to serue in the court, bot sic as ar
qualifeit to teache Goddis word, havand thair lawfull admissioun of
the Kirk.
10. As to bischoppis, gif the name επισχοπος be properlie takin, thay
ar all ane with ministeris, (as was befoir declairit;) for it is not
the name of superioritie and lordschip, bot of office and watching.
11. Zit, becaus in the corruptioun of the Kirk, this name, as utheris
hes bene abused, and zit is lyk to be, we cane not allow the fashioun
of thais new chosine bischoppis, nather of the chapteris that ar
electouris of thame to sic office as thay ar chosene.
12. Trew bischopis sould addict thame selfis to ane particular flok,
(quhilk sindry of thame refusis,) nather sould thay usurp lordship
ouer thair brethrene, and ouer the inheritance of Chryst, as thais
men do.
13. Pastouris, insafar as thay ar pastouris, hes not the office of
visitatioun of ma Kirkis joint to the pastureschip, without it be
gevin thame.
14. It is ane corruptioun, that bischopis sould haue fordar boundis
to visit, nor thay may lawchfully.
15. Na man aucht to haue the office of visitatioun, bot he that is
lawchfullie chosine be the presbytrie thairto.
16. The elderschippis being weill establishit, hes power to send out
visitouris, ane or ma, with commissioun to viseit the boundis within
thair elderschippis. And siclyk eftir compt tane of thame, ather to
continew thame, or renew thame frome tyme to tyme, to the quhilks
elderschippis thay sall be also subiect.
17. The criminall jurisdictioun joint in the persone of ane pastoure,
is ane corruptioun.
18. It aggreit not with the word, that bischoppis sould be pasture of
pasturis, pasturis of mony flokis, and ʒit without ane certane flok,
and without ordinar teiching.
19. It aggreit not with the Scripturis, that thay sould be exemit
fra correctioun of thair brethrene, and discipline of the particular
elderschip of the Kirk, whereat they sould serve; nather that thay
sould usurp the office of visitatioun of uther kirkis, nor ony uther
functioun besyd uther ministers, bot safar as beis committit to thame
be the Kirk.
20. Heirfoir, we desyr the bischoppis that now ar, ayther to aggrie
to that ordour that Goddis word requyris thame, and as the generall
Kirk will prescryue unto thame, not passing that boundis, nather in
ecclesiasticall nor civile effairis, or ellis to be deposit frome all
functioun in the Kirk.
21. We deny not in the meane tyme, bot ministeris may and sould
assist thair Princes quhen thay ar requirit, in all thingis aggreable
to the word, quhidder it be in Counsall or Parliament, or utherwyse,
providing alwayis thay nather negleck thair awin chargis, nor throw
flatterie of Princes, hurt the publick estait of the kirk.
22. Bot generallie, we say, na personis, under quhatsumeuer title of
the kirk, and speciallie the abused titles in Papistrie, of Prelats,
Conuents, and Chapteris, aucht to attempt ony act in the kirkis
name, ayther in Counsall, Parliament, or out of Counsall, having na
commissioun of the reformit kirk within this realme.
23. And be act of Parliament it is providit, that the Papisticall
kirk and jurisdictioun sould have na place within the same, and na
bischop nor uther prelat in tymis cuming, sould use ony jurisdictioun
flowing from his auctoritie.
24. And againe, that na uther ecclesiasticall jurisdictioun sould be
acknawlegeit within this realme, bot that quhilk is, and salbe within
the reformit kirk, and flowing therfra.
25. So we esteme halding of chapetirs in Papisticall maner, ayther in
cathedrall kirkis, abbayis, collegis, or uther conventuall places,
usurping the name and auctoritie of the kirk, to hurt the patrimony
thairof, or use ony uther act to the preiudice of the same, sene
the ʒeir of our Lord 1560 ʒeiris, to be abusioun and corruptioun,
contrar to the libertie of the trew kirk and lawis of the realme, and
thairfoir aucht to be annullat, reducit, and in tymis cuming utterlie
dischargit.
26. The dependences also of this Papisticall jurisdictioun ar to be
abolished, of the quhilk sort is the mingled jurisdiction of the
commissaris, in safar as thay mell with ecclesiasticall materis,
and haue na commissioun of the kirk thairto, bot war erectit in
tyme of our Soverainis mother, whan thingis war out of ordour. It
is an absurd thing, that sindrie of thame, having na functioun in
the kirk, sould be ingis to ministeris, and depose thame fra thair
rowmis: Thairfoir, ather thay wald be dischargit to meddle with
ecclesiasticall matteris, or it wald be limitat to thame in quhat
materis thay might be Juges, and not hurt the libertie of the kirk.
27. Thay also that of befoir war of the ecclesiasticall estait in
the Papis kirk, or that ar admittit of new to Papisticall titles,
and now ar tollerat be the lawis of the realme, to posses the twa
pairt of thair ecclesiasticall rentis, aucht not to haue ony forder
libertie, bot to intromet with the portioun assignit and grantit to
thame for thair lyfetime, and not, under the abusit titles quhilks
thay had, to dispone the kirk rentis, set takis and fewis thairof at
thair plesour, to the greit hurt of the kirk, and pure lauboraris
that dwell upone the kirk-landis, contrarie to all guid conscience
and ordour.
Certane speciall Heidis of Reformatioun quhilk we crave.