"3. That the preachearis and ministeris shall nocht be trubled in the ministratioun, whare thai ar already established, nather yit stopped to preache whairsoevir thai shall happin to travaill within this realme.
"4. That no bandis of men of warr shalbe layed in garnesoun within the town of Edinburght.
"These cheafe headis of Appointment concerning the libertie of religioun and conservatioun of our bretherin, we thoght goode to notifie unto yow, by this our Proclamatioun, that in case wrong or injurie be done, by any of the contrarie factioun, to any member of our body, complaint may be maid to us, to whome we promese, as we will ansuer to God, our faitlifull support to the uttermost of our poweris."
ANSUER TO THE COMPLAYNT OF THE PAPISTIS.
At this proclamatioun, maid with sound of trumpett, war offended all the Papistis: for, first, Thai alledged it was done in contempt of the Authoritie: secundarlie, That we had proclamed more than was conteaned in the Appointment: and last, That we, in our proclamatioun, had maid no mentioun of any thing promished unto thame. To suche mummeris[879] we answered, "That no just Authoritie culd think the selff contempned, becaus that the treuth was by us maid manifest unto all, who utherwayis mycht have pretendit ignorance. Secundlie, That we proclamed nathing, whiche [was] nocht finallie aggreit upoun in word and promeiss betuix us and thame with quhame the Appointment was maid, whatsoevir thair scribeis had efter writtin, quha in verray deid had alterit, bayth in wordis and sentenceis, oure Articles, as thay war first consavit; and yitt, gif thair awin writtingis war diligentlie examinit, the self same thing sall be found in substance. And last, To proclame any thing in thair favouris, we thocht it nocht necessarie, knawing that in that behalf thay thame selfis sould be diligent aneweh." And in this we war not desavit; for within fyftene dayis efter, thair was not ane schaveling in Scotland, to wham teyndis, or any uthor rentis pertenit, bot he had that Article of the Appointment by hart, "That the Kirk men sould be ansuerit of teyndis, rentis, and all uthir dewties, and that no man sould trubill nor molest thame."
We depairting from Edinburgh, the 26. of Julij, came first to Lynlythqw, and efter to Striviling; whair, efter consultatioun, the band of defence, and mentenance of religioun, and for mutuall defence, evere ane of uther, was subscrivit of all that war thair present. The tennour of the Band was this:—
"We foirseing the craft and slycht of our adversaries, tending all maner of wayis to circumvene us, and be prevy meanis intendis to assailzie everie ane of us particularie be fair hechtis and promisses, thairthrow to separat ane of us frome ane uthir, to oure utter rewyne and destructioun: for remedy heirof, we faythfullie and trewlie byndis us, in the presence of God, and as we tender the mentenance of trew Religioun, that nane of us sall in tymeis cuming pas to the Queneis Grace Dowriare, to talk or commun with hir for any letter [or] message send be hir unto us, or yitt to be send, without consent of the rest, and commone consultatioun thairupoun. And quhowsone that ather message or writt sall cum fra hir unto us, with utter diligence we sall notifie the same ane to ane uther; swa that nathing sall proceid heirin without commune consent of us all.
"At Striveling, the first day of August 1559."
This Band subscrivit, and we foirseing that the Quene and Bischopis menit nathing bot desait, thocht guid to seik ayde and support of all Christiane Princeis against hir and hir tyrrannie, in caise we sould be mair schairplie persewit. And becaus that Ingland was of the same religioun, and lay nixt unto us, it was jugeit expedient first to prove thame; quhilk we did be ane or twa messingeris, as heirefter,[880] in the awin place, mair ampill sall be declairit.
Efter we had abiddin certane dayis in Striviling, the Erle of Argyle depairtit to Glasgw; and becaus he was to depairt to his awin cuntrey, (with wham also past Lord James,) to pacifie sum trubill quhilk, be the craft of the Quene, was rasit in his absens, he requyreit the Erle of Glencairne, Lord Boyde, Lord Uchiltre, and utheris of Kyle, to meit thair, for sum ordoure to be taikin, that the brethren sould not be oppressit; quhilk with ane consent thay did, and appoyntit the tent of September for the nixt Conventioun at Striveling.