The Barronis, Gentilmen, Burgesses, and utheris, trew subjectis of this Realme, professing the Lord Jesus Chryst within the samyn: To the Nobilitie and Estaitis of Parliament, presentlie assemblit within the said Realme, desyre grace, mercy, and peace, frome God the Father of our Lord Jesus Chryst, with the incress of His Holy Spreit:
PLEIS youre Honouris to reduce to remembrance, how dyverse and sundrie tymeis we (with sum of youre selffis) maist humbillie suitit at the feit of the lait Quene Regent fredome and libertie of conscience, with a godlie reformatioun of abuseis, quhilk by the malice of Sathane and negligence of men, are cropin in Religioun of God, and are menteynit by sick as tak upoun thame the name of Clergye. And albeit that oure godlie and maist reassonable suyte was then disdainfullie rejectit, quhairof na small trubillis have ensewit, as your Honouris weill knaw, yit seing that the same necessitie yit remaneis that then movit us, and, mairover, that God of his mercie has now put into your handis to tak sic ordour as God thairby may be glorifeit, this communwelth quietit, and the policie thairof establischeit: We can not cease to crave of youre handis the redress of sick enormiteis, as manifestlie are (and of lang tyme have bene) committit be the placehalderis of the Ministerie, and utheris of the Clergy within this Realm.
And First, Seing that God of his greit mercy by the lycht of his word, has manifestit to no small number of this Realme, that the doctrin of the Roman Kyrk, resaveit be the said Clergy, and menteynit throu thair tyrannie by fyre and sword, conteinit in the self many pestiferous errouris, quhilk can not but bring dampnatioun to the saullis of sick as thairwith sall be infectit; sick as are the doctrine of Transsubstantiatioun; of the Adoratioun of Chryst his body under the forme of breid, as thay term it; of the mereitis of Warkis, and Justificatioun that thay allege cumis thairby; togidder with the doctrin of the Papisticall Indulgencis, Purgatorie, Pilgrimage, and Praying to Sanctis depairtit; quhilk all either repugne to the plane Scripturis, or ellis have no ground of the doctrine of our Maister Jesus Christ, his Propheitis, nor Appostillis. We humbillie thairfoir crave of your Honouris, that sick doctrine and idolatrie as by Goddis word are condempnit, so may thay be abolischeit be Act of this present Parliament, and punischement appointit for the transgressouris.
Secundlie, Seing that the Sacramentis of Jesus Chryst are maist schamefullie abusit and prophanit by that Romane harlot and hir sworne vassallis; and alssua because that the treu disciplyne of the ancient Kirk is utterlie now amangis that sect extinguischeit: for quha within the Realme are mair corrupt of lyff and maneris than are thay that are callit the Clergye, living in huredome, adultery, defloring virgeinis, corrupting matronis, and doing all abominatioun, without feir of punischement; We humbillie thairfoir desyre youre Honouris to fynd remedy against the ane and the uther.
Thirdlie, Because that Man of Syn often maist falslie clames to him self the titillis of "The Vicare of Chryst; the successour of Peter; the heid of the Kirk; that he can not err; that all power is grantit unto him," &c., by the quhilk usurpit authoratie, he taikis upoun him the distributioun and possessioun of the haill patrimony of the Kirk, quhairby the trew Ministeris of the word of God lang tyme hes bene altogidder neglectit, the godlie learning dispysit, the sculeis not providit, and the poore not onlie defraudit of thair portioun, but alssua tyrannouslie oppressit; We lykwise heirof desyre remedy.
And least that your Honouris sould dowt of any of thir premisses, we offer oure selfis evidentlie to prove, that in all the [rabill of the] Clergye thair is not ane lauchfull minister, gif Godis word, the practise of the Apostillis, and thair awin ancient Lawis, sall judge of lauchfull electioun. We farther offer oure selfis to prove thame all thevis and murtheraris, yea, rebellis and tratouris to the lauchfull authoritie of Empriouris, Kyngis, and Prenceis; and thairfor unworthy to be sufferrit in any Reformeit Commonwealth. Quhow malitiouslie thay have murtherit oure brethren, for na uther cause, bot for that thay offerrit to us the licht of Godis word, your Honouris can not be ignorant; and in quhat hasard thair tyrranie hes brocht this haill Realme, the ages after will considder. Gif ye luik of thame any uther fruit in tymeis cuming, than ye have sene in thame quham we accuse, we ar assurit ye sall be desavit. Now hes God, beyond all expectatioun of man, maid youre selfis, quha sum tymeis war suppliantis with us for Reformatioun, jugeis, as it war, in the caus of God. At least he hes subdewit your ennemeis unto you, that by violence thay ar nocht abill to suppress the veritie, as heirtofoir thay haif done.
We thairfoir, in the bowellis of Jesus Chryst, crave of your Honouris, that ather thay be compellit to answer to our former accusationis, and to sick uthiris as we justlie have to lay to thair chargeis, or ellis that, all affectioun laid asyde, ye pronunce thame be censement of this Parliament sick, and cause thame to be sua reputit, as by us maist justlie thay ar accusit; especiallie, that thay be decernit unworthy of honour, authoritie, charge, or cure within the Kyrk of God, and sa from hencefurth never to joy vote[207] in Parliament. Quhilk gif ye do not, than in the feir of God, and by the assurance of his word, We foirwairne you, that as ye haif ane grevouse yock, and ane burding intollerabill upoun the kyrk of God within this Realme, so sall thay be thornis in youre eyes, and pryckis in your sydis, quhom efter, quhen ye wold, ye sall have no power to remove. God the Father of our Lord Jesus Chryst give yow upricht hartis, seiking his glory; and trew understanding quhat this day he quha delyverit yow fra bondage, baith spirituall and temporall, cravis of yow by his servandis: And youre Honouris Answer maist humbly we requyre.
This oure Supplicatioun being red in audience of the haill assembly, dyverse men war of dyverse jugementis; for als sone thair war that uprichtlie favourit the cause of God, sa war thair many that for warldlie respectis abhorrit ane perfect Reformatioun, (for how many within Scotland that have the name of Nobilitie, ar not injust possessouris of the patrimony of the Kyrk.) And yitt war the Barronis and Ministeris callit, and commandement gevin unto thame, to draw, in playne and severall heidis, the summe of that Doctrine, quhilk thay wald menteyne, and wald desyre that present Parliament to establische, as hailsome, trew, and onlie necessarie to be beleivit, and to be resavit within that Realme: Quhilk thay willinglie acceptit, and within foure dayis presentit this Confessioun as it followis, without alteratioun of any ane sentence:—
THE CONFESSIOUN OF FAITH PROFESSIT AND BELEVIT BE THE PROTESTANTIS WITHIN THE REALME OF SCOTLAND, PUBLISCHEIT BY THAME IN PARLIAMENT, AND BE THE ESTAITIS THAIROF RATIFEIT AND APPROVIT, AS HAILSOME AND SOUND DOCTRINE, GROUNDIT UPOUN THE INFALLABLE TREWTH OF GODIS WORD.
MATHEI 24.
AND THIS GLAID TYDINGIS OF THE KYNGDOME SALL BE PRECHEIT THROUGH THE HAILL WARLD, FOR A WITNES UNTO ALL NATIOUNS, AND THEN SALL THE END CUM.
(Title-page of the first printed edition.)
The Confessione of the fayht and
doctrin beleued and professed by the
Protestantes of the Realme of Scotland
exhibited to the estates of the
sam in parliament and by thare
publict votes authorised as a
doctrin grounded vpon
the infallable wourd
of God.
Matth. 24
And this glaid tydinges of the kingdom shalbe preached throught the hole world for a witness to all nations and then shall the end cum.
Imprinted at Edinburgh,
be Robert Lekprewik.
Cum priuilegio.
1561.