After the voting and ratificatioun of this oure Confessioun, by the haill body of the Parliament, thair war also pronunced two Actis, the one against the Masse and the abuse of the Sacramentis, and the other against the Supreamacye of the Pape;[268] the tenouris whairof followis:—
The Act against the Messe.[269]
In the Parliament haldin at Edinburgh, the tent of Julij, the year of God Jm fyve hundreth threscoir yearis, the said Parliament being continewed to the first of August nixt thairafter following, with continewatioun of dayis, upoun the twenty-four day of the said moneth of August, the Thre Estaitis then being present: The whiche day, forsamekle as Almychtie God be his maist trew and blessed worde, hes declaired the reverence and honour quhilk should be gevin to him: and, be his Sone Jesus Christ, has declaired the trew use of the Sacramentis, willing the same to be used according to his will and worde: Be the quhilk it is notour and perfitlie knawin that the Sacramentis of Baptisme and of the body and bloode of Jesus Christ, hes bene in all tymes bygane corrupted be the Papisticall Kirk, and be thair usurpit ministeris; and presentlie, notwithstanding the Reformatioun allreaddy maide according to Goddis worde, yit nottheless thair is some of the same Papis Kirk that stubburnelie perseveris in thair wicked idolatrie, sayand Messe, and Baptizand conforme to the Papis Kirk, prophanand thairthrow the Sacramentis foirsaidis, in quyett and secreatt places, regardand thairthrow nowther God nor his worde: Thairfoir it is statut and ordeaned in this present Parliament, that na maner of persone nor personis, in ony tyme cuming, administrat ony of the Sacramentis foirsaidis secreatlie, or ony other maner of way, but thei that ar admitted and havand power to that effect; nor say Messe, nor yit hear Messe, nor he present thairat, under the paine of confiscatioun of all thair goodis, [movabill and unmovabill,] and punisheing of thair bodyis at the discretioun of the Magistrattis, within whais jurisdiction sick personis happynnis to be apprehended, for the first fault; banisching of the Realme, for the secound fault; and justifieing to the dead, for the thrid falt: And ordainis all Schireffis, Stewartis, Bailleis, and thair deputtis, Provestis, and Bailleis of Burrowis, and otheris judges whatsumever, within this Realme, to taik diligent suyt and inquisitioun within thair boundis, whair ony sick usurped ministerie is used; Messe saying, or thei that beis present at the doing thairof, ratifeand and apprevand the samyn, and tack and apprehend thame, to the effect that the panis above wrettin may be execut upon thame.
Extractum de libro Parliamenti, per me, etc.
(Sic subscribitur,)
Jacobus McGill.[270]
The Act for Abolishing the Jurisdictioun of the Pape.[271]
In the Parliament haldin at Edinburgh, the tent day of Julij, the year of God Jm Vc lx yearis, and thairefter continewit to the first day of August nixt thairefter following, with continewatioun of dayes, upoun the xxiiij of the said moneth of August:[272] The thre Estaitis, then being present, understanding that the jurisdictioun and authoritie of the Bischope of Rome, callit the Pape, usit [with]in this Realme in tymes bypast, hes [not onlie bene contumelious to the Eternall God, but also] verry hurtsome and prejudiciall to our Soveranis authoritie, and commoun weall of this Realme: Thairfoir hes statut and ordainit, that the Bischope of Rome, [callit the Paip,] have na jurisdictioun nor authoritie [with]in this Realme in tymes cuming; and that nane of oure said Soveranis subjectis sute or desyre, in ony tyme heirefter, tytill or rycht, be the said Bischope of Rome or his sect, to ony thing within this Realme, under the panis of Barratrie; that is to say, proscriptioun, banishment, and never to bruik honour, office, nor dignitie within this Realme: And the contraveaneris heirof, to be callit befoir the Justice or his deputtis, or befoir the Lordis of the Sessioun, and punist thairfoir according to the lawis of this Realme: And the furnessaris of thame with fynance of money, and purchessaris of thair tytle of rycht, or manteaneris and defenderis of thame, sall incurr the samyn panis: And that na Bischope, nor uther Prelatt of this Realme, use ony jurisdictioun in tymes to cum, be the said Bischope of Rome's authoritie, under the paine foirsaid.
Extractum, etc.
These and other thingis ordourlie done in lauchfull and free Parliament,[273] we direct to France, to our Soveranis, Sir James Sandelandis, Lord of Sanct Johne,[274] with the Actes of the said Parliament, that by thame thei mycht be ratifeid according to the promeisse of thair Heyghness Commissionaris maid to us, as by the Contract of Peace most evidentlie may appear. Bot how the said Lord of Sanct Johne was entreated we list nott reherse; but alwyis no Ratificatioun brought he unto us.[275] But that we litill regarded, or yit do regarde; for all that we did was rather to schaw our debtfull obedience, then to bege of thame any strenth to our Religioun, whiche from God hes full powar, and neideth nott the suffrage of man, but in so far as man hath neid to beleve it, yf that ever he shall have participatioun of the lyfe everlesting. But somewhat most we answer to suche as since hes whispered, that it was but a pretended Parliament and a privye conventioun, and no lauchfull Parliament. Thair reassonis ar, the King and Quene war in France; thair was neather sceptour, sweard, nor croune borne, &c., and some principall Lordis war absent. We answer, That we rather wishe the Papistis to be quyett, nor too curiouslie to travell in that head; for it may be, that whill thei think to hurte us, thei tack the Quene and hir authoritie a great blawe, and yitt amend thame selffis nothing. For in whose defalt, we pray yow, was the Quene absent frome this Realme? We think thei will not be so schameless as that thei will blame the Protestantis thairof. Her persone was absent, and [that] to no small greaff of our hartis. But war nott the Estaitis of hir Realme assembled in hir name? Yea, had thei nott hir full power and commissioun, yea, the commissioun and commandiment of hir head the King of France, to convocat that Parliament, and to do all thingis that may be done in lauchfull Parliament, evin as yf oure Soveranis had bene thair in proper personis? Yf thei will limitat the power of princes to the places onlie whair thair bodelye presence is, it will be thocht strange; for so not onlie shall Kingis be compellit to content thame with one Realme, but also with one citie; for the bodilie presence of Kingis can no more be in diverse cities in one instant, then that thei can be in diverse Realmes. Hitherto we haif understand, that whairsoever the Counsallouris of the King, with his power and commissioun, ar assembled to do any thing at his commandiment, that thair is the Kingis sufficient presence and authoritie, whairsoever his awin body be leving at fredome and libertie. Which, yf the Papistis deny, we will find faultis with thame, and with the princes whome thei have abused, that more will annoy thame then anything that we can lose by the insufficiencie of that Parliament; whiche not the less we ar bold to affirme, to have bene more lauchfull, and more free then any Parliament that thei ar able to produce this hundreth year befoir it, or yitt any that hath ensewed since it was; for in it, the votes of men war free, and gevin of conscience: in otheris thei war bought or gevin at the devotioun of the prince. All thingis in it concluded ar able to abyde the tryall, and nott to be consumed at the prufe of the fyre. Off otheris the godly may justly call in dowbt thingis determined.
To the sweard and sceptour, nor yitt to the absence of some Lordis, we ansuere nothing; for oure adversaries know weall yneuche that the one is rather a pompe and gloriouse vane ceremonye, than a substantiall point of necessitie, requyred to a lauchfull Parliament; and the absence of some prejudges nott the poweris of the present, providing that dew advertisement be made unto thame. But now we returne to oure Historye.