My Lord Regent’s letter to the Assembly.
After our maist heartie commendationes, seing we are not able to [be] present [at] the assembly now approachand, as our intentioun was, we thoght it convenient brieflie to give you significatioun of our meaning in wryte, of the qlk we pray you take good consideration, and accordinglie to give you advertisement. Ye are not ignorant, as we suppose, what hes bene the estate of the kirk of God within this realme, baith before we accepted the burdein of regment, and sensyne. How first the thrids of benefices were grantit and the ministrie thereby partly releivit and sustainit in sick sort, that nothing inlaikit that our travells could procure. The first ordour indeed was diverse ways interruptit and broken, bot chieflie in that yeir when we were exylit in Ingland, quherthrough the haill ministers that year were frustrate of their living; shortlie the estate of government altering at Gods pleasure, and the king our soveraine being inaugurate with the crowne of this kingdom, the first thing yt we were carefull of was, that the trew religioun might be established, and the ministers of the evangell made certaine of their livings and sustentation in tyme comeing. Ye knaw, at the parliament we war maist willing that the kirk should have been put in full possession of the proper patrimonie. And toward the thrids, we exped in our travels, and inlaikit only a consent to the dissolution of the prelacies, whereunto althogh we were earnestly bent, yet the estates delayit, and wald not agrie therunto. And sen that tyme to this houre, we trust ye will affirme, that we have pretermittit nothing that may advance the religione, and put the professors thereof in suretie, whereanent the haill and only inlaik hes been in the civill troubles that God hes suffered the countrey to be plaguet with: now the matter being after so great rage brocht to some stay and quyetnes, it was convenient that we return where matters left, and prease to reduce them to the estate they stood in. Ane thing we man call to remembrance, that at sick time as we travellit in the parliament to cause the estates to grie that the thrids should be discernit to pertaine to the ministrie, they plainly opponitthem to us in respect of the first act, alledgand that with the sustentation of the ministrie, there was also regard to be had to the support of the prince, in sustaining of the publick chairges, quhilks if they had not some reliefe be that meines, the revenue of the crown being so diminischit, and the ordinar chairges cume to sic grytnes, on force they wold be burdenit with exactionis, and so this dangerous argument compellit us to promitt to the estates, That we wald take upon us, the act being grantit to the kirk, they should satisfy and agrie to any thing suld be thocht reasonable for supporting of the publick chairges of the prince, and according to this the commissioner deput for the affairs of the kirk agreit to certaine assignations of the thrids for supporting of the king and us bearing authoritie. Quhilk order had been sufficient for the haill, if the civill trouble had not occurit, yet the disobedience growand so universallie, we ar content to sustain our part of the inlaik and loss for the tyme bypast, but because there hes been murmure and grudge for that thing assignit to the kings houss and ours, and some other needful things in the state, as that thereby the ministers were frustrate of their appointit stipendis, some communicatione was had at St Androes, and nothing yet concludit, quhill the general assembly of the kirk; quhilk now moves us to wreit to you in this forme, prayand you rychtly to consider the necessitie of the cause, and how the same hes proceeded fra the beginning, haveing respect that the kirk will [not] be very well obeyit without the king’s authoritie and power, and that now the propertie of the crowne is not able to sustaine the ordinarie chairges. how in the beginning the thrids had not been grantit, if the necessitie of the prince had not been ane of the chiefe caussis, and at the parliament the estates, as we before have written, stack to consent that the haill thrids sould be declareit to pertaine to the ministrie, whill first we tooke in hand, that they being made without conditione in favours of the kirk, the same wald againe condescend to sa meikle as wold be sufficient to the support of the public affaires, in foorth setting of the kings authoritie, and that therefore ye will now aggrie, and condescend to ane certaine and speciall assignatione of it that sal be imployit in this use. The quantity whereof diverse of yourselves, and the beirer Mr John Wood our servant, can informe you, that after yemay distribute to everie man having chairge in the kirk of God, his stipend, according to the conditione of the place he serves in, according to your w. discretione. Hereby all confusione that lang has troublit the estate of the kirk toward the stipend sal be avoydit, and some special provisione being made for sustaining of their publick chairges, we may the better hald hand to sie the kirk obeyit of that whereon the ministers sould live, as we [sic] sall report, that dureing our travells in the north countrey, have found our effectuous good will, and travellis in their furtherance. farther, we man put you in mind brieflie, of ane matter that occurit at our late being in Elgin. Ane Nicoll Sudderland in ffores, was put to the knawledge of ane assyse for incest, and with him the woman; the assyse hes convict him of the fault, but the question is, whether the same be incest or not, so that we behoovit to delay the executione whill we behoovit to have your resolution at this assemblie. The case is, that the woman was harlot of before to the said Nicholl’s mother’s brother, herein Mr Rot Pont can informe you more amplie, to whais sufficiencie we remitt the rest. Moreover, at our coming at Abd yr came ane nameit Portfeild, minister provydit of before to the viccarage of Ardrossane, and requyrit also of vs, that he might have the viccarage of Stevinsone, seing both was ane matter meane enough to sustaine him, and because the kirks were neir, he might discharge the cure of both. We haveing him comendit be diverse great men to the same, but thocht gude to advertyse you, yt this preparative induce not evill example and corruption: alwayes in cace sick things occurre heireafter, let vs vnderstand what ye wald have vs to doe, as in lyke maner towards the chaplenries yt sall happin to vaike, qr anent because there is no certaine ordour, and prescryvit [sic] some confusion stands, some desyreand them for lyfetime, some for infants that are of the schooles, and some for vii zeirs, we are sometyme preasit to receive or confirme assignatiouns or demissioun of benefices, the preparative whereof apperis to bring with it corruptioun, and so we wold be resolvit how to proceid, befor our coming fra fyfe. and sensyne we have been very willing to doe justice on all suspectit persons of witchcraft, as also vpon adulterers, incestuous persons, and abusers of ye sacrament, qrin we could not have sick expeditioun as we wold have wischet, becausewe have no uther probabilitie whereby to try and convict ym, but ane generall delation of names, ye persons suspect not being for the most part tryit and convict be ordour of the kirk of befoir. This hindrit many things qlk utherwayes might have bein done, and yrfore we pray you appoint and prescryve how the judgement of the kirk may proceid and be execute against all sick trespassors, befor complaint be made to vs, that when we come to the cuntrey, we may cause execute ye law, and be releivit of the triall of inquisition heiranent. We thoght expedient to give you this to advertisement, and so remitts the haill to your care and diligence, committis you in the protection of eternall God. aberd. ye last day of Junii 1569.
Your assurit friend,
James Regent.
No XIX. PEDIGREE
OF
BOWES OF STREATLAM.
(See Vol. I. [p. 89].)
[For the information contained in this article, I am indebted to Robert Surtees of Mainsforth, Esq.]