As to the first, we humbly craue—1. That some of the principall Jesuites and uthers shall instantly be taken order with, to give example to the rest, viz. Mrs James Gordoune and Williame Crichtoune, quha are instantly in this toune, that they may be incontinent callit before your Heines and your Councill, and there to be declareit to them how thair lyves are in your Majestie’s hands, for contravening your Majestie’s lawes, and yet of your Grace’s clemency, does spare; chargeing them in the meane tyme within the towne of Edinburgh unto the tyme of the passing away of the first schippes that shall depart, qwherin they shall be enterit and send away; and that it be denuncit, that in caice they returne at any tyme hereafter, in this realme, without your Heines’ licence, the law shall be execute against them to death, without any further proces:—Next, that the Lairds of Fintrie, Glenberve, younger, and uthers excommunicat Papists, shall be gine up in bill, callit before your Heines and Councill, and such things layde to their charge, as they are culpable off, according to the laws and acts of Parliament, that the penaltie thereof may be execute against them, and such as are apostats from the trew religione, qwhilk ance they embracit, be callit in lyke manner and punischit. 3. That summonds be presently direct against all receiptars of Jesuites, Seminarie Priests, and traffiquers against trew religione, and lykewise to summond witnesses, be qwhais depositiones they may be convict of the crymes forsaid; and in speciall, that such as are of the estate, and are culpable of apostasie or papistrie, shall on no wayes be sufferit until the tyme they haue satisfied alsweill the Kirk as his Majestie and estate: And, generallie, that all Noblemen whatsomever, without execptione, knawne maintainers of Papists, or enterprysing any thing contrair the trew religione, shall either be put presently in ward, or exylit the countrie.
Anent the planting of kirks, this is our advyce unto your Majestie, that Commissioners be direct from your Majestie and this Generall Assembly to the north and south parts of the countrie, to visite and plant ministers where need requyres, suppressing of papistrie; having commissione and power alwayes of your Majestie and the Kirk to call before them, all that are suspect of perverting trew religione, or revolting therefrae, and to doe all wther things necessar for reformatione of those partes: And because the said wark cannot pass fordward, unlesse there be provisione made alsewell for Commissioners of the Kirk as ministers to be planted in necessare places, that certaine be deput from the Counsell and certaine of the ministrie, to conveen with all good expeditione, and sicht the rowmes of the thrids, that it may be considerit qwhat may be spared to that effect; and where the said thrids has been abused in tymes past, to sie how the samyne may be reformit, and that the act made for dischargeing of pensiones out of the thrids and superplus, and proclamatione past thereon, may take full force. Lykewayes, giving power to the saids Commissioners to reforme colledges and schooles; and where the rent thereof is abused, to put convenient remedie thereto, and where it may not serve, to sie how it may be helpit, and that sufficient men be placeit in the rowmes of idle-bellies, and to depose them from the office of the ministrie, and from their benefices, all such as shall be found vnworthie or sclanderous in lyfe or doctrine, alseweill bischopes as wthers: That it wald please your Majestie to take some solide order that the lawes made for punischment of vyce, and Commissions appoynted thereanent, may take some good effect: And last, that order may be taken with the poore that wanders up and doune the countrie without law or religione.
Grieves of the Kirk given in to his Majestie.
1. It is an exceeding great griefe to sie Jesuites, Seminarie Priests, &c. to be sufferit to pollute this land with idolatrie, to sie practisers and traffiquers against the trew religione and the libertie of this realme to be receipt and maintained, and receipters and maintainers of both the ane and the wther so to abound every where, and not only to be tolerat impune, but also to have speciall credite, favour, and farderance, at Court, in sessione, in all their affaires, and the trew word of God contemptuouslie despysit be the multitude, his holy sacraments horribly profaned be privat, corrupt, and unlawful persones—the discipline nothing sett by, the persones of the ministers and office-bearers shamefully abused, themselves beggerit, and their families hungerit, and yet neither the lawes againes idolatry and vyce, nor the lawes for the libertye of the Kirk dewly execute, as may be seen in the particulars following: About Dumfries, Mr John Durie, Jesuite, seducing and preaching under the name of Mr William Lang, qwho, with his complices, had masse within Dumfries, before Pasche and Zoole last was: The Lord Herreis, the Laird of Kilqwhamlay, the Goodman of Drumrischie, Mr Thomas Maxwell, Commissioner, John M‘Gie, Commissar Clark, John Bruce, merchand, John Rege, Notar, Paull Thomsone, my Lady Herreis, elder and younger, my Lady Mortoune, the Lady Tweddall, Papists, apostates, maintainers and profest favourers of Jesuites. Captain Horslinger does no lesse hurt in Drumfries nor the Jesuites; no resorting to the hearing of the word, nor discipline, superstitious dayes keepit be plaine command, and controlling of the deacones of the crafts—all superstitious rytes at Zoole and Pasche—no kirks plantit sufficientlie.
In the North.
Mrs James Gordoune, Edmond Hay, Alexander MacWhirrie, John Scott, Alexander Meldrum, Arthure Pantone, Jesuites, makes residence chieflie in Moray and Strabogy, but seduces every where in Buchane, Garrioch, Aberdeene, Marre. They repaire commonly with Airth, Laird of Leslies, elder, Androw Harvie and his mother, Andrew Leslie of the Peill, excommunicat for Papistrie, the Chancellor of Auld Aberdeene, and to young Glenbervie, excommunicat, where they have their house mass at their pleasure, and their publick mass erectit in the Laird of Leslie’s chapell, with twa idols above the altar, and there hes married two common adulterous harlots, Andrew Proctor and Janet Wilsone, qwha wald never give obedience to the Kirk. Item, Mr Peter Blackburne is compellit to desist from visitatione, bee diverse charges of the King’s letters, purchast be the Bischop of Aberdein.
In Ross.
Mr John Leslie restorit to the bishopric of Ross, in the last Parliament, Mr Alexander Leslie, persone in Kinkin in Ross, newly providit, an excommunicat Papist, in the Presbytrie of Aberdeene, Sir Donald Simsone, profaner of baptisme, and abwser of marriage.
In Caithness.
The Earl of Sutherland, with his Ladie and friendes, Papists, vehemently suspect lately to have had masse, and contemners of the word and sacraments.