Sess. 4, 28th Junii 1564.
The haill Assemblie made, constitute, and ordainit their Commissioners under-written; for Fyfe, the Laird of Lundie and Thomas Scott of Abbotishall; for Lowthiane, the Lairds of Spott and Elphingstone; for the Westland, the Lairds of Carnall, Carse, and Kelwod; for the South, the Lairds of Wodderburne, and Andro Kar of Faudansyde; for Galloway, the Laird of Garlies, Zonger, and Mothine, with Mr George Gordoune; for Angus, the Provost of Dundee; and for the Northland, the Laird of Craig: They sall altogether repaire towards the Lords of Secreit Counsell, and thene present the Articles underwritten, pertinand to Reformatioun of Maners, punishment of certain Crymes, maintaining of Justice, and others concerning the universall Kirk of this Realme; and to reason thereupon with the said Lords, and report the Answers thereintill to this present Assemblie.
TENOUR OF THE ARTICLES.
First, that it is thoght good, and alsweill conforme to the Act of Parliament, immediately before the Queen’s Majestie’s arrival, promittit as her Heiness owin Ordinance, with consent of her Nobilitie, decreit and appointit after her Grace’s arrivall, Chryst’s Religion be de novo established, ratified, and approved throughout the whole Realme, and that all Idolatrie, especially the Masse, be abolished over all; so that no other Face of Religion be permittit or thoilit to be erectit.
And for this effect, that the Ministers be provydit decentlie with an assurit appointment, where they sall receive their livings asweill bygane as to come, and not to live as Beggers, as presentlie they doe; and in lyk maner to desyre, and with all humilitie to requyre, that the Transgressours againis the Ordinances, asweill from tymes past as from this tyme foorth, might be punisched according to the saids Lawes and Ordinances, and especially againis them that contemnes and committis Inobedience againis the saidis Lawes, in Aberdein, in the Carse of Gowrie, in Seafield, and in sundrie uther places, as salbe specifiet.
After the forsaids Articles war notified and declared to my Lords the Erles of Murray, Argyle, Glencarne, and to my Lord Secritar, being present, and send be the Quein’s Hieness to the Assemblie, to know quhat things were proponit therein; thoght the saids Articles, as they were conceivit, not so convenient to be proponit as appertained, and therefor thoght it meitt to collect twa Heids thereof, quhilk they themselves wald propone to the Quein’s Majestie; quhilk Heids follow:
And first, they wold declare to her the good mynds and obedience of them then assemblit.
And as tuiching the Estate of Religioun, seeing it tuitchit the said Lords most especiallye, being members of the said Kirk, they wold labour at her Grace’s hands, that the same might be observit according to the ordour establishit at her Heiness arryvall, and doubtit not to obtaine sick gentle answer and agreement of her Majestie in that behalf as might satisfie the said Assemblie.
The uther Heid, tuiching the sustentatioun of the Ministers, the saids Lords in lyke maner promised to labour at her Hienes’ hands that they might have appointment of the saids Stipends, and hoped to dresse her Hienes so that they sauld be ressonablie satisfiet of their desyre in that point.
Thereafter the saids Lords declarit, be the mouth of my Lord Secretaire, how they had proponit the saids Heids to the Quein’s Majestie, and how they were not only accepted be her Heiness in good part, but also gentlie answerit, and acceedit to the performance thereof; and therefore the saids Lords promised, in her Majestie’s name, to the haill Assemblie, the accomplishment of the saids desyres, of the quhilk they need not in any wayes to doubt; for if they had been surely persuadit in their owin hearts that her Hienes had meant utherwayes nor they had declared, her Grace sauld have found uther Messengers then they to have shawin the same in her Hienes’ name. Quhilk being be them declared, the haill number present first thanked God and her Majestie, that their reassonable desyres were so generallie answerit; and for recognoscing of their owin dutie, desyrit the saids Lordis reciprocallie to promise to her Majestie, in their behalf, all duetifull obedience, love, and submission, quhilk can be lookit for be any Christian Prince of most faithfull, humble, and loving subjects; promiseing therewithall, if any of their number sould happen to forget the duetie of a good Subject, or offendes her Majestie’s Lawes, that they all afaldlie wold concurre to the punition of the offendour, according to the qualitie of that trespass, as they sould be commandit.