The Booke of the Universall Kirk of Scotland / Wherein the Headis and Conclusionis Devysit Be the Ministers and Commissionaris of the Particular Kirks Thereof, Are Specially Expressed and Contained.

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In like manner, Mr John Winrhame complained upon the said Mr John Furde, that be his counsell and persuasion the Ladie Kilconquher and John Weymes had contracted the verba de presenti, &c. notwithstanding that ane woman, called Elizabeth Pott, had claimed the said John Weymes before the Superintendant, whilk clame was not yet justified, and that Mr Andrew Kirkaldie had married the saids persons, after the minister was departed out of the Kirk where they were married. Ordained in like manner to answer to this complaint.

The haill Assembly appointed Mr John Row, minister at St Johnstoun, to put in write, answers to the answers given be the Q. Majestie to the articles presented to her hienes be the Commissioners of the last Assemblie of the Kirk, because her heines answers not fully satisfied the Kirk, as in the samen plainly appeareth, and the said Mr John to present them the morrow, after the preaching, to the Assembly, to advyse therewith, before their presenting to her Grace.

Follows the answers given be the Queen’s Majestie to the articles presented to her Grace be the Commissioners of the Assembly last holden, the 25th of Junii 1565, and also answers and requests to their answers, now conceavened in this Assembly.

The Queen’s Majestie’s Answers.

To the first, desyring the masse to be suppressed and abolished, alsweill in the head as in the members, with ane punishment against the contraveeners, as also the religion now professed to be established be an Act of Parliament; it is answered, first, for the part of her Majestie’s self, that her heiness is no wayes yet persuaded in the said religion, nor yet that any impietie is in the masse; and, therefore, believes that her loving subjects will no wayes preisse her to receave any religion against her own conscience, quhilk should bring her to perpetuall trouble be remorse of conscience, and therewith ane perpetuall unquietness; and, to deall plainly with her subjects, her Majestie neither may nor will leave the religion wherein she has been nourished and upbrought, and believes the samen to be well-grounded, knowing, besydes, the grudge of conscience if she should receive any change in her owne religione, that she should tyne the friendship of the King of France, the ancient allya of this realme, and of other great Princes, her friends and confederats, who would take the same in evil part, and of whom she may lake for great support in all her necessities; and having no consideration that may counterweigh the same, she will be loath to put in hazard the loss of all her friends in ane instant; praying all her loveing subjects, seeing they have had experience of her goodness, that she neither has in tymes past, nor yet means hereafter, to preasse the consciences of any man, but that they may worship God in sic sort as they are persuaded to be best, that they also will not preasse her to offend her own conscience.

As for establishing religion in the body of the realme, they themselves know, as appears well be their Articles, that the same cannot be done be only the consent of her Majestie, but reqyres necessarly the consent of the three Estates of Parliament; and, thereafter, so soon as the Parliament holds, that whilk the three Estates agrees upon among themselves, her Majestie shall grant the same to them, and alwayes make them sure that no man shall be troubled for useing themselves in religion according to their conscience, so that no man shall have cause to doubt that, for religion’s sake, many lyves or heritages shall be in hazard.

To the second article it is answered, that her Majestie thinks it no way reasonable that she should defraud herselfe of so great a part of the patrimony of her crowne, as to put the patronages of benefices furth of her own hands; for her own necessitie in bearing of her great and common charges will require the retention of ane good parte in her own hands. Nottheless, her Majestie is well pleased that consideratione being had of her own necessitie, and what may be sufficient for her, and for the reasonable sustentatione of the ministers, ane speciall assignatione be made to them in places most commodious to them, with the whilk her Majestie shall not intromitt, but suffer the same come to them.

To the third article, her Majestie shall doe therein as shall be agreed be the Estates in Parliament.

To the fourth article, her Majestie’s liberality towards the poor shall be alse far extended as can be reasonably required at her hands.