To the fifth article, her Majestie will referr the taking order with that and alse of the sixth article to the Parliament.
The answers of the Kirk to thir above written follows:—
First, Where her Majestie answers, That she is not persuaded in religion, neither that she understands any impietie in the masse, but that the same is well grounded, that is no small grief to the Christian hearts of her godly subjects; considering that the trumpet of Christ’s Evengell hes been so long blowne in the countrey, and his mercy so plainly offered in the same, that her Majestie remains yet unpersuaded of the truth of this her religione; for our religion is not else but the same religion quhilk Jesus Christ hes in the last days revealed frae the bosome of his Father, whereof he made his Apostles messengers, and quhilk they preached and established among his faithfull, till the ’gaincoming of our Lord Jesus Christ; quhilk differs from the impietie of the Turks, the blasphemy of the Jews, the vaine superstitione of the Papists, in this, that only our religion hes God the Father, his only Sone Jesus Christ, our Lord, his Holy Spirit speaking in his Prophets and Apostles, for authors thereof, and their doctrine and practise for the ground of the same: the quhilk no uther religion upon the face of the earth can justly alleadge or plainly prove; yea, whatsomever assurance the Papists hes for their religion, the same hes the Turks for maintainance of their Alcorane, and the Jews fare greater for defence of their ceremonies, whether it be antiquitie of tyme, consent of people, authorietie of princes, great number or multitude consenting together, or any uther sicklyke cloaks they can pretend; and, therefore, as we are dolorous that her Majestie in this our religione is not persuaded, most reverently we require, in the name of the Eternall God, that her heines would embrace the means whereby she may be persuaded of the truth whilk presently we offer unto her Grace, aleswall be preaching of the Word, whilk is the chief means appointed be God to persuade all his chosen children of his infallible veritie, as be publick disputation against the adversaries of this our religion, deceavers of her Majestie, whensoever it shall be thought expedient to her Grace. And, as to the impietie of the Masse, we dare be bold to affirme that in that idoll there is a great impietie; from the beginning to the ending, it is nothing else but a masse of impietie; the author, or sayers, the action itselfe, or opinion thereof concerned, the hearers and gazers upon it, avows sacrilege, pronounces blasphemie, and committs most abominable idolatrie, as we have ever offered and yet offers ourselfes, most manifestly to prove. And where her Majestie esteems that the change of religion should dissolve the confederacy of allyance that she hes with the King of France and uther princes; assuredlie Christ’s trew religion is the undoubted meane to knitt us surely, perfyte confederacie and friendship with him that is King of kings, and who hes the hearts of all princes in his hands, whilk ought to be more precious to her Majestie nor the confederacie of all princes of the earth, without the whilk neither confederacie, love, nor kindness, can indure.
Concerning her Majestie’s answer to the second article: Whereas, she thinks it nowayes reasonable to defraud her self of the patronage of benefices, whilk her Majestie esteems to be ane part of her patrimonie, and that her Majestie be minded to retain a good part of the benefices in her own hands to support her common charges:
As to the first point, [it is not our meaning,] that her Majestie or any uther patrone within this realme should be defrauded of their just patronages. But we meane, whensoever her Majestie or any uther patrone does present any persone to a benefice, that the persone presented should be tryed and examined be the judgement of learned men of the Kirk, sick as are presently the Superintendants appointed thereto; and as the presentation of benefices pertains to the patrone, so ought the collatione thereof, be law and reasone, appertaine to the Kirk: of the whilk collatione the Kirk should not be defrauded more than the patrones of their presentatione; for utherwayes it shall be leasume to the patrone, absolutely to present whomsoever they please, without tryall or examination: what then can abide in the Kirk of God but ignorance without all order?
As to the second point, concerning the retentione of ane good part of the benefice in her Majestie’s own hands: This poynt abhors so far from good conscience, alsweill of God’s law as frae the publick order of our common lawes, that we are loath to open up the ground of the matter be any long circumstances; and therefore we most reverently wishe that her Majestie would consider the matter with her selfe and her wise counsell, That howsoever the patronages of benefices may appertaine to herself, or the retention thereof in her own hands undisponed to qualified persons, is both ungodly, and alse contrare to all publick order, and brings noe small confusione to the poor soules of the common people, who be these meanes should be instructed of their salvatione. And where her Majestie concludes, in the second answer, that she is content that ane sufficient and reasonable sustentatione of the ministers be provided to them, be assignationes in places most commodious to them, consideration being had of her own necessitie; as we are desirous that her Grace’s necessitie be relieved, so our dewtie craves, that we should notifie to her Grace, the trew order that should be observed to her in this behalfe, whilk is this: The teinds are properly to be reputed to be the patrimonie of the kirk, upon the whilks, before all things, they that travells in the ministrie thereof, and the poor indigent members of Christ’s body, ought to be sustained; the kirks also repaired, and the youth brought up in good letters: whilks things being done, then wher necessitie reasonablie might be supported, according as her Grace and her godly counsell thinks expedient: allwayes we cannot but thank her Majestie most reverently of her liberall offer of assignation to be made to the ministers for their sustentation, whilk not the less is so generally conceaved, that without more speciall condescending upon the particulars thereof, no executione is likelie to follow thereon; and so to conclude with her Majestie at this present, We desyre most earnestly the saids ministers’ articles to be reformed, beseiking God that as they are reasonable and godlie, so her Grace’s heart and the Estates presently conveened may be inclined and persuaded to the performance thereof.
Sess. 2d, December 25, 1565.
Anent the generall complaint of ministers, exhorters, and readers, for wanting of their stipends, and as touching them that hes put violent hands on ministers for reproveing of vyce, The haill Assemblie ordained ane generall supplicatione to be presented to her Majestie and Councell, and alse required the Lord Lindsay and David Murray, brother to the Laird of Balvaird, to present the same, and to report the answer again to the Assembly; the tenor whereof follows:—
Unto your Majestie and most honorable Councill, humbly means and complains,