Acta. Decr. 20, 1567.
5. Anent the Messe abolischit and punisching of all that heiris or sayis the samin.
Item, Our Souerane Lord, with auise of his derrest Regent and thre Estatis of this present Parliament, ratifyis and appreuis the act vnderwrittin, maid in the Parliament haldin at Edinburgh, the xxiiij day of August, the ʒier of God ane thousand fyue hundreth thre scoir ʒieris. And of new, in this present Parliament, statutis and ordainis the said Act to be as ane perpetuall Law to all our Souerane Lordis lieges in all tymes to cum. Of the quhilk the tennour followis. [As already inserted at [p. 76].]
6. Anent the trew and haly Kirk, and of thame that are declarit not to be of the samin.
Item, Forsamekle as the Ministeris of the blissit Euangell of Jesus Christ, quhome God of his mercie hes now rasit vp amangis vs, or heirefter sall rais aggreing with thame that now liues, in doctrine and administratioun of the Sacramentis, and the pepill of this realme that professis Christ as he now is offerit in his Euangell, and do communicat with the holy sacramentis, (as in the reformit Kirkis of this Realme ar publicklie administrat,) according to the Confessioun of the faith, Our Souerane Lord, with auise of my Lord Regent and thre Estatis of this present parliament, hes declarit and declaris the foirsaid Kirk to be the onlie trew and holy Kirk of Jesus Christ within this realme, and decernis and declaris that all and sindrie quha outher gainsayis the word of the Euangell ressauit and appreuit as the heides of the Confessioun professit in parliament of befoir, in the ʒeir of God 1560 ʒeirs, as alswa specifiet in the actis of this parliament mair particularlie dois expres, and now ratifyit and appreuit in this present parliament, or that refusis the participatioun of the holy sacramentis as thay ar now ministrat, to be na memberis of the said Kirk within this realme now presently professit, swa lang as thay keip thame selfis sa deuydit fra the societie of Christis body.
7. Anent the Admissioun of thame that salbe presentit to Benefices hauand cure of Ministrie.
Item, It is statute and ordained, by our Soveraine Lord, with advise of his dearest Regent, and three Estaitis of this present Parliament, that the examination and admission of Ministers, within this Realme, be only in the power of the Kirk, now openlie and publickly professed within the samin. The presentation of laick Patronages alwaies reserved to the Just and auncient Patrones. And that the Patroun present ane qualified persoun, within sex Monethes (after it may cum to his knawledge, of the decease of him quha bruiked the Benefice of before) to the Superintendent of thay partis, quhar the Benefice lyes, or uthers havand commission of the Kirk to that effect; utherwaies the Kirk to have power to dispone the samin to ane qualifyed person for that time.
Providing that in caice the Patron present ane person qualified to his understanding, and failzeing of ane, ane uther within the said six Moneths, and the said Superintendent or Commissioner of the Kirk, refusis to receive and admit the person presented be the Patron, as said is: It sall be lesum to the Patron to appeale to the Superintendent, and Ministers of that province quhair the Benefice lyis, and desire the person presented to be admitted, quhilk gif they refuse, to appeale to the General Assemblie of the haill realme, be quhome the cause beand decyded, sall take end, as they decerne and declair.
8. Anent the Kingis Aith to be giuen at his Coronatioun.
Item, Because that the incres of vertew, and suppressing of idolatrie, crauis that the Prince and the peple be of ane perfyte religioun, quhilk of Goddis mercie is now presentlie professit within this realme; Thairfoir it is statute and ordainit, be our Souerane Lord, my Lord Regent, and thre Estatis of this present Parliament, that all Kingis, and Princes, or Magistratis quhatsumeuir, halding thair place, quhilkis heirefter in ony tyme sall happen to regne, and beir reule ouer this realme, at the tyme of thair coronatioun, and ressait of thair princely authoritie, mak thair faithfull promise, be aith, in presence of the Eternall God, That induring the haill cours of their lyfe, thay sall serue the samin Eternall God, to the vttermaist of thair power, according as he hes requyrit in his maist haly word, reuelit, and contenit in the New and Auld Testamentis; and according to the samin word sall mantene the trew religioun of Jesus Christ, the preicheing of his haly word, and dew and richt ministratioun of the sacramentis now ressaifit and preichit within this realme. And sall abolische and gainstand all fals religioun contrare to the samin: And sall reule the pepil committit to thair charge, according to the will and command of God, reuelit in his foirsaid word, and according to the louabill lawis and constitutionis ressaifit in this realme, nawyse repugnant to the said word of the Eternall God. And sall procure to the vttermaist of thair power, to the Kirk of God, and haill Cristiane pepil, trew and perfyte peice in all tyme cuming. The rychtis and rentis, with all the iust priuilegeis, of the Crowne of Scotland to preserue and keip inuiolatit, nouther sall thay transfer nor alienat the samin. Thay sall forbid and repres in all estatis and degreis, reif oppressioun, and all kynde of wrang. In all jugementis, they sall command and procure that justice and equitie be keipit in all creatures, without exceptioun, as the Lord and Father of all mercyis be mercifull to thame. And out of their landis and empyre they salbe cairfull to ruite out all heretykis and enemeis to the trew worschip of God, that salbe conuict be the trew Kirk of God of the foirsaidis crymis. And that they sall faithfullie affirme the thingis aboue writtin be their solempnit aith.[15]