The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

Henry and Mary, By the Grace of God, King and Queen of Scots; To all and sundry Our Lieges and Subjects whom it may concern, and to whose knowledge these Letters shall come, Greeting. Forasmuch as in this Uproar lately raised up against us, by certain Rebels; and their assistants, the authors thereof (to blind the eyes of the simple people) have given them to understand, That the quarrel they have in hand is only Religion, thinking with that cloak to cover their ungodly designs, and so, under that plausible argument, to draw after them a large train of ignorant persons, easy to be seduced. Now for the preservation of our good Subjects, whose case were to be pitied, if they blindly should suffer themselves to be induced and trapped in so dangerous a snare, it hath pleased the goodness of God, by the utterance of their own mouths and writings to us, to discover the poison that before lay hid in their hearts, albeit to all persons of clear judgment the same was evident enough before:¹ For what other thing [is this, but to dissolve the whole Policy, and in a manner to invert the very order] might move the principal raisers of this tumult to put themselves in Arms against us so unnaturally, upon whom we had bestowed so many benefits; But that the great honour we did them, they being thereof unworthy, made them misknow themselves; and their ambition could not be satisfied with heaping riches upon riches, & honour upon honour, unless they retain in their hands ⟨p. 421⟩us, and our whole Realm to be led, used, and disposed at their pleasure. But this could not the multitude have perceived, if God (for disclosing their Hypocrisy) had not compelled them to utter their unreasonable desire to Govern; for now by Letters sent from themselves to us, which make plain profession, that the establishing of Religion will not content them,² but we must be forced to govern by Council, such, as it shall please them to appoint us; a thing so far beyond all measure, that we think the only mention of so unreasonable a demand is sufficient to make their nearest Kinsfolks their most mortal enemies, and all men to run on them without further scruple, that are zealous to have their native Country to remain still in the state of a Kingdom:

HEnry and Mary, By the Grace of God, King and Queen of Scots; To all and sundry Our Lieges and Subjects whom it may concerne, and to whose knowledge these Letters shall come, Greeting. Forasmuch as in this Uprore lately raised up against us, by certaine Rebels; and their assistants, the authors thereof (to blinde the eyes of the simple people) have given them to understand, That the quarrell they have in hand is onely Religion, thinking with that cloke to cover their ungodly designes, and so, under that plausible argument, to draw after them a large train of ignorant persons, easie to be seduced. Now for the preservation of our good Subjects, whose case were to be pitied, if they blindely should suffer themselves to be induced and trapped in so dangerous a snare, it hath pleased the goodnesse of God, by the utterance of their own mouthes and writings to us, to discover the poyson that before lay hid in their hearts, albeit to all persons of cleer judgment the same was evident enough before: