The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

At the same time the Superintendents, with the other Ministers of the Churches, perceiving the Ministry like to decay for lack of payment of Stipends to Ministers, they gave this Supplication at Edinburgh.

At the same time the Superintendents, with the other Ministers of the Churches, perceiving the Ministery like to decay for lack of payment of Stipends to Ministers, they gave this Supplication at Edinburgh.

The Supplication of the Ministers to the Queen. Unto your Majesty, and your most honourable Council, most humbly and lamentably complains your Highness poor Orators, the Superintendents, and other Ministers of the Reformed Church of God, travelling throughout all your Highness Realm, in teaching and instructing your Lieges in all Quarters, in the knowledge of God, and Christ Jesus his Son; That where your Majesty, with the advice of the Council and Nobility aforesaid, moved by godly zeal, concluded and determined, That the travelling Ministry throughout this Realm, should be maintained upon the Rents of the Benefices of this Realm of Scotland; ⟨p. 434⟩and for that cause your Majesty, with the advice of the Council and Nobility aforesaid, upon the 15 day of December 1562. in like manner concluded and determined, That if the said part of the Rents of the whole Benefices Ecclesiastical within this Realm would be sufficient to maintain the Ministers throughout the whole Realm, and to support your Majesty in the setting forward of your common affairs, should be employed accordingly: Failing thereof, the third part of the said fruits, or more, to be taken up yearly in time coming, until a general Order be taken therein; as the Act made thereupon at more length bears: Which being afterward considered by your Majesty, the whole Thirds of the fruits aforesaid were propounded to the uses aforesaid, by Act of Council. And we your Majesties poor Orators, put in peaceable possession of the part assigned by your Majesty to us, by the space of three years, or thereabouts, which we did enjoy without interruption; notwithstanding all this, now of late, we your Majesties poor Orators aforesaid, are put wrongfully and unjustly from their aforesaid part of the above specified Thirds, by your Majesties Officers, and thereby brought to such extreme penury, and extreme distress, as we are not able any longer to maintain our selves. And albeit we have given in divers and sundry complaints to your Majesty herein, and have received divers promises of redress; yet have we found no relief: Therefore we most humbly beseech your Majesty to consider our most grievous complaint, together with the right above specified, whereon the same is grounded.