The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

Neither now dare we withdraw our presence or counsel, or Petitions, lest that the adversaries hereafter should object to us, That place was granted for Reformation, and yet no man sued for the same: and so shall our silence be prejudicial unto us in time to come. And therefore we knowing no order placed in this Realm, but your Majesty, and your grave counsel, set to amend, as well the disorder Ecclesiastical, as the defaults in the temporal Regiment, most humbly prostrate our selves before your feet, asking justice and your gracious help, against them that falsely traduce and accuse us, as that we were Heretics, and Schismatics, under that colour seeking our destruction, for that we seek the amendment of their corrupted lives, and Christs Religion to be restored to the original purity.¹ Further we crave of your Majesty with open and patent ears, to hear those our subsequent requests, and to the joy and satisfaction of our troubled consciences, bountifully to grant the same, unless by Gods plain Word any be able to prove that justly they ought to be denied. Here beginneth the particular Demands. First, Humbly we ask, That as we have by the Laws of this Realm, after long debate obtained to read the holy Books of the Old and New Testament, in our Vulgar Tongue, as Spiritual food to our souls: so from henceforth it may be lawful, that we may meet publicly or privately to our Common-Prayers in our Vulgar Tongue, to the end that we may increase and grow in knowledge, and be induced by fervent and oft Prayer, to commend to God the holy Universal Church, the Queen our Sovereign, her honourable and gracious Husband, the ability of their succession, your Majesty Regent, the Nobility, and whole State of this Realm. Secondly, If it shall happen in our said meetings any hard place of Scripture to be read, of which, without explanation, hardly can arise any profit to the hearers, that it shall be lawful to any qualified persons in knowledge, being present, to interpret and open up the said hard places, to Gods glory, and to the profit of the Auditory. And if any think that this liberty should be occasion of Confusion, Debate, or Heresy, we are content that it be provided that the said Interpretation shall underly the judgement of the godly, and most learned within the Realm at this time.

Neither now dare we withdraw our presence or counsell, or Petitions, lest that the adversaries hereafter should object to us, That place was granted for Reformation, and yet no man sued for the same: and so shall our silence be prejudiciall unto us in time to come. And therefore we knowing no order placed in this Realme, but your Majestie, and your grave counsell, set to amend, as well the disorder Ecclesiasticall, as the defaults in the temporall Regiment, most humbly prostrate our selves before your feet, asking justice and your gracious help, against them that falsly traduce and accuse us, as that we were Hereticks, and Schismatikes, under that colour seeking our destruction, for that we seek the amendment of their corrupted lives, and Christs Religion to be restored to the originall puritie.