The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

you have been long out of your own Realm, so as the contrary Religion to yours had won the upper hand, and the greatest part of your Realm: Your mother was a woman of great experience of deep dissimulation and policy, as they term it now adays, and kept that Realm in quietness, till she began to constrain mens consciences; and as you think it unmeet to be constrained by your subjects, so it may please you to consider, The matter is as intolerable to them to be constrained by you,¹ in matters of conscience; for the duty due to God cannot be given to any other, without offence of his Majesty. Why (said she) God doth command subjects to be obedient to their Princes, and commandeth Princes to read his Law, and govern thereby themselves, and the people committed to their charges. Answer. Yea, Madame (quoth I) in those things that be not against his Commandments. Well (quoth she) I will be plain with you: The Religion that I profess, I take to be most acceptable to God; and indeed, neither do I know,² nor desire to know any other. Constancy doth become all folks well, but none better then Princes, and such as have rule over Realms, and specially in matters of Religion (the Turk is as constant in his Alcoran, as the Pope and his Sect are in his Constitutions) I have been brought up (quoth she) in this Religion, and who might credit me in any thing, if I should show my self light in this case. And though I be young, and not well learned, yet I have heard this matter oft disputed by my Uncle the Cardinal, with some that thought they could say somewhat in the matter; and I found therein no great reason to change my opinion (neither yet did the high Priest, when Christ Jesus did reason in his presence. But what was the Cardinal compelled to confess at Poysie?) Madame (quoth I) if you will judge well in that matter, you must be conversant in the Scriptures, which are the Touch-stone to try the right from the wrong. Peradventure you are so partially affected to your Uncles arguments, that you could not indifferently consider the other party:

you have been long out of your own Realm, so as the contrary Religion to yours had won tbe upper hand, and the greatest part of your Realme: Your mother was a woman of great experience of deep dissimulation and policy, as they terme it now adayes, and kept that Realme in quietnesse, till she began to constrain mens consciences; and as you think it unmeet to be constrained by your subjects, so it may please you to consider, The matter is as intolerable to them to be constrained by you,