Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him.—Rev. 1.7

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ONCE FAVOURED WITH THE LIGHT OF THE
GOSPEL OF
JESUS CHRIST,

King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven,
and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes
and commandments... But they and our fathers dealt proudly,
and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to
thy commandments
.—Nehemiah 9.13,16.

Nation:Scotland
Reign:James VI
Parliament:The First Parliament of King James the Sixth (1567-12-15 — 1567-12-29)
Session:Only Session of the First Parliament of James VI

31. Anent abrogating of all acts contrarie to the Religioun.

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31. Anent abrogating of all acts contrary to the Religion.

[¶ Anent the cassing, annulling, and abrogating of all Lawis, actis, and constitutiounis, Canone, Ciuile, and Municipall, with vther constitutiounis, contrare to the Religioun now professit within this Realme. Ca. xxxix.]

[¶ Anent the cassing [making void], annulling, and abrogating of all Laws, acts, and constitutions, Canon, Civil, and Municipal, with other constitutions, contrary to the Religion now professed within this Realm. Ca. xxxix.]

IN the Parliament halden at Edinburgh, the 19. day of April, the zeir of God 1567. zeiris. The quhilk day, the Queens Majestie having considered the Estate of hir Majesties Realm, that it stude at, the time of hir arrival furth of France, & zit presently standis at Foirseing alswa the common weil of hir countrie greatumlie to be increased, & established be the keiping of the common peace & quietnes, amangs all her subjects: & like as hir hienes sen hir foirsaid arrival, hes attempted nathing contrare the Estate of religion, quhilk her M. fand publiklie & universallie standing, at hir arrival foirsaid, quhair by hir M. is maist worthy to be served, honored, & obeyed. Richt sa hir hienes intends to continew in the samin gudnes & governement, in all times cumming, quhairby all her gude subjects, professouris of the religion foirsaid, sall have occasion to praise God, for her gude, happy & gratious governement. And to crave of God fra the bottom of their hearts, that he wald of his infinit gudnes, prosper & blis hir M. & hir posterity, with lang life & gude & happy governement, to rule & reigne over them. And to the effect alswa, that all hir hienes gude subjects, professouris of the religion foirsaid, may assure themselves to be in full suretie therof, & of their landis, lives, benefices, dignities, jurisdictions, priviledges, guddis, fame, & honouris in time cumming, And with the better will jeoparde & hazard their lives & guddes in her hienes service, against all enemies to hir M. & to the common weill of this realm at all times neidful as their predecessours hes maist frankly done heirtofoir. And that without fear of any paine, punishment, tinsel of landis, benefices, and gudis, for professing exercing & using of the said religion, in times by-gane, and to be impute unto them, or their aires, notwithstanding any lawes, actis & constitutionis, canon, civil or municipal, or uther quhat-sumever ordinance heirtofoir institute in the contrare. And for their great surety foirsaid, our Sov. with the advise of the haill three Estaites of this Parliament, hes thocht neidful, & convenient to dispense, casse, abrogat, & annul, like as her M. presently dispensis, cassis, abrogatis, & annullis, all & quhat-sumever lawis, acts & constitutionis canon, civil, or municipal with all other constitutions & practicks penal, introduced contrair to the foirsaid religion & professors of the samin: and ordainis them, & their posterity, in all times to cum, to be free, & exeemed from all paine corporal, infamie, reproch, depriving fra benefices, dignities, or offices, or uther crime or paine quhat-sumever, that may be incurred, or imputed to them, be vertew of the saidis acts, lawes, ordinances, canon, {377} civil, or Municipal, & practicque, for contravening of the samin: renunceand the samin, & strength therof, in favoris of our saidis subjects, to the effect foirsaid. And sik-like, the Queenis M. of her authoritie royal, granted to hir be God, with the advise of the three Estaites foirsaidis, takis to hir selfe, & her posteritie, all her gude subjects, their benefices, lands, offices, gudis, & honouris, to be under sure saifgard, maintenance, protection, & defence perpetually, against quhat-sumever forreine authority, power, jurisdiction, & persute be it Ecclesiastical or temporal. Eximand hir foirsaidis subjects, fra all comperance, summoning or obedience, pretended heirafter against them, for the causes foirsaidis. Be quhat-sumever forreine person, or uther pretendand jurisdiction, or authoritie throw them: Willing hir subjects to dwell in perpetual security, & quietnes within this Realme, be making of their maist humble and faithful obedience to hir hienes & hir posterity, in all times cumming heirafter allanerly. Like as alswa her Majestie (God willing) in times convenient, sall take further ordour, in all uther poynts, concerning the Estate of Religion, as may best serve for the glorie of God, commoun weill of this Realme, & continuing of common peace and quietnesse universallie amangis all her subjects. Commanding them, and everie ane of them, in all times heirafter, to keip mutual, perfite, and maist heartie kindnesse, love, friendship, & Nichtbourhead, ilke ane to uthers, under all hiest paine and charge, that heirafter may follow, for breaking of this present Act of Parliament, and her Majesties maist lawful commandement.

IN the Parliament holden at Edinburgh, the 19th day of April, the year of God 1567 years; The which day, the Queen’s Majesty having considered the Estate of her Majesty’s Realm, that it stood at, the time of her arrival forth of France, & yet presently stands at; Foreseeing also the common weal of her country greatly to be increased, & established by the keeping of the common peace & quietness, amongst all her subjects: & like as her highness since her foresaid arrival, has attempted nothing contrary the Estate of religion, which her M. found publickly & universally standing, at her arrival foresaid, whereby her M. is most worthy to be served, honored, & obeyed; Right so her highness intends to continue in the same goodness & government, in all times coming, whereby all her good subjects, professors of the religion foresaid, shall have occasion to praise God, for her good, happy, & gracious government. And to crave of God from the bottom of their hearts, that he would of his infinite goodness, prosper & bless her M. & her posterity, with long life & good & happy government, to rule & reign over them; And to the effect also, that all her highness’ good subjects, professors of the religion foresaid, may assure themselves to be in full surety thereof, & of their lands, lives, benefices, dignities, jurisdictions, privileges, goods, fame, & honours in time coming; And with the better will jeopard & hazard their lives & goods in her highness’ service, against all enemies to her M. & to the common weal of this realm at all times needful as their predecessours has most frankly done heretofore; And that without fear of any pain, punishment, tinsel [loss] of lands, benefices, and goods, for professing exercising & using of the said religion, in times bygone, and [to come,—Ed. 1568.] to be impute unto them, or their heirs, notwithstanding any laws, acts & constitutions, canon, civil, or municipal, or other whatsomever ordinance heretofore institute in the contrary; And for their great surety foresaid, our Sov. with the advice of the whole three Estates of this Parliament, has thought needful, & convenient to dispense, cass [make void], abrogate, & annul, like as her M. presently dispenses, casses, abrogates, & annuls, all & whatsomever laws, acts & constitutions canon, civil, or municipal with all other constitutions & practicks [recorded acts] penal, introduced contrary to the foresaid religion & professors of the same: and ordains them, & their posterity, in all times to come, to be free, & exeemed [exempted or set free] from all pain corporal, infamy, reproach, depriving from benefices, dignities, or offices, or other crime or pain whatsomever, that may be incurred, or imputed to them, by virtue of the saids acts, laws, ordinances, canon, {377} civil, or Municipal, & practik [recorded cases], for contravening of the same: renouncing the same, & strength thereof, in favors of our saids subjects, to the effect foresaid. And suchlike, the Queen’s M. of her authority royal, granted to her by God, with the advice of the three Estates foresaids, takes to her self, & her posterity, all her good subjects, their benefices, lands, offices, goods, & honours, to be under sure safeguard, maintenance, protection, & defence perpetually, against whatsomever foreign authority, power, jurisdiction, & persuit [legal pursuit, suit] be it Ecclesiastical or temporal. Exeeming [Exempting] her foresaids subjects, from all compearance, summoning, or obedience, pretended hereafter against them, for the causes foresaids, By whatsomever foreign person, or other pretending jurisdiction, or authority through them: Willing her subjects to dwell in perpetual security, & quietness within this Realm, by making of their most humble and faithful obedience to her highness & her posterity, in all times coming hereafter allanerly [only]. Like as also her Majesty (God willing) in times convenient, shall take further order, in all other points, concerning the Estate of Religion, as may best serve for the glory of God, common weal of this Realm, & continuing of common peace and quietness universally amongst all her subjects. Commanding them, and every one of them, in all times hereafter, to keep mutual, perfect, and most hearty kindness, love, friendship, & Neighbourhood, each one to others, under all highest pain and charge, that hereafter may follow, for breaking of this present Act of Parliament, and her Majesties most lawful commandment.