BRETHREN, vnderstanding the proceedings of the Assemblie in my contraire, and beeing nowe withholden by seiknes from pre­senting my selfe before you: that I might giue cōfession of that doctrine quhairin I howp that God sall call me, and that at his pleasure I might depairt in ane vnitie of chri­stian faithe: I thowght gud by wreitt to vtter the samyne to ȝour wisdomes. And lykewayis to craue ȝour godlie wisdomes assistance, noth for the restitution of any warldlie pompe or preeminence, quhilk I little respect, bot to re­mooue from me the slanderis quhilkes are rai­sed in this countrie concerning the variance of doctrine, speciallie on my pairt, quhairin I pro­test befoir God, that I haif onlie a single respect to his glorie, and by his graice I sall abyd heir­in vnto my lyves end.

[Page] FIrst, I confes the trew doctrine of christian religioun to be publiklie tawght & rightlie annuncied with­in this Realme, and deteistis all papistrie and superstition, like as (blissed be God) I haif detested the samine in my heart, the spaice of 30. ȝeires, sen it pleasit God to giue me the knowledge of the treuth, quhairin I haif walkit vprightlie asweill heir as in vther countreis, as the Lorde beires me record, vntill theise last dayes, quhairin partlie for ambition and vaine glorie, to be preferred befoir my bre­thren: and partlie for couetousnes, I haif possessed the pelf of the Kirk: I did vn­dertake this office of Archbishoprike quhairwith iustlie the syncerest profes­sors of the worde haif funde fault, and haif condemned the samine, as imperti­nent to the office of a sincere pastor of Godis word. And albeit men wold col­loure the samen, and the imperfections thairof by diuers clokes, ȝit the samine can noth be conciled from the spirituall [Page] eyes of the faithfull. Nether ȝit can the men of God, quhen they ar putt to thair conscience, dissemble the samine.

Nixt, I confes, that I was in ane erro­nious opinioun, that I belived the gou­vernment of the Kirk, to be likevnto the kingdomes of the earth, plaine cōtrairy to the commaundement of our Maister Christ, and the monarchie quhairby the Kirk is gouerned, not to be onely in the persoun of our Sauiour Christ (as it is) bot in the ministeris, quho are nothing bot vassalles vnder him in an equalitie amang tham selfis.

Thirdlie, That I married the Earle of Huntle, contrair to the command of the kirk, without the cōfession of his faith, & profession of the sincere doctrine of the word, I repent, and craves God pardon. That I traveled both by reasoning and vther ways to subiect the kirk-men vnto the Kings ordinance, in things that aper­teine to ecclesiasticall matters, & things of cōscience, I aske God mercie, quhair-vpon [Page] grait enormiteis haif fallen furth in this countrie.

That I belived and so tawght, the pres­bitreis to be a foolishe inuentionne, and wold haif it so estemed of all mē, quhilk is ane ordinance of Christ, I craue God mercie.

Forder, I submit my self to the mercie of God, and iudgemēt of the Assemble, not measuring my offences by my owne self, nor infirmiteis of my awin ingine, bot vnto the gud iudgement of the kirk, to the quhilk alwayes I subiect my selfe, and beseekis ȝou to make intercessionne to God for me, & to the King, that I may haif sum moyane to liue, & consume the rest of this my wretched tyme, for win­ning of quhois favors (quhilk foolishlie I thoucht thairby to obteine) I commit­ted all theis errours.

As quhair I am burdened, to haif ben the settair furth of the buke called The Kings declaration, quhairin the hol ordor of the kirk is condemned and traduced, [Page] I protest before God, that so I was com­mandit to wreitt the same by the Chan­cellair for the time, bot chieflie by N. (an vther grait courteor) quho him self pen­ned in the second act of parliament, cō ­cerning the powar and authoritie of Iu­dicator to be absolutelie in the Kinges powar, and that it suld not be lawfull to any subiect to reclame fra the famin, vn­der the penaltie of the act, quhilk I sup­pose was treasoun.

Item quhair it is alleagit that I suld haif condemned the doctrine annunced & taught by the Ministrie of Edinburgh, and to haue allowed onely concerning obedience to the Prince, I confes & pro­testis before God that I never vnderstud nor ȝit knew any thing bot sinceritie & vprightnes in the doctrine of the Mini­steris of Edinburgh in that point, nor in any vther.

Forder, I confes I was the authour of the Act, dischargeing the Ministeris sti­pends, that did not subscribe those actes [Page] of Parliament quhairwith GOD hath iustlie recompensed my self.

As for any violent course, it is knawen wel ynough quho wes the author thair­of, and my pairt was tryed at the impri­sonment of Master Nicol Dalglische, Mai. Patrik Malvill, M. Thomas Iak, & vthers.

Moreover I graunt I was moir bussie with sum Bishops of Englande in preiu­dice of the discipline of our Kirk, partlie quhen I was thair, & partlie by our mu­tuall intelligence sensyn then, became a gud christian, mikle lesse a faithfull Pa­stor.

Nether is thair any thing that moir eshameth me then my often disceauing and abusing of the Kirk heir to foir by confessionnes, subscriptionnes, protesta­tionnes, &c. quhilk be far from me now and evir hereafter, Amen.

AS quhair ȝour wisdomes desires to haif mine own opinion cōcerning the buke of the Declaratiun of the Kinges intentioun, the samen is at moir length declared in the confession quhilk I haif exhibit alreadie, quhairin I haif condemned all the hole artikles thairin contained, like as by theis presentes I cō ­demne thame.

As quhair ȝe require quhat became of the bukes of the assemble, all quhilkis I had preserued hole vnto the returning of the Lords & Ministrie out of England, and if I had noth preserued thame, my Lord of Arrane intendit to haif maid thā be cast into the fire: and vpon a certane day in Falkland, befoir then war, deliue­red to the Kings Maiestie. The Bischope of N. accumpanied with M. Henry Ha­miltonne rent owt sum leafes, & destroy­ed sic things as maid agains our estaite, and that not without my awn speciall allowance.

As for the bukes quhilk I haif set furth, [Page] I haif sett furth no thing except a com­mentarie vpon the first chapter of Paule to Timothie, quhilk I did direct to the Kings Maiestie, & kept no examplar be­side me, and vnderstandes that M. Iohnne Geddie gat the samyn from the King, and lent it to M. Robert Hebpurne.

Farther I wrote nothing, but onelie maid mention in my preface vpon the Apocalypse, that I suld write a buke cal­led Psyllus, quhilk (being prevented by disease) God would not suffer me to fi­nishe, and the litle thing that wes done, I cawsed to destroy it.

And likewayes I haif set furth the buke of Iob with the Apocalypse, and the la­mentationnes of Ieremie, all in verse, to be prented in Englande: as for my in­tention I am not disposed or in abilitie to writte any thing at this tyme, and if it pleased God I were restored to my health, I wald change my style as Caieta­nus did at the councill of Trent.

As for Sutcliuins buke agains the forme [Page] and ordour of the Presbitreis, so farr am I from being partenar in that warke, that as I knowe noth the man, nor had neuer any intelligence of the warke befoir it was done: so if it please God to giue me dayes, I will wreit in his contrarie to the mantenance of the contrarie confessi­oun.

Prayes the Brethren to be reconciled and to be at vnitie & peax with me, and in tokē of thair forgiuenes, becaus health sufferis me noth to goe over to the Col­lege quhair ȝe are presentlie assembled (quhilk I wold gladlie doe to aske God and ȝou forgivenes) that it wold please ȝou to repair hither, that I may doe it heir.

Moreover, I cōdemne by this my sub­scription quhatsoeuer is contaned in the Epistle Dedicatorie to the K. Maiestie, befoir my buke on the Reuelation, that is either slanderous or offensiue to the brethren: Also I promise to satisfie the brithren of Edinburgh or any vther Kirk [Page] of this Realme, according to a gud con­science in quhatsoevir they finde tham­selfes iustlie offended, & contrarie to the word of God in any of my speeches, ac­tions, or proceedings quhilk haif passed from me.

And concerning the commentarie v­pon the first Epistle of Paule to Timo­thie, Becaus ther are diuers things thair­in contained offensiue, and that tendis to allowe of the estait of Bishops, vther­ways then Gods word can suffer, I con­demne the samen.

The pages befoir written, dytted by me Maister Patrike Adamsone and written at my command by my servitor Maister Samuel Cunninghame, and by his hande drawin in the blankes, I subscribe with my awne hande, as acknawlegeit by me in sinceritie of cōscience in the presence of God, Befoir these witnesses direct to me from the Synodal assemblie, becaus of my inhabilitie of bodie to repaire to­wards thame, Iames Monipenny Ȝonnegar [Page] of Pitmillie, Andro Wood of Stravithie, Da­uid Murray Portionare of Ardeit, Maister Dauid Russell, Maister William Murray Minister at Disart, Maister Robert Wilkie, Dauid Fargusonne, with vthers diuerssȝ.

IHaif interprised of mere remorse of cōscience to wreitt against a buke cal­led The Declaration of the Kings Maiesties intention. Albeit it conteanith litle or nothing of the Kings awin intention bot my awin at the tyme of the writting theirof: and the corrupt intentionnes of sic as for the tyme wer abowt the King and abused his minoritie. Of the quhilk buke and contents thair of compyled by me at the command of sum chiefe cour­teours for the time (as is befoir wrettin) I sall shortlie declair my opinioun, as the infirmitie of sicknes and weaknes of me­morie will permitt.

First, In the hole buke is no thing cō ­tamed [Page] but assertionnes of lies, ascribing to the Kings Maiestie that quhairof he was not culpable: For albeit as the tyme went, his Maiestie could haif suffered theis things to haif bene published in his Realme, ȝit his Maiestie wes nevir of that nature to haif revealed ony manes per­soun, or to vpbraid any man with calumneis, quhairof thair is a nomber contai­ned in that buke.

Secondlie, In the Declaration of the second acte of Parliament thair is men­tion made of Maister Andro Melvill, and his preachinges most wrangfullie con­demned in speciall, as factious and sedi­tious, albeit his Maiestie hath had a live­lie triall of that manes fidelitie & trewth in all proceedinges from tyme to tyme. Trew it is, he is earnest & zealous, quho can abyde no corruption (quhilk most vnadvisedlie I attributed to a fyrie & salt humor) quhilk his Maiestie findes by ex­perience to be trew, for he alloweth weil of him, and knawith thinges that wer al­leaged [Page] vpon him to haue bene fals and contruved treacherie.

Thair ar contained in that second act of Parliament diuers vtheris fals intenti­ons for to defame the ministrie, and to bring the Kirk of God in hatred & invie with thair Prince and Nobilitie, burde­ning and accusing the Ministeris falslie of sedition & other crimes quhairof they war innocent, as likeways it is wrettin in the samen Act and Declaration thairof, that soverane and supreme powar, par­taineth to the King in materis ecclesia­sticall, quhilk is worthie to be condem­ned, and not to be cōtained amang chri­stian actes, quhair the powar of the word is to be extolled, aboue all the powar of Princes, and them to be brought vnder subiection to the samen.

The ferd acte condemned the Presbi­terie as ane iudgement not allowed by the Kings law, quhilk is a very slender ar­gument, for as cōcerning the authoritie of the presbyterie we haif the samen ex­pressed [Page] in the Gospel of Saint Matthew, cap 18. quhair Christ cōmandes To shewe the Kirk, quhilk authoritie, being cōman­ded by Christ, and the Actes of Parlia­ment forbidding it, we shuld rather obey God than man. And ȝit the pres-byterie lackith nevir the Kings autoritie for the allowance thairof from the beginning, save onlie at that houre of darknes, quhē he was abused through evill companie.

As for any vther thing that is contained in this act agains any order or proceding of the presbyterie, it is to be esteemed that no thing was done by the presbyte­rie, without wisedome, discretion and iudgement, and so hath receaved appro­bation againe by the Kirk, quhairvnto also I vnderstand his Maiestie hath giuē allowance, ratified & approvid the same, quhilk shuld be a sufficient reason, to re­presse all mennes curiositie, that ather haue or ȝit wold finde fault with the samme.

The last article containes the establi­shing [Page] of ane Bishop quhilk hath no war­rand of the word of God, but is grunded vpon the policie of the invention of mā, quhairvpon the primacie of the Pope or antichrist is risen, quhilk is worthie to be disallowed & forbiddē, becaus the nom­ber of the Eldership that hes iurisdiction and oversight aswell of visitation as ad­mission, will doe the samyn far mair au­thenticklie, godlie, & with greater zeale, then a Bishop, quhoise cair commōlie is not vpon God and his dewtie, bot vpon the warld, quhairvpō his chief attendāce is. Consider how that office hes bene v­sed these fiue húdreth ȝeiris begon, with quhat crueltie and tyrannie it hath bene exercised, ȝe sall finde it to haif bene the chief cause that hath in euerie countrie suppressed the word of God: quhilk sal­be euident to all that read the historie of the Kirk. As for my awen opinion, it see­meth to be nearest the trueth & fordest from all kinde of ambition, that the Bri­thren in equall degree, assemble thāselfes [Page] vnder thair head Christ, and thair everie man discharge his office cairfullie as he is commanded. And becaus weaknes of memorie and seiknes suffer me noth at length to discourse these matters, as I wold, I must request the good reader, to assure him selfe, that I haif written this without cōpulsion or persuasion of any man with ane vpright heart, and haif de­liuered the same with a perfit sinceritie of minde so farr as infirmitie of fleshe and blood doth suffer, as God shal iudge me at the latter day, and that the same reader accompt of quhat soevir thinges are omitted, that then are to be impu­ted to my imbecillitie of memorie, and the present sicknes, and not to my good­will, quhilk was (I protest) to half con­demned everie point, ȝea evin to the false narration of the Bankit, and all the rest contained in that litle treatise called The Kings Maiesties intention, according as (I acknowledge) yen deserue to be con­demned by the censure & iudgement of [Page] the Kirk, To the quhilk always I submit my selfe in quhatsumevir thing I haif ei­ther in word or wreitt attempted, either in that forsaid Declaratioun or vther­wayes. By theise presents subscriuit with my hand. At Santandr of the xij. of May 1591. Befoir these witnesses, Maister Da­uid Black, Minister at Sanctandrof, Maister Robert Wilkie, principall of Saint Leonardes College, Maister Iohnne Aittoun of Em­nathe, Maister William Russell.

I Maister Patrik Adamson, declaires that this confession and declaration befoir written, is my awen confession, giuen with my heart, and subscriuit with my hande, Befoir the witnessis vnder wittē, vndersubscriuing with inc at my re­quest and desire, At Sanctandrof, the tent day of Inni, the ȝeir of God j ^x v ^c four score ellewin.