onvicted
to have erred from that faith whiche the Holy Spreit witnesseth to
be necessarie to salvatioun; and yf so thei be, we refuise nott bot
that thei be punished according to justice, onles by holsome
admonitioun thei can be reduced to a better mynd.

"These thingis requyre we to be considered of yow, who occupy the
place of the Eternall God, (who is God of ordour and trewth,) evin
in suche sorte as ye will answer in the presence of his throne
judiciall: Requyring farder, that favorablie ye will have respect
to the tendernes of our consciences, and to the truble which
appeareth to follow in this commoun wealth, yf the tyranny of the
Prelattis, and of thare adherentis, be nott brydilled by God and
just lawis. God move your hartes deeplie to considder your awin
dewiteis and our present trubles."

These our Petitionis did we first present to the Quein Regent, becaus
that we war determined to interprise nothing without hir knowledge, most
humlie requyring hir favorable assistance in our just actioun. Sche
spared nott amyable lookis, and good wordes in aboundance; bot alwayis
sche keaped our Bill close in hir pocket. When we requyred secreatlie of
hir Grace, that our Petitionis should be proponed to the hole Assemblie,
sche ansured, "That sche thought nott that expedient; for then wold the
hole Ecclesiasticall Estate be contrarie to hir proceadingis, which at
that tyme war great;" for the Matrimoniall Croune was asked, and in that
Parliament granted.[759] "Bot, (said sche,) how sone ordour can be
tacken with these thingis, which now may be hyndered by the Kirk men, ye
shall know my goode mynd; and, in the meantyme, whatsoevir I may grant
unto yow, shall glaidlie be granted."

We yitt nothing suspecting hir falshode, was content to geve place for a
tyme to hir pleasour, and pretended reasoun; and yitt thocht we
expedient somewhat to protest befoir the dissolutioun of the Parliament;
for our Petitionis war manifestlie knowen to the hole Assemblie, as also
how, for the Quenis pleasour, we ceassed to persew the uttermost. Our
Protestatioun was formed in manor following:--

FORME OF THE PROTESTATIOUN MAID IN PARLIAMENT.

"It is not unknawin to this honorable Parliament, what contraversie
is now laitlie rissin betuix those that wilbe called the Prelattis
and rewlarris of the Church, and a great number of us, the
Nobilitie an