iouse ley. [SN: THE LEY TO THE QUENE REGENT.] Quhair
that sche sayis, that it is na religioun that we ga about, bot ane
plane usurpatioun of the Authoritie, God forbid that sick impietie
sould enter into oure hartis, that we sould mak his holie religioun
ane cloik and covertour of oure iniquitie. Frome the begynning of
this contraversie, it is evidentlie knawin quhat have bene oure
requeistis, quhilk gif the rest of the Nobilitie and communitie of
Scotland will caus be peformeit unto us, giff than ony sygne of
rebellioun appeir in us, lett us be reputit and punisit as
traytouris. Bot quhill strangearis ar brocht in to suppres us, our
commun-welth, and posteritie, quhill idolatrie is mentenit, and
Christ Jesus his trew religioun dispysit, quhill idill bellies and
bludy tyrantis, the Bischopis, ar mentenit, and Christis trew
messingeris persecutit; quhill, fynallie, vertew is contemnit, and
vice extollit, quhill that we, ane greit pairt of the Nobilitie and
communaltie of this realme, ar maist injustlie persecuteit, quhat
godlie man can be offendit that we sall seik reformatioun of thir
enormiteis, (yea, evin be force of armes, seing that uthirwayis it
is denyit unto us;) we ar assureit that nether God, neather nature,
neather ony just law, forbiddis us. [SN: THE CAUS THAT MOVIT THE
NOBILITIE OF THIS REALME TO OPPONE THAME TO THE QUENE REGENT.] God
hes maid us counsallouris be birth of this realme; nature byndis us
to luiff our awin cuntrey; and just lawis commandis us to support
oure brethren injustlie persecutit. Yea, the aith that we have
maid, to be trew to this commune-wealth, compellis us to hasard
quhatsoever God hes gevin us, befoir that we see the miserabill
rewyne of the same. Gif ony think this is not religioun quhilk now
we seik, we answer, That it is nathing ellis, bot the zeall of the
trew religioun quhilk movis us to this interpryse: [SN: THE SAME
MYND REMANIS TO THIS DAY.] For as the ennemy dois craftelie foirsee
that idolatrie can not be universalie mentenit, onless that we be
utterlie suppressit, sua do we considder that the trew religioun
(the puritie quhairof we onlie requyre) can not be universalie
erectit, unless strangearis be removit, and this pure realme
purgeit of thir pestilencis quhilk befoir have infectit it. And
thairfoir,