[¶ 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.]

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.