[A1567/12/1]¹

Concerning the abolishing of the pope and his usurped authority

Item, our sovereign lord, with advice of [James Stewart, earl of Moray], his dearest regent, and three estates of this present parliament, ratifies and approves the act underwritten made in the parliament held at Edinburgh, 24 August 1560, and of new in this present parliament statutes and ordains the said act to be as a perpetual law to all our sovereign lord's lieges in all times coming, of the which the tenor follows: Item, the three estates, understanding that the jurisdiction and authority of the bishop of Rome, called the pope, used within this realm in times past, has not only been contumelious to the eternal God, but also very hurtful and prejudicial to our sovereign's authority and commonwealth of this realm; therefore have statute and ordained that the bishop of Rome, called the pope, have no jurisdiction nor authority within this realm in any time coming, and that none of our said sovereign's subjects in any times hereafter suit or desire title or right of the said bishop of Rome, or his seat, to anything within this realm under the pains of barratry, that is to say, proscription, banishment and never to enjoy honour, office nor dignity within this realm; and the contraveners hereof to be called before the justice, or his deputes, or before the lords of the session, and punished for that according to the laws of this realm; and the furnishers of them with finance of money and purchasers of their title of right, or maintainers or defenders of them, shall incur the same pains; and that no bishop nor other prelate of this realm use any jurisdiction in time coming by the said bishop of Rome's authority, under the pain aforesaid; and, therefore, of new decrees and ordains the contraveners of the same in any time hereafter to be punished according to the pains in the aforesaid act above-rehearsed.