[A1567/12/2]¹

Concerning the annulling of the acts of parliament made against God, his word and maintenance of idolatry in any times past

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: The which day, forasmuch as there have been diverse and sundry acts of parliament made in the times of King James I, II, III, IV and V, kings of Scotland for the time, and also in [Mary], our sovereign lady's time, not agreeing with God's holy word, and by those acts diverse persons took occasion to maintain idolatry and superstition within the kirk of God and repressing of such persons as were professors of the said word, through which diverse innocents did suffer; and for eschewing of such inconveniences in time coming, the three estates of parliament have annulled and declared all such acts made in times past not agreeing with God's word, and now contrary to the Confession of Faith, according to the said word published in this parliament, to be of no value, force nor effect; and discern the said acts, and every one of them, to have no effect nor strength in time to come, but the same are to be abolished and extinct forever in so far as any of the aforesaid acts are repugnant and contrary to the Confession of Faith and word of God aforesaid, ratified and approved by the estates in this present parliament; and therefore decrees and ordains the contraveners of the same act in any time hereafter to be punished according to the laws; of the which Confession of the Faith the tenor follows.