would they consent that any thing there should be voted or concluded I cannot tell said Lethington if my Lords that be here present and that bear the burthen of such matters should be bound to their will What say ye my Lords said he will ye vote in this matter or will ye not vote After long reasoning some that were made for the purpose said Why may not the Lords vote and then shew unto the Church whatsoever is done That appears to me said Iohn Knox not onely a backward order but a tyranny usurped upon the Church But for me do as ye list said he for as I reason so I wrote yet protesting as before That I disassent from all voting till that the whole Assembly understand as well the questions as the reasons Well said Lethington that cannot be done now for too much time is spent And therefore my Lord Chancellor said he ask ye the votes and take ever one of the Ministers and one of us And so was the Rector of Saint Androes commanded first to speak his conscience Who said I refer it to the Superintendent of Fyfe for I think we are both of one judgement and yet said he if ye will that I speake first my conscience is this That if the Queen oppose her self to our Religion which is the onely true Religion that in that case the Nobility and States of this Realme professors of the true Doctrine may justly oppose themselves to her But as concerning her Masse I know it is Idolatry but I am not yet resolved Whether by violence we may take it from her or not The Superintendent of Fyfe said That same is my conscience And so affirmed some of the Nobility But others voted frankly and said That as the Masse is abominable so it is just and right that it should be suppressed And that in so doing men did no more hurt to the Queens Majesty then they that should by force take from her a poysoned cup when she were a going to drink in it Last Master Iohn Craig fellow Minister with Iohn Knox in the Church of Edinburgh was required to give his judgement and vote who said I will gladly shew unto your Honours what I understand but I greatly doubt Whether my knowledge and conscience shall satisfie you seeing you have heard so many reasons and are so little moved by them But yet I will not conceale from you my judgement adhering first to the Protestation of my Brother to wit That our voting prejudge not the Liberty of the Generall Assembly I was said he in the University of Bonnonia in the yeer of our Lord 1554. where in the place of the black-Friers of the same Town I saw in the time of their Generall Assembly this Conclusion set forth the same I heard reasoned determined and concluded to this sense Conclusion ALl Rulers be they Supreme or Inferiour may and ought to be reformed or bridled to speak moderately by them by whom they are chosen confirmed or admitted to their Office so oft as they break that promise made by Oath to their subjects Because that the Prince is no lesse bound by Oath to the subjects then are the subjects to their Princes And therefore ought it to be kept and reformed equally according to Law and Condition of the Oath that is made of either party This Conclusion my Lords I heard sustained and concluded as I have said in a most notable Auditory The sustainer was a learned man Master Thomas de Finola Rector of the University a man famous in that Countrey Master Vincentins de Placentia affirmed the Conclusion to be most true and certain agreeable both with the Law of God and man The occasion of this disputation and conclusion was a certain disorder and tyranny that was attempted by the Popes Governours who began to make Innovations in the Countrie against the Laws that were before established alleadging themselves not to be subject to such Laws by reason that they were not instituted by the People but by the Pope who was King of that Countrey And therefore they having full Commission and Authority of the Pope may alter and change Statutes and Ordinances of the Countrey without any consent of the people Against this usurped Tyranny the learned and the people opposed themselves And when that all reasons which the Popes Governours could alleadge were heard and consulted the Pope himself was fain to take up the matter and to promise not onely to keep the Liberty of the people but also that he should neither abrogate any Law nor Statute neither yet make any new Law without their owne consent And therefore my Lord said he my Vote and my Conscience is That Princes are not onely bound to keep Laws and Promises to their subjects But also That in case they fail they justly may be bridled For the Band betwixt the Prince and the People is reciprocall Then start up a claw-back of that corrupt Court and said Ye wot not what ye say for ye tell us what was done in Bononia we are a Kingdom and they are a Common-wealth My Lord said he my judgement is That every Kingdom is or at least should be a Common-wealth albeit that every Common-wealth be not a Kingdom And therefore I think that in a Kingdom no lesse diligence ought to be taken that Laws ought not to be violated then they ought to be in a Common-wealth because that the tyranny of Princes who continuing in a Kingdom is more hurtfull to the subjects then is the mis-government of those that from yeer to yeer are changed in free Common-wealths But yet my Lord to assure you and all others that Head was disputed to the uttermost and then in the end was concluded That they spake not of such things as were done in divers Kingdoms and Nations by Tyrannie and negligence of people But we conclude said they what ought to be done in all Kingdoms and Common-wealths according to the Law of God and unto the just Laws of man And if by the negligence of the people by the tyranny of Princes contrary Laws have been made yet may that same people or their posterity justly crave all things to be reformed according to the originall institution of Kings and Common-wealths and such as will not so do deserve to eat the fruit of their own foolishnesse M. Iames Markgow then Clerk of the Register perceiving the Votes to be different and hearing the bold plainnesse of the foresaid servant of God said I remember that this same question was long debated on before in my house and there by reason we were not all of one minde it was concluded That M. Knox in all our names should have written to M. Calvin for his jugement in the controversie Nay said M. Knox my Lord Secretary would not consent that I should write alleadging That the greatest weight of the answer stood in the Narrative and therefore promised that he would write and that I should see
the people to spirituall and temporall Bondage which in all humane probability had not been difficile to effectuate then such was the sheeppish sillinesse and knavish basenesse of many men in these Dominions of all ranks conditions and professions as also the unpreparednesse of the wiser and better Patriots and Members of the Church to withstand this mischief if God in his mercy by the unexpected death of the Court-ruler and chief agent in the businesse had not put in a Remora and lett At which time if men had returned unto God amending their lives in private and had expressed their true zeal then to the good of the Church and Countrey whereof they are members according to their severall ranks and conditions the designe of the common enemy had been fully dasht But God in his wisedom hath been pleased to keep us yet a while longer under the rod of tryall to see if we will return unto him at last The Romish party although astonished and surprised at the death of their Engine and main Instrument here among us gives not over but continues the great Designe without intermission albeit not with such speed as formerly for those to whose care principally the businesse was committed and in whose hands the managing of matters had fallen by the death of the late Fac totum were not so powerfull to obtain without refusall what they pleased at the Kings hands neither were they in such opinion and reputation with inferiours to make them go on in the work so earnestly wherefore the Queen must be brought now of necessity to take upon her the main care and to obtain from the King whatsoever may conduce and further the businesse and take away all letts and stops which may hinder the proceedings Then to employ all her credit abroad for countenancing and advancing affairs And next by her authority to draw on inferiours to act their part with affection and ardour Now all things being thus cunningly and carefully by degrees in few yeers prepared and disposed for enslaving Church and State Prince and People to Rome again it was thought fit by the hottest of the party to wit the Iesuites to hasten the work openly and delay no more time the compassing of the Designe being conceived to be infallible By this means they thought to shorten the businesse and to make themselves so considerable as to share deeply in the Booty of which they looked for but little if things were still lingred and carryed on slowly But how and where to begin this new undertaking was consulted upon and after deliberation the Scots must be begun at the way is resolved on there must be a new Prayer-Book put upon these rude fellows that they may say their Prayers in modo figura a la Romaine and not so rudely and irregularly as they were wont to do in the Northern way Then they must have high-Commission Courts Canons and Etcetera's Which things if the Scots be so wise to accept as doubtlesse they will reasoned these men but he that reckons without this host reckons twice for their chief men of State are either actually at Court or provided to places in the Countrey from Court at least they can do no businesse of moment without the favour of the Court. At this time the devout and religious Prelats with the rest of their good Clergie are not onely in all earnestnesse bent for the work according to their severall places in the Church but also they over-sway all busines in State Wherefore without difficulty we will compasse our main Designe thorow all these Dominions said they And truely so they had in all likelihood as we may see by the wofull carriage of businesse and so ill managing so good a Cause in England since But God had in his mercy towards us all ordained otherwise And if the Scots say they should be so mad as to refuse the commands from the Court and think upon resistance they shall be made obey the holy Mandate with a Vengeance and say their prayers with a rod for we shall over-run their Countrey speedily and subdue them as poor silly ignorant fools destitute of all means for War to wit wisedom with resolution not having breeding and pressed down with poverty to undertake and undergo such a businesse as War and money and Arms to go on in it for the Sâ—yl being barren and the Havens bad they cannot have the advantages of a fertile Countrey furnished with good Harbours and Commanders or Leaders to manage a War their Military men being abroad who will not easily quit the honorable and beneficiall Employments they have in forreigne Countreys and come home to suffer want with losse of credit But God who laughs from above at the foolish Counsells of vain men in this particular hath made us see That he hath an â—ver-ruling power over the affairs of men making little and contemptible ones do great things and bring to nothing the undertakings of the mighty and wise of this world By this time the new Prayer-Book designed at Rome and perfected at London is sent down into Scotland After some little reluctancy it is received by the Councell there the major part whereof then were either Church-men or their addicted friends Then it is sent to the Churches to be put in use and practice But unexpected and unlooked for it is opposed by inferiour people from whence the opposition riseth to those of higher ranks whereupon Petitions are drawn up and sent to the King to supplicate His Majesty in all due respect to free the Church of Scotland from this new Prayer-Book with the High-Commission Courts Canons Etcetera's To these Demands of the Scots no answer is given but hot threatnings after which preparatives of War were made against the Scots and because the King did not shew himself propense enough to the undertaking of War nor the Queen forward enough to engage the King in this holy War the Queen-Mother who for her known faithfulnesse to her husband and for her care of her son both late Kings of France must come to her Son-in-law against his will to help him with her best advice and counsell and to better instruct her daughter how to carry her self with earnestnesse and addresse in the businesse Things being thus disposed there is an Expedition undertaken against the Scots and followed to the Borders by the King present in person but to small purpose for the Scots came to the Borders duly prepared notwithstanding their pre-conceived wants and indisposition to sell their Religion and Liberty at a dear rate which being perceived by the Court the Scots Demands formerly rejected are granted and a Peace concluded Then some of the chief men of the Scots were invited to go to Court for the time at Barwick who upon certain advice of a Plot against them were stopped by their friends to trust themselves to the faith of the Court. After things in a kinde calmed there the King not suffered by his Counsell to
Predecessors Item Upon the Petition presented to the said Deputies concerning the Government and Regiment of the Policy they have Consented c. That four and twenty worthy men of this Realme be chosen by the States of the which the King and the Queen shall chuse seven and the States five which in their Majesties absence shall take order and make one ordinary Councell for the administration aforesaid so that no man of whatsoever quality he be shall have the power to order any thing to be done touching the said businesse without the mediation authority and consent of them and the said Councellors shall convene together as oft as they can conveniently but shall convene no lesse nor fix together And when any matter of importance occurreth they shall all be called to consult and order to be taken by them or the most part of them if need be And if it happen any of the said seven chosen by the King and Queen to decease their Majesties shall chuse another forth of the said number of four and twenty in the place of him that deceased And if any of the said five chosen by the States dieth the remnant forechosen by them shall name another of the number of 24. Moreover if it be thought expedient to the said States that other two be augmented to the said number of 12. then and in that cause the King and Queen shall chuse one and the States another and so was this Article agreed under condition that is to say That the same be no prejudice in times coming to the King and Queen and Rights of the Crown And the said Deputies offered their labours to make mediation to the King and Queen for maintaining Pensions and Expenses of the said Councellors and ordinary Officers of the said Councell to be provided of the Rents and Revenues of the Crown Item Upon the Petition made to the said Depuâ—ies anenst the Officers of this Realm they consented and accorded c. That in time to come the King and Queen shall not depute any stranger in the administration of the Civill and Common Justice and likewise in the Office of Chancery Keeper of the Seale the Treasurer Controller and every like Offices and shall not use them but shall be content with their owne subjects borne in the Realm Moreover It shall not be lawfull to put the Office of Treasury Controller into the hands of any Church-man or other which are not able to exercise the said Offices the which Treasurer and Controller shall be provided of sufficient Commission to use the said Offices But it shall be lawfull to them to dispose or sell Wards of Marriages or other casualties or any other things whatsoever they be pertaining to their Offices without advice and consent of the said Councell to the effect that the Councell may know that all things be done to the profit of the King and Queen And yet they will not binde or astraint the King or Queen to this Article that they may not give when they think expedient Item They accorded That in the first Convention and Parliament of the States of this Realme there shall be Constituted Ordained and Established an Act of Oblivion which afterwards shall be confirmed by the Kings and Queens Majesties by the which the remembrance of bearing Armour and other things which have been done shall be buried and forgotten from the sixth day of the moneth of March in the yeer of our Lord God 1558 yeers And by the same Act they which have contravened the Laws of the Realme shall be excused and free of all pains contained therein even so as if it had never been contravened Providing That the Priviledge of the said Act be not extended to them which the States of the Realme shall judge unworthy thereof Item It is agreed and concluded That in the said Convention or Parliament the States of the Realme as the Custome is and ordinarily is required shall be called in the which all they that have used to convene and to be present may come without all fear or force done or to be done to them by any person so that the said States shall oblige them That where in time coming any Sedition or gathering of men of War shall happen to be without command of the Councell being of the number of twelve the Realme and Countrey shall repute the causers thereof and they that convene as Rebells and shall pursue them as such like that they may be punished by the Laws of the Realm so that the K. and Q. shall not be compelled in time coming to send any men of War strangers in these parts for obtaining due obedience of their subjects Item They Offered Accorded and Agreed That there shall be a generall peace and reconciliation amongst all Lords and subjects of this Realm so that they that are called of the Congregation and they which are not of the same shall lay no reproach to others for the things which are done from the said sixth day of March 1558. Item They Offered Accorded and Affirmed That the King and Queen shall not pursue revenge nor make any persecution for the things that have been done nor yet shall they suffer the same to be done by their subjects French-men but shall have all things in Oblivion as if the same had never been done And such like the Lords of this Realm of Scotland shall do in all businesse betwixt them and the French-men on their And if by sinister information or any other occasion their Majesties have conceived evill opinion against their subjects they shall utterly forget and change the same Nor shall they deprive any of them nor take from them any of them their Subjects the Offices Benefices or Estates which they have brooked and enjoyed in the said Realm before by reason of any things they have medled with from the said sixth day of March 1558. And further shall make no occasion of deprivation nor deposing of them by any other colour without just cause but rather they shall esteem and use them in time coming as good and obedient subjects Providing That the said Lords and other subjects on their part make to their Majesties all obedience such like as other faithfull and naturall subjects owe to their Soveraigns Item It is Accorded and Agreed That it shall be lawfull to none of the Lords and Nobility of Scotland or any other to make Convocation of men of War but in the ordinary cause approved by the Laws and Custome of the Realme And none of them shall cause any men of War strangers to come to their parts and much lesse shall attempt to do any thing against the King and Queen or against the Authority of the Councell and other Magistrates of the Realme and they which have presented the Petition shall be bound thereunto And in case any of them or others finde occasion to invade or take Armour against any man as he pretendeth after that he hath communicated the matter with
me and yet suffered me to perish that in so doing ye should be criminall and guilty of my blood Prove that and win the play said Lethington Well my Lord said the other remember your promise and I will be short in my probation The Prophet Ieremy was apprehended by the Priests and Prophets who were a part of the Authority within Ierusalem and by the multitude of the people and this sentence was pronounced against him Thou shalt die the death for thou hast said This house shall be like Siloh and this City shall be desolate without any Inhabitant c. The Princes hearing the uprore came from the Kings house and sate down in Judgement in the entry of the new Gate of the Lords House And there the Priests and Prophets before the Princes and before all the people intented their Accusation in these words This man is worthy to die for he hath prophesied against this City and your eares have heard Ieremiah answered That whatsoever he had spoken proceeded from God and therefore said he As for me behold I am in your hands do with me as ye thinke good and right But know ye for certaine That if ye put me to death ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon your soules and upon this Citie and upon the inhabitants thereof For of a truth the Lord hath sent me unto you to speake all these words Now my Lord if the Princes and the whole people should have been guilty of the Prophets blood How shall ye or others be judged innocent before God if ye shall suffer the blood of such as have not deserved their blood to be shed when ye may save it The causes were nothing alike said Lethington And I would learn said the other wherein the dissimilitude stands First said Lethington the King had not condemned him to death And next The false Prophets the Priests and the People accused him without a cause and therefore they could not be guilty of his blood Neither of these said Iohn Knox fights against my argument For albeit the King was neither present nor yet had condemned him yet were the Princes and chiefe Councellors there sitting in Judgement who represented the Kings Authority hearing the accusation laid unto the charge of the Prophet And therefore he forewarns them of the danger as before is said to wit That in case he should be condemned and so put to death That the King the Councell and the whole City of Ierusalem should be guilty of his blood because that he had committed no crime worthy of death And if ye thinke that they all should have been criminall onely because that they all accused him the plain Text witnesseth the contrary for the Princes defended him and so no doubt did a great part of the People and yet he boldly affirmed That they should be all guilty of his blood if he should be put to death And the Prophet Ezekiel gives a reason Why all are guilty of common corruption Because saith he I sought a man amongst them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the Land that I should not destroy it but I found none Therefore have I poured forth my indignation upon them Hereof my Lord said he it is plain That God craves not onely that man should do no iniquity in his owne person but also that he oppose himself to all iniquity so farre as in him lieth Then will ye said Lethington make subjects to controll their Princes and Rulers And what harme said the other should the Common-wealth receive if the corrupt affections of ignorant Rulers were moderated and so bridled by the wisedome and discretion of godly subjects that they should do no wrong nor no violence to any man All this reasoning said Lethington is out of the purpose For we reason as if the Queen should become such an enemy to our Religion that she should persecute it and put innocent men to death while I am assured she never thought nor never will do For if I should see her begin at that end yea if I should suspect any such thing in her I should be as farre forward in that argument as ye or any other within the Realme But there is no such thing Our Question is Whether that ye may suppresse the Queens Masse or Whether that her Idolatry shall be laid to our charge What ye may said Iohn Knox by force I dispute not But what ye may and ought to do by Gods expresse Commandment that I can tell Idolatry ought not onely to be suppressed but the Idolater also ought to die the death But by whom By the people of God said the other for the Commandment was given to Israel as ye may reade Heare Israel sayes the Lord the Statutes and the Ordinances of the Lord thy God c. Yea a Commandment is given that if it be heard that Idolatry is committed in any one City inquisition shall be taken and if it be found true That then the whole Body of the People arise and destroy that City sparing in it neither man woman nor childe But there is no Commandment said the Secretary given to punish their King If he be an Idolater I finde no priviledge granted unto Kings said the other by God more then unto the people to offend Gods Majestie I grant said Lethington but yet the people may not be judges to their King to punish him albeit he be an Idoter God said the other is the Universall Judge as well unto the King as to the People So that what his Word commands to be punished in the one is not to be absolved in the other We agree in that said Lethington But the people may not execute Gods Judgements but mst leave it unto himselfe who will either punish it by Death by Warre by Imprisonment or by some other kinde of his Plagues I know said Iohn Knox the last part of the reason to be true But for the first That the people yea or a part of the people may not execute Gods Judgements against their King being an offendor I am assured ye have no other Warrant except your own imaginations and the opinion of such as more fear to offend their Princes then God Why say ye so said Lethington I have the judgement of the most famous men in Europe and of such as ye your selfe will confesse both godly and learned And with that he called for his Papers which produced by Master Maitland he bagan to reade with great gravity the Judgements of Luther Melancthon the mindes of Bucer Musculus and Calvin how Christians should behave themselves in time of Persecution yea the Book of Baruc was not omitted with this conclusion The gathering of those things said he hath cost me more travell then I thinke this seven yeers in reading Commentaries The more pity said the other and yet what you have profited your own cause let others judge But as for my argument I am assured you have infirmed
from the Den of Lions To the confusion of their enemies To the better instruction of the ignorant Kings and To the perpetuall comfort of Gods afflicted children And Abdemelech in the day of the Lords Visitation when the King and his Councell did drink the bitter cup of Gods Vengeance did finde his life for a prey and did not fall by the edge of the sword when many thousands did perish And this was signified unto them by the Prophet himself at the commandment of God before that Ierusalem was destroyed This promise and cause were recited unto him in these words I will bring my words upon this City unto evil and not unto good but most assuredly I shall deliver thee because thou hast trusted in me saith the Lord. The trust and hope which Abdemelech had in God made himself bold to oppose himself being but one to the King and to his whole Councell who had condemned to death the Prophet whom his conscience did acknowledge to be innocent for thus did he speak in presence of the King sitting in the Port of Benjamin My Lord the King saith Abdemelech these men do wickedly in all things that they have done to Jeremy the Prophet Advert and take heed my Lords that the men who had condemned the Prophet were the King his Princes and Councell and yet did one man accuse them all of iniquity and did boldly speak in the defence of him of whose innocency he was perswaded And the same I say is the duty of every man in his Vocation but chiefly of the Nobility which is joyned with their kings to bridle and represse their folly and blinde rage Which thing if the Nobility do not neither yet labour to doe as they are Traitours to their Kings so do they provoke the wrath of God against themselves and against the Realme in which they abuse the Authoritie which they have received of God to maintaine Vertue and to suppresse Vice And hereof I would your Honours were most certainly perswaded That God will neither excuse Nobilitie nor people but the Nobility least of all that obey and follow their Kings in manifest iniquity but with the same vengeance will God punish the Prince People and Nobility conspiring together against him and his Holy Ordinances as in the punishment upon Pharaoh Israel Iuda and Babylon is evidently to be seene for Pharaoh was not drowned alone but his Captains Charets and great Army drank the same Cup with him The Kings of Israel and Iudah were not punished without company but with them were murthered the Counsellors their Princes imprisoned and their people led Captive And why because none was found so faithfull to God that he durst enterprise to resist nor gainstand the manifest impietie of their Princes And therefore was Gods wrath powred forth upon the one and the other But the more ample discourse of this argument I deferre to better opportunity onely at this time I thought expedient to admonish you That before God it shall not excuse you to alleadge We are no Kings and therefore neither can we reforme Religion nor yet defend such as be persecuted Consider my Lords that ye are powers ordained of God as before is declared and therefore doth the Reformation of Religion and the defence of such as unjustly are oppressed appertaine to your charge and care which thing shall the Law of God universally given to be kept of all men most evidently declare which is my last and most assured reason why I say ye ought to remove from your Honours and to punish with death such as God hath condemned by his own mouth After that Moses had declared what was true Religion to wit To honour God as he commanded adding nothing to his Word neither yet diminishing any thing from it and after also that vehemently he had exhort-the same Law to be observed he denounced the punishment against the Transgressors in these words If thy brother sonne daughter wife or neighbour whom thou lovest as thine own life solicitate thee secretly saying Let us go serve other gods whom neither thou nor thy fathers have knowne consent not to him hear him not let not thine eye spare him shew him no indulgency or favour hide him not but utterly kill him let thy hand be the first upon him that he may be slaine and after the hand of the whole people Of these words of Moses are two things appertaining to our purpose to be noted The first is that such as solicitate only to Idolatry ought to be punished to death without favour or respect of person For he that will not suffer man to spare his sonne his daughter nor his wife but straitly commandeth punishment to be taken upon the idolatours have they never so nigh conjunction with us will not wink at the Idolatry of others of what state or condition soever they be It is not unknown That the Prophets had Revelations of God which were not common to the people as Samuel had the Revelation that Eli and his posterity should be destroyed That Saul should first be King and thereafter That he should be rejected That David should raign for him Michaiah understood by Vision That Achab should be killed in the Battell against the Syrians Elias saw that dogs should eat Iezabel in the Forts of Iezreel Elisha did see hunger come upon Israel by the space of seven yeers Ieremiah did foresee the destruction of Ierusalem and the time of their Captivity And so divers other Prophets had divers Revelations of God which the people did not otherwise understand but by their affirmation and therefore in those dayes were the Prophets named Seers because that God did open unto them that which was hid from the multitude Now if any man might have claimed any priviledge from the rigour of the Law or might have justified his fact it should have been the Prophet For he might have alleadged for himself his singular Prerogative that he had above other men to have Gods Will revealed unto him by Vision or by Dream or That God had declared particularly unto him that his pleasure was To be honoured in that manner in such a place and by such means But all such excuses doth God remove commanding That the Prophet that shall so solicitate the people to serve strange Gods shall die the death notwithstanding that he alleadge for himself Dream Vision or Revelation yea although he promise miracles and although that such things as he promised should come to passe yet I say commandeth God that no credit be given to him but that he die the death because he teacheth apostasie and defection from God Hereby your Honours may easily see That none provoking the people to Idolatry ought to be exempted from the punishment of death For if neither that inseparable Conjunction which God himself hath sanctified betwixt man and wife neither that unspeakable love grafted in nature which is betwixt the father and the son neither yet that
deep But such was the deadly despair of him that alwayes had despised Gods Prophets and had most abominably defiled himself with Idolatry that no consolation could enter into his heart but desperately and with a dissembling and fained excuse he refused all the offers of God And albeit God kept touch with that hypocrite for that time which was not done for his cause but for the safety of his afflicted Church yet after escaped he not the vengeance of God The like we reade of Zedekiah the wretched and last King of Iudah before the destruction of the City of Ierusalem who in his great fear and extreme anguish sent for Ieremiah the Prophet and secretly demanded of him How he might escape the great danger that appeared when the Caldeans besieged the City And the Prophet boldly spake and commanded the King if he would save his life and the City to render and give up himself into the hands of the King of Babylon But the miserable King had no grace to follow the Prophets counsell because he never delighted in the said Prophets Doctrine neither yet had shewed unto him any friendly favour But even as the enemies of God the chiefe Priests and false Prophets required of the King so was the good Prophet evilly used sometimes cast into prison and sometimes judged and condemned to die The most evident testimony of the wilfull blinding of wicked Idolaters is written and recited in the same Prophet Ieremiah as followeth After that the City of Ierusalem was burnt and destroyed the King led away prisoner his sons and chief Nobles slain and the whole vengeance of God poured out upon the disobedient yet there was left a remnant in the Land to make use of and possesse the same who called upon the Prophet Ieremiah to know concerning them the will and pleasure of God Whether they should remain still in the Land of Iudea as was appointed and permitted by the Caldeans Or if they should depart and flie into Egypt To certifie them of this their duty they desire the Prophet to pray unto God for them Who condescending and granting their Petition promised to keep back nothing from them which the Lord God should open unto him And they in like manner taking God to record and witnesse made a solemn Vow To obey whatsoever the Lord should answer unto him But when the Prophet by the inspiration of the Spirit of God and assured revelation and knowledge of his Will commanded them to remain still in the Land that they were in promising them if they so would do That God would there plant them and that he would repent of all the plagues that he had brought upon them and that he would be with them to deliver them from the hands of the King of Babylon But contrariwise if they would not obey the voyce of the Lord but would against his Commandment go to Egypt thinking that there they should live in rest and aboundance without any fear of Warre and penury of victuall then the very plagues which they feared should come upon them and take them For saith the Prophet it shall come to passe That all men that obstinately will go to Egypt there to remain shall die either by sword by hunger or pestilence But when the Prophet of God had declared unto them this plain sentence and will of God I pray you what was their answer The text declared it saying Thou speakest a lie neither hath the Lord our God sent thee unto us commanding that we should not go into Egppt but Baruch the sonne of Neriah provoketh thee against us that he may give us into the power of the Caldees that they might kill us and lead us prisoners into Babylon And thus they refused the counsell of God and followed their owne fantasies Here may be espied in this people great obstinacie and blindnesse for nothing which the Lord had before spoken by this Prophet Ieremy had fallen in vain Their own eyes had seen the plagues and miseries which hee had threatned take effect in every point as he had spoken before yea they were yet green and fresh both in minde and presence for the flame and fire wherewith Ierusalem was consumed and burnt was then scantly quenched and yet could they not beleeve his threatnings then spoken neither yet could they follow his fruitfull counsell given for their great wealth and safeguard And why so Because they never delighted in Gods Truth neither had they repented their former Idolatry but still continued and rejoyced in the same as manifestly appeareth in the four and fortieth Chapter of the same Prophet and therefore would they and their wives have been in Egypt where all kinde of Idolatry and Superstition abounded that they without reproach or rebuke might have their Bellyes full thereof in despight of Gods holy Lawes and Prophets In writing hereof it came to my minde that after the death of that innocent and most godly King Edward the sixt while that great tumult was in England for the establishing of that most unhappy and wicked womans Authority I mean of Mary that now reigneth in Gods wrath entreating the same argument in a Town in Buckingam Shire named Hammersham before a great congregation with sorrowfull heart and weeping eyes I fell into this exclamation O England now is Gods wrath kindled against thee now hath he begun to punish as he hath threatned a long while by his true Prophets and Messengers he hath taken from thee the Crown of thy glory and hath left thee without honour as a body without a head And this appeareth to be onely the beginning of sorrows which appeareth to increase for I perceive that the heart the tongue and hand of one English man is bent against another and devision to be in the whole Realm which is an assured signe of desolation to come O England England doest thou not consider that the Common-wealth is like a Ship sailing on the Sea if thy Marriners and Governours shall one consume another shalt thou not suffer shipwrack in short processe of time O England England alasse these plagues are powred upon thee for that thou wouldest not know the most happy time of thy gentle Visitation But wilt thou yet obey the voyce of thy God and submit thy self to his holy words Truly if thou wilt thou shalt finde mercie in his sight and the estate of thy Common-wealth shall be preserved But O England England if thou obstinately wilt return into Egypt that is If thou contract Mariage Confederacie or League with such Princes as do maintain and advance Idolatry such as the Emperour who is no lesse enemy unto Christ then ever was Nero if for the pleasure and friendship I say of such Princes thou returnest to thine old abominations before used under the Papistrie then assuredly O England thou shalt be plagued and brought to desolation by the means of those whose favours thou seekest and by whom thou art
abomiâ—ations were revolted then was the Boat in the midst of the Sea Two speciall Notes of this discourse The first Note Who ruled all by wit under K. Edward 6 John 13. Psalm 40. Godly Princes commonly have most uugodly Counsellors Note well 2 Reg. 17. Esa. 22. Matth. 26. John 12. Quest. Answ. The enemies of the verity many times appear to be most profitable for a Common-Wealth Mischief at the length will so utter it self that men may espie it Esa. 22.36 Esa. 22. If David and Hezekiah were deceived by traiterous Councellors how much more a young and innocent King The Author might fear this indeed Paulet is painted The Treasurers words against the authority of Mary Caiaphas prophesied Judge at the end The second Note Tyrants cannot cease to persecute Christs Members Gen. 21. Gen. 28. Exod. 5 6 7 8 c. John 5. 12. The power of Gods Word put the Papists to silence in England except it had been to brag in corners Princes are ready to persecute as malicious Papists will command Job 12. 2 Cor. 4. Ephes. 2. 1 Reg 16 18. John 13. John 8. Wily Winchester Dâ—eaming Duresme Bloody Bonner This is the cruse before omitted why the winde blew to trouble Christs disciples The prayer of the author Exhortation Isai. 48 51.54 62. The coming of Christ to his dâ—sâ—iplâ—s upon the Sâ—â—s is opâ—ned Christ is sute upon the mountain God never brought his people into trouble to the intent that they should perish therein Mark these words Christ came not to his disciples till the fourth watch The causes why Christs disciples misknew him What chanced to Christ that also in all ages chanceth to his holy Word The fear is greatest when deliverance is â—ost nâ—gh Exod. 5 6 c. 5 Reg. 7. Isai. 36 37. Note Why God suffereth tribulation to abound and continue Exod. 14. Note Exod. 10â— Iezabel Athalia and Iudas Gardâ—â—r Tunstal Bucherly Bonâ—r The praise of Winchester Durysme and oâ—â—dy Mary before these dayes 4. Reg. 11. Matth. 14. 3. Reg. 18 3. Reg. 18. A digression to the Papists of Qu. Maries chaste dealing A lively Picture of Mary the utter mischief of England What commodities the Spanish King shall bring to the Realm of England A true saying Under an English name she bâ—areth a Spanyards heart Spanyards sons of pride and superstition Why Winchester would have Spanyards to reigne over England To Winchester The Book of true obedience both in Latine and in English shall remain to thy perpetuall shame and condemnation of thy cankered Conscience The wicked must declare their selves Apocalip 13. Note Abraham Gen. 15. Isaac Gen. 16. Iacob Gen. 23 31.32.35 Moses Exod 5. Rom. 1. Psal. 119. The power and effâ—ctuall operation of Gods Word Exod. 4 Reg 9. Luke 24 Simile Math. John 〈◊〉 Note that Peter considâ—red not his own weaknesse The sherp at length know the voyce of their own Pastor The Elect. The Reprâ—bate 1 Reg 28. Saul 2 Reg. 18. Ahaz Isai. 7. God sometime sheweth mercy to an hypocrit for the cause of his Church Jerem. 37 38. Jerem. 42. Reade the Text Jer 42. Jerem. 43. Great blindnes Jer. 44. As Papists would have League with the Emperor What was said in Hammeâ—sham when uproar was for establishing of Mary in authority A Common-wealth compared to a Ship sayling on the Sea The end shall declare Enemies to the Truth receive no comfort of Gods Messengers The godly and chosen of God Gen. 12. Gen. 15. Gen. 22. Exod. 5.7.10 1 Reg. 16. 3 Reg 21. Object Answer Exod. 32. Gods Word sometimes moveth great multitudes Why Moses caused the Israelites do drink the powder of the golden calf Exod. 32. A sharp sentence against Idolaters Gen. 34. Gen. 49. Jerem. 21.38 Jerem. 21. Jerem. 38 Jerem. 38. Jon. 3. Act. 2. Jerem. 32. The cause of fear Gen. 12. Exod. 34. Isa. 36 37. Matth. 11. Apoc. 18. Note Lively faith maketh a man bold 3. Reg. 18. 3. Reg. 19. The creature can never dispute wâ—th God without sin Quest. Answ. Gods works by them self are a sufficient reason Peters vertue The vice that long rested with Peter Matth. 16. Note Matth. 26. Why Peter was suffered to sink Luke 22. What resteth with Gods Elect in their greatest danger The nature of faith Peter knew the power and good will of God Psal. 144. How nigh God is in extream perill to deliver his Elect that syithfully call upon him Exod 14. Hester 7.8 â— Daniel 6. John 3. Act 12. Psalm 18. God flattereth not his Elect. Peter was not faithlesse Matth 10. 2 Tim 2. Such as have stood long may yet fall Luke 17. Note We have lesse pretence of excuse then Peter had Note Consolation Matth. 28. Worldly Princes are conjured against God Psal. 2. The sheep of Christ cannot be rent from his hand Joh. 10. Joh. 7. The temptations of Gods elect now in England Good counsell to thee in faith Rom. 11. 1 Reg 2. Note To whom appertaineth the former counsel Matth. 28. Note Objection Answer The root of faith remaineth with Gods elect in greatest danger 3 Reg. 19. The root of faith is not idle A tryall of faith in trouble It appertaineth not to man to know not to enquire how God will deliver Note Divers wayes of deliverance Note The means offered by God to avoid Idolatry are not to be refused Repetition Isai. 78. Psal. 74. Apocal. 17. Psal 74 87. Prayer and Confession Appealing to mercy Isai. 33. Jerem. 4. Psal. 74. Psal. 59. Psal. 79. Jerem. 10 11 12. Psal. 95. Against the enemies of God Esay 25. Of Gods Elect Exhortation Esa 26. Gen. 3. Mattâ— 10. Act. 4. Matth. 5. Joh. 14 16. Esay 9. In the Crosse of Christ iâ— victory hid Esay 40.41.51 Exod. 2. 4 Reg. 25. Jerem 52. Esd. 1. Note â—phes 2. The causes why the Saints of God bâ— this day persecuted 1 Joh. 1.2 Heb. 6. 10. Ephes. 5. Matth. 23. Whosoever sheddeth the Blood of one of Christs members for his Names sake consenteth to the blood of all that have suffered since the beginning Note Gen. 4. Matth. 15. Answer to an Objection Gen. 19. Exod. 14. Iosephus The Petition of such as be persecuted Matth. 5. Matth. 10. â— Cor. 2. Matth 10. Exod. 20. Rom. 13. 1 Pet. 2. The first proportion The second proposition John 4. Apo. 14. 17. Note Take heed of unlawfull obedience Dan. 3. Dan. 6. Answ. Matth. 10. Act. 14. Note The Papisticall Religion a mortall Pestilence The Admonition Answer to an Objection Gen. 6. Psâ—l 14. Psal 2. Act. 4. Luk. 18. Hosea 4. Matth 20 Matth. 7. 2 Thess 2. Note Deu 4 and 12 Matth. 15. 1 Reg. 13 15 2 Par. 26. Levit. 10. Matt. 17 Act. 1 2 3. 1 Cor. 11. Col. 2. Deâ—â— 4. 12. Apoc. 2. The craft of Sathan The ground of â—â—â—â—â—ticall Religion Note Tertul. in Apol. The chief Preposition Nâ—cen 1. The dutie of Magistrates The Spirit of God abideth not with Idolaters 3. Reg. â— 5. 2 â—ar 17. 4 Reg 22. 2 Paâ— 34. 4 Reg 18. 2 Par. 29 30 c. 31. The second proposition Stob. ser. 12. Niceph. Calist. Histor. Ecclâ—s Lib 10. cap. 42. Note Mich. 3. Note Flatterers contagious stilence Ezek. 22. Note Idolatry is mother to all â—ice Matth 6. Rom. 8. â— Reg. 18. John 17. Ezek. 34. Note this for our time Daniel 2. 1 Reg. 2. Job 12. Psal. 107. Daniel 2. Note Note Note 1 Reg. 14. 1 Reg. 16. 2 Reg. 10. 2 Reg. 17. The offer of Iohn Knox. Advert Prosperity for a time proveth not Religion good No Realme England except so grievously plagued at Scotland Isai. 30. Isai. 14. Isai 6. Exhortation Josh. 1. 2 Par 34. 2 Par. 1. Jerem. 36. Amos 2. Zach 15 James 5. 1 Reg 17. 1 Reg. 18. 1 Reg. 19. 2 Reg 9. 1 Reg 19. Mat 10. The disposition Note Verse 23. From whencâ— all Authority floweth Psal. 82. 2. Point Rom. 13. Note Note Josh. 1. What is required of a King or Prince The Authority and Power of Kings is limited Note Usc. The duty of Gods people Ezek 20. 2 Reg. 17. Isai. Jere. 9. Eccles 3. Isa. 3. Verse 14. Verse 15. Ezel 8. Note Apoc. Vers. 15. Vers. 16. Josh 24. Rom 9. Dan. 1. Dan. 2. Dan. 3. Dan. 6. 1 Esd 2. 1 Esd 6. A Prayer Vers. 16. 1 Joh. 2. 1 Reg. 22. 2 Reg. 9. Verse 17. Verse 18. John 16. Vers. 19.20 Verse 19. Gal. 2. 1 Pet. 1. Ezek. 37 Psal. 14. 1 John 5. Eccles. histor Sozomoni lib. 5. cap. 5. A terrible but must true sentence The Castle of Edinburgh was shooting against the exiled for Christ Jesus sake
THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORY OF SCOTLAND THE HISTORIE Of the REFORMATION OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND Containing five Books Together with some TREATISES conducing to the History Published by Authority JEREM. 5.1 Run ye to and fro thorow the streets of Jerusalem and see now and know and seek in the broad places thereof if ye can finde a man if there be any executeth Iudgement that seeketh the Truth and I will pardon it 2 COR. 13.8 For we can do nothing against the Truth but for the Truth LONDON Printed by Iohn Raworth for George Thomason and Octavian Pullen and are to be sold at the signe of the Rose in Pauls Church-yard MDCXLIV To the Reader Christian Reader HEre I present unto thee a Piece I dare promise worthy of thy reading wherein thou hast a true and plain Relation without disguising of many memorable Passages happened in the Church of God and likewise some notable ones in the State of the Kingdom of Scotland from the very first setling of State and Church in that Countrey But namely and chiefly thou hast here related what principally passed in Church and State in this our Countrey during the great Work of purging the Church from the Superstitions and Idolatry and freeing both Church and State from the Tyranny and Slavery of Popery untill the coming of King James our late Soveraign to the Crown of Scotland Further beside the true and faithfull Relation of many Occurrences that fell out in these dayes in Scotland thou hast unfolded unto thee and made plain the strong Reasons and necessery Causes that moved these men who are here named although infirm and weake in themselves to undergo the great Work of Reformation With the solid Grounds upon which they went on with this weighty Businesse willingly and cheerfully notwithstanding the great rubs and difficulties they met withall through the help and assistance of God who by them mean Instruments brought things to passe in despight of the malice and stratagems of Sathan with his agents for the good of his People and the setling of his Church in Purity and Liberty All these things are set down plainly and simply in familiar and homely Language Yet so that they may be with ease apprehended and understood by any one From what thou hast here written in this Volume although there were no other Writings in this kinde extant thou mayest see easily by what means the great Mystery of Iniquity from the very first Rise hath been set afoot and constantly ever since hath been carried on to wit By cunning Devices impudent Lyes continued and crafty Plots under specious Pretexts and open Oppression Tyranny and Cruelties within Scotland till the yeer of Christ 1567. After which time the enemies of God and of his People have not been sleeping till this present more then formerly Wherefore for thy good Christian Reader I have thought fit in this place to point at some main Occurrences from that time till now First then the adversaries of Truth and Goodnesse under the specious Pretext of restoring Queen Mary to her Liberty and of re-establishing her in full Authority and sole Power did disquiet and trouble both Church and State in Scotland both with open Force and subtill Plots for some yeers that is to the 1573 yeer But finding that all their Undertakings under this pretext proved to be in vain and without successe and standing to their main Designe of undoing Religion and Liberty they bethought themselves of another way in appearance more plausible for compassing their wicked Intents it was To deal by way of entreaty and request with the chief Ministers of State and Church then To have the Mother set at liberty and to be joynt in Authority and Power with her Son And for the obtaining of this was employed the credit of the French Court for the time with all its skill and cunning but to small purpose For these rude fellows who managed the publike Affairs then of State and Church could not be corrupted with the French Complements In this way the enemies continued till the yeer 1577 and did not then give over notwithstanding their bad successe but according to their wonted and resolved custome they went on with their Designe betaking themselves to a new course wherein they had indeed more successe then in either of the former two It was this They did set awork certain men who with fair words and flattering tales so craftily dealt with the young King hardly yet twelve yeers of age that they made him cast off as a yoke the counsell and service of those who ever since his Birth-day had carefully laboured for the good of State and Church with the pereservation of his Authority and safety of his Person And so the inconsiderate young King although of most nimble wit and knowing above his yeers under the shew of freedom put himself in the power of those who wished no good to his Person and Authority and as little to the Church and State making no scruple to trouble both for their own ends according to the Instructions of the Masters who set them awork So in very short time they gave unto the young King such impressions which did stick too much to him that not onely he became averse from those who had been so usefull to the publike and so serviceable to him but also he suffered them to be persecuted yea some by death and others by banishment While the enemies were thus working businesse with us in Scotland they were not idle with our neighbours in England for they were contriving and plotting under colour of setting the imprisoned Queen at liberty And were gone so far on in this way in both Kingdoms that to stop the course and progresse of the enemies both Countries thought it necessary to enter into a mutuall League and Covenant one with another for the defence of the Reformed Religion and Liberties of both Kingdoms with the preservation of the Persons and Authorities of both Princes King James and Queen Elizabeth against the common enemy This was done by the consent of both Princes in the yeer 1686. After this the enemy seeing the warinesse of both Kingdoms to be such that in a short time he was not likely to advance the main Designe according to his minde by craft and cunning leaveth off for a time to act the part of the Fox and openly declares himself to be a ravishing Wolf So the yeer 1588 the Armado cometh against both Kingdoms which God in his mercy unto our fathers and us brought to nought About this time and some yeers before the agents of the enemy were very busie with King James to break with England and to revenge the hard usage and ill treatment of his Mother But God did direct him so for his own good that he did give no consent to their evil counsell Upon this refusall of the Kings the agents of the common enemy do bestir themselves to trouble both King and Kingdom which they did in a
she and hers can claim for their own but she and hers must be serviceable to those who have undone them To this end she must have People about her namely Court-Chaplains to disguise businesse unto her and so make her have a bad conception of those who are her best friends to wit the true Professors of the Truth and good Patriots in these Dominions Next her eldest son after a long and great neglect of yeelding him any help for the recovery of his own is betrayed at our corrupt Court when he is put in away to do somewhat for his own restoring c. And after this by the same Court he is sollicited to take Arms here against the onely men who really and constantly have expressed unto him and his true affection but they being stopped by the Court could not effectuate much by their good will He in wisdome refuseth to fight against his friends Since he will not his two next Brothers must be employed the eldest whereof is released from prison to that effect And so they hazard their lives and spend their blood to serve the party who hath undone their Fortunes and now strives to undo their persons The King having left London after he had been in severall places retires to Yorke where he begins to raise men against the Parliament The Scots seeing this send to him thither to intreat him to lay aside all such intentions and offer their service by way of Mediation betwixt him and the Parliament to take away all known mistakes The Scots Commissioners were not suffered to proceed any further then in the businesse and were sent back beyond the expectation of men After a long Pen-skirmishing on both sides Armies are leavied many men killed and taken at divers times on each side yea a set Battell fought where numbers of men are slain The Scots not being able any longer to see their Brethren in England destroyed and the Executioners of Ireland butchering man woman and childe the help that the innocents should have had from England being almost altogether diverted by the Intestine War and neither say nor do in the businesse under safe-Conduct send to the King and Parliament Commissioners to intercede for an Agreement But they being arrived at Court were neglected with their Commission and not suffered to repair unto the Parliament At last they are dismissed not without difficulty and having done nothing return Upon this the Scots convene the States to consult concerning their own safety and the help of their friends At this nick of time when they received many fair promises from the Court with a request to be quiet a Plot of the Papists set afoot by the Court for embroyling the Countrey is discovered by the means whereof they were incited to look more narrowly to themselves and their friends Then the Parliament of England sends to the Scots for help Upon this a Covenant is made betwixt the two Nations for the defence of the true Religion and Liberty of the Countreys with the Kings just Rights and after due preparation the Scots having setled their own Countrey enter into England with a strong Army to fight the Battells of the Lord having for scope of their Expedition The glory of God and the good of his People with the Honour of the King Here we shall observe in these our Countreys in these last yeers such Riddles of State and Church as have hardly been heard of A Protestant Prince makes one Protestant Nation fight against another for the Protestant Religion which have been thought to be of one and the same Doctrine for the main One Church thunders Curses against another Then a Prince misled with the ayd of Papists and Atheists spoyling and destroying the professors of the Truth because they professe it for the good and advancement of the Protestant Religion Next in a very short time a Prince to have all his subjects declared Rebells First he is made declare the Scots Then he is constrained to declare the Irish An Army gotten together in the Kings name declares all those that did oppose them Rebells The Parliament declares all those who in the Kings name oppose them Rebells and Traytors Farther under the Kings Authority the named Rebells in England by the King maintain a War against the declared Rebells in Ireland But the late carriage of things at Court and by the Court-Instruments at home and abroad hath solved the Riddle namely The Patent for the Rebellion in Ireland The detaining of help ordained for the repressing of it The Kings offer to go into Ireland The Cessation and bringing over of the Irish and The last-discovered Plot in Scotland all other things laid aside tell us cleerly howsoever the Proclamations and Protestations going in the Kings name be soft and smooth as the voyce of Jacob yet the hands are rough as of Esau destroying and seeking to destroy the true Religion grounded in Gods Word with the professors thereof as also the lawfull Liberty of the Countrey and bring all unto slavery Let Ireland and England say if this be not true and Scotland likewise according to its genius speak truth I shall close up all with two or three Instances of eminent men amongst the Papists Clergie to shew clearly how they stand affected to the Protestants Cardinall Pool in an Oration to Charles the fifth Emperour saith You must leave off the War against the Turks and hereafter make War against the Heretikes so names he the professors of the Truth He adds the reason Because the Turks are lesse to be feared then the Heretikes Paul Rodmek in a Book expresse tells us That the Heretikes must be put to death slain cut off burnt quartered c. Stapleton the Iesuite tells us That the Heretikes are worse then the Turks in an Oration he made at Doway Campian the Iesuite in a Book of his Printed in the yeer 1583 in Trevers declares thus in the name of his holy Order Our will is That it come to the knowledge of every one so far as it concerns our Society That we all dispersed in great numbers thorow the world have made a League and holy solemn Oath That as long as there are any of us alive that all our care and industry all our deliberations and counsells shall never cease to trouble your calm and safety That is to say We shall procure and pursue for ever your ruine the whole destruction of your Religion and of your Kingdom He speaks to the English Now it is long since we have taken this resolution with the hazard of our lives so that the businesse being already well begun and advanced it is impossible that the English can do any thing to stop our Designe or surmount it Let these few Passages satisfie for this time I wish that thou maist reap some benefit of what is written here for thy good So praying for your happinesse I rest Yours in the Lord D. B. The LIFE OF IOHN KNOX IOHN KNOX was borne in Gifford neer
them he was instant with the Counsell of the City to provide themselves of a worthy man to succeed in his Place Master James Lauson who at that time professed Philosophy in the Vniversity of Aberdene being commended for a good Preacher Commissioners were directed from the Body of the Church of Edinburgh and from Master John Knox in particular to desire him to accept of the Charge To the Letter that the Commissioners carried after that he had set his hand he added this Postscript Accelera mi frater alioqui sero venies Make haste Brother otherwise ye shall come too late Meaning That if he made any stay he should finde him dead and gone These last words moved M. Lauson to take journey the morrow thereafter When he was come to the Town and had preached two severall times to the good liking of the people order was taken by the Rulers of the Church for his admission and the day appointed at which day John Knox himself would not onely be present but also preach though he could scarce walk on foot to the Chayre which he did with such fervency of spirit that at no time before was he heard to speak with such great power and more content to the hearers And in the end of the Sermon calling God to witnesse That he had walked in a good conscience amongst them not seeking to please men nor serving either his own or other mens affections but in all sincerity and truth preached the Gospel of Christ With most grave and pithie words he exhorted them to stand fast in the Faith they had received And having conceived a zealous Prayer for the continuance of Gods blessing among them and the multiplying of his Spirit upon the Preacher who was then to be admitted he gave them his last fare-well The people did convey him to his lodging and could not be drawn from it so loath were they to depart from him and he the same day in the afternoon was forced to take bed During the time he lay which was not long he was much visited by all sorts of persons to whom he spake most comfortably Amongst others to the Earle of Morton who came to see him he was heard say My Lord God hath given you many blessings he hath given you Wisdom Honour high Birth Riches many good and great friends and is now to prefer you to the Government of the Realme the Earle of Marr late Regent being newly dead In his Name I charge you That ye will use these blessings better in times to come then you have done in times past In all your actions seek first the glory of God The furtherance of his Gospel The maintenance of his Church and Ministery and next Be carefull of the King to procure his good and the welfare of the Realme If you shall do this God will be with you and honour you If otherwise ye do it not he will deprive you of all these benefits and your end shall be shame and ignominy These speeches the Earle about nine yeers after at the time of his Execution called to minde saying That he had found them to be true and him therein a Prophet A day or two before his death he sent for Master David Lindsay Master James Lauson and the Elders and Deacons of the Church to whom he said The time is approaching for which I have long thirsted wherein I shall be relieved of all cares and be with my Saviour Christ for ever And now God is my witnesse whom I have served with my spirit in the Gospel of his Son That I have taught nothing but the true and solid Doctrine of the Gospel and that the end I proposed in all my Doctrine was To instruct the ignorant To confirm the weak To comfort the consciences of those that were humbled under the sense of their sins and born down with the threatnings of Gods Judgements Such as were proud and rebellious I am not ignorant that many have blamed and yet do blame my too great rigour and severity But God knoweth That in my heart I never hated the persons of those against whom I thundred Gods Judgements I did onely hate their sins and laboured according to my power to gain them to Christ That I did forbear none of whatsoever condition I did it out of the fear of my God who hath placed me in the Function of his Ministery and I know will bring me to an account Now brethren for your selves I have no more to say but to warn you That you take heed to the Flock over which God hath placed you Overseers which he hath redeemed by the Blood of his onely begotten Son And you Master Lauson fight a good fight do the Work of the Lord with courage and with a willing minde And God from above blesse you and the Church whereof you have charge Against it so long as it continueth in the Doctrine of the Truth the gates of hell shall not prevail This spoken and the Elders and the Deacons dimitted he called the two Preachers unto him and said There is one thing that grieveth me exceedingly You have sometimes seen the courage and constancy of the Laird of Grange in the cause of God and that most unhappy man hath cast himself away I will pray you two to take the pains to go unto him and say from me That unlesse he forsake that wicked course wherein he is entred neither shall the Rock in which he confideth defend him nor the carnall wisedom of that man whom he counteth half a god this was young Lethington yeeld him help but shamefully he shall be pulled out of that nest and his carkase hung before the Sun meaning the Castle he did keep against the Kings Authority And so it fell out the yeer next following for the Castle was taken and he was publikely hanged and his body hung before the Sun The soul of that man is dear unto me and if it be possible I could fain have him to be saved They went as he had desired and conferred a long space with Grange but with no perswasion could he be diverted from his course Which being reported he took most heavily Yet Grange at his death did expresse serious repentance for his sins The next day he gave order for making his Coffin wherein his body should be laid and was that day as thorow all the time of his sicknesse much in prayer crying Come Lord Jesu Sweet Jesu into thy hands I commend my Spirit Being asked by those that attended him if his pains were great he answered That he did not esteem that a pain which would be to him the end of all troubles and beginning of eternall Joyes Oftentimes after some deep meditations he burst forth in these words O serve the Lord in fear and death shall not be troublesome unto you Blessed is the death of those that have part in the death of Jesus In the evening which was the last of this wretched life having slept some hours together
but with great unquietnesse for he was heard to send forth many sighs and groans one Campbell and one John Johnston which two waited very diligently upon him asked after he awaked How he did finde himselfe and what it was that made him to mourn so heavily in his sleep To whom he answered In my life time I have oft been assaulted with Satan and many times he hath cast in my teeth my sins to bring me to despair yet God gave me strength to overcome all his tentations And now that subtill Serpent who never ceases to tempt hath taken another course and seeks to perswade me That all my labours in the Ministery and the fidelity that I have shewn in that Service hath merited heaven and immortality But blessed be God that brought to my minde these Scriptures What hast thou that thou hast not received And Not I but the grace of God in me With which he is gone away ashamed and shall no more returne And now I am sure my Battell is at an end and that without pain of body or trouble of spirit I shall shortly change this mortall and miserable life with that happy and immortall which shall never have an end After which discourse a Prayer was said neer his bed where he lay which being ended it was asked If he heard the Prayer He answered Would to God that ye had heard it with such an ear and heart as I have done Adding Lord Jesu receive my Spirit With which words without any motion of hands or feet as one falling a sleep rather then dying he ended his life He was a man endued with many excellent gifts and with a very great measure of the Spirit God raised him up to be a chief Instrument of the glorious Work of Reformation The Court claw-backs and parasites have been and are displeased with his Doctrine touching the Authority of Princes and Civill Magistrates although there was never man born who did more heartily reverence Civill Authority nor obey more willingly the lawfull commands thereof then he All his Doctrine concerning the Civill Authority was To correct the corruption brought in by the slavish flatterers who abusing the simplicity and debonaritie of those whom God has placed in Authority maketh them inconsiderately to rebell wilfully and openly against God and his Son and turn all things up-side down and undo the poor people of God for whose good and safety they are placed so high Likewise were and are to this day the proud Prelats and idle belly-gods highly offended with his Doctrine concerning Church-Government although he intended no other thing but the pulling down of Antichristianisme fully and casting all tyranny and Idlenesse out of the House of God Never was a man more observant of the true and just Authority of the Church-Rulers according to the Word of God and practice of the purest Primitive times He alwayes urged pressingly due Obedience by the people to the faithfull Pastors and Elders of the Church Although he was both learned and eloquent yet did he not much apply his minde to compose Books for Posterity for he was wont to say That God had called him rather to instruct the ignorant comfort the sorrowfull rebuke the sinners and confirm the weak living in his time then to make Books for ages to come Neverthelesse he wrote severall good Pieces for besides what we have spoken of already namely he left these A learned Treatise against the blasphemous Anabaptists Two Treatises against the Masse One of the Eucharist Some Sermons upon Genesis Some also upon the Psalms An Exhortation to all afflicted Churches An Advice in time of trouble The first blast of the Trumpet c. He died Anno Dom. 1572 and of his age 62. His body was interred at S. Giles without the Church To his Buriall assisted many men of all Ranks among others the Earle of Morton who being neer to the grave as the Corps was put in said by way of Epitaph Here lies the body of him who in his life time never feared the face of man THE PREFACE THe SCOTS by the most judicious Writers and by those who have most diligently studied their Antiquities are acknowledged to be among the first who embraced the Faith of Christ yea they are said to be by some of the very first-fruits of the Gentiles For in few yeers after the Ascension of our Saviour Jesus Christ the Apostles and Disciples being constrained to leave Ierusalem and Iudea by reason of the Persecutions raised against them by the Jews according to the dispensation of the All-wise God went up and down the world and speaking to every People in their own Language declared unto them the glad Tydings of Salvation in Christ Jesus Those who came into our Northern Parts to wit into Scotland and first made known unto our Fathers the Mysteries of Heaven were of the disciples of Iohn the Apostle Some yeers thereafter to wit in the second Persecution raised against the Christians many Britons Provincials of the Empire professing the Name of Christ left their own countrey and went into Scotland for shelter from the generall Massacre then executed thorowout the whole Empire by that bloody Butcher Domitian and to enjoy the freedom of the Gospel which they knew to be received then in Scotland Among these fugitive Britons there were sundry learned and pious men who stayed in Scotland the Persecution ended propagating the Faith of Christ there by their Preaching This we have related unto us by the Historians of best trust We have not then from the Sea of Rome our first Institution in the Christian Faith yea we are so far from it that for many yeers together we hardly had any communication with Rome at all Palladius was the first some yeers after the beginning of the fifth Age who made our acquaintance with Rome although the generall current of the Romish Writers give out That the Gospel was first planted amongst us in Scotland by the means of Victor Bishop of Rome Yet Baronius that renowned Chronologer albeit he would fain have the Scots owe this Obligation unto Rome disclaimeth this opinion of his Party as untrue and disagreeing with the best Antiquity Tertullian who lived in the second Age and wrote Books divers yeers before the end thereof and so was so neer the planting of the Christian Faith amongst the Nations that in a manner he may be said to have been an eye-witnesse unto it in his Book against the Jews speaking how the Light of the Gospel was spread thorow the whole world saith thus The Euangel was diffused into all the parts of the world yea into Britanie and into that part of the Island whereunto the Roman Forces did never pierce By these last words of Tertullian are meant the inhabitants of that part of the Island which lieth benorth the walls first built by Adrian then by Antoninus Pius thirdly by Severus and these were the Scots by name For the Romans put walls betwixt them and the Scots
Prince and people under pretext of Piety but with bad successe as by the wofull experience of following times we have found These new Bishop-Prelats having pretty well setled their own condition for maintenance which although it did exceed much the allowance of former Ages to Church-men yet it was very moderate in regard of the following times Next they obtained great Lands and Revenues from Prince and People for other Presbyters and Ministers who formerly had been very little burdensome to the people for by their own industry and work of their hands did provide for themselves necessaries for the most part by this means the Prelats tie the other Presbyters and Ministers to them and secondarily bring in by little and little idlenesse and slacknesse in discharging their calling from whence are risen all the evills we have seen since in the Church After the beginning of the fifth Age to wit 521. yeers in this Island began the old Saturnalia of Rome which was first kept in honour of Saturne but by the Successors of Iulius Caesar it was ordained to be kept to the memory of him and was called Iulia to be celebrated unto the honour of Christs Birth in the later end of December The occasion was this Arthur that renowned Prince wintering at York whereof he newly had made himself Master with his Nobles bethought himself with them to passe some dayes in the dead of winter in good chear and mirth which was done forth with as it is given out for devotion to Christ although that then true Devotion was very little regarded for as these men did exceed the Romans during this Feast in Ryot and Licentiousnesse So they continued the Feast double the time that the Ethnick Romans were wont to kept it for the Romans kept it onely five dayes but these kept it ten dayes with their new devotion yea those of the richer sort in time following have kept it fifteene dayes Thus was the beginning of the prophane idlenesse and ryot of Christmas now kept twelve dayes with foolish excesse and ryot As these Christmas keepers did mistake the way of honouring Christs Birth by this kinde of solemnity so did they mistake the time of his Birth for the most exact Chronologers tells us that Christ was born in October and not in December The Scots retain still the old name Iulia of this preposterous-holy-Feast for they call it corruptly Iul Although they never kept it of old not being subject to the Romans The French and Italians in this are nothing behinde with us for beside That they share with us in these Saturnalia Iulia or Christmas They go beyond us in ryot and fooleries in their Bacchanalia which they call Carnaval or Mardigras before Lent which in old time was kept to the honour of Bacchus But the corruptions that were brought in our Church from Rome in the fourth and fifth Age were nothing to what was brought in in the sixth and seventh Age for then was Religion turned upside down and so changed into Superstitious Ceremonies and Idolatry authorized by false miracles that there was hardly left any trace of true Religion among men in these dayes Palladius was the first that acquainted us with Rome as we have said and that brought in Prelacy amongst us a little after the beginning of the fourth Age which he and his Successors by degrees brought unto a great height both in worldly pomp and means for the times by the inconsiderate debonnarty of the Prince and simplicitie of the people but not without struggling and resistance by pious and wise men for many yeers it was the work of Church-men set a foot by Palladius so till the sixth Age that is upon the matter two hundred yeers to raise themselves to Power and Authority and Means whereunto they came insensibly so much the rather because they were sparing for these dayes to invert the main Doctrine of the true Religion The People and Magistrate seeing their Religion remaining in its maine were without great difficulty drawn over to give way unto the greatnesse of the Church-men But when these gallant fellows had wrought their own ends they did shew plainly what was within their hearts for then they declared themselves to be enemies both to God and to Man by their vitious lives contrary to the Laws of God and man Their false Doctrine contrary to Gods Word their Tyrannicall domineering over the people and withdrawing themselves from due obedience unto the lawfull Magistrate In a word by directly opposing God abusing men to their utter ruine of soul and body and setting up their own inventions for the Laws of God and men they were a bringing this height of iniquitie to passe about the matter of two hundred yeers likewise to wit the sixth and seventh Age although the workers of iniquity did at last bring their mischievous designe to an end by the permission of God irritated against men for their sins who not adhearing unto him were abandoned so that they became a prey unto Satan and his instruments to follow all iniquity yet such was the mercy of God towards men in these most corrupt times that the devill and his instruments went not so cleerly on with their wicked businesse but they had now and then from time to time remoraes and lets in it by those whom God raised up to bear witnesse to his Trueth and in these dayes sundry of the Scots Divines were very stout in the keeping of the ancient Tenets and Rites which they had received from their first Apostles Disciples to Saint Iohn according to the Church of the East Witnesse the great strugling they had about the keeping of Pasche or Easter-day for till then the Scots had kept the day of Pasche upon the fourteen day of the Moon whatsoever day of the week it fell out on the Romanists called those that kept so this day quartadecimani and condemned them as Hereticks and they kept the day constantly upon the next Sunday following and not upon a working day at last the Scots were constrained to yeeld in this as in other Rites unto Rome Culman and divers others Scotish men did so stoutely oppose the Romanists in the point of Easter-day and in other Tenets that they chose it being given to their choice either to submit unto Rome or to quit the setlings they had in the North of England rather to lose their Benefices then to yeild So standing fast to the Customes of the Scots Church wherein they had been born and bred they returned home to Scotland About the end of the seventh Age men from Scotland given to ambition and avarice went frequently to Rome for preferment in the Church and seeing it lay much that way then they did their best to advance the designe of the Romish Party wherein all the skill of worldly men was employed both in Rome among the Scots of that Party many men went to and fro between Rome and Scotland to bring the Scots to a full
Magistrate or Prince as well as the private man is bound to keep the Law of God of Nature c. not onely in particular things for his own singular carriage but also in publike businesses for the good and society of men or of the people for God hath given his Law and Nature her Dictates to all to the observance of which all men are tyed Yea farther they are not onely bound in their severall Conditions and tyed to the performance thereof in their own persons but also are bound to further it with all their might and take away all things that may lett and stop this performance or deterre and withdraw men from it Read Levit. 19.17 where every man is commanded to rebuke his neighbour and stop him from sinning Read Deut. 17.19 20. where the King is commanded to have continually the Copie of the Law before him for his Rule and Guide What is in 1 Sam. 8.10 is what a King is likely to do and not what he ought or should do This is cleer for in the place now named in Deuteronomy the King is told what he ought to do but that he is said to do in Samuel is contrary to the Ordinance of God Confer the places and you will easily see this truth Next a Prince is said to be absolute that is not in any kinde subaltern to another and whose subjects acknowledge under God no other but him Hence you may see That the Popish Kings and Princes are not absolute for beside the great number of people within their Dominions who are immediate sworn vassalls to the Pope I mean the Shavelings The Prince himself takes Oath at his Reception To uphold the over-ruling Government of the Pope under the masked name of Spirituality and the simple abused Prince shall have for a reward to make up all a little holy Oyl to anoynt him and bear the Title of most Christian or Catholike Princes Farther I say That the Prince who although in some things hath cast off the yoke of this god upon earth for so is the Pope now and then called but keeps up a part of his tyranny in the Church of God over his people wants and loses so much of his absolutenesse for this tye upon him from a forreign Prince the Pope But here the Pope sheweth the height of his cunning for he seeing that Princes are told frequently That they are either absolute or ought to be such bethinks himself to keep up his super-eminency above Princes as his vassalls and yet make the Princes finde an absolutenesse which he acts by his Emissaries and their inferiour instruments for their own private ends whom he makes inculcate in the ears of Princes That their absolutenesse consisteth in doing with the Life Liberty and Fortunes of the People as seems good in their eyes without any regard to the good of humane Society which is the true End of all Government But with this Proviso That those who have relation to him immediately be exempted and these are not onely his shavelings who are openly obedient to his commands and orders c. but also those yea in Kingdoms where his name is in a kinde rejected who keep up his tyrannicall Laws and Ordinances as we have felt of late namely in these Dominions wherein we live to our wofull experience for they to uphold and encrease their power have cast both Prince and People into great troubles making the Prince believe That without them he hath no being But to shew thee that Princes may use the people committed to their Charge like beasts and yet neverthelesse are not absolute cast thy eyes in the neighbour Countreys onely upon the Duke of Savoy and the Duke of Florence who although they be Sovereigns in a kinde over the people and deal most hardly with them taking their Lives and Fortunes away at their pleasure yet they are not acknowledged to be absolute Princes for they are vassalls of the Empire and their chief titles are to be Officers thereof So the Duke of Savoy is qualified Vicar of the Empire c. If you consider the Prince and people committed to his Charge as having relation one to another I say they are both bound one to another by Duty the Prince first bound to rule and govern according to the Law of God of Nature of Nations and Municipall Laws of the Countrey and the People is bound to obey him accordingly but if the Prince command any thing against these his commands are not to be obeyed God being onely he to whose commands Obedience is simply due and to be given but to men onely obedience with limitation and in externall things according to the Laws so oft above named at the least not against them or opposite to them The Chimaera or rather Solaecisme in reason of passive Obedience is not to be thought on among rationall men it being the invention of Court-parasites a meer nothing or non ens for Obedience consisteth in action as all other vertues do and not is suffering Farther whosoever for not obeying a wicked command of a Superiour suffereth if he can stop it or shun it is an enemy to his own being wherein he offends against nature for you see every naturall thing striveth to conserve it self against what annoyeth it then he sins against the Order of God who in vain hath ordained us so many lawfull Means for the preservation of our Being if we suffer it to be destroyed having power to help it But then it will be demanded What is there no absolutenesse in humane Authority I answer simple absolutenesse there is none under God For all humane Authority is limited by the Laws aforesaid and extends to farther then externall things yet comparatively humane Authority is said to be absolute when it is free from any Forreigne Superiour Power So when Henry the eighth having cast off the Romish yoak and putting down the vassallage of these his Dominions unto the Pope caused divers Books to be written of the absolute Empire or Authority of the Prince although after the freeing himself from the Pope he had not nor did not pretend to have any more absolute power over the people then he had before but albeit this Prince did much for the regaining the absolute Authority to the Crown again in chasing away the Romish Pontiff yet he did it not fully in so farre as he kept still the Romish Rites and the Hierarchy or Prelacy wherein the Romish Fox lurking hath kept himself in these Countreys unto this day and now having acted the Fox long enough he is acting the Woolf by dedestroying the people of God if the Successors of King Henry had not kept in the Romish Superstitious Rites and Hierarchy they and we all had had better times then we have all tasted of Although King Henry for his Vices be blame worthy to all posterity yet I must say in all humane appearance That if the Prelat-Bishops to whom he trusted the reforming of the abuses
because their Gownes were Red. In this fourteenth age did flourish the great Scholastick Iohannes called Scotus from his Nation and Duns from the place of his Birth for he was born in the Town of Duns in the Mers he was a great Opposer of Thomas of Aquin his Doctrine his Sectaries were called Scotists his Epitaph was thus Scotia me genuit Anglia suscepit Gallia edocuit Germania tenet In the beginning of the fifteenth age there was a great Schisme in the Romish Church Pope against Pope yea sometimes there were three Popes at one time fighting one against another and excommunicating one another this Schisme lasted about thirty yeers and by the Councell of Constance Martin the fift was made Pope and the rest defeated There was one Iohn Fogo a Monke of Milros who in Scotland defended the Election of Martin by the Councell against Benedict alias Peter de Lune During this forenamed Schisme many taking occasion of the opennesse of the times began boldly and freely to speak against the bad Doctrine Government and Lives of the Church-men and that not only in private discourse but they also preached it publikely as Iohn Wickliffe in England Iohn Hus and Ierome of Prague in Bohemia who spoke before the people freely of the Tyrannie of the Government of the Clergie the corruption of their Doctrine and wickednesse of their lives In those dayes also there were some in Scotland who feared not to make known to the people the Truth of God as namely Iames Resby and Paul Craw among others who suffered Martyrdom for the Truth About this time the Carthusians were brought from England into Scotland and had built unto them a Monasterie at Perth In this Age the Universitie of Saint Andrews was set up chiefly by the means of Henry Wardlaw Bishop of the place that in some kinde the Schools of Learning might not bee altogether wanting which formerly had flourished for so long a time among the Culdees and of later yeers had quite decayed this good did Wardlaw As his Predecessor William Trail had built the Castle of the same City So his Successour Iames Kenedy built the old Colledge likewise called Saint Salvator his Colledge Patrick Grahame that came after him was the man that brought into Scotland the Title of Primate Metropolitane and Archbishop by Bull of Sextus quartus From the first Preaching of the Gospel till Palladius the Church of Scotland was happy without Bishops From Palladius to King Malcolme his days the Bishops had no distinct Diocesses or Parishes from King Malcolme till Patricke Grahame they were without Archbishops this Title and higher rank of Authoritie did not succeed well with Grahame for the other Bishops could suffer no Superiour under the Pope namely so neer them hitherto having rejected all the pretentions of the Archbishop of York The inferior Clergie also were afraid of the increase of the Authority of the Man whom they conceived austere and rigid and so by the Faction of the corrupt Court and disordered Clergy poor Grahame lost the Title he had procured with the Benefice and one Shevez got his spoyl and what a sweet Bird Shevez was the Stories of that time doe sufficiently manifest Robert Blacater seeing the Bishop of Saint Andrews now a Metropolitane and Archbishop obtains from Alexander the sixt a Bull whereby he is made Archbishop also and hee had under him the Bishops of Galloway Argyle and Isles which new dignitie angred the Archbishop of Saint Andrews above the losse of his Vassals for to have a Companion in equall dignity set up beside him was hard but he must digest the Pill since the Pope will have it so Lastly David Beaton brought in the Title of Cardinall into Scotland who hath beene the onely man that hath born that Title in this Countrey and how it did speed with him the following Historie will tell you As in the beginning of the fifteenth age the Schisme for the Papacie opened thorow Christendom many mens mouthes and busied their Pennes to set forth the corruption of the Church and the Vices of the Clergie even so in the beginning of the sixteenth age those that fought for the Bishoprick of Saint Andrews by their dissention gave occasion to many in Scotland to speak in publike and private of the corruption of Church-mens Lives Government and Doctrine in Scotland which coming to the Popes ears presently he sent unto the King Iames the fourth a Sword with the Title of Protector of the Faith as if all Christian Princes were not in dutie bound to protect the Faith in Christ but the Faith whiâ—h the Pope would have the King to protect was his erroneous Doctrine and Tyrannicall Authoritie Some few yeers after this Henry the eighth was declared by the Pope Defender of the Faith and had the Sword likewise Iames the 4 of Scotland being dead now by the corrupt Courtiers the yong inconsiderate King Iames was made beleeve That the conferring of this new Title by the Pope did bring unto him a great preheminence yea the Court Sycophants did not stick to call it A new Royaltie when in effect it was nothing else but a new note of his Vasâ—allage to Rome and by the accepting of the Sword he did engage himself to make warre for Rome and so he did indeed for sundry men after this during his short Reign were persecuted and suffered death for the Truth of Christ. This is the second remarkable Badge of slavery put upon our Princes by the Pope the former was their Anointing by him as wee have seen before Here be pleased with me to remark That of all the Bishops of Scotland before the Reformation namely since they were made Lords of certain places and had particular Diocesses you cannot finde one who had any care of the true Charge of Pastor for their whole studie was to raise their power and to encrease their means for the upholding of their power and to effectuate this more easily and fully they kept both Prince and people in dark ignorance of Gods Will and Word But because they must seem to do somwhat for the name sake of Bishops they caused to build walls of Temples and Chappels set up images and pictures richly dressed to content the eyes and brought into the Church Instruments of Musick and artificiall Singing with great skill to content the ear Also they brought in sweet perfume and incense for the smell so the most subtill senses were thus satisfied And to make a shew to keep under the senses which are more grosse there must be some kinde of Fasting enjoyned to the people and chastenesse to the Church-men But how and to what purpose these two last have been kept all men know But kept or not all is one all these Ordinances which the Bishops set up for Religion have been discovered by Gods mercy to be not onely without Warant in Gods Word but plainly contrary to the same Of all the Bishops of Scotland in time of Reformation there was
whole Sermons he had taught before the whole Lent past adding That within Scotland there were no true Bishops if that Bishops should be known by such notes and vertues as S. Paul requires in Bishops This delation flew with wings to the Bishops ears who without further delay sent for the said Friar Alexander who began sharply to accuse that he had so â—landerously spoken of the dignitie of Bishops as to say That it behoved a Bishop to be a Preacher or else he were but a dumb dog and fed not the flock but fed his own bellie The man being witty and minding that which was his most assured defence said My Lord The reporters of such things are manifest liars Whereat the Bishop rejoyced and said Your answer pleaseth me well I never could think of you that ye would be so foolish as to affirm such things Where are the knaves that have brought me this tale Who comparing and affirming the same that they did before he still replyed That they were liers But while the witnesses were multiplied and men were brought to attention he turned him to the Bishop and said My Lord ye may hear and consider what ears these Asses have who cannot discern betwixt Paul Esay Zachary and Malachy and Frier Alexander Seton In very deed My Lord I said That Paul saith It behoveth a Bishop to be a Teacher Esay said That they that fed not the flock are dumb dogs and Zachary saith They are idle Pastors I of mine own head affirmed nothing but declared what the Spirit of God before pronounced At whom my Lord if ye be not offended justly ye cannot be offended at me And so yet again my Lord I say That they are manifest liars that reported unto you that I said That ye and others that preach not are no Bishops but belly-gods Albeit after that the Bishop was highly offended as well at the scoffe and bitter mock as at the bold liberty of that learned man yet durst he not hazard for that present to execute his malice conceived For nought only feareth he the learning and bold spirit of the man but also the favour that he had as well of the people as of the Prince King Iames the fifth with whom he had good credite for he was at that time his Confessor and had exhorted him to the fear of God to the meditation of Gods Law and unto purity of life But the said Bishop with his complices foreseeing what danger might come to their estate if such familiarity should continue betwixt the Prince and a man so learned and so repugning to their affections laboureth by all means to make the said Frier Alexander odious unto the King and easily found the means by the gray Friers who by their hypocrisie deceived many to traduce the innocent as an Heretick This accusation was easily believed of the young Prince who being much given to the lusts of the flesh abhorred all counsell that repugned thereto And because he did remember what a terrour the admonitions of the said Alexander was unto his blinded conscience without resistance he subscribed to their accusation affirming that he knew more then they did in that matter For he understood well enough that he smelled of the new Doctrine by such things as he had shewed to him under Confession And therefore he promised that he should follow the counsell of the Bishops in punishing of him and of all others of that Sect. These things understood by the said Alexander as well by the information of his friends and familiars as by the strange countenance of the King unto him provideth the next way to avoid the fury of a misled Prince and so in his habit he departeth the Realme and coming to Berwicke wrote back again to the King his Complaint and Admonition The very Tenour and Copy whereof followeth and is this MOst gracious Soveraigne Lord under the Lord and King of all of whom onely thy Highnesse and Majestie hast power and authority to exercise Justice within this thy Realme under God who is King and Lord of all Realms and thy Majestie and all mortall kings are but onely servants unto that onely immortall Prince Christ Jesus c. It is not I wot unknowne to thy gracious Highnesse how that thy Majesties sometime servant and Orator and ever shall be to my lives end is departed out of thy Realm unto the next adjacent of England neverthelesse I believe the cause of my departing is unknown to thy gracious Majesty Which onely is Because the Bishops and Church-men of thy Realm have had heretofore such authority upon thy subjects that apparently they were rather King and thou the subject which unjust Regiment is of it self false and contrary to holy Scripture and Gods Law Then thou art the King and Master and they thy subjects which is very true and testified expresly by the Word of God And also because they will give no man of any degree or state whom they often call Hereticks audience time nor place to speak and have defence which is against all Law both the old Law called the Law of Moses and the new Law of the Gospel So that if I might have had audience and place to speak and have shewed my just defence conformable to the Law of God I should never have fled to any other Realm suppose it should have cost me my life But because I believed that I should have no audience nor place to answer they are so great with thy Majestie I departed not doubting but moved of God unto a better time that God illuminate thy Majestie even to give every man audience is thou shouldst and mayst and is bound by the Law of God who are accused to the death And to certifie thy Highnesse that these are no vain words but of deed and effect here I offer me to thy Majestie to come in thy Realme again so that thy Majestie will give me audience and hear what I have for me of the Law of God and cause any Bishop or Abbot Friar or Secular which is most cunning some of them cannot reade their Mattins who are made Judges of Heresie to impugne me by the Law of God and if my part be found wrong thy Majestie being present and Judge I refuse no pain worthy or condigne for my fault And if that I convince them by the Law of God and that they have nothing to lay to my charge but the law of man and their own inventions to uphold their own glory and pridefull life and daily scourging of thy poor subjects I refer my self to thy Majestie as Judge Whether he hath the victory that holds him at the Law of God which cannot fail or be false or they that holds them at the Law of man which is very oft plain contrary and against the Law of God and therefore of necessity false and full of lies For all things that is contrary to the veritie which is Christ and his Law is of
necessity a lie And to witnesse that this comes of all my heart I shall remain at Berwike while I get thy Majesties answer and shall without fail return having thy hand write that I may have audience place to speak No more I desire of thee whereof if I had been sure I should never have departed and that thou mayst know the truth thereof if fear of the justnesse of my Cause or dread of persecution for the same had moved me to depart I could not so pleasantly revert onely distrust was the cause of my departing Pardon me to say that which lieth to thy Majesties charge Thou art bound by the Law of God suppose they falsly lie saying it pertaineth not to thy Majestie to intermeddle with such matters to cause every man in any case accused of his life to have their just defence their accusers produced conform to their own law They blinde thy Matie eyes that knows nothing of thy law but if I prove not this out of their own law I offer me to the death Thy Matie therefore by experience may daily learn seeing they neither fear the King of Heaven as their lives testifie neither thee their Naturall Prince as their usurped power in their actions shews why thy Highnes should be no longer blinded Thou maist consider that they pretend nothing else but onely the maintenance and upholding of their barded mules augmenting of their insatiable avarice and continuall overthrowing and swallowing up thy poore subjects neither preaching nor teaching out of the Law of God as they should the rude ignorant people but contend who may be most high most rich and neerest thy Majesty to put thy Temporal Lords and Lieges out of thy counsell and favour who should be and are most tender servants to thy Majesty in all time of need to the defence of thee and thy Crown And where they desire thy Majesty to to put out thy Temporal Lords and Lieges because they despise their vitious life What else intend they but onely thy death and destruction as thou maist easily perceive suppose they colour their false intent and minde with the pursuit of heresie for when thy Barons are put downe What art thou but the king of Land and not of men and then of necessity must be guided by them and there no doubt where a blinde man is guide must be a fall in the mire Therefore let thy Majesty take boldnes and authority which thou hast of God and suffer not their cruell persecution to proceed without audience given to him that is accused and just place of defence and then no doubt thou shalt have thy subjects hearts and all that they can or may do in time of need tranquility justice and policy and finally the Kingdom of the heavens May it please you to give one Copy of this to the Clergie and keep the Original and thy Majestie shall have experience if I go against one word that I have spoken I shall daily make my hearty devotion for thy Majestie and for the prosperity and welfare of thy body and soul. I doubt not but thy gracious Highnesse will give answer to this Letter unto the Presenter of it unto thy Highnesse At Berwike by thy Highnesse servant and Orator Sic subscribitur Alexander Seton This Letter was delivered to the Kings own hands and of many read but what could greatly avail where the pride and corruption of Prelats commanded what they pleased and the flattery of Courtiers fostered the unadvised Prince in all dissolutenesse by which means they made him obsequious unto them From the death of that constant Witnesse of Jesus Christ M. Patrike Hammilton God disclosing the wickednesse of the wicked as before we have heard There was one Forrest of Linlytquow taken who after long imprisonment in the said Tower of S. Andrews was adjudged to the fire by the â—aid Bishop Iames Betonne and his Doctors for no other crime but because he had a new Testament in English Further of that History we have not except that he died constantly and with great patience at S. Andrews After whose death thâ— flame of Persecution ceased till the death of M. Norman Gurlaw the space of ten yeeres or thereabout not that the bloody beasts ceased by all means to suppresse the lyght of God and to trouble such as in any sort were suspected to abhorre their corruption but because the Realme in these times was troubled with intestine and cruell warres in the which much blood was shed first at Melrosse betwixt the Dowglas and Balclench in the yeere of God 1526. the 24. day of July Next at Lynlythcow betwixt the Hamiltons and the Earle of Lenox who was sisters son to the Earle of Arran where the said Earle with many others lost his life the thirteenth day of September in the same yeere And last betwixt the King himself and the foresaid Dowglas whom he banished the Realme and held him in exile during his whole dayes By reason of these we say and of other troubles the Bishops and their bloody bands could not finde the time so favourable unto them as they required to execute their Tyrannie In this middle time so did the wisedome of God provide that Henry the eight King of England did abolish from his Realme the name and authority of the Pope of Rome commanded the Bible to be read in English suppressed the Abbeys and other places of Idolatry with their Idols which gave great hope to divers Realmes that some godly Reformation should thereof have ensued And therefore from this our Countrey did divers learned men and others that lived in feare of Persecution repaire to that Realme where albeit they found not such purity as they wished and therefore divers of them sought other countreys yet they escaped the tyrannie of mercilesse men and were reserved to better times that they might fructifie within his Church in divers places and parts and in divers vocations Alexander Setonne remained in England and publikely with great praise and comfort of many taught the Gospel in all sincerity certain yeers And albeit the craftinesse of Gardner Bishop of Winchester and of others circumvented the said Alexander so that they caused him at Pauls Crosse to affirme certaine things that repugned to his former Doctrine yet it is no doubt but that God potently had assisted him in all his life and that also in his death which shortly after followed he found the mercy of his God whereupon he ever exhorted all men to depend Alexander Alaesius Master Iohn Fyfe and that famous man Doctor Machabeus departed unto Dutchland where by Gods providence they were distributed to severall places Makdowell for his singular prudence besides his Learning and Godlinesse was elected borrow-Master in one of their steads Alaesius was appointed to the Universitie of Lipsia and so was Master Iohn Fyfe where for their honest behaviour and great erudition they were holden in admiration with all the
Queene and the faction of France ever excepted that solemnely in the Abbey of Hallyrud-house was the Contract of Marriage made betwixt the persons aforesaid together with all the Clauses and Conditions requisite for the faithfull observation thereof read in publike audience subscribed sealed approoved and allowed of the Governour for his part Nobilitie and Lords for their parts and that nothing should lacke that might fortifie the matter was Christs Body sacred as Papists terme it broken betwixt the said Governour and M. Saidlar Ambassadour and received of them both as a signe and token of the unitie of their mindes immediately to keepe that contract in all points as they looked of Christ Jesus to be saved and after to be reputed men unworthy of credit before the world The Papists raged against the Governour and against the Lords that had consented and abode fast to the Contract and to confound all as after follows But upon the returning of the aforesaid Ambassadours from England pacification was made for that time for by the judgements of eight persons for either partie chosen to judge whether that any thing was done by the said Ambassadours in the Contracting of that Marriage which to do they had not sufficient power from the Counsell and Parliament It was found that all things were done according to their Commission and that so they should stand And so were the Seales of England and Scotland interchanged Master Iames Fowles then Clerke of the Register received the great Seale of England And Master Saidlare received the great Seale of Scotland The heads of the Contract we passe by These things newly ratified the Merchants made preparation to Saile and to their Traffique which by the troubles of Warres had some yeeres been hindered From Edinburgh were fraughted twelve Ships richly laden according to the wares in Scotland From other Townes and Ports departed other who all arrived upon the coasts of England toward the South to wit in Yarmouth and without any great necessity entred not onely Roads but also within Ports and places of commandment and where that Ships might be arrested And because of the late contracted amitie and gentle entertainement that they found at the first they made no great dispatch But being as they supposed in security in merrinesse they spent the time abiding upon the winde In this meane time arrived from France to Scotland the Abbot of Paislay called now of late Iohn Hamilton bastard brother to the Governour whom yet many esteemed sonne to the old Bishop of Dunikelden called Crichton and with him M. David Panter who after was made Bishop of Rosse The brute of the learning of these two and their honest life and of their fervencie and uprightnesse in Religion was such that great hope there was that their presence should be comfortable to the Church of God For it was constantly affirmed of some that without delay the one or the other would go to the Pulpit and truely Preach Jesus Christ. But few dayes disclosed their hypocrisie For what terrours what promises or what enchaunting boxes they brought from France the common people knew not But shortly after it was seene that Frier Guilliamâ— was inhibited to Preach and so departed into England Iohn Rough to Kylle a receptacle of Gods servants of old The men of counsell judgement and godlinesse that had travailed to promote the Governour and that gave him faithfull counsell in all doubtfull matters were either craftily conveyed from him or else by threatning to be hanged were compelled to leave him Of the one number was the Laird of Grange aforesaid M. Henry Balneves M. Thomas Ballenden and Sir David Lindesay of the Mount Men by whose labours he was promoted to honour and by whose councell he so used himselfe at the beginning that the obedience given to him was nothing inferiour to that obedience that any King of Scotland of many yeeres had before him yea in this it did surmount the common obedience in that it proceeded from love of those vertues that was supposed to have beene in him Of the number of these that were threatned were M. Michael Durham M. David Borthinke David Forresse and David Bothwell who counselled him to have in company with him men fearing God and not to nourish wicked men in their iniquity albeit they were called his friends and were of his surname This counsell understood by the aforesaid Abbot and by the Hamiltons who then repaired to the Court as Ravens to the Carrion in plaine words it was said My Lord Governour nor his friends will never be at quietnesse till a dozen of these knaves that abuse his Grace be hanged These words were spoken in his own presence and in the presence of some of them that had better deserved then to have beene so used the speaker was allowed for his plain and bold speaking And so the wicked counsell followed honest and godly men left the Court and him in the hands of such as by their wicked counsell led him so far from God that he falsified his promise dipt his hands in the blood of the Saints of God and brought this Common-wealth to the very point of utter ruine And these were the first fruits of the Abbot of Paislay his counterfeit Godlinesse and Learning But hereof we will heare more All honest and godly men banished from the Court the Abbot and his counsell beginneth to lay before the inconstant Governour the dangers that might ensue the alteration and change of Religion The power of the King of France the commodity that might come to him and his house by retaining the ancient League with France and the great danger that he brought upon himselfe if in one jote he suffereth the authority of the Pope to be violated or called in doubt within this Realme Considering that thereupon onely stood the security of his pretended right to the succession of the Crowne of this Realme For by Gods word could not be good the divorcement of his father from Eliz. Hume sister to the Lord Hume his lawfull wife and consequently his marriage with Beton Neece to Iames Beton Bishop of S. Andrews Elizabeth Hume being alive must be null and he declared Bastard Caiphas spake Prophesie and yet wist not what he spake For at that time there was hardly any man that truely feared God that minded any such thing but with their whole force would have fortified him in the place that God had given unto him and would never have called in question things done in time of darknesse But this head we passe by till God declare his will therein Another practise was used As for the Cardinall he being set at libertie as before we have heard ceased not to traffique with such of the Nobility as he might draw to his faction or corrupt by any meanes to raise a partie against the said Governour and against such as stood fast at the Contract of Marriage and Peace with England And so assembled at Lynlytquow
and hit him so spitefully with the Popes thunder that the ignorant people dreaded lest the earth then would have swallowed him up quick Notwithstanding he stood still with great patience hearing their sayings not once moving or changing his countenance When that this fat sow had read thorowout all his lying menaces his face running down with sweat and froathing at the mouth like a boare He spate at M. Georges face saying What answers thou to these sayings Thou runagate traitour theefe which we have duely proved by sufficient witnesse against thee Master George hearing this sate downe upon his knees in the Pulpit making his prayer to God When he had ended his Prayer sweetly and Christianly he answered unto them all in this manner Master George his ORATION MAny and horrible sayings unto me a Christian man many words abominable for to heare have ye spoken here this day which not onely to teach but also to thinke I thought it ever great abomination Wherefore I pray your discretions quietly to heare me that ye may know what were my Sayings and the manner of my Doctrine This my Petition my Lords I desire to be heard for three causes The first is Because through preaching of the Word of God his glory is made manifest It is reasonable therefore for the advancing of the glory of God that ye heare me teaching truely the pure and sincere Word of God without any dissimulation The second reason is Because that your health springeth of the Word of God for he worketh all things by his Word It were therefore an unrighteous thing if ye should stop your eares from me teaching truely the Word of God The third reason is Because your Doctrine speaketh forth many pestilentious blasphemous and abominable words not coming by the inspiration of God but of the devill on no lesse perill than my life It is just therefore and reasonable for your discretions to know what my words and Doctrine are and what I have ever taught in my time in this Realme that I perish not unjustly to the great perils of your selves Wherefore both for the glory of God your owne health and safeguard of my life I beseech your discretions to heare me and in the meane time I shall recite my Doctrine without any colour First and chiefly since the time that I came into this Realme I taught nothing but the ten Commandments of God the twelve Articles of the Faith and the Prayer of the Lord in the mother Tongue Moreover in Dundie I taught the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Romanes And I shall shew your discretions faithfully what fashion and-manner I used when I taught without any humane dread So that your discretions give me your eares benevolent and attentive Suddenly then with a loud voyce cryed the accuser the fat sow Thou Hereticke Runnagate Traytor and Thief It was not lawfull for thee to preach thou hast taken the power at thine owne hand without any authority of the Church We forthinke that thou hast been a Preacher so long Then said the whole Congregation of the Prelats with their complices these words If we give him license to Preach he is so crafty and in holy Scriptures so exercised that he will perswade the people to his opinion and raise them against us M. George seeing their malicious and wicked intent appealed to an indifferent and equall Judge To whom the accuser Iohn Lawder aforesaid with hoggish voyce answered Is not my Lord Cardinall the second person within this Realme Chancellor of Scotland Archbishop of Saint Andrewes Bishop of Merepose Commendator of Arbroth Legatus natus Legatus a Latere And so reciting as many Titles of his unworthy Honours as would have laden a Ship much sooner an Asse Is not he quoth Iohn Lawder an equall JUDGE apparently to thee Whom other desirest thou to be thy JUDGE To whom this humble man answered saying I refuse not my Lord Cardinall but I desire the Word of God to be my Iudge the Temporall estate with some of your Lordships mine auditors because I am here my Lord Governours prisoner Whereupon the pridefull and scornfull people that stood by mocked him saying Such man such Iudge speaking seditious and reproachfull words against the Governour and other of the Nobles meaning them also to be hereticks And incontinent without all delay they would have given sentence upon M. George and that without further Processe had not certain men there councelled my Lord Cardinall to reade againe the Articles and to heare his answers thereupon that the people might not complaine of his wrongfull condemnation And shortly for to declare These were the Articles following with his Answers as far they would give him leave to speak For when he intended to mitigate their leasings and shew the manner of his Doctrine by and by they stopped his mouth with another Article The first Article Thou false Hereticke Runnagate Traytor and Thief Deceiver of the people despisest the Church and in like case contemnes my Lord Governours Authority And this we know of surety That when thou preachedst in Dundie and was charged by my Lord Governours Authority to desist neverthelesse thou wouldest not obey but persevered in the same And therefore the Bishop of Breachen cursed thee and delivered thee into the Devils hand and gave thee then Commandment That thou shouldest preach no more yet notwithstanding thou didst continue obstinately The Answer My Lords I have read in the Acts of the Apostles That it is not lawfull for the threats and menaces of men to desist from the preaching of the Gospel Therefore it is written We shall rather obey God than men I have also read the Prophet Malachie I shall curse your blessings and blesse your cursings saith the Lord. Believing firmly That he would turn your cursings into blessings The second Article Thou false heretick didst say That a Priest standing at the Altar saying Masse was like a Fox wagging his taile in July The Answer My Lords I said not so These were my sayings The moving of the body outward without inward moving of the heart is nought else but the playing of an Ape and not the true serving of God For God is a secret searcher of mens hearts Therefore who will truely adore and honour God he must in spirit and verity honour him Then the accuser stopped his mouth with another Article The third Article Thou false hereticke Preachest against the Sacraments saying That there are not seven Sacraments The Answer My Lords It is not so by your pleasures I taught never of the number of the Sacraments whether there were seven or eleven so many as are instituted by Christ and are showne to us by the Gospel I professe openly Except it be the Word of God I dare affirme nothing The fourth Article Thou false hereticke hast openly taught That Auricular Confession is not a blessed Sacrament and thou saist That we should onely confesse us to God and to no Priest The Answer My Lords I say
is vain and to the dead is Idolatry 8. There is no Bishop except he Preach even by himselfe without any Substitute 9. The Tythes by Gods Law do not appertain of necessity to the Church-men The strangenesse said the Sub-Prior of these Articles which are gathered forth of your Doctrine have moved us to call for you to hear your own answers Iohn Knox said I for my part praise my God that I see so honourable and apparantly so modest and quiet an Auditory But because it is long since that I have heard that ye are one that is not ignorant of the Trueth I may crave of you in the Name of God yea and I appeal your conscience before that supreme Judge That if ye think any Article there expressed contrary unto the Truth of God That ye oppose your self plainely unto it and suffer not the people to be therewith deceived But on the other side if in your conscience ye know the Doctrine to be true then will I crave your Patrocinie thereto That by your authority the people may be moved the rather to beleeve the Truth whereof many doubts by reason of your thoughts The Sub-Prior answered I came not here as a Judge but onely familiarly to talke and therefore I will neither allow nor condemne But if ye list I will reason The Sub-Prior Why may not the Church said he for good causes devise Ceremonies to decore the Sacraments and other Gods Service Iohn Knox. Because the Church ought to do nothing but in Faith and ought not to go before but is bound to follow the voice of the true Pastor The Sub-Prior It is in Faith that the Ceremonies are commanded and they have proper significations to help our Faith as the hards in Baptisme signifie the roughnesse of the Law and the oyle the softnesse of Gods mercy and likewise every one of the Ceremonies hath a godly signification and therefore they both proceed from Faith and are done in Faith Iohn Knox. It is not enough that man invent a Ceremony and then give it a signification according to his pleasure For so might the Ceremonies of the Gentiles and this day the Ceremonies of Mahomet be maintained But if that any thing proceed from Faith it must have the Word of God for its assurance For ye are not ignorant That Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Now if that ye will prove that your Ceremonies proceed from Faith and do please God ye must prove that God in expresse words hath commanded them Or else shall you never prove that they proceed from Faith nor yet that they please God but that they are sinne and do displease him according to the words of the Apostle Whatsoever is not of Faith is sinne The Sub-Prior Will ye binde us so straight that we may do nothing without the expresse Word of God What and I ask drink Think ye that I sinne and yet I have not Gods Word for me This answer gave he as might appear to shift over the Argument upon the Frier as that he did Iohn Knox. I would ye should not jest in so grave a matter neither would I that ye should begin to hide the Trueth with Sophistrie and if ye do I will defend it the best that I can And first to your drinking I say that if ye either eat or drink without assurance of Gods Word that in so doing ye displease God and sinne in your very eating and drinking For saith not the Apostle speaking even of meat and drink That the creatures are sanctified unto men even by word and prayer The word is this All things are cleane to the cleane Now let me hear this much of your Ceremonies and I shall give you the Argument but I wonder that they compare things prophane and holy things so indiscreetly together The Question was not nor is not of meat or drink whereinto the Kingdom of God consisteth not But the Question is of Gods true worshipping without the which we can have no societie with God And here it is doubted if we may take the same freedom in the using of Christs Sacraments that we may do in eating and drinking One meat I may eat another I may refuse and that without scruple of conscience I may change one with another even as oft as I please Whether may we cast away what we please and retaine what we please If I be well remembred Moses in the Name of God saith to the people of Israel All that the Lord thy God commandeth thee to do that do thou to the Lord thy God adde nothing to it diminish nothing from it By these rules think I that the Church of Christ will measure Gods Religion and not by that which seems good in their own eyes The Sub-Prior Forgive me I spake it but in mowes and I was dry And now father said he to the Frier follow the argument ye have heard what I have said and what is answered to me againe Arbugkill gray-Frier I shall prove plainely that Ceremonies are ordained by God Iohn Knox. Such as God hath ordained we allow and with reverence we use them But the question is of those that God hath ordained such as in Baptisme are spittle salt candle except it be to keep the barne from the cold hardes oyle and the rest of the Papisticall inventions Arbugkill I will even prove those that ye damne to be ordained of God Iohn Knox. The Proofe thereof I would gladly hear Arbugkill Saith not Saint Paul that another foundation then Jesus Christ may no man lay But upon this foundation Some build gold silver and precious stones some hay stubble and wood The gold silver and the precious stones are the Ceremonies of the Church which do abide the fire and consumeth not away c. This place of Scripture is most plaine sayeth the foolish fiend Iohn Knox. I praise my God through Jesus Christ for I finde his promise sure true and stable Christ Jesus bids us not fear when we shall be called before men to give confession of his Trueth for he promiseth that it shall be given unto us in that houre what we shall speak If I had sought the whole Scriptures I could not have produced a place more proper for my purpose nor more potent to confound you Now to your Argument The Ceremonies of the Church say ye are gold silver and precious stones because they are able to abide the fire But I would learne of you What fire is it which your Ceremonies do abide And in the mean time while ye be advised to answer I will shew my minde and make an Argument against yours upon the same Text. And first I say that I have heard this Text adduced for a proofe of Purgatory but for defence of Ceremonies I never heard nor yet read it But omitting whether ye understand the minde of the Apostle or not I make my Argument and say That which can abide the fire can abide the Word of God But
vertuous men and just be maintained But the corrupt person placed in this Authority may offend and most commonly doth contrary to this Authority and is then the corruption of man to be followed by reason that it is clothed with the name of Authority Or shall those that obey the wicked commandment of those that are placed in Authority be excusable before God Not so not so but the plagues and vengeances of God taken upon Kings their servants and subjects do witnesse to us the plain contrary Pharaoh was a King and had his Authority of God who commanded his subjects to murther and torment the Israelites and at last most cruelly to persecute their lives But was their obedience blinde rage it should be called excusable before God the Universall plague doth plainly declare That the wicked Commander and those that obeyed were alike guilty before God And if the example of Pharaoh shall be rejected because he was an Ethnicke then let us consider the facts of Saul He was a King anoynted of God appointed to raign over his people he commanded to persecute David because as he alleadged David was a Traytor and Usurper of the Crowne And likewise commanded Ahimeleck the High Priest and his fellows to be slaine But did God approve any part of this obedience evident it is That he did not And think ye that God will approve in you that which he did condemne in others be not deceived with God there is no such partiality If ye obey the unjust commandments of wicked Rulers ye shall suffer Gods vengeance and just punishment with them And therefore as ye tender your owne salvation we most earnestly require of you moderation and that ye stay your selves and the fury of others from persecuting of us till our cause be tried in open and lawfull Judgement And now to you who are perswaded of the justice of our cause who sometimes have professed Christ Jesus with us and who also have exhorted us to this enterprise and yet have left us in our extreme necessity at least looke out thorow your fingers in this our trouble as that the matter appertained not unto you we say That unlesse all fear and worldly respects set aside ye joyn your selves with us that as of God ye are reputed Traytors so shall ye be excommunicated from our Society and from all participation with us in the Administration of Sacraments the glory of this Victory which God shall give to his Church yea even in the eyes of men shall not appertain to you but the fearful judgement which apprehended Ananias and his wife Saphira shall apprehend you and your posterity Ye may perchance contemn and despise the Excōmunication of the Church now by Gods mighty power erected amongst us as a thing of no force But yet doubt we nothing but that our Church and the true Ministers of the same have the same power which our Master Christ Jesus granted to his Apostles in these words Whose sins ye shall forgive shall be forgiven and whose sins ye shall retain shall be retained and that because they preach and we believe the same Doctrine which is contained in his most blessed Word and therefore except that ye will contemne Christ Jesus ye neither can despise our threatning neither yet refuse us calling for your just defence By your fainting and by extracting of your support the enemies are encouraged thinking that they shall finde no resistance in which point God willing they shall be deceived for if they were ten thousand and we but one thousand they shall not murther the least of our brethren but we God assisting us shall first commit our lives into the hands of God for their defence But this shall aggravate your condemnation for ye declare your selves both Traytors to the Truth once professed and murtherers of us and of our brethren from whom ye withdraw your dutifull and promised support whom your onely presence to mans judgement might preserve from this danger For our enemies look not to the power of God but to the force and strength of man when the number is mean to resist them then rage they as bloody wolves but a part equall or able to resist them by appearance doth bridle their fury Examine your owne consciences and weigh that Sentence of our Master Christ Jesus saying Whosoever denieth me or is ashamed of me before men I shall deny him before my Father Now is the day of his Battell in this Realm if ye deny us your brethren suffering for his Names sake ye do also deny him as himselfe doth witnesse in these words Whatsoever ye did to any of these little ones that ye did to me and what ye did not to one of these little ones that ye did not to me If these sentences be true as concerning meat drink cloathing and such things a appertain to the body shall they not be likewise true in these things that appertain to the preservation of the lives of thousands whose blood is now sought for profession of Christ Jesus And thus shortly we leave you who sometimes have professed Christ Jesus with us to the examination of your own consciences And yet once again of you who blinded by superstition persecute us We require moderation till our cause may be tried which if ye will not grant unto us for Gods Cause yet we desire you to have respect to the preservation of your common Countrey which we can no sooner betray into the hands of strangers then that one of us destroy and murther another Consider our Petitions and call for the spirit of righteous judgement These our Letters being divulgate some began to reason Whether in conscience they might invade us or not considering that we offred due obedience to the Authority requiring nothing but liberty of conscience and our Religion and fact to be tried by the Word of God Our Letters came with convenient expedition to the hands of our brethren in Cuninghame and Kyle who assembled at the Church of Craggie where after some contrarious reasons Alexander Earle of Glencarne in zeal burst forth in these words Let every man serve his conscience I will by Gods grace see my brethren in S. Johnston Yea albeit never man should accompany me yet I will go and if it were but a Pike upon my shoulder for I had rather die with that company then live after them These words so encouraged the rest that all decreed to go forward as that they did so stoutly that when the Lion Herault in his coat of Arms commanded all men under pain of treason to return to their houses by publike sound of trumpet in Glasgow never man obeyed that charge but all went forward as we shall after heare When it was clearly understood that the Prelates and their adherents suppressing our Petitions so far as in them lay did kindle the furie of all men against us it was thought expedient to write unto them some
our Countrey without our counsell knowledge and consent We dispute not so much whether the bringing in of moe French-men be violating of the appointment which the Queen and her faction cannot deny to be manifestly broken by them in moe causes then one as that we would know if that the heaping of strangers upon strangers above us without our counsell or consent be a thing that may stand with the Liberty of our Realme and with the profit of our Common-wealth It is not unknown to all men of judgement That the fruits of our Countrey in the most common yeers be no more then sufficient reasonable to nourish the born inhabitants of the same But now seeing we have been vexed with wars taken upon us at the pleasure of France by the which the most fruitfull portion of our Countrey in Corne hath been wasted What man is so blinde but that he may see That such bands of ungodly and idle Souldiers can be nothing else but an occasion to famish our poore brethren And in this point we refuse not which is the chiefe the judgement of all naturall Scottish-men The Queen Regent alleadged That although there was an hundred French-men for one that is in Scotland yet she is not minded to trouble any unjust possession Whereto we answer That we dispute not what she intended which neverthelesse by probable conjectures it is to be suspected but alwayes we affirm that such a multitude of French-men is a burden not onely unprofitable but also intolerable to this poor Realme especially being treated as they are by her and Monsieur Dosell For if their wages be paid out of France then are they both the Queen we say and Monsieur Dosell traytors to the King and Counsell for the poor Commons of this Realme have sustained them with the sweat of their brows since the contracting of the Peace and somewhat before What motherly affection she hath declared to this Realm and to the inhabitants of the same her works have evidently declared even since the first hour that she hath borne Authority And albeit men will not this day see what danger hangs over our heads yet fear we that ere it be long experience shall teach some that we have not feared without cause The cruell murther and oppression used by those whom now she fostereth is to us a sufficient argument what is to be looked for when her number is so multiplied that our force shall not be able to gainstand their tyranny Where she complaineth of our Preachers affirming that unreverently they speak of Princes in generall and of her in particular inducing the people thereby to defection from their duty c. And therefore that such a thing cannot be suffered Because this occasion is laid against Gods true Ministers we cannot but witnesse what course and order of Doctrine they have kept and yet keep in that point In publike prayers they recommend to God all Princes in generall and the Magistrates of this our native Realme in particular In open audience they declare the Authority of Princes and Magistrates to be of God and therefore they affirm that they ought to be honoured feared and obeyed even for conscience sake provided that they command nor require nothing expresly repugning to Gods Commandment and plain Will revealed in his holy Word Moreover they affirm That if wicked persons abusing the Authority established by God move Princes to command things manifestly wicked That such as can and do bridle those inordinate appetites of misled Princes cannot be accused as resistaries of the Authority which is Gods good Ordinance To bridle the rage and fury of misled Princes in free Kingdoms and Realms they affirm it appertaineth to the Nobility sworn and borne Councellors of the same and also to the Barons and people whose votes and consents are to be required in all great and weighty matters of the Common-wealth which if they do not they declare themselves criminall with their misled Princes and so subject to the same vengeance of God which they deserve for that they pollute the seat of Iustice and do as it were make God author of Iniquity They proclaim and cry That the same God who plagued Pharaoh repulsed Sennacherib struck Herod with worms and made the bellies of dogs the grave and sepulcher of the spitefull Jesabell will not spare misled Princes who authorize the murtherers of Christs members in this our time On this manner they speak of Princes in generall and of your Majesty in particular This onely we have heard one of our Preachers say rebuking the vain excuses of such as flatter themselves by reason of Authority Many now adayes said he will have no other Religion nor faith then the Queen and Authority had But is it not possible that the Queen be so far blinded that she will have no Religion nor no other faith then may content the Cardinall of Loraine And may it not likewise be true that the Cardinall is so corrupt that he will admit no Religion which doth not establish the Pope in his kingdome But plain it is That the Pope is Lieutenant to Sathan and enemy to Christ Iesus and to his perfect Religion Let men therefore consider what danger they stand in if their salvation shall depend upon the Queens faith and Religion Further we never heard any of our Preachers speak of the Queen Regent neither publikely nor privately Where her Majestie declareth It will not be suffered that our Prerchers meddle with Policy or speak of her or of other Princes but with reverence we answer That as we will justifie and defend nothing in our Preachers which we finde not God to have justified and allowed in his Messengers before them so we dare not forbid them openly to reprehend that which the Spirit of God speaking in the Prophets and Apostles hath reprehended before them Helias did personally reprove Achab and Jesabell of idolatry of avarice of murther and such like Esaias the Prophet called the Magistrates of Jerusalem in his time companions to thieves Princes of Sodome bribe-takers and murtherers he complained that their silver was turned into drosse That their wine was mingled with water and that Iustice was bought and sold. Jeremie saith That the bones of King Jehoiakim should wither with the Sun Christ Iesus called Herod a Fox and Paul calleth the high Priest a painted wall and prayeth unto God that he should strike him because that against justice he commanded him to be smitten Now if the like and greater corruptions be in the world this day Who dare enterprise to put to silence the Spirit of God which will not be subject to the appetites of misled Princes We have said before That the tenth of September was appointed for a convention to be holden at Sterlin to the which repaired the most part of the Lords of the Congregation At that same time arrived the Earle of Arran who after he had saluted his father came with the
and Customes of this Realm seeing it was begun and yet continueth without any advice and consent of the Nobility and Counsell of this Realm Wherefore now as oft before according unto our duty to our Common-wealth we most humbly require your Majestie to cause your Strangers and Souldiers whatsoever to depart the said Town of Lieth and make the same patent not onely to the inhabitants but also to all Scottish men our Soveraign Ladies Leiges assuring your Highnesse That if refusing the same ye declare thereby your evil minde towards the Common-wealth and Liberty of this Realm we will as before move and declare the causes unto the whole Nobility and Commonalty of this Realm And according to the oath which we had sworn for the maintenance of the Common-weale in all manner of things to us possible we will provide remedy therefore requiring most humbly your Majesties answer in haste with the Bearer because in our eyes the act continually proceeds declaring your determination of conquest which is presumed of all men and not without cause And thus after our commendation of service we pray Almighty God to have your Majesty in his eternall tuition These our Letters received our Messenger was threatned and withholden a whole day thereafter he was dismissed without any other answer But that she would send an answer when she thought expedient In this mean time because the rumour ceased not that the Duke usurped the authority he was compelled with the sound of trumpet at the Market-Crosse of Edinburgh to make his Purgation as followeth the 19 of October The Purgation of the Duke FOrasmuch as the Duke of Chatellarault understanding the false report made by these about the Queen Regent against him That he and his son the Lord Arrane should pretend usurpation of the Crown and authority of this Realm when in very deed he nor his said son never once hath made any shew of any such thing but onely in simplicity of heart moved parly by the violent pursuit against Religion and true Professours thereof partly by compassion of the Common-wealth and poore Commonalty of this Realme oppressed with strangers he joyned himselfe to the rest of the Nobility with all hazard to support the common Cause of the one of the other and hath thought expedient to purge himselfe and his said son in presence of you all as he had done in presence of the counsell of that said crime of old even by Summons laid to his charge the second yeere of the Reigne of our Soveraigne Ladie Which accusation hath continued ever against him as guilty of that crime he therefore now openly and plainly Protesteth That neither he nor his said son sues nor seeks any preeminence either to the Crown or authority but as far as his puissance may extend is ready and ever shall be and his son also to concurre with the rest of the Nobility his brethren and all others whose hearts are touched to maintain the common causes of Religion and Liberty of their native Countrey plainly invaded by the said Regent and her said Souldiers who onely do forge such vain reports to withdraw the hearts of true Scottish-men from the succour they owe of bounden dutie to their Common-weale oppressed Wherefore exhorting all men that will maintain the true Religion of God or withstand this oppression or plain conquest enterprised by strangers upon our native Scottish-men not to credit such false and untrue reports But rather concurre with us and the rest of the Nobility to set our Countrey at liberty expelling strangers therefrom which doing ye shall shew your selves obedient to the ordinance of God which was established for maintenance of the Common-weale and true members of the same The 21 of Octob. came from the Queen Regent M. Robert Forman Lion King of Arms who brought unto us a Writing in this Tenor and Credit AFter commendations We have received your Letter of Edinburgh the 19 of this instant which appeareth to us rather to have come from a Prince to his Subjects then from Subjects to them that beare authority For answer whereof we have presently directed unto you this Bearer Lion Herald King of Arms sufficiently instructed with our minde to whom ye shall give credence At Leith Octob. 21. 1559. Sic subscribitur Mary R. His Credit is this THat the Queen wonders how any durst presume to command her in that Realm which needeth not to be Conquest by any force considering that it was already Conquest by Marriage That French-men could not justly be called strangers seeing that they were Naturalized and therefore that she would neither make that Town patent neither yet send any man away but as she thought expedient She accused the Duke of violating his promise She made long Protestation of her love towards the Common-wealth of Scotland and in the end commanded That under the pain of Treason all assistaries to the Duke and unto us should depart from the Town of Edinburgh This answer received credit heard preconceived malice sufficiently espied consultation was taken what was expedient to be done And for the first it was concluded That the Herald should be stayed till further determination should be taken The whole Nobility Barons and Burgesses then present were commanded to convene in the Tolbuith of Edinburgh the same one and twentieth day of October for deliberation of those matters where the whole cause being exposed by the Lord Ruthuen the question was propounded Whether she that so contemptuously refused the most humble request of the borne Councellors of the Realme being also but a Regent whose pretences threatned the bondage of the whole Common-wealth ought to be suffered so tyrannically to domineer over them And because that this question had not been before disputed in open assembly it was thought expedient that the judgement of the Preachers should be required who being instructed in the case Iohn Willock who before had sustained the burthen of the Church in Edinburgh commanded to speak made discourse as followeth Affirming first That albeit Magistrates be Gods Ordinance having of him Power and Authority yet is not their Power so largely extended but that it is bounded and limited by God in his Word And secondarily That as subjects are commanded to obey their magistrates so are the Magistrates commanded to give some duty to their subjects so that God by his Word hath prescribed the Office of the one and of the other Thirdly That albeit God hath appointed Magistrates his Lieutenants on earth and hath honoured them with his own Title calling them Gods That yet he did never so firmly establish any but at his pleasure he seeing just cause might deprive them Fourthly That in deposing of Princes and those that have been in Authority God did not alwayes use his immediate power but sometimes he useth second means which his wisedome thought good and Justice approved As by Asa he removed Maacha his owne mother from Honour and Authority which before she had
one Citie For the bodily presence of Kings can no more be in divers cities at one instant then that they can be in divers Realms Hitherto we have understood that wheresoever the great Councellers of the King with his power and Commission are assembled to do any thing at his just commandment That there is the Kings sufficient presence and authority wheresoever his own body be living at freedome and liberty which if the Papists deny we will finde faults with them and with the Princes whom they have abused that more will annoy them then any thing that we can lose by the insufficiencie of that Parliament Which neverthelesse we are bold to affirme to have been more lawfull and more free then any Parliament that they are able to produce this hundred yeeres before it or yet any that hath ensued since it was he meanes untill 1566. when this Book was written for in it the voices of men were free and given in conscience in others they were bought or given at the devotion of the misled Prince All things in it concluded are able to abide the triall and not to be consumed at the proofe of the fire of others the godly may justly call in doubt things determined To the Sword and Scepter nor yet to the absence of some Lords we answer nothing For our adversaries know well enough that the one is rather a pompe and vaine-glorious ceremonie then a substantiall point of necessitie required to a lawfull Parliament And the absence of some prejudges not the powers of the present duely assembled Providing that due advertisement be made unto them But now we return to our History The Parliament dissolved consultation was had how the Church might be established in a good and godly policie which by the Papists was altogether defaced Commission and charge was given to Master Iohn Winram Sub-priour of S. Andrews Master Iohn Spottiswood Iohn Willock Master Iohn Dowglas Rectour of S. Andrews Master Iohn Row and Iohn Knox to draw in a Volume the Policie and Discipline of the Church as well as they had done the Doctrine which they did and presented it to the Nobility who did peruse it many dayes Some approved it and willed the same to have been set forth by a Law others perceiving their carnall liberty and worldly commodity somewhat to be impared thereby grudged in so much that the name of the Book of Discipline became odious unto them Every thing that repugned to their corrupt imaginations was termed in their mockage Devout imaginations The cause we have before declared some was licentious some had greedily griped the possessions of the Church and others thought that they would not lack their part of Christs Coat yea and that before that ever he was Crucified as by the Preachers they were oft rebuked The chief great man that had professed Christ Jesus and refused to subscribe the Book of Discipline was the Lord Erskin And no wonder for besides that he had a very evill woman to his wife if the Poore the Schooles and the Ministerie of the Church had their owne his Kitchin would lack two parts and more of that which he unjustly now possesseth Assuredly some of us hath wondered how men that professe godlinesse could of so long continuance hear the threatnings of God against theeves and against their houses and knowing themselves guilty in such things as were openly rebuked and that they never had remorse of conscience neither yet intended to restore any thing of that which long they had stollen and reft There were none within the Realme more unmercifull to the poore Ministers then were they which had greatest rents of the Churches But in that we have perceived the old Proverb to be true Nothing can suffice a wretch And again The belly hath no eares Yet the same Book of Discipline was subscribed by a great part of the Nobility To wit The Duke the Earle of Arrane the Earles Argyle Glencarn Mershell Menteth Morton Rothesse Lord Iames after Earle of Murray Lords Yeaster Boyd Uchiltrie Master of Maxwell Lord Lindsay elder and the Master after Lord Barrons Drunlaurige Lothingwar Garleisse Bargany Master Alexander Gordon Bishop of Galloway this Bishop of Galloway as he renounced Popery so did he Prelacie witnesse his subscription of the Book of Discipline as the rest of the Prelats did who did joyne to the Reformation Alexander Campbell Deane of Marray with a great number moe subscribed and approved the said Book of Discipline in the Town-Buith of Edinburgh the 27 day of January the yeere of our Lord God 1560. by their approbation In these words WE which have subscribed these presents having advised with the Articles herein specified and as is above-mentioned from the beginning of this Book thinks the same good and conforme to Gods Word in all points conforme to the Notes and Additions thereto asked and promise to set the same forward at the uttermost of our powers Providing that the Bishops Abbots Priors and other Prelates and Beneficed men which else have adjoyned themselves to us brooke the revenues of their Benefices during their life times they sustaining and upholding the Ministerie and Ministers as is heerein specified for Preaching of the Word and Ministring of the Sacraments What be the contents of the whole Book and how that this promise was illuded from time to time we shall after heare Shortly after the said Parliament were sent from the Councell Ambassadours to England the Earles Morton and Glencarne together with William Maitland of Lethington yonger The chief point of their Commission was earnestly to crave the constant assistance of the Queens Majestie of England against all forraigne invasion and common enemies That same time was the Castle of Semple hard besieged and taken Because the Lord thereof disobeyed the Lawes and Ordinances of the Councell in many things and especially in that that he would maintain the Idolatrie of the Masse and also that he beset the way to the Earle of Arrane with a great gathering as he was riding with his accustomed company The Papists were proud for they looked for a new Armie from France at the next Spring and thereof was no small appearance if God had not otherwise provided For France utterly refused the confirmation of the Peace contracted at Leith would ratifie no part of our Parliament dismissed the Lord of Saint Iohn without a resolute answer began to gather new Bands of throat-cutters and to make great preparation for Ships They further sent before them certain practisers amongst whom the Lord Seaton who had departed with the French out of Leith was one to raise up new troubles within this Realme And all this came partly of the malice of the house of Guise who had avowed to revenge the displeasure of their sister both upon England and Scotland and partly by instigation of proud Beton falsly called Bishop of Glasgow of Dury Abbot of Dunfermeling and Saulles Seaton and Master Iohn Sinclair Deane of Restalrige
to the Church and triall taken That he was not married with the second woman neither that he was able to prove that he was divorced by any order of the Law from the first he was committed to the hands of the Magistrates who according to the Laws commanded him to be Carted But the rascall multitude enflamed by some ungodly Crafts-men made insurrection brake the Cart boasted and threatned the Officers and took away the malefactor This was the beginning of farther evils as we shall after hear In this mean time while Lord Iames we say was in France there came an Ambassadour from France suborned no doubt with all craft that might to trouble the state of Religion His Demands were first That the League betwixt us and England should be broken Secondly That the ancient League betwixt France and Scotland should be renewed Thirdly And that the Bishops and Church-men should be restored in their former places and be suffered to intermit with their Livings The Councell delayed answer untill the Parliament appointed in May. In the mean time the Papists of Scotland practised with him The Earls of Huntlie Atholl Bothwell and others intended to have taken Edinburgh before the said Parliament The whole Bishops assembled and held Councell in Sterlin Some whispering there was that the Duke and the Bishop of Saint Andrews were too familiar and some feared that the Authority of the Queen should have been usurped by reason of her absence and that the Duke was the second Person for thereat had some of his pressed immediately after the death of the King of France The Protestants thereof advertised prevented them and came to Edinburgh The Earle of Arran stood constant with his brethren there were some that carefully and painfully travelled that nothing prejudiciall to the Queens Authority should be done in the absence of the Lord Iames to whom the Queen hath recompenced evil for good service Master Iames Magill in that point did both stoutly and truely for Iohn Knox and he were then fallen in familiarity in which they yet continue 20 Octobris 1567. by reason that the said Master Iames had embraced the Religion and professed it publikely The Papists and Bishops disappointed of their principall enterprise did yet make broyle for trouble For the rascall multitude were stirred up to make a Robin-Hood which enormity was of many yeers left off and condemned by Stature and Act of Parliament yet would they not be forbidden but would disobey and trouble the Town especially upon the night Whereat the Bayliffs offended took from them some Swords and Ensigne which was occasion that they that same night made a mutiny kept the Gates of the Towne and intended to have pursued some men within their owne houses But that upon the restitution of their Swords and Ensigne was stayed And yet they ceased not to molest as well the Inhabitants of Edinburgh as divers Countrey-men taking from them money and threatning some with farther injuries Wherewith the Magistrates of the Town highly offended took more diligent heed to such as resorted to the Town and so apprehended one of the principall of that disorder named Balon a Shoo-maker whom they put to an Assizes and being convinced he could not be absolved for he was the chief man that spoyled Iohn Mubray of ten Crowns of the Sun they thought to have executed Judgement upon him and so erected a Gibbet beneath the Crosse. Whether it came by Paction with the Provest and some other or by instigation of the Crafts-men who ever have been bent too much to maintain such vanity and riotousnesse we fully know not but suddenly there did arise a tumult the Tolbuith was broken up and not onely the said Balon who before was condemned was violently taken forth but also all other malefactors were set at freedome the Gibbet was pulled downe and despightfully broken And thereafter as the Provest and some of the Councell assembled to the Clerks Chamber for consultation The whole rascall banded together with some knowne and honest Crafts-men and intended invasion on the said Chamber which perceived the Provest and such as were in his company past to the Tolbuith suspecting nothing that they would have been so enraged to make new pursuit after that they had obtained their intent But they were suddenly deceived for from the Castle hill they came with violence and with stones Guns and such other Weapons as they had and began to assault the said Tolbuith ran at the door of it till that partly by stones cast from above and partly by a Pistoll shot by Robert Norwell which hurt one Tuedy they were repulsed from the door But yet ceased they not to cast and shoot in at the windows threatning death to all that were within And in very deed the malice of the Crafts-men who were suspected to be the occasion of that tumult bare no good will to divers of those that were with the Provest The Arguments that the Crafts-men were the causes of that uprore besides their first disorder that they had used before in taking Sandersone from the execution of punishment are two The former Archibald Deware Patricke Shaugzie with other six Deacons came to Iohn Knox and willed him to solicite the Provest and the Towne to delay the execution Who did answer That he had so oft solicited in their favours that his own conscience accused him That they used his labours for no other end but to be a Patron to their impiety for he had before made intercession for William Harlaw Iohn Frissell and others that were convinced of the former tumult They proudly said That if it was not stayed both he and the Bayliffs should repent it Who answered He would not hurt his conscience for the fear of any man And so they departed and the tumult as said is immediately thereafter did arise The second Argument is The tumult continued from two at afternoon till after eight at night The Crafts-men were required to assemble themselves together for deliverance of the Provest but they past to their four hours penie or afternoons Pinte and in their jesting said They will be Magistrates alone let them rule the multitude alone And so contrary to the Oath which they had made they denied their assistance counsell comfort to the Provest and Bayliffs which are arguments very probable that the said tumult rose by their procurement The end thereof was That the Provest and Bayliffs were compelled to give their hands writs that they should never pursue any of those that were of that tumult for any crime that was done in that behalf And this was proclaimed at the Crosse after nine of the clock at night and so was that trouble quieted But the Nobility vowed That they would not spare it nor forget it and so a great number of that faction were absent from the Towne till the arrivall of the Queen The whole multitude were holden excommunicate and were admitted to no participation of the
that it came to the Ears of Herod that our Master Jesus Christ called him a Fox but they told him not how odious a thing it was before God to murther an Innocent as he had lately done before causing to behead Iohn the Baptist to reward the dancing of an Harlots daughter Madame if the reporters of my words had been honest men they would have reported my words and the circumstances of the same but because they would have credit in Court and wanting vertue worthy thereof they must have somewhat to please your Majestie if it were but flatteries and lies But such pleasure if any your Majestie take in such persons will returne to your everlasting displeasure for Madame if your own Ears had heard the whole matter that I treated if there be in you any spark of the Spirit of God yea of honestie and wisedome you would not justly have been offended with any thing that I spake And because you have heard their report please your Majesty to hear my self rehearse the same so near as memory will serve it was even upon the next day after that the Sermon was made My Text said he Madame was this And now O Kings understand be learned ye Iudges of the Earth After Madame said he that I had declared the dignity of Kings and Rulers the honour wherein God hath placed them the obedience that is due unto them being Gods Lieutenants I demanded this question But oh alas what account shall the most part of Princes make before that Supreme Judge whose Throne and Authoritie so manifestly and shamefully they abuse the complaint of Solomon is this day most true to wit That violence and oppression do occupie the Throne of God here in this Earth for whilest that murtherers blood-thirsty men oppressors and Malefactors dare be bold to present themselves before Kings and Princes and that the poor Saints of God are banished and exiled what shall we say but that the Devill hath taken possession in the Throne of God which ought to be fearfull to all wicked doers and a refuge to the innocent oppressed and how can it otherwise be for Princes will not understand they will not be learned as God commands them but Gods Law they despise his Statutes and Holy Ordinances they will not understand for in fidling and flinging they are more exercised than in reading or hearing Gods most blessed Word and Fidlers and Flatterers which commonly corrupt the Youth are more precious in their eyes then men of wisedome and gravitie who by wholesome admonitions may beat down in them some part of that vanity and pride wherein we all are born but in Princes take deep root and strength by evill education And of dancing Madame I said That albeit in Scriptures I found no praise of it and in prophane Writers that it is termed the gesture rather of those that are Mad and in phrensie then of sober men yet do I not utterly condemn it providing that two vices be avoyded the former That the principall Vocation of those that use that exercise be not neglected for the pleasure of Dancing Secondly That they dance not as the Philistins their Fathers for the pleasure that they take in the displeasure of Gods people for if they do these or either of them they shall receive the reward of Dancers and that will be to drink in Hell unlesse they speedily repent so shall God turne their mirth into sudden sorrow For God will not alwayes afflict his people neither will he alwayes wink at the Tyranny of Tyrants If any Madame said he will say that I spake more let him publikely accuse me for I think I have not onely touched the summe but the very words as I spake them Many that stood by did bear witnesse with him that he had recited the very words that publikely he spake The Queen looked about to some of the Reporters and said Your words are sharpe enough as you have spoken them but yet they were told me in another manner I know said she that my Uncles and you are not of one Religion and therefore I cannot blame you to have no good opinion of them but if you hear any thing of my self that mislikes you come to my self and tell me and I shall hear you Madame quoth he I am assured that your Uncles are enemies to God and unto his Son Jesus Christ and for maintenance of their own pompe and worldly glory that they spare not to spill the blood of many Innocents and therefore I am assured that these enterprises shall have no better successe than others have had that before them have done as they doe now But as to your own person Madame I would be glad to doe all that I could to your Majesties contentment providing that I exceed not the bounds of my Vocation I am called Madame to a publike function within the Church of God and appointed by God to rebuke the vices and sins of all I am not appointed to come to every man in particular to shew him his offence for that labour were infinite if your Majestie pleaseth to frequent the publike Sermons then I doubt not but that you shall fully understand both what I like and mislike as well in your Majesty as in all others Or if your Majesty will assigne unto me a certaine day and houre when it will please you to hear the form and substance of Doctrine which is proposed in publike to the Churches of this Realm I will most gladly wait upon your Majesties pleasure time and place but to come to wait upon your chamber door or elswhere and then to have no further liberty but to whisper my minde in your Majesties eare or to tell you what others think and speak of you neither will my conscience nor the vocation whereto God hath called me suffer it for albeit at your Majesties commandment I am here now yet I cannot tell what other men will judge of me that at this time of the day I am absent from my book and waiting at the Court You will not alwayes said she be at your Booke and so turned her back And the said Iohn departed with a reasonable merry countenance whereat some Papists offended said He is not afraid which heard by him he answered Why should the pleasant face of a Lady afray me I have looked in the faces of many angry men and yet have not been afraid above measure and so left he the Queen and the Court for that time In this mean time the negotiation was great betwixt the Queen of England and our Soveraigne Letters Curriours and Posts ran frequent great bruit there was of the interviewe and meeting at Yorke and some preparation was made therefore in both the Realmes but that failed upon the part of England and that by occasion of the troubles moved in France as was alleaged which caused the Queene of England and the Councill attend upon the South parts of England for
such Vocation as sometimes we have had Iohn Knox answered The time that hath been is even now before my eyes for I see the poor Flock in no lesse danger then it hath been at any time before except that the devill hath gotten a Vizard upon his face Before he came in with his own face discovered by open Tyranny seeking the destruction of all that refused Idolatry and then I think you will confesse the Brethren lawfully assembled themselves for defence of their lives And now the devill comes under the cloke of Justice to do that which God would not suffer him to do by strength What is this said the Queen methinks you trifle with him Who gave you Authority to make Convocation of my Lieges Is not that Treason No Madame said the Lord Rnthuen for he makes Convocation of the people to hear Prayer and Sermon almost dayly And what ever your Majestie or others thinke thereof we think it no Treason Hold your peace said the Queen let him answer for himself I began Madame said Iohn Knox to reason with the Secretary whom I take to be a better Dialectationer then your Majestie is That all Convocation is not lawfull And now my Lord Ruthuen hath given the instance which if your Majestie will deny I shall make my selfe ready for the proof I will say nothing said the Queen against your Religion nor against your convening to your Sermons But what Authority have you to Convocate my subjects when you will without any Commandment I have no pleasure said Iohn Knox to decline from my former purpose And yet Madame to satisfie your Majesties two questions I answer That at my will I never convened four persons in Scotland but at the Order that the Brethren hath appointed I have given divers Advertisements and great multitudes have assembled thereupon And if your Majestie complaineth That this was done without your Majesties Commandment I answer So hath all that God hath blessed within this Realme from the beginning of this action And therefore Madame I must be convinced by a just Law that I have done against the Duty of Gods Messenger in writing of this Letter before that I either be sorry or yet repent for the doing of it as my Lord Secretary would perswade me for what I have done I have done at the Commandment of the Generall Church of this Realme And therefore I thinke I have done no wrong You shall not escape so said the Queene Is it not Treason my Lords to accuse a Prince of cruelty I thinke there are Acts of Parliament to be found against such Whisperers This was granted to be true of many But wherein said Master Iohn Knox can I be accused Reade this part of your Letter said the Queene which began This fearfull Summons is directed against them to wit the Brethren aforesaid to make no doubt a preparation upon a few that a door may be opened to execute cruelty upon a greater multitude Lord said the Queen What say you to that While many doubted what the said Iohn should answer he said unto the Queen Is it lawfull for me Madame to answer for my self Or shall I be condemned before I be heard Say what you can said she for I thinke you have enough ado I will first then desire said he of your Majestie Madame and of this Honourable audience Whether if your Majestie knows not that the obstinate Papists are deadly enemies to all that professe the Evangel of Jesus Christ And that they most earnestly desire the extirpation of all them and of the true Doctrine that is taught within this Realme The Queen held her peace but all the Lords with common consent and voyce said God forbid that either the life of the faithfull or yet the staying of the Doctrine stood in the power of the Papists for just experience hath taught us what cruelty is in their hearts I must proceed then said Iohn Knox seeing that I perceive that all will grant That it were a barbarous cruelty to destroy such a multitude as professed the Evangell of Jesus Christ within this Realme which oftner then once or twice they attempted to do by force as things done of late dayes do testifie Whereof they being by Gods providence disappointed have invented more crafty and dangerous practices to wit To make the Prince party under colour of Law and so what they could not do by open force they shall performe by crafty deceit For who thinks my Lords That the insatiable cruelty of the Papists within this Realme I mean shall end in the murthering of those two now unjustly summoned and more unjustly to be accused I thinke no man of judgement can so esteem but rather the direct contrary that is By this few number they intend to prepare a way to their bloody enterprise against the whole And therefore Madame cast up when you list the Acts of your Parliaments I have offended nothing against them For I accuse not in my Letter your Majestie nor yet your nature of cruelty But I affirm yet again That the pestilent Papists who have enflamed your Majestie without cause against these poore men at this present are the sons of the devill and therefore must obey the desires of their father who hath beene a Murtherer from the beginning You forget your selfe said one you are not in the Pulpit I am in the place said the other where I am commanded in my conscience to speak the truth and therefore the truth I speak impugne it who so lists And hereunto I adde Madame that honest meeke and gentle natures in appearance by wicked and corrupt Councellors may be changed and altered to the direct contrary Example we have of Nero whom in the beginning of his Empire we finde having some naturall shame but after that his flatterers had encouraged him in all impiety alleadging that nothing was either unhonest or yet unlawfull in his Person who was Emperour above others When he had drunken of this Cup I say to what enormies he fell the Histories beare witnesse And now Madame to speak plain Papists have your Majesties ear patent at all times assure your Majestie they are dangerous Councellors and that your Mother found As this was said Lethington singled and spake secretly to the Queene in her eare What it was that the Table heard not But immediately she addressed her visage and speech to Iohn Knox and said Well you speak fair enough here before my Lords but the last time I spake with you secretly you caused me to weep many tears and said to me stubbornly Ye cared not for my weeping Madame said the other because now the second time your Majesty hath burthened me with that crime I must answer lest for my silence I be holden guilty If your Majestie be ripely remembred the Laird of Dun yet living to testifie the truth was present at that time whereof your Majesty complaineth Your Majesty accused me That I had irreverently spoken
Lethington that is the chief Head wherein we never agreed but of that we shall speak hereafter What will ye say as touching the moving of the people to have a good opinion of the Queens Majesty and as concerning obedience to be given to her Authority as also of the form of Prayer which ye commonly use My Lord saith he more earnestly to move the people or yet otherwise to pray then heretofore I have done a good conscience will not suffer me for he who knows the secrets of hearts knows That privately and publikely I have called to God for her conversion and have willed the people to do the same shewing unto them the dangerous state wherein not onely she her self stands but also the whole Realm by reason of her indurate blindnesse That is said Lethington wherein we finde the greatest fault your extremity against her Masse in particular passeth measure ye call her a slave to Sathan ye affirm that Gods vengeance hangs over the Realm by reason of her impiety And what is this else but to raise up the hearts of the poeple against her Majesty and against them that serve her Then there was heard an acclamation of the rest of the flatterers that such extremity could not profit The Master of Maxwell said in plain words If I were in the Queens Majesties place I would not suffer such things as I hear If the words of Preachers said Iohn Knox shall be alwayes wrested in the worst part then will it be hard to speak any thing so circumspectly providing that the truth be spoken which shall not escape the censure of the calumniator The most vehement as ye speak and most excessive manner of Prayer that I use in publike is this O Lord if thy good pleasure be purge the heart of the Queens Majestie from the venome of Idolatry and deliver her from the bondage and thraldom of Satan into the which she hath been brought up and yet remains for the lack of true Doctrine and let her see by the illumination of thy holy Spirit That there is no means to please thee but by Iesus Christ thy only Son and that Iesus Christ cannot be found but in thy holy Word nor yet received but as it prescribes which is To renounce our own wisedom and preconceived opinion and worship thee as it commands that in so doing she may avoid the eternall damnation which is ordained for all obstinate and impenitent to thee and that this poor Realm may also escape that plague and vengeance which inevitably followeth Idolatry maintained against thy manifest Word and the light thereof This said he is the form of common Prayer as your selves can witnesse Now what is worthy of reprehension in it I would hear There are three things in it said Lethington that never liked me and the first is Ye pray for the Queens Majesty with a condition saying Illuminate her heart if thy good pleasure be Wherein it may appear That ye doubt of her conversion Where have ye the example of such Prayer Wheresoever the examples are said the other I am assured of the Rule which is this If we shall ask any thing according to his Will he shall grant us And our Master Christ Jesus commands us to pray unto our Father Thy will be done But said Lethington Where ever finde ye any of the Prophets so to have prayed It sufficeth me said the other my Lord that the Master and Teacher both of Prophets and Apostles hath taught me so to pray But in so doing said Lethington ye put a doubt in the peoples heads of her conversion Not I said the other but her own obstinate rebellion causeth more then me to doubt of her conversion Wherein said he rebells she against God In all the actions of her life said M. Knox but in these two Heads especially The former is That she will not hear the Preaching of the blessed Evangel of Jesus Christ. 2. That she maintaineth that Idol the Masse She thinks not that rebellion said Lethington So thought they said the other that sometimes offered their children unto Molech and yet the Spirit of God affirms That they offered them unto devils and not unto God And this day the Turks think they have a better Religion then the Papists have and yet I think ye will excuse neither of both from committing rebellion against God neither yet can ye do the Queen unlesse ye will make God to be partiall But said Lethington Why pray ye not for her without moving any doubt Because said the other I have learned to pray in faith now faith ye know depends upon the Word of God and so it is that the Word teacheth me That prayer profiteth the sons and daughters of Gods Election of which number if she be one or not I have just cause to doubt and therefore I pray that God would illuminate her heart if his good pleasure be so to do But yet said Lethington ye can produce the example of none that so hath prayed before you Thereto I have already answered said Iohn Knox But yet for further declaration I will demand a question which is this Whether ye think that the Apostles prayed themselves as they commanded others to pray or not who doubts of that said the company that were present Well then said Iohn Knox I am assured that Peter said these words to Simon Magus Repent therefore of this thy wickednesse and pray God That if it be possible the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven thee Here we may cleerly see That Peter joynes a condition with his Commandment That Simon should repent and pray to wit If it were possible that his sin might be forgiven for he was not ignorant that some sinnes are unto death and so without all hope of repentance or remission And think ye not my Lord Secretary said he but that same doubt may touch my heart as touching the Queens conversion that then touched the heart of the Apostle I would never said Lethington heare you or any other call that in doubt But your will said the other is no assurance to my conscience And to speak freely My Lord I wonder if yee your self doubt not of the Queens conversion for more evident signes of Induration have appeared and do appear in her then Peter outwardly could have espyed in Simon Magus for albeit sometimes he was a Sorcerer yet joyned he with the Apostles beleeved and was baptized And albeit That the venome of Avarice remained in his heart and that he would have bought the holy Ghost yet when he heard the fearfull threatnings of God pronounced against him he trembled desired the assistance of the Prayers of the Apostles and so humbled himself so farre as the judgement of man could peirce like a true penitent and yet we see that Peter doubts of his conversion Why then may not all the godly justly doubt of the conversion of the Queen who hath used Idolatry which is also most odious
matter doe it boldly it shall never offend me But that yee shall bee found to oppose your selfe unto mee yee being perswaded in the same Trueth I say yet againe it pleaseth me not for therein may be greater inconveniency then either yee or I doe consider for the publike The said Master George answered That I will not oppose my selfe unto you as one willing to impugne or confute that Head of Doctrine which not onely yee but many others yea and my selfe have affirmed farre be it from me for so should I be found contrarious to my selfe for my Lord Secretary knows my judgement in that Head Marry said the Secretary you are in my opinion the worst of the two for I remember that your Reasoning when the Queen was in Carricke Well said Iohn Knox seeing Brother God hath made you one to fill the chaire of verity wherein I am assured we agree in all principall Heads of Doctrine Let it never be said That we agree not in disputation Iohn Knox was moved thus to speake because he understood more of the craft then the other did Well said Lethington I am somewhat better provided in this last Head then I was in the other two Master Knox said he yesterday we heard your Judgement upon the thirteenth to the Romanes we heard the minde of the Apostle well opened we heard the causes why God hath established powers upon the earth we heard of the necessitie that mankinde hath of the same and wee heard the dutie of Magistrates sufficiently declared But in two things I was offended as I thinke some other more of my Lords that were present which was Ye made difference betwixt the Ordinance of God and the persons that were placed in Authoritie And ye affirmed That men might refuse the persons and yet not offend against Gods Ordinance This is one the other yee had no time to explaine but this me thought ye meant That Subjects were not bound to obey their Princes if they command unlawfull things but that they might refuse their Princes and that they were not ever bound to suffer In very deed said the other ye have rightly both marked my words and understood my minde for of that same Judgement I have long been and yet so remaine How will ye prove your division and difference said Lethington and that the persons placed in Authoritie may be resisted and the Ordinance of God not transgressed seeing that the Apostle saith He that resisteth resisteth the Ordinance of God My Lord said he The plaine words of the Apostle makes the difference and the facts of many approved by God prove my affirmative First the Apostle affirmes That the powers are ordained of God for the preservation of quiet and peaceable men and for the punishment of malefactors whereof it is plaine That the Ordinance of God and the power given unto man is one thing and the person clad with the Authoritie is another For Gods Ordinance is the conservation of mankinde The punishment of vice and the maintenance of vertue which in it self is holy just constant stable and perpetuall but men clad with the Authoritie are commonly prophane and unjust yee they are mutable transitory and subject to corruption as God threateneth by his Prophet David saying I have said yee are gods and every one of you the sonnes of the most high but yee shall dye as man and the Princes shall fall like others Here I am assured That the persons yee soule and body are threatned with death I think that so ye will not affirm is the Authothority the Ordinance and the Power wherewith God endeued such persons for as I have said it is holy so is the permanent will of God And now my Lord that the Prince may be resisted and yet the Ordinance of God not violated It is evident that the people resisted Saul when he had sworn by the living God that Ionathan should die The people I say swore in the contrary and delivered Ionathan so that a hair of his head fell not Now Saul was the Anoynted Kiâ—g and they were his subjects and yet they resisted him that they made him no better then men sworn I doubt said Lethington That in so doing the people did well The Spirit of God said the other accuses them not of any crime but rather praises them and condemnes the King as well for his foolish vow and Law made without God as for his cruell minde that so severely would have punished an innocent man But herein will I not stand this that followeth shall confirme the former This same Saul commanded Abimelech and the Priests of the Lord to be slain because they had committed Treason as he alleadged for intercommuning with David His Guard and principall servants would not obey his unjust commandment But Doeg the flatterer put the Kings cruelty in execution I will not ask your judgement Whether that the servants of the King in not obeying his Commandment resisted the Ordinance of God or not or Whether Doeg in murthering the Priests gave obedience to a just Authority For I have the Spirit of God speaking by the mouth of David for assurance as well of the one as of the other for he in his 52. Psalme condemnes that fact as a most cruell murther and affirms That God would punish not onely the commander but also the mercilesse executer And therefore I conclude That they who gainstood his commandment resisted not the Ordinance of God And now my Lord to answer to the place of the Apostle who affirms That such as resist the Power resist the Ordinance of God I say That the power in that place is not to be understood of unjust commandment of men but of the just power wherewith God hath armed his Magistrates and Lieutenants to punish sin and maintain vertue And if any man should enterprise to take from the hands of the faithfull Judge a murtherer and adulterer or any malefactor that deserved death this same resisteth Gods Ordinance and procureth to himself vengeance and damnation because that he stayed Gods Sword from striking But so it is if men in the fear of God oppose themselves to the fury and blinde rage of Princes for so they resist not God but the devill who abuses the Sword and Authority of God I understand sufficiently said Lethington what ye mean unto the one part I will not oppose my self but I doubt of the other for if the Queen would command me to slay Iohn Knox because she is offended at him I would not obey her But if she would command others to do it or yet by colour of Justice take his life from him I cannot tell if I be bound to defend him against the Queen and her Officers With protestation said the other That the auditors think not that I speak in favour of my self I say my Lord That if ye be perswaded of my innocency and if God have given unto you such power and credit as might deliver
joyne with those that had bound themselves to stand for the Kings Authority He was very earnest with divers by reason of their old friendship but to little purpose The twentinth of August he received the Regencie after mature and ripe deliberation at the desire of the Queen and Lords that were for the King and so was publikely proclaimed Regent and Obedience shewed unto him by all that stood for the young King The end of the History of the Church of Scotland till the yeer 1567. and Moneth of August THE APPELLATION OF IOHN KNOX From the cruell and most unjust Sentence pronounced against him by the false Bishops and Clergie of Scotland With his Supplication and Exhortation to the Nobility States and Communalty of the same Realme To the Nobility and States of SCOTLAND JOHN KNOX wisheth Grace Mercy and Peace from God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ with the Spirit of righteous Iudgement IT is not onely the love of this Temporall life Right Honourable neither yet the fear of Corporal death that moveth me at this present to expose unto you the injuries done against me and to crave of you as of lawfull Powers by God appointed redresse of the same But partly it proceedeth from that reverence which every man oweth to Gods Eeternall Truth And partly from a love which I bear to your Salvation and to the Salvation of my Brethren abused in that Realme by such as have no fear of God before their eyes It hath pleased God of his infinite mercy not onely to illuminate the eyes of my minde and so to touch my dull heart that cleerly I see and by his grace unfainedly believe That there is no other name given to men under the heaven in which Salvation consisteth save the Name of JESUS alone Who by that Sacrifice which he did once offer upon the Crosse hath sanctified for ever all those that shall inherite the Kingdom promised But also it hath pleased him of his superaboundant grace to make and appoint me most wretched of many thousands a Witnesse Minister and Preacher of the same Doctrine the sum whereof I did not spare to communicate with my Brethren being with them in the Realme of Scotland in the yeer 1556 because I know my self to be a Steward and that accounts of the Talent committed to my charge shall be required of me by him who will admit no vain excuse which fearfull men pretend I did therefore as God his minister during the time I was conversant with them God is record and witnesse truely and sincerely according to the gift granted unto me divide the Word of Salvation teaching all men to hate sin which before God was and is so odious that none other Sacrifice would satisfie his Justice except the death of his onely Son and to magnifie the mercies of our heavenly Father who did not spare the substance of his own glory but did give him to the world to suffer the ignominious and cruell death of the Crosse by that means to reconcile his chosen children to himself teaching further what is the duty of such as do believe themselves purged by such a Price from their former filthinesse to wit That they are bound to walk in the newnesse of life fighting against the lusts of the flesh and studying at all times to glorifie God by such good works as he hath prepared his people to walk in In Doctrine I did further affirm so taught by my Master Christ Jesus That whosoever denieth him yea or is ashamed of him before this wicked Generation him shall Christ Jesus deny and of him shall he be ashamed when he shall appear in his Majesty And therefore I feared not to affirm That of necessity it is that such as hope for life everlasting avoid all Superstition vain Religion and Idolatry Vain Religion and Idolatry I call whatsoever is done in Gods Service or Honour without the expresse Commandment of his own Word This Doctrine I did believe to be so conformable to Gods holy Scriptures that I thought no creature could have been so impudent as to have condemned any Point or Article of the same Yet neverthelesse me as an heretick and this Doctrine as hereticall have your false Bishops and ungodly Clergie condemned pronouncing against me a Sentence of death in testification whereof they have burned a Picture From which false and cruell Sentence and from all judgement of that wicked Generation I make it known unto your Honours That I appeal to a Lawfull and Generall Councell to such I mean as the most ancient Laws and Cannons do approve to be holden by such as whose manifest impiety is not to be reformed in the same Most humbly requiring of your Honours That as God hath appointed you Princes in that People and by reason thereof requireth of your hands the defence of Innocents troubled in your Dominion in the mean time and till the controversies that this day be in Religion be lawfully decided ye receive me and such others as most unjustly by those cruell Beasts are persecuted in your defence and Protection Your Honours are not ignorant That it is not I alone who doth sustain this Cause against the pestilent Generation of Papists but that the most part of Germany the Countrey of Helvetia the King of Denmarke the Nobility of Polonia together with many other Cities and Churches Reformed appeal from the Tyrannie of that Antichrist and most earnestly call for a Lawfull and Generall Councell wherein may all Controversies in Religion be decided by the Authority of Gods most sacred Word And unto this same as said is do I appeal yet once again requiring of your Honours to hold my simple and plain Appellation of no lesse value nor effect then if it had been made with greater circumstance solemnity and ceremony and that you receive me calling unto you as to the Powers of God ordained in your protection and defence against the rage of Tyrants not to maintain me in any iniquity errour or false opinion but to let me have such equity as God by his Word ancient Laws and Determinations of most godly Councells grant to men accused or infamed The Word of God wills That no man shall die except he be found criminall and worthy of death for offence committed of which he must be manifestly convinced by two or three witnesses Ancient Law do permit just defences to snch as be accused be their crimes never so horrible And godly Councells wills That neither Bishop nor person Ecclesiasticall whatsoever accused of any crime shall sit in Judgement Consultation or Councell where the cause of such men as do accuse them is to be tried These things require I of your Honours to be granted unto me to wit That the Doctrine which our adversaries condemn for heresie may be tried by the simple and plain Word of God That just Defences be admitted to us that sustain the Battell against this
I say thus authorized by God first did excommunicate Ieremy for that he did Preach otherwise then did the common sort of Prophets in Ierusalem And last apprehended him as you have heard pronouncing against him this sentence afore-written from the which neverthelesse the Prophet appealed that is Sought helpe and defence against the same and that most earnestly did he crave of the Princes For albeit he saith I am in your hands do with me as ye think righteous he doth not contemne or neglect his life as though he regarded not what should become of him but in those his words most vehemently did he admonish the Princes and Rulers of the people giving them to understand what God should require of them as if he should say Ye Princes of Iuda and Rulers of the people to whom appertaineth indifferently to judge betwixt party and party to justifie the just man and to condemne the malefactor you have heard a sentence of death pronounced against me by those whose lips ought not to speak deceit because they are sanctified and appointed by God himself to speak his Law and to pronounce judgement with equity but as they have left the living God and have taught the people vanity so are they become mortall enemies to all Gods true servants of whom I am one rebuking their iniquity apostasie and defection from God which is the onely cause they seek my life But a thing most contrary to all equity law and justice it is that I a man sent of God to call them his people and you again to the true service of God from the which you are all declined shall suffer the death because that my enemies do so pronounce sentence I stand in your presence whom God hath made Princes your power is above their Tyranny before you do I expose my cause I am in your hands and cannot resist to suffer what ye think just But lest that my lenity and patience should either make you negligent in the defence of me in my just cause appealing to your judgement either yet encourage my enemies in seeking my blood this one thing I dare not conceal That if you murther me which thing ye do if ye defend me not ye make not onely my enemies guilty of my blood but also your selves and this whole City By these words I say it is evident That the Prophet of God being condemned by the Priests and by the Prophets of the visible Church did seek ayd support and defence at the Princes and temporall Magistrates threatning his blood to be required at their hands if they by their Authority did not defend him from the fury of his enemies alleadging also just causes of his Appellation and why he ought to have been defended to wit That he was sent of God to rebuke their vices and defection from God That he taught no Doctrine which God before had not pronounced in his Law That he desired their conversion to God continually calling upon them to walke in the wayes which God had approved and therefore doth he boldly crave of the Princes as of Gods Lievtenants to be defended from the blinde rage and tyranny of the Priests notwithstanding that they claimed to themselves Authority to judge all matters of Religion And the same did he when he was cast in prison and thereafter was brought to the presence of King Zedechias After I say he had defended his innocency affirming That he neither had offended against the King against his servants nor against the people at last he made intercession to the King for his life saying But now my Lord the King take heed I beseech thee let my prayer fall into thy presence command me not to be carried again into the house of Jonathan the Scribe that I die not there And the Text witnesseth That the King commanded the place of his imprisonment to be changed Whereof it is evident That the Prophet did ofter then once seek help at the Civill power and that first the Princes and thereafter the King did acknowledge That it appertained to their Office to deliver him from the unjust sentence which was pronounced against him If any man think that Ieremy did not appeal because he onely declared the wrong done unto him and did but crave defence according to his innocency let the same man understand That none otherwise do I appeal from that false and cruell sentence which your Bishops pronounced against me Neither yet can there be any just cause of Appellation but innocency or suspition to be hurt whether it be by ignorance of a Judge or by malice and corruption of those who under the title of Justice do exercise Tyranny If I were a thief murtherer blasphemer open adulterer or any offender whom Gods Word commandeth to suffer for a crime committed my Appellation were vain and to be rejected But I being innocent yea the Doctrine which your Bishops have condemned in me being Gods Eternall Verity have no lesse liberty to crave your defence against that cruelty then had the Prophet Ieremy to seek ayd of the Princes and King of Iuda But this shall more plainly appear in the fact of Saint Paul who after that he was apprehended in Ierusalem did first claim the liberty of the Romane Citizens for avoyding torment when the Captain would have examined him by questions Thereafter in the Councell where no righteous judgement was to be hoped for he affirmed that he was a Pharisee and that he was accused of the Resurrection of the dead and last in the presence of Festus he appealed from all knowledge and judgement of the Priests at Ierusalem to the Emperour Of which last Point because it doth chiefly appertain to this my cause I will somewhat speak After that Paul had divers times been accused as in the Acts of the Apostles is manifest at the last the chief Priests and their faction came to Cesarea with Festus the President who presented uuto them Paul in Judgement whom they accused of horrible crimes which neverthelesse they could not prove the Apostle maintaining That he had offended neither against the Law neither against the Temple neither yet against the Emperour But Festus willing to gratifie the Iews said to Paul Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem and there be judged of these things in my presence But Paul said I stand at the Iustice Seat of the Emperour where it behoveth me to be judged I have done no wrong to the Iews as thou better knowest If I have done any thing unjustly or yet committed crime worthy of death I refuse not to die But if there be nothing of these things true whereof they accuse me no man may give me to them I appeal to Caesar. It may appear at the first sight That Paul did great injury to Festus the Judge and to the whole Order of the Priesthood who did hope greater equity in a cruell tyrant then in all that Session and learned company which thing no
protection and defence that by you assured I may have accesse to my native Countrey which I never offended to the end that freely and openly in the presence of the whole Realm I may give my confession of all such Points as this day be in controversie And also that you by your authority which ye have of God compell such as of long time have blinded and deceived both your selves and the people to answer to such things as shall be laid to their charge But lest that some doubt remain That I require more of you then you of conscience are bound to grant in few words I hope my Petition to be such as without Gods heavy displeasure ye cannot deny My Petition is That ye whom God hath appointed Heads in your Common-wealth with single eye do study to promote the glory of God To provide that your subjects be rightly instructed in his true Religion That they be defended from all oppression and tyranny That true Preachers may be maintained and such as blinde and deceive the people together also with all idle bellies which do rob and oppresse the Flock may be removed and punished as Gods Law prescribeth And to the performance of every one of these do your Offices and Names the Honours and Benefits which ye receive the Law of God universally given to all men and the examples of most godly Princes binde and oblige you My purpose is not to labour greatly to prove That your whole studie ought to be To promote the glory of God Neither yet will I studie to alleadge all reasons that justly may be brought to prove That ye are not exalted to raign above your brethren as men without care and solicitude for these be principles so grafted in Nature that very Ethnicks have confessed the same For seeing that God onely hath placed you in his Chayr hath appointed you to be his Lieutenants and by his own Seal hath marked you to be Magistrates and to rule above your brethren to whom Nature neverthelesse hath made you like in all points for in conception birth life and death ye differ nothing from the common sort of men but God onely as said is hath promoted you and of his speciall favour hath given you this Prerogative to be called Gods How horrible ingratitude were it then that you should be found unfaithfull to him that hath thus honoured you And further What a monster were it that you should be proved unmercifull to them above whom ye are appointed to raigne as fathers above their children Because I say that the very Ethnicks have granted That the chief and first care of Princes and of such as be appointed to rule above others ought to be To promote the glory and honour of their Gods and to maintain that Religion which they supposed to have been true And that their second care was To maintain and defend the subjects committed to their charge in all equity and justice I will not labour to shew unto you what ought to be your studie in maintaining Gods true honour left that in so doing I should seem to make you lesse carefull to Gods true Religion then were the Ethnicks over their Idolatry But because other Petitions may appear more hard and difficile to be granted I purpose briefly but yet freely to speak what God by his Word doth assure me to be true to wit first That in conscience you are bound to punish malefactors and to defend innocents imploring your help Secondly That God requireth of you to provide that your subjects be rightly instructed in his true Religion and that the same be by you reformed whensoever abuses do creep in by the malice of Satan and negligence of men And lastly That ye are bonnd to remove from Honour and to punish with death if the crime so require such as deceive the people or defraud them of that food of their souls I mean Gods lively Word The first and second are most plain by the words of S. Paul thus speaking of lawfull powers Let every soul saith he submit himself unto the higher Powers for there is no power but of God Whosoever resisteth therefore the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation For Rulers are not to be feared of those that do well but of those that do evil Wilt thou then be without fear of the Power Do that which is good and so shalt thou be praised of the same For he is the Minister of God for thy weal But if thou do that which is evil fear for he beareth not the Sword for nought for he is the Minister of God to take vengeance on them that do evil As the Apostle in these words most straitly commandeth Obedience to be given to lawfull powers pronouncing Gods wrath and vengeance against such as shall resist the Ordinance of God so doth he assigne to the powers their Offices which be To take vengeance upon evil doers To maintain the well doers and so to minister and rule in their Office that the subjects by them may have a Benefit and be praised in well doing Now if you be powers ordained by God and that I hope all men will grant then by the plain words of the Apostle is the Sword given unto you by God for maintenance of the innocent and for punishment of malefactors But I and my brethren with me accused do offer not onely to prove our selves innocents in all things laid to our charge but also we offer most evidently to prove your Bishops to be the very pestilence who have infected all Christianity And therefore by the plain Doctrine of the Apostle you are bound to maintain us and punish the other being evidently convinced and proved criminall Moreover the former words of the Apostle do teach How far high powers are bound to their subjects to wit That because they be Gods Ministers by him ordained for the profit and utility of others most diligently ought they to attend upon the same For that cause assigneth the holy Ghost commanding subjects to obey and to pay Tribute saying For this do you pay Tribute and Toll that is Because they are Gods Ministers bearing the Sword for your utility Whereof it is plain That there is no honour without a charge annexed And this one point I wish your wisedoms deeply to consider That God hath not placed you above your Brethren to raigne as Tyrants without respect of either profit or commodity You hear the holy Ghost witnesse the contrary affirming That all powers be Gods Ministers ordained for the weal profit and salvation of their subjects and not for their destruction Could it be said I beseech you That Magistrates inclosing their subjects in a City without all victualls or giving unto them no other victualls but such as were poysoned did rule for the profit of their subjects I trust that none would be so foolish as so to affirm but that
So served Darius giving into the power of Daniel the Idol to be broken and his enemies to be cast to the Lions So served Nebuchad-nezzar by a terrible Law forbidding all that were in his Realme to blaspheme God Herein therefore do Kings serve the Lord in so farre as they are Kings when they do those things to serve him which none except Kings be able to doe He further proceedeth and concludeth That as when wicked Kings do raigne impiety cannot be bridled by Laws but rather is tyranny exercised under the title of the same So is it a thing without all reasons That Kings professing the knowledge and honour of God should not regard nor care who did defend nor who did oppugne the Church of God in their Dominions By these words of this ancient and godly Writer your Honours may perceive what I require of you to wit To represse the tyranny of your Bishops and to defend the innocents professing the Truth He did require of the Emperour and Kings in his dayes professing Christ and manifestly concludeth That they cannot serve Christ except that so they doe Let not your Bishops think that Augustine speaketh for them because he nameth the Church Let them reade and understand That Augustine writeth for that Church which professeth the Truth and doth suffer persecution for the defence of the same which your Bishops do not but rather with the Donatists and Arrians do cruelly persecute all such as boldly speak Christs Eternall Verity to manifest their impiety and abomination But thus much we have of Augustine That it appertaineth to the obedience and service which Kings owe to God as well now in the time of the Gospel as before under the Law to defend the afflicted for matters of Religion and to represse the fury of the persecuters by the rigour and severity of godly Laws For which cause no doubt Isaiah the Prophet saith That Kings should be nourishers of the Church of God that they should abase their heads and lovingly embrace the children of God And thus I say your Honours may evidently see That the same Obedience doth God require of Rulers and Princes in the time of the Gospel that he required in the time of the Law If you do think that the Reformation of Religion and defence of the afflicted doth not appertain to you because you are no Kings but Nobles and States of a Realme in two things you are deceived First In that you do not advert That David requireth as well that the Princes and Judges of the earth to be learned and that they serve and fear God as that he requireth that Kings repent If you therefore be Judges and Princes as no man can deny you to be then by the plain words of David you are charged to be learned to serve and fear God which ye cannot do if ye despise the Reformation of his Religion And this is your first errour The second is That ye neither know your duty which ye owe to God neither yet your Authority which of him ye have received if ye for pleasure or fear of any earthly man despise Gods true Religion and contemn your brethren that in his Name call for your support Your duty is to hear the voyce of the Eternall your God and unfainedly to studie to follow his Precepts who as is before said of speciall mercy hath promoted you to Honours and Dignity His chief and principall Precept is That with reverence ye receive and embrace his onely beloved Son Jesus That ye promote to the uttermost of your powers his true Religion and That ye defend your brethren and subjects whom he hath put under your charge and care Now if your King be a man ignorant of God enemy to his true Religion blinded by Superstition and a persecuter of Christs members Shall ye be execused if with silence ye passe over his iniquity Be not deceived my Lords ye are placed in Authority for another purpose then to flatter your King in his folly and blinde rage to wit That as with your bodies strength riches and wisedom ye are bound to assist and defend him in all things which by your advice he shall take in hand for Gods glory and for the preservation of his Common-wealth and subjects so by your authorities counsell and admonition ye are bound to correct and represse whatsoever ye know him to attempt expressely repugning to Gods Word Honour and glory or what ye shall espie him to do be it by ignorance or be it by malice against his subjects great or small Of which last part of your obedience if you defraud your King ye commit against him no lesse Treason then if ye did extract from him your due and promised support when by his enemies unjustly he were pursued But this part of their duty I fear do a small number of the Nobility of this age rightly consider neither yet will they understand that for that purpose hath God promoted them For now the common song of all men is We must obey our Kings be they good or bad For God hath commanded it But horrible shall the vengeance be that shall be poured forth upon such blasphemers of God his holy Name and Ordinance For it is no lesse blasphemy to say That God hath commanded Kings to be obeyed when they command impiety then to say That God by his Precept is author and maintainer of all iniquity True it is God hath commanded Kings to be obeyed but like true it is That in things which they commit against his glory or when cruelly without cause they rage against their brethren the members of Christs body he hath commanded no obedience but rather he hath approved yea and greatly rewarded such as have opposed themselves to their ungodly commandments and blinde rage as in the examples of the three Children of Daniel and Abdemelech it is evident The three Children would neither bow nor stoup before the golden Image at the commandment of the great King Nebuchadnezar Daniel did openly pray his windows being open against the established Law of Darius and of his Councell And Abdemelech feared not to enter in before the presence of Zedechias and boldly to defend the cause and innocency of Ieremy the Prophet whom the King and his Councell had condemned to death Every one of these facts should this day be judged foolish by such as will not understand what God doth require of his children when his Verity is oppugned or his glory called in doubt such men I say as prefer man to God and things present to the heavenly inheritance should have judged every one of these stubborn inobedience foolish presumption and singularity or else bold controlling of the King and his wise Councell But how acceptable in Gods presence was this resistance to the ungodly commandments and determinations of their King the end did witnesse for the three children were delivered from the Furnace of fire and Daniel
despise his admonitions The Sword of Gods wrath is already drawn which of necessity must needs strike when grace offered is obstinately refused You have been long in bondage of the devill blindenesse errour and Idolatry prevailing against the simple Truth of God in that your Realme in which God hath made you Princes and Rulers But now doth God of his great mercy call you to repentance before he pour forth the uttermost of his vengeance He cryeth to your ears That your Religion is nothing but Idolatry he accuseth you of the blood of his Saints which hath been shed by your permission assistance and powers For the tyranny of those raging Beasts should have no force if by your strength they were not maintained Of those horrible crimes doth now God accuse you not of purpose to condemne you but mercifully to absolve and pardon you as sometime he did those whom Peter accused to have killed the Son of God so that ye be not of minde nor purpose to justifie your former iniquity Iniquity I call not onely the crimes and offences which have been and yet remain in your manners and lives but that also which appeareth before men most holy with hazard of my life I offer to prove abomination before God that is your whole Religion to be so corrupt and vain that no true servant of God can communicate with it because that in so doing he should manifestly deny Christ Jesus and his Eternall Verity I know that your Bishops accompanied with the swarm of the Papisticall vermine shall cry A damned heretick ought not to be heard But remember my Lords what I protested in the beginning upon which ground I continually stand to wit That I am no hereticke nor deceivable Teacher but the servant of Christ Jesus a Preacher of his infallible Verity innocent in all that they can lay to my charge concerning my Doctrine and therefore by them being enemies to Christ I am unjustly condemned From which cruell Sentence I have appealed and do appeal as before mention is made in the mean time most humbly requiring your Honours to take me in your protection to be auditors of my just defences granting unto me the same liberty which Achab a wicked King and Israel at that time a blinded people granted to Elijah in the like case That your Bishops and the whole rabble of your Clergie may be called before you and before that people whom they have deceived That I be not condemned by multitude custome by Authority or Law devised by man but that God himself may be judge betwixt me and my adversaries Let God I say speak by his Law by his Prophets by Christ Jesus or by his Apostles and so let him pronounce what Religion he approveth and then be my enemies never so many and appear they never so strong and so learned no more do I fear victory then did Elijah being but one man against the multitude of Baals Priests And if they think to have advantage by their Councells and Doctors this I further offer To admit the one and the other as witnesses in all matters debatable three things which justly cannot be denied being granted unto me First That the most ancient Councells nighest to the Primitive Church in which the learned and godly Fathers did examine all matters by Gods Word may be holden of most Authority Secondly That no determination of Councells nor man be admitted against the plain Verity of Gods Word nor against the determination of those four chief Councells whose Authority hath been and is holden by them equall with the Authority of the four Evangelists And last That to no Doctor be given greater authority then Augustine requireth to be given to his Writings to wit If he plainly prove not his affirmation by Gods infallible Word that then his sentence be rejected and imputed to the errour of a man These things granted and admitted I shall no more refuse the testimonies of Councells and Doctors then shall my adversaries But and if they will justifie those Councells which maintain their pride and usurped Authority and will reject those which plainly have condemned all such tyranny negligence and wicked life as Bishops now do use And if further they will snatch a doubtfull sentence of a Doctor and refuse his minde when he speaketh plainly then will I say That all men are lyers That credit ought not to be given to an unconstant witnesse and that no Councells ought to prevail nor be admitted against the sentence which God hath pronounced And thus my Lords in few words to conclude I have offered unto you a tryall of my innocency I have declared unto you what God requireth of you being placed above his people as Rulers and Princes I have offered unto you and to the inhabitants of the Realme the Verity of Christ Jesus And with the hazard of my life I presently offer to prove the Religion which amongst you is maintained by fire and sword to be false damnablâ— and diabolicall Which things if ye refuse defending tyrants in their tyrannie then I dare not flatter but as it was commanded to Ezechiel boldly to proclaim so must I cry to you That you shall perish in your iniquity That the Lord Jesus shall refuse so many of you as maliciously withstand his eternall Verity and in the day of his apparition when all flesh shall appeare before him that he shall repell you from his company and shall command you to the fire which never shall be quenched and then neither shall the multitude be able to resist neither yet the counsells of man be able to prevail against that sentence which he shall pronounce God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ by the power of his holy Spirit so rule and dispose of your hearts that of simplicity ye may consider the things that be offered and that ye may take such order in the same as God in you may be glorified and Christs Flock by you may be edified and comforted to the praise and glory of our Lord Iesus Christ whose Omnipotent Spirit rule your hearts in his true feare to the end Amen The Admonition of John Knox to the Commonalty of Scotland To his beloved Brethren the Commonalty of SCOTLAND JOHN KNOX wisheth Grace Mercy and Peace With the Spirit of righteous judgement WHat I have required of the Queen Regent States and Nobility as of the chief Heads for this present of the Realm I cannot cease to require of you dearly beloved brethren which be the Communalty and Body of the same to wit That it notwithstanding that false and cruell Sentence which your disguised Bishops have pronounced against me would please you to be so favourable unto me as to be indifferent auditors of my just Purgation Which to do if God earnestly move your hearts as I nothing doubt but that your enterprise shall redound to the praise and glory of his holy Name so am I assured
That ye and your posterity shall by that means receive most singular comfort edification and profit For when ye shall hear the matter debated ye shall easily perceive and understand upon what ground and foundation is builded that Religion which amongst you is this day defended by fire and sword As for mine owne conscience I am most assuredly perswaded That whatsoever is used in the Papisticall Church is altogether repugning to Christs blessed Ordinance and is nothing but mortall venome of which whosoever drinketh I am assuredly perswaded that therewith he drinketh death and damnation except by true conversion unto God he be purged from the same But because that long silence of Gods Word hath begotten ignorance almost in all sorts of men and ignorance joyned with long custome hath confirmed superstition in the hearts of many I therefore in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ desire audience as well of you the Commonalty my brethren as of the States and Nobility of the Realm that in publike Preaching I may have place amongst you at large to utter my minde in all matters of controversie this day in Religion And further I desire That ye concurring with your Nobility would competl your Bishops and Clergie to cease their tyranny And also That for the better assurance and instruction of your conscience ye would compell your said Bishops and false Teachers to answer by the Scriptures of God to such Objections and crimes as shall be laid against their vain Religion false Doctrine wicked life and slanderous conversation Here I know that it shall be objected That I require of you a thing most unreasonable to wit That ye should call your Religion in doubt which hath been approved and established by so long continuance and by the consent of so many men before you But I shortly answer That neither is the long continuance of time neither yet the multitude of men a sufficient approbation which God will allow for our Religion For as some of the ancient Writers do witnesse neither can long processe of time justifie an errour neither can the multitude of such as follow it change the nature of the same But if it was an errour in the beginning so is it in the end and the longer that it be followed and the mo that do receive it it is more pestilent and more to be avoided For if antiquity or multitude of men could justifie any Religion then was the Idolatry of the Gentiles and now is the abomination of the Turks good Religion For antiquity approved the one and a multitude hath received and doth defend the other But otherwise to answer godly men may wonder from what Fountain such a sentence doth flow that no man ought to trie his faith and Religion by Gods Word but that he safely may beleeve and follow every thing which antiquity and multitude have approved the Spirit of God doth otherwise teach us for the wisdome of God Christ Jesus himself remitted his adversaries to Moses and the Scriptures to trie by them whether his Doctrine were of God or not The Apostles Paul and Peter command men to trie the Religion which they professe by Gods plaine Scriptures and doe praise men for so doing Saint Iohn straightly commandeth That we beleeve not every spirit but to trie the spirits whether they be of God or not Now seeing that these evident testimonies of the holy Ghost will us to trie our faith and Religion by the plain Word of God wonder it is that the Papists will not be content that their Religion and Doctrine come under the triall of the same If this sentence of Christ be true as it is most true seeing it springeth from the verity it self Who so doth evill hateth the Light neither will he come to the Light lest that his works be manifested and rebuked then do our Papists by their own sentence condemne themselves and their Religion for in so farre as they refuse examination and triall they declare that they know some fault which the Light will utter which is a cause of their fear and why they claim that priviledge that no man dispute of their Religion the Verity and Truth being of the nature of fine purified Gold doth not fear the triall of the Fornace but the stubble and Chaffe of mans inventions such is their Religion may not abide the the flame of fire True it is that Mahomet pronounced this sentence That no man should in pain of death dispute or reason of the ground of his Religion which Law to this day by the art of Sathan is observed amongst the Turkes to their mortall blindnesse and horrible blaspheming of the Gospell of Christ Jesus and of his true Religion And from Mahomet or rather from Sathan the father of all lies hath the Pope and his rabble learned this former lesson to wit Their Religion should not be disputed upon but what the fathers have beleeved that ought and must the Children approve and in so divising Satan lacked not his foresight for no one thing hath more established the kingdome of that Romane Antichrist then this most wicked decree to wit That no man was permitted to reason of his power or to call his Laws in doubt This is most assured that whensoever the Papisticall Religion shall come to examination it shall be found to have no other ground then hath the religion of Mahomet to wit mans invention device and dreams overshaddowed with some colour of Gods Word And therefore Brethren seeing that the Religion is to man as the stomack to the body which if it be corrupted doth infect the whole Members it is necessary that the same be examined and if it be found replenished with pestilent humours I mean with the fantasies of men then of necessitie it is that those be purged else shall your bodies and souls perish for ever For of this I would ye were most certainly perswaded that a corrupt Religion defileth the whole life of man appear it never so holy Neither would I that ye should esteem the Reformation and care of Religion lesse to appertain to you because ye are no Kings Rulers Judges Nobles nor in Authoritie beloved Brethren ye are Gods Creatures created and formed to his own Image and similitude for whose redemption was shed the most precious blood of the onely beloved Sonne of God to whom he hath commanded his Gospell and glad-tydings to be preached and for whom he hath prepared the heavenly Inheritance so that ye will not obstinatly refuse and disdainfully contemne the means which he hath appointed to obtain the same to wit his blessed Evangell which now he offereth unto you to the end that ye may be saved For the Gospell and glad Tydings of the Kingdome truly preached is the power of God to the salvation of every Beleever which to credite and receive your the Communalty are no lesse addebted then be your Rulers and Princes for albeit God
Hezekiah sometime Comptroller sometime Secretary and last of all Treasurer to the which Offices he had never been promoted under so godly a Prince if the Treason and malice which he bare against the King and against Gods true Religion had been manifestly known No quoth I Sobna was a crafty Foxe and could shew such a fair countenance to the King that neithet he nor his Councell could espie his malicious Treason But the Prophet Isaiah was commanded by God to go to his presence and to declare his traiterous heart and miserable end Was David said I and Hezekiah Princes of great and godly gifts and experience abused by crafty Councellors and dissembling Hypocrites What wonder is it then that a young and innocent King be deceived by craftie covetous wicked and ungodly Counsellors I am greatly afraid that Achitophel is Counsellor that Iudas bears the Purse and that Sobna is Scribe Comptroller and Treasurer This and somewhat more I spake that day not in a corner as many yet can witnesse but even before those whom my conscience judged worthy of accusation And this day no more do I write albeit I may justly because they have declared themselves most manifestly but yet do I affirme That under that innocent King pestilent Papists had greatest Authority Oh! who was judged to be the soule and life to the Counsell in every matter of weighty importance who but Sobna who could best dispatch businesses that the rest of the Councell might Hawk and Hunt and take their pleasure None like unto Sobna Who was most frank and ready to destroy Sommerset and set up Northumberland was it not Shebna Who was most bold to crie Bastard Bastard Incestuous Bastard Mary shall never Reigne over us And who I pray you was most busie to say Fear not to Subscribe with my Lords of the Kings Majesties most Honourable Privie Councell Agree to his Majesties last Will and perfect Testament and let never that obstinate woman come to Authority she is an arrant Papist she will subvert the true Religion and will bring in strangers to the destruction of this Common-wealth Which of the Councell I say had these and greater perswasions against Mary to whom now he coucheth and kneeleth Sobna the Treasurer And what intended such Traytorous and dissembling Hypocrites by all these and such like crafty sleights and counterfeit conveyance Doubtlesse the overthrow of Christs true Religion which then began to flourish in England the liberty whereof fretted the Guttes of such pestilent Papists who now hath gotten the dayes which they long looked for but yet to their own destruction and shame for in the spite of their hearts the plagues of God shall strike them they shall be comprehended in the snare which they prepare for others for their owne counsels shall make themselves slaves to a proud mischievous unfaithfull and vile Nation Now to the second Note of our Discourse which is this Albeit the Tyrants of this earth have learned by long experience that they are never able to prevaile against Gods Truth yet because they are bound slaves to their Master the Devill they cannot cease to persecute the members of Christ when the Devill blowes his winde in the darknesse of the night that is When the light of Christs Gospel is taken away and the Devil raigneth by Idolatry superstition and Tyrannie This most evidently may be seene from the beginning of this world to the time of Christ and from thence till this day Ismael might have perceived that he could not prevail against Isaac because God had made his promise unto him as no doubt Abraham their father teached to his whole houshold Esau likewise understood the same of Iacob Pharaoh might plainly have seen by many Miracles that Israel was Gods people whom he could not utterly destroy and also the Scribes and Pharisees and Chief Priests were utterly convinced in their Conscience that Christs whole doctrine was of God and that to the profit and commodity of man his Miracles and works were wrought by the power of God and therefore that they could never prevaile against him And yet as the Devill stirred them none of those could refrain to persecute him whom they knew most certainly to be innocent This I write that you shall not wonder albeit now ye see the poysoned Papists wicked Winchester and dreaming Duresme with the rest of the Faction who sometimes were so confounded that neither they durst nor could speak nor write in the defence of their Heresies now so to rage and triumph against the eternall Truth of God as though they had never assayed the power of God speaking by his true Messengers Wonder not hereat I say beloved Brethren that the Tyrants of this world are so obedient and ready to follow the cruell counsels of such disguised Monsters For neither can the one nor the other refraine because both sorts are as subject to obey the Devill their Prince and Father as the unstable Sea is to lift up the waves when the vehement winde bloweth upon it It is fearfull to be heard that the Divell hath such power over any man but yet the Word of God hath so instructed us And therefore albeit it be contrary to our phantasie yet we must beleeve it For the Divell is called the prince and god of this world because he raigneth and is honoured by tyranny and idolatry in it He is called the Prince of Darknesse that hath power in the Ayr It is said That he worketh in the children of unbelief because he stirreth them to trouble Gods Elect as he invaded Saul and compelled him to persecute David and likewise he entred into the heart of Iudas and moved him to betray his Master He is called Prince over the sons of Pride and father of all those that are lyers and enemies to Gods Truth Over whom he hath no lesse power this day then sometimes he had over Annas and Caiaphas whom no man denieth to have been led and moved by the devil to persecute Christ Jesus and his most true Doctrine And therefore wonder not I say that now the devil rageth in his obedient servants wily Winchester dreaming Duresme and bloody Bonner with the rest of their bloody butcherly brood for this is their hour and power granted unto them they cannot cease nor asswage their furious fumes for the devil their Sire stirreth moveth and carrieth them even at his will But in this that I declare the power of the devil working in cruell tyrants Think you that I attribute or give to him or to them power at their pleasure No not so brethren not so for as the devil hath no power to trouble the Elements but as God shall suffer so hath worldly tyrants albeit the devill hath fully possessed their hearts no power at all to trouble the Saints of God but as their bridle shall be loosed by Gods hands And herein dear brethren
passe over the Tyrants of old time whom God hath plagued let us come to the Tyrants which now are within the Realm of England whom God will not long spare If Steven Gardener Cuthbert Tunstal and Butcherly Bonnar false Bishops of Winchester Duresme and of London had for their false Doctrine and Traiterous acts suffered death when they justly deserved the same then would arrant Papists have alleadged as I and others have heard them do that they were men reformable That they were meet Instruments for a Common-wealth That they were not so obstinate and malicious as they were judged neither that they thirsted for the blood of any man And of Lady Mary who hath not heard That she was not sober mercifull and one that loved the Common-wealth of England Had she I say and such as now be of her pestilent Councell been dead before these dayes then should not their iniquity and cruelty so manifestly have appeared to the world for who could have thought that such cruelty could have entred into the heart of a woman and into the heart of her that is called a Virgine that she would thirst for the blood of innocents and of such as by just Laws and faithfull witnesses can never be proved to have offended by themselves I finde that Athalia through appetite to Reign murthered the Seed of the Kings of Iudah and that Herodias daughter at the desire of a whorish Mother obtained the head of Iohn the Baptist but yet that ever a woman suffered her self to be called the most blessed Virgin caused so much blood to be spilt for establishing of the usurped Authoritie of the Pope I think the like is rare to be found in Scripture or other History I finde that Iezabel that cursed Idolatresse caused the blood of the Prophets of God to be shed and Naboth to be murthered unjustly for his own Vineyard but yet I think she never erected halfe so many Gallows in all Israel as mischievous Mary hath done within London alone But you Papists will excuse your Mary the Virgine Well let her be your Virgine and a Goddesse meet to entertain such Idolaters yet shall I rightly lay to her charge that which I think no Papist within England will justifie nor defend And therefore O ye Papists here I will a little turn my Pen unto you Answer unto this Question O ye Seed of the Serpent Would any of you have confessed two years ago that Mary your mirrour had been false dissembling unconstant proud and a breaker of promises except such promises as she made to your god the Pope to the great shame and dishonour of her noble Father I am sure you would hardly have thought it of her And now doth she not manifestly shew her self to be an open Traitoresse to the Imperiall Crown of England contrary to the just Laws of the Realme to bring in a stranger and make a proud Spanyard King to the shame dishonour and destruction of the Nobilitie to the spoile of their Honours Lands Possessions chief Offices and promotions of them and theirs To the utter decay of the Treasures Commodities Navie and Fortifications of the Realm to the abasing of the Yeomandry to the slavery of the Commonalty to the overthrow of Christianity and Gods true Religion and finally to the utter subversion of the whole publike estate and Common-wealth of England Let Norfolk and Suffolke let her own Promise and Proclamation let her fathers Testament let the Citie of London let the ancient Laws and Acts of Parliaments before established in England be judges betwixt mine accusation and her most tyrannous iniquity First her Promise and Proclamation did signifie and declare That neither she would bring in neither yet Marry any stranger Northfolk Suffolk and the Citie of London do testifie and witnesse the same The ancient Laws and Acts of Parliament pronounceth it Treason to transferre the Crown of England into the hands of a forraigne Nation and the Oath made to observe the said Statutes cryeth out That all they are perjured that consent to that her traiterous fact Speak now O ye Papists and defend your monstrous Masters and deny if ye can for shame that she hath not uttered her self to be borne alas therefore to the ruine and destruction of noble England Oh who would ever have beleeved I write now in bitternesse of heart that such unnaturall crueltie should have had dominion over any reasonable creature But the saying to be true That the usurped Government of an affectionate woman is a rage without reason Who would ever have thought that the love of that Realme which hath brought forth which hath nourished and so nobly maintained that wicked woman should not have moved her heart with pitie Who seeth not now that she in all her doings declareth most manifestly that under an English name she beareth a Spaniards heart If God I say had not for our scourge suffered her and her cruell Councell to have come to Authority then could never these their abominations cruelty and treason against God against his Saints and against the Realm whose liberties they are sworn to defend so manifestly have been declared And who ever could have beleeved That proud Gardener and treacherous Tunstall whom all Papists praised for the love they bare to their Countrey could have become so manifestly Traiterous not onely against their solemne Oathes that they should never consent nor agree unto that a forraigne Stranger should reigne over England but also that they would adjudge the Imperiall Crown of the same to appertain to a Spanyard by inheritance Lineall discent O Traiterous Traitours how can you for shame shew your faces It cometh to my minde that upon Christmas day Anno 1552. preaching in New-Castle upon Tine and speaking against the obstinacie of the Papists I made this affirmation That whosoever in his heart was enemy to Christs Gospel and Doctrine which then was preached within the Realm of England was enemy also to God and secret traitours to the Crown and Common-wealth of England for as they thirsted nothing more then the Kings death which their iniquity could procure so they regarded not who should reign over them so that their Idolatry might be erected again How these my words at that time pleased men the crimes and action intended against me did declare But let my very enemies now say their conscience if those may words have not proved true What is the cause that Winchester and the rest of his pestilent sect so greedily would have a Spanyard to reign over England The cause is mafest for as that Hellish Nation surmounteth all other in pride and Whoredome so for Idolatry and vaine Papisticall and devillish Ceremonies they may rightly be called the very sons of superstition And therefore are they found and judged by the Progeny of Antichrist most apt Instruments to maintain establish and defend the Kingdom of that cruell Beast whose head and wound is lately