their servants and other that appertained to them and were exempted from common service should neverthelesse serve in time of necessity These vain promises lifted up in pride the heart of the unhappy king and so begins the Warre The Realme was Quartered and men were laid in Iedburgh and Kelso All men fools we mean bragged of victory and in very deed the beginning gave us a faire shaw For at the first Warden Reade which was made on Saint Bartholomewes day in the yeere of our Lord 1542. was the Warden Sir Robert Bowes his brother Richard Bowes Captaine of Norhame Sir William Mamebery Knight a Bastard Sonne of the Earle of Angus and Iames Dowglas of Parkhead then Rebels with a great number of Borderers Souldiers and Gentlemen taken The Reade was termed Halderig The Earle of Angus and Sir George his brother did narrowly escape Our Papists and Prelats proud of this victory encouraged the King so that there was nothing heard but All is ours They be but Heretickes if we be a thousand and they ten thousand they dare not fight France shall enter into one part and we the other and so shall England be conquest within a yeere If any man was seene to smile at such vanitie he was no more but a Traytour and an Hereticke And yet by these meanes men had greater liberty then they had before as concerning their conscience for then ceased the persecution The Warre continued till midde September And then was sent down the old Duke of Norfolke with such an Army as a hundred yeeres before had not come into Scotland They were in gathering their Forces and setting forward of their Preparations and Munitions which were exceeding great till midde October and after And then they Marched from Barwick and tended to the wast ever holding Tweid upon their own side and never camped from that River the space of a mile during the whole time they continued in Scotland which was ten or twelve dayes Forces were sent up and down to Smallame Stichell and such places neere about but many snappers they gat some Corn they burnt besides that which the great host consumed but small bootie they carried away The King assembled his Forces at Fallowe for he was advertised that they had promised to come to Edinburgh and tooke the Musters all at an houre two dayes before Hallowe even There were found with him eighteen thousand able men Upon the Borders that awaited upon the English Army were ten thousand good men with the Earle of Huntlie Lords Erskin Seton and Hume These were judged men aneuh to hazard Battell albeit the other were esteemed fourty thousand While the King lay at Fallowe abiding upon the Gunes and upon advertisement from the Army The Lords began to remember how the King had been long abused by his flatterers and principally by the Pensioners of the Prelats It was then concluded that they would make some new remembrance of Lawder brig to see if that would for a season somewhat help the state of their Country But because the Lords could not agree among themselves upon the persons that deserved punishment for every man favoured his friend the whole escaped and the purpose was opened to the King and by him to the courtiers who till they came to Edinburgh stood in no little fear but that was suddenly forgot as we shall after hear While time is thus protracted the English army for want of victuals as was bruted retired over Tweid in the night and so begin to skale sunder wherof the King advertised desired the Lords and Barons to assist him to follow them into England whose answer was with one consent That to defend his person and Realme they would hazard life and whatsoever they had But to invade England neither had they so just Title as they desired neither yet could they be able to do any thing to the hurt of England considering that they had long before beene absent from their houses their provision was spent their horses wearied and that which was greatest of all the time of the yeere did utterly reclaime This their answer seemed to satisfie the King for he in words praised their prudent foresight and wise counsell But the essay made to his Courtiers and that bold repulse of his desires given to him in his owne face so wounded his high stomacke for long had he runne as himselfe listed that he decreeth a notable revenge which no doubt he had not failed to have executed if God by his owne hand had not cut the dayes of his lyfe He returnes to Edinburgh the Nobility Barons Gentlemen and Commons to their habitations And this was the second and third dayes of November Without longer delay at the palace of Halyrud-house was a new councell assembled a councell we meane of his abusers wherein were accusations layd against the most part of the Nobilitie Some were Hereticks Some favourers of England Some friends to the Dowglas and so could there be none faithfull to the King in their opinion The Cardinall and Prelats cast fagotts in the fire with all their force and finding the King wholly addicted to their devotion delivered unto him a schroll containing the names of such as they in their inquisition had convict for Hereticks For this was the order of Justice which these holy Fathers kept in condemning of innocent men Whosoever would accuse any of Heresie he was heard no respect nor consideration had what minde the accuser bare to the person accused Whosoever was produced for witnesse were admitted how suspitious and infamous so ever they were if two or three had proved any point that by their Law was holden Heresie that was an Hereticke There rested no more but a day to be affixed to his condemnation and to the execution of their corrupt sentence What man could be innocent where such â—udges were partie the world may this day consider True it is by false Judgement and false Witnesses have innocents been oppressed from the beginning But this freedome to shed innocent blood got never the Devill but in the Kingdome of Antichrist That the innocent should die and neither know accuser nor yet the witnesse that testifieth against him But how shâ—ll the Antichrist be knowne if he shall not be contrarious to God the Father and his Sonne Christ Jesus in Law Life and Doctrine But this we omit The same schroll had the Cardinall and Prelats once presented to the king before at that time when he returned from the Navigation about the Isles in the yeere 1534. But then it was refused by the prudent and stout councell of the Laird of Grainge who opened cleerely to the King the practices of the Prelats and the danger that thereof might ensue Which considered by the King for being out of his passion he was tractable gave this answer in the palace of Halyrud-house to the Cardinall and Prelats after that they had uttered their malice and shewed what
secretly out of the way Also Katherine Hamilton his sister was accused and being questioned upon Works she answered That none was saved by his works Then Iohn Spencer spake to her of the works of congruo and condigno to which she answered Work here work there what kinde of working is all this no works can save me but Christ's At this the King being present laughed and after conveyed her away secretly One Henry Forest a Monk of the Order of Benet and Collet as they spoke then was also accused of heresie but without sufficient proof Then he was sent to Walter Ange whom Buchanan in his Satyre against the Gray Friers called Langius to be confessed Langius having asked him by way of confession What he thought of Patrick Hamilton He answered That he was a good man and that his Articles were to be maintained Lange discovers this simple mans confession and this confession being taken for a sufficient proof the poor man was condemned to be burnt and so he was immediately after they had degraded him according to their Custom As they were leading him to the Execution-place he complained of the Fryer who had betrayed him and said Let no man trust the false Fryers after me they are despisers of God and deceivers of men They burnt him at the North Style of the Abbey Church in Saint Andrews that the Hereticks of Angus might see the fire 1558. One Andrew Oliphant accused with heat Walter Mill an ancient man and formerly a Priest and said to him being at his devotion Rise up Sir Walter He answered when he had ended his prayer My name is Walter I have been too long one of the Popes Knights for all Priests are Sirs Andrew Oliphant said to him Thou keepest my Lords too long here therefore haste He answered I must obey God before men Being questioned by Oliphant concerning Priests Marriage he answered It was Gods Ordinance That every man that had not the gift of chastity should marry but you abhor it vowing chastity which you cannot keep but take other mens wives and daughters Then being asked if there were not seven Sacraments he answered Let me have two take you the rest to your selves Being asked about the Masse he answered A Lord sendeth and calleth many to his dinner and when all is ready he causeth ring the Bell the guests come into the hall but he turning his back upon them eateth all himself And so do you Then he added The Scripture is not to be understood carnally Christ hath put an end to all carnall Sacrifices by offering once for all his body upon the Crosse. Many other Queries were put to him to which he answered stoutly Being desired to recant he told them That he was corn and not chaff I will said he neither be blown by the winde nor bruised with the Flail but I will abide both I will not recant the Truth Being commanded to go to the stake by Oliphant he answered By the Law of God I am forbidden to put hand on my self therefore put thou me to it with thy hands and then thou shalt see my resolution After he had said his Prayer he gat leave with difficulty to speak to the people standing by In his Speech he told them That although he was a great sinner yet it was for Gods Truth contained in his Word of the Old and New Testament that he suffered and that God in the abundance of his mercy towards him did honour him so far as to make him seal his Truth with his life among other of his Servants He added Dear friends as you would escape eternall death be no more seduced with lies of Arch-bishops Bishops Abbots Priors Priests Monks Friers and the rest of the Antichristian rabble but onely trust in God This was the last man that died for Religion in Scotland And by his death was given the very dead blow to Popery for by his death the people of all ranks and conditions were so moved that they made open profession of the Truth without any more dallying and presently was upon this occasion made a Covenant or Bond of mutuall defence To defend one another by Arms against the Tyranny of the Bishops and their Parties Errata THe Life Page 2. line 7. dele he P. 5. l. 38. r. ordinarily P. 6. l. 24. r. would Preface P. 4. l. 23. r. Author P. 37. l. 5. d. in P. 39. l. 12 13. r. the Kingdom was l. 25. r. ever P. 40. l. 20. r. any part P. 45. l. 8. r. grief The first Book P. 4. l. 43. r. he did p. 36. l. 3â— r. drowned p. 37. l. 7. r. used not p. 39. l. 6. r. inviolably l. 7. r. worthy p. 76. l. 47 d. from p 58. l. 33. d. not p. 73. l. 14. r. Kitching l. 45. r. designe p. 17. l. 48. adde they call it wrote to p. 104. l. 44. r. seen so p. 105. l. 36. r. did l. 37. r. him for p. 109. l. 9. r. never so p. 15. l. 36. r. onely The second Book P. 124. l. 20. r. these p. 134. l. 19. r. with l. 39. r. were l. 46. r. their p. 144. l. 21. r. we p. 147. l. 27. r. bondmaide p. 152. l. 16. r. assisters p. 155. l. 47. r. concur p. 157. l. 33. r. also l. 37. r. is true p. 158 l. 32. r. such time p. 163. l. 17. r. first the p. 165. l. 44. r. without p. 166. l. 26. r. his p. 168. l. 2. r. nor p. 172. l. 43. r. thereof is l. 44. r. moved p. 174. l. 38. r. is not p. 175. l. 3. r. as well p. 179. l. 1. r. just l. 29. r. persons p. 190. l. 4. r. to say p. 198. l. 19. r. to us by her l 21. r. as we that be In the Margin p. 201. r. heart P. 203. l. 32. r. many p. 209. l. 32. r. offended not p. 210. l. 28. r. uncertain l. 30. r. uncertain l. 39. in their The third Book P. 214 l. 19. r. at p. 415. l. 13. r. did God p. 227. l. 17. r. declare p. 228. l. 34. r. perswade me of p. 229. l. 2. r. in you p. 230. l. 14. r. at the p. 243. l. 23. d. which p. 244. l. 32. r. wife p. 248. l. 18. r. shall not p. 249. l. 12. r. their parts p. 255. l. 20. defrauded p. 261. l. 25. r. restrained p. 264. l. 14. r. as it p. 266. l. 47. r. as p. 271. l. 6. r. we l. 28. r. not to l. 48. r. which they p. 274. l. 23. r. foulelesse p. 282. l. 21. r. upon p. 284. l. 24. r. if any man l. 23. r. would put p. 288. l. 1. r. drops p. 297. l. 3. r. hath p. 300. l. 4. r. peace kept The fourth Book P. 304. l. 24. d. the p. 305. l. 19. d. must p. 306. l. 1. r. surfeit wet p. 307. l. 19. r. as p. 311. l 40. r. as well p. 312. l. 2. r. authority p. 313. l. 12. r. he l. 39. r.
the Castle-hill And so began they again to pollute the land which God had lately plagued for yet their iniquity was not come to full ripenesse as that God would that they should be manifested to this whole Realme as this day they are to be Fagots prepared for everlasting fire and to be men whom neither Plagues may correct nor the light of Gods Word convert from their darknesse and impiety The Peace as is said is contracted The Queen Dowager past by sea to France with Gallies that for that purpose were prepared and took with her divers of the Nobility of Scotland The Earles Huntley Glencarne Mershell Cassiles The Lords Maxwell Fleiming Sir George Dowglas together with all the late Kings naturall sons and divers Barons and Gentlemen of Ecclesiasticall estate the Bishop of Galloway and many others with promise that they should be richly rewarded for their good service What they received we cannot tell but few were made rich at their returning The Dowager had to practise somewhat with her brethren the Duke of Gwise and the Cardinall of Loraine The weight whereof the Governour after felt for shortly after her returne was the Governour deposed of the government justly by God but most unjustly by man and she made Regent in the yeer of our Lord 1554. and a Crown put upon her head as seemly a sight if men had eyes as to put a Saddle upon the backe of an unruly Cow And so began she to practise practise upon practise How France might be advanced her friends made rich and she brought to immortall glory For that was her common talk So that I may procure the wealth and honour of my Friends and a good fame unto my selfe I regard not what God do after with me And in very deed in deep dissimulation to bring her owne purpose to effect she passed the common sort of women as we will after heare But yet God to whose Gospel she declared her selfe enemie in the end frustrated her of all her devices Thus did light and darknesse strive within the Realme of Scotland The darknesse ever before the World suppressing the light from the death of that notable servant of God Master Patricke Hamilton untill the death of Edward the sixth the most godly and most vertuous King that had been known to have reigned in England or elsewhere these many yeeres by past who departed the miseries of this life the sixth of July Anno 1553. The death of this Prince was lamented of all the godly within Europe for the graces given unto him of God as well of nature as of erudition and godlinesse passed the measure that accustomably is used to be given to other princes in their greatest perfection and yet exceeded he not 16 yeers of age What Gravity above age What Wisdom wherein he passed all understanding or expectation of man And what Dexterity in answering in all things proposed were in that excellent Prince The Ambassadours of all Countries yea some that were mortall enemies to him and to his Realme amongst whom the Queen Dowager of Scotland was not the least could and did testifie For the said Queen Dowager returning from France through England communed with him at length and gave record when she came to this Realme That she found more wisdome and solide judgement in young King Edward then she would have looked for in any three Princes that were then in Europe His liberality towards the godly and learned that were in other Realms persecuted was such as Germans French-men Italians Scots Spaniards Polonians Grecians and Hebrews born can yet give sufficient document For how honourably was Martin Bucer Peter Martyr Iohn Alasco Emanuel Gualterus and many others upon his publike stipends entertained their parents can witnesse and they themselves during their lives would never have denied After the death of this most vertuous Prince of whom the godlesse people of England for the most part were not worthy Satan intended nothing lesse then the light of Jesus Christ utterly to have been extinguished within the whole Isle of Britain For after him was raised up in Gods hot displeasure that Idolatresse and mischievous Mary of the Spaniards blood a cruell persecutrix of Gods people as the acts of her unhappy reigne can sufficiently witnesse And in Scotland that same time as we have heard reigned that crafty practiser Mary of Loraine then named Regent of Scotland who bound to the devotion of her two brethren the Duke of Guise and Cardinall of Loraine did onely abide the opportunity to cut the throat of all those in whom she suspected any knowledge of God to be within the Realme of Scotland And so thought Satan that his kingdome of darknesse was in quietnesse and rest as well in the one Realme as in the other But that provident eye of our eternall God who continually watches for preservation of his Church did so order all things that Satan shortly after found himselfe farre disappointed of his conclusion taken For in that cruell persecution used by Queen Mary of England were godly men dispersed into divers nations of whom it pleased the goodnesse of God to send some unto us for our comfort and instruction And first came a simple man William Harlaw whose erudition although it excell not yet for his whole and diligent plainnesse in Doctrine is he to this day worthy of praise and remaines a fruitfull member within the Church of Scotland After him came that notable man Iohn Willocke as one that had some Commission to the Queen Regent from the Dutchesse of Emden But his principall purpose was to essay what God would worke by him in his native countrey These two did sometimes in severall companies assemble the brethren who by their exhortations began greatly to be encouraged and did shew that they had an earnest thirst of godlinesse And last came Iohn Knox in the end of the harvest Anno 1555. who first being lodged in the house of that notable man of God Iames Sime began to exhort secretly in that same house whereunto repaired the Laird of Dun David Forresse and some certain personages of the Town amongst whom was Elizabeth Adamson then spouse to Iames Barrone Burgesse of Edinburgh who by reason that she had a troubled conscience delighted much in the company of the said Iohn because that he according to the grace given unto him opened more fully the Fountaine of Gods Mercies then did the common sort of Teachers that she had heard before for she had heard none except Friers and did with such greedinesse drinke thereof that at her death she did expresse the fruit of her hearing to the great comfort it of all those that repaired unto her For albeit she suffered most grievous torment in her body yet out of her mouth was heard nothing but praising of God except that sometimes she lamented the troubles of those that were troubled by her Being sometimes demanded by her sisters What she thought of that pain which she then
execute their tyranny upon the parts of Lowthiane that lay nigh to Edinburgh Let M. David Borthwicke witnesse what favour his wife and place of Adeston found of the French for all the service that he did to the Queen Regent In the midst of February were directed to England from the Duke and the Congregation the Lord Iames Lord Ruthuen the Mast of Maxwell the Master of Lindsay Master Henry Balnaves and the Laird of Pittarrow who with their honest companies and Commission departed by Sea all except the Master of Maxwell to Barwicke Where there met them the Duke of Norfolke Lieutenant to the Queen of England and with him a great company of the Gentlemen of the North with some also of the South having full power to contract with the Nobility of Scotland as they did upon such Conditions as are in the same Contract specified and because we have heard the malicious tongues of wicked men make false report of that our fact we have faithfully and truely inserted in this our History the said Contract as well that which was made at Leith during the siege as that which was first made at Barwicke that the memory thereof may abide to our Posterity to the end that they may judge with indifferency Whether that we have done any thing prejudiciall to our Common-wealth or yet contrarious unto the dutifull obedience which true subjects owe to their Superiours whose Authority ought to defend and maintain the Liberty and Freedom of the Realms committed to their Charge and not to oppresse and betray the same to stranger The Tenour of our Contract followeth The Contract at Barwick JAMES Duke of Chattellarault Earle of Arrane Lord Hamilton and others of the Councell Nobility and principall States of Scotland To all and sundry whose knowledge these presents shall come Greeting We have well considered and are fully perswaded in what danger desolation and misery the long enmity with the Kingdom of England hath brought our Countrey heretofore how wealthie and flourishing it shall become if those two Kingdoms as they are joyned in one Island by Creation of the World so they may be knit in a constant and assured friendship The considerations grounded upon a most infallible Trueth ought no lesse to have moved our Progenitours and for fathers then us But the present danger hanging over our heads by the unjust dealing of those of whom we have alwayes best deserved hath caused us to weigh them more earnestly then they did The misbehaviour of the French Monsieurs I had almost said Monsters here hath of late yeers been so great The oppressions and crueltie of the Souldiers the tyrannie and ambition of their Superiours and Rulers so grievous to the people the violent subversion of our liberty and conquest of the land whereat they have by most crafty and subtill means continually pressed hath been I say so intollerable to us all that at last when we could not obtain redresse by humble suits and earnest supplications presented to the Queen Dowager who both for duties sake and place she doth occupie ought to have been most carefull of our state we have been by very necessitie constrained not onely to assay our own Forces but also to implore the Queens Majestie of Englands aide and support which her Majestie hath most willingly granted upon certain conditions specified in a Treaty past at Barwick betwixt the Duke of Norfolk Lieutenant to her Majestie on the one part and certain our Commissioners on the other part whereof the Tenour followeth At Barwick the 27 day of February the yeer of our Lord God 1559 yeers It is appointed and finally Contracted betwixt the noble and mighty Thomas Duke of Norfolk Earle Marshall of England and Lieutenant to the Queens Majestie of the said Realm in the Name and behalf of her Highnesse on the one part and the Right Honourable Lord Iames Stewart Patrick Lord Ruthuen Sir Iohn Maxwell of Terregles Knight William Maitland of Lethington younger Iohn Wischarde of Pittarrow and Master Henry Balnaves of Halhill in name and behalf of the Noble and Mighty Iames Duke of Chattellarault of Scotland and the Lords of the Congregation joyned together in this Cause for maintenance and defence of the ancient Rights and Liberties of their Countrey on the other part in forme as after followeth That is to say That the Queen having sufficiently understood as well by information sent from the Nobility of Scotland as by the proceedings of the French that they intend to conquer the Realm of Scotland suppresse the liberty thereof and unite the same unto the Crown of France perpetually contrary to the Laws of the said Realm and the Pacts Oathes and Promises of France And being thereto most humbly and earnestly required by the said Nobility for and in the name of the whole Realm shall accept the said Realm of Scotland the said Nobility and subjects thereof into her Majesties protection and maintenance onely for preservation of the same in their own freedoms and liberties and from conquest during the time that the Marriage shall continue betwixt the Queen of Scots and the French King and a yeer after And for expelling out of the same Realme of such as presently and apparently goeth about to practice the said Conquest her Majesty shall with all speed send into Scotland a convenient aide of men of War both Horse and Foot to joyn with the power of Scotish men with Artillery Munition and all other Instruments of War meet for that purpose as well by Sea as by Land not onely to expell the present Power of the French within that Realme oppressing the same but also to stop as far as conveniently may be all greater Forces of French to enter therein for the like purpose and shall continue her Majesties ayd to the said Realme Nobility and subjects of the same unto the time the French being enemies to the said Realme be utterly expelled hence and shall never transact compose nor agree with the French nor conclude any League with them except the Scots and the French shall be agreed that the Realme of Scotland may be left in a due freedom by the French nor shall leave the maintenance of the said Nobility and subjects whereby they might fall as a prey into their enemies hands as long as they shall acknowledge their Soveraigne Lady the Queen and shall endeavour their selves to maintain the liberty of their Countrey and the State of the Crowne of Scotland And if in case any Forts or Strengths within the Realme be won out of the hands of the French at this present or at any time hereafter by her Majesties ayd the same shall be immediately demolished by the Scotish-men or delivered to the said Nobility aforesaid at their option and choice neither shall the power of England fortifie within the ground of Scotland being out of the bounds of England but by the advice of the Duke Nobility and States of Scotland For the which causes and in respect of her
hath faith wotteth well that he pleaseth God for all that is done in faith pleaseth God faith is a surenesse Faith is a sure confidence of things which are hoped for and a certainty of things which are not seen The same spirit certifieth our spirit that we are the children of God Moreover he that hath the faith wotteth well that God will fulfill his Word Ergo faith is a surenesse A man justified by faith ABraham believed God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse we suppose therefore that a man is justified saith the Apostle without the works of the Law He that worketh not but believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted unto him for righteousnesse The just man liveth by faith Abac. 2. Rom. 1. We know that a man that is justified is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ and not by the deeds of the Law Of the faith of Christ. THe faith of Christ is To believe in him that is To believe in his Word and to believe that he will help thee in all thy need and deliver thee from all evill Thou wilt ask me What Word I answer The Gospel he that believeth in Christ shall be saved He that believeth the son hath everlasting life Verily verily I say unto you He that believeth in me hath everlasting life This I write unto you that believing in the Name of the Son of God ye may know that ye have eternall life Thomas because thou hast seen me thou believest but happy are they that have not seen and yet believe in me All the Prophets to him bear witnesse That whosoever believeth in him shall have remission of their sins What must I do that I may be saved the Apostle answereth Believe in the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved If thou acknowledge with thy mouth that Jesus is the Lord and believe in thine heart That God raised him up from the dead thou shalt be safe He that believeth not in Christ shall be condemned He that believeth not the son shall never see life but the ire of God abideth upon him The holy Ghost shal reprove the world of sin because saith Christ they believe not in me They that believe in Jesus Christ are sons of God Ye are all the sons of God because ye believe in Jesus Christ. He that believeth in Christ the son of God is safe Peter said Thou art Christ the son of the living God Jesus answered and said unto him Happy art thou Simon the son of Ionas for flesh and blood hath not opened unto thee that but my father which is in heaven We have believed and known that thou art Christ the son of the living God I believe that thou art Christ the son of the living God which should come into the world These things are written that ye might believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and that in believing ye might have life I believe that Jesus is the son of the living God He that believeth God believeth the Gospel He that believeth God believeth his Word and the Gospel is his Word Therefore he that believeth God believeth his Gospel As Christ is the Saviour of the world Christ is our Saviour Christ bought us with his Blood Christ washed us with his Blood Christ offered himself for us Christ bare our sins upon his back He that believeth not the Gospel believeth not God he that believeth not Gods Word believeth not himself and the Gospel is Gods Word Ergo He that believeth not the Gospel believeth not God himself And consequently they that believe not as is above written and such other believe not God He that believeth the Gospel shall be saved Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel unto every creature he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be condemned A Comparison betwixt Faith and Incredulity Faith Is the root of all good Maketh God and man friends Bringeth God and man together Incredulity Is the root of all evill Maketh them deadly foes Bringeth them asunder All that proceedeth from Faith pleaseth God All that proceedeth from Incredulity displeaseth God Faith onely maketh a man good and righteous Incredulity maketh him unjust and evill Faith onely maketh a man The Member of Christ The Inheritor of heaven The Servant of God Faith sheweth God to be a sweet Father holdeth stiffe by the word of God counteth God to be true knoweth God loveth God and his neighbour onely saveth extolleth God and his works Incredulitie maketh man a member of the devill maketh him inheritour of hell maketh him the servant of the devill maketh God a terrible Judge causeth man wander here and there maketh him false and a liar knoweth him not loveth neither God nor neighbour onely condemneth extolleth flesh and her own deeds Of Hope HOpe is a trustie looking for of things that are promised to come unto us as we hope the everlasting joy which Christ hath promised unto all that beleeve in him we should put our hope and trust in God onely and in no other thing It is good to trust in God and not in man He that trusteth in his own heart he is a fool It is good to trust in God and not in Princes They shall be like unto Images that make them and all that trust in them He that trusteth in his own thoughts doth ungodly Cursed be he that trusteth in man Bid the rich men of this world that they trust not in their unstable riches but that they trust in the livâ—ng God It is hard for them that trust in money to enter into the kingdom of God Moreover we should trust in him surely that can help us yea we should trust in him onely Well is him that trusteth in God and wo to them that trust him not Well is the man that trusteth in God for God shall be his trust He that trusteth in him shall understand the truth They shall all rejoyce that trust in thee they shall all ever be glad and thou wilt defend them Of Charitie CHaritie is the love of thy neighbour The rule of Charity is To do as thou wouldest were done unto thee for Charitie esteemeth all alike the rich and the poor the friend and the foe the thankfull and unthankfull the kinsman and stranger A comparison betwixt Faith Hope and Charitie FAith cometh of the word of God Hope cometh of Faith And Charity springeth of them both Faith beleeves the word Hope trusteth after that which is promised by the word and Charity doth good unto her neighbour through the love that she hath to God and gladnesse that is within her self Faith looketh to God and his word Hope looketh unto his giâ—t and reward Charity looketh unto her neighbours profit Faith receiveth God Hope receiveth his reward Charity looketh unto her neighbour with a glad
That Auricular Confession seeing that it hath no promise of the Gospel truely it cannot be a Sacrament Of the Confession to be made to God there are many testimonies in Scripture as when David saith I thought that I would acknowledge mine iniquity against my self unto the Lord and he forgave the trespasses of my sins Here confessing signifieth the secret knowledge of our sins before God When I exhorted the people on this manner I reproved no manner of Confession And farther Saint Iames saith Acknowledge your sins one to another and so let you have peace among your selves Here the Apostle meaneth nothing of Auricular Confession but that we should acknowledge and confesse our selves to be sinners before our brethren and before the world and not to esteeme our selves as the Gray Friers do thinking themselves already purged When that he had said these words the horned Bishops and their complices cryed and gyrned with their teeth saying See ye not what colours he hath in his speech that he may beguile us and seduce us to his opinion The fifth Article Thou false heretick didst say openly That it was necessary for every man to know and understand his Baptisme which is contrary to Generall Councels and the Estates of holy Church The Answer My Lords I believe there be none so unwise here that will make Merchandise with any French-men or any other unknowne stranger except he know and understand first the condition or promise made by the French-man or stranger So likewise I would that we understood what thing we promise in the name of the Infant unto God in Baptisme Then said M. Peter Chaplin That he had the devill within him and the spirit of terrour Then answered him a childe saying The devil cannot speak such words as yonder man doth speake The sixth Article Thou false Hereticke Traytor and Thiefe thou said That the Sacrament of the Altar was but a piece of bread baken upon the ashes and no other thing else and all that is there done is but a superstitious Rite against the Commandment of God The Answer Oh Lord God! so manifest lyes and blasphemies the Scripture doth not teach you As concerning the Sacrament of the Altar my Lords I never taught any thing against the Scripture the which I shall by Gods grace make manifest this day I being ready therefore to suffer death The lawfull use of the Sacrament is most acceptable unto God But the great abuse of it is very detestable unto him But what occasion they have to say such words of me I shall shortly shew your Lordships I once chanced to meet with a Iew when I was sayling upon the water of Rhene I did enquire of him What was the cause of his pertinacie that he did not believe that the true Messias was come considering that they had seen all the Prophesies which were spoken of him to be fulfilled Moreover the Prophesies taken away and the Scepter of Iuda By many other testimonies of the Scripture I witnessed to him and proved that the Messias was come the which they called Iesus of Nazareth This Iew answered again unto me When Messias cometh he shall restore all things and he shall not abrogate the Law which was given unto our Fathers as ye do for why We see the poor almost perish through hunger amongst you yet you are not moved with pity towards them But amongst us Iewes though we be poor there are no beggers found Secondarily It is forbidden by the Law to fain any kinde of Imagery of things in heaven above or in the earth beneath or in the Sea under the earth but one God onely to honour But your Sanctuaries and Churches are full of Idolls Thirdly a piece of bread baked upon the ashes ye adore and worship and say that it is your God I have rehearsed here but the sayings of a Iew which I never affirmed to be true Then the Bishops shook their heads and spitted on the ground and what he meaned in this matter further they would not hear The seventh Article Thou false hereticke didst say That extreme Unction was not a Sacrament The Answer My Lords forsooth I never taught of extreme Unction in my Doctrine whether it was a Sacrament or no. The eighth Article Thou false hereticke didst say That holy water is not so good as Wash and such like Thou contemnest conjuring and sayest That holy Churches cursing availeth not The Answer My Lords as for holy water what strength it is of I taught never in my Doctrine Conjurings and Exorcisms if they were conformable to the Word of God I would commend them but in as much as they are not conformable to the Commandment and Word of God I reprove them The ninth Article Thou false Hereticke and runagate hast said That every man is a Priest and likewise thou sayest That the Pope hath no more power then another man The Answer My Lords I taught nothing but the Word of God I remember that I have read in some places of S. Iohn and S. Peter of the which one saith He hath made us kings and priests The other saith He hath made us the kingly Priesthood Wherefore I have affirmed Any man understanding and perfit in the Word of God and the true faith of Jesus Christ to have his power given him from God and not by the power or violence of men but by the vertue of the Word of God the which word is called The power of God as witnesseth S. Paul evidently enough And againe I say Any unlearned man and not exercised in the Word of God nor yet constant in his Faith whatsoever estate or order he be of I say he hath no power to binde or to loose seeing he wanteth the instrument by the which he bindeth and looseth that is to say The Word of God After that he had said these words all the Bishops laughed and mocked him When that he beheld their laughing Laugh ye said he my Lords Though that these my sayings do seem scornfull and worthy of derision to your Lordships neverthelesse they are very weighty to me and of a great value because that they stand not onely upon my life but also upon the honour and glory of God In the meane time many godly men beholding the woodnesse and great cruelty of the Bishops and the invincible patience of the said M. George did greatly mourne and lament The tenth Article Thou false Hereticke saidst That a man had no free-will but is like to the Stoicks which say That it is not in mans will to do anything but that all desire and concupiscence cometh of God of whatsoever kinde it be of The Answer My Lords I said not so truely I say That as many as beleeve in Christ firmely unto them is given liberty conformable to the saying of S. Iohn If the Sonne make you free then shall you verily be free Of the contrary as many as beleeve not in Christ Jesus they are bond-servants of sin
I have learned by experience that Fasting is good for the health and conservation of the body But God onely knoweth who fasteth the true Fast. The eighteenth Article Thou false Hereticke hast Preached openly saying That the soules of men shall sleepe to the latter day of judgement and shall not obtaine life immortall untill the last day The Answer God full of mercy and goodnesse forgive them that say such things of me I wot and know surely by the Word of God that he who hath begun to have the Faith of Jesus Christ and to beleeve firmely in him I know surely I say that the soule of that man shall never sleepe but ever shall live an immortall life the which life from day to day is renewed in Grace and augmented nor yet shall ever perish or have an end but shall ever live immortall with Christ the head To the which life all that beleeve in him shall come and rest in eternall glory Amen WHen that the Bishops with their complices had accused this innocent man in manner and forme aforesaid incontinently they condemned him to be burnt as an Hereticke not having respect to his godly answers and true reasons which he alleadged nor yet to their own consciences Thinking verily that they should do to God good sacrifice conformable to the sayings of Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Saint Iohn the 16. Chapter They shall excommunicate you yea and the time shall come that he which killeth you shall thinke that he hath done to God good service The Prayer of Master George Wischarde O Immortall God how long shalt thou suffer the rage and great crudelitie of the ungodly to exercise their fury upon thy servants which doe further thy Word in this world seeing they desire to do the contrary That is to choke and destroy thy true Doctrine and Veritie by the which thou hast shewed thee unto the world which was all drowned in blindnesse and misknowledge of thy Name O Lord we know surely that thy true servants must needs suffer for thy Names sake persecution affliction and troubles in this present life which is but a shadow as thou hast shewed to us by thy Prophets and Apostles But yet we desire thee mercifull Father that thou wouldst conserve defend and help thy congregation which thou hast chosen before the beginning of the world and give them thy grace to heare thy Word and to be thy true servants in this present life Then by and by they caused the common people to remove whose desire was always to hear that Innocent man speak Then the sons of darknesse pronounced their sentence definitive not having respect to the Judgement of God When all this was done and said the Cardinall causeth his tormentors to passe again with the meek Lambe unto the Castle untill such time as the fire was made ready When he was come into the Castle then there came two fiends two gray-Friers Frier Scot and his mate saying Sir you must make your confession unto us He answered I will make no confession Go fetch me yonder man that preached unto us this day and I will conferre with him Then they sent for the Sub-prior of the Abbey who came to him with all diligence And conferred with him a pretty while at last burst forth in teares but so soon as he was able to speak he asked him If he would receive the Communion Master Wischarde answered He would most willingly if he could have it according to Christs institution under both kindes The Sub-prior went to the Cardinall and his Prelats he told them That Master Wischarde was an innocent man which he said not to intercede for his life but to make known the innocency of the man unto all men as it was known to God At these words the Cardinall was angry and said to the Sub-Prior Long agoe we knew what you were Then the Sub-Prior demanded Whether they would suffer M. Wischarde to receive the Communion or no They answered No. A while after M. Wischarde had ended with the Sub-Prior the Captaine of the Castle with some other friends came to him and asked him If he would break fast with them He answered Most willingly for I know you to be most honest and godly men So all being ready he desired them to sit downe and heare him a while with patience Then he discoursed to them about halfe an houre concerning the Lords Supper his Sufferings and Death for us He exhorteth them to love one another laying aside all rancor envie and vengeance as perfect members of Christ who intercedes continually for us to God the Father After this he gave thanks and blessing the Bread and Wine he took the Bread and brake it and gave to every one of it bidding each of them Remember that Christ had died for them and feed on it spiritually So taking the Cup he bade them Remember that Christs blood was shed for them c. And after he gave thanks and prayed for them When he had done he told them That he would neither eat nor drink more in this life and so retired to his Chamber Immediately after came to him sent from the Cardinall two executioners one brought him a coat of Linnen died black and put it upon him The other brought some baggs full of Powder which they tied to severall parts of his body Thus having dressed him they brought him to an outer Roome neere to the gate of the Castle Then the fire was made ready and the Stake at the West port of the Castle neere to the Priory Over against the place of execution the Castle Windows were hung with rich hangings and Velvet Cushions laid for the Cardinall and Prelats who from thence did feed their eyes with the torments of this innocent man The Cardinall dreading that Master George should have been taken away by his friends Before had commanded to bend all the ordnance of the Castle right against the place of execution and commanded all his Gunners to be ready and stand beside their Gunnes unto such time as he was burnt All this being done they bound Master George his hands behinde his backe and with sound of Trumpet led him forth with the Souldiers from the Castle to the place of their cruell and wicked execution As he came forth of the Castle gate there met him certain beggars asking of him almes for Gods sake To whom he answered I want my hands wherewith I was wont to give you almes But the mercifull Lord of his benignity and abundant grace that feedeth all men vouchsafe to give you necessaries both unto your bodies and soules Then afterward met him two false Fiends I should say Friers saying M. George pray to your Lady that she may be a Mediatrix for you to her Sonne To whom he answered meekly Cease tempt me not I intreat you After this he was led to the fire with a rope about his neck and a chaine of iron about his middle When that he came to the fire he
something was purposed against him at that day by the Earle of Angus and his friends whom he mortally feared and whose destruction he sought but it failed and so returned he to his strength yea to his god and onely comfort as well in heaven as in earth and there he remained without all fear of death promising to himself no lesse pleasure then did the rich man of whom mention is made by our Master in the Gospel for he did not onely say Eat and be glad my soul for thou hast great riches laid up in store for many dayes but he said Tush a figge for the fooles and a button for the bragging of heretickes and their assistance in Scotland Is not my Lord Governour mine witnesse his eldest son in pledge at my table Have I not the Queen at my owne devotion he meant of the mother Mary that now 1566 raigns Is not France my friend and I am friend to France What danger should I feare And thus in vanity the carnall Cardinall delighted himself a little before his death But yet he had devised to have cut off such as he thought might trouble him For he had appointed the whole Gentlemen of Fyfe to have met him at Falkland the Munday but he was slain upon the Saturday before His treasonable purpose was not understood and it was this That Norman Lesley Sheriff of Fyfe and apparent heir to his Father the Earl of Rothes the foresaid Iohn Lesley Father brother to Norman the Lairds of Grange elder and younger Sir Iames Learmond of Darsie and Provost of Saint Andrewes and the faithfull Laird of Raith should either have been slain or else taken and after to have beene used at his pleasure This enterprise was disclosed after his slaughter partly by Letters and Memorialls found in his chamber but plainly affirmed by such as were of the counsell Many purposes were devised how that wicked man might have been taken away But all faileth till Friday the twenty eighth of May anno 1546. when the aforesaid Norman came at night to Saint Andrewes William Kirkaldie of Grange younger was in the Towne before waiting upon the purpose Last came Iohn Lesley as aforesaid who was most suspected What conclusion they took that night it was not knowne but by the issue that followed But early upon the Saturday in the morning the 29 of May were they in sundry Companies in the Abbey Church-yard not far distant from the Castle First the Gates being open and the draw-Bridge letten downe for receiving of Lime and Stones and other things necessary for building for Babilon was almost finished First we say assayed William Kirkcaldie of Grange younger and with him six persons and getting entry held purpose with the Porter If my Lord was walking who answered No and so it was indeed for he had been busie at his compts with Mistris Marion Ogilbie that night who was espied to depart from him by the privie Posterne that morning and therefore quietnesse after the rules of Physick and a morning sleep was requisite for my Lord. While the said William and the Porter talketh and his servants made them to look the work and workmen approached Norman Lesley with his company and because they were in great number they easily gat entrie They addresse to the midst of the Court and immediately came Iohn Lesley somewhat rudely and four persons with him The Porter fearing would have drawne the Bridge but the said Iohn being entred thereon stayed it and leapt in And while the Porter made him for defence his head waâ— broken the Keyes taken from him and he cast into the ditch and so the place was seized The shout ariseth the work-men to the number of more then a hundred ran off the walls and were without hurt put forth at the Wicket Gate The first thing that ever was done William Kirkaldie took the Guard of the privy Posterne fearing lest the Fox should have escaped Then go the rest of the Gentlemens Chambers and without violence done to any man they put more then fifty persons to the Gate The number that enterprised and did this was but sixteen persons The Cardinall wakened with the shouts asked from his window What meant that noyse It was answered That Norman Lesley had taken his Castle Which understood he ran to the Posterne but perceiving the passage to be kept without he returned quickly to his Chamber took his two handed sword and caused his Chamberlain to cast Chests and other impediments to the doore In this mean time came Iohn Lesley unto it and bids open The Cardinall asking Who calls he answered My name is Lesley He demanded Is that Norman The other saith Nay my name is Iohn I will have Norman saith the Cardinall for he is my friend Content your self with such as are here for other you shall have none There were with the said Iohn Iames Melvene a man familiarly acquainted with Master George Wischarde and Peter Carmichaelle a stout Gentleman In this mean time while they force at the door the Cardinall hides a box of gold under coales that were laid in a secret corner At length he asketh Will ye save my life The said Iohn answered It may be that we will Nay saith the Cardinall Swear unto me by Gods wounds and I will open you Then answered the said Iohn It that was said is unsaid and so cryed Fire fire for the doore was very strong and so was brought a chimley full of burning coales which perceived the Cardinall or his Chamberlain it is uncertain opened the doore and the Cardinall sat down in a chaire and cryed I am a Priest I am a Priest ye will not slay me The said Iohn Leslie according to his former Vows stroke him first once or twice and so did the said Peter But Iames Melvin a man of nature most gentle and most modest perceiving them both in choler withdrew them and said This work and judgement of God although it be secret ought to be done with greater gravity And presenting unto him the point of the sword said Repent thee of thy former wicked life but especially of the shedding of the blood of that notable instrument of God M. George Wischarde which albeit the flame of fire consumed before men yet cries it for vengeance upon thee and we from God are sent to revenge it For here before my God I protest That neither the hatred of thy person the love of thy riches nor the fear of any trouble thou couldst have done to me in particular moved or moveth me to strike thee But onely because thou hast been and remainest an obstinate enemy against Christ Iesus and his holy Gospel And so he stroke him twice or thrice thorow with a stog sword And so he fell never word heard out of his mouth but I am a Priest fie fie all is gone While they were thus busied with the Cardinall the fray rose in the Town the Provost assembles the
suffered in body in respect of that wherewith sometimes she was troubled in spirit She answered A thousand yeere of this torment and ten times more joyned unto it is not to be compared in the quarter of an houre that I suffered in my spirit I thanke my God through Iesus Christ that hath delivered me from that fearfull pain and welcome be this even so long as it pleaseth his godly Majestie to exercise me therewith A little before her departure she desired her sisters and some others that were beside her to sing a Psalme and amongst others she appointed the 103. Psalme beginning My soule praise thou the Lord alwayes which ended she said At the Teaching of this Psalme began my troubled soule first effectually to taste of the mercy of my God which now to me is more sweet and precious then if all the kingdomes of the earth were given to me to possesse them a thousand yeeres The Priests urged her with their Ceremonies and Superstitions To whom she answered Depart from me ye Sergeants of Satan for I have refused and in your own presence doe refuse all your abominations That which you call your Sacrament and Christs body as ye have deceived us to beleeve in times past is nothing but an Idoll and hath nothing to do with the right Institution of Iesus Christ and therefore in Gods Name I command you not to trouble me They departed alleadging That she raved and wist not what she said And she shortly after slept in the Lord Jesus to no small comfort of those that saw her blessed departing This we could not omit of this worthy woman who gave so notable a Confession before that the great light of Gods Word did universally shine thorowout this Realme At the first coming of the said Iohn Knox he perceiving divers who had a zeale to godlinesse make small scruple to go to the Masse or to communicate with the abused Sacraments in the Papisticall manner began as well in privie Conference as in Preaching to shew the impietie of the Masse and how dangerous a thing it was to communicate in any sort with Idolatrie wherewith the conscience of some being affrighted the matter began to be agitate from man to man And so was the said Iohn called to Supper by the Laird of Dun for that same purpose where were assembled David Forresse Master Robert Lockart Iohn Willocke and William Maitland of Lethington younger a man of good Learning and of sharpe wit and reasoning The Question was Proposed and it was answered by the said Iohn That in no wise it was lawfull to a Christian to present himselfe to that Idoll Nothing was omitted that might serve for the purpose and yet was every head so fully answered and especially one whereunto they thought their great defence stood To wit That Paul at the commandment of Iames and of the Elders of Ierusalem passed to the Temple and fained himselfe to pay his vow with others This we say and other things were so fully answered that William Maitland concluded saying I see very perfectly that our shifts will serve nothing before God seeing that they stand us in so small stead before men The answer of Iohn Knox to the fact of Paul and to the commandment of Iames was That Pauls fact had nothing to do with their going to Masse For to pay Vowes was sometimes Gods Commandment as was never Idolatry But their Masse from the originall was and remained odious Idolatry Therefore the fact was most unlike Secondarily said he I greatly doubt whether either Iames his commandment or Pauls obedience proceeded of the holy Ghost We know their counsell tendeth to this That Paul would shew himselfe one that observed diligently the very small points of the Law to the end he might purchase to himself the favours of the Jews who were offended at him by reason of the bruites that were spread That he taught defection from Moses Now while he obeyed their counsell he fell into the most desperate danger that ever he sustained before whereby it was evident That God approved not that mean of reconciliation but rather that he plainely declareth That evil should not be done that good might come of it Evil it was for Paul to confirme those obstinate Jewes in their Superstition by his example worse it was to him to expose himselfe and the Doctrine which before he had taught to slander and mockage And therefore concluded the said Iohn That the fact of Paul and the sequell that thereof followed appeared rather to fight against them that would go to the Masse then to give unto them any assurance to follow his example unlesse that they would that the like trouble should instantly apprehend them that apprehended him for obeying worldly-wise councell After these and like reasonings the Masse began to be abhorred of such as before used it for the fashion and avoiding of slander as then they termed it Iohn Knox at request of the Laird of Dun followed him to his place of Dun where he remained a moneth daily exercised in Preaching whereunto resorted the principall men of that countrey After this returning his residence was most in Calder whither repaired unto him the Lord Erskin the Earle of Argyle then Lord of Lorne and Lord Iames then Priour of S. Andrews and after Earle of Murrey where they heard and so approved his Doctrine that they wished it to have been publike That same Winter he taught commonly in Edinburgh and after Christmas by the conduct of the Laird of Bar and Robert Campbell of Kingieancleuch he came to Kyle and taught in the Bar in the house of the Caâ—nell in the Kingieancleuch in the Town of Air and in the houses of Uchiltrie and Gathgirth and in some of them he ministred the Lords Table Before Easter the Earl of Glencarne sent for him to his place of Fynlaston where after Sermon he also ministred the Lords Table Whereof besides himself were partakers his Lady two of his sons and certain of his friends And so returned he to Calder where divers from Edinburgh and from the Countrey about assembled as well for the Doctrine as for the right use of the Lords Table which before they had never practised From thence he departed the second time to the Laird of Dun and teaching then in greater liberty the Gentlemen required That he should minister likewise unto them the Table of the Lord Jesus where were partakers the most part of the Gentlemen of the Mernes who God be praised to this day do constantly remain in the same doctrine which then they professed To wit That they refused all society with Idolatry and bent themselves to the uttermost of their powers to maintain the true Preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as God should offer unto them Preachers and opportunitie The bruite hereof spread for the Friers from all quarters flocked to the Bishops the said Iohn Knox was summoned to appear in the Church of the blacke
advert thereto and to have care to use your Lordships friends that alwayes hath wished the honour profit and prosperity of your Lordships house as of our own I pray you give credit to the Bearer Iesu have your Lordship in everlasting keeping Of Edinburgh the five and twentieth day of March Anno 1558. Sic subscribitur Your Lordships at all power Saint Andrews Followes the Credit MEmorandum To Sir David Hamilton to my Lord Earle of Argyle in my behalfe and let him see and heare every Article 1. Imprimis To repeat the ancient blood of his house how long it hath stood how notable it hath been and so many Noble-men hath been Earles Lords and Knights thereof How long they have reigned in their parts true and obedient both to God and the Prince without any spot in their dayes in any manner of sort And to remember how many notable men are come of his house 2. Secondly To shew him the great affection I beare towards him his blood house and friends and of the ardent desire I have of the perpetuall standing of it in honour and fame with all them that are come of it Which is my part for many and divers causes as you shall see 3. Thirdly To shew my Lord how heavy and displeasing it is to me now to heare That he who is and hath been so Noble a man should be seduced and abused by the flattery of such an infamed person of the Law and men sworne Apostate that under the pretence that he giveth himself forth as a Preacher of the Gospel and Veritie under that colour setteth forth Schismes and Divisions in the holy Church of God with Hereticall Propositions thinking that under his maintenance and defence to infect this Countrey with Heresie perswading my said Lord and others his children and friends that all that he speaketh is Scripture and conform thereunto albeit that many of his Propositions are many yeers past condemned by generall Councels and the whole state of Christian people 4. Fourthly To shew to my Lord how perillous this is to his Lordship and his house and decay thereof in case that authority should be sharp and should use rigour conform both to Civill and Canon and also your own Municipall law of this Realm 5. Fifthly to shew his Lordship how woe I would be either to heare see or know any displeasure that might come to him his son or any of his house or friends and especially in his own time and dayes And as how great displeasure I have now to hear great and evil bruites of him that should in his old age in a manner vary from his faith and to be altered therin when the time is that he should be most sure and firme therein 6. Sixthly To shew his Lordship that there is delation of that man called Dowglas or Grant of sundry Articles of Heresie which lieth to my charge and conscience to put remedie to or else all the pestilentious Doctrine he sowes and such like all that are corrupt by his Doctrine and all that he draweth from our Faith and Christian Religion will lie to my charge before God and I to be accused before God for overseeing of him if I put not remedy thereto and correct him for such things he is delated of And therefore that my Lord consider and weigh it well how highly it lieth both to my honour and conscience for if I favour him I shall be accused for all them that he infects and corrupts in Heresie 7. Seventhly Therefore I pray my Lord in most hearty maner to take this matter in the best part for his own conscience honour and weale of himselfe house friends and servants and sik like for my part and for my conscience and honour Then considering that there are divers Articles of Heresie to be laid to him that he is dilated of and that he is presently in my Lords company That my Lord would by some honest way part with this man and put him from him and from his sons company For I would be right sorry that any being in any of their companies should be called for such causes or that any of them should be bruited to hold any sik man And this I would advertise my Lord and have his Lordships Answer and Resolution before any Summons passed upon him 8. Eighthly Item If my Lord would have a man to instruct him truely in the Faith and Preach to him I would provide a learned man to him and I shall answer for his true Doctrine and shall Pand my soule that he shall teach nothing but truly according to our Catholike Faith Of Edinburgh this last of March 1558. Sic subscribiter Saint Andrews Moreover I hope your Lordship will call to good remembrance and weigh the great and heavie murmure against me both by the Queene the Church-men Spirituall and Temporall estates and well given people moaning crying and murmuring at me greatly That I do not my Office To those such infamous persons with such perversed Doctrine within my Diocesses and this Realme by reason of my Legacie and Primacie which I have the rather sustained and long suffered for the great love that I had to your Lordship and posterity and your friends and your house As beleeving surely your Lordships wisedome should not have maintained and medled with such things that might do me dishonour or displeasure considering that I have bin ready to put good order thereto alwayes but have modestly abstained for the love of your Lordship and house aforesaid that I beare truely knowing and seeing the great harm and dishonour and lack apparantly that might come there through in case your Lordship remedie not the same hastily whereby we might both be quiet of all danger which doubtlesse will come upon us both if I use not my Office or that he be called while that he is now with your Lordship and under your Lordships protection Subscribed againe Saint Andrews By these former Instructions thou mayest perceive Gentle Reader what was the care that this Pastour or rather Impostour with his Complices took to feed the flock committed to their charge as they alleadge and to gain-stand false Teachers Here is oft mention of conscience of Heresie such other terms that might fray the ignorant and deceive the simple But we hear no crime in particular laid to the charge of the accused and yet is he condemned as a forsworn Apostata This was my Lords conscience which he learned of his fathers the Pharisees old enemies to Christ Jesus who condemned him before they heard him But who ruled my Lords conscience when he took his cousins wife the Lady Gilton Consider thou the rest of his perswasions thou shalt clearly see That honour estimation love to house and friends is the best ground that my Lord Bishop hath why he should persecute Jesus Christ in his members We thought good to insert the answers of the said Earle which follow Memorandum This present Writ is to make answer
particularly to every Article directed from my Lord of S. Andrews to me by Sir David Hamilton which Articles are in number nine and heere repeated and answered as I trust to his Lordships contentment 1. THe first Article putteth me in remembrance of the antiquity of the blood of my house how many Earles Lords and Knights hath been thereof how many Noble-men descended of the same house how long it continued true to God and the Prince without spot in their dayes in any manner of sort Answer True it is my Lord that there is well-long continuance of my house by Gods providence and benevolence of our Princes whom we have served and shall serve truely next to God And the like obedience towards Gods and our Princes remaineth with us yet or rather better praised be the Lords Name neither know we any spot towards our Princesse and her due obedience And if there be offence towards God he is mercifull to remit our offences For he will not the death of a sinner Like as it standeth in his omnipotent power to make up houses to continue the same to alter them to make them small or great or to extinguish them according to his own inscrutable wisdom For in exalting depressing and changing of houses the laud and praise must be given to that one eternall God in whose hands the same standeth 2. The second Article beareth the great affection and love your Lordship beareth towards me and my house and of the ardent desire ye have of the perpetuall standing thereof in honour and fame with all them that are coming of it Answ. Forsooth it is your dutie to wish good unto my house and unto them that are coming of the same not onely for the faithfulnesse amity and society that hath been between our forefathers but also for the late conjunction of blood that is between our said house if it be Gods pleasure that it have successe Which should give sufficient occasion to your Lordship to wish good to my house and perpetuity with Gods glory without which nothing is perpetuall unto whom be praise and worship for ever and ever Amen 3. Thirdly Your Lordship declareth how displeasant it is to you that I should be seduced by an infamed person of the Law and by the flattery of a forsworn Apostata that under pretence of his giving forth maketh us to understand That he is a Preacher of the Gospel and therewith raiseth Schismes and Divisions in the whole Church of God And by our maintenance and defence would infect this Countrey with Heresie alleadging that to be Scripture which these many yeeres past hath been condemned as Heresie by the generall Councells and whole estate of Christian people Answ. The God that created heaven and earth and all that is therein preserve me from seducing for I dread others many under the colour of godlinesse are seduced and think that they do God a pleasure when they persecute one of them that professe his Name What that man of the Law is we know not we hear none of his flattery his perjured Oath of Apostasie is unknown unto us But if he have made any unlawfull Oath contrary to Gods commandment it were better to violate it then to observe it He Preaches nothing to us but the Gospel if he would do otherwise we would not beleeve him nor yet an Angel of heaven we heare him sowe no Schismes nor Divisions but such as may stand with Gods Word which we shall cause him to confesse in presence of your Lordship and the Clergy when ye require us thereto And as to it that hath been condemned by generall Councels we trust you know well that all the generall Councels have been at diversity among themselves and never two of them universally agreeing in all points in so much as they are of men But the Spirit of Verity that bears testimony of our Lord Jesus hath not neither can erre For heaven earth shal perish ere one jot of it perish Beyond this my Lord neither teacheth he neither will we accept of him but that which agrees with the Word of God set forth by the Patriarks Prophets Apostles and Evangelists left to our salvation in expresse words And so my Lord to condemn the Doctrine not examined is not required For when your Lordship pleaseth to hear the confession of that mans Faith the manner of his Doctrine which agreeth with the Gospel of Jesus Christ I will cause him to assist to judgement and shall be present there at Gods pleasure that he may render reckoning of his belief and our Doctrine to the superiour Powers according to the prescription of that blood of the eternall Testament sealed by the Immaculate Lambe To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour and glory for ever and ever Amen 4. The fourth Article puts me in remembrance how dangerous it is if the Authority would put me to it and my House according to comely and common Laws and our own municipiall Lawes of this Realme and how it appeareth to the decay of our House Answ. All Laws are or at least should be subject to Gods Law which Law should be first placed and planted in every mans heart it should have no impediment Men should not abrogate it for the defence and setting up of their owne advantage If it would please Authorities to put at our House for confessing of Gods Word or for maintenance of his Law God is mighty enough in his own Cause he should be rather obeyed then man I will serve my Prince with body heart goods strength and all that is in my power except that which is Gods duty which I will reserve to him alone that is To worship him in truth and verity and as neer as I can to conform to his written Word to his owne honour and obedience of my Princesse 5. The fifth Article puts me in remembrance how woe your Lordship would be to hear to see or know any displeasure that might come to me my son or any of my House and especially in my time and dayes And as to heare the great and evill brute of me that should now in my old age in a manner begin to vary in my Faith and to be altered therein when it is time that I should be most sure and firm therein Ans. Your Lordships good will is ever made manifest unto me in all your Articles that you should be sorry to hear see or know my displeasure for the which I am bound to render your Lordship thanks shall do the same assuredly But as for wavering in my Faith God forbid that I should so do For I believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of heaven earth And in Jesus Christ his onely Son our Saviour My Lord I vary not in my Faith but I praise God that of his goodnesse now in my latter days hath of his infinite mercy opened his bosome of grace unto me to acknowledge him the eternall Wisedome his
we could have our company which then was dispersed for new furnishing assembled again The certaintie hereof coming to our knowledge the Saturday at night being the 25 of July we did what in us lay to give advertisement to our brethren but impossible it was that the Wast Angus Mernes Straitherne or Fyfe in any number could come to us For the enemie Marched from Dumbar upon the Sunday and approached within two miles of us before Sun-rising upon Munday For they verily supposed to have found no resistance being assured that the Lords onely with certain Gentlemen remained with their private houses calling upon God for counsell in that straight we sought what was the next defence We might have left the Town and might have retired our selves without any danger but then we should have abandoned our brethren of Edinburgh and suffered the Ministery thereof to have decayed which to our hearts was so dolorous that we thought better to hazard the extremitie then so to do For then the most part of the Town appeared rather to favour us then the Queens faction and did offer unto us the uttermost of their support which for the most part they did faithfully keep The same did the Town of Leith but they kept not the like fidelity For when we were upon the field marching forward for their support for the French marched nigh to them they rendred themselves without further resistance And this they did as is supposed by the treason of some within themselves and by perswasion of the Laird of Lestarrig who before declared himselfe to be one of us and notwithstanding that same day rendred himselfe undesired to Monsieur Dosell Their unprovided and sudden defection astonished many and yet we retired quietly to the side of Cragingate which place we took for resisting the enemy In the mean time divers mediatours passed betwixt us amongst whom the Lord Ruthuen for our part was principall Alexander Erskin did much travell to stay us and our Souldiers that we should not joyne with them of Leith till that they as is said had rendred themselves to the French The said Alexander did oft promise that the French would stay provided That we would not joyne with those of Leith But after that they were rendred we heard nothing of him but threatning and discomfortable words Before it was eight of the clock in the morning God had given unto us both courage and a reasonable number to withstand their furie The Towne of Edinburgh so many as had subject themselves to discipline and divers others besides them behaved themselves both faithfully and stoutly The Gentlemen of Lowthiane especially Calder Hatton and Ormeston were very comfortable as well for their counsell as for their whole assistance Some Gentlemen of Fyfe prevented the French-men other were stopped by reason that the French had passed Leith Alwayes the enemy took such a fear That they determined not to invade us where we stood but took purpose to have passed to Edinburgh by the other side of the water of Leith and that because they had the Castle to their friend which was to us unknown for we supposed the Lord Erskin Captain of the same either to have been our friend or at least to have been indifferent But when we had determined to fight he sent word to the Earle of Argyle to Lord Iames his sisters son and to the other Noble-men That he would declare himselfe both enemy to them and to the Town and would shoot at both if they made any resistance to the French-men to enter into the Town This his treasonable defiance sent us by the Laird of Ricarton did abate the courage of many for we could not fight nor stop the enemy but under the mercy of the Castle and whole Ordnance thereof Hereupon was consultation taken and in conclusion it was found lesse damage to take an appointment albert the Conditions were not such as we desired then to hazard battell betwixt two such enemies After long talking certaine heads were drawn by us which we desired to be granted First That no member of the Congregation should be troubled in life lands goods or possessions by the Queen her Authority nor any other justice within the Realm for any thing done in the late Innovation till a Parliament which should begin the tenth of Ianuary had decreed things in controversie 2. That Idolatry should not be erected where it was at that day suppressed 3. That the Preachers and Ministers should not be troubled in their Ministery where they are already established neither yet stopped to preach wheresoever they should chance to come 4. That no Bands of men of War should be laid in Garrison within the Town of Edinburgh 5. That the French-men should be sent away at a reasonable day and that none other should be brought into the Countrey without consent of the whole Nobility and Parliament But these our Articles were altered and another forme disposed as followeth At the Linkes of Leith the 24 of July 1559. It is appointed in manner following IN the first Congregation and their company others then the inhabitants of the said Towne shall remove themselves forth of the said Town the morrow at ten hours before noon the 25 of Iuly and leave the same void and rid of them and their said company conform to the Queens Majesties pleasure and desire Item The said Congregation shall cause the Irons of the Coyning-house taken away by them be rendred and delivered to Master Robert Richeson And likewise the Queens Majesties Palace of Halyrud-house to be left and rendred again to M. John Balfour or any other having her Majesties sufficient power in the same matter as it was resolved and that betwixt the making of these Articles and the morn at ten of the clock For observing and keeping of these two Articles above written the Lord Ruthuen and the Laird of Pittarrow have entred themselves pledges Item The said Lords of the Congregation and all the members thereof shall remain obedient subjects to our Lord and Ladies Authority and to the Queen Regent in their place And shall obey all Laws and laudable Customs of this Realme as they were used before the moving of this tumult and controversie excepting the cause of Religion which shall be hereafter specified Item The Congregation nor any of them shall not trouble or molest a Church-man by way of deed nor yet shall make them any impediment in the peaceable brooking enjoying and uptaking of their Rents Profits and Duties of their Benefices but that they may freely use and dispose upon the same according to the Laws and Custome of this Realme to the tenth of Ianuary next to come Item The said Congregation nor none of them shall use in no wayes from thenceforth any force or violence in casting downe of Churches Religious places or apparell thereof but the same shall stand harmlesse of them unto the tenth day of January Item The Town of Edinburgh shall without compulsion
shall be more amply declared After we had abided certaine dayes in Sterlin the Earle of Argyle departed to Glasgow and because he was to depart to his owne Countrey with whom also passed the Lord Iames to pacifie some trouble which by the craft of the Queen was raised in his absence he required the Earle of Glencarne Lord Boyd Lord Uchiltrie and others of Kyle to meet there for some order to be taken that the brethren should not be oppressed which with one consent they did and appointed the tenth of September for the next convention at Sterlin While these things were in doing at Glasgow Letters and a servant came from the Earle of Arran to the Duke his father signifying unto him That by the providence of God he had escaped the French Kings hands who most treasonably and most cruelly had sought his life or at the least to have committed him to perpetuall prison For the same time the said French King seeing he could not have the Earle himself caused put his younger brother a childe of such age as could not offend in strait prison where he yet remained to wit in the Month of October the yeer of our Lord 1559. Which things were done by the power and craft of the Queen Dowager at the time that the Duke and his friends were most ready to set forth her cause These Letters received and the estate of her two sons knowne of whom one was escaped and the other cast in vile prison the Duke desired communing with the said Earle of Argyle who partly against the will of some that loved him rid unto the Duke from Glasgow to Hammilton where abiding a night he declared his judgement to the Duke and to his friends especially to Master Gawane Hammilton The Duke required him and the Lord Iames to write their friendly and comfortable Letters to his son which they most willingly did and thereafter addressed them to their journey But the very day of their departing came one Boutancourt from the Queen Regent with Letters as was alleadged from the King and Queen of France to the Lord Iames which he delivered with a bragging countenance and many threatning words the Tenour of his Letter was this The King his Letter to the Lord Iames. MY Cousin I have greatly marvelled when I understood the troubles that are happened in these parts And yet I more marvell That ye in whom I had whole confidence and who has the Honour to be so neer the Queen my wife and has received from the late King my Father from the Queen my wife and from me such graces and favours that ye should be so forgetfull as to make your selfe the Head and one of the principall beginners and nourishers of the tumults and seditions that are seen there The which because it is so strange to me and so farre against the profession that ye at all times have made I cannot well beleeve it But if it be so I cannot think but ye have been entised and led thereto by some persons that have seduced you and caused you commit such a fault as I am assured you repent of already which will be a great pleasure to me to the effect I may lose a part of the occasion I have to be miscontent with you as I will you to understand I am Seeing you have so far deceived the esperance I had of you and your affection toward God and the weale of our service unto the which ye know ye are as much and more obliged then any other of the Lords there For this cause desiring that the matters may be duely amended and knowing what ye can therein I thought good on this manner to write unto you and pray you to take heed to return to the good way from which ye have declined and cause me know the same by the effects That you have another intention then this which the follies by-past maketh me now to beleeve doing all that ever ye can to reduce all things to their first estate and put the same to the right and good obedience that you know to be due unto God and unto me Otherwise ye may be well assured that I will put to my hand and that in good earnest that you and all they who have done and do as ye do shall feele through your own fault that which ye have deserved and merited Even as I have given charge to this Gentle-man present bearer to make you know more largely of my part for which cause I pray you credit him even as ye would do my selfe Praying God my cousin to have you in his holy and worthy protection Written at Paris the 17 day of July 1559. The same Messenger brought also Letters from the Queen our Soveraigne more sharp and threatning then the former For her conclusion was Vous en sentires la poincture a iamais His credit was That the King would spend the Crown of France if that he were not revenged upon such seditious persons That he would never have suspected such inobedience and such defection from his own sister in him To the which the said Lord Iames answered first by word and then by writing as followeth The Lord Iames his Letter to the King Sir MY most humble duty remembred Your Majesties Letters I received from Paris the 17 of Iuly last importing in effect That your Majestie doth marvell that I being forgetfull of the graces and favours shewed me by the King of blessed memorie your Majesties father and the Queen my Soveraigne should declare my selfe head and one of the principall beginners of these alleadged Tumults and Seditions in these parts deceiving thereby your Majesties expectation in all times had of me with assurance That if I did not declare by contrary effects my repentance I with the rest that had put or yet putteth hand to this Work should receive that reward which we had deserved and merited SIR It grieves me very heavily that the crime of ingratitude should bâ— laid to my charge by your Majestie and the rather Thâ—t I perceive the same to have proceeded of sinister information of them whose part it was not to have reported so if true service past had been regarded And as touching the repentance and declaration of the same by certaine effects That your Majesty desires I shew My conscience perswades me in these proceedings to have done nothing against God not the dutifull obedience towards your Majesty and the Queen my Soveraigne Otherwise it should not have been to be repented and also amended already accordâ—ng to your Majesties expectation of me But your Majestie being truely informed and perswaded That the thing which we have done maketh for the advancement of Gods glory without any manner of derogation to your Majesties due obedience We doubt not but your Majestie shall be well contented with our proceedings which being grounded upon the commandment of the eternall God we dare not leave the same unaccomplished onely wishing and desiring
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
which day and of the judgement to be executed in the same is not onely to us a Bridle whereby our carnall lusts are reserved but also such inestimable comfort that neither may the threatning of worldly Princes neither yet the feare of temporall death and present danger move us to renounce and forsake that blessed societie which we the members have with our Head and onely Mediatour Christ Jesus whom we confesse and avow to be the Messias promised the onely Head of the Church our just Lawgiver our onely High Priest Advocate and Mediator In whose honours and Offices if a man or Angell presume to intrude themselves we utterly detest and abhorre them as blasphemous to our Soveraigne Governour Christ Jesus XII Faith in the Holy Ghost THis our faith and the assurance of the same proceedeth not from flesh and blood that is to say from no naturall powers within us but is the inspiration of the Holy Ghost whom we confesse God equall with the Father and with the Sonne who sanctified us and bringeth us into all veritie by his own operation without whom we should remaine for ever enemies to God and ignorant of his Sonne Christ Jesus For of nature we are so dead so perverse and blinde that neither we can feel when we were pricked see the light when it shineth nor assent to the will of God when it is revealed onely the Spirit of the Lord Jesus quickeneth that which is dead removeth the darknesse from our mindes and boweth our stubborne hearts to the obedience of his blessed will and so as we confesse that God the Father created us when we were not as his Sonne our Lord Jesus redeemed us when we were enemies to him So also we confesse that the Holy Ghost doth sanctifie and regenerate us without all respect of any merit proceeding from us be it before or be it after our regeneration To speak this one thing yet in more plain words as we willingly spoile our selves of all honour and glory of our own Creation and Redemption so do we also of our regeneration and sanctification for of selves we are not sufficient to thinke one good thought but he who hath begun the good work in us is onely he that continueth us in the same to the praise and glory of his undeserved grace XIII The cause of good works SO that the cause of good Works we confesse to be not of free Will but the Spirit of the Lord Iesus who dwelling in our hearts by true faith bringeth forth such good works as God hath prepared for us to walke in for this we most boldly affirme that blasphemie it is to say that Christ Jesus abideth in the heart of such as in whom there is no spirit of sanctification and therefore we feare not to affirme that Murderres Oppressors cruell Persecutors Adulterers Whoremongers filthy Persons Idolaters Drunkards Theeves and all workers of iniquitie have neither true faith neither any portion of the Spirit of Sanctification which proceedeth from the Lord Jesus so long as they obstinately continue in their wickednesse For how soon so ever the Spirit of the Lord Jesus which Gods Elect Children receive by true faith taketh possession in the heart of any man so soon doth he regenerate and renew the same man so that he begins to hate that which before he loved and beginneth to love that which before he hated and from thence cometh to that continuall battaile which is betwixt the flesh and the Spirit in Gods Children while the flesh and naturall man according to their own corruption lusteth for things pleasing and delectable to it self grudgeth in adversitie is lifted up in prosperitie and at every moment is prone and ready to offend the Majestie of God but the Spirit of God which giveth witnessing unto our spirit that we are the sonnes of God maketh us to resist the Devill to abhorre filthie pleasures to groane in Gods presence for deliverance from this bondage of corruption and finally to triumph over sinne that it reigne not in our mortall bodies This battaile have not the carnall men being destitute of Gods Spirit but do follow and obey sinne with greedinesse and without repentance even as the Devill and their corrupt lusts do prick them But the Sons of God as afore is said do fight against sin do sob and mourn when they perceive themselves tempted to iniquity and if they fall they rise again with earnest and unfained repentance and these things they do not by their own power but the power of our Lord Jesus without whom they were able to do nothing worketh in them all that is good XIIII What works are reputed good before God VVE confesse and acknowledge That God hath given to man his holy Law in which not onely are forbidden all such works as displease and offend his godly Majesty but also are commanded all such as please him and as he hath promised to reward And these works be of two sorts the one are done to the honour of God the other to the profit of our neighbours And both have the revealed Will of God for their assurance To have one God To worship and honour him To call upon him in all our troubles To reverence his holy Name To hear his Word To believe the same To communicate his holy Sacraments are the works of the first Table To honour father and mother Princes Rulers and superiour Powers To love them To support them yea To obey their Charges not repugning to the Commandment of God To save the life of Innocents To represse tyranny To defend the oppressed To keep our bodies clean and holy To live in sobriety and temperance To deal justly with all men both in word and deed and finally To represse the appetite of our neighbours hurt are the good works of the second Table which are most pleasing and acceptable unto God as those works are commanded by himself The contrary thereof is sin most odious which always displeaseth him and provoketh him to anger as Not to call upon him alone when we have need Not to hear his Word with reverence To contemne and despise it To have or to worship Idols To maintain and defend Idolatry Lightly to esteem the reverent Name of God To profane abuse or contemne the Sacraments of Christ Jesus To disobey or resist any that God hath placed in Authority while they passe not over the bounds of their Office To murther or consent thereunto To bear hatred or to suffer Innocent blood to be shed if we may gainstand it and finally The transgressing of any other Commandment in the first or second Table we confesse and affirm to be sin by the which Gods hot displeasure is kindled against the proud and unthankfull world So that good works we affirme to be those onely that are done in Faith and at Gods Commandment who in his Law hath expressed what be the things that
of the Lord Jesus XXIV Of the Civill Magistrate VVE confesse and acknowledge Empires Kingdomes Dominions and Titles to be distincted and Ordained by God the powers and authorities in the same be it of Emperours in their Empires of Kings in their Realms Dukes and Princes in their Dominions or of other Magistrates in free Cities to be Gods holy Ordinance ordained for manifestation of his owne glory and for the singular profit and commoditie of mankinde So that whosoever goeth about to take away or to confound the holy state of Civill Policies now long established We affirm the same men not onely to be enemies to mankinde but also wickedly to fight against Gods expresse will We further confesse and acknowledge That such persons as are placed in authority are to be loved honoured feared and holden in most reverent estimation because they are the Lieutenants of God in whose Session God himself doth sit and judge yea even the Judges and Princes themselves to whom by God is given the sword to the praise and defence of good men and to revenge and punish all open malefactours To Kings moreover Princes Rulers and Magistrates to affirme that chiefly and most principally the reformation and purgation of Religion appertaineth so that not only they are appointed for civill policie but also for maintenance of the true Religion and for suppressing of Idolatry and Superstition whatsoever as in David Iosaphat Ezekias Iosias and others highly commended for their zeal in the cause may be espied And therefore we confesse and avow that such as resist the supreme Powers doing that which appertaineth to their charge do resist Gods Ordinance and therefore cannot be guiltlesse And further we affirme that whosoever deny unto them their aide counsell and comfort while the Princes and Rulers vigilantly travell in the executing of their Office that the same men denie their help support and counsell to God who by the presence of his Lieutenant craveth it of them XXV The gifts freely given to the Church ALbeit that the word of God truly preached the Sacraments rightly ministred and discipline executed according to the Word of God be the certain and infallible signes of the true Church yet doe we not so meane that every particular person joyned with such a company be an Elect Member of Christ Jesus for we acknowledge and confesse that Darnell Cockle and Chaffe may be sowne grow in great abundance lie in the middest of the Wheate that is the Reprobate may be joyned in the societie of the Elect and may externally use with them the benefits of the Words and Sacraments But such being but temporall professors in mouth but not in heart doe fall backe and continue to the end And therefore have they no fruit of Christs death resurrection and ascension But such as with heart unfained beleeve and with mouth boldly confesse the Lord Jesus as before we have said shall most assuredly receive these gifts first in this life remission of sinnes and by faith onely in Christs blood in so much that albeit sinne remain and continually abide in these mortall bodies yet it is not imputed unto us but is remitted and covered with Christs justice Secondly in the generall judgement there shall be given to every man and woman resurrection of the flesh For the Sea shall give her dead the earth those that therein be inclosed yea the Eternall our God shall stretch out his hand upon the dust and the dead shall arise incorruptible and that in the substance of the same flesh that every man now bears to receive according to their works glory and punishment for such as now delight in vanitie crueltie filthinesse superstition or idolatry shall be adjudged to the fire inextinguible in the which they shall be tormented for ever as well in their bodie as in their soules which now give to serve the devill in all abomination But such as continue in well doing to the end boldly professing the Lord Jesus to whose glorified Body all his Elect shall be like when he shall appear againe to Judgment and shall render up the Kingdom to God his Father who then shall be and ever shall remain All in All things God blessed for ever To whom with the Son and with the holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory now and for ever Amen Arise O Lord and let thine enemies be confounded let them flie from thy presence that hate thy holy Name Give thy servants strength to speake thy Word in boldnesse and let all Nations attain to thy true knowledge These Acts and Articles were read in face of Parliament and ratified by the three States of this Realm at Edinburgh the 17 day of Iuly in the yeer of our Lord 1560. This our Confession was publikely read first in audience of the Lords of the Articles and after in the audience of the whole Parliament where were present not onely such as professed Christ Jesus but also a great number of the adversaries of our Religion such as the forenamed Bishops and some other of the Temporall State who were commanded in Gods Name to object if they could say any thing against that Doctrine Some of our Ministers were present standing upon their feet ready to have answered in case any would have defended Papistry and impugned our affirmatives But while that no objection was made there was a day appointed for concurrence in that and other Heads Our Confession was read every Article by it self over again as they were written in order and the voice of every man was required accordingly Of the Temporall State onely gave their voice on the contrary the Earl of Athol the Lords Simmerwaile and Borthwicke And yet for their disassenting they produced no better reason but We will believe as our Fathers believed The Bishops Papisticall we mean spake nothing The rest of the whole three States by their publike Votes affirmed the Doctrine and the rather Because that fain the Bishops would but durst say nothing on the contrary for this was the Vote of the Earle Marshall It is long since I have had some favour unto the Truth and since that I have had a suspicion of the Papisticall Religion But I praise my God who this day hath fully resolved me in the one and the other For seeing that the Bishops who for their learning can and for their zeal that they should bear to the Verity would as I suppose have gainsaid any thing that directly repugneth to the Verity of God Seeing I say the Bishops here present speak nothing in the contrary of the Doctrine proposed I cannot but hold it for the very Truth of God and the contrary to be deceivable Doctrine And therefore so far as in me lieth I approve the one and condemne the other And do farther ask of God That not onely I but also all my posterity may enjoy the comfort of the Doctrine that this day our ears
appointed to begin the 20 of May next following for at that time was the returne of the said Lord Iames looked for and so was that Convention dissolved without any other thing of importance concluded The said Lord Iames prepared him for his journey for albeit he past in the publike affairs he sustained the charge of his own expences and yet there never past from this Realme in the company of one man so many and so honest thorow England to France Before he departed he was forewarned as well of the danger in France as of the Queens craft not that we then suspected her nature but that we understood the malice of her friends he was plainly premonished That if ever he condescended that she should have Masse publikely or privately within the Realme of Scotland that then betrayed he the Cause of God and exposed the Religion even to the uttermost danger that he could do That she should have Masse publikely he affirmed that he would never consent But to have it secretly in her Chamber Who could stop her The danger was shewn and so he departed The Forme and Order of the Election of the Superintendent and all other Ministers at Edinburgh March the 9. 1560. John Knox being then Preacher FIrst was made a Sermon in the which these Heads were handled First The necessity of Ministers and Superintendents or Overseers The second the crimes and vices that might unable them of the Ministry Thirdly the vertues required in them Fourthly and lastly Whether such as by publike consent of the Church were called to such Office might refuse the same The Sermon finished it was declared by the same Minister maker thereof That the Lords of the Secret Councell had given Charge and Power to the Churches of Lowthian to to chuse Master Iohn Spottiswood Superintendent or Overseer And that sufficient warning was made by publike Edict to the Churches of Edinburgh Linliethquow Sterlin Tranent Hadington and Dumbar as also to the Earles Lords Barons Gentlemen and others that have or that might claim to have Vote in Election to be present that day and that same hour And therefore enquiry was made Who were present and who were absent After was called the said Iohn who answering the Minister demanded If he knew any crime or offence to the said Master Iohn that might unable him to be called to that Office and that he demanded thrise Secondly question was moved to the whole multitude If there was any other whom they put in Election with the said Master Iohn The people were asked If they would have the said Master Iohn Superintendent or Overseer If they would honour and obey him as Christs Minister and comfort and assist him in every thing pertaining to his Charge They answered We will and do promise unto him such obedience as becometh Sheep to give unto their Pastor so long as he remaineth faithfull in his Office Tne answers of the people and their consent received the questions were propounded to him that was to be elected Question Seeing that ye hear the thirst and desire of this people Do ye not thinke your selfe bound in conscience before God to support them that so earnestly call for your comfort and for the fruit of your labours Answer If any thing were in me able to satisfie their desire I acknowledge my selfe bound to obey God calling by them Question Do ye seek to be promoted to this Office and charge for any respect of worldly commodity riches or glory Answer God knoweth the contrary Question Beleeve ye not that the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles contained in the Books of the Old and New Testaments are the onely true and most absolute foundation of the Universall Church of Christ Jesus in so much that in the same Scriptures are contained all things necessary to be beleeved for the salvation of mankinde Answer I verely beleeve the same and do abhorre and utterly refuse all Doctrine alleadged necessary to salvation that is not expressedly contained in the same Question Is not Christ Jesus man of man according to the flesh to wit The Sonne of David The seed of Abraham Conceived by the holy Ghost Born of the Virgine his mother and that he is the onely Head and Mediatour of his Church Answer He is and without him there is neither salvation to man nor life to Angel Question Is not the same Lord Jesus The onely true God The eternall Son of the eternall Father in whom all that shall be saved were elected before the foundation of the world was laid Answer I confesse and acknowledge and confesse him in the Unitie of his God-head to be God above all things blessed for ever Question Shall not they whom God in his eternall Councell hath elected be called to the knowledge of his Sonne our Lord Jesus and shall not they who of purpose are called in this life be justified and justification and free remission of sins is obtained in this life by free grace Shall not the glory of the sons of God follow in the generall Resurrection when the Son of God shall appear in his glorious Majestie Answer This I acknowledge to be the Doctrine of the Apostles and the most singular comfort of Gods children Question Will ye not then containe your self in all Doctrine within the bounds of this foundation Will ye not studie to promove the same as well by your life as by your Doctrine Will ye not according to the graces and utterance that God shall grant unto you professe instruct and maintaine the puritie of the Doctrine contained in the sacred Word of God and to the uttermost of your power Will ye not gain-stand and convince the gain-sayers and the teachers of mens inventions Answer That do I promise in the presence of God and of his Congregation heere assembled Question Know ye not that the excellencie of this Office to the which God hath called you requireth that your conversation and behaviour be such as that ye may be irreprehensible yea even in the eyes of the ungodly Answer I unfainedly acknowledge and humbly desire the Church of God to pray with me that my life be not slanderous to the glorious Gospel of Christ Iesus Question Because you are a man compassed with infirmities will you not charitably and with lowlinesse of spirit receive admonition of your brethren And if ye shall happen to slide or offend in any point will ye not be subject to the Discipline of the Church as the rest of your brethren The Answer of the Superintendent or Minister to be elected I acknowledge my self a man subjected to infirmity and one that hath need of correction and admonition and therefore I most willingly subject my selfe to the wholsome Discipline of the Church yea to the Discipline of the same Church by which I am now called to this Office and Charge and here in Gods presence and yours do promise obedience to all admonitions secretly or publikely given unto which if I
be found inobedient I confesse my selfe most worthy to be rejected not onely from this honour but also from the societie of the faithfull in case of my stubbornnesse For the vocation of God to beare charge within his Church maketh not men Tyrants nor Lords but appointeth them servants Watch-men and Pastors to the flock Thus ended question must be asked again of the multitude Question Require ye any further of this your Superintendent or Overseer and Minister If no man answer let the Minister proceed Question Will ye not acknowledge this your brother for the Minister of Christ Jesus your Overseer and Pastour Will ye not reverence the Word of God that proceedeth from his mouth Will ye not receive of him the Sermon of Exhortation with patience not refusing the wholsome Medicine of your soules although it be bitter and unpleasing to the flesh Will ye not finally maintain and comfort him in his Ministerie and watching over you against all such as wickedly would rebell against God and his holy Ordinance The people answered We will as we will answer to the Lord Iesus who hath commanded his Ministers to be had in reverence as his Ambassadours and as men that carefully watch for the salvation of our soules Let the Nobilitie be urged with this Ye have heard the dutie and profession of this our brother by your consents appointed to this charge as also the dutie and obedience which God requireth of us towards him heere in his Ministerie But because that neither of both are able to performe any thing without the especiall grace of our God in Christ Jesus who hath promised to be with us present even to the consummation of the world with unfained hearts let us crave of him his benediction and assistance in this work begun to his glory and for the comfort of his Church The Prayer O Lord to whom all power is given in heaven and on earth thou that art the eternall Sonne of the eternall Father who hast not onely loved thy Church that for the redemption and purgation of the same hast humbled thy selfe to the ignominious death of the Crosse and thereupon hast shed thy most precious and innocent blood to prepare to thy self a Spouse without spot but also to retain this most excellent benefit in recent memory hast appointed in thy Church Teachers Pastours and Apostles to instruct comfort and admonish the same Look upon us mercifully O Lord thou that onely art King Teacher and high Priest to thine own flock and send unto this our Brother whom in thy Name we have charged with the chief care of thy Church within the bounds of L. such portion of thy holy Spirit as thereby he may rightly divide thy Word to the instruction of thy flock and to the confutation of pernicious errours and damnable Superstitions Give unto him good Lord a mouth and wisdome whereby the enemies of thy Trueth may be confounded the Wolves expelled and driven from thy Fold thy Sheep may be fed in the wholsome Pastures of thy most holy Word the blinde and ignorant may be illuminated with thy true knowledge Finally that the degrees of Superstition and Idolatry which now resteth within this Realme being purged and removed we may all not onely have occasion to glorifie thee our onely Lord and Saviour but also daily to grow in godlinesse and obedience of thy most holy will to the destruction of the body of sin and to the restitution of that image to the which we were once created and to the which after our fall and defection we are renewed by participation of thy holy Spirit which by true Faith in thee we do professe as the blessed of thy Father of whom the perpetuall increase of thy graces we crave as by thee our Lord King and onely Bishop we are taught to pray Our Father c. The Prayer ended the rest of the Ministers if any be and Elders of that Church present in signe of their consent shall take the elected by the hand The chiefe Minister shall give the Benediction as followeth God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath commanded his Gospel to be Preached to the comfort of his Elect and hath called thee to the Office of a Watch-man over his people multiply his graces with thee illuminate thee with his holy Spirit comfort and strengthen thee in all vertue governe and guide thy Ministerie to the praise of his holy Name to the propagation of Christs Kingdom to the comfort of his Church and finally to the plaine discharge and assurance of thine owne conscience in the day of the Lord Jesus to whom with the Father and with the holy Ghost be all honour praise and glory now and ever So be it The last Exhortation to the elected TAke heed to thy selfe and unto the flock committed to thy charge feed the same carefully not as it were by compulsion but of very love which thou bearest to the Lord Jesus Walk in simplicity and purenesse of life as it becometh the true servant and the Ambassadour of the Lord Jesus Usurpe not dominion nor tyrannicall authority over thy brethren be not discouraged in adversity but lay before thy self the example of the Prophets Apostles and of the Lord Jesus who in their Ministery sustained contradiction contempt persecution and death fear not to rebuke the world of Sin Justice and Judgement If any thing succeed prosperously in thy Vocation be not puft up with pride neither yet flatter thy self as that the good successe proceedeth from thy vertue industrie or care But let ever that sentence of the Apostle remain in thine heart What hast thou which thou hast not received If thou have received why gloriest thou Comfort the afflicted support the poore and exhort others to support them Be not carefull for things of this life but be fervent in prayer to God for the increase of his holy Spirit And finally behave thy selfe in this holy vocation with such sobriety as God may be glorified in thy Ministery And so shalt thou shortly obtaine the Victory and shalt receive the Crowne promised when the Lord Jesus shall appeare in his glory whose omnipotent Spirit assist thee and us to the end Sing 23. Psalme As the servants of God uprightly travelled to have vice punished and vertue planted so did the devill ever stirre up some in the contrary of both There was a Law made against fornicators and adulterers that the one and the other should be Carted thorow the Towns and so banished till that their repentance was offered and received And albeit this was not the severity of Gods Law especially against adulterers yet was it a great bridle to the malefactors whereat the wicked did wonderously storme It chanced that one Sanderson a Fletcher or Boutcher was deprehended to have put away his lawfull wife under colour that he was lawfully parted after the manner of the Papisticall Religion and had taken to him another in his house The complaint and slander proposed
carryed about in a Boat and laid without Buriall in the Abbey of Halyrud-house till the day of his Forefaltor as after shall be declared The Duke apprehended the Lord Gordon his son in Law because that the Queen had straitly commanded him so to do if that he repaired within his bounds Before that he delivered him the Earle of Murray laboured at the Queens hands for the safety of his life which hardly was granted and so was he delivered within the Castle of Edinburgh the eight and twentieth day of November 1562. where he remained till the eighth day of February when he was put to an Assise accused and convinced of Treason but was restored againe first to the Castle aforesaid and thereafter was transported to Dumbar where he remained prisoner till the moneth of August in the yeer of God 1565. as we will after hear In the mean time the troubles were hot in France and the intelligence and outward familiarity betwixt the two Queens was great Lethington was directed with large Commission both to the Queene of England and to the Guisians The Marriage of our Queen was in all mens mouthes some would have the Infant of Spaine some the Emperours Brother some Duke Denemours and some truely guessed at the Lord Darley What Lethingtons Credit was we know not but shortly after there began much to be talked of the Earle of Lenox and of his son the Lord Darley It was said that Lethington spake to the Lady Margaret Dowglas And that Robert Melvill received a horse to the Secretaries use from the Earle of Lenox or from his wife Howsoever it was Master Fouller servant to the said Earle came with Letters to the Queene by which License was permitted to the Earle of Lenox to come to Scotland to travell in his lawfull businesse That same day the Queens License was granted the Secretary said This day I have taken upon me the deadly hatred of all the Hamiltons within Scotland and have done unto them no lesse displeasure then if I had cut their throats The Earle Bothwell who before had broken Ward fearing apprehension or taking prepared to passe to France but by storm of Weather was driven into England where he was stayed and was offered to have been rendred by the Queen of England But our Queens answer was That he was no Rebell and therefore she requested that he should have liberty to passe whither he pleased And thereto Lethington helped not a little for he travelled to have friends in every faction of the Court. And so obtained the said Earle Lincense to passe to France The Winter after the death of the Earle of Huntley the Court remained for the most part at Edinburgh The Preachers were wondrous vehement in reprehension of all manner of Vice which then began to abound and especially Avarice Oppression of the poore Excesse Ryotous Cheer Banquetting immoderate Dancing and Whoredome that thereof ensues Whereat the Courtiers began to storme and to pick quarrells against the Preachers alleadging that all their Preaching was turned to Rayling whereunto one of them gave answer as followeth It comes to our eares that we are called Raylers whereof albeit we wonder yet we are not ashamed seeing that the most worthy servants of God that before us have travelled in this Vocation have so been stiled But unto you do I say That the same God who from the beginning hath punished the Contempt of his Word and hath poured forth his Vengeance upon such proud mockers shall not spare you yea he shall not spare you before the eyes of this same wicked Generation for the pleasure whereof ye despise all wholesome Admonitions Have you not seen greater then any of you sitting where presently ye sit pick his nayles and pull down his Bonnet over his eyes when Idolatry Witchcraft Murther Oppression and such Vices were rebuked Was not this his common talke When these Knaves have rayled their fill then will they hold their peace Have ye not heard it affirmed to his owne face That God should revenge that his Blasphemie even in the eyes of such as were witnesse to his iniquity Then was the Earle of Huntley accused by you as the maintainer of Idolatry and onely hinderer of all good Orders him hath God punished even according to the threatnings that his and your ears heard and by your hands hath God executed his Judgements But what amendment can be espied in you Idolatry was never in greater quiet Vertue and vertuous men were never in more contempt Vice was never more bold nor punishment lesse feared And yet who guides the Queene and Court who but the Protestants O horrible slanderers of God and of his holy Evangell Better it were unto you plainely to renounce Christ Jesus then thus to expose his blessed Evangell to Mockage if God punisheth not you That this same age shall see and behold your punishment the spirit of righteous judgement guides me not This vehemency provoked the hatred not onely of the Courtiers but also of divers others against the Speaker which was Iohn Knox for such as be in credit never lack flatterers Their Brethren of the Court were irreverendly handled What was that but to raise the hearts of the people against them They did what they could Such speaking would cause them to do lesse And this was the fruit that the Preachers gathered of their just reprehensions The generall Assembly of the Church held on the 25 of December 1562. approached In the which great complaints were made That Churches lacked Ministers That Ministers lacked their Stipends That wicked men were permitted to be Schoole-Masters and so to infect the youth amongst them whom one Master Robert Cunning Schoole-master in Aberbrothoke was complained upon by the Laird of Dun and sentence pronounced against him It was further complained That Idolatry was erected in divers parts of the Realm For redresse hereof some thought best That a new supplication should be presented to the Queen others demanded what answer was received of the former The superintendent of Lowthian confessed the delivery of it but said he I received no answer It was answered for the part of the Queene for her supposts were ever there that it was well known to the whole Realm what troubles had occurred since the last Assembly and therefore That they should not wonder albeit that the Queen had not answered but betwixt that and the Parliament which was appointed to be in May they doubted not but such order should be taken as all men should have occasion to stand content This satisfied for that time the whole Assembly And this was the practice of the Queene and of her Councell with faire words to drive time as before we have said The Assembly notwithstanding proceeded forward in establishing of such orders as whereby vice might be punished and vertue might be maintained And because there was a great slander risen upon Paul Meffane of whom mention is made in the
their King and Prince There is enough said Lethington to be answered thereto For Iehu was a King before he put any thing in execution And besides That the fact is extraordinary and ought not to be Imitate My Lord said the other he was a meere Subject and no King when the Prophets servant came unto him yea and albeit that his fellow Captaines hearing of the Message blew the Trumpet and said Iehu is King yet I doubt not but Iezabel both thought and said that he was a Traytor and so did many others that were in Israel and in Samaria And as touching That ye alleadge that the fact was extraordinary and is not to be imitate I say That it had the ground of Gods ordinary judgement which commandeth the Idolater to dye the death And therefore I yet againe affirme That it is to be Imitate of all those that preferres the true Honour of the true Worship and Glory of God to the affection of flesh and wicked Princes We are not bound said Lethington to follow extraordinary examples unlesse we have the like commandment and assurance I grant said the other if the example repugne to the Law As if an avaritious and deceitfull man would borrow Silver Rayment or other necessaries from his Neighbour and withhold the same alleadging that so he might do and not offend God because the Israelites at their departure forth of Egypt did so to the Egyptians The example served to no purpose unlesse that they could produce the like cause and the like commandment that the Israelites had and that because their fact repugned to this Commandment of God Thou shalt not steale But where the example agrees with the Law and is as it were the execution of Gods judgement expressed within the same I say That the example approved of God stands to us in place of a Commandment For as God in his Nature is constant and immutable so can he not condemne in the Ages subsequent that which he hath approved in his servants before us but in his servants before us he by his own word confounds all such as crave further approbation of Gods will then is already expressed within his Scriptures For Abraham said They have Moses and the Prophets whom if they will not beleeve neither will they beleeve albeit that any of the dead should rise Even so I say my Lord that such as will not be taught what they ought to do by the Commandment of God once given and once put in practise will not beleeve nor obey albeit that God should send Angels from Heaven to instruct that Doctrine Yee have produced but one example said Lethington one sufficeth said the other but yet God be praised we lacke not others for the whole people conspired against Amasiah King of Iuda after that he had turned away from the Lord and followed him to Lachis and slew him and took Uzziah and annointed him King in steed of his father The people had not altogether forgotten the League and Covenant which was made betwixt their Kings and them at the Inauguration of Iohas his Father to wit That the King and the People should be the People of the Lord and then should they be his faithfull Subjects From the which Covenant when first the Father and after the sonne had declined they were both punished to death Ioas by his own servants and Amasias by the whole people I doubt said Lethington whether they did well or not It shall be free for you said the other to doubt as you please but where I finde execution according to Gods Law and God himselfe not to accuse the doers I dare not doubt of the equity of their cause And farther it appeareth to me that God gave sufficient approbation and allowance of their fact for he blessed them with victory peace and prosperity the space of fiftie two yeers after But prosperity said Lethington does not alwayes prove that God approves the facts of men Yes said the other when the facts of men agree with the Law of God and are rewarded according to his owne promise expressed in his Law I say that the prosperitie succeeding the fact is a most infallible assurance that God hath approved that fact Now so it is That God hath pronounced in his Law That when the people shall exterminat and destroy such as decline from him that hee will blesse them and multiplie them as he hath promised unto their Fathers But so it is that Masiah turned from God for so the Text doth witnesse and plaine it is the people slew their King and like plain it is that God blessed them Therefore yet againe conclude I that God himselfe approved their fact and so farre as it was done according to his commandement it was blessed according to his promise Well said Lethington I thinke not the ground so sure as I durst build my Conscience thereupon I pray God said the other that your Conscience have no worse ground then this is whensoever you shall begin the like work which God in your owne eyes hath already blessed And now my Lord saith hee I have but one example to produce and then I will put an end to my reasoning because I am weary longer to stand Commandment was given that he should sit downe but he refused and said Melancholly reasons would have some mirth intermixed My last example said he my Lord is this Uzziah the King not content with his Royall Estate malapertly took upon him to enter within the Temple of the Lord to burn Incense upon the Altar of Incense and Azariah the Priest went in after him and with him fourscore Priests of the Lord valiant men and they withstood Uzziah and said unto him It appertaineth not unto thee Uzziah to burn Incense unto the Lord but to the Priestâ— the Sonnes of Aaron that are consecrated to offer Incense Goe forth of the Sanctuary for thou hast transgressed and thou shalt have none honour of the Lord. Hereof my Lords I conclude That Subjects not onely may but also ought to withstand and resist their Princes whensoever they doe any thing that expressely repugnes to God his Law or holy Ordinance They that withstood the King said Lethington were not simple subjects but were the Priests of the Lord and figures of Christ and such Priests have we none this day to withstand Kings if they doe any wrong That the High Priest was the figure of Christ said the other I grant but that he was not a subject that I deny for I am assured that he in his Priesthood had no Prerogative above those that passed before him now so it is that Aaron was subject to Moses and called him his Lord Samuel being both Pâ—ophet and Priest subjected himselfe unto Saul after hee was inaugurated of the People Sadoc bowed before David and Abiathar was deposed from the Priesthood by Solomon which all confessed themselves subjects to the Kings albeit therewith they ceased not to be
should leave the Countrey and therefore desired that he might have Justice Her answer was That seeing the Earle Bothwell was a Noble-man and had done her service she could not hate him Neverthelesse she would do nothing that might be prejudiciall to the Earle of Murray but desired that the matter might be taken away within few days she caused summon the Earl Bothwell to answer to the course of Law the 2 of May for the Conspiracy which the Earl of Arrane had alleadged two yeers before and for the breaking of the Ward of the Castle In the mean while there was nothing in the Court but Banquetting Balling and Dancing and other such pleasures as were meet to provoke the disordered appetite and all for the entertainment of the Queens Cousin from England the Lord Darley to whom she did shew all the expressions imaginable of love and kindenesse Within few dayes the Queen being at Sterlin order was given to Secretary Lethington to passe to the Queen of England The chief point of his Message was to declare to the Queen of England That the Queen was minded to marry her Cousin the Lord Darley and the rather because he was so neer of Blood to both Queens For by his mother he was Cousin German to the Queen of Scotland also of neer kindred and of the same name by his father His mother was Cousin German to the Queen of England Here mark Gods providence King Iames the fifth having lost his two sons did declare his resolution to make the Earl of Lenox his Heir of the Crown but he prevented by sudden death that designe ceased Then come the Earle of Lenox from France with intenion to marry King Iames his Widow but that failed also He marries Mary Dowglas and his son marrieth Mary King Iames the fifth his daughter And so the Kings desire is fulfilled to wit The Crown continueth in the Name and in the Family The Queen of England neverthelesse shewed her self nothing pleased therewith but rather declared That she would in no wise suffer her subjects to make such Contracts or Alliance that might be prejudiciall to her and for the same purpose sent a Post to the Queen with Letters wherein she complained greatly of the mind of our Mistris seeing the great affection she bare to her intending to declare her Heretrix of her Realm of England providing onely that she would use her counsell in Marriage but she could not approve her Marriage with the Lord Darley although he was their neer Cousin by Birth since he was below the Rank of the Queen by Condition being but a private subject At the same time she wrote to the Earle of Lenox and to his son commanding them to repair both into England Some write That all this was but counterfeit by the Queen of England and from her heart she was glad of the Marriage for by that means the Succession of the Crown of England was secured the Lord Darley being the right Heir after the Queen of Scotland and Queen Elizab. was not angry to see her married to one of inferiour Rank for by that means she thought the Scots Queen would be lesse proud During this time there were certain Letters directed to the Brethren of Edinburgh to Dundie Fyfe Angus and Mernes and other places from the Brethren of Kyle and other places in the West Countrey desiring the professors of the Evangel in all places to remember what the Eternall God had wrought and how potently he had abolished all kinde of Idolatry and superstition and placed his Word in this Realm so that no man could say otherwise but it was the Work of God who also had delivered this Countrey from the bondage and tyranny of strangers Neverthelesse by our slothfulnesse we have suffered that Idol the Masse not onely to be planted again but to encrease so that the maintainers thereof are like by all appearance to get the upper hand which would be the occasion of our destruction And for that the Papists purposed to set up their Idol at Easter following in all places which was to be imputed to the slothfulnesse and want of godly zeal of the Professors Therefore they admonished the Brethren to strive to avert the evil in time not to suffer such wickednesse to continue and encrease lest that Gods heavie wrath come upon us unawares like a consuming fire By these Letters many Brethren were animated and their spirits wakened minding to provide as God should give them grace And first of all by the advice of the most learned in Edinb there was a Supplication made and given to the Queens Majestie by the Superintendent of Lowthian containing in effect That the Church in generall of the Realme had divers times most humbly craved of her Majesty That committers of Adultery should be punished according to the Law of God and the Acts of Parliament neverthelesse they continued in their wickednes and the Papists of obstinate malice pretended nothing else but to erect and set up their Idolatry and Superstition and especially at Easter day following they intended to put the same in practice which the Brethren and Professors of the Evangel could not suffer Therefore wished her Majestie to take heed of the matter This Supplication the Secretary received of the hands of the Superintendents of Lowthian and Glasgow and told them in the Queenes Name That there should be such provision made as should serve to their contentment And for the same purpose the Queens Majestie writ to all such places as were suspected especially to the Bishop of Saint Andrewes and Aberdeine as was said not to use any Masse And that they should not do any such thing as was feared by the Protestants or convene any Councell and thereto commanded them Now the Communion was administred in Edinburgh the first day of April 1565. At which time because it was neer Easter the Papists used to meet at their Masse And as some of the Brethren were diligent to search such things they having with them one of the Bayliffs took one Sir Iames Carvet riding hard as he had now ended the saying of the Masse and conveyed him together with the Master of the house and one or two more of the assistants to the Tolbuith and immediately revested him with all his Garments upon him and so carried him to the Market-Crosse where they set him on high binding the Chalice in his hand and himself fast tyed to the â—aid Crosse where he tarried the space of one hour During which time the boyes served him with his Easter egges The next day following the said Carvet with his assistants were accused and convinced by an Assize according to the Act of Parliament And albeit for the same offence he deserved death yet for all punishment he was set upon the Market-Crosse for the space of three or four hours the hang-man standing by and keeping him the boyes and others were busie with egges casting and some Papists there were that stopped as far
Balfour seeing the Queen committed and Bothwell consequently defeated he capitulated with the Lords for the delivery of the Castle Bothwell finding himself thus in disorder sent a servant to Sir Iames Balfour to save a little silver Cabinet which the Queen had given him Sir Iames Balfour delivers the Cabinet to the messenger and under-hand giveth of it to the Lords In this Cabinet had Bothwell kept the Letters of privacy he had from the Queen Thus he kept her Letters to be an awe-bond â—pon her in case her affection should change By the taking of this Cabinet many particulars betwixt the Queen and Bothwell were cleerly discovered These Letters were after printed They were in French with some Sonnets of her own making Few dayes after the commitment of the Queen the Earle of Glencarne with his domesticks went to the Chappell of Halyrud-house where he brake down the Altars and the Images Which fact as it did content the zealous Protestants so it did highly offend the popishly affected The Nobles who had so proceeded against Bothwell and dealt so with the Queen hearing that the Hamiltons had a great number of men and had drawn the Earls of Argyle and Huntley to their side sent to Hamilton desiring those that were there to joyn with them for the redresse of the disorders of Church and State But the Hamiltons thinking now they had a fair occasion fallen unto them to have all again in their hands and to dispose of all according to their own minde did refuse audience to the Message sent by the Lords Upon this the Lords moved the generall Assembly then met in Edinburgh in the moneth of Iune to write to the Lords that either were actually declared for the Hamiltons or were neuters And so severall Letters were directed to the Earles of Argyle Huntley Cathnes Rothesse Crauford and Menteth to the Lords Boyd Drummens Grame Cathcart Yester Fleming Levinston Seaton Glamnis Uthiltrie Gray Olyphant Methven Inderneth and Somervile as also to divers other men of note Besides the Letters of the Assembly Commissioners were sent from the Assembly to the Lords above-named to wit Iohn Knox Iohn Dowglas Iohn Row and Iohn Craig who had instructions conforme to the tenour of the Letters to desire these Lords and others to come to Edinburgh and joyn with the Lords there for the setling of Gods true Worship in the Church and policy reformed according to Gods Word a maintenance for the Ministers and support for the poor But neither the Commissioners nor the Letters did prevail with these men they excused That they could not repair to Edinburgh with freedome where there was so many armed men and a Garrison so strong But for the Church-affairs they would not be any wayes wanting to do what lay in them The Lords at Edinburgh seeing this joyneth absolutely with the Assembly which had been prorogated to the 20 of Iuly upon the occasion of these Letters and Commissioners aforesaid and promiseth to make good all the Articles they thought fit to resolve upon in the Assembly But how they performed their promises God knows alwayes The Articles they agreed upon were these 1. THat the Acts of Parliament holden at Edinburgh the 24 of August 1560. touching Religion and abolishing the Popes Authority should have the force of a publicke Law and consequently this Parliament defended as a lawfull Parliament and confirmed by the first Parliament that should be kept next 2. That the Thirds of the Tythes or any more reasonable proportion of Benefices should be allowed towards the maintenance of the Ministery and that there should be a charitable course taken concerning the exacting of the Tythes of the poor Labourers 3. That none should be received in the Vniversities Colledges or Schools for instruction of the youth but after due tryall both of capacity and probitie 4. That all crimes and offences against God should be punished according to Gods Word and that there should be a Law made there-anent at the first Parliament to be holden 5. As for the horrible murther of the late King husband to the Queen which was so haynous before God and man all true professors in whatsoever rank or condition did promise to strive that all persons should be brought to condigne punishment who are found guilty of the same crime 6. They all promised to protect the young Prince against all violence lest he should be murthered as his father was And that the Prince should be committed to the care of four wise and godly men that by a good Education he might be fitted for that high Calling he was to execute one day 7. The Nobles Barons and others doth promise to beat down and abolish Popery Idolatry and Superstition with any thing that may contribute unto it As also to set up and further the true Worship of God his Government the Church and all that may concerne the purity of Religion and life And for this to convene and take Arms if need require 8. That all Princes and Kings hereafter in this Realm before their Coronation shall take Oath to maintain the true Religion now professed in the Church of Scotland and suppresse all things contrary to it and that are not agreeing with it To these Articles subscribed the Earles of Morton Glencarne and Marre the Lords Hume Ruthen Sanchar Lindsey Grame Inermeth and Uchiltrie with many other Barons besides the Commissioners of the Burroughs This being agreed upon the Assembly dissolved Thereafter the Lords Lindsey and Ruthuen were sent to Lochlevin to the Queen to present unto her two Writs the one contained a Renounciation of the Crowne and Royall Dignity in favour of the Prince her son with a Commission to invest him into the Kingdome according to the manner accustomed Which after some reluctancy with tears she subscribed by the advice of the Earle of Athole who had sent to her and of Secretary Lethington who had sent to her Robert Melvill for that purpose So there was a Procuration given to the Lords Lindsay and Ruthuen by the Queen to give up and resigne the Rule of the Realme in presence of the States The second Writ was To ordain the Earle of Murray Regent during the Princes minority if he would accept the Charge And in case he refused the Duke Chattellarault the Earles of Lenox Argyle Athole Morton Glencarne and Marre should governe conjoyntly These Writs were published the 29 of Iuly 1567. at the Market-Crosse of Edinburgh Then at Sterlin was the Prince Crowned King where Iohn Knox made the Sermon The Earl Morton and the Lord Hume took the Oath for the King That he should constantly live in the Profession of the true Religion and maintain it And that he should governe the Kingdom according to Law thereof and do Justice equally to all In the beginning of August the Earle Murray being sent for cometh home in all haste he visites the Queen at Lochlevin strives to draw the Lords that had taken part with the Hamiltons or were neuters to
Office And seeing also that Moses was so far preferred to Aaron that the one commanded and the other did obey Who dare esteem that the Civill power is now become so profane in Gods eyes that it is sequestred from all intromission with the matters of Religion The holy Ghost in divers places declareth the contrary For one of the chief Precepts commanded to the King when that he should be placed in his Throne was to write the example of the Book of the Lords Law that it should be with him that he might reade in it all the dayes of his life that he might learn to fear the Lord his God and to keep all the words of his Law and his Statutes to do them This Precept he requireth not onely that the King should himself fear God keep his Law and Statutes but that also he as the chief Ruler should provide that Gods true Religion should be kept inviolated of the people and flock which by God was committed to his charge And this did not onely David and Solomon perfectly understand but also some godly Kings in Iuda after the apostasie and idolatry that infected Israel by the means of Ieroboam did employ their understanding and execute their power in some notable Reformations For Asa and Iosaphat Kings in Iuda finding the Religion altogether corrupt did apply their hearts saith the holy Ghost to serve the Lord and to walk in his wayes And thereafter doth witnesse That Asa removed from Honours his mother some say grand-mother because she had committed and laboured to maintain Idolatry And Iosaphat did not onely refuse strange gods himself but also destroying the chief Monuments of Idolatry did send forth the Levites to instruct the people Whereof it is plain That the one and the other did understand such Reformations to appertain to their duties But the facts of Ezechias and of Iosias do more cleerly prove the power and duty of the Civill Magistrate in Reformation of Religion Before the Raign of Ezechias Religion was so corrupt that the doors of the House of the Lord were shut up the Lamps were extinguished no Sacrifice was orderly made But in the first yeer of his Raigne in the first moneth of the same did the King open the doors of the Temple bring in the Priests and Levites and assembling them together did speak unto them as followeth Hear me O ye Levites and be ye sanctified now and sanctifie also the House of the Lord God of your fathers and carry forth all filthinesse he meaneth All monuments and vessels of Idolatry for our fathers have transgressed and have committed wickednesse in the eyes of the Eternall our God they have left him and turned their faces from the Tabernacle of the Lord and therefore is the wrath of the Lord come upon Juda and Jerusalem Behold our fathers have fallen by the sword our sons daughters and wives are led into Captivity But now have I purposed in my heart to make a Covenant with the Lord God of Israel that he may turne the wrath of his fury from us And therefore my sons he sweetly exhorteth be not faint for the Lord hath chosen you to stand in his presence and to serve him Such as be not more then blinde cleerly may perceive that the King doth acknowledge That it appertained to his charge To reforme the Religion To appoint the Levites to their charges and To admonish them of their Duty and Office Which thing he most evidently declareth writing his Letters to all Israel to Ephraim and Manasses and sent the same by the hands of Messengers having this tenour You sons of Israel return to the Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Israel and he shall turn to the residue that resteth from the hands of Assur Be not as your fathers and as your brethren were who have transgressed against the Lord God of their fathers who hath made them desolate as you see Hold not your heart therefore but give your hand unto the Lord return unto his Sanctuary serve him and he shall shew mercy unto you to your sons and daughters that be in Bondage for he is pitifull and easie to be intreated Thus far did Ezechias by Letters and Messengers provoke the people declined from God to repentance not onely in Iuda where he raigned lawfull King but also in Israel subject then to another King And albeit that by some wicked men his Messengers were mocked yet as they lacked not their just punishment for within six dayes after Samaria was destroyed and Israel led captive by Salmanazar so did not the zealous King Ezechias desist to prosecute his duty in restoring the Religion to Gods perfect Ordinance removing all abominations The same is to be read of Iosias who did not onely restore the Religion but did further destroy all Monuments of Idolatry which of long time had remained For it is written of him That after that the Book of the Law was found and that he asked counsell at the Prophetesse Hulda he sent and gathered all the Elders of Iuda and Ierusalem and standing in the Temple of the Lord he made a Covenant That all the people from the great to the small should walk after the Lord should observe his Law Statutes and Testimonies with all their heart and with all their soul and that they should ratifie and confirm whatsoever was written in the Booke of God He further commanded Hilkias the high Priest and the Priests of the inferiour Order That they should carry forth of the Temple of the Lord all the vessels that were made to Baal which he burnt and did carry their powder to Bethel He did further destroy all Monuments of Idolatry yea even those that had remained from the dayes of Solomon he did burn them stamp them to Powder whereof one part he scattered in the brook Kidron and the other part upon the Sepulchres and Graves of the Idolaters whose bones he did burn upon the Altars where before they made Sacrifice not onely in Iuda but also in Bethel where Ieroboam had erected his Idolatry yea he further proceeded and did kill the Priests of the high places who were Idolaters and had deceived the people he did kill them I say and burnt their bones upon their own Altars and so returned to Ierusalem This Reformation made Iosias and for the same obtained this Testimony of the holy Ghost That neither before him nor after him was there any such King who returned to God with his whole soul and with all his strength according to all the Law of Moses Of which Histories it is evident That the Reformation of Religion in all points together with the punishment of false Teachers doth appertain to the power of the Civill Magistrate For what God required of them his justice must require of others having the like charge and Authority what he did approve in them he cannot but approve in all others who with like zeal and sincerity
reverence which Gods people ought to bear to the Prophets can excuse any man to spare the offender or to conceal his offence What excuse can man pretend which God will accept Evident it is That no state condition nor honour can exempt the Idolater from the hands of God when he shall call him to account or shall inflict punishment upon him for his offence How shall it then excuse the people that they according to Gods Commandment punish not to death such as shall solicitate or violently draw the people to Idolatry And this is the first which I would your Honours should note of the former words to wit That no person is exempted from punishment if he can be manifestly convinced to have provoked or led the people to Idolatry And this is most evidently declared in that solemn Oath and Covenant which Asa made with the people To serve God and to maintain his Religion adding this penalty to the transgressors of it to wit That whosoever should not seek the God of Israel should be killed were he great or were he small were it man or were it woman And of this Oath was the Lord well pleased he was found of them and gave them rest on every part because they sought him with their whole heart and did swear to punish the offenders according to the Precept of his Law without respect of persons And this is it which I say I would your Honours should note for the first That no Idolater can be exempted from punishment by Gods Law The second is That the punishment of such crimes as are Idolatry Blasphemy and others that touch the Majesty of God doth not appertain to the Kings and chief Rulers onely but also to the whole Body of the people and to every member of the same according to the Vocation of every man and according to that possibility and occasion which God doth minister to revenge the injury done against his glory when that impiety is manifestly known And that doth Moses more plainly speak in these words If in any Cities saith he which the Lord thy God giveth to thee to dwell in them thou shalt hear this brute There are some men the sons of Belial passed from thee and have solicited the Citizens out of their Cities by these words Let us go and serve strange gods which you have not known search and enquire diligently and if it be true that such abomination is done in the midst of thee thou shalt utterly strike the Inhabitants of that City with the Sword thou shalt destroy it and whatsoever is within it thou shalt gather the spoyl of it into the midst of the Market-place thou shalt burn that City with fire and the spoyl of it to the Lord thy God that it may be a heap of stones for ever neither shall it be any more builded Let nothing of that execration cleave to thy hand that the Lord may turn from thee the fury of his wrath and be moved towards thee with inward affection Plain it is That Moses speaketh not nor giveth charge to Kings Rulers and Judges onely but he commandeth the whole Body of the people yea and every member of the same according to their possibility And who dare be so impudent as to deny this to be most reasonablâ— and just For seeing that God had delivered the whole Body from Bondage and to the whole multitude had given his Law and to the twelve Tribes had he so distributed the inheritance of the Land of Canaan that no family could complain that it was neglected Was not the whole and every member addebted to confesse and acknowledge the benefits of God yea had it not been the part of every man to have studied to keep the possession which he had received Which thing God did plainly pronounce they should not do except that in their hearts they did sanctifie the Lord God That they embraced and inviolably kept his Religion established and finally except they did cut out iniquity from amongst them declaring themselves earnest enemies to those abominations which God declared himself so vehemently to hate that first he commanded the whole inhabitants of that Countrey to be destroyed and all Monuments of ther Idolatry to be broken down And thereafter he also straitly commandeth That a City declining to Idolatry should fall by the edge of the sword and that the whole spoyl of the â—ame should be burned no portion of it reserved To the carnall man this may appear a rigorous and severe judgement yea it may rather seem to be pronounced in a rage then in wisedom For what City was ever yet in which to mans judgement were not to be found many innocent persons as infants children and some simple and ignorant souls who neither did nor could consent to such impiety And yet we finde no exception but all are appointed to the cruell death And as concerning the City and the spoyl of the same mans reason cannot think but that it might have been better bestowed then to be consumed with fire and so to profit no man But in such cases Gods will is That all creatures stoup cover their faces desist from reasoning when commandment is given to execute his judgement Albeit I could adduce divers causes of such severity yet will I search none other then the holy Ghost hath assigned First That all Israel hearing the judgement should fear to commit the like abomination And secondly That the Lord might turn from the fury of his anger might be moved towards the people with inward affection be mercifull unto them and multiply them according to his Oath made unto their fathers Which reasons as they are sufficient in Gods children to correct the murmuring of the grudging flesh so ought they to provoke every man as before I have said to declare himself enemy to that which so highly provoketh the wrath of God against the whole people For where Moses saith Let the City be burned and let no part of the spoyl cleave to thy hand that the Lord may return from the fury of his wrath c. he plainly doth signifie That by the defection and Idolatry of a few Gods wrath is kindled against the whole which is never quenched till such punishment be taken upon the offenders that whatsoever served them in their Idolatry be brought to destruction because that it is execrable and accursed before God and therefore he will not that it be reserved for any use of his people I am not ignorant that this Law was not put in execution as God commanded But what did thereof ensue and follow histories declare to wit Plague after plague till Israel and Iuda were led in Captivity as the Books of the Kings do witnesse The consideration whereof maketh me more boâ—d to affirm That it is the duty of every man who desireth to escape the plague and punishment of God To declare himself enemy to Idolatry not onely in heart hating the
Word But yet I think ye doubt what ye ought and may do in this so weighty a matter In few words I will declare my conscience in the one and in the other Ye ought to prefer the glory of God and the promoting of Christ his Evangell and the salvation of your souls to all things that be in the earth And ye although ye be but subjects may lawfully require of your Superiours be it of your King be it of your Lords Rulers and Powers That they provide for you true Preachers and that they expell such as under the name of Pastors devour and destroy the Flock not feeding the same as Christ Jesus hath commanded And if in this point your Superiours be negligent or yet pretend to maintain tyrants in their tyranny most justly ye may provide true Teachers for your selves Pastors according to the minde and heart of God by whom you may be fed with that most comfortable food of your souls Christs Evangell truly preached Ye may moreover in a peaceable manner without sedition with-hold the fruits and profits which your false Bishops and Clergy most unjustly receive of you unto such time as they shall faithfully do their charge and duties which is To preach unto you Christ Jesus truely rightly to minister the Sacraments according to his own Institution and so to watch for the salvation of your souls as is commanded by Christ Jesus himself and by his Apostles Paul and Peter If God shall move your hearts in his true fear to begin to practice these things and to demanded and crave the same of your Superiours which most lawfully ye may do then I doubt not but of his great mercy and free grace he will illuminate the eyes of your mindes that his undoubted Verity will be a Lantern to your feet to guide and lead you in all the wayes which godly wisedom doth approve he will make your enemies tremble before your faces he will establish his Evangell amongst you to the salvation and perpetuall comfort of your selves and of your posterity after you But and if as God forbid the love of friends the fear of your Princes and the wisedom of the world draw you back from God and from his Son Christ Jesus be ye certainly perswaded That ye shall drink the cup of his Vengeance so many I mean as shall contemn and despise this loving calling of your heavenly Father It will not excuse you dear brethren in the presence of God neither yet will it avail you in the day of his visitation to say We were but simple subjects we could not redresse the faults and crimes of our Rulers Bishops and Clergy We called for Reformation and wished for the same but Lords brethren were Bishops their sons were Abbots and the friends of great men had the possession of the Church and so were we compelled to give obedience to all that they demanded These vain excuses I say will nothing avail you in the presence of God who requireth no lesse of the subjects then of their Rulers That they decline from evil and that they do good that they abstain from Idolatry Superstition Blasphemy Murther and other such like horrible crimes which his Law forbiddeth and yet neverthelesse are openly committed and maliciously defended in that miserable Realm And if ye think that ye are innocent because ye are not the chief actors of such iniquity ye are utterly deceived for God doth not onely punish the chief offenders but with them doth he condemn the consenters to such iniquity and all are judged to consent that knowing impiety committed give no testimony that the same displeaseth them To speak this matter more plain As your Princes and Rulers are criminall with your Bishops of all Idolatry committed and of all the innocent blood that is shed for the testimony of Christs Truth and that because they maintain them in their tyranny so are you I mean so many of you as give no plain confession to the contrary criminall and guilty with your Princes and Rulers in the same crimes because ye assist and maintain your Princes in their blinde rage and give no declaration that their tyranny displeaseth you This Doctrine I know is strange to the blinde world but the verity of it hath been declared in all notable punishments from the beginning When the originall world perished by water when Sodome and Gomorra were consumed by fire and finally when Ierusalem was horribly destroyed Doth any man think that all were alike wicked before the world Evident it is that they were not if they be judged according to their externall facts for some were young and could not be oppressors neither yet could defile themselves with unnaturall and beastly lusts Some were pitifull and gentle of nature and did not thirst for the blood of Christ nor of his Apostles But did any escape the plagues and vengeance which did apprehend the multitude Let the Scriptures witnesse and the Histories be considered which plainly do testifie That by the waters all flesh in earth at that time did perish Noah and his family reserved That none escaped in Sodome and in the other Cities adjacent except Lot and his two daughters And evident it is That in that famous City Ierusalem in that last and horrible destruction of the same none escaped Gods vengeance except so many as before were dispersed And what is the cause of this severity seeing that all were not alike offenders let the flesh cease to dispute with God and let all men by these examples learn betimes to fly and avoid the society and company of the proud contemners of God if that they list not to be partakers of their plagues The cause is evident if we can be subject without grudging to Gods judgements which in themselves are most holy and just For in the originall world none was found that either did resist tyranny and oppression that universally was used nor yet that earnestly reprehended the same In Sodome was none found that did gain stand that furious and beastly multitude that did compasse about and besiege the house of Lot None would believe Lot that the City should be destroyed And finally in Ierusalem was found none that studied to represse the tyranny of the Priests who were conjured against Christ and his Evangell but all fainted I except ever such as gave witnesse with their blood or their flying That such impiety displeased them all kept silence by the which all approved iniquity and joyned hands with the tyrannts and so were all arayed and set as it had been in one Battell against the Omnipotent and against his Son Christ Jesus For whosoever gathereth not with Christ in the day of his Harvest is judged to scatter And therefore of one vengeance temporall were they all partakers Which thing as before I have touched ought to move you to the deep consideration of your duties in these last and most perillous times The iniquity
of your Bishops is more then manifest their filthy lives infect the ayr the innocent blood which they shed cryeth vengeance in the ears of our God the idolatry and abomination which openly they commit and without punishment maintain doth corrupt and defile the whole Land and none amongst you do unfainedly study for any redresse of such enormities Will God in this behalf hold you as innocents Be not deceived dear brethren God hath punished not onely the proud tyrants filthy persons and cruell murtherers but also such as with them did draw the yoke of iniquity was it by flattering their offences obeying their unjust commandments or in winking at their manifest iniquity All such I say God once punished with the chief offenders Be ye assured brethren that as he is immutable of nature so will he not pardon you in that which he hath punished in others and now the lesse because he hath plainly admonished you of the dangers to come and hath offered you his mercy before he pour forth his wrath and displeasure upon the inobedient God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who is the father of glory and God of all consolation give you the spirit of wisedom and open unto you the knowledge of himself by the means of his dear Son by the which ye may attain to the esperance and hope That after the troubles of this transitory life ye may be partakers of the glorious Inheritance which is prepared for such as refuse themselves and fight under the Banner of Christ Iesus in the day of this his Battell That in deep consideration of the same ye may learn to prefer the invisible and eternall joyes to the vain pleasures that are present God further grant you his holy Spirit righteously to consider what I in his Name have required of your Nobility and of the subjects and move all together so to answer that my Petition be not a testimony of your just condemnation when the Lord Iesus shall appear to revenge the blood of his Saints and the contempt of his most holy Word Amen Sleep not in sin for vengeance is prepared against the inobedient Fly from Babylon if ye will not be partakers of her plagues Grace be with you Your Brother to command in godlinesse JOHN KNOX Be witnesse to my Appellation The 4. of Iuly 1558. A faithfull ADMONITION made by IOHN KNOX To the true Professors of the Gospel of CHRIST within the Kingdom of England 1554. John Knox wisheth Grace Mercy and Peace from GOD the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ with the perpetuall Comfort of the Holy Ghost to be with you for ever and ever dear Brethren the afflicted Members of Christs Church in England HAving no lesse desire to comfort such as now be in trouble within the Realm of England and specially you for many causes most dear to me then hath the naturall Father to ease the griefe and pain of his dearest Childe I have considered with my selfe what argument or parcell of Gods Scriptures was most convenient and meet to be handled for your consolation in these most dark and dolorous dayes And so as for the same purpose I was turning my Book I chanced to see a Note in the Margine written thus in Latine Videas Anglia Let England beware which Note when I had considered I found that the matter written in my Booke in Latine was this Seldome it is that God worketh any notable work to the comfort of his Church but that trouble fear and labour cometh upon such as God hath used for his Servants and Workmen and also tribulation most commonly followeth that Church were Christ Iesus is most truely preached This Note was made upon a place of Scripture written in the fourteenth Chapter of Saint Matthews Gospell which place declareth That after Christ Jesus had used the Apostles as Ministers and Servants to feed as it had been by their hands five thousand men beside women and children with five Barley Loaves and two Fishes he sent them to the Sea commanding them to passe over before him to the other side Which thing as they attempted to obey and for the same purpose did travell and row forth in the Sea the night approached the wind was contrary the vehement and raging storme arose and was like to overthrow their poor Boat and them When I considered as dolour and my simplicity would suffer the circumstances of the Text I began to reckon and ask account of my self and as God knoweth not without sorrow and sobs whether at any time I had been so plain by my tongue as God had opened his holy Will and Wisdom in that matter unto me as mine own Pen and Note beare witnesse to my conscience And shortly it came to my minde that the same place of Scripture I had handled in your presences when God gave opportunity and time for you to heare Gods Messenger speak the words of eternall life Wherefore I thought nothing more expedient then shortly to call to minde againe such things as then I trust were touched albeit peradventure neither of me so plainly uttered neither of you so plainly perceived as these most dolorous dayes declare the same to us It shall not bee necessary to handle the Text word by word but of the whole summe to gather certain Notes and Observations which shall not farre disagree from the state of these dayes it shall be sufficient And first it is to be observed That after this great miracle that Christ had wrought he neither would retain with himself the multitude of people whom he had fed neither yet his disciples but the one he sent away every man to return to his place of accustomed residence and the others he sent to the danger of the Seas not as he that was ignorant what should chance unto them but knowing and foreseeing the Tempest yea and appointing the same so to trouble them It is not to be judged That the onely and true Pastour would remove and send away from him the wandering and weak sheep neither yet that the onely provident Governour and Guide would set out his rude Warriours to so great a jeopardie without sufficient and most just cause Why Christ removed and sent away from him the people the Evangelist Saint Iohn declareth saying When Iesus knew that they were come to take him that they might make him King he passed secretly or alone to the Mountain Whereof it is plain what chiefly moved Christ to send away the people from him because that by him they sought a carnall and worldly libertie regarding nothing his Heavenly Doctrine of the Kingdom of God his Father which before he had taught and declared unto them plainly shewing them That such as would follow him must suffer for his Names sake persecution must be hated of all men must deny themselves must be sent forth as sheep among Wolves But no part of this doctrine pleased them or could enter into their
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
procured to fall from Christ and to serve Antichrist This and much more in the dolour of my heart that day in the audience of such as yet may bear record through Gods permission I then pronounced The thing that I then most feared and which also my Tongue spake that is The subversion of the true Religion and bringing in of Strangers to reign over that Realm this day I see come to passe in mens councels and determinations which if they proceed and take effect as by men it is concluded then so assuredly as my God liveth and as those Israelites that obstinately returned into Egypt againe were plagued to the death so shall England taste what the Lord hath threatned by his Prophets before God grant us true and unfained repentance of our former offences God for his great mercies sake stirre up some Phinies Elias or Iehu that the blood of abominable Idolaters may pacifie Gods wrath that it consume not the whole multitude Amen But to returne to our matter of the premisses it is plain That such as contemne Gods eternall verity and grace can neither in their troubles receive comfort by Gods Messengers neither yet can they follow the counsell of God be it never so profitable but God giveth them over and suffereth them to wander in their owne vanities to their owne perdition whereas contrarywise such as beareth a reverence to Gods most Holy Word are drawn by the power and vertue of the same as before is said to beleeve follow and obey that which God commandeth be it never so hard so unapparent or contrary to their affections And therefore as God alwayes keepeth appointment with them so are they wonderously preserved when Gods vengeances are powred forth upon the disobedient And this is most evident in Abraham at Gods commandment leaving his Countrey and going forth he knew not whither which was a thing not so easie to be done as it is to be spoken or read It appeareth also in Abraham beleeving Gods promises against all appearance and also in offering his son Isaac against all fatherly love and naturall affection The same is said in Moses Samuel Hezekiah Michaiah and other of the Prophets which at the commandment of Gods Word boldly passed to the presence of Tyrants and there to them did their message as charge was given unto them But lest that some should alledge that these examples appertaineth nothing to a multitude because they were done in singular men I answer We will consider what the power of Gods Word hath wrought in many at one instance After that the Israelites had made the golden Calfe and so fallen to Idolatry Moses coming down from the mountain and beholding their abominations the honour that they gave to an Idol and the people spoiled of their ear-rings and jewels to their great rebuke and shame was enflamed with such zeal indignation and wrath that first he brake the Tables of the Commandments then he beat their Calfe to powder and gave it to them to drink to cause them to understand That their filthy guts should receive that which they worshipped for God And finally he commanded that every man that was of God should approach and come nigh unto him And the sons of Levi saith the Text came to him to whom he said Thus saith the Lord God of Israel Let every man put his sword upon his thigh and go in and out from Port to Port in the Tents and let every man kill his brother his neighbour and every man his nigh kinsman And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses And there fell the same day of the people nigh three thousand It is evident by this history That the power of Gods Word pronounced by the mouth of a man prevailed at one time in a great number against nature and compelled them to be executers of Gods vengeance regarding nothing the affinity nor nighnesse of blood And also that their doing so well pleased Moses the Ambassadour of God that he said unto them Consecrate your hands this day every man in his own son and in his own brother that a fortunate benediction may be given to you this day As though he should say Your father Levi prophaned and defiled his hands killing the Sichemites in his blinde rage which moved his father Iacob in his last Testament to condemne execrate and curse that his most vehement and ungodly zeale But because in this work you have preferred Gods Commandment before blood nature and also affection in place of that rebuke and curse you have obtained blessing and praise The like puissance and vertue of Gods Word working in a multitude is to be read in the Prophet Ieremiah who perceiving the time of Gods vengeance to draw nigh and the City of Ierusalem to be besieged boldly cryeth out in his open Sermon saying He that remaineth in this Citie shall die either by sword by hunger or by pestilence But he that shall go forth to the Caldeans shall live and shall finde his soul for a prey This might have appeared a deceivable seditious and ungodly Sermon to command subjects to depart from the obedience and defence of their native Prince rich Citizens and valiant souldiers from their possessions and strong Holds and to will them to render themselves without all manner of resistance into the hands of strangers being their enemies What carnall man would not have judged the perswasions of the Prophet most foolish and false And yet in the hearts of such as God had elected and appointed to life so effectually wrought this Sermon that a great number of Ierusalem left their King their City riches and friends and obeyed the Prophets counsell for so may be espied by the answer of Zedechias the King when Ieremiah counselled him That he should render himself into the hands of Nebuchadonoser he saith I fear these Iews that are fled to the Caldeans lest perchance they give me into their hands Hereof it is plain That many were departed from him whom he feared more then he did his enemies Many more testimonies might be brought to declare how mightily Gods Word spoken by man hath wrought in the hearts of great multitudes As in the hearts of the Ninevites who at Ionahs Preaching condemned their former Religion conversation and life And in the hearts of those three thousand who at Peters first Sermon openly made after Christs Ascension acknowledged their offences repented and were soon after baptized But these premises are sufficient to prove as well that Gods Word draweth his Elect after it against worldly appearance against naturall affections and against evil Statutes and Constitutions as also That such as obey Gods speaking by his Ministers never lacketh just reward and recompence For onely such as obeyed the voyce of the Prophet found favour and grace to the praise and glory of Gods Name when his just judgements
you think peradventure That the care of Religion is not committed to Magistrates but to the Bishops and state Ecclesiasticall as they term it but deceive not your self for the negligence of Bishops shall no lesse be required of the hands of the Magistrates then shall the oppession of false Iudges for they injustly promote foster and maintain the one and the other The false and corrupt Iudge to spoil the Goods and to oppresse the bodies of the simple but the proud Prelates do Kings maintain to murther the souls for the which the blood of Christ Iesus was shed and that they do either by withholding from them the true Word of life or else by causing a pestilent Doctrine to be taught unto them such as now is taught in the Papisticall Churches I know that you wonder how that the Religion which is universally received can be so damnable and corrupted But if you consider That ever from the beginning the multitude hath declined from God yea even in the people to whom he spake by his Law and Prophets if ye shall consider the complaint of the Holy Ghost complaining that Nations People Princes and Kings of the earth have raged made Conspiracies and holden Councels against the Lord and against his Annointed Christ Iesus further if ye shall consider the question which Iesus himself doth move in these words When the Sonne of Man shall come shall he finde faith on the earth And lastly if your Majestie shall consider the manifest contempt of God and of all his holy Precepts which this day reigne without punishment upon the face of the whole earth for as Hosea complaineth There is no verity There is no mercy There is no truth this day among men but lies perjury and oppression overflow all and blood toucheth blood that is Every iniquitie is joyned to another If deeply I say your Majestie will contemplate the universall corruption that this day reigneth in all states then shall your Majestie cease to wonder That many are called and few chosen and you shall begin to tremble and fear to follow the multitude to perdition The universall defection whereof Saint Paul doth prophesie is easie to be espied as well in religion as in manners The corruption of life is evident and Religion is not judged nor measured by the plain Word of God but by custome consuetude will consent and determinations of men But shall he who hath pronounced all cogitations of mans heart to be vain at all times accept the counsels and consents of men for a Religion pleasing and acceptable before him Let not your Majestie be deceived God cannot lie God cannot deny himself he hath witnessed from the beginning That no religion pleaseth him except that which he by his own Word hath commanded and established The veritie it selfe pronounceth this sentence In vain do they worship me teaching doctrines the precepts of men And also All plantation which my Heavenly father hath not planted shall be rooted out Before the comming of his welbeloved Sonne in the flesh severely he punished all such as durst enterprise to alter or change his Ceremonies and Statutes as in Saul Uzziah Nadab Abihu is to be read And will he now after that he hath opened his counsell to the world by his onely Son whom he commandeth to be heard and after that by his Holy Spirit speaking in his Apostles he hath established the Religion in which he would have his true worshippers to abide unto the end will â—e now I say admit mens inventions in the matter of Religion which he reputed for damnable Idolatry If men and Angels would affirm That he will or may do it his own verity shall convince them of a lie for this sentence he pronounceth Not that which seemeth good in thy eyes shalt thou do to the Lord thy God but that which the Lord thy God hath commandeth thee that do thou adde nothing unto it deminish nothing from it Which sealing up his New Testament he repeateth in these words That which ye have hold till I come c. And therefore yet againe it repenteth me not to say That in this point which is chief and principall your Majesty must disassent from the multitude of Rulers or else you can possesse no portion with Christ Iesus in his Kingdom and glory Addition KNowing by what craft Sathan laboureth continually to keep the world in blindnesse I added these two former points to wit That ye should not think your self free from the Reformation of Religion because ye have Bishops within your Realm neither yet that ye should judge that Religion most perfect which the multitude by wrong custome have embraced In these two points doth Sathan busily labour First That no civill Magistrate presume to take cognisance in the cause of Religion for that must be deferred to the determinations of the Church Secondly That impossible it is that that Religion should be false which so long time so many Councels and so great a multitude of men so divers Nations have allowed authorised and confirmed What is the duty of Magistrates and what power the people hath in such cases granted by God my purpose is to write in a severall Letter to the Nobility and States of the Realm and therefore to avoid tediousnesse and repetition of one thing I now supersede And as touching the second if ye rightly consider the testimonies of Scriptures which I have before alleadged I trust ye shall finde that Objection sufficiently answered for if the opinion of the multitude ought alwayes to be preferred then did God injury to the originall World for they were all of one minde to wit conjured against God except Noah and his familie And if antiquity of time shall be considered in such cases then shall not onely the Idolatrie of the Gentiles but also the false Religion of Mahomet be preferred to the Papistrie for both the one and the other is more ancient then is the Papisticall religion yea Mahomet had established his Alcoram before any Pope in Rome was crowned with a Triple Crown But as touching antiquitie I am content with Tertullian to say Let that be the most pure and perfect Religion which shall be proved most ancient for this is a chief point wherein I will joyn with all the Papists on the earth That their Religion such as it is this day is not of such antiquitie as is that which we contend to be the true and onely Religion acceptable before God neither yet that their Church is the Catholike Church but that it is of late dayes in respect of Christs Institution crept in and devised by man and therefore am bold to affirme it odious and abominable for this is our chief Proposition That in the Religion of God his own Word ought onely to be considered That no Authority of man or Angell ought in that case to be respected And as for their Councels when
that the Prophet Isaiah saw not the destruction of Ierusalem much lesse could he see the restitution of it with his corporall eyes but he leaveth this as it were in testament with them That when they were in the extremity of all bondage they should call to minde what the Prophet of God had before spoken And lest that his doctrine and this promise of God made unto them by his mouth should have been forgotten as we are ever prone and ready to forget Gods promises when we are pressed with any sorrow God raised up unto them in the midst of their calamity his Prophet Ezekiel unto whom among many other visions he gave this The hand of the Lord first led him in a place which was full of dry and dispersed bones The question was demanded of the Prophet if these bones being wondrous dry should live The Prophet answered The knowledge thereof appertained unto God Charge was given unto him that he should speak unto the dry bones and say Thus saith the Lord God to these bones Behold I shall give you breath and you shall live I shall give unto you sinews flesh and skin and you shall live And while the Prophet spake as he was commanded he heard a voyce and he saw every bone joyn in his Marrow he saw them covered with flesh and skin albeit there was no spirit of life in them He was commanded again to speak and to say Thus saith the Lord God Come O spirit from the four quarters and blow in these that are slain that they may live And as he prophesied the spirit of life came They lived and stood upon their feet Now doth the Lord interpret what this vision meant saying O Son of man these bones are the whole house of Israel Behold they say our bones are dryed our hope is perished we are plainly cut off But behold saith the Lord I will open your graves I will bring you forth of them ye shall live and come unto the Land of Israel and ye shall know that I am the Lord. This vision I say given to the Prophet and by the Prophet preached to the people when they thought that God had utterly forgotten them compelled them more diligently to advert what the former Prophets had spoken It is no doubt but they carryed with them both the prophesie of Isaiah and Ieremy so that the Prophet Ezekiel is a Commentary to these words of Isaiah where he saith Thy dead O Lord shall live with my body they shall arise The Prophet bringeth in this similitude of the dew to answer unto that part of their fidelity who can believe no further of Gods promises then they are able to apprehend by naturall judgement As he would say Think ye this impossible that God shall give life unto you and bring you to an estate of a Common-wealth again after that ye be dead and as it were raced from the face of the earth But why do ye not consider what God worketh from yeer to yeer in the order of nature sometimes ye see the face of the earth decked and beautified with herbs flowers grasse and fruits Again ye see the same utterly taken away by storms and vehemency of the Winter What doth God to replenish the earth again and to restore the beauty thereof He sendeth down his small and soft dew the drops whereof in their descending are neither great nor visible and yet thereby are the pores and secret veins of the earth which before by vehemency of frost and cold were shut up opened again and so doth the earth produce again the like herbs flowers and fruits Shall ye then think that the dew of Gods heavenly grace shall not be as effectuall in you to whom he hath made his promise as that it is in the herbes and fruits that from year to year buddeth forth and decayeth If ye do so the Prophet would say your incredibility is inexcusable because ye do neither rightly weigh the power nor the promise of your God The like similitude useth the Apostle Paul against such as called the resurrection in doubt because that by naturall judgement they could not apprehend that flesh once putrified and resolved as it were in other substance should arise again and return again to the same substance and nature O fool saith he that which thou sowest is not quickned except it dye and that which thou sowest thou sowest not that body that shall be but bare corn as it falleth of wheat or some other but God giveth it a body as it pleaseth him even to every seed his own body In which words and sentence the Apostle sharply rebuketh the grosse ignorance of the Corinthians who began to call in doubt the chiefe article of our faith the resurrection of the flesh after that it was once resolved because that naturall judgement as said he reclaimed thereto He reproveth I say their grosse ignorance because they might have seen and considered some proofe and document thereof in the very order of nature For albeit the wheat or other corn cast in the earth appeareth to die or putrifie and so to be lost yet we see that it is not perished but that it fructifieth according to Gods will and ordinance Now if the power of God be so manifest in raising up of the fruits of the earth unto the which no particular promise is made by God what shall be his power and vertue in raising up of our bodies seeing that thereto he is bound by the solemne promise of Jesus Christ his eternall wisdom And the verity it self that can not lie yea seeing that the members must once communicate with the glory of the head How shall our bodies which are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones lie still for ever in corruption seeing that our head Jesus Christ is now exalted in his glory Neither yet is this power and good will of God to be restrained unto the last and generall resurrection onely but we ought to consider it in the marvellous preservation of his Church and in the raising up of the same from the very bottome of death when by Tyrants it hath been oppressed from age to age Now of the former words of the Prophet we have to gather this comfort That if at any time we see the face of the Church within this Realm so defaced as I think it shall be sooner then we look for when we shall see I say vertue to be despised vice to be maintained the verity of God to be impugned lies and mens inventions holden in authoritie and finally when we shall see the true Religion of our God and the zealous observers of the same to be trodden under the feet of such as in their heart say That there is no God Let us then call to mind what have been the wonderous works of our God from the beginning that it is his proper Office to bring forth light out of darknesse order out of confusion life out of death and
Justice and Peace and Sathan called the Prince of the world so are they but two Armies that hath continued battell from the beginning and shall fight unto the end The quarrell is one which the Armie of Jesus Christ do sustain and which the reprobate do persecute to wit The eternall truth of the Eternall God and the Image of Jesus Christ printed in his Elect so that whosoever in any age persecuteth any one Member of IESUS CHRIST for his Truths sake subscribeth as it were with his hand the persecution of all that have passed before him And this ought the Tyrants of this age deeply to consider for they shall bee guilty not onely of the blood shed by themselves but of all as is said that hath been shed for the Cause of Jesus Christ from the beginning of the world Let the faithfull not bee discouraged although they bee appointed as Sheepe to the Slaughter-house for hee for whose sake they suffer shall not forget to revenge their cause I am not ignorant That flesh and blood will thinke that kinde of support too too late for wee had rather bee preserved still alive then to have our blood revenged after our death and truely if our felicitie stood in this life or if death temporall should bring unto us any damage our desire in that behalfe were not to bee disallowed or condemned But seeing that death is common to all and that this temporall life is nothing but miserie and that death doth fully joyne us with our God and giveth unto us the possession of our Inheritance why should we thinke it strange to leave this world and go to our Head and Soveraign Captain Jesus Christ Lastly we have to observe this manner of speaking where the Prophet saith that The earth shall disclose her blood In which words the Prophet would accuse the crueltie of those that dare so unmercifully and violently force from the Breasts of the Earth the dearest Children of God and cruelly cut their Throats in her bosome who is by God appointed the common mother of mankinde so that she unwillingly is compelled to open her mouth and receive their blood If such Tyrannie were used against any naturall woman as violently to pull her infant from her Breasts cut the Throat of it in her own bosome and compell her to receive the blood of her deare Childe in her owne mouth all Nations would hold the fact so abominable that the like had never been done in the course of nature no lesse wickednesse commit they that shed the Blood of Gods Children upon the face of their common mother the earth as I said before But bee of good courage O little and despised Flock of Christ Jesus for hee that seeth your griefe hath power to revenge it He will not suffer one teare of yours to fall but it shall bee kept and reserved in his Bottell till the fulnesse thereof bee poured downe from Heaven upon those that caused you to weep and mourne this your mercifull God I say will not suffer your blood for ever to be covered with the earth nay the flaming fires that have licked up the blood of any of our Brethren the earth that hath beene defiled with it I say with the blood of Gods Children for otherwise to shed the blood of the cruell blood-shedders is to purge the land from blood and as it were to sanctifie it The earth I say shall purge her selfe of it and shew it before the face of God yea the Beasts Fowls and other Creatures whatsoever shall be compelled to render that which they have received bee it Flesh Blood or Bones that appertained to thy Children O Lord which altogether thou shalt glorifie according to thy promise made to us in our Lord and Saviour IESUS CHRIST thy welbeloved Sonne to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be honour praise and glory for ever and ever Amen Let us now humble our selves in the presence of our God and from the bottome of our hearts let us desire him to assist us with the power of his Holy Spirit that albeit for our former negligences God giveth us over into the hands of other then such as rule in his fear that yet he letteth us not forget his mercy and that glorious Name that hath beene proclaimed amongst us but that wee may look thorow the dolorous storm of his present displeasure and see as well what punishment hee hath appointed for the cruell Tyrants as what reward hee hath laid in store for such as continue in his fear to the end That it would further please him to assist That albeit we see his Church so diminished that it appear to bee brought as it were to utter extermination that wee may be assured that in our God there is great power and will to increase the number of his Chosen untill they bee enlarged to rhe uttermost parts of the earth Give us O Lord hearts to visite thee in time of affliction and albeit we see no end of our dolours yet our faith and hope may conduct us to the assured hope of that joyfull resurrection in the which wee shall possesse the fruit of that for which now we labour In the mean time grant unto us O Lord to repose our selves in the sanctuary of thy promise that in thee we may finde comfort till that this thy great indignation begun amongst us may passe over and thou thy selfe appear to the comfort of thy afflicted and to the terrour of thine and our enemies Let us pray with heart and mouth Almighty God and mercifull Father c. Lord into thy Hands I commend my spirit for the terrible roaring of Gunnes and the noise of Armour do so pierce my heart that my soule thirsteth to depart The last day of August 1565. at four of the Clock in the Afternoon written indigestly but yet truly so farre as memomory would serve of those things that in publike I spake on Sunday August 19. for the which I was discharged to preach for a time Be mercifull to thy Flock O Lord and at thy good pleasure put end to my misery JOHN KNOX FINIS Scoti ex discipulis Joannis Apostoli Christianismum edocti sunt Buch. Lib. 5. Multi ex Britonibus Christiani saevitiam Domitiani metuentes in Scotiam commigrarunt è quib is complures doctrina vitae integritate clari in eâ subsisterunt Buch. Lib. 4. Eâ—angelium fuit diffusam in omnes orbis partes etiam in Britanniam usque eamque insulae partem ad quam Romanae vires nunquam penetrâ—rum Tert. lib. contra Judaeos Antoninus Pius Britannos vicit alio muro câ—spicio submotis Barbaris ducto Jul. Cap. Britanniam muro per transversam insulam ducto utrumque ad finem Oceani munivit Adrianus murum primus ducit qui Barbaros Romanósque dividit Aelius Spartianus Venit extremis legio praetenta Britannis Quae Scoto dat froena truci id est opposita Scotis quae eorum furorem a Britannis
be set a part for divine service yet we are not so tied to the place as the Iews were yea not so much as the Rominists would have us to be according to that of S. Ioh 21.22 23 for wheresoever 2 or 3 are gathered together in my Nâ—â—â—r I am in the midst of you * Witnesse the Princes and people that the Pope put to the Interdict without cause to say nothing of private persons * So that many do think it a liberty of Religion to swear and curse * Witnesse the divorce of Mary Stuart daughter to James 2. from her lawfull husband Tho. Boyde and maâ—ried to Iames Hamiltonâ— Also of Mary mother to Iames 5. who married after K. Iam. the fourths death Arâ—hibald Douglas Earle of Angus was divorced from him and married to Henry Stuart Lord Meffen Adam Reade his bold aâ—d godly answer Note 1500. 1513. 1527. Brothers son to Iames Hamilton Earle of Arran and sisters son to Iohn Stuart Duke of Althai A Dominican Frier Note how Church-men rules the good nature of the Prince Frier Campbell apostate Mâ—ior Deuâ— 6. Matth. 12. Minor 1. Joh. 4. Conclusio Matth 7. Rom. 13. Galat. 5. Maior Rom. 13. Minor Joh. 19. Conclusio Christ is the end and fulfilling of the Law to every one that believeth Rom. 10.14 Rom. 3. Rom. 7. Gospel quasi Godspel that is Gods word but ordinarily it is taken from that part which we call Evangel that is Good tidings otherwise Gospel quasi Goodspel that is Good words and so Good tidings Gen. 15. Joh. 5. Jam. 1. Rom 14. Heb 11. Heb. 11. Rom 8. Rom. 4. Rom. 4. Abac. 2. Rom. 1. Joh. 6. 1 Joh. 5. Act. 10. Rom. 10. Joh. 3. Gal. 3. Matth. 19. Joh 9. Joh. 20. Mark 16. Matth. 28. Psal. 117. 1. Tim. 6. This 〈…〉 derstood of circumstance of worldly mâ—n and not of them of God for the neerer that meâ— draw to God we are bound 〈◊〉 more to love them Galat. 3. Matth 13. Matth. 7. Note Note Note Quaere Answer Note Note Here you see verified Cinis Martyrum semen Ecclesiae M. Gawyn Logy Munks Preach Bishops devices M. Iohn Mair whose History of Scotland we have c. He wrote upon the 4 Evangelists c. Arithe his Sermon False Miracles Alexander Furrour his Examination before the Bishops Alexander Seton a black Frier Note Note Iames the fifth Note Aleâ—ander Seton his Letter There was another Frier Forrest hanged in Smithfield 1538. Note For 10 yeers the persecution ceaseth 1534. 1538. The civil troubles give some rest to Gods flock fâ—r a time Note Macdowel Alaesius John Fyfe Machabeus Note 1534. This yeere was Lawes made against the Reformation the Pope having sent to Scotland a Legat the yeere before 6 Accused for Heresie Note 2 Gentlemen Straton and Gowâ—ley burnt See how the Bishops did intrench upon the good disposition of the King and his Soveraigne 1534. Burning of the Bill was a signe of recantation 1537. Lâ—sly writes this done 1540. Iohn Berthwick fled into England from whence Henry sent him into Germany to the Protestant Princes Foure burnt 1538. 1539. Ieremie Russell Alex. Kennedie Kennedie his thanks to God His speech to the Judges Note Sir Iames Hamilton said That God had justly brought him to that because he had offended often to gain the King favour by unjust ways Note George Buchanan by the Kings câ—mmand then angry with the Friers did write this Satyre against them who thereafter having made their peace with the King would not be appeased with Gâ—orge Buchanan whom the king gave over to their importunity and so he was put in prison The Earle of Gleaverne his verse upon the Gray Friers The Church-men ingage the King to warre against his Uncle Halderig Read England called Hereticke bâ—cause it renounced the Pope Note All hallow tyde Fallow Reade Note The Lords answer to the Kings desire Note Note Note An answer worthy of a Prince By this answer you may see how good this Prince had bin if 〈◊〉 Câ—urch mâ—n and flatterâ—â—s â—ad not abused him Abused Prince by Prelats So the evil advised Prince gave himselfe over to the false Propâ—ets I meane the Prelats The Reade of Holway masse by Oliver Sinclar Whaâ—ton was then Warden in these parts Stratageme Note Note Oliver compared to Benhadad against Samaria 2 King 20. 300 men put to flight 10000 Others say at Carlaveâ—ok neer by the place where the defeat was given called Sobâ—â—y Mosse The King foretells his own death Reginae Nativitas Mark the Queens mourning for the King Others stick not to say That the King was hastned away by a Potion Levit. 12. Regis exitus Divers Charactâ—rs of the late King arise post funâ—ra virtuâ— Character of the Hamiltons Note the reasons why the Earle of Arran was thus favoured by the Countrey 1543 Note Frier Scot. The Cardinal taken 1543. An Act of Parliament for reading of the Scripture Note the hypocrisie of worldlings So long as men follow God they are blessed Nothing could be said against the lawfulnesse of Edwards birth Katharine of Spaine and Anne Bullen being dead before his mother was married to his father Note well The Queenes marriage the second time ratified He was before sometimes called Cunningham sometimes Colwan so uncertaine was it who was his father Note Note This is the Prelats language The Governour violated his faith refused God and took absulution of the devil renouncing his Religion in the gray Friers All this was then said by the Cardinall Penes authorem fides estâ— Note the device of the wicked to set men by the 〈◊〉 1543 Note * And many trod under foot died Note As they went to Dundie they said they were going to burne the readers of the new Testament and that they would stick to the old for Luther said they had made the new Note A woman and her childe put to death because she prayed not to the Virgin Mary Men put to death for eating a Goose upon Friday Iohn Roger a black Friet murthered 1544. The English Army arrived in Scotland Note Endinburgh burnt and spoiled by the English Note 1544. Lorge cometh to Scotland 1545. Note The character of Hamilton Note George Wischarde Note a falsâ— brother M. Wischard his words in Dundie The Bishops Sermon Note Note M. Wescharde his zeale to gain soules A Priest appointed by the Cardinall to stab M. George Wischarde The second attempt of the Cardinall for the killing of M. George Wischarde Note the spirit of Prophesie Prophesie spoken by Master George Whischarde of the Church of Scotland Note the resolution of a Preacher Two gray Friers Vengeance against Hadington Master Wischarde taken at Ormeston Note He means Gods people The Lord Bothwels promise M Georges words to the Earl Bothwell 1546. Note The proud Cardinall and the glorious foole Dumbar A question worthy of such two Prelats 1546. Who was a learned man and heartily favoured the pure Religion in secret Bona heresios definitio c. Note the
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
Hadington in Lothian the yeer of Christ 1505. of honest Parentage His father was a brothers son of the House of Ranferlie which is an ancient Family of Gentlemen in the West When he left the Grammar Schoole in the Countrey he was sent to the Vniversity of Saint Andrews to studie under M. John Mair who in those dayes was very famous for his Learning which particularly did consist in the ergotie or disputative part of Philosophy and in School-Divinity wherein formerly for many yeers together almost all Learning was placed In a very short time John Knox became such a Proficient that in this kinde of knowledge wherein his Master most excelled he surpassed him and being yet very young was thought worthy of Degrees in the School Moreover before the time ordinarily allowed by the Canons he entred in Church Orders Thereafter laying aside the idle Disputes and Sophistry of the School he betook himself to the reading of the Ancients namely of Augustine with whose Writings he was much taken by reason of their plainnesse and solidity Last of all he betook himself to the earnest study of the holy Scriptures wherein having found the Truth of God concerning the salvation of Mankinde fully revealed he in good earnest did embrace it and freely professed it yea made it his main work to make it known to all men and believed by them in which work he was very active and vigilant at home and abroad namely at home For the Cause of the Truth he suffered very much by Sea and by Land in minde and in body among forraigners and amongst his own Countreymen as ye may see in this History of the Church which now here we present unto you Which History namely so much of it I mean as formerly was published hath gone commonly under his name because he is the man of whom most is spoken thorowout the whole History as being a most earnest and diligent agent in the businesse of Reformation in the Church Next because he hath penned with his own hand or spoken by word of mouth the most part of the most remarkable and most usefull things for Posterity in the History Thirdly the whole History is gathered out of his Papers and Manuscripts And so ye see why it is generally received to be of John Knox. But to return to his Life He being constrained for a time to leave his Countrey by reason of the Persecution raised in Scotland by the then Bishops against the professors of the Truth he came into England where for some yeers he was busied in preaching the Evangell of Christ with a great deal of content and benefit to those that had the happinesse to hear him His chief abode was in Berwick Newcastle and London This was in the dayes of King Edward the sixth with whom he was in great favour and esteem By whom being offered a Bishopricke he not onely refused and rejected it but with a grave and severe speech declared That the proud Title of Lordship and that great State was not to be suffered to be in the Church of God as having quid commune cum Antichristo that is somewhat common with Antichrist King Edward being dead the persecution of Mary made him leave England with many other godly Ministers who went beyond Seas First John Knox went to Frankford where for a time he preached the Gospel to the English Congregation there From whence he wrote the Admonition to England But being molested there partly by open Papists and partly by false Brethren was constrained to retire And from thence he went to Geneva from whence he wrote his Letter to Mary Regent of Scotland his Appeal to the Nobility of Scotland and Admonition to the Commons of Scotland From Geneva after some yeers abode there he was called home to his own Countrey the yeer of Christ 1559. which was the 54 of his age by the Noble-men and others who had taken upon them the generall Reformation of the Church of Scotland where how soon that the reformed Church had any liberty he was setled Minister at Edinburgh where he continued exercising his Ministery to his dying day but not without interruption by reason of the Civill disorders that fell out in those dayes During this his being at Edinburgh he Preached many excellent Sermons whereof there be but few that were printed and conserved to Posterity he not being willing to busie himself with the Presse Yet some of them we have as this namely which he Preached Aug. 19 An. 1564. and for which he was forbidden to Preach for a time He to make known to the world what ground there was to deal so with him took the care to have this Sermon printed as you will finde it at the end of this History Here I cannot let slip a remarkable passage which was this Anno 1566. the Earle of Murray was slain upon the Saturday The morrow after John Knox preached in Edinburgh where as he was reading the Papers wherein was written the names of those that desired the Prayers of the Church he findes a paper with these words Take up the man whom ye accounted another god which he passed without expressing any commotion and went on with his Prayer and Sermon At the end of the Sermon he made moan for the losse that the Church and State of Scotland had by the death of that vertuous man and said That as God in his mercy giveth good and wise Rulers so taketh he them away from a people in his wrath Then he added There is one in this company that maketh the subject of his mirth this horrible murther whereat all good men have occasion to be sorry I tell him That he shall die where there shall be none to lament him He who had written the aforesaid words in the paper was Thomas Metellan a young Gentlemen of most rare parts but youthfull and bearing small affection to the Earle of Murray who when he heard this Commination of John Knox went home to his lodging and said to his sister That John Knox was raving to speak of he knew not whom His sister replyed with tears in her eyes If you had followed my advice ye had not written these words and withall told him That none of John Knox his threatnings fell to the ground without effect And so it fell out in this particular For shortly thereafter the young Gentleman went beyond Seas to travell and died in Italy having no known man to assist him much lesse to lament him Towards the latter dayes of his age his body became very infirm and his voice so weake that the people could not hear him Preaching in the ordiplace wherfore he made choice of another more commodious within the Town reading to his auditors the history of the Passion in which he said it was his desire to finish and close his Ministery Thus he continued Preaching though with much weaknesse two moneths and more after this retiring And foreseeing that he was not to remain long with
Son Jesus Christ my one sufficient Satisfaction to refuse all Idolatry Superstition and Ignorance wherewith I have been blinded in times past and now believe that God will be mercifull unto me for now he hath declared his blessed Will clearly to me before my departing out of this transitory life 6. The sixth Atticle declareth That there are delations of sundry points of Heresie upon that man Dowglas or Grant which lies to your charge and conscience to put remedie to or else that all the pestilentious doctrine he sowes and all whom he corrupteth with his seed will be required at your hands and all whom he draws from your Christian Faith and if ye should suffer him that ye will be accused for all them whom he infecteth with Heresie and therefore to regard your Lordships honour and conscience therein Answ. What is his sirname I know not but he calleth himself Dowglas for I know neither his father nor his mother I have heard him teach no Articles of heresie but that which agreeth with Gods Word For I would maintain no man in heresie or errour Your Lordship regards your conscience in the punishment thereof I pray God that ye do so and examine well your conscience He preacheth against Idolatry I remit to your Lordships conscience if it be heresie or not He preacheth against adultery and fornication I refer that to your Lordships conscience He preacheth against hypocrisie I refer that to your Lordships conscience He preaches against all manner of abuses and corruption of Christs sincere Religion I refer that to your Lordships conscience My Lord I exhort you in Christs Name to weigh all these affairs in your conscience and consider if it be your duty also not onely to suffer this but in like manner to do the same This is all my Lord that I vary in my old age and in no other thing but that I knew not these offences to be abominable to God and now knowing his will by manifestation of his Word abhor them 7. The seventh Article desireth me to weigh these matters in most hearty manner and to take them in best part for the weale of both our consciences my house friends and servants and put such a man out of my company for fear of the rumour and brute that should follow thereupon by reason he is delated of sundry heresies And that your Lordship would be sorry to hear any of your servants delated or bruted for such a cause or for holding of any such men and that your Lordship would understand mine answer hereunto or any summons passed thereupon Answ. I thank your Lordship greatly that ye are so solicited for the weale of me and of my house and are so humane as to give me advertisement before ye have summoned of your owne good will and benevolence I have weighed these matters as highly as my judgement can serve me both for your Lordships honour and mine And when that I have reasoned all that I can do with my self in it I think it alwayes best to serve God and obey his manifest Word and not be obstinate in the contrary and to give their due obedience to our Princes Rulers and Magistrates and to hear the voice of Gods Prophets declaring his good promise to them that repent and threatning to obstinate wicked doers everlasting destruction Your Lordship knows well the man he hath spoken with your Lordship I thought you content with him I heare no occasion of offence in him I cannot well want him or some Preacher I cannot put away such a man without I knew him an offender as I know not for I heare nothing of him but such as your Lordships self heares of him and such as he yet will professe in your presence whensoever your Lordship requires Such a man that is ready to present himself to judgement should not be expelled without knowledge of the cause for like as I answered before in another Article when your Lordship pleaseth that all the Spirituall and Temporall men of estate in Scotland be assembled I shall cause him to render an account of his belief and Doctrine in your presences then if he deserves punishment and correction let him so suffer if he be found faithfull let him live in his faith 8. The eight Article proposes to me That your Lordship would take the labour to get me a man to instruct me in your Catholike Faith and to be my Preacher for whose Doctrine ye would lay your soul that he would teach nothing but truely conform to your faith Answ. God Almighty send us many of that sort that will preach truely and nothing but a Catholike or Universall Christian Faith and we Highland rude people have misse of them And if your Lordship would get and provide me such a man I should provide him a corporall Living as to my self with great thanks unto your Lordship For truely I and many more have great misse of such men And because I am able to sustain more then one of them I request your Lordship earnestly to provide me a man as ye wrote for the harvest is great but the labourers are few 9. The last and ninth Article putteth me in remembrance to consider what murmure your Lordship suffers and great brute at many mens hands both Spirituall and Temporall and at the Queens hand and other well given people for not putting order to these affairs and that your Lordship hath abstained from execution hereof for love of my House and Posterity to the effect that my self should remedy it for fear of the dishonour that might come upon us both for the same which being remedied might bring us out of all danger Answ. My Lord I know well what murmure and indignation your Lordship suffers at enemies hands of all estates for not pursuing of poor simple Christians And I know That if your Lordship should use their counsell who would by blood-shedding and burning of poor men to make your Lordship serve their wicked appetites Yet your Lordship knows your owne duty and should not fear the danger of men as of him whom ye professe And verily my Lord there is nothing that may be to your Lordships relief in this behalf but I will use your Lordships counsell therein and further the same Gods honour being first provided and the Truth of his eternall Word having liberty And to abstain for my love from pursuit as your Lordship hath signified I am indebted to your Lordship as I have written divers times before But there is one above for whose fear ye must abstain from blood-shedding or else my Lord knock in your conscience Last of all your Lordship please to consider how desirous some are to have sedition amongst friends how mighty the devill is to sow discord how that many would desire no better game but to hunt us at other I pray your Lordship beguile them we will agree upon all purposes with Gods pleasure standing to his glory There are divers Houses in Scotland neer
whelps have devoured their Lambs the Complainer may stand in danger but the offender we fear shall have leave to hunt after his prey Such Comparisons said Lethington are very unsavoury for I am assured That the Queen will not erect nor maintaine Papistry Let your assurance said the other serve your selfe but it cannot assure us for her manifest proceedings speaketh the contrary After such cautious reasoning on both sides the pluralitie concluded That the supplication as it was conceived should be presented unlesse that the Secretary would make one more fit to the present necessitie he promised to keep the substance of ours but he would use other termes and aske things in a more gentle manner The first Writer answered That he served the Churches at their commandment and was content That in his ditement men should use the libertie that best pleased them providing That he were not compelled to subscribe to the flattery of such as more regarded the persons of men then the simple truth of God And so was this former supplication given to be reformed as Lethingtons wisedome thought best And in very deed he framed it so That when it was delivered by the Superintendents of Lothain and Fyfe And when the Queen had read somewhat of it she said Here are many faire words I cannot tell what the hearts are And so for our painted Oratory we were termed by the next name Flatterers and dissemblers but for that Session the Church received no other answer Short after the Convention of the Church chanced that unhappy persuite which Iohn Gordon Laird of Finlater made upon the Lord Ogilvie who was evill hurt and was for a long time mitilate The occasion was for certain Lands and Rights which old Finlater had resigned to the Lord which he was pursuing by Law and was in appearance to obtain his purpose whereat the said Iohn and his servants were offended and therefore made the said pursuite upon a Saterday at night betwixt nine and ten The friends of the said Lord were either not with him or else not willing to fight that night for they took stroakes but gave few that left markes The said Iohn was taken and put in the Tolbuith where he ramained certain dayes and then broke the Prison Some judged at his Fathers commandment for he was making preparation for the Queens coming to the North as we will after heare The enterview and meeting of the two Queens delayed till the next yeer Our Soveraign took purpose to visite the North and departed from Sterlin in the moneth of August whether there was any paction and confederacy betwixt the Papists of the South and the Earle of Huntly and his Papists in the North or to speak more plainly betwixt the Queen her Self and Huntly We cannot certainly affirme But the suspitions were wondrous vehement that there was no good will borne to the Earle of Murray nor yet to such as depended upon him at that time The History we shall faithfully declare and so leave the judgement free to the Readers That Iohn Gordon broke the Prison we have already heard who immediately repaired to his Father George Earle of Huntly and understanding the Queens coming made great provision in Strabogie and in other parts as it were to receive the Queen At Aberdeine the Queen and Court remained certaine dayes to deliberate upon the Affaires of the Countrey where some began to smell that the Earle of Huntly was privately gathering men as hereafter shall be declared Whilest things was so working in the North the Earle of Bothwell broke his prison and came forth of the Castle of Edinburgh the eight and twentieth day of August some say he broke the Stancheours of the Window others whispered that he got easie passage by the gates one thing is certain to wit The Queen was little offended at his escaping There passed with him a servant of the Captains named Iames Porterfield The said Earle shewed himself not very much afraid for his common residence was in Louthain The Bishop of Saint Andrews and Abbot of Crosrainell kept secret convention that same time in Paislay to whom resorted divers Papists yea the said Bishop spake to the Duke unto whom also came the Lord Gordon from the Earle of Huntly requiring him to stirre his hands in the South as he should do in the North and so it should not be Knox crying and preaching that should stay that purpose The Bishop be he never so close could not altogether hide his minde but at his own Table said The Queen is gone into the North belike to seek disobedience she may perchance finde the thing she seeks It was constantly affirmed That the Earle Bothwell and the said Lord Gordon spake together but of their purpose we heard no mention That same year and in that same instant time were appointed Commissioners by the Generall Assembly to Carrick and Cunningham Master George Hay who with great profit preached the space of a moneth in all the Churches of Carrick To Kyle and to the parts of Galloway was appointed Iohn Knox who besides the doctrine of the Evangell shewne to the common people forewarned some of the Nobilitie and Barrows of the dangers that he feared and that were appearing shortly to follow and exhorted them to put themselves in such order as that they might be able to serve the authoritie and yet not to suffer the enemies of Gods truth to have the upper hand Whereupon a great part of the Barons and Gentlemen of Kyle Cunningham and Carrick professing the true doctrine of the Evangell assembled at Ayre and after the exhortation made and conference had subscribed this Bond the Tenour whereof followeth WE whose Names are under-written do promise in the presence of God and in the presence of his Son our Lord Iesus Christ that we and every one of us shall and will maintain the preaching of his holy Evangell now of his mercy offered and granted unto this Realm and also will maintaine the Ministers of the same against all persons power and authoritie that will oppose themselves to the Doctrine proposed and by us received And further with the same solemnitie we protest and promise that every one of us shall assist another yea and the whole Body of the Protestants within this Realme in all lawfull and just occasions against all persons So that whosoever shall hurt molest or trouble any of our bodies shall be reputed enemies to the whole except that the offender will be content to submit himself to the Government of the Church now established amongst us and this we do as we desire to be accepted and favoured of the Lord Iesus and accepted worthy of credit and honesty in the presence of the godly At the Burgh of Aire the fourth day of September in the year of God 1552. Subscribed by all these with their hands as followeth The Earle Glencairne Lord Boyde Lord Uchiltrie and Failfurd Mathew Cambell of Lowdoune Knight
Allaine Lord Cathcart Caprington elder and younger Cuninghameheid Rowallan Waterston Craigie Lefnoreis Achinharvy Middleton Master Michael Wallace Provest of Ayr with fourty more of the honestest Burgesses of that Towne The Master of Boyd Graitgirth Barr Carnell Dreghorne Hested Skeldon Wolston Carsland Fergnshill Polquhairne Stair Barkskyning Kinganelech with a hundred more Gentle men of worth Iohn Dumbar of Blantyre Carleton and his brother Halrig Cers Kirckmichael Dalyaroich Crosclayes Horsclench Carbiston Kelwood Tarmganoich c. THese things done at Ayr the said Iohn passed to Nithsdaill and Galloway where in conference with the Master of Maxwell a man of great judgement and experience he communicated with him such things as he feared who by his motion wrote to the Earle of Bothwell to behave himself as it became a faithfull Subject and to keep good quietnesse in the places committed to his charge and that his crime of breaking the Ward would be the more easily pardoned Iohn Knox wrote unto the Duke and earnest-exhorted him neither to give ear to the Bishop his Bastard brother noâ— yet to the perswasions of the Earle of Huntly for if he did he assured him that he and his house should come to a sudden ruine By which meanes was the South parts kept in reasonable quietnesse during the time that the troubles were a brewing in the North and yet the Bishop and the Abbot of Cosraynell did what in them lay to have raised some trouble for besides the fearfull bruits that they spearced abroad sometime that the Queen was taken sometimes that the Earle of Murray and all his were slain and sometimes that the Queen had given her self to the Earle of Huntly besides such bruits the Bishop to break the Countrey of Kyle where quietnesse then was greatest raised the Crawfords against the Reides for the payment of the Bishops Paschfynes but that was pacified by the labor of indifferent men who favoured peace The Abbot of Cosrainell required disputation of Iohn Knox for maintenance of the Masse which was granted unto him and the dispute held in Mayboll three dayes The Abbot had the advantage that he required to wit he took in hand to prove That Melchisedec offered Bread and Wine unto God which was the ground that the Masse was built upon to be a Sacrifice c. But in the work of three dayes there could no proofe be produced for Melchizedecks Oblation as in the disputation which was afterwards Printed clearly may appeare The Papists looked for a revolt and therefore they would have some brag of reasoning the Abbot further presented himself to the Pulpit but the voyce of Master George Hay so affrayed him that after once he was wearied oâ— that exercise After that the Queene was somewhat satisfied of hunting and other pastimes she came to Aberdein where the Earle of Huntly met her and his Ladies with no small Train who remained in Court and was supposed to have the greatest credite departed with the Queen to Buchan met her againe at Rothemay looking that shee should have passed with him to Strabogy but in the journey certain word came to her that Iohn Gordon had broken promise in not re-entring in ward for his Father the Earle had promised that he should enter againe within the Castle of Sterlin and there abide the Queens pleasure but whether with his Fathers knowledge and consent or without the same we know not but he refused to enter which so offended the Queen that she would not go to Strabogy but passed thorow Straithla to Innernesse where the Castle thereof was denyed unto her the Captaine was commanded to keep it and looked for relief for so had Iohn Gordon promised but being thereof frustrate the Castle was rendred and the Captain called Gordon was executed upon the place the rest were condemned and the hands of some bound but escaped This was the beginning of further trouble for the Earle of Huntly thereat offended began to assemble his Folkes and spared not to speak that he would be revenged But alwayes his Wife bare a faire countenance to the Queen and it is verily supposed that no other harme then the Queen her self could easily have stood content with was meaned unto her own person But the whole matter lay upon the Earle of Murray Secretary Lethington and the Laird of Pittaro yet the Queene began to be afraid and by Proclamation caused to warn Sterling Shire Fyfe Anguis Mernes and Stratherne charging all substantiall men to be in Aberdein the fifth day of October there to remaine the space of twenty dayes In her return from Innernesse she required the Castle of Finlater which was likewise denyed and so was Anchndowne which more angred the Queen The Earle of Huntly was charged to cause deliver the said house under the pain of Treason to shew some obedience he caused the Keyes of both to be presented by his servant Master Thomas Keir But before had the Queen sent young Captaine Stewart son to Iames who to this day hath neither been stout happy nor true with sixscore to lye about the places of Finlater They lodged in Culan not farre distant from the said place But upon a night Iohn Gordon came with a company of Horsemen took the Captain slew certain of the Souldiers and disarmed the rest This fact done as the Queen alleaged under trust so inflamed her that all hope of reconciliation was past and so the Earl of Huntly was charged under the pain of putting him to the Horn to present himselfe and the said Iohn before the Queen and Councill within six dayes which charge he disobeyed and so was denounced Rebell Whether it was Law or not we dispute little thereof but it was a preparative to others that after were served with the like measure he was sought at his Place of Stragobie but escaped The evil encreased for the Earle assembled his fellowes out of all parts of the North He marched forwards towards Aberdiene and upon the two and twentieth of October 1562. came to the Lough of Skeine His Army was judged to be seven or eight hundred men The Queens Army both in number and man-hood far surmounting his and yet he took no fear for he was assured of the most part of them which were with the Queen as the issue did witnesse Within the Town they stood in great fear and therefore it was concluded That they would assayle the uttermost upon the fields The Forbesses Hayes and Lesleyes took the Vant-guard and promised to fight with the said Earle without any other help They passed forth of the Towne before ten hours in the morning they put themselves in aray but they approached not the enemy till that the Earle of Murray and his Company were come to the fields and that was after two after noon for he was appointed with his Company onely to have beholded the Battell but all things turned otherwise then the most part of men supposed The Earle of Huntley was the night before determined to