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
Domesticks or to any that came from France to offend Gods Majestie and to violate the Laws of the Realme more then any other Subjects For Gods Law had pronounced death to the Idolater and the Lawes of the Realme had appointed punishment for sayers and hearers of the Masse which said he I here protest be Universally observed and that none be exempted untill such time as a Law also publikely made and also consonant to the Law of God have disannulled the former Hereupon he took Documents and Acts as the Tenour of this his Protestation witnesseth IN so far as by this Proclamation it is made understood to the Church of God and Members thereof That the Queen is minded that the true Religion and Worship of God already established proceed forward that it may daily encrease Unto the Parliament that order may be then for extirpation of all Idolatry out of this Realme We render most hearty thanks to the Lord our God for her Majesties good minde earnestly praying that it may be encreased in her Majesty To the Honour and Glory of his Name and Weal of his Church within this Realme And as touching the molestation of her Highnesse Servants we suppose that none dare be so bold as once to move their finger at them in doing of their lawfull businesse And as for us we have learned at our Master Christs Shoole To keep Peace with all men And therefore for our part we will promise that obedience unto her Majestie as is our dutie That none of her servants shall be troubled molested or once touched by the Church or any member thereof in doing their lawfull businesse But since that God hath said That the Idolater shall die the death We Protest solemnely in the presence of God and in the eares of all the people that heares this Proclamation and especially in the presence of you Lion Herauld and the rest of your Colleagues maker of this Proclamation That if any of her servants shall commit Idolatry especially say Masse participate therewith or take the defence thereof which we are loath should be in her Highnesse company in that case That this Proclamation is not extended to them in that behalf nor be not a safe-guard nor girth to them in that behalfe no more then if they commit slaughter or murther seeing the one is much more abominable and odious in the sight of God then is the other But that it may be lawfull to inflict upon them the paines contained in Gods Word against Idolaters where ever they may be apprehended without favour And this our Protestation we desire you to notifie unto her and give her the Copie hereof lest her Highnesse should suspect an uproare if we should all come and present the same At Edinburgh the day and yeere aforesaid This boldnesse did somewhat exasperate the Queene and such as favoured her in that point As the Lords then called of the Congregation repaired to the Towne at the first coming they shew themselves wonderfully offended That the Masse was permitted So that every man as he came accused them that were before him but after they had remained a certaine space they were as quiet as were the former Which thing perceived a zealous and godly man Robert Campbell of Kingzieclench said unto the Lord Uchiltrie My Lord now you are come and almost the last of all the rest and I perceive by your anger that the fire edge is not off you yet but I feare that after that the Holy-water of the Court be sprinkled upon you that you shall become as temperate as the rest For I have been heere now five dayes and at the first I heard every man say Let us hang the Priest But after that they had beene twice or thrice in the Abbey all that fervencie past I think there be some inchantment whereby men are bewitched And in very deed so it came to passe For the Queenes faire words upon the one part ever still crying Conscience Conscience It is a sore thing to constraine the Conscience And the subtill perswasions of her supposts we meane even of those who were judged most fervent amongst us upon the other part blinded all men and put them in opinion She will be content to heare the Preaching and so no doubt but she may be wonne And this of all it was concluded To suffer her for a time The next Sunday Iohn Knox inveighing against Idolatry shewed what terrible plagues God had taken upon Realmes and Nations for the same and added That one Masse there were no more suffered at first was more fearfull unto him then if ten thousand armed enemies were landed in any part of the Realme of purpose to suppresse the whole Religion for said he in our God there is strength to resist and confound multitudes if we unfainedly depend upon him whereof heretofore we have had experience But when we joyn hands with Idolatry it is no doubt but both Gods amiable presence and comfortable defence will leave us and what shall then become of us Alas I fear that experience will teach us to the grief of many At these words the guiders of the Court mocked and plainly spake That such fear was no point of their faith it was besides his Text and was a very untimely Admonition But we heard the same Iohn Knox in the audience of these same men recite the same words againe in the midst of troubles and in the audience of many asked God mercy that he was not more vehement and upright in the suppressing of that Idoll in the beginning For said he albeit I spake that which offended some which this day they see and feel to be true yet did I not that which I might have done for God hath not onely given unto me knowledge and tongue to make the impiety of that Idoll knowne unto the Realme but he had given me credit with many who would have put in execution Gods Judgements if I would onely have consented thereto But so carefull was I said he of that common Tranquility and so loth was I to have offended those of whom I had conceived a good opinion that in secret conference with dearest and zealous men I travelled rather to mitigate yea to slacken that fervency that God had kindled in others then to animate or encourage them to put their hands to the Lords Work wherein I unfainedly acknowledged my self to have done most wickedly and from the bottome of my heart do aske of my God grace and pardone for that I did not what in me lay to have suppressed that Idoll in the beginning These and many other words did many heare him speake in publike in the moneth of December 1565. when such as at the Queenes Arrivall onely maintained the Masse were exiled the Realme summoned upon Treason and decreit of forfeiture intended against them But to returne from whence we have digressed Whether it was by counsell of others or of the Queens
THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORY OF SCOTLAND THE HISTORIE Of the REFORMATION OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND Containing five Books Together with some TREATISES conducing to the History Published by Authority JEREM. 5.1 Run ye to and fro thorow the streets of Jerusalem and see now and know and seek in the broad places thereof if ye can finde a man if there be any executeth Iudgement that seeketh the Truth and I will pardon it 2 COR. 13.8 For we can do nothing against the Truth but for the Truth LONDON Printed by Iohn Raworth for George Thomason and Octavian Pullen and are to be sold at the signe of the Rose in Pauls Church-yard MDCXLIV To the Reader Christian Reader HEre I present unto thee a Piece I dare promise worthy of thy reading wherein thou hast a true and plain Relation without disguising of many memorable Passages happened in the Church of God and likewise some notable ones in the State of the Kingdom of Scotland from the very first setling of State and Church in that Countrey But namely and chiefly thou hast here related what principally passed in Church and State in this our Countrey during the great Work of purging the Church from the Superstitions and Idolatry and freeing both Church and State from the Tyranny and Slavery of Popery untill the coming of King James our late Soveraign to the Crown of Scotland Further beside the true and faithfull Relation of many Occurrences that fell out in these dayes in Scotland thou hast unfolded unto thee and made plain the strong Reasons and necessery Causes that moved these men who are here named although infirm and weake in themselves to undergo the great Work of Reformation With the solid Grounds upon which they went on with this weighty Businesse willingly and cheerfully notwithstanding the great rubs and difficulties they met withall through the help and assistance of God who by them mean Instruments brought things to passe in despight of the malice and stratagems of Sathan with his agents for the good of his People and the setling of his Church in Purity and Liberty All these things are set down plainly and simply in familiar and homely Language Yet so that they may be with ease apprehended and understood by any one From what thou hast here written in this Volume although there were no other Writings in this kinde extant thou mayest see easily by what means the great Mystery of Iniquity from the very first Rise hath been set afoot and constantly ever since hath been carried on to wit By cunning Devices impudent Lyes continued and crafty Plots under specious Pretexts and open Oppression Tyranny and Cruelties within Scotland till the yeer of Christ 1567. After which time the enemies of God and of his People have not been sleeping till this present more then formerly Wherefore for thy good Christian Reader I have thought fit in this place to point at some main Occurrences from that time till now First then the adversaries of Truth and Goodnesse under the specious Pretext of restoring Queen Mary to her Liberty and of re-establishing her in full Authority and sole Power did disquiet and trouble both Church and State in Scotland both with open Force and subtill Plots for some yeers that is to the 1573 yeer But finding that all their Undertakings under this pretext proved to be in vain and without successe and standing to their main Designe of undoing Religion and Liberty they bethought themselves of another way in appearance more plausible for compassing their wicked Intents it was To deal by way of entreaty and request with the chief Ministers of State and Church then To have the Mother set at liberty and to be joynt in Authority and Power with her Son And for the obtaining of this was employed the credit of the French Court for the time with all its skill and cunning but to small purpose For these rude fellows who managed the publike Affairs then of State and Church could not be corrupted with the French Complements In this way the enemies continued till the yeer 1577 and did not then give over notwithstanding their bad successe but according to their wonted and resolved custome they went on with their Designe betaking themselves to a new course wherein they had indeed more successe then in either of the former two It was this They did set awork certain men who with fair words and flattering tales so craftily dealt with the young King hardly yet twelve yeers of age that they made him cast off as a yoke the counsell and service of those who ever since his Birth-day had carefully laboured for the good of State and Church with the pereservation of his Authority and safety of his Person And so the inconsiderate young King although of most nimble wit and knowing above his yeers under the shew of freedom put himself in the power of those who wished no good to his Person and Authority and as little to the Church and State making no scruple to trouble both for their own ends according to the Instructions of the Masters who set them awork So in very short time they gave unto the young King such impressions which did stick too much to him that not onely he became averse from those who had been so usefull to the publike and so serviceable to him but also he suffered them to be persecuted yea some by death and others by banishment While the enemies were thus working businesse with us in Scotland they were not idle with our neighbours in England for they were contriving and plotting under colour of setting the imprisoned Queen at liberty And were gone so far on in this way in both Kingdoms that to stop the course and progresse of the enemies both Countries thought it necessary to enter into a mutuall League and Covenant one with another for the defence of the Reformed Religion and Liberties of both Kingdoms with the preservation of the Persons and Authorities of both Princes King James and Queen Elizabeth against the common enemy This was done by the consent of both Princes in the yeer 1686. After this the enemy seeing the warinesse of both Kingdoms to be such that in a short time he was not likely to advance the main Designe according to his minde by craft and cunning leaveth off for a time to act the part of the Fox and openly declares himself to be a ravishing Wolf So the yeer 1588 the Armado cometh against both Kingdoms which God in his mercy unto our fathers and us brought to nought About this time and some yeers before the agents of the enemy were very busie with King James to break with England and to revenge the hard usage and ill treatment of his Mother But God did direct him so for his own good that he did give no consent to their evil counsell Upon this refusall of the Kings the agents of the common enemy do bestir themselves to trouble both King and Kingdom which they did in a
she and hers can claim for their own but she and hers must be serviceable to those who have undone them To this end she must have People about her namely Court-Chaplains to disguise businesse unto her and so make her have a bad conception of those who are her best friends to wit the true Professors of the Truth and good Patriots in these Dominions Next her eldest son after a long and great neglect of yeelding him any help for the recovery of his own is betrayed at our corrupt Court when he is put in away to do somewhat for his own restoring c. And after this by the same Court he is sollicited to take Arms here against the onely men who really and constantly have expressed unto him and his true affection but they being stopped by the Court could not effectuate much by their good will He in wisdome refuseth to fight against his friends Since he will not his two next Brothers must be employed the eldest whereof is released from prison to that effect And so they hazard their lives and spend their blood to serve the party who hath undone their Fortunes and now strives to undo their persons The King having left London after he had been in severall places retires to Yorke where he begins to raise men against the Parliament The Scots seeing this send to him thither to intreat him to lay aside all such intentions and offer their service by way of Mediation betwixt him and the Parliament to take away all known mistakes The Scots Commissioners were not suffered to proceed any further then in the businesse and were sent back beyond the expectation of men After a long Pen-skirmishing on both sides Armies are leavied many men killed and taken at divers times on each side yea a set Battell fought where numbers of men are slain The Scots not being able any longer to see their Brethren in England destroyed and the Executioners of Ireland butchering man woman and childe the help that the innocents should have had from England being almost altogether diverted by the Intestine War and neither say nor do in the businesse under safe-Conduct send to the King and Parliament Commissioners to intercede for an Agreement But they being arrived at Court were neglected with their Commission and not suffered to repair unto the Parliament At last they are dismissed not without difficulty and having done nothing return Upon this the Scots convene the States to consult concerning their own safety and the help of their friends At this nick of time when they received many fair promises from the Court with a request to be quiet a Plot of the Papists set afoot by the Court for embroyling the Countrey is discovered by the means whereof they were incited to look more narrowly to themselves and their friends Then the Parliament of England sends to the Scots for help Upon this a Covenant is made betwixt the two Nations for the defence of the true Religion and Liberty of the Countreys with the Kings just Rights and after due preparation the Scots having setled their own Countrey enter into England with a strong Army to fight the Battells of the Lord having for scope of their Expedition The glory of God and the good of his People with the Honour of the King Here we shall observe in these our Countreys in these last yeers such Riddles of State and Church as have hardly been heard of A Protestant Prince makes one Protestant Nation fight against another for the Protestant Religion which have been thought to be of one and the same Doctrine for the main One Church thunders Curses against another Then a Prince misled with the ayd of Papists and Atheists spoyling and destroying the professors of the Truth because they professe it for the good and advancement of the Protestant Religion Next in a very short time a Prince to have all his subjects declared Rebells First he is made declare the Scots Then he is constrained to declare the Irish An Army gotten together in the Kings name declares all those that did oppose them Rebells The Parliament declares all those who in the Kings name oppose them Rebells and Traytors Farther under the Kings Authority the named Rebells in England by the King maintain a War against the declared Rebells in Ireland But the late carriage of things at Court and by the Court-Instruments at home and abroad hath solved the Riddle namely The Patent for the Rebellion in Ireland The detaining of help ordained for the repressing of it The Kings offer to go into Ireland The Cessation and bringing over of the Irish and The last-discovered Plot in Scotland all other things laid aside tell us cleerly howsoever the Proclamations and Protestations going in the Kings name be soft and smooth as the voyce of Jacob yet the hands are rough as of Esau destroying and seeking to destroy the true Religion grounded in Gods Word with the professors thereof as also the lawfull Liberty of the Countrey and bring all unto slavery Let Ireland and England say if this be not true and Scotland likewise according to its genius speak truth I shall close up all with two or three Instances of eminent men amongst the Papists Clergie to shew clearly how they stand affected to the Protestants Cardinall Pool in an Oration to Charles the fifth Emperour saith You must leave off the War against the Turks and hereafter make War against the Heretikes so names he the professors of the Truth He adds the reason Because the Turks are lesse to be feared then the Heretikes Paul Rodmek in a Book expresse tells us That the Heretikes must be put to death slain cut off burnt quartered c. Stapleton the Iesuite tells us That the Heretikes are worse then the Turks in an Oration he made at Doway Campian the Iesuite in a Book of his Printed in the yeer 1583 in Trevers declares thus in the name of his holy Order Our will is That it come to the knowledge of every one so far as it concerns our Society That we all dispersed in great numbers thorow the world have made a League and holy solemn Oath That as long as there are any of us alive that all our care and industry all our deliberations and counsells shall never cease to trouble your calm and safety That is to say We shall procure and pursue for ever your ruine the whole destruction of your Religion and of your Kingdom He speaks to the English Now it is long since we have taken this resolution with the hazard of our lives so that the businesse being already well begun and advanced it is impossible that the English can do any thing to stop our Designe or surmount it Let these few Passages satisfie for this time I wish that thou maist reap some benefit of what is written here for thy good So praying for your happinesse I rest Yours in the Lord D. B. The LIFE OF IOHN KNOX IOHN KNOX was borne in Gifford neer
Prince and people under pretext of Piety but with bad successe as by the wofull experience of following times we have found These new Bishop-Prelats having pretty well setled their own condition for maintenance which although it did exceed much the allowance of former Ages to Church-men yet it was very moderate in regard of the following times Next they obtained great Lands and Revenues from Prince and People for other Presbyters and Ministers who formerly had been very little burdensome to the people for by their own industry and work of their hands did provide for themselves necessaries for the most part by this means the Prelats tie the other Presbyters and Ministers to them and secondarily bring in by little and little idlenesse and slacknesse in discharging their calling from whence are risen all the evills we have seen since in the Church After the beginning of the fifth Age to wit 521. yeers in this Island began the old Saturnalia of Rome which was first kept in honour of Saturne but by the Successors of Iulius Caesar it was ordained to be kept to the memory of him and was called Iulia to be celebrated unto the honour of Christs Birth in the later end of December The occasion was this Arthur that renowned Prince wintering at York whereof he newly had made himself Master with his Nobles bethought himself with them to passe some dayes in the dead of winter in good chear and mirth which was done forth with as it is given out for devotion to Christ although that then true Devotion was very little regarded for as these men did exceed the Romans during this Feast in Ryot and Licentiousnesse So they continued the Feast double the time that the Ethnick Romans were wont to kept it for the Romans kept it onely five dayes but these kept it ten dayes with their new devotion yea those of the richer sort in time following have kept it fifteene dayes Thus was the beginning of the prophane idlenesse and ryot of Christmas now kept twelve dayes with foolish excesse and ryot As these Christmas keepers did mistake the way of honouring Christs Birth by this kinde of solemnity so did they mistake the time of his Birth for the most exact Chronologers tells us that Christ was born in October and not in December The Scots retain still the old name Iulia of this preposterous-holy-Feast for they call it corruptly Iul Although they never kept it of old not being subject to the Romans The French and Italians in this are nothing behinde with us for beside That they share with us in these Saturnalia Iulia or Christmas They go beyond us in ryot and fooleries in their Bacchanalia which they call Carnaval or Mardigras before Lent which in old time was kept to the honour of Bacchus But the corruptions that were brought in our Church from Rome in the fourth and fifth Age were nothing to what was brought in in the sixth and seventh Age for then was Religion turned upside down and so changed into Superstitious Ceremonies and Idolatry authorized by false miracles that there was hardly left any trace of true Religion among men in these dayes Palladius was the first that acquainted us with Rome as we have said and that brought in Prelacy amongst us a little after the beginning of the fourth Age which he and his Successors by degrees brought unto a great height both in worldly pomp and means for the times by the inconsiderate debonnarty of the Prince and simplicitie of the people but not without struggling and resistance by pious and wise men for many yeers it was the work of Church-men set a foot by Palladius so till the sixth Age that is upon the matter two hundred yeers to raise themselves to Power and Authority and Means whereunto they came insensibly so much the rather because they were sparing for these dayes to invert the main Doctrine of the true Religion The People and Magistrate seeing their Religion remaining in its maine were without great difficulty drawn over to give way unto the greatnesse of the Church-men But when these gallant fellows had wrought their own ends they did shew plainly what was within their hearts for then they declared themselves to be enemies both to God and to Man by their vitious lives contrary to the Laws of God and man Their false Doctrine contrary to Gods Word their Tyrannicall domineering over the people and withdrawing themselves from due obedience unto the lawfull Magistrate In a word by directly opposing God abusing men to their utter ruine of soul and body and setting up their own inventions for the Laws of God and men they were a bringing this height of iniquitie to passe about the matter of two hundred yeers likewise to wit the sixth and seventh Age although the workers of iniquity did at last bring their mischievous designe to an end by the permission of God irritated against men for their sins who not adhearing unto him were abandoned so that they became a prey unto Satan and his instruments to follow all iniquity yet such was the mercy of God towards men in these most corrupt times that the devill and his instruments went not so cleerly on with their wicked businesse but they had now and then from time to time remoraes and lets in it by those whom God raised up to bear witnesse to his Trueth and in these dayes sundry of the Scots Divines were very stout in the keeping of the ancient Tenets and Rites which they had received from their first Apostles Disciples to Saint Iohn according to the Church of the East Witnesse the great strugling they had about the keeping of Pasche or Easter-day for till then the Scots had kept the day of Pasche upon the fourteen day of the Moon whatsoever day of the week it fell out on the Romanists called those that kept so this day quartadecimani and condemned them as Hereticks and they kept the day constantly upon the next Sunday following and not upon a working day at last the Scots were constrained to yeeld in this as in other Rites unto Rome Culman and divers others Scotish men did so stoutely oppose the Romanists in the point of Easter-day and in other Tenets that they chose it being given to their choice either to submit unto Rome or to quit the setlings they had in the North of England rather to lose their Benefices then to yeild So standing fast to the Customes of the Scots Church wherein they had been born and bred they returned home to Scotland About the end of the seventh Age men from Scotland given to ambition and avarice went frequently to Rome for preferment in the Church and seeing it lay much that way then they did their best to advance the designe of the Romish Party wherein all the skill of worldly men was employed both in Rome among the Scots of that Party many men went to and fro between Rome and Scotland to bring the Scots to a full
to France to make Warre and at his arrivall there he findes an Army of Scots ready to fight for the Alliay of Scotland the French King against the English Upon this the King of England moves King Iames whom he had taken along with him to write unto the Scots and to charge them upon their Allegiance not to draw their Sword against the party where he their King was in person The Scots answered That they were sent into France to assist their Alliays against the common enemy As for him who writ unto them since he was a prisoner and not a free man they neither owed him Allegiance nor would they give him any so long as he was in prison but if he were set at liberty and were living among them they would obey him according to the Laws of the Countrey since the Crown was setled upon him by the consent of the States and so they did for these Kingdoms were governed in his name without any communication with him during the time of his imprisonment which was very long but when he went home he was received and obeyed as King From this Princes may learn that although people do submit themselves to their Government the resignation is not so full as to devest themselves of all power in such a way That the Prince may dispose of them as he thinks right or wrong he ordinarily being misled and kept captive by those that are about him who for the most part have no regard to the publike good nor to the credit and esteem of him to whom in shew they professe themselves so addicted the people have constantly reserved even unto themselves by the consent of all men yea of the greatest Court-parasites and Sycophants of Princes that the Prince cannot nor ought not to enslave or subject the people to any Forreign Power and where Princes by Pusillanimitie and ill counsell have essayed or attempted such a thing they have smarted for it witnesse Baliol who not onely was excluded himself from the Crown but also his Posterity and it was setled upon the next Branch to wit Robert Bruce with his descendents where it continues to this day by Gods providence Then since the people have reserved this power in themselves to stop the Prince to put them under any Forreign yoak or slavery is it possible That they have not reserved a power to right themselves from domestick and intestine slavery and misery slavery being ever one and the same For what is it to me by whom I suffer evil of one and the same kinde and degree whether it be by a neighbour or a stranger a forreigner or a con-citizen yea when I suffer by him who should be my friend and stand for the same Freedom with me my suffering is the greater To this purpose you have a memorable Passage of William the Norman who although he had invaded England with the Sword and by it had defeated him who did oppose him for the Crown with all his adherents and party and in consequencie of this Victory had committed many out-rages with a strong hand yet the same William could never assure himself nor his Posterity of the Allegeance of the People till he had sworn solemnly according to the Rite of the times for himself and his To govern according to the good and approved Laws of the Land as the best Kings before him had done Then the County of Kent in its own name and in the name of the whole Kingdom declared That neither Kent nor any other of the Kingdom was conquered but in a peaceable way did submit to William the Norman upon Condition and with Proviso That all their Liberties and free Customs in use and practice should be kept If this was not accomplished afterwards it was sillinesse of the People that suffered themselves to be abused and the fault of misled Princes that did not keep their promise whereunto they were tyed And sundry for the breach of this promise have had occasion to repent when it hath been too late We shall adde one example more which is of Henry the eighth who anno 1525 the seventeenth yeer of his Reign by the advice of his Councell put a Tax upon the people which the people did not onely refuse to pay but declared That the thing was unjust and unlawfull Withall wherever they met those whom the King had employed for the gathering the money they used them so kindely that they did never come twice to one place for the payment of the Tax The King seeing this he disclaims the Imposition of the Tax and so do the Nobles that convened at London by his Command for that purpose and layes all the fault upon ill counsell namely upon Wolsey This was Henry constrained to do notwithstanding his resolutenesse against all forreign enemy chiefly the Pope with his shavelings By this instance Henry acknowledged his power to be limited and no wayes arbitrary Against the doctrine of our now Cout-parasites Now if the People have this much power in them as to stand for their Temporall Liberty both against forreign and domestick slavery far more may they and ought they to defend the Spirituall Freedom which Christ having purchased with his Blood hath left them as Members of his Church But all this defence of Liberty and Religion ought to be made so that it be without by-ends sinistrous respects of hatred malice ambition c. The onely scope and main drift being To have Gods glory in the Light of his Gospel setled and maintained The People at quiet The Prince obeyed in God and for God i. e. according to the Law of God Nature Nations and the Countrey or Kingdom so far as possibly can be This being lookt to carefully there is no gap opened to Rebellion which is a fighting against Gods Ordinance and not the just and necessary opposing of the abuse and corrupting of the good Ordinance of God But here a Court-slave will say If things be so there is no absolutenesse in Monarchs and Princes To answer this we must know what is to be meant by absolute or absolutenes whereof I finde two main significations First absolute signifieth perfect and absolutenesse perfection Hence we have in Latin this expression Perfectum est omnibus numeris absolutum And in our vulgar Language we say A thing is absolutely good when it is perfectly good Next absolute signifieth free from tye or bond which in Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now say I if you take absolute for perfect that Prince or Magistrate is most absolute that is most perfect who governs most absolutely or most perfectly The absolutenesse or perfection of Government consists in its conformity to the perfect Rule which is written in the Law of God printed in the heart of man received generally of all wise People and in practice by all particular well-polished Common-wealths Next I say if you take absolute for free from tye or bond That no Prince nor Magistrate is free for every
shame to the Realm then hurt to their enemies The black book of Hamilton maketh mention of great vassallage done at that time by the Governour and the French but such as with their eyes saw the whole progresse knew that to be a lye and do repute it amongst the veniall sinnes of that race which is to speak the best of themselves they can That winter following so nurtured the French-men that they learned to eat yea to beg cakes which at their entrie they scorned without jesting they were so miserably used that few returned into France again with their lives The Cardinall then had almost fortified the Castle of S. Andrews which he made so strong in his opinion that he regarded neither England nor France The Earle of Lenox as is said disappointed of all things in Scotland passed into England where he was received of King Henry into protection who gave him to wife Lady Margaret Dowglas of whom was borne Henry sometime husband to our Queen and Mistresse While the inconstant Governour was sometimes dejected and sometimes raised up againe by the Abbot of Paislay who before was called Chaster then any maiden began to shew himselfe for after he had taken by craft the Castles of Edinburgh and Dumbar he took also possession of his enemies wife the Lady Stanehouse The woman is and hath been famous and is called Lady Gilton her Ladyship was holden alwayes in poverty But how many wives and virgins he hath had since and that in common the world knoweth albeit not all and his bastard birds bear some witnesse Such is the example of holinesse that the flock may receive of the Papisticall Bishops In the midst of all the calamities that came upon this Realme after the defection of the Governor from Christ Jesus came into Scotland that blessed Martyr of God M. George Wischarde in company of the Commissioners before mentioned in the yeere of our Lord 1544. a man of such graces as before him was never heard within this Realme yea and are rare to be found yet in any man notwithstanding this great light of God that since his dayes hath shined unto us he was not onely singularly learned as well in all Godly knowledge as in all honest humane Science but also he was so clearely illuminated with the spirit of Prophesie that he saw not onely things pertaining to himselfe but also such things as some Townes and the whole Realme afterward felt which he forespake not in secret but in the audience of many as in their own places shall be declared The beginning of his Doctrine was in Mount Rosse therefrom he departed to Dundie where with great admiration of all that heard him he taught the Epistle to the Romanes till that by procurement of the Cardinall Robert Myle then one of the principall men in Dundie and a man that of old had professed knowledge and for the same had suffered trouble gave in the Queenes and Governours name Inhibition to the said Master George that he should trouble their Towne no more for they would not suffer it And this was said to him being in the publike place which heard he mused a pretie space with his eyes bent unto the heaven And thereafter looking sorrowfully to the speaker and unto the people he sayd God is witnesse that I never minded your trouble but your comfort yea your trouble is more dolourous unto me then it is unto your selves But I am assured that to refuse Gods word and to chase from yoâ— his messenger shall not preserve you from trouble but it shall bring you into it For God shall send unto you messengers who will not be afraid of burning nor yet for banishment I have offered unto you the word of Salvation and with the hazard of my life I have remained amongst you Now ye your selves refuse me and therefore must I leave my Innocencie to be declared by my God if it be long prosperous with you I am not led with the Spirit of Truth But if trouble unlooked for apprehend you acknowledge the cause and turne to God For he is mercifull but if ye turne not at the first he will visit you with fire and sword These words pronounced he came downe from the Preaching place In the Church present was the Lord Marshall and divers noble men who would have had the said M. George to have remained or else to have gone with them into the Countrey But for no request would he either tarry in the towne or on that side of Tay any longer But with possible expedition past to the West-land where he began to offer Gods word which was of many gladly received till that the Bishop of Glasgow Dumbar by instigation of the Cardinall came with his gatherings to the Towne of Ayre to make resistance to the said M. George and did first take the Church The Earle of Glencarne being thereof advertised repaired with his friends to the Towne with diligence and so did divers Gentlemen of Kyle amongst whom was the Laird of Lefnoreise a man far different from him that now liveth in the yeere of our Lord 1566. in manners and Religion of whom to this day yet many live and have declared themselves alwayes zealous and bold in the cause of God as after will be heard When all were assembled conclusion was taken that they would have the Church Whereto the said M. George utterly repugnedâ— saying Let him alone his Sermon will not much hurt Let us go to the Market Crosse And so they did where he made so notable a Sermon that the very enemies themselves were confounded The Bishop Preached to his Jackmen and to some old Bosses of the Towne The sum of all his Sermon was They say we should Preach Why not Better late thrive then never thrive Hold us still for your Bishop and we shall provide better the next time This was the beginning and the end of the Bishops Sermon Who with haste departed the Towne but returned not to fulfill his promise The said M. George remained with the Gentlemen in Kyle till that he gat sure knowledge of the estate of Dundie He Preached commonly at the Church of Gastonne and used much in the Barrie He was required to come to the Church of Machlyne and so he did But the Sheriffe of Ayre caused to man the Church for preservation of a Tabernacle that was there beautifull to the eye The persons that held the Church was George Campbell of Mongarswood that yet liveth Anno 1566. Mungâ— Campbell of Broâ—â—syde George Rid in Dandilling the Laird of Tempilland Some zealous of the Parish amongst whom was Hugh Campbell of Kingarcleuch offended that they should be debarred their Parish Church concluded by force to enter But the said M. George withdrew the said Hugh and said unto him Brother Christ Iesus is as mighty upon the fields as in the Church And I finde that â—e himselfe after Preached in the Desert at the sea side and
short discourse of the four Empires The Babylonian The Persian That of the Greekes And the fourth of the Romanes in the destruction whereof rose up that last Beast which he affirmed to be the Romane Church for to none other power that ever hath yet beene do all the notes that God hath shewed to the Prophet appertain except to it alone And unto it they do so properly appertaine that such as are not more then blinde may cleerly see them But before he began to open the corruptions of Papistrie he defined the true Church shewed the true notes of it whereupon it was built why it was the Pillar of Verity and why it could not erre to wit Because it heard the voyce of the onely Pastor JESUS CHRIST would not heare a stranger neither would be carried with every winde of Doctrine Every one of these heads sufficiently declared he entred to the contrary and upon the notes given in his Text he shewed that the Spirit of God in the new Testament gave to this King other new names to wit The man of sin The Antichrist The Whore of Babilon He shewed That this man of sin or Antichrist was not to be restrained to the person of any one man onely no more then by the fourth Beast was to be understood the person of any one Emperour But by such names the Spirit of God would forewarne his chosen of a body and a multitude having a wicked head which should not onely be sinfull himself but also should be occasion of sin to all that should be subject unto him as Christ Jesus is the cause of Justice to all the Members of his Body and is called the Antichrist that is to say One contrary to Christ because that he is contrary to him in Life Doctrine Lawes and Subjects And there began to decipher the lives of divers Popes and the lives of all the Shavelings for the most part Their Doctrine and Lawes he plainly proved to repugne directly to the Doctrine and Lawes of God the Father and of Christ Jesus his Son This he proved by conferring the Doctrine of Justification expressed in the Scriptures which teach that man is justified by Faith onely That the blood of Iesus Christ purgeth us from all our sinnes And the Doctrine of the Papists which attribute Justification to the works of the Law yea to the works of mens inventions as Pilgrimage Pardons and other such baggage That the Papisticall lawes repugned to the Lawes of the Gospel he proved by the Lawes made of observation of dayes abstaining from meats and from Marriage which Christ Jesus made free and the forbidding whereof Saint Paul calleth the doctrine of devils In handling the notes of that Beast given in the Text he willed men to consider if these notes There shall another rise unlike to the other having a mouth speaking great things and blasphemous could be applyed unto any other but to the Pope and his kingdome For if these said he be not great words and blasphemous The Head of the Church most holy most blessed that cannot erre That can make right of wrong and wrong of right That of nothing can make somewhat And that had all verity in the Shrine of his brest yea That had power of all and none power of him Nay not to say That he doth wrong although he draw ten thousand Millions of souls with himself to hell If these said he and many other easie to be showne in his own Cannon-Law be not great and blasphemous words and such as never mortall men spake before let the world judge And yet said he is there one most evident of all to wit Iohn in his Revelation sayes That the Merchandise of that Babylonian Harlot among other things shall be the bodies and souls of men Now let very Papists themselves judge If any before them took upon them power to relax the pains of them that were in Purgatory as they affirme to the people that daily they do by the merits of their Masse and of their other trifles In the end he said If any here and there were present Master Iohn Maire the University the Sub-Prior and many Cannons with some Friers of both the Orders that will say That I have alleadged Scripture Doctor or History otherwise then it is written let them come unto me with sufficient witnesse and by conference I shall let them see not onely the Originall where my Testimonies are written but I shall prove That the Writers meant as I have spoken Of this Sermon which was the first that ever Iohn Knox made in publike was divers brutes Some said He not onely hewes the branches of Papistry but he strikes at the root also to destroy the whole Others said If the Doctors and Magistri nostri defend not now the Pope and his Authority which in their own presence is so manifestly impugned the devill may have my part of him and of his Lawes both Others said Master George Wischarde spake never so plainly and yet he was burnt even so will he be In the end others said The Tyranny of the Cardinall made not his cause the better neither yet the suffering of Gods servant made his cause the worse And therefore we would counsell you and them to provide better defences then fire and sword for it may be that else ye will be disappointed men now have other eyes then they had then This answer gave the Laird of Nydrie a man fervent and upright in Religion The bastard Bishop who yet was not execrated consecrated the Sub-Prior of S. Andrews who Sede vacante was Vicar Generall That he wondered that he suffered such Hereticall and Schismaticall Doctrine to be taught and not to oppose himselfe to the same Upon this rebuke was a convention of gray-Friers and black-Fiends appointed with the said Sub-Prior Deane Iohn Winrame in S. Leonards Yard whereunto was first called Iohn Rough and certain Articles read to him And thereafter was Iohn Knox called for The cause of their convention and why that they were called is expounded And the Articles were read which were these 1. No mortall man can be the head of the Church 2. The Pope is an Antichrist and so is no member of Christs mysticall body 3. Man may neither make nor devise a Religion that is acceptable to God but man is bound to observe and keep the Religion that from God is received without chopping or changing thereof 4. The Sacraments of the New Testament ought to be ministred as they were instituted by Christ Iesus and practised by his Apostles nothing ought to be added unto them nothing ought to be diminished from them 5. The Masse is abominable Idolatry blasphemous to the death of Christ and a prophanation of the Lords Supper 6. There is no Purgatory in the which the soules of men can either be pined or purged after this life But heaven resteth to the faithfull and hell to the reprobate and unfaithfull 7. Praying for the dead
is vain and to the dead is Idolatry 8. There is no Bishop except he Preach even by himselfe without any Substitute 9. The Tythes by Gods Law do not appertain of necessity to the Church-men The strangenesse said the Sub-Prior of these Articles which are gathered forth of your Doctrine have moved us to call for you to hear your own answers Iohn Knox said I for my part praise my God that I see so honourable and apparantly so modest and quiet an Auditory But because it is long since that I have heard that ye are one that is not ignorant of the Trueth I may crave of you in the Name of God yea and I appeal your conscience before that supreme Judge That if ye think any Article there expressed contrary unto the Truth of God That ye oppose your self plainely unto it and suffer not the people to be therewith deceived But on the other side if in your conscience ye know the Doctrine to be true then will I crave your Patrocinie thereto That by your authority the people may be moved the rather to beleeve the Truth whereof many doubts by reason of your thoughts The Sub-Prior answered I came not here as a Judge but onely familiarly to talke and therefore I will neither allow nor condemne But if ye list I will reason The Sub-Prior Why may not the Church said he for good causes devise Ceremonies to decore the Sacraments and other Gods Service Iohn Knox. Because the Church ought to do nothing but in Faith and ought not to go before but is bound to follow the voice of the true Pastor The Sub-Prior It is in Faith that the Ceremonies are commanded and they have proper significations to help our Faith as the hards in Baptisme signifie the roughnesse of the Law and the oyle the softnesse of Gods mercy and likewise every one of the Ceremonies hath a godly signification and therefore they both proceed from Faith and are done in Faith Iohn Knox. It is not enough that man invent a Ceremony and then give it a signification according to his pleasure For so might the Ceremonies of the Gentiles and this day the Ceremonies of Mahomet be maintained But if that any thing proceed from Faith it must have the Word of God for its assurance For ye are not ignorant That Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Now if that ye will prove that your Ceremonies proceed from Faith and do please God ye must prove that God in expresse words hath commanded them Or else shall you never prove that they proceed from Faith nor yet that they please God but that they are sinne and do displease him according to the words of the Apostle Whatsoever is not of Faith is sinne The Sub-Prior Will ye binde us so straight that we may do nothing without the expresse Word of God What and I ask drink Think ye that I sinne and yet I have not Gods Word for me This answer gave he as might appear to shift over the Argument upon the Frier as that he did Iohn Knox. I would ye should not jest in so grave a matter neither would I that ye should begin to hide the Trueth with Sophistrie and if ye do I will defend it the best that I can And first to your drinking I say that if ye either eat or drink without assurance of Gods Word that in so doing ye displease God and sinne in your very eating and drinking For saith not the Apostle speaking even of meat and drink That the creatures are sanctified unto men even by word and prayer The word is this All things are cleane to the cleane Now let me hear this much of your Ceremonies and I shall give you the Argument but I wonder that they compare things prophane and holy things so indiscreetly together The Question was not nor is not of meat or drink whereinto the Kingdom of God consisteth not But the Question is of Gods true worshipping without the which we can have no societie with God And here it is doubted if we may take the same freedom in the using of Christs Sacraments that we may do in eating and drinking One meat I may eat another I may refuse and that without scruple of conscience I may change one with another even as oft as I please Whether may we cast away what we please and retaine what we please If I be well remembred Moses in the Name of God saith to the people of Israel All that the Lord thy God commandeth thee to do that do thou to the Lord thy God adde nothing to it diminish nothing from it By these rules think I that the Church of Christ will measure Gods Religion and not by that which seems good in their own eyes The Sub-Prior Forgive me I spake it but in mowes and I was dry And now father said he to the Frier follow the argument ye have heard what I have said and what is answered to me againe Arbugkill gray-Frier I shall prove plainely that Ceremonies are ordained by God Iohn Knox. Such as God hath ordained we allow and with reverence we use them But the question is of those that God hath ordained such as in Baptisme are spittle salt candle except it be to keep the barne from the cold hardes oyle and the rest of the Papisticall inventions Arbugkill I will even prove those that ye damne to be ordained of God Iohn Knox. The Proofe thereof I would gladly hear Arbugkill Saith not Saint Paul that another foundation then Jesus Christ may no man lay But upon this foundation Some build gold silver and precious stones some hay stubble and wood The gold silver and the precious stones are the Ceremonies of the Church which do abide the fire and consumeth not away c. This place of Scripture is most plaine sayeth the foolish fiend Iohn Knox. I praise my God through Jesus Christ for I finde his promise sure true and stable Christ Jesus bids us not fear when we shall be called before men to give confession of his Trueth for he promiseth that it shall be given unto us in that houre what we shall speak If I had sought the whole Scriptures I could not have produced a place more proper for my purpose nor more potent to confound you Now to your Argument The Ceremonies of the Church say ye are gold silver and precious stones because they are able to abide the fire But I would learne of you What fire is it which your Ceremonies do abide And in the mean time while ye be advised to answer I will shew my minde and make an Argument against yours upon the same Text. And first I say that I have heard this Text adduced for a proofe of Purgatory but for defence of Ceremonies I never heard nor yet read it But omitting whether ye understand the minde of the Apostle or not I make my Argument and say That which can abide the fire can abide the Word of God But
deprehended For the brethren assembled themselves in such sort in companies singing Psalmes and praising God that the proudest of the enemies were astonished This Tragedie of Saint Gyles was so terrible to some Papists that Durie sometimes called for his filthinesse Abbot Stottikin and then intituled Bishop of Galloway left his Riming wherewith he was accustomed and departed this life even as he had lived For the Articles of his beleefe were I referre Decarte you Ha ha the foure Kings and all made The devil go with it It is but a varlet From France we thought to have gotten a Rubie And yet is he nothing but a Cahoobie With such Faith and such Prayers departed out of this life that enemy of God who had vowed and plainly said That in despight of God so long as they that then were Prelates lived should that Word called the Gospel never be Preached within this Realme After him followed that belly-God Master David Panter called Bishop of Rosse even with the like documents except that he departed eating and drinking which together with the rest that thereupon depended was the pastime of his life The most part of the Lords that were in France at the Queens Marriage although that they got their leave from the Court yet they forgot to return to Scotland For whether it was by an Italian Posset or French Feggs or by the Pottage of their Apothecary he was a French-man there departed from this life the Earl of Cassiles the Earl of Rothesse Lord Fleming and the Bishop of Orknay whose end was even according to his life For after that he was driven back by a contratious winde and forced to land again at Deep perceiving his sicknesse to increase he caused to make his bed betwixt his two coffers some said upon them such was his God the gold that therein was inclosed that he could not depart therefrom so long as memory would serve him The Lord Iames then Prior of S. Andrews had by all appearance licked of the same broath that dispatched the rest for thereof to his death his stomacke doth testifie But God preserved for a better purpose This same Lord Iames after Earle of Murray and the said Bishop were commonly at debate in matters of Religion and therefore the said Lord hearing of the Bishops disease came to visit him and finding him not so well at a point as he thought he should have been and as the honour of the countrey required said unto him Fie my Lord how lie you so will you not go to your Chamber and not lie heere in this utter Roome His answer was I am well where I am my Lord so long as I can tarry for I am neer unto my friends meaning his coffers and the gold therein But my Lord said he how long have you and I been in plea for Purgatorie I thinke that I shall know ere it be long whether there be such a place or not While the other did exhort him to call to minde the promises of God and the vertue of Christs death He answered Nay my Lord let me alone for you and I never agreed in our life and I thinke we shall not agree now at my death I pray you therefore let me alone The said Lord Iames departed to his Lodging and the other shortly after departed this life whither the great day of the Lord will declare When the word of the departing of so many Patrons of Papistry and of the manner of their departing came unto the Queene Regent after astonishment and musing she said What shall I say of such men They left me as beasts and as beasts they die God is not with them neither with that which they enterprise While these things were in doing in Scotland and France that perfect hypocrite Master Iohn Synclare then Deane of Lestarrige and now Lord President and Bishop of Brechin began to Preach in his Church of Lestarrige and at the beginning held himselfe so indifferent that many had opinion of him That he was not far from the Kingdom of God But his hypocrisie could not long be cloaked for when he understood that such as feared God began to have a good opinion of him and that the Friers and others of that sect began to whisper That if he took not heed in time to himself and unto his Doctrine he would be the destruction of the whole state of the Church This by him understood he appointed a Sermon in the which he promised to give his judgement upon all such heads as then were in controversie in the matters of Religion The bruit hereof made his audience great at the first But that day he so handled himself that after that no godly man did credit him for he not onely gainsaid the Doctrine of Justification and of Prayer which before he had taught but also he set up and maintained Papistry to the uttermost prick yea Holy-water Pilgrimage Purgatory and Pardons were of such vertue in his conceit That without them he looked not to be saved In this mean time the Clergy made a brag That they would dispute But M. David Panter which then lived and lay at Lestarrige disswaded them therefrom affirming That if ever they disputed but where themselves were both Judge and partie and where that fire and sword should obey their decree that then their cause was marred for ever For their victory stood neither in God nor in his Word but in their own wills and in the things concluded by their own counsells together with sword and fire whereto said he these new up-start fellows will give no place but they will call you to your Count-book and that is to the Bible and by it ye will no more be found the men that ye are called then the Devil will be approved to be God And therefore if ye love your selves enter never into disputation neither yet call ye the matter into question but defend your possession or else all is lost Caiaphas could not give any better counsell to his companions but yet God disappointed both them and him as after we shall heare At this same time some of the Nobility directed their Letters to call Iohn Knox from Geneva for their comfort and for the comfort of their brethren the Preachers and others that then couragiously fought against the enemies of Gods Trueth The Tenour of their Letter is this Grace Mercy and Peace for Salvation DEarly Beloved in the Lord the faithfull that are of your acquaintance in these parts thanks be unto God are stedfast in the beliefe wherein yee left them and have a godly thirst and desire day by day of your presence againe Now if the Spirit of God will so move you and grant time unto you we all heartily desire you in the Name of the Lord That ye would returne again into these parts where you shall finde all the faithfull that ye left behinde you not onely glad to heare your
requiring that justice in such cases should be ministred with greater indifferencie She as a woman born to dissemble and deceive began with us to lament the cruelty of the Bishop excusing her selfe as innocent in that cause for that the sentence was given without her knowledge Because the man sometimes had been a Priest therefore the Bishops Officiall did proceed upon him without any commission of the Civill authority ex officio as they terme it We yet nothing suspecting her falshood required some order to be taken against such enormities which she promised as oft before But because shortly after there was a Parliament to be holden for certain affaires pertaining rather to the Queens profit particular then to the commodity of the Common-wealth we thought good to expose our matter unto the whole Parliament and by them to seek some redresse we therefore with one consent did offer to the Queen and Parliament a Letter in this Tenor The Forme of the Letter given in Parliament UNto your Majesty and unto your Right honorable Lords Barons and Burgesses of this present Parl. Humbly means and sheweth your Majesties faithfull and obedient subjects That where we are daily molested slandered and injured by wicked and ignorant persons place-holders of the Ministers of the Church who most untruely cease not to infame us as hereticks under that name they most cruelly have persecuted divers of our brethren and farther intend to execute their malice against us unlesse by some godly order their fury and rage be bridled and stayed And yet in us they are able to prove no crime worthy of punishment unlesse that to reade the holy Scriptures in our Assemblies to invocate the Name of God in publike Prayers with all sobriety to interpret and open the places of Scripture that be read to the further edification of the brethren assembled and truely according to Christ Jesus his holy Institution to minister the Sacraments be crimes worthy of punishment other crimes we say in us they are not able to convince And to the premises we are compelled for that the said Place-holders discharge no part of their duties rightly to us neither yet to the people subject to us and therefore unlesse we should declare our selves altogether unmindfull of our own salvation we are compelled in very conscience to seek how that we and our brethren may be delivered from the thraldom of Sathan For now it hath pleased God to open our eyes and manifestly we see That without extreme danger of our souls we may in no wayes communicate with the damnable Idolatry and intolerable abuses of the Papisticall Church And therefore most humbly require we of your Majesty and of your Right Honorable Lords Barons and Burgesses assembled in this present Parliament prudently to weigh and as it becometh just Judges to grant these our most just and reasonable Petitions First Seeing that the controversie in Religion which hath long continued betwixt the Protestants of Almany Helvetia and other Provinces and the papisticall Church is not yet decided by a lawfull and generall Counsell And seeing that our consciences are likewise touched with the fear of God as was theirs in the beginning of their controversie we most humbly desire That all such Acts of Parliament as in the time of darknesse gave power to the Church-men to execute their tyrannie against us by reason that we to them were delated as hereticks may be suspended and abrogated till a Generall Councell lawfully assembled have decided all controversies in Religion And lest that this mutation should seem to set all men at liberty to live as they list we secondarily require that it be Enacted by this present Parliament That the Prelats and their Officers be removed from place of Iudgement onely granting unto them neverthelesse the place of accusators in the presence of a Temporall Iudge before whom the Church men accusators shall be bounden to call any by them accused of heresie To whom also they shall be bounden to deliver an authenticke Copy of all Depositions Accusations and Processe laid against any person accused The Iudge likewise delivering the same to the partie accused assigning unto him a competent terme to answer to the same after he hath taken sufficient caution De judicio sisti Thirdly We require That all lawfull defences be granted to the person accused as If he be able to prove that the witnesses be persons unable by Law to testifie against him that then their Accusations and Depositions be null according to justice Item That place be granted to the party accused to explaine and interpret his owne minde and meaning which confession we require be inserted in publike Acts and be preferred to the deposition of any witnesse seeing that none ought to suffer for Religion that is not found obstinate in his damnable opinion Last We require that our brethren be not condemned for heretickes unlesse by the manifest Word of God they be convinced to have erred from that faith which the holy Spirit witnesseth to be necesiary to Salvation And if so they be we refuse not but that they be punished according to justice Unlesse by wholesome admonition they can be reduced to a better minde These things require we to be considered of by you who are in the Place of the Eternall God who is God of Order and Truth even in such sort as ye will answer in presence of his Throne judiciall Requiring further That favourably you would have respect to the tendernesse of our consciences and to the trouble which appeareth to follow in this Common-wealth if the tyranny of the Prelates and of their adherents be not bridled by God and just Lawes God move your hearts deeply to consider your owne duties and our present troubles These our Demands did we first present to the Queen Regent because that we were determined to enterprise nothing without her knowledge most humbly requiring her favourably to assist us in our just action She spared not amiable looks and good words in abundance But alwayes she kept our Petition close in her pocket When we required secretly of her Majesty that our Petition should be proposed to the whole Assembly She answered That she thought not that expedient for then would the whole Ecclesiasticall Estate be contrary to her proceedings which at that time was great For the Matrimoniall Crowne was asked and in that Parliament granted But said she how soon order can be taken with these things which now may be hindred by the Church-men ye shall know my good minde And in the meane time whatsoever I can grant unto you shall gladly be granted We yet nothing suspecting her falshood were content to give place for a time to her pleasure and pretended reason And yet thought we expedient somewhat to protest before the dissolution of the Parliament For our Petition was manifestly knowne to the whole Assembly as also how that for the Queens pleasure we had ceased to pursue the uttermost Our Protestation was
Souldiers in generall admonishing them that their Vocation was not to fight against us naturall Scotish-men nor yet that they had any such Commandment of their Master We besought them therefore not to provoke us to enmity against them and to consider that they had found us favourable in their most great extremities We declared farther unto them That if they entred in hostility and bloody War against us that the same should remain longer then their owne lives to wit even in all posteritie to come so long as naturall Scotish-men should have power to revenge such cruelty and most horrible ingratitude These Letters were caused to be spread abroad in great abundance to the end that some might come to the knowledge of men The Queen Regent her Letter was laid upon her Cushion in the Chappel Royall at Sterlin where she was accustomed to sit at Masse she looked upon it and put in the pocket of her Gown Monsieur d' Osel and the Captains received theirs delivered even by their own souldiers for some amongst them were favourers of the Truth who after the reading of them began to pull their own beards for that was the modest behaviour of Monsieur d' Osell when truth was told unto him so that it repugned to his fantasie These our Letters were suppressed to the utmost of their power and yet they came to the knowledge of many But the rage of the Queen and the Priests could not be stayed but forward they move against us who then were but a very few and mean number of Gentlemen in S. Iohnston we perceiving the extremity to approach did write to all brethren to repair towards us for our relief to the which we found all men so ready bent that the Work of God was evidently to be espied the Tenour whereof followeth And because that we would omit no diligence to declare our innocency to all men we formed a Letter to those of the Nobility who then persecuted us as after followeth To the Nobility of Scotland The Congregation of Christ Iesus within the same desire the spirit of righteous Iudgement BEcause we are not ignorant that ye the Nobility of this Realme who now persecute us employing your whole study and force to maintain the kingdom of Sathan of superstition and Idolatry are yet neverthelesse divided in opinion We the Congregation of Christ Jesus by you unjustly persecuted have thought good in one Letter to write unto you severally Ye are divided we say in opinion for some of you think that we who have taken this enterprise to remove Idolatry and the Monuments of the same to erect the true Preaching of Christ Jesus in the bounds committed to our Charges are hereticks seditious men and troublers of this Commonwealth and therefore no punishment is sufficient for us and so blinded with this rage and under pretence to serve the Authority ye proclaim War and destruction without all order of Law against us To you we say that neither your blinde zeal neither yet the colour of Authority shall excuse you in Gods presence who commandeth none to suffer death till that he be openly convinced in judgement to have offended against God and against his Law written which no mortall creature is able to prove against us for whatsoever we have done the same we have done at Gods commandment who plainly commands Idolatry and all Monuments of the same to be destroyed and abolished Our earnest and long request hath been and is That in open Assembly it may be disputed in presence of indifferent auditors Whether that these abominations named by the pestilent Papists Religion which they by fire and sword defend be the true Religion of Jesus Christ or not Now this humble request denied unto us our lives are sought in most cruell manner And the Nobility whose duty is to defend innocents and to bridle the fury and rage of wicked men were it of Princes or Emperors do notwithstanding follow their appetites and arme your selves against us your brethren and naturall Countrey-men yea against us that be innocent and just as concerning all such crimes as be laid to our charges If ye think that we be criminall because that we dissent from your opinion consider we beseech you that the Prophets under the Law the Apostles of Christ Jesus after his Ascension his Primitive Church and holy Martyrs did disagree from the whole world in their dayes And will ye deny but that their action was just and that all those that persecuted them were murtherers before God May not the like be true this day What assurance have ye this day of your Religion which the world that day had not of theirs ye have a multitude that agree with you and so had they ye have antiquity of time and that they lacked not ye have Counsells Laws and men of reputation that have established all things as ye suppose but none of all these can make any Religion acceptable unto God which onely depended upon his owne will revealed to man in his most sacred Word It is not then a wonder that ye sleep in so deadly a security in the matter of your owne salvation considering that God giveth unto you so manifest tokens that ye and your leaders are both declined from God For if the tree shall be judged by the fruit as Christ Jesus affirmeth that it must needs be then of necessity it is That your Prelats and the whole rabble of their Clergie be evill trees For if Adultery Pride Ambition Drunkennesse Covetousnesse Incest Unthankfulnesse Oppression Murther Idolatry and Blasphemy be evill fruits there can none of that Generation which claim to themselves the title of Churchmen be judged to be good trees For all these pestilent and wicked fruits do they bring forth in greatest abundance And if they be evil trees as ye your selves must be compelled to confesse they are advise prudently with what consciences ye can maintain them to occupy the room and place in the Lords Vine-yard Do ye not consider that in so doing ye labour to maintain the servants of sin in their filthy corruption and so consequently ye labour that the devill may raigne and still abuse this Realme by all iniquity and tyranny and that Christ Jesus and his blessed Gospel be suppressed and extinguished The name and the cloke of the authority which ye pretend will nothing excuse you in Gods presence but rather shall ye bear double condemnation for that ye burden God as that his good Ordinances were the cause of your iniquity All Authority which God hath established is good and perfect and is to be obeyed of all men yea under pain of damnation But do ye not understand That there is a great difference betwixt the Authority which is Gods Ordinance and the persons of those which are placed in Authority the Authority and Gods Ordinances can never do wrong for it commandeth that vice and wicked men be punished and vertue with
your Majestie did know the same and the truth thereof as we were perswaded in our consciences and all them that are truly instructed in the eternall Word of our God upon whom we cast our care from all dangers that may follow the accomplishment of his eternall will and to whom we commend your Majestie beseeching him to illuminate your heart with the Gospel of his eternall Truth to know your Majesties duty towards your poore Subjects Gods chosen people and what you ought to crave justly of them againe for then we should have no occasion to feare your Majesties wrath and indignation nor your Majesties suspition in our inobedience The same God have your Majestie in his eternall saveguard At Dunbartane the 12 of August 1559. This answer directed to the Queen our Soveraigne and Francis her husband the Queen Dowager received and was bold upon it as she might well enough for it was supposed That the former Letters were forged here at home in Scotland The answer read by her she said That so proud an answer was never given to King Prince nor Princesse And yet indifferent men thought that he might have answered more sharply and not have transgressed modesty nor trueth For where they burden him with the great benefits which of them he had received if in plain words he had purged himselfe affirming That the greatest benefit that ever he received of them was to spend in their service that which God by others had provided for him no honest man would have accused him and no man could have been able to have convinced him of a lye But Princes must be pardoned to speak what they please For the comfort of the brethren and continuance of the Church in Edinburgh was left there our deare brother Iohn Willock who for his faithfull labours and bold courage in that battell deserves immortall praise For when it was found dangerous that Iohn Knox who before was elected Minister to the Church should continue there the brethren requested the said Iohn Willock to abide with them lest that for lack of Ministers Idolatry should be erected up again To the which he so gladly consented That it might evidently appeare that he preferred the comfort of his brethren and the continuance of the Church there to his own life One part of the French-men were appointed to lye in Garison at Leith that was the first benefit which they gate for their confederacie with them the other part were appointed to lye in the Canon-gate the Queen and her train abiding in the Abbey Our brother Iohn Willock the day after our departure preached in S. Giles Church and fervently exhorted the brethren to stand constant to the Truth which they had professed At this and some other Sermons was the Duke and divers other of the Queens faction This liberty of Preaching and resort of all people thereto did highly offend the Queen and the other Papists And first they began to give terrours to the Duke affirming That he would be reputed as one of the Congregation if he gave his presence to the Sermons Thereafter they began to require That Masse might be set up again in S. Giles Church and that the people should be set at liberty to chuse what Religion they would For that said they was contained in the appointment That the Town of Edinburgh should chuse what Religion they listed For obtaining hereof were sent to the Town the Duke the Earle of Huntly and the Lord Seaton to solicite all men to condiscend to the Queens minde wherein the two last did labour what they could the Duke not so but as a beholder of whom the brethren had good hope and after many perswasions and threatnings made by the said Earle and Lord the brethren stoutly and valiantly in the Lord Jesus gain-said their most unjust Petitions Reasoning That as in conscience they might not suffer Idolatry to be erected where Christ Jesus was truely Preached so could not the Queen nor they require any such thing unlesse she and they would plainely violate their Faith and chiefe Article of the appointment For it is plainely appointed That no member of the Congregation shall be molested in any thing That at the day of the appointment they peaceably possessed But so it was That we the brethren and Protestants of the Town of Edinburgh with our Ministers the day of the appointment did peaceably enjoy Saint Giles Church appointed us for Preaching of Christs true Gospel and right ministration of his holy Sacraments Therefore without manifest violation of the appointment you cannot remove us therefrom untill a Parliament have decided the Controversie This answer given the whole brethren departed and left the foresaid Earle and Lord Seaton then Provest of Edinburgh still in the Tolbuith Who perceiving that they could not prevaile in that manner began to entreat that they would be quiet and that they would so far condiscend to the Queens-pleasure as that they would chuse them another within the Town or at the least be content that Masse should be said either after or before their Sermon To the which answer was given That to give place to the devil who was the chiefe Inventer of the Masse for the pleasure of any creature they could not They were in possession of that Church which they could not abandon neither yet could they suffer Idolatry to be erected in the same unlesse by violence they should be constrained so to do And then they were determined to seek the next remedy Which answer received the Earle of Huntly did lovingly intreat them to quietnesse faithfully promising That in no sort they should be molested so that they would be quiet and make no farther uproare To the which they were most willing for they sought onely to serve God as he had commanded and to keep their possession according to the appointment which by Gods grace they did till the moneth of November notwithstanding the great boasting of the enemy For they did not onely convene to the Preaching daily supplâ—cations and administration of Baptisme but also the Lords Table was ministred even in the eyes of the very enemy to the great comfort of many afflicted consciences and as God did strongly work with his true Ministers and with his troubled Church so did not the devil cease to inflame the malice of the Queen and of the Papists with her For that after her coming to the Abbey of Halyrud-house she caused Masse to be said first in her own Chappell and after in the Abbey where the Altars before were cast down She discharged the Common-Prayers and forbade to give any portion to such as were the principall young men who read them Her malice extended in like manner to Cambuâ—kenneth for there she discharged the portions of as many of the Canons as had forsaken Papistry She gave commandment and inhibition that the Abbot of Lyndors should be answered of any part of his living in the North because he had submitted
is witnesse meant then nothing but in the simplicity of our hearts the maintenance of true Religion and safetie of our brethren Professours of the same yet lay there another serpent lurking in the brest of our adversaries as this day praise to God is plainely opened to all that list to behold to wit To bring you and us both under the perpetuall servitude of strangers For we being appointed as ye know touching Religion to be reasoned with all in the Councell at the day affixed and no occasion made to break the same on our side as is well known yet come there forth writings and complaints That this day and that day we were prepared to invade the Queens person when in very truth there was never such thing thought as the very deed hath declared But because she was before deliberate to bring in French-men to both our destructions that you should not stir therewith she made you to understand That those Bands came onely for safety of her own person O craft brethren O subtilty But behold the end They are come yet not so many no not the sixth part that she desired and looked for and how not onely with weapons to defend her person but with wives and children to plant in your native rooms as they have already begun in the Town of Leith the principall Port and Staple of this Realm The gernall and furniture of the Councell and seat of Justice And here will they dwell till they may reinforce themselves with greater number of their fellow-Souldiers to subdue then the rest if God withstand not And yet her Majestie feared nor shamed not to write if they were a hundred French-men for every one of them that is in Scotland yet they should harme no man Tell thou now Leith if that be true If this be not a craftie entrie to a manifest conquest fore-thought of old judge you deare brethren Thus to fortifie our Towns and even the principall Port of our Realm and to lay so strong Garisons of strangers therein not onely without any consent of the Nobility and Councell of this Realm but also expresse against their minde as our Writ sent to her Majestie beareth record if this be not to oppresse the ancient Lawes and Liberties of our Realme let all wise men say to it And further to take the Barne-yards new gathered the Gernalls replenished and to sit down therein and by force to put the just possessours and ancient inhabitants there-from with their wives children and servants to shift for themselves in begging if they have no other means they being true Scottish-men members of our Common-wealth and our deare brethren and sisters borne fostred and brought up in the bowels of our common and native Countrey if this be not the manifest declaration of their old pretence and minde towards the whole Scottish Nation let your owne conscience brethren be judge herein Was all Leith of the Congregation No I think not yet were all alike served Let this motherly care then be tried by the fruits thereof First by the great and exorbitant Taxations used upon you and yet ten times greater pressed at as ye know Secondly the utter depravation of our Coine to purchase thereby money to entertaine strangers French Souldiers upon you and to make them strong holds lest you should sometime expell them out of your native roomes Thirdly by the daily re-inforcing of the said French Souldiers in strength and number with wives and children planting in your brethrens houses and possessions Indeed her Majestie is and hath been at all times carefull to procure by her craft of fair words of fair promises and sometimes of buds to allure your simplicity to that point to joyn your selves to her Souldiers to daunt and oppresse us that you the remnant we being cut off may be an easie prey to her sleights Which God of his infinite goodnesse hath now discovered to the eyes of all that list to behold But credit the works deare brethren if ye will not credit us and lay the example of Forreign nations yea even of our brethren before your eyes and procure not your own ruine willingly If you tender true Religion you see how her Majestie beareth her selfe plaine enemy thereto and maintaineth the tyrannie of those idle bellies the Bishops against Gods Church If Religion be not perswaded unto you yet cast you not away the care you ought to have over your Common-wealth which you see manifestly and violently ruined before your eyes If this will not move you remember your deare wives children and posterity your ancient heritages and houses and think well these strangers will regard no more your right thereunto then they have done your brethren of Leith when ever occasion shall serve But if you purpose as we doubt not but that all those that either have wit or manhood will declare and prove indeed to brook your ancient roomes and heritages conquered most valiantly and defended by your most noble Progenitors against all strangers invaders of the same as the French pretendeth plainly this day if ye will not be slaves unto them and to have your lives your wives your children your substance and whatsoever is dear unto you cast at their feet to be used and abused at the pleasure of strange Souldiers as you see your brethrens at this day before your eyes If you will not have experience some day hereof in your own persons as we suppose the least of you all would not gladly have but rather would chuse with honour to die in defence of his own native roome then live and serve so shamefull a servitude then brethren let us joyn our forces and both with wit and manhood resist their beginnings or else our liberties hereafter shall be dearer bought Let us surely be perswaded when our neighbours houses be on fire that we dwell not without danger Let no man withdraw himselfe herefrom and if any will be so unhappy and mischievous as we suppose none to be let us altogether repute hold and use him as he is in deed for an enemie to us and to himselfe and to his Common-weale The eternall and omnipotent God the true and onely revenger of the oppressed be our comfort and Protectour against the furie and rage of the Tyrants of this world And especially from the insatiable covetousnesse of the Cardinall of Guyse and the Hamiltons Amen Besides this our publike Letter some men answered certaine heads of the Queens said Proclamation on this manner If it be sedition to speak the trueth in all sobriety and to complaine when they are wounded or to call for help against unjust tyrannie before that their throats be cut then can we not denie but we are criminall and guilty of tumult and sedition For we have said That our Common-weale is oppressed that we and our brethren are hurt by the tyrannie of strangers and that we fear bondage and slaverie seeing that multitudes of cruell murtherers are daily brought into
burst forth into her blasphemous railing and said Where is now John Knox his God my God is now stronger then his yea even in Fyfe She posted to her friends in France newes that thousands of the hereticks were slain and the rest were fled and therefore required that some Noble-man of her friends would come and take the glory of that Victory Upon that information was Marticks with two Ships and some Captains and Horses directed to come into Scotland but little to their own advantage as we shall after hear The Lords of the Congregation offended at the foolishnesse of the rascall multitude called to themselves the men of War and remained certaine dayes at Cowper unto whom repaired Iohn Knox and in our greatest desperation Preached unto us a most comfortable Sermon his Text was The danger wherein the Disciples of Christ Iesus stood when they were in the midst of the Sea and Iesus was upon the mountain His Exhortation was That we should not faint but that we should still row against the contrarious blasts till that Jesus Christ should come for said he I am assuredly perswaded that God will deliver us from this extreme trouble as that I am assured That this is the Gospel of Jesus Christ which I preach unto you this day The fourth watch is not yet come abide a little the Boat shall be saved and Peter which hath left the Boat shal not drown I am assured That albeit I cannot assure you by reason of this present rage God grant that ye may acknowledge his hand after that your eyes have seen his deliverance In that Sermon he comforted many yet he offended the Earl of Arran for in his discourse upon the manifold assaults the Church of God sustained he brought for example the multitude of strangers that pursued Iehosaphat after he had reformed Religion He spake of the fear of the people yea and of the King himself at the first But after he affirmed that Iehosaphat was stout and to declare his courage in his God he comforted his people and his Souldiers he came forth in the midst of them he spake lovingly unto them He kept not himselfe said he enclosed in his chamber but frequented the multitude and rejoyced them with his presence and godly comfort These and the like sentences took the said Earle to be spoken in reproach of him because he kept himself more close and solitary then many men would have wished After these things determination was taken That the Earle of Arrane and Lord Iames with men of War and some Companies of Horse-men should go to Disert and there lie to wait upon the French to stop them from destroying the Sea-coast as they intended utterly to have done The said Earle and Lord Iames did as they were appointed albeit their Company was very small and yet they did so valiantly that it passed almost credit for twenty and one dayes they lay in their clothes their Boots came never off They had skirmishing almost every day yea some days from morning to night The French were four thousand Souldiers besides their favourers and faction of the Countrey The Lords were never together five hundred Horse-men with an hundred Souldiers and yet they held the French so busie that for every horse was slain to the Congregation they lost four French Souldiers William Kirkcaldie of Grainge the day after that his house was cast down sent his defiance to Monsieur Dosell and unto the rest declaring that to this hour he had used the French favourably yea he had saved their lives when that he might have suffered their throats to have been cut but seeing they had used him with that rigour let them not look for the like favours in time to come And unto Monsieur Dosell he said He knew that he should not get him in skirmishing because he knew he was a very coward but it might that he should quite him a common either in Scotland or else in France The said William Kirkcaldie and the Master of Lindsay escaped many dangers The Master had his horse slain under him and William was almost betrayed in his house at Halyards But yet they never ceased for night and day they waited upon the French They laid themselves in a secret place with some Gentlemen before the day to wait upon the French who used commonly to issue in Companies to seelâ— their prey And so came forth one Captain Batu with his hundred and began to spoyle whom the Master after Lord Lindsay and William suffered without declaration of themselves or of their Company till that they had them more then a mile from Kinghorne and then began the horse-men to break which perceived the French altogether drew to a place called Glames house and made for debate some took the house other defended the Court and Yards The hazard appeared very unlikely for our men had nothing but Spears and were compelled to light upon their feet The other were within ditches and every man had a Culverin the shot was fearfull to many and divers were hurt amongst whom was Robert Hamilton and David Kirkcaldie brother to the said Laird who both were supposed to have been slain the said Laird perceiving men to faint and begin to recule said Fie let us never live after this day that we shall recule for French scybalds and rascals And so the Master of Lindsay and he burst in at the gate and others followed The Master struck with his Spear at la Bartu and glasing upon his harnesse for fear stumbled upon his knees but recovering suddenly he fastned his Spear and bare the said Captain backward who because he would not be taken was slain and fifty of his Company with him Those that were in the house with some others were saved and sent to Dundie to be kept This mischance to the French-men made them to be more circumspect in straying and wandring abroad into the Countrey and so the poor people gat some relief To furnish the French with Victualls was appointed Capt. Culan with two ships who travelled betwixt the South shore and Kinghorne for that purpose For his wages he spoyled Kinghorne Kirkcaldie and so much of Disert as he might For remedy whereof were appointed two Ships from Dundie Andrew Sands a very stout and fervent man in the Cause of Religion was the principall This same time arrived Martickes who without delay landed himself the Coffers and the principall Gentlemen that were with him at Leith leaving the rest in the Ships till better opportunity But the said Andrew and his company striking Sayl and making as they would cast Ankor hard beside them boarded them both and carried them to Dundie in them were gotten some horses and much harnesse with some other trifles but of money we heard nought Hereat the French offended avowed the destruction of Saint Andrews and Dundie and so upon a Munday in the morning the thirteenth of Ianuary they marched from Disert and
please him And evill works we affirme not onely those that are expresly done against Gods Commandment but those also that in matters of Religion and worshipping of God have no assurance but the invention and opinion of man which God from the beginning hath ever rejected as by the Prophet Isaiah and by our Master Christ Jesus we are taught in these words In vaine do they worship me teaching doctrines which are the Precepts of men XV. The perfection of the Law and the imperfection of man THe Law of God we confesse and acknowledge most just most equall most holy and most perfect commanding those things which being wrought in perfection were able to give life and to bring man to eternall felicity But our Nature is so corrupt so weak and imperfect that we are never able to fulfill the works of the Law in perfection yea if we say we have no sin even after we are regenerate we deceive our selves and the Verity of God is not in us And therefore it behoveth us to apprehend Christ Jesus with Justice and Satisfaction who is the End and Accomplishment of the Law to all that believe by whom we are set at this liberty that the curse and malediction of the Law fall not upon us albeit we fulfill not the same in all points For God the Father beholding us in the Body of his Son Christ Jesus accepteth our unperfect obedience as were perfect and covered our works which are defiled with many spots with the Justice of his Son We do not mean that we are set so at liberty that we owe no obedience to the Law for that before we have plainly confessed but this we affirm That no man in earth Christ Jesus onely accepted hath given giveth or shall give in work that obedience to the Law which the Law requireth But when we have done all things we must fall down and unfainedly confesse That we are unprofitable servants And therefore whosoever boast themselves of the merits of their own works or put their trust in the works of Supererogation they boast themselves of that which is not and put their trust in damnable Idolatry XVI Of the Church AS we believe in God the Father Son and holy Ghost so do we most earnestly believe That from the beginning there hath beene now is and to the end of the world shall be A Church that is to say A Company and Multitude of men chosen of God who rightly worship and embrace him by true faith in Christ Jesus who is the onely Head of the same Church which also is the Body Spouse of Christ Jesus which Church is catholike that is Universal because it containeth the elect of all Ages all Realms Nations and Tongues be they of the Jews or be they of the Gentiles who have Communion or Society with God the Father and with his Son Christ Jesus through the Sanctification of his holy Spirit and therefore it is called Communion not of profane persons but of Saints who are Citizens of the heavenly Ierusalem have the fruition of the most inestimable benefits to wit of one God one Lord Jesus one Faith and one Baptisme without the which Church there is neither life nor eternall felicity And therefore we utterly abhorre the blasphemy of those that affirm That men that live according to equity and justice shall be saved what Religion soever they have professed For as without Christ Jesus there is neither life nor salvation so shall there none bee participant thereof but such as the Father hath given unto his Sonne Christ Jesus and those in time to come to him avow his doctrine and beleeve in him we comprehend the Children with the faithfull Parents This Church is invisibly known onely to God who alone knoweth it whom hee hath chosen and comprehendeth as well as is said the Elect that be departed commonly called the Church triumphant as those that yet live and fight against sin and Sathan as shall live hereafter XVII The immortalitie of the Soules THe Elect departed are in peace and rest from their labours not that they sleep and come to a certain oblivion as some fantanstick heads do affirme but that they are delivered from all fear all torment and all temptation the which we and all Gods Elect are subject unto in this life and therefore doe bear the name of the Church militant As contrary alwayes the reprobate and unfaithfull departed have anguish torment and paine that cannot be expressed so that neither are the one nor the other in such sleepe that they feele not joy or torment as the Parable of Christ Jesus in the sixteenth of Luke his words to the Theefe and these words of the souls crying under the Altar O Lord thou that art righteous and just how long shalt thou not revenge our blood upon them that dwell upon the earth doth plainly testifie XVIII Of the Notes by the which the true Church is discerned from the false and who shall be Iudge of the Doctrine BEcause that Sathan from the beginnig hath laboured to deck his pestilent Synagogue with the Title of the Church of God and hath inflamed the hearts of cruell murtherers to persecute trouble and molest the true Church and Members thereof as Cain did Abel Ishmael Isaac Esau Iacob and the whole Priesthood of the Iewes Jesus Christ himself and his Apostles after him It is a thing most requisite that the true Church be discerned from the filthy Synagogue by cleere and perfect Notes lest we being deceived receive and embrace to our own condemnation the one for the other The Notes Signes and assured Tokens whereby the Immaculate Spouse of Christ Jesus is knowne from the horrible Harlot the Church malignant we affirm are neither antiquity title usurped lineall descents place appointed nor multitude of men approving any errour For Cain in age and title was preferred to Abel and Seth. Ierusalem had prerogative above all places of the earth where also were the Priests lineally descended from Aaron and greater multitude followed the Scribes Pharisees and Priests then unfainedly believed and approved Christ Jesus and his Doctrine and yet as we suppose no man of whole judgement will grant that any of the forenamed were the Church of God The Notes therefore of the true Church of God we beleeve confesse and avow to be first the true preaching of the Word of God in which God hath revealed himself to us as the writings of the Prophets and Apostles doe declare Secondly the right administration of the Sacraments of Christ Jesus which may be annexed to the word and promise of God to seale and confirme the same in our hearts Lastly Ecclesiasticall discipline uprightly ministred as Gods Word prescribeth whereby vice is repressed and vertue nourished wheresoever then these former Notes are seen and of any time continuall be the number never so few above two or three there
should have beene of the Religion of the Romane Emperours What Religion should have been upon the face of the earth Daniel and his fellows were subjects to Nebuchad-nezzar and unto Darius and yet Madame they would not be of their Religion neither of the one nor of the other For the three Children said We make it knowne to thee O King That we will not worship thy Gods And Daniel did pray publikely unto his God against the expresse Commandment of the King And so Madame ye may perceive that Subjects are not bound to the Religion of their Princes albeit they are commanded to give them obedience Yea quoth she none of these men raised their Sword against their Princes Yet Madame quoth he ye cannot deny but they resisted For those that obey not the Commandments given in some sort resist But yet said she they resisted not by the Sword God said she Madame had not given them the power and the meanes Thinke you said she That Subjects having power may resist their Princes If Princes do exceed their Bounds quoth he Madame and doe against that wherefore they should be obeyed there is no doubt but they may be resisted even by Power For there is neither greater Honour nor greater Obedience to be given to Kings and Princes then God hath commadned to be given to Father and Mother But so it is That the Father may be stricken with a Phrenzie in the which he would slay his owne Children Now Madame if the children arise joyn themselves together apprehend the Father take the Sword or other Weapon from him and finally binde his hands and keepe him in Prison till that his Phrensie be over-past Thinke ye Madame that the children do any wrong Or thinke ye Madame that God will be offended with them that have stayed their Father from committing wickednesse It is even so said he Madame with Princes that would murther the children of God that are subject unto them Their blinde zeale is nothing but a very mad phrenzie and therefore to take the sword from them to binde their hands and to cast them into prison till that they be brought to a more sober minde is no disobedience against Princes but just obedience because that it agreeth with the Word of God At these words the Queene stood as it were amazed more then a quarter of an houre her countenance altered so that the Lord Iames began to entreat her and to demand What hath offended you Madame At length she said Well then I perceive that my Subjects shall not onely obey you and not me And shall do what they list and not what I command and so must I be subject unto them and not they to me God forbid answered he that ever I take upon me to command any to obey me or yet to set Subjects at liberty to do whatsoever please them but my travell is That both Princes and Subjects obey GOD. And thinke not said he Madame that wrong was done unto you when you are willed to be subject unto GOD for it is he that subjects the people under Princes and causes obedience to be given unto them yea God craves of Kings That they be as it were Foster-Fathers to the Church and commands Queens to be Nourishers unto his People And this subjection Madame unto God and to his troubled Church is the greatest dignity that flesh can get upon the face of the earth for it shall carry them to everlasting glory Yea quoth she but ye are not the Church that I will nourish I will defend the Church of Rome for I think it is the true Church of God Your will quoth he Madame is no reason neither doth your thought make that Romane Harlot to be the Immaculate Spouse of Jesus Christ. And wonder not Madame that I call Rome an Harlot for that Church is altogether polluted with all kinde of Spirituall Fornication as well in Doctrine as in Manners yea Madam I offer my selfe further to prove That the Church of the Jewes who crucified Jesus Christ when that they manifestly denied the Sonne of God was not so farre degenerated from the Ordinances and Statutes which God gave by Moses and Aaron unto his People as the Church of Rome is declined and more then five hundred yeers hath declined from the Purity of Religion which the Apostles taught and planted My conscience said she is not so Conscience Madame said he requires knowledge and I fear that of right knowledge you have but little But said she I have both heard and read So Madame said he did the Jewes that crucified Christ Jesus reade both the Law and the Prophets and heard the same interpreted after their manner Have ye heard said he any teach but such as the Pope and his Cardinalls have allowed And you may be assured That such will speak nothing to offend their owne state Ye interpret the Scriptures said she in one manner and they in another Whom shall I believe and who shall be Judge Believe said he God that plainly speaketh in his Word And further then the Word teacheth you ye shall neither believe the one nor the other The Word of God is plain in it self And if there appear any obscurity in one place the holy Ghost which is never contrarious to himself explains the same more clearly in other places So that there can remaine no doubt but unto such as obstinately will remaine ignorant And now Madame said he to take one of the chief Points which this day is in controversie betwixt the Papists and us for example The Papists alleadge and boldly have affirmed That the Masse is the Ordinance of God and the Institution of Jesus Christ and a Sacrifice for the quick and the dead We deny both the one and the other and affirme That the Masse as it is now used is nothing but the Invention of man and therefore it is an Abomination before God and no Sacrifice that ever God commanded Now Madame who shall judge betwixt us two thus contending It is not reason that either of the persons be further believed then they are able to prove by insuspect witnessing Let them lay downe the Book of God and by the plain words prove their affirmatives and we shall give unto them the play granted But so long as they are bold to affirme and yet do prove nothing we must say That albeit all the world believe them yet believe they not God but do receive the lyes of men for the Truth of God What our Master Christ Jesus did we know by his Evangelists What the Priests do at the Masse the world seeth Now doth not the Word of God plainly assure us That Christ Jesus neither said nor yet commanded Masse to be said at his last Supper seeing that no such thing as the Masse is made mention of within the whole Scriptures You are over-hard for me said the Queen but if they were here whom I have heard they would answer you
In the contrary judgement were the principall Ministers Master Iohn Row Master George Hay Master Robert Hamilton and Iohn Knox. The reasons of both parties we will omit because they will be explained after where the said Question and others Concerning the Obedience due to Princes were long reasoned in open assembly The conclusion of that first reasoning was That the Question should be formed Letters directed to Geneva for the resolution of that Church Wherein Iohn Knox offered his labour But Secretary Lethington alleadging That there stood much in the information said That he should write But that was onely to drive time as the trueth declared it selfe The Queenes partie urged That the Queen should have her Religion free in her own Chappell to do she and her houshold what they list The Ministers affirmed and Voted the contrary adding That her liberty should be their thraldome ere it be long But neither could reason nor threatning move the affections of such as were creeping in Credit and so did the Votes of the Lords prevaile against the Ministers For the punishment of Theft and Reafe which had encreased upon the border and in the South from the Queenes arrivall was the Lord Iames made Lieutenant some suspected that such honour and charge proceeded from the same heart and counsell that Saul made David Captain against the Philistines but God assisted and bowed the hearts of men both to feare and obey him yea the Lord Bothwell himselfe at that time assisted him but he had remission for Liddisdall except that execution was there made in Edinburgh for her twenty eight of one clan and other were hanged at that Justice Court bribes budds or sollicitation saved not the guilty if he might be apprehended And therefore God prospered him in that his integrity that same time the Lord Iames spake with the Lord Gray of England at Kelsoe for good rule to be kept on both the borders and agreed in all things Before his returning the Queene upon a night tooke a fright in her bed as if horsemen had been in the Close and as if the Palace had been enclosed about whether it proceeded of her own womanly fantasie or if men put her in feare for displeasure of the Earle of Arrane And for other purposes as for the electing of the Guard we know not but the feare was so great that the Towne was called to the Watch Lord Robert of Hallyrud-house and Iohn of Coldingham kept the Watch by course Skouts were set forth and Sentinels upon pain of death were commanded to keep their Stations And yet they feared where there was no fear neither yet could ever any appearance or suspition of such things be tried Shortly after the returning of the Lord Iames there came from the Queen of England Sir Peter Mewtes with Commission to require the Ratification of the Peace made at Leith Her answer was even such as we have heard before That she behoved to advise and then she should answer In presence of her Councell she kept her selfe grave for under the mourning weed and apparell she could dissemble in full perfection but how soon that ever the French people had her alone they told her That since she came to Scotland she saw nothing there but gravity which repugned altogether to her breeding for she was brought up in joviality so tearmed she her Dancing and other things thereto belonging The generall Assembly of the Church approached holden in December after the Queens arrivall in the which began the rulers of the Court to draw themselves apart from the Societie of their brethren and began to strive and grudge That any thing should be consulted upon without their advices Master Iohn Wood who before had shewed himselfe very fervent in the Cause of God and forward in giving of his councell in all doubtfull matters refused to assist the Assembly again whereof many did wonder The Courtiers drew unto them some of the Lords and would not conveane with their Brethren as before they were accustomed but kept themselves in the Abbey The principall Commissioners of the Church the Superintendents and some Ministers past unto them where they were assembled in the Abbots Lodging within Hallyrud-house both the parties began to open their griefes The Lords complained That the Ministers drew the Gentlemen into secret and held Councell without their knowledge The Ministers denied That they had done any thing in secret otherwise then the common Order commanded them And accused the Lords the flatterers of the Queen we meane that they kept not the Convention with their Brethren considering That they knew the Order and that the same was appointed by their own advice as the Book of Discipline subscribed with the most part of their own hands would witnesse some began to deny That ever they knew such a thing as the Book of Discipline And called also in doubt Whether it was expedient that such Assemblies should be or not for gladly would the Queen and her secret Councell have had all Assemblies of the godly discharged The reasoning was sharpe and quicke on either side The Queens faction alleadged That it was suspicious to Princes that Subjects should assemble themselves and keep Conventions without their knowledge It was answered That without knowledge of the Princes the Church did nothing for the Princes perfectly understood That within this Realme was a Reformed Church and that they had their Orders and appointed times of Convention And so without knowledge of the Princes they did nothing Yea said Lethington the Queen knew and knoweth well enough But the Question is Whether that the Queen alloweth such Conventions It was answered If the Libertie of the Church should stand upon the Queens allowance or disallowance we are assured not onely to lacke Assemblies but also to lacke the publike Preaching of the Evangell that affirmative was mocked and the contrary affirmed Well said the other time will try the truth But to my former words this I will adde Take from us the freedomes of assemblies and take from us the Evangell for without assemblies how shall good order and unity in Doctrine be kept It is not to be supposed That all Ministers shall be so perfect but that they shall need admonition as well concerning Manners as Doctrine As it may be that some be so stiffe-necked that they will not admit the admonition of the simple As also it may be that fault may be found with Ministers without just offence committed And if order be not taken both with the Complainer and with the persons complained upon It cannot be avoided but that many grievous offences shall arise For remedy whereof of necessity it is That generall Assemblies must be In the which the judgements and gravitie of many may occurre to correct or represse the follies or errours of a few Hereunto consented the most part as well of the Nobility as of the Barrons and willed the reasoners for the Queen to be sent to her Majestie
not fail to plague her He asked God mercy that he had so far born with her in her impiety and had maintained her in the same and that no one thing did him more grief then that he had flattered fostered and maintained in her fury against God and his servants And in very deed great cause had he to have lamented his wickednesse For besides all his other infirmities he in the end for the Queens pleasure became enemy to vertue and all vertuous men and a patron to impiety to the uttermost of his power yea his venome was so kindled against God and his Word that in his rage he bursted forth these words Do I see the Queens Majesty so troubled with the railing of these knaves I shall leave the best of them sticked in the Pulpit What further villany came forth of his stinking throat and mouth modesty will not suffer us to write whereof if he had grace unfainedly to repent it is no small document of Gods mercies But however God wrought with him the Queen regarded his words as winde or else thought them to have been forged by others and not to have proceeded from himself and affirmed plainly They were invented by the Laird of Pittarrow and Master Iohn Wood both whom she hated because they flattered her not in her dancing and other things One thing in plain words she spoke That God took alwayes from her those persons in whom she had greatest pleasure and that she repented But of farther sins no mention Whilst the Queen lay at Sterlin with her Idolatry in her Chappell in the Palace of Halyrud-house were left certain Duntiberis and others of the French Menzie who raised up their Masse more publikely then they had done at any time before For upon the same Sundayes that the Church of Edinburgh had the Ministration of the Lords Table the Papists in a great number went to the Abbey to their Abomination Which understood divers of the Brethren being sore offended consulted how to redresse that enormity And so were appointed certain of the most zealous and most upright in Religion to wait upon the Abbey that they might note such persons as resorted to the Masse and perceiving a great number to enter into the Chappell some of the Brethren thrust in also Whereat the Priest and French Dames being afraid made the Showt to be sent to the Town and Madame Baylie Mistris to the Queens Dountibures for maids that Court would not then well bear posted on with all diligence to the Comptroller the Laird of Pittarrow who then was in Saint Geills Church at the Sermon and cryed for his assistance to save her life and to save the Queens Palace Who with greater haste then need required obeyed her desire and took with him the Provest and Baylies and a great part of the faithfull but when they came where the fear was bruted to have been they found all things in quiet except the tumult they brought with themselves and peaceable men talking to the Papists forbidding them to transgresse the Laws True it is a zealous brother named Patrick Cranston past into the Chappell and finding the Altar covered and the Priest ready to go to his abominable Masse said The Queens Majesty is not here How dare you then be so malapert as openly to do against the Law No further was done or said and yet brute hereof was posted to the Queen with such information as the Papists could give Which found such credit as their hearts could have wished for which was so haynous a crime in her eyes that satisfaction for that sin was there none without blood And therefore without delay were summoned Androe Armstrong and Patrick Cranston to finde surety to under-lie the Law for fore-thought Fellony having made violent invasion into the Queens Palace and for spoliation of the same These Letters divulgate and the extremity feared the few Brethren that were within the Towne consulted upon the next remedy and in the end concluded That Iohn Knox to whom the charge was given to make advertisements whensosoever danger should appear should write to the Brethren in all quarters giving information as the matter stood and requiring their assistance which he did in manner as here ensueth The Superscription Wheresoever two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them T Is not unknown unto you dear brethren what comfort and tranquility God gave unto us in times most dangerous by our Christian Assemblies and godly Conference as oft as any danger appeared to any member or members of our own Body And how that since we have neglected or at least not frequented our Conventions and Assemblies The adversaries of Christ Jesus his holy Evangell have enterprised and boldned themselves publikely and secretly to do many things odious in Gods presence and most hurtfull to the true Religion now of Gods great favour granted unto us The holy Sacraments are abused by prophane Papists Masses have been and yet are said openly and maintained The blood of some of our dearest Ministers hath been shed without fear of punishment or correction craved by us And now last are two of our dear Brethren Patrick Cranston and Androe Armstrong summoned to under-lie the Law in the Tolbuith of Edinburgh the four and twentieth of this instant of October for a fore-thought Fellony pretended Murther and for invading of the Queens Majesties Palace of Halyrud-house with unlawfull convocation c. These terrible Summons are directed against our Brethren because that they with two or more passed to the Abbey upon Sunday the five and twentieth of August to behold and note what persons repaired to the Masse And because that upon the Sunday before the Queen being absent there resorted to that Idoll a rascall multitude having openly the least devillish Ceremony yea even the conjuring of their accursed water that ever they had in the time of greatest blindenesse But because I say our said Brethren past and that in most quiet manner to note such abusers these fearfull Summons are directed against them to make no doubt a preparation upon a few that a doore may be opened to execute cruelty upon a greater multitude And if so it come to passe God no doubt hath justly recompenced our former negligence and ingratitude towards him and his benefits in our owne bosomes God gave us a most notable Victory of his and our enemies he brake their strength and confounded their counsells he left us at freedome and purged the Realme for the most part of open Idolatry To the end that we ever mindefull of so wondrous a deliverance should have kept this Realme cleane from such vile filthinesse and damnable Idolatry But we alas preferring the pleasure of flesh and blood to the Pleasure and Commandment of God have suffered that Idoll the Masse publikely to be erected againe And therefore justly suffers he us now to fall in that danger That to look to an Idolater going to his
Iohnston to Edinburgh where the generall Assembly of the whole Church of Scotland was held the four and twentieth day of Iuly The Earls of Argyle and Glencarne assisted the Church with a great company of Lords Barons and others It was there ordered and concluded That certain Gentlemen as Commissioners from the Church National should passe to the Queens Majesty with certain Articles to the number of six desiring her most humbly to ratifie and approve the same in Parliament And because the said Articles are of great weight and worthy of memory I thought good to insert the same word by word IMprimis That the Papisticall and Blaspemous Masse with all Papisticall Idolatry and Papall Iurisdiction be universally supprest and abolisht thorowout this Realme not onely in the Subjects but also in the Queens own Person with punishment against all persons that should be deprehended to transgresse and offend in the same And that the sincere Word of God and Christs true Religion now at this present received be published approved and ratified thorowout the whole Realm as well in the Queens owne Person as in the subjects And that the people be to resort upon the Sundayes at the least to the Prayers and Preaching of Gods Word even as they were before to the Idolatrous Masse And these Heads to be provided by Act of Parliament and ratified by the Queens Majesty Secondly That provision be made for sustentation of the Ministry as well for the time present as the time to come And that such persons as are presently admitted to the Ministery may have their Livings assigned unto them in places where they travell in their Calling or at least next adjacent thereto And that the Benefices now vacant or hath been vacant since the Moneth of March 1558. or that hereafter shall happen to be vacant be disposed to qualified and learned persons able to preach Gods Word and discharge the Vocation concerning the Ministery by Tryall and Admission of the Superintendents and Overseers And that no Benefice or Living having many Churches annexed thereunto be disposed altogether in any time to come to any man but at the least the Churches thereof be severally disposed and that to severall persons So that every man having Charge may serve at his owne Church according to his Vocation And to that effect likewise the Gleebs and the Manses be given to the Ministers that they may make residency at their Churches whereby they may discharge their consciences according to their Vocation and also that the Kirks may be repaired accordingly And that a Law be made and established hereupon by Act of Parliament as said is Thirdly That none be permitted to have charge of Souls Colledges or Universities neither privately or publikely teach instruct the youth but such as shall be tried by the Superintendents or Visitors of Churches and found sound and able in Doctrine and admitted by them to their Charges Fourthly For the sustentation of the poor That all Lands founded for Hospitality of old be restored again to the same use And that all Lands Annals Rents or any other Emoluments pertaining any wayes sometimes to the Friers of whatsoever Order they had been of As likewise the Annuities Alterages Obits and the other Duties pertaining to Priests to be applied to the sustentation of the poor and uphold of the Town-Schools in Towns and other places where they be Fifthly That such horrible crimes as now abound within this Realme without any correction To the great contempt of God and his Word such as Idolatry Blasphemie of Gods Name manifest breaking of the Sabbath day Witchcraft Sorcery Inchantment Adultery manifest Whoredome maintenance of Bordals Murther Slaughter Oppression with many other detestable Crimes may be severely punished and Iudges appointed in every Province and Diocesse for execution thereof with power to do the same and that by Act of Parliament Lastly That some order be devised and established for ease of the poor Labourers of the Ground concerning the reasonable payment of the Tythes who are oppressed by the Leasers of the Tythes set over their heads without their own con-consent and advise The persons who were appointed by the Church to carry these Articles and present them to the Queens Majestie were the Lairds of â—unningham-Head Lundie Spot and Grange of Angus and Iames Baron for the Broughs These five past from Edinburgh to Saint Iohnston where they presented the said Articles to the Queens Majestie desiring and requiring her Highnesse most humbly to advise therewith and to give them answer The next day ere they were aware the Queen departed to Dunkeld and immediately they followed And after they had gotten audience they desired the Queens Majestie most humbly to give their dispatch She answered That her Councell was not there present but she intended to be in Edinburgh within eight dayes and there they should receive their answer At the same time as the generall Assembly was holden in Edinburgh the Brethren perceiving the Papists to brag and trouble like to be they assembled themselves at Saint Leonard Cragg where they concluded they would defend themselves and for the same purpose elected eight persons of the most able two of every Quarter to see that the Brethren should be ready armed And when the five Commissioners above named had waited upon the Court four or five dayes after her Majesties coming to Edinburgh there the matter was proposed in Councell And after long and earnest reasoning upon these Articles at length it was answered to the Commissioners by the Secretary That the Queens Majesties command was That the matter should be reasoned in her presence which for the gravity of the same there could nothing be concluded at that time albeit the Queens Majestie had heard more in that matter then ever she did before But within eight dayes thereafter she understood that a great part of the Nobility should be present in Edinburgh where they should have a finall answer At length the one and twentieth of August they received the answer in Writing in her presence according to the Tenour hereof as followeth The Queens Majesties Answer to the Articles presented to Her Highnesse by certain Gentlemen in the Name of the whole Assemblie of the Church TO the first Desiring the Masse to be suppressed and abolished as well in the Head as in the Members with punishment against the Contraveners As also the Religion professed to be established by Act of Parliament it was answered first for her Majesties part That her Highnesse is no way yet perswaded in the said Religion nor yet that any impiety is in the Masse and therefore believeth That her loving subjects will not presse her to receive any Religion against her conscience which should be unto her a continuall trouble by remorse of conscience and therewith a perpetuall unquietnesse And to deale plainly with her Subjects her Majesty neither will nor may leave the Religion wherein she hath been nourished and brought up and believeth the same to be
richly hung with Tapistry and orned but not for them and set themselves making Protestations the Earle of Glencarne and some others being present The Earle of Argyle who was written for by the King came to Lithgow and being informed of the matter he remained there After this manner above specified to wit by the death of David Rizio the Noble-men were relieved of their trouble and restored to their places and rooms And likewise the Church Reformed and all that professed the Evangell within this Realm after Fasting and Prayer was delivered and freed from the apparant dangers which were like to have fallen upon them For if the Parliament had taken effect and proceeded it was thought by all men of the best judgement That the true Protestant Religion should have been wrackt and Popery erected and for the same purpose there were certain Woodden Altars made to the number of twelve found ready in the Chappell of the Palace of Halyrud-house which should have been erected in Saint Gyles his Church The Earles Bothwell and Huntley being informed of the King and Queenes sudden departure forth of Edinburgh came to Dumbar where they were most graciously received by the Queens Majesty who consulting with them and the Master of Maxwell together with Parson Owin and Parson Fliske chief Councellors what was best to be done and how she should be revenged upon the murtherers At first they did intend to go forward and leaving no manner of cruelty unpractised putting to death all such as were suspected This was the opinion of such as would obey their Queens rage and fury for their own advantage But in the end they concluded That she should come to Edinburgh with all the force and power she could make and there proceed to Justice And for the same purpose she caused to summon by open Proclamation all persons of defence and all Noble-men and Gentlemen to come to her in Dumbar incontinent In the mean time the Captains laboured by all means to take up and enroll men and women The Earles of Morton Murray Glencarne Rothesse with the rest that were in Edinburgh being informed of the Queens fury and anger towards the committers of the slaughter and perceiving they were not able to make any Party thought it best to give place to her fury for a time for they were divided in opinions and finally departed out of Edinburgh upon Sunday the seventeenth of March every one a severall way for the Queens Majesty was now bent onely against the slayers of David Rizio and to the purpose she might be the better revenged upon them she intended to give pardon to all such as before had been attainted for whatsoever crime The eighteenth day of March the King and Queen came to Edinburgh having in their company horse and foot to the number of 8000 men whereof there were four Companies of Foot-men of War The Town of Edinburgh went out to meet them for fear of War And finally coming within the Town in most awfull manner they caused to place their men of War within the Town and likewise certain Field-Pieces against their Lodging which was in the middle of the Town over against the Salt Trove Now a little before the Queenes entrance into the Towne all that knew of her cruell pretence and hatred towards them fled here and there And amongst others Master Iames Magill the Clerk Register the Justice Clerk and the common Clerk of the Towne The chief Secretary Lethington was gone before likewise Iohn Knox past West to Kyle The men of War likewise kept the Ports or Gates Within five days after their entry there was a Proclamation made at the Market-Crosse for the purgation of the King from the aforesaid slaughter which made all understanding men laugh at the passages of things since the King not onely had given his consent but also had subscribed the Bond afore-named and the businesse was done in his name and for his Honour if he had had wisedome to know it After this Proclamation the King lost his credit among all men and so his friends by this his inconstancy and weaknesse And in the mean time the men of War committed great outrages in breaking up doors thrusting themselves into every house And albeit the number of them were not great yet the whole Town was too little for them Soon after the King and Queen past to the Castle and caused to warne all such as had absented themselves by open Proclamation to appear before their Majesties and the Privy Councell within six dayes under pain of Rebellion which practice was devised in the Earle of Huntleys case before the Battell of Corrichy And because they appeared not they were denounced Rebells and put to the Horne and immediately thereafter their Escheats given or taken up by the Treasurer There was a certain number of the Towns-men charged to enter themselves prisoners in the Tolbooth and with them were put in certain Gentlemen Where after they had remained eight dayes they were convoyed down to the Palace by the men of War and then kept by them eight dayes more And of that number was Thomas Scot Sheriff deputâ— of S. Iohnston who was condemned to death and executed cruelly to wit hanged and quartered for keeping the Queen in prison as was alleadged although it was by the Kings command And two men likewise were condemned to death and carried likewise to the Ladder foot But the E. Bothwell presented the Queens Ring to the Provest which then was Justice for safety of their life The names of those two were Io. Mobray Merchant and Will. Harlow Sadler About the same time notwithstanding all this hurliburly the Ministers of the Church and professors of Religion ceased not for the people they convened to publike prayers preaching with boldnesse yea a great number of Noble-men assisted likewise The E. Bothwell had now of all men greatest accesse and familiarity with the Queen so that nothing of any great importance was done without him for he shewed favour to such as liked him and amongst others to the Lairds of Ormeston Hawton and Calder who was so reconciled unto him that by his favour they were relieved of great trouble The Earles of Argyle and Murray at the Queens Command past to Argyle where after they had remained about a Moneth they were sent for by the Queene and coming to Edinburgh they were received by the Queene into the Castle and banquetted the Earles of Huntley and Bothwell being present At this time the King grew to be contemned and disesteemed so that scarcely any Honour was done to him and his Father likewise About Easter the King past to Sterlin where he was Shriven after the Papist manner And in the meane time at the Palace of Halyrud-house in the Chappell there resorted a great number to the Masse albeit the Queen remained still in the Castle with her Priests of the Chappell Royall where they used Ceremonies after the Popish manner At the same time departed this life
joyne with those that had bound themselves to stand for the Kings Authority He was very earnest with divers by reason of their old friendship but to little purpose The twentinth of August he received the Regencie after mature and ripe deliberation at the desire of the Queen and Lords that were for the King and so was publikely proclaimed Regent and Obedience shewed unto him by all that stood for the young King The end of the History of the Church of Scotland till the yeer 1567. and Moneth of August THE APPELLATION OF IOHN KNOX From the cruell and most unjust Sentence pronounced against him by the false Bishops and Clergie of Scotland With his Supplication and Exhortation to the Nobility States and Communalty of the same Realme To the Nobility and States of SCOTLAND JOHN KNOX wisheth Grace Mercy and Peace from God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ with the Spirit of righteous Iudgement IT is not onely the love of this Temporall life Right Honourable neither yet the fear of Corporal death that moveth me at this present to expose unto you the injuries done against me and to crave of you as of lawfull Powers by God appointed redresse of the same But partly it proceedeth from that reverence which every man oweth to Gods Eeternall Truth And partly from a love which I bear to your Salvation and to the Salvation of my Brethren abused in that Realme by such as have no fear of God before their eyes It hath pleased God of his infinite mercy not onely to illuminate the eyes of my minde and so to touch my dull heart that cleerly I see and by his grace unfainedly believe That there is no other name given to men under the heaven in which Salvation consisteth save the Name of JESUS alone Who by that Sacrifice which he did once offer upon the Crosse hath sanctified for ever all those that shall inherite the Kingdom promised But also it hath pleased him of his superaboundant grace to make and appoint me most wretched of many thousands a Witnesse Minister and Preacher of the same Doctrine the sum whereof I did not spare to communicate with my Brethren being with them in the Realme of Scotland in the yeer 1556 because I know my self to be a Steward and that accounts of the Talent committed to my charge shall be required of me by him who will admit no vain excuse which fearfull men pretend I did therefore as God his minister during the time I was conversant with them God is record and witnesse truely and sincerely according to the gift granted unto me divide the Word of Salvation teaching all men to hate sin which before God was and is so odious that none other Sacrifice would satisfie his Justice except the death of his onely Son and to magnifie the mercies of our heavenly Father who did not spare the substance of his own glory but did give him to the world to suffer the ignominious and cruell death of the Crosse by that means to reconcile his chosen children to himself teaching further what is the duty of such as do believe themselves purged by such a Price from their former filthinesse to wit That they are bound to walk in the newnesse of life fighting against the lusts of the flesh and studying at all times to glorifie God by such good works as he hath prepared his people to walk in In Doctrine I did further affirm so taught by my Master Christ Jesus That whosoever denieth him yea or is ashamed of him before this wicked Generation him shall Christ Jesus deny and of him shall he be ashamed when he shall appear in his Majesty And therefore I feared not to affirm That of necessity it is that such as hope for life everlasting avoid all Superstition vain Religion and Idolatry Vain Religion and Idolatry I call whatsoever is done in Gods Service or Honour without the expresse Commandment of his own Word This Doctrine I did believe to be so conformable to Gods holy Scriptures that I thought no creature could have been so impudent as to have condemned any Point or Article of the same Yet neverthelesse me as an heretick and this Doctrine as hereticall have your false Bishops and ungodly Clergie condemned pronouncing against me a Sentence of death in testification whereof they have burned a Picture From which false and cruell Sentence and from all judgement of that wicked Generation I make it known unto your Honours That I appeal to a Lawfull and Generall Councell to such I mean as the most ancient Laws and Cannons do approve to be holden by such as whose manifest impiety is not to be reformed in the same Most humbly requiring of your Honours That as God hath appointed you Princes in that People and by reason thereof requireth of your hands the defence of Innocents troubled in your Dominion in the mean time and till the controversies that this day be in Religion be lawfully decided ye receive me and such others as most unjustly by those cruell Beasts are persecuted in your defence and Protection Your Honours are not ignorant That it is not I alone who doth sustain this Cause against the pestilent Generation of Papists but that the most part of Germany the Countrey of Helvetia the King of Denmarke the Nobility of Polonia together with many other Cities and Churches Reformed appeal from the Tyrannie of that Antichrist and most earnestly call for a Lawfull and Generall Councell wherein may all Controversies in Religion be decided by the Authority of Gods most sacred Word And unto this same as said is do I appeal yet once again requiring of your Honours to hold my simple and plain Appellation of no lesse value nor effect then if it had been made with greater circumstance solemnity and ceremony and that you receive me calling unto you as to the Powers of God ordained in your protection and defence against the rage of Tyrants not to maintain me in any iniquity errour or false opinion but to let me have such equity as God by his Word ancient Laws and Determinations of most godly Councells grant to men accused or infamed The Word of God wills That no man shall die except he be found criminall and worthy of death for offence committed of which he must be manifestly convinced by two or three witnesses Ancient Law do permit just defences to snch as be accused be their crimes never so horrible And godly Councells wills That neither Bishop nor person Ecclesiasticall whatsoever accused of any crime shall sit in Judgement Consultation or Councell where the cause of such men as do accuse them is to be tried These things require I of your Honours to be granted unto me to wit That the Doctrine which our adversaries condemn for heresie may be tried by the simple and plain Word of God That just Defences be admitted to us that sustain the Battell against this
doubt Festus did understand pronouncing these words Hast thou appealed to Caesar Thou shalt go to Caesar. As if he would say I as a man willing to understand the truth before I pronounce sentence have required of thee to go to Ierusalem where the learned of thine own Nation may hear thy Cause and discern in the same The controversie standeth in matters of Religion thou art accused as an apostate from the Law as a violator of the Temple and a transgressor of the Traditions of their Fathers in which matters I am ignorant and therefore desire information by those that be learned in the same Religion whereof the question is and yet dost thou refuse so many godly Fathers to hear thy cause and dost appeal to the Emperor preferring him to all our judgments of no purpose belike but to delay time Thus I say it might have appeared that Paul did not onely injury to the Judge and to the Priests but also that his cause was greatly to be suspected partly for that he did refuse the judgement of those that had most knowledge as all men supposed of Gods Will and Religion and partly because he appealed to the Emperour who then was at Rome far absent from Ierusalem a man ignorant of God and enemy to all vertue But the Apostle considering the nature of his enemies and what things they had intended against him even from the first day he began freely to speak in the Name of Christ did not fear to appeal from them and from the Judge that would have gratified them They had professed themselves plain enemies to Christ Jesus and to his blessed Evangell and sought the death of Paul yea even by factions and treasonable conspiracy and therefore by no means would he admit them either as Judges in his cause or auditors of the same as Festus required But grounding himself upon strong reasons to wit That he had not offended the Jews neither against the Law but that he was innocent therefore that no Judge ought to give him into the hands of his enemies grounding I say his Appellation upon these reasons he neither regarded the displeasure of Festus neither yet the brute of the ignorant multitude but boldly did appeal from all cognoscance of them to the judgement of the Emperour as said is By these two examples I doubt not but your Honours do understand That it is lawfull to the servants of God oppressed by tyrannts to seek remedy against the same be it by appellation from their sentence or by imploring the help of Civill Magistrates For what God hath approved in Ieremy and Paul he can condemne in none that are so dealt withall I might alleadge some History of the primitive Church serving to the same purpose as of Ambrose and Athanasius of whom the one would not be judged but at Millan where that his Doctrine was heard of all his Church and received and approved by many And the other would in no wise give place to those Councells where he knew that men conspiring against the Truth of God should sit in Judgement and Consultation But because the Scriptures of God are my onely foundation and assurance in all matters of weight and importance I have thought the two former testimonies sufficient as well to approve my Appellation reasonable and just as to declare to your Honours That with safe conscience ye cannot refuse to admit the same If any think it arrogancy or foolishnesse in me to compare my self with Ieremy and Paul let the same man understand That as God is immutable so is the Verity of his glorious Evangell of equall dignity whensoever it is impugned be the members suffering never so weak What I think touching mine owne person God will reveal when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed and such as with whom I have been conversant can witnesse what arrogancy or pride they espie in me But touching the Doctrine and cause which that adulterous and pestilent Generation of Antichrists servants who will be called Bishops amongst you have condemned me I neither fear nor shame to confesse and avow before man and Angel to be the Eternall Truth of the Eternall God And in that case I doubt not to compare my self with any member in whom the Truth hath been impugned since the beginning For as it was the Truth which Ieremy did Preach in these words The Priests have not known me saith the Lord but the Pastors have treacherously declined and fallen back from me The Prophets have Prophesied in Baal and have gone after those thingâ— which cannot helpe My people have left the fountain of living Water and have digged to themselves pits which can contain no water As it was a truth That the Pastors and Watch-men in the dayes of Isaiah were become dumb dogs blinde ignorant proud and avaricious And finally as it was a truth That the Princes and the Priests were murtherers of Christ Jesus and cruell persecutors of his Apostles so likewise it is a truth and that most infallible That those who have condemned me the whole rabble of the Papisticall Clergie have declined from the true Faith have given ear to deceivable spirits and to doctrine of devils are the stars fallen from the heaven to the earth are fountains without water and finally are enemies to Christ Jesus denyers of his vertue and horrible blasphemers of his death and passion And further As that visible Church had no crime whereof justly they could accuse either Prophets or the Apostles except their Doctrine onely so have not such as seek my blood other crime to lay to my charge except That I affirm as alwayes I offer to prove That the Religion which now is maintained by fire and sword is no lesse contrarious to the true Religion taught and established by the Apostles then is darknesse to light or the devill to God And also That such as now do claim the title and name of Church are no more the elect Spouse of Christ Jesus then was the Synagogue of the Jews the true Church of God when it crucified Christ Jesus condemned his Doctrine and persecuted his Apostles And therefore seeing that my Battell is against the proud and cruell hypocrites of this age as that Battell of those most excellent instruments was against the false Prophets and malignant Church of their ages Neither ought any man to thinke it strange that I compare my self with them with whom I sustain a common cause Neither ought your Lordships judge your selves lesse addebted and bound to me calling for your support then did the Princes of Iuda think themselves bound to Ieremy whom for that time they delivered notwithstanding the sentence of death pronounced against him by the visible Church And thus much for the right of my Appellation which in the bowells of Christ Jesus I require your Honours not to esteem as a thing superfluous and vain but that ye admit it and also accept me in your
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
maintenance and defence of most horrible Idolatry with the shedding of the blood of the Saints of God who laboured to notifie and rebuke the same This I say other iniquities omitted is such a crime before the eyes of his Majestie That for the same he hath poured forth his extreme vengenance upon Kings and upon their Posteritie depriving them from honours and dignitie for ever As by the Histories of the Books of the Kings is most evident To Ieroboam it is said Because I have exalted thee from the midst of the people and have made thee Prince over my people Israel I have rent the Kingdom from the house of David for Idolatry also and have given it unto thee but thou hast not been as David my servant c. But thou hast done wickedly above all that have gone before thee For thou hast made to thee other gods and molten images to provoke me and hast cast me behinde thy back Therefore shall I bring affliction upon the house of Jeroboam and I shall destroy to Jeroboam all that pisseth against the Wall signifying thereby the Male children and shall cast forth the Posteritie of Jeroboam as dung is cast forth till it be consumed This sentence was not onely executed against this Idolater but also against the rest of Idolaters in that Realm as they succeeded one after another for to Baasa whom God used as an Instrument to root out the seed of Ieroboam it is said Because thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam and hast caused my people to sin that thou shouldest provoke me in their sins therefore shall I cut down the posteritie of Baasa and the posterity of his house and shall make thy house as the house of Jeroboam He that shall die to Baasa in the City him shall dogs eat and be that shall die in the field him shall the fowls devour Of the same Cup and for the same cause drank Ela and Achab yea and the Posterity of Iehu following the footsteps of their forefathers By these examples you may evidently espy That Idolatry is the cause why God destroyeth the posteritie of Princes not onely of those that first invent abominations but also of such as follow and defend the same Consider Madame That God hath begun very sharply with you taking from you as it were together two children and a husband He hath begun I say to declare himself angry beware that you provoke not the eyes of his Majesty It will not be the haughty looks of the proud the strength of your friends nor multitude of men that can justifie your cause in his presence If you presume to rebell against him and against him you rebell if you deny my most humble request which I make in his Name and it is this With the hazard of mine own life I offer to prove That Religion which now you maintain to be false deceiveable and abomination before God And that I shall do by most evident testimonies of his blessed holy and infallible Word If this I say you deny rebelling against God The favour of your friends shall little avail you when he shall declare himself enemy to you Which assure your self he will shortly do if you begin to display the banner of your malice against him Let not the prosperity of others be they Princes Queens Kings or Emperours bolden you to contemn God and his loving Admonition They shall drink the Cup of his wrath every one in their rank as he hath appointed them No Realme in these quarters except it that next lieth to you hath he so manifestly stricken with his terrible rod as he hath done you and your Realme And therefore it becometh you first to stoup except that you will have the threatnings pronounced by Isaiah the Prophet ratified unto you To wit That your sudden destruction be as the rotten Wall and your breaking as the breaking of a Potsherd which is broken without pitty so that no portion of it can be found able either to carry fire or water Whereby the Prophet doth signifie That the proud contemners of God and of his Admonitions shall so perish from all honours That they shall have nothing worthy of memoriall behinde them in the Earth Yea If they do leave any thing as it shall be unprofitable so shall it be in execration and hatred to the elect of God and therefore Thus proceedeth my former Letter Letter HOw dangerous soever it shall appear to the flesh to obey God and to make warre against the divell the prince of darknesse pride and superstition yet if your Majesty look to have your self and seed to continue in honour worldly and everlasting subject your self betimes under the hand of him that is omnipotent Embrace his Will despise not his Testament refuse not his Graces offered When he calleth upon you withdraw not your ear Be not led away with the vain opinion that your Church cannot erre Be ye most assuredly perswaded That so farre as in life ye see them degenerate from Christs true Apostles so in Religion are they further corrupted Lay the Book of God before your eyes and let it be judge to that which I say Which if ye with fear and reverence obey as did Josias the admonitions of the Prophetesse then shall he by whom Kings do reign crown your Battell with double benediction and reward you with wisedome riches glory honour and long life in this Regiment temporall and with life everlasting when the King of kings whose Members now do cry for your help the Lord Iesus shall appear in judgement accompanied with his Angels before whom yee shall make accompt of your present Regiment when the proud and disobedient shall cry Mountains fall upon us and hide us from the face of the Lord. But then it shall be too late because they contemned his voice when he lovingly called God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ by the power of his holy Spirit move your heart so to consider and accept the things that be said That they be not a Testimony of your just condemnation in that great day of the Lord Iesus to whose omnipotent Spirit I unfainedly commit your Majesties Addition WHen Ieremiah the Prophet at the Commandment of God had written the Sermons threatnings and plagues which he had spoken against Israel and Iudah and had commanded them to be read by Baruch his Scribe because himself was excommunicated and forbidden to enter into the Temple by the providence of God it came to passe That Michaiah the son of Gemariah hearing the said Sermons passed to the Kings House and did communicate the matter with the rest of the Princes who also after they had read the same Volume of Ieremiah his Preachings did not conceal the truth from Iehoiakim who then did raigne in Ierusalem But the proud and desperate Prince commanding the Book to be read in his presence before he had heard three or four leaves of
The dead shall not live saith he neither shall the tyrants or the dead arise because thou hast visited and scattered them and destroyed all their memory From this 14 verse unto the end of the 19 it appeareth That the Prophet observeth no order yea that he speaketh things directly repugning one to another For first he saith The dead shall not live After he affirmeth Thy dead men shall live Secondly he saith Thou hast visited and scattered them and destroyed all their memory Immediately after he saith Thou hast increased thy Nation O Lord thou hast increased thy Nation They have visited thee and have poured forth a prayer before thee Who I say would not think that these are things not onely spoken forth of good order and purpose but also manifestly repugning one to another For to live and not to live to be so destroyed that no memoriall remaineth and to be so increased that the coasts of the earth shal be replenished seem to import plain contradiction For removing of this doubt and for better understanding of the Prophets minde we must understand that the Prophet had to do with divers sorts of men he had to do with the conjured and manifest enemies of Gods people the Caldees or Babylonians even so such as professe CHRIST JESUS have to doe with the Turke and Sarazens He had to doe with the Seed of Abraham whereof there were three sorts The ten Tribes all degenerate from the true worshipping of GOD and corrupted with Idolatry as this day are our pestilent Papists in all Realms and Nations there rested onely the Tribe of Iudah at Ierusalem where the form of true Religion was observed the Law taught and Ordinances of God outwardly kept but yet there were in that body I mean in the body of the visible Church a great number that were Hypocrites as this day yet are among us that do professe the Lord Jesus and have refused Papistrie not a few that were licentious livers some that turned their backe to God that is Had forâ—aken all true Religion and som that lived a most abominable life as Ezekiel saith in his vision and yet there were some godly as a few Wheat Cornes oppressed and hid among the multitude of Chaffe Now according to this diversitie the Prophet keepeth divers purposes and yet in most perfect order And first after the first part of the complaint of the afflicted as we have heard in vehemency of spirit he bursteth forth against all the proud enemies of Gods people against all such as trouble them and against all such as mock and forsake God and saith The dead shall not live the proud Giants shall not rise thou hast scattered them and destroyed their memoriall In which words he fighteth against the present temptation and dolorous state of Gods people and against the insolent pride of such as oppressed them as if the prophet should say O ye troublers of Gods people howsoever it appeareth to you in this your bloody rage that God regardeth not your crueltie nor considereth not what vioâ—ence you do to his poor afflicted yet shall ye be visited yea your Carcases shall fall and lie as stinking Carrions upon the face of the earth ye shall fall without hope of life or of a blessed resurrection yea howsoever ye gather your substance and augment your families ye shal be so scattered that ye shall leave no memoriall of you to the posterities to come but that which shall be execrable and odious Hereof have the Tyrants their admonition and the afflicted Church inestimable comfort The Tyrants that do oppresse shall receive the same end that they did which have passed before that is They shall die and fall with shame without hope of resurrection as is foresaid not That they shall not arise to their own confusion and just condemnation but that they shall not recover power to trouble the servants of God neither yet shall the wicked arise as David saith in the Councell of the Just Now have the wicked their Councells their Thrones and finally handling for the most part of all things that are upon the face of the earth but the poor servants of God are reputed unworthy of mens presence envyed mocked yea they are more vile before these proud Tyrants then is the very dirt and mire that is trodden under foot But in that glorious resurrection this state shall be changed for then shall such as now by their abominable living and crueltie destroy the earth and molest Gods children see him whom they have pierced they shall see the glory of such as now they persecute to their terrour and everlasting confusion The remembrance hereof ought to make us patient in the dayes of affliction and so to comfort us that when we see Tyrants in their blinde rage tread under foot the Saints of God that utterly we despaire not as if there were neither Wisdome Justice nor Power above in the Heavens to represse such Tyrants and to redresse the dolours of rhe unjustly afflicted No brethren let us be assured that the right hand of the Lord will change the state of things that be most desperate In our God there is Wisdome and Power in a moment to change the joy and mirth of our enemies into everlasting mourning and our sorrows into joy and gladnesse that shall have no end Let us therefore in these apparent calamities and marvell not that I say calamities apparent for he that seeth not a fire begun that shall burn more then we look for unlesse God of his mercy quench it is more then blinde not bee discouraged but with unfained repentance let us return to the Lord our God let us accuse and condemne our former negligence and stedfastly depend upon his promised deliverance so shall our temporall sorrows be converted into everlasting joy The doubt that might be moved concerning the destruction of those whom God exalteth shall be discussed if time will suffer after that we have passed thorowout the Text now proceedeth the Prophet and saith Thou hast increased the Nations O Lord thou hast increased the Nations thou art made glorious thou hast inlarged all the coasts of the earth Lord in trouble c. In these words the Prophet giveth consolation to the afflicted assuring them That how horrible soever that desolation should be yet should the Seed of Abraham be so multiplied that it should replenish the coasts of the earth yea that God should be more glorified in their affliction then he was during the time of their prosperitie This promise no doubt was incredible when it was made for who could have been perswaded That the destruction of Ierusalem should have been the meanes whereby the Nation of the Iews should have beene increased seeing that much rather it appeared That the overthrow of Ierusalem should have been the very abolishing of the seed of Abraham But we must consider to what end it was that God revealed himself to Abraham and what is
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
use and chuse what Religion and manner thereof they please to the said day so that every man may have freedom to use his owne conscience to the day aforesaid Item The Queen shall not interpose her Authority to molest or trouble the Preachers of the Congregation nor their Ministry to them that please to use the same nor no other of the said Congregation in their bodies lands goods or possessions Pensions or whatsoever other kinde of goods they possesse nor yet suffer the Clergie or any other either Spirituall or Temporall Iurisdiction to trouble them in any manner of sort privately or openly for the cause of Religion or any other action depending thereupon to the said tenth day of Ianuary within written and that every man in particular live in the mean time according to his own conscience Item That no men of War French nor Scots be laid in daily Garrison within the Town of Edinburgh but to repair thereto to do thsir lawfull businesse and thereafter to retire them to their Garrisons This alteration in words and Order was made without knowledge and consent of those whose counsell we had used in all such causes before For some of them perceiving we began to faint and that we would appoint with unequall conditions said God hath wonderously assisted us in our greatest dangers He hath stricken fear in the hearts of our enemies when they supposed themselves most assured of Victory Our case is not yet so desperate that we need to grant to things unreasonable and ungodly which if we do it is to be feared That things shall not so prosperously succeed as they have done heretofore When all things were communed and agreed upon by mid persons the Duke and the Earle of Huntlie who that day were against us desired to speake with the Earles of Argyle and Glencarne the Lord Iames and others of our party who obeying their requests met with them at the Quarrell holes betwixt Leith and Edinburgh who in conclusion promised to our Lords That if the Queen brake to us any one jot of the Appointment then made that they should declare themselves plain enemies to her and friends to us As much promised the Duke that he would do in case that she would not remove her French-men at a reasonable day for the oppression which they did was manifest to all men This Appointment made and subscribed by the Duke Monsieur Dosell and the Earle of Huntlie the 25 of July we returned to the Towne of Edinburgh where we remained till the next day at noon when after Sermon dinner and Proclamation made at the Market Crosse in forme as followeth we departed Forme of the Proclamations FORASMUCH as it hath pleased God that Appointment is made betwixt the Queen Regent and us the Lords Protestants of this Realme We have thought good to signifie unto the chief Heads of the Appointment which be these First That no member of the Congregation shall be troubled in life lands goods or possessions by the Queene by her Authority nor by any other justice within this Realme for any thing done in this late Innovation till that a Parliament hath decided things that be in controversie Secondly That Idolatry shall not be erected where it is now at this day suppressed Thirdly That the Preachers and Ministers shall not be troubled in the ministration where they are already established neither yet stopped to Preach wheresoever they shall happen to travell within this Realme Fourthly That no Bands of men of War shall be laid in Garrison within the Town of Edinburgh The chief Heads of appointment concerning the liberty of Religion and conservation of our brethren we thought good to notifie unto you by this Proclamation that in case wrong or injury be done by any of the contrary faction to any member of our Body complaint may be made unto us to whom we promise as we will answer to our God our faithfull support to the uttermost of our powers At this Proclamation made with sound of Trumpet were offended all the Papists for first they alleadged It was done in contempt of Authority Secondarily That we had proclaimed more then was contained in the Appointment And last That we in our Proclamation had made no mention of any thing promised unto them To such murmures we answered That no just Anthority could think it self contemned because that the truth was by us made manifest unto all who otherwise might have pretended ignorance Secondly That we had proclaimed nothing which was not finally agreed upon in word and promise betwixt us and those with whom the Appointment was made whatsoever the Scribes had after written who in very deed had altered both in words and sentences our Articles as they were first conceived And yet if their owne writings were diligeutly examined the self-same thing shall be found in substance And last To proclaim any thing in their favours we thought it not necessary knowing that in that behalf they themselves would be diligent enough And in this we were nothing deceived for within fifteen days after there was not a Shaveling in Scotland to whom Tenths or any other Rents pertaineth but he had that Article of the Appointment by heart That the Church-men should be answered of Tenths Rents and all other duties and that no man should trouble or molest them We departing from Edinburgh the 26 of July came first to Linlithqow and after to Sterlin where after consultation the Band of defence and maintenance of Religion and for mutuall defence every one of the other was subscribed of all that were there present The tenour of the Bond was thus WE foreseeing the craft and sleight of our Adversaries who trie all manner of wayes to circumvient us and by privy means intend to assayle every one of us particularly by fair heights and promises therethrough to separate one of us from another to our utter ruine and destruction For remedy thereof we faithfully and truely binde us in the presence of God and as we tender the maintenance of true Religion That none of us shall in time coming passe to the Queen Dowager to talk or commune with her for any Letter or Message sent by her unto us or yet to be sent with consent of the rest or common consultation thereupon and how soon that either Message or Writing should come from her unto us with all diligence we shall notifie the same one to another so that nothing shall proceed therein without common consent of us all At Sterlin the first day of August 1559. This Band subscribed and we foreseeing that the Queen and Bishops meant nothing but deceit thought good to seek ayd and support of all Christian Princes against her tyranny in case we should be more sharply pursued And because that England was of the same Religion and lay next unto us it was judged expedient first to prove them which we did by one or two Messengers as hereafter in its owne place