which day and of the judgement to be executed in the same is not onely to us a Bridle whereby our carnall lusts are reserved but also such inestimable comfort that neither may the threatning of worldly Princes neither yet the feare of temporall death and present danger move us to renounce and forsake that blessed societie which we the members have with our Head and onely Mediatour Christ Jesus whom we confesse and avow to be the Messias promised the onely Head of the Church our just Lawgiver our onely High Priest Advocate and Mediator In whose honours and Offices if a man or Angell presume to intrude themselves we utterly detest and abhorre them as blasphemous to our Soveraigne Governour Christ Jesus XII Faith in the Holy Ghost THis our faith and the assurance of the same proceedeth not from flesh and blood that is to say from no naturall powers within us but is the inspiration of the Holy Ghost whom we confesse God equall with the Father and with the Sonne who sanctified us and bringeth us into all veritie by his own operation without whom we should remaine for ever enemies to God and ignorant of his Sonne Christ Jesus For of nature we are so dead so perverse and blinde that neither we can feel when we were pricked see the light when it shineth nor assent to the will of God when it is revealed onely the Spirit of the Lord Jesus quickeneth that which is dead removeth the darknesse from our mindes and boweth our stubborne hearts to the obedience of his blessed will and so as we confesse that God the Father created us when we were not as his Sonne our Lord Jesus redeemed us when we were enemies to him So also we confesse that the Holy Ghost doth sanctifie and regenerate us without all respect of any merit proceeding from us be it before or be it after our regeneration To speak this one thing yet in more plain words as we willingly spoile our selves of all honour and glory of our own Creation and Redemption so do we also of our regeneration and sanctification for of selves we are not sufficient to thinke one good thought but he who hath begun the good work in us is onely he that continueth us in the same to the praise and glory of his undeserved grace XIII The cause of good works SO that the cause of good Works we confesse to be not of free Will but the Spirit of the Lord Iesus who dwelling in our hearts by true faith bringeth forth such good works as God hath prepared for us to walke in for this we most boldly affirme that blasphemie it is to say that Christ Jesus abideth in the heart of such as in whom there is no spirit of sanctification and therefore we feare not to affirme that Murderres Oppressors cruell Persecutors Adulterers Whoremongers filthy Persons Idolaters Drunkards Theeves and all workers of iniquitie have neither true faith neither any portion of the Spirit of Sanctification which proceedeth from the Lord Jesus so long as they obstinately continue in their wickednesse For how soon so ever the Spirit of the Lord Jesus which Gods Elect Children receive by true faith taketh possession in the heart of any man so soon doth he regenerate and renew the same man so that he begins to hate that which before he loved and beginneth to love that which before he hated and from thence cometh to that continuall battaile which is betwixt the flesh and the Spirit in Gods Children while the flesh and naturall man according to their own corruption lusteth for things pleasing and delectable to it self grudgeth in adversitie is lifted up in prosperitie and at every moment is prone and ready to offend the Majestie of God but the Spirit of God which giveth witnessing unto our spirit that we are the sonnes of God maketh us to resist the Devill to abhorre filthie pleasures to groane in Gods presence for deliverance from this bondage of corruption and finally to triumph over sinne that it reigne not in our mortall bodies This battaile have not the carnall men being destitute of Gods Spirit but do follow and obey sinne with greedinesse and without repentance even as the Devill and their corrupt lusts do prick them But the Sons of God as afore is said do fight against sin do sob and mourn when they perceive themselves tempted to iniquity and if they fall they rise again with earnest and unfained repentance and these things they do not by their own power but the power of our Lord Jesus without whom they were able to do nothing worketh in them all that is good XIIII What works are reputed good before God VVE confesse and acknowledge That God hath given to man his holy Law in which not onely are forbidden all such works as displease and offend his godly Majesty but also are commanded all such as please him and as he hath promised to reward And these works be of two sorts the one are done to the honour of God the other to the profit of our neighbours And both have the revealed Will of God for their assurance To have one God To worship and honour him To call upon him in all our troubles To reverence his holy Name To hear his Word To believe the same To communicate his holy Sacraments are the works of the first Table To honour father and mother Princes Rulers and superiour Powers To love them To support them yea To obey their Charges not repugning to the Commandment of God To save the life of Innocents To represse tyranny To defend the oppressed To keep our bodies clean and holy To live in sobriety and temperance To deal justly with all men both in word and deed and finally To represse the appetite of our neighbours hurt are the good works of the second Table which are most pleasing and acceptable unto God as those works are commanded by himself The contrary thereof is sin most odious which always displeaseth him and provoketh him to anger as Not to call upon him alone when we have need Not to hear his Word with reverence To contemne and despise it To have or to worship Idols To maintain and defend Idolatry Lightly to esteem the reverent Name of God To profane abuse or contemne the Sacraments of Christ Jesus To disobey or resist any that God hath placed in Authority while they passe not over the bounds of their Office To murther or consent thereunto To bear hatred or to suffer Innocent blood to be shed if we may gainstand it and finally The transgressing of any other Commandment in the first or second Table we confesse and affirm to be sin by the which Gods hot displeasure is kindled against the proud and unthankfull world So that good works we affirme to be those onely that are done in Faith and at Gods Commandment who in his Law hath expressed what be the things that
shall be more amply declared After we had abided certaine dayes in Sterlin the Earle of Argyle departed to Glasgow and because he was to depart to his owne Countrey with whom also passed the Lord Iames to pacifie some trouble which by the craft of the Queen was raised in his absence he required the Earle of Glencarne Lord Boyd Lord Uchiltrie and others of Kyle to meet there for some order to be taken that the brethren should not be oppressed which with one consent they did and appointed the tenth of September for the next convention at Sterlin While these things were in doing at Glasgow Letters and a servant came from the Earle of Arran to the Duke his father signifying unto him That by the providence of God he had escaped the French Kings hands who most treasonably and most cruelly had sought his life or at the least to have committed him to perpetuall prison For the same time the said French King seeing he could not have the Earle himself caused put his younger brother a childe of such age as could not offend in strait prison where he yet remained to wit in the Month of October the yeer of our Lord 1559. Which things were done by the power and craft of the Queen Dowager at the time that the Duke and his friends were most ready to set forth her cause These Letters received and the estate of her two sons knowne of whom one was escaped and the other cast in vile prison the Duke desired communing with the said Earle of Argyle who partly against the will of some that loved him rid unto the Duke from Glasgow to Hammilton where abiding a night he declared his judgement to the Duke and to his friends especially to Master Gawane Hammilton The Duke required him and the Lord Iames to write their friendly and comfortable Letters to his son which they most willingly did and thereafter addressed them to their journey But the very day of their departing came one Boutancourt from the Queen Regent with Letters as was alleadged from the King and Queen of France to the Lord Iames which he delivered with a bragging countenance and many threatning words the Tenour of his Letter was this The King his Letter to the Lord Iames. MY Cousin I have greatly marvelled when I understood the troubles that are happened in these parts And yet I more marvell That ye in whom I had whole confidence and who has the Honour to be so neer the Queen my wife and has received from the late King my Father from the Queen my wife and from me such graces and favours that ye should be so forgetfull as to make your selfe the Head and one of the principall beginners and nourishers of the tumults and seditions that are seen there The which because it is so strange to me and so farre against the profession that ye at all times have made I cannot well beleeve it But if it be so I cannot think but ye have been entised and led thereto by some persons that have seduced you and caused you commit such a fault as I am assured you repent of already which will be a great pleasure to me to the effect I may lose a part of the occasion I have to be miscontent with you as I will you to understand I am Seeing you have so far deceived the esperance I had of you and your affection toward God and the weale of our service unto the which ye know ye are as much and more obliged then any other of the Lords there For this cause desiring that the matters may be duely amended and knowing what ye can therein I thought good on this manner to write unto you and pray you to take heed to return to the good way from which ye have declined and cause me know the same by the effects That you have another intention then this which the follies by-past maketh me now to beleeve doing all that ever ye can to reduce all things to their first estate and put the same to the right and good obedience that you know to be due unto God and unto me Otherwise ye may be well assured that I will put to my hand and that in good earnest that you and all they who have done and do as ye do shall feele through your own fault that which ye have deserved and merited Even as I have given charge to this Gentle-man present bearer to make you know more largely of my part for which cause I pray you credit him even as ye would do my selfe Praying God my cousin to have you in his holy and worthy protection Written at Paris the 17 day of July 1559. The same Messenger brought also Letters from the Queen our Soveraigne more sharp and threatning then the former For her conclusion was Vous en sentires la poincture a iamais His credit was That the King would spend the Crown of France if that he were not revenged upon such seditious persons That he would never have suspected such inobedience and such defection from his own sister in him To the which the said Lord Iames answered first by word and then by writing as followeth The Lord Iames his Letter to the King Sir MY most humble duty remembred Your Majesties Letters I received from Paris the 17 of Iuly last importing in effect That your Majestie doth marvell that I being forgetfull of the graces and favours shewed me by the King of blessed memorie your Majesties father and the Queen my Soveraigne should declare my selfe head and one of the principall beginners of these alleadged Tumults and Seditions in these parts deceiving thereby your Majesties expectation in all times had of me with assurance That if I did not declare by contrary effects my repentance I with the rest that had put or yet putteth hand to this Work should receive that reward which we had deserved and merited SIR It grieves me very heavily that the crime of ingratitude should bâ— laid to my charge by your Majestie and the rather Thâ—t I perceive the same to have proceeded of sinister information of them whose part it was not to have reported so if true service past had been regarded And as touching the repentance and declaration of the same by certaine effects That your Majesty desires I shew My conscience perswades me in these proceedings to have done nothing against God not the dutifull obedience towards your Majesty and the Queen my Soveraigne Otherwise it should not have been to be repented and also amended already accordâ—ng to your Majesties expectation of me But your Majestie being truely informed and perswaded That the thing which we have done maketh for the advancement of Gods glory without any manner of derogation to your Majesties due obedience We doubt not but your Majestie shall be well contented with our proceedings which being grounded upon the commandment of the eternall God we dare not leave the same unaccomplished onely wishing and desiring
the people to spirituall and temporall Bondage which in all humane probability had not been difficile to effectuate then such was the sheeppish sillinesse and knavish basenesse of many men in these Dominions of all ranks conditions and professions as also the unpreparednesse of the wiser and better Patriots and Members of the Church to withstand this mischief if God in his mercy by the unexpected death of the Court-ruler and chief agent in the businesse had not put in a Remora and lett At which time if men had returned unto God amending their lives in private and had expressed their true zeal then to the good of the Church and Countrey whereof they are members according to their severall ranks and conditions the designe of the common enemy had been fully dasht But God in his wisedom hath been pleased to keep us yet a while longer under the rod of tryall to see if we will return unto him at last The Romish party although astonished and surprised at the death of their Engine and main Instrument here among us gives not over but continues the great Designe without intermission albeit not with such speed as formerly for those to whose care principally the businesse was committed and in whose hands the managing of matters had fallen by the death of the late Fac totum were not so powerfull to obtain without refusall what they pleased at the Kings hands neither were they in such opinion and reputation with inferiours to make them go on in the work so earnestly wherefore the Queen must be brought now of necessity to take upon her the main care and to obtain from the King whatsoever may conduce and further the businesse and take away all letts and stops which may hinder the proceedings Then to employ all her credit abroad for countenancing and advancing affairs And next by her authority to draw on inferiours to act their part with affection and ardour Now all things being thus cunningly and carefully by degrees in few yeers prepared and disposed for enslaving Church and State Prince and People to Rome again it was thought fit by the hottest of the party to wit the Iesuites to hasten the work openly and delay no more time the compassing of the Designe being conceived to be infallible By this means they thought to shorten the businesse and to make themselves so considerable as to share deeply in the Booty of which they looked for but little if things were still lingred and carryed on slowly But how and where to begin this new undertaking was consulted upon and after deliberation the Scots must be begun at the way is resolved on there must be a new Prayer-Book put upon these rude fellows that they may say their Prayers in modo figura a la Romaine and not so rudely and irregularly as they were wont to do in the Northern way Then they must have high-Commission Courts Canons and Etcetera's Which things if the Scots be so wise to accept as doubtlesse they will reasoned these men but he that reckons without this host reckons twice for their chief men of State are either actually at Court or provided to places in the Countrey from Court at least they can do no businesse of moment without the favour of the Court. At this time the devout and religious Prelats with the rest of their good Clergie are not onely in all earnestnesse bent for the work according to their severall places in the Church but also they over-sway all busines in State Wherefore without difficulty we will compasse our main Designe thorow all these Dominions said they And truely so they had in all likelihood as we may see by the wofull carriage of businesse and so ill managing so good a Cause in England since But God had in his mercy towards us all ordained otherwise And if the Scots say they should be so mad as to refuse the commands from the Court and think upon resistance they shall be made obey the holy Mandate with a Vengeance and say their prayers with a rod for we shall over-run their Countrey speedily and subdue them as poor silly ignorant fools destitute of all means for War to wit wisedom with resolution not having breeding and pressed down with poverty to undertake and undergo such a businesse as War and money and Arms to go on in it for the Sâ—yl being barren and the Havens bad they cannot have the advantages of a fertile Countrey furnished with good Harbours and Commanders or Leaders to manage a War their Military men being abroad who will not easily quit the honorable and beneficiall Employments they have in forreigne Countreys and come home to suffer want with losse of credit But God who laughs from above at the foolish Counsells of vain men in this particular hath made us see That he hath an â—ver-ruling power over the affairs of men making little and contemptible ones do great things and bring to nothing the undertakings of the mighty and wise of this world By this time the new Prayer-Book designed at Rome and perfected at London is sent down into Scotland After some little reluctancy it is received by the Councell there the major part whereof then were either Church-men or their addicted friends Then it is sent to the Churches to be put in use and practice But unexpected and unlooked for it is opposed by inferiour people from whence the opposition riseth to those of higher ranks whereupon Petitions are drawn up and sent to the King to supplicate His Majesty in all due respect to free the Church of Scotland from this new Prayer-Book with the High-Commission Courts Canons Etcetera's To these Demands of the Scots no answer is given but hot threatnings after which preparatives of War were made against the Scots and because the King did not shew himself propense enough to the undertaking of War nor the Queen forward enough to engage the King in this holy War the Queen-Mother who for her known faithfulnesse to her husband and for her care of her son both late Kings of France must come to her Son-in-law against his will to help him with her best advice and counsell and to better instruct her daughter how to carry her self with earnestnesse and addresse in the businesse Things being thus disposed there is an Expedition undertaken against the Scots and followed to the Borders by the King present in person but to small purpose for the Scots came to the Borders duly prepared notwithstanding their pre-conceived wants and indisposition to sell their Religion and Liberty at a dear rate which being perceived by the Court the Scots Demands formerly rejected are granted and a Peace concluded Then some of the chief men of the Scots were invited to go to Court for the time at Barwick who upon certain advice of a Plot against them were stopped by their friends to trust themselves to the faith of the Court. After things in a kinde calmed there the King not suffered by his Counsell to
Hadington in Lothian the yeer of Christ 1505. of honest Parentage His father was a brothers son of the House of Ranferlie which is an ancient Family of Gentlemen in the West When he left the Grammar Schoole in the Countrey he was sent to the Vniversity of Saint Andrews to studie under M. John Mair who in those dayes was very famous for his Learning which particularly did consist in the ergotie or disputative part of Philosophy and in School-Divinity wherein formerly for many yeers together almost all Learning was placed In a very short time John Knox became such a Proficient that in this kinde of knowledge wherein his Master most excelled he surpassed him and being yet very young was thought worthy of Degrees in the School Moreover before the time ordinarily allowed by the Canons he entred in Church Orders Thereafter laying aside the idle Disputes and Sophistry of the School he betook himself to the reading of the Ancients namely of Augustine with whose Writings he was much taken by reason of their plainnesse and solidity Last of all he betook himself to the earnest study of the holy Scriptures wherein having found the Truth of God concerning the salvation of Mankinde fully revealed he in good earnest did embrace it and freely professed it yea made it his main work to make it known to all men and believed by them in which work he was very active and vigilant at home and abroad namely at home For the Cause of the Truth he suffered very much by Sea and by Land in minde and in body among forraigners and amongst his own Countreymen as ye may see in this History of the Church which now here we present unto you Which History namely so much of it I mean as formerly was published hath gone commonly under his name because he is the man of whom most is spoken thorowout the whole History as being a most earnest and diligent agent in the businesse of Reformation in the Church Next because he hath penned with his own hand or spoken by word of mouth the most part of the most remarkable and most usefull things for Posterity in the History Thirdly the whole History is gathered out of his Papers and Manuscripts And so ye see why it is generally received to be of John Knox. But to return to his Life He being constrained for a time to leave his Countrey by reason of the Persecution raised in Scotland by the then Bishops against the professors of the Truth he came into England where for some yeers he was busied in preaching the Evangell of Christ with a great deal of content and benefit to those that had the happinesse to hear him His chief abode was in Berwick Newcastle and London This was in the dayes of King Edward the sixth with whom he was in great favour and esteem By whom being offered a Bishopricke he not onely refused and rejected it but with a grave and severe speech declared That the proud Title of Lordship and that great State was not to be suffered to be in the Church of God as having quid commune cum Antichristo that is somewhat common with Antichrist King Edward being dead the persecution of Mary made him leave England with many other godly Ministers who went beyond Seas First John Knox went to Frankford where for a time he preached the Gospel to the English Congregation there From whence he wrote the Admonition to England But being molested there partly by open Papists and partly by false Brethren was constrained to retire And from thence he went to Geneva from whence he wrote his Letter to Mary Regent of Scotland his Appeal to the Nobility of Scotland and Admonition to the Commons of Scotland From Geneva after some yeers abode there he was called home to his own Countrey the yeer of Christ 1559. which was the 54 of his age by the Noble-men and others who had taken upon them the generall Reformation of the Church of Scotland where how soon that the reformed Church had any liberty he was setled Minister at Edinburgh where he continued exercising his Ministery to his dying day but not without interruption by reason of the Civill disorders that fell out in those dayes During this his being at Edinburgh he Preached many excellent Sermons whereof there be but few that were printed and conserved to Posterity he not being willing to busie himself with the Presse Yet some of them we have as this namely which he Preached Aug. 19 An. 1564. and for which he was forbidden to Preach for a time He to make known to the world what ground there was to deal so with him took the care to have this Sermon printed as you will finde it at the end of this History Here I cannot let slip a remarkable passage which was this Anno 1566. the Earle of Murray was slain upon the Saturday The morrow after John Knox preached in Edinburgh where as he was reading the Papers wherein was written the names of those that desired the Prayers of the Church he findes a paper with these words Take up the man whom ye accounted another god which he passed without expressing any commotion and went on with his Prayer and Sermon At the end of the Sermon he made moan for the losse that the Church and State of Scotland had by the death of that vertuous man and said That as God in his mercy giveth good and wise Rulers so taketh he them away from a people in his wrath Then he added There is one in this company that maketh the subject of his mirth this horrible murther whereat all good men have occasion to be sorry I tell him That he shall die where there shall be none to lament him He who had written the aforesaid words in the paper was Thomas Metellan a young Gentlemen of most rare parts but youthfull and bearing small affection to the Earle of Murray who when he heard this Commination of John Knox went home to his lodging and said to his sister That John Knox was raving to speak of he knew not whom His sister replyed with tears in her eyes If you had followed my advice ye had not written these words and withall told him That none of John Knox his threatnings fell to the ground without effect And so it fell out in this particular For shortly thereafter the young Gentleman went beyond Seas to travell and died in Italy having no known man to assist him much lesse to lament him Towards the latter dayes of his age his body became very infirm and his voice so weake that the people could not hear him Preaching in the ordiplace wherfore he made choice of another more commodious within the Town reading to his auditors the history of the Passion in which he said it was his desire to finish and close his Ministery Thus he continued Preaching though with much weaknesse two moneths and more after this retiring And foreseeing that he was not to remain long with
obedience unto Rome and conformitie by name there was one Boniface sent from Rome to Scotland a main Agent for Rome in these affairs but he was opposed openly by severall of the Scots Culdees or Divines namely by Clemens and Samson who told him freely That he and those of his Party studied to bring men to the subjection of the Pope and slavery of Rome withdrawing them from obedience to Christ and so in plain termes they reproached to him and to his assistants That they were corrupters of Christs Doctrine establishing a Sovereignty in the Bishop of Rome as the onely successour of the Apostles excluding other Bishops That they used and commanded Clericall tonsure That they forbad Priests Marriage extolling Celibat That they caused Prayers to be made for the dead and erected Images in the Churches to be short That they had introduced in the Church many Tenets Rites and Ceremonies unknown to the ancient and pure times yea contrary to them For the which and the like the said Clemens and those that were constant to the Truth with him were excommunicated at Rome as Hereticks as you have in the third Volume of the Concels although the true reasons of their excommunication be not there set down In the eighth Age the poor people were so blindly inslaved and intoxicat with the Cup of Rome that they thought it a truely holy Martyrdome to suffer for the interest of Rome yet although most men had left God to worship the Beast in these dayes God raised up sundry great Lights in our Church as Alcuin Rabanus Maurus his Disciple Iohn Scot and Claudius Clemens In this we shall remarke the constant goodnesse of God towards his people who made his Light shine in some measure thorow the greatest and thickest darknesse by raising up these men who did bear witnesse to the Truth both by word and writing so that God did not altogether leave off his people The Bishop of Rome caused to declare Alcuin for his Book of the Eucharist many yeers after his death an Heretike So Rome persecutes the Saints of God even after their death In the ninth Age both Prince and People by dolefull experience did finde the idlenesse pride ambition avarice and ryot of Church-men occasioned by the indulgence of Prince and People wherefore at Scone under King Constantine the second there was had a convention of States for reforming the disorders in the Church In this Assembly it was ordained That Church-men should reside upon their charge have no medling with secular affairs that they should instruct the people diligently and be good examples in their conversations that they should not keep Hawks Hounds and Horses for their pleasure that they should carry no Weapons nor be pleaders of civill Causes but live contented with their own provisions in case of failing in the observance of these points For the 1 time they were to pay a pecuniary mulct or fine for the 2 they were to be deprived from Officio and Beneficio Thus you see in these most blinde and confused times That resolute Princes and People did oppose manifestly the Popes omnipotency and highest Sovereignty In the later part of the same Age King Gregory was most indulgent to Church-men he was so farre from curbing and keeping them under that he granted them many things they had not had before Then in a convention of States holden at Forsane it was ordained That all Church-men should be free of paying Taxes and Impost from keeping watch and going to warfare Item They should be exempt from all Temporall judicature Item All Matrimoniall Causes were given over to be judgement of Church-men as also Testaments Legative Actions and all things depending upon simple faith and promise Likewise the right of Tithes with liberty to make Lawes Canons and Constitutions to try without the assistance of the temporall Judge Heretikes Blasphemers Perjured Persons Magicians c. Lastly it was ordained That all Kings following at their Coronation should swear to maintain Church-men in these their Liberties and Priviledges In these dayes lived a Learned man called Iohn Scot sirnamed Aerigiena because he was born in the Town of Aire he published a Treatise De corpore sanguine Domini in Sacramento wherein he maintained the opinion and doctrine of Bertram whereby he offended highly the Sea of Rome In the tenth Age things grew worse and worse The Church-men did so blinde the King Constantine the third That they perswaded him to quit the Royall Crown and take the Clericall Tonsure of a Monk which he did at Saint Andrews There were some Priests in these dayes who did strive to have liberty to take lawfull Wives but in vain A little thereafter there were new disputes for Priests marriage one Bernet a Scots Bishop stood much for that cause in a nationall Councell In this Age although that avarice and ambition had corrupted and perverted Religion generally yet there were constantly some godly men who albeit they could not openly stop and oppose the torrent of these times given to Idolatry and Superstition did instruct and teach the people That Christ was the onely propitiation for sin and that Christs blood onely did wash us from the guilt of sin In the eleventh Age Malcome gave away a part of the Crown Lands among his Nobles for their good service against the Danes the Nobles in recompence thereof did grant unto the Crown the ward of these Lands with the benefit that was to arise by the marriage of the Heir Untill the later part of this Age the Bishops of Scotland although they had raised their Order unto a great power and riches yet they were not distinguished in Diocesses so till then indifferently wheresoever they came they did Ministrate their Function without lording over one particular place or calling themselves Lords of any place The Diocesses wherein Scotland was divided at first were these Saint Andrews Glasgo Murray Catnes Murthlac or Aberdene The Bishops of Rome taking upon them in these dayes to be above Kings and to conferre in matters of Honour upon Kings how and where they pleased and so by this means to put a farther tye of Vassalage and subjection upon Princes To this effect in the yeer 1098. ordained King Edgar to be anointed with externall Oyl by the Bishop of Saint Andrews a rite which till that day had not been in use among our Kings yet they were as much the anointed of the Lord before as they have been since and as any other Princes who before them had this externall anointing from the Sea of Rome although the Romish Writers do make a greater esteem of these Kings anointed by them then of others because they conceive them to be more their own Here note by the way That all Princes whatsoever in Scripture-Language are said to be the Anointed of the Lord and so Cyrus was named although he was never anointed with externall Oyl Next although the first Kings of Israel were anointed as Saul David and Solomon with
that ever should be Bishops of Glasgow Howsoever these doubts were resolved by the Doctors of Divinity of both the Prelats yet the decision was as ye shall heare Comming forth or going in all is one at the Queere doore of Glasgow Church begins striving for state betwixt the Crosse-bearers so that from glouming they came to shouldring and so from shouldring they go to buffets and from dry blowe-neffaling and then for charities sake they cry Disperst◠dedit pauperibus and essay which of the Crosses was finest mettall which staffe was strongest and which Crosse-bearer could best defend his Masters preheminence and that there should be no superiority in that behalf to the ground go both their Crosses And then began no little fray but yet a merry game for rockets were rent tippets were torne crowns were knapped and side gowns might have been seen wantonly to wagge from the one wall to the other Many of them lacked beards and that was the more pity and therefore could not buckle other by the brises as bold men would have done But fie on the Jackmen that did not their duty For had the one part of them recountred the other then had all gone right but the Sanctuary we suppose saved the lives of many How merrily so ever this be written it was bitter mirth to the Cardinall and his court It was more then irregularity yea it might well have been judged laese majesté to the son of perdition the Popes own person and yet the other in his folly as proud as a Peacocke would let the Cardinall know that he was a Bishop when the other but Beton before he gat the Abbey of Aberbroth This enmity was judged mortall and without all hope of reconciliation But the blood of the innocent servant of God buried in oblivion all that bragging and boast For the Archbishop of Glasgow was the first unto whom the Cardinall wrote signifying unto him what was done and earnestly craving of him that he would assist with his presence and counsell how that such an enemy to their estate might be suppressed And thereto was not the other slow but kept time appointed sat next to the Cardinall waited and subscribed first in ranke and lay over the East block-house with the said Cardinall till the Martyr of God was consumed with fire for this we may note That all these beasts consented in heart to the slaughter of that Innocent So did they approve it with their presence having the whole ordnance of the Castle of S. Andrews bent towards the place of execution which was neere to the Castle ready to have shot if any would have made defence or rescue to Gods servant The manner of his Accusation Processe and Answers followeth as we have received from certaine Records which we relate truely as neere as possibly we can Upon the last of February was sent to the prison where the servant of God lay the Deane of the Towne by the commandment of the Cardinall and his wicked counsell and there summoned the said Master George that he should on the morrow following appeare before the Judge then and there to give account of his seditious and Hereticall Doctrine To whom the said Master George answered What needeth said he the Cardinall to summon me to answer for my Doctrine openly before him under whose power and Dominion I am thus straightly bound in irons May not he compell me to answer of his extort power Or beleeveth he that I am unprovided to render account of my Doctrine To manifest your selves what men ye are it is well done that ye keepe your old Ceremonies and Constitutions made by men Upon the next morrow the Lord Cardinall caused his servants to addresse themselves in their most warlike array with Jack Knapscall Splent Spear Axe more seemly for the war then for the Preaching of the true word of God And when these armed Champions marching in warlike order had conveyed the Bishops into the Abbey-church incontinently they sent for M. George who was conveyed unto the said Church by the Captaine of the Castle and the number of an hundred men addressed in manner aforesaid like a Lamb led they him to the sacrifice As he entred in at the Abbey-Church doore there was a poore man lying vexed with great infirmities asking of his almes to whom he flung his purse and when he came before the Cardinall by and by the Sub-prior of the Abbey called Deane Iohn Winrame stood up in the Pulpit and made a Sermon to all the congregation there then assembled taking his matter out of Matth. 13. Whose Sermon was divided into foure parts The first was A short and briefe declaration of the Evangelist The second of the interpretation of the good seed And because he called the Word of God the good seed and Heresie the evil seed he declared what Heresie was and how it should be knowne He defined it on this manner Heresie is a false Opinion defended with Pertinacie clearely repugning the Word of God The third part of his Sermon was The cause of Heresie within that realm and all other realms The cause of Heresie said he is the ignorance of them which have the cures of mens soules to whom it necessarily belongeth to have the true understanding of the Word of God that they may be able to winne again the false Teachers of Heresies with the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God and not onely to win again but also to overcome as faith Paul to Timothy A bishop must be faultlesse as becometh the minister of God not stubborn nor angry no drunkard no fighter not given to filthy lucre but harberous one that loved goodnesse sober-minded righteous holy temperate and such as cleaveth unto the true Word of Doctrine That he may be able with wholsome learning and to impugne that which they say against him The fourth part of his Sermon was how Heresies should be knowne Heresies quoth he be knowne on this manner As the God-smith knoweth the fine gold from the unperfit by the touch-stone So likewise may we know Heresie by the undoubted Touch-stone that is The true sincere and undefiled Word of God At the last he added That Hereticks should be put down in this present life To which Proposition the Gospel he treated of appeareth not to repugne Let them both grow to the harvest The harvest is the end of the world neverthelesse he affirmed That they should be put down by the civill Magistrate and Law And when he ended his Sermon incontinent they caused M. George to ascend into the Pulpit there to heare his Accusation and Articles for right against him stood one of the fat flock a monster Iohn Lawder a Priest laden full of cursings written in paper of the which he took out a roule both long and also full of outrages threatnings maledictions and words of devilish spite and malice saying to the innocent M. George so many cruell and abominable words
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
doctrine but also ready to jeopard their lives and goods for the setting forward of the glory of God as he will permit And albeit the Magistrates in this Countrey be as yet but in the state ye left them in yet at the making hereof we have no experience of any more cruelty to be used then was before But rather we have beliefe That God will augment his Flock because we see daily the Friers enemies to Christs Gospel in lesse estimation with the Queen and the Nobility of our Realm This in few words is the minde of the faithfull being present and others absent The rest of our mindes this faithfull Bearer will shew you at length Thus fare ye well in the Lord. At Sterlin the tenth of March Anno 1556. This is the true Copy of the Letter being subscribed by the names under-written Sic subscribitur Glencarne Lorne now Argyle Erskin Iames Stewart The Letters were delivered to the foresaid Iohn in Geneva by the hands of Iames Sym who now resteth with Christ and of Iames Barrone who yet liveth In the Moneth of May immediately after these Letters were received and advised upon he took consultation as well with his owne Church as with that notable servant of God Iohn Calvine and with other godly Ministers who all with one consent said That he could not refuse that Vocation unlesse he would declare himselfe rebellious unto his God and unmercifull to his Countrey And so he returned answer with promise to visite them with reasonable expedition and so soon as he might put order to that deare Flocke that was committed to his Charge And so in the end of the next September after he departed from Geneva and came to Deape where there met him contrary Letters as by his answer thereto we may understand The Spirit of Wisedome Constancie and Strength be multiplied with you by the favour of God our Father and by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ. ACcording to my promise my Right Honourable I came to Deape the four and twentieth day of October of full minde by the good will of God with the first Ships to have visited you But because two Letters not very pleasing unto the flesh were there presented unto me I was compelled to stay for a time The one was directed to my self from a faithfull brother which made mention that a new consultationâ— was appointed for finall conclusion of the matter before purposed and willed me therefore to abide in these parts till the determination of the same The other Letter was directed from a Gentleman to a friend with charge to advertise me That he had communed with all those that seemed most franke and fervent in the matter and that in none did he finde such boldnesse and constancy as was requisite for such an enterprise but that some did as he writeth repent that ever any such thing was moved Some were partly ashamed and others were able to deny that ever they did consent to any such purpose if any tryall or question should be taken thereof c. Which Letters when I had considered I was partly confounded and partly was pierced with anguish and sorrow Confounded I was that I had so far travelled in the matter moving the same to the most godly and most learned that this day we know to live in Europe to the effect that I might have their judgements and grave counsells for assurance as well of your consciences as of mine in all enterprises And then that nothing should succeed of so long consultation cannot but redound either to your shame or mine For either it shall appeare that I was marvellous vain being so solicited where no necessity required Or else that such as were movers thereto lacked the ripenesse of judgement in their first Vocation To some it may appeare a small and light matter that I have cast off and as it were abandoned as well my particular care as my publike Office and Charge leaving my house and poor family destitute of all head save God only and committing that small but to Christ dearly beloved flock over the which I was appointed one of the Ministers to the charge of another This I say to worldly men may appeare a small matter But to me it was and is such that more worldly substance then I will expresse could not have caused me willingly to behold the eyes of so many grave men weep at once for my cause as that I did in taking my last good night from them To whom if it please God that I returne and question be demanded What was the impediment of my purposed journey judge you what I shall answer The cause of my dolour and sorrow God is my witnesse is for nothing pertaining either to my corporall contentment or worldly displeasure but it is for the grievous plagues and punishments of God which assuredly shall apprehend not onely you but every inhabitant of that miserable Realm and Isle except that the power of God by the liberty of his Gospel deliver you from Bondage I mean not onely that perpetuall fire and torment prepared for the devil and for such as denying Christ Jesus and his knowne Verity do follow the sons of wickednesse to perdition which most is to be feared but also that thraldome and misery that shall apprehend your owne bodies your children subjects and posterity whom ye have betrayed in conscience I can except none that beare the name of Nobility and presently fight to betray them and your Realme to the slavery of strangers The War begun although I acknowledge it to be the work of God shall be your destruction unlesse that betime remedie be provided God open your eyes that ye may espie and consider your own miserable estate My words shall appear to some sharp and undiscreetly spoken But as charity ought to interpret all things to the best so ought wise men to understand That a true friend cannot be a flatterer Especially when the questions of salvation both of body and soule are moved and that not of one nor of two but as it were of a whole Realm or Nation What are the sobs and what is the affection of my troubled heart God shall one day declare But this will I adde to my former rigour and severity to wit If any perswade you for fear of dangers that may follow to faint in your former purpose be he so wise and friendly let him be judged of you both foolish and your mortall enemy Foolish for because he understood nothing of Gods approved wisedome and enemy unto you because he laboured to separate you from Gods favour provoking his vengeance and grievous plagues against you because he would That ye should prefer your worldly rest to Gods praise and glory and the friendship of the wicked to the salvation of your brethren I am not ignorant that fearfull troubles shall ensue your enterprise as in my former Letters I did signifie unto you But O joyfull and comfortable are the
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
by the counsell of France We are not ignorant that Princes think it good policy to betray their subjects by breaking of promises be they never so solemnly made We have not forgotten what counsell she and Monsieur Dosell gave to the Duke against those that slue the Cardinall and kept the Castle of S. Andrewes which was this That what promise they list to require should be made unto them but as soon as the Castle was rendred and things brought to such passe as was expedient that he should chop the heads from every one of them To the which the Duke answered That he would never consent to so treasonable an act but if he promised fidelity he would faithfully keep it Monsieur Dosell said in mockage to the Queen in French That is a good simple nature but I know no other Prince that would so do If this was his judgement in so small a matter what have we to suspect in this our Cause For the question is not of the slaughter of one Cardinall but of the just abolishing of all tyranny which that Romane Antichrist hath usurped above us of the suppressing of Idolatry and of the Reformation of the whole Religion by that vermine of shavelings utterly corrupted Now if the slaughter of a Cardinall be a sin irremissible as they themselves affirme and if faith ought not to be kept to hereticks as their owne law speaketh What promise can she that is ruled by the counsell and commandment of a Cardinall make to us that can be sure Where she accuseth us That we usurp Authority to command and charge free Boroughs to chuse Provests and Officers of our naming c. We will that the whole Boroughs of Scotland testifie in that case Whether we have used any kinde of violence but lovingly exhorted such as asked our support to chuse such in Office as had the fear of God before their eyes loved equity and justice and were not noted with avarice and bribing But wonder it is with what face she can accuse us of that whereof we are innocent and she so openly criminall that the whole Realme knoweth her iniquity In that case hath she not compelled the Towne of Edinburgh to retaine a man to be their Provest most unworthy of any Regiment in a well-ruled Common-wealth Hath she not enforced them to take Bayliffes of her appointment and some of them so meet for their Office in this troublesome time as a sowter is to sayle a Ship in a stormy day She complaineth that we will not suffer provision to be made for her house In very deed we unfainedly repent that before this we took not better order that these murtherers and oppressors whom she pretendeth to nourish for our destruction had not been disappointed of their great provision of Victualls which she and they have gathered to the great hurt of the whole Countrey But as God shall assist us in times coming we shall do diligence somewhat to frustrate their devillish purpose What both what she and we pretend we doubt not but God who cannot suffer the abuse of his owne Name long to be unpunished shall one day declare and unto him we fear not to commit our Cause Neither yet fear we in this present day that against us she maketh a malicious lye where that she saith That it is not Religion that we go about but a plain usurpation of Authority God forbid that such impiety should enter in our hearts that we should make his holy Religion a cloke and covertour of our iniquity From the beginning of this controversie it is evidently knowne what have been our requests which if the rest of the Nobility and Commonalty of Scotland will cause to be performed unto us if then in us appear any signe of Rebellion let us be reputed and punished as traitors But while strangers are brought in to suppresse us our common wealth and posterity while Idolatry is maintained and Christ Jesus his true Religion despised while idle bellies and bloody tyrants the Bishops are maintained and Christs true Messengers persecuted while finally vertue is contemned and vice extolled while that we a great part of the Nobility and Commonalty of this Realme are most unjustly persecuted What godly man can be offended that we shall seek Reformation of these enormities yea even by force of Arms seeing that otherwayes it is denyed unto us we are assured that neither God neither nature neither any just Law forbiddeth us God hath made us Councellors by birth of this Realme Nature bindeth us to love our owne Countrey and just Laws command us to support our brethren unjustly pursued yea the Oath that we have made to be true to this Common-wealth compelled us to hazard whatsoever God hath given us before that we see the miserable ruine of the same If any thinke it is not Religion which now we seek we answer That it is nothing else but the zeal of the true Religion which moveth us to this enterprise For as the enemy doth craftily foresee That Idolatry cannot universally be maintained unlesse that we be utterly suppressed So do we consider that the true Religion the purity whereof we openly require cannot universally be erected unlesse strangers be removed and this poor Realme purged of those pestilences which before have infected it And therefore in the Name of the Eternall God and of his Son Christ Jesus whose Cause we sustain we require all our brethren naturall Scotish-men prudently to consider our Requests and with judgement to discerne betwixt us and the Queen Regent with her faction and not to suffer themselves to be abused by her craft and deceit That to lift their weapons against their brethren who seek nothing but Gods glory Or yet to extract from us their just and dutifull support seeing that we hazard our lives for preservation of them and us and of us and our posterity to come Assuring such as shall declare themselves favourers of her Faction and enemies unto us That we shall repute them whensoever God shall put the Sword of Justice in our hands worthy of such punishment as is due for such as study to betray their Countreyes into the hands of strangers This our answer was formed and divulgate in some places but not universally by reason of our day appointed to meet at Sterlin as before is declared In this mean time the Queens Posts ran with all possible expedition to draw men to her devotion And in very deed she found more favourers of her iniquity then we suspected For a man that of long time had been one of our number in profession offered as himselfe did confesse his service to the Queen to travell betwixt her Majestie and the Congregation for concord she refused not his offer but knowing his simplicitie she was glad to imploy him for her advantage The man is Master Robert Lockard a man of whom many have had and still have good opinion as touching
and the other Lords at Glasgow AFter humble commendation of my service Albeit I have written more then once to Master Henry Balnaves what things have misliked me in your slow proceedings as well in supporting your brethren who many dayes have sustained extreame danger in these parts as in making provision how the enemie might have been annoyed who lay few in number nigh to your Quarters in Sterlin And in making likewise provision how the expectation of our friends who long have waited for your answer might have been satisfied Albeit I say that of these things I have before complained yet in conscience I am compelled to signifie unto your Honours That unlesse of these and other enormities I shall see some redresse I am assured That the end shall be such as godly men shall mourne that a good Cause shall perish for lacke of Wisdome and Diligence In my last Letters to Master Henry Balnaves I declared That your especiall friends in England wonder that no greater expedition is made the weight of the matter being considered If the fault be in the Duke and his friends I wrote also That the greatest losse should be his and theirs in the end And now I cannot cease both to wonder and lament That your whole Councell was so destitute of Wisdome and Discretion as to charge this poore man the Priour to come to you to Glasgow and thereafter to go to Carleil for such affaires as are to be handled Was there none amongst you who did foresee what inconveniences might ensue his absence from these parts I cease to speake of the dangers by the enemie Your friends have lyen in your Haven now fifteene dayes past what was their former travell it is not unknowne they have never received comfort of any man him onely excepted more then if they had lyen upon the coast of their mortall enemy Do ye not consider That such a company shall need comfort and provision from time to time Remove him and who abideth there who carefully will travell in that or any other weighty matter in these parts Did ye not farther consider That he that had begun to meddle with the Gentlemen who have declared themselves back-friends heretofore and also that order should have been taken for such as have been neutrall now by reason of his absence the one shall escape without admonition and the other shall be at their own liberty I am assured that the enemy shall not sleep neither in that nor in other affairs to undermine you and your whole Cause and especially to hurt this part of the Countrey to revenge their former folly If none of these former causes should have moved you to have considered that such a journey at such a time was not meet for him neither yet for them that must accompany him yet discreet men would have considered that the men that have lien in their jacks and travelled their horses continuall the space of a moneth required some longer rest first to themselves then but especially to their horses before they had been charged to such a journey as yet they have not had The Priour may for satisfaction of your unreasonable mindes enterprise the purpose but I am assured he shall not be able to have six honest men in all Fyfe to accompany him and how that either standeth with your Honors or with his safety judge ye your selves But yet wonder it is that ye did not consider To what pain and griefe shall ye put our friends of England especially the Duke of Norfolk and his Councell whom ye shall cause to travell the most wearisome and troublesome way that is in England In mine opinion whosoever gave you that counsell either lacked right judgement in things to be done or else had too much respect to his own ease and too small regard to the travell and damage of their brethren A common cause requireth a common concurrence and that every man bear his burden proportionable But prudent and indifferent men espie the contrary in this cause especially of late dayes for the weakest are most grievously charged and they to whom the matter most belongeth and to whom justly greatest burden is due are exempted in a manner both from travell and expences To speak the matter plainly wise men do wonder what the Dukes friends do mean that they are so slack and backward in this cause In other actions they have been judged stout and forward and in this which is the greatest that ever he or they had in hand they appear destitute both of grace and courage I am not ignorant that they that are most inward of his counsell are enemies to God and therefore cannot but be enemies to this Cause But wonder it is That he and his other friends should not consider That the losse of this godly enterprise shall be the rooting out of them and their posterity from this Realme Considering my Lords That by Gods providence ye are joyned with the Duke in this common Cause admonish him plainly of the danger to come will him to beware of the counsell of those that are plainly infected with Superstition with Pride and with the venome of particular profit which if he do not at your admonition he shall smart before he be aware And if ye cease to put him in minde of his duty it may be that for your silence ye shall drinke some portion of the plague with him Take my plain speaking as proceeding from him that is not your enemy being also uncertaine when I shall have occasion to write hereafter God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ assist you with the Spirit of wisedom and fortitude that to his glory and to your Lordships common comfort ye may performe that thing which godlily was once begun Amen From Saint Andrewes the 6 of February in haste 1559. Sic subscribitur Your Lordships to command in godlinesse J. K. Upon the receit of this Letter and consultation had hereupon a new conclusion was taken to wit That they would visite the said Duke of Norfolke at Barwicke where he was Thus far we have digressed from the text of our History to let the Posterity that shall follow understand by what instruments God wrought the familiarity and friendship that after we found in England Now we returne to our former History The parts of Fyfe set at freedom from the Bondage of these bloody worms solemne thanks were given in S. Andrews unto God for his mighty deliverance Shortly after the Earle of Arrane and Lord Iames apprehended the Lairds of Wemes Seafield Bawgony Durie and others that assisted the French but they were set shortly at freedom upon such conditions as they minded never to keep for such men have neither faith nor honesty Master Iames Balfour who was the greatest practiser and had drawn the Band of the Balfours escaped The English Ships daily multiplied till that they were able to keep the whole Fyrth whereat the French and Queen Regent enraged began to
of the contract they offering and making security for their part by the Queenes Majesties Subscription aud Great Seal and delivering the same unto you Providing That they choose and make their election of the Pledges as is commoned 2. Secondly If the said Commissioners shall demand of you What enterprise the Army of England shall take in hand at their first incoming Ye shall answer in generall The expulsion of the French Souldiers out of this Realme and first and in especiall out of the Town of Leith seeing their great Forces are there 3. Item If it shall be asked of you At what place our friends and brethren of England shall be met And at what day What number And What Noble-men in company Ye shall referre all these things to their election and choice 4. Item If it shall be asked of you How the Armies shall be furnished with Victuals and especially the Horse-men Ye shall answer That with their advice sufficient order shall be taken therein 5. Item If it be required How the Munition shall be carried and oxen furnished to that effect You shall answer as we have given in Commission to Lethington which we ratifie 6. Item If it shall be asked Who shall be Lieutenant to the Army of Scotland Ye shall answer The Duke of Chattellarault 7. Item If it shall be enquired What number our whole Army extends to Ye shall answer They will be God willing five thousand men 8. Item If it shall be asked What manner of way Leith shall be assaulted Ye shall desire all preparations to be in readinesse and the advice to be taken after the placing of the Armies and view of the strength shortly 9. Item If it shall be asked concerning the Castle of Edinburgh If they will stand friends or not Ye shall declare our diligence made and to be made shortly herein but for the present we can assure them of nothing 10. Item If it be asked In case the Castle be enemy Where the Armie shall be placed Ye shall answer For the first in Muschilbrough and Tranent and those parts till the Batterie and all preparations be in readinesse 11. Item In case it be enquired of all by-lyers and neutrals and in especiall of the Lord of Huntley and the North Ye shall answer in generall A good hope is had of the most part thereof And touching the Lord of Huntley in especiall Ye shall shew how he hath sent Writings to my Lord of Arrane with a servant of credit to assure him of his assistance And for that cause hath desired Letters of suspension of the Queen Dowagers Commission to be sent to him to be used in those parts and other Letters to arrest the Clergies Rents and Hires both in those parts With Proclamations to cause all men to be in readinesse to passe forwards for maintaining of the Religion and expulsing of strangers The Nobility hath written to him That he may come to him in proper person Whereof the answer is not returned as yet 12. Item If it shall be asked the place and manner of meeting of our folks or of us and them in case Sterlin be kept We refer the answer hereof to your discretions 13. Item If it shall be asked That their leaden money shall have passage for their necessities Ye shall reason the commodity and discommodity thereof with the Councell 14. Item If it shall be asked What Pioners shall be had Ye shall answer the number being expressed and money in readinesse to so sold or pay them They shall have sufficiencie 15. Item If they shall desire That we declare our causes unto the Princes of Almaigne and the King of Denmark or Germany desiring their assistance Ye shall answer That we think the same good and shall speedily take order therewith 16. Item If it shall be desired of you to confirme for us and in our name the things past and granted by our former Commissioner the young Laird of Lethington Ye shall in all points for us and in our name confirme the same so far as it shall make either for the weale and conjunction of the two Realms or this present Cause or yet for the security of our part for fulfilling of the same And as ye shall accept their offers tending to the same end and such security on that part as ye may purchase and especially such as we have heretofore expressed Given at Glasgow the 10. of February 1559. 17. Item We give and grant you full power to augment or diminsh the said Heads and Articles as ye think the weale of the cause shall require in all points Sic subscribitur Iohn of Menteth Andrew of Rothesse R. Boyd William Murray of Tulibarn Iohn Erskin of Dun. Iames Hamilton Alexander Gordon Alexander Argyle Glencarne Uchiltrie Iames Haliburntoun Shortly after this Contract were our pledges delivered to Master Winter Admirall of the Navie that came to Scotland a man of great honestie so farre as ever we could espie in him who were safely conveyed to Newcastle and so the English Armie by land began to assemble towards the border Whereof the French and Queen Regent assured they began to destroy what they could in the Towns and Countrey about for the whole Victuals they carried to Leith the Mills they brake the Sheep Oxen and Kine yea the Horses of poore Labourers all made they to serve their Tyrannie And finally they left nothing which the very enemies could have devised except that they demolished not Gentlemens houses and burnt not the Town of Edinburgh In which point God bridled their fury to let his afflicted understand That he took care for them Before the comming of the Land Armie the French past to Glasgow and destroyed the Countrey thereabout What tyrannie Marticks used upon a poore Scottish Souldier it is fearefull to heare and yet his fact may not be omitted Silver would they give none to the poore man and they were so slow to depart out of the Towne That albeit the Drum stroke the Ensigne could not be gotten There was a poore Crafts-man who had bought for his Victuals a brown Loaf and was eating a morsell of it and was putting the rest of it into his bosome The Tyrant came to him and with the poore wretches own dagger first stroke him in the brest and after threw it at him and so the poore man staggering and falling the mercilesse tyrant ran him thorow with his Rapier and thereafter commanded him to be hanged over the stayre Lord thou wilt look and recompence such Tyranny how contemptible soever the person was The second of April the yeer of our Lord 1560. the Army of the Land entred into Scotland the conducting whereof was committed to the Lord Gray who had in his company the Lord Scrope Sir Iames Crofts Sir Henry Percie Sir Francis Lake with many other Captains and Gentlemen having charge some of Foot-men and some of Horse-men The Army by Land was esteemed ten thousand men The Queen Regent
past to the Castle of Edinburgh and some others of her faction At Preston met them the Duke the Earle of Argyle Huntlie came not till that the siege was confirmed Lord Iames the Earle of Glencarne and Menteth Lords Ruthuen Boyd Uchiltrie with all the Protestants Gentlemen of the West Fyfe Angus and Mearnes so that in few dayes the Army was great After the deliberation of two dayes had at Inneresk the whole Camp marched forward with Ordnance and all preparations necessary for the siege and came to Lestarrig the Palme Sunday Even The French had put themselves in Battell Aray upon the Linkes without Leith and sent forth their skirmishers who beginning before ten of the clock continued skirmishing till after four of the clock at afternoon when there was given upon them a charge by some Horse-men of Scotland and some of England But because the principall Captaine of the Horse-men of England was not present the whole Troops durst not charge and so was not the overthrow and slaughter of the French so great as it once appeared to have been for the great Battell was once at the trot but when it perceived that the great Force of Horse-men stood still and charged not they returned and gave some rescue to their fellows that fled and so there fell onely in that defeat about three hundred French-men God would not give the Victory so suddenly lest that man should glory in his owne strength The small Victory that was gotten put both the English and Scotish in over-great security as the issue declared The French enclosed within the Towne the English Army began to plant their Pavilions betwixt Leith and Lestarrig The Ordnance of the Towne and especially that which lay upon Saint Anthonies Steeple did them great annoyance against which place were bent eight Cannons which shot so continually and so just that within few dayes that the Steeple was condemned and all the Ordnance that was on it discomfited which made the English-men somewhat more negligent then it became good men of War to have been For perceiving that the French made no pursuit without their Walls they tooke an opinion that they should never issue more and that made some of the Captaines for pastime go to the Towne The Souldiers for their ease laid their Armour beside them and as men without danger fell to the Dice and Cards and so upon the Easter Munday at the very houre of noon the French issued both upon Horse and Foot and with great violence entred within the English Trenches slue and put to flight all that was found therein The Watch was negligently kept and so were the Succours slow and long in coming For the French before that any resistance was made unto them approached hard to the great Ordnance But then the Horse-men trooped together and the Foot-men gat themselves in Aray and so repulsed the French back again to the Town but the slaughter was great some say it double exceeded that which the French received the first day And this was the fruit of their security and ours which after was remedied For the English men most wisely considering themselves not able to besiege the Town round about devised to make Mounts at divers quarters of it in the which they and their Ordnance lay in as good strength as they did within the Town The common souldiers kept the Trenches and had the said mountains for their saveguard and refuge in case of any greater pursuit then they were able to sustain The patience and stout courage of the English men but principally of the Horse-men is worthy of all praise For where was it ever heard That eight thousand they never exceeded that number that lay in Camp should besiege four thousand of the most desperate throat-cutters that were to be found in Europe and to lie nigh unto them in daily skirmishing the space of three moneths and more The Horse-men night and day kept Watch and did so valiantly behave themselves that the French gat no advantage from that day back to the day of the assault whereof we shall shortly hear In this mean time was this other Band made of all the Nobility Barons and Gentlemen professing Christ Jesus in Scotland and of divers others that joyned with us for expelling of the French amongst whom the Earle of Huntlie was a prime man The Band followeth The last Band at Leith AT Edinburgh the seven and twentieth of April the yeer of our Lord 1560 yeers We whose names are under-written have promised and obliged our selves faithfully in the presence of God and by these Presents do promise That we together in generall and every one of us in speciall by himself with our bodies goods friends and all that we can do shall set forward the Reformation of Religion according to Gods Word and procure by all means possible that the Truth of Gods Word may have free passage within this Realme with due Administration of the Sacraments and all things depending upon the said Word and such like deeply weighing with our selves the misbehaviour of the French Ministers here the intolerable oppression committed by the French men of War upon the poor subjects of this Realme by maintenance of the Queen Dowager under colour and pretence of Authority The tyranny of their Captains and Leaders and manifest danger of Conquest in which this Countrey at this present standeth by reason of divers Fortifications upon the Sea-coast and other novelties of late attempted by them promising That we shall each one with another all of us together with the Queen of Englands Army presently come in for our deliverance effectually concurre joyn in one take and hold one plain part for expulsion of the said strangers oppressors of our Liberty forth out of this Realme and recovery of our ancient Freedoms and Liberties to the end that in time coming we may under the obedience of the King and Queen our Soveraigns be onely ruled by the Laws and Customs of the Countrey and borne men of the Land And that never one of us shall have privy intelligence by writing message or communication with any of our enemies or adversaries in this Cause but by advice of the rest at least of five of the counsell Again That we shall tender the common Cause as if it were the cause of every one of us in particular And that the causes of every one of us now joyned together being lawfull and honest shall be all our causes in generall And that he that is enemy to the Cause aforesaid shall be enemy to us all in so far That what person soever will plainly resist these our godly enterprises and will not concur as a good and true member of this our Common-wealth we shall fortifie the said Authority of the Councell to reduce them to their duty like as we shall fortifie the said Authority of the Councell in all things tending to the furtherance of the said Causes And if any particular debate quarrell
the Councell of the Realme he shall present his Complaint to their Majesties and generally they shall oblige them under the said pains to do the things which pertaineth to good and faithfull Subjects for the quietnesse and tranquility of the Realme and Rights of their Soveraigne Item It is Agreed That if any Bishops Abbots or other Church-men shall finde or alleadge them to have received any injuries either in their persons or goods the Complaints shall be seen and considered by the States of the said Convention and Parliament and there shall be made redresse as they shall finde according to reason and in the meane time no man shall stop them but they shall brook and enjoy their goods nor shall do any hurt injury or violence to them And if any doth contravene to this Article he shall be pursued by the Lords as a perturber of a good Common-wealc Item It is Accorded c. That the said Lords shall binde them to observe and cause to be observed all and sundry Points and Articles agreed in this Treaty And if it happen that any of them or any other should gainsay the same the remnant Lords and residue of the whole people shall be enemies to him and shall pursue him till he be chastned and punished according to his demerits Item It is Concluded c. That all the whole Realm may know that the King and Queen are not willing to keep any remembrance of the troubles and differences past and so far as concerns the Nobility and other subjects of this Realme That their Majesties desire is to use them humanely and to be favourable unto them the said Deputies have promised and accorded That the Duke of Chattellarault and all other Noble-men of Scotland shall be restaured and setled again in all their goods and benefices which they had enjoyed in France That they may brook and enjoy the same in the same manner as they did before those debates the said sixth day of March and yeere aforesaid even as the said controversies had never chanced And also that all Capitulations and Articles agreed upon in times past and especially those that were appointed in the King and Queens Contract shall be observed and kept as well for the part of their Majesties as for the part of the Nobility and people of Scotland And as concerning David son to the Duke of Chattellarault now being in Bois de Vincennes liberty shall be granted unto him to returne into Scotland and to do as he pleaseth Moreover when the said Deputies exposed that some time it might chance That the King might have need and use of his great Guns and Artillery in France the said Lords having consideration thereof accorded That no other Artillery be translated out of this Realme but those which were sent and brought in from the said day of the decease of Francis King of France of good memory to these parts And that all other Artillery aud Munition be reposed into the places whence they were taken forth and in speciall they that have the Arms of Scotland shall be put into the places whence they were taken forth of And there shall be Noble-men of Scotland appointed therefore and two for the part of the Kings Majesty are to be deputed to agnosce and view the same afore the Shipping thereof And moreover That whereas in the names of the Nobility and people of Scotland certain Articles concerning Religion and other Points have been presented which the said Deputies will not touch and considering the weight and importance of them has remitted the same to be cognosced and decided by their Majesties The said Lords and Nobility do promise That a certain number of Noble-men should be chosen in the next Convention and Parliament to be sent to their Majesties which shall expose to their Highnesses those things that shall be thought needfull for the state of their busines and for the forementioned and other Articles and Points undecided by the Deputies to the effect they may know their Majesties intention good wil concerning those things which shal be exposed from the Country the which also shall have with them a confirmation ratification by the states of the Realm of those articles which are concorded c. by the Deputies to whom also the same time or before shal be given and delivered and like Confirmation and Ratification made by their Majesties so being that the said States send their Ratification aforesaid The Proclamation of the things above-written made the 8 of Iuly in the yeere of God 1560. TO the glory of the Almighty Lord God and to the comfort of all Christians the most puissant Prince and Princesse and most Christian King and Queen Francis and Mary by the grace of God King and Queen of France and Scotland and by the most puissant Princesse Elizabeth by the same Grace Queen of England France and Ireland c. It is accorded and Reconciliation of Peace and Amitie made which is to be observed inviolably amongst them their Subjects Realms and Countries For as much as in name of the said Prince and Princesse it is commanded and straitly charged to all manner of persons under their obedience or being in their service from henceforth to desist from all hostility both by Sea and Land and to keep a good Peace the one with the other and with charge that none shall break the same under perill of c. These things transacted and the Peace Proclaimed as is said sudden provision was made for transporting of the French to France of whom the most part were put in the English Ships who also carried with them the whole spoile of Leith and that was the second benefit which they received of their late promised liberty the end whereof is not yet The English Army departed by land the 16 day of July in the yeere of God 1560. The most part of our Nobility Protestants honourably conveyed them as in very deed they had well deserved But Lord Iames would not leave the Lord Gray with the other Noble-men of England till that they entred into Barwick After whose returning the Councell began to look as well upon the affaires of the Common-wealth as upon the matters that might concern the stability of Religion As before we have heard the Parliament was concluded to begin the tenth of July and to be continued till the first of August next and therefore the Lords made the greater haste and diligence that all things should be put in convenient order But before all things the Preachers exhorted them for then in Edinburgh were the most part of the chief Ministers of the Realme to be thankfull unto God and next to provide that the Ministers should be distributed as the necessity of the Countrey required A day was appointed when that the whole Nobility and the greatest part of the Congregation assembled in S. Giles Church in Edinburgh where after the Sermon made for that purpose publike thanks were given unto God for
to the Church and triall taken That he was not married with the second woman neither that he was able to prove that he was divorced by any order of the Law from the first he was committed to the hands of the Magistrates who according to the Laws commanded him to be Carted But the rascall multitude enflamed by some ungodly Crafts-men made insurrection brake the Cart boasted and threatned the Officers and took away the malefactor This was the beginning of farther evils as we shall after hear In this mean time while Lord Iames we say was in France there came an Ambassadour from France suborned no doubt with all craft that might to trouble the state of Religion His Demands were first That the League betwixt us and England should be broken Secondly That the ancient League betwixt France and Scotland should be renewed Thirdly And that the Bishops and Church-men should be restored in their former places and be suffered to intermit with their Livings The Councell delayed answer untill the Parliament appointed in May. In the mean time the Papists of Scotland practised with him The Earls of Huntlie Atholl Bothwell and others intended to have taken Edinburgh before the said Parliament The whole Bishops assembled and held Councell in Sterlin Some whispering there was that the Duke and the Bishop of Saint Andrews were too familiar and some feared that the Authority of the Queen should have been usurped by reason of her absence and that the Duke was the second Person for thereat had some of his pressed immediately after the death of the King of France The Protestants thereof advertised prevented them and came to Edinburgh The Earle of Arran stood constant with his brethren there were some that carefully and painfully travelled that nothing prejudiciall to the Queens Authority should be done in the absence of the Lord Iames to whom the Queen hath recompenced evil for good service Master Iames Magill in that point did both stoutly and truely for Iohn Knox and he were then fallen in familiarity in which they yet continue 20 Octobris 1567. by reason that the said Master Iames had embraced the Religion and professed it publikely The Papists and Bishops disappointed of their principall enterprise did yet make broyle for trouble For the rascall multitude were stirred up to make a Robin-Hood which enormity was of many yeers left off and condemned by Stature and Act of Parliament yet would they not be forbidden but would disobey and trouble the Town especially upon the night Whereat the Bayliffs offended took from them some Swords and Ensigne which was occasion that they that same night made a mutiny kept the Gates of the Towne and intended to have pursued some men within their owne houses But that upon the restitution of their Swords and Ensigne was stayed And yet they ceased not to molest as well the Inhabitants of Edinburgh as divers Countrey-men taking from them money and threatning some with farther injuries Wherewith the Magistrates of the Town highly offended took more diligent heed to such as resorted to the Town and so apprehended one of the principall of that disorder named Balon a Shoo-maker whom they put to an Assizes and being convinced he could not be absolved for he was the chief man that spoyled Iohn Mubray of ten Crowns of the Sun they thought to have executed Judgement upon him and so erected a Gibbet beneath the Crosse. Whether it came by Paction with the Provest and some other or by instigation of the Crafts-men who ever have been bent too much to maintain such vanity and riotousnesse we fully know not but suddenly there did arise a tumult the Tolbuith was broken up and not onely the said Balon who before was condemned was violently taken forth but also all other malefactors were set at freedome the Gibbet was pulled downe and despightfully broken And thereafter as the Provest and some of the Councell assembled to the Clerks Chamber for consultation The whole rascall banded together with some knowne and honest Crafts-men and intended invasion on the said Chamber which perceived the Provest and such as were in his company past to the Tolbuith suspecting nothing that they would have been so enraged to make new pursuit after that they had obtained their intent But they were suddenly deceived for from the Castle hill they came with violence and with stones Guns and such other Weapons as they had and began to assault the said Tolbuith ran at the door of it till that partly by stones cast from above and partly by a Pistoll shot by Robert Norwell which hurt one Tuedy they were repulsed from the door But yet ceased they not to cast and shoot in at the windows threatning death to all that were within And in very deed the malice of the Crafts-men who were suspected to be the occasion of that tumult bare no good will to divers of those that were with the Provest The Arguments that the Crafts-men were the causes of that uprore besides their first disorder that they had used before in taking Sandersone from the execution of punishment are two The former Archibald Deware Patricke Shaugzie with other six Deacons came to Iohn Knox and willed him to solicite the Provest and the Towne to delay the execution Who did answer That he had so oft solicited in their favours that his own conscience accused him That they used his labours for no other end but to be a Patron to their impiety for he had before made intercession for William Harlaw Iohn Frissell and others that were convinced of the former tumult They proudly said That if it was not stayed both he and the Bayliffs should repent it Who answered He would not hurt his conscience for the fear of any man And so they departed and the tumult as said is immediately thereafter did arise The second Argument is The tumult continued from two at afternoon till after eight at night The Crafts-men were required to assemble themselves together for deliverance of the Provest but they past to their four hours penie or afternoons Pinte and in their jesting said They will be Magistrates alone let them rule the multitude alone And so contrary to the Oath which they had made they denied their assistance counsell comfort to the Provest and Bayliffs which are arguments very probable that the said tumult rose by their procurement The end thereof was That the Provest and Bayliffs were compelled to give their hands writs that they should never pursue any of those that were of that tumult for any crime that was done in that behalf And this was proclaimed at the Crosse after nine of the clock at night and so was that trouble quieted But the Nobility vowed That they would not spare it nor forget it and so a great number of that faction were absent from the Towne till the arrivall of the Queen The whole multitude were holden excommunicate and were admitted to no participation of the
as I told you in the beginning I mean to constrain none of my subjects but would wish that they were all as I am and I trust they shall have no support to constrain me I will send Monsieur Dosell quoth she to you before he go to know whether ye will any thing in England I pray you so order your self in this matter betwixt the Queen my good sister and me that there may be perfect and assured Amity betwixt us for I know quoth she Ministers may do much good and harm I told her I would faithfully and truely make declaration of all that she said unto me unto your Majestie and trusted that she would so satisfie your Majesty by Monsieur Dosell in all things as I should hereafter have no more occasion to treat with her of any thing but of the encrease of Amity of which there should be no want on her behalf This is the effect of the Queen of Scotlands answer to your Majesties demand of her said Ratification and of my Negotiation with her at this time These advertisements somewhat exasperated the Queen of England and not altogether without cause for the Armes of England were before usurped by our Soveraigne and by her husband Francis and Elizabeth Queen of England was of the Guysians reputed little better then a Bastard It was appointed that this title should be renewed But hereof had our ill counselled and misled Queen no pleasure and especially after that her husband was dead for thought she the shew of England shall allure many suiters to me The Guisians and the Papists of both Realms did not a little animate her in that pursuit The effect whereof will sooner appear then the godly of England would desire Queen Elizabeth we say offended with the former answer wrote unto the Nobility and States of Scotland in form as followeth The Queen of Englands Letter to the States of Scotland RIght Trusty and Right entirely Beloved Cousins We greet you We doubt not but as our meaning is and hath alwayes been since our Raigne in the sight of Almighty God straight and direct towards the advancement of his Honour and Truth in Religion and consequently to procure Peace and maintain Concord betwixt both these Realms of England and Scotland So also our outward acts have well declared the same to the world and especially to you being our neighbours who have tasted and proved in these our friendship and earnest good will more then we think any of your antecessors have ever received from hence yea more then a great number of your selves could well have hoped for of us all former examples being well weighed and considered And this we have to rejoyce of and so may ye be glad That where in the beginning of the troubles in that Countrey and of our succours meant for you the jealousie or rather the malice of divers both in that Realme and in other Countreys was such both to deprive both us in the yeelding and you in requiring our ayd that we were noted to have meant the surprise of that Realm by depriving of your Soveraigne the Queen of her Crown and you or the greatest part of you to have intended by our succour the like and either to prefer some other to the Crown or else to make of that Monarchie a Common-weale matters very slanderous and false But the end and determination yea the whole course and processe of the action on both our parts have manifested both to the slanderers and to all others That nothing was more meant and prosecuted then to establish your Soveraigne the Queen our Cousin and Sister in her State and Crowne the possession whereof was in the hands of strangers And although no words could then well satisfie the malicious yet our deeds do declare That no other thing was sought but the restitution of that Realme to the ancient Liberty and as it were to redeem it from Captivity Of these our purposes and deeds there remaineth among other arguments good testimony by a solemne Treaty and Accord made the last yeer at Edinburgh by Commissioners sent from us and from your Queen with full Authority in writing under both our Hands and the great Seals of both our Realms in such manner as other Princes our Progenitors have always used By which Treaty and Accord either of us have faithfully accorded with other to keep Peace and Amity betwixt our selves our Countreys and subjects And in the same also a good Accord is made not onely of certain things happened betwixt us but also of some differences betwixt the Ministers of the late French King your Soveraigns husband and you the States of that Realm for the alteration of Laws and Customs of that Countrey attempted by them Upon which Accord there made and concluded hath hitherto followed as you know surety to your Soveraignes State quietnesse to your selves and a better Peace betwixt both Realms then ever was heard of in any time past Neverthelesse how it happeneth we know not we can for she in her conceit thinketh her selfe Queen of both That your Soveraigne either not knowing in this part her owne felicity or else dangerously seduced by perverse Counsell whereof we are most sorry being of late at sundry times required by us according to her Bond with us signed with her own Hand and sealed with the great Seal of that Realme and allowed by you being the States of the same to ratifie the said Treaty in like manner as we by writing have done and are ready to deliver it to her who maketh such delatory answers thereunto as what we shall judge thereof we perceive by her answer That it is fit for us to require of you For although she hath alwayes answered since the death of her husband That in this matter she would first understand the mindes of certain of you before that she would make answer And so having now of long time suspended our expectation in the end notwithstanding that she hath had conference both by Messengers and by some of your selves being with her yet she still delayed it alleadging to our Ambassadour in France who said that this Treaty was made by your consents it was not by consent of you all and so would have us to forbear untill she shall returne into that her Countrey And now seeing this her answer depended as it should seem by her words upon your opinions we cannot but plainly let you all understand That this manner of answer without some more fruit cannot long content us We have meant well to our sister your Queen in time of offence given to us by her We did plainly without dissimulation charge her in her own doubtfull state while strangers possessed her Realme we stayed it from danger And now having promised to keep good Peace with her and with you her subjects we have observed it and shall be sorry if either she or you shall give us contrary cause In a matter so profitable to both
have retired himselfe and his Company But that morning he could not be wakened before it was ten hours and when he was upon his feet his spirits failed him by reason of his corpulency so that rightly a long time he could do nothing Some of his friends fearing the danger left him When that he looked upon both the Companies he said This great Company that approacheth neerest to us will do us no harme they are our friends I onely feare that small Company that stands on the hill side they are our enemies But we are enough for them if God be with us And when he had thus spoken he fell upon his knees and made his Prayer in this form O Lord I have been a blood-thirstie man and by my means hath much innocent blood been spilt But wilt thou give me Victory this day and I shall serve thee all the dayes of my life Note and observe good Reader he confesseth that he hath beene a blood-thirsty man and that he had been the cause of the shedding of much innocent blood but yet would he have had Victory And what was that else but to have had power to have shedded more and then would he have satisfied God for altogether wherein is expressed the nature of hypocrites which never fear nor love God further then present danger or profit perswadeth But to our History The Lesleyes Hayes and Forbisses espying the Earle of Murray and his to have lighted upon their feet and made forward against the Earle of Huntley and his who stood in Correthieburne some call it Farabanke But ere they approached nigh by the space of the shot of an Arrow they cast from them their Spears and long Weapons and fled directly in the face of the Earle of Murray and his Company The danger espied the Laird of Pittarrow a man both stout and of a ready wit with the Master after Lord Lyndsey and Tutor of Pitcur said Let us cast down Spears to the foremost and let them not come in amongst us for there is no doubt but this flying is but Treachery And so they did so that they that fled of Huntley seeing the Vaunt-guard flie said unto his Company Our friends are honest men they have kept promise Let us now encounter the rest And so he and his as sure of Victory marched forward The Secretary in few words made a vehement Oration and they willed every man to call upon his God to remember his duty and not to fear the multitude And in the end concluded thus O Lord thou that rulest the heaven and the earth look upon thy servants whose blood this day is most unjustly sought and to mans judgement are sold and betrayed our refuge is now unto thee and our hope is in thee Iudge thou O Lord betwixt us and the Earle of Huntlie and the rest of our enemies If ever we have justly sought his or their destruction and blood let us fall on the sword And O Lord if thou knowest our innocency maintain thou and preserve us for thy great mercies sake Shortly after the speaking of these and the like words the former Rank rejoyced for Huntlies Company made great haste They were repulsed by the Master of Lyndsay and the Companies of Fyfe and Angus some of them that had fled returned and followed the Earle of Murray but gave no stroke till that Huntlies Company gave back In the Front there was slain eighteen or four and twenty men and in the flying there fell 100. There were taken 100. and the rest were spared The Earl himselfe was taken alive his two sons Iohn aforesaid and Adam Gordon were taken with him The Earle immediately after his taking departed this life without any wound or yet appearance of any stroke whereof death might have ensued And so because it was late he was cast overthwart or upon a payre of Creilles and so was carried to Aberdeine and was laid in the Tolbuith thereof that that which his wives Witches had given might be fulfilled who all affirmed as the most part say That same night he should be in the Towne of Aberdeine without any wound upon his body When his Lady got knowledge thereof she blamed her principall Witch called Iannett but she stoutly defended her selfe as the devill can do and affirmed That she gave a true answer albeit she spake not all the truth for she knew that he should be there dead but that could not profit my Lady She was angry and sorry for a season But the devill the Masse and Witches have all great credit with her this day the twelfth of Iune 1566. as they had seven yeers agoe The Earle of Murray sent a Message unto the Queen of the marvellous Victory and humbly prayed her to shew that obedience to God as publikely to convene with them to give thanks unto God for his notable deliverance She glomed and frowned both at the Message and at the Request and scarcely would give a good word or blythe and merry countenance to any that she knew earnest favourers of the Earle of Murray whose prosperity was and yet is a very venome to her boldned heart For many dayes she bare no better countenance whereby it might have been easily espied That she rejoyced not greatly of the successe of that matter And albeit she caused to execute Iohn Gordon and divers others yet it was the destruction of others that she sought Upon the morrow after the discomfiture the Lady Forbesse a woman both wise and fearing God came amongst many others to visite the Corps of the said Earle and seeing him lie upon the cold stones having onely upon him a Doublet of Canvas a payre of Scotch gray Hose and him covered with an Arras work She said What stability shall we judge to be in this world There lieth he that yesterday in the morning was esteemed the wisest the richest and man of greatest power that was within Scotland And in very deed she lyed not for in mans opinion under a Prince there was not such a one these three hundred yeers in this Realme produced But felicity and worldly wisedom so blinded him that in the end he perished in them as shall all those that despight God and trust in themselves Iohn Gordon at his death confessed many horrible things devised by his father by his brother and by himself There were Letters found in the Earles pocket that disclosed the Treason of the Earle of Sutherland and of divers others Master Thomas Keir who before was the whole Councellor of the said Earle disclosed whatsoever he understood might hurt the Gordons and their friends and so Treason plainly disclosed which was That the Earle of Murray should have been murthered in Stragobie the Queen should have been taken and kept at the devotion of the said Earle of Huntley These things we say revealed the Queen left the North and came to Dundie Saint Iohnston Sterlin and then to Edinburgh The Earle of Huntleys body was
Idolatry shall be reputed a crime little inferiour to Treason God grant that we fall not farther And now I whom God of his mercy hath made one amongst many to travell in setting forward his true Religion within this Realme seeing the same in danger of ruine cannot but in conscience crave of you my brethren of all states that have professed the truth your presence comfort and assistance at the said day in the Town of Edinburgh even as ye tender the advancement of Gods glory the safety of your brethren and your own assurance together with the preservation of the Church in these appearing dangers It may be perchance that perswasions be made to the Countrey and that ye may be informed that either your assembly is not necessary or else that it will offend the upper Powers and my good hope is that neither flattery nor fear shall make you so farre to decline from Christ Jesus as that against your publike promise and solemne Band you will leave your Brethren in so just a cause and albeit there were no great danger yet cannot our Assembly be unprofitable for many things requiring consultation which cannot be had unlesse the wisest and godliest convene And thus doubting nothing of the assistance of our God if that we uniformly seek his glory I cease farther to trouble you committing you heartily to the protection of the Eternall JOHN KNOX From Edinburgh the eighth day of October 1563. THe Brethren advertised by this Letter prepared themselves so many as was thought expedient for every Towne and Province to keep the day appointed but by the means of some false brethren the Letter came to the hands of the Queene and the manner was this It was read in the Towne of Ayre where was present Master Robert Cunningham stiled Minister of Fâ—itfurd who then was holden a professor of the Evangell by what meanes we know not gat the said Letter and sent it with his token to Master Henry Sincleare then President of the Seat and Colledge of Justice stiled Bishop of Rosse a perfect Hypocrite and a conjured Enemie to Christ Jesus whom God after stroke according to his deservings The said Master Henry being Enemy to all that unfainedly professed the Lord Jesus but chiefly to Iohn Knox for the libertie of his Tongue for he had affirmed as ever still he doth affirme That a Bishop that receives profit and feeds not the Flock even by his owne labours is both a Thiefe and a Murtherer The said Master Henry we say thinking himselfe happie that he had found so good occasion to trouble him whose life he hated posted the said Letter with his counsell to the Queen who then lay in Sterlin The lettet being read it was concluded by the Councell of the Cabinet that is by the most secret Councell That it imported Treason whereof the Queen did not a little rejoyce for she thought once to be avenged of that her great Enemy It was concluded that the Nobilitie should be written for that the condemnation should have the greater Authoritie the day was appointed about the midst of December which was kept of the whole Councell and of divers others such as the Master of Maxwell the old Laird of Lethington and the said President In the meane time the Earle of Murray returned from the North to whom Secretary Lethington opened the matter as best pleased him The Master of Maxwell after made Lord Heris gave unto the said Iohn as it were a discharge of the familiaritie which before was great betwixt them unlesse that he would satisfie the Queen at her own will The answer of Iohn Knox was that he knew no offence done by him to the Queens Majestie and therefore he knew not what satisfaction to make No offence said he Have you not written Letters desiring the brethren from all parts to convene to Andro Armstrong and Patrick Cranstons That I grant said the other but therein I acknowledge no offence done by me No offence said he to convocate the Queens Leidges Not for a just cause said the other for greater things were reputed no offence within these two yeers The time said he is now other for then our Soveraigne was absent and now she is present It is neither the absence nor the presence of the Queen said he that rules my conscience but God plainly speaking in his Word what was lawfull to me the last yeer is yet lawfull because my God is unchangeable Well said the Master I have given you my counsell doe as you list but I think you shall repent it if you bow not unto the Queen I understand not said he what you meane I never made my selfe an adverse partie unto the Queens Majestie except in the point of Religion and thereunto I think you will not desire me to bow Well said he you are wise enough but you will not finde that men will beare with you in times to come as they have done in times by past If God stand my friend said the other as I am assured he of his mercy will so long as I depend upon his promise and preferre his glory to my life and worldly profit I little regard how men behave themselves towards me neither yet know I wherinto any one man hath born with me in times by-past unlesse it be that of my mouth they have heard the Word of God which in time to come if they refuse my heart will be perfect and for a season I will lament but the incommodity will be their owne And after these words hereunto the Laird of Lochinvar was witnesse they departed but unto this day the seventeenth day of December 1571. yea never in this life met they in such familiarity as before The bruit of the accusation of Iohn Knox being devulgate Master Iohn Spence of Condie Advocate a man of gentle nature and one that professed the doctrine of the Evangell came as it were in secret to Iohn Knox to enquire the cause of that great bruite to whom the said Iohn was plain in all things and shewed unto him the double of the Letter which heard and considered he said I thank God I came unto you with a fearfull and sorrowfull heart fearing that you had done such a Crime as Lawes might have punished which would have been no small trouble to the heart of all such as have received the Word of life which you have preached but I depart greatly rejoyced as well because I see your own comfort even in the midst of the troubles as that I clearly understand that you have committed no such Crime as you are bruited with you will be accused said he but God will assist you and so he departed The Earle of Murray and the Secretary sent for the said Iohn to the Clerk of the Registers house and began to lament that he had so highly offended the Queens Majestie for the which they feared should come a great inconvenience to him if the businesse were not wisely
as they could And as the preasse of people encreased about the Crosse there appeared to have beene some tumult The Provest Archibald Dowglas came with some Halberdiers and carried the Priest safe againe to the Tolbuith The Queen being advertised and having received sinister information that the Priest was dead suddenly thought to have used and inflicted some extreme punishment for she thought that all this was done in contempt of her and of her Religion and it was affirmed That the Towne should have beene sacked and a great number executed to death she sent to such as she pleased commanding them to come to her at Edinburgh suddenly with their whole Forces and in the mean time she sent her Advocate Master Spence of Condie to Edinburgh to take a sure triall of the matter The Provest and Councell wrote to the Queen the truth of the matter as it was desiring her Majestie to take the same in good part and not to give credit to false reports and therewith sent to her Majestie the Processe and enrolment of the Court of the Priest Conviet Thus the Queens Majesty being informed of the truth by her said Advocate sent againe and stayed the said meeting of men and sent to the Town a grave Letter whereof the Copie followeth ⧠The Queens Letter to the Provest Bailiffe and Councell of Edinburgh PRrovest Bayliffe and Councell of our Citie of Edinburgh We received your Letter from our Advocate and understand by this report what diligence you took to stay the Tumult in the late disorder attempted at Edinburgh wherein as you did your duty in suppressing the Tumult so can we not take in good part nor thinke our self satisfied of so notorious a thing without certain seditious persons who were pleased to do justice perforce and without the Magistrates Authoritie be condignly and really punished for their rashnesse and misbehaviour for if all private Persons should usurpe to take vengeance at their owne hands What lies in ours And to what purpose hath good Laws and Statutes been established Since therefore we have never been obstinate to the due punishment of any offendors prescribed by the Lawes but have alwayes maintained Iustice in that case without respect of persons It is Our will and We command you as you will answer to Us upon your obedience and allegiance That you will take before you certaine of the most responsall persons which are declared Authors of the said Sedition and usurpers of our Authority and to administer Iustice upon them in such sort as We may know a sinceritie on your parts and Our Authority no wayes slighted But if you faile perswade your selves and that shortly we will not oversee it but will account this Contempt not onely to be in the Committers thereof but in your selves who ought to punish it and relieve us on our part remitting the rest to your diligence and execution which we look for so soon as reason will permit Subscribed with Our Hand at STERLIN this 24 of April Anno 1565. BY this manner of writing and high threatning may be perceived how grievously the Queens Majestie would have been offended if the said Tarbot and Masse-monger had been handled according to his demerite being not onely a Papist Idolater but a manifest Whoremaster and a common Fighter and blasphemer neverthelesse within few dayes the Queen charged the Provest and Bailiffs to set him at libertie commanding them further That no man should trouble nor molest him in any sort for whatsoever cause and soon after rewarded him with a Benefice and likewise his Assisters Iohn Low and Iohn Kennedie set at libertie in the same manner At this Easter-Tyde in Sterlin the Queen made her domestick servants use Papisticall Rites and Ceremonies and more she perswaded others by faire means to do the same and threatned those that were most constant at the Earle of Cassels House Upon the second day of May 1565. conveened at Edinburgh the Earle of Murray with his friends in great numbers to keepe the day of Law against the Earle Bothwell who being called appeared not onely the Laird of Rickerton protested That the personall absence of the Earle Bothwell should not be prejudiciall to him by reason that for just fear which might happen in the heart of any man since he had so potent an enemy as the Lord of Murray who next the Queens Majesty was of greatest estimation and Authority of any man within this Realm to whom assisted at this present day of Law seven or eight hundred men which Force he could not resist and therefore had absented himself which Protestation being made those that had been Sureties for his appearance were Outlawed The said Earle Bothwell a few dayes after past into France after he had been in Liddesdale where suspecting almost every man he was not in great assurance of his life notwithstanding he was not put to the Horne for the Queen continually bore a great favour towards him and kept him to be a Souldier as appeared within lesse then half a year for she would not suffer the Lord Morton nor my Lord Ariskin my Lord of Murrayes great friends to keep the day There assisted my Lord of Murray the Earles of Argyle Glencarne and Crawford with great numbers and many Lords and Barons who for the most part conveened the same Afternoon to Treat and Consult for the maintaining of Religion where some Articles were devised and delivered to the Lord of Murray to be presented to the Queens Majestie and privie Councell which Articles were enlarged at the generall assembly following as shall be declared In the meane time as they were informed in Court of this great Assembly of people in Edinburgh they were affraid for naturally the Queen-hated and suspected all such Conventions as were not in her own presence and devised by her self The chief Counsellors in the Court were the Earls of Lenox and Athole The Queen writ incontinent for all the Lords to come to Sterlin so soone as she was advertised that they had Treated in Edinburgh of Religion She Writ likewise for the superintendants and other learned men who went thither and being there they caused to keep the Ports or Gates and make good Watch about the Towne The speciall cause of this Convention was to give to the Lord Darley Title of Honour openly and solemnly with consent of the Nobles before the marriage The fourth day of May the Earle of Murray came to Sterlin where he was well received by the Queens Majestie as appeared and immediately as he past with her to my Lord Darleys Chamber they presented to him a Contract containing in effect That forasmuch as or since the Queen had contracted Marriage with the Lord Darley and that therefore sundry Lords of the Nobilitie had under-written ratified and approved the same and obliged themselves to grant unto him in full Parliament the Crowne Matrimoniall by a new Court Solecisme in Policie the Crowne for the second time is sirnamed Matrimoniall before when
off their Enterprize till another time and had absolutely done so but God had ordained other wayes as the event did shew if the Queen and Bothwell could have had patience to stay at Dumbar for three or four dayes without any stirre but the Queen and Bothwell having gathered together about four or five thousand men trusting in their Force the Queen being puft up by Flatterers set forth and Marched towards Leith being come forward as farre as Glaidsmure she caused publike Proclamation against the aforesaid Lords calling them a number of Conspirators and that she now discerned their inward malice against her and her husband the Duke of Orkney for so now they called Bothwell After they had endeavoured to apprehend her and her Husband at Brothwick and had made a seditious Proclamation under pretence of seeking the revenge of the King her late husband and to free her from Captivity giving out That the Duke her husband had a minde to invade the Prince her Sonne all which was false for the Duke her Husband had used all means to clear himself both by a Legall way and by the offer of a Combate to any that did accuse him as they knew well enough As touching her captivity she was in none but was in company with her Husband unto whom she was publikely married in the view of the world and many of the Nobles had given their consent unto this her marriage As for the Prince her Sonne it was but a specious pretence to the Treason and Rebellion against her their naturall Soveraign and her Posterity which they intended to overthrow wherefore she declared her self necessitated to take Arms hoping that all her faithfull Subjects would adhere unto her and that those who were already assembled with her would with good hearts and hands stand to her defence and for the recompence of their valour they should have the Lands and goods of these unnaturall Rebels After this Proclamation the Army went on and the Queen that night came to Seaton where she lay About Midnight the Lords of Edinburgh were advertised of the Queens approach presently they took Arms and at the Sun rising they were at Muselburgh where they refreshed themselves with meat and rest The Queens Camp was not yet stirring About Midday the Scouts that the Lords had sent out brought word that the Enemy was Marching towards them presently they put themselves in two Battalia's the first was conducted by the Earle Morton and the Lord Hume the second by the Earls Athole Glencarne the Lords Lindsey Ruthuen Semple and Sancharmar with the Lairds Drumlanrick Tullibardin Cesfoord and Graunge with divers others their number was almost as great as the Queens their men better being many of them expert men that I say nothing of the Cause The Queen had gained a Hill called Carbarry which the Lords by reason of the steepnesse of the ascent could not well come at wherefore they wheeled about to get a more convenient place to go to the Hill where the Enemy was and to have the Sunne behinde them in the time of the sight At the first the Queen seeing their thus going about did imagine they were fleeing away to Dalketh but when she saw them come directly towards her she found her selfe deceived The French Ambassadour seeing them ready to fight strived to take up the businesse and having spoken with the Queen went to the Lords telling them that the Queene was disposed to peace and to forgive and pardon this Insurrection wherefore it was very fit to spare blood to agree in a peaceable way The Earle of Morton in the name of all rest answered That they had taken up Armes not against the Queen but against the murtherer of the King whom if she would deliver to be punished or at least put from her company she should finde a continuation of dutifull obedience by them and all other good subjects otherwise no peace Besides we are not to ask pardon for any offence done by us The Ambassadour seeing their resolution to stand to the right of their Cause withdrew and went to Edinburgh While the French Ambassadour was thus labouring for Accommodation Bothwell came out of the Camp which was in the Trench that the Englishmen had left at their last being in these places as was we have said in the former Books well mounted with a defie to any that would fight with him Iames Murray brother to the Laird of Tullibardin who before had accepted of Bothwells challenge when he made the Rodomontade at Edinburgh immediately after the Kings death but then Iames Murray did not make knowne his name Bothwell refused to fight with Iames Murray alleadging he was not his equall Upon this the Elder Brother William Murrey Laird of Tullibardin answered That he would fight with him as being his Better in Estate and in Antiquitie of House many degrees above him yet Bothwell refused him saying That he was not a Peer of the Kingdome as he was then sundry Lords would have gone to fight with Bothwell but the Lord Lindsey namely who said to the rest of the Lords and Gentlemen That he would take it as a singular favour of them and as a recompence of his service done to the State if they would suffer him to fight with the Braggadocio Bothwell seeing that there was no more subterfuge nor excuse under-hand made the Queen to forbid him After this challenge and answers Bothwells Complices and Followers were very earnest to fight but others that had come only for the Queens sake became little cold saying That Bothwell would do well to fight himself and spare the blood of divers Gentlemen that were there Some counselled to delay the Battell till the Hamiltons came whom they did expect All this the Queen heard with anger and riding up and down burst out in tears and said They were all cowards and traytors that would not fight Immediately after thus vapouring the Queen pereceiving sundry to leave her she advised Bothwell to look unto himself for she said to him She would render her self unto the Noble-men Upon this she sent for Iames Kirkaldie of Grange with whom she kept discourse for a while till that she was assured that Bothwell was out of danger Then she went to the Lords whom she did entertain with many fair words telling them That it was neither fear nor want of hope of victory that made her come unto them but a meer desire to spare shedding of innocent blood Withall she promised to be ruled and advised by them With this she was received with all respect But shortly after declaring that she would go to the Hamiltons with promise to return they restrained her liberty and brought her along with them to Edinburgh at night She was very slow in marching looking to be rescued by the Hamiltons but in vain She lay that night in the Provest his house The next day the Lords sent the Queen to the Castle that is within an Isle of Lochlevin Sir Iames
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
Jesus who hath revealed his Fathers Will to the world neither yet of the Apostles nor primitive Church as before is declared But it is a thing conspired among themselves to the end that their iniquity detestable life and Tyrannie may never be repressed nor reformed And if they Object That godly Emperours did grant and confirm the same I answer That the godlinesse of no man is or can be sufficient Authoritie to justifie a foolish and ungodly fact such I mean as God hath not allowed by his Word for Abraham was a godly man but the denyall of his Wife was such a fact as no godly man ought to imitate The same might I shew of David Hezekiah and Iosiah unto whom I think no man of judgement will preferre any Emperour since Christ in holinesse and wisdom and yet are not their facts no even such as appeared for good causes to be approved nor followed And therefore I say as errour and ignorance remain alwayes with the most perfect man in his life so must their works be examined by another rule then by their own holinesse if they shall be approved But if this Answer doth not suffice then will I answer more shortly That no godly Emperour since Christs Ascension hath granted any such priviledge to any such Church or person as they the whole generation of Papists be at this day I am not ignorant that some Emperours of a certain zeale and for some considerations granted liberties to the true Church afflicted for their maintenance against Tyrants but what serveth this for the defence of their Tyrannie If the Law must be understood according to the minde of the Lawgiver then must they prove themselves Christs true and afflicted Church before they can claim any priviledge to appertaine to them for onely to that Church were the priviledges granted it will not be their glorious Titles neither yet the long possession of the name that can prevail in this so weighty a Cause for all those had the Church of Ierusalem which did crucifie Christ and did condemne his Doctrine We offer to prove by their fruits and Tyrannie by the Prophets and plain Scriptures of God what trees and generation they be to wit unfruitfull and rotten apt for nothing but to be cut and cast into Hell fire yea that they are the very kingdome of Antichrist of whom we are commanded to beware Therefore my Lords to return to you seeing that God hath armed your hands with the sword of Justice seeing that his Law most straightly commandeth Idolaters and false Prophets to be punished with death and that you be placed above your Subjects to reigne as fathers over their Children and further seeing that not onely I but with me many thousand famous godly and learned persons accuse your Bishops and the whole rabble of the Papisticall Clergie of Idolatrie of Murther and Blasphemie against God committed It appertaineth to your Honours to bee vigilant and carefull in so weighty a matter The question is not of earthly substance but of the glory of God and of the Salvation of your selves and of your brethren subject to your charge in which if you after this plain admonition be negligent there resteth no excuse by reason of ignorance for in the name of God I require of you That the Cause of Religion may be tried in your presence by the plain and simple Word of God That your Bishops be compelled to desist from their Tyrannie That they be compelled to make answer for the neglecting of their Office for the substance of the poor which unjustly they usurp and prodigally they do spend but principally for the false and deceivable Doctrine which is taught and defended by their false Prophets flattering Friers and other such venomous Locusts Which thing if with single eyes yee do preferring Gods glory and the Salvation of your Brethren before all wordly Commoditie then shall the same God who solemnly doth pronounce to honour those that do honour him pour his benedictions plentifully upon you he shall be your Buckler protection and Captain and shall represse by his strength and wisdom whatsoever Satan by his supposts shall imagine against you I am not ignorant that great troubles shall ensue your enterprise for Satan will not be expelled from the possession of his usurped Kingdom without resistance But if you as is said preferring Gods glory to your own lives unfainedly seek and study to obey his blessed will then shall your deliverance be such as evidently it shall be known That the Angels of the Eternall do watch make war and fight for those that unfainedly fear the Lord. But if you refuse this my most reasonable and just Petition what defence that ever you appear to have before men then shall God whom in me you contemne refuse you he shall pour forth contempt upon you and upon your posterity after you the spirit of boldnesse and wisedome shall be taken from you your enemies shall raigne and you shall die in bondage yea God shall cut down the unfruitfull trees when they do appear most beautifully to flourish and shall so burne the root that after you shall neither twigge nor branch again spring to glory Hereof I need not to adduce unto you examples from the former ages and ancient histories For your brethren the Nobility of England are a mirrour and glasse in the which ye may behold Gods just punishment For as they have refused him and his Evangell which once in mouth they did professe so hath he refused them and hath taken from them the spirit of wisedom boldnesse and of counsell they see and feel their own misery and yet they have no grace to avoid it They hate the bondage of strangers the pride of Priests and the monstriferous Empire of a wicked woman and yet are they compelled to bow their necks to the yoke of the devill to obey whatsoever the proud Spaniards and misled Mary list to command and finally to stand like slaves with cap in hand till the servants of Satan the shaven sort call them to Councell This fruit do they reap and gather of their former rebellion and unfaithfulnesse towards God They are left confusen in their own counsells he whom in his members for the pleasure of a wicked woman they have exiled persecuted and blasphemed doth now laugh them to scorn suffereth them to be pined in bondage of most wicked men and finally shall judge them to the fire everlasting except that speedily and openly they repent their horrible Treason which against God against his Son Christ Jesus and against the Liberty of their own native Countrey they have committed The same plagues shall fall upon you be you assured if ye refuse the defence of his servants that call for your support My words are sharp but consider my Lords that they are not mine but that they are the threatnings of the Omnipotent who assuredly will perform the voices of his Prophets how that ever carnall men
to record in my conscience That I delivered the same bread that I received of Christs hands and that I mixed no poyson with the same that is I teached Christs Gospel without any mixture of mens dreames devises or phantasies But alas I did it not with such fervency with such indifferency and with such diligency as this day I know my duty was to have done Some complained in those dayes That the Preachers were undiscreet persons yea some called them raylers and worse because they spake against the manifest iniquity of men and especially of those that then were placed in Authority as well in Court as in other Offices universally thorowout the Realme both in Cities Towns and Villages And among others peradventure my rude plainnesse displeased some who did complain That rashly I did speak of mens faults so that all men might know and perceive of whom I meant But alas this day my conscience accuseth me That I spake not so plainly as my duty was to have done For I ought to have said to the wicked man expressely by his name Thou shalt die the death For I finde Ieremiah the Prophet to have done so to Pashur the high Priest and to Zedechiah the King And not onely he but also Elijah Elisha Michah Amos Daniel Christ Jesus himself and after him his Apostles expressely to have named the blood-thirsty tyrants abominable Idolaters and dissembling hypocrites of their dayes If that we the Preachers within the Realme of England were appointed by God to be the Salt of the earth as his other Messengers were before us Alas Why with-held we the Salt where manifest compunction did appear I accuse none but my selfe The blinde love that I did bear to this my wicked carkase was the chiefe cause that I was not fervent and faithfull enough in that behalfe For I had no will to provoke the hatred of all men against me And therefore so touched I the vices of men in the presence of the greatest that they might see themselves to be offenders I dare not say that I was the greatest flatterer But yet neverthelesse I would not be seen to proclaim manifest Warre against the manifest wicked Whereof unfainedly I ask my God mercy As I was not so fervent in rebuking manifest iniquity as it became me to have been So was I not so indifferent a feeder as is required of Christs Steward For in preaching Christs Gospel albeit mine eye as knoweth God was not much upon worldly promotion yet the love of friends and carnall affection of some men with whom I was most familiar allured me to make more residence in one place then in another having more respect to the pleasure of a few then to the necessity of many That day I thought I had not sinned if I had not been idle But this day I know it was my duty to have had consideration how long I had remained in one place and how many hungry souls were in other places to whom alas none took pain to break and distribute the bread of Life Moreover remaining in one place I was not so diligent as mine Office required but sometime by counsell of carnall friends I spared the body sometime I spent in worldly businesse of particular friends and sometime in taking recreation and pastime by exercise of the body And albeit men may judge these to be light and small offences yet I acknowledge and confesse That unlesse pardon should be granted to me in Christs blood that every one of these three offences aforenamed that is to say Lack of fervency in reproving sin The lack of indifferency in feeding those that were hungry And the lack of diligence in the execution of mine Office deserved damation And beside these I was assaulted yea infected and corrupted with more grosse sins that is My wicked nature desired the favours the estimation and praise of men against which albeit that sometime the Spirit of God did move me to fight and earnestly did stir me God knoweth I lye not to sob and lament for those imperfections yet never ceased they to trouble me when any occasion was offred And so privily and craftily did they enter into my brest that I could not perceive my self to be wounded till vain-glory had almost gotten the upper hand O Lord be mercifull to my great offence and deal not with me according to my great iniquity but according to the multitude of thy mercies remove from me the burthen of my sin for of purpose and minde to have avoided the vain displeasure of man I spared little to offend thy Majestie Think not beloved in the Lord That thus I accuse my selfe without just cause as though in so doing I might appear more holy or that yet I do it of purpose and intent by occasion thereof to accuse others of my brethren the true Preachers of Christ of like or greater offences No God is Judge to my conscience That I do it even from an unfained and sore troubled heart as I that know my selfe grievously to have offended the Majesty of my God during the time that Christs Gospel had free passage in England And this I do let you understand That the taking away of the heavenly Bread and this great tempest that now bloweth against the poor disciples of Christ within the Realme of England as touching our part cometh from the great mercy of our heavenly Father to provoke us to unfained repentance for that neither Preacher nor Professor did rightly consider the time of our mercifull Visitation But altogether so we spent the time as though Gods Word had been Preached rather to satisfie our fantasies then to reforme our evill manners Which thing if we earnestly repent then shall Jesus Christ appear to our comfort be the storm never so great Haste O Lord for thy Names sake The second thing that I finde to be noted is The vehemency of the fear which the disciples endured in that great danger being of longer continuance then ever they had at any time before In Saint Matthewes Gospel it appeareth That another time there arose a great stormy Tempest and sore tossed the Boat wherein Christs disciples were labouring But that was nigh the day light and then they had Christ with them in the Ship whom they awaked and cryed for help unto him for at that time he slept in the Boat and so were shortly delivered from their sudden fear But now were they in the midst of the raging Sea and it was night and Christ their Comforter absent from them and cometh not to them neither in the first second nor third Watch What fear think ye were they in And what thoughts arose out of their so troubled hearts during that storm Such as this day be in like danger within the Realme of England doth by this storm better understand then my pen can expresse But of one thing I am well assured That Christs presence would in that great
Word from the whole Realme of England But be thou mindefull O Lord that it is thy Truth which we have professed and that thy enemies blasphemeth thy holy Name and our Profession without Cause Thy holy Gospel is called heresie and we are accused as traytors for professing the same Be mercifull therefore O Lord and be salvation unto us in this time of our anguish Albeit our sins accuse and condemne us yet do thou according to thine own Name We have offended against thee Our sins and iniquities are without number and yet art thou in the midst of us O Lord albeit that tyrants bear rule over our bodies yet thirsteth our souls for the comfort of thy Word Correct us therefore but not in thy hot displeasure spare thy people and permit not thine inheritance to bâ— in rebuke for ever Let such O Lord as now are most afflicted yet once againe praise thy holy Name before thy Congregation Represse the pride of those blood-thirsty Tyrants consume them in thine anger according to the reproach which they have laid against thy holy Name Pour forth thy vengeance upon them and let our eyes behold the blood of thy Saints required of their hands Delay not thy vengeance O Lord but let death devour them in haste Let the earth swallow them up and let them go downe quick to the hells For there is no hope of their amendment the feare and reverence of thy holy Name is quite banished from their hearts and therefore yet again O Lord consume them consume them in thine anger and let them never bring their wicked counsells to effect but according to the godly powers let them be taken in the snare which they have prepared for thine elect Look upon us O Lord with the eyes of thy mercy and shew pity upon us thy weak and sore oppressed Flock Gather us yet once again to the wholesome treasures of thy most holy Word that openly we may confesse thy blessed Name within the Realme of England Grant this O heavenly Father for Christ Iesus thy sons sake Amen If on this manner or otherwise as God shall put in our hearts without hypocrisie in the presence of our God respecting more his glory then our private wealth continually we poure forth our complaint confession and prayers Then so assuredly as our God liveth and as we feel these present troubles shall our God himself rise to our defence he shall confound the counsels of our enemies and trouble the wits of such as most wrongfully troubleth us He shall send Jesu to execute his just judgments against Idolators and against such as obstinately defendeth them Yea the chiefe men of our times shall not escape the vengeance and plagues that are prepared for their portion The flatterers and maintainers of her abominations shall drink the cup of Gods wrath And in despite of the Devill shall yet the glory of Christ Jesus and the brightnesse of his countenance so shine in our hearts by the presence of his grace and before our eyes by the true preaching of his Gospel that altogether we shall fall before him and say O Lord thou art our God we shall extoll thee and shall confesse thy Name for thou â—ast brought wonderous things to passe according to thy counsels which albeit appear to be farre off yet are they true and most assured Thou hast brought to ruine the palaces of tyrants and therefore shall the afflicted magnifie thee and the City of tyrannicall Nations shall fear thee Thou hast been O Lord a strong defence to the poor a sure place of refuge to the afflicted in the time of his anguish This no doubt dear Brethren shall one day be the song of Gods Elect within the Realm of England after that God hath poured forth his vengeance upon these disobedient and blood-thirsty tyrants which now triumpheth in all abominations and therefore yet again beloved in the Lord Abide patiently the Lords deliverance avoyding and flying such offences as may separate and divide you from the blessed felloâ—ship of the Lord Jesus at his second comming Watch and pray resist the â—ivell and row against this vehement tempest and shortly shall the Lord come to the comfort of your hearts which now are oppressed with anguish and care but then shall ye so rejoyce that through gladnesse you shall say Behold this our God we have waited upon him and he hath saved us This is our Lord we have long thirsted for his comming now shall we rejoyce and be glad in his salvation Amen The great Bishop of our souls Jesus our Lord so strengthen and assist your troubled hearts with the mighty comfort of his Holy Ghost that earthly tyrants nor worldly torments have no power to drive you from the hope and expectation of that Kingdom which for the Elect was prepared from the beginning by our heavenly Father to whom be all praise and honour now and ever Amen Remember me dear Brethren in your daily prayers The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen Yours with sorrowfull heart JOHN KNOX The Copie of A LETTER Delivered To Queen Mary Regent OF SCOTLAND FROM IOHN KNOX Minister of Gods Word in the yeer of our Lord 1556. and thereafter augmented and explained by the Author in the yeer of our Lord 1558. To the most Excellent Princesse MARY DOVVAGER Regent of Scotland MADAME THE cause which moved me to present this my Supplication unto your Majestie enlarged and in some places explained being in the Realm of Scotland in the Moneth of May 1556. I caused to be presented to your Majesty is the incredible rage of such as beare the Title of Bishops who against all justice and equitie have pronounced against me a most cruell sentence condemning my Bodie to Fire my Soul to Damnation and all Doctrine taught by me to be false deceivable and Hereticall If this injury did tend to me alone having the testimony of a good conscience with silence I could passe the matter being assured that such as they curse and expell their Synagogues for such causes shall God blesse and Christ Jesus receive in his eternall societie But considering that this their blasphemy is vomited forth against the eternall Truth of Christs Evangell whereof it hath pleased the great mercy of God to make me a Minister I cannot cease to notifie as well to your Majestie as to them That so little am I afraid of their Tyrannicall and surmised sentence that in place of the Picture if God impede not my purpose they shall have the Body to justice that Doctrine which they Members of Satan blasphemously do condemne Advertising your Majestie in the mean time That from them their sentence and tyrannie and from all those that lift to maintain them in the same I do appeal to a lawfull and generall Councel beseeching your Majesty to take in good part that I call you for witnesse that I have required the libertie of
who so mercifully ruled in the midst of them The temptation no doubt of the Israelites was great in those dayes They were carried captives from the Land of Canaan which was to them the gage and pledge of Gods favour towards them for it was the inheritance that God promised to Abraham and to his seed for ever The League and Covenant of Gods Protection appeared to have been broken They lamentably complain That they saw not their accustomed signes of Gods mercifull presence The true Prophets were few and the abominations used in Babylon were exceeding many And so it might have appeared to them That in vain it was that they were called the Posterity of Abraham or that ever they had received the Law or Forme of right Religion from God That we may the better feel it in our selves the temptation I say was even such as if God should utterly destroy all Order and Policie that this day is within his Church that the true preaching of the Word should be suppressed The right use of Sacraments abolished Idolatry and Papisticall abomination erected up again And therewith That our bodies should be taken prisoners by Turks or other manifest enemies of God and of all godlinesse Such I say was their temptation How notable then is this their confession that in bondage they make to wit That they will remember God onely albeit he hath appeared to turn his face from them They will remember his name and will call to minde the deliverance promised Hereof have we to consider what is our duty If God bring us as for our offences and unthankfulnesse justly he may to the like extremity This confession is not the fair flattering words of hypocrites lying and bathing in their pleasures but it is the mighty operation of the Spirit of God who leaveth not his own destitute of some comfort in their most desperate calamities This is then our duty not onely to confesse our God in time of peace and quietnesse but he chiefly craveth that we avow him in the midst of his and our enemies And this is not in us to do but it behoveth That the Spirit of God work in us above all power of nature And thus we ought earnestly to meditate before the battell rise more vehement which appeareth not to be far off But now must we enter in somewhat more deeply to consider these judgements of God This people dealt with all as we have heard was the onely people upon the face of the Earth to whom God was rightly known among them onely were his Laws Statutes Ordinances and Sacrifices used and put in practise They onely invocated his Name and to them alone had he promised his protection and assistance What then should be the cause that he should give them over into this great reproach and bring them into such extremity as his own name in them should be blasphemed The Prophet Ezekiel that saw this horrible destruction forespoken by Isaiah put in just execution giveth an answer in these words I gave unto them Laws that were good in the which Whosoever should walk should live in them But they would not walk in my wayes but rebelled against me And therefore I have given unto them Laws that are not good and Iudgements in the which they shall not live The Writers of the Books of Kings and Chronicles declare this in more plain words saying The Lord sent unto them his Prophets rising early desiring of them to return unto the Lord and to amend their wicked wayes for he would have spared his people and his Tabernacle but they mocked his servants and would not return unto the Lord their God to walk in his wayes Yea Iudah it self kept not the precepts of the Lord God but walked in the Manners and Ordinances of Israel That is Of such as then had declined to Idolatry from the dayes of Ieroboam And therefore the Lord God abhorred the whole seed of Israel that is The whole body of the people he promised them and gave them into the hands of those that spoiled them and so he cast them out from his presence Hereof it is evident That their disobedience unto God and unto the voices of his Prophets was the cause of their destruction Now have we to take heed how we should use the good Laws of God that is his Will revealed unto us in his Word and that Order of Justice that by him for the comfort of man is established amongst men It is no doubt but that obedience is the most acceptable sacrifice unto God and that which above all things he requireth That when he manifesteth himselfe by his word that men follow according to their vocation and commandment Now so it is that God by that great Pastor our Lord Jesus now manifestly in his word calleth us from all impiety as well of body as of mind to holinesse of life and to his spirituall service And for this purpose he hath erected the throne of his mercy among us the true preaching of his word together with the right administration of his Sacraments But what is our obedience let every man examine his own conscience and consider what statutes and lawes we would have to be given unto us Wouldst thou O Scotland have a King to raign over thee in justice equity and mercy subject thou thy selfe to the Lord thy God obey his commandments and magnifie thou that word that calleth unto thee This is the way walke into it and if thou wilt not flatter not thy self the same justice remaineth this day in God to punish thee Scotland and thee Edinburgh in especiall that before punished the land of Iuda and the City of Ierusalem Every Realm or Nation saith the Prophet Ieremy that likewise offendeth shall be likewise punished But if thou shalt see impiety placed in the seat of justice above thee so that in the Throne of God as Salomon doth complain raigneth nothing but fraud violence accuse thy own ingratitude and rebellion against God for that is the only cause why God taketh away as the same Prophet in another place doth speak the strong man and the man of war the Judge and the Prophet the prudent and the aged the Captain and the honourable the Counsellor and the cunning Artificer And I will appoint saith the Lord children to be their Princes and babes shall rule over them Children are extortioners of my people and women have rule over them If these calamities I say apprehend us so that we see nothing but the oppression of good men and of all godlinesse and wicked men without God to reigne above us Let us accuse and condemn our selves as the onely cause of our own miseries For if we had heard the voyce of the Lord our God given upright obedience unto the same God should have multiplyed our peace should have rewarded our obedience before the eyes of the world But now let us hear what the Prophet saith further
now O would God that the Nobility should yet consider The first of the Nobility The constant request of the Protestants of Scotland Note the duty of Noblemen Note Probation against the Papists Against such as under colour of authority persecute their brethren Difference betwixt the person and the Authority Note Note diligently Pharaoh his fact Note The fact of King Saul The second sort of the Nobility Note Let both the one part and the other judge if God have not justified the cause of the innocents From whence this courage did proceed the issue did declare Note The Earle of Glencarne his resolution Speakers sent by the Queene to S. Iohnston Note the answer The false suggestion of the Queen Regent Let the Papists rather ambitious Romanists judge The diligence of the Earle of Glencarne and of the brethren of the wast for the relief of S. Iohnston The Petition of the Protestants for the rendering of S Iohnston The answer of the Earle of Argyle and L. Iames Prior of S. Andrews The promise of the foresaid Note 1559 The first slaughter at the entry of the French-men Idolatry erected against the appointment Against the appointment the second time Second answer of the Queen Regent The third anâ—wer The departure of the Earle of Argyle and Lord Iames from the Queen Regent The answer the Earle of Argyle The Bishops good minde towards Iohn Knox. Iohn Knox his answer to the Lords and the rest of the brethren The Reformation of S. Audrews For the old Earle of Argyle was dead Cowper-Moore M. Gawin Hamiltons Vow First answer at Cowper-moore The second answer The delivery of S. Iohnston The summoning of S. Iohnston Communing at S. Iohnston Huntly The Bishop of Murray The destruction of Scone The cause of the burning of Scone Speaking of an ancient matron when Scone was burning The taking of Stirlin Lord Shaton The coming of the Congregaon to Edinburg Let the Reader marke how this agrees with our time The third Letter to the Queen Regent The craftines of the Queen Regent may yet be espied 1559. Accusations Mark the craftie calumnies The communing at Preston The demand of the Queen Regent and answer of the Protestants The last offers of the Protestants to the Q. Regent The scoffing of the Queen Regent Note The death of Henry King of France Note how this agrees with our times Answer to the calumnie Note Nobles Leith left us the congregation The Lord Erskin and his fact In contemplation of these Articles arose this proverb Good day Sir John till Ianury Welcome Sir John till Ianuary Note The promise of the Duke and Earle of Huntly Answer to thâ— complaint of the Papists The third Bond of mutuall defence at Sterlin Note â—he first knowledge of the escaping of the Eâ—rle of Arran out of France Let this be noted The just reward of the Duâ—e for leaving God Brags â—now Note Note Note The residence of Iohn Willock in Edinburg Note The Queen Regents malice against poore men Note The practise of the Queen Regent See how this agreeth with our times The arrivall of th French Note The division of the Lords lands by the French How like to the Proclâ—mations of our times this is let the Reader judge Let the Bishop of Amians Letters and Monsieur de la Brosse Letters written to France witnesse that Confer this with our times Few dayes after declareth the truth of this Confer this with our times Let the Nobility judge hereof Let Sir Robert Richardson and others answer to this See how this agrees with our times The cause of the Frenchmens coming with wives and children Note A proverbe Note The doctrine of our Preachers concerning obedience to be given to Magistrates Let such as this day live witnesse what God hath wrought since the writing and publication hereof Note The Prophets have medled with policy and have reproved the corruptions thereof The coming of the Earle of Arran to Scotland and his joyning with the Congregation Letters to the Queen Regent The Petition of la Brosse The answer Note The tyranny of the French Note how this agrees with our times Note Let this be noted O craâ—ty flatterâ—r Note Elizabeth was come to the crown of England the yeere before by the death of Mary False lying tongue God hath confounded thee God hath purged his people of that false accusation Note The avarice of those of Loraine and Guise Note The title that the Queen hath or had to Leith The Laird of Lestarrig sup riour to Leith Note Note diligently The wickednesse of the Bishops The cause that Broughtie Craig was taken Let all men judge The Dukes answer Note Note Note The quarrell betwixt Frauce and the Congregation of Scotland The Lord Seaton unworthy of Regiment Optimâ— collatio Let the Papists judge if God hath not given judgement to the displeasure of their hearts Note The causes that moved the Nobility of this Realme to oppose the Q. Regent The sâ—me minde remaineth to this day This promise was forgot and therefore God plagued Wha spirit could have hoped for victory in so desperate dangers Note Note how calumnies prevail upon the world for a time Now the Duke seeing the Queens partie decline and the Protestant party grow strong he once more changeth the profession of his Religion and joyneth with the Protestants as strongest How true this is the whole and constant course of the family can tell Let this be noted and let all men judge of the purpose of the French and how good and wise Patriots they wâ—re who sold our Soveraign to France for their private profit and they by name were 〈◊〉 Hamiltons The order of the suspension of the Queen Regent from Authority within Scotland The discourse of Iohn Willock The causes The judgment of Iohn Knox in the deposition of the Queen Regent Let no man then for privat ends and by-wayes do any thing against their Prince â—nder preâ—ence of the publike 1559 The enormities committed by the Queen Regent Her daughter followed the same for to Davie was delivered the Great Seal Note Note Note Note All done in the Soveraignâ— Name as they do now a-dayâ— Note Treason among the counsell The Duke and his friends fearfull The ungodly Souldiers The Queenâ— Regents practises The fact of the councell The treason of Iohn 〈◊〉 Note the kindnesse of the English in need The E. Bothweâ—l false in promise and his treasonable fact Note The first departing of the Congregation The cruelty of the French Note this diligently The Earle of Argyle Lord Robert Stewart The Castle shot one Shot The Queen Regents rejoycing and unwomanly behaviour The counsel of the Master of Maxwell The last discâ—mâ—â—tuâ—e upon Munday The death of Alexander Haliburnton Captaine How and why William Maitland left Leith The Lord Erskin declared himself enemy to the Congregation The despight of the Papists of Edinburgh The worst is not yet come upon our enemies Note Note Note diligently Note Specialiâ— Applicatio Let Scotland
standeth my singular comfort this day when I hear that those bloody tyrants within the Realme of England doth kill murther destroy and devour man and woman as ravennous Lions now loosed from bonds I lift up therefore the eyes of mine heart as my iniquity and present dolour will suffer and to my heavenly Father will I say O Lord those cruell tyrants are loosed by thy hand to punish our former ingratitude whom we trust thou wilt not suffer to prevail for ever but when thou hast corrected us a little and hast declared unto the world the tyranny that lurked in their boldned brests then wilt thou break their jaw-bones and wilâ— shut them up in their caves again that the generation and posterity following may praise thy holy Name before thy Congregation Amen When I feel any taste or motion of these promises then think I my self most happy and that I have received a just compensation albeit I and all that to me in earth belongeth should suffer present death knowing that God shall yet shew mercy to his afflicted Church within England and that he shall represse the pride of these present tyrants like as he hath done of those that were before our dayes And therefore beloved brethren in our Saviour Jesus Christ hold up to God your hands that are fainted through fear and let your hearts that have in these dolorous dayes sleeped in sorrow awake and hear the voyce of your God who sweareth by himself That he will not suffer his Church to be oppressed for ever neither that he will despise our sobâ— to the end if we will row and strive against this vehement winde I mean if that ye will not run back headlong to Idolatry then shall this storm be asswaged in despight of the devill Christ Jesus shall come with speed to your deliverance he shall pierce thorow the winde and the raging Seas shall obey and bear his feet and body as the massie stable and dry land Be not moved from the sure foundation of your faith For albeit that Christ Jesus be absent from you as he was from his disciples in that great storme by his bodily presence yet is he present by his mighty power and grace He standeth upon the mountain in security and rest that is his flesh and whole humanity is now in heaven and can suffer no such trouble as sometimes he did And yet he is full of pity and compassion and doth consider all our travell anguish and labours wherefore it is not to be doubted but that he will suddenly appear to our great comfort The tyranny of this world cannot keep back his coming more then the blustering winde and raging Seas lett Christ to come to his disciples when they looked for nothing but present death And therefore yet again I say beloved in the Lord Let your hearts attend to the promises that God hath made unto true repentant sinners and be fully perswaded with a constant faith That God is alwayes true and just in his performance of his promises You have heard these dayes spoken of very plainly when your hearts could fear no danger because you were nigh the land and the storm was not yet risen that is Ye were young Scholars of Christ when no persecution was felt or seen But now ye are come into the midst of the Sea for what part of England heard not of your profession and the vehement storm whereof we then almost in every Exhortation spake of is now suddenly risen up But what Hath God brought you so far forth that you shall both in souls and bodies every one perish Nay my whole trust in Gods mercy and truth is to the contrary For God brought not his people into Egypt and from thence thorow the Red Sea to the intent they should perish but that he in them should shew a most glorious deliverance Neither sent Christ his Apostles into the middest of the Sea and suffering the storm to assault them and their Ship to the intent they should there perish but because he would the more have his great goodnesse towards them felt and perceived in so mightily delivering them out of the fear of perishing giving us thereby an example that he would do the like to us if we abide constant in our profession and saith with-drawing our selves from superstition and idolatry We gave you warning of these dayes long ago For the reverence of Christs Blood let these words be noted The same Truth that spake before of these dolorous dayes forespake also the everlasting joy prepared for such as should continue to the end The trouble is come O dear brethren look for the comfort and after the example of the Apostle abide in resisting this vehement storm a little space The third Watch is not yet ended remember that Christ Jesus came not to his disciples till it was the fourth Watch and they were then in no lesse danger then you be now for their faith fainted and their bodies were in danger But Christ Jesus came when they looked not for him and so shall he do to you if you will continue in the profession that you have made This dare I be bold to promise in the Name of him whose Eternall Verity and glorious Gospel ye have heard and received who also putteth into my heart an earnest thirst God knoweth I lie not of your salvation and some care also for your bodies which now I will not expresse Thus shortly have I passed thorow the outragious tempest wherein the disciples of Christ were tempted after that the great multitude were by Christ fed in the desert omitting many profitable Notes which might well have been marked in the Text because my purpose is at this present not to be tedious nor yet curious but only to note such things as be agreeable to these most dolorous dayes And so let us now speak of the end of this storm and trouble in which I finde four things chiefly to be noted First That the disciples at the presence of Christ were more afraid then they were before Secondly That Christ useth no other instrument but his Word to pacific their hearts Thirdly That Peter in a fervency first left his Ship and yet after feared Fourthly and lastly That Christ permitted neither Peter nor the rest of his disciples to perish in that fear but gloriously delivered all and pacified the Tempest Their great fear and the cause thereof are expressed in the Text in these words When the disciples saw him walking upon the Sea they were afraid saying It is a Spirit and they cryed through fear It is not my purpose in this Treatise to speak of spirits nor yet to dispute Whether spirits good or bad may appear and trouble men Neither yet to enquire Why mans nature is afraid of spirits and so vehemently abhorreth their presence and company But my purpose is onely to speak of things necessary for this time And first let us consider
that there was three causes why the disciples knew not Christ but judged him to be a spirit The first cause was The darknesse of the night The second was The unaccustomed vision that appeared And the third was The danger and the tempest in which they so earnestly laboured for the safeguard of their selves The darknesse I say of the night letted their eyes to see him And it was above nature that a massie heavy and weighty body of a man such as they understood their Master Christ to have should walk go upon or be born up of the water of the raging Sea and not sink And finally the horrour of the tempest and great danger that they were in perswaded them to look for none other but certainly to be drowned And so all these three things concurring together confirmed in them this imagination That Christ Iesus who came to their great comfort and deliverance was a fearfull and wicked spirit appearing to their destruction What here happened to Christ Jesus himself that I might prove to have chanced and daily to happen to the verity of his blessed Word in all ages from the beginning For as Christ himself in this their trouble was judged and esteemed by his disciples at the first sight a spirit or phantasticall body so is the Truth and sincere Preaching of his glorious Gospel sent by God for mans comfort deliverance from sin and quietnesse of conscience when it is first offered and truely preached it is I say no lesse but judged to be heresie and deceivable doctrine sent by the devill to mans destruction The cause hereof is the dark ignorance of God which in every age since the beginning so overwhelmed the world that sometimes Gods very Elect were in like blindenesse and errour with the reprobate As Abraham was an Idolater Moses was instructed in all the wayes of the Egyptians Paul a proud Pharisee conjured against Christ and his Doctrine And many in this same our age when the Truth of God was offered unto them were sore afraid and cryed against it onely because the dark clouds of ignorance had troubled them before But this matter I omit and let passe till more opportunity The chief Note that I would have you well observe and mark in this preposterous fear of the disciples is this The more nigh deliverance and salvation approacheth the more strong and vehement is the temptation of the Church of God And the more nigh that Gods vengeance approacheth to the wicked the more proud cruell and arrogant are they Whereby it commonly cometh to passe That the very messengers of life are judged and deemed to be the authors of all mischief And this in many histories is evident When God had appointed to deliver the afflicted Israelites by the hand of Moses from the tyranny of the Egyptians and Moses was sent to the presence of Pharaoh for the same purpose such was their affliction and anguish by the cruelty which newly was exercised over them that with open mouthes they cursed Moses and no doubt in their hearts they hated God who sent him alleadging That Moses and Aaron was the whole cause of their last extreme trouble The like is to be seen in the Book of the Kings both under Elisha and Isaiah the Prophets For in the dayes of Ioram sonne of Achab was Samaria besieged by the King of Syria In which Samaria no doubt albeit the King and the most multitude were wicked there was yet some members of Gods Elect Church which were brought to such extreme famine that not onely things of small price were sold beyond all measure but also women against nature were compelled to eat their own children In this same City Elisha the Prophet most commonly was most conversant and dwelt by whose counsell and commandment no doubt the City was kept For it appeareth the King to lay that to his charge when he hearing of the piteous complaint of the woman who for hunger had eaten her own son rent his clothes with a solemne Oath and vow That the head of Elisha should not stand upon his shoulders that day If Elisha had not been of counsel That the city should have been kept Why should the King have more fumed against him then against others But whether he was the author of the defending the City or not all is one to my purpose for before the deliverance was the Church in such extremity that the chief Pastor of that time was sought to be killed by such as should have defended him The like is read of Hezekiah who defending his City Ierusalem and resisting proud Sennacherib no doubt obeying the counsell of Isaiah at length was so oppressed with sorrow and shame by the blasphemous words of Rabshakeh that he had no other refuge but in the Temple of the Lord as a man desperate and without comfort to open the disdainfull letters sent unto him by that hauty and proud tyrant By these and many Histories mo it is most evident that the more nigh salvation and deliverance approacheth the more vehement is the temptation and trouble This I writ to admonish you that albeit yet you shall see tribulation so abound that nothing shall appear but extreme misery without all hope of comfort that yet you decline not from God And that albeit somtimes ye be moved to hate the messengers of life that therefore ye shall not judge that God will never shew mercy after No deare Brethren as he hath dealt with others before you so will he deal with you God will suffer tribulation and dolour abound that no manner of comfort shall be seen in man to the intent that when deliverance commeth the glory may be his whose onely word may pacifie the tempest most vehement He drowned Pharaoh and his Army He scattered the great multitude of Benadad And by his Angel killed the hoste of Sennacharib And so delivered his afflicted when nothing appeared to them but utter destruction So shall he do to you beloved Brethren if patiently ye will abide his consolation and counsell God open your eyes that ye may rightly understand the meaning of my writing Amen But yet peradventure you wonder not a little why God permitteth such blood thirsty tyrants to molest and grieve his chosen Church I have recited some causes before and yet more I could recite but at this time I will hold me content with one The justice of God is such that he will not poure forth his extreme vengeance upon the wicked unto such time as their iniquity be so manifest that their very flatterers cannot excuse it Pharaoh was not destroyed till his own houshold servants and subjects abhorred and condemned his stubborn disobedience Iesabel and Athalia were not thrust from this life into death till all Israel and Juda were witnesses of their cruelty and abominations Iudas was not hanged till the Princes of the Priests bare witnesse of his Traiterous Act and iniquitie To
tongue and my Cause to be heard before your Majestie and the Body of the Realm before that any such Processe was laid against me as this my Letter directed to your Majesty doth testifie The beginning of the Letter THE Eternall Providence of the same God who hath appointed his chosen Children to fight in this transistory and wretched life a battell strong and difficile hath also appointed their finall victory by a marvellous fashion and the manner of their preservation in their battell more marvellous their victory standeth not in resisting but in suffering as our Soveraign Master pronounceth to his Disciples that in patience they should possesse their soules And the same foresaw the Prophet Esay when that he painteth forth all other battell to be with violence tumult and blood-shedding but the victory of Gods people to be in quietnesse silence and hope meaning that all others that obtain victorie do enforce themselves to resist their adversaries to shed bloood and to murther But so do not the Elect of God but all things they sustain at the commandment of him who hath appointed them to suffer being most assuredly perswaded that then onely they triumph when all wen judge them oppressed For in the Crosse of Christ alwayes is included a secret and hid victory never well known till the sufferer appear all together to be as it were exterminate for then onely did the blood of Abel crie to God when proud Cain judged all memory of his brother to have been extinguished and so I say their victory is marvellous and how that they can be preserved and not brought to utter confusion the eye of man perceiveth not But he whose power is infinite by secret and hid motions toucheth the hearts of such as to mans judgment hath power to destroy them with very pietie and compassion to save his people as in times past he did the hearts of the Egyptian Midwives to preserve the men-children of the Israelites when command was given of Pharoah for their destruction The heart of Pharaohs daughter likewise to pitty Moses in his young infancy exposed to the danger of the waters The heart of Nabuchadnezzar to preserve the Captives alive and liberally to nourish the Children that were found apt to Letters And finally The heart of Cyrus to set at liberty the people of God after long bondage and thraldome And thus doth the invisible power and love of God manifest it self towards his Elect from time to time for two causes specially First to comfort his weake warriers in their manifold temptations letting them understand That he is able to compell such as sometimes were enemies to his people to fight their Cause and to promote their deliverance And secondarily to give a testimony of his favour to them that by all appearance did lâ—ve before as Saint Paul speaketh wanting God in the world as strangers from the Common-wealth of Israel and without the league of his mercifull promise and free grace mâ—de to his Church For who would have affirmed That any of these persons aforenamed had been of that nature and clemency before occasions were offered unto them But the works of mercie shewed to the afflicted have left to as assurance That God used them as vessels of his honour For pitie and mercie shewed to Christs afflicted flock as they never lacked reward temporall so if they be continued and be not changed into crueltie are assured signes and seales of everlasting mercy to be received from God who by his Holy Spirit moveth their heats to shew mercy to the people of God oppressed and afflicted Addition THis Preface I used to give your Majestie occasion more deeply to consider what hath been the condition of Christs Members from the beginning that in so doing ye might see That it is no new thing that the Saints of God be oppressed in the word that ye moved by earnest contemplation of the same might also study rather to save them from murder although by the wicked councels of many ye were provoked to the contrary then to engage your self to the corrupt Clergie who are servants to sinne and Sathan whose fury is bent against God and his verity But this after followeth in our Let-which thus proceedeth Letter YOur Majestie perchance doth wonder to what purpose these things be recited and I in very deed cannot wonder enough that occasion is offered to me a worme most wretched to recite the same at this present for I have looked rather for the sentence of death then to have written to your Majestie in these last and most wicked dayes in which Sathan so blindeth the hearts of many that innocents are condemned their Cause never tried Addition HEreof ye cannot be ignorant For besides these whom ye hear from time to time most cruelly to be murthered in France Italy Spaine Flanders and now of late yeers besides you in England for no other cause but that they professe Christ Jesus to be the onely Saviour of the world The onely Mediator betwixt God and man The onely Sacrifice acceptable for the sins of all faithfull and finally The onely Head to his Church Besides these I say of whom ye hear the brute ye have been witnesse That some within the Realm of Scotland for the same cause most cruelly have been murthered whose cause was never heard with indifferency But murtherers sitting in the Seat of Justice have shed the blood of Christs true Witnesses which albeit did then appear to be consumed away with fire yet it is resent in the presence of him for whose cause they did suffer and ceaseth not to call for vengeance with the blood of Abel to fall upon not onely such as were immediate and next authors of that murther but also upon all those that maintain those tyrants in their tyranny or that do consent to their beastly cruelty or that do not stop having the power in hand Take not this as the affirmation of any man but hear and consider the voice of the Son of God Fulfill saith he the measure of your fathers that all the blood which hath been shed since the blood of Abel the just till the blood of Zachariah c. may come upon this generation Hereby it is evident That the murtherers of our time as well as in the time of Christ are guilty of all the blood that hath been shed from the beginning Fearfull I grant is the sentence yet it is most equall and just For whosoever sheddeth the blood of any one of Christ Jesus his members for professing of his Truth consenteth to all the murther which hath been made since the beginning for that cause So that as there is one communion of all Gods Elect of whom every member is participant of the holy Justice of Christ so is there a communion among the reprobate by which every one of the Serpents seed are criminall and guilty of all iniquity which the whole Body committeth because