History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland, Book 3 · Floating text 9 – Letter 11
The Forme and Order of the Election of the Superintendent, and all other Ministers at Edinburgh, March the 9. 1560. John Knox being then Preacher.
FIrst, was made a Sermon, in the which these Heads were handled: First, The necessity of Ministers and Superintendents, or Overseers. The second, the crimes and vices that might unable them of the Ministry. Thirdly, the vertues required in them. Fourthly and lastly, Whether such as by publike consent of the Church were called to such Office, might refuse the same.
The Sermon finished, it was declared by the same Minister, maker thereof, That the Lords of the Secret Councell had given Charge and Power to the Churches of Lowthian, to to chuse Master Iohn Spottiswood Superintendent or Overseer; And that sufficient warning was made by publike Edict to the Churches of Edinburgh, Linliethquow, Sterlin, Tranent, Hadington, and Dumbar, as also to the Earles, Lords, Barons, Gentlemen, and others, that have, or that might claim to have Vote in Election, to be present that day, and that same hour. And therefore enquiry was made, Who were present, and who were absent. After was called the said Iohn, who answering the Minister, demanded, If he knew any crime or offence to the said Master Iohn, that might unable him to be called to that Office? and that he demanded thrise. Secondly, question was moved to the whole multitude, If there was any other whom they put in Election with the said Master Iohn: The people were asked, If they would have the said Master Iohn Superintendent or Overseer? If they would honour and obey him as Christs Minister, and comfort and assist him in every thing pertaining to his Charge?
They answered: We will and do promise unto him such obedience, as becometh Sheep to give unto their Pastor, so long as he remaineth faithfull in his Office.
Tne answers of the people, and their consent received, the questions were propounded to him that was to be elected.
Question. Seeing that ye hear the thirst and desire of this people; Do ye not thinke your selfe bound in conscience before God to support them, that so earnestly call for your comfort, and for the fruit of your labours?
Answer. If any thing were in me able to satisfie their desire, I acknowledge my selfe bound to obey God calling by them.
Question. Do ye seek to be promoted to this Office and charge, for any respect of worldly commodity,Where then are Pluralities and fatnesse of Livings in our dayes. riches, or glory?
Answer. God knoweth the contrary.
Question. Beleeve ye not that the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles, contained in the Books of the Old and New Testaments, are the onelyonly true, and most absolute foundation of the Universall Church of Christ Jesus, in so much that in the same Scriptures are contained all things necessary to be beleeved for the salvation of mankinde?
Answer. I verely beleeve the same, and do abhorre and utterly refuse all Doctrine alleadged necessary to salvation, that is not expressedly contained in the same.
Question. Is not Christ Jesus man of man, according to the flesh; to wit, The Sonne of David, The seed of Abraham, Conceived by the holy Ghost, Born of the Virgine his mother; and that he is the onelyonly Head and Mediatour of his Church?
Answer. He is, and without him there is neither salvation to man, nor life to Angel.
Question. Is not the same Lord Jesus, The onelyonly true God, The eternall Son of the eternall Father, in whom all that shall be saved were elected before the foundation of the world was laid?
Answer. I confesse and acknowledge, and confesse him in the Unitie of his God-head, to be God above all things blessed for ever.
Question. Shall not they whom God in his eternall Councell hath elected, be called to the knowledge of his Sonne, our Lord Jesus, and shall not they who of purpose are called in this life, be justified, and justification and free remission of sins is obtained in this life by free grace? Shall not the glory of the sons of God follow in the generall Resurrection, when the Son of God shall appear in his glorious Majestie?
Answer. This I acknowledge to be the Doctrine of the Apostles, and the most singular comfort of Gods children.
Question. Will ye not then containe your self in all Doctrine within the bounds of this foundation? Will ye not studie to promove the same, as well by your life, as by your Doctrine? Will ye not, according to the graces and utterance that God shall grant unto you, professe, instruct, and maintaine the puritie of the Doctrine contained in the sacred Word of God, and to the uttermost of your power?Let the Church-men now adayes look to this. Will ye not gain-stand and convince the gain-sayers, and the teachers of mens inventions?
Answer. That do I promise in the presence of God, and of his Congregation heere assembled.
Question. Know ye not that the excellencie of this Office to the which God hath called you, requireth that your conversation and behaviour be such, as that ye may be irreprehensible, yea, even in the eyes of the ungodly?
Answer. I unfainedly acknowledge, and humbly desire the Church of God to pray with me that my life be not slanderous to the glorious Gospel of Christ Iesus.
Question. Because you are a man compassed with infirmities, will you not charitably and with lowlinesse of spirit receive admonition of your brethren? And if ye shall happen to slide or offend in any point, will ye not be subject to the Discipline of the Church, as the rest of your brethren.
The Answer of the Superintendent or Minister to be elected. I acknowledge my self a man subjected to infirmity, and one that hath need of correction and admonition, and therefore I most willingly subject my selfe to the wholsome Discipline of the Church, yea, to the Discipline of the same Church by which I am now called to this Office and Charge, and here in Gods presence and yours, do promise obedience to all admonitions, secretly or publikely given; unto which, if I be found inobedient, I confesse my selfe most worthy to be rejected, not onelyonly from this honour, but also from the societie of the faithfull in case of my stubbornnesse.W…at can the P…elats say to this. For the vocation of God to beare charge within his Church, maketh not men Tyrants nor Lords, but appointeth them servants, Watch-men, and Pastors to the flock.
Thus ended, question must be asked again of the multitude.
Question. Require ye any further of this your Superintendent, or Overseer and Minister.
If no man answer, let the Minister proceed.
Question. Will ye not acknowledge this your brother for the Minister of Christ Jesus, your Overseer and Pastour? Will ye not reverence the Word of God that proceedeth from his mouth? Will ye not receive of him the Sermon of Exhortation with patience; not refusing the wholsome Medicine of your soules, although it be bitter and unpleasing to the flesh? Will ye not finally maintain and comfort him in his Ministerie and watching over you, against all such as wickedly would rebell against God and his holy Ordinance?
The people answered. We will: as we will answer to the Lord Iesus, who hath commanded his Ministers to be had in reverence, as his Ambassadours, and as men that carefully watch for the salvation of our soules.
Let the Nobilitie be urged with this. Ye have heard the dutie and profession of this our brother by your consents appointed to this charge, as also the dutie and obedience which God requireth of us towards him heere in his Ministerie. But because that neither of both are able to performe any thing without the especiall grace of our God in Christ Jesus, who hath promised to be with us present even to the consummation of the world, with unfained hearts let us crave of him his benediction and assistance in this work begun, to his glory, and for the comfort of his Church.
The Prayer.
O Lord, to whom all power is given in heaven and on earth, thou that art the eternall Sonne of the eternall Father, who hast not onelyonly loved thy Church, that for the redemption and purgation of the same, hast humbled thy selfe to the ignominious death of the Crosse, and thereupon hast shed thy most precious and innocent blood, to prepare to thy self a Spouse without spot, but also to retain this most excellent benefit in recent memory, hast appointed in thy Church, Teachers, Pastours, and Apostles, to instruct, comfort, and admonish the same; Look upon us mercifully, O Lord, thou that onelyonly art King, Teacher, and high Priest, to thine own flock: and send unto this our Brother, whom in thy Name we have charged with the chief care of thy Church within the bounds of L. such portion of thy holy Spirit, as thereby he may rightly divide thy Word, to the instruction of thy flock, and to the confutation of pernicious errours and damnable Superstitions. Give unto him, good Lord, a mouth and wisdome, whereby the enemies of thy Trueth may be confounded, the Wolves expelled and driven from thy Fold, thy Sheep may be fed in the wholsome Pastures of thy most holy Word, the blinde and ignorant may be illuminated with thy true knowledge. Finally, that the degrees of Superstition and Idolatry which now resteth within this Realme, being purged and removed, we may all not onelyonly have occasion to glorifie thee our onelyonly Lord and Saviour, but also daily to grow in godlinesse and obedience of thy most holy will, to the destruction of the body of sin, and to the restitution of that image, to the which we were once created, and to the which after our fall and defection we are renewed by participation of thy holy Spirit, which by true Faith in thee we do professe, as the blessed of thy Father, of whom the perpetuall increase of thy graces we crave, as by thee our Lord, King, and onelyonly Bishop we are taught to pray. Our Father, &c.
The Prayer ended, the rest of the Ministers, if any be, and Elders of that Church present, in signe of their consent, shall take the elected by the hand. The chiefe Minister shall give the Benediction, as followeth;
God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath commanded his Gospel to be Preached, to the comfort of his Elect, and hath called thee to the Office of a Watch-man over his people, multiply his graces with thee, illuminate thee with his holy Spirit; comfort and strengthen thee in all vertue; governe and guide thy Ministerie, to the praise of his holy Name, to the propagation of Christs Kingdom, to the comfort of his Church; and finally, to the plaine discharge and assurance of thine owne conscience in the day of the Lord Jesus; to whom with the Father and with the holy Ghost, be all honour, praise, and glory, now and ever. So be it.
The last Exhortation to the elected.
TAke heed to thy selfe, and unto the flock committed to thy charge, feed the same carefully, not as it were by compulsion, but of very love which thou bearest to the Lord Jesus. Walk in simplicity and purenesse of life, as it becometh the true servant and the Ambassadour of the Lord Jesus. Usurpe not dominion nor tyrannicall authority over thy brethren, be not discouraged in adversity, but lay before thy self the example of the Prophets, Apostles, and of the Lord Jesus, who in their Ministery sustained contradiction, contempt, persecution, and death: fear not to rebuke the world of Sin, Justice, and Judgement. If any thing succeed prosperously in thy Vocation, be not puft up with pride, neither yet flatter thy self, as that the good successe proceedeth from thy vertue, industrie or care. But let ever that sentence of the Apostle remain in thine heart; What hast thou which thou hast not received? If thou have received, why gloriest thou? Comfort the afflicted, support the poore, and exhort others to support them. Be not carefull for things of this life, but be fervent in prayer to God for the increase of his holy Spirit. And finally, behave thy selfe in this holy vocation, with such sobriety as God may be glorified in thy Ministery. And so shalt thou shortly obtaine the Victory, and shalt receive the Crowne promised, when the Lord Jesus shall appeare in his glory, whose omnipotent Spirit assist thee and us to the end.
Sing 23. Psalme.
As the servants of God uprightly travelled to have vice punished, and vertue planted; so did the devill ever stirre up some in the contrary of both. There was a Law made against fornicators and adulterers, that the one and the other should be Carted thorow the Towns, and so banished, till that their repentance was offered and received. And albeit this was not the severity of Gods Law, especially against adulterers, yet was it a great bridle to the malefactors, whereat the wicked did wonderously storme. It chanced that one Sanderson a Fletcher or Boutcher, was deprehended to have put away his lawfull wife (under colour that he was lawfully parted after the manner of the Papisticall Religion) and had taken to him another in his house. The complaint and slander proposed 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, Ambassadour from France, and his demands. See the study of France to divide the two Kingdoms newly bound for mantenance of Religion against the common enemies.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,Note. 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 faithfulnesse ill rewarded.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,A foolish play used in time of darknes Hence we say any foolish thing to be like a play of Robin-Hood. 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, Some say his name is Killone.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 onelyonly 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 Sacraments, untill such time as they satisfied the Magistrates, and made humble suit unto the Church. Of the death of the Queen Regent, we have heard before spoken; but of her Buriall was nothing heard. And it may appear, That such matters are unworthy of remembrance: And if all things should be rightly weighed, we shall perceive Gods just Judgements, how secret soever that they be. Before we heard the barbarous inhumanity that was used at Leith by the French, who exposed the naked carkasses of the slain, as it were in a spectacle despighting God. We have heard that the Queen Regent rejoyced at the sight, but her joy was suddenly turned into sorrow, as we have heard. The question was moved of her Buriall: The Preachers boldly gainstood,Of the Queen Regents death. That any Superstitious Rites should be used within that Realm, which God of his mercy began to repugne. And so conclusion was taken, That her Buriall should be deferred till farther advertisement;Note. and so was she wrapped in a Coffin of Lead, and kept in the Castle, from the ninth of Iune, untill the 19 of October, when she by Pynours was carried to a Ship, and so carried to France: what pomp was used there, we neither heard, nor yet regard: But in it we see, That she that delighted that others lay without Buriall, gat it neither so soon as she her selfe (if she had been of the counsell in her life) would have required it;Note. neither yet so honourable in this Realm, as sometimes she looked for. As men do, so they receive.
The Papists, a little before the Parliament, resorted in divers Bands to the Town, and began to brag, as that they would have defaced the Protestants: Which thing perceived, the brethren assembled, and went in such Companies, and yet in peaceable manner, that the Bishops and their Bands forsook the calsay or street. The Brethren understanding what the Papists meant, convened in Councell in the Tolbuith of Edinburgh the seven and twentieth of May, the yeer of God 1561. and after consultation, concluded, That an humble Supplication should be presented unto the Lords of the Secret Counsell, and unto the whole Assembly that then was convened, in the which should these subsequent Heads be required, and a Law to passe thereupon.
1. First, That Idolatry, and all Monuments thereof should be suppressed thorowout the whole Realme: That the sayers, hearers, maintainers, and hanters of the Masse, should be punished according to the Act of Parliament, as said is.
2. That speciall and certain provision be made for the maintenance of the Superintendents, Ministers, Exhorters and Readers: That Superintendents and Ministers should be planted where none were: That punishment should be appointed for such as disobeyed or contemned the Superintendents in their Function.
3. That punishment may be appointed for the abusers of the Sacraments, and for the contemners of the same.
4. That no Letters of the Session, or Warrant from the Iudge, be given to answer or pay to any person of their Tenths, without especiall provision that the Parishioners retain so much in their owne hands, as is appointed for the maintenance of the Ministry: And that all such as are else given be called in and discharged; And likewise that no Sheriffs give Precepts to that effect.
5. That neither the Lords of Session, nor any other Iudges, proceed upon such Precepts or Warnings past at the instance of them that of late have obtained fewis of Vicarages and Parsons Manses, and Church-yards: And that six akers (if so much there be of the Gleebe) be alwayes reserved to the Minister, according to the appointment of the Book of Discipline.
6. That no Letters of Session, nor other Warrants, take place while the stipends contained in the Book of Discipline for maintenance of the Ministers, be first consigned in the hands at the least of the Principals of the Parishioners.
7. That punishment be appointed against all such as purchase, bring home, or execute within this Realme the Popes Bulls.
The Tenour of the Supplication was this:
PLease your Honours, and the wisedoms of such as are presently convened with you in Councell, to understand, That by many arguments we perceive what the pestilent generation of that Romane Antichrist within this Realme pretendeth, to wit, That they would of new erect their Idolatry, take upon them Empire above our conscience, and so to command us, the true subjects of this Realme, and such as God of his mercy hath (under our Soveraigne) subject unto us, in all things to obey their appetites. Honesty craveth, and conscience moveth us, to make the very secrets of our hearts patent to your Honours in that behalfe, which is this; That before ever those Tyrants and dumb dogges Empire above us, and above such as God hath subjected unto us, that we the Barons and Gentlemen professing Christ Iesus within this Realme, are fully determined to hazard life, and whatsoever we have received of God in Temporall things. Note diligently.Most humbly therefore beseeching your Honours, That such order may be taken, that we have not occasion to take againe the Sword of just Defence into our hands, which we have willingly (after God had given Victory both to your Honours and us) resigned over into your hands; To the end that Gods Gospel may be publikely Preached within this Realme, The true Ministers thereof reasonably maintained, Idolatry suppressed, and the committers thereof punished, according to the Lawes of God and man. In doing whereof your Honours shall finde us not onelyonly obedient unto you in all things lawfull, but also ready at all times to bring under order and obedience such as would rebell against your just authority, which in absence of our Soveraigne we acknowledge to be in your hands, beseeching your Honours with upright judgement and indifferencie, to look upon these our few Articles, and by these our brethren to signifie unto us such answer againe, as may declare your Honours worthy of that place, whereunto God (after some danger sustained) in his mercy hath called you.Let this also be considered, and referred to our times. And let these enemies of God assure themselves, That if your Honours put not order unto them, that we shall shortly take such order, That they shall neither be able to do what they list, neither yet to live upon the sweat of the brows of such as are no debters unto them. Let your honours conceive nothing of us, but all humble obedience in God. But let the Papists be yet once againe assured, That their Pride and Idolatry we will not suffer.
Directed from the assembly of the Church the 28 of May 1561. And sent by these brethren; The Master of Lindsay, The Laird of Lochinvar, The Laird of Pharmherst, The Laird of Whittingham, Thomas Menzeis Provest of Aberdeene, and George Lowell Burgesse of Dundie.
Upon the which Request and Articles, the Lords and Counsell aforesaid, made an Act and Ordinance, answering to every head of the foresaid Articles, and commanded Letters to be answered thereupon, which divers Ministers raised and copied, as in the Books of secret Councell is yet to be found.
And thus gat Satan the second fall,Note. after that he had begun to trouble the state of Religion, once established by Law. His first assault was by the rascall multitude, opposing themselves to the punishment of vice. The second was by the Bishops and their bands, in which he thought utterly to have triumphed: And yet he in the end prospered worse then ye have heard. In this meane time returned from France the Lord Iames, who beside his great expences, and the losse of a box wherein was his secret purse, escaped a desperate danger in Paris: for his returning from our Soveraigne (who then was with the Cardinall of Loraine her Uncle in Rhemes) understood of the Papists in Paris, they had conspired some treasonable act against him; for they intended either to have beset his house by night, or else to have assaulted him and his company as they walked in the streets: Whereof the said Lord Iames advertised by the Rinegrave, by reason of old familiaritie which was betwixt them in Scotland; he took purpose suddenly and in good order,Note. to depart from Paris, as he did the second day after that he arrived there: And yet could not he depart so secretly, but that the Papists had their privie ambushes: For upon the new decayed pont of change, they had prepared a Procession, which met the said Lord and his Company even in the teeth; and knowing that they would not do the accustomed reverence to them and their Idols, they thought thereupon to have picked a Quarrell: And so as one part passed by, without moving of hat to any thing that was there, they had suborned some to cry, Hugonots, and so cast stones. But God disappointed their enterprise; for the said Rinegrave, with other Gentlemen, being with the Lord Iames, rebuked the foolish multitude, and over-rode some of the formost, and so the rest were dispersed, and he and his companie safely escaped, and came with expedition to Edinburgh, while that yet the Lords and assembly were together, to the great comfort of many godly hearts, and to no little astonishment of the wicked: for from the Queen our Soveraigne he brought Letters to the Lords, praying them to entertain quietnesse, and to suffer nothing to be attempted against the contract of Peace which was made at Leith, till her own home coming, and to suffer the Religion publikely established, to go forward, &c. Whereupon the said Lords gave answer to the French Ambassadour, a Nega…ive to every one of his Petitions.
The Lords Answer to the French Ambassadour.
Reader remark the advantages that Scotland hath from France.1. And first, That France had not deserved at their hands, that either they or their posteritie should enter with them againe in any League or Confederacie, offensive or defensive, seeing that so traiterously and cruelly they had persecuted them, their Realme and Liberties, under pretence of amitie and Marriage.
2. Secondly, That besides their conscience, they could not take such a worldly shame, as without offence committed to break the League, which in Gods Name they had made with them, whom he hath made instruments to set Scotland at freedome from the tyrannie of the French, at least of the Guisians and of their faction.
3. And last, That such as they called Bishops and Church-men, they knew neither for Pastours of the Church, neither yet for any just possessours of the patrimony thereof. A good Character of Bishops.But understand them perfectly to be Wolves, Theeves, Murtherers, and idle Bellies; and therefore as Scotland hath forsaken the Pope and Papistry, so could not they be debters to his forsworn Vassals.
With these answers departed the said Ambassador, and the Lords of secret Counsell made an Act, that all places and Monuments of Idolatry should be destroyed. And for that purpose was directed to the West, the Earl of Arrane, having joyned with him the Earls of Argile and Glencarne, together with the Protestants of the West, who burnt Paslay (the Bishop of Saint Andrews, who was Abbey thereof, narrowly escaped) cast down Failfurd, Kylwinning, and a part of Cosraguell: The Lord Iames was appointed to the North, where he made such Reformation, as nothing contented the Earle of Huntly, and yet seemed he to approve all things. And thus God so potently wrought with us,Let us stick to God, and he will not leave us. so long as we depended upon him, that all the World might see his potent hand to maintain us, and to fight against our enemies: yea, most to confound them, when that they promised to themselves victory without resistance. Oh that we would rightly consider the wondrous works of the Lord our God.
In the Treatie of Peace contracted at Leith, there were contained certain Heads that required the Ratification of both Queens. The Queen of England, according to her Promise, Subscription, and Seale, without any delay performed the same, and sent it to our Soveraigne, by her appointed Officers. But our Soveraigne (whether because her own craftie nature thereto moved her, or that her Uncles chiefe Counsellers so would, we know not) with many delayes frustrated the expectation of the Queen of England, as by the Copie of a Letter sent from the Ambassadour of England to his Soveraigne we may understand.
The Ambassadours Letter.
MADAME,
I Sent Sommer to the Queen of Scots for audience, who appointed me to come to her the same day after dinner, which I did. To her I did remember your Majesties hearty commendations, and declared unto her your Majesties like gladsomnesse of her recoverie from her late sicknesse, whose want of health, as it was grievous unto your Majestie, so, I told her, did you congratulate, and greatly rejoyce of the good termes of health she was in for the present. After these offices of civilitie, I put her in remembrance againe what had passed from the beginning, in the matter of your Majesties demand of Ratification, according to the Tenour of the said Treatie, as well by me at the first, as afterward by my Lord of Bedford, at his being here, and also followed sithence again by me in open audience, and by my Letter to her being in Loraine, adding hereto your Majesties further commandment, and re-charge to me again presently to renue the same demand, as before had been done.
At Paris the 23 of June 1561.
The said Queen made answer as followeth.