The Antipathy of the English Lordly Prelacy, Part 2 · Chapter 7 · Section 6
The Bishop of Orkneyes Recantation.
TO all and sundry whom it concernes, to whose knowledge these presents shall come, especially to the Reverent and Honorable Members of the future Assembly, to be holden at Edenburgh, the 12. day of August, 1639. I Master George Gryame, sometime pretended Bishop of Orkney, being sorry, and grieved at my heart, that I should ever for my worldly respect imbraced the Order of Episcopacy, the same having no warrant from the Word of God, and being such an Order as hath had sensibly many fearefull and evill consequences in many parts of Christendome, and particularly, within the Kirke of Scotland, (as by dolefull and deplorable experience this day is manifest) to have disclaimed, like as I by the tenour hereof, doe altogether disclaime and abjure all Episcopall power and Jurisdiction with the whole corruptions thereof, condemned by lawfull Assemblies, within the said Kirke of Scotland, in regard the same is such an Order, as is also abjured within the said Kirke, by vertue of that Nationall Oath, which was made in the yeare 1580, and 1581. Promising, and swearing by the great name of the Lord our God, that I shall never while I live, directly, nor undirectly exercise any such power within the Kirke, neither yet shall I ever approve or allow the same, not so much as in my private or publike discourse. But on the contrary shall stand and adhere to all the Acts and Constitutions of the late Assembly holden at Glascow, the 21. of November, last by-past in Anno 1638; And shall concurre to the uttermost of my power sincerely, and faithfully, as occasion shall offer, in executing the said Acts, and in advancing the worke of Reformation within this Land to the glory of God, the peace of the Country, and the comfort and contentment of all good Christians, as God shall be my helpe. In testimony of the which premises, I have subscribed these presents with my hand, in Bricknes in Straines, the second of February, Anno Dom. 1639. Before these witnesses: Master …ter Stewart, Minister at Sou… randsley, Master Iames Cheynie Minister at Buckwall. Master Robert Pee…sone, Minister at Firs…, and Master Patricke Gryame Minister a… Holme My Sonne.
Before I passe to the Irish Prelates, I shall close up this of the Scottish Prelates, with this merry story out of the Booke of Martyrs.
*Fox Acts and Monuments, vol. 2. p. 614.Not long after the burning of David Stratton, and Master Gurlay, in the dayes of David Beaton, Bishop, and Cardinall of Saint Andrewes, and George Tre…chton, Bishop of Dunkelden, a Canon of Sain… Colmes Inche, and Vicar of Delene, called Deane Thomas Forret, Preached every Sunday to his Parishioners out of the Epistle or Gospell, as it fell for the time, which then was a great novelty in Scotland, to see any man Preach, except a blacke Fryer, or a gray Fryer; and therefo…e …he Fryers envyed him, and accused him to the Bishop of Dunkelden, (in whose Diocesse he remained) as an Heretique, and one that shewed the mysteries of the Scriptu…es to …he vulgar people in English, to make the Clergy detestable in the sight of the people. The Bishop of Dunkelden, moved by the Fryers instigation, called the said Deane T…omas, and said to him. My Joy Deane Thomas, I love you well, (and …herefore I must give you my counsell, how you shall rule and guide your selfe. To whom Thomas said, I thanke your Lordship heartily. Then the Bishop began his Counsell on this manner. My Joy Deane Thomas, I am enformed that you Preach …he Epistle or Gospell every Sunday to your Parishioners, and that you take not the Cow, nor the uppermost cloath from your Parishioners, which thing is very prejudiciall to the Church men, and therefore my Joy Deane Thomas, I would you tooke your Cow, and your uppermost cloath, as other Church men doe, or else it is too much to Preach every Sunday; for in so doing you may make the people thinke that we should Preach likewise. But it is enough for you, when you find any good Epistle, or any good Gospel, that setteth forth the Liberty of the holy Church, to Preach that, and let the rest be. Thomas answered, my Lord, I thinke that none of my Parishioners will complaine that I take not the Cow, nor the uppermost cloath, but will gladly give me the same, together with any other thing that they have, and I will give and communicate with them any thing that I have, and so my Lord we agree right well, and there is no discord among us. And where your Lordship saith, It is too much to preach every Sunday; indeede I thinke it is too little, and also would wish that your lordship did the like. Nay, nay, Dean Thomas (saith my Lord) let that be, for we are not ordained to preach. Then sayd Thomas, where your Lordship biddeth me preach, when I finde any good Epistle, or any good Gospell, truely my Lord I have read the New Testament and the old, and all the Epistles and Gospells, and among them all I could never finde any evill Epistle, or any evill Gospell, but if your Lordship will shew me the good Epistle, and the good Gospell, and the evill Epistle, and the evill Gospell, then I shall preach the good, and omit the evill. Then spake my Lord stoutly and sayd, I thanke God that I never knew what the old and New Testament was, (and of these words rose a Proverbe which is common in Scotland, ye are like the Bishop of Dunkelden … that knew neither new nor old Law) therefore Deane Thomas, I will know nothing but my Portuise and my Pontificall. Goe your way, and let be all these fantasies, for if you persevere in thes… erronious opinions ye will repe…t it, when you may not mend it… Thomas sayd, I trust my cause be just in the presence of God, and therefore I passe not much what doth follow thereupon: and so my Lord and he departed at that time. And soone after a Summons was directed from the Cardinall of Saint Andrewes, and the sayd Bishop of Dunkelden upon the sayd Deane Thomas Forret, upon two blacke Fryers, called Fryer Iohn Kelow, and another called Benarage, and upon one Priest of Striveling called Duncane Sympson, and one Gentleman called Robert Foster in Striveling, with other three or foure with them of the towne of Striveling, who at the day of their appearance after their summoning were condemned to the death, without any place for recantation, because (as was alleadged) they were Heresiarches, or chiefe Heretiques and reachers of heresies, and especially because many of them were at the bridall and marriage of a Priest, who was Vicar of Twybody beside St…iveling, and did eate flesh in Lent at the sayd Bridall, and so they were all together burnt upon the Castle hill at Edenburgh, where they that were first bound to the stake, godly and marvellously did comfort them which came behind. This Bishop of Dunkeld and David Beton Arch-bishop of Saint Andrewes, were very great persecutors of the true professors of the Gospell whom they burnt and put to death; the story of whose persecutions he that list may reade in Master Fox his Act… and Monuments, Edit. ult. vol. 2. p. 605. to 626. to which I shall referre the Reader.
And thus much briefely touching the disloyall, seditio…s and Schismaticall acts of the Scottish Prelates, I now proceed to those of Ireland, in whom I shall be briefe.