Part 41

The first day of the Generall Assemblie, the Courtiouris nor the Lordis that dependit upoun the Court, presentit nocht thame selfis in the sessioun with thair Bretherin. Whairat monie wondering, ane anceyant and honorable man, the Laird of Lundie,[989] said, "Nay, I wonder nocht of thair present absence; but I wonder that at our last Assemblie, thai drew thame selfis ane pairt, and joynit nocht with us, but drew from us some of our mynisteris, and wylleit thame to conclude sik thingis as war never proponit in the publick Assemblie, [quhilk apperis to me to be a thing][990] verrie prejudiciall to the libertie of the Kirk. And, thairfoir, my jugement is, that thai salbe informit of this offence, quhilk the whole Bretherin haif consaveit of thair former falt; humblie requyring thame, that gif thai be Bretherin, thai will assist thair Bretherin with thair presence and counsall, for we had nevir grytter neid. And gif thai be myndit to fall back from us, it wer better we knaw it now than afterward." Thairto aggreyit the whole Assemblie, and gaif commissioun to certene Bretherin to signify the myndis of the Assemblie to the Lordis; quhilk wes done that same day efter noon.[991]

[989] Walter Lundie or Lundin of Lundie, in Fife. The name of the "Laird of Lundie" occurs very frequently in the Book of the Kirk.

[990] The words within brackets are omitted in MS. 1566.

[991] According to Calderwood, on the 26th June 1564 "The Laird of Lundie, and the Superintendent of Lowthian, war appointed to request the Lords of Secreit Counsell to assist the Assemblie with thair presence and counsell." In like manner, at the next General Assembly, on the 25th December, "William Wallace of Carnell, and Andrew Ker of Fadownside, war sent to the Lords of Secreit Counsell, to requist thair Honours to assist the Assemblie with thair presence and counsell."

The Courteouris at first semeit nocht a lyttill offendit, that thay sould be as it wer suspectit of defectioun: yit, nevirtheles, upoun the morrow, thai joynit with the Assemblie, and come into it: But thai drew thame selfis, lyke as thai did befoir, apairt, and enterit the Inner Counsell-house. Thair wes the Dukis Grace, the Erles Argyle, Murray, Mortoun, Glencarne, Merchell, Rothes; the Maister of Maxwell, Secretour Lethingtoun, the Justice Clark, the Clark of Register, and the Controllour, the Laird of Pittarro.

Efter a lyttill consultatioun, thai direct ane messinger, Mr. George Hay,[992] than callit the Minister of the Court, requyring the Superintendantis, and sum of the leirnit ministeris, to confer with thame. The Assemblie ansuerit, "That thai convenit to delyberat upoun the commoun effairis of the Kirk; and, thairfoir, that thay could nocht lack thair Superintendantis and cheif ministeris, whose jugementis wer so necessarie, that without thame the rest sould sit as it wer idill; and thairfoir willand thame (as of befoir) that gif thay acknawlege thame selfis memberis of the Kirk, that thai wald joyne with the Bretherin, and propone in publict sik thingis as thai pleissit; and so thai sould haif the assistance of the whole in all thingis that mycht stand to Godis commandiment. But to send from thame selfis a portioun of thair companie, thai understand that thairof hurt and sclander mycht aryse, rather than anie proffeit or conforte to the Kirk: for thay feirit, that all men sould nocht stand content with the conclusioun, whair the conference and ressounis wer hard but of a few."

[992] See note 2, page 352. In the proceedings of the General Assembly, 30th December 1563, Mr. George Hay is styled "Minister of the Privie Counsell."

This ansuer wes nocht giffin without cause; for no small travell wes maid, to haif drawin sum mynisteris to the factioun of the Courtiouris, and to haif sustenit thair argumentis and opiniounis. But whan it wes persaifit be the moist politick amangis thame, that thai could not prevaill be that meanes, thai proponeit the matter in uther termis, purging thame selfis, first, that thai nevir ment to devyde[993] thame selfis from the sociatie of thair bretherin; but, because thai had certane heidis to confer with certane ministeris; thairfoir, for avoyding of confusioun, thai thocht it mair expedient to haif the conference befoir a few, rather than in the publict audience. But the Assemblie[994] did still reply, "That secreit conference wald thay nocht admit in those heidis that sould be concludit be generall voit." The Lordis promeissit, "That no conclusioun sould be taikin, nether yit voit requyreit, till that bayth the propositiounis and the ressounis sould be heard, and considderit of the whole bodie." And upoun that conditioun wer directit unto thame, with expressit chairge to conclude no thing without the knawledge[995] and advyse of the Assemblie, the Laird of Dun, Superintendant of Anguss, the Superintendantis of Lothyane and Fyffe,[996] Mr. John Row, Mr. John Craig, Williame Crystisoune, Mr. David Lyndesay, mynisteris, with the Rectour of Sanctandrois,[997] and Mr. George Hay; the Superintendant of Glasgow, Mr. Johne Willok, wes Moderatour, and Johne Knox waitit upoun the Scrybe. And so thay wer appoyntit to sit with the Bretherin. And that because the principall compleint tuychit[998] Johne Knox, he wes also callit for.

[993] In MS. G, "to separate."

[994] "Assemblie" is usually written "assemble;" but, as already remarked, the orthography in this portion of the MS. is very peculiar, and requires correction.

[995] In MS. G, "acknawlege."

[996] John Erskine of Dun, John Spottiswood, and John Wynrame.

[997] John Douglas.

[998] In MS. G, "concernit."

[Sidenote: LEDINGTOUN'S HARANGE AT THE ASSEMBLIE IN JUNIJ 1564 ZEIRIS.]

Secretour Lethingtoun began the harangue,[999] which contenit these heidis: First, How much we wer adettit unto God, be whois providence we had libertie of religioun under the Quenis Majestie, albeit that sche wes nocht persuadeit in the same: Secoundlie, How necessarie ane thing it wes that the Quenis Majestic, be all gude offices, (so spak he,) of the Kirk, and of the mynisteris principally, sould be retenit in that constant opinioun, that thai unfeinzeitlie favourit hir advancement, and procureit hir subjectis to haif ane gude opinioun of hir: And, last, How daingerous ane thing it was, that mynisteris sould be noittit ane to disagree from ane uther, in form of prayer for hir Majestie, or in doctrine conserning obedience to hir Majesties authoritie: "And in these two last heidis, (said he,) we desyre you all to be circumspect; but especially we maun craif of you our brother, Johne Knox, to moderat your selff, als weall in form of praying for the Quenis Majestie, as in doctrine that ye propone tuyching hir estait and obedience. Neither sall ye tak this, (said he,) as spokin to your reproche, _quia nevus[1000] interdum in corpore pulchro_, but becaus that otheris, by your example, may imitate the lyke libertie, albeit nocht with the same modestie and foirsycht; and what opinioun may ingedder[1001] in the peopillis heidis, wyse men do forsee."

[999] In MS. G, this marginal note stands: "Lethingtonis harrange in the Assembly in 1584;" a mistake in the date only worthy of notice, as affording an indication of the time when the MS itself was transcribed.

[1000] In MS. G, "_quia mens_."

[1001] In MS. G, "ingender."

The said Johne prepairit him for ansuer, as followis: "Gif such as feir God haif occasioune to praise him, that becaus that idolatrie is maintenit, the servandis of God dispyseit, wyekit men placeit agane in honour and authoritie, (Mr. Henrie Synclair wes of schort tyme befoir maid President,[1002] who befoir durst nocht haif syttin in jugement;) and, finalie, (said he,) gif we aucht to prais God becaus that vice and impyettie overfloweth this hoill Realme without punischment, than haif we occasioun to rejoise and to prayse[1003] God: But gif those and the lyke use to provoik Godis vengeance aganis Realmis and Natiounis, than, in my jugement, the godlie within Scotland aucht to lament and murne; and so to prevent Goddis jugementis, leist that he, fynding all in a lyke security,[1004] stryke in his hot indignatioun, begynning [perchance] at sik as think thai offend nocht."

[1002] Sinclair had been appointed President of the Court of Session in 1559: see page 398, note 1.

[1003] In MS. 1566, "and praysit."

[1004] In MS. 1566, "lyke secreit."

"That is ane heid," said Lethingtoun, "whairinto ye and I nevir aggreyit; for how ar ye abill to prove that evir God straik or plaigit ane natioun or peopill for the iniquitie of thair Prince, gif that thame selfis levit godlie?"

[Sidenote: 2 PARALI. 33.][1005]

[1005] That is, _Paralipomena_, a name given by the Alexandrian translators to the two Books of Chronicles, as _things omitted_ or supplementary to the other historical records belonging to the Old Testament Canon. (Kitto's Biblical Cyclopedia.)

"I lukeit," said he, "my Lord, to haif audience, till that I had absolvit the uthor two pairtis; but seing it pleissis your Lordship to cut me off befoir the myddis, I will ansuer to your questioun. The Scriptour of God teichis me, that Jerusalem and Juda wes punischit for the sinne of Manasses; and gif ye will allege, that thai wer punischit because that thai wer wyckit, and offendit with thair King, and nocht because thair King wes wyckit; I ansuer, that albeit the Spreit of God makis for me, saying in expressit wordis, 'For the syn of Manasses,' yit will I nocht be so obstinat as to lay the whole syn, and plaigis that thairof followit, upoun the King, and utterlie absolve the peopill; but I will grant with you, that the whole peopill offendit with the King: but how, and in what fassioun, I feir that ye and I sall nocht agrie. I doute nocht but the grit multitude accumpanit him in all abhominatiounis quhilk he did; for idolatrie, and ane fals religioun haith evir bene, is, and wilbe plesing to the moist pairt of men. But to affirm that all Juda committit realie the actis of his impyettie, is but to affirm that quhilk nether hes certentie, nor yit appeirence of ane treuth: for who can think it to be possible, that all those of Jerusalem sould so schoirtlie turn to externall idolatrie, considdering the notabill reformatioun laitlie befoir had in the days of Ezechias? But yit, says the text, 'Manasses maid Juda and the inhabitantis of Jerusalem to erre.' True it is; for the one pairt, as I haif said, willinglie followit him in his idolatrie, and the other, be ressoune of his authoritie, sufferit him to fyle Jerusalem, and the tempill of God, with all abhominatiounis, and so wer thai all cryminall for his sin; the one be act and deid, the uther be suffering and permissioun: even as hoill Scotland is guiltie this day of the Quenis idolatrie, and ye, my Lordis, speciallie above all utheris."

"Weill," said Lethingtoun, "that is the cheif heid quhairin we nevir aggreit; but of that we sall speik heirefter. What will ye say as tuyching the moveing of the peopill to haif ane gude opinioun of the Quenis Majestie, and as concerning obedience to be gevin to hir authoritie, as also of the form of the prayer quhilk commounlie ye use," &c.

"My Lord," said he, "moir eirnistlie to move the peopill, or yit utherwyse to pray than heirtofoir I haif done, a gude conscience will nocht suffer me; for He who knawis the secreittis of hertis, knawis that privilie and publictlie I haif callit to God for hir conversioun, and haif willit the peopill to do the same, schawing thame the dangerous estait quhairin nocht onelie sche hir self standis, but also the haill Realme, be the ressoun of hir indureit blindnes," &c.

"That is it," said Lethingtoun, "whairin we find gryttest falt. Your extremitie aganis hir Messe, in particular, passis meassour. Ye call hir ane slaif to Sathan; ye affirme that Godis vengeance hingis oure the Realme, be ressoune of hir impietie;[1006] and what is this ellis but to rouse up the hairt of the peopill aganis hir Majestie, and aganis thame that serve hir."

[1006] In MS. G, "iniquity."

[Sidenote: THE MR. OF MAXWELL'S WORDS IN THE ASSEMBLIE.]

Thair wes heard ane exclamatioun of the rest of the flatteraris, that sick extremittie could nocht proffit. The Maister of Maxwell said in plane wordis, "Gif I war in the Quenis Majesties place, I wald nocht suffer sick thingis as I heir."

[Sidenote: JOHN KNOX HIS PRAYER FOR THE QUENE.]

"Gif the wordis of prechouris," said Johne Knox, "sall alwayis be rest to the worst pairt, than will it be hard to speik onie thing so circumspectlie, provyded that the treuth be spokin, quhilk sall not eschape the censure of the calamniatour. The moist vehement, and, as ye speak, excessive maneir of prayer that I use in publict is this, 'O Lord, gif thy plesour be, purge the hairt of the Quenis Majestie from the venoum of idolatrie, and deliver hir from the boundage and thraldom of Sathan, in the quhilk sche hes bene brocht up, and yit remanis, for the lack of true doctrine; and lat hir see, be the illuminatioun of thy Holie Spreit, that thair is no meane to pleis thee but be Jesus Christ thy onlie Son, and that Jesus Christ can nocht be found but in thy holie word, nor yit ressavit but as it prescrybeis; which is, to renunce our awin wittis, and preconsavit opinioun, and worschip thee as thou commandis; that in sa doing sche may avoid that eternall dampnatioun quhilk abydeis all obstinat and impenitent unto the end; and that this poor Realme may also eschaip that plaig and vengeance quhilk inevitablie followis idolatrie, menteinit aganis thy manifest worde, and the opin lycht thairof.' This, (said he,) is the form of my commoun prayer, as your selflis can witnes. Now, what is worthie reprehensioun in it I wald heir?"

"Thair ar three thingis," said Lethingtoun, "that nevir lykeit unto me. And the first is, Ye pray for the Quenis Majestie with ane conditioun, saying, 'Illuminat hir hairt, gif thy gude plesour be;' quhairby it may appeir, that ye doute of hir conversioun. Whair haif ye the example of sik prayer?"

"Whairsoevir the exampillis are," said the uther, "I am assureit of the reule, whilk is this, 'Gif we sall ask onie thing according to his will, he sall heir us;' and our Maister, Chryst Jesus, commandit us to pray unto our Father, 'Thy will be done.'"

"But," said Lethingtoun, "whair evir find ye onie of the Propheitis so to haif pray it?"

"It sufficeth me," said the uther, "my Lord, that the Maister and teicheare of bayth Prophettis and Appossillis hes taucht me so to pray."

"But in so doing," said he, "ye put ane doute in the peopillis heid of hir conversioun."[1007]

[1007] In MS. 1566, "conversatioun."

"Nocht I, my Lord," said the uther, "but hir awin obstinat rebellioune causis mo than me to doute of hir conversioun."

"Whairinto," said he, "rebellis sche aganis God?"

"In all the actiounis of hir lyffe," said he, "but in thir two heidis especiallie; former, That sche will nocht heir the preiching of the blissit evangill of Jesus Chryst; and secoundlie, That sche menteinis that idoll, the Messe."

"Sche thinkis nocht that rebellioune," said Lethingtoun, "but goode religion."

"So thocht thai," said the uther, "that sumtymes offerit thair childerin unto Moloch, and yit the Spreit of God affirmeis that thai offerit thame unto devillis, and nocht unto God. And this day the Turkis thinkis to haif ane better religioune than the Papistis haif; and yit, I think, ye will excuse nether of thame boith from committing rebellioun aganis God: nether yit justlie can ye do the Quene, onles that ye will mak God to be parcyall."

"But yit," said Lethingtoun, "why pray ye nocht for hir without moving onie doute?"

"Becaus," said the uther, "I haif leirnit to pray in faith. Now Faith, ye know, dependis upoun the wordis of God, and so it is that the word teichis me, that prayeris proffettis the sonis and dochteris of Godis electioun, of which noumer, quhether sche be ane or nocht, I haif just cause to doute; and, thairfoir, I pray God 'illuminat hir hairt, gif his gude plesour be.'"

"But yit," said Lethingtoun, "ye can produce the exampill of none that so hes prayit befoir you."

"Thairto I haif alreddy ansuerit," said Johne Knox; "but yit for farther declaratioun, I will demand ane questioun, quhilk is this, Quhider gif ye think that the Appossillis prayit thame selves as thai commandit utheris to pray."

"Who douttis of that?" said the haill companie that wer present.

"Weill than," said Johne Knox, "I am assureit that Peter said thir wordis to Symoun Magus, 'Repent thairfoir of this thy wyckitness, and pray to God, that gif it be possible the thought of your hairt may be forgevin thee.' Heir we may cleirlie see that Peter joynes ane conditioun with his commandiment, That Symoun sould repent and pray, to wit, gif it wer possible that his sin mycht be forgevin; for he wes nocht ignorant that sum synnis wer unto the deith, and so without all houpe of repentence or remissioun. And think ye nocht, my Lord Secretar, (said he,) but the same doute may tuich my hairt, as tuyching the Quenis conversioun, that then tuiched the hairt of the Appossill?"

"I wald nevir," said Lethingtoun, "heir you or onie uther call that in doubt."

"But your will," said the uther, "is no assurance to my conscience: And to speik frelie, my Lord, I wonder gif ye your self doute nocht of the Quenis conversioun; for more evident signes of induratioun haif appeirit, and still do appeir in hir, than Peter outwartlie could haif espyit in Symoun Magus. For albeit sum tymes he wes are sorcerar, yit joynit he with the Appossillis, belevit, and wes bapteissit; and albeit that the venome of avarice remaneit in his hairt, and that he wald haif bocht the Holie Goist, yit when he heard the feirfull threitnyngis of God pronunceand aganis him, he trymbillitt, desyreit the assistance of the prayeris of the Appossilis, and so humblit him self, so far as the jugement of man could perss, lyke ane true penitent, and yit we see that Peter douttis of his conversioun. [Quhy then may not all the godly justly doubt of the conversioun][1008] of the Quene, wha hes usit idolatrie, quhilk is no less odious in the sicht of God than is the other and still continewis in the same, yea, that dispyseis all threitnyngis, and refuisses all godlie admonitiounis?"

[1008] Those words are omitted in MS. 1566.

"Quhy say ye that sche refuisses admonitioun?" said Lethingtoun. "She will glaidlie heir ony man."

"But what obedience," said the uther, "to God or to his worde, ensewis of all that is spokin unto hir? Or when sall sche be sene to gif hir presence to the publict preiching?"

"I think nevir," said Lethingtoun, "so lang as sche is thus intreittit."

"And so lang," said the uther, "ye and all utheris maun be content that I pray so as I may be assureit to be heard of my God, that his gude will may be done, ether in making hir comfortable to his Kirk, or gif that he hes appoyntit hir to be ane scurge to the same, that we may haif patience, and sche may be brydellit."

"Weill," said Lethingtoun, "lat us cum to the Secound Heid. Whair find ye that the Scriptour callis onie the bound slaiffis to Sathan? or that the Propheittis of God speik so irreverentlie of kingis and princes?"

[Sidenote: ACTIS 26]

[Sidenote: 2 TIMO. 2]

"The Scriptour," said Johne Knox, "sayis, that 'be natour we are all the soneis of wraith.' Our Maister, Chryst Jesus, affirmes, 'that sik as do sin ar servandis to sin,' and that it is the onlie Son of God that settis men at freedome. Now what difference thair is betwix the sonnis of wraith, and the servandis of sin, and the slaiffis to the devill, I understand nocht, except I be taught; and gif the scharpnes of the terme offendit you, I haif nocht inventit that phrase of speich, but haif leirnit it out of Godis Scriptour; for those wordis I find spokin unto Paul, 'Behauld, I send thee to the Gentillis, to oppin thair eyes, that thay may turn from darknes to lycht, and from the power of Sathan unto God.' Mark thir wordis, my Lord, and sture nocht at the speiking of the Holie Goist. And the same Apostle wryting to his scoller Timotheus, says, 'Instruct with meiknes those that ar contrarie myndit, gif that God at onie tyme will gif thame repentence, that thay may knaw the treuth, and that thay may cum to amendment, out of the snair of the Devill, quhilk ar tackin of him at his will.' Gif your Lordschip rychtlie considder these sentences, ye sall nocht onlie find my wordis to be the wordis of the Holie Goist, but also the conditioune quhilk I use to adde, to haif the assurance of Godis Scriptouris."

"But thay spak nothing aganis kingis in especiall," said Lethingtoun, "and yit your continewall crying is, 'The Quenis Idolatrie, the Quenis Messe, will provoke Godis vengeance.'"

"In the former sentences," said the uther, "I heir nocht Kingis and Quenis excepit, but all unfaithfull ar pronunced to stand in one rank, and to be in bondage to ane tyrant, the Devill. But belyke, my Lord, ye lyttill regaird the estait whairin thay stand, when ye wald haif thame so flatterit, that the daingour thairfoir sould neither be knawin, neither yit declareit to the poore peopill."

"Quhair will ye find," said Lethingtoun, "that onie of the Propheittis did so intreat Kingis and Quenis, reuleris or magistratis?"

"In mo placeis than ane," said the uther. "Achab wes ane King, and Jesabell wes ane Quene, and yit what the Prophet Helias said to the one and to the uther, I suppois ye be nocht ignorant?"

"That wes nocht cryit out befoir the peopill," said Lethingtoun, "to mak thame odious unto thair subjectis."

"That Helias said, 'Doggis sail lyck the blude of Achab,'" said Johne Knox, "'and eat the flesche of Jesabell,' the Scriptouris assuris me; but that it wes whisperit in thair awin eir, or in ane cornar, I reid nocht. But the plane contrair appeiris to me, quhilk is, that boith the Peopill and the Court understude weill eneuch what the Propheit had promeissit;[1009] for so witnessit Jehu, efter that Godis vengeance had strickin Jesabell."

[1009] In MS. G, "pronuncit."

"Thay wer singular motiounis of the Spreit of God," said Lethingtoun, "and appertene nothing to this our aige."