Volume II Part 9 (1/2)
[192] In the Diurnal of Occurrents, it is stated, that ”Upon the first day of August, the Parliament tuke begyning, and few or na Lordis came to the samyn, quhill the aucht day of the samyn moneth,” (pp. 61, 278.) The names of the persons present at this memorable Parliament are preserved among the Cecil Papers, (MS. Cotton. Calig. ix. fol.
144.) Although printed both in the Acta Parl. Scot. vol. ii. p. 525, and in Keith's History, I shall insert the list in the Appendix.
[193] John Hamilton, Archbishop of St. Andrews.
[194] William Chisholm, Bishop of Dunblane, who succeeded his brother of the half-blood in 1527, and who survived till 1564. His nephew William Chisholm, was const.i.tuted his coadjutor and future successor in the See, by a brief from Pope Pius IV. dated 4 Non. Junij 1561.
(Keith's Catal. p. 180).
[195] Robert Crichton, Bishop of Dunkeld, who had previously been Provost of St. Giles's Church, Edinburgh.
[196] Alexander Gordon, t.i.tular Archbishop of Athens, and Bishop of Galloway: see a subsequent note.
[197] Probably John Lesley: see Abbots of Lindores, in the Appendix to this volume.
[198] William Colville, Commendator of Culross: see Appendix.
[199] James Stewart, of the family of Beath, Commendator of Inch-Colm, or St. Colme. He was afterwards knighted, and raised to the peerage.
[200] Mark Ker, Commendator of Newbattle, ancestor of the Earls of Lothian.
[201] Lord Robert Stewart, a natural son of King James the Fifth, Commendator of Holyrood House, afterwards t.i.tular Bishop of Caithness and Earl of Orkney: see a subsequent note.
[202] Lord James Stewart, Prior of St. Andrews, and afterwards Earl of Murray, and Regent of Scotland.
[203] Lord John Stewart, another natural son of King James the Fifth, was Prior of Coldingham. In Book Fourth, Knox mentions his death at Inverness.
[204] Robert Richardson, Prior of St. Mary's Isle, Kirkcudbright: see note to vol. i. p. 372. It is a mistake, however, in saying that he died in 1571; as will afterwards be explained.
[205] John Wynrame, Prior of Portmoak, and Sub-prior of St. Andrews: see vol i. p. 150; and a subsequent note in the present volume.
[Sidenote: WILLIAM MAITLAND'S MOCKAGE OF G.o.d]
At the samyn tyme of Parliament, Johne Knox taught publicklie the propheit Haggeus. The doctrin was proper for the tyme; in applicatioun quhairof he was so speciall and so vehement, that sum (having greater respect to the warld than to G.o.ddis glory,) feilling thair selffis p.r.i.c.kit, said in mockage, ”We mon now forget our selffis, and beir the barrow to buyld the housses of G.o.d.”[206] G.o.d be mercifull to the speikar; for we feir that he shall have experience that the buylding of his awin house (the house of G.o.d being despisit) sall not be so prosperouse, and of sick firmitie, as we desyre it were. And albeit sum mockit, yitt utheris were G.o.dlie movit, quha did a.s.sembill thame selffis togidder to consult quhat thyngis were to be proponit to that present Parliament, and efter deliberatioun, was this subsequent Supplicatioun offerit:--
[206] William Maitland of Lethington, who made use of this expression, had been chosen Speaker in this Parliament and had ”opened the proceedings in an oration, of which Randolph has given us the princ.i.p.al heads.”--(Tytler's Hist. vol. vi. p. 177.)
THE BARRONIS, GENTILMEN, BURGESSES, AND UTHERIS, TREW SUBJECTIS OF THIS REALME, PROFESSING THE LORD JESUS CHRYST WITHIN THE SAMYN: TO THE n.o.bILITIE AND ESTAITIS OF PARLIAMENT, PRESENTLIE a.s.sEMBLIT WITHIN THE SAID REALME, DESYRE GRACE, MERCY, AND PEACE, FROME G.o.d THE FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRYST, WITH THE INCRESS OF HIS HOLY SPREIT:
PLEIS youre Honouris to reduce to remembrance, how dyverse and sundrie tymeis we (with sum of youre selffis) maist humbillie suit.i.t at the feit of the lait Quene Regent fredome and libertie of conscience, with a G.o.dlie reformatioun of abuseis, quhilk by the malice of Sathane and negligence of men, are cropin in Religioun of G.o.d, and are menteynit by sick as tak upoun thame the name of Clergye.
And albeit that oure G.o.dlie and maist rea.s.sonable suyte was then disdainfullie reject.i.t, quhairof na small trubillis have ensewit, as your Honouris weill knaw, yit seing that the same necessitie yit remaneis that then movit us, and, mairover, that G.o.d of his mercie has now put into your handis to tak sic ordour as G.o.d thairby may be glorifeit, this communwelth quiet.i.t, and the policie thairof establischeit: We can not cease to crave of youre handis the redress of sick enormiteis, as manifestlie are (and of lang tyme have bene) committ.i.t be the placehalderis of the Ministerie, and utheris of the Clergy within this Realm.
And _First_, Seing that G.o.d of his greit mercy by the lycht of his word, has manifest.i.t to no small number of this Realme, that the doctrin of the Roman Kyrk, resaveit be the said Clergy, and menteynit throu thair tyrannie by fyre and sword, conteinit in the self many pestiferous errouris, quhilk can not but bring dampnatioun to the saullis of sick as thairwith sall be infect.i.t; sick as are the doctrine of Transsubstantiatioun; of the Adoratioun of Chryst his body under the forme of breid, as thay term it; of the mereitis of Warkis, and Justificatioun that thay allege c.u.mis thairby; togidder with the doctrin of the Papisticall Indulgencis, Purgatorie, Pilgrimage, and Praying to Sanctis depairt.i.t; quhilk all either repugne to the plane Scripturis, or ellis have no ground of the doctrine of our Maister Jesus Christ, his Propheitis, nor Appostillis. We humbillie thairfoir crave of your Honouris, that sick doctrine and idolatrie as by G.o.ddis word are condempnit, so may thay be abolischeit be Act of this present Parliament, and punischement appoint.i.t for the transgressouris.
_Secundlie_, Seing that the Sacramentis of Jesus Chryst are maist schamefullie abusit and prophanit by that Romane harlot and hir sworne va.s.sallis; and alssua because that the treu disciplyne of the ancient Kirk is utterlie now amangis that sect extinguischeit: for quha within the Realme are mair corrupt of lyff and maneris than are thay that are callit the Clergye, living in huredome, adultery, defloring virgeinis, corrupting matronis, and doing all abominatioun, without feir of punischement; We humbillie thairfoir desyre youre Honouris to fynd remedy against the ane and the uther.
_Thirdlie_, Because that Man of Syn often maist falslie clames to him self the t.i.tillis of ”The Vicare of Chryst; the successour of Peter; the heid of the Kirk; that he can not err; that all power is grant.i.t unto him,” &c., by the quhilk usurpit authoratie, he taikis upoun him the distributioun and possessioun of the haill patrimony of the Kirk, quhairby the trew Ministeris of the word of G.o.d lang tyme hes bene altogidder neglect.i.t, the G.o.dlie learning dispysit, the sculeis not providit, and the poore not onlie defraudit of thair portioun, but alssua tyrannouslie oppressit; We lykwise heirof desyre remedy.
And least that your Honouris sould dowt of any of thir premisses, we offer oure selfis evidentlie to prove, that in all the [rabill of the] Clergye thair is not ane lauchfull minister, gif G.o.dis word, the practise of the Apostillis, and thair awin ancient Lawis, sall judge of lauchfull electioun. We farther offer oure selfis to prove thame all thevis and murtheraris, yea, rebellis and tratouris to the lauchfull authoritie of Empriouris, Kyngis, and Prenceis; and thairfor unworthy to be sufferrit in any Reformeit Commonwealth. Quhow malitiouslie thay have murtherit oure brethren, for na uther cause, bot for that thay offerrit to us the licht of G.o.dis word, your Honouris can not be ignorant; and in quhat hasard thair tyrranie hes brocht this haill Realme, the ages after will considder. Gif ye luik of thame any uther fruit in tymeis c.u.ming, than ye have sene in thame quham we accuse, we ar a.s.surit ye sall be desavit. Now hes G.o.d, beyond all expectatioun of man, maid youre selfis, quha sum tymeis war suppliantis with us for Reformatioun, jugeis, as it war, in the caus of G.o.d. At least he hes subdewit your ennemeis unto you, that by violence thay ar nocht abill to suppress the veritie, as heirtofoir thay haif done.