The Works of John Knox Volume II Part 21

[365] Mr. James Thornton became one of the dignified clergy, and enjoyed the parsonage of Alves, and the vicarage of Lanbryde, as Chantor of Murray. In 1559, he was at Rome employed with John Row, (who afterwards became the Protestant minister of Perth,) in transacting some ecclesiastical matters. In 1562, when the Rentals of the Benefices were given in to the Commissioners, he made several of the returns in the diocese of Murray. One of these was the Chantorie of Murray, rendered by "Maister James Thorntoun in name and behalf, and as procurar of his Eme (uncle) Maister John Thornetoun eldar, quha is in t.i.tell of the said Chantorie." Another was the parsonage of Adwy, given in by him, "in name and as procurar for _his brother_, Maister Johnne Thornetoun younger, possessor and t.i.tular of the samyn." He appears to have been an active and confidential agent of James Beaton, Archbishop of Glasgow, (who had retired to France, after the establishment of the Reformation,) in carrying on his negotiations with this country. Queen Mary addressed a letter to Queen Elizabeth, 27th May 1565, requesting a safe conduct "for Maister James Thorntoun, Secretair to the Archbishop of Glasgo, as Amba.s.satour in France." In 1566 he brought from France the Bond mentioned in the preceding note.

It was about this time that he obtained, probably as his uncle's successor, the t.i.tular appointment of Chantor of Murray.

The Preachearis vehementlie exhorted us to establische THE BUKE OF DISCIPLINE, by ane Act and publict Law; affirmyng, that and gif thay suffered thingis to hing in suspence, quhen G.o.d haid gevin unto thame sufficient power in thair handis, thai suld efter sobb for it, bot suld nott get it.

And now,[366] because that diverse tymes heirtofoir we haif maid mentioun of the said Buke, we have thocht expedient to insert the haill in this parte of oure HISTORIE,[367] to the end that the Posteriteis to come may juge alsweill quhat the warldlingis refused, as quhat Policie the G.o.dlie Ministeris requyred; that thai (gif G.o.d grant unto thame occasioun and libertie) may eather establishe a more perfite, or ellis imitat that quhilk avaritiousnes wald nott suffer this corrupt generatioun to approve.

[366] The whole of this concluding sentence, and the Book of Discipline itself, are omitted in the Glasgow MS. In such of the later MSS. of Knox as contain the Book of Discipline, it is literally copied from Calderwood's printed edition in 1621; in small 4to, pp. [xvi.]

and 92.

[367] Archbishop Spotiswood, in his History of the Church of Scotland, (edit. 1655, pp. 152-174,) has also introduced a copy of the Book of Discipline, and a.s.signs the following reason for doing so: "In the Convention kept at Edinburgh in January preceding [1560-1], a form of Church-policy was presented, and desired to be ratified. Because this will fall to be often mentioned, and serveth to the clearing of many questions which were afterward agitated in the Church; I thought meet word by word here to insert the same, that the Reader may see what were the grounds laid down at first for the Government of the Church, so we shall the better decerne of the changes that followed." (Hist.

p. 152.)

Spotiswood does not state from what authority he has given it; but it is undeniable that he has curtailed various pa.s.sages which will be pointed out in the Appendix, in the note on the Book of Discipline. At the conclusion he adds,--"This was the Policy desired to be ratified: It had been formed by JOHN KNOX, partly in imitation of the reformed Churches of Germany, partly of that he had seen in Geneva; whence he took that device of annuall Deacons for collecting and dispensing the Church rents, whereof in the sixth head he speaketh; I cannot say."

(Ib. p. 174.)

It is scarcely necessary to remark, that the Second Book of Discipline, forming part of Calderwood's edition, was of a subsequent date, having been agreed upon in the General a.s.sembly 1578, inserted in the Registers of the a.s.sembly 1581, and recognised by Parliament in 1592.

THE PREFACE

TO THE BUKE OF DISCIPLINE.[368]

TO THE GREAT COUNSALL OF SCOTLAND NOW ADMITTED TO [THE]

REGIMENT, BY THE PROVIDENCE OF G.o.d, AND BY THE COMMOUN CONSENT OF THE ESTAITTIS THAIROF, YOUR HONOURIS HUMBLE SERVITOURIS AND MINISTERIS OF CHRIST JESUS WITHIN THE SAME, WISHE GRACE, MERCY, AND PEACE FROM G.o.d THE FATHER OF OURE LORD JESUS CHRIST, WITH THE PERPETUALL ENCREASE OF THE HOLYE SPIRITE.

[368] There is no separate t.i.tle either in the MS. 1566, or in Vautrollier's edition, which contains the earlier portion of the BOOK OF DISCIPLINE. (See note 1, page 197.) The edition 1621, quoted in the foot-notes, was published anonymously by David Calderwood the historian, and was evidently printed in Holland. A copy of the t.i.tle-page is herewith annexed. It was reprinted in the "Collection of Confessions of Faith," &c., with a separate t.i.tle-page, dated 1721, but the volume ii. (pp. 515-608,) containing it, was not completed until 1722. The Editor says, "This edition is according to that which was printed in 1621," correcting typographical errors, and supplying "from other copies some words which probably have been omitted by the printer." It is to be regretted that he should not have specified what "other copies" he made use of. But one of these, no doubt, was Spotiswood's, referred to in note 2, page 181.

THE FIRST AND SECOND BOOKE OF DISCIPLINE

_Together with some_

ACTS OF THE GENERALL a.s.sEMBLIES,

Clearing and confirming the same: And

AN ACT OF PARLIAMENT.

EXOD. 25. 9.

_According to all that I shew thee, after the paterne of the Tabernacle, and the paterne of all the instruments thereof, even so shall yee make it._

Printed Anno 1621.

FROME youre Honouris we receaved a charge, daitt.i.t at Edinburgh, xxix of Aprile, in the yeir of G.o.d J^M V^C thre scoir yeiris, requyring and commanding us, in the name of the Eternall G.o.d, as we will ansuer in his presence, to committ to writing, and in a Buke to deliver unto your Wisdomes oure jugementis tuiching the Reformatioun of Religioun, quhilk heirtofore in this Realme, (as in utheris,) hes bene utterlie corrupted. Upone the recept quhairof, sa mony of us as wer in this Toune, did convene, and in unitie of mynd do offer unto your Wisdomes these Headis subsequent for commoun ordour and uniformitie to be observed in this Realme, concernyng Doctryne, administratioun of Sacramentis, [election of Ministers, Provision for their sustentation,][369] Ecclesiasticall Discipline, and Policye of the Kirk:[370] Most humilie requyring your Honouris, that as ye luke for partic.i.p.atioun with Christ Jesus, that nather ye admitt ony thing quhilk G.o.ddis plane word sall not approve, nather yit that ye sall reject suche ordinances as equitie, justice, and G.o.ddis word do specifie: For as we will nott bynd your Wisdomes to oure jugementis, farther then we be able to prove the same by G.o.ddis plane Scripturis; so must we most humblie crave of yow, evin as ye will ansuer in G.o.ddis presence, (befoir quhom boyth ye and we must appeir to rander accomptis of all oure factis,) that ye repudiat na thing for pleasour nor[371] affectioun of men, quhilk ye be not abill to improve by G.o.ddis writtin and revealled Word.

[369] Omitted in MS. 1566, but contained in Vautr. edit. and edit.

1621.

[370] In Vautr. edit., and edit. 1621, "Church" is used throughout the earlier portion of the Book of Discipline in place of "Kirk:" see note 2 to page 201.

[371] In edit. 1621, "pleasure and."

THE FIRST HEAD, OF DOCTRINE.[372]

[372] In edit. 1722, Chap. I.

SEEING that Christ Jesus is he quhom G.o.d the Father hes commandit onlie to be herd, and followed of his scheip, we urge it necessarie, that his Evangell[373] be trewlie and openlie preached in everie Kirk and a.s.semblie of this Realme; and that all doctrine repugnyng[374] to the same be utterlie suppressed[375] as d.a.m.nabill to mannis salvatioun.

[373] In Vautr. edit., and edit. 1621, "Evangell" is always rendered "Gospell."

[374] In edit. 1621, "repugnant."

[375] In Vautr. edit., and edit. 1621, "repressed."

_The Explicatioun of the First Head._

Least upone this our[376] generalitie unG.o.dlie men tak occasioun to cavill, this we adde for explicatioun. By preching of the Evangell, we understand nott onlie the Scripturis of the New Testament, bot also of the Auld; to wit, the Law, Propheittis, and Histories, in quhilk Christ Jesus is no les conteaned in figure, then we have him now expressed in veritie: And, thairfoir, with the Appostill we affirme, that "All Scripture inspired of G.o.d is profitable to instruct, to reprove, and to exhorte." In quhilk buykis of Auld and New Testamentis we affirme, that all thingis necessarie for the instructioun of the Kirk, and to mak the man of G.o.d perfite, is conteaned and sufficientlie expressed.

[376] In edit. 1621, "Lest that upon," and omits "our."

By the contrarie Doctrine, we understand quhatsoever men, by Lawis, Counsallis, or Const.i.tutionis have imposed upone the consciences of men, without the expressed commandiment of G.o.ddis word; suche as be [the] vowis of chast.i.tie, foirswering of marriage, bindyng of men and wemen to severall and disagysed apparrellis, to the superst.i.tious observatioun of fasting dayis, difference of meit for conscience saik, prayer for the deid; and keping of holy dayis of certane Sanctis commandit by man, suche as be all those that the Papistis have invented, as the Feistis (as thai terme thame) of Appostillis, Martyres, Virgenis, of Christmess, Circ.u.mcisioun, Epiphany, Purification, and uther found[377] feistis of our Lady: Quhilk thingis, becaus in G.o.ddis Scripturis thai nather have commandiment nor a.s.surance, we juge thame utterlie to be abolischet from this Realme; affirmyng farther, that the obstinat mayntenaris and teachearis of suche abhominationis aucht not to eschaip the punyschement of the Civile Magistrat.

[377] In Vautr. edit., and edit. 1621, "other fonde" and "fond feastes."

THE SECOUND HEAD, OF SACRAMENTIS.[378]

[378] In edit. 1722, Chap. II.

[Sidenote: THE NOMBER OF SACRAMENTIS.]

TO Christ Jesus his holie Evangell trewlie preached, of necessitie it is, that his holie Sacramentis be annexit, and trewlie ministred, as seallis and visible confirmationis of the spirituall promisses contened in the wourd: And thai be two, to wit, Baptisme, and the Holie Supper of the Lord Jesus: quhilk ar then rychtlie ministred, quhen by a lauchfull Minister the pepill, befoir the administratioun of the same, ar planelie instructed, and put in mynd of G.o.ddis free grace and mercy, offered unto the penitent in Christ Jesus; quhen G.o.ddis promisses ar rehersit, the end and use of the Sacramentis declared,[379] and that in suche a toung as the pepill dois understand; quhen farther to thame is nothing added, from thame no thing diminissit, and in thair practise nathing changit besydis the inst.i.tutioun of the Lord Jesus, and practise of his holie Apostles.

[379] In Vautr. edit., and edit. 1621, "preached and declared."

And albeit the Ordour of Geneva,[380] quhilk now is used in some of oure kirks, is sufficient to instruct the diligent reader, how that boyth these Sacramentis may be rychtlie ministred; yit for ane uniformitie to be keipit, we have thocht gude to adde this as superaboundand.

[380] See note infra, page 210.

In Baptisme, we acknawlege nothing to be used except the element of wattir onlie, (that the wourd and declaratioun of the promisses aucht to preceid we haif said befoir.) Quhairfoir, quhosoevir presumeth in baptisme to use oyle, salt, wax, spattill,[381] conjuratioun, or croceing, accuseth the perfyte inst.i.tutioun of Christ Jesus of imperfectioun; for it wes void of all suche inventionis devysed by men: And suche as wald presume to alter Christis perfite ordinance yow aucht seveirlie to punische.

[381] In Vautr. edit, and edit. 1621, "spittle."