The Works of John Knox Volume II Part 34

APUD EDINBURGH, XXV^{TO} AUGUSTI ANNO &C. LXI^O.

FORSAMEKLE as the Quenis Majestie hes understand the great inconvenientis that may come, through the divisioun presentlie standing in this Realme, for the difference in materis of Religioun, that hir Majestie is most desirous to see [it] pacifeit be ane good ordour, to the honour of G.o.d, and tranquillitie of hir Realme, and meanes to tack the same be advyse of hir Estaitis, sa soon as convenientlie may be; and that hir Majesties G.o.dlie resolutioun thairin may be greatlie hyndered, in case any tumult or seditioun be raised amanges the lieges, yf any suddane[642] alteratioun or novatioun be prea.s.sed [at] or attempted, befoir that the ordour may be establissed: Thairfoir, for eschewing of the saidis inconvenientis, hir Majestie ordanes letteris[643] to be direct to charge all and sindrie hir leiges, be oppin proclamatioun at the Mercat Croce of Edinburgh, and otheris places neidfull, that thai, and everie ane of thame, conteane thame selffis in quyetnesse, keap peace and civile societie amongis thame selffis: And in the meanetyme, while the Estaittis of this Realme may be a.s.sembled, and that hir Majestie have tackin ane finall ordour be thair advyse and publict consent, quhilk hir Majestie hopes shalbe to the contentment of the haill, That nane of thame tack upoun hand, privatlie or openlie, to mack alteratioun or innovatioun of the staite of Religioun, or attempt any thing against the form quhilk hir Majestie fand publictlie and universallie standing at hir Majesties arryvell in this hir Realme, under the pane of death: With certificatioun, that yf any subject of the Realme, shall c.u.m in the contrarie heirof, he shalbe estemed and holden a seditious persone and raiser of tumult, and the said paine salbe execut upoun him with all rigour, to the example of otheris. Attour, hir Majestie, be the advise of the Lordis of hir Secreit Counsall, commandis and charges all hir leiges, that nane of thame tack upoun hand to molest or truble any of hir domesticall servandis, or personis whatsumever, come furth of France, in hir Gracis c.u.mpany at this tyme, in wourd, deed, or countenance, for any caus whatsumever, eather within hir Palace or without, or mack ony derisioun[644] or invasioun upoun any of thame, under whatsumever cullour or pretence, under the said paine of death: Albeit hir Majestie be sufficientlie persuaded, that hir good and loving subjectis wold do the same, for the reverence thai bear to hir persone and authoritie, notwithstanding that na sick commandiment war publisshed.

[642] MS. G, omits "suddane."

[643] It appears that such Letters of Proclamation were accordingly issued on the 29th of August. (Treasurer's Accounts.)

[644] In MS. G, "divisioun."

This Act and Proclamatioun, penned and put in form by such as befoir professed Christ Jesus, (for in the Counsall then had Papistis neathir power nor vote,) it was publictlie proclaimed at the Mercat Croce of Edinburgh, upoun Mononday foirsaid. No man reclamed, nor maid repugnance to it, except the Erle of Arrane onlie;[645] who, in open audience of the Heraldis and people protested, "That he dissasented that any protectioun or defence should be maid to the Quenis domestickis, or to any that came from France, to offend G.o.ddis Majestie, and to violat the lawis of the Realme, more then to any other subject: for G.o.ddis law had p.r.o.nunced death against the idolater, and the lawis of the realme had appoynted punishment for sayaris and heararis of Ma.s.se; quhilkis, (said he,) I here protest, be universallie observed, and that none be exempted, unto such tyme as a law, als publictlie maid, and als consonant to the law of G.o.d, have disannulled the formar." And thairupoun he took doc.u.mentis, as the tenour of this his Protestatioun doeth witnesse:--

[645] MS. L 4, has this marginal note, "The Erle of Arran's protestation against this proclamation."

IN sa far as be this Proclamatioun it is understand to the Kirk of G.o.d, and memberis thairof, that the Quenis Grace is mynded, that the treu religioun and wyrschipping ellis establissed procead fordwart, that it may daly increase, unto the Parliament, that ordour then may be tane for extirpatioun of all idolatrie within this Realme: We rander maist hartlie thankis to the Lord our G.o.d for hir Gracis good mynd, earnestlie praying that it may be encrea.s.sed in hir Hienes, to the honour and glorie of His name, and weill of his Kirk within this Realme. And as tueching the molestatioun of hir Hienes servandis, we suppose that nane dare be sa bald as anes to move thair fyngar at thame, in doing of thair lefull busines; and as for us, we have learned at oure maister Christis school, "to keap peace with all men;"

and thairfoir for our part, we will promeis that obedience unto hir Majestie (as is our dewitie) that nane of hir servandis salbe molested, trubled, or anes tueched, be the Kirk, or any member thairof, in doing thair lefull affairis. But, sen that G.o.d hes said, "The idolater shall die the death;" we Protest solempnedlie, in presence of G.o.d, and in the earis of the haill people that hearis this Proclamatioun, and specialie in presence of you Lyoun Herald, and of the rest of your collegues, &c., makaris of this Proclamatioun, that yf any of hir servandis shall commit idolatrie, specialie say Messe, partic.i.p.at thairwith, or tack the defence thairof, (quhilkis we war leyth should be in hir Grace c.u.mpany,) in that caise, that this Proclamatioun be nott extended to thame in that behalf, nor be not a salfgard or gyrth to thame in that behalf, na mair nor give thai committ slauchter or murther, seing the ane is mekle mair abhominable and odiouse in the syght of G.o.d, then is the other: But that it may be laughtfull to inflict upoun thame the painis conteyned in G.o.ddis word aganis idolateris, whairever thai may be apprehended, but favour. And this oure Protestatioun we desyre you to notifie unto hir, and gif hir the copie heirof, least hir Hienes should suspect ane uproar, gif we should all come and present the same. At Edinburgh, the day and year foirsaid.

[Sidenote: ROBERT CAMPBELL TO THE LORD VCHILTRIE.]

[Sidenote: THE QUENIS PRACTISES AT THE FIRST.]

This baldnes did somewhat exasperat the Quene, and such as favoured hir in that poynt. As the Lordis, callit[646] of the Congregatioun, repared unto the Town, at the first c.u.ming thai schew thame selves wonderouslie offended, that the Messe was permitted; so that everie man as he cam accused thame that war befoir him: but after that thai had remaned a certane s.p.a.ce, thai war as quyet as war the formare.

Which thing perceaved, a zealous and G.o.dlie man, Robert Campbell of Kingzeancleucht, said unto the Lord Vchiltrie, "My Lord, now ye are come, and almost the last of all the rest; and I perceave, by your anger, that the fyre-edge is nott of you yit; but I fear, that after that the holy watter of the Courte be sprinckled upoun you, that ye sall become als temperat[647] as the rest: For I have bene here now fyve dayis, and at the first I hard everie man say, 'Let us hang the Preast;' but after that thai had bene twyse or thrise in the Abbay, all that fervency was past. I think thair be some inchantment whareby men ar bewitched." And in verray deed so it came to pa.s.s: for the Quenis flattering wordis, upoun the ane pairte, ever still crying, "Conscience, conscience: it is a sore thing to constreane the conscience;" and the subtile persuasionis of hir suppostis (we mean evin of such as sometymes war judged most fervent with us) upoun the other parte, blynded all men, and putt thame in this opinioun, sche wilbe content to hear the preaching; and so no doubt but sche may be wone. And thus of all it wes concluded, to suffer hir for a tyme.

[646] In MSS. G, A, and L 4, "then called." The latter has this marginal note, "The fervencie of professors cooled."

[647] In MS. G, "als temperat here."

[Sidenote: THE JUDGMENT OF JOHNE KNOX UPOUN THE SUFFERING OF THE QUENIS MESSE.][648]

[648] MS. L 4, instead of this marginal note, has "Mr. Knox findeth fault with the toleration of the Quenis Messe."

[Sidenote: THE COURTEOURIS.]

[Sidenote: JOHNE KNOX CONFESSIOUN.]

The nixt Sounday, Johnne Knox, inveighing against idolatrie, schew what terrible plagues G.o.d had tacken upoun Realmes and Nationis for the same; and added, "That one Messe (thair war no mo suffered at the first) was more fearful to him then gif ten thousand armed enemyes war landed in any pairte of the Realme, of purpose to suppress the hoill religioun. For (said he) in our G.o.d thair is strenth to resist and confound mult.i.tudis, yf we unfeanedlie depend upoun him; whairof heirtofoir we haif had experience; but when we joyne handis with idolatrie, it is no doubt but that both G.o.dis amicable presence and confortable defence leaveth us, and what shall then become of us?

Allace, I fear that experience shall teach us to the greaf of many."

At these wordis, the guydaris of of the Court mocked, and plainlie spak, "That such fear was no poynt of thair fayth: it was besyd his text, and was a verray untymelie admonitioun." But we heard this same Johnne Knox, in the audience of the same men, recyte the same wordis agane in the myddest of trubles; and in the audience of many ask G.o.d mercy, that he was nott more vehement and upryght in the suppressing of that idoll in the begynning. "For, (said he,) albeit that I s.p.a.ck that which offended some, (which this day thai see and feall to be treu,) yit did I not [that] which I myght have done; for G.o.d had not onlie gevin unto me knowledge, and toung to maik the impietie of that idoll knowin unto this Realme, but he had gevin unto me credyte with many, who wold have put in executioun G.o.ddis judgmentis, yf I wold onlie have consented thairto: But so cairfull was I[649] of that commoun tranquillitie, and so loth was I to have offended those of whom I had conceaved a good opinioun, that in secreat conference with earnest and zealous men, I travaled rather to mitigat, yea, to slokin, that fervencye that G.o.d had kyndled in otheris, than to animat or encorage thame to put thair handis to the Lordis work: Whairintill I unfeanedlie acknowledge my selff to have done most wickedlie; and from the bottom of my hart, askis of my G.o.d grace and pardon, for that I did not what in me lay to have suppressed that idoll in the begining."

These and other wordis did many hear him speak in publict place, in the moneth of December, the year of G.o.d J^m V^c and threscoir fyve yearis, when such as at the Quenis arryvell onlie manteyned the Ma.s.se, war exyled the Realme, summoned upoun trea.s.sone, and decreit of forfaltour intended against thame. But to return from whence we have digressed.

[649] MS. G, adds here, "quoth he."

[Sidenote: THE FIRST REa.s.sONING BETWIX THE QUEYN AND JOHNE KNOX.]

Whetther it was by counsall of otheris, or of the Quenis awin desyre, we knaw not; but the Quene s.p.a.ck with Johne Knox, and had long ressoning with him, none being present except the Lord James: (two gentilwemen stood[650] in the other end of the house.) The summe of thair rea.s.soning was this. The Quene accused him, that he had raysed a part of hir subjectis against hir Mother, and against hir self: That he had writtin a book against hir just authoritie, (sche ment the treatise against the Regiment of Wemen[651]) which sche had, and should caus the most learned in Europe to wryte against it: That he was the caus of great seditioun and great slauchter in England; and that it was said to hir, that all which he did was by necromancye, &c.

[650] In MSS. G, and L4, "two gentilmen."

[651] See this vol. i. page 28.

To the whiche the said Johne answered, "Madam, it may please your Majestie patientlie to hear my sempill ansures. And first, (said he,) yf to teach the treuth of G.o.d in synceritie, yf to rebuke idolatrie, and to will a people to wyrschip G.o.d according to his word, be to raise subjectis against thair Princes, then can not I be excused; for it hes pleased G.o.d of his mercy to mack me ane (amongis many) to disclose unto this Realme the vanitie of the Papisticall religioun, and the deceat, pryde, and tyranny of that Romane Antichrist. Bot, Madam, yf the treu knowledge of G.o.d, and his rycht wirschipping be the cheaf causses, that must move men from thair heart to obey thair just Princes, (as it is most certane that thai ar,) whairin can I be reprehended? I think, and am surelie persuaded, that your Grace have had, and presentlie have, als unfeaned obedience, of such as profess Jesus Christ within this Realme, as ever your Father, or other progenitouris had of those that war called Bischoppis. And tueching that booke, which seameth so highlie to offend your Majestie, it is most certane that I wrait it, and am content that all the learned of the world judge of it. I hear that ane Englishe man hath writtin against it,[652] but I have not redd him. Yf he have sufficientlie improved my ressones, and establissed his contrarie propositioun, with als evident testimonyes as I have done myne, I shall nott be obstinat, but shall confess my errour and ignorance. Bot to this hour I have thocht, and yit thinkis my self allone to be more able to sustene the thingis affirmed in that my wark, than any ten in Europe salbe able to confute it."

[652] John Aylmer: see this vol. page 26, note 3.

"Ye think then, (quod sche,) that I have no just authoritie?"

"Pleise your Majestie, (said he,) that learned men in all aiges have had thair judgmentis free, and most commonlie disagreing frome the commoun judgment of the warld; suche also have thei publisshed, boyth with pen and toung, and yit notwithstanding thei thame selves have lived in the commoun societie with otheris, and have borne patientlie with the errours and imperfectionis whiche thei could not amend.

Plato, the philosopher, wrote his Bookis of the Commounwealth, in the whiche he dampneth many thingis that then war manteaned in the world, and required many thingis to have bene reformed; and yitt, notwithstanding he lived evin under suche policies, as then war universallie receaved, without farther trubling of any estait. Evin so, Madam, am I content to do, in uprightness of heart, and with a testimonye of a good conscience. I have communicat my judgment to the world: Yf the Realme fyndis no inconvenience frome the regiment of a woman, that whiche thei approve shall I not farther disallow, then within my awin breast, but salbe alse weall content to lyve under your Grace, as Paull was to lyve under Nero; and my hope is, that so long as that ye defyle not your handis with the blood of the sanctis of G.o.d, that neather I nor that Booke shall eather hurt you or your authoritie: for in verray deed, Madame, that Book was written most especialie against that wicked Jesabell of England."[653]

[653] That is, Mary, Queen of England.

"But (said sche) ye speak of women in generall."

"Most treu it is, Madame, (said the other,) and yit it appeareth to me that wisdome should persuade your Grace, never to raise truble for that, whiche to this day hath not trubled your Majestie, neather in persone nor yit in authoritie. For of lait yearis, many thingis, whiche befoir war haldin stable, have bene called in doubt; yea thei have bene plainlie impugned. But yit, Madame, (said he,) I am a.s.sured that neather Protestant nor Papist shalbe abill to prove, that any suche questioun was at any time moved in publict or in secreat. Now, Madam, (said he,) yf I had intended to have trubled your estaite, becaus ye ar a woman, I myght have chosen a tyme more convenient for that purpose, then I can do now, when your awin presence is within the Realme.

"But now, Madam, schortlie to ansuer to the other two accusationis. I hartlie praise my G.o.d, throwgh Jesus Christ, that Sathan the ennemye of mankynd, and the wicked of the world, have no other crymes to lay to my charge, then suche as the verray world it self knoweth to be most fals and vane. For in England I wes resident onlie the s.p.a.ce of fyve yearis.[654] The places war Berwick, whair I abode two yearis; so long in the New Castell; and a year in London. Now, Madam, yf in any of these places, during the tyme that I wes thair, any man salbe able to prove, that thair wes eather battell, seditioun, or mutinie, I shall confesse that I my selff was the malefactour, and the scheddar of the bloode. I eschame not, Madam, farther to affirme, that G.o.d so blissed my waik laubouris, that in Berwick (whair commonlie befoir thair used to be slauchter, be ressone of quarrellis that used to aryse amongis soldartis) thair was as great quyetnes, all the tyme that I remaned thair, as thair is this day in Edinburgh.[655] And whare the sclander me of magick, nycromancie, or of any other arte forbidden of G.o.d, I have witnesses, (besydis my awin conscience,) all[656] congregationis that ever heard me, what I spake both against suche artis, and against those that use suche impietie. But, seing the wicked of the world said, That my Maister, the Lord Jesus, was possessed with Beelzebub, I man patientlie bear, albeit that I, wretched synnar, be injustlie accused of those, that never delyted in the veritie."

[654] Knox's residence in England extended from the period of his release from the French galleys till the death of Edward the Sixth, (1549-1553:) see vol. i. pp. xv. xvi.

[655] Knox's interview took place on a Tuesday, the 26th of August.

Randolph alludes to it in a letter to Cecil, dated 7th September. Mr.

Knox spoke upon Tuesday with the Quene. "He knocked so hardelye upon her harte, that he made her weepe, as well you know ther be of that s.e.xe that will do that as well for anger as for greef, &c.... The brute [report] that he hathe tawlked with the Quene maketh the Papistis dowte what wyll become of the worlde." (Wright's Queen Elizabeth, vol. i. p. 72.)

[656] In MS. G, "all the."

[Sidenote: THE QUENIS SECOUND OBJECTIOUN.]

"But yit, (said sche) ye have taught the peeple to receave ane other Religioun, than thair Princes can allow: And how can that doctrin be of G.o.d, seing, that G.o.d commandis subjectis to obey thair Princes?"

[Sidenote: [ANSWER]]

"Madam, (said he,) as rycht Religioun tooke nather originall strenth[657] nor authoritie frome worldly Princes, but frome the Eternall G.o.d allone, so are not subjectis bound to frame thair Religioun according to the appet.i.tes of thair Princes. For oft it is, that Princes ar the most ignorant of all otheris in G.o.ddis treu Religioun, as we may reid in the historyes alse weill befoir the death of Christ Jesus, as efter. Yf all the sead of Abraham should have bene of the Religioun of Pharao, whome to thei war lang subjectis, I pray you, Madam, what Religioun should thair have bene in the world? Or, yf all men in the dayis of the Apostles should have bene of the Religioun of the Romane Emperouris, what Religioun should thair have bene upoun the face of the earth? Daniell and his fellowis war subjectis to Nabuchadonozzar, and unto Darius, and yitt, Madam, thei wold nott be of thair Religioun, neather of the one or of the other: for the thre Children said, "We maik it known unto thee, O King, that we will not worschip thy G.o.ddis." And Daniell did pray publictlie unto his G.o.d against the expressed commandiment of the King. And so, Madam, ye may perceave, that subjectis ar not bound to the Religioun of thair Princes, albeit thei ar commanded to geve thame obedience."

[657] MS. G, omits this word, "strenth."

[Sidenote: THE THIRD OBJECTIOUN.]

"Yea, (quod sche,) but nane of thai men raised the sweard against thair Princes."

[Sidenote: [ANSWER]]

"Yit, Madam, (quod he,) ye cane not deny but that they resisted: for these that obey nott the commandimentis that ar gevin, in some sort resist."