That with jugement, we have advysed your Majesteis letteris;
and albeit the haill Estaittis culd not suddandlie be
assemblit, yit we thocht expedient to signifie somquhat of
oure myndis unto your Majestie. Far be it frome us, that
eather we tak upone us, that infamye befoir the warld, or
grudge of conscience befoir oure God, that we suld lychtlie
esteme the observatioun of that peace laitlie contractit
betwix these two Realmes. By quhat motives oure Soverane
delayeth the ratificatioun thairof, we can nott tell: but of
us, (of us, we say, Madame, that have in Goddis presence
protested fidelitie in oure promeisses,) hir Grace hes none.
Your Majestie can not be ignorant, that in this Realme thair
ar mony ennemeis; and, farther, that oure Soverane hes
Counsalouris, quhois jugementis scho in all suche cases
preferreth to ouris. Oure allegeance bindeth us, nott onlie
reverentlie to speik and write of oure Soverane, but also so
to juge and think: and yit your Majestie may be weill
assured, that in us salbe noted no blame, gif that peace be
nott ratifiet to your Majesteis contentment: for God is
witness, that oure cheiff cair in this earth, nyxt the
glorie of oure God, is, that constant peace may remane
betwix these two Realmes; quhairof your Majestie and realme
sall have suyre experience sa lang as oure counsall or votes
may stay the contrarie. The benefite that we haif receaved
is so recent, that we can nott suddandlie bury it in
forgetfulnes. We wald desyre your Majestie rather to be
perswaded of us, that we to oure powaris will studye to
leave it in remembrance to oure posteritie. And thus, with
lauchfull and humble commendatioun of oure service, we
committ youre Majestie to the protectioun of the Omnipotent.
Of Edinburgh, the 16 of Julij 1561.
Thair war some utheris that answered some of the ministeris of Ingland
somequhat more scharplie, and willed thame nott to accuse nor
threatten sa scharplie, till that thai war able to convict suche as
haid promised fidelitie of some evident cryme; quhilk, althocht thai
war able to lay to the charge of some, yit respect wald be haid to
suche as long haid declared thame selfis constant procureris of
quyetnes and peace.
The suddane arryvall of the Quene maid grite alteratioun evin in the
Counsall, as efter we will heir. In this meantyme, the Papistis by
surmising, trublit quhat thai mycht: thair postis, letteris, and
complaintis wer from day to day direct, some to the Paipe, some to the
Cardinall of Lorane, and some to oure Quene. The principall of these
curriouris war, Maister Stevin Wilsoun,[363] Maister Johnne Leslie,
called _Nolumus_ and _Volumus_,[364] Maister James Thorntoun,[365]
and utheris, suche as leved, and still leve, by the trafique of that
Romane harlott.
[363] Mr. Stephen Wilson, who probably held some preferment in the
Romish Church, was an active partisan of Queen Mary. He had also been
in the service of her mother, the Queen Regent. On the 11th February
1559-60, the Treasurer paid, "be the Quenis Grace speciale command to
Maister Stevin Wilsone, passand of Edinburgh throuch Ingland, in the
Quenis Grace effairis, in France," the sum of £80. Randolph, in a
letter to Cecil, 7th February 1565-6, referring to a Band or
Confederacy "to maintayne Papistrye throughout Christendome," but more
especially directed against Queen Elizabeth and the Protestants in
Scotland, which had been sent from France to be signed by the Queen of
Scots; he says, it was "to be returned very shortlie, as I heare, by
Mr. Steven Wilson, a fit minister for such devilish devices."
Killegrew, in a letter to Lord Burghley, written from Edinburgh, 4th
March 1573, says, "Stephen Wilson, that carried letters from the Erle
of Argile into France, is returned, and taken by the Regentis
commandment. To-morrow he shall be examined." (Wright's Queen
Elizabeth, vol. i. pp. 220, 470.) His intercepted correspondence is
also mentioned in Killegrew's letter, on the 9th March, quoted by Mr.
Tytler, vol. vii. p. 340.
[364] See page 141, and foot-note to page 139.
[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 titell 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 titular 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 Ambassatour 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 titular 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 God 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 godlie Ministeris requyred; that thai (gif God
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 assigns 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 passages 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 Assembly 1578, inserted
in the Registers of the Assembly 1581, and recognised by Parliament in
1592.