BY THESE ARTICLES which God of his mercifull prouidence causeth the
enemies of his truth to keepe in their registers maye appeare how
mercifully God hath looked vppon this realme, retayning within it
some sparke of his light, euen in the time of greatest darknes.
Neither ought any m[=a] to wonder albeit that some things be obscurely
and some thinges doubtfully spoken. But rather ought al faithfull
to magnifie Gods mercy who without publike doctrine gaue so great
light. And further we ought to consider that seeing that the
enemies of Iesus Christe gathered the foresaide articles there
vppon to accuse the persones aforesaide, that they woulde depraue
the meaninge of Gods seruauntes so farre as they coulde, as we
doubt not but they haue done, in the heads of excommunication,
swearing and of matrimony: In the which it is no doubt but the
seruaunts of God did damne the abuse onelye, and not the right
ordinance of God: for who knowes not that excommunication in these
dayes was altogeather abused? That swearing aboundeth without
punishment or remorse of conscience: And that diuorcementes was
made, for such causes as worldly men had inuented: but to our
history. Albeit that the accusation of the Bishop and of his
complices was very grieuous, yet God so assisted his seruauntes
partly by inclining the kinges heart to gentlenes (for diuerse of
them were his great familiars) and partly by giuing bold and godly
aunswers to their accusators, that the enemies in the ende were
frustrate of their purpose. For while the Bishop in mockage saide
to Adam reade of blaspheming, read beleeue ye that God is in
heauen? he answered Not as I do the sacramentes seuen: whereat the
bishop thinking to haue triumphed said: Sir loe
Vautrollier's edition is a small 8vo, commencing with signature B, page
17, and breaking off with signature Mm, page 560, or near the beginning
of the 5th chapter of the Book of Discipline, which Knox has introduced
at the conclusion of Book Third of his History. Copies of this volume in
fine condition are of rare occurrence.
The edition of the History published at London by David Buchanan in
1644, and reprinted at Edinburgh in the same year, in all probability
under his own inspection, will be more particularly noticed in the
following volume. It might perhaps have been well had this publication
been actually prohibited, as Milton[8] seems to indicate was not
unlikely to have taken place. So much use at least had been made of the
unwarrantable liberties taken by the Editor, in altering and adding
passages, as for a length of time to throw discredit on the whole work.
At length there appeared the very accurate edition, published at
Edinburgh 1732, with a Life of the author, by the Rev. Matthew Crawfurd.
Besides this and the two editions published in a more popular form by
William M'Gavin, at Glasgow, there are numerous modernized and spurious
republications, all of them taken from Buchanan's interpolated
editions, and published at Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Dundee, between the
years 1731 and 1832. Even at an early period, both Calderwood, who had
made such copious extracts from the work, and Spottiswood, who expressed
his doubts respecting its authorship, appear to have employed
Vautrollier's inaccurate edition. The necessity of publishing the work
with greater care and in its most genuine form, will therefore by
readily admitted. The acquisition of the Manuscript of 1566, has enabled
the Editor to accomplish this, to a certain extent, by presenting the
text of the History in the precise form "wherein he hath continued and
perfectly ended at the year of God 1564," according to the declaration
made to the first General Assembly which met after his death. Having
such a MS. to follow, I have adhered to it with much more scrupulous
accuracy, in regard to the othography,[9] than otherwise might have been
deemed advisable. At first sight, indeed, the language may appear
somewhat uncouth, and it may require a Glossary to be subjoined; but it
was of essential importance that the work should be published in its
original form, with the Author's own marginal notes and relections, as
the genuine production of the great SCOTISH REFORMER.
* * * * *
The labour bestowed by the Author in collecting information, with the
desire of giving a true and faithful History of these transactions,
rendered it also desirable that more than ordinary care should be
bestowed in illustrating his narrative. For this purpose, I have taken
considerable pains to identify the persons and places mentioned in the
course of this History. Knox himself, on more than one occasion, states,
that while he was careful in relating facts, he was no observer of
_times_ and _seasons_, in other words, that he made no pretensions to
minute accuracy in dates. It became the more necessary to devote
particular attention, either to confirm or correct his dates, by
reference to contemporary documents; and no source that was accessible
has been overlooked, although I am fully sensible that I may have failed
in making suitable use of the information thus obtained. I have at least
endeavoured to avoid cumbering the page with notes, unless where they
seemed necessary to illustrate the text; and I consider no apology to be
required for the Articles inserted in the Appendix.
THE FIRST BOOKE OF THE HISTORY OF THE REFORMATIOUN OF RELIGIOUN WITHIN
THE REALME OF SCOTLAND: CONTEANYNG THE MANER AND BY WHAT PERSONS THE
LIGHT OF CHRISTIS EVANGELL HATH BENE MANIFESTED UNTO THIS REALME, AFTER
THAT HORRIBLE AND UNIVERSALL DEFECTIOUN FROM THE TREWTH, WHICH HES CUME
BY THE MEANES OF THAT ROMANE ANTICHRIST.