XXXIV. That thei which ar called principallis in the Church, ar thevis
and robbaris.
* * * * *
By these Articles,[37] which God of his mercyfull providence caused the
ennemies of his trewth to keip in thare Registeris, may appeir how
mercyfullie God hath looked upoun this Realme, reteanyng within it some
sponk of his light, evin in the tyme of grettast darkness. Nether yit
awght any man to wonder, albeit that some thingis be obscurly, and some
thingis scabruslie spokin;[38] but rather awght all faythfull to
magnifye Goddis mercy, who without publict doctrin gave so great light.
And farther, we awght to considder, that seing that the ennemies of
Jesus Christ gathered the foirsaid Articles, thairupoun to accuse the
personis foirsaid, that thei wold deprave the meanyng of Goddis
servandis so far as thei could; as we dowbt not bot thei have done, in
the headis of Excommunicatioun, Swearing, and of Matrimonye. In the
which it is no dowbt but the servandis of God did dampne the abuse
only, and not the rycht ordinance of God; for who knowes not, that
Excommunicatioun in these dayis was altogether abused! That Swearing
abounded without punishment, or remorse of conscience! And that
Divorsementis war maid for such causes as worldly men had invented!--But
to our History.
* * * * *
Albeit that the accusatioun of the Bischop and his complices was verray
grevouse, yitt God so assisted his servandis, partly be inclineing the
Kingis hart to gentilness, (for diverse of thame war his great
familiaris,) and partly by geving bold and godly answeris to thair
accusatouris, that the ennemies in the end war frustrat of thair
purpoise. For whill the Bischop, in mocking, said to Adam Reid of
Barskemyng,[39] "REID, Beleve ye that God is in heavin?" He answered,
"Not as I do the Sacramentis sevin." Whairat the Bischop thinking to
have triumphed, said, "SIR, Lo, he denyes that God is in heavin."
Whairat the King wondering, said, "Adam Reid, what say ye?" The other
answered, "Please your Grace to heir the end betuix the churle and me."
And thairwith he turned to the Bischope, and said, "I nether think nor
beleve, as thou thinkis, that God is in heavin; but I am most assured,
that he is not only in the heavin, bot also in the earth. Bott thou and
thy factioun declayre by your workis, that eyther ye think thair is no
God at all, or ellis that he is so shett up[40] in the heavin, that he
regardis not what is done into the earth; for yf thou fermelie beleved
that God war in the heavin, thou should not mack thy self chek-meat to
the King, and altogether forgett the charge that Jesus Christ the Sone
of God gave to his apostles, which was, to preach his Evangell, and not
to play the proud prelatts, as all the rabill of yow do this day. And
now, Sir, (said he to the King,) judge ye whither the Bischop or I
beleve best that God is in heavin." Whill the Bischope and his band
could not weill revenge thame selfis, and whill many tantis war gevin
thame in thair teith, the King, willing to putt ane end to farther
reassonyng, said to the said Adam Reid, "Will thou burne thy bill?" He
answered, "Sir, the Bischope and ye will." With those and the lyik
scoffis the Bischop and his band war so dashed out of countenance, that
the greattest part of the accusatioun was turned to lawchter.
After that dyet, we fynd almoist no questioun for materis of religioun,
the space ney of thretty yearis. For not long after, to witt in the year
of God 1508,[41] the said Bischop Blackcater departed this lief, going
in his superstitious devotioun to Hierusalem; unto whome succeided Mr.
James Beatoun, sone to the Lard of Balfour, in Fyfe, who was moir
cairfull for the world then he was to preach Christ, or yitt to advance
any religioun, but for the fassioun only; and as he soght the warld, it
fled him nott,[42] it was weill knowin that at onis he was Archbischop
of Sanctandrosse, Abbot of Dumfermeling, Abirbroth, Kylwynnyng, and
Chancellare of Scotland: for after the unhappy feild of Flowdoun,[43]
the which perrished King James the Fourt, with the grettast parte of the
nobilitie of the realme, the said Beatoun, with the rest of the
Prelattis, had the haill regiment of the realme; and by reassone
thairof, held and travailled to hold the treuth of God in thraldome and
bondage, till that it pleased God of his great mercy, in the year of God
1527, to raise up his servand, MAISTER PATRIK HAMMYLTOUN, at whome our
Hystorie doith begyn. Of whose progenye, lyif, and eruditioun, becaus
men of fame and renune have in diverse workis writtin, we omitt all
curiouse repetitioun, sending such as wald knaw farther of him then we
write to Franciss Lambert,[44] Johne Firth, and to that notable
wark,[45] laitlie sette furth be Johne Fox, Englisman, of the Lyvis and
Deathis of Martyrs within this yle, in this our aige.
* * * * *
This servand of God, the said Maister Patrik, being in his youth
providit to reassonable honouris and leving, (he was intitulat Abbot of
Fern,[46]) as one haiting the world and the vanitie thairof, left
Scotland, and passed to the schoollis in Germany; for then the fame of
the Universitie of Whittinberge was greatlie divulgat in all countreis,
whare, by Goddis providence, he became familiare with these lyghtis and
notable servandis of Christ Jesus of that tyme, Martyne Luther, Philipp
Melanthon, and the said Franciss Lambert,[47] and did so grow and
advance in godly knowledge, joyned with fervencie and integretie of
lyiff, that he was in admiratioun with many. The zeall of Goddis glorie
did so eat him up, that he could of no long continuance remane thair,
bot returned to his countrie, whair the brycht beames of the trew light
which by Goddis grace was planted in his harte, began most aboundantlie
to burst furth, also weall in publict as in secreat: For he was, besydis
his godlie knowledge, weill learned in philosophie: he abhorred
sophistrye, and wold that the text of Aristotelis should have bene
better understand and more used in the schoolles then than it was; for
sophistrie had corrupted all asweil in divinitie as in humanitie. In
schort proces of tyme, the fame of his reasonis and doctrin trubled the
Clargye, and came to the earis of Bischope James Beatoun, of whome
befoir we have maid mentioun, who being ane conjured ennemye to Christ
Jesus, and one that long had had the whole regiment of this realme, bare
impatientlie that any truble should be maid to that kingdome of darknes,
whairof within this realme he was the head. And, thairfoir, he so
travailled[48] with the said Maister Patrik, that he gat him to
Sanctandrosse, whair, eftir the conference of diverse dayis, he had his
freedome and libertie. The said Bischop and his blooddy bucheouris,
called Doctouris, seamed to approve his doctryne, and to grant that many
thingis craved reformatioun in the Ecclesiastical regiment. And amanges
the rest, thair was ane that secreatlie consented with him almest in
all thingis, named Frear Alexander Campbell, a man of good wytt and
learnyng, butt yitt corrupt by the warld, as aftir we will hear. When
the bischoppis and the clergye had fully understand the mynd and
judgement of the said Maistir Patrik, and fearing that by him thair
kingdome should be endomaged, thei travailled with the King, who then
was young, and altogitther addict to thair commandiment, that he should
pass in pilgramaige to Sanct Dothess in Rosse,[49] to the end that no
intercessioun should be maid for the life[50] of the innocent servant of
God, who suspecting no such crueltie as in thair hartes was concluded,
remaned still, (a lambe amonges the wolfis,) till that upoun a nycht hie
was intercepted in his chalmer, and by the bischoppes band was caryed to
the Castell, whare that nycht he was keapt; and upoun the morne,
produccid in judgement, he was condampned to dye by fyre for the
testimonye of Goddis trewth. The Articles for the which he suffered war
bot of Pilgramage, Purgatorye, Prayer to Sanctes, and for the Dead, and
such trifilles; albeit that materis of grettar importance had bein in
questioun, as his Treatise,[51] which in the end we have added, may
witness. Now that the condempnatioun of the said Mr. Patrik should have
greattar authoritie, thei caused the same to be subscrived by all those
of any estimatioun that with tham war present, and to mack thair nomber
great, thei tuck the subscriptionis of childrin, yf thei war of the
nobilitie; for the Erle of Cassilles, which last decessed in France,[52]
then being bot twelf or threttein yearis of age, was compelled to
subscrive his death, as him self did confesse. Immediatlie after dennar,
the fyre was prepaired befoir the Ald Colledge,[53] and he led to the
place of executioun. And yitt men suppoised that all was done but to
geve unto him ane terrour, and to have caused him to have recanted, and
have become recreant to those bloody beastis. But God, for his awin
glorie, for the comforte of his servand, and for manifestatioun of thare
beastly tyranny, had otherwiese decreed; for he so strenthened his
faythfull witnes, that nether the luif of lyif, nor yitt the fear of
that cruell death, could move him a joit to swarve from the trewth ones
professed. At the plaice of executioun he gave to his servand, who had
bene chalmer-child to him of a long tyme, his gown, his coit, bonet, and
such lych garments, saying, "These will nott proffeit in the fyre; thei
will proffeit thee: Aftir this, of me thow cane receave no commoditie,
except the example of my death, which, I pray thee, bear in mynd; for
albeit it be bitter to the flesche, and feirfull befoir men, yet is it
the entress unto eternall lyif, quhilk non shall possesse that denyis
Christ Jesus befoir this wicked generatioun."
The innocent servand of God being bound to the staik in the myddest of
some coallis, some tymmer, and other mater appointed for the fyre, a
trane of powder was maid and sett a fyre, quhilk gave to the blessed
martyre of God a glaise, skrimpled[54] his left hand, and that syd of
his face, but nether kendilled the wood, nor yett the coallis.[55] And
so remaned the appointed to death in torment, till that men rane to the
Castell agane for moir poulder, and for wood more able to tack fyre;
which at last being kendilled, with lowd voce he cryed, "LORD JESUS,
receave my spreit! How long shall darknes owerquhelme this realme? And
how long will thow suffer this tyranny of men?"--The fyre was slow, and
thairfoir was his torment the more. Bott moist of all was he greved by
certane wicked men, amongis whome Campbell the Blak Freir (of whome we
spak befoir[56]) was principall, who continuallie cryed, "Convert,
heretick: call upoun our Lady: say _Salve Regina_," etc. To whome he
answered, "Departe, and truble me not, ye messingeris of Sathan." Bott
whill that the foirsaid Freir still roared one thing in great vehemency,
he said unto him, "Wicked man, thou knawis the contrair, and the
contrair to me thou hast confessed: I appeall thee befoir the tribunall
seatt of Jesus Christ!" After which and other wordis, which weall could
nott be understand nor marked, bayth for the tumult, and vehemencye of
the fyre, the witness of Jesus Christ gat victorie, after long
sufferance, the last of Februar, in the zeir of God J^m. V^e. twenty and
sevin zearis.[57] The said Freir departed this lyif within few dayis
after, in what estait we referr to the manifestatioun of the generall
day. But it was plainlie knawin that he dyed, in Glaskow, in a
phrenesye, and as one dispared.[58]
Now that all men may understand what was the singular eruditioun and
godly knowledge of the said Mr. Patrik, we have inserted this his litill
pithie werk, conteanyng his Assertionis and Determinationis concernyng
the Law, the Office of the same, concernyng Fayth, and the fruittis[59]
thairof; first, be the foirsaid Maister Patrik collected in Latine, and
after translated in Inglisch.
[A BRIEF TREATISE OF MR. PATRIKE HAMELTON, CALLED PATRIKE'S PLACES,
TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH BY JOHN FRITH; WITH THE EPISTLE OF THE SAYD
FRITH PREFIXED BEFORE THE SAME, AS FOLLOWETH.[60]