Least that Sathan by our long silence shall tak occasioun to blaspheym,
and to sklander us THE PROTESTANTIS OF THE REALME OF SCOTLAND, as that
our fact tendit rather to seditioun and rebellioun, then to
reformatioun of maners and abuses in Religioun; we have thocht
expedient, so trewlie and brievlie as we can, to committ to writting the
causes moving us, (us, we say, are great parte of the Nobilitie and
Baronis of the Realme,) to tak the sweard of just defence against those
that most injustly seak our destructioun. And in this our Confessioun we
shall faithfullie declair, what moved us to putt our handis to the
Reformatioun of Religioun; how we have proceaded in the same; what we
have asked, and what presentlie we requyre of the sacrat authoritie; to
the end, that our caus being knawen, alsweall our ennemeis as our
brethren in all Realmes may understand how falslie we ar accused of
tumult and rebellioun, and how unjustlie we ar persecuted by France and
by thare factioun: as also, that our brethren, naturall Scottismen, of
what religioun so evir thei be, may have occasioun to examinat thame
selfis, yf thei may with salf conscience oppone themselfes to us, who
seak nothing bot Christ Jesus his glorious Evangell to be preached, his
holy Sacramentis to be trewlie ministrat, superstitioun, tyrannye, and
idolatrie to be suppressed in this Realme; and, finallie, the libertie
of this our native countrie to remane free from the bondage and tyranny
of strangeris.
* * * * *
Whill that the QUEIN REGENT practised with the Prelattis, how that
Christ Jesus his blessed Evangell mycht utterlie be suppressed within
Scotland, God so blessed the laubouris of his weak servandis, that na
small parte of the Baronis of this Realme begane to abhorre the tyranny
of the Bischoppes: God did so oppin thare eyis by the light of his
woord, that thei could clearelie decerne betuix idolatrie and the trew
honoring of God. [SN: THE FIRST DOUBTE.] Yea, men almost universallie
begane to dowbt whetther that thei myght, (God nott offended,) give
thare bodelye presence to the Messe, or yitt offer thare childrein to
the Papisticall Baptisme. To the which dowbtes, when the most godlie and
the most learned in Europe had answered, both by word and writt,
affirmyng, [SN: THE SECOUND.] "That neather of both we mycht do, without
the extreame perrell of our saulles," we began to be more trubled; for
then also began men of estimatioun, and that bare rewill amanges us, to
examinat thame selfis concernyng thare dewities, alsweall towardis
Reformatioun of Religioun, as towardis the just defence of thare
brethren most cruelly persecuted. And so begane diverse Questionis to be
moved, to witt, "Yf that with salf conscience such as war Judgeis,
Lordis, and rewlaris of the people, mycht serve the uppare powers in
maynteanyng idolatrie, in persecuting thare brethrein, and in
suppressing Christes trewth?" Or, "Whitther thei, to whome God in some
caisses had committed the sweard of justice, mycht suffer the bloode of
thare brethrein to be sched in thare presence, without any declaratioun
that such tyrannye displeased thame?" [SN: SCRIPTURIS ANSWERING THE
DOUBTIS.] By the plane Scriptures it was found, "That a lyvelie faith
requyred a plane confessioun, when Christes trewth is oppugned; that not
only ar thei gyltie that do evill, bot also thei that assent to evill."
And plane it is, that thei assent to evill, who seing iniquitie openly
committed, by thare silence seame to justifie and allow whatsoever is
done.
These thingis being resolved, and sufficientlie provin by evident
Scriptures of God, we began everie man to look more diligentlie to his
salvatioun: for the idolatrie and tyranny of the clargie, (called the
Churchmen,) was and is so manifest, that whosoever doth deny it, declair
him self ignorant of God, and ennemy to Christ Jesus. We thairfore, with
humbill confessioun of our formar offenses, with fasting and
supplicatioun unto God, begane to seak some remeady in sa present a
danger. And first, it was concluded, "That the Brethren in everie toune
at certane tymes should assemble togidder, to Commoun Prayeris, to
Exercise and Reading of the Scripturis, till it should please God to
give the sermone of Exhortatioun to some, for conforte and instructioun
of the rest."
And this our weak begynnyng God did so bless, that within few monethis
the hartes of many war so strenthned, that we sought to have the face of
a Church amanges us, and open crymes to be punished without respect of
persone. And for that purpose, by commoun electioun, war eldaris
appointed, to whome the hole brethren promissed obedience: for at that
tyme we had na publict ministeris of the worde; onlie did certane zelous
men, (amonges whome war the Lard of Dun, David Forress, Maister Robert
Lokharte, Maister Robert Hammylton, Williame Harlay,[737] and
otheris,[738]) exhorte thare brethrein, according to the giftes and
graces granted unto thame. [SN: THIS WAS CALLED THE PREVYE KIRK.] Bot
schort after did God stirre up his servand, Paule Methven,[739] (his
latter fall[740] aught not to deface the work of God in him,) who in
boldnes of spreit begane opinlie to preache Christ Jesus, in Dundie, in
diverse partes of Anguss, and in Fyffe; and so did God work with him,
that many began opinly to abrenunce thare ald idolatrie, and to submitt
thame selfis to Christ Jesus, and unto his blessed ordinances; insomuch
that the toune of Dundee began to erect the face of a publict churche
Reformed, in the which the Worde was openlie preached, and Christis
Sacramentcs trewlie ministrat.
In this meantyme did God send to us our deare brother, Johne
Willock,[741] ane man godly, learned, and grave, who, after his schorte
abode at Dundie, repared to Edinburgh, and thare (notwithstanding his
long and dangerous seiknes) did so encorage the brethren by godly
exhortationis, that we began to deliberat upoun some publict
Reformatioun; for the corruptioun in religioun was such, that with salf
conscience we could na langar susteane it. Yitt becaus we wold attempt
nothing without the knowledge of the sacrate authoritie,[742] with one
consent, after the deliberatioun of many dayes, it was concluded, that
by our publict and commoun Supplicatioun, we should attempt the
favouris, supporte, and assistance of the Quein then Regent, to a godly
Reformatioun. [SN: THE LARD OF CALDAR ELDAR.] And for that purpoise,
after we had drawin our oraisoun and petitionis, as followeth, we
appointed from amanges us a man whose age and yearis deserved reverence,
whose honestie and wirschip mycht have craved audience of ony magistrate
on earth, and whose faithfull service to the authoritie at all tymes had
bein suche, that in him culd fall no suspitioun of unlawfull
disobedience. This Oratour was that auncient and honorable father, Schir
James Sandelandes of Calder, knycht,[743] to whome we geve commissioun
and power in all our names then present, befoir the Quein Regent thus to
speak:--
THE FIRST ORATIOUN, AND PETITIOUN, OF THE PROTESTANTES
OF SCOTLAND TO THE QUEIN REGENT.
Albeit we have of long tyme conteyned our selfis in that modestie,
(Maist Noble Princess,) that neyther the exile of body, tynsall of
goodis, nor perishing of this mortall lyif, wes able to convein us
to ask at your Grace reformatioun and redress of those wrangis, and
of that sore greaff, patientlie borne of us in bodyes and myndes of
so long tyme; yitt ar we now, of verray conscience and by the fear
of our God, compelled to crave at your Grace's feit, remeady
against the most injust tyranny used against your Grace's most
obedient subjectes, by those that be called the Estate
Ecclesiasticall. [SN: CONTROVERSYE IN RELIGIOUN.] Your Grace can
not be ignorant what controversie hath bein, and yit is, concernyng
the trew religioun, and rycht wirschipping of God, and how the
Cleargye (as thei wilbe termed) usurpe to thame selfes suche empyre
above the consciences of men, that whatsoever thei command must be
obeyed, and whatsoever thei forbid must be avoided, without farder
respect had to Godis plesour, commandiment, or will, reveilled till
us in his most holy worde; [SN: THE TYRANNYE OF THE CLEARGIE.] or
ellis thare abydeth nothing for us but faggot, fyre, and sweard, by
the which many of our brethrene, most cruellie and most injustlie,
have bein strickin of laitt yearis within this realme: which now we
fynd to truble and wound our consciences; for we acknowledge it to
have bein our bound dewities befoir God, eyther to haif defended
our brethren from those cruell murtheraris, (seing we ar a parte of
that power which God hath establessed in this realme,) or ellis to
haif gevin open testificatioun of our faith with thame, which now
we offer our selfis to do, least that by our continewall silence we
shall seame to justifie thare cruell tyranny; which doeth not onlie
displease us, but your Grace's wisdome most prudentlie doeth
foirsee, that for the quieting of this intestine dissentioun, a
publict Reformatioun, alsweall in the religioun as in the temporall
governement, war most necessarie; and to the performance thairof,
most gravelie and most godlie, (as we ar informed,) ye have
exhorted alsweall the Cleargy as the Nobilitie, to employ thare
study, diligence, and care. We tharefoir of conscience dar na
langar dissemble in so weighty a mater, which concerneth the glorie
of God and our salvatioun: Neather now dar we withdraw our
presence, nor conceill our petitionis, least that the adversaries
hearefter shall object to us, that place was granted to
Reformatioun, and yit no man suited for the same; and so shall our
silence be prejudiciall unto us in tyme to come. And tharefoir we,
knowing no other order placed in this realme, but your Grace, in
your grave Counsall, sett to amend, alsweall the disordour
Ecclesiasticall, as the defaultes in the Temporall regiment, most
humblie prostrat our selfes befoir your featt, asking your justice,
and your gratious help, against thame that falslie traduce and
accuse us, as that we war heretickis and schismatikis, under that
culour seiking our destructioun; [SN: THE PETITIOUN.] for that we
seak the amendment of thare corrupted lyeffis, and Christes
religioun to be restored to the originall puritie. Farther, we
crave of your Grace, with opin and patent earis, to heare these our
subsequent Requestis; and to the joy and satisfactioun of our
trubled consciences, mercifullie to grant the same, onless by
Goddis plane worde any be able to prove that justlie thei awght to
be denyed.