First, Humblie we ask, that as we haif, of the Lawes of this
realme, after long debaite, obteaned to reade the Holy bookes of
the Old and New Testamentes in our commoun toung,[744] as
spirituall foode to our soullis, so from hensfurth it may be
lauchfull that we may convene, publictlie or privatlie, to our
Commoun Prayeris, in our vulgar toung; to the end that we may
encrease and grow in knowledge, and be induceid, in fervent and oft
prayer,[745] to commend to God the holye Church universall, the
Quoin our Soverane, hir honorable and gratiouse Husband, the
habilitie[746] of thare succcssioun, your Grace Regent, the
Nobilitie, and hole Estait of this Realme.
Secundly, Yf it shall happin in oure saidis conventionis any hard
place of Scripture to be redd, of the which no proffeit arysith to
the convenaris, that it shalbe lauchfull to any qualifiit personis
in knowledge, being present, to interpreit and open up the saidis
hard places, to Goddis glorie and to the proffeit of the auditour.
And yf any think that this libertie should be occasioun of
confusioun, debait, or heresie; we ar content that it be providit,
that the said interpretatioun shall underly the judgement of the
most godly and most learned within the realme at this tyme.
Thridly, That the holy Sacrament of Baptisme may be used in the
vulgare toung; that the godfatheris and witnesses may nott onlie
understand the poyntes of the league and contract maid betuix God
and the infant, bot also that the Churche then assembled, more
gravelie may be informed and instructed of thare dewiteis, whiche
at all tymes thei owe to God, according to that promeise maid unto
him, when thei war receaved in his houshold by the lavachre[747] of
spirituall regeneratioun.
Ferdlie, We desyre, that the holy Sacrament of the Lordis Suppare,
or of his most blessed body and bloode, may lykwyise be ministred
unto us in the vulgare toung; and in boyth kyndis,[748] according
to the plane institutioun of our Saviour Christ Jesus.
And last, We most humblie requyre, that the wicked, sklanderous,
and detestable lyiff of Prelates, and of the State Ecclesiasticall,
may be so reformed, that the people by thame have nott occasioun
(as of many dayis thei have had) to contempne thare ministerie, and
the preaching wharof thei shuld be messingeris.[749] And yf thei
suspect, that we, rather invying thare honouris, or coveting thare
riches and possessionis, then zelouslie desyring thare amendment
and salvatioun, do travell and labour for this Reformatioun; [SN:
THE OFFER.] we ar content not onlie that the rewllis and preceptis
of the New Testament, bot also the writtinges of the ancient
Fatheris, and the godly approved lawis of Justiniane the Emperour,
decyd the contraversie betuix us and thame: And if it salbe found,
that eyther malevolentlie or ignorantlie we ask more then these
three foirnamed have requyred, and continewlie do requyre of able
and trew ministeris in Christes Church, we refuise not correctioun,
as your Grace, with right judgement, shall think meit. Bot and yf
all the foirnamed shall dampne that whiche we dampne, and approve
that whiche we requyre, then we most earnestlie beseik your Grace,
that notwithstanding the long consuetude which thei have had to
live as thei list, that thei be compelled eyther to desist from
ecclesiastical administratioun, or to discharge thare dewities as
becumeth trew ministeris; So that the grave and godlie face of the
primitive Churche reduced, ignorance may be expelled, trew doctrine
and good maneris may ones agane appeare in the Churche of this
Realme. These thingis we, as most obedient subjectis, requyre of
your Grace, in the name of the Eternall God, and of his Sone,
Christ Jesus; in presence of whose throne judiciall, ye and all
other that hear in earth bear authoritie, shall geve accomptes of
your temporall regiment. The Spreit of the Lord Jesus move your
Grace's harte to justice and equitie. Amen.
* * * * *
[SN: THE PRACTISE OF SATHANE.]
These oure Petitionis being proponed, the Estate Ecclesiasticall began
to storme, and to devise all maner of leys to deface the equitie of our
caus. Thei bragged as that thei wald have publict disputatioun, which
also we most earnestlie requyred, two thingis being provided; the
formare, that the plane and writtin Scriptures of God shuld decyde all
contraversie; [SN: DISPUTATIOUN WITH CONDITIONIS.] Secoundlie, that our
brethrene, of whom some war then exiled, and by them injustlie dampned,
myght have free accesse to the said disputatioun, and salf conduct to
returne to thair duelling places, nochtwithstanding any processe whiche
befoir had bene led aganis thame in materis concernyng religioun. [SN:
THE OFFER OF THE PAPISTIS.] But these being by thame utterlie denyed,
(for no judge wold thei admitt bot thame selfis, thare Counsallis, and
Cannon law,) thei and thare factioun began to draw certane Articles of
reconciliation, promissing unto us, yf we wold admitt the Messe, to
stand in hir formare reverence and estimatioun, grant Purgatorie after
this lyiff, confesse Prayer to Sanctes and for the dead, and suffer
thame to enjoye thare accustomed renttis, possession, and honour, that
then thei wold grant unto us to pray and baptize in the vulgare toung,
so that it war done secreatlie, and nott in the open assemblie. But the
grosness of these Articles wes suche, that with ane voce we refused
thame; and constantlie craved justice of the Quein Regent, and a
reasonable answer of our formare Petitionis. [SN: THE GRANT OF THE QUEIN
REGENT.] The Quein, then Regent, ane woman crafty, dissimulate, and
fals, thinking to mak hir proffeit of both parteis, gave to us
permissioun to use our selfis godlye according to our desyres, providit
that we should not maik publict assembleis in Edinburgh nor Leyth; and
did promeise hir assistance to our Preacheouris, untill some uniforme
ordour myght be established by a Parliament. To thame, (we meane to the
Cleargy,) she quietlie gave significatioun of hir mynd, promissing that
how sone any oportunitie should serve, she should so putt ordour in
thare materis, that after thei should not be trubled; for some say thei
gave hir a large purse,[750] 40,000 lib., sayis the Chronicle,[751]
gathered by the Lard of Erleshall.[752] We, nothing suspecting hir
dowblenes nor falshode, departed, fullelie contented with hir answer;
and did use our selfis so qwietlie, that for hir pleasour we putt
silence to Johne Dowglass, who publictlie wold have preached in the
toune of Leyth; for in all thingis we soght the contentment of hir mynd,
so far furth as God should not be offended against us for obeying hir in
thingis unlawfull.
[SN: THE APPREHENSION OF WALTER MYLLE.]
Schortlie after these thingis, that cruell tyrant and unmercyfull
hypocrite, falselie called Bischope of Sanctandrois, apprehended that
blessed martyre of Christ Jesus WALTER MYLN;[753] a man of decrepite
age, whome most cruellie and most unjustlie be put to death by fyre in
Sanctandrois, the twenty awcht day of Aprile, the year of God J^m. V^c.
fyfty aught yearis: Whiche thing did so heighlie offend the hartis of
all godlye, that immediatlie after his death began a new fervencie
amongis the hole people; yea, evin in the toune of Sanctandrois, begane
the people plainelie to dampne suche injust crueltie; and in
testificatioun that thei wold his death should abide in recent memorie,
thare was castin together a great heape of stones in the place whare he
was brynt. The Bischope and Preastis thairat offended, caused ones or
twyse to remove the same, with denunciatioun of Cursing, yf any man
should thare lay ony stone. Bott in vane was that wynd blowen; for still
was the heape maid, till that Preastis and Papistis did steall away by
nycht the stones to big thare walles, and to uther thare privat
uses.[754]
[SN: THE HYPOCHRISIE OF THE QUEIN REGENT.]
We suspecting nothing that the Quein Regent wes consenting to the
foirnamed murther, most humilie did complayne of suche injust crueltie,
requiring that justice in suche cases should be ministrate with
greattare indifference. Sche, as a woman borne to dissemble and deceave,
began with us to lament the crueltie of the Bischope, excusing hir self
as innocent in that caus; for that the sentence was gevin without hir
knowledge, becaus the man sometymes had bene ane Preast; tharefoir the
Bischop's Officiare[755] did proceid upon him without any commissioun of
the civile authoritie _Ex officio_, as thei terme it.
We yit nothing suspectand hir falsheid, requyred some ordour to be
tackin against such enormities, whiche sche promissed as oft befoir. Bot
becaus schorte after thare wes a Parliament to be haldin, for certane
effares pertenyng rather to the Quenis proffeit particulare, nor to the
commoditie of the commoun wealth, we thocht good to expone our mater
unto the hole Parliament, and by thame to seak some redress. We
tharefoire, with one consent, did offer to the Quein and Parliament[756]
a Lettir in this tennour:--