towards His Church, whom it pleaseth Him to forewarn of dangers to
come, many years before they come to pass. 2. He briefly treated of
the state of the Israelites, who then were in bondage in Babylon
for the most part; and made a short discourse concerning the four
Empires, the Babylonian, the Persian, that of the Greeks, and that
of the Romans; in the destruction whereof rose up that last Beast,
which he affirmed to be the Roman Church,--for all the notes that
God hath shewn to the prophet do appertain to none other power
than has ever yet been, except to it alone, and unto it they do so
properly appertain, that such as are not more than blind may clearly
see them. 3. But before he began to open the corruptions of the
Papistry, he defined the true Kirk, shewed the true notes of it,
whereupon it was builded, why it was the pillar of truth, and why
it could not err, to wit, "Because it heard the voice of its own
pastor, Jesus Christ, would not hear a stranger, neither yet would
be carried about with every kind of doctrine."
Every one of these heads sufficiently declared, he entered on the
contrary proposition; and, upon the notes given in his text, he
shewed that the Spirit of God in the New Testament gave to this
king other names, to wit, "The Man of Sin," "The Anti-Christ," "The
Whore of Babylon." He shewed that this man of sin, or Anti-Christ,
was not to be restricted to the person of any one man only, no
more than by the fourth beast was to be understood the person of
any one Emperor. But by such means the Spirit of God sought to
forewarn His chosen of a body and a multitude having a wicked head,
who should not only be sinful himself, but should be occasion of
sin to all that should be subject unto him,--as Christ Jesus, is
cause of justice to all the members of His body. He is called the
Anti-Christ, that is to say, one contrary to Christ, because he is
contrary to Him in life, doctrine, laws, and subjects.
Then began he to decipher the lives of divers Popes, and the lives
of all the shavelings for the most part; their doctrine and laws he
plainly proved to be directly repugnant to the doctrine and laws
of God the Father and of Christ Jesus, His Son. This he proved by
comparing the doctrine of justification expressed in the Scriptures,
which teach that man is "justified by faith only," and "that the
blood of Jesus Christ purges us from all our sins;" and the doctrine
of the Papists, which attributeth justification to the works of the
law, yea, to such works of man's invention as pilgrimage, pardons,
and other such baggage. That the papistical laws were repugnant
to the laws of the Evangel, he proved by the laws made concerning
observation of days, abstaining from meats, and from marriage which
Christ Jesus made free, and the forbidding whereof Saint Paul called
"the doctrine of devils."
In handling the notes of that Beast, given in the text, he willed
men to consider if these notes, "There shall one arise unlike to
the other, having a mouth speaking great things and blasphemous,"
could be applied to any other but the Pope and his Kingdom; for "if
these," said he, "be not great words and blasphemous, 'the Successor
of Peter,' 'the Vicar of Christ,' 'the Head of the Kirk,' 'Most
Holy,' 'Most Blessed,' 'that cannot err;' that 'may make right of
wrong, and wrong of right;' that 'of nothing, may make somewhat;'
that 'hath all truth in the shrine of his breast;' yea, 'that has
power over all, and none power over him;' nay, 'not to say that he
does wrong, although he draw ten thousand million of souls with
himself to hell:' if these," said he, "and many other, able to be
shown in his own canon law, be not grave and blasphemous words, and
such as never mortal man spake before, let the world judge.
"And yet," said he, "there is one note most evident of all. John,
in his Revelation, says that 'the merchandise of that Babylonian
harlot, among other things, shall be the bodies and souls of men.'
Now, let the very Papists themselves judge if ever any before
them took upon them power to relax the pains of them that were in
purgatory, as they affirm to the people that they do by the merits
of their Mass and of their other trifles, daily." In the end, he
said, "If any here"--and there were present Master John Major, the
University, the Sub-prior, and many Canons, with some Friars of both
the Orders--"will say that I have alleged Scripture, teaching, or
history, otherwise than it is written, let them come unto me with
sufficient witness, and by conference I shall let them see not only
the original where my testimonies are written, but I shall prove
that the writers meant what I have spoken."
[Sidenote: The People comment on Knox's Sermon against Papistry.]
Of this sermon, which was the first that ever John Knox made in
public, there were divers bruits. Some said, "Others sned[96] the
branches of the Papistry, but he strikes at the root, to destroy the
whole." Others said, "If the doctors and _Magistri Nostri_ do not
now defend the Pope and his authority, which in their own presence
is so manifestly impugned, the Devil may have my part of him, and
of his laws also." Others said, "Master George Wishart spoke never
so plainly, and yet he was burned: even so will he be." In the end,
others said, "The tyranny of the Cardinal made not his cause the
better, nor yet did the suffering of God's servant make his cause
the worse, and therefore we would counsel you and them to provide
better defences than fire and sword, for it may be that else ye
will be disappointed. Men now have other eyes than they had then."
This answer gave the Laird of Nydie, a man fervent and upright in
religion.
[96] Clip.
[Sidenote: John Knox is called on to defend his Doctrine.]
The bastard Archbishop, who was not yet execrated (consecrated,
they call it) wrote to the Sub-prior at Saint Andrews, who, _sede
vacante_, was Vicar-general, that he wondered that he suffered
such heretical and schismatical doctrine to be taught, and did not
oppose himself to the same. Upon this rebuke, there was appointed a
Convention of Grey Friars and black fiends with the said Sub-prior,
Dean John Winram, in Saint Leonard's yards. Thereunto was first
called John Rough, and certain Articles were read unto him; and
thereafter was John Knox called for. The cause of their Convention,
and why they were called, was set forth, and the following Articles
were read:--(1) No mortal man can be the head of the Church. (2) The
Pope is an Anti-Christ, and so is no member of Christ's mystical
body. (3) Man may neither make nor devise a religion that is
acceptable to God: but man is bound to observe and keep the religion
that from God is received, without chopping or changing thereof.
(4) The Sacraments of the New Testament ought to be administered as
they were instituted by Christ Jesus, and practised by His Apostles:
nothing ought to be added unto them; nothing ought to be diminished
from them. (5) The Mass is abominable idolatry, blasphemous to the
death of Christ, and a profanation of the Lord's Supper. (6) There
is no purgatory in which the souls of men are pained or purged
after this life. Heaven remains for the faithful, and hell for the
reprobate and unthankful. (7) Praying for the dead is vain, and
prayer to the dead is idolatry. (8) There are no bishops unless they
preach themselves, without any substitute. (9) By God's law the
teinds do not appertain of necessity to the Kirk-men.
"The strangeness," said the Sub-prior, "of these Articles, which
are gathered from your teaching, have moved us to call for you to
hear your own answer." John Knox said, "I, for my part, praise my
God that I see so honourable, and apparently so modest and quiet,
an audience. But because it is long since I have heard that ye are
one that is not ignorant of the truth, I must crave of you, in
the name of God, yea, and I appeal to your conscience before that
Supreme Judge that, if ye think any Article there expressed to be
contrary unto the truth of God, ye oppose yourself plainly unto it,
and suffer not the people to be therewith deceived. But if in your
conscience ye know the doctrine to be true, then I will crave your
patronage thereto, that, by your authority, the people may be moved
the rather to believe the truth, whereof many doubt by reason of our
youth."
_Sub-prior._ I came not here as a judge, but only to talk
familiarly, and therefore I will neither allow nor condemn; but,
if you like, I will reason. Why may not the Kirk, for good causes,
devise ceremonies to decorate the Sacraments and other of God's
services?
_Knox._ Because the Kirk ought to do nothing that is not of faith,
and ought not to go before. She is bound to follow the voice of the
true Pastor.
_Sub-prior._ It is in faith that the ceremonies are commended, and
they have proper significations to help our faith. The hardess[97]
in baptism signifies the richness of the law, and the oil the
softness of God's mercy. Likewise, every one of the ceremonies has a
godly signification, and therefore they both proceed from faith, and
are done in faith.
[97] Harshness.
_Knox._ It is not enough that man invent a ceremony, and then give
it a signification, according to his pleasure. The ceremonies of
the Gentiles, and to-day the ceremonies of Mahomet, might be so
justified. If anything proceed from faith, it must have the Word
of God for assurance; for ye are not ignorant that "faith comes by
hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." Now, if ye would prove
that your ceremonies proceed from faith and do please God, ye must
prove that God in expressed words has commanded them. Else ye shall
never prove that they proceed from faith, nor yet that they please
God. Ye will but show that they are sin, and do displease Him,
according to the words of the apostle, "Whatsoever is not of faith
is sin."
_Sub-prior._ Will ye bind us so strait that we may do nothing
without the express Word of God? What! If I ask a drink, do you
think that I sin? I have not God's Word for this. (It would appear
that he gave this answer to shift over the argument upon Friar
Arbuckle.)
_Knox._ I would we should not jest in so grave a matter; neither
would I that ye should begin to elude the truth with sophistry; but,
if ye do, I will defend myself as best I can. As to your drinking, I
say that, if ye either eat or drink without assurance of God's Word,
in so doing ye ill-please God, and ye sin in your very eating and
drinking. For, says the Apostle, speaking even of meat and drink,
"the creatures are sanctified unto man, even by the Word and by
prayer." The word is this: "All things are clean to the clean," and
so forth. Now, let me hear thus much of your ceremonies, and I shall
give you the argument; but I wonder that ye compare profane and holy
things so indiscreetly. The question was not, and is not of meat and
drink, wherein the Kingdom of God consists not, but the question
is of God's true worshipping, without which we have no society
with God. It is doubtful if, in the use of Christ's Sacraments, we
may take the same freedom as we may do in eating and drinking. One
meat I may eat, another I may refuse, and that without scruple of
conscience. I may change one for another, as often as I please. May
we do the same in matters of religion? May we cast away what we
please, and retain what we please? If I recollect aright, Moses, in
the name of God, says to the people of Israel, "All that the Lord
thy God commands thee to do, that do thou to the Lord thy God: add
nothing to it; diminish nothing from it." By this rule, I think, the
Kirk of Christ should measure God's religion, and not by that which
seems good in their own eyes.
_Sub-prior._ Forgive me, I spake but in mows,[98] and I was dry. And
now, Father (said he to the Friar), follow the argument. Ye have
heard what I have said, and what is answered unto me again.
[98] Jest.
_Arbuckle, Greyfriar._ I shall prove plainly that ceremonies are
ordained by God.
_Knox._ Such as God has ordained, we allow, and with reverence we
use them. But the question is of those that God has not ordained,
such as, in Baptism, are spittle, salt, candle, cuid[99] (except
to keep the bairn from cold), hardess, oil, and the rest of the
papistical inventions.
[99] Chrisom.
_Arbuckle._ I will even prove that these ye damn be ordained of God.
_Knox._ The proof thereof I would gladly hear.
_Arbuckle._ Says not Saint Paul, that "another foundation than Jesus
Christ may no man lay. But upon this foundation some build gold,
silver, and precious stones; some hay, stubble, and wood." The gold,
silver, and precious stones are the ceremonies of the Church, which
do abide the fire, and consume not away. This place of Scripture is
most plain.
_Knox._--I praise my God, through Jesus Christ, for I find His
promise sure, true, and stable. Christ Jesus bids us "not fear, when
we shall be called before men, to give confession of His truth;"
for He promises that "it shall be given unto us in that hour what
we shall speak." If I had sought the whole Scripture, I could not
have produced a place more proper for my purpose, nor more potent
to confound you. Now, to your argument. The Ceremonies of the Kirk,
say ye, are gold, silver, and precious stones, because they are able
to abide the fire; but I would learn of you, what fire is it that
your Ceremonies abide? And in the meantime, until ye be advised how
to answer, I will show my mind, and make an argument against yours
upon the same text. First, I have heard the text adduced for a proof
of purgatory; but for defence of Ceremonies, I have never heard or
yet read of its use. Omitting whether ye understand the mind of the
Apostle or not, I make my argument, and say, that which may abide
the fire may abide the Word of God. Your Ceremonies cannot abide the
Word of God: _ergo_ they cannot abide the fire; and if they cannot
abide the fire, they are not gold, silver, nor precious stones. Now,
if ye find any ambiguity in the term "fire," which I interpret to
be the Word, find me a fire by the which things builded upon Jesus
Christ should be tried, other than God and His Word, which are both
called fire in the Scriptures, and I shall correct my argument.
_Arbuckle._ I stand not thereupon; but I deny your minor argument,
to wit, that our Ceremonies may not abide the trial of God's Word.
_Knox._ I prove that that which God's Word condemns, abides not
the trial of God's Word. But God's Word condemns your Ceremonies:
therefore they do not abide the trial thereof. As the thief abides
the trial of the inquest, and is thereby condemned to be hanged,
even so may your Ceremonies abide the trial of God's Word, but not
otherwise. And now I make plain in few words that wherein ye may
seem to doubt, to wit, that God's Word damns your Ceremonies. This
thing is evident; for the plain and straight commandment of God is,
"Not that thing which appears good in thy eyes shalt thou do to the
Lord thy God, but what the Lord thy God has commanded thee, that do
thou: add nothing to it; diminish nothing from it." Now, unless ye
be able to prove that God has commanded your Ceremonies, this His
former commandment will damn both you and them.
The Friar, somewhat abashed what first to answer, fell into a foul
mire while he wandered about in the mist: for, alleging that we may
not be so bound by the Word, he affirmed that the Apostles had not
received the Holy Ghost when they did write their Epistles; but that
they did ordain the Ceremonies after they received Him. (Few would
have thought that so learned a man would have given so foolish an
answer; and yet it is even as true as that he bare a grey cowl.)
John Knox, hearing the answer, started and said, "If that be true,
I have long been in an error, and I think I shall die therein."
The Sub-prior said to him, "Father, what say ye? God forbid that
ye affirm that; for then farewell the ground of our faith." The
Friar, astonished, made the best shift that he could to correct his
fall; but it could not be. John Knox brought him often again to the
ground of the argument; but he would never answer directly, but ever
fled to the authority of the Kirk. Thereto the said John answered
oftener than once that "the spouse of Christ had neither power nor
authority against the Word of God." Then said the Friar, "If so be,
ye will leave us no Kirk." "Indeed," said the other, "in David I
read that there is a church of the malignants, for he says, '_Odi
ecclesiam malignantium_.' That church ye may have without the Word,
and therein ye may do many things directly fighting against the Word
of God. If ye choose to be of that Church, I cannot impede you.
But, as for me, I will be of none other Church than that which hath
Christ Jesus to be pastor, which hears His voice, and will not hear
a stranger."
In this Disputation many other things were merely skiffed over; for
the Friar, after his fall, could speak nothing to a purpose. For
purgatory he had no better proof than the authority of Virgil in
his sixth Æneid; and the pains thereof to him were an evil wife.
How John Knox answered that and many other things, he did witness
in a treatise that he wrote in the galleys. This contained the sum
of his doctrine and the confession of his faith, and was sent to
his familiars in Scotland; with the exhortation that they should
continue in the truth which they had professed, notwithstanding any
worldly adversity that might ensue. Thus much of the Disputation
have we inserted here, to the intent that men may see how Satan ever
travails to obscure the light; and how God by His power, working in
His weak vessels, confounds his craft and discloses his darkness.
After this, neither Papists nor Friars had great heart for further
disputation or reasoning; but they invented another shift, which
appeared to proceed from godliness. It was an ordinance that learned
men in the Abbey and in the University should preach in the Parish
Kirk, Sunday about. The Sub-prior began, next came the Official
called Spittal (sermons penned to offend no man), and all the rest
followed in their ranks. John Knox smelled out the craft, and in the
sermons which he made upon the week-days he prayed to God that they
should be as busy in preaching when there should be more myster[100]
in it than there was then. "Always," said he, "I praise God that
Christ Jesus is preached, and nothing is said publicly against the
doctrine ye have heard. If in my absence they shall speak anything
which in my presence they do not, I protest that ye suspend your
judgment until it please God ye hear me again."
[100] Skill.
[Sidenote: Signs follow the Ministry of John Knox: the Backsliding
of Sir James Balfour.]
God so assisted his weak soldier, and so blessed his labours, that
not only all those of the Castle, but also a great number of the
town, openly professed Christ, by participation at the Lord's Table,
in the same purity as now it is administered in the churches of
Scotland. Among them was he that now either rules, or misrules,
Scotland: Sir James Balfour[101] (sometimes called Master James),
the chief and principal Protestant that then was to be found in
this realm. We write this because we have heard that the said
Master James alleges that he never was of this our religion, but
was brought up in Martin Luther's opinion of the Sacrament, and
therefore cannot communicate with us. His own conscience, and two
hundred witnesses besides, know that he lies, and that he was one of
the chief that would have given his life, if men might credit his
words, for defence of the doctrine that the said John Knox taught.
But there is no great wonder if those that never were of us (as none
of Montquhanie's sons have shewn themselves to be) depart from us.
It is proper and natural that the children follow the father; and
let the godly liver of that race and progeny be shewn. If in them
be either fear of God or love of virtue, further than the present
commodity persuades them, men of judgment are deceived. But to
return to our History.
[101] Afterwards Official of Lothian: "the most corrupt man of his
age."--_Robertson._
[Sidenote: The Regent and the Queen-Dowager violate the Appointment:
a French Army comes to their Aid.]
The priests and bishops, enraged at these proceedings in Saint
Andrews, ran now to the Governor, now to the Queen,[102] now to the
whole Council, and there might have been heard complaints and cries,
"What are we doing? Shall we suffer this whole realm to be infected
with pernicious doctrine? Fie upon you, and fie upon us." The Queen
and Monsieur D'Oysel (who then was _a secretis mulierum_ in the
Court) comforted them, and counselled them to be quiet, because
they should see remedy before long. And so it proved; for upon the
second last day of June there appeared in sight of the Castle of
Saint Andrews twenty-one French galleys, with a powerful army, the
like whereof was never seen in that firth before.
[102] Mary of Lorraine, Queen of James V.
By these means the Governor, the Archbishop, the Queen and Monsieur
D'Oysel had treasonably broken the terms of the Appointment. To
excuse their treason, they had, eight days before, presented to
the party in the Castle of St. Andrews an absolution bearing to be
sent from Rome, containing, after the aggravation of the crime,
this clause, _Remittimus Irremissible_, that is, we remit the crime
that cannot be remitted. When this had been considered by the most
of the company that was in the Castle, answer was given that the
Governor and Council of the Realm had promised them a sufficient
and assured absolution, such as that did not appear to be; and that
therefore they could not deliver the house, nor did they think that
any reasonable man would require them so to do, considering that the
promise made had not been truly kept.
On the day after the galleys arrived, the house was summoned. This
was denied, and they prepared for siege. They began to assault by
sea, and shot for two days. But they neither got advantage nor
honour; for they dang[103] the slates off houses, but neither slew
man nor did harm to any wall. The Castle handled them so that Saint
Barbara (the gunners' goddess) helped them nothing; for they lost
many of their rowers, men chained in the galleys, and some soldiers,
both by sea and land. And further, a galley that approached nearer
than the rest was so dung with the cannon and other ordnance, that
she was stopped under water, and so almost drowned. Indeed, so she
would have been, were it not that the rest gave her succour in time,
and drew her first to the west sands, beyond the shot of the Castle,
and thereafter to Dundee. There they remained until the Governor,
who then was at the siege of Langhope, came unto them, with the rest
of the French faction.
[103] Knocked.
By land the siege of the Castle of St. Andrews was made complete on
the nineteenth day of July. Trenches were cast; and ordnance was
planted upon the Abbey Kirk, and upon Saint Salvator's College.
This so annoyed the Castle that they could keep neither their
block-houses, the sea tower head, nor the west wall; for in all
these places men were slain by great ordnance. Yea, they mounted the
ordnance so high upon the Abbey Kirk, that they might discover the
ground of the close in divers places. Moreover, the pest was within
the Castle, and divers died thereof. This affrighted some that were
therein more than did the external force without. John Knox was of
another opinion, for he ever said that their corrupt life could not
escape the punishment of God: that he continually asserted, from
the time that he was called to preach. When they triumphed of their
victory, and during the first twenty days they had many prosperous
chances, he lamented, and ever said that they saw not what he saw.
When they bragged of the strength and thickness of their walls,
he said that they should prove but egg-shells. When they vaunted,
"England will rescue us," he said, "Ye shall not see them; but ye
shall be delivered into your enemies' hands, and shall be carried to
a strange country."
[Sidenote: The Castle is stormed, and surrenders upon Terms.]