is said to be designed for the instruction of the people, and no
prohibition of its use is mentioned in the book itself, we might
be apt to conclude, that it was intended to be circulated among the
people, and to be promiscuously read; and accordingly several writers
have represented the matter in this light. But that this was very
far from being the design of those who approved and set it forth,
is placed beyond all doubt by the directions which the council gave
respecting it, both to the archbishop and to the clergy. “Cujus
quidem libri exemplaria omnia, ubi excussa fuerint, præsentari ipse
reverendismo mandat et ordinat præsens concilium, ut ipse singulas
tam suis ecclesiasticis, quam aliis singulis locorum ordinariis,
quot cuique diocesi pro rectorum, vicariorum, ac curatorum numero et
multitudine sufficere videntur, eis tribuat; reliqua vero apud ipsum
reverendissimum remaneant, et firma custodia serventur, prout tempus
et necessitas postulaverint, dispertienda. Caveant vero ipsi rectores,
vicarii, et curati, ne sua exemplaria secularibus quibusque indiscrete
communicent, nisi ex judicio, concilio, et discretione sui ordinarii;
quibus ordinariis licebit nonnullis probis, gravibus, bonæ fidei, ac
discretis viris laicis, ejusdem catechisme exemplaria communicare, et
iis pottisimum, qui videbuntur potius suæ instructionis causa, quam
curiositatis cujuscunque eadem expetere.” Wilkins, {420} Concilia,
iv. 72. Lord Hailes had therefore reason for saying (in opposition
to Mackenzie’s tale of the archbishop allowing “the pedlars to take
two pennies for their pains in hawking it abroad”) that the council
“uses as many precautions to prevent it from coming into the hands of
the laity, as if it had been a book replete with the most pestilent
heresy.” Provincial Councils, p. 36. It would have been imprudent
to insert the prohibition in the book itself, copies of which,
notwithstanding all their precautions, would come into the hands of
improper persons; but the canon of the council remained the rule for
regulating the clergy in the use of it. Nor is there any thing in the
catechism which is inconsistent with the canon, or which implies that
it was to come into the hands of the people. It is all along supposed
that they were to be instructed by hearing, not by reading it. This is
particularly evident from the concluding address. “O christin pepil,
we exhort yow with all diligence, heir, understand, and keip in your
remembrance, the haly wordis of God, quhilk in this present catechisme
ar trewly and catholykly exponit to your spiritual edification.”
And again: “Gif ye persaif be frequent heiring heirof your self
spiritually instruckit mair than ye haue bein in tymes bygane, geue
the thankis thairof only to God.”
If any of the hearers presumed to move any controversy respecting the
passage read from the catechism, they were to be delivered over to the
inquisitors, and no clergyman was allowed to answer their questions,
or to enter into any dispute with them on the subject, unless he
had a written license for this from his bishop. “Hoc tamen proviso,
ut non liceat cuiquam auditorum super lectis, aut modo quo supra
recitatis, controversiam ipsi rectori seu vicario seu curato movere.
Et si aliquis id attentare præsumpserit deferatur inquisitoribus
hæreticæ pravitatis; nec vicissim licebit ulli rectori, vicario, seu
curato, nisi ad hoc ipsum (specialiter habita consideratione ipsius
qualificationis) fuerit ab ordinario loci ei facultas concessa in
scriptis, ullis controversias et quæstiones hujusmodi moventibus
desuper respondere, aut disputationes ingredi, sed mox respondeatur,
se hujusmodi disputationis resolutiones ad ipsos ordinarios remittere,
et hoc sub pœna privationis ab hujusmodi officio seu beneficio.”
Wilkins, ut supra, p. 73.
{421} The catechism consists of an explication of the ten commandments,
the apostles’ creed, the seven sacraments, the Lord’s prayer, and the
Ave Maria. Lord Hailes has animadverted on Keith for saying that the
author shows “his wisdom and moderation in _handsomely eviting_ to
enter upon the controverted points;” and he has given extracts from
it asserting the doctrine of transubstantiation, the propriety of
withholding the cup from the laity, and of prayers to the saints. Prov.
Councils, p. 35, 36. I may add, that the use of images in worship,
purgatory, prayers for the dead, the removal of original sin by
baptism, the sinlessness of concupiscence after baptism, the mystical
signification of the ceremonies practised in that ordinance,――the
exorcism, or blowing upon the child at the church door, and making the
sign of the cross on its brow and breast, putting salt into its mouth,
anointing its nostrils and ears with spittle, and its breast and back
with oil, with the application of chrism to the forehead, the clothing
of it with the cude or white linen cloth, and putting a lighted torch
or candle into its hand; these, with other doctrines and ceremonies
of the popish church, are all taught and vindicated. At the same time,
while the opinions peculiar to popery are stated and defended, there
is an evident design of turning away the attention of the people from
these controversies, by reminding them of their duty to “belief as the
haly catholic kirk beliefis;” and a great part of the book is occupied
in declaring duties and general doctrines about which there was no
dispute between papists and protestants. Considerable art is also
used in introducing some of the most exceptionable articles of popery
under the cover of unquestionable truths. Thus on the question, “Quhat
things suld move us to belief the word of God?” The first reason which
is given is, “Ye eternal and infallible veritie of God, fra quhome
na lesing may procede, na mair than myrknes may cum fra the cleir
schenand sonne.” But how gradually and artfully are the people led
away from the scriptures in what follows! “The secund thing that suld
moue us to belief the word of God, and to knaw quhilk is the worde
of God, quhilk are the haly bukis quharin the word of God is contenit,
and quhat is the trew sense of the same bukis, is ye consent and
authoritie of our mother the haly kirk, fra the apostils tyme hitherto,
and specially quhen it is {422} lawfully gadderit be the haly spirit
in ane general counsel, quhairof sainct Augustine sais thus:――‘I wald
nocht gif credence to the euangel, except that the universal kirk
warnis me sa to do.’ And tharfor lair thir twa lessonis. The ane is,
quhatsaeuir the haly spirit reuelis and schawis to us, other in the
bukis of haly scripture, _or in ye determinatiouns and definitiouns
of general counsellis_, lawfully gadderit for the corroboracion and
maintenans of our faith, we suld beleif ye same to be _trew word
of God_, and thairto gyf ferme credence as to the verite that is
infallible. The second lesson, ye that ar simple and unleirnit men and
wemen suld expressly belief al the artickils of your Crede, as for all
uthir hie misteries and matteris of the scripture ye aucht to belief
generally as the kirk of God beleiffis. And this faith is sufficient
to yow, for the perfectioun of that faith quhilk ye ar bund to haif.”
Fol. xiiii. b. xv. a. A specimen of the same kind occurs on the
question, How is the true sense of the scripture to be discerned?
where, after being gravely taught the usefulness of collating one
place with another, and attending to the connexion of the passage,
the people are told that this belongs to such as have the gift called
_interpretatio sermonum_, and are then devoutly set down at the
feet of the doctors of the church, and taught implicitly to receive
the decisions of councils. “Quharfor, he that will nocht heir,
resaif, and obey ye diffinitionis and determinationis of lauchful
general counsellis concerning materis of our faith, he is nocht to
be accountit a trew christin man, according to the wordis of our
salviour,――‘Gif he will nocht heir the kirk, lat him be to the as ane
infidele, unchristinit, and ane publican.’ Thus ye haif quha is ane
herityk, and how he brekis the first command.” Fol. xviii. b. xix. b.
As all who question the infallible decisions of the church are
pronounced guilty of a breach of the first commandment, the Roman
Catholics are, with no less ease, exculpated from a breach of the
second, by the insertion of a convenient parenthesis. The reader will
observe, that, according to a division of the law first countenanced
by Augustine, and of which the popish church is extremely fond, the
first and second commandments are thrown into one, and, to make up
the number, the tenth is split into two; although the compilers of the
catechism found it impracticable to {423} keep to this last division
in their explication. The following is their enunciation of the first
commandment: “I am ye Lord thi God, quhilk hais brocht ye fra the land
of Egypt, fra the house of bondage. Thow sall haif no other goddis but
me, thou sal nocht mak to thee (_as gods_) ony grauit ymage, nother
ony similitude of ony thing that is in the heuin abone, or in ye erd
beneth, nor of ony thing yat is in the watter under the erd. Thow sal
nocht adorne yame, nor worschip yame (_as goddis_).” Fol. xii. a. It
is fair, however, to hear the explication which the authors of the
catechism give respecting images. “Ar ymages aganis the first command?
Na, sa thai be weil usit. Quhat is the rycht use of ymagis? Imagis
to be made na haly writ forbiddis (sais venerabil Bede) for the sycht
of thame, specially of the crucifixe giffis greit compunction to
thame quhilk behaldis it with faith in Christ, and to yame that are
unletterat, it geffis a quik remembrance of ye passion of Christ.
Salomon in tyme of his wisdome, nocht without the inspiration of
God, made ymages in ye temple. Mosyes the excellent prophet and trew
seruand of God, made and ereckit a brassin ymage of a serpent, (quhilk
figurit the lyfting vp of our Salwiour Jesus Christ vpon the crosse,)
and als, be the cōmand of God, causit mak the ymagis of twa angellis
callit cherubinis, quhilk thing thir twa sa excellēt men in wisedome
wald neuir haif done, gif the makin of ymagis war aganis ye cōmand of
God. Bot utterly yis command forbiddis to mak ymagis to that effect,
that thai suld be adornit and wirschippit as goddis, or with ony
godlie honour, ye quhilk sentence is expremit by thir wordis: Non
adorabis ea neq; coles. Thow sall nocht adore yame nor wirschip
thame as goddis. Now we suld nocht gif goddis honour, or Christis
honour to ony ymage, but to God allanerly, representit be ane ymage.”
Fol. xxiii. b.
In the explication of the fifth article of the Creed, is a particular
account of the four places in hell; _infernus damnatorum_, _puerorum_,
_purgandorum_, et _patrum_. The following proof is given of our
Saviour’s descent into hell, to deliver the saints who had been
confined in the last mentioned place until the time of his death.
“Also ye same deliuerāce was prophesit be the prophet Osee: Ero mors
tua, o mors, ero morsus tuus o inferne. _O dede_ (says our saluiour)
{424} _I sal be thi dede――O hel I sal byte the_. The man yat bytes ony
thing, he takis part to him, and lattis part remaine behind. Sa our
saluiour passand doune to hell, he fulfyllit this prophesie, takand
part of saulis out fra hell with him, and leiffand part behind him.
Quhom tuk he with him? bot thame that was haly and gud, quhilk was
haldin thair as presonaris,” Fol. cviii.
Upon the whole, this catechism has been written with great care, and
the style is by no means bad. It is singular that it should have been
so little noticed by the writers of that age, and that it does not
appear who was its compiler. The provincial council describe it merely
as “a certain book written in the vulgar and Scottish dialect,――librum
quendam vulgari et Scotico idiomate conscriptum;” and having examined
and approved of it, they commit to the archbishop, as primate, the
care of seeing it printed. As it was printed at his expense, and as
his name appears on the title‑page and colophon, it has been usually
called Archbishop Hamilton’s Catechism. But there is not the least
reason for thinking that the primate would have taken the trouble to
compose a book consisting of 411 pages quarto, even although he had
been in other respects qualified for the task. Bale, in his account of
Scottish writers, mentions “Joannes Wouram, vel Wyrem,” whom he calls
“a canon regular in St Andrews;” and he ascribes to him “a catechism
in his vernacular language, scripsit in vulgari sermone catechismum
fidei.” Scriptores M. Brytanniæ Post. Pars, p. 224. I have little
doubt that John Winram, sub‑prior of the abbey of St Andrew, and
afterwards superintendent of Fife, is the person to whom Bale refers.
Could he be the author of the catechism under consideration? Though
early regarded as favourable to the reformed opinions, Winram did not
leave the popish church until a very late period; and his conduct,
during the intermediate struggle, was extremely ambiguous, and often
contradictory. The clergy frequently availed themselves of his talents,
and of his reputation with the people, to diminish the odium of their
obnoxious measures, or to recommend their partial and inefficient
plans of reform. He was employed to preach at the trial of Wishart,
and was present at the trials of Wallace and Mill. Fox, 1155, 1158,
1161, edit. 1596. He was a member of the provincial council which
met in 1549, {425} and is styled, in the register, “ecclesiæ metrop.
primitialis, S. Andreæ _canonicus regularis_, supprior, theologiæ
doctor.” Wilkins, ut supra, p. 46. That council employed him to draw
up the canon intended to settle the ridiculous dispute, which had been
warmly agitated among the clergy, whether the _Pater Noster_ should
be said to the saints, or to God alone. Comp. Fox, 1161, with Wilkins,
57, 58. And in the council which sat in 1559, he was nominated one of
the six persons to whose examination and admonition the archbishops
of St Andrews and Glasgow submitted their private conduct. Wilkins,
p. 209.[489]
Spotswood seems to have confounded this Catechism with a smaller
treatise called by the people _The twa‑penny Faith_. History, p. 92.
This last was set forth by the council which met in 1559. Knox,
Historie, p. 109, 110. The following extracts from the proceedings
of that council may, perhaps, throw some light on the history of this
publication. The Roman Catholic Remonstrants, in their representations
to the council, required, “yat yar be an godlie and fruitfull
declaration set forth in Inglis toung, to be first shewin to the
pepill at all times, quhen the sacrament of the blissit body and blud
of Jesus Christ is exhibit and destribut, and sicklyke, when baptism
and marriage are solemnizit, in face of halie kirk; and yat it be
declarit to yaim, yat assist at the sacraments, quhat is the effect
yarof, and yat it be spirit at yam be ye prist ministrant, gif yai be
reddy to resave the samen; with sick utheris interogatories, as ar
necessar for instructing of the poynts of mens salvation, and requires
to be answerit unto be all yai, that wald be participant, etc. and yir
things to be don before ye using of ye ceremony of haly kirk, etc.”
Wilkins, ut supra, p. 207, 208. The following canon of the council
seems to contain the answer to this petition. “Insuper ut populus
Christianus sacramentorum ecclesiæ verum effectum, vim ac usum
facilius ac commodius intelligere valeat, statuit hoc præsens
concilium _quasdam catholicas exhortationes_, easque _succinctas
declarationes_ sacramentorum baptismi, sacrosanctæ eucharistiæ,
extremæ unctionis, matrimonii, auctoritate {426} hujus concilii
edendas, et inferius inserendas, quas singuli parochi, vel alii
presbyteri eorundem sacramentorum legitimi ministri, ipsa sacramenta
ministraturi, singulis suam propriam et debitam exhortationem
præmittant, et publice et distincte recitent, et legant singuli curati
et vicarii, dum sacræ missæ sacrificium diebus dominicis et aliis
majoribus festis sunt celebraturi, infra scriptam exhortationem; et
ejusdem sacrificii declarationem publice in ecclesia similiter legant,
quo populus christianus majori pietatis effectu rebus divinis assistat,
et intersit,” &c. Wilkins, ut supra, p. 213. These Exhortations and
Declarations were not inserted in the MS. from which Wilkins copied.
I am inclined to think that they were published, and that they formed
what was called, in derision, The two‑penny Faith. Comp. Buchanani
Oper. i. 312.
Note Z, Footnote 282.
_Knox’s Letter of Instruction to the Protestants of Scotland during
his absence._――In the first edition, I printed this letter in the
Appendix as an unpublished paper. I have since discovered a printed
copy; but as it is exceedingly rare, and as the letter itself is so
valuable, I shall insert it in this place.
“To his brethren in Scotland efter hie had bene quyet among thame. The
comfort of the halie Gaist for salutatioun.
“Not sa mekill to instruct you as to leave with you, dearlie belovit
brethren, sum testimony of my love, I have thought gud to communicate
with you, in theis few lynis, my weak consall, how I wald ye suld
behave yourselves in the middis of this wickit generatioun, tuiching
the exercis of Godis maist halie and sacred word, without the whilk,
nether sall knawledge incres, godlines apeir, nor fervencie continew
amang yow. For as the word of God is the begyning of lyfe spirituall,
without whilk all flesche is deid in Godis presence, and the lanterne
to our feit, without the bryghtnes whairof all the posteritie of Adame
doith walk in darknes, and as it is the fundament of faith, without
the whilk na man understandeth the gud will of God, sa is it also the
onlie organe and instrument whilk God useth to strenthin the weak, to
comfort the afflictit, to reduce to mercie be repentance sic as have
sliddin, and {427} finallie to preserve and keip the verie lyfe of
the saule in all assaltis and temptationis, and thairfoir yf that
ye desyr your knawledge to be incressit, your faith to be confirmit,
your consciencis to be quyetit and comfortit, or finallie your saule
to be preservit in lyfe, lat your exercis be frequent in the law of
your Lord God; despys not that precept whilk Moses, (who, be his awn
experience had learnit what comfort lyeth within the word of God) gave
to the isralitis in theis wordis: ‘Theis wordis whilk I command the
this day salbe in thi hart, and thou sal exercis thi children in thame,
thou sal talk of thame when thou art at home in thi hous, and as thou
walkest be the way, and when thou lyis doun, and when thou rysis up,
and thou sall bind thame for a signe upon thi hand, and thay salbe
paperis of rememberance betwene thi eis, and thou sall wryt thame upon
the postis of thi hous and upon thi gatis.’ And moses in another place
commandis thame to ‘remember the law of the Lord God, to do it, that
it may be weill unto thame, and with thair children in the land whilk
the Lord sall gif thame;’ meanyng that, lyke as frequent memorie
and repetitioun of Godis preceptis is the middis whairby the feir of
God, whilk is the begynning of all wisdome and filicitie, is keipit
recent in mynd, sa as negligence and oblivioun of Godis benefitis
ressavit the first grie of defectioun fra God. Now yf the law, whilk
be reasone of our weakness can wirk nathing but wraith and anger,
was sa effectuall that, rememberit and rehersit of purpois to do,
it brought to the pepill a corporall benedictioun, what sall we say
that the glorious gospell of Chryst Jesus doith wirk, so that it be
with reverence intreatit! St Paule calleth [it] the sueit odour of
lyfe unto thois that suld resaif lyfe, borrowing his similitude fra
odoriferous herbis or precious unguementis, whais nature is the mair
thay be touchit or moveit to send furth thair odour mair pleasing and
delectabill: even sic, deir brethren, is the blissit evangell of oure
Lorde Jesus; for the mair that it be intreatit, the mair comfortable
and mair plissant is it to sic as do heir, read, and exercis the sam.
I am not ignorant that, as the isralitis lothit manna becaus that
everie day thay saw and eat but ane thing, sa sum thair be now a dayis
(wha will not be haldin of the worst sort) that efter anis reading
sum parcellis of the scriptures do convert thame selves altogether to
{428} prophane autors and humane letteris, becaus that the varietie of
matteris thairin conteaynit doith bring with it a daylie delectatioun,
whair contrairwys within the simpill scriptures of God the perpetuall
repititioun of a thing is fascheous and werisome. This temptatioun I
confess may enter in Godis verie elect for a tyme, but impossibill is
it that thairin thay continew to the end: for Godis electioun, besydis
othir evident signis, hath this ever joynit with it that Godis elect
ar callit from ignorance (I speik of thois that ar cumin to the yeiris
of knawledge) to sum taist and feilling of Godis mercie, of whilk thay
ar never satisfeit in this lyfe, but fray tyme to tyme thay hunger
and thay thrist to eat the breid that descendit fra the heavin, and to
drink the watter that springeth into lyfe everlasting, whilk thay can
not do but be the meanis of faith, and faith luketh ever to the will
of God revealit be his word, sa that faith hath baith her begynning
and continewance be the word of God; and sa I say that impossibill it
is that Godis chosin children can despys or reiect the word of their
salvatioun be any lang continewance, nether yit loth of it to the end.
Often it is that Godis elect ar haldin in sic bondage and thraldome
that they can not have the breid of lyfe brokin unto thame, neither
yit libertie to exercis thame selves in Godis halie word, but then
doith not Godis deir children loth but maist gredilie do thay covet
the fude of thair saulis; then do they accuse thair former negligence,
then lament and bewaill thay the miserable afflictioun of thair
brethren, and than cry and call thay in thair hartis (and opinlie
whair thay dar) for frie passage to the gospell. This hungir and
thrist doith argue and prufe the lyfe of thair saulis. But gif sic
men as having libertie to reid and exercis thame selves in Godis halie
scripture, and yet do begin to wearie because fra tyme to tyme thay
reid but a [one] thing, I ask, why weirie thay not also everie day
to drink wyne, to eat bread, everie day to behald the bryghtnes of
the sone, and sa to use the rest of Godis creatures whilk everie day
do keip thair awn substance, cours, and nature? Thay sall anser, I
trust, because sic creatures have a strenth as oft as thay ar usit to
expell hungir and quenche thrist, to restoir strenth, and to preserve
the lyfe. O miserabill wreachis, wha dar attribut mair power and
strenth to the corruptible creatures in nurisching and preserving the
mortall {429} karcass, than to the eternall word of God in nurissment
of the saule whilk is immortal! To reasone with thair abominable
unthankfulnes at this present it is not my purpois. But to yow, deir
brethrene, I wryt my knawledge, and do speik my conscience, that sa
necessarie as meit and drink is to the preservation of lyfe corporall,
and so necessarie as the heit and bryghtnes of the sone is to the
quicknyng of the herbis and to expell darknes, sa necessarie is also
to lyfe everlasting, and to the illuminatioun and lyght of the saule,
the perpetuall meditation, exercis, and use of Godis halie word.
“And thairfoir, deir brethrene, yf that you luke for a lyfe to cum,
of necessitie it is that ye exercise yourselves in the buke of the
Lord your God. Lat na day slip over without sum comfort ressavit fra
the mouth of God. Opin your earis, and hie will speak evin pleasing
thingis to your hart. Clois not your eis, but diligentlie let thame
behald what portioun of substance is left to yow within your fatheris
testament. Let your toungis learne to prais the gracious gudness of
him wha of his meir mercie hath callit you fra darknes to lyght and
fra deth to lyfe. Neither yit may ye do this sa quyetlie that ye will
admit na witnessis; nay, brethren, ye are ordeynit of God to reule and
governe your awn housis in his trew feir, and according to his halie
word. Within your awn housis, I say, in sum cassis ye are bishopis
and kingis, your wyffis, children, and familie ar your bishoprik
and charge; of you it sal be requyrit how cairfullie and diligentlie
ye have instructit thame in Godis trew knawledge, how that ye have
studeit in thame to plant vertew and to repress vyce. And thairfoir,
I say, ye must mak thame partakeris in reading, exhortation, and in
making commoun prayeris, whilk I wald in everie hous wer usit anis a
day at leist. But above all things, deir brethren, studie to practis
in lyfe that whilk the Lord commandis, and then be ye assurit that ye
sall never heir nor reid the same without frute: and this mekill for
the exercises within your housis.