the same authority in ecclesiastical matters which the English
did. In particular, they resisted from the beginning the claim of
ecclesiastical supremacy granted to the English monarchs. On the 7th
July, 1568, “It was delatit and fund that Thomas Bassinden, printer in
Edinburgh, imprintit an buik, intitulat _The Fall of the Roman Kirk_,
naming our King and Soverane _Supreme Head of the Primitive Kirk_――The
haill assemblie ordaint the said Thomas to call in agane all the
foirsaidis buikis yat he hes sauld, and keip the rest unsauld, until
he alter the forsaid title. Attour, the assemblie appoyntit Mr Alex.
Arburthnot to revise the rest of the forsaid tractat, and report to
the kirk quhat doctrine he findis thairin.” Buik of the Universall
Kirk, p. 38, 39. The General Assembly were frequently occupied in
settling the bounds between civil and ecclesiastical jurisdiction, and
in March 1570 arranged the objects which pertained to the latter under
six heads; including, among other things, the judgment of doctrine,
administration of divine ordinances, the election, examination,
admission, suspension, &c., of ministers, and all cases of discipline.
The following is the concluding article: “And because the conjunction
of marriages pertaineth to the ministrie, the causis of adherents and
divorcements aucht also to perteine to thame, as naturallie annexit
thairto.” Buik of the Universall Kirk, p. 51. Actes of the General
Assemblies, prefixed to the First and Second Booke of Discipline,
printed in 1621, p. 3, 4.
On occasion of some encroachments made on the liberties of the church
in 1571, John Erskine of Dun, superintendent of Angus {347} and Mearns,
addressed two letters to the regent Mar. They are written in a clear,
spirited, and forcible style, contain an accurate statement of the
essential distinction between civil and ecclesiastical jurisdiction,
and should be read by all who wish to know the early sentiments of
the church of Scotland on this subject. See Bannatyne’s Journal,
p. 279‒290.
It has always been a principle of the presbyterian church of
Scotland, that the ministers of religion ought not to be distracted
from the duties of their office by holding civil places. The first
General Assembly (Dec. 1560) agreed to petition the Estates, to
“remove ministers from civil offices, according to the canon law.”
Buik of the Universall Kirk, p. 2. At the request of the regent Mar,
the assembly, or convention, which met at Leith in January 1571‒2,
allowed Mr Robert Pont, on account of his great knowledge of the laws,
to act as a Lord of Session. Buik of the Universall Kirk, p. 54. But
in March 1572‒3, the regent Morton having laid before them a proposal
for appointing some ministers Lords of Session, the Assembly “votit
throughout that naine was able nor apt to bear the saides twa charges.”
They therefore prohibited any minister from accepting the place of
a senator; from this inhibition they, however, excepted Pont. Ibid,
p. 56. In 1584, Pont resigned his place as a Lord of Session, or
rather was deprived of it, in consequence of the act of parliament
passed that year, declaring that none of the ministers of God’s
word and sacraments――“in time cuming sall in ony waies accept, use,
or administrat ony place of judicature, in quhatsumever civil or
criminal causes, nocht to be of the Colledge of Justice, Commissioners,
Advocates, court Clerkes or Notaris in ony matteris (the making of
testamentes onely excepted).” Skene’s Acts, fol. 59, b. Edinburgh,
1597. Lord Hailes’s Catalogue of the Lords of Session, p. 5, and
note 34.
The name of Pont often occurs in the account of ecclesiastical
transactions during the remainder of the sixteenth century. The
writer of Additional Notes to Lord Hailes’s Catalogue of the Lords
of Session, calls him by mistake, “the first presbyterian minister
of the West Kirk,” p. 8. Edinburgh, 1798. William Harlaw preceded him
in that situation, (Keith, 498,) and continued to hold it in August
1571. See Letter to him from the duke {348} and Huntly, in Bannatyne’s
Journal, 217. Pont was also commissioner of Murray, and provost of
Trinity College, Edinburgh. Upon the death of the earl of March,
James VI. offered him the bishopric of Caithness, but he declined
accepting it. Keith’s Scottish Bishops, 129. He was the author
of several publications, besides the sermons against Sacrilege,
repeatedly mentioned.
The time of his death, and his age, appear from the following
inscription on his tombstone, in St Cuthbert’s churchyard:
ILLE EGO, ROBERTꝰ PONTA‑
Nꝰ IN HOC PROPE SACRO
CHRISTI QUI FUERA‾‾ PASTOR
GREGIS AUSPICE CHRISTO
ÆTERNÆ HIC RECUBANS EX‑
SPECTO RESURGERE VITÆ.
OBIIT DIE‾‾ ÆT 81, MEN‑
SIS 8 MAII, A. D. 1606.[355]
Note Z, Footnote 272.
_Particulars respecting Knox’s residence at St Andrews._――The
following particulars are extracted from the MS. Diary of Mr James
Melville. “Ther wer twa in St Androis wha war his aydant heirars, and
wraitt his sermons, ane my condiscipule, Mr Andro Young, minister of
Dumblane, who translated sum of them into Latin, and read thame in the
hall of the collage insteid of his orations.” The other was a servant
of Mr Robert Hamilton, but with what view he took notes Melville could
not say. Diary, p. 28.――“Mr Knox wald sum tymes cum in, and repast him
in our colleage yeard, and call ws schollars unto him and bliss ws,
and exhort ws to knaw God, and his wark in our countrey, and stand be
the guid caus, to use our tyme weill, and learn the guid instructiones
and follow the guid example of our maisters. Our haill collag
[St Leonard’s] maisters and schollars war sound and zelus for the
{349} guid caus, the uther twa colleges not sa.” p. 23. “This yeir
in the moneth of July, Mr Jhone Davidsone, an of our regents, maid
a pley at the marriage of Mr Jhone Colvin, quhilk I saw playit in
Mr Knox presence, wharin, according to Mr Knox doctrine, the castle
of Edinburgh was besieged, takin, and the captin, with ane or twa with
him, hangit in effigie.” p. 24. This seems to have been an exercise
among the students at the university. The following extract shows that
the fine arts were not then uncultivated, and that the professors and
students attended to them in their recreations. “I lernit singing and
pleying on instrumentis passing weill, and wald gladlie spend tyme,
whar the exercise thairof was within the collag; for twa or thrie of
our condisciples pleyed fellin weill on the virginals, and another on
the lute and githorn. Our regent had also the pinalds in his chalmer,
and lernit sum thing, and I efter him.” Melville adds, that his
fondness for music was, at one period, in danger of drawing away
his attention from more important studies, but that he overcame the
temptation, p. 25.
I may add an extract from the same Diary, relating an incident in the
life of one who entertained a high respect for Knox, and afterwards
became a distinguished minister in the church. “The ordor of four
kirks to a minister, then maid by the erle of Morton, now maid regent,
against the quilk Mr Johne Davidsone, an of the regents of our collag,
made a buik called _The Conference betwix the Clark and the Courtier_;
for the quhilk he was summoned befor the Justice Air at Haddington
this winter (1573) the lest of our course, and banished the countrey.”
p. 24. This dialogue, which is in verse, contains the following lines:
Had gude John Knox not yit bene deid,
It had not cum unto this heid:
Had thay myndit till sic ane steir,
He had maid hevin and eirth to heir.
The General Assembly, in October 1577, presented a supplication to
the regent Morton, requesting him to allow Mr Davidson to return home
from England. Buik of the Universall Kirk, p. 70. {350} The editor
of Davidson’s Poetical Remains (lately printed) has furnished some
interesting information concerning the author. I am indebted to
him for correcting a mistake into which I had fallen in the Life of
Melville. Davidson returned to Scotland during the lifetime of the
regent, though not until his fall. Hume of Godscroft, in his account
of Morton’s behaviour before his execution, says, “There he embraced
Mr John Davidson, and said to him, you wrote a book, for which I
was angry with you; but I never meant any ill to you,――forgive me.
Mr Davidson was so moved herewith, that he could not refrain from
weeping.” History of the House of Douglas and Angus, ii. 279, 12mo.
Note AA, Footnote 299.
_Verses to the memory of Knox._――Beza has inserted no verses to the
memory of our Reformer, in his _Icones, id est, Veræ Imagines Virorum
Doctrina simul et Pietate Illustrium_, published by him in Latin, anno
1580. But of this work, a French version was published under the title
of _Les Vrais Pourtraits des Hommes Illustres en Pieté et Doctrine_.
Geneve, 1581, 4to. In this translation are inserted original verses
on Knox, &c. Irving’s Memoirs of Buchanan, 234. Having never seen
this translation, I cannot say whether the verses which it contains
coincide with those which I am about to quote.
_Jacobus Verheiden_ published “Præstantium aliquot Theologorum, qui
Romæ Antichristum oppugnarunt, Effigies, quibus addita eorum Elogia,
librorumque Catalogi. Hag. Comit. 1602.” A new edition of this was
published by _Fredericus Roth‑Scholtz_, under the title of “Jacobi
Verheidenii Hagæ‑Comitis Imagines et Elogia, &c. Hagæ‑Comitum, 1725.”
In this work the following lines are placed under the portrait of
Knox:――
Scottorum primum te Ecclesia, CNOXE, docentem,
Audiit, auspiciis estque redacta tuis.
Nam te cælestis pietas super omnia traxit,
Atque Reformatæ Religionis amor.
{351} To the account of his life and writings, in the same work, is
added an _Epigram_ in Greek and in Latin, which, according to a common
practice in such compositions, consists of a play upon his name, and
that of his country, in the way of contrast; representing Knox as
driving the _nocturnal_ crows, or _scotican_ sophists, from Scotland.
As the author informs us that the Batavian youth amused themselves
in making these epigrams, and thinks that some of them will amuse the
reader, I shall not withhold this specimen in both languages.
Νυκτερίδας, νυκτὸς κόρακας, καὶ νύκτα ἀφεγγῆ,
Ἄλλα τε λύγρ’ Ἠὼς φεύγει ἀλεξίκακος·
Ὅυτως μὲν ΚΝΟΞΟΣ Σκοτικοὺς δνοφερούς τε σοφιστὰς
Ἐν Σκοτίῃ πάτρῃ ἔκβαλε λαμπόμενος.
Nocturnos corvos, noctem obscuramque, volantes
Mures, Aurora et cetera dira fugat:
Sic CNOXVS Scoticos simul obscurosque sophistas
Ex Scotica lucens ejicit hic patria.
Verheidenii Imagines et Elogia, p. 69, 70.
Hagæ‑Comitum, 1725.
Davidson’s Poem, and Johnston’s Verses, to the memory of Knox, will be
found in the Supplement.
Note BB, Footnote 300.
_Popish account of Knox’s death._――The slanders propagated by the
popish writers against our Reformer’s character have been stated in
Note S. After the specimen there given, it will not be expected that
I shall dwell upon the equally extravagant and incredible narratives
which they circulated concerning the manner of his death. I shall,
however, translate the substance of Archibald Hamilton’s account,
the original picture from which so many copies were afterwards taken.
“The opening of his mouth,” he says, “was drawn out to such a length
of deformity, that his face resembled that of a dog, as his voice
also did the barking of that animal. The voice {352} failed from that
tongue, which had been the cause of so much mischief, and his death,
most grateful to his country, soon followed. In his last sickness,
he was occupied not so much in meditating upon death, as in thinking
upon civil and worldly affairs. When a number of his friends, who held
him in the greatest veneration, were assembled in his chamber, and
anxious to hear from him something tending to the confirmation of his
former doctrine, and to their comfort, he, perceiving that his death
approached, and that he could gain no more advantage by the pretext
of religion, disclosed to them the mysteries of that Savoyan art
(_Sabaudicæ disciplinæ_, magic) which he had hitherto kept secret;
confessed the injustice of that authority which was then defended by
arms against the exiled queen; and declared many things concerning her
return, and the restoration of religion after his death. One of the
company, who had taken the pen to record his dying sayings, thinking
that he was in a delirium, desisted from writing, upon which Knox,
with a stern countenance, and great asperity of language, began to
upbraid him: ‘Thou good‑for‑nothing man! why dost thou leave off
writing what my presaging mind foresees as about to happen in this
kingdom? Dost thou distrust me? Dost thou not believe that all which
I say shall most certainly happen? But that I may attest to thee
and others how undoubted the things which I have just spoken are, go
out all of you from me, and I will in a moment confirm them by a new
and unheard‑of proof.’ They withdrew at length, though reluctantly,
leaving only the lighted candles in the chamber, and soon returned,
expecting to witness some prodigy, when they found the lights
extinguished, and his dead body lying prostrate on the ground.”
Hamilton adds, that the spectators, after recovering from their
astonishment, replaced the dead body in the bed, and entered into
an agreement to conceal what they had witnessed; but God, unwilling
that such a document should be unknown, disclosed it, “both by the
amanuensis himself, [Robertus Kambel a Pinkincleugh,] soon after taken
off by a similar death, and by others who, although unwillingly, made
clear confessions.” De Confusione Calvin. Sectæ apud Scotos, fol.
66, 67. Those who have not access to the work itself, will find the
original words extracted, although with some slight inaccuracies,
by {353} Mackenzie. Lives of Scottish writers, iii, 131, 132. “All
the rest of the Romish writers,” says Mackenzie, “insist upon such
like ridiculous stories that are altogether improbable.” Hamilton’s
fabrications gave occasion, however, to the publication of that minute
and satisfactory narrative of the last illness and death of Knox,
drawn up by one who waited on him all the time, and added by principal
Smeton to the answer which he made to that virulent writer. See above,
p. 219. Yet the popish writers continued to retail Hamilton’s story
until a late period. It was published by Knot in his _Protestancy
Condemned_, Doway 1654; and in _The Politician’s Catechism_, printed
at Antwerp, 1658, “_permissu superiorum_.” Those who wish to see the
variations which it had undergone by that time, and who have not met
with these writings, may be satisfied by looking into Strype’s Life
of Archbishop Parker, p. 367.
“The miserable, horrible, detestable, and execrable deaths” of Luther,
Calvin, and other heretics of that time, are particularly recorded by
James Laing, in the work to which I have repeatedly referred.
Note CC, Footnote 332.
_Knox’s stipend._――The General Assembly held in March 1573, passed the
following act:――“The Assemblie, considering that the travels of umqll
Johne Knox, merits favourablie to be remembrit in his posteritie,
gives to Margaret Stewart, his relict, and hir thrie daughters of the
said umqll Johne, the pension qlk he himselfe had in his tyme of the
kirk, and that for the year aproachand and following his deceis, of
the year of God 1573, to their education and support, extending to
five hundreth merks money, twa ch. quhait, sax ch. beir, four ch.
aittes.” Buik of the Universall Kirk, p. 56.
On the 25th of May, 1574, in an action “at the instance of Margaret
Haldin, relict of umq{ll} Mr Henry Fowlis of Colingtown, takesman and
fermorar of the kirk of Haillis, aganis Margaret Stewart, relict of
umq{ll} Johnne Knox, minister, and Andro Ker of Fadounsyd, now hir
spous for his entress, and Maister Adam Lethame, minister at the
kirkis of Currie, Haillis, and Sanct Katherine {354} of the hoppis;”
setting forth that both these parties demanded from her, the said
Margaret Halden, “the sowme of 1{c} pundis w{t} the kirkland of Currie,
viz., the thrid of the personage of Currie, extending to lxiiij{li}
viij{s} x{d} and thrid pairt penny, and the rest extending to xxxv{li}
xi{s} 1{d} twa pairt penny, furth of the thrid of Dumfermling,――and
she aucht not to be compellit to mak dowbill payment thairof.――The
lordis of counsale desernis and ordanis the same Margaret Haldin to
answer, obey, and mak payment to the said Margaret Stewart, relict
foirsaid, and her bairnes, of the dewtie contenit in the said tak of
the crop and yeir of God, 1{m} v{c} lxxiiij yeris, as pairtie fundin
be the saidis lordis haveand maist ryt thairto, conforme to ane
decreit given by the lordis of secreit counsale, of the dait the 25
day of Marche, the yeir of God 1{m} v{c} lxxiiij yeris, schawin and
produced befoir the saidis lordis,” &c. Reg. of Decreets of Court of
Session, vol. lvi. fo. 45.
On the 23d of May, 1569, in an action “at the instance of Allan
Couttis, chalmerlain of the abbacy of Dumfermling, aganis Johne
Knox, minister of Christes evengell, allegeing that the silver
males victuall of certane landis and tiendis of the said abbacy of
Dumfermling ar assignit to him in payment of his stipend of the crope
and yeir of God 1{m} v{c} lxviij yeris,――and that the said complener,
as chalmerlane foirsaid, is awand to him the sowme of twa hundreth and
fiftie merkis, as for the silver maill of the landis assignit to him
as said is, of the terme of Witsonday, the yeir of God foirsaid. The
lordis of consale decernis the said Allane Cowtes to answer and obey
the said Johne Knox of the said termes payment, as pairtie fundin by
the said lordis havand maist right thairto, after the form and tenor
of the assignation given and granted to him thairupon, of the dait the
21 day of September the yeir of God 1{m} v{c} lxviij yeris,” &c. Reg.
of Decreets, vol. xlii. fo. 437.
The following extracts throw light on the subject of his stipend at an
earlier period:――
“The Compt of Sir John Wyisharte of Pitarrow, Knycht Comptroller and
Collector Generall of the Thredis of the Benefices of the Realme, 1564.
“And upown the first day of August, anno &c. lxiiij, delivered to
Johne Knox, minister, at my lord comptrollaris command, in part {355}
of payment of his stipend, the soume of ane hundreth pundis, as his
acquittance beris, j{c li}.
“And mair deliverit to Margaret Fowles, Johne Knox servand, the x day
of October, the soume of twentye pundis, xx{li}.
“And upoune the xvij day of October, ȝeir abonewritten, to John Reid,
servand to Johne Knox, the soume of fourtye pundis, xl{li}.
“And mair, the ix day of Januar, ȝeir foirsaid, anno &c. deliverit to
Robert Watsone, burges of Edinburgh, for Johnne Knox, the sowme of ane
hundrethe pundis, as his acquittance therupoune beris, j{c li}.
“And to Johnne Willock, the xviij day of September, ȝeir, &c. lxiiij,
deliverit the soume of fouretye pundis at my lord comptrollaris
command, in part of payment of his stipend, as his acquittance beris,
xl{li}.
“Alsua the comptare aucht to be discharged of the prices of six
chalderis beir at twa merkis the boll, and four chalder aittis at xx{s}
the boll, coft be the comptare, and delivered to the said John Knox,
minister, for the beir and aits allowit in his stipend of the lxiiij
yeiris crop, quherof na allowance is tane be ony of the collectouris
of befoir, extending in money to ij{c} xxiiij{li}.
“The Comp{t} of Schir Williame Murray of Tullybardin, knight
comptroller and collector generall of the thriddis of the benefices,
&c. At Ed{r}. Jan. 2, 1567, of crope 1566.
“And als the comptare aucht to be discharged of the soume of twa
hundreth fourescoir twa pundis threttene schillingis four penneis,
pait and deliverit be the comptare to Johne Knox, minister, for the
half of his stipend of the cropp and ȝeir of God I{m} v{c} lxvj yeiris
baith silver and victuall at command of my lord regentis precept, as
the same and his acquittance producit upon compt proportis,
ij{c} lxxxij {lib} xiij{s} iiij{d}.
“And of the soume of ane hundreth thretty three pundis six schillinges
aucht penneis pait be the comptare to William Stewart, Ross Herald,
translater of sic werkis in the kirk as ar necessar for edifiing of
the people, quherof he hes had allocatioun of ald be the appointment
of the Buke of the modificatioun of the ministerie.
j{c} xxxiij{li} vi{s} viij{d}.”
{356}
Note DD. Footnote 336.
_Of Knox’s descendants._――In the former editions of this work, it
was stated that one of our Reformer’s daughters was married to Robert
Pont, minister of St Cuthbert’s; but I have since ascertained that
her husband was Zachary Pont, one of the sons of that minister. This
appears from the following documents:
“Nov. 13. 1599.――Mr Zach. Pont, portioner of Schyresmilne, and
Margaret Knox, his spouse,” inhibited by Bessie Colvill.
“11 Feb{y}, 1602.――Said Mr Zach. Pont and spouse inhibited by
Mr Johne Velsche, minister of Godis word at our bust of Kirckcudbryt,
and Elizabethe Knox his spous.” Pont owes complainers 1000{m}, as per
contract between parties at Schyrismylne, 8 Apr. 1596. Reg{d} in books
of Session, 17 Nov. 1601. (Particular Register of Inhibitions, vol. v.)
“Marg. Knox, spous to Mr Zach. Pont, minister at Boar in Cathnes,
w{t} consent of Mr Jo{n} Ker, minister at Preston, and Mr Ja{s} Knox,
ane of the regents of the College of Ed{n},” receives from Andro
Lord Stewart of Vchiltrie, 1300 merks. (Gen. Reg. of Decreets, vol.
cvii; 28 May, 1605.) There is a previous deed relating to the same
transaction, which is signed by “Mr Jo{n} Ker, sone to umq{ll} Andro
Ker of Fadounside, witnes”. (Ibid. vol. civ; 13 Dec. 1664.)
The celebrated Dr Witherspoon, minister of Paisley, and afterwards
president of the college of New Jersey, in America, was a descendant
of our Reformer: and, according to the information of Dr Samuel
Stanhope Smith, his son‑in‑law, and successor in the presidency,
traced his line of descent through Mrs Welch.
I have been favoured with the following pedigree from Alexander
Thomson, Esq. of Banchory, in Aberdeenshire. “John Knox, the
celebrated Reformer, left three daughters, one of whom was married
to a Mr Baillie of the Jerviswood family, and by him had a daughter,
who was married to a Mr Kirkton of Edinburgh. By this marriage
Mr Kirkton had a daughter, Margaret, who was married to Dr Andrew
Skene in Aberdeen. Dr Skene left several children, the eldest of
whom, Dr Andrew Skene, had by his {357} wife, Miss Lumsden of Cushnie,
several sons and daughters. One of these, Mary, was married to Andrew
Thomson of Banchory, who had issue by her, Margaret, Andrew, and
Alexander. Andrew married Miss Hamilton, daughter of Dr Hamilton, of
Marischall College, Aberdeen, and by her had issue, Alexander, born
June 21, 1798, and present proprietor of Banchory.” It is not uncommon
for persons who happen to be of the same name with an individual who
has attained celebrity, to claim a family relation to him upon very
slender grounds. But in the present instance, not to mention the
particularity of detail in the genealogical table, there is no ground
to suspect that the tradition could have such an origin; as the name
of Knox occurs only at the earliest stage of the supposed connexion.
Perhaps one of the Reformer’s daughters was twice married; or, which
I think more probable, it was one of his grand‑daughters who married
a Mr Baillie of Jerviswood. Among the pictures at Mellerstain (now
the seat of the ancient family of Jerviswood) is a portrait of
captain Kirkton, an officer of the Royal Navy. And we know from other
authorities, that Robert Baillie of Jerviswood, who was executed at
Edinburgh in 1684, was brother‑in‑law to Mr James Kirkton, minister
first at Merton, and afterwards in Edinburgh. Burnet’s Hist. of his
own Times, ii. 157. Wodrow, i. 422.