The History of the Reformation of Religion in Scotland / With Which Are Included Knox's Confession and The Book of Discipline

by John Knox

John Knox was sent unto them to stay them; but before his coming, they had begun the pulling down of the idols and dortour.[137] And, albeit the said John and others did what in them lay to stay the fury of the multitude, they were not able to restore complete order, and therefore they sent for the Lords, Earl of Argyll, and Lord James, who, coming with all diligence, laboured to save the Palace and Kirk. But, the multitude having found a great number of idols buried in the Kirk for the purpose of preserving them to a better day (as the Papists speak), the towns of Dundee and Perth could not be satisfied, until the whole furnishings and ornaments of the Church were destroyed. Yet did the Lords so travail that they saved the Bishop's Palace, with the Church and place for that night; for the two Lords did not depart until they brought with them the whole number of those that most sought the Bishop's displeasure.... The Bishop's girnell[138] was kept for the first night by the labours of John Knox, who, by exhortation, removed such as violently would have made irruption....

On the morrow, some of the poor, in hope of spoil, and some of the men of Dundee, to see what had been done, went up to the Abbey of Scone. The Bishop's servants were offended, and began to threaten and speak proudly, and, as it was constantly affirmed, one of the Bishop's sons stogged through with a rapier a man of Dundee, for looking in at the girnell door.... The multitude, easily inflamed, gave the alarm, and the Abbey and Palace were appointed to sackage. They took no long deliberation in carrying out their purpose, but committed the whole to the merciment of fire....

The Forces of the Congregation take possession of Stirling and Edinburgh.

While these things were being done at Perth, the Queen, fearing what should follow, determined to send certain bands of French soldiers to Stirling, to stop the passage to us that then were upon the north side of Forth. Hearing of this, the Earl of Argyll and Lord James departed secretly over-night, and with great expedition, getting in before the Frenchmen, took the town. Before their coming, the rascal multitude had laid hands on the thieves', I should say Friars', places and utterly destroyed them.

The Queen and her faction, not a little afraid, departed hastily from Edinburgh to Dunbar. So we, with all reasonable diligence, marched forward to Edinburgh to make reformation there, and arrived on the twenty-ninth of June. The Provost for that time, the Lord Seton, a man without God, without honesty, and oftentimes without reason, had formerly greatly troubled and molested the brethren. He had taken upon himself the protection and defence of the Black and Grey Friars; and for that purpose not only lay himself in one of the monasteries every night, but also constrained the most honest of the town, to their great grief and trouble, to keep vigil for the safety of those monsters. Hearing of our sudden coming, however, he had abandoned his charge, and had left the spoil to the poor, who had made havoc of all such things as were movable in those places before our coming, and had left nothing but bare walls, yea, not so much as door or window. We were the less troubled in reforming such places.

The Congregation renew peaceable Overtures to the Regent.

For certain days we deliberated as to what was to be done, and then determined to send some message to the Queen Regent.... After safe conduct was purchased[139] and granted, we directed unto her two grave men of our Council. We gave commission and power to them to expose our whole purpose and intent, which was none other than before at all times we had insisted upon, to wit, that we might enjoy the liberty of conscience; that Christ Jesus might be truly preached, and His holy Sacraments rightly ministered unto us; that unable ministers might be removed from ecclesiastical administration; that our preachers might be relaxed from the horn, and permitted to perform their duties without molestation, until such time as, either by a General Council, lawfully convened, or by a Parliament within the realm, the controversies in religion were decided; and that the bands of Frenchmen, who were an intolerable burden to the country, and so fearful to us that we durst not in peaceable and quiet manner haunt the places where they did lie, should be sent to France, their native country. These things granted, her Grace should have experience of our customary obedience.

To these heads the Queen did answer at the first pleasantly, but then she began to handle the matter more craftily, complaining that she was not sought in a gentle manner; and that they in whom she had put most singular confidence had left her in her greatest need. In discussing these and such other things, pertaining nothing to their commission, she sought to spend and drive the time.... In the end of this communing, on the twelfth day of July 1559, she desired to have private talk with the Earl of Argyll, and Lord James, Prior of St. Andrews.... The Council, after consultation, thought it inexpedient that the Earl and Prior should talk with the Queen in any way; for her former practices made all men suspect that some deceit lurked under such coloured communing. It was known that she had said that, if she could by any means sunder those two from the rest, she was sure she should shortly attain her whole purpose; and one of her chief counsellors in those days had said that before Michaelmas day these two should lose their heads.... The Queen, perceiving that her craft could not prevail, was content that the Duke's Grace and the Earl of Huntly, with others appointed by her, should convene at Preston, to commune with the said Earl and Prior, and such others as the Lords of the Congregation would appoint. These, convening at Preston, spake the whole day without any certain conclusion. For this was the subterfuge of the Queen and of her faction. By drift of time she hoped to weary our company, who, for the most part, had been in the field from the tenth day of May, and that when we were dispersed she might come to her purpose. In this she was not altogether deceived; for our commons were compelled to skaill for lack of expenses, and our gentlemen, partly constrained by lack of furnishing and partly hoping that some small appointment would result from so many communings, returned for the most part to their dwelling places, to repose themselves.

The Queen, in all these conventions, seemed to indicate that she would give liberty to religion, provided that, wheresoever she was, our preachers should cease, and the Mass should be maintained. We, perceiving her malicious craft, answered that we would compel her Grace to no religion, but that we could not, of conscience, for the pleasure of any earthly creature, put silence to God's true messengers. Nor could we suffer that the right administration of Christ's true sacraments should give place to manifest idolatry; for in so doing we should declare ourselves enemies to God, to Christ Jesus His Son, to His eternal truth and to the liberty and establishment of His Church within this realm. If her request were granted, there could be no Kirk within the realm so established but that, at her pleasure, and by her residence and remaining there, she might overthrow the same....

To no point would the Queen answer directly; but in all things she was so general and so ambiguous, that her craft appeared to all men. She had gotten sure information that our company was skailled—for her Frenchmen were daily amongst us, without molestation or hurt done to them—and therefore she began to disclose her mind. "The Congregation," she said, "has reigned these two months bypast: me myself would reign now other two." The malice of her heart being plainly perceived, there was deliberation as to what was to be done. It was decided that the Lords, Barons and gentlemen, with their substantial households, should remain in Edinburgh that whole winter, for the purpose of establishing the Church there. When it was found that, by corrupting our money, the Queen made to herself immoderate gains for maintaining her soldiers, thereby destroying our whole commonwealth, it was thought necessary that the printing irons[140] and all things pertaining to them should be taken into custody, for fear that she should privily cause them to be transported to Dunbar.