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 Willock braves the Fury of the Regent, and continues to minister to the Kirk in Edinburgh.

For comfort of the brethren and continuance of the Kirk in Edinburgh, our dear brother John Willock was left there. He, for his faithful labours and bold courage in that battle, deserves immortal praise. When it was found dangerous for John Knox, already elected minister to that Kirk, to continue there, the brethren requested the said John Willock to abide with them, lest, for lack of ministers, idolatry should again be erected. To this he so gladly consented that it was evident that he preferred the comfort of his brethren and the continuance of the Kirk there to his own life. One part of the Frenchmen were appointed to lie in garrison at Leith (that was the first benefit they got for their confederacy with them), the other part were appointed to lie in the Canongate; the Queen and her train abiding in the Abbey. Our brother John Willock, the day after our departure, preached in St. Giles's Kirk, and fervently exhorted the brethren to stand constant in the truth which they had professed.

The Citizens decline to permit Popish Ceremonies to be renewed in the High Kirk.

The Duke, and divers others of the Queen's faction, were present at this and some other sermons. This liberty and preaching, with the resort of all people thereto, highly offended the Queen and the other Papists, and they began to give terrors to the Duke; affirming that he would be reputed as one of the Congregation, if he gave his countenance to the sermons. Thereafter they began to require that Mass should be set up again in St. Giles's Kirk, and that the people should be set at liberty to choose what religion they would: for, they affirmed, it had been a condition in the Appointment that the town of Edinburgh should have what religion they cared for. To ascertain this, the Duke, the Earl of Huntly, and the Lord Seton were sent to the Tolbooth, to solicit all men to submit to the Queen's opinion. The two last named did what they could, but the Duke remained a mere beholder, and of him the brethren had good hopes. After many persuasions and threatenings by the said Earl and Lord, the brethren stoutly and valiantly, in the Lord Jesus, gainsaid their most unjust petitions....

The foresaid Earl and Lord Seton, then Provost of Edinburgh, perceiving that they could not prevail in that manner, began to entreat that the citizens would so far submit to the Queen's pleasure as to choose another kirk within the town, or at least be contented that Mass should be said either after or before their sermons. Answer was given that they could not give place to the Devil, who was the chief inventor of the Mass, for the pleasure of any creature. They were in possession of that kirk, and they could not abandon it; nor could they suffer idolatry to be set up there, unless they should be constrained so to do by violence, and, if this were resorted to, they were determined to seek the next remedy.... By God's grace, the citizens continued in faithful service of God until the month of November. They not only convened to the preaching, daily supplications, and administration of baptism; but also the Lord's Table was administered, even in the eyes of the very enemy, to the great comfort of many afflicted consciences.

The Regent restores the Mass at Holyrood, persecutes the Reformed Clergy, and seeks to embroil the Protestants with the French.

As God did potently work through His true minister, and in His troubled Kirk, so did not the Devil cease to inflame the malice of the Queen, and of the Papists with her. Shortly after her coming to the Abbey of Holyroodhouse, she caused Mass to be said, first in her own chapel, and after that in the Abbey, where the altars had before been cast down. Her malice extended in like manner to Cambuskenneth; for there she cancelled the stipends of as many of the Canons as had forsaken Papistry. She gave command and inhibition that the Abbot of Lindores should not receive payment of any part of his living in the north, because he had submitted himself to the Congregation, and had made some reformation to his place. By her consent and procurement, the preaching stools in the Kirk of Leith were broken, and idolatry was re-erected there. Her French captains, with their soldiers in great companies, resorted to St. Giles's Kirk in Edinburgh at the time of preaching and prayers, and made their common deambulator[141] therein, with such loud talking that it was impossible to hear the preacher distinctly. Although the minister was oft times compelled to cry out on them, praying to God to rid the people of such locusts, they continued in their wicked purpose. This had been devised and ordered by the Queen, who sought to draw our brethren of Edinburgh into a cummer[142] with the soldiery, so that she might have a colourable occasion for breaking the league with them. Yet, by God's grace, they so behaved themselves that she could find no fault with them. On the other hand, in all these things, and in every one of them, she is worthily counted to have contravened the said Appointment....

The Regent receives Reinforcements of Troops from France.

In the meantime the Queen Regent, knowing assuredly what force was shortly to come to her aid, ceased not, by all means possible, to cloak the incoming of the French, and to inflame the hearts of our countrymen against us.... She used these means to abuse the simplicity of the people, that they should not suddenly espy for what purpose she brought in her new bands of men of war. These, to the number of a thousand men, arrived about the middle of August. The rest were appointed to come after with Monsieur de la Broche and the Bishop of Amiens, who arrived on the nineteenth day of September, as if they had been Ambassadors. What was their negotiation, the result declared, and they themselves could not long conceal; for, both by tongue and pen, they proclaimed that they had been sent for the utter extermination of all that would not profess the papistical religion in all points....

Prudent men foresaw that the Queen intended a complete conquest. But, to the end that the people should not suddenly stir, she would not bring in her full force at once, but by continual traffic purposed to augment her army, so that in the end we should not be able to resist. The greatest part of the nobility and many of the people were so enchanted by her treasonable agents that they could not listen to, or credit, the truth plainly spoken. The French, after the arrival of their new men, began to brag: then began they to divide the lands and lordships according to their own fancies; for one was styled Monsieur d' Ergyle; another, Monsieur le Prior; the third, Monsieur de Ruthven; yea, they were so assured, in their own opinion, to possess whatsoever they list, that some asked for statements of the rentals and revenues of divers men's lands, to the end that they might choose the best....