Dominus mihi adiutor, non timebo, quid faciat mihi homo.

THE FIRST TRACTAT

TO THE QUENES MAIESTIE, PASTOURIS,
AND NOBILITIE.1

E

Quenes

FTER that we, thy Graces humill subditis, To the Marie maist excellent and gracius Quene, Maies. be our small jugement hes considerit the stait of this thy realme, at this present, tweching religion 5 (quhairvpon the weilfair thairof is onely groundit), can esteme it to na thing mair lyke than to ane schip in ane dedely storme, enforsed be contrarius wyndis betuix maist daingerus sanddy beddis on the rycht hand and terrible rolkis presenting deth alrady on the left; quhilk, 10 gydit thir mony zeris be sleuthfull marinaris and sleipand sterismen (we mein of the pastores of the Kirk, and, in that part, of thair promoueris), is euyl crasit on the schaldis. Quhairat sum effrayit, and almaist desperat of thair awin and vtheris lyues in the samyn schip, hes 15 pullit the rudder and gouernment fra the formare rewlaris, maist vnworthy thir mony zeris of that name; and be our jugement fleing fra the sanddy beddis, speidis baith with airis and erect salis, to brek in splenderis the schip on the feirful rokis. For the quhilk perrel we 20 now mair effrayit than we and thay wes for the vther, may not contene vs for na feir of man, sen the mater standis in dainger of our bodeis and saulis, bot exhort the latter marinaris, albeit impatient other of repreif or aduertisment, to lat down ane grete dele thair hie sailis, 1 O.E. nobililitie.

Reassonis collectit aganis the 2 last reula

ris intent.

To the bischopis and vtheris pas

tores.

Off thare

commen

datioun. Off thare lyves.

and hald to wyndwart, returning thair course fet1 by the
first sett compasse, and direct it to sum mair sure harbery
place than thay first intendit to. To that end we haue
collectit, as we mycht for schortnes of tyme, our apper-
and resonis, that the passage and dew course is partlie 5
tyll vs knawin: exhorting thaim to assent to our coun-
sell, or to schaw mair plane demonstratioun of strenthiar
reasonis for thair interpryse, or tobe iugeit wylfull and
led be sum phrenesie, and thairfor not to be hard. Zit
sen the godlye wysedome of thi Maiestie hes be ane 10
edict inhibit ony questioun or controuersie to be mouit
in this action for a tyme, to the end that seditioun be
eschewit, we differ to present our said aduertisment and
ressoning to the craibit rewlaris foresadis, quhill thy gra-
cious licence be had thairto, quhilk we hope to obtene, 15
-our ressonable desyris being knawin, alrady present in
wryt, as we for schortnes mycht collect to that effect;
hoipand that thay sall ansueir with mair expeditioun
and circumspect aduisment to the samyn (quhilk thing
we maist ernestlie desyre) fra thay persaue our ressonis 20
to be knawin to thy Maiestie. And also war not the
vrgent schortnes of tyme and imminent dainger of deth
afore our eis, thunderis in our earis to hald and defend
vs, but delay fra the rolkis of errour, heresie, and mani-
fest seditioun in this thy realme, manassing alrady de- 25
struction of zour reuling, misreulit, and misgydit gou-
ernment, fatheris, bischoipis, and vtheris pastores, we
wald lament afore God, and cry for remeid afore the
warld. Suppose vtherwayis for honour of zour offices
we dar not contemne zour selfis. And albeit the time 30
be schort, sumthing of zour prais man we speik. Bot
quhidder sal we begin zour commendation and louing at
zour haly lyfes, or at zoure helthful doctrine, we ar
doutsum. Sen zour godly leving garnisit with chastitie,
fasting, prayer, and sobritie, be the worthi frutis tharof 35
1 Maitland Club Ed. fer. 2 O.E. thee. 3 O.E. mais.

1

(quhat nedz1 mair), is patent to al man! Zour merchandrice, zour symonie, zour glorious estait, zour solicitude be mariage, efter to haif brocht the baronis to be impis of zour posteritie, and witnessing in all aiges to 5 cum of zour godlines, quhay speikis not of it? Zour liberalitie to the pure, zour magnific collegeis of godly learnit in zour cumpanie, zour nurissing of pure studentis, of ryche ingynis able efter to reull the Kirk of God in helthfull teachement, all cuntreis and collegis dois 10 deplore! Zour godly and circumspect distribution of benefices to zour babeis, ignorantis and filthy anis, al Ethnik, Turk, and Iow may lauch at it, that being the special ground of al impietie and division this day within ye, O Scotland! Zour wyse, saige, and grave familiar 15 servands, void of al vanitie, bodely lustis, and heresie, ar spokin of to zour prayse, God wate! Zour dum doctrine in exalting ceremoneis only, without ony declaration of the samin, and, fer mair, keiping in silence off thare the trew Word of God necessar to al manis saluation, 20 and not resisting manifest errours, to the warld is knawin! Quhat part of the trew religion be zour sleuthful dominion and princelie estait is not corruptit or obscurit? Hes not mony throw inlak of techement in mad ignorance mysknawin thair deuty, quhilk we al aucht to our 25 Lord God, and sua in thair perfite beleif hes sairlye

stummerit? Wes not the sacramentis of Christ Iesus prophanit be ignorantis and wikit persones, nother able to persuade to godlines be lerning nor be leuing ;—of the quhilk nummer we confesse the maist part of vs of the 30 Eclesiasticall Stait to haue bene, in our ignorant and inexpert zouthe, vnworthelie be zow admittit to the ministratioun thairof. Geue thir thingis maiste speciall throw ignorance and auarice be brocht fra thair puritie, quhate maruell is it that materis of les pryce, as of 35 ymages, the inuocationis of sanctis to praye for vs, the 1 ned3-i.e., nedis.

doctryne.

Acta. 20. Proue. 27.

Of the disponyng off

Acta. 4.

prayar for the saulis departit, and mony siclyke thingis in sobrietie and learnit simplicitie lesum, to be at this tyme corruptit, and prophanit fra the mynde of our auncient elderis, be the samyn vices? War ze comEzechie. 33. mandit in vaine of God be the mouthis off His Prophetis 5 and Apostolis to walke attentlie and continualie vpon zour flok, and knaw diligentlie the samyn be face? Or gaif the princes of the erth zow zeirly rentis (as the Disciplis in the beginnyng sauld thair landis and gaif the thare rentes. pryces thairof to the Apostolis), to the end that euery 10 ane of zow mot spend the samyn vpon his dame Dalida and bastard browis? And albeit it chance oft to the infirmitie of man, that he fal on sleip quhen he suld erast walk, and be1 gevin to pastyme quhen he sulde maist diligentlie labour. Bot zit, O mercyful God, quhat 15 deidly sleip is this that hes oppressit zow, that in sa gret vproir, tumult, and terrible clamour ze walkin nocht furth of zour dreme, and in sa gret dainger of deth, ze haif na regard of zour awin lyues nor vtheris? Awalke! awalke! we say, and put to zour hande stoutlie 20 to saif Petiris schip; for He nother slepis nor slummeris quha behaldis al zour doingis, and seis zoure thochtis, bot sall require the blude oute of zour handis of the smallaste ane that sall perise throw zour negligence. Bot the tyme not permitting vs to speik ferder in this mater, occasion 25 prouokis vs to schaw sumthing to zour honouris, O worthy Nobilis of ilke degre within this realme-and that in hope of reformatioun in all the2 partis of Godis Kirk. The speciall rutis of all mischeif we suspect nocht zour prudent nobilitie to mysknaw, to be the twa 30 infernal monstris, pryde and auarice, of the quhilkis vnhappelie hes vpsprung the electioun of vnqualifeit bischopis and vtheris pastores in Scotland. And that laitlie, as we can collect within thir hundreth zeris, in the gret destructioun of the trew religioun off Christianis, and in 35 2 O.E. thee.

Psal. 120.

Hebre. 4.

Eze. 3 and

33.

To the Nobilitie.

Ecclia. 10. 1 Timo. 6.

1 O. E. he.

prouocatioun of Godis wraith contrare vs. For afore thay dayis na man, gentle nor vther, for feir of conscience, and doubt of his inhabilitie, wald resaue the office of ane pastour, quhil he wes almaist compellit 5 thairto. Ane witnessing of the samyn may be the ceremonie obseruit be mony now in hypocrisie, Nolens volo. And zit we may nocht dout of the lauchfull ordination and auctoritie of al, as we may not of our lauchful souerane be name. For in douting thairof, quhat ellis 10 is it bot to plant but rutis of ordour, ane manifest confusion and vter exterminion of this realme,-setting vp ane peple heidles left of God, as the1 Prophetis speikis, Ose. 3. Absque rege, absque lege, & absque sacerdote—that is, with- 2 Para. 15. out ane king, without ane law, and without ane preist? 15 Bot geue ony spote or blek be in the lauchfull ordination of our pastores,2 we maye nawayis of reasone, bot impute that cryme to the hie reproche of zour nobilitie. Call heirfor to remembrance, we beseik zour humanitie, that zour selfis on lyue togidder with zour eldaris in the 20 lait aige foresaid, fra the lawaste to the hieast degree, to haif bene the inventaris, nurissaris, and simoniacall merchandis of the samyn mischeif, playand to zour inferiouris the part of lippir3 Giezi in this mater, sayand, 4 Reg. 5. Quhat wyll ye geve me? And to the kingis of this 25 realme (bot God impute not that to zow and zour poster

The symo

nie off the 1

nobilis.

itie playande the part of Symon his companzone, sayand, Schir, quhat sall we geve thee1? And sua ze nobilis spe- Acta. 8. cialie, and zouris lait progenitours, blyndit be carnal affectioun of zouris babis, brether, or vtheris freindis, or be 30 auarice, hes destroyit the trew religioun and triumphand kingdome of Christe, safer as ze mycht: putand in the place of godly ministeris, and trew successouris of the Apostolis, dum doggis, quha for the maist part in extreme dainger of thair maisteris housse, the Kirk of 3 O.E. lippit.

1 O. E. thee.
4 O.E. the.

2 O. E. pastotores.
5 O.E. effectioun.