The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

Now this great Plot of the Gun-powder being come to nothing, they, as it were, go back for a time, to come forward in due season with another; and leaving for a while the open and devouring ravishing of the Wolf, they have recourse again to the cunning of the Fox.

The next care then, after the calming in some measure the spirits of men, after so horrid a Treason, is to look about, and to study by whom: he affairs of these Dominions were managed: And finding, by serious inspection, That all affairs received great influence from the Court, after mature deliberation, they resolved to make friends there; which they did, by subtle insinuations, fair words, high promises, and some real performances of good Offices; yea, when money was absolutely necessary, it was not spared. Thus, by degrees, having gotten friends at Court, in it they make a party next, for whose subsistence and increase, they employ all that they can. Now having power and credit at Court, more and clearly perceiving it to be the fountain from whence all preferment to Honour and benefit in Church and State did flow, they judged it fit for their purpose to make sure of some prime men both in Church and State, according to their mind▪ which was done as they desired. Thus having gained men chief in State and Church for their use, then they went to the corrupting of the Universities, being the Seminaries of all Liberal Education. This likewise they did effectuate; first, by the Over-seers connivance to looseness of life in young people; next, by the bad example of the Seniors ⟨image 5⟩the Juniors were invited to do mischief. Then the Teachers, by their bad instruction, did corrupt, namely, in Theology, all sound Doctrine. And for this purpose, the earnest study of the Old Testament in the Original Hebrew was cried down, as beseeming rather men of the Synagogue, then those of the Christian Schools. Likewise the Greek of the New Testament must not be read with diligence, for fear of spoiling the elegance of the Greek Language, which is to be found in profane Authors. So they withdrew the Students from the study of Scriptures in the Original, and recommended to them the reading of humane Writings, particularly in Theology, the Books of the Ancients, which are commonly called Fathers. Likewise was recommended unto young men the study of the Sophistry of the Monks, as of Thomas and Scotus namely, with their Expositors.