The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

Another Article was judged more hard; for he alleged the common Law, That the Civill Magistrate might correct the Church-men, and deprive them of their Benefices for open vices. Another day the same Friar made another Sermon of the Abbot of Unreason, unto whom, and whose Laws; he compareth Prelates of that age; for they were subject to no Laws, no more than was the Abbot of Unreason. And among other things, he told such a merry jest: There was, said he, a Prelate, or at least a Prelates Peer, a true servant to the King of Love, who upon a night after ⟨p. 16⟩Supper, asked of his Gentlemen, by the faith that they ought to the king of Love, that they truly declare how many sundry women every one of them had, and how many of them were mens wives. One answered, He had lien with five, and two of them were married. The other answered, I have had seven, and three of them are married. It came last to my Lord Abbot himself, who making it very nice for a little space, gave in the end a plain confession, and said, I am the youngest man, and yet have I had the round dozen, and seven of them are mens wives. Now said the Friar, This god and king of Love, to whom our Prelates do homage, is the master devil of hell, from whom such fruits and works do proceed. This Friar was known by his proper tokens to have been Prior Patrick Hepburn, now Bishop of Murray, who to this day hath continued in the profession that he hath made to his god and king of love.

Another Article was judged more hard; for he alleadged the common Law, That the Civill Magistrate might correct the Church-men, and deprive them of their Benefices for open vices. Another day the same Frier made another Sermon of the Abbot of Unreason, unto whom, and whose Laws; he compareth Prelats of that age; for they were subject to no Laws, no more than was the Abbot of Unreason. And among other things, he told such a merry jest: There was, said he, a Prelate, or at least a Prelats Peere, a true servant to the King of Love, who upon a night after ⟨p. 16⟩Supper, asked of his Gentlemen, by the faith that they ought to the king of Love, that they truely declare how many sundry women every one of them had, and how many of them were mens wives. One answered, He had lien with five, and two of them were married. The other answered, I have had seven, and three of them are married. It came last to my Lord Abbot himself, who making it very nice for a little space, gave in the end a plain confession, and said, I am the youngest man, and yet have I had the round dozen, and seven of them are mens wives. Now said the Frier, This god and king of Love, to whom our Prelates do homage, is the master devill of hell, from whom such fruits and works do proceed. This Frier was known by his proper tokens to have been Prior Patrike Hepburne, now Bishop of Murray, who to this day hath continued in the profession that he hath made to his god and king of love.