The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

This was no small Victory of CHRIST JESUS, fighting against the conjured enemies of his Verity; No small comfort to such as before were holden in such bondage, that they durst not have read, The Lords Prayer; The ten Commandments; nor, The Articles of their Faith in the Vulgar Tongue, but they should have been accused of Heresy. Then might have been seen the Bible lying almost upon every Gentleman's Table. The New Testament was borne about ⟨p. 38⟩in many mens hands. We grant that some (alas) profaned that blessed Word, for some that perchance had never read ten Sentences in it had it most common in their hand, they would chop their familiars on the cheek with it,¹ and say, This hath line under my beds feet these ten years. Others would glory, O how oft have I been in danger for this Book, how secretly have I stolen from my wife at midnight to read upon it. And this was done we say of many to make court, and curry favour thereby: For all men esteemed the Governor to have been one of the most fervent Protestants that was in Europe. Albeit we say that many abused that liberty, granted of God miraculously, yet thereby did the knowledge of God wondrously increase, and God gave his holy spirit to simple men in great abundance: Then were set forth works in our own Tongue, besides those that came from England, that did disclose the pride, the craft, the tyranny, and abuses of that Roman Antichrist. The fame of our Governor was spread in divers countries,² and many praised God for him. King Henry the eight sent unto him his Ambassador M. Radulph Saidlair, who lay in Edinburgh a great part of the Summer, his Commission and Negotiation was to contract a perpetual amity betwixt England and Scotland. The occasion whereof God had so offered, that to many men it appeared that from heaven he had declared his good pleasure in that behalf.³ For to King Henry, of Jane Seymour (after the death of Queen Katherine, and of all others that might have made his Marriage suspect) was given a son, Edward the sixth of blessed memory, elder some years then our Mistress; and unto us was left a Queen, as before we have heard.

This was no small Victorie of CHRIST JESUS, fighting against the conjured enemies of his Veritie; No small comfort to such as before were holden in such bondage, that they durst not have read, The Lords Prayer; The ten Commandments; nor, The Articles of their Faith in the Uulgar Tongue, but they should have been accused of Heresie. Then might have beene seene the Bible lying almost upon every Gentlemans Table. The New Testament was borne about