The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

John Rough to Kill (a receptacle of Gods servants of old.) The men of counsel, judgement, and godliness that had travailed to promote the Governor, and that gave him faithful counsel in all doubtful matters, were either craftily conveyed from him; or else by threatening to be hanged were compelled to leave him. Of the one number was the Laird of Grange aforesaid, M. Henry ⟨p. 40⟩Balneves, M. Thomas Ballenden, and Sir David Lindsay of the Mount: Men by whose labours he was promoted to honour, and by whose counsel he so used himself at the beginning, that the obedience given to him was nothing inferior to that obedience that any King of Scotland of many years had before him, yea, in this it did surmount the common obedience, in that it proceeded from love of those virtues that was supposed to have been in him. Of the number of these that were threatened, were M. Michael Durham, M. David Borthinke, David Forrest, and David Bothwell: who counselled him to have in company with him, men fearing God, and not to nourish wicked men in their iniquity, albeit they were called his friends, and were of his surname: This counsel understood by the aforesaid Abbot,¹ and by the Hamiltons (who then repaired to the Court, as Ravens to the Carrion) in plain words it was said, My Lord Governor nor his friends will never be at quietness, till a dozen of these knaves that abuse his Grace be hanged. These words were spoken in his own presence, and in the presence of some of them that had better deserved, then to have been so used: the speaker was allowed for his plain and bold speaking. And so the wicked counsel followed, honest and godly men left the Court and him, in the hands of such as by their wicked counsel led him so far from God, that he falsified his promise, dipped his hands in the blood of the Saints of God, and brought this Commonwealth to the very point of utter ruin.² And these were the first fruits of the Abbot of Paisley his counterfeit Godliness and Learning: But hereof we will hear more. All honest and godly men banished from the Court, the Abbot and his counsel beginneth to lay before the inconstant Governor, the dangers that might ensue the alteration and change of Religion.

Iohn Rough to Kylle (a receptacle of Gods servants of old.) The men of counsell, judgement, and godlinesse that had travailed to promote the Governour, and that gave him faithfull counsell in all doubtfull matters, were either craftily conveyed from him; or else by threatning to be hanged were compelled to leave him. Of the one number was the Laird of Grange aforesaid, M. Henry