The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

Henry Balnaves, who was in the Castle of Roan, was most sharply assaulted of all; for because he was judged learned (as he was and is indeed) therefore learned men were appointed to travel with him; with whom he had many conflicts, but God so ever assisted him, that they departed confounded, and he by the power of Gods Spirit remained constant in the Truth, and professing of the same, without any wavering, or declining to Idolatry. In the prison he wrote a comfortable Treatise of Justification,¹ and of the works and conversation of a man justified; which is extant to this day. Those that were in the Galleys, were threatened with torments, if they would not give reverence to the Mass (for at certain times the Mass was said in the Galleys, or else hard by upon the shore, in presence of the Forsaris) but they could never make the poorest of that company to give reverence to that Idol: yea, when upon the Saturday at night they sung their Salve Regina, ²all the Scottish men put on their caps,³ their hoods, or such things as they had to cover their heads; & when that others were compelled to kiss a painted board (which they called nostre Dame) they were not pressed after once; for this was the ⟨p. 92⟩chance. Soon after their arrival at Nantes, their great salve was song, and a glorious painted Lady was brought in to be kissed, and amongst others was presented to one of the Scottish men then chained.⁴ He gently said, Trouble me not; such a jewel is accursed, and therefore I will not touch it. The Patron and the Arguiser, with two Officers, having the chief charge of all such matters, said, Thou shalt handle it: and so they violently thrust to his face,⁵ and put it betwixt his hands. Who seeing the extremity, took the Idol, and advisedly looking about him, he cast it into the River, and said, Let our Lady now save her self; she is light enough, let her learn to swim. After that was no Scottish man urged with that Idolatry. These are things that appear to be of no great importance; and yet if we do rightly consider, they express the same obedience that God requireth of his people Israel,