The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

the day of your Preachers shall be discharged, and me will hear the controversy that is betwixt the Bishops and you; they shall do you no wrong. My Lords (said she to the Bishops) I forbid you either to trouble them or their Preachers. ¹And unto the Gentlemen, who were wondrously commoved, she turned again and said, O my hearts, should ye not love the Lord your God with all-your heart, with all your mind? And should ye not love your neighbours as your self? With these and the like words she kept the Bishops from buffets at that time. And so the day of Summons being discharged, began the brethren universally farther to be encouraged. But yet ⟨p. 104⟩could the Bishops in no sort be quiet; for Saint Giles day approaching, they gave charge to the Provost-Bailies, and council of Edinburgh, either to get again the old Saint Guile, or else upon their expenses to make a new Image.² The Council answered, That to them the charge appeareth very unjust; for they understood that God in some places had commanded Idols and Images to be destroyed: ³But where he had commanded Images to be set up, they had not read; and desired the Bishop to find a warrant for his commandment. Whereat the Bishop offended,⁴ admonished, under pain of cursing, which they prevented by a former appellation, appealing from him, as a partial and corrupt Judge, unto the Popes Holiness; and so great things shortly following that, passed in oblivion. Yet would not the Priests and Friars cease to have that great solemnity, and manifest abomination, which they accustomedly had upon Saint Giles day; to wit, They would have that Idol borne, and therefore was all preparations duly made. A Marmouset Idol was borrowed from the grey Friars (a silver piece of James Carmichell was laid in pledge) it was fast fixed with Iron nails, upon a barrow called there Fertor. ⁵Their Asses, bloody Priests, Friars, Canons, and rotten Papists, with Tabors and Trumpeters, Banners and Bag-pipes: And who was there to lead the reign, but the Queen Regent her self, with all her shavelings, for honour of that Feast. Well, about goeth it, and cometh down the high street, and down to the common Cross. The Queen Regent dined that day in Alexander Carpenter his house, betwixt the Bows: And so when the Idol returned back again, she left it, and past in to her dinner. The hearts of the brethren were wondrously inflamed;