The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

These our Demands being proposed, the State Ecclesiastical began to storm,¹ and to devise all manner of lies to deface the equity of our cause. They bragged as that they would have public Disputation, which also we most earnestly required,² two things being provided; First, That the plain and written Scriptures of God should decide all Controversies: Secondly, That our brethren, of whom some were then exiled, and by them unjustly condemned, might have free access to the said Disputation, and safe-conduct to return to their dwelling places, notwithstanding any Process which before had been laid against them in matters concerning Religion. But these being by them utterly denied (for no Judge would they admit, but themselves, their Counsels, and Canon Law) They and their faction began to draw certain Articles of reconciliation,³ promising unto us, If we would admit the Mass to stand in its former reverence and estimation; Grant Purgatory after this life; Confess prayer to Saints, and for the dead, and suffer them to enjoy their accustomed Rents, Possession, and Honour: That then they would grant us to pray, ⟨p. 130⟩and baptize in the Vulgar Tongue, so that it were done secretly, and not in the open assembly. But the grossness of these Articles was such, that with one voice we refused them, and constantly craved justice of the Queen Regent, and a reasonable answer of our former Petitions. The Queen then Regent, a woman crafty, dissimulate, and false-thinking, to make her profit of both parties,⁴ gave to us permission to use our selves godly, according to our desires provided, that we should not make public assemblies in Edinburgh nor Lieth, and did promise her assistance to our Preachers, until some uniform order might be established by a Parliament. To them (we mean the Clergy) she quietly gave signification of her mind, promising that how soon any opportunity should serve, she should so put order to these matters, that after they should not be troubled: for some say, they gave her a large purse 40000. l. Turn. or Scots, gathered by the Laird of Earleshale. We nothing suspecting her doubleness nor falsehood, departed fully contented with her answer, and did use our selves so quietly, that for her pleasure we put silence to John Douglas, who publicly would have preached in the Town of Lieth;