The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

As the servants of God uprightly travelled to have vice punished, and virtue planted; so did the devil ever stir up some in the contrary of both. There was a Law made against fornicators and adulterers, that the one and the other should be Carted through the Towns, and so banished, till that their repentance was offered and received. And albeit this was not the severity of Gods Law, especially against adulterers, yet was it a great bridle to the malefactors, whereat the wicked did wondrously storm. It chanced that one Sanderson a Fletcher or Butcher, was deprehended to have put away his lawful wife (under colour that he was lawfully parted after the manner of the Papistical Religion) and had taken to him another in his house. The complaint and slander proposed to the Church, and trial taken, That he was not married with the second woman, neither that he was able to prove that he was divorced by any order of the Law from the first, he was committed to the hands of the Magistrates, who according to the Laws commanded him to be Carted. But the rascal multitude inflamed by some ungodly Crafts-men, made insurrection, brake the Cart, boasted and threatened the Officers, and took away the malefactor. This was the beginning of farther evils, as we shall after hear. In this mean time, while Lord James (we say) was in France, there came an Ambassador from France, ¹suborned, no doubt, with all craft that might, to trouble the state of Religion. His Demands were, first, That the League betwixt us and England should be broken. Secondly, That the ancient League betwixt France and Scotland should be renewed. Thirdly, And that the Bishops and Church-men should be restored in their former places, and be suffered to intermit with their Livings. The Council delayed answer, until the Parliament appointed in May. In the mean time the Papists of Scotland practised with him. The Earls of Huntlie, Atholl, Bothwell, and others, intended to have taken Edinburgh before the said Parliament. The whole Bishops assembled, and held Council in Stirling. Some whispering there was, that the Duke, and the Bishop of Saint Andrews were too familiar; and some feared that the Authority of the Queen should have been usurped, by reason of her absence,² and that the Duke was the second Person, for thereat had some of his pressed immediately after the death of the King of France.

As the servants of God uprightly travelled to have vice punished, and vertue planted; so did the devill ever stirre up some in the contrary of both. There was a Law made against fornicators and adulterers, that the one and the other should be Carted thorow the Towns, and so banished, till that their repentance was offered and received. And albeit this was not the severity of Gods Law, especially against adulterers, yet was it a great bridle to the malefactors, whereat the wicked did wonderously storme. It chanced that one Sanderson a Fletcher or Boutcher, was deprehended to have put away his lawfull wife (under colour that he was lawfully parted after the manner of the Papisticall Religion) and had taken to him another in his house. The complaint and slander proposed to the Church, and triall taken, That he was not married with the second woman, neither that he was able to prove that he was divorced by any order of the Law from the first, he was committed to the hands of the Magistrates, who according to the Laws commanded him to be Carted. But the rascall multitude enflamed by some ungodly Crafts-men, made insurrection, brake the Cart, boasted and threatned the Officers, and took away the malefactor. This was the beginning of farther evils, as we shall after hear. In this mean time, while Lord Iames (we say) was in France, there came an Ambassadour from France,