The Works of John Knox Volume II Part 17

The Answers of the Pepill, and thair consents receaved, thir Questiouns wer proponit unto him that was to be elected.

Questioun.--Seing that ye hear the thrist and desyre of this people, do ye not think yourself bound in conscience befoir G.o.d to support thame that so earnestly call for your comfort, and for the fruit of your labours?

Answer.--If anie thing wer in me abill to satisfie thair desyir, I acknowledge myself bound to obey G.o.d calling by thame.

Questioun.--Do ye seik to be promoted to this Office and charge, for ony respect of warldly commoditie, riches or glory?

Answer.--G.o.d knawes the contrarie.

Questioun.--Beleve ye not that the doctrine of the Propheits and Apostles, conteined in the buiks of the Auld and New Testaments, is the onely trew and most absolute foundatioun of the universall Kirk of Christ Jesus, insamekill that in the same Scriptures ar conteined all things necessary to be beleved for the salvatioun of Mankind?

Answer.--I verely beleve the same, and do abhorre and utterly refuis all Doctrine alleged necessary to Salvatioun, that is not expressedly conteined in the same.

Questioun.--Is not Christ Jesus Man of Man, according to the flesche, to wit, the Sone of David, the Seid of Abrahame, conceaved by the Holy Ghost, borne of the Virgin Marie his mother, the onely Head and Mediatour of his Kirk?

Answer.--He is, and without him thair is nouther salvatioun to man, nor lyfe to angell.

Questioun.--Is not the same Lord Jesus, [the] onely trew G.o.d, the Eternall Sone of the Eternall Father, in quhome all that sall be saved wer elected befoir the foundatioun of the world was layd?

Answer.--I confes and acknawlege him in the unitie of his G.o.dheid, to be G.o.d above all thingis, blessit for evir.

Questioun.--Sall not they quhome G.o.d in his eternall councell hes elect.i.t, be callit to the knawlege of his Sone, our Lord Jesus? And sall not they, quho of purpoise are elected in this lyfe, be justified? And is not justificatioun and free remissioun of sinnes obtained in this lyfe by free grace? Sall not this glorie of the sonnes of G.o.d follow in the generall resurrectioun, quhen the Sone of G.o.d sall appeir in his glorious majesty?

Answer.--I acknawlege this to be the doctrine of the Apostles, and the most singular comfort of G.o.d's childrein.

Questioun.--Will ye not contein yourself in all doctrine within the boundes of this foundatioun? Will ye not study to promote the same, alsweill by your lyfe as by your doctrine? Will ye not, according to the graces and utterance that G.o.d sall grant unto yow, profes, instructe, and mantene the purity of the doctrine, conteined in the sacred Word of G.o.d? And, to the uttermost of your power, will ye not ganestand and convince the gaynsayers and teichers of mennis inventiouns?

Answer.--That I do promeis in the presence of G.o.d, and of his congregatioun heir a.s.sembled.

Questioun.--Knaw ye not, that the excellency of this office, to the quhilk G.o.d hes called yow, requires that your conversatioun and behaviour be sick, as that ye may be irreprehensible; yea, even in the eyis of the unG.o.dly?

Answer.--I unfaynedly acknawlege, and humilly desyre the Kirk of G.o.d to pray with me, that my lyfe be not scandalous to the glorious Evangell of Jesus Christ.

Questioun.--Becaus ye are a man compa.s.sed with infirmities, will ye not charitably, and with lawlines of spirit, receave admonitioun of your Brethrein? And if ye sall happin to slyde, or offend in ony point, will ye not be subject to the Discipline of the Kirk, as the rest of your Brethrein?

The Answer of the Superintendent, or Minister to be elected.--I acknawlege myself to be a man subject to infirmity, and ane that hes neid of correctioun and admonitioun; and tharefoir I maist willingly submit and subject my self to the hailsume disciplin of the Kirk; yea, to the discipline of the same Kirk by the quhilk I ame now called to this office and chairge; and heir in G.o.d's presens and youris do promeis obedience to all admonitiones, secretly or publickly gevin; unto the quhilk, if I be found in.o.bedient, I confes myself most worthie to be ejected not onely from this honour, bot also frome the society of the Faythfull, in cais of my stubburnnes: For the vocatioun of G.o.d to bear charge within his Kirk, makethe not men tyrantes, nor lordis, but appoynteth thame Servandis, Watchemen, and Pastoris of the Flock.

This ended, Questioun man be asked agane of the Mult.i.tude.

Questioun.--Require ye ony farther of this your Superintendent?

If no man answer, let the Minister proceid. Will ye not acknawlege this your Brother, for the Minister of Christ Jesus? Will ye not reverence the word of G.o.d that proceids fra his mouthe? Will ye not receave of him the sermone of exhortatioun with patience, not refuising the hailsome medicine of your saules, althocht it be bitter and unpleising to the flesche? Will ye not finally, mantene and comforte him in his ministry, against all sick as wickedly wald rebell against G.o.d and his holy ordinance?

The Peple answereth.--We will, as we will answer to the Lord Jesus, quho hes commandit his Ministeris to be had in reverence, as his amba.s.sadours, and as men that cairfully watche for the salvatioun of our saullis.

Let the n.o.bility also be urged with this.--Ye have heard the dewty and professioun of this your Brother, by your consentis appoint.i.t to this charge; as also the dewty and obedience, quhilk G.o.d requireth of us towards him heir in his ministry: Bot becaus that neyther of bothe are abill to performe ony thing without the especiall grace of our G.o.d in Christ Jesus, quho hes promeised to be with us present, even to the consummatioun of the world; with unfayned hairtis, let us crave of him his benedictioun and a.s.sistance in this work begun to his glory, and for the comfort of his Kirk.

THE PRAYER.

O LORD, to quhome all power is gevin in heavin and in eirthe, thow that art the Eternall Sone of the Eternall Father, quho hes not onely so luifit thy Kirk, that for the redemptioun and purgatioun of the same, thow hes humilled thyself to the deyth of the Croce; and thareupoun hes sched thy most innocent bluid, to prepair to thyself a Spous without spott; bot also, to retein this thy most excellent benefite in memory, hes appointed in thy Kirk, Teichears, Pastores, and Apostles, to instruct, comfort, and admonische the same: Luk upoun us mercifully, O Lord, thow that onely art King, Teicher, and Hie Priest to thy awin flock; and send unto this our Brother, quhome in thy name we have chairged with the cheif cair of thy Kirk, within the boundis of Louthiane, sick portioun of thy Holy Spreit, as thareby he may rychtly devyde thy word to the instructioun of thy flocke, and to the confutatioun of pernitious erroures, and d.a.m.nable superst.i.tiones.

Give unto him, gude Lord, a mouthe and wisdome, quhareby the enemies of thy truthe may be confounded, the wolfis expellit, and driven from thy fauld, thy scheip may be fed in the wholsum pastures of thy most holy word, the blind and ignorant may be illuminated with thy trew knawlege: Finally, That the dregis of superst.i.tioun and idolatry quhilk yit restis within this Realme, being purged and removed, we may all not only have occasioun to glorifie thee our onely Lord and Saviour, but also dayly to grow in G.o.dlines and obedience of thy most holy will, to the destructioun of the body of synne, and to the rest.i.tutioun of that image to the quhilk we wer anes created, and to the quhilk, efter our fall and defectioun, we ar renewed by partic.i.p.atioun of thy Holy Spirit, quhilk by trew fayth in thee, we do profes as the blissit of thy Father, of quhome the perpetuall incres of thy graces we crave, as by thee our Lord and King, and onely Bischope, we are taucht to pray, saying, "Our Father that art in hevin, &c."

The prayer ended, the rest of the Ministers, if ony be, and Elders of that Kirk present, in signe of thair consents, sall tak the elected by the hand, and then the cheif Minister sall gif the benedictioun, as follows:--

G.o.d, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, quho hes comanded his Evangell to be preiched, to the comfort of his Elect, and hes called thee to the office of a Watchman over his peple, multiply his graces with thee, illuminat thee with his Holy Spirit, comfort and strenthen thee in all vertewe, governe and guyde thy ministry, to the prayse of his holy Name, to the propagatioun of Christis kingdome, to the comforte of his Kirk, and finally, to the plain dischairge and a.s.surance of thy awin conscience in the day of the Lord Jesus; to quhome, with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, be all honour, prayse, and glory, now and ever. So be it.

THE LAST EXHORTATIOUN TO THE ELECTED.

Take heid to thy self, and unto the Flock comitted to thy chairge; feid the same cairfully, not as it wer of compulsioun, bot of very love, quhilk thow bearest to the Lord Jesus. Walk in simplicity and purenes of lyfe, as it bec.u.methe the trew servand and amba.s.sadour of the Lord Jesus. Usurpe not dominioun nor tyrranicall impyre over thy brethrein. Be not discouraged in adversity, bot lay befoir thyself the example of Propheits, Apostles, and of the Lord Jesus, quho in thair ministry susteaned contradictioun, contempt, persecutioun and deyth.

Feir not to rebuik the warld of sinne, justice, and jugement. If ony thing succeid prosperously in thy vocatioun, be not puft upe with pryde; nether yit flatter thy self as that the gude succes proceided from thy vertew, industry, or cair: Bot let ever that sentence of the Apostle remane in thy hairt; "Quhat hes thou, quhilk thou hes not receavit? If thou hes receivit, quhy gloriest thou?" Comfort the afflicted, support the puir, and exhort utheris to support thame. Be not solist for things of this lyfe, bot be fervent in prayer to G.o.d for incress of his Holy Spirit. And finally, behave thyself in this holy vocatioun, with sick sobriety, as G.o.d may be glorified in thy ministry: And so sall thow schortly obtein the victory, and shall receave the crown promeised, quhen the Lord Jesus sall appeir in his glory, quhois Omnipotent Spirit a.s.sist thee and us unto the end. AMEN.

Then sing the 23d Psalme.

THE ORDOUR OF THE ELECTIOUN OF ELDERIS AND DEACONIS IN THE PRIVIE KIRK OF EDINBURGH, IN THE BEGYNNING, QUHEN AS YET THAIR WAS NO PUBLICT FACE OF A KIRK, NOR OPEN a.s.sEMBLIES, BOT SECREIT AND PRIVIE CONVENTIOUNIS IN HOUSES, OR IN THE FEILDS.[313]

[313] As stated at page 143, the following Order of the Election of Elders and Deacons is not contained in the MS. 1566, or in Vautrollier's edition; but, has been supplied from MS. G.

BEFOIR that thare wes ony publict face of a trew Religioun within this Realme, it pleised G.o.d of his grit mercie, to illuminat the hairts of mony privat persones, so that they did perceave and understand the abusses that wer in the Papisticall Kirk, and thareupoun withdrew thameselfis from partic.i.p.atioun of thare idolatrie. And becaus the Spirit of G.o.d will never suffer his awne to be idle and voyde of all religioun, men began to exercise thameselfis in reading of the Scriptures secreitly within thair awne houses; and varietie of persones culd not be keipt in gud obedience and honest fame, without Oversiers, Elders, and Deacones: And so begane that small flocke to put thameselfis in sick ordour, as if Christ Jesus had planely triumphed in the middes of thame by the power of his Evangell. And thay did elect sum to occupie the supreame place of exhortatioun and reading, som to be Elderis and helperis unto thame, for the oversight of the flocke: And some to be Deacones for the collectioun of almes to be distributed to the poore of thair awne bodie. Of this small begyning is that Ordour, quhilk now G.o.d of his grit mercie hes gevin unto us publictlie within this Realme. Of the princ.i.p.alls of thame that wer knowne to be men of gude conversatioun and honest fame in the privy Kirk, wer chosen Elders and Deacones to reull with the Minister in the publike Kirk; quhilk burdene thay patiently susteaned a yeir and mair: And then, becaus they could not (without neglecting of thair awen private houses) langer wait upoun the publict charge, they desyred that they micht be releaved, and that uthers micht be burdeined in thair roume: Quhilk was thocht a pet.i.tioun ressonabill of the haill Kirk. And tharefore it was granted unto thame, that thay sould nominat and gif up in electioun sick personages as thay in thair consciences thocht maist apte and abill to serve in that charge; provyding that they sould nominate double moe personis then war sufficient to serve in that charge, to the end that the haill Congregatioun micht have thair free vote in thair Electioun.

And this Ordour hes bene ever observed sen that tyme in the Kirk of Edinburgh; that is, that the auld Sessioun befor thair departure, nominat twenty-four in Electioun for Elders, of quhom twelve ar to be chosen, and thirty-two for Deacounes, of quhome sixteen ar to be elected; quhilk persones ar publictly proclaimed in the audience of the haill Kirk, upoun a Sonday befoir none, efter sermone; with admonitioun to the Kirk, that if ony man knaw ony notorious cryme or caus that micht unabill ony of these persones to enter in sick vocatioun, that they sould notifie the same unto the Sessioun the next Thursday: Or if ony knaw any persones mair abill for that charge, they sould notifie the same unto the Sessioun, to the end that na man eyther present or absent (being ane of the Kirk) suld complayne that he was spoyled of his liberty in electioun.

The Sonday following befoir none, in the end of the Sermone, the hole Communicants ar commandit to be present efternone, to gif thair votes, as they will answer befoir G.o.d, to sick as they esteme most abill to beir the charge of the Kirk with the ministers. The votes of all being receaved, the scroles of all ar delyvered to any of the ministers, quho keips the same secreit fra the sicht of all men till the next Thursday; and then in the Sessioun he produces thame, that the voites may be counted, quhare the moniest voites, without respect of persones, have the first place in the Elders.h.i.+p, and so proceiding till the number of twelve be compleit; so that if a puir man exceid the riche man in votes, he preceids him in place; and it is called the first, secound, and thrid Elder, even as the votes answereth. And this same is observed in the electioun of Deaconis.

The Fryday efter the jugement is tane quhat persones ar elected for Elders and Deacones to serve for that yeir; the minister efter his sermone, reids the same names publictly, and gives commandment openly, that sick persones be present the next Sonday at sermone befoir none, in the place to be appointed for thame, to accept of that charge that G.o.d by plurality of votes had layd upoun thame. Quho being conveined, the Minister efter sermone reids the names publictly, the absents (if ony be) ar noted, and these quho ar present ar admonisched to consider the dignity of that vocatioun, quhareunto G.o.d hes called thame; the dewty that they aucht to the pepill; the danger that lyes upoun thame, if they be found negligent in thair vocatioun: And finally, the dewty of the people towards the persons elected. Quhilk being done, this Prayer is red:--

THE PRAYER IN THE ELECTIOUN OF THE ELDERIS.

O Eternall and everlasting G.o.d, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, quho, of thy infinite gudeness and mercy, hes chosin to thy self a Kirk of the lost seid of Adame, quhilk thow hes ever reulled by the inspiratioun of thy Holie Spirit; and yet not the less, hes always usit the ministry of men, alswell in preiching of thy word, and administratioun of thy sacraments, as in gyding of thy flock, and provyding for the puir within the same, as in the Law, Propheits, and in thy glorious Evangell we have witnesses: Quhilk ordour, O Lord, thow of thy mercie hes now restoired unto us agane efter that the publict face of the Kirk hes bene deformed by the tyrany of that Romane Antichrist. Grant unto us, O hevinly Father, hairts thankfull for the benefites quhilks we have receaved, and give unto these our brethrein, elected unto thir charges within thy Kirk, sick abundance of thy Holie Spirit, that they may be found vigilant and faythfull in that vocatioun, quharunto thow of thy mercy hes callit thame. And albeit, O Lord, these small begynings ar contemned of the proude world, yet, O Lord, do thow for thy awne mercies sake, bless the same in sick sorte that thy G.o.dlie name may be glorified, superst.i.tioun and idolatry may be ruited out, and vertue may be planted, not onely in this generatioun, bot also in the posterity to c.u.m. AMEN. Grant us this, mercifull Father, for Christ Jesus thy Sones saik, in quhose name we call unto thee, as he hes taucht us, saying, _Our Father_, &c.

And so efter the rehersall of the beleif, efter the quhilk sall be sung this portioun of the 103 Psalme, ver. 19. _The hevins hie ar maid the seat_,[314] and so forth to the end of that Psalme. Efter the quhilk sall this schort Admonitioun be given to the elected:--

[314] That is, according to the old version of the Psalms, by Sternhold and others, which continued in public use in Scotland until the year 1650. The earliest edition is that printed at Edinburgh by Robert Lekprevik, 1565, along with the Common Prayers and Calvin's Catechism: See notices and extracts in the Appendix to Baillie's Letters and Journals.

Magnifie G.o.d, quho hes of his mercy callit yow to ruill within his Kirk: Be thankfull in your vocatioun: Schaw yourselfis zealous to promote verity: Feir not the faces of the wicked, bot rebuik thair wickitnes: Be mercifull to the puir, and support thame to the uttermost of your power; and so sall ye receave the benedictioun of G.o.d, present and everlasting. G.o.d save the Kingis Majestie, and gif unto him the Spirit of sanctificatioun in his young age: Blesse his Regent, and sick as a.s.sist him in upricht counsaill, and eyther fruitfully convert, or suddanely confound the enemies of trew religioun, and of this afflicted Comoun-welthe. AMEN.

As the servandis of G.o.d uprychtlie travellit to haif vice punissit and verteu plant.i.t, so did the Devill ever steir up some in the contrair of baith. Thair was a law maid aganis fornicatouris and adulteraris,[315] that the ane and the uther suld be cart.i.t throcht the townis, and so banissit, till that thair repentance wes offerit and receavit. And albeit this wes nott the severitie of G.o.ddis law, especiallie aganis adulteraris, yet wes it a greit brydill to malefactouris; quhairat the wickit did wonderouslie storme. It chancit that ane Sandersoun, a fleschour, wes deprehendit to haif put away his lauchfull wyffe, (under cullour that he was lauchfullie part.i.t efter the maner of the Papisticall religioun,) and haid takin to him ane uther in [his] housse. The complaynt and sclander proponit to the Kirk, and tryall takin that he wes nott maryit with the secund woman, nather that he wes able to prove that he wes devorcit by any ordour of law from the first, he wes committ.i.t in the handis of the Magistratis, quha, according to the lawis, commandit him to be cart.i.t. Bot the raschall mult.i.tude, enflambit be some unG.o.dlie craftismen, maid insurrectioun, brake the carte, boist.i.t the officiaris, and tuke away the malefactour. This wes the begyning of farther evillis, as we will efter heir.

[315] There were several Acts against immorality pa.s.sed about this time, in Parliament, and in the Civil as well as Ecclesiastical Courts. One of these Acts of the Town Council of Edinburgh, when about to be enforced against a delinquent in the person of John Sanderson, Deacon of the Fleshers, led to the tumult to which Knox refers. On the 22d November 1560, "The quhilk day the Baillies and Counsale being convenit in the Over Counsale House of the Tolbuith of this bur^t.

Comperit William Harlay, dekin of the Hammarmen, and certane uthir craftismen, and desyrit the decreit and sentence gevin aganis Jhone Sandersone, dekin of the Fleschouris, decernying him to be cart.i.t throuch the town, and thairafter banischit the samyn, for his manifest adulterie committ.i.t with Margaret Lyell, to be continewit quhill the morne: Quhilk the Provost, Baillies, and Counsale foresaid grant.i.t, and thairupoun the said William askis instruments."

On the following day the Council having adhered to their resolution that the sentence against Sanderson should be carried into effect; this was so much resented by the craftsmen of the town as a dishonour, that they a.s.sembled in a tumultuous manner, broke up the prison, and set him at liberty. The Magistrates having immediately complained to the Lords of the Secret Council, several persons connected with this tumult, were apprehended and imprisoned in the Castle of Edinburgh.