: A. D. 1540 to 1558. cardinal of the holy church of Rome, archbishop of St. Andrew's, primate of Scottish the whole kingdom of Scotland, and born legate of the apostolic see, sitting History. after the manner of judges in our tribunal seat, the most holy gospels of God being laid before us, that our judgment might proceed from the face of God, and our eyes might behold and look upon equity and justice; having only God, and the verity and truth of the catholic faith before our eyes; his holy name being first called upon; having, as is before said, hereupon holden a council of wise men, as well divines as lawyers, we pronounce, declare, decree, determine, and give sentence, that the said sir John Borthwike, called captain Borthwike, being suspected, infamed, and accused of the errors and heresies before said, and wicked doctrines manifoldly condemned as is aforesaid, and, by lawful proofs against him in every of the premises had, being convict and lawfully cited and called, not appearing, but as a fugitive, runaway, and absent, even as though he were present, to be a heretic, and is, and hath been convict as a heretic; and as a convict heretic and heresiarch to be punished and chastened with due punishment, and afterwards to be delivered and left unto the secular power. Moreover, we confiscate and make forfeit, and by these presents declare and decree to be confiscated and made forfeit, all and singular his goods, movables and unmovables, howsoever and by whatsoever title they be gotten, and in what place or part soever they be, and all his offices, whatsoever he hath hitherto had reserving, notwithstanding, the dowry, and such part and portion of his goods, as by the law, custom, and right of this realm, unto persons confiscate ought to appertain. Also we decree, that the picture of the said John The picBorthwike, being formed, made, and painted to his likeness, be carried through Borththis our city to our cathedral church, and afterwards to the market-cross of the wike same city, and there, in token of malediction and curse, and to the terror and cursed example of others, and for a perpetual remembrance of his obstinacy and con- demned. demnation, to be burned. Likewise we declare and decree, that notwithstanding, if the said John Borthwike be hereafter apprehended and taken, he shall suffer such punishment as is due by order of law unto heretics, without any hope of grace or mercy to be obtained in that behalf. Also we plainly admonish and warn, by the tenor of these presents, all and singular faithful Christians, both men and women, of what dignity, state, degree, order, condition, or pre-eminence soever they be, or with whatsoever dignity or honour ecclesiastical or temporal they be honoured withal, that from this day forward they do not receive or harbour the said sir John Borthwike, commonly called captain Borthwike, being accused, convict, and declared a heretic and arch-heretic, into their houses, hospitals, castles, cities, towns, villages, or other cottages, whatsoever they be; or by any manner of means admit him thereunto, either by helping him with meat, drink, or victuals, or any other thing, whatsoever it be; they show unto him any manner of humanity, help, comfort, or solace, under the pain and penalty of greater and further excommunication, confiscation, and forfeitures and if it happen that they be found culpable or faulty in the premises, that they shall be accused there-for as the favourers, receivers, defenders, maintainers, and abettors of heretics, and shall be punished there-for, according to the order of law, and with such pain and punishment as shall be due unto men in such behalf. : And now, to prosecute such others as followed, beginning first in order with Thomas Forret and his fellows: their story is this. The Story of Thomas Forret, Priest, and his Fellows. Thomas Forret, Priest; Friar John Kelow, Friar Beverage, Duncan Their Persecutors: David Beaton, Bishop and Cardinal of Saint Not long after the burning of David Stratton and Master Gurlay above-mentioned, in the days of David Beaton, bishop, and cardinal ture of and con 1540 to 1558. Thomas Forret, priest. Scottish of St. Andrews, and George Creighton, bishop of Dunkeld, a canon History of St. Colm's Inche, and vicar of Dolor, called dean Thomas Forret, A. D. preached every Sunday to his parishioners out of the Epistle or Gospel as it fell for the time; which then was a great novelty in Scotland, to see any man preach, except a black friar or a grey friar: and therefore the friars envied him, and accused him to the bishop of Dunkeld (in whose diocese he remained), as a heretic, and one that showed the mysteries of the Scriptures to the vulgar people in English, to make the clergy detestable in the sight of the people. The bishop of Dunkeld, moved by the friars' instigation, called the bishop of said dean Thomas, and said to him, "My joy dean Thomas, I love you well, and therefore I must give you my counsel, how you shall rule and guide yourself." To whom Thomas said, To whom Thomas said, "I thank your lordship heartily." Then the bishop began his counsel after this George Creighton Dunkeld, a persecutor. in Scot land. manner: Bishop: :- My joy dean Thomas! I am informed that you preach the epistle or gospel every Sunday to your parishioners, and that you take not the cow, nor the uppermost cloth from your parishioners, which thing is very prejudicial to the churchmen; and therefore, my joy dean Thomas, I would you took your cow, and your uppermost cloth, as other churchmen do; or else it is too much to preach every Sunday: for in so doing you may make the people think that we should preach likewise. But it is enough for you, when you find any good epistle, or any good gospel, that setteth forth the liberty of the holy church, to preach that, and let the rest be.' The Martyr:-Thomas answered, 'My lord, I think that none of my parishioners will complain that I take not the cow, nor the uppermost cloth, but will gladly give me the same, together with any other thing that they have; and I will give and communicate with them any thing that I have; and so, my lord, we agree right well, and there is no discord among us. And whereas your lordship saith, It is too much to preach every Sunday, indeed I think it is too little, and also would wish that your lordship did the like.' Bishop: Nay, nay, dean Thomas,' saith my lord, let that be, for we are not ordained to preach.'3 Martyr:-Then said Thomas, 'Whereas your lordship biddeth me preach when I find any good epistle, or a good gospel, truly, my lord, I have read the New Testament and the Old, and all the epistles and the gospels, and among them all I could never find an evil epistle, or an evil gospel: but, if your lordship will show me the good epistle and the good gospel, and the evil epistle and the evil gospel, then I shall preach the good, and omit the evil.' Bishop:-Then spake my lord stoutly and said, 'I thank God that I never A proverb knew what the Old and New Testament was; [and of these words rose a proverb which is common in Scotland, Ye are like the bishop of Dunkeldene, that knew neither new nor old law:] therefore, dean Thomas, I will know nothing but my portuese and my pontifical. Go your way, and let be all these fantasies; for if you persevere in these erroneous opinions, ye will repent it, when you may not mend it.' Martyr:-' I trust my cause be just in the presence of God, and therefore I pass not much what do follow thereupon.' And so my lord and he departed at that time. And soon after a summons was directed from the cardinal of St. Andrews and the said bishop of Dunkeld, upon the said dean Thomas Forret, upon two black friars, one called friar John Kelow, and another called Beverage, and (1) Insh-Colme or Insh-Mahomo. - ED. (2) Forret preacheth, and will take no mortuary nor chrism of his parishioners: ergo, he is a heretic against the pope's catholic church. (3) It is too much in the pope's church, to preach every Sunday. The bishop of Dunkeld was not ordained to preach! History. to 1558. upon one priest of Stirling, called Duncan Sympson, and one gentleman Scottish called Robert Foster in Stirling, with other three or four with them, of the town of Stirling; who, at the day of their appearance after their A. D. summoning, were condemned to the death without any place for re- 1543 cantation, because (as was alleged) they were heresiarchs, or chief heretics and teachers of heresies; and, especially, because many of them were at the bridal and marriage of a priest, who was vicar of Tulibothy beside Stirling, and did eat flesh in Lent at the said bridal. And so they were all together burned upon the castle hill at Edinburgh, where they that were first bound to the stake, godly and marvellously did comfort them that came behind. 1 The Manner of Persecution used by the Cardinal of Scotland against Robert Lamb, William Anderson, James Hunter, James Raveleson, Persecutor: David Beaton, Bishop and Cardinal of St. Andrews.2 First, there was a certain act of parliament made in the government of the lord Hamilton, earl of Arran, and governor of Scotland, giving privilege to all men of the realm of Scotland, to read the Scriptures in their mother tongue and language; secluding nevertheless all reasoning, conference, convocation of people to hear the Scriptures read or expounded. Which liberty of private reading Proclabeing granted by public proclamation, lacked not its own fruit, so mation that in sundry parts of Scotland thereby were opened the eyes of the ting the elect of God to see the truth, and abhor the papistical abominations; reading amongst whom were certain persons in St. John's-town, as after is de- Scripture. clared. permit private of the mous doc Lamb, martyr. At this time there was a sermon made by friar Spence, in St. BlaspheJohn's-town, otherwise called Perth, affirming prayer made to saints to trine of a be so necessary, that without it there could be no hope of salvation papist. to man. This blasphemous doctrine a burgess of the said town, called Robert Lamb, could not abide, but accused him, in open Robert audience, of erroneous doctrine, and adjured him, in God's name, to utter the truth. This the friar, being stricken with fear, promised to do; but the trouble, tumult, and stir of the people increased so, that the friar could have no audience, and yet the said Robert, with great Lamb danger of his life, escaped the hands of the multitude, namely, of the dar women, who, contrary to nature, addressed them to extreme cruelty against him. in great danger. set in At this time, A. D. 1543, the enemies of the truth procured John A papist Charterhouse, who favoured the truth, and was provost of the said office. city and town of Perth, to be deposed from his office by the said governor's authority, and a papist, called Master Alexander Marbeck, to be chosen in his room, that they might bring the more easily their wicked and ungodly enterprise to an end. (1) The last day of February, 1538-9, according to Keith, upon whose authority, in his history of the Church of Scotland, several of the proper names in this and the following narration have been corrected.-ED. (2) In Burnet's History of the Reformation, London, 1820, vol. ii. part 2, page 371, is the bull of pope Paul, constituting cardinal Beaton, archbishop of St. Andrews, legate a latere' in the kingdom of Scotland.-ED. Scottish to 1558. After the deposing of the former provost, and election of the other, in the month of January the year aforesaid, on St. Paul's day, came to A. D. St. John's-town, the governor, the cardinal, the earl of Argyle, justice sir John Campbell of Lundie, knight, and justice Defort, the lord Borthwike, the bishops of Dunblane and Orkney, with certain other of the nobility. And although there were many accused for the crime of heresy (as they term it), yet these persons only were apprehended upon the said St. Paul's day: Robert Lamb, William Anderson, James Hunter, James Raveleson, James Finlason, and Hellen Stirke his wife, and were cast that night in the Spay Tower of the said city, the morrow after to abide judgment. Divers cast into prison. Hanging Upon the morrow, when they appeared and were brought forth to judgment in the town, were laid in general to all their charge, the violating of the act of parliament before expressed, and their conference and assemblies in hearing and expounding of Scripture against the tenor of the said act. Robert Lamb was accused, in special, for interrupting of the friar in the pulpit; which he not only confessed, but also affirmed constantly, that it was the duty of no man, who understood and knew the truth, to hear the same impugned without contradiction; and therefore sundry who were there present in judgment, who hid the knowledge of the truth, should bear the burden in God's presence, for consenting to the same. The said Robert also, with William Anderson and James Ravelecis in a son, were accused for hanging up the image of St. Francis in a cord, nailing of rams' horns to his head, and a cow's rump to his tail, and for eating of a goose on Allhallow-even. cord. Hunter, suspect James Hunter, being a simple man and without learning, and a for using flesher by occupation, so that he could be charged with no great company knowledge in doctrine, yet, because he often used that suspected company of the rest, he was accused. Hellen for calling sus and not our Lady in childbed. The woman Hellen Stirke was accused, for that in her childbed she was not accustomed to call upon the name of the Virgin Mary, being upon Je exhorted thereto by her neighbours, but only upon God for Jesus Christ's sake; and because she said, in like manner, that if she herself had been in the time of the Virgin Mary, God might have looked to her humility and base estate, as he did to the Virgin's, in making her the mother of Christ: thereby meaning, that there were no merits in the Virgin, which procured her that honour, to be made the mother of Christ, and to be preferred before other women, but that only God's free mercy exalted her to that estate which words were counted most execrable in the face of the clergy, and of the whole multitude. Ravele son's for setting up James Raveleson aforesaid, building a house, set upon the round of his fourth stair, the three-crowned diadem of Peter carved out of a triple tree, which the cardinal took as done in mockage of his cardinal's hat; St. Peter. and this procured no favour to the said James, at their hands. These aforenamed persons, upon the morrow after St. Paul's day, were condemned and judged to death, and that by an assize, for violating (as was alleged) the act of parliament, in reasoning and conferring upon Scripture, for eating flesh upon days forbidden, for interrupting the holy friar in the pulpit, for dishonouring of images, and for blaspheming of the Virgin Mary, as they alleged. After sentence given, their hands were bound, and the men cruelly Scottish treated which thing the woman beholding, desired likewise to be History. bound by the sergeants with her husband for Christ's sake. There was great intercession made by the town in the mean season for the life of these persons aforenamed, to the governor, who of himself was willing so to have done, that they might have been delivered: but the governor was so subject to the appetite of the cruel priests, that he could not do that which he would. Yea, they menaced to assist his enemies and to depose him, except he assisted their cruelty. There were certain priests in the city, who did cat and drink before in these honest men's houses, to whom the priests were much bounden. These priests were earnestly desired to entreat for their hostess at the cardinal's hands: but they altogether refused, desiring rather their death, than preservation. So cruel are these beasts, from the lowest to the highest. A. D. 1543 · to 1558. tyrdom of Then after, they were carried by a great band of armed men (for The marthey feared rebellion in the town except they had their men of war) these to the place of execution, which was common to all thieves, and that good peoto make their cause appear more odious to the people. Robert Lamb, at the gallows' foot, made his exhortation to the people, desiring them to fear God, and leave the leaven of papistical abominations, and manifestly there prophesied of the ruin and plague which came upon the cardinal thereafter. So every one comforting another, and assuring themselves that they should sup together in the kingdom of heaven that night, they commended themselves to God, and died constantly in the Lord. The woman desired earnestly to die with her husband, but she was not suffered; yet, following him to the place of execution, she gave him comfort, exhorting him to perseverance and patience for Christ's sake, and, parting from him with a kiss, said on this manner, "Husband, rejoice, for we have lived together many joyful days; but this day, in which we must die, ought to be most joyful unto us both, because we must have joy for ever; therefore I will not bid you good night, for we shall suddenly meet with joy in the kingdom of heaven." The woman, after that, was taken to a place to be drowned, and albeit she had a child sucking on her breast, yet this moved nothing the unmerciful hearts of the enemies. So, after she had commended her children to the neighbours of the town for God's sake, and the sucking bairn was given to the nurse, she sealed up the truth by her death.' The Condemnation of Master George Wisehart,2 Gentleman, WHO SUFFERED MARTYRDOM FOR THE FAITH OF CHRIST JESUS AT ST. ANDREW'S IN SCOTLAND, A.D. 1546, MARCH THE FIRST; WITH THE ARTICLES OBJECTED AGAINST With most tender affection and unfeigned heart consider, gentle reader, the uncharitable manner of the accusation of Master George (1) Ex Regist. et instrumentis á Scotia missis. [The whole of this account, and the preceding one of sir John Borthwike, are extant in the Latin Edition of Foxe's book published at Basle in 1559, pp. 170 to 179.-ED.] (2) Wishart, Wisehard, or Guiscard.-ED. ple. |