|
An independent and contemporary view of the proceedings in
the Scottish Parliament at the establishment of the
Reformation
Letter from Thomas Randolph,
English envoy to Scotland, to Sir William Cecil, principal
secretary to Queen Elizabeth I, dated 19 August 1560.
Cited in Works of
Knox, vol. vi, p 116.
YOUR Honour shall presently receave the coppie also of
their Confession of their Faith, written in such haste’
that I am ashamed to present yt unto you, as I may be also
of al my other wrytinge, which I am forced with such
haste to dispache out of my hands, that I have no leasure
to consider what I wryte, as touchinge such things as ar
concluded here in Parlyment, and fullie resolved upon
hitherto. I never harde matters of so great importance,
nether soner dispatched, nor with better will agreed unto.
The matters concluded and past by common consent upon
Saturday last in such solemne sort, at the firste daye
that thei assembled, are these: Firste, That the Barons,
accordinge to ane old Acte of Farliment, made in James’s
tyme the firste, the yeare of God 1427, shall have free
voice in Parliment. This Acte passed without anie
contradictioun, as well of the Bishopes Papysts, as all
other present. The nexte was the ratification of the
Confession of their Fayth, in the which the Bishope of St.
Andrews, in maynie words saide this in effecte, That was
a matter he had not byne accustomed with; he had had no
sufficient tyme to examin yt, or to confer with his
friends; howbeit as he yet will not utterly condemn it, so
was he lothe to give his consent thereunto. To that effect
also spoke the Bishops of Dunkell and Dumblane. Of the
temporall Lords the Earle of Cassiles and the Earle of
Caithnes said, Noe. The rest of the Lords, with common
consent, and as glad a will as ever I heard men speake,
allowed the same.
Dyvers with protestation of their Consciens and Faythe,
desyred rather presently to end their lyves than ever to
thinke contrarie unto that that allowed ther. Maynie also
offereit to shede ther blude in defence of the same. The
olde Lord of Lyndsay, in grave and goodiy a man as ever I
sawe, sayd, I have lived manie yeres; I am the oldeste in
thys coinpanye of my sorte; now that yt hath pleased God
to lett me see this daye, wher no manie nobles and other
have allowed so worthie a work, I will say with Simion,
Nunc dimittis. The olde Larde of Lundie confessed howe
longe he had lived in blindnes, repented his former lyf,
and imbrased the same as his trewe beleive. My Lord James,
after some other purpose, saide, that he muste the sonner
beleeve yt to be trewe, for yit some other in the
compagnie did not allowe the same, he knew that Goddes
truthe wolde never be without his adversaries. The Lord
Marshall saide, tlioughe he were otherwyse assured that yt
was trewe, yit might he be the bolder to pronounce yt, for
that he sawe ther present the pillars of the Pope’s
Church. and not one of them speake agaynst yt. Maynie
other to lyke effect; as the Laird of Erskine, Laird of
Newbottle, the Sub-Prior of St Andrews concludinge all in
one that that was the Faythe wherin thei ought to lyve and
die.
I wyll for the present most humblie take my leave. Wrytten
at Edenbourge, the xix of August 1560, rather in the
morning.
Your Honor’s to serve,
Tho. Randolph.
To the ryght honorable Sir William Cecill, knyght, &c.
|
