. John Knox upon the following Sabbath may be added, That one mafs was more fearful unto him, than if ten thousand armed enemies were landed in any part of the realm, of purpose to fupprefs the whole religion: for (faid he) in our God there is ftrength to refift and confound multitudes, if we unfeignedly depend upon him; but when we join hands with idolatry, it is no doubt but both God's amiable prefence and comfortable defence will leave us, and what fhall then become of us?' Yea, when it was voted in the General Affembly, whether they might take the Queen's mafs from her? many frankly affirmed, That as the mafs is abominable, fo it is 'juft and right that it fhould be fuppreffed; and that in fo doing, men did no more hurt to the Queen's Majefty, than they that should by force take from her a poisoned cup, when he was going to drink it.' Thus we have fome fpecimen of the zeal of our fathers againft idolatry. But in a little time court favours blunted it in many; and then had the fervants of God a double battle, fighting on the one hand against idolatry, and the reft of the abominations maintained by the court. And upon the other hand, against the unfaithfulness of falfe brethren, and treachery of fycophants, who informed the court against the minifters, for their free and faithful preaching and warnings on all occafions; yet they fuftained the brunt of all thefe affaults, and came off with ho nour. At length, to be fhort, in procefs of time, this Mary, a woman of a proud and crafty wit, and an obdured heart against God and his truth, infifted in the fame steps of tyranny and treachery (but with greater aggravations) that her mother walked in, and was ferved according to her defert. For after that her darling David Rizzio, the Italian fidler, (whom moft men then fuppofed, and do ftill fufpect to be the father of King James, this man's grandfather; and fome do think it not unlikely, that his fucceffors have derived from this ftock the Italian complexion and conftitution conftitution both of body and mind, fpare and fwarthy, cruel and crafty) received his due rewards in her prefence, by the King's confent and counfel; fhe conceived fuch contempt of, and indignation againftthe poor uxorious young King, Henry of Darnley, that she never refted till fhe and Bothwel contrived and executed his murder, and then the married that murdering adulterer, the faid Earl of Bothwel: whereupon the Proteftant Noblemen pursuing the murder, took her, and fent her prifoner to Lochleven, where they made her refign the government to her fon James, then an infant, and afterwards the was beheaded by Elizabeth Queen of England. We fee now by this deduction, what was the teftimony of this period, and how in many things it confirms the heads of the prefent fufferings,. which we may particularly re mark. I. The reformation of Scotland had this common with all other proteftant churches, that it was carried on by refifting the oppofing powers; but it had this peculiar advantage above all,that at once, and from the beginning, both doctrine and worship, difcipline and government were reformed: as Mr. Knox witneffeth, that there was no realm upon the face of the earth at that time that had religion in greater purity. Yea,' fays he, we muft fpeak the truth, whomfoever we 'offend, there is no realm that hath the like purity; 'for all others, how fincere foever the doctrine be, ' retain in their churches and miniftry thereof, fome 'footsteps of antichrift, and dregs of popery; but we (praife to God alone) have nothing in our churches 'that ever flowed from that Man of Sin.' The doctrine was purely reformed, according to the rule of Christ, both as to matter and manner of delivery. As to the matter of it, what it was, the Confeflion of Faith, ratified in parliament in the year 1560, doth witness. In the manner of it, they ftudied not the fmooth and pawky prudence that is now fo much applauded, for not obferving which, fuch as would fain be honeft in this duty, are fo much condemned; but they cried aloud against, and did not fpare the fins of the time, with application to every degree of men; as we have it published and vindicated in Mr. Knox's Iliflory. They cried, They cried, that the fame God who plagued Pharaoh, repulfed Sennacherib, ftruck 'Herod with worms, and made the bellies of dogs 'the grave and fepulchre of the fpiteful Jezebel, will not fpare mifled princes, who authorize the murderers of Christ's members in this our time. Many now a days will have no other religion than the Queen; the Queen no other than the Cardinal; the Cardinal no other than the Pope; the Pope no other than the devil: let men therefore confider what danger they ftand in, if their falvation fhall depend upon the Queen's faith.' And they used to defend fuch manner of free dealing, from the examples of the prophets reproving Kings perfonally. Now, if the like and greater corruptions be in the world this day, who dare enterprize, to put to filence the Spirit of God, which will not be fubject to the appetites of mifled princes.' Mr. Knox's defence before the Queen, when rebuked for speaking of her marriage in the pulpit, was: The Evangel, faith he, hath two points, repentance and faith; in 'preaching repentance, of neceflity it is, that the fins of men may be noted, that they may know wherein they offend.' And in his difpute with Lethington, requiring where any of the prophets did fo ufe Kings and rulers; he gave the example of Elias reproving Ahab and Jezebel, that dogs fhall lick the blood of Ahab, and eat the flesh of Jezebel; which was not whispered in their ears, but fo as the people under'ftood well enough, for fo witneffed Jehu after the accomplishment.' Elifha reproved Jehcram, faying, What have I to do with thee; if it were not for lehofhaphat, I would not have looked toward hee. Though a fubject, yet he gave little reverence the King.' Thefe were their arguments for faitta < nefs ་ nefs then, which are now exploded with contempt. Their worship was alfo reformed from all dregs of popery, and fopperies of human ceremonies, retained in many other churches, especially in England; to whose bishops, in Queen Elizabeth's time, the Af fembly wrote, That if furplice, corner cap, tippet, '&c. have been the badges of idolaters in the very act of idolatry, what have preachers to do with the dregs of that Romifh beaft? Yea, what is he that ought not to fear to take, either in his hand or forehead, the mark of that odious beaft?-We think you fhould boldly oppofe yourselves to all power, that will dare extol itfelf against God, and againit all fuch as do burden the confcience of the faith'ful, further than God hath burdened them by 'his own word.' The difcipline and government was from the beginning prefbyterial, even before the eftablishment: both in practice, among the perfecuted minifters, who kept their private meetings; and in their doctrine. This was one of Mr. Knox's articles he fuftained at St. Andrew's, upon his firft entry unto the miniftry. Art. 8. There is no bifhop, except he preach even by himself, without any fubftitute. But fo foon as they attained any fettlement, they af fembled in their firft national fynod in the year 1560, by virtue of that intrinfic power granted by the Lord to his church; nor did they fo much as petition for the indulgence of the then authority; but upon Chrift's warrant, they kept and held their courts in the name of the Lord Jefus Chrift only; and in his fole authority, by direction of his word and Spirit, concluded all their counfels, votes and acts. And as they knew nothing of an exotic fupremacy, fo they put out and held out prelacy, and kept a perfect parity; which was nothing infringed by the extraordinary employments and commiflions delegated to fome fuperintendants, upon the account of the particular exigence of thefe times. II. Next II. Next we find in the practice of thefe renowned reformers, many demonftrations of pure zeal, worthy of all imitation; which I remark the rather, because poor fufferers that would now imitate it, are condemned as blind and ignorant zealots. But why are not the reformers condemned for the fame things? We find in the first place, that they were fo far from complying with, or conniving at, or countenancing pu blic fins, that they could not contain themfelves from declaring their deteftation of the fight of them; yea the very boys did abominate them, as at the reform. ation, at St. Johnttoun, a boy cried with a bold voice, This is intolerable, that when God by his word hath plainly condemned idolatry, we shall ftand and fee it ufed in defpight. Whereupon he and others threw down all the monuments of idolatry in that place. But if now any fhould enterprize fuch a thing, when the idol of the mafs is fet up in every city, they might expect Jerubaal's cenfure of the Abiezrites; though it is true they might have the fame encouragement, because they have the fame command as he had, to wit, the perpetual precept of throwing down idolatrous altars. Next, they were fo far from complying with the enemies, in keeping the peace with them, that they thought it a great fin not to oppofe them, when their brethren were forced to take the fword of felf-defence, being perfuaded by these arguments: That by their fainting and abftracting their fupport, the enemies would be encouraged; and thereby they fhould declare themfelves both 'traitors to the truth once profeffed, and murderers of their brethren, whom their prefence and concurrence might preferve; and that if they fhould deny their brethren fuffering for his name's fake, they 'fhould alfo deny Christ, and be denied of him; and that God hath punished subjects with their princes, for winking at, and not refifting their manifeft iniquity; and therefore, as he is immutable in nature, fo would he not pardon them in that which he hath • punished |