Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

their Presentation; for otherwise, if it shall be Lawful to the Patrons absolutely to present, quhom thai please, without Triall or Examination, quhat than can abyde in the Kirke of God, but mere ignorance without all Ordre. As to the Second Parte concerninge the Retention of a gude Parte of the Benefices in her Majesties owne Hands, this Point abhorris sa far fra gud Conscience, as well of God's Law, as fra the Publicke Ordre of all Comion Laws; That we ar loth to open up the Ground of the Matter, be any long Circumstances. And therefore maist reverently we wish that hir Majestie wold consider the Matter with her selfe, and with her wise Councell, that howsoever the Patronages of the Benefice may appertayne to her selfe, yet the Retention therof in hir own Hands undisponing them to qualyfyt Persones, is both Ungodly, and also contrary to all Polyticke Order, and Finall Confusion to the Pure Saules of the Common People: Quha be this Means shuld be instructit of their Salvation. And quhar hir Majestie concludis in her Second Answer, that she is content that an sufficient and resonable Sustentacion of the Ministers be provydat to tham, by assignation in Placis most commodious and easiest to tham; consideracion beinge had of hir owne Necessitie. As we are altogether desirous that hir Gracis Necessitie be relevit, so our Duty craves that we should notefie to your Grace the true Order that shuld be observed in this Behalfe, quhilk is this, The Teynds are properly to be reputed to be the Patrimony of the Kirke, upon the quhilks befor all Things they that travells in the Ministery thairof, and the pore indigent Members of Christ Body are to be sustenit. The Kirks also repaired, and the Youthead brought up in gud Letters: Quhilks Things be and done, than other Necessitie resonable might be supportede accordinge as her Majestie, and hir Godlie Counsaile could think expedient. Allways we cannot but thank her Majestie most reverently, of her liberall Offer, of Assignations to be made to the Ministers for their Sustentation. Quhilk not the lesse is so generally conceived that without mare speciall condiscendinge upon the particularity therof, no Expectacion is able to follow therupon. And so to conclud with her Majestie at this Parliament, we desire most earnestly the Performance of the said Articles, beseching God that as they are Resonable and Godly in thamselvis; so your Majesties Hart, and the Estates jointly convenit, may be inclynit and perswadit to the Performance therof.

XC.

The Supplication to the Queen's Majestie of Scotland.

(Cotton Libr. Calig. B. 10.)

To the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, her Grace's Humble Subjects, professing the Evangell of Christe Jesus within this Realme, wisheth long Prosperitte, with the Spirit of Righteous Judgment.

IT is not unknown unto your Majestie, that within this Realme the Evangell of Jesus Christ was lately so planted, the Trewe Religion so established; Idolatry, to wit, the Masses, and all that therto appertenyth, together with the Usurped and Tyrannicall Power of that Romaine AnteChrist, called the Pope, so suppressed, aswel by the Mighty Power and Hand of God, as by just Lawes and Decres of Parliament, that none within this Realme durst in Publick have gainsaid the one, nor mayntenet the other. It is further known, that such as in whose Hands, God of his Mercye had prospered the Begynninge of this his Worke, were going forwarde to an exact aud parfect Reformation, concerninge the Policy of the Churche, accordinge to the Word of God, and Sustentation of them that Travell in the same. But theis nowe our most Just and Godlie Begynnings have nowe bene staied and trobled nere the Space of 4 Yeres, to the great Grief of all Godlie Hartes within this Realme. Shortlie after your Grace's Arrival, was that Idol the Masse erected up againe: And there after were wicked Men Enemyes to Christ Jesus, and his Holy Evangell reposed in the Places wich they never possessed, and were admitted to receive the Fruts, that by no just Lawe can apperteane to them: And that under color they shold pay ther Thirds to your Majesties Comptroller, and suche as he shold depute for the receiving of the same; to thend, as we understond, that our Mynysters and Mynisterye might have bene planted and sustanid according to Gods Comaundement. And albeyt we were plainly forwarned, that suche Begynnynge wold not have eny happy Ende yet the Love that we bare to the Tranquyllitie of your Realme, and Esperance and Hope that we had, that God of his Mercye wold molyfye your Highnes Hart, to heare his Blessed Evangell publickly preched, we quyetly past over many Things that were in our Harts, as also many tymes by your Supplicacions unto your Majestie, we desiered to have bene redressed: But howe litle we have

;

proffyted to this Daie, bothe great and small amongest us begynne now to consider. For Laws we see violated, Idolatrye encreased, your Highnes owne Gates (against Proclamations) made patent to the foolishe People, to commytt Idolatrye; The Patrymony of the Churche, we see bestowed upon Persons most unworthie, and to other Uses then was at first intended: And thereby, the Tyrannye of that Romaine Antichrist to be intruded upon us againe; our Mynisters brought to extreme Povertie; some of them trobled in ther Function, some Prechers hurt, and no Redresse maide. Fornicacion, Adulterye, Incest, Murther, Sorcerers, Bewytchers, and al Impietie, so to abounde universallie within this your Highnes Realme, that God cannot lange spaire to stricke the Heade and the Members, onless speedye Repentance followe. We therfore, nowe contynuinge in our former humble Sewte, most humbly requere of your Majestie a speadye Reformation of the Innormyties aforesaid, and favorable Answere of our just Petycions; as more fullye your Majestie please receive in Articles; most humbley beseaching your Highnes to have this Opynon of us, that as to this daie your Grace have founde nothinge in us, but dewe Obbedyence to your Majesties Lawes and Auctoritie, which we have given, because we are thonly Part of your People that truly fear God, so to esteame of us, that God, his Christ Jesus, and his trewe Religion which we professe, (and by his Grace shal be) to us more dear then Lives, Possessions, or respect of Prosperitie. And therefore yet againe_we the hole Bodye, professing Christ Jesus within this Realme, humbly crave of your Majestie, that ye give us not occasion to thinke, that ye entende nothing but the Subversion of Christ Jesus his true Religion, and in the Overthrowe of it, the Distruction of us the best part of the Subjects of this your Graces Realme: For this before the World we plainly professe, that to that Romaine Antichrist we will never be subyect, nor yet suffer (so far as our Power may suppresse it) any of his usurped Auctoritie to have Place within this Realme. And thus with all humble and dewtifull Obbedyence, we humbly crave your Graces favourable Answer, with these our appointed Commissioners.

XCI.

A Letter of Parkhurst Bishop of Norwich, to Bullinger, concerning the State of Affairs in Scotland, and the Killing of Signior David.

(Ex MSS Tigur.)

SALVUS sis in Christo, optime Bullingere. Secundo Februarij scripsi ad te, et unà cum Literis misi viginti Coronatos, vel decem Coronatos et Pannum pro toga: Nam hoc Abeli arbitrio permisi. Tuas accepi 23 Maij. Paulò post Londinensis Episcopus, exemplar Responsionis tuæ ad Literas Laurentij Humphredi, et Thomæ Sampsonis, ad me misit. Quæ scripsisti, typis apud nos excuduntur, et Latinè, et Anglicè. Accepi præterea, 12 Julij, Confessionem Fidei orthodoxæ, c. pulcherrimum libellum. Mense Martio, Italus quidam, vocatus Senior David, Necoromantica artis peritus, in magnam gratiam apud Reginam Scotia, è Reginæ cubiculo (illa præsente) vi extractus, et aliquot pugionibus confossus, misere periit. Abbas quidam ibidem vulneratus, evasit ægrè, sed paulò post ex vulnere est mortuus, Fraterculus quidam, nomine Black, (niger Visularius) Papistarum antesignanus, eodem tempore in Aula occiditur: Sic niger hic Nebulo, nigra quoq; morte peremptus, invitus nigrum subitò decendit in orcum. Consiliarij, qui tum simul in unum cubiculum erant congregati, ut de rebus quibusdam arduis consultarent, audientes has cædes, (nam priùs nihil tale sunt suspicati) alij hac, alij illac, alij è fenestris sese proturbantes certatim aufugerunt, atque ita cum vitæ periculo, vitæ consulebant suæ. Regina Scotia Principem peperit: Et cum antea Maritum (nescio quas ob causas) non tanti faceret, jam plurimi facit. D. Jacobum, suum ex patre fratrem, quem antea exosum habuit, nunc in gratiam recepit, nec solum illum, sed omnes (utinam verum esset) proceres evangelicos, ut audio. gelium quod ad tempus sopiebatur, denuò caput exerit. Cùm hæc scriberem, ecce Scotus quidam è Patria profugiens, Vir bonus et doctus, narravit mihi, Reginam ante decem hebdomadas Puerum peperisse; nec dum esse baptizatum. Rogo causam. Respondet, Reginam velle Filium in summo Templo, cum multarum Missarum Celebratione tingi. At Edinburgenses id omnino non permittunt : Nam mori potiùs malunt, quàm pati, ut abdominandæ Missæ in suas Ecclesias iterum irrepant. Metuunt Edinburgenses, ne illa è Gallia auxiliares vocet Copias, ut facilius Evangelicos opprimat. Oremus Dominum pro piis Fra

Evan

tribus. Mandatis dedit cuidam pio Comiti, ut Knoxum apud se manentem, ex ædibus ejiciat. Dominus illam convertat, vel confundat. Plura scribere non possum; diu ægrotavi, nec dum plenè convalui. Est hæc scribendo debilitata manus.

Vale, Charissime mi Bullingere, Salutem quæso adscribas omnibus, atque adeo omnibus Piis, meo nomine. Dominus sua dextra protegat Ditionem Tigurinorum. Raptim Ludhamiæ, 21 Augusti 1566.

Tuus,

JOH. PARKHURSTUS, N.

INSCRIPTIO.

D. Henricho Bullingero.

XCII.

A Letter of Grindall's to Bullinger, giving an Account of the State of Affairs both in England and Scotland; and of the Killing of Signior David.

(Ex MSS. Tigur.)

Salutem in Christo.

Clarissime D. Bullingere, ac Frater in Christo Charissime. D. JOHANNES Abelus tradidit mihi Literas tuas D. Wintoniensi, Norvicensi, et mihi communiter inscriptas, unà cum scripto vestro de re vestiaria: Quorum ego exemplaria ad D. Wintoniensem et Norvicensem statim transmisi. Quod ad me attinet, ago tibi maximas gratias, tum quod nostrarum Ecclesiarum tantam curam geris, tum quod me, hominem tibi ignotum, participem facis eorum, quæ ad nostros de rebus controversis scribuntur. Vix credibile est, quantum hæc Controversia de rebus nihili, Ecclesias nostras perturbarit, et adhuc aliqua ex parte perturbat. Multi ex Ministris doctioribus, videbantur Ministerium deserturi. Multi etiam ex Plebe, contulerunt Consilia de Secessione à nobis facienda, et occultis cœtibus cogendis; sed tamen, Domini benignitate, maxima pars ad saniorem mentem rediit. Ad eam rem Literæ vestræ, plenæ Pietatis ac Prudentiæ, plurimùm momenti attulerunt: Nam_eas latinè, atque anglicè, Typis evulgandas curavi. Nonnulli ex Ministris, vestro judicio atque authoritate permoti, abjecerunt priora Consilia de deserendo Ministério. Sed et ex Plebe quamplurimi mitiùs sentire cœperunt, postquam

« ZurückWeiter »