of Scotland, to debate the true religion of Christ against the French men and Papistes, who sought alwayes to depresse and keepe downe the same: for it began soone after the martyrdome of Walter Mille, of the which the forme hereafter followeth.
In the yeare of our Lord. 1558. in þe tyme of Mary Duches of Longawayll Quene Regent of Scotland, and the sayd Iohn Hamelton being Bishop of S. Andrewes, and Primate of Scotland, this Walter Mille (who in hys youth had bene a Papist) after that he had ben in Almaine, and had heard the doctrine of the gospell, MarginaliaWalter Mille contrary to his popishe vowe maryed.he returned agayne into Scotland, & setting aside all Papistry and compelled chastitie, maryed a wyfe, MarginaliaWalter Mille first suspected of heresie.whych thing made him vnto the bishops of Scotland to be suspected of heresie: MarginaliaWalter Mille taken by ij. popsihe priestes, George Straqwhen, & Sir Hew Turry.and after long watchyng of hym he was taken by two popish Priestes, one called Sir George Straqwhen, and the other Sir Hew Turry seruantes to the sayde Bishop for the tyme, within the towne of Dysart in Fiffe, and brought to S. Andrewes and imprisoned in the castle thereof. He being in prison, the Papists earnestly trauailed and laboured to haue seduced him, and threatned him with death and corporall tormentes, to the entent they woulde cause hym to recant and forsake the truth. But seyng they could profit nothing thereby, and that he remayned stil firme and constant, they laboured to perswade hym by fayre promises, and offered vnto hym a Monkes portion for all the dayes of hys lyfe, in the Abbaye of Dunfermeling, so that he would denye the thynges he had taught, and graunt that they were heresie: but he continuing in the truth euen vnto the ende, despised their threatninges and fayre promyses.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaConcilium malignantiū.Then assembled together the bishops of S. Andrews, Murray, Brechin, Caitnes, & Atheins, the Abbots of Dunfermeling, Landors, Balindrinor, and Towper, wyth Doctors of Theologie of S. Andrewes, as Iohn Greson blacke Frier, and Dane Iohn Vymame suppriour of S. Andrewes, William Transton Prouost of the old Colledge, with diuers others, as sundry Friers blacke and gray. These being assembled, and hauing consulted together, he was takē out of prison, & brought to þe Metropolitane church, where he was put in a pulpit tofore the Bishops to be accused, the. 20. day of Apryll
20 April 1558.
MarginaliaOliphant.OLiphant. What thincke you of Priests mariage?MarginaliaMille.Mille. I hold it a blessed band, for Christ hym self mayntayned it, and approued the same, and also made it free to all men: but ye thinke it not free to you: ye abhorre it, and in the meane tyme take other mens wyues and daughters, and wyll not keepe the bande that God hath made. Ye vow chastitie, and breake thesame. Saint Paule
I Corinthians 7:9.
MarginaliaOliphant.Oliphant. Thou sayest there is not. vij. sacramentes.
MarginaliaMille.Mille. Geue me the Lords supper and Baptisme and take you the rest, and parte them among you: For if there be seuen, why haue you omitted one of them, to wyt, mariage, and geue your selues to sclaūderous and vngodly whoredome.
MarginaliaOliphant.Oliph. Thou art agaynst the blessed Sacrament of the aulter, and sayest, that the Masse is wrong, and is Idolatrye.
MarginaliaMille.Mille. A Lord or a kyng sendeth and calleth man to a dinner, and when the dinner is in readynes, he causeth to ryng a bell, and the men come to the hall, and sitte downe to be pertakers of the dinner, but the Lord turning hys backe vnto them, eateth al him selfe, and mocketh them: MarginaliaA similitude aptely applied.so do ye.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaOliphant.Oliphant. Thou denyest the Sacrament of the aultar to bee the very body of Christ really in fleshe and bloud.
MarginaliaMille.Mille. The Scripture of God is not to bee taken carnally but spiritually, and standeth in faith only: MarginaliaThe Sacrament and sacrifice of the Masse.and as for þe masse, it is wrong, for Christ was once offred on the Crosse for mans trespasse, and will neuer be offred agayne, for then he ended all sacrifice.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaOliphant.Oliphant. Thou deniest the office of a Byshop.
MarginaliaMille.Mille. I affirme that they whom ye call Byshops, doe no Byshops workes, nor vse the offices of Byshops, (as Paul
I Timothy 3:2-7.
MarginaliaOliphant.Oliph. Thou speakest agaynst pilgrimage, and callest it a pilgrimage to whoredome.
MarginaliaMille.Mille. I affirme that, and say that it is not commaunded in the Scripture, and that there is no greater whoredome in no places, then at your pilgrimages, except it be in common brothells.
MarginaliaOliphant.Oliph. Thou preachest quietly & priuatly in houses and openly in the fieldes.
MarginaliaMille.Mille. Yea man, and on the Sea also sailyng in shippe.
MarginaliaOliphant.Oliph. Wilt thou not recant thine erronious opinions? and if thou wilt not, I will pronounce sentence agaynst thee.
MarginaliaMille.Mille. I am accused of my lyfe: I knowe I must dye once
Hebrews 9:27.
John 13:27.
These thinges rehearsed they of purpose, with other light trifles, to augment their finall accusatiō, MarginaliaSentence pronounced agaynst Walter Mille.and thē Syr Andrew Oliphant pronounced sentence agaynst him that he should be deliuered to the temporall iudge, and punished as an hereticke, which was to be burnt. MarginaliaPatrike Learmonde the Archbishops Stuard and Prouost, refuseth to be hys temporall iudge. Also the Archbishops chāberlain refuseth to be his iudge.Notwithstandyng his boldnes and constancie moued so the hartes of many, that þe Bishops Stuard of his regalitie, Prouost of þe towne called Patrike Learmond, refused to be his temporall iudge: to whom it appertained if the cause had bene iust. Also the Bishops chamberlaine beyng therewith charged, would in no wise take vpō him so vngodly an office. MarginaliaThe towne offēded with the condemnation of Walter Mille.Yea the whole town was so offended with his vniust cōdemnation, MarginaliaNo corde in all the towne coulde bee bought to tye hym to the stake.that the Bishops seruauntes could not get for their money so much as one corde to tye him to the stake, or a tarre barell to burne him, but were cōstrained to cut the cordes of their masters owne pauillion to serue their turne.
[Back to Top]MarginaliaAlexander Symmerwaill the Byshops seruaunt, made temporall iudge for Walter Mille.Neuertheles one seruaunt of the Bishops more ignorant and cruell then the rest, called Alexander Symmerwayll, enterprising þe office of a temporall iudge in that part, cōueyed him to the fire, where agaynst all naturall reason of mā, his boldnes and hardines did more and more increase: so that the spirite of God woorkyng
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