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1261 [1260]

K. Hen. 8. A schisme in Scotland about saying of the Pater noster.

as it shall please him: & then he spake to one faythfull in that company, & bad him cōmend him to all the faythfull, beyng sure to meete together with thē in heauen. From that tyme to his forth commyng to the fire, spake no man with him.

MarginaliaThe Prouost of Edenbrough forbiddeth hym to speake to any man. At his forth commyng, the Prouost with great manasing wordes forbad him to speake to any man or any to him, as belyke he had commaundement of his superiours. Commyng from the towne to the Castle hill, the common people sayd, God haue mercy vpon him. And on you to (sayd he). Beyng beside the fire he lifted vp his eyn to heauen twise or thrise, and sayd to the people:MarginaliaThe wordes of Adam Wallace to the people. Let it not offend you, that I suffer the death this day, for the truthes sake, for the Disciple is not aboue his maister. Then was the Prouost angry that he spake. Then looked he to heauen agayne, and sayd:

The burnyng of the blessed Martyr Adam Wallace.

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MarginaliaThe constant Martyrdome of Adam Wallace.

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They will not let me speake. The corde beyng about hys necke, the fire was lighted, and so departed he to God constauntly, and with good countenaunce to our sightes. Ex testimonijs and et è Scotia petitis. an. 1550.

The schisme  
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This incident is unattested outside Foxe, although comments by Sir David Lindsay (David Lindsay, 'Ane dialog betuix Experience and ane Courteour', The Works of Sir David Lindsay, ed. J. H. Murray (London, 1865-71), lines 2624-31; idem., 'Ane satyre of the Thrie Estaitis', Works, line 4604) give some support to his account. See Ryrie, 'Reform without frontiers', 44-5.

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that arose in Scotland for the Pater noster.

MarginaliaA schisme in Scotland by a sermon of Richard Mershall a blacke Fryer, preaching that the Pater noster should not be said to saints. AFter that Richard Mershall Doctour of Diuinitie and Priour of the Blacke Friers at the new Castle in England, had declared in his preachynges at S. Andrewes in Scotland, that the Lordes Prayer (commonly called the Pater noster) should be done onely to God & not to Saints, neither to any other creature: the Doctours of the Vniuersitie of S. Andrewes together with the Gray Friers, who had long agoe taught the people to pray the Pater noster to Saints, had great indignatiō that theyr old doctrine should be repugned, & syirred vp a Gray Frier called Frier Toittis, to preach agayn to the people that they should and might pray the Pater noster to Saintes. Who findyng no part of the Scripture to founde his purpose vpon, yet came to the Pulpit, the first of Nouember, beyng the Feast of Allhallowes. an. 1551. and tooke the text of the Gospell for that day read in their Masse, written in the 5. of Mathew, contayning these wordes  

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Matthew 5:3.

: Blessed are the poore in spirite, for to them pertayneth the kyngdome of heauen.MarginaliaMath. 5.

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MarginaliaThe doctrine of the Papistes holdeth that the Pater noster may be sayd to saintes, and why? This feeble foundation beyng layd, the Frier began to reason most impertinently, that the Lordes Prayer might be offered to Saintes: because euery petition therof appertaine to them. For if we meete an old mā in the streete (said he) we will say to him: good day father, and therfore much more may we call the Saintes our fathers: and because we graunt also that they be in heauen, we may say to euery one of them: Our father which art in heauen. Farther, God hath MarginaliaBlasphemous doctrine agaynst the glory and name of God. made their names holy, and therfore ought we as followers of God to hold their names holy,MarginaliaA Fryerly glosing vpon the Pater noster. and so we may say to any of the Saintes: Our father which art in heauen hallowed be thy name. And for the same cause, sayd the Frier, as they are in the kyngdome of heauen, so that kyngdome is theirs by possession: and so praying for the kyngdome of heauē, we may say to them and euery one of thē: Thy kingdome come. And except their will had bene the very will of God, they had neuer come to that kyngdome, and therfore seyng their will is Gods will, we may say to euery one of them: Thy will be done.

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MarginaliaThe Fryers sophistrye here fayled hym. But when the Frier came to the fourth petitiō touching our dayly bread, he began to be astonished and ashamed, so that he did sweate aboundantly partly because his sophistry began to fayle him, not findyng such a colour for that part as for the other whiche went before: and partly because he spake agaynst his owne knowledge and conscience, and so was compelled to confesse that it was not in the Saintes power to geue vs our dayly bread, but that they should pray to GOD for vs (said he) that we may obtaine our dayly bread by their intercession, and so glosed hee the rest to the ende. Not standyng yet content with this detestable doctrine, he affirmed most blasphemously, that S. Paules napkyn and S. Peters shadow dyd miracles, and that the vertue of Eliseus cloke deuided the waters, attributyng nothyng to the power of God: with many other errours of the Papistes, horrible to be heard.

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Vpon this folowed incontinent a daungerous schisme in the Church of Scotland: for not onely the Clergie, but the whole people were deuided among themselues, one defending the truth, and an other the Papistry, in such sort, that there rose a Prouerbe:MarginaliaA Scottishe prouerbe. To whom say you your Pater noster? And although the Papistes had the vpper hand as then, whose wordes were almost holden for law (so great was the blindnes of that age) yet God so inspired the harts of the common people, that so many as could get the vnderstandyng of the bare wordes of the Lordes Prayer in English (which was then sayd in Latin) vtterly detested that opinion, holding that it should in no wise be sayd to Saints: So that the craftes men & their seruaūtes in their boothes,MarginaliaFryer Pater noster driuen out of saint Andrewes. whē the Frier came, exploded him with shame enough, crying, Frier Pater noster, Frier Pater noster, who at the last beyng conuict in hys owne conscience and ashamed of his former Sermon, was compelled to leaue the Towne of S. Andrewes.

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In the meane tyme of this brute, there were two Pasquils set on the Abbay Churche, the one in Latine bearyng these wordes.


Doctores nostri de Collegio,
Concludunt idem cum Lucifero,
Quod Sancti sunt similes altissimo:
Et se tuentur grauatorio
De mandato Officialis,
Ad instantiam fiscalis,
Gaw & Heruy non varij
In premissis connotarij.

The other in English, bearyng these wordes.

MarginaliaM. Dauid Gaw and M. Tho. Heruy, two procuratours.
Doctors of Theologie, of foure score of yeares,
And old iolye Lupoys the bald gray Friers,
They would be called Rabbi and Magister noster,
And wot not to whom they say their Pater noster.

MarginaliaDisputation in Scotland to whom they should say their Pater noster. Shortly, the Christians were so hotely offended, and the Papistes on the other side so proud and wilfull, that necessary it was, to eschew greater incōueniences that the Clergy at least should be assembled to dispute and conclude the whole matter, that the lay people might be put out of doubt. Which beyng done, and the Vniuersitie agreed, whosoeuer had bene present might haue heard much subtile sophistry.MarginaliaPater noster to bee sayd to God formaliter, and to saincts materialiter. For some of the Popish Doctours affirmed, that it should be sayd to God formaliter, and to Saintes materialiter.MarginaliaVltimate to God, non vltimate to sayntes. Others vltimatè, & non vltimatè.MarginaliaPrincipaliter to God, minus principaliter to saintes. Others sayd it should bee sayd to Goprincipaliter, and to Saintes minus principaliter.MarginaliaPrimariæ to God, secundariæ to saintes. Others, that it should be sayd to God primarie, and to Saintes secundariè.MarginaliaStricte to God large to saintes. Others, that it should be sayd to God capiendo strictè, & to Saintes capiendo largè. Which vaine distinctions beyng heard and considered by the people, they that were simple, remayned in greater doubtfulnes thē they were in before: so that a well aged man, and seruant to the Suppriour of S. Andrewes called þe Suppriors Thorne beyng demaunded to whom he sayd hys Pater noster: he aūswered to God onely. Then they asked agayne what should be sayd to the Saintes, he aunswered, giue them Aues and Credes inough in the Deuils name, for that may suffice thē well inough: albeit they do spoyle God of his right. Others makyng their vauntes of the Doctours sayd that because

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Christ