Turning his face towards the room where sat such men as had so affirmed, "If I be not able to prove the Mass to be the most abominable idolatry that ever was used since the beginning of the world, I offer myself to suffer the punishment appointed by God to a false teacher; and it appears to me that the affirmers should be subject to the same law; for it is the truth of God that ye persecute and blaspheme; and it is the invention of the Devil that, obstinately against His Word, ye maintain. Albeit ye now flyrt and flyre,[233] as though all that were spoken were but wind, yet am I as assured, as I am that my God liveth, that some that hear your defection and railing against the truth and the servants of God, shall see a part of God's judgments poured forth upon this realm, and principally upon you that fastest cleave to the favour of the Court, for the abominations that are maintained by you." Such vehemence provoked the tears of some, yet those men that knew themselves guilty said, in a mocking manner, "We must recant, and burn our bill, for the preachers are angry." [233] Mock and deride. [Sidenote: The General Assembly: June 1564.] The General Assembly, held in June 1564, approaching, to this the great part of those of the Nobility that are called Protestants, convened; some for assistance of the ministers, and some to accuse them.... On the first day of the General Assembly, the Courtiers and the Lords that depended upon the Court, did not present themselves in session with their brethren. Many wondering thereat, an ancient and honourable man, the Laird of Lundie, said, "Nay, I wonder not of their present absence; but I wonder that, at our last Assembly, they drew themselves apart, and joined not with us, but drew from us some of our ministers, and willed them to conclude such things as were never proponed in the public Assembly. That appears to me to be very prejudicial to the liberty of the Kirk. My judgment is, therefore, that they be informed of this offence, which the whole brethren have conceived of their former fault; with humble request that, if they be brethren, they will assist their brethren with their presence and counsel, for we never had greater need. If they be minded to fall back from us, it were better we knew it now than afterwards." The whole Assembly agreed to this, and gave commission to certain brethren to signify the minds of the Assembly to the Lords: that was done on the same afternoon. [Sidenote: The Protestant Courtiers maintain an independent Position.]