Church of Scotland; Knox, John, approximately 1514-1572; Reformation -- Scotland; Theology -- Early works to 1800
or first added in that year to complete Book Fourth, must be left to
conjecture.
I.--MANUSCRIPT OF 1566.--IN THE EDITOR'S POSSESSION.
The accompanying leaf exhibits an accurate fac-simile of part of the
first page of the MS; and it is worthy of notice, that in the Wodrow
Miscellany, vol. i. p. 287, a fac-simile of a paper entitled "The Kirkis
Testimonial, &c.," dated 26th December 1565, is evidently by the same
hand.[4] It has the signatures of three of the Superintendents, Erskine
of Dun, John Spottiswood, and John Wynram, as well as that of John Knox.
As this was a public document, and was no doubt written by the Clerk of
the General Assembly, we may infer that Knox's amanuensis, in 1566, was
either John Gray, who was Scribe or Clerk to the Assembly from 1560 till
his death in 1574, or one of the other Scribes whom Knox mentions, in
his interview with Queen Mary, in 1563, as having implicit confidence in
their fidelity. But this is no very important point to determine, since
the Manuscript itself bears such unequivocal proofs of having passed
through the Author's hands. Two short extracts, (corresponding with
pages 109 and 115 of this volume,) are also selected on account of the
marginal notes, both of which I think are in Knox's own hand. Further
specimens of such notes or corrections will be given in the next volume.
At fol. 249, four leaves are left blank to allow the form of "The
Election of the Superintendant" to be inserted; but this can be supplied
from either the Glasgow MS. or the early printed copies. A more
important omission would have been the First Book of Discipline, but
this the MS. fortunately contains, in a more genuine state than is
elsewhere preserved; and it will form no unimportant addition to the
next volume of the History.
The volume consists of 388 folios, chiefly written, as already stated,
in the year 1566. No trace of its earlier possessors can be discovered;
but the name of "Mr. Matthew Reid, Minister of North-Berwick" (from 1692
to 1729,) written on the first page, identifies it with a notice, which
is given by the Editor of the 1732 edition: "There is also a complete
MS. copy of the first four Books of this History belonging now to Mr.
Gavin Hamilton, Bookseller in Edinburgh, which formerly belonged to the
late Reverend Mr. Matthew Reid, Minister of the Gospel at North-Berwick;
it is written in a very old hand, the old spelling is kept, and I am
informed that it exactly agrees with the Glasgow MS., with which it was
collated, during the time this edition was a printing." (page liii.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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