Church of Scotland; Knox, John, approximately 1514-1572; Reformation -- Scotland; Theology -- Early works to 1800
As the servandis of God uprychtlie travellit to haif vice punissit and
verteu plantit, so did the Devill ever steir up some in the contrair
of baith. Thair was a law maid aganis fornicatouris and
adulteraris,[315] that the ane and the uther suld be cartit throcht
the townis, and so banissit, till that thair repentance wes offerit
and receavit. And albeit this wes nott the severitie of Goddis law,
especiallie aganis adulteraris, yet wes it a greit brydill to
malefactouris; quhairat the wickit did wonderouslie storme. It chancit
that ane Sandersoun, a fleschour, wes deprehendit to haif put away his
lauchfull wyffe, (under cullour that he was lauchfullie partit efter
the maner of the Papisticall religioun,) and haid takin to him ane
uther in [his] housse. The complaynt and sclander proponit to the
Kirk, and tryall takin that he wes nott maryit with the secund woman,
nather that he wes able to prove that he wes devorcit by any ordour of
law from the first, he wes committit in the handis of the Magistratis,
quha, according to the lawis, commandit him to be cartit. Bot the
raschall multitude, enflambit be some ungodlie craftismen, maid
insurrectioun, brake the carte, boistit the officiaris, and tuke away
the malefactour. This wes the begyning of farther evillis, as we will
efter heir.
[315] There were several Acts against immorality passed about this
time, in Parliament, and in the Civil as well as Ecclesiastical
Courts. One of these Acts of the Town Council of Edinburgh, when about
to be enforced against a delinquent in the person of John Sanderson,
Deacon of the Fleshers, led to the tumult to which Knox refers. On the
22d November 1560, "The quhilk day the Baillies and Counsale being
convenit in the Over Counsale House of the Tolbuith of this bur^t.
Comperit William Harlay, dekin of the Hammarmen, and certane uthir
craftismen, and desyrit the decreit and sentence gevin aganis Jhone
Sandersone, dekin of the Fleschouris, decernying him to be cartit
throuch the town, and thairafter banischit the samyn, for his manifest
adulterie committit with Margaret Lyell, to be continewit quhill the
morne: Quhilk the Provost, Baillies, and Counsale foresaid grantit,
and thairupoun the said William askis instruments."
On the following day the Council having adhered to their resolution
that the sentence against Sanderson should be carried into effect;
this was so much resented by the craftsmen of the town as a dishonour,
that they assembled in a tumultuous manner, broke up the prison, and
set him at liberty. The Magistrates having immediately complained to
the Lords of the Secret Council, several persons connected with this
tumult, were apprehended and imprisoned in the Castle of Edinburgh.
There are several entries in the Town Council Records on this subject:
see the account given in Maitland's History of Edinburgh, p. 20.
[Sidenote: AMBASSADOUR FRA FRANCE, AND HIS DEMANDIS.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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