The Bulwark Magazine of the Society

Jan - Mar 2018 // £2

January - March 2018 1 The Bulwark Magazine of the Scottish Reformation Society The Magdalen Chapel 41 Cowgate, , EH1 1JR Tel: 0131 220 1450 Email: [email protected] www.scottishreformationsociety.org Registered charity: SC007755 the earlier years to 1560 Chairman Committee Members »» Rev Kenneth Macdonald »» Rev Maurice Roberts John Craig is man of great importance in the history of because he was the Vice-Chairman »» Rev Alasdair Macleod author of the National Covenant (or King’s Confession or ) of »» Mr Allan McCulloch »» Mr Matthew Vogan January 1580/1, which subsequently became the main part of the National Covenant Secretary of February 1638. He is relatively little known, however. About the end of 1560, he »» Rev Douglas Somerset »» Rev John Keddie preached in Latin in the Magdalen Chapel because his English had become so rusty.

Treasurer »» Rev David Campbell Here we give an account of some of his remarkable experiences that preceded this. »» Rev Andrew Coghill »» Dr Robert Dickie John Craig was from an Aberdeenshire Returning to Scotland, Craig became family. He was aged 87 when he died in a Dominican friar, probably either in St December 1600, so he must have been Andrews or Aberdeen. A Dominican friar cO-OPEraTIOn OBJEcTS OF ThE SOcIETy born about 1513. His father was killed at named Robert Craig, who may well have (a) To propagate the evangelical Protestant faith In pursuance of its objects, the Society may co- the battle of Flodden in that year. John been a relative, is recorded in Aberdeen in operate with Churches and with other Societies and those principles held in common by those Churches and organisations adhering to attended St Andrew’s University; his dates 1532. Soon after he had become a friar, whose objects are in harmony with its own. the Reformation; there are uncertain, but it is likely that he John Craig was imprisoned for suspected was present in 1528 when Patrick Hamilton heresy, but was then released. There is Magazine Editor: Rev Douglas Somerset (b) To diffuse sound and Scriptural teaching on was martyred. no record of what the suspected heresy All literary contributions, books for review and the distinctive tenets of Protestantism and was, but presumably it was some element papers, should be sent to: Roman Catholicism; I. Tutor and Dominican of Lutheranism, possibly the doctrine of The Magdalen Chapel On leaving , Craig moved to the justification by faith. In 1534 both John (c) To carry on missionary work among 41 Cowgate, Edinburgh north of where he became tutor Macdowell and John Macalpine – the adherents of the latter faith with a view to EH1 1JR winning them to the doctrines of grace and to to the sons of Lord Dacre of Gilsland, a Dominican priors of Wigtown and Perth, [email protected] the fellowship of the true Gospel; powerful member of the northern English respectively – became Protestants and nobility who was Warden of the Western fled to England, so probably it was in The views expressed in articles are those of (d) To produce and distribute evangelistic, March. The eldest of the boys was about the backlash against this that Craig was the contributor and may not necessarily reflect religious and other literature in connection with six at the time. After two years as a tutor, imprisoned. those of the Editor or the Committee of the the promotion of the Protestant religion; Craig returned to Scotland because of Society. Scriptural references are from the A.V. border conflict, and probably also because II. Italy (e) To promote the associating together of men in July 1534, Lord Dacre was tried for high On his release from prison, Craig went to except where stated otherwise. and women, and especially young people, for systematic Bible Study and holding of treason on a charge of colluding with the England a second time, hoping, through Unattributed material is by the Editor. meetings for the above specified purposes. Scots. Most unusually for that time, Lord the influence of Lord Dacre to study at Dacre was acquitted, following a seven- Cambridge University. Unsuccessful in hour speech in his own defence; but Henry this, he decided to travel abroad. Henry VIII

DESIGNED & PRINTED BY: VIII dismissed him from his wardenry and had started the dissolution of the English www.peppercollective.com fined him £10,000. monasteries and friaries, so there was no Tel:028 9851 2233

2 The Bulwark January - March 2018 3 future for Craig as a friar in England. In 1536, of Romanism such as transubstantiation. accommodation for the grand bishops he went to France – again acting as a tutor – Cardinal Pole was one of the leaders of the with their large retinues, and insufficient and then on to Rome. Here he met Reginald movement, along with Cardinal Contarini library facilities. It was, however, within Pole, later Archbishop of Canterbury under and several other cardinals and bishops. At the dominions of the Charles V, which Mary I of England, who became a cardinal in the time of Craig’s arrival in Italy, Pole was was an essential consideration. One of December 1536. Pole was in Rome between attending a select conference, appointed the subjects debated during the first July 1536 and February 1537, which helps by Paul III and chaired by Contarini, period of the Council was the doctrine of to narrow the time of Craig’s arrival in Italy. on the issue of reforming the Church of justification, with the views of the spirituali Pole gave Craig a recommendation to Rome. This conference was dominated by being represented by Seripando, Sanfelice, the Dominican friary in Bologna, where he the spirituali. and others. They were outvoted, however, became the instructor of the novices. and their position was condemned in the The opponents of the spirituali within decree on Justification in January 1547. While at Bologna, Craig gave help to a Romanism were known as the zelanti, and Cardinal Several more members of the movement man who had been badly injured, either in 1542 they secured the setting up of the died in 1547 (Bembo, Sadoleto, Vittoria in battle or at the hands of robbers, and Roman Inquisition, which they used as an III. The Dominican convent in Colonna) while others, including Cardinals who approached him while he was walking instrument for the suppression, not only Bologna Pole and Morone, conformed reluctantly in a wood with his pupils. According to of Protestantism but also of the spirituali. Bologna has the oldest university in the to the Tridentine doctrine on justification. the account of (whose father Some of the leading spirituali, such as world (founded 1088) and was a town of Others, such as Carnesecchi and the was a close friend of Craig’s), Craig was Fregoso, Contarini and the Spanish great importance in the medieval period. famous artist Michelangelo, retained their acting at the time as a tutor to a Protestant nobleman Juan de Valdes, died about that Charles V was crowned there as Holy views but concealed them, adopting the nobleman. Protestantism was quite strong time, while others, such as Peter Martyr Roman Emperor by Pope Clement VII in position that Calvin had attacked under the round Bologna at the time, according Vermigli, became open Protestants and fled 1530, and at time there were no fewer name of “Nicodemism”. If Craig did have to evidence cited in Thomas M‘Crie’s to . Possibly Craig’s nobleman than ninety-six monasteries and convents spirituali views, he must have distanced Reformation in Italy; but from Craig’s declared his Protestantism at this stage. in the town. The Dominican convent to himself from the movement after 1547. subsequent career, it seems more likely The initial charge of heresy against Craig which Craig had gone had been founded by that the nobleman belonged to a religious in Scotland, his contact with Cardinal Pole, Dominic himself in 1218 and was the place In March 1547, a scare about the plague movement called the spirituali. These were and his employment by the Protestant or of his burial. In the words of one recent in Trent was used as an excuse to transfer people in the Church of Rome who had spirituali nobleman, all suggest that Craig’s writer, Michael Tavussi: “The convent of San the Council to Bologna, a far more suitable embraced the doctrine of justification by theological leanings were towards the Domenico was one of the most prestigious venue in every way except that it was within faith but who retained the other doctrines spirituali. in the entire (Dominican) order since its the Papal territories. The Council met in large conventual church contained the Bologna from April 1547 to February 1548, monumental tomb of the order’s founder. with much doctrinal discussion, but no Moreover, it was the site of an important decisions being reached. For a while, the studium generale (higher education faculty) students from the various convents were that was integrated in the theological faculty allowed to attend the discussions, but their of the University of Bologna and attracted numbers became too great and they had many graduate students from throughout to be excluded. There can be no doubt that the order. It possessed a remarkable library.” John Craig must have witnessed at least some of the meetings and discussions. In December 1545, the long-delayed Council of Trent commenced its IV. The 1550s deliberations. Trent was a much smaller Craig continued at Bologna for most of the town about a hundred miles from Bologna, 1550s. In his History of the Reformation in with an uncomfortable climate, inadequate Scotland, records a description Church of San Domenico in Bologna 4 The Bulwark January - March 2018 5 given by John Craig in the General the Inquisition. The Inquisition was greatly effect in the spring of 1557. The Genoese became Pope Pius V in 1566. The Ripetta Assembly of June 1564 of a debate held at boosted by the elevation to the papacy in government decided not to support their prison was only just above the water-level the Dominican friary in Bologna in 1554 at 1555 of Paul IV, who as Cardinal Carafa had commissioners against the Roman Curia, and it filled with water whenever the Tiber which it was “reasoned, determined, and been the driving force behind its setting up and the Inquisitor returned to the island in flooded. Sometimes the water was almost concluded…[that] all rulers, be they supreme in 1542. He was a fanatical enemy of the 1558. up to the prisoners’ waists. or be they inferior, may and ought to be spirituali and also of the Jews. reformed or deposed by them by whom Meanwhile, an order for the arrest of By August 1559 there were seventy-two they are chosen, confirmed, or admitted to About 1556, Craig was sent on a mission Palaeologus was sent to Chios by the prisoners in the prison – or, according to their office, as oft as they break that promise to the Dominican friary on the island of Inquisition in Rome in the course of 1556. another source, sixty – of whom forty-two made by the oath to their subjects.” Chios in the Aegean. In 1555, a conflict To avoid arrest, Palaeologus went first to were “heresiarchs”. Craig’s fellow-prisoners had developed between the secular Constantinople and then to Ferrara. He had were of considerable interest and, in One of the disputants mentioned by Craig authorities on the island (which was a been a popular preacher on Chios, and may addition to Palaeologus, they included was Vincentius de Placentia, or Vincentius colony of the Republic of Genoa from 1346 also have been the Prior of the Dominican Thomas Wilson (1524-1581), a prominent Villa, who had been a Dominican friar at to 1566) and the Bishop of Chios. The convent, and possibly it was at this time English diplomat and later a judge, who Bologna since 1499. He had held various bishop was asserted to have overstepped that the Craig was sent from Bologna to blamed Cardinal Pole for his imprisonment; offices in the friary and the University, had his competence and entered into the try to calm the unrest among his remaining Guillame Postel (1510-1581), a French been the Inquisitor for Piacenza, Cremona, jurisdiction of the secular authorities by supporters in the priory. In September Semitic scholar, cartographer, and cabbalist and Crema, and had attended the Bologna admitting a dispute between two Jews 1557, Palaeologus was captured in Genoa who was borderline insane and had been sessions of the Council of Trent. The before an ecclesiastical court (the subject and imprisoned, but was helped to escape in the prison for four years; Bartholomew occasion of the 1554 debate “was a certain of the dispute was which of the two Jews in October of the following year. Travelling Spatafora (c.1520-1566), a spirituali disorder and tyranny that was attempted was to lead the singing in the synagogue). to Ragusa (Dubrovnik) on his way back to nobleman from Messina in Sicily who had by the Pope’s governors, who began to In the conflict, one of the Dominican friars, Chios he was recaptured on 9th December been imprisoned since October 1556; make innovations in the country against the Jacobus Palaeologus, took the side of the 1558, and taken first to Ancona and then Giovanni Francesco Verdura (d.1572), laws that were before established, alleging two Genoese commissioners against the to the prison of the Inquisition at the Ripetta titular Bishop of Chersonissos in Crete; themselves not to be subject to such laws, bishop. Palaeologus (c.1520-1585) was Quay on the Tiber in Rome. Andrea Ghetti da Volterra (1510-1578), by reason that they were not instituted by a native of Chios, a man of considerable an Augustinian canon; and Mario Galeota the people but by the Pope, who was King learning and ambition, who had studied at VI. The Ripetta prison (c.1499-1585), a well-born Neapolitan of that country.” The Pope in question was the University of Bologna, and had returned In the meantime, Craig had returned to soldier and spirituali. Another prisoner was Julius III whose pontificate was marked by to Chios in 1555 as a lecturer of theology. Bologna, where he became rector of the the curious Lorenzo Davidico (1513-1574), luxury and gross immorality. After a complicated career, he became convent. This gave him access to the library a voluminous author with great pretensions openly anti-Trinitarian in his later life, and of the Inquisition; and here he found a copy to sanctity who had himself reported V. The Inquisition and was eventually put to death in Rome. of Calvin’s Institutes which he read with several people to the Inquisition including Palaeologus interest. The result was his conversion; and Andrea Ghetti da Volterra in 1550 and Both in Spain and Italy, the Dominican order A heated but inconclusive debate between though an elderly friar in the convent, with Cardinal Morone in 1554. was closely connected with the Inquisition. the two parties on Chios was held in October whom he consulted, advised him to keep Indeed, in his Renaissance Inquisitors (2007), 1555, at the end of which, the bishop’s party quiet, he was unable to do so. He was soon Another prisoner was a Jew named Michael Tavuzzi says: “The studium generale – with the help of the Inquisitor of Chios, himself delated for heresy to the Inquisition, Benjamin Nehemiah ben Elnathan, who of Bologna might well be considered the Antonio Giustiniani who was a Dominican and summoned to Rome. About December was from Civitanova. Along with five other principal nursery of would-be inquisitors of – accused the two commissioners and 1558 – coincidentally the same time as Jews he had been arrested in June 1559 for Renaissance Italy….” By the 1550s, Craig their supporters, including Palaeologus, Palaeologus – Craig was imprisoned at the allegedly trying to convert a friar to Judaism. was sufficiently prominent in his order that of heresy. The commissioners retaliated Ripetta Quay. One of his interrogators at this They were imprisoned in the Ripetta prison he was being sent on Dominican missions by threatening to banish the Inquisitor and stage would have been his fellow-Dominican in July. Benjamin Nehemiah kept a journal to other parts of Italy, and some of these three Franciscan friars of the bishop’s party Michele Ghislieri who was appointed Grand of his time there, which was rediscovered trips may well have been in connection with from the island, a threat which they put into Inquisitor on 14th December 1558 and who and published in 1930: “He wrote his

6 The Bulwark January - March 2018 7 account in fine, idiomatic Hebrew, and it was deliuered by fire and sworde together. is an important contribution to Hebrew And yet now thus fearfull am I, that hauing literature as well as to Jewish history.” He beene thus swinged, and restrained of mentions that his fellow-prisoners included libertie: I would first rather hassard my life two bishops, a number of abbots, and two presently hereafter to dye vpon a Turke: men who spoke in Hebrew and conducted then to abide againe without hope of libertie, their devotions in that language: these were such painfull imprisonment for euer.” Postel and Spatafora. VIII. Vienna VII. Escape from the On his escape from the Ripetta prison, Ripetta prison Craig was faced with the difficulty of According to the accounts of John avoiding recapture. A remarkable story is Craig’s life given by John Row and John told, in various forms, of his hiding in an Spottiswoode, he was due to be burnt to inn in the suburbs of Rome, of the papal Holyrood Abbey death on 19th August 1559. Postel, too, soldiers sent to recapture the prisoners said that he was under sentence of death of the Inquisition coming to the inn, of mentioned, Craig’s English was so rusty vows, with all his shavelings of sundry from Paul IV, probably on the same day. their captain recognizing Craig, and of his after twenty-four years of speaking Latin, sorts; his erroneous and bloody decrees The last meeting of the Inquisition attended turning out to be the wounded man whom that he at first preached in Latin to a made at Trent, with all the subscribers and by Paul IV was apparently that at the end of Craig had helped all those years before learned audience in the Magdalen Chapel. approvers of that cruel and bloody band July. On the evening of 18th August, Paul IV in Bologna. Instead of arresting him, the He rapidly recovered his native tongue, conjured against the of God”, but it was died; and the custom was that on the death captain gave Craig money and a horse however, and in 1561 he was appointed not written in ignorance. Craig had been a of the pope, an amnesty was granted to all for his flight. Craig went first to Bologna, minister of parish, “shaveling” himself for twenty-five years, the prisoners with the exception of those then to Milan, and then on to Vienna. On worshipping in Holyrood Abbey. The had taken the three solemn vows (poverty, held by the Inquisition. On this occasion, his journey, he had a further remarkable following year he became Knox’s colleague chastity, and obedience), had probably however, due to the extreme unpopularity occurrence when, at a time of great need, at St Giles, and thereafter he contributed been interrogated by at least two , of Paul IV, rioting commenced even before a dog brought him a purse full of gold. His fifteen psalms to the metrical Psalter that had seen the luxury of the papal court, and he was dead, and the prisons were broken wife, who lived until 1630 in Edinburgh, appeared in 1564. Three of these – the the folly of the Council of Trent, and had open by the populace. This included the often used to relate the story of this purse. second versions of psalms 136, 143, and had prolonged opportunity to observe the Ripetta prison, which was burnt down 145 – are still in use in the 1650 Psalter, workings of the “wicked hierarchy”. along with the buildings of the Inquisition; On arrival in Vienna, Craig was received by although much modified. In 1573 he and many of the records of the trials were Maximilian II (1527-1576), the future Holy moved to Montrose and the following year The following July, Craig published his destroyed. Roman Emperor, and preached before to Aberdeen. At some stage he married, Shorte Summe of the Whole Catechisme, him in his capacity as a Dominican friar. because when he left Aberdeen in 1579 to dedicated to his former flock in Aberdeen. One account suggests that it was not until Maximilian, who had Lutheran leanings return to Edinburgh, it is recorded that he Further editions appeared in 1583, 1584, 20th August that the Ripetta prison was though he remained in the Church of Rome, went with his “wife and bairns”. 1587, 1589, 1597, and 1608, and his discovered and opened. Writing in the liked Craig’s preaching, and would have Catechism must have rivalled, if not preface to the second edition of his Arte retained his services; but the new Pope, Pius In 1580 Craig drew up the National displaced, Calvin’s Catechism which had of Rhetorique in December 1560, Thomas IV, hearing of Craig’s presence in Vienna, Covenant which was subscribed by the King been in use in the Scottish Church since Wilson says that the prison was on fire demanded his return to Rome. Maximilian, on 28th January 1580/1, and was widely the Reformation. For the last five years of when he escaped: instead, quietly sent Craig through Germany used as a test of orthodoxy thereafter. This his life, Craig did very little, and he died to England and then on to Scotland. document might strike the modern reader in ripe old age on 12th December 1600, “For in deede the Prison was on fire when as somewhat extreme when it “detests more than forty-one years after the date I came out of it, and where as I feared fire IX. Scotland and abhors” the Pope’s “worldly monarchy appointed for his death by the Pope and most (as who is he that doth not feare it?) I On his return to Scotland, as we have and wicked hierarchy; his three solemn the Inquisition.

8 The Bulwark January - March 2018 9 Council of Trent confuted by the Word of God and Kirk of Scotland.

But in special we detest and refuse the usurped authority of that Roman Antichrist upon the Scriptures of God, upon the Kirk, the civil magistrate, and consciences of men; all his tyrannous laws made upon indifferent things against our Christian liberty; his The National erroneous doctrine against the sufficiency of the written Word, the perfection of the law, the office of Christ and His blessed evangel; his corrupted doctrine concerning Covenant of original sin, our natural inability and rebellion to God’s law, our justification by faith only, our imperfect sanctification and obedience to the law, the nature, number, and use of 1580/1 the holy sacraments. James VI The National was drawn up by John Craig, and subscribed by James VI on We detest his five bastard sacraments, with 28th January 1580/1. Thereafter it was subscribed by many people in Scotland in all his rites, ceremonies, and false doctrine, of advocates or mediators; his manifold the 1580s and 1590s. In 1638 it was incorporated into the new National Covenant, added to the ministration of the true orders; auricular confession; his desperate and again subscribed by many people in the ensuing years. Many of those who sacraments, without the Word of God; his and uncertain repentance; his general and persecuted the after 1660 had themselves subscribed the National cruel judgments against infants departing doubtsome faith; his satisfactions of men Covenant, or the Solemn League and Covenant of 1643. without the sacrament; his absolute for their sins; his justification by works, opus necessity of baptism; his blasphemous operatum, works of supererogation, merits, We all, and every one of us underwritten, do of Scotland, the King’s Majesty, and three opinion of transubstantiation or real pardons, peregrinations, and stations. protest, that after long and due examination estates of this realm, as God’s eternal truth presence of Christ’s body in the elements, of our own consciences in matters of true and only ground of our salvation; as more and receiving of the same by the wicked, We detest his profane holy water, baptizing and false religion, we are now thoroughly particularly is expressed in the confession or bodies of men; his dispensations, with of bells, conjuring of spirits, crossing, saning resolved of the truth, by the word and spirit of our faith, established and publicly solemn oaths, perjuries, and degrees of [making the sign of the cross], anointing, of God. confirmed by sundry Acts of Parliament; marriage, forbidden in the Word; his cruelty conjuring, hallowing of God’s good and now of a long time hath been openly against the innocent divorced. creatures, with the superstitious opinion And therefore we believe with our hearts, professed by the King’s Majesty, and whole joined therewith; his worldly monarchy and confess with our mouths, subscribe with body of this realm, both in burgh and land. We abhor his devilish mass; his blasphemous wicked hierarchy; his three solemn vows, our hands, and constantly affirm before priesthood; his profane sacrifice for the sins with all his shavelings of sundry sorts; his God and the whole world, that this only is To the which confession and form of religion of the dead and the quick; his canonization erroneous and bloody decrees made at the true Christian faith and religion, pleasing we willingly agree in our consciences in of men, calling upon angels or saints Trent, with all the subscribers and approvers God, and bringing salvation to man, which all points, as unto God’s undoubted truth departed, worshipping of imagery, relics, of that cruel and bloody band conjured now is by the mercy of God revealed to and verity, grounded only upon His written and crosses; dedicating of , altars, against the Kirk of God. And finally, we the world by the preaching of the blessed Word; and therefore we abhor and detest days; vows to creatures; his purgatory, detest all his vain allegories, rites, signs, evangel, and received, believed, and all contrary religion and doctrine, but chiefly prayers for the dead, praying or speaking and traditions, brought in the Kirk without or defended by many and sundry notable all kind of papistry in general and particular in a strange language; with his processions against the Word of God, and doctrine of kirks and realms, but chiefly by the Kirk heads, even as they are now damned and and blasphemous litany, and multitude this true reformed Kirk.

10 The Bulwark January - March 2018 11 Papal luxury: the Sistine Hall of the Vatican Library

To which we join ourselves willingly, in dealing with God and His Kirk, protest and doctrine, religion, faith, discipline, and life of call the Searcher of all hearts for witness, the holy sacraments, as lively members of that our minds and hearts do fully agree the same, in Christ our head, promising and with this our confession, promise, oath, and swearing, by the great name of the Lord our subscription: so that we are not moved for God, that we shall continue in the obedience any worldly respect, but are persuaded only of the doctrine and discipline of this Kirk, in our consciences, through the knowledge and shall defend the same according to our and love of God’s true religion printed in our vocation and power all the days of our lives, hearts by the Holy Spirit, as we shall answer under the pains contained in the law, and to Him in the day when the secrets of all A Christian perspective on the danger both of body and soul in the day of hearts shall be disclosed. God’s fearful judgment. And because we perceive that the quietness French Revolution And seeing that many are stirred up by and stability of our religion and Kirk doth Satan and that Roman Antichrist, to depend upon the safety and good behaviour promise, swear, subscribe, and for a of the King’s Majesty, as upon a comfortable Rev John MacLeod time use the holy sacraments in the Kirk, instrument of God’s mercy granted to this Portmahomack deceitfully against their own consciences, country for the maintenance of His Kirk, and minding thereby, first under the external ministration of justice among us, we protest The French Revolution of 1789 was one I. The background to the cloak of religion, to corrupt and subvert and promise with our hearts under the same of the great landmarks of the last three French Revolution secretly God’s true religion within the Kirk; oath, hand-writ, and pains, that we shall hundred years of European history. It has The Revocation of the Edict of Nantes and afterwards, when time may serve, to defend his person and authority with our effects which continue to the present in 1685 was the start of a tremendous become open enemies and persecutors of goods, bodies, and lives, in the defence of day. But the bloodbath and the religious, upheaval in the religious, social, and the same, under vain hope of the Pope’s Christ His evangel, liberties of our country, political, social, and economic mess that economic life of France and led to a situation dispensation, devised against the Word ministration of justice, and punishment of are associated with the French Revolution in which the country was, to a significant of God, to his great confusion, and their iniquity, against all enemies within this realm did not come out of nowhere. It had roots extent, ungovernable. The Reformation double condemnation in the day of the or without, as we desire our God to be a that stretched back into French history had taken strong root in many parts of Lord Jesus. strong and merciful defender to us in the day and it had consequences that affected, France. And indeed the Scottish Church of our death, and coming of our Lord Jesus and affect, not only France but many other owes a great deal to the French Church – We therefore, willing to take away all Christ; to Whom, with the Father and the countries, as far afield as the USA and John Knox spent time preaching in Dieppe; suspicion of hypocrisy, and of such double Holy Spirit, be all honour and glory eternally. Canada. he was familiar with the Reformed Church

12 The Bulwark January - March 2018 13 in Strasbourg; and of course Calvin was 1. The Albigenses or Cathars of the Church. They claimed an apostolic the foot of the castle. The last remnants fled very much a Frenchman, and it would France today is a very unitary state – note the succession from the founders of Christianity, across the border into Catalonia. be reasonable to say that the Genevan status of St Pierre and Miquelon, the Pacific and saw Romanism as having betrayed and Church was something of an outpost of the islands, etc. France was not always that corrupted the original purity of the message. 2. The Reformation in France French Reformed Church. Furthermore, way – historically it was made up of several They held Scripture to be normative, and Though he was not personally interested in Scotland owes much to the French different areas and kingdoms. One such encouraged distribution of Scriptures, and religious reform, Francis I (1515–47) initially Reformed Church for her contribution, at area was the Basque Country at the north- teaching to people read. They read from and maintained an attitude of tolerance, arising the time of the Reformation, to the basic western end of French-Spanish border. expounded the Scriptures in the common from his interest in the humanist movement. principles of Reformed psalmody. The This was the centre of the old Kingdom language of the people. They attempted to Eventually, however, he came to view the work of Clément Marot and Théodore de of Navarre with its capital Pamplona. A hold the apostolic faith. They pointed out the Reformation movement as a threat to the Bèze in terms of the principles of metrical second region was Catalonia at the south- evil lives of the Roman Catholic clerics. They kingdom’s stability. This led to the first psalmody, and the contribution of men like eastern end of French-Spanish border, with pointed out the unscriptural nature of the major phase of anti-Protestant persecution Louis Bourgeois (Old 100th) and Claudius its capital of Barcelona. At the beginning Roman Catholic sacraments – especially the in France, in which the Chambre Ardente Goudimel to the musical side of psalmody, of the seventeenth century, some 20% of doctrine of transubstantiation. They pointed (“Burning Chamber”) was established were groundbreaking and still underlie our the total male population of Catalonia was out that the water used in baptism is material within the Parlement of Paris to deal with Reformed approach to praise in worship. made up of French immigrants. For the and corruptible and cannot sanctify the soul. the rise in prosecutions for heresy. Several most part, the French were assimilated They asserted that the cross should not be thousand French Protestants fled the But France was a divided country in with relative ease into Catalan society. A adored or venerated. country during this time, most notably John spiritual matters and the Roman Catholic third area was Languedoc which had a Calvin, who settled in Geneva. Church was not going to give up lightly the different culture and a different language, Catharism was above all a populist religion struggle to get rid of all the Protestants in Occitan, spoken to this day. In the twelfth and the numbers of those who considered Calvin continued to take an interest in France – the Huguenots. The slaughter of and thirteenth centuries, this was the centre themselves “believers” in the late twelfth the religious affairs of his native land Protestants in the St. Bartholomew’s Eve for the Albigenses or Cathars, century included a sizeable portion of the and, from his base in Geneva, beyond massacre of 1572 involved the murder population of Languedoc. In 1208 the Pope the reach of the French king, he regularly of perhaps about 30,000 Huguenots, We must remember that most of the ordered Phillip Augustus, King of France, to trained ministers to lead congregations including many of their most influential allegations against the Cathars came organise a crusade against the Cathars and in France. Despite heavy persecution by leaders. When Henri of Navarre came to from their enemies, especially the Roman there followed twenty years of war against Henry II, the Reformed Church of France, the throne of France he came to a bitterly Catholics. Although in places there are the Cathars and their allies in the Languedoc: largely Calvinist in direction, made steady divided country. He had been brought up some apparent similarities in theology and the Albigensian Crusade. The Cathars spent progress across large sections of the by a God-fearing Protestant mother but practice between the Cathars on the one much of 1209 fending off the crusaders. The nation, in the urban bourgeoisie and parts he vacillated between Protestantism and hand and Gnostic/dualist groups – such leader of the crusaders, Simon de Montfort, of the aristocracy. The whole situation Romanism thinking that he could solve as the Marcionites or Manichaeans – there resorted to primitive psychological warfare. was very politicised, and wars of religion the religious division in a political way. was not a direct link between them at all; the He ordered his troops to gouge out the intensified after the sudden death of Henry In 1598 he enacted the Edict of Nantes Buddhist-like Manichaeanism died out in the eyes of a hundred prisoners, cut off their II in 1559, which began a prolonged period which gave the Huguenots distinct legal West by the seventh century. noses and lips, and then send them back of weakness for the French crown. rights and protection, and cities of refuge to the towers led by a prisoner with one like La Rochelle. Protestants could have The Cathars were largely a home-grown, remaining eye. From May 1243 to March Atrocity and outrage became the defining freedom of conscience; they had their civil Western European form of Christianity in the 1244, the Cathar fortress of Montségur was characteristic of the era, illustrated at its most rights restored; they could work anywhere mid-twelfth century, particularly in southern besieged by the troops of the seneschal intense by the murder of Admiral Coligny, in France; and they were not banned from France—the Languedoc. In general, of Carcassonne and the archbishop of the leading Protestant politician followed government employment. But that did not they formed an anti-sacerdotal party in Narbonne. On 16th March 1244, a large by the Massacre of St. Bartholomew’s Eve mean that everything was easy for the opposition to the Roman Catholic Church, and symbolically important massacre took in August 1572, when the Roman Catholic Huguenots, or that no further attempts protesting against what they perceived to be place, where over two hundred Cathar party annihilated 30,000 or more Huguenots were made to make life difficult for them. the moral, spiritual, and political corruption Perfects were burnt in an enormous fire at across France, with many thousands in Paris

14 The Bulwark January - March 2018 15 alone. This massacre was largely the result renounced Protestantism. He was said to limited possibilities of self-defence. While 6. Louis XV of the scheming of Catherine of Medici, the have declared that “Paris vaut bien une it granted certain privileges to Huguenots Louis XV came to the throne in 1715. In 1724, widow of Henry II. The wars concluded only messe” (“Paris is well worth a Mass”). in certain limited geographical areas, the he introduced a law which brought about when Henry IV, himself a former Huguenot, Edict reaffirmed Roman Catholicism as the a much fiercer persecution of Protestants. issued the Edict of Nantes, promising official We do not want to go into the rest of established religion of France. The law of 1724 stated that: toleration of the Protestant minority, but his life, but existence for the Huguenots under highly restricted conditions. was becoming more and more difficult. 5. Revocation of Edict of Nantes “The chief abuses which demand a speedy Persecution of the Protestants took many 1685 remedy relate to illicit assemblies, the Roman Catholicism remained the official forms, with restrictions on employment In 1622, the fortified Protestant towns education of children, the obligation of public state religion, and the situation for French and places of residence. The response of were reduced to two, La Rochelle and functionaries to profess the Catholic religion, Protestants gradually declined over the next Huguenots in terms of employment is of Montauban. Vast numbers of Protestants the penalties against the relapsed, and the century, culminating in Louis XIV’s Edict of particular and ongoing relevance. moved into La Rochelle. In October celebration of marriage, regarding which Fontainebleau—which revoked the Edict 1685, Louis XIV, the grandson of Henry here are our intentions: Shall be condemned: of Nantes and made Roman Catholicism Areas of employment: Huguenots IV, renounced the Edict and declared preachers to the penalty of death, their the sole legal religion of France. In the late became largely self-employed or worked in Protestantism illegal. The actions of Louis accomplices to the galleys for life, and seventeenth century, many Huguenots family groups. They engaged increasingly XIV, the Sun King, had effects which women to be shaved and imprisoned for fled to England, the Netherlands, Prussia, in what were regarded at the time as “high- culminated in the French Revolution. life. Confiscation of property: parents who Switzerland, and the English and Dutch tech” industries such as weaving. shall not have baptism administered to their overseas colonies. A significant community Louis initially excluded Protestants children within twenty-four hours, and see in France remained in the Cévennes region. Quality of work: Huguenots were noted for from office, restricted the meeting of that they attend regularly the catechism and the quality of their work and their diligence synods, closed churches outside Edict- the schools, to fines and such sums as they 3. Effects of the in it. Clearly the so called “Protestant work stipulated areas, banned Protestant may amount to together; even to greater Counter-Reformation in France ethic” existed long before Max Weber outdoor preachers, and prohibited penalties. Midwives, physicians, surgeons, Henri of Navarre – a Basque – ruled France coined the phrase. domestic Protestant migration. In 1681, apothecaries, domestics, relatives, who from 1589 to 1610. He was the son of he dramatically increased his persecution shall not notify the parish priests of births or Queen Jeanne of Navarre. Henry of Navarre 4. The Edict of Nantes 1598 of Protestants. He banned emigration and illnesses, to fines. Persons who shall exhort became the legal heir to the French throne The Edict aimed primarily to end the long- effectively insisted that all Protestants must the sick, to the galleys or imprisonment in 1584. However, since Henry of Navarre running, disruptive French Wars of Religion. be converted to Romanism. He then began for life, according to sex; confiscation of was a Huguenot, this set off a new phase Henry IV was no more a convinced Roman quartering dragoons in Protestant homes. property. The sick who shall refuse the of the French Wars of Religion. The third Catholic than he had been a convinced Although this was within his legal rights, sacraments, if they recover, to banishment Henry, the Duke of Guise, pushed for Protestant and the Edict of Nantes was a the dragonnades inflicted severe financial for life; if they die, to be dragged on a hurdle. complete suppression of the Huguenots. political device intended to restore peace strain on Protestants and atrocious abuse. Desert-marriages are illegal; the children When Henry III died in 1589, Henry of and internal unity to France. But Roman The Edict of Fontainebleau of 1685 exiled born of them are incompetent to inherit. Navarre nominally became king of France. Catholics rejected the apparent recognition Protestant ministers, required the demolition Minors whose parents are expatriated may But the Catholic League, strengthened of Protestantism as a permanent element of Protestant temples, introduced forced marry without their authority; but parents by support from outside, especially from in French society and still hoped to enforce baptisms, and banned Protestant groups. whose children are on foreign soil shall not Spain, was strong enough to force him religious uniformity, while Protestants consent to their marriage, on pain of the to the south. He had to set about winning hoped for equality with Roman Catholics. Defying royal decree, about 200,000 galleys for the men and banishment for the his kingdom by military conquest, aided Huguenots fled France during his reign. women.” by money and troops sent by Elizabeth I The re-establishing of royal authority in Some escaped by the most ingenious of of England. Nevertheless Henry remained France required internal peace, based on means – in Kilravock Castle, near Cawdor, The enforcement of the law varied, but it unable to take control of Paris. In July 1593, limited toleration enforced by the crown. there still stands the Kilravock wardrobe in was applied most rigorously in southern with the encouragement of his mistress, Since royal troops could not be everywhere, which one Huguenot was smuggled out of France. It is estimated that the number Gabrielle d’Estrées, Henry permanently Huguenots needed to be granted strictly France. of men and women imprisoned or sent

16 The Bulwark January - March 2018 17 to the galleys for religious offences in the United Empire Loyalists. Descendants France that lasted from 1789 until 1799. de-Christianised. The Revolutionary forty years following the edict of 1724 was of the Huguenot emigrants are still to be The Revolution overthrew the monarchy, government introduced a new calendar, almost two thousand. found in Reformed Churches in most of the established a republic, experienced violent with 10-day weeks; each day in the countries where their forebears settled – periods of political turmoil, and finally Republican calendar was divided into ten In all, as many as 400,000 Protestants still very much aware of their ancestry and culminated in a dictatorship under Napoleon. hours, each hour into 100 decimal minutes, chose to leave France, out of a population still holding, to a truly remarkable extent, It unleashed a wave of global conflicts that and each decimal minute into 100 decimal of 18-20 million. They moved to Britain, the principles which their forefathers held extended from the Caribbean to the Middle seconds. And of course the metric system Prussia, the Dutch Republic, Switzerland, so strongly. East. Many historians argue that the French of measurement was introduced. Large South Africa, and the new French colonies Revolution should be regarded as one of the numbers of civilians were executed by in North America. It was an exodus which How are the Huguenots relevant to us most important events in human history. So revolutionary tribunals during the Terror, with deprived France of many of its most today? what actually happened? estimates ranging from 16,000 to 40,000. skilled and industrious individuals. France • Their response to the challenge of collapsed economically and socially. Not employment difficulties. The Seven Years’ War and the American Eventually the Revolutionary leadership lost all fled – and indeed there are villages in • Their right sense of priorities with regard Revolutionary War left the French control in a coup led by Napoleon Bonaparte France where the counter-reformation to identity. government deeply in debt and trying to in 1799. Napoleon, who became the hero never penetrated. • The manner in which they lent stability restore its financial status through unpopular of the Revolution through his popular to communities they lived in. taxation schemes. Years of bad harvests military campaigns, went on to establish the 7. Effects of the Huguenot • The manner in which they worked with leading up to the Revolution inflamed Consulate and later the First Empire, setting exodus on territories outwith a view to the glory of God, leading to resentment of the privileges enjoyed by the stage for a wider array of global conflicts France the prosperity of the whole community. the clergy and the aristocracy. The 14th in the Napoleonic Wars and the imposition In the earlier days, Huguenots had not • The manner in which they brought up July 1789 saw the storming of the Bastille. of a rigid uniformity on France. been allowed into the American colonies their families in the faith. In August 1789 there was a declaration of of France in Acadia and Louisiana. These • The solid evidence of God’s blessing on the abolition of feudalism and the old rules III. The Ongoing effects of colonies were impoverished as a result. them for many generations. and privileges left over from the Ancien the French Revolution They have a remarkable history of music Régime. The next few years featured The American Revolution of 1765 onwards and food, but little else. The Huguenots, II. The main events of the political struggles between various liberal was very much influenced by some of the however, transformed the areas they French Revolution assemblies and right-wing supporters of the thinkers who were behind the early stages settled in. They did not create ghettos in France in the 1780s was a country reeling from monarchy intent on thwarting major reforms. leading up to the French Revolution. An any sense of the term – perhaps something multiple problems. It was a country in which The Republic was proclaimed in September awareness of that fact was a major influence of a contrast with exiled Scots. Huguenots the Huguenots had endured two centuries 1792. And in a momentous event that led on the thinking of the United Empire outwith France did not cling to the of utterly brutal treatment. It was a country to international condemnation, Louis XVI Loyalists who fled to what is now Canada trappings of culture so much as hold on which was in a state of economic collapse, was executed in January 1793.The Battle of around the time of the American Revolution. to the foundation of their whole approach not least because of the expulsion of the most Cholet (60km from Nantes) on 17th October The little-known war of 1812, when the to life and to eternity – their relationship productive part of society –the Huguenots. 1793 was a decisive Republican victory and Americans invaded Canada, is of relevance with God. Again, this is in contrast with It was a country where the monarchy was effectively marked the end of the Royalist in the history of the Huguenots – many of the Acadians and the Cajuns. In the case utterly out of touch with the people and cared struggle in France. those loyalists were of Huguenot stock and of the Huguenots it was their names which little for them. It was a country where most of determined to take a stand against invasion identified them as French, more than their the people were gaining precious little from Without any serious opposition at home, by revolutionaries. To a remarkable extent, language or their music. the existing political and economic regime France looked to spread revolution further the descendants of those Huguenots and had nothing to lose by revolting against afield with conquests in Italy, the Low are still identifiable – and still Reformed – The American Revolution posed an its unjust brutality. Countries, and most territory west of the generations on, and now centuries on. enormous challenge to those of them in Rhine. In France itself the mob began the American colonies – vast numbers The French Revolution was a period of far- dictating the pace. From 1793 to 1794 there The modern era has unfolded in the shadow fled north into British North America as reaching social and political upheaval in was a Reign of Terror. Society was officially of the French Revolution. Almost all future

18 The Bulwark January - March 2018 19 revolutionary movements looked back to of every government that is not directed threatens basic Christian liberties. If we making for the future of our young people? the Revolution as their predecessor. Its with a specific view to God’s glory. In were to pick out, by way of example, one How are we to educate them? How are catch phrase of “Liberté, égalité, fraternité” attacking bad government, it is important of the particularly challenging areas for we to prepare them for work? What sort of was taken up again and again in other to attack principles rather than spout bile Christians in the early twenty-first century, work is appropriate for them? I believe that countries and cultures and became the and abuse against individuals. we might profitably direct our attention to the manner in which those matters were buzz phrase of many other major upheavals the situation of our young people, both in addressed by the Huguenots in the years in modern history, including the Russian Toleration can move swiftly to persecution. relation to education and to employment. leading up to the French Revolution provides Revolution over a century later. It is vital that Christians should be alert us with a useful example which subsequent to the emergence of tendencies towards What preparation are we, as Christians, history has shown to be blessed by God. As is so often the case following a revolution, totalitarianism. If we were to pick very the generations coming afterwards tend to recent illustrations of such dangerous know little or nothing about the history of tendencies we might mention: their nation before the revolution. Ask an American about American history prior to • OFSTED controls in England with regard The life and ministry of 1776 and you will probably get a pretty to the right to hold Christian views on blank look and then something muttered matters covered in school syllabi and about the Pilgrim Fathers and the Boston indeed the claim that OFSTED should Tea Party, but nothing much more. Ask have right to control what is taught in a Russian about Russian history before Church Sabbath Schools. the Scottish Covenanter the Revolution and you will find the same • Threats of government employees reaction. Ask a Chinese person under the having to subscribe to “British Values”, age of 60 and they will know nothing about some of which are contrary to Scriptural Chinese history before the Great March. teaching. In other words, this is a threat Miss Claudia Campbell of a re-enactment of Test Acts. This is the winning entry for the 2016-2017 Knox Prize Essay The values and institutions of the Revolution • Two-child families: the recent dominate French politics to this day. The implementation of legislation which I. Early Life the university there. He graduated in 1648 Revolution resulted in the suppression places families with more than two Alexander Peden was born in Sorn, and was employed as a schoolteacher, of the feudal system and the abolition of children in a seriously disadvantaged , in 1626. He was the eldest son, precentor, and Session Clerk, to John the privileges of aristocratic birth and the situation in terms of tax. and was born into the lower gentry, his Guthrie, minister at Tarbolton establishment of equality. But it was also • Immigration controls which allow in only father being a property-owner and heir to . an aggressive revolution in that it aimed those who are rich, and which reject the laird of Auchincloich, and the respected II. Commencement of Ministry at propagating itself worldwide. Feminism totally the concept of marriage. Boswells of Auchinleck being close family Peden received a call to the ministry during and secularism were amongst the leading friends. This, when read in light of Peden’s his years at Tarbolton. He was ordained ideas it sought to spread. It introduced at We live in a very challenging era, one in future sufferings and poverty, makes in 1659 after five examinations by the a new level the concept of total war by which a great deal of government policy his sacrifices appear all the greater; like Presbytery, and deliverance from a scandal organising the resources of France and the is hostile to Christianity – a situation which Moses, he “refused to be called the son which he had been falsely accused of being lives of its citizens towards the objective of we can see had many parallels in France of Pharaoh’s daughter… choosing rather involved in. He was inducted to the charge military conquest. And it led to the rise to in the years leading up to and following to suffer affliction with the people of God” of New Luce, Galloway, where he ministered power of the dictator Napoleon. the French Revolution. Of course we (Heb. 11:24 -25). Of his earliest days little for about three years. Shortly after his must pray and work for God-honouring is known, except that he attended the settlement, the of 1660 took IV. What we can usefully policies, legislation, and actions on the parish school of , about three place, in which the episcopalian King Charles learn from these things part of civil government. Yet we must also miles away from his home. When he was II was restored to the throne. In 1661 the Persecution can come under different face up to the reality of a need for a God- about eighteen years of age, he headed Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance were guises and forms of government – beware honouring course of action when legislation north to Glasgow to further his studies at drafted by the new Parliament, and later that

20 The Bulwark January - March 2018 21 year the ‘Rescissory Act’ was passed which New Luce until after the Glorious Revolution In December 1678, Peden was sentenced Peden returned to Scotland in the early destroyed all the Reformation progress of all of 1688, when William Kyle, a Presbyterian, to permanent banishment to the American part of 1685, after hearing of the death of the Parliaments since 1633, and restored was ordained in 1693. colonies, along with sixty other Covenanters. Charles II. On the day he sailed, there was episcopacy to Scotland. Peden was convinced that the ship would initially no wind and it seemed impossible In 1666, the Scottish Council proclaimed never reach America and that, if it called at to cross the sea that day. Peden, however, In 1662 this was followed by the ‘Benefices charges against Peden for holding , everyone would be set free. The being not of “little faith” (Matt. 8:26), prayed and Stipends Act’ which required that conventicles, preaching, and baptising ship left , port of Edinburgh, and travelled “Lord, give us a loof-ful [handful] of wind, ministers present themselves to the previous children after being excommunicated. to Gravesend, London. Here they were fill the sails… give us a fresh gale, and let government-appointed patron of their parish Peden refused to appear in court, and was transferred to the care of another captain, us have a swift and safe passage over, in order to gain permission to remain. This subsequently declared a rebel. Between the who, on learning that his cargo consisted come of us what will.” Before he had even was despite the fact that patronage, a system years of 1667 and 1673, Peden spent his time of pious Christians innocent of wrong- concluded his prayer, the sails were blown opposed to Presbyterianism, had been partly in Scotland and partly in Ireland, and doing, released them all. After this amazing full and they were indeed given a “swift and abolished in 1649. Peden was one of the continued field-preaching in both countries deliverance, Peden remained in England until safe passage” back to Scotland. many ministers who refused to do this, and whenever he could. He was continuously June 1679 and then returned to Scotland. was subsequently prohibited from preaching living in danger of discovery by the troops, He was free, but the authorities were now VI. Later Years by another Act of Parliament. Peden also during these years and for the rest of his life. more determined than ever to recapture him. Back in Scotland, several wonderful refused to obey this order on the grounds that deliverances from enemy troops were the civil powers did not have supremacy in IV. Prisoner for the Cause V. Ireland granted Peden. On one occasion, he was this matter. He was finally forced to leave his In July 1673 Peden was eventually captured Later in 1679, Peden returned again to fleeing on horseback and nearly drowned parish after the Privy Council sent individual and held prisoner at the Bass Rock Prison Ireland for another short period, and once crossing a river. He cried out to the letters to the twenty-six remaining ministers, for five years. During his sojourn at the Bass, again returned to Scotland in 1680. This following troops; “Lads, do not follow, for ordering them to leave. he was used by God as the instrument of a was the year of Richard Cameron’s death at I assure you ye want my boat (he meant remarkable conversion. He was out walking Airsmoss, not far from Peden’s birthplace. God’s assistance), and so will drown, and III. Excommunicated on the rock when a soldier walking by Peden would have been affected greatly consider where your landing will be.” They In 1663, Peden was ejected from his pulpit, shouted out, referring to Peden, “the devil by this as he admired “Ritchie” and later were so frightened by his solemn, yet loving, the first and last one he preached from. He take him”. Peden replied solemnly, “Poor expressed a desire to be buried with him, words that they took his advice. At another preached his farewell sermons from Acts man, thou knowest not what thou art saying; though it was not to be. In 1682 Peden time, Peden was chased, together with 20:7-38, in particular verse 31, the focus of but thou shalt repent of that”. The soldier was travelled to Ireland for the last time, and some friends, by cavalry and infantry. Even the morning sermon; “Therefore watch, and instantly terrified, and cried out to Peden that searched for work in the county of Antrim. Peden felt there was no way of escape, so remember, that, by the space of three years, the devil would come immediately and take He was given work threshing corn by William he told the company to stand still, saying I ceased not to warn every one”, and verse him away. Peden spoke to him and prayed Steel, and a bed in the barn with the servant that they should pray where they were. In 32, the focus of the afternoon sermon; “And for him, and came again the next morning lad. Soon after Peden’s arrival, the servant his prayer, he said “Cast the lap of thy cloak now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to to find him in a more composed state of boy reported to his mistress that “this man over puir auld Sandy [himself].” Almost the Word of his grace”. When he was about mind, deeply convinced of sin. When called sleeps none, but groans and prays all night… immediately a cloud of mist, the “lap of [the to leave the pulpit, one of the most well- to take up arms by the guard, he refused to he threshes very well… not sparing himself, Lord’s] cloak” as Peden had metaphorically known anecdotes about Peden took place. lift up his arms against Jesus Christ’s cause, though I think he has not been used to it… prayed for, came down between them and Knocking on the pulpit three times with the for, he said, “I have done that too long.” He he goes to a certain place and prays for the troops, and they were saved. Bible, he repeated three times the following was threatened with death the following day the afflicted .” The lady words: “In my Master’s name I arrest thee, at 10 am but was given great courage; he herself listened to Peden the following night, Peden preached his last sermon at that none ever enter thee but such as enter repeated three times that he would never lift and her husband asked Peden if he was a Collinswood, Water of . In the prayer as I have done, by the door”. By this he meant up a weapon against Christ’s cause again. minister. When he answered affirmatively, he after the sermon he is said to have prayed: that only non-indulged Presbyterian ministers Three days later, he was allowed ashore and was no longer required to thresh corn, but “Lord, thou hast been both good and kind would enter the pulpit, which indeed came settled in with his young family. rather given a room in the house, and his to auld Sandy through a long tract of time, to pass. No minister entered the pulpit of He became an extraordinary Christian. ministry there was a blessing. and given him many years in thy service…

22 The Bulwark January - March 2018 23 but now he is tired of thy world and has Scotland. Despite being born into high done all the good in it that he will do… he society, he spent most of his life without will gather no more”. After this he wandered a proper abode, wandering from place to about until he came to his brother’s home place. For much of his life he was lonely, in the Sorn parish, the place of his birth. He although he was certainly not anti-social had a small cave dug for himself in the rock, or hermitical; he had a great love for his disguised by a willow bush, not far from his fellow men and women, as many of the brother’s house. The troops searched the events in his life prove. He had a church area several times, but every time failed to pulpit only for three short years, but his find him. field ministry in the following years was, in the grace of God, a wonderful blessing VII. The End to many. This essay has been able to Early one morning soon after this in January mention only a few of the many astonishing 1686, he left his cave and went to his deliverances Peden was given, or times brother’s house. His brother’s wife pleaded when he “prophesied” with amazing with him to return to the safety of his cave, accuracy about future events. His life was fearing for his life, but Peden said, “I have abundant with such anecdotes, which is YOUNG done with that [the cave] for it is discovered. why he was, for centuries, remembered as But there is no matter, for within forty-eight ‘Peden the Prophet’. This very fact has at hours I will be beyond the reach of all the times held Peden up to scepticism or even Devil’s temptations, and his instruments contempt, and it is true that some incidents Bulwark in hell and on earth, and they shall trouble have probably been embellished over me no more.” Peden was right; three hours time; however, many of his “prophecies” later the troops came and searched the are well authenticated and their fulfilment whole area, including his cave, but did not proved to have occurred. puts find him, and within forty-five hours after it well when he writes: “although these this Peden had passed away quietly to be things are now made to stoop or yield to “troubled…no more”. It was the 28th of the force of ridicule, the sarcasms of the John Craig January, and he was sixty years old. profane, and the fashions of an atheistical age and generation; yet we must believe Peden was first buried secretly in the laird and conclude with the Spirit of God, that When John Craig saw the light of the sunrise death were known as the Inquisition. Many of Auchinleck’s family vault, but his body the secrets of the Lord both have been, in his prison cell on 19th August 1559, he people suffered terribly because of them. expected it would be his last day. He was was found by troops forty days later and are, and will be, with them who fear his far away from his home land of Scotland in That was why Craig was here; they were taken to Cumnock. There it was publicly name (Ps 25:14).” the city of Rome. It was an awful prison on going to put him to death. One day in the displayed for a time before being buried the banks of the river Tiber and the water monastery library at Bologna in Italy, he with other martyrs at the foot of the Peden once concluded a sermon on Luke had often flooded into the cell right up to had discovered a closely guarded book that gallows. Later, the people of Cumnock 24:21 with the following words to his his waist. The prison was for people that the would change his life. It was by the famous changed their place of public burial, and congregation: “Now unto the Lord who is Roman Catholic Church called heretics. By Reformer from Switzerland, . The now a cemetery lies about his grave. able to keep you from falling, be everlasting this they usually meant true believers. They Institutes of the Christian Religion was a book praise.” He is now taking part in that wanted to get rid of those who believed the that explained how Roman Catholic teaching VIII. Conclusion “everlasting praise”, and will to all eternity true gospel and taught others to believe could not be found in the Bible. It showed Alexander Peden’s life was one of praise the Lord, who, despite the many the Scriptures rather than trust in the false what the Bible really taught, especially that exceptional service and devotion to God temptations and hardships Peden faced in teaching of Rome. The Roman Catholics salvation is only by depending on Christ alone in times of great trial and hardship in this life, kept him “from falling”. who hunted them down and put them to by faith, not on the things that we can do.

24 The Bulwark January - March 2018 25 John Craig’s life would never be the same he found it difficult to preach in his native again. He could not do anything other than language! He had to preach in Latin for a tell everyone he could about the truths of while until he could become a minister in Key Dates God’s Word. But while some of his fellow Edinburgh. friars listened, others were not happy. An older friar told him to keep quiet because it He helped to make sure the people had 1513 1560 was dangerous. Craig continued to speak the Psalms in a form that they could sing. Born near Aberdeen In August, Knox and five to the other friars and he was reported to His versions of Psalm 136, 143 and 145 are other “Johns” write the Scots the Inquisition. He had been found guilty still sung today. He also helped to write a 1528 Confession; adopted by of heresy, and now he was waiting in the catechism for children so that they could Parliament prison at Rome to be burned to death. understand the teachings of the Bible and Patrick Hamilton is martyred for remember them. This was the catechism his faith in St. Andrews. Craig But what John Craig did not know on used in Scotland until the Shorter was a student there at the time. 1561 that morning was that Pope Paul IV had Catechism replaced it. In August, Mary Queen of died during the night. The people were 1534 Scots returns to Scotland. overjoyed because they disliked him so Mary Queen of Scots and others were Craig also returns to Scotland. Craig spends time in England much. They began to burn buildings always trying to change the Church and and break open the prisons. Craig along to look for ways to bring it under their with the other prisoners was set free! control. But John Craig was like Knox and 1536 1566 He decided to leave Italy altogether and stood firm against them. In 1580 he wrote John Calvin publishes the James VI is born to Mary Queen headed north. a short statement of faith for the young Institutes of the Christian of Scots and Lord Darnley. King James 6th. It was called “The King’s Religion. Craig goes to France He had not yet got out of Rome when he Confession” because the king signed then Rome. He goes to Bologna 1567 was found by an Italian soldier searching it. It has been called the Reformation where he enters a convent. for the escaped prisoners. But the soldier document that opposes Roman Catholic In August, Mary Queen of recognised him from a time in the past teaching the most. John Craig never lost Scots is deposed. when Craig had helped him when he was his concern about the terrible errors that 1546 wounded. Instead of arresting Craig he he had once believed. As someone who is captured and gave him a horse and some money. A few was almost burned to death by the Roman burned alive in St Andrews 1572 weeks later, he was in the mountains when Catholic Church he knew how dangerous John Knox dies something equally unexpected happened. it was. 1556 As he was resting, a large black dog came up to him. He noticed that the dog carried This confession became one of the most In May, Knox begins an extended preaching mission 1580 a bag in his mouth. The dog had a purse full important documents in Scottish history, throughout Scotland. Craig National Covenant is of gold in its mouth and let the Reformer the “National Covenant”. It was renewed goes to the island of Chios written by Craig have it. again in 1638 when the Scottish Church on a preaching trip. was under threat. Sadly, the name John He was able to use the money to get all Craig is mostly forgotten today, although 1581 the way back across Europe to his native we owe a very great deal to him. He died at 1558 Craig publishes his Catechism Scotland. The Reformation had just taken an old age rather than being burned at the Craig imprisoned in Rome place when he arrived in 1561. He joined six stake. His life shows us that God protects on a charge of heresy other Johns who wrote the documents that his people and provides for them in their the Reformed Church needed. The most greatest need. We must trust in the Lord 1600 famous is John Knox and he welcomed whenever we are in trouble and afraid. God 1559 Craig dies him with joy. Craig had a problem; he had wants us to be faithful to the truth of his Knox arrives at Leith, Scotland been away from Scotland for so long that Word, just like John Craig. and begins preaching in Perth

26 The Bulwark January - March 2018 27 John Craig Monastery Covenant Dog Bologna Word Psalms Latin Day-Conference on the Prison Bible Inquisition Heresy Search Calvin Catechism Articles of Perth of 1618

St John’s Church Sat 14th Perth, PH1 5SZ April 2018 (where the 1618 General Assembly was held)

The Articles of Perth, adopted by the General Assembly in 1618, were a major step in James VI’s project of trying to conform the Church of Scotland to Anglicanism; and the resistance to them culminated in the signing of the National Covenant of 1638.

Programme

11.00-11.15 Tea and coffee 11.15-11.30 Introduction and devotions 11.30- 12.15 The Background to the Articles of Perth (Rev. John Keddie) 12.30-1.15 and the Articles of Perth (Rev. Douglas Somerset) 1.30-2.15 Lunch (sandwiches provided) 2.15-3.00 The Sufferings of those who faithfully resisted the Articles of Perth (Mr Matthew Vogan) Some questions and answers from Craig’s Catechism: 3.15- 3.45 The Articles of Perth overturned in 1638 (Rev. David Campbell) Ques. Who made man and woman? Ques. What is the image of God? Conference closes 4 pm. Ans. The eternal God of his goodness. Ans. Perfect uprightness in body and soul. Ques. Whereof made he them? Ques. To what end were they made? Ans. Of an earthly body and an heavenly spirit. Ans. To acknowledge and serve their Maker. To register for the conference, please book on Eventbrite www.perth1618.eventbrite.co.uk or else Ques. To whose image made he them? Ques. How should they have served him? telephone (0131) 220 1450. Registration is free but essential so that we know the numbers for catering. Ans. To his own image. Ans. According to his holy will. A donation of £10 is requested on the day in order to cover the expenses of the conference and lunch.

28 The Bulwark January - March 2018 29 Branch News The following branch meetings have been arranged for the 2017-18 session.

Aberdeen Branch

Meetings are on Fridays at the Church Hall, Craigiebuckler Parish Church, Springfield Road, AB15 8AA, Society News starting at 7.30pm (DV).

23rd February 2018 Forthcoming publications Mrs Pam Bateman “Martin Luther and the Significance of the Ninety-Five Theses”, Rev John J. Murray’s recent series of Bulwark We are sorry to record that Mrs Rev. John Keddie (Kirkhill) articles has been collected into a book which will Pam Bateman has retired from 30th March 2018 be published shortly, DV, with the title Problems the work of proofreading the “A Christian Perspective on Confronting the Church Today. As Mr Murray says Bulwark. Mrs Bateman has been the First World War”, in the preface: “Although we welcome the positive doing this since 2009, and we are Rev. John Macleod (Portmahomack) outlook of many, we have to think of the Church of exceedingly grateful to her. The today in terms of the analogy of the human body. printer once commented that he Inverness Branch Where there are obvious symptoms that concern wished that all his clients would us, it is necessary that there should be a proper produce such clear and well- Meetings are on Mondays in the Free diagnosis by a physician, so that the correct explained lists of amendments. Presbyterian Church Hall, Chapel Street, curative procedure can be carried out. It is in such Apart from spotting the ordinary Inverness, starting at 7.30pm (DV). a way that we must seek a true assessment of the mistakes, Mrs Bateman also th real problems of the Church today. How can we noticed verses from the AV which 16 January 2018 aim for a remedy unless we know the true nature were misquoted, and book-titles “Katharina von Bora die Lutheran, of the disease? The chapters that make up this that were incorrectly given. She Mrs Luther’s participation in the book are an attempt to analyse some of the ills of will be sorely missed. Reformation”, Lewis Branch the Church that require urgent attention, and then Prof John Macintosh (Edinburgh) to suggest something of the cure required.” We wish her the Lord’s blessing 12th February 2018 Meetings are on Fridays in the Nicolson in the work that she is now taking “Common Grace”, Institute, Stornoway at 7.30pm (DV). The papers from the Luther Conference are up. Rev David Silversides (Loughbrickland) also nearly ready for publication under the title 26th January 2018 Scotland’s Debt to Martin Luther. Further details 12th March 2018 “The Sufferings of those who faithfully on both these publications will be available shortly, “The Puritan View of the Moral Law”, resisted the Articles of Perth”, DV. Rev Maurice Roberts (Inverness) Mr Matthew Vogan

30 The Bulwark January - March 2018 31 CONTENTS

John Craig: the earlier years to 1560 3

The National Covenant of 1580/1 10

A Christian perspective on the French Revolution 13 Rev John MacLeod

The life and ministry of Alexander Peden 21 the Scottish Covenanter Miss Claudia Campbell

Young Bulwark: John Craig 25

Day-Conference on the Five Articles of Perth of 1618 29

Society and Branch News 30

Membership & Bulwark Subscriptions All correspondence regarding Membership and Bulwark subscriptions should be sent to the Membership Secretary, Mrs Deborah Coghill, Free Church Manse, Outend, Scalpay, Isle of Harris, HS4 3YG. The subscription is £8 per annum for membership of the Society and £12 per annum for the Bulwark. Membership forms can be obtained from the Membership Secretary or downloaded from the website www.scottishreformationsociety.org

Front cover: Alexander Peden’s cave on the River Lugar

32 The Bulwark