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The Life and Death of MARY Queen of SCOTLAND.* 1.1
KIng Iames the fifth dying of discontent,* 1.2 more than dis∣ease, the 13. of December 1542. in the 33. year of his age, and 32. of his reign, left his Crown to an only Daugh∣ter Mary, at six daies old; as she did afterwards, to her Son, born a King: (Fatal sufferings to a people, to be Subjects to young Soveraigns) And this Succession was put into a Will patcht up by the Cardinal David Beaton, and clapt into the Kings hand to sign. The Government of the Kingdom for the present was intrusted unto the Queen Mother, a wise and virtuous Princess of the House of Lorain; And though she might, as yet, be ignorant of the Actions of State, in this short time of her experience in Scotland, but 4. years; yet the Nobles, dissenting factions, agreed, the rather herein to accept of her; Each party presu∣ming to work their ends the better, out of her Ignorance.
The people were religiously divided in Opinions,* 1.3 Romish and Reformed, which had put the late King upon extremity of Iu∣stice against the Separatists, as they then were stil'd, indeed Dis∣senting among themselves, but afterwards, Congregating and Covenanting, gave them other Names. But in their several Professions, sundry persons suffered Imprisonment, Life, or loss of all.
The Scots derive their Christanity from the disciples of S. Iohn (their Patronage of St. Andrew) and the propagation thereof (not from Rome,* 1.4 I dare say) no•• indeed, they will have it from their own Plantations in Germany; where, increasing Christianity, the persecution of Domitian drove them home, again, into Scot∣land. And so they utterly refuse to have any thing to do with Rome, by means of Victor, that held that See, as others will have it.
But they confess,* 1.5 That Celestine Bishop of Rome, sent lear∣ned Palladius to convince the Heresie of Pelagius, (a welchman born, and bred up in the Monastery of Banghor) then oversprea∣ding that Nation. And after his good success therein, brought in (say they) Prelate Bishops, having had (by their favour) Priests and Moncks long before, and thereafter all kind of Romish Orders. Nay, Boniface the eighth, making use of the complaint of the Sco••ish Clergy against King Edward of England, cruelly afflict∣ing them, and also of the resignation of the people to the See of Rome, The Pope thereby claims right to that Crown, writes to Edward, and malapertly Bids him not meddle with his Vassalls and Subjects.