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 THE 
 
 WEDDERBURNS AND THEIR WORK 
 
 OR THK 
 
 SACRED POETRY OF THE SCOTTISH REFORMATION 
 
 IN ITS HISTORICAL RE1,ATI0N TO 
 
 THAT OF GERMANY 
 
 By ALEX. F. MITCHELL, D.D. 
 
 PROFESSOR OF IIEIIREW, ST ANDREWS 
 
 ' Concordes animas, clarissima liimina gentis, 
 Trcs paribus studiis, tres pictato pares" 
 
 o 
 
 WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS 
 
 EDINBURGH AND LONDON 
 MDCCCLXVII 
 
 o 
 
 >- 
 
1 
 
'[' 11 E 
 
 Wedderburns and their Work 
 
 THE SACRED POETRY OF THE SCOTTISH REFORMATION IN ITS 
 HISIORICAL RELATION TO 11 1 AT OF GERMANY 
 
 ^ nocture 
 
 By ALEX. F. J^ITCHELL, D.D, 
 
 PROFESSOR OF HEBREW, ST ANDREWS. 
 
 " Concordes animas, clarisslma lumina gentis, 
 'I'res paiibus studiis, tres pictate pares." 
 
 3 J 1 J » J 
 
 
 WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS 
 
 EDINBURGH AND LONDON. 
 
 MDCCCI.WII. 
 
3 Y2j-\ 
 
 Johannes Wedderbvrnvs. 
 PiilhUs in exilium, an. 1546. Exul in Anglia moritur 1556. 
 
 I, 
 
 Non meriti est nostri. meritas tibi dicere grates, 
 
 Aut paria, aut aliqua parte referre vicem. 
 Qus meniisse alii velient, nee posse merer! est : 
 
 Heec velle, haec posse, hsc te meruisse tuum est. 
 Sic facis atqiie canis sacra : sic agis omnia, nil ut 
 
 Sanctius, et nusquam purior uUa fides. 
 Hinc nullum magis invisum caput hostibus : hinc et 
 
 Nemo unquam meruit charier esse bonis. 
 Grandius hoc meritum. nil te meruisse fateris, 
 
 Humanis meritis nee superesse locum. 
 
 II. 
 
 De Johanne, Jacobo, rr Roberto Wedderbvrno, Fratribus. 
 
 Divisum imperium, per tres, tria Numina, Fratres, 
 
 Infera quaeque vides, quaeque superna, canunt. 
 Vos miror potius tres vero nomine fratres, 
 
 Vosque supra veneror, Numina vana, Deos ; 
 Concordes animas, clarissima lumina gentis, 
 
 Tres paribus studiis, tres pietate pares. 
 Felices qui vos tales genuere parentes, 
 
 Qua;que orbi tellus pignora rara dedit. 
 Progenitos Cslo Alectum dedit inclyta terris : 
 
 Inde Dei-Donum nomen habere putem. 
 
 , , , , ... JoNSTONl, '• irepL ^Teipavwv.'' 
 
 " '(;lVI'CrreVLifet)f'Kn&x, p. 463.) 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The Lecture which follows is the substance of an introductory address prepared 
 during last winter for the St Andrews Students' Missionary Society, and afterwards 
 rewritten and delivered to a Young Men's Christiui Association in Forfarshire. It 
 is now printed very much in the form in which it was last delivered ; but some 
 notes and appendices, which seemed necessary for the farther illustration of the 
 subject, have been added, and in Appendix IV. the original introduction to the 
 address has been given at full length. 
 
 In the extracts adduced in the I^ecture from the " Godly and Spiritual Songs," 
 I have usually conformed to the modern practice in the use of u and v, and changed 
 such antiquated Scotch forms as zow, ze, zet, into yow, ye, and yet ; but in the 
 extracts subjoined in the appendices I have left the words very much in the form 
 in which they are found in Dalyell's reprint. In the extracts given from the old 
 German hymns I have generally adhered to the words of Wackernagel's text ; 
 but in the spelling of the words I have generally conformed to a North German 
 Hymn-book of 1636, which approaches far more nearly to the modern usage. I 
 have not thought it necessary to print the German nouns with initial capitals, as 
 Wackernagel has not done so, and Bunsen, in his Gesangbuch, has set the example 
 of returning to the old practice : nor have I marked the OiTiission of e final by an 
 apostrophe, nor the abbreviation of sein for sein'n, ihr for ihr'r, &c., as the usage of 
 Wackernagel in these respects is sanctioned in several modern hymn-books. I 
 have generally allowed "todt" (as a substantive) to stand wherever it was so 
 printed in the North German hymn-book of 1636. In the version of the Latin 
 hymn " Christe qui lux es et ifw" I have followed the text given by Wackernagel 
 in both editions of his " Das Deutsche Kirchenlicd," but I have no doubt that the 
 more usual reading dies was also current in Germany, as well as the word caro in 
 the third line of the third verse, and that this latter, at least, must have been in the 
 version of the hymn used by the Scottish poet. The word vid in the first line of 
 the third stanza of Psalm xili. is so given by Wackernagel, but in the German 
 Psalm-book of 1537 (a copy of which I have just had an opportunity of examining 
 in the British Museum) it is printed ^c/, which brings out more fully the corre- 
 spondence between the Scotch and German versions of that Psalm. 
 
 In the Lecture I have indicated my leaning tothe opinion that the Weddcrburns' 
 collection of hymns and songs, in its most rudimentary form, must have been pub- 
 lished before John wis obliged to lea\ e his native country in 15-^6. This is the con- 
 
 2G0804 
 
IV PREFACE. 
 
 elusion arrived at by Drs M'Crie and Lorimer, two of the most cautious and 
 accurate of our ecclesiastical historians ; and Lord Hailes and others so far concur 
 with them as to admit that it must be considered as one, at least, of the collections pro- 
 hibited by the Canon of the Scottish Ecclesiastical Council of 1549. I do not mean 
 what is said of the ballads at p. 21 to be more unrestrictedly applied than it is at 
 pp. 12 and 13 ; and while I rather incline to look for the " augmentation of sindrie 
 gude and godlie ballatis not contenit in the first editioun " among the ballads in- 
 serted in the first than in the second part of the collection 5 yet, if any of these 
 really make reference to later occurrences than I have supposed, they will of course 
 fall to be included under the same category as those in the first part. In the ex- 
 tract from the books of the king's treasurer, given on page II, I have followed Dr 
 M'Crie ; but on inspecting the books I find that the last letter of the last word is 
 followed by a loop and dash, as nearly as possible resembling that which is often 
 found in writings of that date as a contraction for is. It is therefore probable that 
 the extract should be read " serche James Rollokkis gudis and INIaister Johnne 
 Wedderburnis." 
 
 I have to return my best thanks to many kind friends for the aid they have 
 generously given me in the prosecution of my inquiries, and especially to my friends 
 David Laing, Esq., of the Signet Library, Edinburgh ; W. Wright, Esq., of the O. 
 MS. Department in the British Museum ; and William Bonar, Esq., Sussex Place, 
 London. After the following sheets were printed, Mr Bonar directed my attention to a 
 collection of translations and imitations of German hymns, published anonymously 
 by Messrs Partridge and Oakey, in which it is stated that the Psalms and Songs of 
 theWedderburns andCoverdale were/w/Vc?//o;;j-of thoseof the German poets, and that 
 the first stanza of Coverdale's version of Psalm cxxxvii. was a tratislation of Dach- 
 stein's German. Had the author of that collection prosecuted his researches, he 
 would have found that the translation of Dachstein was not confined to the first 
 stanzaof Psalm cxxxvii., but that J. Wedderburn often, and Coverdale almost always, 
 translates from the German quite as closely as Miss Winkworth or Miss Coxe. 
 Mr Bonar also called my attention to the fact that in a German edition of Le Long's 
 Bibliotheca Sacra reference is made to an Enchiridion Psalmorum, printed at Paris 
 in the year 158 1. I found a copy of this in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, and 
 though the date was subsequent to the death of Wedderburn, and to the publication 
 of his book, I examined it with some care; but I feel satisfied that it is not the work 
 referred to in the compendious book of Godly and Spiritual Songs. If I might ven- 
 ture on any more definite conjecture than that given in my Lecture, I would say 
 that the reference may be to a Latin prose translation of the Psalms, bearing this 
 title of Enchiridion Psalmorum, which was published as early as 1533, and gener- 
 ally printed in parallel columns with the ver.'-ion of Joannes Campen^is. It was 
 followed in the German Metrical Psalter of I "537, and possibly Wedderburn may 
 have retained the reference to it from finding it in the German metrical translation 
 from which he borrowed his Psalms. The German Psalter referred to above con- 
 tains " ein gesprach des sunders und Christi," which probably supplied Wedder- 
 iiurn with the materials for spiritualizing the old song " Quho is at my windo r 
 who.'' who .^" while the song to the tune of which that "gesprach'' was com- 
 
PREFACE. V 
 
 posed, " Ach Jupiter hiittst du •j.cwult," probably supplied part of the materials for 
 the ballad which he entitles " Ane disswasion from \ain hist j" but the form into 
 which both were cast appears to have been to some extent original. Possibly even 
 the idea of his famous ballad, — " The paip, that pagane full of pryd," — may 
 have been taken from the German " Nun treiben wir den pabst heraus," but un- 
 doubtedly this ballad must have been an imitation and not a translation of the Ger- 
 man. An old MS. music book, still preserved in the British Museum, and bearing 
 the date 1530, discloses the fact, that the Roman Catholics in Britain, as well as in 
 Germany, had not disdained to s}-iritualisc popular songs, and had preceded Wed- 
 derburn'in thus treating the plaintive old ballad, "My love morneth for me." I 
 subjoin it from the copy I made, though, as this was taken hastily and partly in 
 short-hand, I cannot be sure that in every case I have retained the antique spelling : 
 
 ylnc/ Vtn ur.lynd^ have not in myiid my love that morneth for me for me 
 
 Who is my love but God above that born was of Mary, 
 
 And on the rode hys precyous blode he shed to make me tre. 
 
 Whom shold I prove so true of love, so gentyl and curtes as he. 
 
 That king of blys my love he ys, that mornth so sor for mec. 
 
 The father hys Son fromhevyn sent down and born was of a mayd, 
 
 The prophccye of Isay fulfyllyd he and sayd. 
 
 Behold mankynd thy maker most lovyng for thy love come to dye. 
 
 What is thy mynd to be so unkynd, syth I so mourne for the for the. 
 
 That virgyns child most meke and mylde alonly for my sake, 
 
 Hys fathers wyll for to fulfyl he came great payns to take. 
 
 And soffryd deth, as scrypturc sayth, that we shuld savyd be 
 
 On good friday, wherefore I say, he mournyd sore for me for me. 
 
 Snch payne and smart, as in hys hart he sutfryd for mankynd, 
 
 Cari no man take nor mournyng make so mekely for hys frend, 
 
 The cruel Jeus w^ould not refuse to nayel hym to a tre. 
 
 And wyth a dart to perce hys hart, thus mournyd he for me. 
 
 Now Cryst Jesu my love most treu have mercy upon me, 
 
 I axe the grace for my trespas that I have done to the, 
 
 For thy sweet name save me from shame and all adversytye. 
 
 For Mary's sake to the me take, and mourne no more for me. 
 
 From the quotation given above from the title of the compendious book of 
 godly and spiritual songs, there can be no doubt that considerable additions were 
 made to the ori iinal collection in the second or subsequent editions. Perhaps the 
 form of some of the pieces contained in the first edition may have been altered, for 
 while Knox tells us that Psalm li., as sung by Wishart, began with "Have mercy 
 on me now, good Lord," these words are found in the sccotid stanza of the para- 
 phrase as we have it in the later editions of the book. And the very title of the 
 collection appears to have been partially changed 5 for while in the edition of 157B 
 it stands " Ane compendious bulk of godlie Psahncs and spirituall Sangis," in the 
 edition reprinted by Dalyell, whi-h professed to be " newlie corrected aTid 
 
VI PREFACE. 
 
 amended by the first originall copie," it stands, " Ane compendious booke of godly 
 and spirituall songs." It is more difficult to determine whether any of the pieces 
 contained in the original collection were left out in subsequent editions. In a 
 note to page 246, vol. i. of his edition of Knox's History, Mr Laing says that pos- 
 sibly the Wedderburns may have versified more of the Psalms than are contained 
 in this collection. Perhaps it may be regarded as some confirmation of this con- 
 jecture that the first line of the Scotch version of Psalm ciii., as given by Knox in 
 the passage referred to, coincides pretty closely with the first line of one of the 
 German paraphrases of the Psalm found in Wackernagel.* And there can be no 
 doubt whatever that translations of some other German hymns, which have not 
 been included in the compendious book, existed in Scotland in the sixteenth cen- 
 tury. Besides the version of the Lord's Prayer included in Knox's Psalter, at least 
 two or three of the pieces contained in "Wood's MS. book of tunes are undoubt- 
 edly derived from this source. One of these, along with a modern English 
 version, will be found inserted at the close of Appendix I. to this Lecture, and an- 
 other is a version of the " Da pacem, Domine," the German corresponding to 
 which will be found at p. 435 of Wackernagel's " Deutsches Kirchenlied." 
 
 A. F. M. 
 
 Geneva, 13M July 1867. 
 
 * " My saul praise thow the Lord ahuijes,'" " Mein seel lobt Gott izu allerfrist." 
 
 CORRIGENDA. 
 
 Page 26, lifie 'I, for unsrer read unsren ; p. 46, /. I, after "worthy" insert 
 "gude-j" p. 153, /. 26, for rufen read rufen •, p. 59, /. 20, for demem read deinem j 
 p. 60, /. y^.for gereuet read gerettet. 
 
LECTURE 
 
 ON 
 
 THE SACRED POETRY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 Scottish Reformation. 
 
 Your attention has been called by some of my predecessors to foreign 
 lands and manners, to soldiers who fought on foreign fields and gained a 
 name and fame for themselves in the annals of the world. To-night I 
 ask you to give attention to a subject more humble and less exciting, but 
 one connected with our own country and our own corner of it — the story 
 and life work of a family of brothers born and brought up in our own 
 neighbourhood Their names and services have well nigh perished from 
 the remembrance of their countrymen, but in their day and generation 
 they were a mighty power for good in their native land, — good soldiers 
 of Christ Jesus, and faithful standard-bearers in the Christian army. 
 They fearlessly bore their colours through a long and weary fight, and 
 by their heroic lives and spirit-stirring songs encouraged others to take 
 them up when they had fallen, and to carry on the warfare they had 
 begun, till the banner of the cross was planted triumphantly on the high 
 places of the field, and the glad tidings of a free gospel were once more 
 proclaimed without let or hindrance through the length and breadth of 
 Scotland. My only regret is, that the subject has not fallen into the 
 hands of some one more competent to do hill justice to it, but I can 
 
 A 
 
2 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 honestly say, that the observations regarding it to which I solicit your 
 attention embody the results of considerable research and reflection, and, 
 as the subject has grown in interest to myself as I continued to study it, 
 I am not without hope that even in the shape in which 1 am able to pre- 
 sent it to you, it may prove neither uninteresting nor unimproving, and 
 that the publication of my address may perhaps direct the attention of 
 others to the subject, and induce them to aid in the investigation of it. 
 
 You are all familiar with the saying of one of our countrymen, " Let 
 who will make a nation's laws, if I may only make their songs," and 
 with the fact that, if ever that saying received a signal verification in 
 history, it was at the time of the Reformation from Popery. The new 
 and vigorous spiritual life received tlirough the earnest study of tlie 
 Word of God, poured itself out in a continuous stream of popular sacred 
 song, which spread its blessed influence more widely, and made it pene- 
 trate more deeply. In Italy, as one of the most recent writers on the 
 subject has in her own thrilling way related it, "from the Gulf of 
 Genoa to the Adriatic Sea, — in the deep valleys among the purple Ap- 
 ennines, — in the air-hung villages which gleam among the pine and 
 chestnut trees on the southern slopes, — and even in queenly Florence, 
 which a few years later sent the bold friar of San Marco to heaven in a 
 chariot of fire, simple Italian ballads containing some of the elementary 
 truths of the gospel were rapidly winning their way among the common 
 people.'' "And Savonarola was right and wise, when he trusted the 
 truths which make wise unto salvation to these airy messengers ; it 
 was not the first time that God had chosen the weak things of the world 
 to confound the mighty."* " Tiiirty years later the German churches 
 were ringing with the hymns of Luther, Eber, Sachs, and Weisse, and 
 the poetry of the Reformation, wedded to popular music, was treasured 
 in the households " of the faithful, from the mountains of Switzerland to 
 the swamps of Holland and the shores of the Baltic, and from the banks 
 of the Rhine to those of the Vistula and the Danube. The contributions 
 then furnished laid the foundation of the largest and perhaps the noblest 
 
 * Sunday Magazine for July 1866. 
 
THE SCOTTISH REFORMATION. 3 
 
 treasure of Ilymnology the Christian Church as yet possesses, and 
 the influence of which continues to be shewn by the transhitions of its 
 finest hymns into our own and other languages at the present day. 
 '' By the middle of the sixteenth century, the reformed hymnology of 
 Denmark had assumed such a position as to call for a history from the 
 pen of Thomasson." Marot's translations of the Psalms and other 
 scriptural songs into French verse were sung with relish even in the dis- 
 solute Court of France ; and a Romish cardinal could think of no other 
 way of counteracting their influence but by recommending that an 
 equally spirited translation of the Odes of Horace should be prepared.* 
 The only country which may be said to have formed an exception to the 
 general rule, and in which, consequently, the progress of the Reformed 
 doctrines among the common people was far more slow, was England, where 
 there was very little worth mentioning save Sternhold and Hopkins' ver- 
 sion of the Psalms of David, and where even that was but little used save 
 among the Puritans. Dr Newman, indeed, used to claim it as a re- 
 markable proof of the caution and wisdom of the English Church, that 
 w^ien she found it necessary to abandon the use of the old Latin hymns, 
 she did not attempt to substitute others in their stead, but was content 
 to be as one beginning the world again, and, like the primitive Church 
 in these respects, poor and ill-furnished. f But she did not think it ne- 
 cessary to act on this principle in drawing up her liturgy, and had the 
 spirit of the grand old Latin hymns really penetrated the English Church 
 and her leaders as thoroughly as it had the German churches and their 
 leaders, there was no reason why the best of these hymns should not 
 have been wedded to the new faith and the popular music in a dress no 
 less attractive, and a form no less quickening, and far more generally in- 
 fluential than the original. 
 
 Scotland in this, as in so many other respects, had more in common 
 with the foreign Protestant Churches than with the Church of the sister 
 kingdom. The influence of sacred song in spreading the new faith, and 
 quickening to new and deeper life was no less decided and conspicuous in 
 
 * M'Crie's Knox, edition 1855, p. 325. f Preface to liis edition of I.atin Hymns. 
 
4 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 our native land than in continental countries ; and after the prayerful 
 study of the Word of God there was not, during the twenty years of 
 struggling and suffering which preceded the establishment of the Re- 
 formed Church, any instrumentality which contributed so much to keep 
 alive the faith of the sufferers, to spread their doctrines, and to bring 
 their opponents and their teaching into the contempt they merited as the 
 godly and spiritual songs, the tragedies, and ballads of those whom God 
 had endowed with the gift of poesy, and whose hearts he had touched 
 with the love of his truth. It is acknowledged by the apostate Hamilton 
 that one of the earliest and most effectual means of promoting these ends 
 was the circulation of certain books in the vernacular dialect, exposing 
 the vices of the clergy, which were printed in England, and surreptitiously 
 introduced into the country.* Probably the metrical address to the Friars 
 referred to by Row may have been one of these. Under the year 1539 
 Calderwood gives us a brief but touching account of " one Kennedy who 
 had not passed the eighteenth year of his age, a man of good wit and 
 excelling in Scottish Poesy," who, under a sentence of the Archbishop 
 of Glasgow, was put to death for his steadfastness in the reformed faith, 
 and about the same time the Earl of Glencaim " painted forth the hypo- 
 crisy of the friars in rhyme " in " an epistle directed from the holy hermite 
 of Larite-f- to his brethren the Grey Friars." Most of our historians now 
 acknowledge the good service done in these early days to the cause of 
 the Reformation by the tragedies, and other poetical compositions of 
 Buchanan and Sir David Lindsay, J who so fearlessly and mercilessly ex- 
 posed the follies and vices of the clergy before the nobility and Court of 
 Scotland. But there were others who rendered no less essential and 
 signal service to the cause in these critical times, and who have never yet 
 received from their country the grateful acknowledgment their services 
 richly merited. They laboured not only to pull down but to build up, 
 and in my humble opinion did more to sustain the spirits of those who 
 were suffering for the truth and so to ensure the spread and triumph of 
 
 ♦ " Immissis in Scotiam libris, atque in valgus disseminatis, qui sub purioris cujusdam Evangelii 
 specioso pretextu Ecclesiasticorum virorum vitam et mores odiose traducerent." 
 
 f Lorttto. J M'Crie's Knox, p. 75, Row's Hist., p. 6, Cunningham's Church Hist., vol. i., p. 279. 
 
IHE SCOTTISH REFORMATION. 
 
 the reformed faith than any of the others referred tu. Tliese were the 
 authors of a collection of sacred songs and ballads mentioned by several 
 of our writers in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries under the names 
 of the " Psalms of Dundee," the " Psalms of Wedderburn," "godly and 
 spiritual songs," ''gude and godly ballates," which seem to have been 
 published in some shape or other between the years 1542 and 1546, or 
 several years earlier than the first collected edition of Sir David Lindsay's 
 poetical works. Being pervaded by deeper earnestness and spirituality, 
 and setting forth with fond affection and winning simplicity the great 
 truths of the gospel, they were more completely fitted to meet the felt 
 wants of the faithful at that trying time, and amidst all conflicts and trials 
 sustained their faith in God and in His word. They were by no means 
 deficient in the power of keen irony and cutting satire, and when occasion 
 seemed to call for it, they dealt with the vices of the clergy quite as unspar- 
 ingly as the Lyon King at Arms. But they combined with this a more 
 intense and unvarying moral purpose, and at times a deep and yearning 
 tenderness which added to their power both of shaming from sin and 
 stimulating to all that was holy and good and true, tending to imbue the 
 mind with a purer faith *and higher life, and to encourage to Christian 
 steadfastness and boldness even at the risk of imprisonment and death. 
 Probably the range of their circulation was rather among the middle than 
 among the higher classes of our countrymen, and especially among the sub- 
 stantial burghers of our trading communities, but among these classes their 
 influence was conspicuous and acknowledged, and along with the spirit- 
 stirring sermons of their great preachers, contributed to make them, 
 
 what they long continued to be, — the chief strength of the Reformed 
 Church. Nor did the range of their circulation diminish after the tri- 
 umph of the reformed faith had been secured, but for considerably more 
 than half a century they continued to be treasured in the hearts of the 
 people and sung in their households.* They soothed the chafed spirit 
 of Wishart on the night of his betrayal, nourished the early piety of the 
 younger Melville when at school in Montrose, and comforted the hearts 
 
 * An edition of the " gude and gojly ballads" wa^ printed as late as 1621. 
 
6 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 of mourners in that district as they performed the last office of kind 
 ness to departed friends. 
 
 The story of their authors may be soon told. For though much has 
 been done of late years to vindicate the character of Knox, as one of the 
 truest patriots his country ever had, and to set in clearer light the brief 
 but sad story of Patrick Hamilton and George Wishart, and to remove 
 the haze that had gathered round the form of Alesius, or Alan, the 
 young exile, who, by his tracts and treatises, aroused among his country- 
 men a general and irrepressible longing to be allowed to read the word of 
 God in their own tongue ; yet I regret to say that the history of the 
 authors of this collection of sacred songs remains still to be investigated 
 and recorded ; and that, with all the time 1 have given to the subject, I 
 have been able to glean but a very few facts in addition to those few 
 which Calderwood long ago collected respecting them. 
 
 The teaching of that amiable and accomplished youth, Patrick 
 Hamilton, confirmed by his martyr death, and by the sad end of his be- 
 trayer, appears to have made a deep and lasting impression on the minds 
 of the less prejudiced graduates of the University, and the less dissolute 
 monks in the monasteries of St Andrews. Mr Gavin Logie, the prin- 
 cipal regent in the newly founded College of St Leonards, all but openly 
 endeavoured to indoctrinate his pupils with the new faith, so that, "he 
 has drunk of St Leonard's well," became a proverbial expression to indi- 
 cate of any one that he had imbibed the principles and doctrines of the 
 Reformers. Among those who, as associates or pupils, profited by his 
 instructions, and became warmly attached to his person, were Alexander 
 Alan or Alesius, already mentioned, and John Fyff or Fidelis, both of 
 whom, after suifering imprisonment for their opinions, sought safety in 
 flio-ht. After a time, they found their way to Wittenberg, renewed 
 their studies there, and were ultimately advanced to be Professors of 
 Divinity at Leipsic and Frankfort on the Oder. A third, named Henry 
 Forrest, was subjected to a still more cruel imprisonment in the Sea tower 
 of the Castle of St Andrews, and only came forth from prison to win the 
 martyr s crown. Logie himiself escaped to England about the year 1533, 
 and came no more into public notice. 
 
THE SCOTTISH RKFORMATION. 
 
 Among the knot of talented and earnest young men who are said to 
 have gathered around Logie between the years 15 16 and i533< there 
 were three brothers, bearing the names of James, John, and Robert 
 Wedderburn, sons of James Wedderburn, merchant at the West Kirk Style 
 of Dundee. Their father was probably of the old Forfarshire family of 
 Wedderburn, and was evidently a man of considerable wealth and standing, 
 as his son John is entered in the University register as dives. They 
 are said by Calderwood to have gained their first knowledge of the truth 
 from their regent Logie ; but from the University register it appears that 
 one of them, at least for a time, was a student in the " Pcrdagogium,'' or, 
 as it was afterwards called, St Mary's College, and was in residence the 
 very year that Patrick Hamilton was incorporated into the University, 
 and was permitted to teach in it. There is no reason to suppose, how- 
 ever, that at that time they acquired anything more than a general liking 
 for the new faith, and the men who taught it ; and, in fact, Calderwood 
 tells us that it w^as only after their return to their native place, and in 
 consequence of the instructions of Friar Hewat, a Dominican monk in 
 the monastery of that order in Dundee, that they were led on to deeper 
 and clearer views of the truth. At length they became open professors 
 and steadfast confessors of the new faith ; and, having drunk of the 
 Pierian spring as well as of St Leonard's well, they used in defence and 
 propagation of their faith the invaluable gift of poesy with which God 
 had endowed them. The eldest brother, James, studied at St Andrews, 
 but does not appear to have proceeded to the degree either of Bachelor 
 or Master of Arts. His name appears in the list of those incorporated 
 into the University in the year 1516; and Calderwood adds that he 
 studied in St Leonard's College, under Mr Gavin Logie, and was reason- 
 ably well instructed in philosophy and humanity. After leaving College 
 he went for some time to France, perhaps to acquire a more thorough know- 
 ledge of his profession ; and after his return to his native place he was 
 fully instructed in the knowledge of the truth by Hewat, who had been 
 sup-prior of the Dominican monastery at Perth, and who probably held 
 some similar office in the house of that order in Dundee. He composed 
 several tragedies and comedies in his native tongue, in which, after the 
 
8 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 example of Buchanan and Lindsay, he exposed the corruption of the clergy, 
 and the abuses of the Church. One of these compositions was a mystery, 
 or sacred tragedy, on the beheading of John the Baptist, which, Calder- 
 wood informs us, was acted at the West Port of Dundee ; and another 
 was a comedy compiled out of the history of Dionysius riie tyrant, which 
 the same historian tells us was acted in the playfield of the said burgh. 
 In both of these plays he lashed the vices of the popish ecclesiastics, and 
 especially, we may suppose, of that clever, cruel, dissolute tyrant, 
 Cardinal Beaton, who cherished such lasting and bitter enmity to him 
 and his brothers. No fragment of either has come down to us, but no 
 doubt we have a fair exhibition of their spirit and sentiments, if not also 
 of their contents,* in some of the pieces in the collection to be more par- 
 ticularly noticed by and bye, and especially in one which seems to me to 
 have been meant to apply to the Cardinal in the height of his prosperity : 
 
 " The Bishop of Helyj- brake his neck, " All the examples of the law 
 
 Disherist of his benefice, Are written with greit diligence, 
 
 Cause hee the priests wald not correct. For ourselves that we stand awe 
 
 Corruptand Godis sacrifice. Of Godis hie magnificence. 
 
 Sin our Hely in his office. Of this we have experience 
 
 Is like in prevarication. Of diverse nations round about. 
 
 He sail receive sic like justice. For Ingles prelates, Dutch and Dence, 
 
 Make hee not reformation." For their abuse are rutted out. 
 
 • • • • 
 
 " For your abuse may be ane brother " Reforme in time, leave your tyrannie ; 
 To Pharo's als like in similitude First mend your life, syne learn to 
 
 As ever ane egge was like ane other, preich. 
 
 Of Godis word baith destitude ; Thocht vagrant friars fain wald lie, 
 And [the] great God in sanctitude. The truth will fur th, and will not leich, 
 
 Ouhais power has nought tane ane For everie man does other teich, 
 end. And countis nocht your crueltie ; 
 
 Sail send with that same fortitude. Except ye mend, I will not fleich. 
 Sic like on you, except ye mend. Yee sail end all mischevouslie."| 
 
 * Some of the German mysteries or sacred plays at least contain songs of similar import. 
 
 f I suppose of course that the High Priest Eli is meant. 
 
 J Compendious book of godly and spiritual songs: Dalzell's edition, pp. 169, 170. 
 
THL SCOTTISH REFORMATION. 9 
 
 James Wcdderburn, Calderwood tells us, composed anotlicr play in 
 which he counterfeited the conjuring of a ghaist, which feat had in sober 
 earnest been attempted at Kinghorn by Friar Laing, the king's confessor ; 
 but as that piece of folly had cost the friar his place, so the burlesquing 
 of it brought on James AVedderburn a life-long exile from his native land. 
 " He was delated to the king, and letters of caption were directed " 
 against him in the year 1540, but he escaped secretly to France, and 
 established himself as a merchant at Rouen or Dieppe, where he lived in 
 prosperity and died in peace.'"' The youngest brother, Robert, was incor- 
 porated into St. Leonard's College in the year 1526, and took both his 
 Bachelor's and Master's degree in the year 1530. From his name ap- 
 pearing first in the books on both occasions, though it was not entitled to 
 come first in alphabetical order, we may infer that he was a distinguished 
 student, and Calderwood informs us that he excelled his brother both in 
 classical learning and in scriptural knowledge. He was early admitted 
 to priest's orders, and ultimately succeeded his mother's brother as Vicar 
 of Dundee, in which office we cannot doubt that he would water the seed 
 which Wishart and Hewat had sown, and by his teaching and living 
 contribute to make Dundee what it so early became — one of the strong- 
 holds of the Reformation. But he also, at least during the life of Cardinal 
 Beaton, had to seek safety in flight to a foreign land, and even after his 
 return he resided a great deal with the laird of Calder. He is said to have 
 superintended the editing of the godly and spiritual songs after his brother's 
 death, and to have taken great pains to provide for the various metres pleas- 
 ing and appropriate tunes. f The second brother, John, is said by Calder- 
 wood to have also studied under Gavin Logy in St. Leonard's College, and 
 it is just possible that he may have done so for a year, but in the Univer- 
 sity books he appears among those incorporated into what was then the 
 " pcedagogium," and afterwards became St. Mary's College, and that in 
 the very year when Buchanan also was there. In the following year he 
 appears among the Determinants from the pcedagogium. He took his 
 Bachelor's degree in 1526 and his Master's in 1528. It will thus be seen 
 that he was at St. Andrews at the very time that Patrick Hamilton was 
 
 * Calderwood's History, Wodrow Society's Edition, vol. I, p. 141. -j- IbiJ. p. 143^ 
 
 fi 
 
lO THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 there, and may have had the opportunity of listening to his lessons as well 
 as to those of Logy, and perhaps may have had his love of sacred song 
 quickened by attending on. the instructions which Hamilton is said to have 
 given in sacred music. It is not impossible he may have witnessed that 
 sad scene which was exhibited at the gates of St. Salvador's College on 
 the last day of February 152S, when the amiable and youthful martyr 
 sealed his testimony with his blood, and that it was the deep impression 
 then made on his spirit which led him to indite such verses as the fol- 
 lowing : — 
 
 " They brunt and heryit Christen men, " Heretiks they did us call 
 
 And flemit them full sair, Cursand us night and day, 
 
 They said they did but erre The truth durst no man say ; 
 
 That spake of the commandments ten, Trew preachers were forbidden all 
 
 Or read the word of Jesus Christ. To shaw the word of Jesus Christ." 
 
 But whatever impression may have been made on John Wedderburn's 
 spirit by what he saw and heard in St. Andrews, it was only, Calder- 
 wood tells us, after his return to his native place, and being favoured 
 with the instructions and counsels of Friar Hewat, that he came to the 
 full knowledge of the truth. He had been persuaded by his friends to 
 enter into priest's orders, and for a time he, as well as his younger brother, 
 acted as a priest in Dundee ; but when he learned the way of God more 
 perfectly he made open profession of his faith, and in consequence of this, 
 or not improbably in consequence of some overt act in that field of litera- 
 ture in which he afterwards became famous, he was summoned before 
 the authorities on the charge of heresy. Whether he appeared, and was 
 convicted after trial, and then succeeded in effecting his escape, or whether 
 he fled before his trial, and was condemned in his absence, cannot be 
 quite definitely ascertained. The latter supposition seems more accordant 
 with the statement of Calderwood, but the former appears to me to be 
 more countenanced by the entries from the books of the king's treasurer, 
 which Dr. M'Crie has given in one of the notes to his '^ Life of Knox." 
 It is expressly said of a number of the persons mentioned in these entries 
 that they were fugitive and condemned ; but of Maister Johnne Wedder- 
 burn it is simply said that he had been convicted of certain charges ot 
 
THE SCOTTISH REFORMATION. I I 
 
 heresy,* and his goods, in consequence, escheated to his Majesty's use, who 
 was graciously pleased for a small composition to make a gift of them to 
 his brother Plenry. From another entry in the same books we learn that 
 in March 1538-39 a " pursevant " was directed to pass to Dundee 
 and " serche James Rollokkis gudis, and Maistcr Johnne Wcddcrburn.^' 
 This entry no doubt furnishes the reason of the former one, though, as 
 being part of his discharge, it is inserted in the Treasurer's books after it ; 
 and in connection with the punishment inflicted it renders it very probable 
 that the crime of which Rollok and Wedderburn were convicted was that 
 of having in their possession prohibited books. From the other entry 
 being included in the books for that year, it is more likely that Wedder- 
 burn's conviction and flight took place in 1539 than in 1540. There is no 
 doubt as to the fact that he succeeded in efliecting his escape from his 
 persecutors, and, after a short time, in finding his way to Wittenberg — 
 that school of the prophets which was then attracting to it so many 
 noble, generous, and earnest young spirits. There he joined his coun- 
 trymen Alesius, Fyff, and M 'Alpine, exiles from their native land for the 
 same cause as himself, and with them and many talented refugees from 
 other lands, drunk in the truth as it flowed, warm and fresh, from the 
 heart and lips of Luther and Melanchthon — striving to mould his char- 
 acter by the high model these good and great men set before him, and 
 to refresh his spirit by Christian intercourse with them, and by deep 
 draughts from the precious stream then being poured forth from the long 
 sealed fountain of sacred song. The influence of these happy years on 
 Wedderburn seems to have been specially marked, and to the opportuni- 
 ties he then enjoyed we must ascribe the firm and practical hold he got 
 and retained, of the great principles of the evangelical theology, which 
 he iterates and reiterates in his poetical compositions with singular con- 
 stancy and prominence. So marked is this peculiarity, that even when 
 his poems are translations, he often departs from the original to set forth 
 more clearly and simply the way of salvation through the atoning death 
 
 " Perhaps the following lines may have some reference to his own case as well as to that of others : 
 •• At midnight mirk they will us take Then faggots man we burn or beir, 
 
 And into prison will us fling, Or to the deid they will us bring : 
 
 There mon we be till we forsake It does them guid to do us deir, 
 
 The name of God quhilk is our King. And to confusion us down tliring." 
 
12 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 and justifying righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, so that even the 
 most heedless M'ho might peruse his hymns and ballads might be left 
 without excuse if they continued to neglect the great salvation. After 
 the death of King James V. in December 1542, when the Cardinal was 
 under^ restraint, and the supreme power of the state had fallen into the 
 hands of one who professed to be friendly to the cause of the Reforma- 
 tion, and who had just let pass through Parliament an act permitting the 
 Scriptures to be read in the English or the Scottish tongue, John Wed- 
 derburn returned to his native land with his harp strung and tuned to 
 sing in rude Scottish verse those noble songs which had touched his own 
 heart in exile, as they had touched and moved the hearts of the German 
 people, and amidst all their wanderings have continued to do so even to 
 the present day. It is principally to John Wedderburn, the second of 
 this noble band of brothers, that we owe, as is generally supposed, the 
 compendious book of godly and spiritual songs, psalms, and ballads, the 
 wide circulation and great influence of which, in those years of peril and 
 persecution which preceded the ultimate triumph of the Reformed cause, 
 are acknowledged by Row, and some others of our ecclesiastical historians.* 
 It is not improbable that it was begun while he was abroad and using 
 those songs of the German Church, to which we shall find many of his 
 own bear a close resemblance— perhaps at the suggestion of the same 
 wise and thoughtful counsellor who had encouraged Alesius to contend 
 so vigorously for the free circulation of the word of God in Scotland — 
 the good and gentle Melanchthon, to whom, through his two pupils, our 
 native country owes a debt of gratitude which its historians have hitherto 
 been slow to acknowledge. What part of the collection first appeared, 
 and when and where it was published, cannot now be ascertained, as the 
 earliest edition of which a copy has been discovered — that of 1578, makes 
 distinct reference to an earlier and less complete one. The probability is 
 that some of the ballads may have been printed separately, and sold 
 through the country soon after the author's return from his first exile — 
 perhaps two or three of them which make reference to the disagreement 
 between Henry VIII. and James V., or to the breach of the treaty for 
 the marriage of the Prince Edward of England with the Princess Mary 
 
 * Row's Histoiy. WoJrow Society's edition, p. 6. See also M'Crie. Lorimer, and Cunningham. 
 
THE SCOTTISH RKI ORM AriON. T3 
 
 of Scotland, and the wars between the two countries, and the destruction 
 of religious houses which ensued* — those which allude to the refusal of 
 the Popish Prelates generally to attend a General Council for the Re- 
 formation of the Church, and that already quoted and seemingly ad- 
 dressed to the Head of the Popish Clergy in Scotland. Had this not 
 been written and come abroad while "my lord Cardinal" was still in the 
 height of his power, doubtless his sad fate would have been adduced as 
 a more impressive warning to his successor than the rooting out of •' Eng- 
 lish prelates, Dence, or Dutch." Then, as Dr M'Crie has observed,! some 
 of the Psalms in the collection (and probably, therefore, the collection 
 itself in its most rudimentary form) must have been published before the 
 death of Wishart, as it is expressly stated by Knox, that on the night in 
 which he was apprehended, the martyr had sung part of the Fifty-First 
 Psalm in Scottish metre, and the two lines which Knox gives coincide 
 with no other known version of that Psalm than the long paraphrase of 
 it found among these "godly and spirituall sangs." Moreover, as we do 
 not hear of any overt act by which he could have so exasperated the clergy 
 that he should have been obliged again to flee from his native country in 
 1546, and to remain in exile even after the cardinal's death and the re- 
 turn of his brother, it is only natural to conclude that it must have been 
 owing to the publication of his songs and ballads. This conclusion is 
 confirmed by some lines in Johnstone's poem in his praise, which at once 
 plainly point to his poems as the cause of the hard usage he received, 
 and attest what Row says respecting their influence in the years of de- 
 pression and persecution immediately preceding the final struggle and 
 triumph of the Reformers. There can be little doubt that Wedderburn's 
 book was the chief of those aimed at in the canon made at the Council 
 of the Scottish Clergy in 1549, wherein it was enjoined that search 
 should be made in the several dioceses for those who retain in their pos- 
 session any books of rhymes or ballads, containing either scandalous 
 charges against the clergy and their constitutions, or any heresy; — that the 
 books, where found, should be confiscated and burnt, and that the sale, 
 
 * That there was such a destruction at tliis early date, not only in the south of Scotland, by the incur- 
 sions of the English, but also in the neighbourhood of Dundee, by the supporters of the Reformation and 
 the English alliance, is clearly stated by Mr. Hill Burton in his History of Scotland, vol. iii., p. 453, and 
 vol. iv. p. 70. t Life of Knox. p. 325. See also Lorimer's Scottish Reformation, p. 173. 
 
14 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 printing, and reading of them should be prohibited under the severe 
 penalties contained in the Acts of Parliament.* The Acts of Parliament 
 previous to this date had not expressly named metrical productions as 
 distinct from other heretical books, but the Acts of subsequent Parlia- 
 ments do ; and yet notwithstanding this and the canons of subsequent 
 ecclesiastical councils, the "compendious booke of godly and spirituall 
 sangs " continued without any direct ecclesiastical sanction to maintain 
 its place in the hearts and households of the Scottish people, and in the 
 course of the succeeding half century passed through several editions. In 
 the early part of the seventeenth century it appears gradually to have 
 fallen into disuse ; even Calderwood seems to have had but an indistinct 
 notion of its origin, and our church historians ever since, if they have 
 condescended to notice it at all, have contented themselves with giving a 
 very meagre account of its contents and historical relations. The author 
 is supposed to have lived chiefly in England during the ten long years of 
 his second exile, and to have died there in 1556. The lines of John- 
 stone in his praise,-f- already referred to, are, perhaps, the most emphatic 
 testimony to his worth and work which has come down to us from the 
 time when he was still well-remembered, and settle beyond question the 
 fact that it was to him our fathers chiefly owed those songs which they 
 so greatly valued. Nearly seventy years have now elapsed since these 
 godly and spiritual songs were last reprinted, and that in a very incorrect 
 
 * Robertson's Statuta Ecclesi^ Scoticanae, vol. ii., p. 120. The learned editor, whose early removal 
 has occasioned unfeigned sorrow to all who knew him, says (vol. i., p. clxii.), that the framers of this 
 canon, no doubt, had Lindsay's satires in view. I have not been able to find any evidence that these had 
 been published at so early a date ; and a few years later, when they are believed to have been published, 
 the Act of Parliament makes more express mention of the class of works to which they belong. " The 
 new Dialoge callit PascuUus," which he tells us (vol. ii., p. 294) was prohibited by the Privy Council in 
 1543, bears a suspicious resemblance in its title to "ein neuer Pasquillus," published in Germany in 1541. 
 f " Non meriti est nostri, meritas tibi dicere grates, 
 
 Aut paria, aut aliqua parte referre vicem. 
 
 Quas meruisse alii vellent, nee posse mereri est : 
 
 Heec velle, hsec posse, haec te meruisse tuum est. 
 
 Sic facis atque canis sacra : sic agis omnia, nil ut 
 
 Sanctius, et nusquam purior uUa fides. 
 
 Hinc nullum magis invisum caput hostibus: hinc et 
 
 Nemo unquam meruit charior esse bonis. 
 
 Grandius hoc meritum, nil te meruisse fateris, 
 
 Humanis meritis nee superesse locum." 
 
THE SCOTTISH REl-ORMATION. I5 
 
 or at least uncorrected tbrm.* The editor, as will be shown by and bye, 
 did not fully understand some of the statements of Calderwood, and he 
 has added nothing really important to them. Mr David Laing, to whom 
 we owe so many valuable reprints of the works of our Reformers, is at pre- 
 sent engaged in preparing a new edition of these songs from the earliest 
 edition yet discovered, which will be far more carefully executed, and 
 will be accompanied with a historical introduction, which, I doubt not, 
 will add much to our information, and, I trust, will direct more general 
 attention to this favourite book of our reforming fathers. 
 
 My thoughts were first specially turned to the book in the spring of 
 last year, by finding several pieces from it inserted at length In a very 
 interesting volume published by the Rev. Dr Bonar of Kelso, and en- 
 titled " Catechisms of the Reformation." I do not know whether it was 
 that the spirit of contradiction had been aroused in me by what appeared 
 to me to be needless depreciation of Luther's Catechism, and rather un- 
 measured laudation oi: Wedderburn's, as so far in advance of Luther's ; 
 or whether my zest after such correspondences had been unduly quick- 
 ened by some other discoveries I seemed to have fallen on, but so it was, 
 that when I turned from Dr Bonar 's preface to the extracts he gave from 
 the first part of Wedderburn's book, I was at once startled by the fact 
 that the commandments appeared to be given in the Lutheran form, and 
 that if the doctrine taught in the hymns on baptism and the Lord's Sup- 
 per was not narrowly and distinctively Lutheran, it was not in any respect 
 markedly at variance with that which Luther taught. Then, on careful 
 examination, the measure and ring of the metrical version of the Creed 
 reminded me unmistakeably of Luther's famous hymn on the same sub- 
 ject ; and the last hymn extracted from the collection by Dr Bonar at 
 once recalled to my mind a hymn of the same era, which is still sung at 
 funerals in Germany. By a reference to my German hymn books, I 
 soon satisfied myself that three of the nine poetical pieces extracted by 
 Dr Bonar from the Scotch collection were pretty close translations from 
 the German ; and other three, though apparently far less close, yet, by 
 
 • No attempt was made to correct nor even to point out such cvilciU l)linidi;r< as " Jul.c "' for " duLi,' 
 •^ primipw" for '■■ p)\isepio" "■ A per C" for '' A pa se," •■'■ crusifige"' ior " cructfigc ;" nor even the ma^ife^l 
 errors in the numbering of the Psalms, as xxiv. for xiv., Ixxxi. fnr cxiii , &t. 
 
l6 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 the similarity of their metre, or by occasional verbal coincidences, gave 
 unraistakeable evidence of their origin. The metrical graces, and the 
 other three longer pieces extracted by Dr Bonar from Wedderburn's 
 collection I did not, with the materials then at my command, suc- 
 ceed in tracing to a foreign source, and I laid the matter aside for a 
 time, till I should have more leisure, and farther means of prosecuting 
 my inquiries. When in Edinburgh in June last, I brought the subject 
 and my conjecture respecting it under the notice of an honoured friend, 
 to whose more extensive knowledge, and more matured judgment in all 
 questions connected with the history and literature of the Reformation I 
 am accustomed to defer, but he did not appear to have had his attention 
 specially called to it before, or to have heard of such very close resem- 
 blance being traced between these Scottish and the old German hymns, and 
 could only advise me to proceed with caution, as possibly the resemblances 
 might be satisfactorily accounted for by the derivation both of the Scotch 
 and German hymns from the Latin. I therefore asked a friend who was 
 a better German scholar than myself to take Dalyell's reprint of the 
 " godlie and spiritual sangs," and to compare its contents with those of 
 his German hymn books, and to let me know the result. But his hymn- 
 books, like my own, contained only a small number of the older Ger- 
 man hymns, and so he did not succeed in tracing any correspondence 
 save in the case of three more than had at lirst struck me. Thus the 
 matter rested till the end of autumn, when it occurred to me that the 
 subject was one which, in the infirm state of my health, I might prose- 
 cute with interest, and yet without exhaustive mental labour. Accord- 
 ingly I provided myself with farther materials for carrying on the inquiry 
 and particularly with an old German hymn-book, with Wackernagel s 
 " Deutsches Kirchenlied," and several of his valuable works on the Bib- 
 liography of German Hymns. A repeated and careful examination 
 of these several books has enabled me to trace fully one-half of the com- 
 positions contained in the first part of the "compendious booke of godly 
 and spiritual sangs" to a German origin, several of them, though executed 
 with good taste and poetic spirit, being rendered almost fine for line from 
 the German, others being far more free as well as spirited translations, 
 and some giving indications of their origin only by a general similarity, 
 
THE SCOTTISH REFORMATION. I 7 
 
 by occasioiiiil verbal coincidences, and tlie adoption of the same metre and 
 refrain as the corresponding German Hymn. On closer examination of 
 the " compendious booke " itself, also, 1 found it contained a notice which, 
 beyond all question, must settle the character of its second part, and 
 which it is very strange should have hitherto attracted so little special 
 attention. It runs as follows, " Heir ends the spirituall sangs and begins 
 the Psalms of Uavid with other new and pleasant ballates translated out 
 (s/" Enchiridion Psalmorum to be sung." From this notice it is plain that 
 whatever may be the case with the hymns which precede it, those which 
 follow are confessedly to be regarded as mostly translations from some 
 previously existing work, and yet this is the very fact of which not even 
 one of those who have directed attention to the book seem to Iiave had 
 the least idea. But what is '' Enchiridion Psalmorum?" The friend 
 to whom I communicated my first conjectures has even with his great 
 knowledge of the books and history of the time as yet been unable fully to 
 determine this question, and it is hardly to be expected I should be able to 
 do so. Yet I shall try to cut if not to loose this Gordian knot. A care- 
 ful examination of the Bibliographical treatises of Wackernagel discloses 
 the fact that between the years 1524 and 1570, a large number of edi- 
 tions of Hymn-books, bearing the general name of Enchiridion or Hand- 
 biichlein, issued from the German press, which generally contained in 
 their first part some such collection of "Geistliche Gesange " or "spiritual 
 sangs," as is given in the first part of Wedderburn's compendious book, 
 and in their second, " Psalmen und Lieder " which I suppose may without 
 much forcing be rendered " Psalmes and Ballates." Very probably it 
 is to one of these Enchiridia that reference is made in the notice given 
 above.* The first of them was published at Erfurt in 1524, and it is in 
 another of them, apparently published at the same place in 1528, that 
 the version of the second Psalm— pretty freely rendered by Wedderburn 
 — is suj:)posed to have been first published. It is rather, however, to 
 one or other of the Strassburg Hymn-books, that 1 am disposed to trace 
 
 * It would be rash in mc to as:-crt the ''Enchiridion '' ca.nnoX. pass iUi/ have been the name of a Latin 
 collection, but if so it must have been a collection of translations from tiie German like those of Helm- 
 bold, Labricius, Ammonius, ike. Wedderbuin"s translation of Psalm ii. is more like to the CJeiman than 
 to their Latin versions of it, or even to that of Mourette. 
 
 C 
 
l8 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 this second part of Wedderburn's book, in so far as it may be a translation, 
 and these, in so far as their versions of the Psahns are concerned, are 
 derived chiefly from a Swiss Hymn-book published at Zurich in the year 
 1536, which has now so completely disappeared that even Wackernagel 
 has not been able to ascertain its exact title. 
 
 After a short prologue* the " compendious booke " commences with 
 what has been very properly denominated the catechism as containing 
 the elementary instruction which was intended to be specially impressed 
 on the minds of the young and ignorant. The text or prose version of 
 the Ten Commandments, the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the institution 
 of baptism, and of the Lord's Supper is first given, — and this not from any 
 English version of the Scriptures with which I am acquainted, but rather 
 from Luther's German, though there is one peculiar rendering that is hardly 
 accounted for even thus. After these prose extracts come five metrical 
 hymns, three of which are pretty close yet spirited translations of Luther's 
 hymns on the Creed, on Baptism, and the Lord's Supper. The stanza 
 and refrain of the metrical version of the Ten Commandments are the 
 same as Luther's, and the first and second commandments are joined to- 
 gether as in Lather's hymn, but the explanations of the individual com- 
 mandments are not very similar, -f- and the commencement of the song 
 more closely resembles another German metrical version of the com- 
 mandments, of which Wackernagel has given only the first line. The 
 metrical version of the Lord's Prayer, though composed in the same six- 
 lined stanza as Luther's and several of the German versions, does not 
 closely resemble any of them which I have yet seen;:|: but it is rather 
 remarkable, that while the versions of the Ten Commandments and of 
 the Creed appended to Knox's Psalter are taken from the French, the 
 version of the Lord's Prayer which follows them is a singularly faithful 
 yet spirited translation of Luther's hymn, not unworthy to stand side by 
 side with any of the more recent English translations of it.§ To 
 
 * The edition of 1578, has, like many of the German Hymn-books, a calendar. 
 
 f They bear a somewhat closer resemblance to those of Weisse, whose hymn has the same form of 
 stanza and the same refrain as Luther's. 
 
 J At least ten are given in Wacksrnagel's "Da^ Deut'iche KirchenlieJ." § See Appendix II. 
 
THE SCOTTISH REFORMA IION. 
 
 these five hymns in Wcdderburn's book succeed various metriciil graces, 
 to be said before and after meat, some of which may be found in old 
 German hymn-books, and the longest of which is taken almost line for 
 line from one which still holds its place in some modern German collec- 
 tions. The spiritual songs proper of the Scotch book begin with two 
 confessions of sin, a song of the contest between the flesh and the spirit, 
 and a song of the cross and the fruit thereof, the last three of which are 
 close versions of German hymns given in Wackernagel's collection, and 
 the first bears considerable resemblance to one of those given in Ilom- 
 mel's Supplement to Wackernagel's work. Then follow rather lengthy 
 paraphrases of the parables of the prodigal son and of the rich man and 
 Lazarus, which are probably abridgements of Cierman paraphrases of 
 these passages of Scripture which we know from Wackernagel were in 
 circulation as early as the year 1536. To these succeed a metrical ver- 
 sion of the history of our Lord's passion — a pretty close rendering of an 
 old German hymn still to be found in some of the modern collections, 
 and " ane sang of the Evangel," which is a less close but more spirited 
 translation of the first hymn Luther composed. After these come four 
 hymns on the incarnation and birth of Christ, three of which still hold 
 their places in the German hymn-books, and are among the finest of the 
 many fine hymns on this subject which the German Church possesses. 
 The Scottish version of the first of them is quite worthy, in respect of 
 pathos and poetic merit, to take its place side by side with either of the 
 two beautiful versions of it in English which have been published in our 
 own day. The second, third, and fourth are versions of hymns that 
 came to the German reformed Church through the Latin ; but though 
 they are all executed with considerable spirit, the resemblance of all of 
 them to the German version in its variations from the Latin is too 
 marked to leave any doubt that they, like so many of the others, are 
 taken directly from the German. The second contains one stanza which 
 is not found in the common German copies. The fourth contains some 
 typographical errors, which a reference to the German enables us to cor- 
 rect. The third is one of the wildest lilts the mediirval Church pos- 
 sessed, and its odd mixture of Scotch and Latin is a faithful reproduction 
 
20 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 of the mixture of German and Latin which was the favourite form of 
 this hymn in the early part of the sixteenth century. After these hymns 
 on the birth of Christ come a song of thanksgiving to God for once more 
 spreading among men the knowledge of His word — a pretty close ren- 
 dering of a German hymn attributed to Speratus, and a metrical version 
 of the Song of Simeon, which is in the same stanza as that of Luther, 
 and is probably a free rendering of it or of some of the other German 
 versions modelled on it. These are succeeded by a brief hymn entitled 
 '' ane sang of the resurrection," which is the only one in the first part of 
 the book of which I think myself entitled to say with any confidence, that it 
 appears to be more immediately derived from the Latin than the German. 
 At least it more closely resembles a I-atin hymn found in several of the 
 German hymn-books than any of the German versions of it 1 have yet 
 seen. The first part of the collection then winds up with a number of 
 miscellaneous pieces, several of which have no distinct titles, and are of 
 inferior merit to those which precede. I have as yet succeeded in trac- 
 ing only three or four of these to German sources, but I am not without 
 hope that a more careful search will lead to the identification of at least 
 as many more of the hymns on the birth of Christ with Latin or German 
 originals. 
 
 The second part of the collection, as I have already mentioned, is, in 
 the main, avowedly a translation from some previously existing work. It 
 consists partly of a selection of Psalms (2, 12,* 13, 15, 23, ^^, 37, 64, 
 73, 83, 91, 114, 115^ 124, 13O' ^37^ 145^ 79. 5h 128, 67, 31,) several 
 hymns not inferior in pathos and beauty to any of those in the first 
 part, and some of which I have ascertained to be also translations from 
 the German, several adaptations of profane or secular songs to religious 
 subjects, and a considerable number of ballads exposing in a very pithy 
 and earnest manner, the corruptions of the clergy and the abuses of the 
 Church, yet to a great extent free from the coarseness which characterizes 
 some of the ablest pieces of Sir David Lindsay, and from the fierce re- 
 
 * This is given as the eleventh, and generally the numbers of the Vulgate are followred, and the initial 
 words of the Latin are prefixed. Psalms 114 and 115 are given as one Psalm and numbered 113. 
 Psalm Ixxix. is numbered Ixxvii., and singularly enough this mistake also occurs in the Strassburg Hymn- 
 book of 1547 if not in that of 1545. Of course the number in the Vulgate is Ixxviii. 
 
THE SCOTTISH REFORMATION. 21 
 
 vengeful spirit which several of the English poets of the same era exhibit, 
 and which the cruelties inflicted on the author and his friends would to 
 some extent have palliated. The idea of some, even of these ballads, may- 
 have been suggested by the German Volkslieder on the same subjects, but 
 the most of them no doubt are original, and it is not at all unlikely that 
 some of them at first made their appearance separately, and had a partial 
 circulation before obtaining a place in the compendious booke of godly 
 and spiritual songs, and as external evidence seems to favour the conclu- 
 sion that some part of the book must have been printed before 1546, so, 
 as has been already hinted, the internal evidence seems to shew that 
 these ballads must have been written and printed at latest before their 
 author left Scotland in that year. 
 
 To bring out the full extent of the resemblance between these early 
 Scotch and the German hymns, I shall in an appendix exhibit in parallel 
 columns the text of several of them in both languages, and for the sake 
 of those who do not know German, I subjoin here in parallel columns 
 the Scotch versions of three or four of them, and one or other of the 
 English versions of the same German hymns executed in our own day. 
 
 The first I give is that which at once struck me on reading Dr Bonar's 
 book, the metrical version of the creed, and alongside of this I place the 
 admirable version of Luther's hymn by Miss Winkworth. It will be 
 observed at once that the stanza of Miss Winkworth is shorter by a line 
 than Wedderburn's. The explanation of this is that she has cast into her 
 ninth line what forms two short lines in the original, and in singing needs 
 to be repeated in whole or in part ; while Wedderburn, as he often does, 
 has lengthened both lines that he might give a separate syllable to each 
 note of the music. 
 
 Ckeid. Creed. 
 
 We trow in God allanerly, We all believe in one true God, 
 Full of micht and majesty, Maker of the earth and heaven ; 
 
 Maker of hevin and eird sa braid, The Father, who to us in love, 
 Ouhilk hes him selfe our Father maid. Ilnth the claim of children given. 
 
 And we his sonnes ar in dcid. He in soul and body feeds us, 
 He will us kelp in all our neid. All we want His hand provides us ; 
 
THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 Baith saule and body to defend, 
 That no mischance sail us offend j 
 He takis cure baith day and nicht. 
 To saue us throw his godly micht, 
 From Sathan's subtilty and slicht. 
 
 We trow in Jesus Christ his Sone, 
 God lyke in gloir, our Lord allone, 
 Quhilk, for his mercy and his grace, 
 Wald man be born to mak our peace, 
 Of Marie mother Virgin chast, 
 Consevit be the Haly Ghaist, 
 And for our saik on croce did die, 
 Fra sin and hell to mak us free, 
 And rais from deith throw his godheid. 
 Our Mediatour and our remeid, 
 Sail cum to judge baith quick and deid. 
 
 We trow in God the Haly Spreit, 
 In all destres our comfort sweit : 
 We trow the Kirk Catholick be, 
 And fairhfuU Christin companie. 
 Throw all the warld with ane accord :* 
 Remission of our sin we trow, 
 And this same flesche that levis now. 
 Sail stand up at the latter day. 
 And bruke eternall life for ay. 
 
 Thro' all snares and perils leads us, 
 
 Watches that no harm betides us ; 
 He cares for us by day and night. 
 All things are governed by His might. 
 
 And we believe in Jesus Christ, 
 
 His only Son, our Lord, possessing 
 An equal Godhead, throne and might, 
 
 Through whom descends the Father's 
 blessing ; 
 Conceived of the Holy Spirit, 
 
 Born of Mary, virgin mother ; 
 That lost man might life inherit. 
 
 Made true man, our elder Brother 
 Was crucified for sinful men. 
 
 And raised by God to life again. 
 
 And we confess the Holy Ghost, 
 Who from Son and Father floweth, 
 
 The Comforter of fearful hearts. 
 Who all precious gifts bestoweth ; 
 
 In whom all the Church hath union. 
 
 Who maintains the saint's communion; 
 We believe our sins forgiven. 
 And that life with God in heaven, 
 
 When we are raised again, shall be 
 
 Our portion in eternity. 
 
 The next I give has the qiuiint title, " Ane sang of the birth of Christ 
 with the tune of Baw lulalaw." It is Luther's hymn, which he composed 
 for his little boy Hans, and which is still shouted from the steeple in some 
 German cities early on Christmas morning. Alongside of the Scotch 
 version 1 give the English one made by Miss Winkworth in our own day. 
 A version still closer to the original has still more recently been furnished 
 in the " Sunday Magazine." 
 
 * A line which should iiave rhymed with this has possibly dropped out. 
 
I'lIE SCOTTISH REFORMATION. 
 
 23 
 
 Ane Sang of the Birth of Christ. 
 
 IViih the tune of Baiv lulalaiv. 
 
 I come from hevin to tell 
 The best nowellis that ever be fell, 
 To you thir tythinges trew I bring, 
 And I will of them say and sing. 
 
 This day to you is borne ane childe. 
 Of Marie meike, and Virgine mylde ; 
 That blissit bairne, bening and kynde, 
 Sail you rejoice baith heart and mynd. 
 
 It is the Lord Christ, God and man, 
 Hee will doe for you quhat hee can ; 
 Himselfe your Sauiour hee will bee, 
 Fra sinne and hell to make yow free. 
 
 He is our richt saluation. 
 From everlasting damnation. 
 That ye may ring in gloir and blis. 
 For ever mair in hevin with his. 
 
 Ye sail him find but marke or wring, 
 Full sempill in ane crib lying ; 
 So lyis hee quhilk yow hes wrocht. 
 And all this warld made of nocht. 
 
 Christmas Hymn. 
 
 Vom himmel hoch da komm ich her. 
 
 From heaven above to earth I come 
 To bear good news to every home ; 
 Glad tidings of great joy I bring. 
 Whereof I now will say and sing. 
 
 To you this night is born a child 
 Of Mary, chosen mother mild •, 
 This little child, of lowly birth. 
 Shall be the joy of all your earth. 
 
 'Tis Christ, our God, who far on high 
 Hath heard your sad and bitter cry ; 
 Himself will your salvation be, 
 Himself from sin will make you free. 
 
 He brings those blessings, long ago 
 Prepared by God for all below; 
 Henceforth his kingdom open stands 
 To you, as to the angel bands. 
 
 These are the tokens ye shall mark, 
 The swaddling clothes and manger dark; 
 There shall you find the young child laid, 
 By whom the heavens and earth were 
 made. 
 
 Let us rejoyceand be blyth. Now let us all with gladsome cheer 
 
 And with the hyrdes goe full swyth. Follow the shepherds, and draw near 
 
 And see quhat God of his grace hes don To see this wondrous gift of God, 
 
 Throw Christ to bring us to his throne. Who hath His only Son bestowed. 
 
 My saull and lyfe, stand up and see 
 Quha lyes in ane crib of tree ; 
 Quhat babe is that so gude and faire ? 
 It is Christ, God's wSonne and Aire. 
 
 Give heed, my heart, lift up thine eyes ! 
 Who is it in yon manger lies } 
 Who is this child, so young and f;ur ? 
 The blessed Christ-child licth there 
 
24 
 
 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 Welcome now, gracious God of mycht, Welcome to earth, Thou noble guest, 
 
 To sinners vyle, pure and unricht ; Through whom e'en wicked men are 
 
 Thou come to saue us from distresse, Thou com'st to share our misery, [blest 
 
 How can wee thank thy gentilnesse ? What can we render. Lord, to Thee ! 
 
 O God that made all creature. 
 How art thow becum so pure. 
 That on the hay and stray will lye, 
 Amang the asses, oxin and kye ? 
 
 Ah Lord, who hast created all, [small. 
 How hast Thou made Thee weak and 
 That Thou must choose Thy infant bed 
 Where ass and ox but lately fed ! 
 
 And were the warld ten tymes so wide. Were earth a thousand times as fair, 
 
 Cled ouer with gold and stanes of pride, Beset with gold and jewels rare. 
 
 Unworthy yit it were to thee. She yet were far too poor to be 
 
 Under thy feit ane stule to bee. A narrow cradle, Lord, for Thee. 
 
 The sylke and sandell, thee to eis, 
 Are hay and sempill swelling clais, 
 Quhairin thow gloiris, greitest king. 
 As thou in hevin were in th.y ring.; 
 
 Thow tuke like paines temporall, 
 To make me riche perpetuall •, 
 For all this warldis welth and gude, 
 Can nothing richt thy celsitude. 
 
 O my deir hert, young Jesus sweit, 
 Prepare thy creddill in my spreit. 
 And I sail rocke thee in my hert, 
 And never mair from thee depart. 
 
 But I sail praise thee evermoir. 
 With sangs sweit unto thy gloir ; 
 The knees of my hert sail I bow. 
 And sing that richt Balulalow. 
 
 For velvets soft and silken stuff. 
 Thou hast but hay and straw so rough. 
 Whereon Thou king so rich and great. 
 As 'twere thy heaven, art throned in state. 
 
 Thus hath it pleased Thee to make plain 
 The truth to us poor fools and vain. 
 That this world's honour, wealth, and 
 
 might. 
 Are nought and worthless in Thy sight. 
 
 Ah ! dearest Jesus, Holy Child, 
 Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled. 
 Within my heart, that it may be 
 A quiet chamber kept for Thee. 
 
 My heart for very joy doeth leap. 
 My lips no more can silence keep j 
 I too must raise with joyful tongue 
 That sweetest ancient cradle-song. 
 
 Gloir bee to God eternally, 
 Quhilk gaif his only Sonne for me, 
 
 Glory to God in highest heaven. 
 Who unto man His Son hath given 
 
THE SCOTTISH REFORMATION. 
 
 25 
 
 The angels joyes for to heir, 
 The gracious gift of this new yeir. 
 
 While angels sing with pious mirth 
 A glad New Year to all the earth. 
 
 I have no English version to exhi]:)it of the next which I insert, but as 
 it follows the other in the compendious book, I place it here along with 
 the German original. The author of the German is not known. It 
 appears in the Strassburg hymn-book of 1537. 
 
 To us is borne a bairne of blis, 
 
 Our King and Empriour, 
 
 Ane gracious Virgine mother is 
 
 To God hir Saviour. 
 
 Had not that blissit Bairne beene borne, 
 
 Wee had beene every ane forlorne, 
 
 With sinne and feindis fell. 
 
 Christ Jesus, loving bee to thee. 
 
 That thou ane man wold borne bee. 
 
 To saif us from the hell. 
 
 Wee suld lufe God and mirrie bee. 
 
 And drive away dispair ; 
 For Christ is cummit from hc\'in so hye. 
 
 Our fall for to repair. 
 No tongue sik kyndnesse can expresse, 
 The forme of servand taken hes, 
 And verbum caro factum est ; 
 
 Except sinne, lyke vnto vs all. 
 To freith us from the feindis thrall, 
 
 And mend quhair wee did misse. 
 
 Ein kindelein so lobelich 
 
 1st uns geboren heute 
 
 Von einer Jungfrau sauberlich 
 
 Zum trost uns armen Icute. 
 
 War' uns das kindlcin nicht gebor'n, 
 
 So war'n wir allzumal verlor'n ; 
 
 Das heil ist unser alien, 
 
 Ei, du slisser Jesu Christ, 
 
 Der du mensch geboren bist ; 
 
 Behlit uns vor der holle. 
 
 Der tag der is so freudenreich 
 
 Zu loben Gotes namcn, 
 Dass Christus von den himmelreich 
 
 Auf erden zu uns kommen. 
 Gross ist die demuth und die gnad 
 
 Die Gott von himmel bei uns that ; 
 Ein knecht ist er hie worden, 
 
 hi allem, doch ohn' svind uns gleich, 
 Dadurch wir werden ewig reich •, 
 
 Trug unsrcr slinde biirden. 
 
 For Weill is them ever moir, 
 
 That trowis faithful! ye, 
 Be grace to ring with Christ in gloir. 
 
 Throw faith alanerlie ; 
 And Weill is them that understude 
 The gratious gift of Christis blude, 
 
 Sched sinners for to win. 
 
 Wohl dem, der dieses glaubens ist, 
 Von gantzem hertzen trauet, 
 
 Dem wird die scligkeit gewiss : 
 Wohl dem der darauf bauet, 
 
 Dass g'nug fur uns that Jesus Christ, 
 
 Darum er ausgegangen ist, 
 
 Von Gott, dem cwigcn Vater, 
 
 D 
 
26 
 
 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 Wes hard never so kiiide ane thing ; 
 Christ for his fais on croce did hing, 
 To purge us from our sinne. 
 
 Thus thanke wee him full hertfuUy 
 
 For his greit gentilnes : 
 Wee pray him, for his greit mercy, 
 
 Trew preichours to incres ; 
 False Pharisianes and feinzeit lair, 
 Quhom wee have followit lait and air, 
 
 Baith us and them forgeve ; 
 God, Father, Sonne, and Haly Spreit, 
 Instruct us in thy word so sweit. 
 
 And after it to leve. 
 
 Owie so grosse wunderthat ! 
 Christus trligt uns're missethat 
 Und stillet unsrer hader. 
 
 Dess dank' ihm alle Christenheit 
 
 Fur solche grosse giite ; 
 Und bitten sein' Barmherzigkeit, 
 
 Dass er uns fort behiite, 
 Vor falscher lehr' und bbsem wahn, 
 Der unsern seelen schaden kann ; 
 
 Er woir all schuld vergeben. 
 Gott, Vater, Sohn, und heil' ger Gelst, 
 Wir bitten von dir allermeist : 
 
 Lass uns in friede leben. 
 
 I cannot refrain from adding to these three hymns the wild lilt to 
 which reference has already been made, and the short hymn on the re- 
 surrection of our Lord, which seems to be translated directly from the 
 Latin. I cannot exhibit an English version of either, but yet I think the 
 close correspondence will, through means of the Latin, be generally per- 
 ceived. The first of these two hymns, as has been already mentioned, 
 was composed in mediaeval times, and the original had a stanza between 
 the last two addressed to the Virgin Mary= In some of the German 
 Protestant versions, as well as in the Scotch, this third stanza is simply 
 omitted,* but in others its place is supplied by another stanza more ac- 
 cordant with Protestant ideas. The second of these hymns, as has been 
 also mentioned, seems to have been more immediately derived from the 
 Latin than from the German. The Latin is said to have been the com- 
 position of Hermann Bonn, and to have appeared in German hymn-books 
 as early as 1542 or 1543. 
 
 In dulci jubilo. Now let vs sing with mirth In dulci jubilo. Nun singet und seyd froh, 
 and jo. Unsers hertzen's wonne,liegt in pr^sepio. 
 
 Our heartis consolation lyes in principio,t Und leuchtet als die sonne, Matris in 
 And schynes as the sunne matris in gremio, grsemio. 
 Alpha es & O. Alpha es & O. Alpha es et O, Alpha es et O. 
 
 * As in the Stras-hurg hymn-bcok> of 1537 and 1543. t Typographical eiror for '•.prac.-epio." 
 
THK SCOTTISH REFORMATION. 
 
 27 
 
 O lesu parvule, I thrist sore eftcr thee ; 
 Comfort my hart and minde. Opueroptime, 
 God of all grace sa kind,et priiiceps gloriae, 
 Trahe me post te, trahe me poste te. 
 Vbi sunt gaudia in ony place bot there, 
 Quhair that the angels sing nova cantica, 
 Bot and the bellis ring in Regis curia ! 
 God gif Iwere there ; God gif I were there. 
 
 O Jesu parvule, Nach dir ist mir so weh, 
 Trost mir mcin gemuthe, O puer optime, 
 Durch alle deine gate, O princeps gloria^, 
 Trahe me post te, Trahe me post te. 
 Ubi sunt gaudia, Nirgcnd mehr denn da 
 Da die Engel singen, Nova cantica, 
 Und die schellen klingen, in Regis curia, 
 Eia wiiren wir da, Eia waren wir da. 
 
 ANE SANG OF THE RESURRECTION. 
 
 DE MORTE ET RESURRECTIONE CHRISTI. 
 
 Christ gaue him selfo to die. 
 And for our fault the mendis made •, 
 For vs hee sched his precious blude, 
 With greit triumph vpon the rude. 
 And sinne and Sathan there hes slaine, 
 And sauit vs fra hells paine. 
 
 For hee againe from deid vp rais, 
 Victour of deid and all our fais ; 
 Hee raise the obligatioun, 
 Contrair to our saluation : 
 Syne spulzeit Sathan, hell and sinne, 
 And heuinly gloir to vs hes win. 
 
 And wee are now at God's peace. 
 Throw Christ ressauit to his grace, 
 Our Father mercifuU is hee ; 
 And we sail ring with him in blis. 
 Allalua, allalua, benedicamus Domino. 
 
 Christus pro nobis passus est 
 Et immolatus agnus est, 
 
 Eifuso suo sanguine 
 In ipsa crucis arbore, 
 
 Et mortuus imperium 
 Devicit diabolicum. 
 
 Nam resurgens ex mortuis 
 Victor rcdit ex inferis, 
 
 Delevit et chirographum. 
 Nobis quod est contrarium, 
 
 Exspoliato Satana 
 Reclusa cceli janua. 
 
 Habemus ergo liberum 
 Jam nos ad Patris aditum. 
 
 Per Christum Dei filium 
 Pro nobis morti traditum, 
 
 Alleluia Alleluia, 
 
 Benedicamus domino.* 
 
 * Perhaps the hymn in the second part of VVetlilerburn's book, entitled " Christe qui lux," is also 
 more immediately from the Latin than from the German, though I cannot speak with so much confidence 
 respecting it, as there seem to have been several German versions. I insert the first three verses of the 
 Scotch and Latin: 
 
 " Christ thou art the light but and the day, 
 The mirkness of the night thou puttes away; 
 Wee knaw thou art the verie light 
 That shynes to us baith day and night. 
 
 ' Christe, qui lux es et die 
 Noctis tenebras detegi-s ; 
 Lucisque lumen crederis, 
 Lumen beatis proedicans. 
 
28 
 
 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 The next which I give at length, is from the second part of Wed- 
 derburn's book. It is Weisse's hymn, which is still one of those sung 
 in Germany at the burial of the dead ; and the fact that it was found 
 appended to the funeral service used at the Kirk of Montrose in the 
 latter half of the sixteenth century would seem to show that a similar 
 use was made of it in that town, and probably elsewhere within the 
 jurisdiction of the Superintendent of Angus. It reflects in a striking 
 manner the deep and tender pathos of the original. That which is the 
 eighth verse of the hymn in Miss Winkworth's translation was added 
 in the German hymn-books about 1540. Whether the additional 
 verses of the Scotch are original or a later addition from some German 
 form I have not been able as yet to ascertain. 
 
 Our brother let us put in grave, 
 And na dout thereof let us have, 
 But hee sail rise on domise-day, 
 And have immortall life for aye. 
 
 BURIAL OF THE DEAD. 
 
 Novi' lay me calmly in the grave 
 This form, whereof no doubt we have 
 That it shall rise again that day. 
 In glorious triumph o'er decay. 
 
 Hee is of earth, and of earth made, And so to earth again we trust 
 
 And man rerurne to earth againe; What came from dust, and turns to dust. 
 
 Syne rise sail from the earth and ground, And from the dust shall surely rise 
 
 When that the last trumpet sail sound. When the last trumpet fills the skies. 
 
 The sauU reignes with God in glore, 
 And hee sail suffer paine no more ; 
 For cause his faith was constantly 
 In Christes blude allenerly. 
 
 " O haly Lord, we thee beseik, 
 This night us to defend and keipe. 
 Thy rest and peace be with us all. 
 Let never na evill thing us befall. 
 
 " Na hevie sleepe nor deadly sinne. 
 Let not our enemie us ouercome. 
 Nor yet our flesh give na consent, 
 Grant us our faults for to repent." 
 
 His soul is living now in God 
 Whose grace his pardon hath bestowed. 
 Who through His Sonredeem'd him here 
 From bondage unto sin and fear. 
 
 " Precamur, sancte domine, 
 Defende nocte ac die, 
 Sit nobis in te requies, 
 Quietam noctem tribue. 
 
 " Ne gravis somnus inruat, 
 Nee hostis nos subripiat. 
 Nee illi eonsentiat, 
 Nee tibi reos statuat." 
 
THE SCOTTISH REFORMATION. 
 
 29 
 
 His paiiiefuU pilgrimage is past, 
 And till ane end cummit at the last, 
 Deiand in Christe's yocke full sweit, 
 Bot yet is livand in his spreit. 
 
 His trials and his griefs are past, 
 
 A blessed end is his at last ; 
 
 He bore Christ's yoke, and did His will, 
 
 And though he died he liveth still. 
 
 The saull levis with God, I say; Heliveswhere none can mourn and weep. 
 
 The bodie sleipes whill domise-day : And calmly shall this body sleep 
 
 Then Christ shall bringthem both toglore, Till God shall death himself destroy 
 
 And raise it into glorious joy. 
 
 To reigne with him for evermore. 
 
 In earth he had vexatioun. 
 But now he has salvatioun, 
 Reignand in glore and blissc but weir. 
 And shines as the sunne so cleire. 
 
 Yee faithfull therefore let him sleip. 
 And not like Heathen for him weip. 
 But deiply prent into your breist, 
 That deid to us approaches neist. 
 
 Christ, for thy might and celsitude, 
 That for our sinnes shed thy blude ; 
 Grant us in fayth to live and die. 
 And syne receiue our saules to thee. 
 
 He suffer'd pain and grief below, 
 Christ heals him now from all his woe ; 
 For him hath endless joy begun ; 
 He shines in glory like the sun. 
 
 Then let us leave him to his rest, 
 And homeward turn, for he is blest, 
 And we must well our souls prepare. 
 When death shall come, to meet him there. 
 
 So help us, Christ, our Hope in loss ! 
 Thou hast redeem'd us by Thy cross 
 From endless death and misery; 
 We praise, we bless, we worship Thee ! 
 
 The last of which I deem it necessary to give the Scotch and an 
 English version at length is the metrical rendering of the " Gloria in 
 Excelsis," attributed to the German poet Decius. 1 prefer in this in- 
 stance to give an old English translation. Both versions vary farther 
 from the original than those of the hymns previously given, but still it is 
 evident enough that they are versions of one original ;* and, singularly 
 enough, an examination of the original and of this old English translation 
 of it, enables us to correct some typographical errors which have crept 
 into Wedderburn's version. 
 
 • Both agree with the Oi-iman in several things in which it differs from the older versions of the 
 " Gloria in excelsis. "" 
 
3° 
 
 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 Decius' Hymn. Gloria in Excelsis Deo. 
 
 Onlie to God on heich bee gloir, 
 And loving bee unto his grace : 
 Quha can condempne us ony moir, 
 Sen wee are now at Godis peace ? 
 Intill his fauour wee are tane, 
 Throw faith in Jesus Christ allane, 
 Be quhome his wrath sail end and ceis. 
 
 To God the hyghest be glory alwaye, 
 For his great kyndnesse and mercy ; 
 That doth provyde both nyght and daye 
 Both for oure soule and oure body. 
 To mankynde hath God great pleasure, 
 Now is great peace every where ; 
 God hath put out all emmyte. 
 
 Wee worship, and wee love and praise 
 
 Thy majesty and magnitude; 
 
 That thow, God, Father only wise, 
 
 Rings over all with fortitude : 
 
 No toung can tell thy strength nor micht, 
 
 Thy words and thochtis all are richt, 
 
 And all thy warkes just and gude. 
 
 We love and prayse and honoure the, 
 For thy great glory; we thanke thy grace. 
 That thou, God, Father eternally, 
 Art oure defender in every place. 
 Thou art to us a mercyfuU Father, 
 And we thy chyldren altogether ; 
 Therfore we geve the thankes alwayes. 
 
 Lord Jesus Christ, Sonne only borne, 
 
 Of thy Father celestiall ; 
 
 Thou savit us that was forlorne. 
 
 From sin and hell, and sathanis thrall. 
 
 Lord God's Lambe, thou tuke on thee. 
 
 For all our sinne to sarisfie. 
 
 Lord bee mercifuU to us [all]. 
 
 O Jesu Christ, thou onely Sonne 
 
 Of God Almyghty thy heavenly Father, 
 
 Our full and whole redempcyon. 
 
 Thou that hast stilled God's displeasure; 
 
 O God's Lambe, that takest synne awaye. 
 
 When we have nede, helpe us alwaye ; 
 
 Graunt us thy mercy altogether. 
 
 O Holy Ghaist, our comfort gude, O Holy Ghoost, our comfortoure 
 
 From feindis feill thy flock defend. In all oure trouble and hevynesse ; 
 
 [Qu^hilk Christ redeemit with his blude,] Defende us all from Sathan's power. 
 
 To thy keiping wee them commend. 
 From errour and hypocrisie, 
 Strenth us in the victorie, [veritie] 
 To persevir unto the end. 
 
 Whome Christ hath bought from woful- 
 
 nesse : 
 Kepe oure hertes in the verite, 
 In oure tentacyon stonde us by, 
 And strength alwaye oure weake bodies. 
 
 Taking away the word within brackets at the end of the last line of 
 the third stanza of the Scotch version, it will be seen that that line is left 
 
THE SCOrriSH REFORMATION. 
 
 3» 
 
 a syllable shorter than the last lines of the other stanzas, and does not 
 rhyme with the fourth line as in the others, I conclude, therefore, that 
 a word has fallen away, and that the word is the one I have supplied in 
 brackets, both because that word corrects the irregularities and makes 
 the translation an exact rendering of the German original " Erbarm' 
 dich unser aller.'' ■ Farther, it will be observed that, without the line 
 in brackets, the fourth stanza of the Scotch version is a line shorter than 
 the other three, and that there is no line to rhyme with the first as the 
 third does in the previous stanzas. I therefore venture to supi:)ly the 
 line included in brackets, which removes these irregularities, and is a 
 pretty faithful expression of the idea contained in two lines of the origi- 
 nal, "•Die Jesus Christ erloset, durch grosse martr'r und bittern todt." 
 The word " veritie" is given as a conjectural emendation for " victorie," 
 as it makes a more intelligible meaning, and is used in the old English 
 version of this hymn. There are several other cases in which a refer- 
 ence to the German original enables us to correct typographical errors in 
 the Scotch book, and two or three cases in which it enables us to supply a 
 missing line. The occurrence of such serious errors in the book rather 
 countenances the idea that it must have been printed when its author 
 was not at hand to revise the proofs, and probably from a hastily tran- 
 scribed manuscript, 
 
 I have referred above to an old English translation of the hymn just 
 quoted. This is contained in the " Ghostly Psalms and Spiritual Songs 
 of Myles Coverdale," lately reprinted among his other works by the 
 Parker Society, This treatise bears /« gremio even less acknowledgment 
 of its being a translation than the Scotch book of godly and spiritual 
 songs, though it is more exclusively so, and though, in another part of 
 the volume, the Editor gives a list of Coverdale's works by Bishop 
 Bale, from which it appears that he translated " Cantiones Wittenber- 
 gensium," Lib. i., yet, in the long note which he prefixes to the treatise, 
 he gives no hint in his preface that the Psalms and Songs were translations 
 from the German, and were, in fact, the " cantiones " referred to by Bale. 
 Such, however, is the undoubted fact with respect to them, and the 
 arrangement and contents of the treatise correspond \\\\\\ the A\''ittcmberg 
 
3 2 TH£ SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 hymn-books, while the Scotch translation in these respects corresponds 
 more closely with the German hymn-books issued elsewhere. Still the 
 two have a number of hymns in common, the comparison of which affords 
 a very satisfactory means of determining the merits of the respective trans- 
 lators. But what is even more remarkable is, that four hymns, exactly 
 or almost exactly alike, appear in both treatises, and it is a very difficult 
 question to determine which of the translators must have borrowed these 
 from the other. In favour of the claim of Coverdale to be the original 
 translator of these is the averment that his treatise had been published 
 by the year 1539, and that there is no reason to suppose the Scotch trans- 
 lation was published so early, nor perhaps the particular German hymn- 
 book from which it was taken. In favour of the opinion that the Scotch 
 is the original, stands the fact that these hymns are superior to most of 
 the others translated by Coverdale, and that the Scotchman is known to 
 have been the better poet of the two, and the farther fact that several of 
 the minor changes made on them seem to be more easily accounted for on 
 this supposition than on the other. But however this may be settled, 
 there is not the slightest doubt that the one m.ust have borrowed 
 from the other, and that it is just possible that even before the year 1539 
 Coverdale had been brought into contact with Wedderburn's friends, 
 Alesius and Machabceus, if not even with Wedderburn himself. Alan 
 or Alesius, like Coverdale, was a protege of Lord Cromwell's, and for 
 some time before he went to Germany was employed by him in helping 
 forward the cause of the Reformation in England. M 'Alpine or Macha- 
 bseus was for some years settled in the south of England, and boldly 
 taught the reformed doctrines there ; and as Coverdale was similarly em- 
 ployed for part of the time in one of the neighbouring counties, and 
 shortly after became brother-in-law to Machabceus, it is not at all unlikely 
 that their long and steady friendship had begun even before 1539. Even 
 then if there really were more foundation than has been shown for the state- 
 ment that the first edition of Coverdale's hymns was issued in 1539, and that 
 these four hymns were contained in that edition, it is not altogether impos- 
 sible that he may have got them from one of these Scotchmen, and that the 
 thoughts of Wedderburn, as well as those of his elder brother, may have 
 
THE SCOTTISH RETOR MATION. 
 
 33 
 
 already been turned towards the work he afterwards executed. But this 
 edition of Coverdale's Psalms and Songs is admitted to bear no date, 
 and contains a translation of one hymn which is not known to have 
 appeared in Germany till the year 1540; and the supposition that any 
 edition of the book was printed in 1539, rests entirely on the fact that 
 it was included in a list of prohibited books given under that year in the 
 first edition of Foxe's Acts and Monuments. But this list is not given 
 in the second and some subsequent editions of Foxe, and the most recent 
 and accurate editor* of that great w^ork states explicitly that it was not 
 issued till 1546, and that this can still be ascertained from Bishop Bon- 
 ner's register, which contains the Act of prohibition and the list of pro- 
 hibited books. Long before that date Coverdale had himself fled to 
 Germany, had become the brother-in-law of M 'Alpine, and had, it can 
 hardly be doubted, met with the other Scotchmen at Wittenberg. I 
 shall exhibit, in an Appendix, some of these hymns in the form in which 
 they are given both by Wedderburn and by Coverdale, from which it 
 will be at once perceived that, with a few very trifling exceptions, there 
 are no farther differences than that the one uses the English and the 
 other the Scotch form of certain words. The first I give is the beautiful 
 German hymn, " Herr Christ der einig Gottes Sohn," which still holds 
 its place in the modern collections, and of which a partial translation into 
 modern English has been given by Miss Winkw^orth. At least other 
 three correspond nearly as closely in all respects. These are the transla- 
 tions of Psalm Ixvii. and of the Magnificat, both of which 1 have placed 
 in the Appendix, and the hymn, " Ich ruf zu dir Herr Jesu Christ," 
 which, as it is included in my third Appendix, I do not insert in the first. 
 The only farther difference between the two translators with respect to 
 this last hymn is that Wedderburn puts the seventh and eighth lines of 
 the German stanza into one line. I exhibit here the translations both 
 have given of Psalm cxxx., because, though the differences between them 
 
 " Townsend's "Foxe," Vol. v., pp. 565, 566, and Appendix No. XVIU. The Psalms and Songs 
 are not found even in the list of prohibited books issued in 1542, and given in Appendix No. X. of same 
 volume ; so that the recent editor of Coverdale seems to have made a mistake in asserting on thestrength 
 of the above list that his hymns were published by 1539. He tells us that Coverdale's wife was of Scotch 
 extraction, while Dr I.orimer tells us that the wife of M'Alpine was an Englishwoman. 
 
 E 
 
34 
 
 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 are greater, they evidently draw from a common source, and that source 
 a modification of Luther's version of this Psalm not given in my hymn 
 books. This Psalm, besides, is one of the most favourable specimens of 
 Coverdale's powers as a translator : 
 
 Wedderburn. 
 
 Fra deip (O Lord) I call on thee, 
 Lord, heir my invocatioun. 
 Thy eiris thou incline to me. 
 And heir my lamentatioun : 
 For gif thou will our sin impute 
 Till us, O Lord, that we commit, 
 Wha may bide thy accusation. 
 
 Bot thow art niercifull and kinde, 
 And hes promittet in thy write. 
 Them that repent with heart and minde 
 Of all their sin to make them quite. 
 Thocht I be full of sinfulnes, 
 Yit thow art full of faithfulnes. 
 And thy promise trew and perfyte. 
 
 My hope is stedfast in the Lord, 
 My saull ever on him traist. 
 And my beleve is in thy word. 
 And all thy promises maist and leist. 
 
 COVERDALE. 
 
 Out of the depe cry I to thee, 
 
 O Lorde, Lorde, hear my callynge ; 
 
 let thyne eares enclyned be 
 
 To the voyce of my complaynynge. 
 If thou, Lord, wilt deal with stratenesse. 
 To marke all that is done amysse. 
 Lord, who may abyde thy reckonynge ? 
 
 But there is mercy ever with thee. 
 That thou therefore mayst be feared ; 
 
 1 will abyde the Lord patiently; 
 My soul looketh for him unfaynted. 
 And in his word is all my trust ; 
 So is my hope and comforte most. 
 His promise shall be fulfylled. 
 
 As the watchemen in the mornynge 
 Stonde lokynge longe desyrously; 
 That they myght see the faire daysprynge ; 
 So waytteth my soul for the Lord dayly. 
 Therefore let Israel wayte styll. 
 
 My saull on God waites, and is bent. 
 
 As watchman would the night were went. Until it be the Lorde's wyll, 
 
 Bydand the day to take him rest. To lowse them from adversite 
 
 Israel, in God put thy beliefe. 
 
 For hee is full of gendlnes, 
 
 Freedome, gudnes, and sail releve 
 
 All Israel of their distres. 
 
 Hee sail deliver Israeli, 
 
 And all their sinnes sail expell 
 
 And claith them with his righteousnesse, 
 
 For with the Lord, there is mercy, 
 And great plenteous redempcyon ; 
 Allthough we synne oft wickedly. 
 Yet hath he for us a sure pardon. 
 He shall redeme poore Israel, 
 And him shall he delyver full well 
 From all the synnes that he hath done. 
 
THE SCOTTISH REFORMATION. 
 
 35 
 
 As Bale, in his brief notice of Covereiale, has preserved for us the 
 knowledge of the fact that he made a translation of the Wittenberg 
 hymns, so Calderwood has preserved for us in his short notice of John 
 Wedderburn a record of the fact that he made translations of Luther's 
 hymns. True he does not expressly say that these translations were in- 
 serted in " the booke of godly and spiritual sangs," any more than 
 Bale distinctly identifies the ghostly psalms and spiritual songs of Cover- 
 dale with his translation of the Wittenberg hymns ; nor does he in fact 
 make express mention of the compendious book at all, but with the facts, 
 which he supplies, set distinctly before us, and compared with those I have 
 already given, no one can hesitate to make the identification for him- 
 self. Calderwood's notice of the Wedderburns was not embodied in 
 the shorter form of his history which, for nearly two hundred years, was 
 the only one printed ; and the last editor of their collection who 
 consulted the larger manuscript which the Wodrow Society has since 
 printed, was so far from catching a glimpse of the meaning of Calder- 
 wood's statement, " he translated into Scottish metre the dytements of 
 Luther," that he changed the uncouth Scottish word, " dytements" for 
 another which does not suggest the same idea at all, and told us simply 
 that Wedderburn translated the principles of Luther into Scottish verse* 
 This, and the circumstance that most of our recent ecclesiastical histo- 
 rians had begun their study of Calderwood before the new edition of his 
 history was published, may probably account for the fact that his state- 
 ment had attracted so little notice that only one — the most accurate and 
 laborious Dr Lorimer — seems to have adverted to it at all, and even he 
 but repeats without remark what he found in Calderwood. That histo- 
 rian had probably received his information from oral tradition, or had 
 made but a very perfunctory examination of the facts, for though so 
 large a proportion of J. Wedderburn's hymns are translations from the 
 German, less than the half of these are actually from Luther ; and be- 
 sides, the psalms, even with fewer exceptions than the hymns, are trans- 
 lations from some pre-existent work. This fact, though most explicitly 
 acknowledged in the compendious book, as has been already stated, ap- 
 
 * Dalyell's Scottish Poem^ of i6tli century, p- 35 
 
^6 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 pears to hive been overlooked both by CalderwooJ, Dr Lorimer,* and 
 others who have directed attention to that work. In Appendix III. I give 
 in parallel columns several of the Scotch godly and spiritual songs and the 
 German hymns of which I suppose them to be translations, and I add 
 three or four of the Scotch versions of the Psalms, and the German 
 versions which they appear to resemble, that any German scholar may 
 be able to satisfy himself of the close connection existing between the 
 two. I do not include in this appendix those which I have inserted in 
 my Lecture, because the fact of the resemblance of the Scotch to the 
 English, which last is professedly a translation from the German, must 
 determine the character and origin of these particular hymns. 
 
 I have not as yet met with any one German hymn-book containing 
 all the hymns translated by Wedderburn, or having a large proportion 
 of them, in the same order. Those in Wackernagel's " Bibliographie " 
 that bear the closest resemblance to his collection are the Strassburg 
 hymn-books from 1537 to 1547, and the Magdeburg hymn-book of 
 1543. The Leipsic hymn-book of 1552 contains the first five of the 
 selected psalms in nearly the same order, and also the articles of the 
 catechism, but in other, respects has no marked resemblance. The Mag- 
 deburg book contains very nearly all the psalms and hymns found in the 
 Scotch book, and it was one of the first that exhibited the several articles 
 of the catechism in the exact order in which they are given by our 
 countryman. The Strassburg hymn-books, from 1537 downwards, con- 
 tain most of the psalms and hymns he has translated, and all, with three 
 or four exceptions, are there by 1545. The psalms awanting may of 
 course be found in the Strassburg Psalter. A prologue of somewhat 
 similar form to that of Wedderburn, and containing a somewhat similar 
 translation of Col. iii. 16, is found in the Strassburg books. The error 
 as to the numbering of Psalm Ixxix. occurs also in them.f 
 
 Great exception has been taken both in former times and in our own 
 to the ballads in the " compendious book," and a sort of mingled con- 
 
 * Calderwood's words are, " He translated many of Luther's dytements into Scottish metre, and the 
 Psahns of David." Lorimer's statement is, " He became a zealous reformer, and translated many of 
 Luther's hymns and of the Psalms of David into Scottish metre." — (Scot. Ref. p. 174.) 
 
 t M'^aciternagel's Das Deutsche Kirchenlied p. 355. Bibliographie p. 201. 
 
THE SCOTTISH REFORMATION. 37 
 
 tempt and pity expressed for those who could find pleasure in them, and 
 encourage the repeated publication of them. They who have given ex- 
 pression to such opinions forget that a similar adaptation of the tunes, 
 and even, to some extent, of the words of secular songs, was made in 
 the same age in Germany, France, and Holland; and that even in a much 
 later age, one of whose deep piety and true poetic taste there can be no 
 question raised, seemed to vindicate the lawfulness of the practice when 
 he complained that so much of the best music we had should be tamely 
 given up to the service of the devil. It is a well-known fact that the 
 tunes of many of the finest German hymns, in so far as they were not 
 founded on those of the old Latin ones, were taken from secular songs; even 
 the very names of which would, but for this, have been now forgotten. 
 Not unfrequently with the melody, the words were also partially appro- 
 priated,* and notwithstanding all that has been said in condemnation of 
 the practice, it may be doubted whether, from the countenance it has 
 received from hymn writers of acknowledged eminence, any other cri- 
 terion can be laid down on the subject than that such appropriations are 
 not to be made rashly, nor indiscriminately, nor farther than the general 
 feeling of the age or country is prepared to acquiesce in them. But 
 whatever may be thought of this practice, it will not at least be denied 
 that it was far more venial, and indicative of a higher, more earnest, and 
 praiseworthy taste than the practice which was so common among our 
 countrymen in the times immediately preceding, of adapting the tunes of 
 the church hymns to secular, and sometimes very profane songs, and 
 singing these at certain seasons, even in the house of God,f as well as in 
 their households, and at their social gatherings. To those who take ex- 
 ception to the character and spirit of the satirical ballads, rather than to 
 the fact of their being adaptations of secular songs and tunes to sacred 
 subjects, it may perhaps be sufficient to reply that no one ought to blame 
 them too severely in these respects who does not know something of 
 those they were intended to supersede, and did to a large extent succeed 
 
 * For instance, the German hymn, '-O welt icli muss dich lassen," was but the echo of the plaintive 
 ballad "Innsbruck ich muss dich lassen;" and even one of the drinking songs had been spiritualized by a 
 Roman Catholic, as well a^ by a I'rotestant poet. f Abp. Hamilton"'. Catechism. 
 
38 
 
 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 in superseding, and no one who does know these others will fail to own 
 that a great moral and religious triumph was secured when they were 
 superseded by others so much more pure and elevating. The passage 
 from them to Wedderbum's is almost as from darkness to light, from 
 filth and ribaldry to comparative modesty, refinement, and earnest re- 
 ligious principle. In fact, one has only cursorily to compare them even 
 with the plays of Sir David Lindsay, acted before the noble lords and 
 ladies of the court of Scotland, to discover how far in advance of the best 
 in that era the earnest men who had lived in the atmosphere of Wit- 
 tenberg, where Protestantism had already had time to shew its eflTects, 
 were in point of true refinement, gentleness, and modesty. Then one 
 has only carefully to compare them with similar compositions published 
 about the same time in England, France, and Germany, to satisfy him- 
 self that if there was one of the ballad writers of the age who cherishes 
 a less bitter remembrance of mere personal wrongs, and a less unchristian 
 spirit towards those who had inflicted them, than the rest, it is the twice- 
 exiled author of most of these " Godly Ballads." True there are 
 stanzas in them, just as there are sentences in Knox's history, which be- 
 tray the coarseness of the olden time, and they do speak of popery and 
 its priests in a style very different from that which would now be used. 
 But we speak in cool blood, and have to do with men of higher moral 
 culture while the authors of these ballads wrote in the very crisis of a 
 life and death struggle* between truth and error, between purity and 
 debauchery, to support and cheer those who were contending even unto 
 bonds, imprisonment, and death, for the simplicity and purity of the gos- 
 pel. If their rude songs and homely earnest words commended them- 
 selves to the hearts of such, and encouraged them and their associates to 
 
 * I can find but one reference in the " Godly and Spiritual Songs " which I can confidently adduce as 
 shewing how deeply the author felt his exile from his native land : — 
 
 Allone 1 weepe in great distress, 
 We are exilit remedelesse, 
 
 And wait not why 
 Fra God's word, allace, allace. 
 
 Ifncourteouslie. 
 
 They may our bodie fra thee bind, 
 So can they not our hertes and minde, 
 
 Fixed on thee, 
 Howbeit we be with dolour [)ined 
 
 Uucourteouslie. 
 
THh SCOTTISH REFORMATION 
 
 continue the exhausting struggle till their cause was crowned with victory, 
 their authors did a signal service to their country, which ought to be 
 more gratefully remembered and less grudgingly acknowledged than it 
 has ever yet been. Many of their compositions are as truly martyrs' 
 and confessors' songs as any of those of the Covenanters in the succeed- 
 ing century. A short specimen or two of their authors' yearning tender- 
 ness towards their deluded fellow countrymen, and of their hearty efforts 
 even for the reformation of those priests whom they felt it so necessary to 
 denounce, is all for which I can here make room. The first I give is from 
 one of the ballads, which I suppose must be an original composition. 
 
 Priests, worship God, 
 And put away imagerie, 
 Your pardons and fraternitie. 
 To hell, the way and road. 
 
 Priests, sell no masse, 
 
 Bot minister that sacrament. 
 
 As Christ, in the New Testament, 
 
 Commandit you express. 
 
 Priests, change your tune. 
 And sing into your mother tongue 
 English Psalms, an' ye impugn ; 
 Ye dine after noone. 
 
 Priests, prove yow men, 
 And now defend your liberty : 
 For France and for your dignitie, 
 Yee brake the peace yee ken. 
 
 Priests, now confesse. 
 How yee so lang did us begyle. 
 With many haly bellie wyle. 
 To live in idleness. 
 
 I yow exhort. 
 Your office to do perfite ; 
 For 1 say nothing in despite. 
 So God mot me support. 
 
 The second specimen I give, I must confess to be in the main a trans- 
 lation of a German hymn, but it is a translation which breathes quite as 
 kindly and compassionate a spirit towards the deluded Papists as the 
 original, and displays a tone and temper considerably different from that 
 which even Coverdale has managed to throw into his version of the same 
 hymn. 
 
 Wedderburn. 
 
 Coverdale. 
 
 " Our bairnis now weill knawis how " It is so cleare, as we may heare. 
 To worship God with service trew. No man by ryght can it deny, 
 
 Qu^hilkst mony year our fathers deir, That many a year thy people deare 
 Allace ! therefore, full sore misknew. Have been begyled per'lously 
 
40 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 Yet God did feed his chosen indeed, With men spiritual, as we them call, 
 As Noy and Lot and mony moe. But not of thy Spirite truly ; 
 
 And had respect to his elect For more carnall are none at all 
 However the blind warld did goe. Than many of these spirites be. 
 
 "Sen throw thy strenth thy word at " They have been ever sworne altogether 
 
 Is preachit cleir before our eine, [lenth Their owne laws for to keep alwaye : 
 
 Bee yet gude Lord, misericord But, merciful Lord, of thy sweet worde 
 
 To them quhilk yet dissavit bein, There durst no man begin to saye. 
 
 And not dois knaw but mennis law They durst them call great heretics all 
 
 To their greit damnatioun ; That did confesse it steadfastly ; 
 
 Teich them fra hand to understand For they charged it should be hid. 
 
 Thy word to their salvatioun." And not be spoken of openly." 
 
 The metrical versions of the psalms contained in the second part of 
 the compendious book, and which some have pronounced to be so superior 
 to the rest of its contents, appear to me, I must confess, to be in general the 
 least successful part of the whole collection. No doubt there are stanzas 
 which deserve to live even in them, particularly in the 23d, the 124th, 
 and the 130th, but the mass of them would never, without the hymns 
 and ballads which accompany them, have taken such a hold on the minds 
 of our forefathers. In fact almost the only one which seems to have 
 taken a deep hold on their minds, and the stanza and even some of the 
 words of which were retained in Knox's Psalter is the paraphrase, and (if 
 one might safely settle such a point on internal grounds, without an ex- 
 haustive search through the whole of the old German hymn books,) I 
 should be disposed to add the, in great measure, original paraphrase of 
 Psalm Ixxxiii.* With considerable poetic power and copiousness of imagery 
 it exhibits a less restrained and chastened spirit than almost any even of 
 the ballads, though one can easily understand how it should have gone 
 to the hearts of men who believed, as they believed their own existence, 
 that the cause for which they dared and suffered so much was the cause 
 of God and truth, and that opponents strove to crush it as well as them. 
 
 * What is one line in Wedderburn is divided into two in Knox's Psalter, so that the stanza consists 
 of fourteen instead of seven lines, just as in the case of Beza's stanza and tune foi Psalm cxxiv, each line 
 of the French is divided into two in the Scotch version. The translati m of Psalm Ixxxiii. in Knox's 
 Psalter is much closer to the prose version than Wedderburn's, and is said to have been executed by 
 Robert Pont, a native Scotchman, who could not fail to have been familiar with the other. 
 
THE SCOTTISH REFORMATION. 4 I 
 
 The hymns and other compositions in the first part of the Wedder- 
 burns' book, though mostly, as I have already said, translations, are 
 translations of some of the finest hymns which the Reformation gave 
 to the Church, whose winning, life-like exhibition of its doctrines 
 largely contributed to prepare the way for tlie first acceptance of them, 
 and has continued to commend them to the hearts of German Protestants 
 to the present day. They are translations executed with spirit, freedom, 
 and true poetic taste into the purest Scottish dialect of the time, and they 
 had the highest testimony accorded to their worth in the fact that with- 
 out the sanction of the Church either unreformed or reformed they made 
 their way to the hearts and households of the Scottish people, and con- 
 tinued to be circulated, committed to memory, and sung in Scotland long 
 after the circumstances which originally called them forth had passed 
 away, while the more homely translations of a number of the same hymns 
 into English by good old Coverdale appear to have had comparatively 
 a very limited circulation and influence among the English people. The 
 doctrinal teaching which pervades these hymns is on the whole wonder- 
 fully like that which from the first has prevailed in the Reformed Church 
 of Scotland, and the only way of salvation for sinners of our "-uilty race 
 is set forth with singular clearness, and returned to in almost every hymn 
 with a persistency which nothing but the author's hearty and loving 
 acceptance of it can explain. Still, on some minor points, there are such 
 diflerences as tend to shew that the author had studied in the school of 
 Germany rather than in that of Geneva, or that his poems belong theo- 
 logically to the earlier era of the Reformation. Dr. Bonar is, perhaps, 
 right in supposing that there is nothing very distinctively or narrowly 
 Lutheran in the hymns respecting baptism and the Lord's Supper, 
 though these are unquestionably free translations of Luther's hymns. 
 But in the long paraphrase of Psalm li., the first and second verses of 
 which are said to have been sung by Wishart on an occasion already referred 
 to, there occur expressions in regard to the general effects of baptism 
 stronger than most Scottish Protestants would now use : — 
 
 F 
 
42 
 
 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 Thou ivyshe me, Lord, ivhen I was borne, But yet the Lord omnipotent, 
 From all my wickedness ; My cairfull case did cure, 
 
 But yet I did throw sin forlorne At font when I was impotent ■ 
 Of hevin the righteousness, Fragill, vain, vylde and pure ; 
 
 Wash me again, and from thy home Then helpit me that king potent, 
 Deliver me in stress : In my misaventure * 
 
 Then a more distinct place of special honour is assigned to our Lord's 
 mother than is now usual among us, as where it is said in one of the 
 finest of the ballads after celebrating the praises of our Redeemer : 
 
 Nixt Him to luf his Mother fair. 
 With stedfast hert for evermair j 
 Scho bure the birth freed us from cair.-f* 
 
 And in another of the ballads, the local descent of our Saviour's soul 
 to hell between his death and resurrection is asserted, and the doctrine 
 that he then rescued a number of the spirits in prison and carried them 
 in triumph with him to heaven, is connected with a traditionary statement 
 of their number, apparently, but erroneously resting on Psalm Ixviii. 1 7, 
 which interpretation of that verse I do not remember to have met with 
 
 elsewhere : 
 
 Sanct John did tell, thou heryit hell. 
 
 And shew mercy. 
 Ane thousand score thou did restore 
 To thy glory.;]: 
 
 Some slips as to biblical facts are made by the author, as when in the 
 paraphrase of Psalm li.§ he speaks of Isaac as Abraham's eldest son. 
 The substitution of Mount Sinay for Mount Sion, in the version of the 
 Second Psalm, is probably but a typographical error, as it is not found in 
 the German hymn of which that version is in part a translation. 
 
 I have already said that several of the hymns and some of the Psalms 
 though confessedly translations, are translations executed with considerable 
 spirit, freedom, and poetic taste. Most of them contain figures and 
 similes which are evidently the translator's own, and some of these which 
 are evidently suggested by the original are treated in such a way as to 
 
 * Dalyell's Compendious Booke, pp. iii, 114. f Ibid. p. 130. % "^'J- P- '-S- § "^''l- P- 'H- 
 
THE SCOTTISH REFORMATION. 
 
 43 
 
 shew the author was not a mere versifier likes Myles Coverdale, but a 
 true poet, whose words were fitted to go deep into the hearts of his 
 countrymen, to rouse them to deeds of noble daring, and sustain them even 
 under severest suffering. This cannot be better exemplified than by 
 subjoining the translations which both have given of Psalm cxxiv. : — 
 
 (Wedderdurn.) 
 Except the Lord with us had stand, 
 Had not the Lord been our war rand, 
 Say furth Israel unfeinzetly, 
 When men upraise in our countrey. 
 They had us all on live devored. 
 With ire so sharply they us shored. 
 So kendled was their cruelty. 
 
 Coverdale. 
 Except the Lord had been with us, 
 
 Now may Israel say boldly ; 
 Except the Lorde had been with us, 
 
 When men rose up against us fiercely ; 
 They had devoured us quyck doubtlesse. 
 And had overwoune us comfortlesse 
 
 They were so wroth at us truly. 
 
 For like the water and walles bryme,* 
 
 They had ouerwhelmed us with might, 
 Like burnes that in spait fast rin. 
 
 They had ouerthrawne us with slight The waves of waters had wrapped us in ; 
 The bulrand strcames of their pryde Our soul had gone under the fioode. 
 
 Had perished us throw back and syde. The deep waters of these proud men 
 
 And reft fra us our life full right. Had ronne our soules over, where they 
 
 stoode. 
 But loving to the Lord alone. The Lord be praysed every houre. 
 
 That gave us nocht to be their prey, That wold not suffer them us to devoure, 
 
 To be rent with their teeth anone. 
 
 But hes us freed full weill them fra. 
 Like to ane bird tane in ane net. 
 The whilk the fowler for her set, 
 Sa is our life weili win away. 
 
 The net is broken in pieces small, 
 And we are savit fra their shame, 
 
 Our hope was aye and ever sail 
 Be in the Lord and in His name. 
 
 The whilk hes creat hevin sa hie. 
 
 And made the cird so marvelouslie. 
 And all the ferlies of the same. 
 
 Nor in their teeth to sucke our bloode. 
 
 Our soule is delyvered from their power, 
 They cannot have that they have sought. 
 
 As the byrde from the snare of the fouler. 
 So are we from their dangers brought. 
 
 The snare is broken and we are free ; 
 
 Our helpe is in the Lorde's name truly. 
 Which hath made heavin and earth of 
 nought. 
 
 * Waves furious. 
 
44 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 How much more pithily and forcibly the Scottish poet can express 
 himself may be seen by the versions both have given of Psalm cxxxvii., 
 and especially of its last verse. The word in it generally rendered stone 
 might be more literally rendered, as in the German, rock, for which 
 Wedderburn in that passage employs the old Scotch word "craig."* 
 The same word is employed by him as the equivalent of the same original 
 term in Psalm cxiv. where vers. 6, 7, 8 are thus rendered : 
 
 " What gart yow mountaines, like rams stert and stend, 
 And ye hills, like lambes loup and bend .'' 
 It was the Lord's feir that made sic reird, 
 And Jacob's God perturbit all the eird. 
 For God turnit the craig in fresh river, 
 The barren brae in fontaine water cleir." 
 
 This and the version given just before of Psalm cxxiv., though trans- 
 lations, seem to shew that the poet had been no inattentive observer of 
 the scenery of the highland district of his native county with its bare 
 braes and craigs, its mountain burns and rocky streams, "bulrand"and 
 hurrying on with sudden " spaits," and occasionally dashing wildly over a 
 linn to which last he alludes in his translation of Psalm Ixxix., though there 
 is no such allusion in the German version which in the main he follows : 
 
 " And as water that fast rinnes ouer a lin, 
 Dois not returne again to the awin place, 
 Sa thow, gude Lord, put our sin from thy face." 
 
 One other simile must not be omitted in this notice. It is a peculiarly 
 Scottish one, founded on a practice in our law which was often put in 
 force against the early reformers and their successors. It is referred to in 
 the verse quoted from the translation of Psalm li., and again in the follow- 
 ing lines from one of the hymns on the birth of Christ : 
 
 * It is well known that Luther and some of the ablest German critics of our own day translate Psalm 
 xxxvii. 37 in a manner different from that in which it is translated in the French and English prose and 
 metrical versions of the Psalms. That translation is substantially adopted by Wedderburn : 
 
 " Keepe justice, and have ane eye unto the right, 
 That sail make peace for ever with God of might." 
 
rilL. SCOTTISH REFORMATION. 45 
 
 " For ye were all at Godis home, 
 This babe to you that now is born, 
 Sail make you safe and for you die. 
 And you restore to libertie." 
 
 I cannot refrain from giving one more illustration of the forcible and 
 pithy manner in which this old Scottish poet can translate a passage 
 which has not always been happily rendered by subsequent versifiers of 
 the Psalms. It is from Psalm cxv, which the Compendious Book, follow- 
 ing in this the Vulgate, makes a part of the preceding one instead of a 
 separate composition : 
 
 " Our God forsuith rings in heaven full hie. 
 And what him listis, or lykes, workes hee. 
 Their images of stock, stane, gilt with gold. 
 Are made be men, and syne for money sold. 
 They have a mouth can nother say nor sing ; 
 Their eene are blind and they can see nothing. 
 They cannot hear though men do cry and yell, 
 Their nosethirles can nother saver nor smell. 
 They have hands can nother feel nor grope 
 Their fundyit feet can nother gang nor loupe. 
 They car; pronounce no voice furth of their throats, 
 They are ouergane with mouse-wobs and (with) motes." 
 
 Nor can I deny myself the pleasure of adding to these many extracts 
 from the " booke of godly and spiritual sangs,'' one most favourable 
 specimen of its merits and manner, which I have found no reason to be- 
 lieve is a translation of any pre-existent poem, and which I fondly hope 
 will not hereafter be found to be so. Were there no other, (and there 
 are many others distinguished by earnest moral purpose, deep and genuine 
 love to the simple truths of the gospel and firm resolution to venture all 
 in the maintenance and profession of them) this one, it appears to me, 
 would have gone far to secure the authors' influence in those or in any 
 days. I give it in a slightly abridged form: 
 
46 THE SACRED POETS OF 
 
 " Say weill is throughly a worthy thing ; 
 Of say weill great vertew forth does spring j 
 Say weill from do weill differs in letter ; 
 Say weill is gude, hot do weill is better. 
 
 " Say weill is repute be man sum deale •, 
 But do weill only to God does appeale : 
 Say weill sayis godly, and mony does please ; 
 But do weill lives godly, and does the world ease. 
 
 " Be saying weill, mony to God's word clevis ; 
 But for lack of do weill, it quickly levis : 
 Bot gif say weill and do weill were joynt in a frame, 
 All were done, all were won, gotten were the game. 
 
 " Say weill in danger of deith is cald ; 
 Do weill is harneist and wondrous bald : 
 When say weill for fear sail tremble and quake j 
 Do weill sail be jocund and jolly cheere make. 
 
 " Say weill is slippar and makes mony wyles ; 
 Do weill is seemly without any gyles ; 
 Qu^hen say weill at sumtimes sail be broght base. 
 Do weill sail triumph in every place. 
 
 " Say weill to silence sumtime is bound ; 
 Do weill is free in every stound : 
 Say weill hes friends baith here and there ; 
 But do weill is welcome every where. 
 
 " Say weill many things in hand does take ; 
 Do weill ane end of them does make : 
 When say weill with mony is quite down-cast 
 Do weill is trusty and will stand fast. 
 
 " Say weill, mony will be sa kind ; 
 But do weill few will unto their friend : 
 May say weill, then do weill I tell you indeed. 
 But do weill is mair honest in time of need. 
 
THE SCOTTISH REFORMATION. 47 
 
 In conclusion, I may perhaps be allowed to say a few words in reply 
 to those who ask me what good I hope to accomplish by calling atten- 
 tion to these long forgotten songs, and why I think it worth while to de- 
 vote so much time to the elucidation of their liistory. I have done so, 
 first, because the facts I have succeeded in ascertaining seem to me to go 
 a good way to determine the substantial worth of this favourite book of 
 our fathers, and to justify attention to certain parts of its contents which 
 former investigators have very generally overlooked ; and, secondly, be- 
 cause the facts ascertained seem to me to cast some light on certain points 
 connected with the Scottish Reformation. Historical research in recent 
 times had rather tended to show that the Reformers of Wittenberg had 
 not had so entirely the moulding of the precursors of Knox as had been at 
 one time supposed ; and no doubt it must now be admitted that Wishart's 
 teaching is to be more closely identified with the Swiss than with the German 
 Confession. But if any reliance can be placed on the conclusions to which 
 I have thought myself warranted to come, it may still be said that, though 
 our reformers very early took their form of doctrine from Switzerland, 
 the country in which that subject was most calmly and thoroughly in- 
 vestigated, yet, as they drew their chief encouragement to contend for the 
 free circulation of the inspired Word of God from the able and persistent 
 appeals of one of the most accomplished pupils of Luther and Melanchthon, 
 so they drew the spirit which nerved them to persevere in the contest, and 
 cheered them amidst all its hardships, from another of the noble band of 
 Scottish exiles who was trained under the same honoured teachers, and im- 
 bued with their own earnestness and deep love of sacred song. In fiict, 
 Scotland was, perhaps with the exception of Switzerland itself, the only 
 country where the hymns of Germany and the doctrines of Calvin circu- 
 lated side by side, and for long retained in common their living hold on the 
 people. Lastly, I have thought it worth while to do so because, at a 
 time when so many are acquiring a knowledge of the German language 
 for the purposes of their profession, whether secular or sacred, and may 
 thereby meet with books in it which have a tendency to sap the founda- 
 tions of their faith, I think it is specially necessary to remind them that 
 there are in the same language an immense collection of noble hymns, — 
 perhaps the richest treasury of devotion the Christian Church has yet 
 
48 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 received — from whose stores our fathers drew for their enrichment and 
 godly edifying in the truth as it is in Jesus — from whose stores many 
 weary and anxious spirits have in later times drawn light and life and 
 comfort and courage, and by use of which many honoured brethren 
 in the German churches have been preserved from making shipwreck of 
 faith, and many have been drawn back to the good old paths from which 
 at one time they had gone astray. If it be true, as Sir Roundell Palmer 
 has so beautifully said, that the hymns of the Church are virtually the 
 liturgy of the laity, and as another has hinted, that their liturgy is virtu- 
 ally their confession, there is no collection of hymns which, for variety 
 and copiousness, for fulness and yet simplicity of evangelical statement, 
 for richness and yet chasteness of imagery and sentiment, is once to be 
 compared with that which the Reformation gave to the German churches. 
 The fact that this collection, to a very considerable extent, grew out of, and 
 gathered up into itself all that was truest and best of the older Latin, 
 may perhaps incline us to look on the Reformation as something else 
 than a narrow or negative movement, and impress on us the much- 
 needed lesson, that in order to hold our place in the orderly march of 
 the Christian host, it is quite as necessary to hold fast by the good and 
 true which has been already attained as to reach forth after that which 
 yet remains to be won. To those who can do so, I say, make acquaint- 
 ance with this treasury of devotion in the German original ; to those 
 who cannot do this I say, make acquaintance with it in the form in which 
 Miss Winkworth and others have so fully laid it open to the British 
 people, if not in the ruder form in which Wedderburn commended it to 
 our fathers. "That these hymns first sprang up on a foreign soil is no 
 reason why they should not take root among us." " Any embodiment 
 of Christian experience and devotion, whether in the form of hymn, or 
 prayer, or meditation, or whatever shape art may give it, if it do but go 
 right to the heart of our common faith, becomes at once the rightful and 
 most precious inheritance of the whole Christian Church. Much more, 
 then, when the country is so nearly akin to our own, may we feel that 
 it is at once our privilege and our duty to appropriate all that she can 
 bestow on us," and endeavour that her gifts may " find a welcome and a 
 home " in our own land. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 CHRIST IS riiF. oxr.r.Y Sonne of god. cmkist is thf, only Sonne of god. 
 
 {Wedderburn.') 
 
 Christ is the onely Sonne of God, 
 
 The Father eternall : 
 
 "We haue in Jesse found the rode, 
 
 God and man naturall. 
 
 Hee is the morning star; 
 
 His beemis send hee out hes far 
 
 Beyond other stcrnis all. 
 
 (^CoverdaU.') 
 
 Christ is the only Sonne of God, 
 
 The Father eternall ; 
 
 We have in Jesse founde this rod, 
 
 God and man naturall; 
 
 He is the mornynge star; 
 
 His beames sendeth he out farre, 
 
 Beyonde other starres all. 
 
 Hee was for vs ane man borne. He was for us a man borne 
 
 In the last part of time; In the last part of tyme; 
 
 Yet keipit shee her maid-heid vnforlorne, Yet kepte the maydcnheadc unforlorne 
 
 His Mother that bure him ; syne His Mother that bare hym : 
 
 Hee hes helles yettcs broken, He hath hell gates broken, 
 
 And heuin hee hes made oppcn, And heauen hath he made open, 
 
 Bringand vs life againe. Bryngynye us lyfe agayne. 
 
 Thou only Maker of all thing, 
 Thou euerlasting light. 
 From end to end all rewling. 
 Be thy owne godly might; 
 Turne thow our hcrtes vnto thee, 
 And lighten them with the veritio, 
 That are far from the ryght. 
 
 liCt vs incrcs in loue of thee, 
 And in knowledge also. 
 
 Thou only maker of all thynge, 
 Thou everlastynge lyght. 
 From ende to endc all rulynge, 
 By thync own godly myght; 
 Turn thou our hartes unto the; 
 And lyghten them with the verili?, 
 That they erre not from the ryglit. 
 
 Let us increase in love of the, 
 And in kufnvlcdge also; 
 G 
 
50 
 
 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 That wee, believing stedfastlie, 
 May in spreit serue thee so; 
 That wee in heartes may sauour 
 Thy mercie and thy faiiour, 
 And traist efter no mo. 
 
 Awake, O Lord, wee pray thee, 
 The Holie Ghost vs giue, 
 Whilke may our olde man mortifie, 
 That our new man may leiue. 
 So will we alwayes thanke thee, 
 That shawes vs so greit mercie, 
 And our sinnes does forgiue.* 
 
 That we belevynge stedfa.stly 
 May in spirite serve the so, 
 Tnat we in our hartes may savoure 
 Thy mercy and thy favoure, 
 And to thryst after no mo. 
 
 Awake up, Lorde, we praye the ; 
 Thy holy Spirite us geve, 
 Which maye our oki man mortifie. 
 That our new man m,ay lyve. 
 So wyll we alwaye thanke the, 
 That shewest us so great mercye, 
 And our synnes dost forgeve. 
 
 DEUS MISEREATUR. Ps. Ixvii. 
 
 O God be mercifull to vs, 
 
 And send to vs thy blessing; 
 
 Thy face shaw vs sa glorious, 
 
 And be euer to us luifing, 
 
 That men on eird may knaw thy way. 
 
 Thy sauing heill and righteousnes; 
 
 That they be noght led night nor day 
 
 Fra thy precepts, and trew justice, 
 
 To seik saluation quhair nane is. 
 
 God be mercytull unto us. 
 And send over us his blessynge; 
 Shew us his presence glorious. 
 And be ever to us lovynge; 
 That men on earth may know thy way, 
 Thy savynge health and ryghteousnesse; 
 That they be not led by nyght nor day, 
 Throw the pretexte of trew justice 
 To seek salvacyon wher none is. 
 
 Therefore the pepill might magnifie, Therefore the people moughtmagnifie thee; 
 O God, all folke, and honour thy Name, O God, let all folke honour thy name: 
 Let all pepill rejoyce gladlie, I^et all the people rejoyce gladly. 
 
 Because thou dois right without blame. Because thou dost ryght without blame. 
 
 The pepil does thou judge trewly, 
 And orders euery natioun : 
 Thou hes gouerned the eird justly 
 Euer sin the first creation, 
 Throw thy godly prouision. 
 
 The people dost thou judge truly, 
 And ord'rest every nacyon 
 Thou hast directe the earth justly. 
 Ever sense the first creacyon, 
 With thy godly provision. 
 
 * The authoress of the German hymn, of which these are translations, was Elizabeth Creutziger. 
 Tt was first published in 1524, and appeared in the Strassburg Hymn Book of 1537. It is partially trans- 
 lated by Miss Winkworth, in her " Chorale Eook for England." 
 
THE SCOTTISH REFORM Al'ION. 
 
 51 
 
 The pepil man sprCviJ thy name sa hie, 
 All pepill(0 GodJ mon giue thee honor, 
 The eird alswa right plenteouslie 
 Mot encresse euer more and more, 
 And God, quhilk. is our God oner all, 
 Mot do vs gude and plesour, 
 God mot blesse vs great and small, 
 And all the warld him honour 
 Alway, for his might and power. 
 
 O God, let the people praise thee ; 
 All people, God, niought give thee hon- 
 The earth also ryght plenteously [oure ; 
 Mought increase ever more and more ; 
 And God which is our God over all, 
 Mought do us good and pleasure, 
 God blesse us now both great and small, 
 And all the world him honoure, 
 Fearynge alwaye his myght and power.'-" 
 
 MAGNIFICAT ANIMA MEA. 
 
 My saull does magnifie the Lord, 
 
 My spreit rejoyces greitumlie 
 
 In God my Sauiour, and in his word ; 
 
 For hee hes seene the law degree 
 
 Of mee his hand-maiden trewlie ; 
 
 Behald now, after this day 
 
 All generations sail speike of mee, 
 
 And call me blessed alway. 
 
 For hee that is onlie of might, 
 
 Hes done greit thinges vnto mee. 
 
 And halie is his name be right. 
 
 As for his endlesse mercie. 
 
 It endureth perpetuallie. 
 
 In euery generation n, 
 
 And they that dreids him vnfenzcitlie. 
 
 Without dissimulatioun. 
 
 He shaws strenth with his arme potent, 
 Declares him selfe to bee of power ; 
 He scatters all men of proud intent, 
 Euen for their wick.it behauiour, 
 Whilk. reignes in their harts euery hour, 
 Hee puttes downe the mightie 
 From their hie estate and grcii honour. 
 Extolling them of law degree. 
 
 * Luther's Hymn, wliich appc 
 
 My soul doth magnifie the Lorde 
 
 My spret rejoyceth greitly 
 
 In God my Saviour and His worde ; 
 
 For he hath sene the lowe degree 
 
 Of mee his handmayden truly. 
 
 Behold now after this day. 
 
 All generacyions shall speake of me 
 
 And call mc blessed alwaye. 
 
 For he that is onely of myghte 
 Hath done great thyngs for me ; 
 And holy is his name by ryght ; 
 As for his endless mercy. 
 It endureth perpetually. 
 In every generacyon, 
 On them that fear him unfaynedly. 
 Without dissimulacyon. 
 
 He sheweth strength with his great arme, 
 
 Declaryng himselfe to be of power ; 
 
 He scattercth the proud to their own harme. 
 
 Even with the wicked behavioure, 
 
 Ot their own hertes every houre. 
 
 He putteth down the myghtye 
 
 From their hye seate and great honoure, 
 
 Exaltynge them of lowe degree. 
 
 ais in the Enchiridion of 1514. 
 
5^ 
 
 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 The hungrie hee feides t^ith gude; 
 And lets the rich ga emptie, 
 When his owne people wants fude, 
 They think vpon his greit mercie, 
 And helpes his seruants ane and all, 
 Euen Israel hee hes promesit, 
 And to our fathers perpetuall, 
 Abraham and to his seid. 
 
 The hongrye fylleth he with good, 
 And letteth the ryche go emptie. 
 Where his owne people want no food 
 He thynketh upon his mercye, 
 Andhelpeth his servant truely, 
 Even Israel as he promysed 
 Unto our fathers perpetually 
 Abraham and to his seed.* 
 
 Nunc Dimittis, the Prayer of 
 Symeon, Luck. ii. Chap. 
 
 Lord, lat thy seruand now depart 
 In gladnesse, rest, and peace : 
 
 I am rejoysit at my hert, 
 To see his godly face, 
 
 Quhom faithfully thow promeist mee, 
 Christ Jesus, ICing of grace. 
 
 • ••••• 
 
 Of Hethin folke blindit so soir, 
 
 He is the verrie licht, 
 Quhilke neuer hard of him befoir, 
 
 Nor saw him with their sicht. 
 He is the gloir, praise and decoir, 
 
 And strenth of Israel richt. 
 
 Presentation in the Temple. 
 
 In peace and joy I now depart. 
 
 According to God's will. 
 For full of comfort is my heart, 
 
 So calm and sweet and still •, 
 So doth God His promise keep, 
 And death to me is but a sleep. 
 
 • ' • • • • k 
 
 He is the heathen's saving Light, 
 
 And He will gently lead 
 Those who now know Thee not aright. 
 
 And in His pastures feed ; 
 While His people's joy He is. 
 Their sun, their glory, and their bliss. •!- 
 
 ( Wedderburn . ) 
 
 Saif us gude Lord and succour send. 
 
 For perishit is halynes. 
 And trewth away from men is wend. 
 
 And fled fra them is faithfulness. 
 
 Salvum me fac. — Psalm xi. [xii.] 
 
 (^Miis Coxes Translation of Luther s Hymn.^ 
 
 Look down, O Lord, from heaven behold, 
 
 And let thy pity waken ! 
 How few the flock within thy fold, 
 
 Neglected and forsaken ! 
 
 Translation of PoUio's Geiman li)mii of 1524. 
 
 t Do. of Luther's hymn of 1524. 
 
I'lll. SCO! riSH REFORMATION. 
 
 53 
 
 Dissait amang them is sa sawin, 
 The verity may noght be knawin ; 
 Their toungs are full of feinzitiies. 
 
 Their lying toungs, O Lord, cut out, 
 That speaks into thy contemptioun, 
 
 And sayis in all place round about, 
 Our toungs hes ane exemptioun. 
 
 Even as we pleis our lips may lie, 
 
 For we have all authority, 
 Nane hes of us dominion. 
 
 But God hes said, and will it keip, 
 
 I will rise up incontinent, 
 For the opprest that sair dois weip, 
 
 And murning of the indigent. 
 The poor that vexit is so sore, 
 I will them save and them restore 
 
 Fra wicked toung's teichment. 
 
 Almost thou'lt seek for faith in vain. 
 And those who should thy truth maintain. 
 Thy word from us have taken. 
 
 God surely will uproot all those 
 With vain deceits who store us. 
 
 With haughty tongue who God oppose, 
 And say, " Who'll stand before us ? 
 
 By right or might we will prevail, 
 
 What we determine cannot fail, 
 For who can lord it o'er us .<"' 
 
 For this, saith God, I will arise, 
 
 These wolves my flock are rending : 
 
 I've heard my people's bitter sighs 
 To heaven my throne ascending : 
 
 Now will I up and set at rest 
 
 Each weary soul by fraud opprest. 
 The poor with might defending. 
 
 Preserve us, Lord, by thy dere word. Lord, keep us by thy word in hope. 
 From Turke and Pope defend us, Lord, And check the murder of Turk and Pope, 
 Which both would thrustout of his throne Who Jesus Christ thine only Son 
 Our Lord Jesus Christ thy deare Sone.* Fain would tumble from his throne.f 
 
 1 I. 
 
 The Lord's Prayer. 
 
 Das Vater Unser. 
 
 (^Ftom Knox'j Pidltcr.) 
 
 Our Father which in heaven art. 
 
 And makes us all one brotherhood : 
 
 Wee call upon thee with our heart. 
 Our heavenly Father and our God : 
 
 Grant wee pray not with lips alone. 
 
 But with the hearts deep sigh and gronc. 
 
 ' 1 rom old Scotch MS, nuisic-book. 
 
 Vater unser im himmelreich, 
 der du uns alle heissest gleich 
 
 Brlider scin und dich rufen an, 
 und wilt das beten von uns han : 
 
 Gib dass nicht bet allein der mund, 
 hilf dass es geh von hertzen grund. 
 
 ■f M'DonneU's translation of Luther's hymn. 
 
54 
 
 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 Thy blessed Name bee sanctified, 
 
 Thine holy Word mought us inflame : 
 
 In holy life for to abide, 
 
 To magnifie thine holy Name : 
 
 From all errours defend and keep 
 
 The little flock of thy poor sheep. 
 
 Thy kingdome come even at this houre 
 And henceforth everlastingly ; 
 
 Thine Holy Ghost into us powre. 
 With all his gifts most plenteously ; 
 
 From Sathan's rage and filthy band 
 
 Defend us with thy mighty hand, 
 
 Thy will be done with diligence, 
 Like as in heaven in- earth also : 
 
 In trouble grant us patience, 
 
 Thee to obey in wealth and wo : 
 
 Let not flesh, blood, nor any ill 
 
 Prevaile against Thine holy will. 
 
 Give us this day our dayly bread. 
 And all other good gifts of thine : 
 
 Keep us from war, and from bloodshed. 
 Also from sicknesse, dearth and pine : 
 
 That we may live in quyetnesse. 
 
 Without all greedie carefulnesse. 
 
 Forgive us our offences all. 
 
 Relieve our careful conscience : 
 
 As we forgive both great and small 
 Who unto us have done offence : 
 
 Prepare us. Lord, for to serve thee 
 
 In perfect love and unitie. 
 
 O Lord, into temptation 
 
 Lead us not when the fiend doth rage. 
 To withstand his invasion 
 
 Give power and strength to every age. 
 Arrne and make strong thy feeble host 
 With faith, and with the Holy Ghost. 
 
 Geheiliget werd der name dein, 
 dein wort bei uns hilf halten rein, 
 
 Dass auch wir leben heiliglich, 
 nach deinem namen wlirciiglich. 
 
 Herr behlit uns flir falscher lehr, 
 das arm veifiiret volk bekehr. 
 
 Es komm dein reich zu diser zeit, 
 und dort hernach in ewigkeit, 
 
 Der heilig Geist uns wohne bei 
 mit seinem gaben mancherlei, 
 
 Des Satan's zorn und gross gewalt 
 zerbrich, flir ihm dein kirch erhalt. 
 
 Dein will gescheh, Herr Gott, zugleich 
 auf erden wie im himmelreich, 
 
 Gib uns geduld in leidenszeit, 
 gehorsam sein in lieb und leid, 
 
 Wehr und steur allem fleisch und blut, 
 das wider deinen willen thut. 
 
 Gib uns heut unser tiiglich brot, 
 und was mann darf zur leibes noth, 
 
 Behlit uns Herr flir unfried und streit, 
 flir zeuchen und fur theur zeit, 
 
 Dass wir in guten frieden stehn, 
 der sorg und geizes mussig gehn. 
 
 All unser schuld vergib uns, Herr, 
 dass sie uns nicht betriiben mehr, 
 
 Wie wir auch unsern schuldigern 
 ihr schuld und fehl vergeben gern. 
 
 Zu dienen mach uns all bereit, 
 in rechter lieb und einnigkeit. 
 
 Fuhr uns, Herr, in versuchung nicht, 
 wenn uns der bose geist anficht, 
 
 Zur linken und zur rechten hand, 
 hilf uns thun starken widerstand, 
 
 Im glauben fest und wohl gerust, 
 und durch den heilgen Geistes trost. 
 
Tllli SCOTTISH REFORMA riON. 
 
 55 
 
 O Lord, from evil delyver us, 
 
 The days and times are dangerous : 
 
 From everlasting death save us, 
 And in our last end comfort us : 
 
 A blessed end to us bequeath, 
 
 Into thine hands our soules receive. 
 
 For thou, O Lord, art King of kings, 
 And thou hast power over all : 
 
 Thy glory shyneth in all things. 
 In the wide world universall : 
 
 Amen, let it be done, O Lord, 
 
 That we have praid with one accord. 
 
 Von alien ubel uns erlos, 
 
 es sind die zeit und tage bos, 
 
 Erlos uns vom ewigen tod, 
 
 und trost uns in der letzten noth, 
 
 Bescher uns auch ein seligs end, 
 nimm unser seel in deinem hiind. 
 
 Amen, das ist, es werde wahr. 
 
 Stark unsern glauben immerdar, 
 Auf dass wir ia nicht zweifcln d'ran. 
 
 das wir hiemet, gebeten ha'n, 
 Auf dein wort in dem namen dein, 
 
 so sprechen wir das Amen fein. 
 
 I I I. 
 
 The effect of the Sacrament of Ein geisti.ich lied von unsrek heili- 
 
 BaPTISME, and first INSTITUIION gen TaUFE,DARIN FEIN KURTZ GEFAS- 
 
 THAIROF, DECLAIRING ALSWA QUHAT SET, WAS SIE SEY, WER SIE GESTIFFTET 
 
 SINGULAR COMFORT WE OBTEINE BE HABE, WAS SIE NUTZE, &C. 
 THE SAMING. 
 
 Christ baptist was be John in Jordan flude. 
 For to fulfill for vs all richteousnes, 
 And our baptisme dotit with sanctitude. 
 And greit vertew,towesche our sinfulnes. 
 To drowne the deid, and hell for to op- 
 pres, [be, 
 
 Ouhen Goddis word, with water joy nit 
 Throw faith to giue vs lyfe eternall}'. 
 
 Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam 
 
 nach seines Vaters willen. 
 Von sanct Johanns die taufe nahm, 
 
 sein werk und amt zu'rflillen. 
 Da wollt er stiften uns ein bad, 
 
 zu waschen.uns von slinden, 
 ersaufen auch den bittern tod 
 
 durch sein sclbs blut und wunden, 
 
 es gait ein neues Leben. 
 
 For our waiknes God of his mercy sweit. So hort und merket alle wohl, 
 Tostrenth our faith ordan'd this Sacrament, was Gott heisst selbs die taufe 
 In name of Father, Sone, and Haly Spreit, Und was ein Christen glauben soil. 
 
56 
 
 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 To wcschc our body, and in our mynde 
 
 to prent 
 That word and water outward represent, 
 Throw working of the Spreit into our 
 
 hart, [sin inwart. 
 
 That Christis blude weschis away the 
 
 • • • • • 
 
 Be figure and be worde, Christ did vs 
 teich, [cleir, 
 
 The Fatheris voice was hard saying full 
 Jesus, quhome I haif send my word to 
 
 preich, 
 He is my well-belouit Sone so deir, 
 In word, in wark, allone ze sail him heir, 
 In him is all my plesour and delite. 
 To him I you commit baith small and greit. 
 
 The Haly Gaist come doun to testifie. 
 His doctrine and his baptisme to declair. 
 In forme of dow sat on him soberlie. 
 In our baptisme to dout not nor despair, 
 Baith Father, Sone, and Haly Gaist, ar 
 
 thair 
 To be our gyde, the Trynitie him sell 
 Hes geuin in eird with vs to dwell. 
 
 Christ bad his apostillis preich to all 
 creature, [lonie; 
 
 That they with sin and hell war all for- 
 Ouha will beleif and traist my wordis sure. 
 And baptist is, and now againe is borne. 
 And Sathan and his warkishesforsworne, 
 Thay salbe saif, and neuer mair sail die, 
 Bot ring in glorie perpetuall with me. 
 
 Quha will not this greit grace beleif, to 
 
 hell 
 Salbe condempnit with eternall deid, 
 Qiihair purgatorie and pardonis will not sell 
 
 7A\ meiden ketzerhaufen : [set 
 
 Gott spricht und will, das wasser 
 doch nicht allcin schlecht wasser, 
 sein heiligs wort ist auch dabei 
 mit reichem geist ohn massen, 
 der ist allhie der taufer. 
 
 Solchs hat er uns beweiset klar 
 
 mit bilden und mit worten ; 
 Des vaters stimm man offenbar 
 
 daselbs am Jordan horte, 
 
 Er sprach : Das ist mein lieber Son, 
 
 an dem ich hab gefallen, 
 den will ich euch befohlen han, 
 
 dass ihr ihn horet alle, 
 
 und folget seinen leren. 
 
 Auch Gottes Sohn hie selber steht 
 
 in seiner zarten menschheit, 
 Der heilig geist hernider fahrt 
 
 in taubenbild verkleidet, 
 
 Dass wir nicht soUen zweifeln d'ran, 
 
 wenn wir getaufet werden 
 all drei person getaufet han, 
 
 damit bei uns auf erden 
 
 zu wohnen sich ergeben. 
 
 Sein j linger heisst der Herre Christ : 
 
 geht hin, all welt zu lehren, 
 Dass sie verlor'n in slinden ist, 
 
 sich soil zur busse kehren 
 
 Wer glaubet und sich taufen lasst, 
 
 soil dadurch selig werden, 
 ein neugeborner mensch er heisst, 
 
 der nicht mehr konne sterben, 
 
 das himmelreich soil erben. 
 
 Wer nicht glaubt diser grossen gnad, 
 
 der bleibt in seinen sunden, 
 Und ist verdammt zum ewigen tod 
 
 tief in der hollen grunde. 
 
THE SCOTTISH REFORMATION. 
 
 SI 
 
 And guJ intent thair pylat plycht and Nichts hiltt sein eigen heiligkeit, 
 
 leid. all sein thun ist verloren, 
 
 Dum ceremoneis, the quhilk them self die erbsund machts zur nichtigkeit, 
 
 hes maid, [keip, darin er ist geboren, 
 
 And wowis vaine, quhilk thay did neuer vermag ihm selbs nicht z'helfen. 
 
 Sail gar them gnasche thair teith, and 
 eyis weip. 
 
 Our eine seis outward bot the vvatter 
 
 can Id, 
 Bot our pure faith the power spirituall 
 Of Christis blude inwart it dois behald, 
 Quhilk is ane leuand well celestiall, 
 Zit for to purge the penetant withall. 
 Our nature sin in Adam to expell, 
 And all trespas committit be our sell. 
 
 Das aug allein das wasser sieht, 
 wie menschen wasser giessen, 
 Der glaub im geist die kraft verstcht 
 des blutes Jesu Christi, 
 
 Und ist fiir ihm ein rothe fluth, 
 von Christus blut gcfiirbet, 
 die alien schaden heilen thut 
 
 von Adam her geerbet, 
 auch von uns selbs begangen.* 
 
 The Supper of the Lord, and right Das Lied Johannis Hussen " Jesus 
 USE of it.-}- Christus nostra salus." — Gebessert. 
 
 To be Sung. 
 
 Our Saviour Christ, king of grace, Jesus Christus, unser Heiland, 
 With God the Father made our peace, der von uns den Gottes zorn wand. 
 
 And with his bludie wounds feill, Durch das bitter leiden sein 
 
 Hes us redemit from the hell. half er uns aus der heilen pein. 
 
 And he that we sould not forget, Dass wir nimmer des vergessen, 
 
 Gaif us his body for to eit, gab er uns sein leib zu essen, 
 
 Li forme of breid, and gaue us syne Verborgen im brot so klein, 
 
 His blude to drink, in forme of wyne. und zu trinken sein blut im wein. 
 
 Quha will ressave this sacrament, Wer sich will zu dem tisch machen, 
 
 Suld have trew faith, and sin repent ; der hab wol acht auf sein sachen ; 
 
 Quha usis it unworthlie Wer unwiirdig hinzu geht 
 
 Ressavis deid eternallie. fiir das leben den todt empfeht. 
 
 * Luther is the author of this hymn. It was published in 1541, and appears in the Strassburg book 
 of 1545. 
 
 t The German is by Luther from :i Latin hymn of Huss. It also \% found in tlie Strassburg Hymn- 
 book of 1545. 
 
 H 
 
58 
 
 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 We suld to God give prais and gloir, Du sollt Gotl den vater preisen 
 
 That sched his bkide us to restoir •, dass er dich so wol wollt speisen 
 
 Eit this in his remembrance, Und fur deine missethat 
 
 In signe of thy deliverance. in den todt sein Sohn geben hat. 
 
 Thow sould not dout, but fast beleve, Du sollt glauben und nicht wanken, 
 
 That Christis body sail resave dass ein speise sei den kranken, 
 
 All them that in heaviness Den ihr herz von siinden schwer : 
 
 Repentand for thair sinfulnes. und fiir angst ist betriibet sehr. 
 
 Sik grace and mercie nane can traist, Solch gross gnad und barmherzigkeit 
 
 Bot thay that troublit hertis haist. Sucht ein herz in grosser arbeit: 
 
 Feill thow than sin, and abstene thy sell, Ist dir wohl, so bleib davon, 
 
 Or thy reward salbe in hell. dass du nicht kriegest bosen lohn. 
 
 Christ sayis, Sinneris, cum unto me, 
 Quhilk mester hes of my mercie. 
 Neidis thow not my medecine, 
 I lose my paine and travelling. 
 
 Er spricht selber : kommt ihr armen, 
 lasst mich ijber euch erbarmen : 
 Kein arzt ist dem starken noth, 
 sein kunst wird an ihm gar ein spott. 
 
 Give thow thy self thy saull culd win, Hiittst du dir was konnt erwerben. 
 
 In vaine I diet for thy sinne ; was dlirft ich denn fur dich sterben ? 
 
 My supper is not greithit for thee, Dieser tisch auch dir nicht gilt. 
 
 Give thow can make thy self supple, so du selber dir helfen willt. 
 
 Will thow thy sinfull lyfe confesse, Glaubst du das von herzen grunde 
 
 And with this wark thy faith expres, und bekennest mit dem munde, 
 
 Sa are ye worthie, small and greit, So bist du recht wol geschickt 
 
 And it sail strenth your faith perfyte. und die speise dein seel erquickt. 
 
 And thow sail thankfull be thairfor. 
 And loue thy God for euermoir ; 
 Thy nichbour lufe, and als supple 
 His neid, as Christ has done for the. 
 
 Die frucht soil auch nicht aus bleiben. 
 deinen niichsten sollt du lieben, 
 Dass er dein geniessen kann, 
 wie dein Gott an dir hat gethan. 
 
THE SCOTTISH REFORMATION. 
 
 59 
 
 A/ie grace to be sung. 
 
 We thank thee, Lord, of thy gudnes. 
 Throw Jesus Christ our gratious Lord 
 
 For thy grit mercy and gentilnes 
 
 Quhllk feidis us with thy sweit word •, 
 
 Sen all that ever tuk life of thee, 
 
 Thow satisfyis abundantlie. 
 
 We praise thee all with one accord. 
 
 As thow hes fed the sinfuU fleshe, 
 Quhilk sone sail die and turn in ash, 
 
 Siclyke the sillie saul refreshe. 
 The quhilk immortal creat was. 
 
 God, for thy grace and mercy greit, 
 
 Grant us ane stedfast faith perfyte. 
 And in thy glory with thee to passe. 
 
 To God on hicht be loving maist, 
 
 Quhilk loussis sin alanerlie. 
 Till all that will repent and traist 
 
 On Jesus Christ his Sone onlie: 
 Thow makis them thy sone and heir. 
 
 Ein lobgesatig tiach dem essen. 
 
 O Gott wir danken deiner gilt 
 , durch Christum unsern Herrcn 
 Filr deine wohlthat uberschiitt, 
 
 der du uns thust ernehren. 
 All's was den athem ic gewan 
 hast du sein noth durfft lassen ha'n 
 
 dir gescheh lob und auch ehre. 
 
 Als du nun Herr gespcisct hast 
 den leichnam der verdirbet 
 
 So lass die seel auch seyn dein gast, 
 die durch dir nimmer stirbet, 
 
 Dein heilsam wort ihr speisc sey 
 
 bis sie auch endlich wird gantz frei 
 unds himmelreich ererben. 
 
 Lob, ehr und dank zu aller zeit 
 Sey dir Vat'r in der hohe : 
 
 Der du der sund uns machest quit, 
 durch einen testen glauben, 
 
 An demem eingebornen Sohn, 
 
 Throw him thow will them saif from cair, auf dass wir mit ihm kinder seyn. 
 To whom be gloir eternallie. dich ewig preisen. Amen.* 
 
 Ane Sang of our corrupt nature 
 
 AND the only REMEID IHAIROF. 
 
 Von der Sunde, &c. 
 
 We wratchit sinners pure, O wir armen Sunder 
 
 Our sin hes vs forlorne, Unser missethat 
 
 Thairin all creature consauit is and borne. Darin wir empfangen und geboren sind, 
 Sin hes wrocht vs sic paine, Hat gebracht uns alle 
 
 That we, without remeid. In solche grosse noth, 
 
 Condamnit are and slaine to hell, the Dass wir unterworfen sind dem cwigen 
 dcuiil, and deid. [mercy, &c. todt, [Elcison. 
 
 Lord haue mercic on vs. Christ haue Kyrie Eleison, Christe Eleison, Kyrie 
 
 • Nicolai Boif is said to he- tlir aiitlmr. I'lu Ilyiiiii appt-ar-; \\\ the Magdeburg linok of 1543. 
 
6o 
 
 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 Our warkis can not be 
 
 As dois the law requyre, 
 
 Nor yet can satisfie our Fatheris wrath 
 
 and ire, 
 No deid can mak vs fre 
 From our grit sinfulnes, 
 But Goddis Sone must die, for our vn- 
 
 richteousnes. 
 Lord haue mercy, Christ haue, &c. 
 
 Aus dem todt wir kondten 
 Durch unser eigen werk, 
 Nimmer werden gereuet, die siinde war 
 zu starck. 
 Dass wir wlirden erloset. 
 So kont's nicht anders seyn 
 Den Gottes Sohn muss leiden des Todes 
 
 bitter pein. 
 Kyrie, Eieison, Christe Eleison, Kyrie 
 Eleison. 
 
 Or had not Christ bene send, 
 
 Cled in our vylde nature, 
 Fra hell vs to defend. 
 
 Our deidlie wound to cure, 
 And willinglie to die, 
 
 Fra sin to mak vs cleane. 
 We had eternally 
 
 In hell condampnit bene. 
 Lord haue mercy, Christ haue mercie, 
 
 Lord, &c. 
 
 Man now hes thy peace, 
 
 Sik lufe God schawit the : 
 He takis the in his grace. 
 
 His mortall enemie, 
 Throw faith in Chryst so kynde, 
 
 Quhilk frelie gaue him sell 
 On croce for to be pynd, 
 
 To saif vs from the hell. 
 Lord haue mercy, Christ haue mercie, 
 
 Lord, &c. 
 
 This we sould evier beleue, 
 
 And nocht despair for sin. 
 For hell can not vs greue. 
 
 The deid nor devill thairin 
 We ar maid just and richt, 
 
 So nicht war' gekommen 
 
 Christus in die welt, 
 Und hiitt an sich genommen 
 
 Unser arme gestalt, 
 
 Und fur die Siinde i 
 
 Gestorben williglich 
 
 So hatten wir miissen 
 
 Verdampt seyn ewiglich 
 Kyrie Eleison, Christe Elison, Kyrie 
 Eleison. 
 
 Solche grosse gnade 
 LTnd vaterliche gunst. 
 Hat uns Gott erzeiget 
 Lauter gar umsonst 
 In Christo seinem Sohne 
 Der sich gegeben hat 
 In den todt des kreutzes 
 Zu unser seligkeit, 
 Kyrie Eleison, Christe Eleison, Kyrie 
 Eleison. 
 
 Des sollen wir uns trbsten 
 Gegen siind und todt, 
 Und nicht verzagen 
 Fur der hellen Glut 
 Denn wir sind gerettet 
 
THE SCOTTISH REFORMATION. 
 
 61 
 
 And freed from panes sore, Aus aller fahrligkeit 
 
 Throw Christ, that Lord of micht, Durch Christum unsern Herren 
 
 Blissit for euermore. Gebenedeyt in ewigkeit 
 
 Lord haue mercie, Christ haue mcrcie, Kyrie Eieison, Christc Eleison, Kyrie 
 
 Lord, &c. Eleison. 
 
 Thairfoir lat vs loue and praise 
 
 God the Father feruentlie. 
 We thank ane thousand syse 
 
 His Sonnis maiestie. 
 We pray the Haly Gaist 
 
 Our sin to mortifye, 
 And nocht despair, hot traist 
 
 Goddis word maist faithfully. 
 Lord haue mercy, Christ haue 
 
 Lord, &c. 
 
 Darum woU'n wir loben 
 Und danken allezcit 
 Den Vater und dem Sohne 
 Und dem Heiligen Geist, 
 Und bitten dass sie woUen 
 Behiiten uns fiir gefahr 
 Und dass wir stets bleiben 
 Bey seinem heiligen wort. 
 mercy, Kyrie Eleison, Christe Eleison, Kyrie 
 Eleison.* 
 
 Ane Sang of the Flesche and the 
 Spirit. 
 
 VON DEM STREITE DES FLEYSCHES 
 WIDER DEN GEIST. 
 
 All Christen men take tent and lier. 
 How sauU and body ar at wier. 
 Upon this eird baith lait and eir, 
 With cruell battell identlie. 
 And ane may nocht ane vther flie. 
 
 Nun hurend zu, ihr Christen lent, 
 wie leyb vnd seel gegnander streyt : 
 
 Allhie aufFerd in diser zeyt 
 heb'n sie ein stettigs kriegen, 
 kcins mag vom andern fliehen. 
 
 The Flesche. 
 
 The Flesche said. Sen I half haill, 
 I will in zouth with lustis daill. 
 Or age with sorrow me assail ; 
 With ioy I will my time ouerdryue, 
 And will not with my lustis stryue. 
 
 Dcr leyb der spricht, Ich bin gesundt, 
 ich hab noch vil der guten stundt : 
 Ehe mir das traurig alter kompt 
 will ich in freuden lebcn, 
 nach leyblich'n lusten streben. 
 
 riii? Hymn is said to be by Hermann Bonn, andappearn in the Magdebmg Hymn book of 1545. 
 
6i 
 
 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 The Spirit. 
 
 The Spreit said, Thocht I charge the Die seele spricht, Ich radt dirs nicht ! 
 
 nocht, Ach, forchst du nicht Gott's strengs 
 
 Dreid God, and haue his law in thocht, gericht ? 
 
 Thow hecht quhen thow to font was Du hast dich in der taufF verpflicht, 
 Efter his law lust to refraine, [brocht, nach Gottes will'n zu leben, 
 
 And nocht to wirk his word agane. sei'm wort nicht wider streben. 
 
 The Flesche. 
 
 The Flesche said, I am stark and wycht Der leyb spricht, Ich bin stoltz vnd fein 
 
 To wacht gude wyne, fresche, cauld and mit guten g'sellen beim kulen wein, 
 
 bricht, Da will ich frisch und frolich sein 
 
 And tak my plesour day and nicht, mit singen springen tantzen. 
 
 With singing, playing, and to dance, wils wagen auff die schantzen ! 
 And set on sax and sevin the chance. 
 
 The Spirit. 
 
 The Spirit said, Think on the rich man, Die seele spricht, Denck an Reichen man, 
 
 Quhilk all tyme in his lustis ran, der sich nahm zeitlichs wollust an ! 
 
 Body and sauU he loissit than, Der muss mit leyb vnd seel davon. 
 
 And synde was buryit into hell, ward in die hell begraben. 
 
 As Jesus Christ hes said him sell. als Christus selb thut sagen. 
 
 The Flesche. 
 
 The Flesche said, Quhat hald I of this, Der leyb spricht. Was acht ich der sag ! 
 
 Laser yneuch and tyme thair is ich hab' vor mir noch manchen tag, 
 
 In age for till amend my misse, Darinn ich mich wohl bessern mag. 
 
 And from my vicious lyfe conuert, vnd mich von sunden kehren, 
 
 Quhen sadnes hes ouer set my hart. wenn sich mein traur'n thut mehren. 
 
 The Spirit. 
 The Spirit said. Power thow hes none, Die seel spricht, Du hast dein kein g'walt, 
 
 In youcht nor zit in eild bygone. 
 With twinkling of ane eye anone, 
 God sail the tak at euin or morne. 
 No certayne tyme set the beforne. 
 
 du seyest g'leich jung oder alt, 
 
 Gott hat dich in ei'm augenblick gefalt, 
 den abend und den morgen, 
 die stund ist dir verborgen. 
 
THE SCOTTISH REFORMATION. 
 
 63 
 
 The Flesche. 
 
 The Flesche said, All tyme air and lait, Der leyb spricht, Es sey frlih oder spat, 
 
 I see all warldly wyse estait ch siehe vor mir die weltlich rott, 
 
 Hald lust vertew in thair consait, Ein yeder tracht nach zeitlichem rath 
 
 With them I will persew my weird, darnach will ich audi streben, 
 
 Als long as I leue on this eird. die weyl ich hab das leben. 
 
 The Spirit. 
 
 The Spirit, Zit sail cum the day 
 The sauU sail part the body fray ; 
 Than quhat sail help thy game or play 
 Quhen thow man turnit be in as 
 At first in eird quhen thow maide was. 
 
 Die seel spricht es kcimpt die zeyt, 
 das leyb vnd seel von ander scheydt : 
 
 Was hilfft dich dann dcin grosser geytz 
 du must zu Aschen werden, 
 dann du bist gemacht aus erden. 
 
 The Flesche. 
 
 The Flesche said, Thow hes vincust me, Der leyb der spricht, Du machst mir bang, 
 I traist eternall gloir to se, erst mich nach ewiger freud verlangt ! 
 
 Christ grant that I may cum thairby, Christus helff mir zum anfang, 
 
 Now will I to my God returne, das mich zum vat'r bekehren 
 
 Repent my sin richt sore I murn. mein trauren will sich mehren. 
 
 The Spirit. 
 
 The Spirit, Nane to schame I dryue, Die seel die spricht, Ich treyb kein schertz : 
 Ane contreit hert help God alyue, Gott fordert ein zerknirschtes hertz ! 
 
 The flesche man die with pane and stryue, Der leyb muss hie absterben durch 
 For it was borne to that intent, dann er ist zeytlich geboren [schmertz, 
 
 In eird with wormes for to be rent. den wiirmen ausserkohren. 
 
 The Flesche. 
 
 The flesche said, O Lord God of peace, Der leyb der spricht, O Gott, mein herr. 
 Help me to turne throw Christis grace, hilff das ich mich durch Christum b'kehr ! 
 O Holy Ghost my faith incresse, O heyliger Geyst, mein glauben mehr ! 
 
 That I may thole this eirthlie noy, Hilff mir s zeytlich erleyden. 
 
 My hope is in eternall joy. mich trost in ewiger freuden ! 
 
64 
 
 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 The Spirit. 
 
 The Spirit said, Now I half my micht, 
 Tboch I be ane vnworthie knycht. 
 Thow God the quhilk is onlie richt, 
 Thow saif me from the deuillis net : 
 Thairfore thow on the croce was plet. 
 
 The Dyter. 
 
 Now hes this ballat heir an end, 
 God grant ilk man his hart a kend. 
 To sin na more, syne to Christ wend. 
 Than sail he turne agane to vs, 
 And giue vs his eternall blys. 
 
 Die seel spricht, nun hab ich recht, 
 wiewohl ich bin ein unniitz knecht 
 
 O Gott, du bist allein gerecht. 
 Loss mich von's teuffels banden, 
 d'rumb du am Creutz bist g'hangen. 
 
 Also hat dises lied ein endt- 
 
 Gott woll das yeder sein hertz erkendt 
 
 Vnd sich von siinden zu Christo wendt ; 
 so wiird er zu vns kehren, 
 die ewig freud bescheren.* 
 
 Ane Sang of the Croce, and the 
 Frute thairof. 
 
 Ein Geistlich Lied von dem Xlten 
 
 Capitel Matthei. 
 
 Cum heir, sayis Goddis Sonne to me, Kompt her zu mir, spricht Gottes Sohn, 
 Sinners that heuie laden be, ail die ihr seid beschweret nun, 
 
 I will zour sillie sauU refresche. mit sunden hart beladen. 
 
 Cum zoung and auld baith man and wife,Ihr jungen, alt, frauen vnd mann ! 
 I will zow gif eternall life, [flesche. ich will euch geben, was ich ha'n, 
 
 Thocht trowblit heir sore be zour wil heilen euren schaden. 
 
 My zok is sweit, my burding small, 
 Quha drawls efter me, they sail 
 
 Eschaip eternall deid and fire ; 
 For I sail help them in thair draucht. 
 That they sail cum, as I haue taucht, 
 
 To gloir and joy, and heuin impire. 
 
 Quhat I haue teichit lait and air, 
 Quhat I half tholit les and mair, 
 
 Mein joch ist siiss, mein btird gering, 
 wer mir's nachtragt in dem geding, 
 
 der hell wird er entweichen, 
 Ich wil ihm trewlich helffen tragen, 
 mit meiner hliliF wird ers erjagen 
 
 das ewig himmelreiche. 
 
 Was ich g'than hab vnd gelitten hie 
 in meinem leben spat vnd frtih, 
 
 * This hymn is by John Witzstadt von Wirtheim. It does not appear in the Strassburg Hymn 
 Books, but is found in the Magdeburg book of 1541. 
 
THE SCOTTISH REFORMATION. 
 
 65 
 
 That preis zou euer to tulrill 5 das soUt ihr auch erHillcn. 
 
 And thocht zour flesche be heir opprest, Was ihr gedenkt, ja redt und thut, 
 
 Zit all thing wirk sail for the best ; das wird euch alles recht und gut, 
 
 For sa is richt, and Goddis will. wenn's g'schieht nach Gottes willen. 
 
 The warld wald sauit be, and fainc 
 Wald cum to gloir bot croce or paine, 
 
 Quhilk Christis flock must suffer heir. 
 Bot paine thair is na vther way 
 To cum to gloir, and put away 
 
 Eternall hellis paine, bot peir. 
 
 Gern wollt die welt auch sclig sein, 
 wenn nur nicht war die schwere pein, 
 
 die alle Christen leiden : 
 So mag es anders nicht gesein, 
 darum ergib dich nur darein, 
 
 wer ewig pein will meiden ! 
 
 That the faithfull must the croce indure, All creatur bezeugcn das, 
 Witnes beiris all creature, was lebt in wasser, laub vnd gras : 
 
 Subdewit vnto vanitie, sein leiden kann er nicht meiden. 
 
 Quha will not thole in Christis name, Wer denn in Gottes nam nicht will, 
 The deuill sail wirk him sik ane schame, zu letzt muss er des Teuffels ziel 
 
 With pcirles paine perpetuallie. mit schwerem g'wissen leiden. 
 
 To day ane man is fresche and fair, 
 To morne he lyis sick and sair, 
 
 Syne dulefullie domet to deid. 
 Euin like as in the feild ane floure, 
 The day is sweit, the morne is sour ; 
 
 So all this wretchit warld sail feade. 
 
 The godles drcidis sair to die. 
 But quhen he can no farther file. 
 
 And faine his sinful! lyfe wald mend. 
 They grip sa fast his geir to get. 
 The sillie sauU is quyte forzet, 
 
 Quhill haistelie gais out his end. 
 
 Qu^hen he persauis na remcid, 
 Than greuously he gais to deid. 
 
 And grugeand geuis vp the gaist. 
 Sair I suspect God accuse. 
 His sectouris and himself refuse. 
 
 Than sa vnthankfullie deceist. 
 
 Heut ist der mensch schon, jung vnd king, 
 sieh, morgen ist er schwach vnd krank, 
 
 bald muss er auch gar sterben : 
 Gleich wie die blumen aufT dem feld, 
 also wird auch die schone welt 
 
 in einem huy verderben. 
 
 Die welt erzittert ob dem tod, 
 wenn ein'r liegt in der letzten noth, 
 
 denn will er g'leich fromm werden : 
 Einer schafTt diess, der ander das, 
 sein'r armen seel er gantz vergass, 
 
 dieweil er lebt auff erden. 
 
 Vnd wenn er nimmer Icben mag, 
 so hebt er an ein grossc klag. 
 
 will sich erst Gott ergeben : 
 Ich flircht fiirwar, die Gcittlich gnad, 
 die er allzeit verspottet hat, 
 
 werd schwerlich ob ihm sihwcbcn. 
 
66 
 
 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 The rich man helpis not his gude, Dem reichen hilfft doch nicht sein gut. 
 
 The nobill nocht his royall blude ; dem jungen nicht sein stoltzer muth, 
 
 For thay sail baith thair querrell tyne ; er muss aus diesem meyen : 
 Thocht ane had all this warld so wyde, Wenn einer hiitt die gantze welt, 
 Zit he sail die with dule and pyne, silber vnd gold vnd alles geld, 
 
 With gold and precious stones of pryde. noch muss er an den reihen. 
 
 Knawledge concernis not the clerk, Dem gelehrten hilfft doch nicht sein kunst, 
 
 Nor hypocreit his haly wark ; die weltlich pracht ist gar vmsonst, 
 
 Bot thay but dout with deid man dwell, wir miissen alle sterben : 
 Qu^ha will not haill to Christ him giue, Wer sich in Christo nicht ergeit, 
 Qiihill in this present lyfe he line, weil er lebet in gnaden zeit. 
 
 For euer mair sail die in hell. ewig muss er verderben- 
 
 Mark weill thairfoir, my sonnis sweit, 
 How Christis croce is for zou meit. 
 
 O moue zou not in mynde thairfoir, 
 Bot at his word stand stedfastlie. 
 And with him suffer pacientlie, 
 
 Giue ze wald enter in his gloir. 
 
 Horet vnd merckt, ihr lieben kind, 
 die jetzund Gott ergeben sind, 
 
 lasst euch die miih nicht reuen ; 
 Halt't stets am heiligen Gottes wort, 
 das ist euer trost und hbchster hort, 
 
 Gott wird euch schon erfreuen. 
 
 Do gude for euill, and leid zour lyfe 
 Without reprufe, but pryde or stryfe, 
 
 And thole the warldis wraith to rage. 
 O enter be that narrow rode ; 
 Gif gloir and vengence vnto God, 
 
 And he thair cruell ire sail swaye. 
 
 Quhen that zour flesche hes all the will, 
 And may zour lustis all fulfill, 
 
 Ze are but dout the feindis pray. 
 God sendis you the croce thairfor, 
 To mortifie zour flesche thairfor. 
 
 To saif your sillie sauU for ay. 
 
 Schaut, dass ihr gilt's um libel's gebt, 
 schaut, dass ihr hie unschuldig lebt, 
 
 lasst euch die welt nicht liffen : 
 Gebt Gott die rach und alle ehr, 
 den engen steig geht immer her, ' 
 
 Gott wird die welt schon straffeu. 
 
 Wenn es euch gieng nach fleisches muth, 
 in gunst und g'sund mit grossem gut, 
 
 wiirdt ihr gar bald erkalten ; 
 Darum schickt Gott die triibsal her, 
 damit euer fleisch gezlichtigt werd, 
 
 Zu ewig freud erhalten. 
 
 And quhen this schort pyne do you greif,Ist euch das creutz bitter vnd schwer 
 Then think on hell the lang mischief, gedenkt, wie heiss die helle war, 
 Quhair mony ane for ay sail murne, darin die welt thut rennen, 
 
THE SCOTTISH REFORMATION. 
 
 67 
 
 And saull and bodie sail remaine, 
 For euer mair with cruell paine, 
 Endless for ay, without returnc. 
 
 Mit leib vnd seel muss leiden sein 
 ohn untcrlass die ewig pein 
 
 vnd mag doch nicht verbrennen ! 
 
 Bot he sail, after warldlie pyne, Ihr aber wcrdt nach dieser zeit 
 
 Rejoyce with Christ withouttin sync, mit Christo haben ewig freud, 
 
 Quhair na myndis memoriall dahin sollt ihr gedenken. 
 
 Can think, nor toung can tell the tryne, Es lebt kein mann der's aussprechen kann 
 
 Nor half the gloir quhilk sail propyne die glori und den ewigen lohn. 
 
 That michtie Lord vnto vs all. den euch der Herr wird schenken ! 
 
 For quhat eternall God of peace Vnd was der ewig gutig Gott 
 
 Hes promeist, throw his Spirit of grace, in seinem geist versprochen hat, 
 
 And syne sworn be his holie name, geschworen bey seinem namen. 
 
 That he sail hauld baith trew and sune. Das halt und gibt er g'wiss fUrwahr : 
 
 God grant that we may se his throne, der helff uns an der engel schaar 
 
 Throw faith in Jesus Christ. Amen. durch Jesum Christum, Amen !* 
 
 PRINCIPALL POINTES OF THE PASSIOUN, 
 SCHORTLIE CORRECTIT. 
 
 GESANG VOM WORTE 
 GOTTES. 
 
 Helpe, God, the former of all thing, 
 That to thy gloir may bee my dyte : 
 
 Be baith at end and beginning. 
 
 That I may make my sang perfyte, 
 
 Of Jesus Christes passioun, 
 
 Sinnaris onely saluatioun, 
 
 As witnesse is thy word in write. 
 
 Thy word for euer sail remaine, 
 As in his buke wrytes Esay, 
 
 Baith heuin and eird sail turne againe, 
 Or thy trew word cum to decay. 
 
 Hilff, Gott, dass mir gelinge, 
 du edler schbpffcr mein. 
 
 Die silben reimen z.wingen 
 
 zu lob den ehren dcin ! 
 
 Dass ich mag frolich heben an 
 
 von deinem wort zu singen, 
 
 Herr, du wollest mir beystahn ! 
 
 Ewig dein wort thut blciben, 
 wie Esaias meldt ; 
 In seinem buch thut schreiben : 
 ehe wird vergehn die welt 
 
 ♦ This Hymn is ascribed to John Witzstadt von W'ertheim. It is said to have appeared in 1536, and 
 is found in a Strassburg hymn-book of 1544. 
 
68 
 
 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 Thou cannot like ane man repent, 
 To change thy purpose or intent, 
 Bot steidfast is thy word for ay. 
 
 Und was Gott selber je beschuff, 
 Solt es alles verderben, 
 er that kein wiederrufF. 
 
 Jesus, the Father's Word alone, Jesus das wort des Vaters, 
 
 Discendit in an Virgine pure, ist kommen in die welt 
 
 With meruellis greit and mony one ; Mit grossen wunderthaten, 
 
 And be Judas that fals tratour, verkaufft um schnodes geld 
 
 That Lambe for sober summe was sauld, Durch Judam, seiner Junger ein 
 
 And gaif his lyfe, for cause hee wald ward er in tod gegeben, 
 
 Redeme all sinfull creature. Jesus, das lamnielein. 
 
 When eitin was the Paschall Lambe, Nachdem sie hatten gessen, 
 Christ tuke the breid his handis within,vernembt, das Osterlamb, 
 
 Blyssing it, brake it, gaif the sume Da that er nicht vergessen. 
 
 Till his apostles mair and min, 
 
 Eit that, for my body is this, 
 
 Quhilk for your sakis geuin is, 
 Intill remissioun of your sin. 
 
 das brod in seine hand nahm, 
 
 Sprach : esset, das ist mein leichnam 
 der fiir euch wird gegeben [lind, 
 
 Zur vergebung euer silnd. 
 
 Siclyke hee gaif them for to drinke Reicht ihn auch dar zu trincken 
 
 Inwynehis bludethequhilkewassched. In wein sein blut so roth : 
 
 Upon his precious deid to thinke. 
 On him remembrance to be made. 
 
 Quha eitis this blissit sacrament, 
 
 Worthelie with trew intent 
 Sail neuer see eternall deid. 
 
 Jesus wusche his apostlis feit, 
 
 Schawand exempil of lowlynesse. 
 
 And chargit them with wordis sweit. 
 That lufe amang them suld incres. 
 
 For thairby suld it cum to licht. 
 
 That ye are my disciplis richt, 
 Gif ye amang you lufe possesse. 
 
 Sein tod sollt ihr verkiinden, 
 Paulus beschrieben hat : 
 
 Wer wiirdig isst von diesem brod 
 und trincket von dem kelche, 
 wird nicht sehen den tod. 
 
 Jesus wusch ihn ihr fiisse 
 wohl zu derselben stund, 
 Lehret sie mit worten slisse 
 aus seinem Gottlichen mund ; 
 
 Liebet einander alle zeit, 
 dabey wird man erkennen 
 das ihr mein Jiinger seid. 
 
 Efter this prayer passit he, Christus der Herr im garten, 
 
 And met the Jewis quhilk him socht •, da er gebetet hat, 
 
THE SCOTTISH REFORMATION. 
 
 69 
 
 When they had bound him crucllie, Der Juden thlit er warton, 
 
 Before the judges they him brocht. von ihn gebunden hart, 
 First they him scurgit, and for scorne Sie fiihrten ihn zum richter dar, 
 
 Him crovvnit with ane crowne of thorne, gegeisselt und gekronet, 
 Syne dampnit him to deid for nocht. zum tod verurtheilt ward. 
 
 That Prince on croce they lift on hicht, Hoch an ein creutz gehangen, 
 For our redemptioun that thocht lang; der hoch geborne Fiirst, ; 
 
 Hee said, I thirst with all my micht Nach uns that ihn verlangen, 
 
 To sait mankynde fra painis Strang. 
 
 Hee that all warldis was beforne, 
 
 Came doun ot Marie to be borne, 
 
 darum sprach er : mich dlirst ! 
 
 Vernimm ; nach unser seligkeit, 
 darum ein mensch geboren 
 
 For our trespasse on croce hee hang, von einer reinen magd. 
 
 Then hee his heid culd incline, Mit seinem haupt geneiget 
 
 As wryttis John, and gaif the gaist, er seinen geist aufgab, 
 
 And off the croce tane was syne, Als uns Johannes zeiget, 
 
 And laid in grave; but soone in haist, er ward genommen ab 
 
 Leuand, he rais on the thrid day, Vom creutz, ins grab ward er gelegt, 
 
 And to his apostles did say, am dritten tag erstanden. 
 
 To them appeirand maist and leist. wie er vor hat gesagt. I 
 
 And syne he did his apostillis teiche. 
 Throw all the warlde for to passe. 
 
 And tell all creature for to preich. 
 As they of him instructit was : 
 
 Qu^ha baptist is, and will beleeue, 
 
 Etcrnall deid sail not them greeue, 
 Bot salbe sauit mair and lesse. 
 
 Und in den selben tagen 
 
 Jesus sein Jlinger lehrt, 
 
 Allein sein wort zu tragen, '^ 
 
 predigen in aller welt : 
 
 Wer glauben thut und wird getaufft, 
 der hat das ewig leben, 
 ist ihm durch Christum erkaufft. 
 
 Sanct Luke writtin in his ascention, 
 Thocht present aye with vs hee bee. 
 
 The Scripture makis mention, 
 That is to say with vs is hee, 
 
 Be his sweit word steidfast but faill, 
 
 Contraire the quhilk can not prcuaill 
 Sathan nor hellis tyranie. 
 
 Lucas thut gar schon schreiben 
 von seiner himmelfahrt 
 Doch allweg bey uns bleiben, 
 wie er versprochen hat, 
 
 Vernimm : durch sein Gottliches wort; 
 wider das kann nicht siegen 
 kcin gewalt der hellen pfort. 
 
70 
 
 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 Ane comfortour to vs hee did send, Ein troster that er senden 
 
 Quhilke from the Father did proceide, das war der heilig Geist, 
 
 To gyde vs trewly to the end, 
 
 In inwart thocht and outwart deid. 
 Call on the Lord, our gyde and licht. 
 To leid vs in his law full richt. 
 And be our helpe in all our neid. 
 
 Von Gott that er sie lenden 
 in wahrheit allermeist. 
 
 Denselben wollen wir ruffen an, 
 der wird uns nicht verlassen 
 und uns treulich beystahn. 
 
 Pray for all men in generall, 
 
 Suppose they wirk vs richt or wrang; 
 Pray for our prince in speciall ; 
 
 Thocht they be just, or tyrans Strang, 
 Obey, for sa it aucht to bee. 
 In presoun for the veritie, 
 
 Ane faythfull brother made this sang. 
 
 Recht lasst uns alle bitten 
 Christum fiir Obrigkeit 
 Ob wir schon von ihn litten 
 gewalt, auch fiir alle feind, 
 
 Dass ihn Gott woll genedig sein 
 hat Heinrich Miiller gesungen 
 in dem gefangniss sein.* 
 
 Ein Danklied,fur die hochsten wohl- 
 Ane Sang of the Evangell, con- thaten so uns Gott in Christo 
 
 TEINAND THE EFFECT OF THE SAMINE. ERZEIGT HAT. 
 
 Bee blyth, all Christin men, and sing. 
 Dance and make myrth with all your 
 
 micht, 
 Christ hes vs kythit greit comforting, 
 Quhairfoir wee may rejoyce of richt ; 
 Ane warke to wonder that is wrocht, 
 Christ with his blud full deir vs bocht. 
 And for our saik to deid was dicht. 
 
 Nun freut euch, lieben Christen g'mein 
 und lasst uns frolich springen, 
 Dass wir getrost und all in ein 
 mit lust und liebe singen : 
 
 Was Gott an uns gewendet hat, 
 und seine sUsse wunderthat, 
 gar theur hat er's erworben. 
 
 For with the deuill and dulefuU deid, Dem teufel ich gefangen lag, 
 With hell and sinne I was forlorne, im tod war ich verloren. 
 
 * As stated in this last verse, Henry Miiller was the author of this hymn, and composed it while in 
 prison. His name is left out in the Scotch version, and Sir J. Dalyell seems to have supposed the reference 
 in it was to the imprisonment of the Scottish poet. The German appears first in the Magdeburg 
 Hymn-book of 1540. 
 
THE SCOTTISH REFORMATION. 
 
 71 
 
 The Sonne of ire at God's feid, 
 Consauit sa I was and borne ; 
 I grew ay mair and mair tharin, 
 And dayly eikit sinne to sinne, 
 Dispair was euer mee beforne. 
 
 Mein slind mich qulilte nacht und tag, 
 darin ich war geboren, 
 
 Ich Hel auch immer ticfer d'rein, 
 es war kein gut's am Icbeii mcin, 
 die siind hatt mich besessen. 
 
 Quhair I culd not the law fulfill, 
 
 My warkis made mee na supplie, 
 
 Sa blynd and waike was my freewill, 
 
 That hated the veritie ; 
 
 My conscience kest mee euer in cair, 
 
 The diuell he draue mee in dispair, 
 
 And hell was euer befoir my eye. 
 
 Mein gute werk die goltcn nicht, 
 es war mit ihn verdorben ; 
 Der frei will hasset Gott's gericht, 
 er war zum gut erstorben ; 
 
 Die angst mich zu verzweifeln trieh, 
 dass nichts denn sterben bei mir blieb, 
 zur hollcn musst ich sinken. 
 
 God had greit pitie on my woe. 
 And above measure schew mee grace ; 
 Quhen I was zet his cruell fo. 
 Yet he wald cure my carefull cace ; 
 His lufe to mee hee did conuert, 
 From the maist deipest of his heart, 
 Quhilke cost him deare to make my peace. 
 
 Da jammerts Gott in ewigkeit 
 mein elend liber massen, 
 Er dacht an sein barmherzigkeit, 
 er wollt mir helfen lassen, 
 
 Er wandt zu mir das vaterherz, 
 es war bei ihm flirwar kein scherz, 
 er liess sein bestes kosten. 
 
 To his beluffit Sonne hee said. 
 The tyme of mercie draweth neir. 
 To saif man and the diuell inuade : 
 Thairfoir, my hertlie Sonne so deir, 
 Goe fetch them from the feindis feid ; 
 Thou man ouerthraw sinne, hell, and deid. 
 Syne man restoir baith hell and feir. 
 
 Er sprach zu seine m lieben Sohn : 
 die zeit ist hie zu'rbarmen, 
 Fahr hin, mein's herzens werthe kron, 
 und sei das heil dem armen, 
 
 Und hilf ihm aus der sUnden noth 
 erwlirg fiir ihn den bittern tod 
 und lass ihn mit dir leben. 
 
 The Sonne his Father did obey. 
 And came down to the eird to mee. 
 Borne of ane maide, as wrytis Esay, 
 My kynd sweit brother for to bee ; 
 Hee tuke on him my vilde nature, 
 And did his power foir to exile 
 Saihan and all his subtiltie. 
 
 Der Sohn dem Vater g'horsam ward, 
 er kam zu mir auf erden. 
 Von einer jungfrau rein und zart, 
 er sollt mcin brudcr werdcn. 
 
 Gar hcimlich flihrt er sein gewalt, 
 er gieng in meiner armen g'stalt, 
 den teufcl wollt er fangen. 
 
72 
 
 THE SACRED POETS OF 
 
 Hee said, Thow sail haue victorie, 
 Gif thow allone on mee depend ; 
 For I will giue my selfe to thee, 
 That cairfull querrell to defend ; 
 For I am thine, and mine thow art, 
 And of my gloir thow sail haue part, 
 Syne ring with mee withouttin end. 
 
 Er sprach zu mir : halt dich an mich, 
 es soil dir jetzt gelingen. 
 Ich geb mich selber ganz fiir dich, 
 da will ich fUr dich ringen, 
 
 Denn ich bin dein und du bist mein, 
 und wo ich bleib da soUst du sein, 
 uns soil der feind nicht scheiden. 
 
 They man sched out my blessit blude. 
 And raif alswa my lyfe fra mee ; 
 I thole this onely for thy gude, 
 Belieue that firm and stedfastlie : 
 For my deid sail thy deid deuoir, 
 That sinne sail thee condampne no moir^ 
 For be that way saif thou man bee. 
 
 Vergiessen wird er mir mein blut, 
 dazu mein leben rauben : 
 Das leid ich alles dir zu gut, 
 das halt mit festem glauben. 
 
 Den tod verschlingt das leben mein, 
 mein unschuld tragt die siinde dein, 
 da bist du selig worden. 
 
 Syne fra this present life I fare 
 
 To my Father celestiall : 
 
 Thy Mediatour trew sail bee there. 
 
 And send to thee my Spirit I sail. 
 
 To giue thee consolatioun, 
 
 In all thy tribuladoun : 
 
 The trueth hee sail instruct yow all. 
 
 Gen himmel zu dem vater mein 
 fahr ich von diesem leben. 
 Da will ich sein der meister dein, 
 den geist will ich dir geben, 
 
 Der dich in trllbniss trosten soil 
 und lehren mich erkennen wohl 
 und in der wahrheit leiten. 
 
 My doing, leirnlng mair and lesse. 
 That leir and, doe vnfeinzeitlie ; 
 For that does God's kirk incres. 
 And his greit gloir dois magnifie. 
 Beware of men and their command, 
 Quhilk mee and my word doe gainstand. 
 My last will heir I leue to thee. 
 
 Was ich gethan hab und gelehrt 
 das sollst du thun und lehren, 
 Damit das reich Gott's werd gemehrt, 
 zu lob und seinen ehren, 
 
 Und hlit dich fiir der menschen g'satz, 
 davon verdirbt der edle schatz, 
 das lass ich dir zu letze.* 
 
 • This is the first Hymn published by Luther in 1524. Ft appears in the Strassburg Hymn-books by 
 1537. Translations of it have been given by Miss Winkworth, and in the Sunday Magazine. The 
 following is the first stanza of the latter version : 
 
 Dear Christians let us now rejoice, Of what for us our God hath done, 
 
 And dance in joyous measure ; The welcome wonder he hath shewn ; 
 
 All with one comfort and one voice. Full dearly hath he bought it. 
 Singing in love and pleasure, 
 
THE SCOTTISH RlirORMATION. 
 
 1Z 
 
 Tmf. greit i.ouing and di.ythnesse of 
 God's Word. 
 
 Lord God, thy face and word of grace 
 Has lang beene hid by craft of man, 
 Ouhill at the last the nicht is past, 
 And wee full weill their falset ken. 
 Wee knaw perfytc the haly writ. 
 Therefore bee gloir and praise to thee, 
 Qu^hilke did vs giue this tyme to liue 
 Thy word trew preichit for to see. 
 
 VoM evan(;elischen Gi.auben, 
 
 O Herre Gott, dein GiJttlich wort 
 ist lang verdunkelt bliebcn, 
 Bis durch dein' gnad' uns ist gesagt, 
 was Paulus hat geschricben 
 
 Und andere Apostel mehr, 
 aus dei'm Gottlichen munde : 
 Dess dancken dir mit Heiss, dass wir 
 erlebet ha'n die stunde. 
 
 Sen, throw thy strenth, thy word at lenth, Dass es mit macht an tag ist bracht, 
 
 Is preichit cleir before our eine, 
 Bee zit, gude Lord, misericord 
 To them cjuhilk yet dissauit beine. 
 And not dois knaw bot mens law. 
 To their great damnatioun ; 
 Teich them fra hand to vnderstand 
 Thy word to their saluatioun. 
 
 Ouha wald be saif, first this man haif, 
 To knaw their sin, syne trow in Christ: 
 Big on this ground, let lufe abound, 
 With patience, prayer, hope, and trust. 
 On God thou call, thanke him of all. 
 To serue thy neighbour giue thy cure. 
 Thy conscience free mone euer bee. 
 This can giue thee no creature. 
 
 wie kliirlich ist flir augen ; 
 
 Ach Gott, mein Herr, erbarm dich dcr, 
 
 die dich noch ictzt verlcugnen, 
 
 Und achten sehr auff menschen lehr, 
 darin sie doch vcrderben : 
 Dein's wort's verstand mach ihn bekandt, 
 dass sie nicht ewig sterben. 
 
 Willst du nun fein gut Christen sein, 
 so musst du erstlich glauben : 
 Sctz dein vertraun, darautf fest biu, 
 hotfnung und lieb im glauben 
 
 Allein durch Christ zu aller frist, 
 dein nachsten lieb darneben, 
 Das g'wissen frey, rein hertz dabey, 
 das kein creatur kann geben.* 
 
 I CALL ON THE, LoRD. 
 
 I call on thee. Lord Jesus Christ, 
 1 haue none other helpe but thee, 
 
 EiN Geisilich lied, zu bitten v.\i 
 
 GLAUBEN, LIEB VND HOFFNUNG. 
 
 Ich ruff zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, 
 ich bitt, erhcir mein klagen ; 
 
 This hymn is ascribed by wme to Spcratus. ft appiars in the Strassburg book of 1537, 
 
 K 
 
74 
 
 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 My hert is neuer set all at rest, 
 
 Till thy sweit word comfort mee. 
 
 Ane stedfast fayth grant mee therefore, 
 
 To hald be thy word euermore, 
 
 Aboue all thing euer resisting. 
 
 But to incres in fayth more and more. 
 
 Verleyh mir gnad zu dieser frist, 
 lass mich doch nicht verzagen. 
 
 Den rechten weg, O Herr, ich mcin, 
 den wollest du mir geben, 
 dir zu leben, 
 
 mei'm niichsten niitz sein, 
 dein wort zu halten eben. 
 
 Yet anes againe I call to thee. 
 Heir my requeist, O mercifull Lord ; 
 I wald faine hope in thy mercie. 
 And can not bee thereto restorde. 
 Except thou illuminate with thy grace, 
 My blind and naturall waiknesse : 
 Cause mee therefore haue hope in store, 
 In thy mercie and sweit promise. 
 
 Ich bitt noch mehr, O Herre Gott, 
 du kannst es mir wohl geben : 
 Das ich nicht wieder werd zu spott, 
 die hofFnung ^b darneben ; 
 
 Voraus, wenn ich muss hie davon, 
 dass ich dir mog vertrauen, 
 und nicht bauen 
 auff alles mein thun, 
 sonst wirds mich ewig reuen. 
 
 Lord, print into my heart and mynde, 
 Thy Haly Spirit with feruentnesse. 
 That I to thee bee not vnkinde, 
 Bot loue thee without fenzeitnesse. 
 Let nothing draw my mynde from thee, 
 But euer to loue thee earnestly j 
 Let not my hert vnkindly depart. 
 From the richt loue of thy mercie. 
 
 Verleyh, das ich aus hertzens grund 
 mein feinden mog vergeben, 
 Verzeih mir auch zu dieser stund, 
 schafFmir ein neues leben. 
 
 Dein wort mein speis lass all weg sein, 
 damit mein seel zu nahren, 
 mich zu wehren, 
 wenn vngluck geht daher, 
 das mich bald mocht verkehren. 
 
 Giue mee thy grace. Lord, I thee pray. 
 To loue my enemies heartfullie, 
 Howbeit they trouble mee alway. 
 And for thy cause doe sclander mee. 
 Zet Jesus Christ, for thy goodnesse. 
 Fulfill my hert with forgiuenesse ; 
 That whill I leif, I them forgeif. 
 That doe offend mee moir and lesse. 
 
 Lass mich kein lust noch furcht von dir 
 in dieser welt abwenden, 
 Bestandig sein ins end gib mir, 
 du hast allein in handen, 
 
 Und wem du's gibst, der hat's umsonst, 
 es mag niemand erwerben 
 noch ererben 
 durch werk dein gnad, 
 die uns errett't vom sterben. 
 
THE SCOTTISH REFORMATION. 
 
 75 
 
 I am compassit round about, 
 With sore and Strang temptatioun, 
 Therfor, gude Lord, dclyuer mee out 
 From all this wicked natioun. 
 The dcuill, the warld, the flesh also, 
 Dois follow mee where euer I goe : 
 Therefore wald I delyuerit bee. 
 Thy helpe I seeke, Lord, and no mo. 
 
 Ich lieg im streit und widerstreb, 
 hilff, O Herr Christ, dem schwachen. 
 An deiner gnad allein ich kleb, 
 du kannst mich starker machen. 
 
 Kommt nun anfechtung her, so wchr, 
 dass sie mich nicht umstosse, 
 du kannst massen, 
 dass mirs nicht bringt gefahr, 
 ich weis, du wirst's nicht lassen.* 
 
 Now seis thow. Lord, what neid I haue. 
 There is no vther to pleinzie to : 
 Therefore thy Haly Gaist I craife. 
 To bee my gyde where euer I goe, 
 That in all my aduersitie ; 
 I forzet not the loue of thee ; 
 Bot as thou, Lord, hes giuen thy word. 
 Let mee therein both leue and die. 
 
 QuARE Fremuerunt Gentes. — Psalm ii. 
 
 Ouhat is the cause, God omnipotent, Hilff Gott, wie geht das immer zu 
 
 That all natiouns commufit are so sore ? Dass alles volck so grimmet ? 
 
 Thekingesandthe people with ane consent, Fiirsten und konig all gemein, 
 
 Resistes thee, thy power and glore. mit eins sind sie gesinnet : 
 
 They stryve against thy law aye more Wider zu streben deiner hand, 
 
 and more, [hes send und Christo, den du hast gesandt. 
 
 And contrair Christ thy Son whom thou der gantzen welt zu helfFen. 
 
 To save all men that will on him depend. 
 
 They will not bee reformed from their sinnc, Sie wollen ungestrafFet sein 
 
 But will remaine blindit in ignorance, und leben nach ihr'm sinue. 
 
 And will not thole tolukethy law within, Und werffen von sich deinen rath. 
 
 But castis it away with greit grevance, und was du lehrest d'rinne, 
 
 " The German Hymn is by Speratu';. and it is said to have been inserted in the Stras-ilnirg; Hymn- 
 books as early as 1537, 
 
76 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 Thy counselltheyrefusit and governance, Sie gehen nach ihres hertzen wahn, 
 And following their owne heartes consait, ein iedermann auff seiner bahn, 
 Everie man drawes a sindrie gait. und lassen ihn nicht wehren. 
 
 But thou, O God, in heavin into thy ring, Du aber in dem hymmel hoch. 
 Thou makes* all their counsellis everi- O Gott wirst sie belachen, 
 eich one [bring Verspotten ihren besten rath 
 
 What they intend that sail they never und -f-ihrn anschlag verachten. 
 To finall end ; for thy wisedome alone, Du wirst mit zorn sie sprechen an 
 Their pregnant wittes sail scorne and und strafFen was sie ha'n gethan 
 anone, mit grimm wirst du sie schrecken. 
 
 In thy great ire thou sail them sair reprufe. 
 And from thy face thou sail them swyth 
 remufe. 
 
 For God has set ane Captaine starke and Der Herr hat zum konig gesetzt 
 wight, [naturall, Christum, den ihr verkleinet, 
 
 Christ his owne Sonne, God and man Auf Zion seinen heiligen berg. 
 
 On Mont Sinay to rule it just and right, das ist uber sein gemeine. 
 
 That is to say, God's kirk universall, Dass er soil kund thun iiberall. 
 To teach his Father's word celestiall : des Vaters sinn und wohlgefall 
 
 His godly will and pleasour for to shaw, und lehren sein gesetze. 
 
 Instructing all the warld into his law. 
 
 God said to him. Thou art my Sonne and Er sprach zu ihm du bist mein Sohn 
 I thee begat for ever, and this day, [air, heut hab ich dich gezelet, ^ 
 
 Thy deid purchest victorie preclare. Von dem tode erwecket schon. 
 
 Syne from the deid thou raise to ring und in dir auserwahlet 
 
 for aye. [cay. Fiir erben and fur kinder mein, 
 
 My chosen in thee sail not come to de- die glauben an den namen dein, 
 
 Quha trowly trustes in thy godly name dass sie all' durch dich leben. 
 
 Sail never die eternally I plaine. 
 
 My Sonne, I will thee give all nations Die heiden will ich schencken dir, 
 
 In heritage, and put them in thy cure, mein kind, zu einem erbe. 
 To rule them with thy ministratiouns, Dass du mit deinem wort in ihn, 
 
 * Query makes for mockest. j Another edition has here "ihn zu nichte machen." 
 
 J Edition 1533 has here "geboren," and In hne 4 " ausserkoren." 
 
THE SCOTTISH REFORMATION. 77 
 
 And pricfe them with thy croce at thy des fleisches lust verderbest •, 
 plesour. [them pure, Ein neu volck soUst du richten an, 
 
 To purge their fleshly lust and make das mcinen namcn preisen kann 
 And for to raise their mindes spirituall, an allcm ort auff erden 
 
 To prayse thy name now and perpetuall. 
 
 Heirfoir, kings and rewlers, now bewar, Darum, ihr konig, mercket nun ; 
 
 Advert till God's word and discipline ; ihr sollt euch lassen lehren, 
 Receve his Sonne; above all things, prefiir Und diesem konig horen zu, 
 His godly word, and keipe well his sein wort halten in ehren. 
 
 doctrine : [syne. Dass ihr Gott lernet furchten wohl, 
 
 Learn him to dreid and traist intill him und wie ein hertz ihm traucn soil, 
 Whilkis thetrewwirshipandrightcousnes, das heisst recht, Gott wohl diencn. 
 That God requires of mankind mair and 
 les. 
 
 Resaif therefoir his sweit correctioun, Nehmt auff die straff williglich, 
 That he na mair with zow offendit be, dass nicht erzorn der Herre, 
 
 Befoir your eine with trcw affectioun. Halt ihn f'lir augen stiitiglich, 
 And in zour hart ze have him idently. und lebt nach seiner lehre. 
 Obey his law for when grevit is he, Wenn sein zorn als ein feuer auffgeht. 
 
 Then wha daur his just judgement abide, wohl ist dem, der fur ihm besteht, 
 
 Blissit are they whilk on him doth confide. das sind, die auff ihn trauen.* 
 
 For part of Psalm XlLy see pp. 52, 53. 
 
 , Usque qitq domine — Psalm xiii. 
 
 O Lord how long for ever will thou for- Ach Gott, wie lang vergissest mcin 
 get ? [I'^'ig g'li" noch bis an das ende ! 
 
 And hyde thy face fra me, or zct how Ach Gott wie lang das antlitz dein 
 Sail I reheirs thy counsell in my hert .'* Thust du doch von mir wenden ! 
 
 When sail my hert ceis of this sorie Wie lang soil ich selbs rathen mir, 
 
 sang .'' In meiner seel ein schmerz gebir 
 
 Den gantzen tag im hertzen. 
 
 * This version of Psalm II. is said to he hy Andreas Knopken, and to have appeared in tiie Enchiri 
 dion of 1528. It is found in the Magdeburg and in the Strassburg Hymn-boolis. 
 
78 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 [Mine enemie exalted be how lang ?] Wie lang wird doch meln felnd erhocht ? 
 O Lord, behald, help me, and light my eine Sieh, Gott, thu mich erhoren ! 
 That sudden sleep of death do me na teine. Erleucht auch meine augen recht, 
 
 Und thu mich herr gewehren, 
 Or els when my enemies sees my fall, Dass ich nicht in dem todt entschlaff 
 Wee did prevaill, soon will they say on Und dass mein feind nicht arges schafF, 
 mee Sprech, hab mich uberwunden. 
 
 And gif they see me brought in thrall. 
 
 They will rejoyce into their tyrannie. Und ob ich viel in siind und leid 
 Bot I in God hes hope, and trust to see Mein feind wurdt sich erspringen. 
 His godly helpe; then sail I love the Lord, Ich hoffin dein barmhertzigkeit, 
 Whilk did me save from them that had Dem herren will ich singen. 
 
 me schord.* Mein hertz freut sich in deinem hell 
 
 Der mich begab mit gutem Theil, 
 Sein namen will ich preisen. 
 
 DOMINE QUIS HABITABIT. PsALM XV. f 
 
 O Lord quha sail in heaven dwell, O Herr, wer wird wohnunge hon 
 
 In thy triumphant throne and tabernacle? in deinen zelten kluge, 
 
 Or quha sail on thy haUe hill sa hie, AufF deinem heilgen berge schon 
 
 Make residence and have his habitacle ? da ewig ha'n sein ruge ? 
 
 The innocent that is ane spectakill Der unbefleckten wandel trei't. 
 
 Of holy life and conversatioun, Und wirket die gerechtigkeit 
 And just in all his operatioun. wahrhaftig in sei'm hertzen. 
 
 * The Scotch version of this Psalm, without the Hne supplied in brackets, would consist of thirteen 
 lines — a form of stanza never elsewhere found in this writer, but with the addition of that line we get 
 two of the seven-lined stanzas so common in his book, and these two stanzas embrace all that is con- 
 tained in the three of the German hymn. 
 
 f The stanza in the Scotch and German is the same, and the general resemblance in meaning is 
 pretty close, and yet one can hardly doubt that the Scotch poet had also Marot's French version of the 
 psalm, and took the words " tabernacle " and " habitacle " from it though there is no marked resemblance 
 between the two in other respects. 
 
THE SCOl'i'ISII REFORMATION. 
 
 79 
 
 DOMINUS ME REGIT, Psa. XXui. 
 
 The Lord God is my Pastour gude, Dcr Herr Gott ist mein treuer hirt 
 
 Aboundantly mce for to feid ; 
 Then how can I bee destitute 
 Of any gude thing in my neid ? 
 Hee feid me in fcildes faire, 
 To riuers sweit, pure and preclair, 
 Hee dryues mee hot ony dreid. 
 
 Hiih mich in seiner hute, 
 Darinn mir gar nicht mangehi wird 
 
 Yendert an eincm gute. 
 Er weidet mich ohn unterlass, 
 
 Da aufwiichst das wohlschmecket grass 
 Seines heilsamcn wortes. 
 
 My saull and lyfe hee dois refresh, 
 And mee conuoyes in the way 
 Of his justice and righteousncsse, 
 And mee defends from decay. 
 Not for my warkes verteousnesse, 
 But for his name so glorious, 
 Preserues mee baith night and day. 
 
 Zum reinen wasser er mich weist 
 Das mich erquicken thutte 
 
 Das ist sein frohnheiliger geist 
 Der mich macht wohlgemuthe, 
 
 Er fuhret mich auf rechter strass 
 
 In sein'n geboten ohn ablass 
 Von wegen seines namens. 
 
 And though I wander, or goe will, 
 Or am in danger for to die, 
 No dreid of deid sail cum me till, 
 Nor fear of cruell tyrrannie : 
 Because that thou art mee beside. 
 To gouerne me and be my gyde 
 From all mischief and miserie. 
 
 Ob ich wandert im finstern thai 
 furcht ich kein ungelucke 
 
 In verfolgung leiden, triibsal 
 und dieser welte tucke, 
 
 "Wann du bist bei mir stiitiglich, 
 
 dein stab und stecken trosten mich 
 auf dein wort ich mich lasse. 
 
 And thow ane tabill docs prouyde 
 Before mee, full of all delyte, 
 Contrair to my perseuars pryde, 
 To their displeasure and dispyte. 
 Thou hes annoynted my head. 
 And full my cup thou hes made, 
 With many dishes of delyte. 
 
 Du bereitest vor mich ein tisch 
 flir mein feind allenthalben, 
 
 Machst mein hertz unverzagt frisch, 
 Mein haupt thust du mir salbcn. 
 
 Mit deinem geist, der freuden 61, 
 
 und schenkest voll ein meiner seel 
 deiner geistlichen freuden. 
 
8o THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 Thy gudnesse and benignity, Gutes und die barmhertzigkeit 
 
 Let euer bee with mee therefore ; laufen mir nach im leben, 
 
 And while I liue, vntill I die, Und ich werd bleiben allezeit, 
 
 Thou lay them vp with mee in store ; im haus des Herren eben. 
 
 That I may haue my dwelling place Auf erd in der Christlichen g'mein, 
 
 Into thy house, before thy face, Und nach dem tode werd ich sein 
 
 To ring with thee for euermore. bei Christo meinem Herren. 
 
 IV. 
 
 When, in the spring of 1861, it fell to my lot to give the closing 
 address to your Association, I thought it my duty to take as my subject 
 " the Scottish Reformation and the Constitution of the Reformed Church 
 of Scotland," as it appeared to me only seemly that, in an institution 
 which had been so closely connected with the fortunes of the Reformed 
 Church, the session should not be allowed to terminate without some 
 special reference to that event which had just before been so generally 
 commemorated throughout the country. I took advantage of that 
 opportunity to give a succinct account of the connection of our University 
 and its alumni with the great movement which was so successfully brought 
 to an issue in 1560, and which has been the source of untold blessings to 
 our native land ; and after describing the doctrine, worship, discipline, and 
 government of our Church as then established, I enforced the practical 
 duty of our holding fast by the great doctrines which we have received 
 in common with the other Churches of the Reformation, and endeavour- 
 ing to cultivate the same friendly intercourse with these as our fathers 
 did. In the circumstances, I could hardly pass without notice an 
 address which had been given some time before in our city, and in which, 
 while our Reformer and his work had been spoken of with far more 
 kindness and respect than Mr Lyon was wont to show, it seemed yet to 
 be hinted that it was from disappointment and embitterment of spirit 
 
THE SCOTTISH REFORMATION. 8 I 
 
 — almost from jealousy or from feelings of wounded vanity, on account of 
 the treatment he had received at the hands of the Knt^lish Reformers and 
 exiles, that he made the constitution of the Scottish Church so different 
 from the Elizabethan, and did not use his great influence to bring about 
 a closer uniformity between them. The answer I ventured to give to 
 this implied censure was, that in acting as he did, and making the con- 
 stitution of the Church what he made it, Knox only followed out the 
 opinions on this subject which rightly or wrongly were entertained by the 
 ablest scholars and divines of his day, and which, in so far as they were 
 left at liberty to do so, they also followed out, and which many in Eng- 
 land itself would, at least in part, have carried out had they been allowed 
 by the civil power to do so. Mr Froude, in the two volumes of his his- 
 tory since published, has supplied a farther vindication of our Reformer 
 from the censure passed on him, by showing that had he been at all in- 
 clined to be affected by such slights, he met with more than enough in 
 the earlier years of Elizabeth's reign to have alienated him for ever from 
 her and her ministers ; but, with the undaunted resolution of a true 
 patriot, he bore all patiently, and labouring on in concert with them, saved 
 Elizabeth's throne and Protestant ascendancy in Britain in spite of her 
 waywardness, unkindness, and inconsistency. And he and Mr Carlyle, 
 by their recent addresses in Edinburgh, rendered good service to our 
 National Church by bearing so emphatic testimony to the uprightness 
 and patriotism of Knox just at the time when some were beginning to 
 doubt whether the representation of his character made by Dr M'Crie 
 was not far too favourable. I do not mean, on the present occasion, to 
 enter at any length into this controverted question, but wish simply and 
 briefly, before passing to my proper subject, to state that subsequent re- 
 search has supplied me with a farther answer to these charges against our 
 Reformer, which, if more were really needed, should refute them utterly. 
 Among the many works prepared by the divines of the sixteenth century 
 which, after having been long as good as lost, have been once more 
 brought to light in our day, are those of John a Lasco, which have just 
 been republished in Holland. Respecting the author, I need only tell 
 you at present that he was a Pole of noble birth, who had embraced the 
 
82 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 Reformed faith, and who, after various fortunes, was, with other foreigners 
 in trouble for their religion, invited to settle in England early in the reign 
 of Edward VI. With the approbation of the king, he was made super- 
 intendent of the German and other foreign churches in London, and was 
 allowed, after a time, to draw up for the churches under his superinten- 
 dence forms of worship and discipline which in all essential respects closely 
 resembled those which, under the guidance of Knox, the Church of 
 Scotland afterwards adopted. In the ordinary forms for public worship, 
 indeed, and also in the forms for the administration of the sacraments and 
 of marriage, any verbal coincidences that occur are rather with the offices 
 of Calvin and Pollanus than with those of a Lasco, yet, even in these, 
 prayers are occasionally inserted at places in which they are found in 
 a Lasco's formulary, and are not found in Calvin's, and in such things as 
 the posture of the communicants and their arrangement at the communion 
 table, the influence of a Lasco is plainly traceable. Then the description 
 of the respective duties of superintendents, ministers, elders and deacons, 
 are closely similar in a Lasco's book, and in the First Book of Discipline, 
 and while I doubt if even the explicit statement in the former respecting 
 the permanence of the superintendent's office will suffice to explain away 
 what is said in the latter to an apparently opposite effisct, I can have no 
 doubt that the equally explicit statements of the former book, as to the 
 limitations of the superintendent's powers, and his liability to be removed 
 by the ordinary ministers of the church, should occasion call for it, must 
 cast additional light on the similar statements of the latter book, and tend 
 to remove any lingering hesitation any may still feel in coming to the 
 conclusion that these superintendents were very different from diocesan 
 bishops. Moreover, the form and order for the election and admission 
 of superintendents and ministers, and the order of excommunication and 
 public repentance "set furth be Mr John Knox," coincide remarkably 
 throughout both in general structure and in language with those of 
 a Lasco, so that there can be no question that the one is derived from the 
 other. A Lasco's "Forma ac ratio tota ecclesiastici ministerii in peregri- 
 norum ecclesia instituta Londini " was drawn up in England during the 
 life of Edward VI., but was only published after his death, when its author 
 
THE SCOTTISH REFORMATION. 83 
 
 w'nh his flock was again banished the kingdom, and was for a time 
 settled in Frankfort. This, so far as I can ascertain, happened in 
 the very year that Knox's friends were there, and the circumstances in 
 which the book originated coukl hardly fail to be known to those of the 
 English congregation who were contending earnestly for farther reforma- 
 tion in worship. These circumstances are fully detailed in the epistle 
 dedicatory to his kinsman the King of Poland, which a Lasco prefixed to 
 his book. In it he expressly asserts that as England was not then deemed 
 ripe for a complete reformation, he was instructed by the king to draw 
 up the constitution of the church of the foreigners in strict accordance 
 with the regulations of scripture, and without regard to human rites, how- 
 ever ancient and venerable, that when the day should come when the nation 
 would bear a more thorough reformation, it might have, in the practice 
 of these foreign churches, a reliable directory which it could follow. 
 In all this a Lasco states that the king was supported by most of his 
 Council, and especially by that wise counsellor and earnest reformer, 
 Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury. What was more natural 
 then that the English congregation at Geneva should have a liking for 
 a Lasco's forms, and that when Knox, on his return to Britain, was met 
 with the old bugbear, "England is not yet ripe for such a reformation as 
 you want," he should reply, " Well, we will take things just as they were 
 allowed to be set down by your best men in the time of the good King 
 Edward, and when you are disposed to advance to that perfection which 
 he and his advisers so earnestly desired for you, you will know where to 
 find us." What better proof could he have given that he was superior to 
 such petty motives as have been imputed to him, and was every inch a 
 true patriot. 
 
 The following is the passage from a Lasco's epistle dedicatory to which 
 reference is made above : — 
 
 Haec ergo nobis etiam consilii nostri ratio fuit in rcstituendis cultus diviiii ritibus 
 totaque adeo ministerii instauratione, posteaquam divino beneficio Ecclesiani nobis 
 per pieniissimum Principem atquc aeterna dignum memoria, Eduardum, eius nominis 
 sextiim, Angliae etc. Rcgcin, concessam haberemus. Cupiebat Rex ille Sanctissimus 
 ita restitutam, quoad eiu^ fieri posset, in universo regno suo omnem plane religionem, 
 
84 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 ut nulla fere alia de re pro state sua sollicitus magis esset. Adhlbebat in ejus 
 rei consilium, quos pietate eruditione ac judicio aliis anteceilere intelligebat, inter 
 quos praecipuum habebat Thomam Cranmerum, Cantuariensem Archiepiscopum, 
 virum, prater insigneineruditionem ac pietatem, ea quoque ingenii dexteritate pruden- 
 tia ac morum gravitate prteditum (quae interim summam comitatem ac rnodestiam 
 conjunctam habebat), ut hsc omnia simul in illo sine magna profecto admiratione 
 nemo facile intueri posset. Hujus igitur hortatu cum ego quoque per Regem ilium 
 vocatus essem et leges qusedam patrix obstarent, quominus public! potissimum 
 cultus divini ritus, sub Papismo usurpati, pro eo ac Rex ipse cupiebat, repurgari 
 protinus possent — ego vero pro Peregrinorum Ecclesiis sedulo instarem — ita demum 
 placuit ut ritus publici in Anglicis Ecclesiis per gradus quosdam, quantum per leges 
 patriae omnino liceret, repurgarentur : Peregrinis vero hominibus, qui patriis hac 
 alioqui in parte legibus non usque adeo tenerentur, Ecclesise concederentur, in 
 quibus omnia libere et nulla rituum patriorum habita ratione, juxta doctrinam dun- 
 taxat atque observationem Apostolicam instituerentur ; ita enim fore, ut Anglicae 
 quoque Ecclesiae ad puritatem Apostolicam amplectendam unanimi omnium regni 
 ordinum consensu excitarentur. Ejus vero consilii Rex ipsemet pro sua pietate 
 praecipuus non autor tantum, sed etiam propugnator fuit. Etsi enim id in Senatu 
 Regio omnibus propemodum placeret, ipseque Canttiarletisis Archiepiscopus rem modis 
 omnibus promoveret, non deerat tamen, qui id moleste ferrent adeoque et reluctaturi 
 fuerint huic instituto regio, nisi Rex ipse, non tantum auctoritate sua restidsset, sed 
 productis etiam instituti hujus rationibus conatus eorum repressisset. 
 
 A Lasco, while in England, had pronounced himself decidedly favour- 
 able to the wishes of Hooper and the Puritans, and I daresay the above 
 will be thought to confirm certain statements made by them respecting 
 the personal opinions of Cranmer. 
 
 I subjoin to this a few extracts from a Lasco's "Forma inaugurandi 
 Ministros verbi et Superintendentem ad ministeriura ipsorum," and 
 "Knox's Form and Order of election and admission" of superintendents 
 and ministers, merely premising that the formularies are pretty similar 
 throughout, and not merely in the parts I select : 
 
 Precatio super electis verbi Minis- The Prayer, 
 
 tris circa ipsorum inaugurationem. 
 
 " Domine Deus, fill Dei vivi, Jesu O Lord, to whom all Power is gevin 
 
 Christe 1 qui te Ecclcsi.T iu,^ ad finem in Heavin and in Earth, thou that art the 
 
THE SCOTTISH REFORMATION. 85 
 
 usque ScECulI semper adfuturum esse pro- the eternal Sone of the eternall Father, 
 misisti, ut iUam regas ac gubcrnes Spiritu who hast not onlie so loved thy Church, 
 sancto tuo, quique illam ita diligis, ut that for the Redemptioun and Purga- 
 non solum sanguinem tuum innocentissi- tioun of the same, thou . . . hast 
 mum pro ea semel fuderis, sed huius sched thy most innocent Blode , . . 
 quoque tanti tui beneficii testes ac doc- hot also to retene this thy most ex- 
 tores in ilia perpetuo extare velis ad in- cellent Benefit in recent Memorie, hast 
 staurationem sanctorum et consumma- appointed in thy Church Teachers, Pas- 
 tionem absolvendam in mystico tuo tors and Apostels, to instruct, confort 
 (quod nos sumus) corpore. — Te jam and admonish the same : Look upon us 
 supplices deprccamur, Domine Rex, mercifully, O Lord, thou that only art 
 Doctor ac Pontifex noster xterne ! ut King, Teacher and hie Preast to thy 
 hosce viros fratres nostros (si plures shit awin Flock : And send unto this our 
 eledi ad ministeriutn)^ per nos ad verbi Brother, whom in thy Name we have 
 ministerium in tuo sancto nomine electos, charged with the cheif cair of thy Church 
 spiritu sancto tuo replere digneris, ut within the Boundis of Louthian, such 
 verbL tui divini ministerium beneficior- portion of thy holy Spirit, as thereby he 
 umque tuorum salutare atque efficax may rightlie divyd thy Word to the In- 
 testimonium inter nos rctincatur et con- structioun of thy Flock, and to the Con- 
 servetur. Largirc illis Domine ! pruden- futatioun of pernitious Erroris and dam- 
 tiam recte secandi verbum tuum. Da ut nable Superstitiouns : Geve unto him, 
 Satan^E et Antichristi dolos ac tyranni- good Lord, a Mouth and Wisedom, 
 dem ab Ecclesia hac nostra fideliter ac whereby the Enemies of thy Trueth may 
 diligenter arccant, eiusque reliquias be confounded, the Wolfes expelled and 
 omnes, si qua adhuc inter nos haerent, drevin from thy Fald, thy Schep may be 
 prorsus extirpent ac propellant. Dona fed in the holesome Pastures of thy most 
 illis Domine ! eiusmodi os et sapientiam, holy Word, the blind and ignorant may 
 ut ora omnium adversiorum verbi tui be illuminated with thy trew knowledge, 
 auctoritate obturare luposque a grege tuo Finallic, that the Dregges of Supersti- 
 abigere possint, quo ita demum populus tion and kiolatrie, which yet resteth 
 hie tuus, per ipsorum ministerium in within this Realme, being purged a;nd re- 
 vera tui cognitione instructus, te laudare, moved, we may all not only have Occa- 
 tibi gratias agere inque voluntatis tuae sion to glorifie thee our only Lord and 
 sanctae obedientia et omni pietate indies Saviour, bot also daylie to grow in God- 
 magis ac magis promovere possit, ad lines and Obedience of thy most holy 
 regni tui Patrisque tui coelestis gloriam will. ... by Participation of thy holy 
 immortalcm, quem ctiam per tuum Spirit, which by trew Faith in thee, we 
 
86 THE SACRED POETRY OF 
 
 nomen, ut abs te edocti sumus, supplices do profes as the blessed of thy Father, 
 invocamus, dicentes : Pater noster etc." of whom the perpetuall Encrease of thy 
 
 Graces we crave, as by thee our Lord, 
 King, and onlie Bischop we ar taught to 
 pray, Our Father, &c. 
 
 Finita precatione, accedunt ad electos The Prayer ended, the rest of the 
 
 Ministros, alii ministri et Seniores Ec- Ministers and Eldars of that Church, if 
 
 clesix omnes, et capitibus illorum manus any be present, in Signe of there consent 
 
 una omnes imponunt, quibus etiam as- shall tak the elected be the hand, 
 
 sistens Ecclesiastes, et manus una cum The chiefe Minister shall give the 
 
 illis capitibus electorem imponens, clara Benedictioun as followeth : 
 voce, auscultante tota Ecclesia, dicit : 
 
 The Benedictioun. 
 
 " Deus et Pater noster coelestis, qui God the Father of our Lord Jesus 
 
 vos ad verbi sui Ministerium in hac sua Christ, who. . . hath called thee to the 
 
 Ecclesia vocavit, illuminet vos spiritu Office of a Watch-man owir his People, 
 
 sancto suo suaque manu potenti vos cor- multiplie his Graces with thee, illuminate 
 
 roboret et vestrum ministerium ita regat thee with his holy Spirit, confort and 
 
 et gubernet, ut in illo fideliter et cum strenthen thee in all Vertew, governe 
 
 fructu versari semper possitis, ad propa- and guyde thy Ministerie to the Prayse 
 
 gandum regnum unigeniti sui filii in Ec- of his holy Name, to the Propagation ot 
 
 clesia ipsius per Evangelii sui institutam Christ's Kingdome, to the Confort of his 
 
 ab ipso praedicationem, propter eundem Church, and finally, to the plaine Dis- 
 
 ipsum unigenitum suum filium, Jesum charge and Assurance of thy awin Con- 
 
 Christum, Dominum et servatorem nos- science in the Day of the Lord Jesus j to 
 
 trum. Amen." whom with the Father, and with the 
 
 holy Ghost, be all Honour, Prayse and 
 Glory, now and evir : So be it. 
 
 POSTREMA AdMONITIO AD InAUGURATOS 
 
 Verbi Ministros, antequam Psalmus The Last Exhortation to the 
 
 Decantetur. Elected. 
 
 Viri fratres ! attenditc vobis ipsis. . . . Tak. Heed to thy selfe, and unto the 
 
 Pasciteconcreditum vobisgregem Christi, Flock committed to thy charge, fcid the 
 
. • . • • • 
 
 THE SCOTTISH REFORMATION. ' 87 
 
 CLiram illius habere, non velut adacri, sed same cairfuUie, not as it wer be Compul- 
 
 iiltro ac sponte vestra, non turpis lucri sion,bot of very Lufe, which thou bearest 
 
 studio, sed liberaliter, neque dominium to the Lord Jesus, walke in Simplicitie 
 
 vobis usurpantes in Ecclesiam, sed sitis and Purenes of Lyfe, as it becumeth the 
 
 vehit exemplaria gregis. Rebus adversis trew Servand and the Embassadour of 
 
 (vobis alioquiscmperexpectandis)nefran- the Lord Jesus. Uhurpe not Dominion 
 
 gamini. Contemptum probra et convicia nor tyrannicall Authoritie owir thy 
 
 addictorum mundo hominum. . . . cum Brethren : Be not discouraged in Ad- 
 
 omni tolerantia sustinete, . . . proposito versitie, bot lay before thy self the ex- 
 
 vobis exemplo Prophetarum atque Apos- ample of the Prophets, Apostles, and of 
 
 tolorum omnium et ipsius denique Christi the Lord Jesus, who in thair ministery 
 
 domini. Prostate vos fidcles ac diligentes sustened contradiction. Contempt, Per- 
 
 Christi Domini et spiritus sahcti coope- secution, and Death : Feare not to rebuke 
 
 rarios in arguendo mundo de peccato, the World of Sin, Justice and Judgment : 
 
 justitia et judicio ipsius. Ne efferamini If anything succeid prosperouslie in thy 
 
 animo,siquando vobis ex sentcntia aliquid vocation, be not puft up with Pryde, 
 
 succedat prosperenturve aliquo modo res neither yet flatter thy selt, as that the 
 
 vestrie,multo minusvero opes aut honores good succes proceided from thy Vertew, 
 
 mundi huius expetatis. Consolemini Industrie, or Cairj Bot let evir that Sen- 
 
 afflictos, egenos sublevetis pro vestra virili tence of the Apostle remain in thy Hart, 
 
 atque alios ad id faciendum omni vestro What hast thou which thou hast not re- 
 
 studio exhortemini. ... la hoc tori in- ceaved? If thou hast receaved why glories 
 
 cumbire, ut studio ac conatu vestro plura thou ? Confort the Afflicted, support 
 
 alia talenta communi nostro omnium the Poore, and exhort utheris to support 
 
 Domini per eius gratiam lucrifacere possi- them : Be not solist for Things of this 
 
 tis. Ita fiet enim, ut, superatis tandem Lyfe, but be fervent in Prayer to God for 
 
 vestris laboribus omnibus, reportetis pro- the Increase of his holic Spirit. And 
 
 culdubio, ubi Princeps ille pastorum om- finallie, behave thy self in this holy Vo- 
 
 nium summus atque jeternus apparuerit, cation with such Sobriety as God may 
 
 coronam gloria immarcessibilem be glorified in tliy Ministerie : And so 
 
 Deus et Pater noster coelestis concedat shal thou schortly obteine the Victorie, 
 
 per immensam suam misericordiam, ut and shal receave the Crowne promised, 
 
 omnes pariter voccm banc olim audire when the Lord Jesus shall appeare in his 
 
 possimus, propter filium suum dilectum, Glorie, whose omnipotent Spirit assist 
 
 Dominum nostrum. Amen. thee and us to the end. Amen. 
 
 The resemblance in the prayers and exhortations of a Lasco's " Ratio 
 ac Forma publiccr pocnitentiae,"' and his ''Modus ac Ritus excommimica- 
 
88 THE SACRED POETRY OF THE SCOTTISH REFORMATION. 
 
 tionis," and those in Knox's order of excommunication and public repent- 
 ance are quite as striking, though it is evident Knox's work is not a 
 hasty copy but a carefully considered transcript in which the original is 
 generally shortened and sometimes improved. To exhibit fully the cor- 
 respondences between these treatises, however, would require me to extend 
 this appendix beyond all reasonable length. I subjoin a few brief extracts 
 and headings from the part relating to public repentance : 
 
 Nemo ad publicam poenitentiam prius ad- It is first to be observed that none may 
 mittitur, quam illius resipiscentia per be admitted to publiquc Repentance ex- 
 Ministros ac Seniores Ecclesias in coetu cept that first they be admitted thereto 
 
 ipsorum diligenter exploretur by the Session and Assemblie of the 
 
 Ministeris and Eldaris. . . . 
 
 Precatio super lapso et poenitentey l^c. The prayer ^ life. 
 
 ...•• ..... 
 
 The prayer finished^ the Minister shall turn 
 Admonitio ad lapsutn ac poetiitentem fratrem. him to the penitent Brother and in full 
 
 audieJice shall say, . . . 
 
 Admonitio ad Ecclesiam. Ane Admonition to the Church. 
 
 Gratiarum actio pro resipiscentia lapsifratris. The Thaiihs giving. 
 
 Finita hac gratiarum actione quaerit Mini- The Thanksgiving being finished, the 
 
 ster a poenitente fratre illo, num deinceps Minister shall require of the Penitent, if 
 
 quoque disciplinse ecclesiasticffi subesse that he will be subject to the Discipline 
 
 velitjuxta verbumDei, illeque respondet: of the Church, in caise that he after 
 
 " Etiam." oifend ; who answering that he will, the 
 
 Tum Minister illi annunciat et contes- Minister shall say in maner of Absolu- 
 
 atur veram ac plenam peccati ipsius, tion ; If thou unfainedly repentis, &c. 
 
 coram Deo et ejus Ecclesia remissionem, Then shall the Eldaris and Deacons 
 
 &c. Postremo Ministri ac Seniores ordine with Ministeris (if anie be) in the Name 
 
 omnes fratrem poenitentem ilium dextris of the whole Church take the reconciled 
 
 datis amplexantur in totius Ecclesite con- Brother by the Eland and embrace him 
 
 spectu, &c. Atque ita demum Psalmus in Signe of full Reconciliation. Then 
 
 gratulatorius canitur a tota Ecclesia (Psal. after shall the Church sing the ciii. 
 
 103 aut alius similis), . . . Psalm. ... 
 
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 Mflfi i 1968 1 
 
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 Genera! Library 
 
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