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MARY
OF LORRAINE, the widowed Queen of James V., proved, while Regent of
Scotland, a prudent and wise ruler. Desirous to stern the tide of
Reformation which rolled onwards, and anxious to do what she considered her
duty for the support of the ancient Church, she was not, like her brothers,
a bigot in her faith. She looked with a kindly eye on both her Catholic and
Protestant subjects; but events would not allow her to remain a silent
spectator of the conflict.
John Knox had come from
Geneva and arrived in Perth. He preached the Reformed doctrines. The people,
roused as by an electric spark, at once proceeded to the violent measure of
destroying the religious houses which had for centuries adorned, and were
the boast of St. Johnston.
The mass and other religious
ceremonies and doctrines of the Catholic Church were denounced and
proscribed. The Regent saw the approaching storm, and determined upon
crushing it in the bud. Knox remained at Perth, where he was joined by the
Congregation. The Queen resolved on immediate proceedings. The Earls of
Arran, Argyll, and Athol were commanded to come to her, with the assistance
of all their friends and followers. The French soldiers then in Scotland
were also ordered to come in. She thought to surprise Perth, but,
notwithstanding every exertion, a week elapsed before the necessary
preparations could be made, and the artillery brought forward. The Earl of
Glencairn, with the Lords Ochiltree and Boyd and other gentlemen of the
West, in the Protestant interest, were on their way to Perth at the head of
1200 horse and 1300 foot. The Queen had advanced with her army to
Auchterarder, where she encamped. She was desirous to enter into
negotiations with the Reformers at Perth ere intelligence should reach them
of the approach of Glencairn. With that view she sent to Perth demanding
that some person should be sent to her camp in order to negotiate with the
Earl of Arraii and M. d'Ozell concerning some reasonable agreement. In
obedience to her request, Erskine of Dun, Ogilvy of Inverarity, and Scott of
Abbotshall were sent to Auchterarder. They were courteously received by the
Queen, who required that the town of Perth should be open to Her Majesty,
and all other matters referred to her discretion. The gentlemen of the
deputation replied that they had no warrant to go into such proposals, but
that if the Queen would promise nobody would be disturbed for the last
commotion in Perth, and if she would suffer the religion begun to go
forward, and would leave the town at her departure free from French
soldiers, then they would deal with their associates that Her Majesty should
be obeyed in all things. Nothing, however, was formally agreed to. The
deputation had scarcely left Auchterarder when the Queen was informed that
the Earl of Glencairn had passed by her guards, and was in full march to
Perth. She despatched the Ear! of Argyll, the Prior of St. Andrews
(afterwards the Regent Moray), and Gavin Hamilton, Abbot of Kilwinning, but
before these three Commissioners arrived at Perth, the Earl of Glencairn had
reached that city. His reinforcement had made the part}' of Reform more
difficult to deal with. Knox expostulated with the Commissioners on what he
said was a dereliction of duty in pressing the Queen's conditions, seeing
that they were considered favourers of a Reformation. The Commissioners
answered that their hearts were still constant with their brethren, but
because they had promised the Queen to endeavour to bring about an
agreement, they could not falsify their word; but if the Queen did violate
the least jot of what should be agreed upon, they would join themselves
openly with the Congregation. On this promise being made, Mr Knox says the
preachers had much ado persuading the multitude to give its consent thereto.
The Commissioners returned to Auchterarder, where the Treaty was conceded on
29th May, 1559. The articles were :
I.—That both armies should be
disbanded, and the town of Perth left open to the Queen.
II.—That none of the
inhabitants should be molested on account of the '.ate alteration in
religion.
III.—That no Frenchman should
enter the town nor come within three miles, and that when the Queen retired
r.o French garrison should be left in the town.
IV.—That all other
controversies be referred to the next Parliament.
The next day the Congregation
departed from Perth, after John Knox in a sermon had exhorted them to thank
God for stopping the effusion of blood, but at the same time not to faint in
supporting such as should afterwards be persecuted. Although the Treaty was
entered into, it was not observed. Perhaps none of the parties were sincere
in desiring that it should be adhered to.
Had Mary lived, it is
difficult to say what course, with the powerful support of the House of
Guise, the Reformation might have taken in Scotland; but she was destined
not long to survive her visit to Auchterarder in sovereign state, surrounded
by the nobles of the realm and accompanied by an armed host. In the
following year she died at an early age, and not long after three of her
five powerful brut hers were also removed by death from the cares and
conflicts of this world.
This was the first State
recognition of Protestantism in Scotland. Auchterarder may boast of being
the place where the recognition took place.
It is notable that all the
great ecclesiastical movements Scotland should be identified with
Auchterarder. First, we have this Treaty in 1559, the preliminary to the
downfall of the Roman Catholic Church. In 1717, the action of the
Auchterarder Presbytery, in enunciating what was called the Auchterarder
Creed, resulted in the rise, in 1732, of the Secession Church. In 1834 the
stand taken by the Presbytery, in asserting the powers of the Veto Act,
culminated in the Disruption of 1843. |
