Blair Collection > Book of Common Order, commonly called John Knox's Liturgy

xx Notices of Bishop Carswell.
remonstrated with him, for Carswell, in his letter
quoted above, feels himself constrained to make a
defence. He says, — ' In your letter directit vnto me
' (Beluiffit Brother in the Lord,) it apperis to me that
■ ze are sinisterlie informit towardis me, or ellis in
' jugement and credit sum part facill. Becaus ze writt
• as ane mening that ze think the world and induellaris
' thairof turnand to(o) fast ; and indeid I feir the
' samin to be maist trew in generall : God forbid it be
' so in all speciallis. As for my awn part, concerning
' fast turning in Goddis causis or the faythfullis, I hoip in
' Cod, be assistance of his Spreit, to haue them dissauit
' that so vald report of me (gif zour mening be thus).'
That the Church disapproved of his proceedings is
manifest, for, in the General Assembly 1569, a formal
complaint was made against him for assuming Episcopal
dignity, when ' Mr. John Kersewell, Superintendent of
' Argile, was rebooked for accepting the Bishopric of
' the Isles, without making the Assembly foreseen.'
He would also seem to have taken the side of Queen
Mary in the civil dissensions that then prevailed, and
was at the same time rebuked 'for ryding at and
' assisting of the Parliament holden by the Queen after
' the murder of the King.' In this Parliament (1567)
there were the Primate and eight Bishops, one of whom
was the Bishop of Sodor (the Isles). 1
The cause of Carswell's change is not very clear. In
the above extract he denies its existence.
That the memory of Carswell is unpopular in Argyll-
' Ada Pari. ii. 546-7.