Series 5 > Religious Controversy in Scotland 1625-1639

JOHN GUTHRIE, BISHOP OF MORAY,‘LIFE’
221
I will say with a confidence that there is no man in the countery, great or
small, who can aledge that I have defrauded or wronged him: for I have always
Hved justly among them.
And concerning the publick and that which was for the weel of the countery,
wherein I have Hved this space, this much I will averr, and am sure that none shall
oppose me: that although I had no pleasure to medle in civil affairs, yet the love
which I carried to [16] the countery and desire I had to their peace and prosper¬
ity made me that I spared not myself, my pains, nor means, to do them good.The
force of truth will make them say that I was never hindermost, if not foremost, in
a good errand. And it pleased God to bless my travels26 in many particulars, so
that it was said, as it was seen, that I did good, and the countery, as the kirk, was
bettered by me; none will be so impudent as to deny it. It was said by one and all
(so far as ever I could learn) that I was a good bishop, a good man, and a good
countery man.
Let no man think that I am now playing the pharisee, justifying myself. I am
far from that.
Against thefe], O Lord, against thee, have I sinned. If thou should enquire of me, I could
not answer one of a thousand. If thou shall strickly marke my iniquitys I cannot stand and
cannot be justified if thou enter into judgement. But blessed be thy great and glorious
name, who have not left me to myself, nor suffered presumpteous sins to reign over me,
nor given advantage to my adversarys, that they may reproach me justly. I fold my feet
before the[e], and with bowed knees cry the[e] mercy, ten thousand times. O Lord, [17]
have mercy upon me. And now [I] have recourse to thee, who try oft the hearts and
reigns,27 and art witness to my innocencie, begging humbly at thy hands that thou will
bring forth my righteousness as the light and my judgement as the noon day. I plead
against the calumnies of man, concerning whom I thought, as sometime the wise Socra¬
tes, that I needed no appologie against his accuser, haveing done the same in the whole
course of his fife by striveing to do weel.That hath not done the turn, and therefore, with
the prophets of old, Samuel, Jeremiah, and David, with many others, Jesus Christ the most
innocent, his blessed aposdes, and famous confessors and martyrs, most28 plead for my
innocencie and the innocencie of my cause, which I beseech the[e], O Lord, to plead
with them that strive against me. I thank thy heavenly majesty who has not to this hour
suffered me to chainge to the worse, but has set my heart to follow more earnestly the way
that may be acceptable to thee. No base chainge being in me, I have found great and
sudden chainges in many from whom I would not have feared or suspected the same,
both far and near.Thou hast seen it, O Lord; I have laboured in vain and spent my strength
in vain and for nought; but my judgement is with the Lord and [18] my work is with my
God.29
Such has been my course of life, I thank God, known to all. My present estate
and condition is not unknown, O Lord, how are mine adversarys increased,
26 travails.
27 i.e., reins, kidneys.
29 This prayer contains at least seven different biblical texts, whether quoted precisely or more loosely:
Psalm 51:4,130:3,19:13,7:9,37:6,35:1, and Isaiah 49:4.