, one of the promoters of the reformation in Scotland, was born at
, one of the promoters of the
reformation in Scotland, was born at Kircaldy, in the
county of Fife, in the reign of James V. and educated at
the university of St. Andrew’s. He afterwards went to
France, in order to complete his studies and, returning
to Scotland, was admitted into the family of the earl of
Arran, who at that time governed the kingdom; but in
the year 1542 the earl dismissed him, for having embraced
the Protestant religion. In 1546 he joined the murderers
of cardinal Beaton, although without having been concerned in that act, yet for this he was declared a traitor,
and excommunicated. Whilst that party were besieged
in the castle of St. Andrew’s, they sent Balnaves lo England, who returned with a considerable supply of provisions
and money but, being at last obliged to surrender to the
French, he was sent, with the rest of the garrison, to
France. He returned to Scotland about the year 1559,
and having joined the congregation, he was appointed one
of the commissioners to treat with the duke of Norfolk on
the part of queen Elizabeth. In 1563 he was made one
of the lords of session, and appointed by the general assembly, with other learned men, to revise the book of
discipline. The celebrated reformer Knox, his contemporary, gives him the character of a very learned and
pious divine, and we learn from Calderwood’s ms history,
and from Sadler’s State Papers, that he raised himself by
his talents and probity, from an obscure station to the
first honours of the state, and was justly regarded as one
of the principal supporters of the reformed cause in Scotland. It is added, that when a boy, he travelled to the
continent, and hearing of a free school at Cologne, procured admission to it, and received a liberal education.
He died at Edinburgh in 1579. It was during his confinement at Rouen in France that he wrote a treatise on
justification, and the works and conversation of a justified
man, which was revised hy Knox, who added a recommendatory dedication, and desired it might he printed.
The ms. however, was not discovered until after Knox’s
death, when it was published in 1584, 8vo, with the title
of “Confession of Faith, &c. by Henry Balnaves, of Halhill, one of the lords of council, and lords of session.
”
According to Irvine, it was printed at Edinburgh, but
M'Rie speaks of a London edition of the same date. Mackenzie erroneously divides it into two works, one “A
treatise concerning Justification,
” Edin. A Catechism or Confession of Faith,
” ib.
, one of the promoters of the reformation, was born in 1534, at the
, one of the promoters of the reformation, was born in 1534, at the castle of Chabot in the Maconais, and was descended of a noble and ancient family of the Forez. His father dying when he was very young, the care of his education devolved on his mother, who sent him to Paris, where he first was initiated in the principles of the Protestant religion. These he afterwards became better acquainted with at Thoulouse and Geneva, when introduced to Calvin and Beza. On the death of an uncle he was recalled home, and again sent to Paris, in consequence of a contest respecting the will of that uncle, who had left considerable property. While here, becoming more attached to the cause of the reformation, he was induced to study divinity, instead of law, for which he had been originally intended; and such was his progress and the promising appearance of his talents and zeal, that at the age of twenty, he was invited to preach to the congregation of the reformed at Paris. Their assembling, however, was attended with great danger; and, in 1557, when they met to celebrate the sacrament, about 150 were apprehended and thrown into prison, their pastors only escaping. The priests having circulated various scandalous reports of this meeting, which the judges found to be false, Sadeel was employed by his brethren in drawing up a vindication of them. Next year he was himself taken up, and imprisoned, but the king of Navarre, who had often been one of his hearers, immediately sent to the officers to release him, as being one of his own suite, and when they refused, went in person to the prison, complained of the affront, and released Sadeel. It nor, how^ ever, being thought safe for him to remain at this crisis in Paris, he retired for some time to Orleans, and when the danger seemed to be over, returned again, and drew up a Confession of Faith, first proposed in a synod of the reformed clergy of France, held at Paris, which was presented to the king by the famous admiral Coligni. The king dying soon after, and the queen and the family of Guise renewing with more fury than ever the persecution of the reformed, Sadeel was obliged again to leave the metropolis, which, however, he continued occasionally to visit when it could be done without danger.