Blood of Christ Jesus which was once broken and shed for us which now is in the heaven and appeareth in the presence of his Father for us And yet notwithstanding the far distance of place which is betwixt his Body now glorified in the heaven and us now mortall in this earth Yet we most assuredly beleeve That the Bread that we break is the Communion of Christs Body and The Cup which we blesse is The Communion of his Blood So that we confesse and undoubtedly beleeve That the faithfull in the right use of the Lords Table so do eat the Body and drink the Blood of the Lord Jesus That he remaineth in them and they in him Yea That they are so made flesh of his flesh and bones of his bones That as the eternall God-head hath given to the flesh of Christ Jesus which of the owne condition and nature was mortall and corruptible life and immortalitie so doth Christ Jesus Flesh and Blood eaten and drunken by us give to us the same prerogatives which albeit we confesse are neither given unto us at that onely time neither yet by the proper power and vertue of the Sacraments onely yet we affirme That the faithfull in the right use of the Lords Table hath such conjunction with Christ Jesus as the naturall man cannot comprehend yea and further we affirme That albeit the faithfull oppressed by negligence and manly infirmity doth not profit so much as they would at the very instant action of the Supper yet shall it after bring forth fruit as lively seed sowne in good ground for the holy Spirit which can never be divided from the right institution of the Lord Jesus wil not frustrate the faithfull of the fruit of that mysticall action but all this we say cometh by true Faith which apprehendeth Christ Jesus who onely maketh his Sacraments effectuall unto us and therefore whosoever slandereth us as though we affirmed or beleeved Sacraments to be openly naked and bare signes do injurie unto us and speak against a manifest truth But this liberally and frankly we must confesse That we make a distinction betwixt Christ Jesus in his naturall substance and betwixt the elements in the Sacramentall signes So that we will neither worship the signes in place of that which is signified by them neither yet do we despise and interpret them as unprofitable and vain but do use them with all reverence examining our selves diligently before that so we do because we are assured by the mouth of the Apostle that such as eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup unworthily are guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus XXII Of the right administration of the Sacraments THat Sacraments be rightly ministred we judge two things requisite The one that they be ministred by lawfull Ministers whom we affirme to be onely they that are appointed to the Preaching of the Word or unto whose mouthes God hath put some Sermon of Exhortation they being men of lawfull choosing thereto by some Church The other That they be ministred in such elements and in such sort as God hath appointed Else we affirme That they cease to be right Sacraments of Christ Jesus And therefore it is that we flee the societie with the Papisticall Church in participation of their Sacraments First because their Ministers are no Ministers of Jesus Christ yea which is more horrible they suffer women whom the holy Ghost will not suffer to teach in the Congregation to Baptize And secondly because they have so adulterate both the one Sacrament and the other with their own inventions that no part of Christs action abideth in the originall purity for Oyl Salt Spittle and such like in Baptisme are but mens inventions Adoration Veneration bearing through Streets and Townes and keeping of bread in Boxes are prophanation of Christs Sacraments and no use of the same For Christ Jesus said Take and eat c. Do ye this in remembrance of me By which words and charge he sanctified Bread and Wine to be the Sacrament of his Body and Blood to the end that one should be eaten and that all should drink of the other and not that they should be kept to be worshipped and honoured as God as the blinde Papists have done heretofore who also have committed Sacriledge stealing from the people one part of the Sacrament to wit The blessed Cup. Moreover that the Sacraments be rightly used it is required That the end and cause why the Sacraments were instituted be understood and observed as well of the Minister as the Receivers for if the opinion be changed in the Receiver the right use ceaseth which is most evident by the rejection of the sacrifices as also if the teacher teach false Doctrine which were odious and abhominable unto God albeit they were his own ordinances because that wicked men used them to another end then God hath ordained The same affirm we of the Sacraments in the Papisticall Church in which we affirm the whole action of the Lord Jesus to be adulterate as well in the externall form as in the end and opinion What Christ Jesus did and commanded to be done is evident by the three Evangelists who speak of the Sacrament by S. Paul what the Priest doth at his Altar we need not to rehearse The end and cause of Christs institution and why the self-same should be used is expressed in these words Do ye this in remembrance of me as oft as ye shall eat of this Bread and drink of this Cup ye shall shew forth that is extoll Preach and magnifie the Lords death till he come But to what end and in what opinion the Priests say their Masses let the words of the same their own Doctours and Writings witnesse to wit That they are Mediatours betwixt Christ and his Church to offer unto God the Father a Sacrifice propitiatorie for the sinnes of the quick and the dead Which Doctrine as blasphemous to Christ Jesus and making derogation to the sufficiencie of his onely Sacrifice once offered for purgation of all those that shall be sanctified we utterly abhorre detest and renounce XXIII To whom Sacraments appertaine VVE confesse and acknowledge That Baptisme appertaineth as well to the infants of the faithfull as unto those that be of age and discretion And so we condemne the errour of the Anabaptists who deny Baptisme to appertaine to children before that they have Faith and understanding But the Supper of the Lord we confesse to appertaine onely to such as have been of the houshold of Faith can try and examine themselves as well in their Faith as in their duties towards their neighbours Such as eat at that holy Table without Faith or being at dissension and division with their brethren do eat unworthily And therefore it is that in our Churches Ministers take publike and particular examination of the knowledge and conversation of such as are to be admitted to the Table
Forrest now called the Generall a man that long professed the truth and upon whom many in that time depended The second night he lay in Lethington the Laird whereof was ever civill albeit not perswaded in Religion The day following before the said M. George past to the Sermon there came to him a boy with a Letter from the Westland which received and read he called for Iohn Knox who had waited upon him carefully from the time he came to Louthaine with whom he began to enter into purpose That he wearied of the world for he perceiveth that men began to be weary of God The cause of his complaint was The Gentlemen of the West had written unto him That they could not keep the meeting at Edinburgh The said Io. Knox wondering that he desired to keep any purpose before Sermon for that was not his accustomed use before said Sir the time of Sermon approacheth I will leave you for the present to your meditation And so he took the Bill containing the purpose aforesaid and left him the said Master George walked up and down behinde the high Altar more than half an houre His weary countenance and visage declared the grief and alteration of his minde At last he passeth to the Pulpit but the Auditory was small he should have begun to have treated of the second Table of the Law but thereof in that Sermon spake he very little He began on this manner O Lord How long shall it be that thy holy Word shall be despised and men shall not regard their owne salvation I have heard of thee Hadington That in thee would have been at any vaine Clarke Play two or three thousand people and now to hear the Messenger of the Eternall God of all the Towne or Parish cannot be numbred one hundred persons Sore and fearfull shall the plagues be that shall ensue upon of this thy contempt with fire and sword shalt thou be plagued Yea thou Hadington in speciall strangers shall possesse thee and you the present inhabitants shall either in bondage serve your enemies or else ye shall be chased from your own habitations and that because ye have not knowne nor will not know the time of Gods mercifull visitation In such vehemency and threatning continued that servant of God neer an hour and an half in the which he declared all the plagues that ensued as plainly as after our eyes saw them performed In the end he said I have forgotten my self and the matter that I should have treated of But let these my last words concerning publike Preaching remain in your mindes till that God send you new comfort Thereafter he made a short Paraphrase upon the second Table with an Exhortation to patience to the fear of God and unto the works of mercy and so ended as it were making his last Testament as the issue declared fully The Spirit of Truth and of true Judgement were both in his heart and mouth for that same night was he apprehended before midnight in the house of Ormeston by the Earle Bothwell made for money butcher to the Cardinall The manner of his taking was thus Departing from the towne of Hadington he took his good-night as it were for ever of all his acquaintance especially from Hewe Dowglas of Langindrie Iohn Knox pressing to have gone with the said Master George he said Nay returne to your children and God blesse you one is sufficient for one Sacrifice And so the said Iohn Knox albeit unwillingly obeyed and returned with Hewe Dowglas of Langindrie Master George having to accompany him the Laird of Ormeston Iohn Sandelandes of Calder younger the Laird of Brounston and others with their servants passed upon foot for it was a vehement Frost to Ormeston After supper he held comfortable purpose of Gods chosen children and merrily said Methinke that I desire earnestly to sleep And therewith he said Shall we sing a Psalm And so he appointed the One and fiftieth Psalme which was put in Scottish Meeter and began thus Have mercy on me now good Lord after thy great mercy c. Which being ended he past to his Chamber and sooner then his common diet was to passe to bed with these words And grant quiet rest Before midnight the place was beset about that none could escape to make advertisement The Earle Bothwell came and called for the Laird and declared the purpose and said That it was but in vain to make him to hold his house for the Governour and the Cardinall with all their power were coming and indeed the Cardinall was at Elphinston not a mile distant from Ormeston But if he would deliver the man to him he would promise upon his Honour That he should be safe and that it should passe the power of the Cardinall to do him any harme or hurt Allured with these words and taking counsell with the said Master George who at the first word said Open the gates the blessed will of my God be done They received in the Earle Bothwell himself with some Gentlemen with him To whom Master George said I praise my God that so honourable a man as you my Lord receiveth me this night in the presence of these noble men For now I am assured That for your Honours sake ye will suffer nothing any wayes to be done to me but by the order of Law I am not ignorant that all their Law is nothing but corruption and a cloake to shed the blood of the Saints But yet I lesse fear to die openly than secretly to be murthered The said Earle Bothwell answered I shall not onely preserve your body from all violence that shall be purposed against you against order of Law but also I promise here in the presence of these Gentlemen That neither shall the Governour nor the Cardinall have their will of you But I shall retaine you in mine owne hands and in mine owne house till that either I shall make you free or else restore you in the same place where I receive you The Lairds aforesaid said My Lord If ye will do as you have spoken and as we thinke your Lordship will do then do we here promise unto your Lordship That not onely we our selves shall serve you all the dayes of our life but also we shall procure the whole professors within Lothan to do the same And upon either the preservation of this our brother or upon his delivery againe to our hands we being reasonably advertised to receive him That we in the name and behalfe of our friends shall deliver to your Lordship or any sufficient man that shall deliver to us againe this servant of God our Band of Manred in manner requisite And thus promise made in the presence of God and hands stricken upon both the parties for observation of the promise the said Master George was delivered to the hands of the said Earle Bothwell who immediately departing with him came to Elphinston where the Cardinall was Who
Charter-house was permitted to take with him even as much gold and silver as he was able to carry So were mens consciences beaten with the Word that they had no respect to their own particular profit but onely to abolish Idolatry the places and Monuments thereof in which they were so busie and so laborious that within two dayes these three great places Monuments of Idolatry to wit the Black and Gray Theeves and Charter-house Monks a building of wonderous cost and greatnesse was so destroyed that the walls onely did remain of all those great edifices Which reported to the Queen she was so inraged That she did vow utterly to destroy S. Iohnston man woman and childe and to consume the same by fire and thereafter to salt it in signe of a perpetuall desolation We suspecting nothing such cruelty but thinking that such words might escape her in choler without purpose determined because she was a woman set on fire by the complaints of those hypocrites who flocked unto her as Ravens to a carion We we say suspecting nothing such beastly cruelty returned to our own houses leaving in S. Iohnston Iohn Knox to instruct the people because they were yong and rude in Christ. But she set on fire partly by her own malice partly by commandment of her friends in France and not a little by bribes which she and Monsieur Dosell received from the Bishops and the Priests here at home did continue still in her rage And first she sent for all the Nobility to whom she complained That we meaned nothing but Rebellion She did grievously lament the destruction of the Charter-house because it was a Kings foundation and there was the tombe of King Iames the first and by such other perswasions she made the most part of them grant to pursue us And then incontinent sent she for her French men For that was and ever hath been her joy to see Scottish men dip one with anothers blood No man was at that time more franke against us then was Duke Hamilton led by that cruell beast the Bishop of Saint Andrews and by those that yet abuse him the Abbot of Kilvinning and Matthew Hamilton of Milburne two chiefe enemies to the Duke and to his whole house but in so far as thereby they may procure their own particular profit These and such other pestilent Papists ceased not to cast fagots on the fire continually crying Forward upon these Hereticks we shall once rid this Realme of them The certaintie hereof coming to our knowledge some of us repaired to the Towne againe about the two and twentieth day of May and there did abide for the comfort of our brethren Where after Invocation of the Name of God we began to put the Town and our selves in such strength as we thought might best serve for our just defence And because we did not utter despaire of the Queens favour we caused to forme a Letter to her Majestie as followeth To the Queenes Majestie Regent all humble obedience and dutie premised AS heretofore with jeopard of our lives and yet with willing hearts we have served the authoritie of Scotland and your Majestie now Regent in this Realme in service to our bodies dangerous and painefull so now with most dolorous mindes we are constrained by unjust tyrannie purposed against us to declare unto your Majestie That except this crueltie be stayed by your wisdome we shall be compelled to take the sword of just defence against all that shall pursue us for the matter of Religion and for our conscience sake which ought not nor may not be subject to mortall creatures further then by Gods Word man is able to prove that he hath power to command us We signifie moreover unto your Majestie That if by rigour we be compelled to seek the extreame defence that we will not onely notifie our innocencie and Petition to the King of France to our Mistresse and to her husband but also to the Princes and Counsell of every Christian Realme declaring unto them That this cruell unjust and most tyrannicall murther intended against Townes and multitudes was and is the onely cause of our revolt from our accustomed obedience which in Gods presence we faithfully promise to our Soveraigne Mistresse to her husband and unto your Majestie Regent Provided that our consciences may live in that Peace and Libertie which Christ Iesus hath purchased to us by his blood and that we may have his Word truely Preached and holy Sacraments rightly ministred unto us without which we firmely purpose never to be subject to mortall man For better we think to expose our bodies to a thousand deaths then to hazard our souls to perpetuall damnation by denying Christ Iesus and his manifest Veritie which thing not onely do they who commit open Idolatry but also all such as seeing their brethren pursued for the cause of Religion and having sufficient means to comfort and assist them do neverthelesse withdraw from them their dutifull support We would not your Majestie should be deceived by the false perswasions of those cruell beasts the Church-men who affirme That your Majestie needeth not greatly to regard the losse of us that professe Christ Iesus in this Realme If as God forbid ye give ear to their pestilent counsell and so use against us this extremity pretended it is to be feared That neither ye neither yet your posteritie shall at any time after this finde that obedience and faithfull service within this Realme which as all times you have found in us We declare our judgements freely as true and faithfull Subjects God move your Princely heart favourably to interpret our faithfull meaning Further advertising your Majestie That the selfe same thing together with all things that we have done or yet intend to do we will notifie by our Letters to the King of France Asking of you in the Name of the eternall God and as your Majestie tenders the peace and quietnesse of this Realme That ye invade us not with any violence till we receive answer from our Mistresse and her husbâ—nd and from their advised Counsell there And thus we commit your Majestie to the protection of the omnipotent From Saint Johnston the 22 of May 1559. Sic subscribitur Your Majesties obedient Subjects in all things not repugnant to God The faithfull congregation of Christ Iesus in Scotland To the same purpose we wrote to Monsieur Dosell in French requiring of him That by his wisdome he would mitigate the Queenes rage and the rage of the Priests otherwise that flame which then began to burn would so kindle that when some men would it could not be slackned Adding further That he declared himself no faithfull servant unto his Master the King of France if for the pleasure of the Priests he would persecute us and so compell us to take the sword of just defence In like manner we wrote to Captain Serre la Bourse and to all other Captains and French
without all doubt is the true Church of Christ who according to his promise is in the midst of them not of that universall of which we have before spoken but particular such as was in Corinthus Galatia Ephesus and other places in which the Ministerie was planted by Paul and were of himselfe named the Churches of God and such Churches we the Inhabitants of the Realme of Scotland professours of Christ Jesus confesse us to have in our Cities Townes and places reformed For the Doctrine taught in our Churches is contained in the written Word of God to wit in the Books of the New and Old Testaments in those Books we meane which of ancient have been reputed Canonicall in the which we affirme that all things necessary to be beleeved for the salvation of mankinde is sufficiently expressed The interpretation whereof we confesse neither appertaineth unto any private nor publike person neither yet to any Church for any preheminence or prerogative personall or locall which one hath above another but appertaineth to the Spirit of God by the which also the Scripture was written When controversie then hapneth for the right understanding of any place or sentence of Scripture or for the reformation of any abuse within the Church of God we ought not so much to looke what men before us have said and done as unto that which the Holy Ghost uniformly speaketh within the body of the Scriptures and unto that which Christ Jesus himself did and commanded to be done For this is a thing universally granted That the Spirit of God which is the Spirit of unitie is in nothing contrary to himselfe If then the interpretation determination or sentence of any Doctor Church or Councell repugne to the plain Word of God written in any other place of Scripture it is a thing most certain that there is not the true understanding and meaning of the Holy Ghost supposing that Counsels Realms and Nations have approved and received the same For we dare not receive and admit any Interpretation which directly oppugneth to any principall point of our faith to any other plain text of Scripture or yet to the rule of charitie XIX The Authoritie of the Scriptures ANd we beleeve and confesse the Scriptures of God sufficient to instruct and make the man of God perfect so do we affirm and avow the Authoritie of the same to be of God and neither to depend on men nor Angels We affirme therefore That such as alleadge the Scriptures to have no authority but that which is received from the Church to be blasphemous against God and injurious to the true Church which alwayes heareth and obeyeth the voice of her own Spouse and Pastour but taketh not upon her to be Mistresse over the same XX. Of the Generall Councells of their Power Authoritie and Cause of their Convention AS we not rashly condemne that which godly men assembled together in Generall Councells lawfully gathered have approved unto us So without just examination dare we not receive whatsoever is obtruded unto men under the name of Generall Councells for plain it is that as they were men so have some of them manifestly erred and that in matters of great weight and importance So far then as the Councell proveth the Determination and Commandment that it giveth by the plain Word of God so far do we reverence and imbrace the same But if men under the name of a Councell pretend to forge unto us new Articles of our Faith or to make Constitutions repugning to the Word of God then utterly we may refuse the same as the Doctrine of Devils which draweth our souls from the voice of our onely God to follow the Doctrines and Constitutions of men The cause then why Generall Councells convened was neither to make any perpetuall Law which God before had not made neither yet to forge new Articles of our beliefe neither to give the Word of God authority much lesse to make that to be his Word or yet the true interpretation of the same which was not before by his holy Will expressed in his Word But the cause of Councells we mean of such as merited the name of Councels was partly for Confutation of Heresies and for giving publike Confession of their Faith to the posterities following which both they did by the authority of Gods written Word and not by any opinion or prerogative that they could not erre by reason of their generall assembly And this we judge to have been the chiefe cause of Generall Councells The other was for good policie and Order to be constituted and observed in the Church in which as in the house of God it becometh all things to be done decently and in order not that we think that one Policie and one Order in Ceremonies can be appointed for all ages times and places for as Ceremonies such as men have devised are but temporall so may and ought they to be changed when they rather foster superstition then that they edifie the Church using the same XXI Of the Sacraments AS the Fathers under the Law besides the verity of the Sacrifices had two chief Sacraments to wit Circumcision and the Passeover the despisers and contemners whereof were not reputed for Gods people so we acknowledge and confesse That we now in time of the Gospel have two Sacraments onely instituted by the Lord Jesus and commanded to be used by all those that will be reputed to be Members of his Body to wit Baptisme and The Supper or Table of the Lord Jesus called The Communion of his Body and Blood And these Sacraments as well of the Old as of the New Testament were instituted of God not onely to make a visible difference betwixt his people and those that were without his league but also to exercise the Faith of his children and by participation of the same Sacraments to seale in their hearts the assurance of his â—romise and of that most blessed Conjunction Union and Societie which the Elect have with their Head Christ Jesus And thus we utterly condemne the vanity of those that affirme Sacraments to be nothing else but naked and bare signes No we assuredly beleeve That by Baptisme we are ingrafted into Jesus Christ to be made partakers of his Justice by the which our sinnes are covered and remitted And also That in the Supper rightly used Christ Jesus is so joyned with us that he becometh the very nourishment and food of our soules Not that we imagine any Transubstantiation of Bread into Christs naturall Body and of Wine into his naturall Blood as the Papists have perniciously taught and damnably beleeved but this Union and Communion which we have with the Body and Blood of Christ Jesus in the right use of the Sacraments is wrought by operation of the holy Ghost who by true Faith carrieth us above all things that are visible carnall and earthly and maketh us to feed upon the Body and
of the Lord Jesus XXIV Of the Civill Magistrate VVE confesse and acknowledge Empires Kingdomes Dominions and Titles to be distincted and Ordained by God the powers and authorities in the same be it of Emperours in their Empires of Kings in their Realms Dukes and Princes in their Dominions or of other Magistrates in free Cities to be Gods holy Ordinance ordained for manifestation of his owne glory and for the singular profit and commoditie of mankinde So that whosoever goeth about to take away or to confound the holy state of Civill Policies now long established We affirm the same men not onely to be enemies to mankinde but also wickedly to fight against Gods expresse will We further confesse and acknowledge That such persons as are placed in authority are to be loved honoured feared and holden in most reverent estimation because they are the Lieutenants of God in whose Session God himself doth sit and judge yea even the Judges and Princes themselves to whom by God is given the sword to the praise and defence of good men and to revenge and punish all open malefactours To Kings moreover Princes Rulers and Magistrates to affirme that chiefly and most principally the reformation and purgation of Religion appertaineth so that not only they are appointed for civill policie but also for maintenance of the true Religion and for suppressing of Idolatry and Superstition whatsoever as in David Iosaphat Ezekias Iosias and others highly commended for their zeal in the cause may be espied And therefore we confesse and avow that such as resist the supreme Powers doing that which appertaineth to their charge do resist Gods Ordinance and therefore cannot be guiltlesse And further we affirme that whosoever deny unto them their aide counsell and comfort while the Princes and Rulers vigilantly travell in the executing of their Office that the same men denie their help support and counsell to God who by the presence of his Lieutenant craveth it of them XXV The gifts freely given to the Church ALbeit that the word of God truly preached the Sacraments rightly ministred and discipline executed according to the Word of God be the certain and infallible signes of the true Church yet doe we not so meane that every particular person joyned with such a company be an Elect Member of Christ Jesus for we acknowledge and confesse that Darnell Cockle and Chaffe may be sowne grow in great abundance lie in the middest of the Wheate that is the Reprobate may be joyned in the societie of the Elect and may externally use with them the benefits of the Words and Sacraments But such being but temporall professors in mouth but not in heart doe fall backe and continue to the end And therefore have they no fruit of Christs death resurrection and ascension But such as with heart unfained beleeve and with mouth boldly confesse the Lord Jesus as before we have said shall most assuredly receive these gifts first in this life remission of sinnes and by faith onely in Christs blood in so much that albeit sinne remain and continually abide in these mortall bodies yet it is not imputed unto us but is remitted and covered with Christs justice Secondly in the generall judgement there shall be given to every man and woman resurrection of the flesh For the Sea shall give her dead the earth those that therein be inclosed yea the Eternall our God shall stretch out his hand upon the dust and the dead shall arise incorruptible and that in the substance of the same flesh that every man now bears to receive according to their works glory and punishment for such as now delight in vanitie crueltie filthinesse superstition or idolatry shall be adjudged to the fire inextinguible in the which they shall be tormented for ever as well in their bodie as in their soules which now give to serve the devill in all abomination But such as continue in well doing to the end boldly professing the Lord Jesus to whose glorified Body all his Elect shall be like when he shall appear againe to Judgment and shall render up the Kingdom to God his Father who then shall be and ever shall remain All in All things God blessed for ever To whom with the Son and with the holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory now and for ever Amen Arise O Lord and let thine enemies be confounded let them flie from thy presence that hate thy holy Name Give thy servants strength to speake thy Word in boldnesse and let all Nations attain to thy true knowledge These Acts and Articles were read in face of Parliament and ratified by the three States of this Realm at Edinburgh the 17 day of Iuly in the yeer of our Lord 1560. This our Confession was publikely read first in audience of the Lords of the Articles and after in the audience of the whole Parliament where were present not onely such as professed Christ Jesus but also a great number of the adversaries of our Religion such as the forenamed Bishops and some other of the Temporall State who were commanded in Gods Name to object if they could say any thing against that Doctrine Some of our Ministers were present standing upon their feet ready to have answered in case any would have defended Papistry and impugned our affirmatives But while that no objection was made there was a day appointed for concurrence in that and other Heads Our Confession was read every Article by it self over again as they were written in order and the voice of every man was required accordingly Of the Temporall State onely gave their voice on the contrary the Earl of Athol the Lords Simmerwaile and Borthwicke And yet for their disassenting they produced no better reason but We will believe as our Fathers believed The Bishops Papisticall we mean spake nothing The rest of the whole three States by their publike Votes affirmed the Doctrine and the rather Because that fain the Bishops would but durst say nothing on the contrary for this was the Vote of the Earle Marshall It is long since I have had some favour unto the Truth and since that I have had a suspicion of the Papisticall Religion But I praise my God who this day hath fully resolved me in the one and the other For seeing that the Bishops who for their learning can and for their zeal that they should bear to the Verity would as I suppose have gainsaid any thing that directly repugneth to the Verity of God Seeing I say the Bishops here present speak nothing in the contrary of the Doctrine proposed I cannot but hold it for the very Truth of God and the contrary to be deceivable Doctrine And therefore so far as in me lieth I approve the one and condemne the other And do farther ask of God That not onely I but also all my posterity may enjoy the comfort of the Doctrine that this day our ears
you think peradventure That the care of Religion is not committed to Magistrates but to the Bishops and state Ecclesiasticall as they term it but deceive not your self for the negligence of Bishops shall no lesse be required of the hands of the Magistrates then shall the oppession of false Iudges for they injustly promote foster and maintain the one and the other The false and corrupt Iudge to spoil the Goods and to oppresse the bodies of the simple but the proud Prelates do Kings maintain to murther the souls for the which the blood of Christ Iesus was shed and that they do either by withholding from them the true Word of life or else by causing a pestilent Doctrine to be taught unto them such as now is taught in the Papisticall Churches I know that you wonder how that the Religion which is universally received can be so damnable and corrupted But if you consider That ever from the beginning the multitude hath declined from God yea even in the people to whom he spake by his Law and Prophets if ye shall consider the complaint of the Holy Ghost complaining that Nations People Princes and Kings of the earth have raged made Conspiracies and holden Councels against the Lord and against his Annointed Christ Iesus further if ye shall consider the question which Iesus himself doth move in these words When the Sonne of Man shall come shall he finde faith on the earth And lastly if your Majestie shall consider the manifest contempt of God and of all his holy Precepts which this day reigne without punishment upon the face of the whole earth for as Hosea complaineth There is no verity There is no mercy There is no truth this day among men but lies perjury and oppression overflow all and blood toucheth blood that is Every iniquitie is joyned to another If deeply I say your Majestie will contemplate the universall corruption that this day reigneth in all states then shall your Majestie cease to wonder That many are called and few chosen and you shall begin to tremble and fear to follow the multitude to perdition The universall defection whereof Saint Paul doth prophesie is easie to be espied as well in religion as in manners The corruption of life is evident and Religion is not judged nor measured by the plain Word of God but by custome consuetude will consent and determinations of men But shall he who hath pronounced all cogitations of mans heart to be vain at all times accept the counsels and consents of men for a Religion pleasing and acceptable before him Let not your Majestie be deceived God cannot lie God cannot deny himself he hath witnessed from the beginning That no religion pleaseth him except that which he by his own Word hath commanded and established The veritie it selfe pronounceth this sentence In vain do they worship me teaching doctrines the precepts of men And also All plantation which my Heavenly father hath not planted shall be rooted out Before the comming of his welbeloved Sonne in the flesh severely he punished all such as durst enterprise to alter or change his Ceremonies and Statutes as in Saul Uzziah Nadab Abihu is to be read And will he now after that he hath opened his counsell to the world by his onely Son whom he commandeth to be heard and after that by his Holy Spirit speaking in his Apostles he hath established the Religion in which he would have his true worshippers to abide unto the end will â—e now I say admit mens inventions in the matter of Religion which he reputed for damnable Idolatry If men and Angels would affirm That he will or may do it his own verity shall convince them of a lie for this sentence he pronounceth Not that which seemeth good in thy eyes shalt thou do to the Lord thy God but that which the Lord thy God hath commandeth thee that do thou adde nothing unto it deminish nothing from it Which sealing up his New Testament he repeateth in these words That which ye have hold till I come c. And therefore yet againe it repenteth me not to say That in this point which is chief and principall your Majesty must disassent from the multitude of Rulers or else you can possesse no portion with Christ Iesus in his Kingdom and glory Addition KNowing by what craft Sathan laboureth continually to keep the world in blindnesse I added these two former points to wit That ye should not think your self free from the Reformation of Religion because ye have Bishops within your Realm neither yet that ye should judge that Religion most perfect which the multitude by wrong custome have embraced In these two points doth Sathan busily labour First That no civill Magistrate presume to take cognisance in the cause of Religion for that must be deferred to the determinations of the Church Secondly That impossible it is that that Religion should be false which so long time so many Councels and so great a multitude of men so divers Nations have allowed authorised and confirmed What is the duty of Magistrates and what power the people hath in such cases granted by God my purpose is to write in a severall Letter to the Nobility and States of the Realm and therefore to avoid tediousnesse and repetition of one thing I now supersede And as touching the second if ye rightly consider the testimonies of Scriptures which I have before alleadged I trust ye shall finde that Objection sufficiently answered for if the opinion of the multitude ought alwayes to be preferred then did God injury to the originall World for they were all of one minde to wit conjured against God except Noah and his familie And if antiquity of time shall be considered in such cases then shall not onely the Idolatrie of the Gentiles but also the false Religion of Mahomet be preferred to the Papistrie for both the one and the other is more ancient then is the Papisticall religion yea Mahomet had established his Alcoram before any Pope in Rome was crowned with a Triple Crown But as touching antiquitie I am content with Tertullian to say Let that be the most pure and perfect Religion which shall be proved most ancient for this is a chief point wherein I will joyn with all the Papists on the earth That their Religion such as it is this day is not of such antiquitie as is that which we contend to be the true and onely Religion acceptable before God neither yet that their Church is the Catholike Church but that it is of late dayes in respect of Christs Institution crept in and devised by man and therefore am bold to affirme it odious and abominable for this is our chief Proposition That in the Religion of God his own Word ought onely to be considered That no Authority of man or Angell ought in that case to be respected And as for their Councels when
unfainedly cry to him when he correcteth us And so shall we know in experience that our cryes and complaints were not in vain But let us hear what the Prophet saith further Like as a woman saith he with child that draweth neer the travell is in sorrow and cryeth in her pains so have we been in thy sight O Lord we have conceivâ—d we have born in vain as though we should have brought forth the wind Salvations were not made to the earth neither did the inhabitants of the earth fall This is the second part of the Prophets complaint in the which he in the person of Gods people complaineth that of their great affliction there appeared not end This same similitude is used by our Master Jesus Christ for when he speaketh of the troubles of his Church he compareth them to the pains of a woman travelling in her child-birth But it is to another end For there he promiseth exceeding and permanent joy after a sort though it appear trouble But here is the trouble long vehement albeit the fruit of it was not suddenly espied He speaketh no doubt of that long and dolorous time of their captivity in the which they continually travelled for deliverance but obtained it not before the compleat end of 70 yeres during the which time the earth that is the land of Iuda which somtimes was sanctified unto God but was then given to be prophaned by wicked people got no help nor perceiving any deliverance For the Inhabitants of the world fell not that is the tyrants and oppressors of Gods people were not taken away but stil remained and continued blasphemers of God and troublers of his Church But because I perceive the houres to passe more swiftly then they have done at other times I mind to contract that which resteth of this Text into certain points The Prophet first fighteth against the present despair After he introduceth God himselfe calling upon his people And last of all he assureth his afflicted that God will come and require account of all the blood thirsty Tyrants of the earth First fighting against the present despair he saith Thy dead shall live even my Body or with my body shall they arise awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust For thy dew is as the dew of herbes The Prophet here pierceth through all impediments that nature could object And by the victory of faith he overcommeth not only the common enemies but the great and last enemy of all to wit death it selfe For this would he say Lord I see nothing to thy chosen but misery to follow misery one affliction to succeed another yea in the end I see that death shall devour thy dearest children But yet O Lord I see thy promise to be true thy love to remain towards thy chosen even when death appeared to have devoured them For thy dead shal live yea not only shal they live but my very dead Carcase shall arise And so I see honour and glory to succeed this temporall shame I see joy permanent to come after trouble order to spring out of this terrible confusion and finally I see that life shall devour death so that death shall be destroyed and so thy servants shall have life This I say is the victory of faith when in the midst of death through the light of Gods Word the afflicted see life Hypocrites in the time of quietnesse and prosperitie can generally confesse That God is true in his promises but bring them to the extremitie and there ceaseth the Hypocrite further to trust in God then he seeth naturall means whereby God useth to work But the true faithfull when all hope of naturall means faileth then flie they to God himself and to the truth of his Promise who is above nature yea whose works are not so subject to the ordinary course of nature that when Nature faileth his Power and Promise fail also therewith Let us further observe That the Prophet here speaketh not of all dead in generall but saith Thy dead O Lord shall live In which words he maketh difference betwixt those that die in the Lord and those that die in their naturall corruption and in the old Adam Dye in the Lord can none except those that live in him I mean those that attain to the yeers of discretion and none live in him but those that with the Apostle can say I live and yet not I but Christ Iesus that dwelleth in me The life that I now live I have by the faith of the Sonne of God Not that I mean That the faithfull have at all hours such sense of the life everlasting that they fear not the death and the troubles of this life no not so for the faith of Gods Children is weak yea and in many things imperfect But I mean That such as in death and after death shall live must communicate in this life with Jesus Christ and must be regenerate by the seed of life that is by the Word of the everliving God which whosoever despiseth refuseth life and joy everlasting The Prophet transferreth all the promises of God to himselfe saying Even my dead body shall arise and immediately after giveth commandement and charge to the dwellers in the dust that is To the dead Carcases of those that were departed for the spirit and soul of man dwelleth not in the dust That they should awake that they should sing and rejoyce for they should arise and spring up from the earth even as the Herbs do after they have received the dew from above Time will not suffer that these particulars be so largely treated as they ought to be and as I gladly would therefore let us consider That the Prophet in transferring the Power and Promise of God to himself doth not vindicate to himself any particular prerogative above the people of God as that he alone should live and arise and not they also But he doth it to let them understand That he taught a Doctrine whereof he was certain yea and whereof they should have experience after his death As if he should say My words appear to you now to be incredible but the day shall come that I shall be taken from you my Carcase shall be inclosed in the bosome of the earth and therefore shall ye be led away Captives to Babylon where ye shall remain many dayes and yeers as it were buryed in your Sepulchres But then call to minde that I said unto you before hand that my body shall arise Even so shall ye rise from your graves out of Babylon and be restored to your own Countrey and City of Ierusalem This I doubt not is the true meaning of the Prophets The charge that he giveth to the dwellers in the dust is to expresse the power of Gods Word whereby he not onely giveth life where death apparantly had prevailed but also by it he calleth things that are not even as if they were True it is