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
the Prophets to defend the wicked deceit fraud and violence in the common people and finally an universall silence of all men none being found to reprehend these enormities Would to God that I might with safetie of conscience excuse you your Counsell and the Idolaters of that Realm from any of these crimes aforenamed The Idolatry which is committed is more evident then that it can be denyed the avarice and crueltie as well of your self as of such as be in authority may be known by the facts For fame carrieth the voices of the poor oppressed by intolerable taxes not onely to us here in a strange Country but I am assured to the ears of the God of hostes The conspiracy and conjuration of your false Prophets is known to the world and yet is none found so faithfull to God nor mercifull to your Majestie that freely will and dare admonish you to repent before that God rise himself in judgement When I name repentance I mean no outward shew of holinesse which commonly is found in Hypocrites but I mean a true conversion to the Lord God from your whole heart with a damning of all superstition and idolatry In which ye have been nourished which with your presence ye have decored and to your power maintained and defended Unlesse I say that this poyson be purged from your heart be your outward life never so glistering before the world yet in the presence of God it is but abominable Yea further I say that where this venome of the Serpent idolatry I mean lurketh in the heart it is impossible but that at one time or other it shall produce pestilent fruits albeit peradventure not openly before men yet before God no lesse odious then the facts of Murtherers Publicanes and Harlots and therefore in my former Letter I said that superfluous it was to require Reformation of manners where the Religion is corrupted Which yet again I repeat to the end that your Majestie more deeply may weigh the matter But now to the rest of the same my former Letter Letter I Am not ignorant how dangerous a thing it appeareth to the naturall man to innovate any thing in matters of Religion and partly I consider That your power Madam is not so free as a publike Reformation perchance would require But if your Majestie shall consider the danger and damnation perpetuall which inevitable hangeth upon all maintainers of a false Religion then shall the greatest danger easily devour and swallow up the smaller If you shall consider That either ye must serve God to life everlasting or else serve the World to death and damnation then albeit that man and angel should disswade you ye will chose life and refuse death And if further ye shall consider that the very life consisteth in the knowledge of the onely true God and of his Son Christ Iesus and that true knowledge hath annexed with it Gods true worship and honour which requireth a testimony of his own Will expressed by his Word That such honour doth please him if you do earnestly meditate these things aforesaid then albeit ye cannot do saddenly what ye would yet shall ye not cease to do what ye may Your Majestie cannot hastily abolish Superstition and remove from offices unprofitable Pastours of whom speaketh Ezekiel the Prophet which to a publike Reformation is requisite and necessary But if the zeal of Gods glory be fervent in your Majesties heart ye will not by wicked Laws maintain Idolatry neither will ye suffer the fury of Bishops to murther and devour the poor Members of Christs body as in times past they have been accustomed which thing if either by blind ignorance ye do or yet for pleasure of others within this Realm permit to be done then except you speedily repent ye and your posteritie shall suddenly feel the depressing hand of him who hath exalted you Ye shall be compelled will ye or not to know that he is eternall against whom ye addresse the Battell and that it is he that moderateth the times and disposeth Kingdoms ejecting from authoritie such as be inobedient and placing others according to his good pleasure That it is he that glorifieth them that do glorifie him and powreth forth contempt upon Princes that rebell against his graces offered Addition IN writing of this parcell as I remembred the impediments which might call you back from God and from his true obedience so did I consider what occasion you had to tremble and to fear before his Majestie and to undergo the losse of all the worldly glory for the promoting of the glory of God I do consider that your power is but borrowed extraordinary and unstable for you have it but by permission of others And seldom it is that women do long raign with felicitie and joy Your most especiall friends moreover blinded by the vanitie of this World yea being drunken with the Cup of that Roman Harlot are mortall enemies to Christ Jesus and to his true Religion These things may easily abash the minde of a Woman not confirmed by grace But yet if you will a little consider with me the causes why that ye ought to hazard all for the glory of God in this behalf the former terrours shall suddenly vanish I do not esteem that thing greatest which peradventure some others do to wit That if ye shall enterprise to innovate any thing in matters of Religion that then ye shall lose your Authoritie and also the favours of your carnall friends I look further to wit To the judgements of God who hath begun already to declare himself angry with you with your Seed and Posteritie yea with the whole Realm above which it should have ruled Impute not to fortune that first your two sons were suddenly taken from you within the space of six houres and after your Husband raft as it were by violence from life and honour the memoriall of his name succession and royall dignitie perishing with himself For albeit the usurped abuse or rather tyranny of some REALMS have permitted Women to succeed to the honour of their Fathers yet must their glory be transferred to the house of a stranger And so I say That with himself was buried his name succession and royall dignitie as he himself did apprehend in dying And in this If ye espy not the anger and hot displeasure of GOD threatning you and the rest of your Posteritie with the same plague ye are more obstinate then I would wish you to be I would ye should ponder and consider deeply with your self That God useth not to punish Realms and Nations with such rare plagues without great cause neither useth he to restore to honours and glory the house which he beginneth once to deject till repentance of the former crimes be found you may perchance doubt what crimes should have been in your Husband you or the Realm for the which God should so grievously have punished you I answer The
confession neither yet did I for that purpose adduce the History But onely to let us see how constantly God kept his promise in increasing of his people and in augmenting of his true knowledge when that both they that were the seed of Abraham and that Religion which they professed appeared utterly to have been extinguished above mens expectation I say he brought freedom out of bondage light out of darknesse and life out of death I am not ignorant that the building of the Temple and reparation of the Walls of Ierusalem were long stayed so that the work had many enemies But so did the hand of God prevail in the end That a decree was made by Darius by him I suppose that succeeded to Cambises not onely that all things necessary for the building of the Temple and for the Sacrifices that were to be there brent should be ministred upon the Kings charges but also That whosoever should hinder that work or change that decree that a balk should be taken out of his house and that he should be hanged thereupon yea that his house should be made a dunghill and thereto he addeth a Prayer saying The God of Heaven who hath placed his Name there root out every King and People O that Kings and Nations should understand that shall put his hand either to change or to hurt this house of God that is in Ierusalem And so in despight of Sathan was the Temple builded the walls repaired and the City inhabited and in the most desperate dangers it was preserved till that the Messias promised the glory of the second Temple came manifested himself to the world suffered and rose againe according to the Scriptures And so by sending forth his Gospel from Ierusalem did replenish the earth with the true knowledge of God and so did God in perfection encrease the Nation and the spirituall Seed of Abraham Wherefore dear brethren we have no small consolation if the state of all things be this day rightly considered we see in what fury and rage the world for the most part is now raised against the poor Church of Jesus Christ unto the which he hath proclaimed liberty after the fearfull bondage of that Spirituall Babylon in the which we have been holden captives longer space then Israel was prisoner in Babylon it self For if we shall consider upon the one part the multitude of those that live wholly without Christ and upon the other part the blinde rage of the pestilent Papists What shall we think of the small number of them that do professe Christ Jesus but that they are as a poor sheep already seized in the claws of the Lyon yea that they and the true Religion which they professe shall in a moment utterly be consumed But against this fearfull temptation let us be armed with the Promise of God to wit That he will be the Protector of his Church yea That he will multiply it even when to mans judgement it appeareth utterly to be exterminate This Promise hath our God performed in the multiplication of Abrahams Seed in preservation of it when Sathan laboured utterly to have destroyed it in deliverance of the same as we have heard from Babylon He hath sent his son Christ Jesus clad in our flesh who hath tasted of all our infirmities sin except who hath promised to be with us to the end of the world He hath further kept Promise in publication yea in the restitution of his glorious Gospel Shall we then think that he will leave his Church destitute in this most dangerous age Onely let us stick to his Truth and study to conform our lives to the same and he shall multiply his knowledge and encrease his people But now let us hear what the Prophet saith more Lord in trouble have they visited thee they poured out a prayer when thy chastning was upon them The Prophet meaneth that such as in the time of quietnesse did not rightly regard God nor his judgements were compelled by sharp corrections to seek God yea by cryes and dolorous complaints to visite him True it is That such obedience deserveth small praise before men for who can praise or accept that in good part which cometh as it were of meer compulsion and yet rare it is that any of Gods children do give unfained obedience untill the hand of God turn them For if quietnesse and prosperity make them not utterly to forget their duty both towards God and man as David for a season yet it maketh them carelesse insolent and in many things unmindefull of those things that God chiefly craveth of them which imperfection espied and the danger that thereof might ensue our heavenly Father visiteth the sins of his children but in the rod of his mercy by the which they are moved to return to their God to accuse their former negligence and to promise better obedience in all times hereafter as David confesseth saying Before I fell in affliction I went astray but now will I keep thy Statutes But yet for the better understanding of the Prophets minde we may consider how God doth visite man and how man doth visite God and what difference there is betwixt the visitation of God upon the reprobate and his visitation upon the chosen God sometimes visiteth the reprobate in his hot displeasure pouring upon them his plagues for their long rebellion as we have heard before that he visited the proud and destroyed their memory Other times God is said to visite his people being in affliction to whom he sendeth comfort or promise of deliverance as he did visite the seed of Abraham being oppressed in Egypt and Zachary saith That God had visited his people and sent unto them hope of deliverance when Iohn the Baptist was borne But of none of these visitations speaketh our Prophet here but of that onely which we have already touched to wit when that God layeth his correction upon his own children to call them from the venemous Breasts of this corrupt world that they suck not in over-great aboundance the poyson thereof and doth as it were wean them from their mothers Paps that they may learn to receive other nourishment True it is That this weaning or spaning as we terme it from worldly pleasure is a thing strange to the flesh and yet it is a thing so necessary to Gods children that unlesse they be weaned from the pleasures of the world they can never feed upon that delectable Milk of Gods eternall verity For the corruption of the one doth either hinder the other to be received or else so troubleth the whole powers of man that the soul can never so digest the truth of God as that he ought to do Albeit this appeareth hard yet it is most evident For what liquor can we receive from the Breasts of the world but that which is in the world what that is the Apostle Iohn teacheth saying Whatsoever is in the world is either the lusts of the eyes the lusts
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
them he was instant with the Counsell of the City to provide themselves of a worthy man to succeed in his Place Master James Lauson who at that time professed Philosophy in the Vniversity of Aberdene being commended for a good Preacher Commissioners were directed from the Body of the Church of Edinburgh and from Master John Knox in particular to desire him to accept of the Charge To the Letter that the Commissioners carried after that he had set his hand he added this Postscript Accelera mi frater alioqui sero venies Make haste Brother otherwise ye shall come too late Meaning That if he made any stay he should finde him dead and gone These last words moved M. Lauson to take journey the morrow thereafter When he was come to the Town and had preached two severall times to the good liking of the people order was taken by the Rulers of the Church for his admission and the day appointed at which day John Knox himself would not onely be present but also preach though he could scarce walk on foot to the Chayre which he did with such fervency of spirit that at no time before was he heard to speak with such great power and more content to the hearers And in the end of the Sermon calling God to witnesse That he had walked in a good conscience amongst them not seeking to please men nor serving either his own or other mens affections but in all sincerity and truth preached the Gospel of Christ With most grave and pithie words he exhorted them to stand fast in the Faith they had received And having conceived a zealous Prayer for the continuance of Gods blessing among them and the multiplying of his Spirit upon the Preacher who was then to be admitted he gave them his last fare-well The people did convey him to his lodging and could not be drawn from it so loath were they to depart from him and he the same day in the afternoon was forced to take bed During the time he lay which was not long he was much visited by all sorts of persons to whom he spake most comfortably Amongst others to the Earle of Morton who came to see him he was heard say My Lord God hath given you many blessings he hath given you Wisdom Honour high Birth Riches many good and great friends and is now to prefer you to the Government of the Realme the Earle of Marr late Regent being newly dead In his Name I charge you That ye will use these blessings better in times to come then you have done in times past In all your actions seek first the glory of God The furtherance of his Gospel The maintenance of his Church and Ministery and next Be carefull of the King to procure his good and the welfare of the Realme If you shall do this God will be with you and honour you If otherwise ye do it not he will deprive you of all these benefits and your end shall be shame and ignominy These speeches the Earle about nine yeers after at the time of his Execution called to minde saying That he had found them to be true and him therein a Prophet A day or two before his death he sent for Master David Lindsay Master James Lauson and the Elders and Deacons of the Church to whom he said The time is approaching for which I have long thirsted wherein I shall be relieved of all cares and be with my Saviour Christ for ever And now God is my witnesse whom I have served with my spirit in the Gospel of his Son That I have taught nothing but the true and solid Doctrine of the Gospel and that the end I proposed in all my Doctrine was To instruct the ignorant To confirm the weak To comfort the consciences of those that were humbled under the sense of their sins and born down with the threatnings of Gods Judgements Such as were proud and rebellious I am not ignorant that many have blamed and yet do blame my too great rigour and severity But God knoweth That in my heart I never hated the persons of those against whom I thundred Gods Judgements I did onely hate their sins and laboured according to my power to gain them to Christ That I did forbear none of whatsoever condition I did it out of the fear of my God who hath placed me in the Function of his Ministery and I know will bring me to an account Now brethren for your selves I have no more to say but to warn you That you take heed to the Flock over which God hath placed you Overseers which he hath redeemed by the Blood of his onely begotten Son And you Master Lauson fight a good fight do the Work of the Lord with courage and with a willing minde And God from above blesse you and the Church whereof you have charge Against it so long as it continueth in the Doctrine of the Truth the gates of hell shall not prevail This spoken and the Elders and the Deacons dimitted he called the two Preachers unto him and said There is one thing that grieveth me exceedingly You have sometimes seen the courage and constancy of the Laird of Grange in the cause of God and that most unhappy man hath cast himself away I will pray you two to take the pains to go unto him and say from me That unlesse he forsake that wicked course wherein he is entred neither shall the Rock in which he confideth defend him nor the carnall wisedom of that man whom he counteth half a god this was young Lethington yeeld him help but shamefully he shall be pulled out of that nest and his carkase hung before the Sun meaning the Castle he did keep against the Kings Authority And so it fell out the yeer next following for the Castle was taken and he was publikely hanged and his body hung before the Sun The soul of that man is dear unto me and if it be possible I could fain have him to be saved They went as he had desired and conferred a long space with Grange but with no perswasion could he be diverted from his course Which being reported he took most heavily Yet Grange at his death did expresse serious repentance for his sins The next day he gave order for making his Coffin wherein his body should be laid and was that day as thorow all the time of his sicknesse much in prayer crying Come Lord Jesu Sweet Jesu into thy hands I commend my Spirit Being asked by those that attended him if his pains were great he answered That he did not esteem that a pain which would be to him the end of all troubles and beginning of eternall Joyes Oftentimes after some deep meditations he burst forth in these words O serve the Lord in fear and death shall not be troublesome unto you Blessed is the death of those that have part in the death of Jesus In the evening which was the last of this wretched life having slept some hours together
so without judgement all men fled The Sea was filling and so the water made great stop but the fear was such as happy was he that might get a taker Such as passed the water and escaped that danger not well acquainted with the ground fell into the slimy mosse the entry thereof was pleasing enough but as they proceeded all that took that way either lost their horse or else themselves and horse both To be short a greater fear and discomfiture without cause hath seldome beene seen for it is said That where the men were not sufficient to take the Bands of prisoners Some ran to houses and rendered themselves to women Stout Oliver was without stroke taken fleeing full manfully And so was his glory stinking and foolish proudnesse we should call it suddenly turned to confusion and shame In that discomfiture were taken the two Earls aforesaid the Lords Fleming Somerwell and Olyphant and many other Barons and Gentlemen besides the great multitude of servants Worldly men say That all this come but by misorder and fortune as they term it But whosoever hath the least spark of the knowledge of God may as evidently see the work of his hand in this discomfiture as ever was seen in any of the Battells left to us in Register by the holy Ghost For what more evident Declaration have we that God fought against Benhadad King of Aram when he was discomfited at Samaria than now we have that God fought with his own Arm against Scotland in this former discomfiture There did two hundred and thirty persons in the Skirmish with seven thousand following them in the great Battell put to flight the said Benhadad with thirty Kings in his Company But here there is in this shamefull discomfiture of Scotland very few more than three hundreth men without knowledge of any Backe or Battell to follow put to flight ten thousand men without resistance made There did every man recounter his marrow till that the two hundred and thirty slew such as matched them But here without slaughter the multitude fled There had those of Samaria the Prophet of God to comfort to instruct and to promise Victory unto them But England in that pursuit had nothing but as God secretly wrought by his providence in the men that knew nothing of his working neither yet of the cause thereof more then the wall that fell upon the rest of Benhadads Army knew what it did And therefore yet again we say That such as in that sudden dejection beholds not the hand of God fighting against pride for freedome of his own little Flock injustly persecuted doth willingly and maliciously obscure the glory of God but the end thereof is yet more notable The certain knowledge of the discomfiture coming to the Kings ears who waited upon news at Lochmaban he was stricken with a sudden fear and astonishment so that scarcely could he speak or had purpose with any man The night constrained him to remain where he was and so went to bed but rose without rest or quiet sleep His continuall complaint was O fled Oliver is Oliver taken O fled Oliver And these words in his melancholly and as it were carried in a Trance repeated he from time to time to the very hour of death Upon the morn which was Saint Katherines day returned he to Edinburgh and so did the Cardinall from Hadington But the one being ashamed of the other the brute of their communication came not to publike audience The King made Inventory of his Treasure of all his Jewels and other substance And thereafter ashamed to look any man in the face secretly departed to Fife and coming to Hallzairdes was humanely received of the Lady of Grange an ancient and godly Matron the Laird at his coming was absent In his company was onely with him William Kirkâ—ldy now Laird of Grange and some other that waited upon his Chamber The Lady at Supper perceiving him pensive beganne to comfort him and willeth him to take the Work of GOD in good part My portion said he of this world is short for I will not be with you fifteen dayes His servants repairing unto him asked where he would have provision made for Christmas which then approached he answered with a disdainfull countenance I cannot tell chuse you the place but this I can tell you Or Christmas day you will be masterlesse and the Realme without a King Because of his displeasure no man durst make contradiction unto him So after that he had visited the Castle of Carny pertaining to the Earle of Crawfurde where the said Earles daughter one of his Mistresses was he returned to Falkland and took bed And albeit there appeared unto him no signes of death yet he constantly affirmed Before such a day I shall be dead In this mean time was the Queen upon the point of her delivery in Lynlitquow who was delivered the 8 of December in the yeere of God 1542 yeeres of Mary that then was born and now doth raigne for a scourge to this Realme as the progresse of her whole life has to this day declared The certainty that a daughter was born unto him coming to his ears he turned from such as spake with him and said The devill go with it it will end as it began it came from a woman and it will end with a woman From Mary daughter to Robert Bruse married to Walter Stuart he feared that his daughter should be married to one of another Name and Family but you see by Gods providence the Crown remains in one and the same Family and Name to this day notwithstanding the many Plots of the pretenders to the Crowne both at home and abroad After that he spake not many words that were sensible but ever harped on his old song Fie fled Oliver is Oliver taken all is lost In this mean time in his great extremity comes the Cardinall a fit comforter for a desperate man he cries in his eare Take order Sir with your Realme who shall rule during the minority of your daughter ye have knowne my service What will ye have done Shall there not be four Regents chosen And shall not I be principall of them Whatsoever the King answered Documents were taken That so it should be as my Lord Cardinall thought expedient As many affirme a dead mans hand was made to subscribe one blank that they might write above what it pleased them best the Cardinall having hired one Henry Balfour a Priest to make a false Testament which was done accordingly but in vain This finished the Cardinall posted to the Queen lately before delivered as is said At the first sight of the Cardinall she said Welcome my Lord is not the King dead What moved her so to conjecture divers men are of divers judgements Many whisper that of old his patte was in the pot and that the suspition thereof caused him to be inhibite the Queens company Howsoever it was
after in Seaton But at length by Bribes given to the said Lord Seaton and to the old Laird of Lethington he was restored to Saint Andrewes from whence he wrought all mischief as we shall after heare The PARLIAMENT approached which was before EASTER there began question of the abolishing of certaine Tyrannicall ACTS made before at the Devotion of the Prelates for the maintaining of their Kingdome of Darkenesse To wit That under paine of Heresie no man should reade any part of the Scriptures in the Vulgar Tongue neither yet any Tractate or Exposition of any place of Scripture Such Articles began to come in question we say And men began to enquire If it were not lawfull to men that understood no Latine to use the word of their Salvation in the Tongue they understood as it was for the Latine men to have it in Latine Grecians or Hebrews to have it in their Tongues It was answered That the Church he means the Prelats first had forbidden all Tongues but the three viz. Hebrew Greek and Latine But men demanded when that Inhibition was given and what Counsell had ordained it considering that in the dayes of Chrysostome he complained That the people used the Psalmes and other holy Books in their owne Tongues And if ye will say they were Greeks and understood the Greek Tongue We answere That Christ Jesus commanded his word to be Preached to all Nations now if it ought to be Preached to all Nations it must be Preached in the Tongue they understand Then if it be lawfull to Preach and heare it Preached in all Tongues Why should it not be lawfull to reade it and hear it read in all Tongues to the end that the people may try the spirits according to the commandment of the Apostle Beaten with these and other Reasons they denied not but it might be read in the Uulgar Tongue provided if the Translation were true It was demanded What could be reprehended in it And when much searching was made nothing could be found But that Love say they was put in the place of Charity When the Question was asked What difference was betwixt the one and the other and if they understood the nature of the Greek term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were dumb Reasoned for the party of the seculars The L. Ruthwen father to him that prudently gave counsell to take just punishment upon that knave David for that he abused the unhappy K. Henry Stuart in mo cases then one a stout and a discreet man in the cause of God and M. Henry Balneves an old professour For the part of the Clergy one Hay Dean of Lastarrik and certain old Bishops with him The conclusion was the Commissioners of Broughes and a part of the Nobility required of the Parliament that it might be Enacted That it should be lawfull to every man to use the benefit of the Translation which then they had of the Old and New Testament together with the benefit of other Treatises containing wholsome Doctrine untill such time as the Prelats and other Church-men should give and set forth unto them a Translation more correct The Clergie hereto long repugned But in the end convinced by Reasons and by multitude of voyces in their contrary they also condescended And so by Act of Parliament it was made free to all men and women to read the Scriptures in their owne Uulgar Tongue and so were all Acts made to the contrary abolished This was no small Victorie of CHRIST JESUS fighting against the conjured enemies of his Veritie No small comfort to such as before were holden in such bondage that they durst not have read The Lords Prayer The ten Commandments nor The Articles of their Faith in the Uulgar Tongue but they should have been accused of Heresie Then might have beene seene the Bible lying almost upon every Gentlemans Table The New Testament was borne about in many mens hands We grant that some alas prophaned that blessed Word for some that perchance had never read ten Sentences in it had it most common in their hand they would chop their familiars on the cheeke with it and say This hath lyne under my beds feet these ten yeers Others would glory O how oft have I been in danger for this Booke how secretly have I stollen from my wife at midnight to reade upon it And this was done we say of many to make cowrt and curry favour thereby For all men esteemed the Governour to have been one of the most fervent Protestants that was in Europe Albeit we say that many abused that libertie granted of God miraculously yet thereby did the knowledge of God wonderously increase and God gave his holy spirit to simple men in great abundance Then were set forth works in our owne Tongue besides those that came from England that did disclose the pride the craft the tyrannie and abuses of that Romane Antichrist The fame of our Governour was spread in divers countreys and many praised God for him King Henry the eight sent unto him his Ambassadour M. Radulph Saidlair who lay in Edinburgh a great part of the Summer his Commission and Negotiation was to contract a perpetuall amitie betwixt England and Scotland The occasion whereof God had so offered that to many men it appeared that from heaven he had declared his good pleasure in that behalfe For to King Henry of Iane Seymer after the death of Queene Katherine and of all others that might have made his Marriage suspect was given a sonne Edward the sixth of blessed memory elder some yeeres then our Mistresse and unto us was left a Queene as before we have heard This wonderfull providence of God caused men of greatest judgement to enter into disputation with themselves Whether that with good conscience any man might repugne to the desires of the King of England considering that thereby all occasion of Warre might be cut off and great commodity might ensue to this Realme The offers of King Henry was so large and his demands so reasonable that all that loved quietnesse were content therewith There were sent from the Parliament to King Henry in Commission Sir Iames Lermont and M. Henry Balnevis who long remaining in England so travailed that all things concerning the Marriage betwixt Edward the sixth and Mary Queen of Scots was agreed upon except the time of her deliverance to the custody of English-men Upon the finall conclusion of the which head were added to the former Commissioners William Earle of Glencarne and Sir George Dowglas to whom was given ample Commission and good Instructions In Scotland remained M. Radulph Saidlaire advertisements past so frequently betwixt yea the hands of our Lords liberally were anointed besides other commodities promised and of some received for divers Prisoners taken at Solway mosse were sent home free upon promise of their fidelity which as it was kept the issue will witnesse But in the end so well were all once content the Cardinall the
Scotland published by them in Parliament and by the Estates thereof Ratified and Approved as wholesome and sound Doctrine grounded upon the infallible Truth of God MATTH 24. And this glad Tydings of the Kingdom shall be preached thorowout the whole world for a Witnesse unto all Nations and then shall the end come The Preface The States of Scotland with the Inhabitants of the same professing Christ Jesus his holy Gospel To their naturall Countrey-men and unto all other Realmes and Nations professing the same Lord Jesus with them Wish Grace Mercy and Peace from God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with the Spirit of righteous Judgement for Salvation LOng have we thirsted dear Brethren to have notified unto the world the sum of that Doctrine which we professe and for the which we have sustained infamy and danger But such hath been the rage of Sathan against us and against Christ Iesus his Eternall Verity lately now again borne amongst us that to this day no time hath been granted unto us to clear our consciences as most gladly we would have done For how we have been tossed a whole yeer past the most part of Europe as we do suppose doth understand But seeing that of the infinite goodnesse of our God who never suffereth his afflicted utterly to be confounded above expectation have we obtained some rest and liberty we could not but set forth this briefe and plain Confession of such Doctrine as is proposed unto us and as we believe and professe partly for satisfaction of our Brethren whose hearts we doubt not have been and yet are wounded by the despightfull rayling of such as yet have not learned to speak well And partly for stopping the mouths of impudent blasphemers who boldly condemne that which they neither heard nor understood Not that we judge that the cankred malice of such is able to be cured by this simple Confession No we know that the sweet savour of the Gospel is and shall be death unto the sons of perdition But we have chief respect to our weak and infirme Brethren to whom we would communicate the bottom of our hearts lest that they be troubled or carried away by diversity of rumours which Sathan spreadeth against us to the defeating of this our most godly enterprise Protesting That if any man will note in this our Confession any Articles or sentence repugning to Gods holy Word that it would please him of his gentlenesse and for Christian charities sake admonish us of the same in writing and we upon our Honours and fidelity do promise unto him satisfaction from the mouth of God that is from his holy Scriptures or else Reformation of that which he shall prove to be amisse For God we take to Record in our consciences That from our hearts we abhorre all Sects of Heresie and all teachers of erroneous doctrine And that with all humility we embrace the purity of Christs Gospel which is the onely food of our soules and therefore so precious unto us that we are determined to suffer the extremest of worldly danger rather then that we will suffer our selves to be defrauded of the same For hereof we are most certainly perswaded That whosoever denieth Christ Iesus or is ashamed of him in presence of men shall be denied before the Father and before his holy Angels And therefore by the assistance of the mighty Spirit of the same our Lord Iesus we firmly purpose to abide to the end in the confession of this our Faith The first Article Of GOD. VVE confesse and acknowledge one onely God to whom onely we must cleave whom onely we must Worship and in whom onely we must put our trust who is Eternall Infinite Unmeasurable Incomprehensiâ—le Omnipotent Invisible one in Substance and yet distinct into three Persons The Father The Son And the holy Ghost by whom we confesse and believe all things in heaven and earth as well Visible as Invisible to have been Created to be Retained in their being and to be Ruled and Guided by his inscrutable Providence to such end as his eternall Wisedom Goodnesse and Justice hath appointed them to the manifestation of his own Glory II. Of the Creation of Man VVE confesse and acknowledge this our God to have Created man to wit our first Father Adam of whom also God formed the Woman to his own Image and Similitude To whom he gave Wisedom Lordship Justice free-Will and clear Knowledge of himself so that in the whole Nature of man there could be no imperfection From which Honour and Perfection Man and Woman did both fall the Woman being deceived by the Serpent and Man obeying to the voice of the Woman both conspiring against the Soveraigne Majesty of God who in expresse words had before threatned death if they presumed to eat of the forbidden Tree III. Of Originall Sin BY which transgression commonly called Originall Sin was the Image of God utterly defaced in Man and he and his Posterity of Nature became enemies to God slaves to Sathan servants to Sin insomuch that Death everlasting hath had and shall have power and dominion over all that hath not been are not or shall not be regenerate from above which Regeneration is wrought by the power of the holy Ghost working in the hearts of the Elect of God an assured Faith in the Promises of God revealed to us in his Word by which Faith they apprehend Christ Jesus with the Graces and Benefits promised in him IIII. Of the Revelation of the Promises FOr this we constantly believe That God after the fearfull and horrible defection of man from his obedience did seek Adam again call upon him rebuke his sin convince him of the same and in the end made unto him a joyfull Promise to wit That the Seed of the Woman should breake downe the Serpents head that is He should destroy the works of the devill which Promise as it was repeated and made more cleer from time to time so was it embraced with joy and most constantly retained of all the faithfull from Adam to Noah from Noah to Abraham and from Abraham to David and so forth to the Incarnation of Jesus Christ who all we mean the faithfull Fathers under the Law did see the joyfull dayes of Christ Jesus and did rejoyce V. The Continuance Encrease and Preservation of his Church VVE most constantly believe That God Preserveth Instructeth Multiplieth Honoureth Decoreth and from death called to Life his Church in all Ages from Adam till the coming of CHRIST JESUS in the Flesh For Abraham he called from his fathers Countrey him he instructed his Seed he multiplied the same he marvellously preserved and more marvellously delivered from the Bondage of Pharaoh to whom he gave his Lawes Constitutions and Ceremonies Them he possessed in the Land of Canaan to them after Judges and after Saul he gave David to be King to whom he made promise That of the fruit of his Loynes should one sit forever
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
was troubled in his understanding The certainty of the death foresaid was signified unto us both by Sea and Land By Sea received Iohn Knox who then had great intelligence both with the Churches abroad and some of the Court of France That the King was mortally sick and could not well escape death Which Letters received that same day at afternoon he passed to the Duke to his own lodging at the Church of Field with whom he found the Lord Iames in conference alone The Earle of Arrane was in Iedburgh to whom he opened such news as he had received and willed them to be of good comfort for said he the advertiser hath never deceived me It is the same Gentleman that first gave us knowledge of the slaughter of Henry King of France and shewed unto them the Letter but would not expresse the mans name While they were reasoning in divers purposes and he comforting them For while we say they three were familiarly communing together there came a messenger from the Lord Gray forth of Barwick assuring him of the death of the K. of France Which noysed abroad a generall Convention of the Nobility was appointed to be holden at Edinburgh the fifteenth day of Ianuary following in the which the Book of discipline was perused newly over againe for some pretended ignorance by reason that they had not heard it In that assembly was Master Alexander Anderson Subprincipall and Under-Master of one of the Schools of Aberdein a man more subtill and craftie than either learned or godly called who refused to dispute anent his faith abusing a place of Tertullian to cloak his ignorance It was answered unto him That Tertullian should not prejudge the Authoritie of the Holy Ghost who by the mouth of Peter commandeth us to give reason of our faith to every one that requireth the same of us It was farther answered that we neither required him neither yet any man to dispute in any point concerning our faith which was grounded upon Gods Word and fully expressed in his holy Scriptures for all that we beleeved without controversie But we required of him as of the rest of Papists that they would suffer their Doctrine Constitutions and Ceremonies to come to triall And principally that the Masse and the opinion thereof by them taught unto the people might be laid to the square rule of Gods Word and unto the right Institution of Jesus Christ That they might understand whether that their Preachers offended or not in that that they affirmed The Action of the Masse to be expresly repugning unto the last Supper of the Lord Jesus The sayer of it to commit horrible blasphemie in usurping up-him the Office of Christ The hearers to commit damnable Idolatry and the opinion of it conceived to be a derogation and as it were a disanulling of Christs death While the said Master Alexander denied that the Priest took upon him Christs office to offer for sin as he alleaged a Masse book was produced and in the beginning of the Canon were these words read Suscipe Sancta Trinitas hanc oblationem quam ego indignus peccator offero tibi vivo Deo vero pro peccatis meis pro peccatis totius Ecclesiae vivorum mortuum Now said the reasoner if to offâ—r for the sinnes of the whole Church was not the Office of Christ Jesus yea that Office that to him onely might and may appertaine let the Scripture judge And if a vile Knave whom ye call Priest proudly taketh the same upon him let your own Books witnesse The said Mr. Alexander answered Christ offered the propitiatory and that could none do but he but we offer the remembrance Whereto it was answered We praise God that ye have denyed a sacrifice propitiatorie to be in the Masse and yet we offer to prove that in moe than a hundreth places of your Papisticall Doctors this proposition is affirmed The Masse is said to be a Sacrifice propitiatory But the second part where ye alleage that ye offer Christ in remembrance we ask first Unto whom do ye offer him and next by what authority are ye assured of well-doing In God the Father there falleth no Oblivion And if ye will shift and say that ye offer it not as God were forgetfull but as willing to apply Christs merits to his Church We demand of you What power commandment have ye so to do We know that our Master Christ Jesus commanded his Apostles to do that which he did in remembrance of him But plain it is that Christ took bread gave thanks brake bread and gave it to his disciples saying Take ye eate ye this is my body which is broken for you do this in remembrance of me c. Here we finde a commandment to take to eat to take and to drinke but to offer Christs Body either for remembrance or application we finde not And therefore we say To take upon you an Office which is not given unto you is unjust usurpation and no lawfull power The said Master Alexander being more then astonished would have shifted but then the Lords willed him to answer directly whereto he answered That he was better seen in Philosophie then in Theologie Then was commanded M. Iohn Leslie who then was Parson of Une and now Abbot of Londors and after was made Bishop of Rosse to answer to the former Argument and he with great gravity began to answer If our Master have nothing to say to it I have nothing for I know nothing but the Cannon Law And the greatest reason that ever I could finde there is Nolumus and Volumus and yet we understand that now he is the onely Patron of the Masse But it is no marvell for we understand that he is a Priests get and Bastard and therefore we should not wonder albeit that the old truan Verse be true Patrem sequitur sua proles The Nobility hearing that neither the one nor the other would answer directly said We have been miserably deceived heretofore for if the Masse may not obtaine remission of sins to the quick and to the dead Wherefore were all the Abbies so richly doted and endowed with our Temporall lands Thus much we thought good to insert here because that some Papists are not ashamed now to affirm That they with their reasons could never be heard but that all we did we did by meer force when that the whole Realme knoweth That we ever required them to speak their judgements freely not onely promising unto them protection and defence but also that we should subscribe with them if they by Gods Scriptures could confute us and by the same Word establish their assertions But who can correct the leasings of such as in all things shew them the sons of the Father of all lies Preserve us Lord from that perverse and malicious Generation Amen At this same Assembly was the Lord Iames appointed to go to France to the Queen our Soveraigne and a Parliament was
be found inobedient I confesse my selfe most worthy to be rejected not onely from this honour but also from the societie of the faithfull in case of my stubbornnesse For the vocation of God to beare charge within his Church maketh not men Tyrants nor Lords but appointeth them servants Watch-men and Pastors to the flock Thus ended question must be asked again of the multitude Question Require ye any further of this your Superintendent or Overseer and Minister If no man answer let the Minister proceed Question Will ye not acknowledge this your brother for the Minister of Christ Jesus your Overseer and Pastour Will ye not reverence the Word of God that proceedeth from his mouth Will ye not receive of him the Sermon of Exhortation with patience not refusing the wholsome Medicine of your soules although it be bitter and unpleasing to the flesh Will ye not finally maintain and comfort him in his Ministerie and watching over you against all such as wickedly would rebell against God and his holy Ordinance The people answered We will as we will answer to the Lord Iesus who hath commanded his Ministers to be had in reverence as his Ambassadours and as men that carefully watch for the salvation of our soules Let the Nobilitie be urged with this Ye have heard the dutie and profession of this our brother by your consents appointed to this charge as also the dutie and obedience which God requireth of us towards him heere in his Ministerie But because that neither of both are able to performe any thing without the especiall grace of our God in Christ Jesus who hath promised to be with us present even to the consummation of the world with unfained hearts let us crave of him his benediction and assistance in this work begun to his glory and for the comfort of his Church The Prayer O Lord to whom all power is given in heaven and on earth thou that art the eternall Sonne of the eternall Father who hast not onely loved thy Church that for the redemption and purgation of the same hast humbled thy selfe to the ignominious death of the Crosse and thereupon hast shed thy most precious and innocent blood to prepare to thy self a Spouse without spot but also to retain this most excellent benefit in recent memory hast appointed in thy Church Teachers Pastours and Apostles to instruct comfort and admonish the same Look upon us mercifully O Lord thou that onely art King Teacher and high Priest to thine own flock and send unto this our Brother whom in thy Name we have charged with the chief care of thy Church within the bounds of L. such portion of thy holy Spirit as thereby he may rightly divide thy Word to the instruction of thy flock and to the confutation of pernicious errours and damnable Superstitions Give unto him good Lord a mouth and wisdome whereby the enemies of thy Trueth may be confounded the Wolves expelled and driven from thy Fold thy Sheep may be fed in the wholsome Pastures of thy most holy Word the blinde and ignorant may be illuminated with thy true knowledge Finally that the degrees of Superstition and Idolatry which now resteth within this Realme being purged and removed we may all not onely have occasion to glorifie thee our onely Lord and Saviour but also daily to grow in godlinesse and obedience of thy most holy will to the destruction of the body of sin and to the restitution of that image to the which we were once created and to the which after our fall and defection we are renewed by participation of thy holy Spirit which by true Faith in thee we do professe as the blessed of thy Father of whom the perpetuall increase of thy graces we crave as by thee our Lord King and onely Bishop we are taught to pray Our Father c. The Prayer ended the rest of the Ministers if any be and Elders of that Church present in signe of their consent shall take the elected by the hand The chiefe Minister shall give the Benediction as followeth God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath commanded his Gospel to be Preached to the comfort of his Elect and hath called thee to the Office of a Watch-man over his people multiply his graces with thee illuminate thee with his holy Spirit comfort and strengthen thee in all vertue governe and guide thy Ministerie to the praise of his holy Name to the propagation of Christs Kingdom to the comfort of his Church and finally to the plaine discharge and assurance of thine owne conscience in the day of the Lord Jesus to whom with the Father and with the holy Ghost be all honour praise and glory now and ever So be it The last Exhortation to the elected TAke heed to thy selfe and unto the flock committed to thy charge feed the same carefully not as it were by compulsion but of very love which thou bearest to the Lord Jesus Walk in simplicity and purenesse of life as it becometh the true servant and the Ambassadour of the Lord Jesus Usurpe not dominion nor tyrannicall authority over thy brethren be not discouraged in adversity but lay before thy self the example of the Prophets Apostles and of the Lord Jesus who in their Ministery sustained contradiction contempt persecution and death fear not to rebuke the world of Sin Justice and Judgement If any thing succeed prosperously in thy Vocation be not puft up with pride neither yet flatter thy self as that the good successe proceedeth from thy vertue industrie or care But let ever that sentence of the Apostle remain in thine heart What hast thou which thou hast not received If thou have received why gloriest thou Comfort the afflicted support the poore and exhort others to support them Be not carefull for things of this life but be fervent in prayer to God for the increase of his holy Spirit And finally behave thy selfe in this holy vocation with such sobriety as God may be glorified in thy Ministery And so shalt thou shortly obtaine the Victory and shalt receive the Crowne promised when the Lord Jesus shall appeare in his glory whose omnipotent Spirit assist thee and us to the end Sing 23. Psalme As the servants of God uprightly travelled to have vice punished and vertue planted so did the devill ever stirre up some in the contrary of both There was a Law made against fornicators and adulterers that the one and the other should be Carted thorow the Towns and so banished till that their repentance was offered and received And albeit this was not the severity of Gods Law especially against adulterers yet was it a great bridle to the malefactors whereat the wicked did wonderously storme It chanced that one Sanderson a Fletcher or Boutcher was deprehended to have put away his lawfull wife under colour that he was lawfully parted after the manner of the Papisticall Religion and had taken to him another in his house The complaint and slander proposed
avoyding of Inconveniences This Summer there came an Embassadour from the King of Sweden requiring marriage of our Soveraigne to his Master the King His entertainment was Honourable but his Petitions liked not our Queene one whit for as yet she could not resolve to be Wife to the King of Sweden having been lately Queen of France And yet she refused not one much inferiour to a Soveraigne King The Earle of Lennox and his Wife were committed to the Tower of London for traffiquing with Papists the young Laird of Barre was a stickler in that businesse and was apprehended with some Letters which was the cause of his and their trouble The Earle of Murray made a private journey to Hawicke upon the Fayre day thereof and apprehended fifty Theeves of which number were seventeen drowned others were executed in Iâ—dburgh the principall were brought to Edinburgh and there suffered according to their merits upon the Burrow Mure. The Queene was no whit content of the prosperitie and good successe that God gave to the Earle of Murray in all his enterprises for she hated his upright dealing and the Image of God that evidently did appear in him but at that time she could not well have been served without him The assembly of the Church at Midsommer the four and twentieth day of Iune 1562. approached in the which were many notable heads handled concerning good Order to be kept in the Church and for the Papists and for the Idolatry of the Queen which troubleth the former good order Some Ministers such as Master Iohn Sharpe had left their charges and entered into other Vocations more profitable for the belly against whom were Acts made although this day they have not put them in execution The tenour of the Supplication read in open audience and approved by the whole Assembly to be presented to the Queens Majesty was this To the Queens Majesty and her most honorable Privy Councell The Superintendents and Ministers of the Evangell of Christ Iesus within this Realme together with the Commissioners of the whole Churches desire Grace and Peace from the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ with the Spirit of righteous Iudgement HAving in minde that the fearfull sentence pronounced against the Watch-men that see the Sword of Gods punishment approach and do not in plain words forewarn the people yea the Princes and Rulers that they repent we cannot but signifie unto your Highnesse and to your Councell That the state of this Realme is such for this present that unlesse redresse and remedy be shortly provided Gods hands cannot long spare in his anger to strike the Head and the Tayle the inobedient Prince and sinfull People For as God is unchangeable and true so must he punish in these our dayes the grievous sins which before we reade he hath punished in all Ages after that he hath long called for repentance and none is showne And that your Majesty and Councell may understand what are the things we desire to be reformed we will begin at that which we know assuredly to be the Fountain and Spring of all other evils that now abound in this Realme To wit That Idoll and base service of God the Masse the fountain we call of all Impiety not onely because many take boldnesse to sin by reason of that opinion which they have conceived of that Idoll to wit That by vertue of it they get remission of their sins But also because that under this colour of the Masse are Whores Adulterers Drunkards Blasphemers of God of his holy Sacraments and such other manifest Malefactors maintained and defended For let any Masse-sayer or earnest maintainer thereof be deprehended in any of the fore-named crimes no execution can be had for all is done in hatred of his Religion And so are wicked men permitted to live wickedly cloked and defended by that wicked Idoll But supposing that the Masse was occasion of no such evils yet in it self it is so odious in Gods presence that we cannot cease with all instance to desire the removing of the same as well from your selfe as from all others within this Realm Taking Heaven and earth yea your own Consciences to record That the obstinate maintenance of that Idol shall in the end be to you destruction of soul and body if you do not repent If your Majesty demand Why that now we are more earnest then we have been heretofore We answer our former silence no wayes excused Because we finde our selves frustrate of our hope and expectation which was That in processe of time your Majesties heart should have been mollified so farre as ye would have heard the publike Doctrine taught within this Realme by the which our further hope was That Gods holy Spirit should so have moved your heart that you would have suffered your Religion which before God is nothing but abomination and vanity to be tryed by the true Touch-stone the written Word of God And that your Majesty finding it to have no ground nor foundation in the same should have given that glory unto God that you would have preferred his Truth to your own preconceived vain opinion of what antiquity that ever it hath been whereof we in part now discharged can no longer keep silence unlesse we would make our selves criminall before God of your blood perishing in your own iniquity for we plainly admonish you of the danger to come The second thing that we require is Punishment of horrible vices such as are Adultery Fornication open Whoredome Blasphemy Contempt of God of his Word and Sacraments Which in this Realme do even so abound that sin is reputed to be no sin And therefore as we see the present signes of Gods wrath now manifestly appear so do we forewarn that he will strike ere it be long if his Law without punishment be permitted thus manifestly to be contemned If any object That punishment cannot be commanded to be executed without a Parliament we answer That the Eternall God in his Parliament hath pronounced death to be the punishment of Adultery and for Blaspheming whose Act if we put not in execution seeing that Kings are but his Lievtenants having no power to give life where he commands death as that he will repute you and all others that foster vice patrons of Impiety so will he not fail to punish you for neglecting the execution of his judgements Our third request concerning the poor who be of three sorts The poor labourers of the ground the poor desolate Beggers Orphans Widows and Strangers and the poor Ministers of Christ Jesus his holy Evangel which are so cruelly used by this last pretended Order taken for sustentation of Ministers that their latter misery farre surmounteth the former for now the poore labourers of the ground are so oppressed by the cruelty of those that pay their hire that they for the most part encroach upon the poore in whatsoever they pay unto the Qâ—een or to any other As for the
same but also in externall gesture declaring that he lamenteth if he can do no more for such abominations Which thing was shewed to the Prophet Ezekiel when he gave him to understand why he would destroy Iuda with Israel and that he would remove his glory from the Temple and place that he had chosen and so pour forth his wrath and indignation upon the City that was full of blood and apostasie which became so impudent that it durst be bold to say The Lord hath left the earth and seeth not And this time I say the Lord revealed in vision to his Prophet who they were that should finde favour in that miserable destruction to wit That those that did mourn and lament for all the abominations done in the City in whose foreheads did God command to Print and Seal Tau to the end that the destroyer who was commanded to strike the rest without mercy should not hurt them in whom that signe was found Of these premises I suppose it be evident That the punishment of Idolatry doth not appertain to Kings onely but also to the whole people yea to every member of the same according to his possibility For that is a thing most assured That no man can mourn lament and bewail for those things which will not remove to the uttermost of his power If this be required of the whole people and of every man in his Vocation What shall be required of you my Lords whom God hath raised up to be Princes and Rulers above your Brethren whose hands he hath armed with the sword of Justice yea whom he hath appointed to be as Bridles to represse the rage and insolency of your Kings whensoever they pretend manifestly to transgresse Gods blessed Ordinance If any think that this my affirmation touching the punishment of Idolaters be contrary to the practice of the Apostles who finding the Gentiles in Idolatry did call them to repentance requiring no such punishment let the same man understand That the Gentiles before the preaching of Christ lived as the Apostle speaketh Without God in the World drowned in Idolatry according to the blindnesse and ignorance in which they were holden as a prophane Nation whom God had never openly avowed to be his people had never received in his houshold neither given unto them his Laws to be kept in Religion nor Policy and therefore did not the holy Ghost calling them to repentance require of them any corporall punishment according to the rigour of the Law unto the which they were never subjects as they that were strangers from the Common-wealth of Israel But if any think That after that the Gentiles were called from their vain conversation and by embracing Christ Jesus were received in the number of Abrahams children and so made one people with the Jews believing If any think I say That then they were not bound to the same obedience which God required of his people Israel when he confirmed his League and Covenant with them the same appeareth to make Christ inferiour to Moses and contrarious to the Law of his heavenly Father For if the contempt or transgression of Moses Law was worthy of death What should we judge the contempt of Christs Ordinance to be I mean after they be once received And if Christ be not come to dissolve but to fulfill the Law of his heavenly Father Shall the liberty of his Gospel be an occasion that the especiall glory of his Father be trodden under foot and regarded of no man God forbid The especiall glory of God is That such as professe themselves to be his people should hearken to his voice And amongst all the voices of God revealed to the world touching punishment of vices is none more evident neither more severe then is that which is pronounced against Idolatry the teachers and maintainers of the same And therefore I fear not to affirm That the Gentiles I mean every City Realm Province or Nation amongst the Gentiles embracing Christ Jesus and his true Religion be bound to the same League and Covenant that God made with his people Israel when he promised to root out the Nations before them in these words Beware that thou make not any Covenant with the Inhabitants of the Land to the which thou comest lest perchance that this come in ruine that is be destruction to thee but thou shalt destroy their Altars break their Idols and cut down their Groves Fear no strange Gods nor worship them neither yet make you sacrifice to them But the Lord who in his great power and out-stretched arm hath brought you out of the Land of Egypt shall you fear him shall you honour him shall you worship to him shall you make Sacrifice his Statutes Iudgements Laws and Commandments you shall keep and observe This is the Covenant which I have made with you saith the Eternall forget it not neither yet fear ye other gods but fear you the Lord your God and he shall deliver you from the hands of all your enemies To this same Law and Covenant are the Gentiles no lesse bound then sometime were the Jews whensoever God doth illuminate the eyes of any multitude Province people or Citie and putteth the sword in their own hand to remove such enormities from amongst them as before they knew to be abominable then I say are they no lesse bound to purge their Dominions Cities and Countries from Idolatry then were the Israelites what time they received the Possession of the Land of Canaan And moreover I say If any go about to erect and set up Idolatry or to teach defection from God after that the verity hath been received and approved that then not onely the Magistrates to whom the sword is committed but also the people are bound by that Oath which they have made to God to revenge to the utmost of their power the injury done against his Majesty In universall desections and in a generall revolt such as was in Israel after Ieroboam there is a divers consideration for then because the whole people were together conspired against God there could none be found that would execute the punishment which God had commanded till God raised up Iehu whom he appointed for that purpose And the same is to be considered in all other generall defections such as this day be in the Papistry where all are blinded and all are declined from God and that of long continuance so that no ordinary Justice can be executed but the punishment must be reserved to God and unto all such means as he shall appoint But I speak of such a number as after they have received Gods perfect Religion do boldly professe the same notwithstanding that some or the most part fall back as of late dayes was in England unto such a number I say it is lawfull to punish the Idolators with death if by any means God give them power For so did Ioshua and Israel determine to
hearts but their whole minde was upon their bellies for sufficing whereof they devised and imagined that they would appoint Christ Jesus to be their worldly King for he had power to multiply bread at his pleasure Which vain opinion and imagination perceived by Christ Jesus he withdrew himselfe from their company to avoid all such suspition and to let them understand That no such honours did agree with his Vocation who came to serve and not to be served And when this same people sought him againe he sharply rebuked them because they sought him more to have their Bellies fed with corruptible meat then to have their souls nourished with lively Bread that came down from Heaven And thus in the people there was just cause why Christ should withdraw himself from them for a time Why the Disciples should suffer that great danger feare and anguish Saint Marke in his Gospel plainly sheweth saying That their hearts were blinded and therefore did neither remember nor consider the miracle of the Loaves That is Albeit with their hands they had touched that bread by which so great a multitude was fed and albeit also they had gathered up twelve Baskets full of that which remained of a few Loaves which before the Miracle a Boy was able to have borne yet did they not rightly consider the infinite power of Christs Jesus by this wonderfull Miracle And therefore of necessity it was that in their owne Bodies they should suffer trouble for their better instruction When I deeply consider dearly beloved in our Saviour Christ how abundantly and how miraculously the poor and small flock of Christ Jesus was fed within the Realm of England under that elect and chosen Vessell of God to glory and honour Edward the sixt and now again behold not onely the dispersion and scattering abroad but also the appearing destruction of the same under these cursed cruell and abominable Idolaters me thinke I see the same causes to have moved God not onely to withdraw his presence from the multitude but also to have sent his welbeloved servants to the travels of the Seas wherein they were sore tossed and turmoyled and apparently most like to perish What were the affections of the greatest multitude that followed the Gospel in this former rest and abundance is easie to be judged if the life and conversation of every man should have beene thorowly examined For who lived in that rest as that he had refused himself Who lived in that rest as that he had been crucified with Christ Who lived in that rest as that he had certainly looked for trouble to come upon him Yea who lived not rather in delicacy and joy and seeking the world and pleasures thereof caring for the flesh and carnall appetites as though death and sin had clean been devoured And what was this else then to make of Christ an earthly King The Word that we professed daily cryed in our ears that our Kingdome our joy our rest and felicitie neither was is nor should be upon the earth neither in any transitory thing thereof but in heaven into which we must enter by many tiibulations But alas we sleeped in such securitie that the sound of the Trumpet could of many never be perfectly understood but alwayes we perswaded our selves of a certaine tranquility as though the troubles whereof mention is made within the Scriptures of God appertained nothing at all to this age but unto such as of long time are passed before us and therfore was our heavenly Father compelled to withdraw from us the presence of his veritie whose voyce in those dayes we could not beleeve to the end that more earnestly we may thirst for the same and with more obedience embrace and receive it if ever it shall please his infinite goodnesse in such abundance to restore the same againe I mean nothing of those that followed Christ only for their bellies for such perceiving that they could not obtain their hearts desire of Christ have grudged and left him in body and heart which thing their blasphemous voices spake against his eternall verity doth witnesse and declare For such brethren be ye not moved for in the time of their profession they were not of us but were very dissemblers and Hypocrites and therefore God justly permitteth that they blaspheme the Truth which they never loved I mean not that ever such dissembling Hypocrites shall embrace the verity but I meane such as by infirmitie of the flesh and by naturall blindnesse which in this life is never altogether expelled then could not give the very obedience which Gods Word required neither now by weaknesse of faith dare openly and boldly confesse that which their hearts know to be most true and yet lamenteth mourneth both for the imperfection by passed and present from such shall not the amiable presence of Christ for ever be withdrawn but yet again shall the eyes of their soretroubled hearts behold and see that light of Christs Gospell wherein they most delight We the Ministers who were the distributers of this bread the true Word of God wherewith the multitude within England was fed lacked not our offences which also moved God to send us to the Sea And because the offences of no man are so manifest unto me as mine own I will onely censure my self It is not unknown unto many that I the most wretched was one of that number whom God appointed to receive that Bread as it was broken by Christ Jesus to distribute and give the same to such as he had called to this banquet in that part of his table where he appointed me to serve It is not in my knowledge nor judgement to define nor determine what portion or quantity every man received of this bread neither yet how that which they received agreed with their stomacks but of this I am assured That the benediction of Christ Jesus so multiplyed the portion which I received of his hands that during the banquet this I write to the praise of his Name and to the accusation of mine owne unthankfulnesse the bread never failed when the hungry soule craved or cried for food and at the end of the banquet mine own conscience beareth witnesse that mine hands gathered up the crummes that were left in such abundance that the banquet was full among the rest To be plain mine own conscience beareth record to my self how small was my learning and how weak I was of judgement when Christ Jesus called me to be his steward and how mightily day by day and time by time he multiplied his graces with me if I should conceale I were most wicked and unthankfull But alas how blinded was my heart and how little I did consider the dignity of that Office and the power of God that then multiplied and blessed the bread which the people received of my hands this day mine own conscience beareth witnesse to my selfe God I take
standeth my singular comfort this day when I hear that those bloody tyrants within the Realme of England doth kill murther destroy and devour man and woman as ravennous Lions now loosed from bonds I lift up therefore the eyes of mine heart as my iniquity and present dolour will suffer and to my heavenly Father will I say O Lord those cruell tyrants are loosed by thy hand to punish our former ingratitude whom we trust thou wilt not suffer to prevail for ever but when thou hast corrected us a little and hast declared unto the world the tyranny that lurked in their boldned brests then wilt thou break their jaw-bones and wilâ— shut them up in their caves again that the generation and posterity following may praise thy holy Name before thy Congregation Amen When I feel any taste or motion of these promises then think I my self most happy and that I have received a just compensation albeit I and all that to me in earth belongeth should suffer present death knowing that God shall yet shew mercy to his afflicted Church within England and that he shall represse the pride of these present tyrants like as he hath done of those that were before our dayes And therefore beloved brethren in our Saviour Jesus Christ hold up to God your hands that are fainted through fear and let your hearts that have in these dolorous dayes sleeped in sorrow awake and hear the voyce of your God who sweareth by himself That he will not suffer his Church to be oppressed for ever neither that he will despise our sobâ— to the end if we will row and strive against this vehement winde I mean if that ye will not run back headlong to Idolatry then shall this storm be asswaged in despight of the devill Christ Jesus shall come with speed to your deliverance he shall pierce thorow the winde and the raging Seas shall obey and bear his feet and body as the massie stable and dry land Be not moved from the sure foundation of your faith For albeit that Christ Jesus be absent from you as he was from his disciples in that great storme by his bodily presence yet is he present by his mighty power and grace He standeth upon the mountain in security and rest that is his flesh and whole humanity is now in heaven and can suffer no such trouble as sometimes he did And yet he is full of pity and compassion and doth consider all our travell anguish and labours wherefore it is not to be doubted but that he will suddenly appear to our great comfort The tyranny of this world cannot keep back his coming more then the blustering winde and raging Seas lett Christ to come to his disciples when they looked for nothing but present death And therefore yet again I say beloved in the Lord Let your hearts attend to the promises that God hath made unto true repentant sinners and be fully perswaded with a constant faith That God is alwayes true and just in his performance of his promises You have heard these dayes spoken of very plainly when your hearts could fear no danger because you were nigh the land and the storm was not yet risen that is Ye were young Scholars of Christ when no persecution was felt or seen But now ye are come into the midst of the Sea for what part of England heard not of your profession and the vehement storm whereof we then almost in every Exhortation spake of is now suddenly risen up But what Hath God brought you so far forth that you shall both in souls and bodies every one perish Nay my whole trust in Gods mercy and truth is to the contrary For God brought not his people into Egypt and from thence thorow the Red Sea to the intent they should perish but that he in them should shew a most glorious deliverance Neither sent Christ his Apostles into the middest of the Sea and suffering the storm to assault them and their Ship to the intent they should there perish but because he would the more have his great goodnesse towards them felt and perceived in so mightily delivering them out of the fear of perishing giving us thereby an example that he would do the like to us if we abide constant in our profession and saith with-drawing our selves from superstition and idolatry We gave you warning of these dayes long ago For the reverence of Christs Blood let these words be noted The same Truth that spake before of these dolorous dayes forespake also the everlasting joy prepared for such as should continue to the end The trouble is come O dear brethren look for the comfort and after the example of the Apostle abide in resisting this vehement storm a little space The third Watch is not yet ended remember that Christ Jesus came not to his disciples till it was the fourth Watch and they were then in no lesse danger then you be now for their faith fainted and their bodies were in danger But Christ Jesus came when they looked not for him and so shall he do to you if you will continue in the profession that you have made This dare I be bold to promise in the Name of him whose Eternall Verity and glorious Gospel ye have heard and received who also putteth into my heart an earnest thirst God knoweth I lie not of your salvation and some care also for your bodies which now I will not expresse Thus shortly have I passed thorow the outragious tempest wherein the disciples of Christ were tempted after that the great multitude were by Christ fed in the desert omitting many profitable Notes which might well have been marked in the Text because my purpose is at this present not to be tedious nor yet curious but only to note such things as be agreeable to these most dolorous dayes And so let us now speak of the end of this storm and trouble in which I finde four things chiefly to be noted First That the disciples at the presence of Christ were more afraid then they were before Secondly That Christ useth no other instrument but his Word to pacific their hearts Thirdly That Peter in a fervency first left his Ship and yet after feared Fourthly and lastly That Christ permitted neither Peter nor the rest of his disciples to perish in that fear but gloriously delivered all and pacified the Tempest Their great fear and the cause thereof are expressed in the Text in these words When the disciples saw him walking upon the Sea they were afraid saying It is a Spirit and they cryed through fear It is not my purpose in this Treatise to speak of spirits nor yet to dispute Whether spirits good or bad may appear and trouble men Neither yet to enquire Why mans nature is afraid of spirits and so vehemently abhorreth their presence and company But my purpose is onely to speak of things necessary for this time And first let us consider
to the feet of those that by nature walk in darknesse the life to those that by sinne are dead a comfort to such as be in tribulation the tower of defence to such as be most feeble the wisedom and great felicity of such as delighteth in the same and to be short You know Gods Word to be of such efficacy and strength that thereby is sin purged death vanquished tyrants suppressed and finally the devill the author of all mischief overthrown and confounded This I say I write that ye knowing this of the holy Word and most blessed Gospel and voyce of God which once you have heard I trust to your comfort may now in this hour of darknesse and most raging tempest thirst and pray That ye may hear yet once again this amiable voyce of your Saviour Christ Be of good comfort it is I fear not And also that ye may receive some consolation by that blessed Gospel which before you have professed assuredly knowing That God shall be no lesse mercifull unto you then he hath been to other afflicted for his Names sake before you And albeit that God speedily removeth not this horrible darknesse neither suddenly pacifieth this tempest yet shall he not suffer his tossed Ship to be drowned Remember brethren That Gods vengeance plagued not Pharaoh the first yeer of his tyranny Neither did the dogges devour and consume both the flesh and bones of wicked Iezabel when she first erected and set up her Idolatry And yet as none of them escaped due punishment so did God preserve his afflicted Church in despight of Sathan and of his blinde and most wretched servants as he shall not fail to do in this great tempest and darknesse within the Realme of England And therefore yet again beloved in the Lord let the comfort of Gods promises somewhat quicken your dulled spirits exercise your selves now secretly in revolving that which sometimes you have heard openly proclaimed in your ears and be every man now a faithfull Preacher unto his brother If your communication be of Christ assuredly he will come before you be aware His Word is like unto sweet smelling Oyntment or fragrant flowers which never can be moved nor handled but forth goeth the odour to the comfort of those that stand by which is nothing so delectable if the Oyntment remain within the Box and the flowers stand or lie without touching or motion Mark well dear brethren before that Christ spake his disciples judged him to have been some wicked spirit which was to them no delectable savour But when he speaketh the sweet sound of his voyce pierceth their hearts For what comfort was in the hearts of the disciples when they heard these words Be of good comfort it is I that is Judge not that I am a spirit come to your destruction no even I am come for your deliverance It is I your Master yea your Master most familiar It is I whose Voyce and Doctrine you know for ye are my sheep It is I whose works you have seen although perfectly ye considered not the same It is I who commanded you to enter into this journey and therefore am I come to you now in the hour of your trouble and therefore be not afraid this storm shall cease and you shall be delivered What comfort I say dear brethren was in the hearts of the disciples hearing Christs voyce and knowing him by the same can neither the tongue or pen of man expresse but onely such as after long conflict and strife which is betwixt the Flesh and the Spirit in the time of extreme troubles when Christ appeareth to be absent feeleth at last the consolation of the holy Ghost witnesse and declare And Peter giveth some externall signe what Christs words wrought inwardly in his heart For immediately after he heard his Masters voice he saith Lord if it be thou command me to come unto thee upon the waters Here it may be seen what Christs voyce had wrought in Peters heart truely not onely a forgetting and contempt of the great tempest but also such boldnesse and love that he could fear no danger following but assuredly did believe That his Master Christs puissance power and might was such that nothing might resist his Word and Commandment and therefore he saith Command me to come As though he should say I desire no more but the assurance of thy Commandment If thou wilt command I am determined to obey For assuredly I know That the waters cannot prevail against me if thou speake the word So that whatsoever is possible unto thee by thy Will and Word may be possible unto me Thus Christ to instruct Peter further and us by his example condescended to his Petition and commanded him to come and Peter quickly leaving the Ship came down from it and walked upon the waters to come to Christ. Thus far of Peters fact in which lieth great abundance of Doctrine but I will passe over all that especially appertaineth not to the quality of this time within the Realm of England Before it is said welbeloved Brethren That sometimes the messengers of life are judged to be the very messengers of death and that not onely with the reprobate but also with Gods elect as was Moses with the Israelites Ieremiah with the City of Ierusalem and Christ himself with his Apostles But that is not a sin permanent and that abideth for ever with Gods elect but it vanisheth away in such sort that not onely they know the voyce of their Pastor but also they earnestly study to obey and follow it with the danger of their own lives For this is the speciall difference betwixt the children of God and the reprobate The one obeyeth God speaking by his Messengers whom they embrace with unfained love and that they do sometimes not onely against all worldly appearance but also against Civill Statutes and Ordinances of men And therefore in their greatest extremity receive they comfort beyond expectation The other alwayes resisteth Gods Messengers and hateth his Word And therefore in their great adversity God either taketh from them the presence of his Word or else they fall into so deadly despair that although Gods Messengers be sent unto them yet neither can they receive comfort by Gods promises neither follow the counsell of Gods true Messengers be it never so perfect and fruitfull Hereof have we many evident Testimonies within the Scriptures of God Of Saul it is plain That God so left him that neither would he give him answer by Prophet Dream nor Vision To Ahaz King of Iudah in his great anguish and fear which he had conceived by the multitude of those that were conjured against him was sent Isaiah the Prophet to assure him by Gods promise That his enemies should not prevail against him and to confirm him in the same the Prophet required him to desire a signe of God either from the heaven or beneath in the
all things love and reverence When further I consider the troublesome state of Christs true Religion this day oppressed by blindnesse of men and lastly The great multitude of flatterers and the rare number of them that boldly and plainly dare speak the naked verity in presence of their Princesse and principally in the cause of Christ Iesus These things I say considered whatsoever any man shall judge of my enterprise I am compelled to say That Unlesse in your Regiment and in using of Power your Majesty be found different from the multitude of Princes and head Rulers That this pre-eminence wherein ye are placed shall be your dejection to torment and pain everlasting This proposition is sore but alas it is so true That if I should conceal and hide it from your Majesty I committed no lesse treason against your Majestie then if I did see you by imprudency take a Cup which I knew to be poysoned or invenomed and yet would not admonish you to abstain from drinking of the same The Religion which this day men defend by fire and sword is a Cup invenomed of which whosoever drinketh except that by true repentance he after drink of the water of life drinketh therewith damnation and death How and by whom it hath been invenomed if it were no more tedious to your Majestie to read or hear then it is painfull to me to write or rehearse I would not spare the labour But for this present I have thought it some discharge of one part of my duty if I of very love admonish your Majesty of the danger which I do as God one day shall declare preferring your Majesties salvation and the salvation of the People now committed to your charge before any corporall benefit that can redound to my self Addition AS Satan by craft hath corrupted the most holy Ordinances of Gods precepts I mean of the first Table in the place of the spirituall honouring of God introducing mens dreams inventions and fantasies So hath he abusing the weaknesse of man corrupted the precepts of the second Table Touching the honour which is due to Parents under whom are comprehended Princes and Teachers For now the devill hath so blinded the senses of many that they cannot or at least will not learn what appertaineth to God and what to Caesar. But because the spirit of God hath said Honour the King therefore whatsoever they command be it right or wrong must be obeyed But heavy shall the judgement be which shall apprehend such blasphemers of Gods Majesty who dare be so bold as to affirm That God hath commanded any creature to be obeyed against himself Against God it is That for the commandment of any Prince be he never so potent men shall commit Idolatry embrace a Religion which God hath not approved by his Word or confirm by their silence wicked and blasphemous Laws made against the honour of his Majestie Men I say that so do give no true obedience but as they are Apostates from God so are they Traytors to their Princes whom by flattery they confirm in rebelling against God onely they which to the death resist such wicked laws and decrees are acceptable to God and faithfull to their Princes As were the three children in the presence of Nabuchadnezzar and Daniel in the dayes of Darius the Persian Emperour whose constant and free confession as it glorified God so did it notifie as well to those tyrants as to all ages following the great blasphemy which in their rage and fury they committed against God from the which by all appearance neither of both so suddenly should have been called if the three children had bowed among the rest and Daniel had not declared the confession of his faith Which was with Windows open to pray towards Ierusalem manifestly thereby declaring That he did not consent to the blasphemous law and decree which was established by the King and his Counsell Experience hath taught us what surmises and blasphemies the adversaries of Christ Jesus of his eternall verity do invent and devise against such as begin to detect their impiety They are accused to be Authors of sedition raisers of tumults violators of common orders c. I answer with the Prophet Esay That all is not reputed before God sedition and conjuration which the foolish multitude so esteemeth neither yet is every tumult and breach of publike order contrary to Gods commandment for Christ Jesus himself coming to take the spoil from the strong armed who before did keepe his house in quietnesse is not come to send Peace but a Sword and to make a man disassent from his Father c. His Prophets before him and Apostles after him feared not to break publike Orders established against God and in so doing to move as it were the one half of peoples nations and cities against the other and yet I trust that none except the hired servant of Sathan will accuse Christ of sedition nor the Apostles of the troubling of Common wealths True it is that the most wholesome Medicine most troubleth for a time the body replenished with wicked and corrupted humours but the cause hereof is known to be not in the Medicine but in the Bodie subject to Maladie even so the true Word of God when it entreth to fight where Sathan hath born dominion as he still doth in the whole Papistrie cannot but appear to be occasion of great trouble But Madame more profitable it is that the pestilent humours be expelled with pain then that they be nourished to the distruction of the body The Papisticall Religion is a mortall pestilence which shall assuredly bring to death eternall the bodies and souls from the which it is not purged in this life and therefore take heed betimes God calleth upon you beware that ye shut not up your ears Judge not the matter after the vilenesse of my body whom God hath appointed Ambassadour and Messenger unto you but with reverence and fear consider him whose Message I bear I come to you in the name of the Eternall God and of Christ Jesus his Son to whom the Father hath committed all power whom he hath established Soveraign Judge over all flesh before whose Throne you must make accompt with what reverence you hear such as he sendeth It shall not excuse you to say or think That you doubt whether I be sent of God or no I crie unto you That the Religion which the Princes and blinded Papists maintain with fire and sword is not the Religion of Christ That your proud Prelates are none of Christs Bishops I admonish you That Christs Flock is oppressed by them and therefore I require and that yet again in the name of the Lord Jesus That with indifferency I may be heard to preach to reason and to dispute in that Cause which if you deny you declare your self to bear no reverence to Christ nor love to his true Religion Letter BUt
cause of Heresie The Proofe of Heresie Note Note Note Note Note Note this against the legality of the Bishops Note This was Friâ—â— Scot. Note Note Note 1566 1546. How the Cardiall was occupied the night before that in the morning he was slain The Cardinals demand The Cardinals confession The fact and words of Iames Melvin The Cardinals last words Advertisement to the Reader Note The Bishop of S Andrews was glad and yet made himselfe to be angry at the slaughter of the Cardinall Upon what conditions King Henry took the castle of S. Andrews into his protection The first â—iege lasted from August to January 1547. Iohn Knox goes into the Castle of S. Andrews * Sir David Lindsay King of Armes then who fore the time had good light both in Divine and Humane knowledge as his works tell us The first Vocation by name of Iohn Knox. Dean Iohn Annan The offer of Iohn Knox first and last unto the Papists The first publike â—reaching of Iohn Knox made in the Parish Church of S. Andrewâ—â— Contra Dei Spirituâ— ad Gâ—lat cap. 2 vâ—r 17. 11. Note The great wordâ— which Ant. christ speaketh Iohn Knox had been disciple in his first yeers to Iohn Maire Note Note Optima Collatio Deut. 4. Note Psal. 26.5 Frier Arbuckiâ—ls proofe of Purgatory The cause of the inserting of this Disputation The practises of Papists that their wickednesse should not be disclosed The protestation of Iohn Knox. M. Iames Balfoure once joyned with the Church and did professe all Doctrine taught by Iohn Knox. Filius sequitur patris iter The rage of the marked beasts at the Preaching of the Truth The first coming of Galleys Anno 1547. And the second Siege of the Castle The treasonable act of the Governour and Queen Dowager Note The answer given to the Governour when the Castle of S. Andrews was required to be delivered The Gunners goddesse Commonly called The old Colledge The sentence of Knoxâ—o â—o the Castle of S. Andrews bâ—â—fore it was won Note King Henry of England being dead Prior of Cappua Leon Stâ—ozi The Castle of S. Andrews refused in greatest extremity to treat with the Governor fearing the cruelty of his weak nature in revenging the death of his Cousin the Cardinall Nulla fides Rogni Socii c. Pinckey Clâ—â—ch Duke of Sommerset The security of the Scotishmen at Pinckey Clewch Fridays chase Brags The repulse of the Horse-men of England Note Note Note Note 1549. The Parliament at Hadington Note The Dukes fact and what appeareth to follow thereof Experience hath taught and further will declare The siege of Hadington Tuesdayes chase Note The slaughter of the Captain of the Castle of Edinburgh Hadington almost surprised by the French The recovery of the Castle of Home The death of the Laird of Raith The entertainment of those of the Castle of S. Andrews during their Captivity Note Note Note This book was printed 1584. at Edinburgh by Tho. Vtroâ—â—â— A merry fact Note Jerem. 10. Note Quamvis multa sunt justorum mala c. Note diligently the Prophesie Iohn Knox his answer and counsell to the captives Le jour de Roys au soir quand els erient le Roy boit The escaping of William Kirkcaldie and of his fellows forth of Mount Saint Michell Note To shew what is contained in this Admonition we have caused it to be printed at the end of this History 1550 Note Note diligently The slaughter of that villain Davie The rulers of annoâ—566 â—566 and their prediction Note The accusation of Adam Wallace and his answers The Papisticall manner of accusation Note Adam Wallace his accusations and answers Note Protestation of the Earle of Glencarne Note The death and vertues of Edward the sixth Who first after the death of King Edward began to preach in Scotland Elizabeth Adamson and her death Note Note Note Note diligently Masse abhorred Note 1555. Note You will finde this Appellation at the end of this book War against England by the meanes of the Queen Regent A calfe with two heads The fact of the Nobility of Scotland at Maxwel Hewcht The second return of Iohn Willock to Scotland Lord Seton an Apostata The abolishing of Images and trouble therefore The Preachers summoned The practice of Prelats and what thereof ensued The bold words of Iames Chalmers of Gaithgyrth O crafty flatterer The command of the Bishop The answer of Edinburgh Edinburgh appealeth from the sentence of the Bishop of S. Andrews Triumph for hearing of stock Gyle The down casting of stock Gyle and the discomfiture of Baals Priests A merry English-man Note The death of the Bishop of Galoway and his last confession Qualis vita finis ita The Vow of that marked beast Dury B. oâ— Galloway The death of M David Panter The death of the Bishop of Orknay Reid â— Orknays answer and his friends home Note The Queen Regents sentence of the death of her Papists Dean of Lestarrige hypocrite began to preach M. David Panters counsell 〈◊〉 his forsworne brethren the Bishops The second Vocation of Iohn Knox by Letters of the Lords Note Note Let the Papists themselves judge of what spirit these sentences could proceed The duty of the Nobility The letter lost by negligence and troubles God grant that our Nobility would yet understand Note The first Covenant of Scotland 1557 Those that then did oppose Popery were called the Congregation Note The Earl of Argyle the first man in this Covenant The third Vocation of Iohn Knox by the Lords and Churches of Scotland Flesh blood is preferred to God with the Bishop Note Note diligently Note Note the Earl of Argyle his Testament Note Here is one Solecisme in State expression newly invented by the Court Parasites Note To call the Crowne Matrimoniall is an absurd Solecisme newly then invented at Court Note And now in these later days it hath pleased God in his goodnesse to grant the pure and Primitive Discipline also unto the Church of Scotland The first douâ—t The second Note Scriptures answering the doubts This was called the privie Church Iohn Willocke The Laird of Calder elder The tyrannie of the Clergy Note The Petition The offer The practise of Satan Disputation with condition The offer of the Papists The grant of the Queene Regent The apprehension of Walter Mill. 1558. Note The hypocrisie of the Queene Regent Protestation Let the Papists observe Note Letters to Iohn Calvine Blasphemy Note She had gotten her lesson from the Cardinall Forefather to the now Earle of Lowdone Chancellor Queen Regents answer S. Iohnston embraced the Gospel Lord Ruthuens answer 1559 The first assembly at S. Iohnston The Laird of Dun stayed the congregation and the Preachers Note 1559 Note At this time the Professors of the Gospel were called the Congregation The taking down of the Fâ—iers in Saint Iohnston Note The Gray Friers their provision Note Note A godly vow The complaint of the Queene Regent Note Note Note O where is this fervencie