Ane answer to ane Epistle written by Renat Benedict the Frenche Doctor professor of Gods worde as the translater of this Epistle calleth him to John Knox and the rest of his brethren ministers of the word of God made by Dauid Feargussone minister of the same word at this present in Dumfermling Psalme 8. Out of the mouth of babis and sucklinges haste thou ordeyned strength because of thine enimies that thou mightest still the enimie and the auenger Imprinted at Edinburgh by Robert Lekpreuik Cum priuilegio 1563. The Prenter to the Reader AS that it wes long after this Epistle wes written and tranflated before it came to his handes that answered it So wes it long after it wes answered before it came to my handes to prent when therefore good Reader thou shal se so much tyme pas ouer betuix the trāslating and answering and betuix the answering and prenting impute it nether to his negligence that gladely wold haue answered it soner if it had comen to his handes or yet to myne that als gladely wold haue prented it but rather take in good worth bothe our laboures taken to thy confort whosoeuer thou be that readeth it to purge thy hart from error imbraice the treuth and beleue it to the glorie of God and thy Saluation in Christe Iesus to whose protectiō I cōmit the now and euer The Preface Dauid Feargussone vnto the Reader wisheth grace mercy and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Iesus Christ with y t spirit of righteous iudgement I Haue not interprised beloued brethrē in Christ Iesus to answer this Epistle as one more able so to do then the rest of my fellowes in office but rather driuen thereunto by the vncessant requeist of some zealous and godlie persones who broght it to my hādes for that purpose after that it had bene caried as a matter of great importance from one place to an other so at length translated by an certane Freir out of latine into Inglish in fauor of suche perso◅es as he thereby wold gratifie it wes ◅reatlie bosted of partlie therefore to sa◅ffie the reasonable requeist of the afore◅aid persones and also to stop the mouth of the aduersarie frome further braging but chiefly for the discharge of my conscience in the office whereunto God hath called me I haue occupyed my pen in answering as after followeth And althogh this pithles Epistle haue lytle or no strength to deceaue any that haue but meanly teasted of the treuth yet because it may be a peice of help to hold them stil in error that are as yet within it in my iudgement it wold not be past ouer in silence nether do I know whither any man hath vnto this hour answered it or not For asmuch as I se it a thing which all learned men will not onely laugh at and so contempe it as not worthy of answer but also iudge it suche a mater as they will spend no tyme vpon seinge that they may be better occupyed nor to āswer a foole accordig to his folie but list he est came him self wise in his owne cōceite I haue thoght good to write sumwhat in this mater vnto the which writing I haue added my name nor for vain ◅lorie God knowes but to this end one li◅ that when the Reader shal find the reules of Rethorick transgressed and ornate Eloquence omitted no man be blamed but I allone moreouer if it shal hap pen that I be sumwhates longer then ye wold wishe werie not yet I beseche you to reid it to the end for certanely as I suppose no man is able fully to answer this ordorles confused Chaos without many wordes To the end therefor that ye may the better vnderstande the mater because this mans letter kepeth no certane ordor so far as the confusione of it will suffer I haue deuided it and that in four Sectionis first writing his wordes faithfully as they are translated and thereafter my answer Fair well deare brethren in Christe Iesus our onely confort and iudge with equitie Heir followeth Renats Epistle the first Section THE loue of Christ most cūing mē no small desyre of Saluation vnto you all con trinis me to warne and pray you frome the bottome of my hart that ye intruse not nor bring not in an strange doctrine and vncouth in the Church of God Aliene and inpertinent after the iudgemēt of all wise and good men to Gods word consuetude thereof ather for the fauoure of the people or for naine and trāsitorie glorie that is that ather ye may be estemed the more wise and cūning of some and receaued as they say in bothe their armes or els that ye may thereby get and gather to your selues riches What tempt ye I pray you to do what is I beseche you in Christ Iesu this your beginning loke I pray you how great is this your boldnes to professe a new doctrine against the antiquitie consent and vniuersalitie of Religion without any plaine testimonies or auctorities of holy Scripture or of Christiane Authores ancient and tryed in learning and godlines D. Feargussones answer IT wold appear at the first sight to i◅ of small iudgement and learning that the cause that hes moued you to write were verray godly and charitable Forasmuch as ye say that the loue of Christe and the saluation of vs all hes contrined you thereto but when the mater is tried with treuth the contrarie will sone appear It will please you therefore to giue vs leaue a lytle to try what kinde of loue this is that hath moued you and what frute it bringeth furth and then I truste bothe ye and vthers if ye haue eyes to se shal easylie perceaue this loue to be preposterus and carnall I will say no wors til I haue better oportunitie and list that ye should think that we deale to austeirlie with you at the first I wold ye vnderstude that the Spirit of our God hath c◅ manded vs in his Scriptures verray stratelie to be war of deceauers and not to harken to fals Prophets but rather to try the Spirites whither they be of God or not yea and suppose the Prophet shew a wonder or a myrackle if his doctrine be fals we are forbidden to credeit him If then we aught not to beleue him to be of God that workes mirackles If his doctrine persuade vs to Idolatrie how much les oght we to beleue that this is the trew loue of God that moueth you to write when as your doctrine and admonition tendis to nothing els through out this Epistle but to draw vs from the trew worshipping of oure God in Spirit and veritie to serue him according to manns inuention by Idoles and Idolatrie And althogh that I wold grant vnto you that this your loue were euen to Christ god ward without any hipocrysie yet I dar boldly say that it is als preposterous as Peters loue
the Prence and Patriarck and people of CoÌ„stantinopol celebrated a latine masseâ—… all that were present for the tyme allowing it so easylie are men deceaued this long to wit 681. yeare wes the Churche without this Sacrifice which yet differed far from it that wes in our dayes for it wes almost 7. hundreth yeares after this or euer the people were commanded to worship it for that wes done by Honorious the 3 who wes Pope the yeare from our Redemption 1216. thereafter when it wes worshipped as a God the Deuil did find the meanes that this new Idole shoulde be caryed Solempnitlie throughout all tounes vpon a peculyar day dedicat to that Histrionicall gyse cal 〈◊〉 Corpuschristies day The iÌ„struments â—…t the Deuill vseth to this labour were â—…banus Pope of Rome the 4. of that â—…e and a certane Religious woman â—…d Eua and it came to pas as ye shal 〈◊〉 The aforesaid Urbanus Pope in â—…ear from our Redemption 1261. had 〈◊〉 aforesaid supersticious Eua in famiâ—… acquentance â–ª before he came to the â—…tes saite who feinzeed her self to haue â—…a reuelation from heauen coÌ„cerning â—…edication of a Festual day â—…o the Po 〈◊〉 God of bread in the masse the maner 〈◊〉 Circumstances of this reuelation she 〈◊〉 to Urbanê° at length desyring him â—…rforme her vision which he did with â—…elay coÌ„firming it with a Bul which â—…enth I omit The Churche wes a â—…sand two hundreth thre scoir and one 〈◊〉 without this Idolatrous gyse this â—…yte and muche more could out of â—…own Histories if it were not ouer â—…some to shew that all their braging â—…tiquitie is nothing els butâ—… fals forâ—…lies Their corrupted knauerie peice 〈◊〉 peice crope into the Churche by the 〈◊〉 of Sathan their Father who â—…urste not shew him self at ones list he shoulde haue bene knowen and so resisted But rather transfiguring him self in an Angel of light as the slacknes of Pastors begouth to incres wroght spedylie as a bissie Bishop vnder their handes til at length he had fully broght to pas the whole misterie of his iniquitie which the Apostle affirmeth to haue bene a working in his dayes But what nedeth Circumloquution when few wordes directlie spoken may spedily end this stryfe What if I should say with Ambrose Quicquid non ab Apostolis tradituÌ„ est Sceleribus plenuÌ„ est that is whatsoeuer is not giuen vnto vs by the Apostles is full of iniquitie or as he sayeth in an vther place Nos nouâ—… omnia que Christus non docuit iure damnamus quia fidelibus via Christus est Siigitur Christus non docuit quod docemusâ—… etiam nos id detestabile iudicamus that is we iustlie damp all new thinges that Christe hath not taught because Christe is the way to the faithfull If therefore Christ hath not taught that thing which we teache yea euen we our selues do iudge it detestable First therefore because your â—…se wes neuer giuen nor ordeined vnto vs by the Apostles I with Ambrose affirme it to be 〈◊〉 of iniquitie Secondly because it is a 〈◊〉 doctrine which Christ neuer taught â—…stly damp it that Christ neuer taught 〈◊〉 subsequentes sâ—…al declare where â—…euer Christe or any of his Apostles â—…o a man when they Elected and adâ—…ed him to the ministerie of the church â—…pe potestatem celebrandi vel sacrificandi â—…iuis et mortuis as your Idole Bisâ—…s sayeth to you their shawelinges â—…n ye receaue the beastes marke with â—…er to by and sell the marchandrise of 〈◊〉 great hoore of Babilon These wordâ—…ey say wheÌ„ the Chalice is giuen you â—…ther with the Paiene the bread and â—…ine take thou authoritie or power â—…lebrate or say masse for the quick and â—…ead yea so heighly are these wordes â—…ed of your Doctors that if the Bisâ—… omit the saying of them for his part â—…e prosering of the aforesaid thinges â—…he that is to be ordeined omit the â—…hing of the thinges profered that all â—…r noght where commanded Christe â—…t ye should deuore all alone standing â—…n alter with your back to the pâ—…ple â—…ere are ye coÌ„manded to lift the bread your heades that the people may commit Idolatrie with it Where are ye coÌ„manded to dissagyse your selues lyke players or fooles with shaueÌ„ crownes long wide sarkes aboue your clothing and shorte peies lyke cotes of Armoure aboue all â–ª Where are ye coÌ„manded at the ministraâ—…i on of the Sacrament some tymes to iâ—…ke and some tymes to nod to slepe a while and walk another now to cry out with a loud voice and theÌ„ to quhisper that youâ—… taill may not hear you to put bothe your handes to your eares and then to streiche them out as the Daw doeth wheÌ„ she raxeth her in the morning Why speak ye in a strange langage contrar to the mynde oâ—… the holy Ghoste that the people vnderstandeth not when ye haue told me who learned you these iugling castes theÌ„ will I assay what reckening ye can giue of the rest Fynally I wold ask at you if the thre thousand persones that Peter by the word of God conuerted of whom we read in the Second Chapiter of the Actes were of the Church of God or not ye dar not deny but that they were of the Church If then the masse be the wonted Sacrifice of holy Church as ye wolde make men beleue I wonder that they â—…itted it For the holy Ghoste for our â—…rning by the â—…en of Lucas hath moste â—…gentlie registrat their excercise which â—…at after they had receaued the word 〈◊〉 were baptised continued in the Apoâ—… doctrine sele wship breakig of bread â—…yers to be shorte get me one word â—…tion of a Sacrifice offered for sinnes 〈◊〉 the death of Christ in all the Actes â—…he Apostles or in any part of the new â—…ament by Gods people and I will â—…t your argument trew but vnto the â—…e that ye proue your arguments out 〈◊〉 word of god ye must apardone me 〈◊〉 can not beleue you no not suppose â—…ere ane Angel as ye are but a man 〈◊〉 to your generall Counsels my faith â—…ot builded vpon them nether am I â—…nd to beleue one iote of them further â—…hey aggre with Gods word for they â—…beleueth or taketh any counsel but of 〈◊〉 hath an extreme wo pronounced â—…nst them by the Spirit of God in â—…e wordes Wo to the rebellions chilâ—… sayeth the Lord that take counsel 〈◊〉 not of me and couer with a couering 〈◊〉 not by my Spirit that they may lay sinne vpon sinne And in few wordes except these foure to wit the first Counsell Nicen holden against Arrius and gathered by the Empreoure Constantine and by no Pope for many hundreth yeares after the Bishopes of Rome were but Prechers of the word of God hauing no further dominion then their own diosies did streich The nixt general CouÌ„sel wes gathered by the Empreoure Graciane against the Herisie of Macidonins and
concerning the latter dayes are of vs carelesly passed ouer no God forbid for they be warninges betuix ourâ—… eyes The Apostle Peter hath moste carefully warned vs of Sathans â—…yght and fury not forgetting also to istruct vs how to withstand him in these wordes Be sober and watche for your aduersarie the Deuil as a roring lyon walketh aboute feking whome he may beuore whome sayeth the Apostle ye shall resist being steadfast in Faith ye say that Sathan can not take Christes name from vs no certanely nor steare a haire of our heades forther then God doeth appoint him â—…e are not affrayed that that Serpent â—…al ather spoyle vs of thrist or of his naâ—…e for we know our selues to be Christs â—…epe to whom he hath not onely pmised â—…ernal lyfe but also that they shall neuer â—…rishe nor be plucked out of his hand by â—…y This certanetie of our Saluation â—…ocedeth not of our owne merites and â—…orthynes which God did foresie to be 〈◊〉 vs as ye blasphemous Papistes do â—…irme nor yet of the worthynes of theâ—… workes that follow after our externall â—…ocation no but the begining the midâ—…est and the end of our SaluatioÌ„ cometh 〈◊〉 the mear mercy of our God alone in â—…hriste Iesus his Sonne to whome he â—…ly liberally gaue vs before all worlâ—…es as that he him self witnesseth in the â—…uangle of Iohn saying My Father â—…hich gaue them me is greater then all â—…nd none is able to take them out of my â—…athers hand I and my Father are one â—…pon these promises we rest and shall â—…od willing vnto the end nether feare we â—…s promises nor the fidelitie of them for â—…ppose we be fragel yet wil he not deny 〈◊〉 self but how cometh it to pas that ye perceaue not the craft of this Serpent your self whereof ye admonish others so earnestly For Sathan hath not oneâ—…e spoyled you of christ him self giuen you a whyte tepertane God to play you with but also hath spoyled a great nomber of your masters men euen of the verie name of Christe For they think it to base a name to be called Christians wherewith enerie man is tearmed that is Baptised And therefore are som of them called Frasiscans soâ—…e Benedictinis some Donâ—…nicans Agustmians some Carâ—…elites and Cartusians some Heremites and Iacobins and some with one name and some with other whiche I irke to rehers Hereby plainely witnessing that they are ashamed of the name of Christ before men that he may deny them before his Father in any wise to apertean to him but to be of the nomber of those filthy locustes that S. Iohn remembreth in his Reuelation to haue come out of the bottomles pit Ye desyre vs to remember where and by what maner we haue Christe treuly then ye laboure to persuade vs that he is inclosed in the Sacrament knet to the Church vnto the which in deid he is cup led and maried by an euerlasting couenaÌ„t but not to your adulterus Church which ye wold make men beleue were the trew Church of God and so ye conclude that 〈◊〉 haue dispysed the Church sittuat vpoÌ„ the montane and hath intrused a figure for Christes body in the Sacrament This I trust be your meaning and the â—…one of your argument whereunto we â—…er That the Lord Iesus being reaâ—… to leue the world and go to his Father seing his Disciples who at that present were carnall mynded sorie for â—…s bodylie departing made vnto them 〈◊〉 solempned promise that he wolde not â—…aue them confortles but if they wolde â—…pe his commandements and teache his people also to obserue all whatsoeuer 〈◊〉 had commanded them that then but â—…out he wold be present with them vnto â—…e end of the world not catnally nor maâ—…cally inclosed in a bit of coniured bread 〈◊〉 which is now and then offered for seicke 〈◊〉 wine and Fearsy horses but by his hoâ—…e Spirit effectually working i their har 〈◊〉 that thing which his bodylie presence â—…uld not do whose departing from them â—…es vtterly necessarie and expedient as he him self doeth witnes in these wordes I tell you the treuth it is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the conforter which is the holy Ghoste will not come vnto you but if I depart I will send him vnto you Marck these wordes ye carnal Capernaites that wold pluck Christes fleshe from the right hand of the Father that if ye haue his flesh yet still with you ye lack his Spirit for he affirmeth in plaine wordes that the Spirit will not come except he depart and be absent in bodie Now chuse yow whither ye will want his bodie or his Spirit or rather whither think ye it better to imagine that ye haue his bodie for otherwise ye haue it nor and so for your fals imagi nation lack his Spirit or to grant that thing to be absent which is absent in deid and can not come til the latter day to the end ye may be participant of that holie Spirit that God poureth in the hartes of his chosen eueÌ„ here in this lyfe whereby we cry Abba Father But the questioÌ„ is soue answered on your part I am assured ye had rather play you with your myrrie conceats contenting your selues with that presence of Christe that you think ye haue nor to haue his Spirit except that ye might win money thereby as Symon Magus your predicessoure wold haue done For ye haue win more by the Magicall and merualous lying myrackle of transubstantiation whereby ye wold make men beleue that a peice of bread not worth a quarter of a farthing were changed in your masses to the body of Christ God and man the same lenth brede that he hang on the crose by this iugling I say ye haue win more then euer ye did by his Spirit But to the purpose we conclude that Christ is here present with his Church alwayes according to his promise by his holy Ghoste whiche who so hath not aperteined not to Christ with what giftes soeuer he be indued besyde ye make our selues iudges whither that we haue lighlyed the treu Church or not sittuat vpon the montane if ye mean hereby the Church of Rome as I dout not but ye do we deny simplie that it is the trew Church but rather that spirituall Babylone whereout of the Lord hath commanded his people to come that they â—…e not partaker of her plagues whither ye meane by this montane that great hil of ambitioÌ„ that Sathan caryed Christ to when that he promised him the whole Kingdomes of the earth if he wold worship hi which Christ refused your Pope hath receaued or if ye meane hereby the hilles that are sittuat about Rome which S. Iohn sayeth are 7. in nomber which also Baptista Mantuanus affirmeth for he calleth your Rome Seâ—…ollem vrbem I can not well tell
An other hill or hilles whereon your harlot sitteth I know none and thoght your meaning be not hid from me concerning this mater yet for the vanitie of it I leaue it to be interpreted by your self Ye affirme that we intruse an onely figure for the treuth of Christes body in the Sacrament They must haue leaue to lie that can not speak the treuth who euer hard any of vs ather say priuatlie or sâ—…ak openly in our preachings that the SacrameÌ„t is but a bare figure of Christes body I am assured there is no man able to proue it But rather this is oure doctrine of that moste sacrete and holie Sacrament that as we agree not with you Papistes that wold make men beleue that the bread were changed in Christes carnall and manly fleshe by transubstantiation which fleshe the heaueÌ„ must hold vnto the time that all thinges be restored which God hath spokeÌ„ by the mouthes of his holy Prophetes since the worlde begouth as witnesseth S. Peter So do we not agree with them that iudgeth the Sa cramentall bread and wine to be but bare signes or figures onely constantlie affirming and vndoutedly beleuing that als verilie as our teith eateth the bread and our mouthes drinketh the wine whereby our bodyes as sayeth Dauid is streÌ„thened and our hartes made glade so verilie are we partakers of Christes body by Faith whereby we are nourished to lyfe euerlastinge and this partaking requireth nether transubstantiation inpanation nor carnall presente but requireth the eleuatioÌ„ of our Spirites by faith to heauen there to be partakers of Christ not with carnal teith but with faith affectual This maner of partakig were the people taught in the primatiue Church as witnesseth this sentence Sursum cord â–ª which wes vsed at the ministration of the Lordes Supper whereby the people wee moued to lift vp their hartes aboue all earthly and sensyble thinges whose answer wes habemus ad Dominum we haue them lifted vp to the Lord which wordes moste shamefullie were abused in your mischiuous masse to your shame and coÌ„fusion And that Christes body is a trew natu rall body in deid lyke vnto oures in all thinges sinne except no fantasy which may be inclosed in a peice of bread and so in 10. thousand places at ones and that the Sacramentall bread is not changed in Christes fleshe and blood as the Papist dreameth not onely the whole Scrip ture but all godly and faithfull writers do testifie And first S. Augustyne whose moste plaine and euident sentences for the prufe of this purpose if I should infer this lytie work should grow to a greater volome then ather I am mynded now to write or yet tyme will permit being otherwaves occupyed principally in the fe ding of that flock wherof the holy Ghoste hath made me ouersear Sum yet I will produce to giue the readers a teast of the râ—…st In his coÌ„mentary vpoÌ„ the Psalmes he hath these wordes Non hoc corpuâ—… est tâ—… 〈◊〉 quod videtis et bibituri illum Sanguinem quem fusuri sunt qui me crucifigent Sed Sacramentum â—…liquod commendo vobis quod Spiritualiter intellectum viuificâ—… bit vos that is ye shal not eat this body which ye se nor drink that blood that they shall shed which shall Crucifie me but I commend vnto you a certane Sacrament or mysterie which being spiritually vnderstaÌ„ded shal quickeÌ„ you And in an other place Corpus Christi in quo resurreâ—…it in vno loco esse oportet veritas autem â—…us vbique diffusa est That is the body of Christ wherein he arose muste be on forse in one place but his veritie is spred abrode euerie where His tractat vpon Iohn is full of suche senteÌ„ces and many other of his workes also as his Epistle to Dardanê° his boke of Christiane doctrine the notable worke of the Citie of God al whiche I omit for lenth And because that the latine sentences occupyeth roume and also that euerie man vnderstandeth them not let it be sufficient to recite them in Inglish the treuth of the AllegatioÌ„s translating of them who so doutes of let him examine the places alledged Tertuliane writing against Martione hath these wordes Christ taking bread distributing it to his Disciples made it his bodie saying This is my body that is to say the figure of my body but this bread could not haue bene a figure of it except Christ hath had a trew body for a vaine or faÌ„tastical thing caÌ„ take no figure Ambrose vpon the first Epistle of Paule to the Corinthians and 11. chapiter hath these wordes vpon this sentence Shew the Lordes death Because sayeth he that we were deliuered by the death of the Lord we in eating and drinking of this thing he meaneth the Sacrament do signifie the fleshe and blood whiche were offered for vs. c. Origene in his 7. homilie vpon Leuiticus hath these wordes not onely is there a letter that killeth in the old Testa ment to be found but also in the new Testament a letter which killeth him that doeth not vnderstand the thinges spiritu ally for if thou do follow after the letter this that is spoken Except ye eat my fleshe and drink my blood this letter killeth therefor it is spiritually to be vnderstand S. Iohn Chrisostome in one of his homilies vpon the 26 of Mathew hath these wordes He also drank of it lest wheÌ„ they hard his wordes they shuld say why do we then drink blood and eat fleshe And so should be troubled for wheÌ„ he spak before of those thinges they were offended with his wordes and that the same should not now also come to pas he him self drank first of it that they also without grudging or trubil might coÌ„mu nicat of the mysteries These same wordes in affect shortlyer sumwhat collected hath Thomas Aquino in his book called cathena aurea vpon the four Euangelists where also he alledges the same Chrisostome vpon the same place S. Hierome iÌ„ his commentary vpon mathew the. 26. chapiter hath these wordes After the mystical Easter Lambe wes fulfilled and he had eaten the Lambis fleshe with his Apostles he passeth through vnto the Sa crament of the trew Easter Lambe that when Melchisedec the priest of the heigh God in prefiguration of him broght forth bread and wine he might also represent the treuth of his body Althogh that Hierome haue not so clerly as the mater required mad the conference betuix Christ and Melchisedec yet hath he treuly iudged in this place of the SacrameÌ„t if I shuld rehears all suche sentences as maketh for this purpose out of the ancient Doctors writinges as I haue said before this small treatie wold growe to a great volome that I be not to tedious therefore let these inferred serue at this present rea die hereafter to collect mo if these endes not the stryfe Ye say that they which haue
red Scriptures and Doctors writinges knoweth that we propone but the wordes of the Law and not the Law it self nor yet haue we say ye Gods worde for vs so ye coÌ„clude verie magistraliter as your maner is that we reteane onely Christes Name and not him self There is no maÌ„ I am assured that hath red the Scriptures and Doctors writinges with iudgement which doeth not knowe this affirmatiue of yours to be rashe rayling lincked full of lies c. And then ye laboure to shew how we haue expelled Christe firste ye say in his ymages and SecoÌ„dly in the Euchariste and masse and Thridly in exponing the Scripture according to mans inuention Hitherto it might haue appeared to men of sklender iudgement as I haue said in the begining of this answer that the loue of God had moued you to this mater but blissed be God eueÌ„ the Father of our lord Iesus Christ that now ye haue detected your self bewraying that which before ye couered with an exceading wyde cloke of Hipocrycie Let an Asse be als well decked as may be with a Lyons skin and yet will his long eares declare what he is Let a Uoulfe be neuer so well â—…led with a â—…hepes skin yet occasion being offered he wil shew hi self to be a rauening blood â—…hristie deuorer of those poore beastes whose skin he wes clothed with So alâ—…hogh that hitherto ye haue most craftely â—…ouered your self with Christes name yet â—…ow thou doest shew thy self to be a filthy â—…dolater and fals worshipper of God â—…nd that the loue to thy Idoles and Idoâ—…atrous masse which thou coÌ„planes that â—…e haue expelled hath moued thee to â—…rite and not the loue of God and Salâ—…ation of thy brethreÌ„ as thou pretendeth â—…hou fayest that we haue expelled Christ 〈◊〉 his ymages it became thee firste to â—…ue prouen that he wes present in ymaâ—…s and then thy argument had bene the stroÌ„ger But that ymages are forbidden of God that his people shal abhor them and flee from them as from snares that catcheth the soules of ignorants in the miserable captiuitie of Idolatrie and deuorcement froÌ„ God the whole Scriptures do testifie First the Lorde our God expresly forbiddeth in the Second coÌ„mandement of the Decaloge that we shall make any ymages similitudes or lycknesses of any kynde of thing in the heaueÌ„ aboue the earth beneth or in the water vnder the earth Secondly that if it shall come to pas that Sathan shall fill any maÌ„s hart with vanitie to make ymages then are we forbidden to reÌ„der any kinde of reuerence ather in outward gestur or in inuard mynde In these wordes thou shalt not bowe doune to them nor worshep them Thridly he promiseth to punish the transgressors of this commandement vnto the thrid fourt GeneratioÌ„ This is the immutable decrie of the most hiest coÌ„cerning ymages whereupon we rest not caring what men of how great authoritie nor the wicked world be cankered custome hath ather done or vsed to the contrarie How greuously Idolaters are punished the seuere and rigorus executioÌ„ vsed by Moyses against them who yet wes the meakest man on earth euidently witnesseth read the 32. of Exodus The intysers to Idolatrie must be killed althogh they appeare to be holy how neir so euer they be of kin freindship or allyance The miserable and vnto this hour endles captiuitie of the whole 10. Tribes of Israel whom Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat caused to sinne sufficientlie doeth declare vnto vs bothe how sore God hateth Idolatrie and punisheth Idolaters how detestable they haue alwayes bene in the syght of all Gods Prophetes Dauid in his Psalmes Esayas in his Prophecie and the wise man in his wisdome testifieth Ieremie calleth them the doctrine of vanitie and yet ye are not affray ed by your Theologie to affirme that they ar lay meÌ„s bokes whereby Christ preseÌ„teth him self to his people as if he delited to teache his people with vanitie God send you better knowledge if that of ignorance and not of malice ye write Seing therefore that as the wise man sayeth they were not from the begining nether shall continue for euer with him I conclude that they are miserable and among the dead is their hoâ—…e that worshippeth and calleth them Gods that are the workes of mens handes Fynally whither we that dependeth vpoÌ„ God allone to receaue our doctrine of his mouth or ye that stablisheth your doctrine by the authoritie of the Church of CouÌ„sels and Doctors which of vs exponeth the Scrip tuce according to mans inuention Let all meÌ„ iudge as they wil answer to God Renats Epistle the Fourt Section I Require o learned and lettered men for the death of Christes sake to weye aâ—…d consider this foresaid for I burne when I se so expert meÌ„ with a great nom ber of others led by your persuation and exemple in so manifest perrel and danger of their Saluation Wherefore abhor and reiect ye the Christiane peoples Sacrifice that is the masse which we haue figured by the Law of nature and of Mayses pro mised in the Prophetes which we haue exhebit and giuen vs in the Euangel which wes receaued and authorised in the Primatiue Kirk and hath bene alwayes vsed so oft as a thing moste necessar by all the Elect and predestmat people of God whiche thing moste plainely witnesseth Dionisius Areopagita Ignatius with the rest of the holy Fathers of the primatiue Kirk whose iudgement and authoritie in exponing and declaring the holy Scripture namelye of the Sacrifice of the masse I pray you o coÌ„uing men let vs with sobernes follow and not lean to our own wit and iudgement in a mater of so great importance Let vs stere vp the negligeÌ„ce and sluggishnes of Pastors not tollarable and let vs plainely argew their abuses with the vehemeÌ„cie of Gods word And I pray God of his infinit mer â—…y that we may confirme and kepe the Christiane people in trew Faith and god lynes and that we may edifie and helpe as belongeth to Christiane men ilk one other of charitie in Religion and godly lyfe Because we oght to aduert moste â—…r â—…uÌ„spectlie that we ê‘uert not the treu faith and Religion and feare lest we vnderstaÌ„d â—…uer hie in exponing of holy Scripture And firste of all we oght to prouide that we leid in captiuitie our own wittes aÌ„d others that vnderstaÌ„ding we may haue the pouertie humilitie of Spirit which Christ our Lord placed in the fundation of Christiane building and hath promised to recompence the same with the Realme of heauen Mat. 15. The Lord moâ—… grant vs all to be so affected And thus faire ye well o learned men in Christ Iesu. And requireth you again that ye wold declare me manifestlie as the Minister of Gods worde oght to do what ye think of the masse the Christiane peoples Sacrifice for so I hope it shal come to pas that by quiet talking had