be verteis of zour awin iugement ze ar condemned be resson as interpretis Tertullian ze haue electâ—d and chosin that wnto zou on the quhilk zour condemnatioun dothe iustlie follow quhairfore ze mister nocht to call God so oft to witnes quha has all reddy pronunced his sentence aganis zou to be haldin as ane ethniâ—k and publican in respect ze do nocht Obey his kirk â–ª For as testifies Cipriane â–ª he sall nocht in ony sort haue God to his father quha refuset the kirk to hâ—s mother and quhâ— is nocht ane membre of the bodie of Christ can nocht be quikned â—e his spreit THE REST OF SCHIR Iohne knox ansuer THe ansner to the secund can nocht be so schort for his assertioun aggâ—eis so lytle with the place of the Propheit that we 〈◊〉 in dout whether he has trauelled to vnderstand the mynd of the propheit His assertion is this Of the kirk whereof the propheit speaketh it is said be him in the secuÌ„d chap that it shal be manifest and visible through all the world The wordes of the propheit at these It shal be in the last dayes that the montane of the hous of the lord shal be prepared in the top of the montanis and shal be exalted aboue the hilles and all nationes sall flow vnto it And many people shall go and say cum let ws go vp vnto the montane of the lord to the hous of the God of Iacob and he will reache ws his wayes and we will walk in his pathes For the law shall go furth of Syon and the word of the lord from Hierusalem and he shall iudge among the nationes and rebuke many people c. In thais wordis of the propheit we find no such thing as the kirk shal be manifest and visible through all the world we acknawledge a promise of glade thinges to cum to be ioyned to Hierusalem and vnto mont â—yon after the miserable distructioun of the same we find the tyme appointed to wit the last dayes But that the promise may be better tryed we must â—now of the wryter when these last dayis began and quhen thay shal be compleit We must further know if there be any one certane place appointed â–ª in the which it is said that the kirk of God shal be visible â–ª and manifest in all ages These tuo heades being considdered it shal be moir easie to iudge of the assertioun of the wryter and whou it aggreis with the mynd of the propheit And first we think that the wryter wil nocht deny but the last dayes whereof the propheit speakes begaÌ„ long befoir that euer the Euangell of Iesus Christ wes knowen or publictlie receaued in Rome to wit at the appearing of Iesus Christ in the fleshe when that â—e reueled vnto the world the hole will of his father For so ar we taught be the apostle sayng God in auld tymes spak vnto oure fatheres in diuers maners be the pro hetes in the last dayes he hath spoken to ws be his sone c. and the Apostle Peter in that his most notable sermone made to Ierusalem the day of Penthecost affiâ—es that the prophesie of Ioell maid as concerning the pouring furth of Godes graces vpon all fleshe in the last dayes wes euen then compleit quhen that the holie spreit discended doun vpon those that beleued So then we haue gotten the last dayes to haue begun with Iesus Christ who is the glorie of the secund temple when think we that thay ended If the wryter wil say â— when Rome receaued the Euangel then wes the accomplishement of the last days As men iustly may dout thairof so will the apostle planelie deny it saying the spreit speaketh euideÌ„tlie that in the last tymes some shall depart froÌ„ the faith c. Wherof we may gadder that the Apostle appointeth the last tymes to continew longer then that the Euangell was ones publictly preached ro wit till that meÌ„â—hould begin to sall from the faith and giue airis to the doctrine of deuilles Yea if we will searche the scriptures we shall find that the last dayes continew from the first appearing of Iesus Christ in fleshe vnto his last returning vnto iudgement So that the last dayes do not onely include the first publicatioun of the Euangell but also the defectioun from it yea and the restitutioun of it agane vnto the world be the brightnes wherof that man of sin should be reuealed and distroied wherof we conclude that if the last dayes do yet continew wherof the prophet maketh mentioun the thinges promised to be performed in theme are not yet alltogether compleit but ar in thare progres and shall so procead till that all be finished that is for spoken be the holie prophetes and Apostles of Iesus Christ. And so may Iesus Christ this day be working in Scotland â–ª albeit that Papistes rage against his Euangell as in thase dayes he wroght in Hierusalem when the preastes and the hole visible â—kirk for the most part raged against the same But now to the secund head we wald knaw if the wrytar can appoint vnto ws any one certane place whair this montane of God is promysed to Remane manifestlie and visible For this we mak knowen to the hole world that for the lufe we beare to the building and reparing of Goddes holie hous we haue endangered lyfe and â— all thinges temporall And theirfoir if the writter can appoint wnto ws a certane place wherunto God hes maid â— promise we shall euerie one exhort an other with all diligence to go vp tharuÌ„to But if he can appoint none haueing greater assurance be Godes mouth more then an other then will we cheritabillie desyre him to desist from taunting and mockage of so notable workes of God as he of late yeares hes shawen in mo realmes thaÌ„ one Oure maister Christ Iesus apointes ws to no one certane place where that we shal be assured of his presens but reather forbidding the obseruatioun of all places he sendes ws to his owen spirituall presence saying wheresoeuer two or thrie are gathered in my name there am I in the middest of thame And in ane other place behold I am with zow to the end of the world we being grouÌ„ded vpon these promyses haue good hope through Iesus Christ that in oureâ— congregationis we haue the fauorable presence of Iesus Christ asweill in his word as in his holy sacramentes For in his name alone conuene we be him alone we call vpon God oure father and beâ— him alone we ar assured through the power of his holie spreit to obtene oure requeâ—stis maid according to his will we wonder greatlie that the wryter considderis not the promise of the propheit â—sâ— that all nationis shall cum to that holie montane we ar a natione how abiect that euer we appeare why then will the wryter deny wnto ws fre passage to the
NOw to cum to the conclusioun of my argument quhilk wes that gif ze culd nocht schaw in quhat place of the warld zour kirk wes immediatlie afoir this thre hundreth zeir that it culd nocht be the trew kirk Ze ansuer it was Hierusale ane thousand and fynehundreâ—h zeir syne Quhilk gif it be direct ony man may cleirlie vnderstaÌ„d for ze do tak and assnme that for probatioun of zour caus quhilk is in gretast controuersie Marouer ze war nocht domandet quhair it wes afoir ane thousand and fyuehundreth zeiris bot quhair it wes immediatlie afoir threhundreth zeris Suay as zit ze haue ansuerit nothing to the propos Thairfoir I will persist in my former domaÌ„d and gif zour ministers can no htschaw in quhat place the kâ—â—k of God wes immediatlie afoâ—r thir last thre hundret zeiris that ar constranit to grant that the inheritance of Christ quhilk dois comprehend ewer ane greit part of the warld according to all scriptures was alluterlie inuisibill and vnknâ—weÌ„ quhilk in it self is repugnaÌ„t To be schort I wald domand thame quhether gif during the tyme of the coÌ„ceill of Nice thay quha was estemit for pastouris of the kirk wer pastouris in verray deide or nocht for gif thay wer pastoures the ministers and pastouris of our kirk coÌ„siddering thai profes the self same doctrine with thame and is chosin be ane lyk maner of vocatioun to the ministerie of the kirk ar in lyk wais to be estemit as pastoures Gif thai quha was in the coÌ„ceill of Nice wes nocâ—t trew pastouris I beleue that thay sall-nocht be albe to name ony trew pastour of the kirk afoir Iohne Caluin Quhilk gif it be according to Goddis word in the quhilk ze appear to gloir I leue the iugement to the readar THE LETTER ANd suy â— tlie gif ze or ony of zour cunning ministers of zour nâ—w inuented Euangell schaw me the successioun of his kirk sen Christ and by that aggre the manifest contradictioun that baith I haue red and sene with my ene amangis the doctouris and principals of zour new doctrine â— sall nocht onlie renunce the sentence quhilk I haue haldin herâ—tofore bot al 's sall afoix all that will heir me confes my ignorance and fault and saâ—l employ all my strenth to the furthsetting of zour relâ—gioun THE REST OF SCHIR IOHNE knox ansuer OF this part of the wryters letter and of that whilk is pâ—st befoir it is easie to coÌ„sidder that he will acknawledge no kirk to be the trew kirk of Iesus Christ onles that is can shaw the deu successioun thair of from the days of Iesus Christ. And farther that the teachers of it do so aggre in doctrine that in no point thay be found to differ on from ane other We ansuer if the immaculat spous of Iesus Christ wer bound to thais tuo extremities the bondage thairof wer maist miserable but becaus we find oure master Iesus Christ is moir fauorable to his pure kirk than maister Tyrie craues we ar decreed to stand in that fredome and libertie wherunto oure head and onlie souerane lord hes called vs. we find that he sendis nocht his afflicted kirk to seak a â—â—neall successioun of any personis befoir that he will receaue thame but he with all geÌ„â—â—lnes calleth his sheap vnto him self saying cuÌ„ vnto me allâ— ye that labour and ar laden and I will ease you â–ª And agane all that the father geueth me shall cum to me and him that cometh to me I cast not away O golden and most confortable sentence pronuÌ„ced of him who can not lie Heir is no mention of any successioun that we should clame to befoir that we be receaued of him who is the head of the kiâ—k but onlie it is said that that which the father giueth and that the sone receaueth shall not be cast away nather yet will he lose any that cummeth to him but that he will saue thame and rase thame vp at the last day And the Apostle speking of the vocatioun of the Gentils send is thame not to seak a successioun but in the persone of the Ephesianes pronunced this sentence in fauores of all that beleue Iesus Christ. Now thairfoir ye ar no moir strangers and foraners but citizens with the sanctis and of the houshald of God And ar builded vpon the fundatioun of the Apostles and prophetes Iesus Christ him self being the cheif corner stone in whome all the building coupled together groueth vnto a holie tempill in the lord Heir we find men which befoir wer straÌ„gers maid cietizenes with the sainctis and of the houshald of God we find Iesus Christ to be the cherf corner stone but we find no mentioun of any fic successioun as maister Tyrieâ— seameth rigorouslie and without Godis commandement to craue And thairfoir we can not bot wonder why that mortall maÌ„shall craue of ws that which nether God the father his sone Christ Iesus nather yet the holie Apostlis in thair ministerie craued of any realme or natioun And thairfoir let Maister Tyrie tak this for an ansuer That an iniust requeast may iustlie be denyed And yet least that the wryter or any other should think thame selues rather mocked then ansuered We adde to the premissis that we ar able to shaw the successioun of our kirk directlie and laughfullie to haue flowed from the apostlis And oure reason is becaus that in oure kirkis we nather admitt doctrine ryte nor ceremony which be thair writtingis we sind not authorised And albeit that this shall not satiffe the new start vp Iesuites yet oure consciences at rest Becaus we ar assured to be awowed of the supreme iudge THE REFVTATIOVN VEralie gif thair had bene na thing in all zour buke bot thâ—s of the quhilk ze micht haue bene coÌ„uicted to be ane fals propheit this only wer sussicient Ze say Christ dothe call all maÌ„ vnto him bot it is maist certane that he dois call no maÌ„ vnto him bot be the meanes of his pastouris and ministers as speciall instrumeÌ„t is thairof quhome he hes institute as ane sure way to ws be the quhilk we suld cuÌ„ vnto him lyk as he saith quha herith zou herith me and quha contenit zou coÌ„temnit me For the apostolis and thair successouris ar appointed onlie to the gouernement of the kirk as testifies S. Luk sayng haue diligeÌ„t cure of zour selues and of the haill flok to the quhilk the halie gaist hes coÌ„stitute zou to the effect ze may gouerne the kirk of God And suay in respect heir of quhasoeuer pretendis to vsurpe the ministerie of the kirk be ane vther way aÌ„d resson nor be the gouernouris quhilk is the halie spreit hes constitute in it thay ar ondoutedlie fals prophetis bot as the experience it self teachis and zour selues dois all reddie
alluterlie inuisible ze can nocht be assured in ony ways quether gif it vsed sic scriptures as we vse or nocht thairfoir ze haue na iust title considering ze reiect the authoritie of oure kirk to vsurpe oure scripturis in ony ways for lyk as zour kirk wes in the desert suay wes zour scriptures and becaus that na man hes brocht thame furth of the desert as zit we may instlie suspect that thay be sumpart discrepant from ouris at the leist ze can nocht be assured in the contrar Thairfoir of necessitie ze mon proue considdering the scriptures can nocht be acknawlegit bot be the trew kirk ether that zour inuisibill kirk hes vsit sic scriptures as we vse or ellis ze can haue na iust title nor authoritie to vsurpe oure scriptures As quhair ze say that Elias be his exempill dois confirme the kirk at sum tyme to haue bene inuisible gif we wald grant vnto zow that thing quhilk ze maist ernistfullie desire to wit the kirk during the tyme of Elias to haue bene inuisibill zit ze war no nerar zour propos First becaus that in the self same tyme we haue for oure part at the leist Elias quhome we may produce as witnes aganis zow zebe the contrar can nocht be able to name ane during the tyme of the inuisibilitie of zour kirk SecuÌ„dlie the kirk of God hes at na tyme bene sa obscurit nor hid bot he of his prouidence hes reseruit sindrie as ane seminar be quhome he hes prorogat his doctrine to the posteritie Thairfoir gif ze wald haue followit the exempill of Elias ze suld haue produced ane at the leist indewit with the trew wirschiping of God fra quhome it had ordourlie cum vnto zow and the remanent of zour prophetis For in this maner we reid that Elias did anoynt and constitute Heliseus ane propheit And gif ze wald considder the haill histories of the au'd testament ze sall nocht be abill to find that in ony tyme the trew wirshiping of God did sa perische in the quhilk he hes nocht reseruet sum as said is as ane seminar to the posteritie Quhilk gif we see to haue sa precâ—selie obseruit in the synagoge quhik wes bot ane schaddou and vmbre of the trew kirk and at suÌ„ tyme wes to haue ane eÌ„d quhat thaÌ„ suld we beleif of the kirk Christ quha for inheretance hes receaued the hail warld And as he testifies him self the seid quhilk he hes plantit that is his word sall grow and multiplie euin to the end of the warld For albeid that it be persâ—cutione heresies or vther meanis maid decay in sumpart of the warld zit vniuersalie it sall nocht decay befoir the letter day quhairfoir the exempill of Elias doth na ways help zou Bot quhat gist preif euin during the tyme of Elias the kirk to haue bene visitill mycht nocht the haill warld be iustoccasioun call zou ane maist impudent man and worthie of oll punitioun quha dois abuse the simple and ignoraÌ„t people be sic forgett and fals persuasions Thairfoir that zour impudencie be knawin to the haill warld I ansuer resolutlie that in the tyme of Elias and in that self same tyme quhilk ze allege the kirk of God was visible and manifest in the haill kinkdome of Iuda the sacrifice wes offerit in Hierusalem the ceremoneis and exercise of religioun wes practised Io saphat quha wes than king was ane of the maist Godlie princes that euer raÌ„g in Iudatand to be schort throw his haill empyre all thing wes to be found â—uhilk wes ony way requisit to the visibili ie of the kirk as i manifest in the buâ—kis of the kinges It is trew that in the kingdome of Israel the persecutioun wes greit in sa far that Elias beleuit that amang the prophetis of God he wes left his alane bot S. Iohne knox other be extreme ignoraÌ„ce or extreme malice wald collect uniuersallie that the haill kirk wes than inuisibill becaus Elias mening of the persecutione of Achab onlie and on naway of the kingdome of Iuda did say that he wes left his alane Thairfoir to conclude this argumeÌ„t quhilk â—sis to be the cheif grouÌ„d of the inuisibill kirk of Iohne Caluin and S. Iohne knox is allutâ—rlie aganis thame that onles thair meÌ„strals had lang syne tint all schame thay suld be eschemit of sic vane and fantasticall doctrine contrar to all scripture to all othoritie to all resson foundit on sic freuol and vane imaginations reid S. Augustene Optatios Mileuitanus S. Hierome Tertullian S. Cypriane and thair ze will find at leÌ„th quhatsueuer I haue brocht aganis zou Quhilk I say to that effect that the reader perceaue that ze haue vsit na vther argumentis for the confirmatione of the maist cheif ground and pillar of zour religioun that is to est thelis zour inuist ill kirk nor thay quha in all agis hes bene estemit as heretikis And thad I be the contrar to proue the kirk to be visible in all age and to haue continuall successioun of lauchfull pastours and doctouris do vse na vther argumeÌ„tis bot thais quhilk in all agis thay that wer estemit for Christiane men and lau bfull pastouris of the kirk doth euer vse THE LETTER THair is sum I knaw perchance for laick other of gude discurs or witt measures the veritie of the thing thay follow be the wardlie succes thay haue in the following of it Bot surelie I can nocht esteme zow to be ane of that rank and gif ze war I wald exhort zou to reid amaÌ„gis the rest the 27. psalme and the 143. psalme Quhair by ze will easalie vnderstand that nother the prosperous succes of zour pairt in warldlie thingis I mene prouis it that ze follow to be of veritie nor zit our decay and aduersitie makis our pairt to be conuicted zea rather the mater considerit as it aucht to be zour prosperitie is rather a manifest argumeÌ„t of goddis wraith nor of ony treuth of weritie Fort it is said be ane godlie halie and cuning man ane XI hundreth zeir bypast quod nihil infeelicius foelicitate peccantium qua poenalis nutritur impunitas mala voluntas velut interior hostis roboratur THE REST OF SCHIR IOHNE knox ansuer We micht haue passed by this parcell without ansuer becaus that nothing in it conceaued â–ª â—â—stly can be laid to our charge For oure warldly 〈◊〉 prosperitie and rest nether is nathir yet hes bene at any tyme sence we haif embrassed the euaÌ„gell of Iesus Christ suche as may nurishe ws in wickednes nether yet are the Papists able to conuict ws of suche impictie as all the warld know hath roung among thame of mo yearis then an hundreth thryse told And in the meane tyme to what honour and worldlie dignitie thay