IN the time preordinat be God, of his vnserchable & vncomprehensible wisdome, after he had created man to his awin Image and licknes, to the end to steir him vp to feir and obedience: alswa to gif him sume exercise in vertew, to acknawlege God his maker: thair war ordenit monie Signes, Sacrificis, and Sacramentis. First of all: to our forefather Adam, he and his successouris, being cor­poral men, yair ware ordenit be God corporal signes to proue ye better his obedience (to wit) treis planted in ye middis of ye gardin, & eardlie paradise.Treis of life Gene. [...].1. Euseb. Th [...] ­odor & Seuer. Thir treis ȝit albeit yai war of na vther qualitie, nor vther plantis, not­withstāding yai being dedicatit & consecratit of God, to serue as Sacramentis, yat is to say: halie signes, yair qua­litie was yan dedicatit and consecratit to serue as ane seal for witnessing, attestatioun, and approbatioun of Gods wil. For ye infinite gudnes of God, willing to mak knaw­in ye coniunctioun, confederacie, and conuenant maid w^t man his creature, formit to his awin licknes, fra tyme to tyme, he hes ordenit to him outward and bodelie Signes, quhilks man micht se & behauld with his corporal eine, to serue him as ane assurance, plege, and Signe of Gods conuenant. Swa thair was institutit to our first and com­moun Father, treis and corporal fruites, left and geuin to him in keping, without plucking, eating, or consuming of thaim, vnder paine of Eternall death.

It behuisis than, to beleif be faith, yat ye treis, and fruites wer not signis, or Sacramentis of vanitie, as a simple Pic­ture,prou. 1.2.3. bot sen of yaim lyfe and death dependit, yai con­tenit ye signis, & ye thing signifeit, quhairin did stand ye knawlege & wisdome to feir God, and obey him. And for this cause, war yai callit [...] fruitis of knawlege of gude and euil, & treis of life, in yat, yat keping yai frutis con­secratit, in obaying of God, was promisit life eternal.

Contrariwise in abusing ye Sacramentis, in gainstanding ye wil of God, declarit be ye outwarde signis, was pur­chassit death and eternall damnatioun.

sacrifices be­fore [...]he law [...]ittin.For vthers exercisis of man towardis God, to ye end to reuerence, honour, & worschip him, monie & diuerse Sacrificis war celebratit: ȝea, euin before ye Law writ­tin be Moyses. And althoucht yat Almichtie God, mak­er of heuin & eard,Psal. 50. hes na neid of mans warkis, seing he is not nurishit of ye blude of beastis, nor fruitis of the eard: neuertheles he hes alwayis desirit, to draw man to him in feir & outwarde obedience,Gene. 4. be signis, Sacrifices & Sacramentis, in sick sorte, yat ye Sacrifices of Lambes of­ferit be Abell,gen. 6.7.9. Hebr. 1 [...]. was acceptable vnto God. Noah likewise afterwarde ye deluge of waters was passit, in takin of acknawleging & obedience towardis God, he [...]rectit ane Alter, offerit and Sacrificit offrings of scheip without spot, and of foules, quhairof he maid a perfite Sacrifice plesant to God. Be thir examples it is easie to knawe, yat ye Sacrifices began not in ye time of Moyses; bot ye in­nocent & iust Lambe, representit be ye Sacrifice of Abel, ye signe of Christ Iesus, to haif bene slaine and offerit sen ye beginning of ye warlde.

After the rigour of ye flude, yat come for ye punisch­ment of the offencis of ye tyrants of ye eard,Apocal. 13. in signe of reconciliatioun and conuenāt renewit, our gude God or­denit ye signe of ye raine bowe,Raine bowe in plege and assurance of his heuinlie mercie.Ge [...]e. 9. This signe and celestial bowe, albei [...] yat before it apperit in ye thick cludis, being a [...]e takin of [Page 5] raine for to cum, notyeles, it had not bene as ȝit markit and dedicatit to serue man, as a sacrament and halie signe vnto ye tyme, that it was be God ordenit for a takin of the conuenant contractit to the gude father Noah, and to his successouris.

To the faithful Patriarche Abraham, anuther confede­racie and conuenant was contractit be the wisdome of God, quha ordenit to him for ane plege,Ctreumcisio [...] in the ȝere of the warlde 2041. and assurance of him and his posteritie, ye outwarde signe of circum­cision, to serue him as ane sacrament and perpetual mark of Gods wil:Gen. 17. it was ordenit to him to cause circumcise y^e mail childrin within ye aucht day of thair birth, vnder ye paine to b [...] castin of, fra y^e nomber of ye pepil quhilk God had adoptit.

To the same pepil of Israel, was ordenit ye sacrament of the lamb immaculat,The Paschal lamb. the bluid of the quhilk being sprinklit, sould preserue the pepil fra ye death destinat in Egipt: ye fleshe alswa was ordenit to be eatin,Exod. 12. & yairof to celebrat ȝeirlie ye fest in y^e day callit passouer, in signe & remembrance of the deliuerance, fra the thraldome of Pharo: with the signe of the conuenant of ye fleshe of ye paschal lambe, it was ordenit yat they soulde eate bread without leuen for sevin daies, vnder the pain of death.

Vther halie signes war send of God to his chosin pe­pil, euer to draw yaim to his fere and obedience,The clude the fi [...]tie pil­ler Exod 13. The diuisiō of ye Ara­bick sea in the ȝere of the warlde 2453. Exod. 14. 1. Co [...]. 10. Tit. 3. as ye signe of the clud, a takin of ye way to gide ye pepil be day, the piller firy & flamming, to conduct yem be nicht, out of the hands of ye tirant Pharo. Afterward alswa ye signe of ye diuision of the rede Arabik see, throch the quhilk passit ye elect pepil of God. Be ye quhilkis mer­uelous signes God wauld signifie the halie sacrament of Baptisme, thairafter ordenit be the signe of the water, quhilk is ye wasching of regeneration, and renewing of the halie Gaist.

During ye time,Celestial Manna. Exod. 16. that the self sam chosen pepil of God war cont [...]nit in the Arabik wildernessis, thair was mini­strit [Page] to yaim fude of breid fra heauin, quhairwith yai war fed fourtie ȝeiris. This holie Sacrament institutit be ye power of God, was in swa greit admiratioū yat euerie ane of the people said, MAN-HV: (that is to say) quhat is this? Thay saw ye heuinlie MANNA geuin to yaim without trauel,1. Cor, 10. Iohn. 6. being ye figure of ye liuelie breid, descendit fra heauin, geuing life to all faithfull.

water gusching out of ye [...]o [...]k. [...]od. 16. Numb. 20. 1. Cor. 10. Iohn. 10.Anuther meruelous signe was ordenit of God, be the rocke flowing of liuelie water in Horeb, to stanche the thrist of ye altera [...] people, being a signe and figure of the trew rocke Iesus Christ, fra quham procedit blude and water, to flokin ye thrist of sinners perpetuallie.

Syndrie Sa­crificis ordenit be God in ye ȝeir of the warlde. 2455.Not onelie the Signes and Sacramentis foresaids, war ordenit of God, bot alswa the Law of Sacrificers was publissit be Moyses, as Signes, figuris, and schadow is of ye sacrifice endit be Iesus Christ. The Sacrificis war other publick, or particulare, ye ane war brunt Sacrificis, offe­ringis halelie consumit in fire:Brunt offe­rings. ye vther of beistis slaine and offerit to eat, and sume war beistis terrestriall, sume celestiall.Diuision of Sacrificis, draw in out of Exodus Leuit. Num. Beistis for ye sacrificis. Amang the terrestriall war ye beistis maist o­bedient, ye Ox and Calfe, ye scheip and Lambe, ye gate and Kid, amang ye foulis alswa ye mekest, ye Pigeoun & Turtil dow. Of ye Sacrificis, sume ware publick, the v [...]her particulare, of ye publicke, other yai war daylie, or in ye vii. day, or in ye new munis, or in ye tyme of abstinēce, [...]ayis orde­nit for sacri­ficis. Exod. 23. or in y [...] thre feistis in ye ȝeir celebratit, to wit, in ye day is of vnleuenit breid, quhen ye Paschal Lambe was offerit and eatin with breid without. Leuen: in the tyme alswa os [...]haruest,Reid the [...] p [...]lio. ye [...]w and of Iosephus. of ye first fruitis: and in ye feist of wines and [...]o liues, towardis ye end of ye ȝeir. Euerie day it was commandit to offer vp twa Lambis, ye ane in the morning▪ ye vther at euin, after ye Alter had bene per­sumit with inc [...]nse and odouris. Sume alswa of ye Sacri­ficis war ordenit for corporall thingis: quhilks wer cele­bratit with sp [...]inklit blude, ye vther Sacrificis without blude,Br [...]nt [...]ffe­ri [...]. for things vncorporat. The Sacrificis callit brunt [Page 6] offerings, concernit onelie ye honour of God,Philo [...] Iew in his we [...] be sti [...] orde­nit for Sacri­ficis. in swa fa [...] as all ye offring was consumit with fir [...]: for quhillo brunt offerings, the oblatioun maill and not fem [...]l was resauit, to wit, ye bullok, ye Lambe, or Kid of ane ȝeir auld: in ye Sacrifice for saluatioun, it was indifferent, gif it was maill, or femaill: bot of ye oblatioun offerit, yair war re­seruit thre partis for ye Sacrificer, to wit, ye fat,Iosephus. lib 3. Cap. 10. De antiq. iuda. ye twa neiris, and ye tay or Kall of ye liuer. Thair was anuther difference, betwene ye Sacrifice for Saluatioun, and yat quhilk was celebrat for sinne, for in ye ane,Leui. 1.2.3.4 Sacrifice for saluatioun. it was orde­nit to eat all ye Sacrifice in twa dayis: & in the vther for sinne, it was inioynit to eat it all in ane day: be yis mea­nis sume Sacrificis war callit brunt offerings, vthers for Saluatioun, vthers for sinne. Of ye Sacrificis for sinnis,Sacrifice for ye sinne of ignorance. yai war diuerse alswel because of ye personis, as of ye oblatiouns: for he yat offendit be ignorance, ye expiatioun was celebrat, with ye femail scheip, and gate:Sacrifice for ye sinne of ye hic preist of ye Prince ye magistrat & priu [...]t mā L [...]ui. 3. [...] 5, 6 bot ye ex­piatioun of sinne, be certaine knawlege, was with a scheip mail. The sinne of ye hie Preist was expiatit be ye Sacri­fice of ane Calfe offerit vp: ye sinne of ye Prince, with a Buik and a Bull: ye sinne of ane Magistrate, with a Buik: ye sinne of ye priuate man, with ye Sacrifice of a fem [...]ill.Sacrifice for ye pollutir man. The Sacrifice for ye expiatioū of offencis towardis God, was with a sheip maill. The Sacrifice of ye pollutit man, was alswa with a scheip, or gate femaillis▪ Sacrifice for for a womā del me [...]it of [...]. Leuit. 1. [...] Sac [...]ice for ye Iep [...]r. Leuit. 14. for y^e expiatioū of ye womā yat [...]ad borne hir barde, was a Lambe of ane ȝeir aulde, ye ȝoung Pigeoun, and tur [...]l dow▪ For ye pu­rificatioun, of ye Ieper, wan twa bird is aliue, pure and clene, ye wod of Ceder, and hissop, twa [...] Lamb [...] & a scheip femaill of a ȝeir aulde, with flour and oile. Anu­ther Sacrifice was y [...]ir for ye person pollutit be ye [...] ­ning ischew of seid or menstrew,Sacrifice for ye Monstru­ous pollu [...] w^t twa turtil dow is & twa ȝoung pigeons. Gif the greit off [...]ings fa [...]it, thay [...] yair refuge [...] is, or pigeons, & turtillis, ye ane for y^e brunt offring, the vther for the liuing of the preistis. In all sa­crificis thair was flour, clene without l [...]uen, or salt, incens [Page] & of oile.L [...] & honie forbid­din in all Sa­crificis. And nathing was permittit to be offrit with leuen or honie in the alter. Neuertheles in the sacrifice ordenit for the purification of the woman suspectit of adultrie, thair was na incens, nor oile as in other sacrificis, but in it was offrit water,Sacrifice for the wo­man suspec­ [...]it of adulte­rie. Num. 5. mixt with pouder, or aiss gathe­rit of the fluire of the tempil. Thaire was alswa ane vther sacrifice celebrat be yaime y^t had maid ye grete vow cal­lit Nazarianis, quhen the tyme of thair deuotion was ex­pyrit: quherein it was ordenit to offer thre oblations, ane lamb of a ȝere auld,Sacrifices of Nazarians. Num. 6. Philo the Iow in the treatise foir said. the zowe, and the ram, y^e ane, to wit, the lamb, to serue for a brunt offring, the vther the schepe f [...]mail, for Saluatioun: the Thrid Sacrifice for health. Mairatour ye haire of him quhilk maid ye oblati­on, aucht to be cast in in the fire to be brunt with y^e brunt offring.

Thus I thoucht gude summairlie to ryn throch ye di­uersitie of sacrificis, to the end, to let vnderstand y^e grete gudenes of our God, quha be the law of sacrificis pub­lis sit be Moises, wald reteine as vnder a bridle, the rude pepil of Israel, quhilk could not forȝet the idolatries of Egipt,Exod. 12. quherein thay had bene nourissit foure hundreth & threttie ȝeris, vnder y^e tyrannie of Pharonis. Bot quhat euer lawis of rigour, quhat euer ceremonies, and sacrifi­cis thair war, quhilk had bene ordenit to thame, this pe­pil fel euer agane into idolatries: abusing the law of God and corrupting ye halie sacramentis, & sacrificis, as here­after sal be rehersit. Gif ony man desiris mair at large to knaw the multitude, and diuersitie of sacrificis, let him rede the bu [...]is of Philo ye Iow, and Iosephus in his An­tiquities of the Iowis, following that quhilk Moises has clerely writtin in ye buke of Leuit. and Numer.

Anuther signe and sacrament was institutit of God, be the ark of conuenant, descriuit in Exodus: it being a signe consecratit and dedecatit, to resaue y^e halie oracles of heuin, to the end, to draw the pepil to remembran­ce, feir and obedience of God. To honour and accompany [Page 7] the ark of conuenant,Ark of con­uenant. Exod. 25.26 27.28. Ephod. monie vther outwarde signes war ordenit of God, as ye ornamentis & consecrations of y^e sacrificers, speciallie the ornament callit Ephod: the quhilk and ye sacrificis the Israelitis abusit be thair Idolatries.

Anvther halie signe, of the halie and clensing water,Halie cons [...] atit wa [...] ­ter. Num. 19. was ordenit of God, to Moises, and Aron the hie preist That halie water was consecratit of aiss, gathrit be the man vnpollutit, of the best offrit in a brunt sacrifice, to wit, of the rede cow, hail without spot, not hauing bene put vnder onie labour. The fire for the consumit sacri­fice, was ordenit of wud of Ceder, of hissop,Exod. 30. and of pur­pur crammoisie: with this water war sprinklit the men that wer vnclene, for clensing and purging, of thair cor­poral spottis. At the entrie of the tabernacle or tempil was a lawer of bras, forgit first of glassis of the wemen of Israel, in that lawer or bass [...]ne, was put the halie wa­ter, quhere with ye sacrificers sprinklit thaim self, before thay celebratit thair sacrificis, to the end, that thay micht be purifiit and obteine grace, and forgiuenes of sinnis.

After the death of the hie preist Aron, the pepil of Israel vnthankful towardis God,Serpent of bras. Num. 21. Io [...]. 3.7. for the benefite send to yame, murmuring as fashit with celestial manna, to yame frelie giuen for thair fude, war punissit with the bit of venemous serpents. Bot God being merciful, gaue to yame a halie signe to be preseruit & restorit vnto helth: to wit, ye signe of ye serpent of bras, erectit in ye aire, a figure of Iesus Christ crucifiit.

This is in sow me, the gretest part of signes, sacrificis, and sacramentis institutit of God, in the first Kirk of ye Israelits, figuris of the trew and perfite sacrifice, endit be Iesus Christ, ye trew Messias, euerlasting preist, sitting at ye richt hand of God his father.

Now it behuifis summairlie to deduce, how man be his a win salt, is fallin in obliuion and disobedience, aga­nis [Page] God his creatour,The Sacra­ment brokin be Adam. Gene. 1. abusing ye fauour of God, and cor­rupting ye halie Signes, Sacrificis, and Sacramentis orde­nit to him. Quha perswadit our first Father, and his fel­low, to hide thaim ye voice of God being harde, except yat yai had abusit ye halie Signe, and brokin ye Law of ye fruitis, forbiddin to yaim? This halie Signe, quhilk our first and vniuersal Father had abusit, hes bene ye original of vther vicis, and corruptiouns, heir afterward discriuit quhairin all men are fallin, smelling of ye lomp corruptit in Adam.

Leuing ye particular corruptiouns of Signes. Sacrificis, and Sacramentis, before ye Law writtin be Moises: we sal begin to deduce summarlie, ye maist notable errouris committit be ye maist principal Sacrificers, Kings, Preists, and vthers hauing ye ouersi [...]ht of ye people.

Than quhen Moises in ye mount of Sinay, soiournit to resaif ye Commandementis of God,Corruption of Sacrificis he Aaron. Exod. 32. Deut. 9. his Brother Aaron the chief Preist, causit forge a Calfe of gold, of ye earings of gold, geuin to him be ye pepill of Israel, biggit vnto it ane Alter, offerit incense, and celebratit Sacrificis, cau­sing ye common pepil worschip yat Image: was not yis a­busing of y^e Sacrificis, ordenit of God, & corrupting of ye trew vse, to cause worschip, ane Calfe in steid to slaye it, and offer it vp as it was accustomit. His Childrin alswa NADAB and AB [...]V,Corruption be Nadab & Abihu. Leuit. 10. war yai not consumit in fire, because yai had abusit ye vse of ye Sacrificis, and tane wod not consecratit, in corrupting the Law. The pepill of Isra­el,Numb. 11. vnthankful for ye benifite done to thaim, yat yai war deliuerit fra ye captiuitie of Pharo: did yai not murmur agan [...]s ye halie Sacrament of heuinlie MANNA, quhen yai had in despysing and contempt yat breid of life, desiring to eat flesche?Io. su 7. Achan ye sone of Charmes, brake he not ye Law of ye halie signes, quhen he committit Sacrill eg [...]e, hauing rete [...]it ye spoilis of Iericho, vowit and conse­cratit to God for Sacrifice.Iu [...]i. 2.3.6. [...]. [...]. Gif ony mair curious desiris to see ye abusis & corruptiouns; contine wit be ye: pepil yaim selfe, let him reid ye storie of ye Iugis of Israel, and [Page 8] he sal knaw yat in all tymes, men hes neuer cōtentit yaim selfis of ye trew adoratioun, orde [...] of God, bot in place of outward signes; institutit of God, to drawe ye pepill to feir and obedience, yai haif sorgit to thaim selfis vther inuen [...]icuns, and in steid to reuerence ye Alters, and Ark of cōuenāt, in y^e name of onelie God,Iudi. 10. being outward halie signes, ye Israelits brocht in Idolatries of yair neichbours Siriens, Sidonions, moabitis, Ammonitis, & Philistins, erectit Alters to strange Gods, Baal, and Astaroth. Iepthe Iuge, and conducter of ye Israelits,The inhumaine Sacrifice of Iepthe. Iudi. 11. did he not cor­rupt ye Law of sacrificis, quhen he maid sacrifice of his awin douchter, excusing him self of ye vow, be him maid, quhilk had not bene ordenit to him be God. Of ye halie signe ordenit for ye hie Preist, sacrificer to celebrate sa­crificis, callit Ephod, to serue as ane outward ornament, was it not abusit be Gedeon ye conducter of Israel,Iudi. 8.9. Idolatrie be ye Ephode of golde. quhē of ye spoilis of ye Madianitis, and of yair earings, he for­git ane Ephod of gold, be ye quhilk ye pepil fell in greit Idolatrie? How lang tyme was abusit yis outward signe,Iudi. 17.18. Ephod, being erectit ane Image, be ye mother of Michas in Silo, ordening Preistis & sacrificers expressie, to sacri­fice to it, bilding ane Alter and corrupting ye trew vse of ye sacrificis? Swa lang as ye Temple lastit in Silo, in quhat deprauat maners sel ye Preistis and sacrificers, or­denit for ye Sacrificis and ministerie of ye halie sacramē ­tis, quhen yai vsurpit be lang possessioun, to haif yis pri­uilege ouer ye people, yat quhen ye sacrifice was in do­ing, and yat ye flesche of oblatiouns offerit vp was se­thing, yair boy or seruant hauing ane Elcruik, or thre tuthit cruik of Iron in ye hand, had libertie to rug out of ye pot or caldroum, all yat he micht carie away with ye Elcruik. Mairatour, be greter tyrannie of ye Leuitis,1. Sam. 2. yis seruant of ye preist, had libertie to aske at ye offerer, yat he wald gif him flesch to rost, for ye sacrificer, vtherwise to raiue it be force, [...]uin as he plesit. war not yir greit a­busis & detestabil corruptiouns, practisit be ye Preistis & cheif sacrificers, vnder pretēse of sacrificis? Quhat greter [Page] corruptiouns could be rehersit, than thay of ye childrin of the grete sacrificer Elie, callit Ophni and Phinéés, quha vnder pretext of deuotioun,Ophai and Phinees, corrupters of Sacrificis. 1. Sam. 2. cōmittit abhominable haredomis, with the wemen watching beside the halie signe of the oracle, institutit be God. For ye quhilk wic­kednes, thay wer miserablie slaine, and the ark of ye conuenant reft be ye Philistinis,1. Sam. 4. [...]. Sam. 5.6. quha placit it in y^e tem­pil of thair Idol Dagon, bot God not willing to suffer yis halie signe to be prophanit, causit ye idol Dagon fal, send greuous punishmentis to ye Philistinis, in sick sort, yat thay war constrainit to re [...]tore ye ark of ye conue­nant of God. This halie signe was swa pretious, y^t because it was abusit,Arke of conuenant con­secratit. be ye Bethsamits, y^t war not of ye ordour of ye Leuitis, fiftie thousād of ye cōmon pepil, & sevin­tie of ye best like men war exterminat to death, be ven­gance of God. This example sould c [...]use thaim trembil, yat interprise to abuse ye signes and sacramentis ordenit be God.Againie the co [...]ruptions, of halie Sig­ [...]es. Osa alswa for abusing this self same halie signe, albeit that he had done it of gude intent, to releiue y^e ark of the conuenant, quhilk lenit ouermekil to ye ane syde, was he not punissit to de [...]th. Of vther abusis commit­tit be the Israelitis,2. Sam. 6. Osa. the exemplis ar of Osias punissit of leper for hauing abusit the sacrificis, and interprisit ye ministrie to offer incens ordenit to ye sacrificers onelie.Osiat. Saul the first king chosin of the Israelitis, was put to death▪ and his kingdome succedit to ane vther, as it had bene forespokin to him be Samuel, for hauing abusit ye sacrificis, & permittit his legis to commit siclike abusis. His successouris in ye kingdome of Iowis, and of the Is­raelitis, haif yai not euermair contine wit yir abusis and corruptiouns in the sacrificis and sacramentis ordenit of God,2. Chro. 2 [...]. Saul 2. 1. Sam. 1 [...]. Ioseph. lib. 7 cap. 4. de antiqu. [...]d. 1. king. 8.2. quhen thay celebratit sacrificis to gods, Astaroth of the Sidoniens, to T [...]amos of y^e Moabitis, & Melcom or moloch of the Ammonitis, in swa far that thay bildit thaim tempils, and praying housis to offer vnto thaim incens,Ieroboam. and mak sacrisicis. Ieroboam king of the Isralitis, [Page 9] not onelie causit erect ane Calfe of gold,1. king. [...] euin as the hie Preist Aaron had abusit it, bot ordenit twa Kie of golde, in twa Tempillis of Bethel, & of Dan: institutit strangers Sacrificers, corrupting the law of God, & causit celebrate to thaim sacrificis after ye order of Aaron. This Idolatrie and corruptioun of Sacrificis, hes bene continewit be ye Israelits, mair than fourhundreth ȝeiris,1. king. 14. during ye rignis of yair Kingis, quha had instructit thaim to corrupt the trew vse of sacrificis in Chapels, and priuat oratouris, bil­dit in ye toppis of hillis, & cōsecratit in schaddowing fo­restis, swa transgressing ye Law of sacrificis,Macha. 1. king. 15. ordenit in ye halie T [...]mpil of God, within ye halie citie. For particu­lar exampils,Achab. 1. king. 16. of ye abusis committit aganis ye trew vse of Sacrificis, ye storie presentis ye self of Maacha, y^e mother of King Asa, quha causit erect ane Image to ye God PAN: consecratit to him and dedicatit, ane schadowing forest, and celebratit Sacrificis. ACHAB anuther King of ye Isra­elits, erectit ane Alter, and causit celebrate sacrificis to ye God MARS, vtherwise call it Baall,Ioseph. lib. 8 cap. 10. to quham he dedica­tit a cuthill, to applease his wickit wife Iesabel, he causit alswa bild anuthera Alter, and Tempil to ye God of ye Tyriens, ordenit Preistis, sacrificers, and institutit to the nomber of fourtie fals Prophetis.Ochosias. 2. king. 1. Ioseph. lib. [...] cap. 1. His sone and successour Ochosias, instructit of his Father, in corrupting ye vse of ye sacrificis, not onelie causit offer vp to Baal, be [...]ter­pretatioun MARS, bot continewing gretere abusis, bildit anuther Tempil to ye God of the Ackaronitis, callit be Iosephus MYOS, & be ye Greikis PRIAPVS, to quhilk God he causit celebrate Sacrificis.

And to ye end to make schort, quhat mair abhomina­bil corruptioun can be descriuit,Fire of pur­gatorie. than ye inuentioun of ye fire of Purgatorie, ye quhilk ye Israelits abusit, causing yair childrin passe throch ye fire of Tophet in ye valey of y^e sone of Ennon, sacrificing to ye God Moloch.2. king. 16. This corruptioun of sacrificis, albeit yat it was in vse, sen the tyme of Moises, neuertheles the Idol of Moloch, in the valey of Ennon, was not castin downe vnto ye reigne of [Page] the gude King Iosias, mair nor nyne hundreth ȝeiris after Moises.2. kin. 16 21. This abuse hes bene notwithstāding, continewit be ye Arabians and Affricans vnto this present,In the Buke of Alcoran. As [...]ar. 2 [...].46. and Aso ar. 5. that the Alcoranistis, & Mahometistis haif yis beleif, y^t ye saulis of ye deceassit, mā passe throch fire to be purgit & purefiit fra yair offencis. Be this compendious collect, men may cleirlie knaw, how sen ye beginning of ye warlde, man is fallin be his awin fault,Ignem gehē nae non nisi numero die­rum preter­minato ani­mas sentire docet Alco­rani liber et ad diem veritatis omnes accedere operum suorum mercedem acceptur [...]s. Asoar. 5. Cause of corruptiouns in ye sacramēts Apoca. 13. Deut. 10.30. Ierem. 4. into ye pit of errour, and corrup­tioun of halie signes, Sacrificis, and Sacramentis, institu­tit to him of God. Bot ye principall abusis, of quhilks is succedit, ye original of all Idolatrie, are procedit of yis, yat men carnall and corporall, dois rest yaim self mair in ye visibil signes, and outwarde ceremonies, than in the things signifiit be y^e Sacramentis: for in place to circūcise thair hairtis, and cast of ye auld skinne of sinne, to be re­generatit, & purifiit be ye blude of ye heuinlie Sacrifice, offerit before all warldis, yai haif tane ye circumcisioun carnallie, for ye litil skinne corporal, yat is circumcisit. Quhy haif yai not followit ye interpretatioun of God, be Moises, to circumcise ye vncircumcision of yair hair­tis? Quhy gaif not ye pepil of Israel faith to ye gude Prophet, Ieremie, yat admonissit yaim of ye spiritual cir­cumcisioun, and to circumcise ye vncircumcisioū of yair hairt, in casting of ye skinne of yair corruptit nature.

The like is cume to passe of ye Sacrificis, and halie signes institutit of God, for figuris of ye sacrifice consummat be Iesus Christ: for ye carnall man dois rest him self in ye corporal, blude of eardlie beistis, quhair as he sould lift vp his Spirit [...] to heuin, for to comprehend yat quhilk was figurit and signifiit be ye oblatiouns of beistis offerit vp. This is it quhairfore ye iustice of God is furthschaw­in be ye Prophetis: quhat neid haif I (say is ye Lord God) of ȝour Sacrificis? I am tyrit with ye offerings of scheip: mair,Isay. 1. I take na plesure in ye blude of Oxin, of Lambis and gatis offerit: quhy trauel ȝe to set vp to me Alters? I wil nane of ȝour offeringis, and vaine oblatiouns? I [Page 10] haif abhorrit ȝour incensings: I can not suffer ȝour new munis, ȝuor Sabbatis, ȝour assembleis, and ȝour Feiff is, all yat is bot vanitie. I haif taine in hatred ȝour Feistis of new munis (ô Israelits) and ȝour celebratit solemnitie.

I am werie to haif sufferit samekil: ȝe haif mekil ado, to dresse ȝour prayers to me, I wil heir ȝow na mair, for ye abusis yat ȝe haif cōmittit with ȝour hand is, ful of blude:Psalm. 51. namair wil I resaif of ye house of Israel onie bul, because ye Sacrificis are not agreable to me.Esay. 66. Alsmekil plesis me ye Sacrifice of ye Ox offerit vp, as ye murther of ye slain man, and ye offering of incense,Ierem. 6. as ye worschipping of ane Idol. Quhairfore yan said God, take ȝow swa mekill trauel to ga seik incense, euin vnto Saba, and sweit sauou­ris to offer vnto me fra a regioun a far of, to celebrate Sacrificis, yat are not acceptabil to me?Act. 7. Quha hes mouit ȝow (ô Israelits) to haif set vp Imagis to ye Gods Mo­loch, and to ye starne of Rompham, during ye tyme that ȝe war in ye desertis, quhair I haif nurissit ȝow, with my heuinlie MANNA? ȝour Feistis are odious vnto me, ȝour oblatiouns, offeringis, and Sacrificis for Saluatioun,Amos. 5. will I reiect, ȝour oblatioun displesis me. Be quhat meanis yan sould a man dresse him self to God, sal it be by offerings of bullockis of ane ȝeir auld? God takis he plesure in ye nomber of scheip offerit vp to him,Mic. 6. or in ye nomber of sacrat oillis, sall I offer to him (sayis ye Prophet) ye first borne, for remissioun of sinnis? Our gude God hes verie cleirlie declarit, yat quhilk he requir is, to follow equitie, luif mercie, and with a contrite hairt, to humbil our self before him, obedience is better yan sacrifice,Psalm. 51. 1. Sam. 15. or ye fat of scheip sacrificit. Quha gaue occasioun to God, to reiect ye Sacrificis, & Sacr [...]mentis, ordenit be him self, bot ye abusis & corruptioūs quhilks y^e Israelits had com­mittit, takīg ouer carnallie ye signes and cerimonies ordenit to thaim, to draw thaim to feir and obedience? For in place to comprehend yat quhilk was figurit be ye sig­nes and corporall Sacrificis, yai restit yaim selfis in the [Page] flesche of beistis, offerit vp: in steid to circumcise ye vn­circumcisioun of yair hairtis, yai restit yaim self in the fleschlie circumcisioun, & in ye meane season, yai turnit thaim selfis aback, fra ye trew adoratioun of God, in tur­ning yaim selfis to creaturis, as to starnis, to ye Quene of heuin, & to vthers Gods being strangers, offering to yaim incens, bilding to yaim Tempils, instituting to thaim Preistis, Chaiplains, and Sacrificers, making to yaim ob­latiouns, and celebrating Sacrificis. Afterward alswa or ye heip of corruptiounis, yai maid S [...]crificis of the blude of innocentis, offering yaim, & causing yaim passe throch ye fire of Purgatorie, in y^e valey of Tophet. For ye abusis swa committit in ye halie Sacramentis, sacrat signes and sacrificis ordenit of God,4. Esd. 1. it was said to ye pepil of Israell be ye Prophetis▪ yat God walde na mair of yair Feistis, of yair new munis, of yair circumcisiouns, nor of yair sa­crificis,4. Esd. [...] celebratit be bludie Personis and Idolaters.

After ye vnserchabil wisdome of God, had knawin ye hardnes and vnfaithfulnes of ye pepil of Israel, yat continewit euer to commit Idolatries, be ye corruptioun of halie signes, Sacramentis, and Sacrificis, and in place to acknawlege ye infinite gudnes of God, yat had deliuerit yaim fra ye tirannie of Pharo, yat had nurissit yaim in the wildernes, yat had broucht yaim into the plentifull land promisit to yaim, and yat swa oft tymis had succou­rit yaim in weir aganis yair neichbouris, the Cananits, Moabits, Madianits, Philistins, Ammonits, Siriens, Sido­niens and vthers inuyouris, and enemies. This rude pe­pil did neuertheles continew to worschip Idolis, being instructit be ye Preistis, Sacrificers, Princis, and Kingis, without reducing of thaim selfis, to the trew adoratioun of ane onelie God. For yis cause after the greit mercie & lang tarying of the iust luge, yat be all meanis of corre­ctioun, had desire to drawe againe his pepil, be heuinlie peculiar vengancis, to wit, be ye weiris rasit, be captiui­tis, and bondagis, be ye diuisiouns of the Kingdome, partit betwene Roboam, & Ieroboam, successouris of sa­lomon, [Page 11] fallin in extreime Idolatrie, be ye inwarde weiris, betwene ye s [...]me deuidit p [...]pil, and be ye vther is accustomit scurgis, for to correct thaim yat God wil fauour, to the end to bring thaim againe to his feir and obedience: in the end,4. kin. 15.24 yis pepil ouer mekil hardnit and grow in auld in yair Idolatries, was led againe in miserabil bondage: vnder ye tyrannie of y^e vnfaithful Assyriens & Idolatrous Babiloniens, yair Kingdome altogether being put to nocht. Bot quhat euer tyme after, yat yis same pepil be ye greit mercie of God, had bene deliuerit fra ye handis of vnfaithful tyrantis, set againe in libertie,Ioseph. lib 13 cap. 18. de antiq. iud. and restorit in yair land promisit, yai sould againe fall in Idolatrie, mair than euer vnder ye gouernance of yair Sacrificers, and hie Preistis, ye quhilks euer did embrase temporal and spiritual aff [...]iris together, quhil yai had cled yaim self, with ye sceptour and kinglie Crowne. Then succedit ye heresies of Pharisies, Saducies, Essiens, Galileans, Masbu­thians, Hemerobaptistis, and Samaritains, corruptit be ye diuersitie of strange natiouns, hauing dwelt & brocht vnder Zock, the countrie of Assyria, Samaria, neir to Iu­dea. For ye Babilonians worschippit for yair God, Soc­cobenoth, ye Cutheans of perse had for yair God NER­GAL, or NERGEL: ye Hemathians in callit on yair God ASIMA: ye Ananois worschippit Nebahaze and Thar­tace: ye Sepharuaimiās held for yair gods AD RAMELECH and ANAMELECH, to quhilks Gods yai sacrificit yair childrin, causing thaim passe throch ye fire.

Than quhan all kinde of Idolatrie was spred amang ye Israelits, yat ye sacrificis ware altogether corruptit, the sacrificers becume hyrelings, couetous, tyrants, and Ido­laters, ye pepil maid tributair vnder ye tyrantis of Rome,Ioseph. lib. 15. cap. 3. Ioseph. lib 12. cap. 3. ye land of Iudea brocht in a prouince, being ioynit to Siria, vnder ye power of ye Romains, ye ordour alswa, and ye Law of ye chusing of hie Preistis corruptit, and yair dignitie maid altogether bastard, in swa far,Eutrop. lib. 1. cap. 12. that without onie respect of ye tribe of Leui, ye hie Preist was institutit be ye Counsels, or Lieutenants of Rome, [Page] euin as yai pleasit, quhairas yai war before during yair life permanent,Gene. 49. yai war changit ȝeirlie. Than quhan the Kinglie Sceptour was put fra the tribe of Iuda, thair Kingdōe altogether ouerthrawin, as it had bene propheci it, ye incomprehensibil greitnes of God, did manifest ye self be his Sone, begottin before all warldis, yat humblit him self to take ye flesche of mā, in y^e waimbe of ye Virgin to redeme his pepil & restoir yaim in grace toward God.

Bot euin as in Adam be his transgressioun, & for hauing abusit ye halie signe geuin to him in keping all ye race of mankinde was corruptit be ye leuen of sinne: swa be the Second Adam, Iesus Christ we haif bene by grace purgit fra our sinnis. To ye first vniuersal Father Adam, was ge­uin a halie signe to exercise his obedience,Comparison of Adam to Iesus Christ and to his suc­cessouris, vther halie signes, Sacrificis, and Sacramentis, institutit of God, as ye trie of life, ye fruitis of ye trie of knawlege of gude and ill: ye raine bow: ye circumcisioū, ye immaculate Lambe, ye vnleuenit bread, ye clude, ye firie piller, y^e read see deuidit, ye celestial MANNA, y^e water of ye rock, ye oblatiouns and offerings of beistis for ye sacrificis, ye Arke of conuenant, ye brasin Serpent, the halie water,Iesus Christ the trie of life. Apoc. 2. ye tempil bildit in ye halie citie. Quhilk all halie signes, sacrificis, and Sacramentis, war figuris of y^e quhilk was accomplissit in Iesus Christ: for first he was ye trew trie of life, plantit in ye middis of ye paradise of God,Rom. 2. of quhame, & be quhame, we quhilks war as bastard tries, haif bene impit, and grauin to purchase eternal life: he hes geuin to vs, in keping y^e fruitis of y^e trie of wisdome be his halie Gospel, and hes biddin keip it in ye a win in­tegritie, without abusing, without corrupting, without eking, or taking away fra it, vnder y^e pain of eternal death. He was as ye rain bow spred furth in ye air,Raine bowe to giue vs as­surance of ye conuenant and confederacie, contractit be­twene God & vs to be namair drownit in ye deluge of sinne:Circumcisiō he was circumcisit to accomplisse the Law in him, to ye end to circumcise in vs ye vncircumcisioun of our [Page 12] hartis, to spoilȝie vs of our auld skin corruptit in Adam,Gala. 4. he was as y^e flame of y^e burning busse, incarnat in y^e wambe of ye Virgine, consauit be ye grace of ye halie Gaist,The bur­ning busse with out seid of man, ye halie Virgin as ye busse abaid neuer­theles pure, and not corruptit, he was sacrificit as ye iust and innocent Lambe, and his blude sched,The Pa [...] ­al Lambe Iohn. 1. Heb. 23. to preserue vs fra ye tyrannie of Satan, & to opin to vs ye way, to enter into ye land of promise, ye Kingdome of heuin. He is ye trew breaid cume downe fra heuin, without leuē, without corruptioun, and without spot,bread of life Iohn. 6. quhair of it behuif is vs to eat for our spirituall fude, to ye end, yat we may celebrat ye Feist of ye passouer, fra Pharo to ye land of libertie, he was ye clude, y^e firie piller, ye read see deuidit,Clude, Firie piller, the Arabik See, 1. Cor. 10. Iob. 19. quhilk hes conductit vs, quhilk hes deliuerit vs fra ye hand of our enemies, of quhame procedit blude and water out of his syde, open it for our saluatioun, he was ye heuinlie MAN­NA, send fra heuin to nurisse vs for euer,Heuinlie Manna. The gusch­ing Rock. The liuelie water. and the trew rock of quhame procedit the water, to slokin the thrist perpetuallie, of all thame that are alterat, beleuing in him. It is he yat hes performit ye hailsume Sacrifice for ye expiatioun of our sinnis, being Sacrificer, and sacrifice offering, & offerer, abyding ane eternall Sacrificer, at ye richt hand of God his Father,1. Cor. 10. heb. 7 8 9 1 [...] Heb. 9. enterit to ye halie and he­uinlie sanctuarie bildit not with ye hand of mā, bot with ye hand of God, he was ye trew Arke of conuenant, and cōfederacie, be ye quhilk God hes declarit & manifestit,Iohn. 3. his oraclis, and in it abydis to fulfil his heuinlie and vn­comprehensibil mysteries, he was as ye Serpent of brasse, knit on ye Crosse, to gif health to ye seik, yat sall turne yaim towardis him, for to luik on him be faith.Tempill of God. Iohn. 2. He is the trew Kirk of God, quhairin ye halie Gaist dwellis, ane God in trinitie, in quhame, and be quhame, God onelie is worschippit. He was ye trew and halie offering of the quhilk was maid ye halie water for ye purging of all blot tis, him self hauing of his ais, to wit,Iohn. 19. of his bodie offerit vp, spred & sprinklit of ye water, procedit out of his syde [Page] all pepil beliuing in him.

Be yis meanis, ye ceremonial being accomplissit, not be signes, bot reallie was executit be ye incarnatioun, death & resurrectiō of Iesus Christ our Sauiour, our mediatour, our eternall sacrifice, and propitiatour: the infinite gud­nes of God,Hebr. 9. hes ȝit mair manifestit ye self, be ye new cō ­uenant, new confederacie, and new cumming of ye sone of God incarnat:Rom. 8. for be his new Testament, confirmit be ye death of ye Testament maker, he hes maid vs his fel­low airis, and airis of God, in ye Kingdome of heuin: for assurance of yis heuinlie successioun, purchasit to vs be grace, after he had performit ye ceremonial Law, and it being abolissit (as we hair deducit) be ye sacrifice per­fitlie endit, be ye eternal Sacrificer, thair hes bene left to vs twa sacrat signes or halie Sacramentis: quhairin God hes vsit greter fauour,August. lib. 1. de doct. christ. cap. 9 and mair especiall grace, nor he had done before his incarnatioun: because yat he hes de­liuerit vs fra ye bound Law of circumcisioun, of ye dist­inctioun of meatis, and of diuers sacrificis, ordenit in the first Kirk of ye Israelits, and in discharging vs of yat hea­uie burdin, he hes swa mekil mair releuit vs, in ordening to vs for memorie and remembrance of our regeneratioū and life eternall, twa halie Sacramentis vnder twa halie signes,S [...]cramentis of the new Testament. to wit, ye water of Baptisme, & ye breid & wine, for ye communion of his bodie. Bot to ye end, to furth­schaw his gracis, in all natioūs it hes plesit God to chuse ye signes, or elementis maist common and easie: for cir­cumcisioun was markit speciallie, for Abraham and his posteritie, ye quhilk circumcisioun vther natiouns had not custume to vse, albeit yat Herodotus be natioun a Greik,Herod. lib. 2 be ye Historie quhilk he hes set out, of ye maners of Egiptians,Comparison of circumci­sioun to baptisme. attributis vnto yaim ye custome of circum­cisioun, speciallie the Sacrificers: and it is verie easie to coniecture, yat ya [...] had hard speik of it, in ye tyme that ye Iowis dwelt in Egipt, be ye space of 430. ȝeiris obser­uing circumcisioun.Exod. 12. Mairouer, ye circumcisioun was or­denit [Page 13] for ye maillis onelie, and not for ye wemen:Gene [...]. yair was a day appointit for ye circumcisioun, within ye 8. day of yair birth, ye cutting of, of ye litil skinn, was with paine and dolour. Bot ye grace of God, hauing abolissit be his incarnatioun and perfite Sacrifice ye rigour of ye cerimonial Law, alsweil for ye distinctioun of meatis, as of dayis, hes left to vs be his new Testament, and new conuenant, ye halie signe of water common to all, alsweil mail as femail, without distinctioun of dayis, and without yis, yat be yis halie Sacrament, ye child baptisit feil paine, as he felt be ye circumcisit skinne. This signe of water, to represent to vs ye purging and clensing of our sinnis, be ye blude of Iesus Christ, was cōmon, not onelie amāg ye Iowis, quha customit to vse halie and clensing water,Num. 19. bot alswa ye Gentilis, and all natiouns, had in vse the purging, and wasching of halie and clensing water, as it may be knawin be ye reding of ancient Histories. To ye end yan, yat ye grace of God soulde be spred, generallie throch all ye warld, in all natiouns, regiouns, and prouin­cis, alsweil of circumcisit, as of vncircumcisit, alsweil of Iowis, as of Gentilis, it hes plesit God to chuse ye signe of water maist common, to accōmodat him self swamekil ye mair to man, to draw him into feir and obedience, be ye quhilk signe, he hes institutit his halie Sacrament of baptisme, for a takin & assurit marke of our regeneratioū and purificatioun, representit Sacramentallie, be ye ver­tew of ye halie Gaist, in ye quhilk Sacrament, God hes assurit vs to assist yairin, for to impe and regenerat vs in Iesus Christ,Math. 28. Tit. 3. gala. 3. to be maid and renewit members of his mē ­bers, and to resaif vs as cled & incorporat againe in him, and by him.

Like ressouns a man may deduce for ye vther halie Sa­crament ordenit of God, be his new Testament, to wit, of bread and of wine: of quhilks signes, elementis,The Sacra­ment of ye halie Supper of Iesus Christ. or no­tabil takins, all natiouns war wount to vse in yair Sacrifi­cis, offeringis, and cerimonies, concerning yair religi­ouns, [Page] and ye circumcisit, and ye vncircumcisit, ye Iowis and ye Gentilis. And alswa ye twa kindis of fudis for ye nurissing of m [...]n, are comprehendit vnder ye bread and ye wine, for yir causis our gude God, desiring to drawe to him all natiouns, to nurisse yaim, & minister to yaim maist necessarie fude, hes institutit ye communion of ye bodie, and of ye blude of our Sauiour Iesus Christ, vnder the elementis, halie signes, and Sacramentis of bread and wine. Now euin as he hes assurit vs be ye marke & bage of ye water of Baptisme, to be regenerat, and renewit in ye bodie and blude of Iesus Christ, representit be ye Sa­crament of yat halie water, be y^e vertew of ye halie gaist: swa are we nurissit be ye communion of his bodie, and of his blude, representit reallie, be ye bread and wine, con­secratit for meat and spiritual nurisment euerlasting, and making quick be ye vertew of ye halie Gaist. In quhilk God hes done to vs yis grete fauour, yat he hes dischar­git vs of ye bludie sacrificis, ordenit in ye first Kirk of ye Israelitis, yat were wount to be chargit with monie and diuers sacrificis, celebratit with ye sched blude of eardlie beistis, according to ye diuersitie of offencis, and of per­sonis hauing sinnit.Heb. 9. All ye quhilk sacrificis war perfitit, & abolissit be ye sched blude, of ye iust and innocent lamb Iesus Christ, quha be his perfite sacrifice, hes altogether distroyit ye vther sacrificis, hauing reseruit vnto him self ye dignitie of ye grete and eternal Preist, sitting at the richt hand of God his Father. Bot he hes borne vs swa grete sauour, yat in place of abolissit sacrificis, he hes or­denit ye twa halie Sacramentis heirtofore reheirsit, for certaine assurance of our regeneratioun, our purgatioun. our adoptioun, our nurisment, and life eternal, geuin to vs be ye blude of our Sauiour Iesus Christ.

Bot euin as ye Israelitis ouer carnall and grosse, restit them selfis ouer mekil in ye outwarde signes, corruptit the trew vse of Sacrificis,Corruptiōs of Sacramē ­t [...] ▪ and Sacramentis, ordenit to thaim of God, like abusis, ȝea, greter corruptiouns, are [Page 14] cume in ye twa halie Sacramentis, left to vs be ye new Testament of Iesus Christ. For in ye Sacrament of Bap­tisme, succedit in ye place of circumcisioun, ye man con­sauit of ye corruptit Masse, walde not content him self of ye halie institutioun of God, bot sume hes broulȝit and corruptit ye vse of ye halie Sacrament of Baptisme,Sacrament of Baptisme Corruptit. be ad iuratiouns, coniuratiouns, mixtiouns of salt, of oile, of wax candil, Chrismis, blawingis, cuidis, or biginetis, with ane infinitnes of crossis, in ye browe, in ye eine, in ye nise, in ye back, in ye breist, at ye schoulders, & at ye mouth, to chaise away ye deuils. For ye Messalian heretikis,Theod. lib. Fabul. Here [...]i. au­thouris of coniuratiouns and crossis, said yat ye borne bairne was accōpanyit of his Gaist, or deuil, quhilk could not be chaisit away, bot be adiuratiouns & coniuratioūs, for yis cause yis halie Sacrament of Baptisme hes bene corruptit, til yai haif addit S [...]riak tearmis of spittil and halie spitting. Quhat greter corruptioun can be discriuit,Ca. siue. & c [...]. post quā de consec [...]at. distinct. 4. Epheta. pers. Satyr. 2. Galat. 3 Ephes. 4. 1. Cor. 15. yan be sick abhominabil inuentiouns, as gif ye blude of Iesus Christ war not sufficient aneuch for our regenera­tioun, and purgation, & yat God war not potent aneuch, to mix and regenerat vs, be ye halie signe of water, repre­senting ye blude of Iesus Christ, gif yair war not of spit­tel, and of halie coniurit spittings, of oilis, of salt,Tertul. lib. de corona millit. of big­netis, of Chrismis, of torchis, or wax candil, or of milk, and of honie, inuentit be vther heretikis.

Sume alswa mair subtill Magiciens, Pithagoriens, instru­ctit in the doctrine of the Messalians, hes a [...]dit vnto it, to pronounce twentie tymis the Name of the Deuil, to coniure and adiure him, as accompanyit with the maill Childe presentit to be Baptisit, and threttie tymis in the Baptisme of a Maidin. was yair euer sick and swa detestabil corruptiouns, in ye Sacrament of circumcisioun? Quhairfore (ó Mesmongers) haif ȝe mixit arse ouer head, oillis in the halie Sacrament of B [...]ptisme? Following the heresie of Marcus, and Marcosus, quha bade ointe the bairnis, to Baptise [Page] the halie signe of water institutit be ye hand of God,Epipha. lib. 1. t [...]m. 3. heres. 34. was it not sufficient aneuch, to represent ye precious blude of Iesus Christ, for our regeneratioun, and purificatioun, without mixing of Creische, of oillis, of spattil, and vthers minglingis, inuentit be ye corrupters of Sacramentis? The bodie and blude of Iesus Christ, quhair with we are cled againe be ye halie water of Baptisme, was it not suffici­ent aneuch, for to haif preseruit vs aganis all temptati­ouns, without borrowing of Biginets, & Chrismelets, or Chrismecloutis. And for anuther greter corrupti­oun and abuse, it hes bene permittit to wemen to baptise following ye errour of ye Marcionistis,Epipha. lib. [...]. tom. 3. he [...]es. 42. et [...]. 2 tom. 1. h [...]es. 48. Quintilians, Ca­taphrygis, Montanistis, Pepuzians, Priscillians, and Arto­tyritis. Was it permittit be ye Law of God, to wemen to minister ye halie Sacramentis, or Sacrificis ordenit in ye first Kirk of ye Israelits, or be ye new Testament of Iesus Christ? In ye storie of Moises it is reheirsit, yat his wife Sephora, mouit w^t feminine furour, tuik a staine or knife, quhair with sche circumcisit hir a win childe. Bot it is not writtin,Exod. 4. yat sche nor hir likis had bene euer permittit to minister ye halie Sacramentis. Be sick corruptiouns of ye halie sacrament of Baptisme, yair hes bene rasit monie heresies, be ye Katabaptistis, Anabaptistis, Antipedobap­tistis, and vthers heretikis and schismatikis, quha conten­tit not yaim self, of ye pure & sincere ordinance of God, rather resting yaim selfis in ye outwarde signes, yan in y^t quhilk was representit be yaim in Spirit. Quha wil desire to knaw mair particularlie, ye abusis and corruptiouns inuentit in syndrie tymis, be diuerse humouris of men, let him reid our ecclesiasticall commentaries. It restis now to discend to ye corruptiouns of ye vther halie Sa­crament of ye Supper, and communion of ye bodie and blude of Iesus Christ.

Be yis summaire discours it may be cleirlie knawin, how mekil man is variant, and fragil, hauing euer abusit the gracis of God. Bot euin as ye pepil of Israel, sen ye be­ginning [Page 15] of ye Law, and institutioun geuin to yaim, hes corruptit ye trew vse of ye sacrificis, halie signes and Sa­cramentis, ordenit of God, swa is cum to passe of ye law of God,Sacrament of ye Supper corruptit 1. Cor. 11. be Iesus Christ hauing institutit ye forme to cō ­municate his bodie, and his blude, vnder ye elementis, & halie signes of bread and wine. The quhilk halie Sacra­ment, hes bene abusit sen ye verie tyme of ye Apostils, be y [...] Corinthians: aganis quhame ye halie Apostil hes writtin Epistils, to ye end, to bring yaim againe to the trew and sinceir keping of yis balie Sacrament. Let na mā yan heirafter finde it strange, gif ye successouris of ye A­postils haif fra tyme to tyme corruptit ye trew vse of yis halie Sacrament. And swa mekil mair as yai haif bene far of fra y^e tyme of y^e Apostils of Iesus christ, swa mekil mair are yai fallin in corruptiouns, ȝea abhominabil, turning ye vse of ye Sacrament into a puddil of Idolatrie.In histo. ec­lesiasti. In ye first place, in quhat contentioun fel ye Kirk yat was ne­rest ye Apostils, for ye appointment of dayis to celebrat yis halie Sacramēt? Sabbatius ye heretike ordenit ye celebrating of ye passouer, with vnleuenit bread,Histo. tripar tita. lib. 9. cap. 37. lib. 11. cap. 5. after the maner of ye Iowis. Sume of his sect ordenit ye vse of yis halie Sacrament to be celebratit in ye fourtent mune, euin as did ye Iowis.Euseb. lib. 5. Cap. 24. Of yis sect it was said policrates ye Bischop of ye Ephesians to be, Philip Hieropolitaine, Policarpus, Truscas, Melitus, and Narcissus Bischop of Ierusalem: of ye contrare opinion,Histo. trip. lib. 9. Cap. 3 [...]. et. 39. was victor Bischop of Rome, and Eleutherus his predecessour, and Theophilus Bischop of Palestina. This contentioun contine wit mair yan thre hūdreth ȝeiris after ye Apostlis. Sume vther ce­lebratit ye passouer after ye Equinox, quhen ye Sone en­trit in ye signe of Aries: sume vthers obseruit ye moneth Xanthik, callit be ye Romains April. Sume said (to wit ye Quartodecumans) yat yai war instructit be S. Iohne, to celebrate in ye fourtent mune. The Romains braggit yaim self to haif bene taucht be S. Peter, & S. Paul, quhair of neuertheles yair is na apperance. The Phrigian Mon­tanistis, [Page] condamnit ye Quartodecumans, obseruers of ye course of ye mune. And yat it behuisit to reule thaim after ye course of ye sone, to begin at ye Equinox of ye spring tyme. For yis cause yai celebratit ye 8. of ye Idis of April, quhilk was ye fourtent day of ye said moneth, prouiding yat it fel on Sonday.

Not onelie was yair controuersie for ye vse of yis halie Sacrament, in ye dayis appointit to celebrate it: bot alswa yair was grete diuisioun amang ye Christians,Euseb. lib. 5. Cap. 24. for ye in­uentit cerimonies, for to prepaire yaim to resaif it worthelie. For sume as ye Romains kepit fasting thre oukis be­fore Pasche, ye Illyriens and all Grecia, ȝea, alswa ye A­lexandriens ordenit a Lentrene to fast for sax oukis: sume alswa ordenit 7. oukis of abstinence with intermissioun fra fiue dayis, to fiue dayis.

Anuther Iowisse cerimonie was restorit, to mair and mair corrupt ye halie Sacrament of ye Supper be ye dist­inctioun of meatis.Histo. trip. Cap. 38. For sume forbade during ye fasting to eat flesche nor fische: sume vther forbade y^e vse of flesche onelie permitting to eat fische, and foulis, quhilk thay said according to Moises ware partakers of ye substance of water. Sume alswa ordenit to eat drie bread and wa­ter onelie: sume alswa fastit vnto nune, without distincti­oun of meatis. And summarlie to resolue yis, yair was in ye beginning ane infinitnes of customis & corruptioūs in ye vse of ye halie sacrament of ye Supper,Coloss. 2. Gal. 4. Heb. 7. be ye resto­rit cerimonies of ye distinctioun of dayis and of meatis; abrogatit be ye grace and Law of Iesus Christ. Bot hes yair euer bene ane halie Apostil of God, yat euer hes left be write onie Law or ordinance, for ye distinctioun of dayis or of meatis, to celebrate ye halie Supper of Iesus Christ. Thair purpose was not to ordaine a religioun of Feistis, a distinctioun of dayis and of meatis, bot onelie yair doctrine tendit to instruct to liue weill, and how ane onelie God soulde be worschippit. Quhairfore it behuifis necessarilie, to infer ye cerimonie and Feist of [Page 16] Pasche, to celebrate the Supper of ye Lord our God▪ Histo. tripar. lib. 9. Cap 38. to be procedit be a custome, for nane of ye Apostils left o­nie thing of yat be write.

To moderat sick dissentiouns and corruptiouns, mo­nie Counsels war gatherit, ane at Sangarie of Bitinia, be ye quhilk to eschew all contentiouns, it was permitit to euerie ane to celebrate ye Pasche quhan he wald.Euseb. lib. 5 Cap▪ [...] A­nuther Counsel was haldin in Cesaria be Theophilus, Bischop of yat place, and be Narcissus Bischop of Ieru­salem. Anuther Counsel in Achaia, anuther Counsel was haldin at Rome be Victor Bischop of yat place.

After ye final corruptiouns, yair succedit vthers greter fra tyme to tyme, according to ye humouris and affecti­ouns of ye Bischoppis of Rome. Alexander first of that Name being cume to ye ouersicht of ye Kirk f Rome,In the ȝei [...] of God. 114 os ye first successouris to ye Apostils of Iesus Christ,Plati. Sabelli. and alswa of ye first corrupters of the halie sacrament of the Supper inuentit to mix water with ye wine, before thay sould communicat. Quhairin he walde haif reformit the halie Euangil of Iesus Christ, quha had not institutit the communion of his bodie, and of his blude, except vnder ye twa kindis of bread and wine, bot Alexander yair to hes addit ye thride kinde, to wit, water. He restorit al­swa the Iowisse cerimonie of tharfe bread, yat is to say, without leuen: to celebrate ye Passouer, euin as ye Iowis did: Following yairin ye opinioun of ye Ebionitis, that taucht ye ceremonial Law of Moyses, to be neidful to saluatioun, as alswa Symmachus ane heritike in Palestina had taucht.Euseb. lib. 3 Cap. 27. lib. 6. Cap. 14. Gif Iesus Christ hes bene circumcisit to ac­complisse ye eternal Law, is it yairfore necessarie to vse circumcisioun? And alswa gif it plesit him for to fulfil ye law of cerimonies, to vse in y^e vnleuenit dayis, bread with out leuē, is it yairfore neidful to returne vnto y^e rigour of y^e cerimonie, abrogatit be ye sacrifice, perfitelie endit be Iesus christ. In quhat place of ye halie Euāgil Alexander could he haif learnit to mix water w^t wine? And to astrict Christians to [Page] vnleuenit bread, na mair nor his inuentioun to chaise a­way deuils with salt water coniurit.Cael. lib. 30. cap. 21. As to ye saltit halie water institutit be him, we sall deduce ye original yairof fra Numa pompelius, ye grete Magicien heirafter, and Romaine Idolater. Bot as to ye mixing of ye water with wine he micht haif bene instructit of ye religioun of an­cient Idolaters, yat vsit in celebrating yair sacrificis, in a cup to consecrat water with bread speciallie in ye Feist dedicatit to ye sone, quhilk ye Persians worschippit be yaim, callit Mythros: and in ye Feist of Nephalies, yair was alswa vsit water for sacrifice. To yis comparisoun Iu­stinus Martyr refers ye custome obseruit amang y^e Idola­ters,Iustin. in apol. 2. and amang ye Christians, for ye bread, wine & water consecratit: be ye anes, to wit, be ye Idolaters in ye name of thair Idolis, and be the Christians in the Name of thair trew God. Notwitstanding yis first corruptioun in ye vse of ye halie sacrament, be ye mingling of water with wine, besyde ye commandement and ordinance of God,Innoc. lib. 4. cap. 5. de offic. mis. baid not without controuersie, for ye Grecians war of ye contrarie opinion, yat it was not neidful to mix ye water with ye wine, and yai walde not follow ye corruptioun of Alexander. Amarcanus was of yat same opinion yat Alexander, saying ye mixing of ye water to be neid­ful yairin. The craftie and sophistical SCOTVS did ab­solutlie denie ye water to be neidful to be mixit with wine: because (said he) y^t it could not be chāgit nor tran­substāciatit into blude, gif first it war not chāgit into wi­ne. Sume vtheris mair ingenious hes plesit to interprete y^e institutioū of Alexander, saying ye wine to be turnit into blude: bot as to ye water to be transubstanciatit into ye water, yat procedit out of ye syde of Iesus Christ.

August. lib. de here. cap. 26. & 64.This first corruptioun of Alexander, gaif occasioun of monie vther abusis y^e succedit: for vtheris greter corrup­ters inuentit to mix blude drawin of ȝoung babis, for to mingil with ye bread of ye halie Supper of Iesus Christ, as ye Kataphrygiens, yat began a kinde of transubstancia [Page 17] tioū of wine into blude reallie and bodelie.Epipha. [...] 2. to [...]. 1. be 4 [...]. Sume vther thairto eikit cheis callit ARTOTIRITES, yat is to say, min­glers of bread and cheis. Sume alswa abusing yis Sacra­ment, in place of wine subrogatit water, vnder pretext of greter abstinence. Vthers haif institutit to steipe ye bread in ye wine, ye quhilk ye Mesmongers hes ȝit reteinit in yair sacrificis of ye Messe.

For anuther mair detestabil corruptioun of yis halie Sacrament, sume Bischoppis of Rome hes forbiddin yair sacrificers, Mesmongers, not to minister to ye Christiane pepil, quhilk yai cal laike ye bodie of Iesus Christ,Concil. constan. se [...]. [...] vnder yet wa kindis, bot onelie vnder ye halie signe of bread, and not of wine: quhilk yai haif reseruit for ye Preistis, Mesmongers, Sacrificers. This corruptioun is it not di­rectlie aganis ye halie Gospel, and institutioun of ye Supper of Iesus Christ, quha hes ordenit and commandit all faithful to eat his bodie and drink his blude? Q [...]han he tuik ye cupe, did he not vse yir same proper tearmis, drinke all of yis wine, in memorie and remembrance of my blude yat is sched? Hes he vsit vther tearmis to eate his bodie be ye element of bread, yan to drinke his blude be ye signe of wine? Bot gif it behuisis to compaire the ha [...]ie signe ordenit of God, in ye Kirk of ye Israelitis,Mat. 26. Marc. 14. Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 10 ye figure of ye cōmunion of ye bodie of Iesus Christ, quhilk was ye Paschal Lamb, quhairof it was ordenit to eat the flesche without exceptioun of personis, swa yat yai had bene circumcisit, was yair euer onie difference in ye ea­ting of ye Paschal Lamb, and celebratioun of ye passouer amangis ye Iowis, betwene ye Leuits of ye raice of sacri­ficers, and ye laiffe of ye common pepil? For anuther detestabil corruptioun, ye Mesmongers hes institutit be yair Idolatrie of ye Messe, to sacrifice and offer ye bodie and blude of Iesus Christ, in renewing be yat meanis ye sacrifice perfitlie endit be Iesus Christ quhilk can not be retraitit: because yat he was not after ye maner of Aaron, bot of Melchisedech, ane eternal sacrificer, without leuīg [Page] of ony successour. And alswa quhen ye halie Apostil ad­monissit ye Corinthians to celebrate halie ye Supper of Iesus Christ,1. Cor. 11. commandit he yaim to Sacrifice it? Na: bot to eat and communicat together ye bodie, and drinke ye blude of Iesus Christ. The beginning of ye halie Supper is not to slaie or offer vp, or sacrifice ane oblatioū to offer it to God: bot onelie to eat and drinke in ye halie Feast preparit to vs be Iesus Christ, ye eternal sacrifice, & euer­lasting sacrificer: quha hes reseruit to him self onelie yis eternal sacrificing, and neuertheles hes left to vs his halie institutioun of ye banket, ordenit to vs of bread and of wine, representing his bodie and his blude.

After ye foresaid corruptiouns, Satan a diligent maister of warke Babilonical, hes display it all his power, to big ane vnwinnabil fortres of Idolatrie, to ye end, to vainqui­sse, and cast downe altogether ye Kingdome of Iesus Christ, quhan he interprisit ye bilding of ye Messe, to be subrogatit in ye place of ye halie sacrament of y^e Supper: as we sall deduce summarlie, and swa cleirlie, yat ye maist hardenit Pharos, growin auld in yair anciēt Idolatries, sal acknawlege be ye veritie of stories, thair errouris and ab­hominabil heresies.

Before we paint furth ye labirinthe of errour, quhair y^e Mesmongers haif drownit yaim selfis, it semit to me to be neidful summarlie to discus ye ancient Religioun of the Romains, of y^e Kingdome of ye west Empire, & of Emperouris hauing exercisit ye temporall gouernance, and ye dignitie of grete Bischoppis, Superintendentis of ye Re­ligioun and Romain Kirk. All alsweil as I, wil confesse ye Romain Religioun, to haif bene altogether, or for the maist part, institutit be Numa Pompilius, second King of ye Romains,Tit. Liu. lib 1. decad. 1. Fenestel. lib. de mag. rom. about 700. ȝeiris before ye incarnatioun of Iesus Christ. Thā war institutit ye Bischoppis, quhilk sen syne war reducit to a certain nōber, vnto four: afterward ye nomber augmētit vnto aucht, & be Sylla vnto fiftene. In ye college of ye Bischoppis, thair was ane grete Bis­chop, [Page 18] quha was chosin be vther smaller Bischoppis, out of yair ordour and dignitie: swa yat ye small Bischoppis, purpurit Cardinallis, hes practisit ye electioun of ye grete Bischop of Rome, out of yair stait, ordour and dignitie. This Pompilian Religioun hes bene swa weil obseruit be ye Romains, fra ye father to y^e Sone, yat it hes neuer bene possibil to be pullit out of ye flesche, nor plukit away be ye rute: bot hes bene continewit vnto yis present day, as euerie man sall knaw before his eine be yis litil traitise.

To confirme yis point, na man may be ignorant, gif he hes plesit reid ye Romain histories, yat afore ye in carna­tioun of Christ, yair hes not bene ane onelie King, Con­sul, Dictator, or Romain Emperour, instructit in y^e Law of God, bot all haif bene Idolaters & vnfaithful, following ye Religioū of ye Magicien Numa pompilius. That sen ye incarnatioun of Iesus Christ, during ye space of 300. ȝeiris, or yairabout, yair hes not bene alswa onie Empe­rour or Consul of Rome, yat walde change his Religioū to res [...]if ye Law of Iesus Christ, bot in ye contrare,Euseb in li­bris historiae ecclesi. The ȝeir of Christ. 34. & 68. The ȝeir of Christ 94.112. & 123. 167. 202. 238. 254. 257. 276. 292. yai haif put furth all yair micht and power, to exercise all sea tis of creweltie aganis ye Kirk of Iesus Christ. Quhilk iustefies ye self be ye Ecclesiastical histories, be y^e quhilks yair is paintit out til aleuin grete persecutiouns, vnder ye grete Romain hie Preistis, to wit. Chud. Tiber. Nero. Claud. Domitian. Nero. Flau. Domitian. Tri [...]ni. Elie H [...]drian: Antoni. Philosophus. Septimie seuere. Iul. Maximiu: Mar. Quint. Traian. Dece. Licinie. Valerian. Valere. Aurelian: & Diocletian. All the quhilks Emperouris hes gouernit ye empire & religioun of rome, be 300. hūdrith ȝeiris sen y^e incarnatioū of Iesus Christ, & in coinzies, grauis, monimētis. titils, & antentik letters,In the buik intitulit dis­course of ye Religion of the [...]ancient Romans, be william of c [...]o [...], bailȝ [...] of ye [...]aul­phini [...]. retenit y^e names of greit Preistis, & cheif Sacrificatours as deligētlie hes bene gatherit in y^e b ik of y^e Antiquities of rome, in ye quhilks are paintit furth y^e pictaris, coinzies, & monimentis of ye anciēt Rom [...]ine Emperours, quh [...]lks all are qualifiit grete Bischoppis vnder yir tirils. Iul. Caes. Pont. M [...]x. Tiber N [...]o Pont. Max C [...]aud. Nero Pont Max. Vespasinus Cesar. Pont Max. Trimus. Impe. Pont Max Mar [...] Anto [...] Aug. Pont. Max. Heliogabalus Summas. Sacer los Aug. A [...]ia. Impe [...]. Pont Max [...] of [...] Max. Commol Imper. Pont Max. Galerius. Maximinisnus. Pont Max. [...]. Constantinus Aug Pontif. Max.

Being yan Emperours and hie Preistis, yai had neuer permittit anuther head yan thaim in ye Religioun and Kirk of Rome, of all tyme enemie of Iesus Christ. For quhen ye Apostils preachit Christ to be cheif Preist, gret & eternal Sacrificer, without successour, after ye ordour of Melchisedech, ye tyrantis of rome, or yair lieutenātis, tuik occasioun to condamne Iesus Christ, for feir to diminisse ye authoritie of Cesaris, grete hie preistis of Rome. Of quhat furie war yai mouit, during thre hundrith ȝeiris aganis ye Christians, and ye Religioun of Iesus Christ, to defend yair auld Pompilian Religioūꝰ Quhat answer was geuin to ye Emperour Theodosus,In the Cat [...] ­og of caes [...] in ye end of ye storie of Nicephore, the ȝeir of Christ. 410. be ye Senat and Senatouris of Rome, quhan it was proponit to yaim to chāge yair Religioun to resaif ye Religioun of Iesus Christ? Thay schew againe yat yai war yan in possessioun, and yair war passit mair yan a thousād ȝeir of yair Pompiliane Religioun: yat ye mutatioun of Religioun, was ye cause of ye rewine of all common welthis. For yir causis per­sisting in yair inueterat Romaine Religioun, yai stoppit yat yai resaifit not ye law of Iesus Christ. Be yir histories it is easie to be resoluit, yat during 400. ȝeiris, and mair, ye Bischoppis of Rome, yat callit yaim selfe Christians, could neuer obteine of y^e senat & senatouris of Rome, to resaif ye halie Gospel. And alswa with ouer grete difficultie yai could conuert ye Romaine Idolaters,In ye canō gatherit be Clement [...]s of Rome. 21 22.62. [...]t 65 anno christ. 93. to leaue yair auld Idolatries, for ye Bischoppis of Rome war ouerme­kil occupyit to restore ye iudaical cerimonies or pagane: for ye distinctioun of meatis: ane ordinance not to fast on Sonday and on thurisday, to put ordour in naperie, vailes, in vessels of Gold, and of siluer, in ye couering of ye Alter, in ye Tapestrie, and vthers ornamentis of Alters,Alexander first of that Name bisc. of Rome, in the ȝeir of Christ. 110. consumit throch auldnes, and ordenit to be brunt, and ye aiss castin downe in ye [...]ount. Sume alswa war gretlie cumbrit to restore ye Iowisse cerimonies of vnleuenit bread, & yair spirit fair trauellit to corrupt ye trew vse of halie Sacramentis, institutit of God be minglingis [Page 19] of water with wine, and mixit salt with water,Xistus bisc. of Rome in the ȝeir of Christ. 121. Siluester bis. of Rome. to make it halie, & coniurit to chaise away ye deuils. Vthers alswa trauellit to institut corporals of fine linning, to lay down ye consecratit hostis: to make als [...]a aubis & vthers vesti­mentis, to ye Sacrificers for yair Sacrificis, of quhite cul­lour and not littit.Hyginusbis. of Rome, in the ȝeir of Christ. 140 Sume vexit yair braine to inuent the Feistis of dedicatioū, & consecratioun, with coniuring to chaise away ye deuillis with salt. And sume vthers to in­uent oillis and Chrismis, to corrupt ye halie Sacrament of Baptisme.Iabian. bis. of Rome, in the ȝeir of Christ. 240. Afterwarde alswa during ye rigne of thir tyrantis, Emperouris, & grete Bischoppis, ye Bischoppis of Rome desiring to make perpetual yair Namis, consu­mit yair Spiritis, to bigge Tempillis, not to ye honour of God, bot to ye Name of hie Saintis, and sche Saintis,Pius bis. of Rome. in ye ȝeir of christ 144. be thaim canonisit after yair plesure. Vthers occupyit yaim self to institut, yat ye bread and wine being consecratit, fallin on [...]ard, sould be lick it vp be ye Preist, and ye rest quhilk sould abyde to be brunt in fire,ȝepherin bis. of Rome in ye ȝeir of Christ. 200. and ye aiss to be castin in ye place of Relickis. Sume alswa labourit to put ordour to ye Chalissis, yat yai sould be of glas▪ and not of wud.Calix. bis. of Rome, in the ȝeir of Christ. 200. And be vthers yair was institutit of solemne ceri­monies to foure tymis of ye ȝeir to reduce Christians to ye bondage of distinctioun of dayis. Sume alswa war greitlie occupyit to ordeine ane offering and consecrati­oun of benis to celebrate dirigis with duil wedis of pur­pure after ye maner of ye vestiment, callit Trabea:Eutych bis. of Rome, in the ȝeir of Christ. 282. quhilk ye Idolators vsit in Triumphis, celebratit to ye honour of yair Gods. And ye like purpure ornament, hes bene vnto this day retenit be ye Cardinalis.Rid gowni [...] of Cardinals Sume vthers oc­cupyit to inuent ane confirmatioun for litil Babis, and to consecrate ye Chrisme be ye Bischoppis onelie:Siluester bis of Rome in the ȝeir of Christ. 324. to ho­nour alswa ye Bischop of Hostiense, be ye handis of the quhilk, ye Bischop of Rome sould be consecratit with y^e clippit cloke, callit Pallium: and to inuent ane infinitnes of vthers cerimonies, not neidful, bot contrarie to ye li­bertie of ye Gospel, geuin to vs be Iesus Christ. How [Page] yan coulde it be possibil to ye first Bischoppis of Rome to draw ye Princis and Romain Senato [...]ris, to ye Law of y^e Gospel, during thre or foure hundrith ȝeiris following immediatlie ye incarnatioun of Iesus Christ, seing yat yai trauellit not bot to corrupt ye vse of ye halie Sacramētis to restoire ye Iowisse cerimonies and Idolatries of ye Pa­gains, ancient Romains. Bot it may be obiectit of ane Philip, quhilk sume brag yaim self, yat he was turnit to halie Baptisme, y^e maners of quhame being swa deprauat, gaif occasioun to ye maist certaine historiciens to haif discriuit him as vn worthie of ye name of a Christian.Chronie. Iohan bapt. Ignac. Thay wil alswa add Constantin ye grete, quha causit assembil y^e Counsel of Nice, bot his residence was in Grecia, callit y^e Empire of ye East: & ȝit he wald neuer r [...]saif ye bage of Baptisme, to be regenerat be ye blude of Iesus Christ, vnto ye aige of 65. ȝeiris,Histor. trip. lib. 1. cap. 12 y^t he causit Baptise him self be ane Bischop of Nicomedie Arian, callit Eusebius: ye said Cō stantin being on ye point to die. It can not be yan yat Siluester Bischop of Rome, brag him self to haif turnit yis Emperour to ye Faith: for euin Siluester him self walde not assist to ye assemblie of ye Counsel haldin at Nice, in ye ȝeir of Iesus Christ 327. ȝit how euer it be, it behuifis euer to haif recours to ye veritie of ye histories, be the quhilks is reheirsit ye answer of ye Senat, & senatouris of Rome, to ye Emperour Theodose mair yan 60. ȝeiris af­ter ye death of ye said Constantin ye grete: yat is to say, yat yai wald not resaif ye Law of Iesus Christ, bot walde obserue yair awin Pompilian Law, to avoide ye rewine of yair common welth, be ye change of Religioun. Quhair­fore it behuifis to ins [...]r, yat yan ye Law of God was not resaifit nor approuit at Rome, be ye Senat & Senatouris.

It restis now to descend for yis present, to ye tyme fol­lowing. Sen y^e deceasse of Theodose, ye Romain occidē ­tal Empire began swa gretlie to decay, y^t it was schortlie broucht to noucht be ye Vandalians, and Alains, quha war of ye first yat spoilȝit Rome, and brunt it in a part, & [Page 20] rauissit ye verie proper douchter of Theodose ye Empe­rour, quhilk yai maryit with Ataulphus,Paul. Emil. lib. 1. The ȝeir of Christ. 412. King of y^e go this Al [...]til tyme afterward succedit ye Hunnians, yan Attila King of ye Gothis, quha vsurpit all Italie. About that tyme ye Romain occidental Empire was spoilȝit of all Germanie, Acie, Sarmacie,The ȝeir of Christ. 454. and of all ye Prouincis y^t war tributairis vntil Danubus, Spaine alswa: Aquitania,Blond. lib. 2 d [...]cad. Gas­conie, Burgongnie, & all ye Gaulis countries turnit away yaim self fia ye tyrānie of Rome.Proco. lib. 3. de [...]ello. Vandal. The ȝeir of Christ 486. Thā succedit y^e Ostrogo this, with yair Kingis Valemir, and Theodemir, Theodo­rik and vther Barbariens, and vnfaithfulis: ȝea, alswa ye Visigothis, all vsurpers successiuelie of Italie. Afterward Rignit Totilas, yat violentlie handlit,The ȝeir of Christ. [...]54. spoilȝit & brunt Rome, and all Sicilia. In ye end rignit ye Lumbardiens, conductit be yair King Alboim, quha vsurpit Italie.Paul. E [...]il. lib. 1. The ȝeir of Christ. 568. Thir natiouns Barbarous, Idolatrous, and vnfaithful, seruit as scurgis ordenit of God, to punisse y^e Idolatries of Rome, committit be yaim yat had ye knawlege of ye halie Gos­pel: and neuertheles had turnit yaim selfis fra ye trew worschipping of God, violatit and corruptit ye balie sa­cramentis be yair manlie inuentiouns: to punisse alswa ye vnfaithfulnes and obstinacie of ye Emperouris, & Sena­touris of Rome, yat first had causit be yair lieutenantis & appoītit officers, crucifie Iesus christ in Iudea, & his halie Apostils: persecutit ye Christians, & euermair resistit to y^e Law of ye Euangil, to mainteine yair Pompilian religioū.

Swa it behuifis to be resoluit, yat during 400. ȝeiris ye Romain Kirk of Emperouris & Senatouris, hes euer bene contrarious and enemie to ye Law of Iesus Christ. Than after ye Occidētal Empire was brocht to nocht, during 300. ȝeiris or yairabout, yat Rome & all Italie was reulit and gouernit be Kingis, Princis and Duikis, vnfaithful & Idolatrous: to wit be ye Vandalians, be ye Gothis, be ye Hunnians, be ye Ostrogothis, be ye V [...]sigothis, & be ye Lūbardiēs: swa y^t during y^e space of 700. ȝeirs or yairabout son ye incarnatioū of Iesus Christ, yair hes not bene onie Emperouris, Kingis, [Page] Kingis or Princis at Rome, yat euer walde haif embrasit ye Law of Iesus Christ. The quhilk I haif thocht gude summarlie to deduce, to ye end yat ye Reader finde not strange, gif I haif deducit ye Sacrifice of ye Messe, to haif tane ye beginning fra ye ancient Religioun, institutit be Numa Pompilius, mai [...] yan 700. ȝeiris before ye incar­natioun of Iesus Christ, and yairafter alswa, yis same sa­crifice, hes bene continewit be ye Idolatrous Romains, growin auld and hardnit in yair Pompilian religiō, quhilk thay walde neuer giue ouer.

Bot to ye end, yat nathing be hid of ye Romain histo­ries, yat may darkin ye cleirnes of ye veritie: during the tyrannie and vsurpatiouns of ye forsaidis natiouns, in Italie yair was erectit ane litil exarchat or dominion at Ra­uēna,The ȝeir of Christ. 572. Plati. Blond. Volaterran. quhilk was cōtinewit about 183. ȝeirs vntil y^t it was rest be a Bischop yat sould haif cled him self with it, and appropriat it to Saint Peters chaire, be a donatioun or demissioun practisit of Pepin,Paul. emil. li. bl [...]nd. lib 10 in ye ȝeir 758. in recom­pense of ye tyrannie exercisit be Zacharie ye Greik Bis­chop of Rome, yat spoilȝit ye trew airis of ye Kingdome of France, to wit, Chilperik or Childerik, quhame he causit close in a Monkrie, to make the Kingdome fall to ye said Pepin, Sone of Charles Martell ye bastard. This donatioū of Pepin, in yis wise maid to y^e Bischop of rome, was ye first beginning of ye gretest of Romaine Papis, quha hes retenit vnto yis day yis preeminence, or exar­chat of Rauenna, yair are passit 800. ȝeiris with ane greit nomber of townis, langis ye Adriatik See, left to yaim be Pepin,Blond. lib. [...] d [...]ead. 2. Paul. Em [...]l. lib. 2. aganis ye forbiddingis expressit of Constanti­nus, yan Rigning Emperour of ye Orient in Grecia.

In ye meane tyme yat yis litil exarchat was continewit at Rauenna, lang tyme before ye donatioun of Pepin, ye Bischop of yat place,The ȝeir of [...]hrist. 588. seing yat yair war na ma Emper­ouris at Rome, bot was gouernit and tyrannously reulit be Barbarous pepil and vnfaithful,Sabellic. liftit his hornis in sick sorte, yat he walde prefer him self to the Bischop of [Page 21] Rome, and to qualifie him self to be head of ye Kirk, he and his successouris, Bischoppis of Rauenna, swa lang as ye dominion continewit. This was ye first litil Antichrist yat wald enterprise ye tyrannie in ye Kirk, to follow the eardlie tyrannie of ye Exarchat, or ye dominioun.

Thairafter yair raise anuther greiter Antichrist in Con­stantinopil, callit Iohne, Bischop of yat place,The ȝeir of Christ. 600. Blond lib. 8. Gregor. lib. 4. Epist. cap 29. quha seing ye Occidentall Empire of Rome, brocht to nocht, and yat of Constantinopil liftit on hich, he walde alswa fol­low ye tyrannie of ye warld, and yairof to make a spirituall in ye Kirk of Iesus Christ: he causit declaire him self be ane counsel haldin at his plesure, Ecumenik Bischop, yat is to say, Vniuersal, and head of ye hail Kirk. Bot sune after ye grete Bischoppis of Rome,The ȝeir of Christ 604. Plati. Sabellic. The ȝeir of Christ. 612. pat swa gude or­dour yairvnto, yat be treasone ye Emperour Maurice was crewellie slaine in Constantinopil, he his wife, & his houshalde, be ye wickit Phocas, quha for recompense of yis detestabil murther, committit be ye knawlege of the Romain Kirk (euer contrare to Iesus Christ) causit de­claire Boniface, ye thride of yat Name, general head of ye Kirk of God, enterprising abuif ye authoritie of the grete and Eternall Sacrificer, cheif Preist, onelie spous, & head of his Kirk Iesus Christ. Quha could better discriue ane Antichrist, yan him yat enterpris is a tyrannie in the Kirk of God, a monifaulde.Math. 28. Mariage in ye spousit Kirk of Iesus Christ: and yat walde attribute vnto him self the power yat Iesus Christ hes reseruit vnto him self, to be, perpetuallie with his Kirk, be ye vertew of ye halie gaist,Math. 23. Luc. 11. Marc. 2. to gide and gouerne ye samin. Sick ane as yis, may he not of iust ressone, be callit ane Antichrist, yat preasis him self, directlie to gainstād ye halie Euangil of Iesus Christ quha forbade ye Apostils quhan he sent yaim to furth­schaw his halie worde, to institut a Monarchie in y^e Kirk, as ye Princis, Kingis, and tyrantis of ye earth did? That nane amang yaim sould enterprise to call him self head, or greter nor ye rest: bot all sould be humbil as brethren, [Page] being assurit to haif bot ane head, and ane onelie heuin­lie Father, yat soulde abyde and assist perperuallie with yaim, to inspire yaim, and conduct yaim after his halie wil. Sick ane as he is, is he not be iust ressoune ane Anti­christ, yat wil call him self successour of Iesus Christ, to y^e grete Bischopprie & cheif authoritie of y^e sacrificing exercisit be him, ye quhilk dignitie he hes reseruit vnto him self, abyding ane eternal & Soueraine Preist for euer, quha hes left na successour in his dignitie, as did Aaron & his successouris, to ye dignities of ye hie Preistis of ye Iowis, bot after ye ordour of Melchisedech, King and cheif Preist, without successour in his dignitie? Quhairfor yan (ô Antichristis of Rome) haif ȝe takin on ȝow ye dig­nitie of cheifest Bischoppis, as headis of ye Kirk of God, & enterprisit abuif ye authoritie of Iesus Christ, causing name ȝow maist blissit, and maist Reuerend Fathers and Papis, hauing institutit a College of litil Bischoppis pur­purit, to chuse a grete Bischop: bot to ye end to restoire ye ancient Romaine Religioun of Numa Pompilius, first authour of ȝou [...] pontifical dignities?

About ye same tyme yat Phocas ye crewel murtherer, erectit ane Antichrist in ye Kirk of Rome, Mahomet was raisit in ye Kirk of Arabia: instructit of ane Monk Sergius, about ye ȝeir 620. For yis Apostatat Heritike, seing all ye Law of God,Reid ye Ec­clesiasticall Historie. corruptit be traditiouns of men, and ye halie Gospel contemnit, sectis alswa, and diuerse heresies sawin, alsweil be ye Iowis, Phariseens, Esseens, & Saduceens, Masbutheens, Galileens, Hemerobaptistis, and Samaritains, as alswa be ye Christians, Symoniakis, Nicolaitis, Cerinthiens, Menandriens, and Ebionitis, Va­lentiniens, Serdoniens, Marcionistis, Montanistis, Cata­phrygis, Tatiens, Encratitis, Seueriens, Artemonistis, Porphyriens, Helchesaitis, Nouatiens, Sabelliens, Chili­astis, Paulianistis, Manicheens, Antomousiastis, Arians, Eunomians, Macedonians, Eunomiotheophroniens, Eu­nomiocutychiens, Aetiens, Donatistis, Luciferians, Patri­passians, [Page 22] or Theopachitis, photiniens, Marcelliens, Pau­losamosetans, Apolinaristis, Iouinianistis, Pelagiens, Plati­riens, Anthropomorphitis, Nestoriens, Sabbatiens, Ace­phaliens, Acariens, Olympiens, Quaternitairis, Mono­thelitis, and vthers Heritikis, hauing corruptit ye trew vse of ye halie Sacramentis, ordenit of God. Seing alswa principallie ye sect of Mesmongers, prosper in yair ceri­monies, drawin partlie out of ye Iudaicall Law,Alcoran is ye Law of Machomet. and part­lie out of ye Pagaine Idolatries, inuentit ane grete Alco­ranik decrete, quhairto he applyit monie Chaptouris & Articils, callit Azoaris: quhilks are as Canons and reulis of ye Religioun of Mahomet.

This preface & Summaire discours of ye Romaine hi­storie, hes semit to me to be necessare to reheirse, before or we begin to discriue ye Original of ye Sacrisice of ye Messe, to draw ye Reader alwayis to knaw ye veritie of ye fact, how ye Empire of Rome hes bene gouernit vn­to ye decaying yairof, about ye ȝeir of Christ 410. And how sen syne ye Barbarous Idolaters hes vsurpit it 300. ȝeiris. How alswa ye Antichristis haif erectit yaim self, and in ye end ye Empire of Rome, transferit to ye Almās quha retenis ye same ȝit to yis day, yair are passit fiue hundrith ȝeiris.

OF THE MESSE.

TO begin our litil treatise of ye Messe, first of all it behuisis to interprete ye tearme of ye Messe, of ye Ancient Romainis call it Missa.Originall of ye tearme of Messe. Sume haif honourit yis Sacrifice of ye Messe, to haif tane ye beginning fra the Hebrewis, inducing ye place of Daniell, spe­king of Maozin, as gif yai walde signifie ye Messe,Daniel. 11. be Maozin. Bot yis tearme is verie far of fra Missa, [Page] or Messe, and yair is Hebrew tearmis far mair appro­ching,4. King. 11. Messa. Iosua. 19. Messal. Messell. Hel to wit, [...] Messa, yat is alsmekil to say, as strā ­ping downe, of quhilk tearme is mentioun maid in the Historie of ye Kingis of Israel. Ane vther tearme alswa is foūd in ye Hebrew, aggreabil aneuch to ye cōmoun tearme of Messel, to wit, [...] yat is to say, hel or graif. Bot I dout not bot ye grete Bischoppis of Rome, walde not take yair original of ye Messe fra ye Hebrewis, to acknawlege yair Messe, and yair Messel, to be a conculcatioun, a hell or graif. And alswa of a treuth, ye authour of ye Romaine Religioun Numa Pompilius, thocht ne­uer on ye Hebrewis, quhan first he institutit his Messe. ȝit les this tearme of Missa, or Messe, can be begon of ye Greikis: because yat yair is na Sacrifice of yat Name, how beit yat sume haif brocht in sume ressone of yis tearme [...] Myzein, yat is to say i [...]. Scottis, to hide or keip close, as gif ye Messe Preistis had retenit of ye ancient Greikis, Idolaters, to keip close ye principall tearmis of yair Messis, yat yai sould not be vnderstand be yaim yat stuid by: bot haif obseruit to quhisper, and blaw amang yair teith, yair canons and sume special wordis, quhilk no ther yai vnderstād, nor yai yat luik on yaim. Neueryeles, nother ye Hebrew tearmis, nor ye Greik wordis, can be altogether apply it to ye Sacrifice of y^e Messe. Quhairfore it behuifis to rinne againe to ye trew originall of y^e tearm Missa,The Messe drawin fra ye ancient latine romās or Messe, drawin fra ye ancient latine Romains, quhilks war wount to vse yir tearmis, Missus, Missa, Mis­silis et Missio, as we say in Scottis, Messinger, Message and Missiuis, for letters yat are sent. Quhan yan ye anci­ent Romaine Idolaters,Apud Gre­cos Sacerdos functus my­sterio sic re­ [...]untiabat: la ois aphesis: quasi populū missum face ret. Apul li. 11. de Asin [...]ur. walde gif yair leif to yaim that stuid by, at yair Sacrificis being done, yai causit pronoūce in ye end yir wordis, I, licet, Missa est, ga thy way it is permittit, ye assemblie is send to ga haime. Bot in ye pro­cesse of tyme, because y^t yis sang signifiit a leif acceptabil to ye pepil, to be send to yair housis, as of a sang & tearm maist recreatif, it hes bene retenit, and ye Sacrifice ho­nourit [Page 23] of yis tearme Missa. To confirme yis point, yair are passit twa thousand ȝeiris, ye same tearmis are ȝit sūg vnto yis presēt, Ite, Missa est: quhilk signifiit a leif geuin, and ye companie or assemblie to be send to ga haime: in sick sorte, yat cum yai quhilk frequentis ye Kirks, as sune as yai vnderstand yis acceptabil sang, Ite, Missa est: yai are sene ordinarlie to walkin, & to be ful of ioy, as being assurit, yat yai haif leif to ga dyne.

The Arabian Mahometistis, a lang season instructit of ye Monke Sergius, as we haif deducit,In ye Buik of ye discriptioun of A­frick be Iohn Lyon African. hes yis tearme of ye Messe in grete recommendatioun, with quhilk tearme yai haif honourit thre townis or cities, callit Missa, situat vpon ye coste of ye Occean See, vnder ye point y^t makis ye beginning of Mount Altas. Besydis yir townis, in the Faubouris,Messa of ye Turkis. yair is a Tempil gretelie reuerencit be ye Idolatrous Turkis, because y^t yai beleif yat out of Missa sould be borne ye iust Bischop,Messalamis promisit & propheciit be Ma­homete. Thay beleif alswa, yat apon ye schore of the said place of Messa, Ionas had bene castin,In ye buik of ye court of ye grete Turke be freir antonie Gueffroy. after he was swallowit be ye quhail. Thay haif alswa yis Name of Messalamans, in als grete honour as we haif ye Name of Christiās, as willing signifie be yis name Messalamā sauit.

Mairouer ye Mahometistis hes alswa honourit yair preistis with ye Name of ye Messe, calling yaim Messen,In ye fore­said buik, Messen. Messit. & yair Kirkis callit Messit, o [...] Meschit. Thay yan quhilk preasit yaim self to put in licht ye Anatomie of y^e Messe, ye Centons, ye foundamentis, growingis & decoratioūs, thairof aucht to haif writtin of it with grete reuerence, in respect of ye ancient Pompilian Religioun, and Alk­oranik of Mahomet.

After yat we haif resoluit ye Name of ye Messe, and of Missa, in Romaine langage to be begon of ye ancient Romaine Idolaters, and not of ye Hebrew is nor of the Grecians, it behuifis to discend to ye vestimentis of the Messe Preistis. Bot in passing, we may not forȝet ye name of (Bischop) begon alswa of ye Romains, as we haif de­clarit [Page] in our Commentaries.Lib. 1. Commentaries. The Name alswa of Pape begon of ancient Idolaters, quha vsit to incall yair God Iupiter,Pape. calling him Papa Iupiter, speciallie ye Bithiniens and Scythiens, ye quhilk Name of Pape is drawin out of ye Greik tearme [...] Pappus,Herod. lib. 4 yat is to say, grete father. And alswa ye trew titil subscriuit in ye requestis presentit to ye grete Bischop of Rome, is maist blissit Fa­ther, & of ye smaller purpurit Bischoppis m [...]ist Reuerēd father, and of ye litil Bischoppis Reuerēd Father, hauing all retenit yis Name of Father, or of Pape, Grete Father, quhilk vsit to be a Name commoun to all Bischoppis.

Than afterwarde ye grete Bischoppis of Rome reseruit it for yaim onelie. Thair is alswa ane Name retenit for y^e smallest sarie Bischoppis, callit Curatis, yat are ouerseers in euerie paroche,Curio Sacer­dos ane Cu­rat, qui in sua c [...]ria, id est, in su [...] parrochia sacris praeerat. Tit. liui. lib. 1. Decad. 1. hauing borrowit yis Name of Curate fra ye ancient Romaine Curions, gif ane man wald not deduce y^e Etymologie yairof fra y^e Greik tearme [...] choura, yat is to say, schauing or clipping, because yat ye ancient Curions and Sacrificers vsit, clipping, & ye heid schauin, after ye maner of ye Babilonians, or Herculian Bischoppis, callit for yis cause, Stephanophori, as bering ane crowne apon ye head. Neueryeles it appearis to me, yat seing all ye members of ye sacrifice of ye Messe haif yair beginning of ye Pompilian Religioun,Tit. Liui. Fen stel. Pompo. Let. yair walde be wrang done to ye anciēt Romaine Idolaters, gif fra yaim mē wald take away ye original of ye Namis of ye Messe, of Bischop, and of Curate: as it is iustifiit be ye Romaine histories.

Aube. Alex. ab Ale lib. 4. Cap. 17.As to ye vestiment of ye Mesmonging Preistis, Numa in­stitutit yat it sould be quhite, callit be a Latine tearme, Alba, Aube, ye quhilk Name os Aube, hes bene vnto yis day retenit for ye vestiment of ye Preist saying Messe:Super Tuni­cam aeneam pectori tegu­men. Tit. liui li. 1. Decad. 1. abuif ye Aube was alswa ordenit to ye Sacrificer, to beir a cote paintit with culloure, and abuif ane ornament of a pectoral of brase or of copper, yairafter changit into gold or siluer,Chasubil. quhilk ye Mesmongers haif callit chasubil.

Thay vsit alswa a vail to couer yair head in Sacrificing, callit Aimict, first institutit be Eneas.Virgil. libr AEn. 3. pur­pureo velare comas ado pertus amictu Et capita an­te aras [...]tygio velamus amictu. Thir are ye princi­pal vestimentis institutit be Numa 700. ȝeiris before the incarnatioun of Iesus Christ. Trew it is, yat sensyne yair hes bene mixit decoratiouns iudaicall, as ye stoile, the Ephode, ye belt or girding, ye miter or diademe, & sume vther apparel, ye better to disgise ye grete Babilonicall hure.

Bot ye Mesmongers willing to disgise ye originall of yair Messe clais, hes ima­ginit ye aube, to figurat ye conuersatioun of Iesus Christ in his flesche, or ye puri­tie of his bodie, incarnat in ye waimb of ye Virgine. Vthers interprete ye quhite cullour, to signifie chastetie and continencie. Vthers willing to play fersis, & scorne ye Passioū of Iesus Christ, sophisticallie vnderstandis be ye Aube, ye quhite gowne presentit be Herod to Christ, quhan he was send again [...] as a fule to Pilat. The low Philo, ane maist excellent Philosopher, in his treatise of dreamis subtillie sayis, ye Aube to signifie ye surenes of ye bricht schining licht of God, yat he callis Ens. The linning alswa of quhilk ye Aube is maid, yai interprete for ye subtilitie of ye Scripturis. As to ye Aimict inuentit be Eneas, yai disgise it for ye vail, quhairwith Christ was couer̄it, yan quhan ye Iowi [...] in ye house of Caiphas, mocking yaim of him buffetit him. Titelman, ane of ye maist subtil Mesmongers,Titelman. in tracta. de ex­posit. Myster Missae. & Gabr. Biel. in lib. de ex­posit. Missae. sophisticallie sayis, be ye Aimict, to be figurit ye diuinitie of Christ, hid vnder his humanitie. Sume alswa confesse ye Aimict to haif bene subgrogatit in ye place of ye Ephode of ye Iowis. The belt, ye Manipul, and ye stoile, quhilks are thre bandis, yai figurat ye thre cordis, quhairwith Christ was bound, and trailit before ye Preistis, and after, before ye lieutenantis of Rome in Iudea. Biel an [...]ther subtil Mesmonger, interpretis be ye belt, ye wandis quhairwith Christ was scurgit: be ye stoile spred furth in ye maner of a crosse, to signifie ye gibet or Gallous, yat Christ bure vpon his schoulders. The Manipule alswa borne on ye left arme, ane figure of ye band of luif, quhairwith Christ was retenit. Anuther mommerie be ye belt quhair­with ye Aube is trussit, to signifie ye band of ye luif of God. The stoile put vpon ye Aimict, on ye neck of ye Mesmonger in maner of ane Crosse, is ye figure of ye obedience of Iesus Christ, euin vnto ye death of ye Crosse. The Manipule borne in ye left hand, to figurat ye rewarde of ye eternal felicitie of Christ. Anuther sophisterie be ye Aimict, to figurat Faith, be ye stoile humilitie of obedience, be ye Manipule, ye watching and hairtlie deuotioun of ye Preist yat singis Messe. Titel­man subtillie sayis, vtherwise be ye Manipule in ye car hand to figurat ye strenth and battel of Christ, aganis ye power visibil and vnuisibil, as a bucklet aganis temp tatiouns, ye hotdouris of ye Manipul, to figurat a final perseuerance. He sophisticatis alswa be ye car hand, to be vnderstād ye mālie infirmitie of Christ, ye quhilk being bound with ye Manipule, to figurat Christ to be retenit as subdewit be ye diuinitie; Brunus alswa anuther Mesmonging Doctour, Imaginis be ye Manipule ye caire of ye Mesmonging Preist, to chaise a way euil affectiouns, or vtherwise to figurat ye cord, quhairwith Christ was bound be ye Iowis, be ye storie, to be figu­ratit, ye ȝok of ye Lord, yat ye Mesmonger aucht to beir, garnissit with ye armour of iustice on ye richt, and on ye left side. The vthet paintit ornament, first in­stitutit be ye Magicien Numa, yai haif disgisit it with ye name of a planet, as ane erronious vestiment, vtherwise callit chape or Chasubil, quhilk yai sophisticat to represent ye Purpur gowne, presentit to Christ in ye Tolbuith of Pilate, scorning him, and calling him king of Iowis. Anuther Sophisterie be sick a ves­timent to be figurit ye nature of Christ, quhair his Godhead was hid. Philo a Iew of ye sect of Plato, interpretis be ye vestiment, ornit with diuerse cullouris to [Page] be ye figure of signes, and heuinlie starnis. Bot ye Mesmonging Preist orderit with his aube, and Aimict, with his belt, Manipule, stolis, and his Chasubil, or Cape of diuerse culouris, soulde put furth his arme to play twa personagis together, repre­sentit be ye Chasubil, quhairof ye part yat is before is les nor yat quhilk is behind, to figurat ye first kirk fra Abel to Christ, and be ye parte y [...]t is behinde, larger & richer decorit with ye signe of ane Crosse, to figurat ye Christian pepil. This Chasubil sould be appropriat with ye Aimict, quhilk was in ye beginning apon his head, to figurate ye coniunctioun of Christ with his kirk. The au [...]e alswa sould be correspondant to ye Chasubil, to figurat Christ to be accommodat to our infirmities.Philo. in lib. de profug. Besydis ye foresaidis vestimentis, Philo ye low eikis ye miter, to figurat ye Roiall crowne of ye Mesmongers, yat aucht ro haif ye head ointi [...] with Chrisme, or cōsecrate oile to signifie ye authoritie of ye Preistis: ye quhilk ornament of miter hes bene reseruit for ye Preistis onelie.

Restis now to discend to ye discriptioun of ye partis of ye Messe, of quhilkis we sal furthschaw particularlie ye originall, according to ye treuth: first as to ye Messis, callit solemne celebratit vpon Sondayis,Apul. lib. 11 de Asin. aur. Proclus in li de sacrific. et Gag. Procl. plato. Catul Eius aquae aspersio nepeccata praeser­tim periuria, medaciaque dilui ctede­bant. Blond. lib. de Rom. trium. Ouid. lib. 3. Fasto. ye Messe Preists hes retenit of ye Pompilian Religioun, to coniure ane sprinkling water, callit halie consecratit water, to sprinkil on yaim yat standis by at ye Sacrifice. The coniuratioū or exorciȝing institutit be Numa, was of See or salt water, because said he▪ yat salt was participāt of a firie nature, or of ye fire, verie mete to purifie: for yis cause ye ancient Romaine Idolaters, sprinklit with yis salt consecratit wa­ter, as with mercurial water, clensing and purging ye of­fensis of ye pepil, speciallie for menswerers and liers. To preserue yat consecratit and coniurit water, yair war twa kindis of vessels, yat war haliewater fattis: ye ane was grete fixit and festenit at ye entrie of yair Kirkis,In ye Buik of ye disco­urs of ye Religioū, be Iohn Choul. Halie water fountis of twa sortis. quhair yai worschippit yair Imagis: to ye end to sprinkil with y^t salt water, yaim yat entrit into ye said Kirkis. The vther halie water vessel was tursabil, to beir yat halie water throch yair Kirkis or housis, to ye end to sprinkil yaim to yair clensingis and purificatiouns. Thay yat soulde ce­lebrat ye Messe,Diis superis sacra factu­rus, corporis ablutione purga batur: cum vero in­feris litandū erat, sola as­persio sufficiebat. gif it war to ye inferior Gods, it sufficit yat ye Sacrificing Preist sprinkillit him self with ye halie water: bot gif ye Preist said Messe to ye Superior Gods, he behuifit to bathe his hail bodie, and wasche all his members. It was alswa forbiddin to apply ye halie water or onie vther vse yan for expiatiounis and purgatiouns. [Page 25] Following ye quhilk Pompilian institutioun,Blond. lib. 2 de trium. ro. Macr. lib. 3. Satu. cap. 1. In delii apollinis templo praecipua e­rat aqua sa­crificantium vsui accomoda, quam ad alios vsus hausisse magni criminis instar erat. Alex ab alex lib. 4. cap. 17 Alexander first of yat Name, neirest successour of ye Apostils of Iesus Christ, and of ye first corrupters of ye halie Sacra­mentis, ordenit of God, continewit yis Idolatrie, to con­iure and consecrate ye halie water with salt, to chais away Deuils. Neueryeles ye better to cullour ye sorcerie of Pompilius, he inuentit yis comparisoun: gif it be swa said Alexāder, yat ye Ais of ye reid cow, offerit vp in a brunt offering, mixit with well water, purifiit ye pepil of ye Iowis: be far greter ressone ye coniurit water with salt, purifiis ye Christians, and chaisis away Deuils. Is not ye halie Law of God brokin and corruptit, to applease the Romains, instructit in ye doctrine,Plati. and ancient Religioū of Numa Pompilius ye Magicien. Gif Alexander had not declynit swa far to ye vse of salt,Si cinis vitu­lae aspersus populum Iudeorum [...] ­dabat, multo magis aqua sale cōspe [...]sa populum sā ­ctificat, & in sidias Diabo li auertit. ca. aquam de cō secrat. distin. 1. Nombr. 19.4. Reg. 2. institutit be ye an­cient Idolaters for halie water, he had rather followit ye Iowisse cerimonie, & ordenit ais to consecrat ye clensing water. For he thocht to disgise ye fact be ye miracil of Eliseus, yat purifiit water with salt. Moises alswa did ye like with ye trie, schawin vnto him, yan quhan ye pepil of Israel war in necessitie, to recouer sweit water for to drink. Bot be yir miracils it is not reheirsit yat Eliseus or Moises, had institutit ane sprinkling water to purifie the pepil of ye Iowis. And it wil not be found, yat yair was euer vther halie water amang ye cerimonies of ye Iowis,Exod. 15. bot with ye ais of ye beist offerit vp for a brunt offering. Quhairfore it behuifis yat Alexander and his likis,Num. 19. ac­knawlege frelie ye inuentioun of ye halie coniurit water for expiatioun of sinnis,Histo. trip. li. 6. cap. 35. to haif tane ye beginning fra Numa Pompilius▪ mair nor 700. ȝeiris before ye incarnatioū of Iesus Christ. That same halie water hes bene swa weil obseruit be ye ancient Romaine Idolaters, yat mair nor 260. ȝeiris after ye incarnatioun of Iesus Christ,Valentinian ye Emperur ag [...]nis ye halie water sprinklit. it is re­heirsit how ye Emperour Valentinian, entring in ye tem­pil of y^e Goddes fortune, a Preist keper of ye said tempil, sprinklit him with yis blissit, halie, & saltit water, quhilk [Page] he had tane out of ye haliwater stane, being at ye entrie of ye Tempil, quhairat ye Emperour being commouit, straike ye Preist, halding his haliwater sticke, saying he was rather filit nor clensit. Be yir trew histories, ye Mes­mongers may boast yaim selfis,Salt haliwa­ter verie an­ [...]ik. ye first part of yair Messel Sacrifice to be verie ancient, and yat yair haliwater sta­nis, yair saltit haliwaters & clensing, are of ye anciēt doctrine of Numa Pompilius, and not of ye doctrine of ye E­uangil of Iesus Christ, quhilk yai call a new doctrine, and new Testament, for a difference of ye auld Iowisse ceri­monies, and ye Pagaine Idolatries. Bot ȝit I can not suf­ficientlie meruel,Aganis ye salt water & halie water of Alexan­der Pape, of Rome. quhy Alexander enterprisit to restoire ye Pompilian Idolatrie, considering yat he had ye meanis to restoire ye cerimoniall water, after ye maner of the Iowis, and in swa doing, rather to follow ye Law of God, yan yat of Numa Pompilius: for yair was easie meanis to recouer aiss, to make a certaine haliwater, after the maner of ye Iowis, ȝea aiss precious and consecratit: to wit, aiss keipit in placis quhair ye Relickis laie, cum furth of vailis, buirdclaithis and consecratit vessellis, yat Bis­chop Clement Predecessour of Alexander,Cap. omnes de consecra. distinct. 4. & ca. Altaria & ca. Vesti­menta, disti. 2. had forbid­din to be applyit to onie profaine vse, bot being throch auldnes consumit to burne yaim in ye fire, & yair aiss to be castin in ye fount. War not yir aiss consecratit, to steir vp Alexander to restoire ye aissie and haliwater, after ye maner of ye Iowis; gif he had not bene swa gredie of salt, and found a better gust to continew ye ancient Ro­maine Religioun. Thair micht vther aiss haif bene re­couerit be ye successouris of Alexander,Cap. Altaris de consecra. distinct. 1. to wit, of round hostis, vnleuenit & consecratit, quhilk ye grete Bischop Hyginus ordenit to be brunt, gif fallin on ye eard, yai could not be lickit vp be ye Mesmonging Preist, and ye aiss of ye said hostis to be laid vp in ye Relick place.In lib. caute. Miss.

Vther aiss alswa micht haif bene recouerit of rattouns or mise, & vther beastis, hauing deuorit ye saidis consecratit hostis, ordenit to be brūt, & y^e aiss laid in ye Relick place. [Page 26] Seing yan yat Alexāder walde not follow ye cerimoniall Law of God, to institut a blissit salt water, consecratit & coniurit, quhy hes he not at ye least applyit ye salt with ye hoste of ye Messe Preistis, quhilk yai say yai offer to God, as a sauing hoste? In swa doing he had followit ye cerimonie of Moises,Leuit. 2 [...]. be ye quhilk it was commandit to offer salt in all Sacrificis, and yair with to sprinkil ye sacri­ficis offerit for Saluatioun. Bot gif Alexander and his successouris had followit ye law of God, yai had inuentit nathing in yair awin braine: yai had not cause speak of yaim, and left ye memorie of yair institutiouns. For yis occasioun, yai wald not in onie thing follow ye Law of God:The occasi­ouns of inu [...] ting new I­dolatri [...]. bot contrariwise haif forbiddin to applie salt with yair round consecratit hostis, to celebrate yair Messell Sacrificis. Thay haif alswa forbiddin to mix aiss in yair haliwaters, to ye end yat in all yair institutiouns it be not thocht, yat yai haif borowit onie thing of God, nor of ye Law of Moises, and ȝit far les of ye Euangelicall Law of Iesus Christ: bot onelie thocht to attribute to yaim self yai inuentiouns, albeit yat yai haif yair Originall of the ancient pagane Romaine Idolatrie, mair nor 700. ȝeiris, before ye incarnatioun of Iesus Christ. For resolutioun of yis first parte of ye Messe, it war far mair expedient, (ô Mesmongers) yat in place of ȝour sacrificis and con­iuratiouns of saltit water, quhairwith ȝe sprinkill the pepill, ȝe sould schaw furth purelie ye halie Euangill,The trew haliwater for Christiainis. & cause ye Christiane pepil vnderstand that the purificati­oun and wasching of yair sinnis,Heb. [...]. dependis of ye blude of Iesus Christ, quha is michtie aneuche to chaise away Deuils, to drawe vs aback fra hell, to preserue vs fra Eternall death, and to scraipe away fra vs all spot of sinne, without vsing of coniuratiouns and adiuratiouns, with salt to chaise away the Deuils, according to the Pompiliane Magik, and ye heresie of Samaritainis,Epiph [...]. lib. 1. tom. 1. sec. 9. & 17. con. hae [...]e. that beleisis to be purifiit be wasching thaim daylie with ha­lie water.

Second part of ye Messe. Processioun Platin. Tit. liui. in Decad.After ye Asperges song ye halie coniurit water sprink­lit apon ye Alters, apon ye Imagis, and apon yaim that standis by at ye Sacrificis of ye Messe, followis ye Pro­cessioun, quhilk men walde haif attributit to Agapete Bischop of Rome.Supplicatio­nes qu [...]s nos processiones vocamus, sic bant circa de [...]ubra fana­que & puluinaria, in qui bus honos di is dabatur, praecedenti­bus pueris in genuis ac Sacerdotibus coronatis, acla uream te­nētibus ma­nu, voce modulata canē ­tibus carmē, subsequente ma [...]imo Pō ­tifice uel Cu­rione: deinde sequentibus, patriciis ac se natoribus cū coniugibus, & liberis plerunque coronatis. Apul. lib. 11. de asi. aur. Blond. li. 2. de rom. trium. Alex. ab alex lib 5. cap. 27 In ye huik of ye discours of ye religiō of ye aulde Romainis. Lamp. id. Apul. lib. 11 de asin. aur. Alex. ab alex lib. 50. cap. 27. Bot it was institutit mair yan a thou­sand ȝeiris before him: quhilk ye ancient Romaine Ido­laters callit supplicatioun. The maner was institutit be Numa, to gain Processioun, or to amease ye wraith of ye Godis, or for to impetrate peace, or for to pray to God for ye fruitis of ye earth. The ordour was in yis maner, first before ye Processioun yair marchit ȝoung bairnis, yan ye Preistis, sacrificers, cled with quhite Surplisis, singing Hymnis, sangis and Canticils, to ye honour of yair Godis. After did marche ye Grete Bischop or Curioun, yan marchit ye Senatouris of Rome, with yair wifis and bairnis, and sume tyme ye pepil assistit. In ye Processioū yair was commonlie borne ye Caise or Relick place of Iupiter, or of Anubis, be certaine Preistis, cled w^t quhite Surplisis, ye head schauin, and hauing ane crowne apon yair headis. This crowne was swa reputit, yat euin the Emperour Commodus Antoninus, cheif Bischop, causit schaife him self, and cow his head round, expressitlie to beir ye Caise of ye God Anubis. Before ye Caise or Re­lick place, yair marchit ane bering ane wax candil, hal­ding ane waxin candil lichtit. Quhan ye Processioun marchit throch ye streitis, yair was dressit resting placis for to serue as statiouns to ye Preistis, ye caise bearers to draw yair end. Than to ye Processioun, ye Tempils war opinnit, ye Alters and Imagis perfumit with incense, and ye Relickis of yair Godis visitit. In ye dayis ordenit to make Processioun, yair was a Feast celebratit, ye bui­this steikit, ye Palaice of iustice closit, & ye prisoners lou­sit fra yair chainis. Quha can better discriue ye ordour of ye Processiouns, obseruit vntill yis day, be ye Mes­mongers, instructit fra father to Sone in ye Pompilian Religioun? Quhat vther authour could yair be allegit of [Page 27] ye cerimonies obseruit in ye Processiouns:Herod. in Historiis. Ie [...]em [...]n epi. ad iudeos in Babylon [...]m abducendos. bot Numa Pompilius? Gif ye Mesmōgers wald not rin farder of, for yair schauin crownit headis, and vestimentis of quhite Surplisis: quhilk ye ancient Egiptian Idolaters war wont to vse, or ye Preistis of y^e Goddes Isis, or y^e Babilonian sa­crificers, hauing ye head and beird schauin.Ne vertic [...]m deraditote, neue barbam vellitote. Leuit. 19. For as to ye Law of God, ye contraire was obseruit, and forbiddin to Preistis, Sacrificers, to cowe round yair headis and haire, and to haif ye beird schauin. As to ye Law of ye Gospel, yair is na like cerimonie commandit be Iesus Christ,Nec in gyrù ac rotūdum attendebitis com [...]m vest­ram, nec ra­detis barbā. Ezech. 44. nor be his Apostils. It behuifis yan to haif recours to ye auld Pompilian Religioun As to ye rest, yat in ye Processioū hes bene eikit to beir a crosse and a baner: yis baner was callit be ye ancient Romaine Idolaters Labarum, quhilk was ane ensenzie reputit halie, [...]euerencit alsweil be the Dictatouris and Emperouris, as be ye Souldartis ganging to weir. In yat baner first Antenor,Baner of ye Processioun. causit drawe a sow or grice, of ye Name of Troia, quhilk signifiis in vulgaire Italian a sow:Ex li [...]is Messalae ad Octaui. nū. Augustum. ye quhilk ensenzie Antenor vowit and de­dicatit to ye Tempil of Iuno Quene of heauin: because yat a sow was ye Sacrifice cōsecratit to yat Goddes. Sen­syne ye ancient Romainis,Apul lib. 11. de Asin. aur. causit paint in yair baner the wand of Peace of Mercurius, in ye quhilk was paintit ye portrait of twa Dragōis or Serpentis, linkit within vther­after yair was drawin ane Agil for en­senzie of ye Romaine Empire. Bot Constantine ye grete Emperour, into Grecia causit graif in it a figure of Greik letters,In ye fore­said buik of ye discours of ye religi­oun of ye ald romainis [...] of interlinit with [...] and on ye twa sydis [...] & [...] in yis signe, willing to signifie yis word [...] Christos, Christ. This baner was borne apon a stock, or staff of trie giltit in maner of a Crosse, ye baner being foure nuikit, in forme of ane ensenzie of violet crammo­sie, syne brouderit on ye borders with freinzie of golde, or of siluer, and precious stainis. After yis exampil, ye Messe preistis, haif decorit yair Pompilian Processioun [...], [Page] in quhilks are borne baners, as gif yai wald ga to weir, or conduct ane Hoste of souldartis: bot in place to haif cau­sit paint ye Name of Iesus Christ: yai haif causit paint I­dolis, and Imagis of diuerse Gods, and Goddessis, hic Saintis and sche Saintis, Patronis of euerie Paroche. This is in sume, ye beginning of ye Processioun of ye Messe, for ye second parte of ye Messe. Hes yair euer bene swa grete Idolatrie amang ye Israelitis, quhan yai wald cele­brate ye feast of vnleuenit bread,The ȝeir of Christ. 1264 to eat ye Paschal lambe ye figure of ye halie Sacrament of ye Supper, yat ye mesmongers hes disgisit be yair Messel Sacrificis: causit yai euer bear in Processioū ye flesche, or ye blude of ye im­maculat Lambe? Layit yai it euer vp in a Relick house, to be borne in processioū throch ye streiti [...]? As to y^e Serpēt of brasse, albeit yat yai abusit it, causit yai euer bear it for a Relick, apō ye schoulders of yair Sacrificers, hauing ye head and beard schauin, as ye grete Bischop Vrbanus hes ordenit to bear in Processioun, ye round hoste conse­cratit be ye Mesmongers? And institutit a Solemne feast apon thurisday euerie ȝeir: to ye end to turne ye vse of ye halie Sacrament to mair detestabil Idolatrie, nor all his predecessouris did.

After ye haliewater sprinklit, & ye Processioun done, Numa institutit yat ye Messe Preist sould celebrate the Sacrifice,3. Parte of ye Messe. The Alter & [...]h [...]it waxe Can [...]il. being cled of his Aube and Chasubil, or paintit cote, hauing a crowne on his head, and ye beard schauin, sould cume neir to ye Alter, to yis end preparit for sacri­fice, garnissit with a lampe or wax candil lichtit, quhilk commonlie was of ane torche or of firr:Ouid. lib. 4. Fa [...]t. Apul. li [...]. 11. de Asin. aur. for without ane Alter, and without sire, na sacrifice could be celebratit.

He ordenit al [...]wa yat ye Mesmonging Preist sould turne him about besyde ye Alter, toward ye East. Prophirius ye heretike,Plutar.. in Num [...]. not onelie continewit yis Pompilian Magik, bot alswa ordenit ye entrie of ye Kirk and ye Imagis, to be turnit about toward ye e [...]st: to ye end yat yai quha sould enter to ye Tempils, inclining yaim selfis before ye [Page 28] Imagis sould dresse yair prayers towarde ye east, euin as ye Persians worschipping ye Sone of ye east.Al [...]r. ab ale [...] lib. 4. cap. 17 Are not yir Messalian and Pompilian institutiouns, contraire to y^e ancient cerimoniall Law of ye Iowis, to quhame it was forbiddin to dresse yair prayers toward ye east, for ye vnbeleif of ye ancient Idolaters. Acknawlege yan (ô Mesmongers) ȝour erectings of Alters toward ye east, ȝour Lampis and lichtit wax candils, ȝour Imagis and I­dolis, reuerencit in ȝour Messel Sacrificis, to be begone of ye ancient Romaine Religioun, continewit be ȝow fra ane to anuther. For as to ye Imagis & Idolis, quhairwith ȝour Alters are ornit and decorit, to celebrate ȝour Mes­sel Sacrificis: yai can not take yair beginning fra ye Law of God, ye quhilk forbiddis not onelie to permit onie I­mage in Kirkis, bot not to graif yaim or reuerence yaim. Quhame to could God be maid like, quhat Image,Exod. 20. Leuit. 26. Deut. 5. Esai. 40. Abhomina­bil Idolat [...]īo quhat forme, or quhat pourtrait could be inuentit to him? And neueryeles be ouer detestabil and abhominabil ane here­sie, ȝe (ô Mesmongers) cause Imprint ye Image and pic­ture of ye trinitie of ane God, in thre personis, in ȝour round hostis, yat ye cause worschip.

Neuery [...]les ye twa Messalian Doctouris, Titelman and Biel interpretis vther­wise ye Alter, qhan ye Mesmonger cummis nei [...], chargit with his Chalice giltit, to figurat Christ, bearing ye Crosse in ye mount of Caluarie. Thairafter ye Preist kissing ye Alter, to figurat ye Mariage and nuptiall signe of Iesus Christ with his kirk, ye richt syde of ye Alter to figurat ye pepil of ye Iowis, and ye car syde,Durand. lib. 4. rubr. de mutar. ye pepil of ye Gentilis. For yis cause Durandus a subtil Mesmonger, hes writtin yat yat ye Mumchance of ye Messe sould begin at ye richt syde of ye Alter, and [...]nd in yat same parte: and neueryeles ye principall a [...]pis murgiou [...], are celebratit at ye left syde of ye Alter. As to ye fire and waxin candil lichtit, yai figurat it to Christ, at being ye fire yat consumis ye roust of our sinnis, or vtherwise ye fire of charitie, compassing ye Christiane pepil, and ye wax [...]n candil lichtit, to figurat ye licht of Faith, and ye ioy of ye cumming and incarnatioun of Christ. Are not yir detestabil Sophisteries, quhairon ye Magicien Numa, thocht neuer yan quhan he institutit ye Alter, ye fire, and ye waxin candil lichtit to Sacrifice.

To continew ye ordour of ye Sacrifice of ye Messe,4. Part of ye Messe. Confiteor. Rem diuinā facturus ad suam leuam­d [...]m culpā, se [...]mp [...]imis reum dicent debebat, & novae poeni­tore, ac face­ri admissumuultum que summittere. Alex. ab alex lib. 4. cap. 17 Blond. lib. 1 de Rom. triumph. ye Messe Preist being cum neir to ye Alter, ye waxincan­dil lichtit, being cled and ornit with his Aube and Cha­subill, turning ye face towardis ye east, halding the Imagis giltit and grauit, before all thingis soulde say his [Page] Confiteor, and make his Confessioun, in acknawleg­ing his offencis, and asking Pardoun at the hie Gods, and sche Gods, hie Saintis, and sche Saintis, requiring iust & ressonabil thingis, as said Pithagoras in his goldin verse and Orpheas in his Hymnis. Bot Numa ye Magicien, estemit ye conscience of ye Preist yat said Messe, to be weil purgit be ye Confessioun, and yat without ye Con­fiteor, ye Sacrifice could not be weil celebratit. Than Damase or Pontian, Bischoppis of Rome, cā not gif yaim self any m [...]ir ye glorie, to haif first institutit ye Confiteor to ye Messe Preist. For mair nor a thousand ȝeiris before yaim, it had bene forgit be ye Antike Romain Idolaters. And ȝit hes bene continewit vnto yis present, that the Preistis celebrating ye Messell Sacrificis, pronuncis or quhispers a Confiteor, in langage not vnderstandit be yaim, nor be ye standers by, dressing yair prayers and requestis to Gods and Goddessis, to hie Saintis, and sche Saintis, in place to reuerence, honour, pray, and worschip ye trew onelie and Michtie God, Creatour of all gude.

Cap. [...].And neueryeles, ye Alcoran of Titelman interpretis ye Confiteor of ye Messe Preist to figurat ye Confessioun of Christ, for ye sinnis of ye pepil.

5. Part of ye Messe. Turnings & sworlingis. Hae sunt vertigines in sa­cris a Numa institutae dex eram ad of eulum fer [...]e et se in orbem cirm [...]ergereAfter ye quhisperit Confiteor, to obserue ye Religioū and cerimonies of Pompilius, ye Mesmōging Preist sould ga about, and againe about, turne and returne alangis ye Alter, lifting vp his handis, yan taking yaim downe with prayers and meditatiouns towardis ye east. For Numa ye Magicien, had ane opinion of grete halinesse in yir rinnings about, turnings and conuersiouns of ye bodie of ye Preist. This is as it may be coniecturit, ye occasioun yat yai haif addit to ye entres of ye Messe,Blond lib. 1. de Rom. triumph. Macrob in Saturn. yis sang plea­sant aneuch quhā ye Preist beginnis to mak his turningis & sworlingis about. I wil enter (sayis he) to ye Alter of God, yat reioyses my ȝouthead. Hes he not iust cause to be glaid,Entrie of ye Messe. seing ye buirdclaith laide, ye tabil dressit, ye Banquet preparit, ye Musick of ye Organis, and vthers instrumentis to resound, ye odouris and incensingis, ye [Page 29] Chalice, full of wine, ye collatioun maid readie, and the offering brod, or ye offraud to fil his purse?Plin. lib. 2 [...]. Are not all yir meanis to reioise ye ȝouthead of ye Preist, entring to ye Alter to sing Messe, to turne and danse after ye ma­ner prescriuit to him be Numa Pompilius ye Magicien. And not onelie ye Romainis, bot alswa all vther Idola­ters, in celebrating yair sacrificis, vsit to turne & returne lifting ye richt hand vnto ye mouth, yan turnit about all ye bodie, quhilks conuersiouns and turnings war reputit halie.

Titelman in his Alcoran reheirsis, yat ye Mesmonging Preist in playing his [...]erie conceatis, alāgis ye Alter makis seuin reuerencis, or salutatiouns, to yaim yat standis by at ye sacrifice: to ye end to chaise away ye seuin deidlie sinnis, be ye se­uin fald grace of ye halie Gaist. Bot in doing ye seuin reuerencis, in his Messell [...]nse he sould turne him to yaim yat standis by, reseruit before ye Preface, and kispax, quhan he is stoppit in ye breaking of his round hoste, to make it transub­stanciat into ane accident without substance.

The merie conceatis, sworlingis, conuersiounis, and murgiouns being endit be ye Messe Preist,6. Part of ye Messe. Soūd of Or­ganis. Numa ordenit ye sound of Organis, Alm [...]nie Quhissils, and violis, to sing Hymnis, sangis, and Canticils, to ye honour of the Godis, to quhais Name ye Messell sacrifice was celebra­tit. This parte of ye Messe was decorit with diuerse sangis, be monie Bischoppis of Rome: sume as Flamman,Antiphonies Collectis. Graduels. Traictis. and Diodorus, institutit Antiphonies: be Thelesphorus, ye Collectis: be Leon or gelasus ye Graduels: be Gre­gore or Gelase, ye Traictis: be Gothgere, Abat of Sandal, sequencies: quhilks are diuerse sangis of Musick,Hymnorum plures speci­es erant, hy­pingos Dia­nae, Apollini paean, & prosoedia: Dio­nisio dithirā bus: Cer [...]ri­iulus: Vener [...] erotichꝰ Praeter quos fue­re prosoediō, hyporchema & stasimon. Alex., b alex lib. 4. cap. [...] to serue as apparrellingis, and decoratiouns to ye Messel sacrifice. Bot gif ye Commētaries of ye auld Bischoppis of Rome, institutit be Numa war recouerit, men micht discouer ouer grete diuersitie of Sangis, Ballats, Hymnis, Canticils, and Odis dedicatit and consecratit to diuerse Godis, and Goddessis, euin as ye diuersitie is growin of diuerse sangis of Musick, be ye diuersitie of Messell Sacrificis, ordenit to diuerse Godis and Goddessis, hie Saintis, & sche Sain­tis. For euin as ye auld Idolaters did celebrate yair Sa­crificis to diuerse Godis and Goddessis, the Mesmong­ers [Page] alswa haif continewit to celebrate yair Messis to di­uerse hie Saintis,Diuerse Messis. & sche Saintis: sume to ye Name of our Ladie, vthers of Saint Sebastien, vthers of ye halie Gaist, vthers of Requiem, vntil yai pat distinctioun betwene ye drie Messis, [...]rie Messis. and the vthers common, in quhilks is maid browes, steipit in wine, in sick sort, yat yair is ingenerit ane infinitnes of Messel Sacrificis, to diuerse hie Saintis, & sche Saintis, quhairin are sung diuerse Canticils, and Se­quencies. Are not yir horribil and abhominabil corrup­tiouns, of ye halie Sacrament, of ye Supper of Iesus Christ, yairof to haif maid ane Idolatrie, after ye maner of ye auld Sacrificis, institutit be ye Magicien Numa?

Quhairfore ye Bischop Vitellien, sould not glorifie him self, to haif decorit ye sacrifice of ye Messe, with y^e sound of Organis, for mair yā twelf hundrith ȝeiris before him, yis institutioun had bene practisit be ye Magicien Numa.

Bot to disgise yis Babilonical Sacrifice, ye Messalian Alcoranistis, haif interpretit ye diuersitie of yair sangis of Musick, be a Pithagoricall Philosophie: for ye Col­lectis, yat is to say, ye Oraisons cloutit vp, yai haif commandit yat yai soulde be sung in od nomber: to wit, thie, fiue, or seuin: thre, to figurate ye trin [...]tie: fiue, to represent ye fiue woundis of Christ, seuin, to figurat ye seuin wordis of Christ, pronuncit on ye Crosse, or ye seuin giftis of ye halie Gaist. Mairouer, for sub­tiller Pithagoricall Theologie, ye Mesmonger sould not passe ye nomber of seuin, be ye ordinance of Pape Innocent, thrid of yat Name. The sophist Biel in his Al­coran, of ye interpretatioun of ye Messe, eikis yat ye nomber of Collectis be equal to ye nomber of ye secretis, yat is to say, prayers of ye Mesmonger, quhisperit se­creitlie: to ye end yat yai be not in contempt to ye pepil. After ye Collect, ye s [...]ng of Graduel, sc [...]arper and grauer, is ye figure of ye Confessioun of ye Publicans, quhan yai hard ye preaching of Saint Iohn ye Baptist. Alwayis ye sang of ye Graduel is not said in ye Messel Sacrificis, fra Pasche to ye Feast of witsonday, to figurat ye stait of ye blissit warld to cume.

Besidis ye sound of Organis, and sang of Musick, the ancient Romaine Idolaters,7. Part of ye Messe. Perfuming of incens. war wount to vse in yair sa­crificis, perfuming of incens, quhilk yai causit keip in a vessel, callit Acerra. In yis litil coffret of incens, war ye odouris yat ye Preist tuik to perfume ye Alters,B londlib. 1 de Rom. tri. ye Ima­gis, ye hoste or sacrifice, speciallie in ye Messis celebratit to ye God Ianus, and ye Goddes Vesta, quha war glaid of incens,Alex. ab alex lib. 4. cap. 17 and of wine, offerit to yaim, for in ye tyme of ye Troians, in place of incens, yai vsit Ceder, or Citro­nier [Page 30] for to perfume. It was not yan Leo ye Bischop of Rome, yat first institutit ye vse of incens, and incensing,Iliacis tēporibus vet [...]re [...] non thure, sed cedri & citri fumo deos adole­bant. Alex. ab alex lib. 4. cap. 17 Platin. Tir. Liui. lib 3. Decad. 3. Tit. Liui, lib 9. Decad. 3. Ouid. lib. 3. ra. in ye Messell sacrifice: for mair nor 700. ȝeiris before ye incarnatioun of Iesus Christ, ye auld Romaine Idolaters, vsit incens in yair sacrificis: and alswa ye Romainis haif retenit ye latine tearme quhilk signifies incens. Thus: fra ye auld word, [...] yat is to say, I sacrifice: because yat y [...] Idolaters vsit in all yair sacrificis incens, ȝea alswa had ane incensour tursabil to incens withall. Notyeles sume haif writtin, yat ye auld Romaine Idolaters celebrating sacrificis to ye Goddes Ceres, vsit ye gum of firr, callit Teda in place of incens: for quhilk cause Ceres is callit be ye Poetis Tedifera.

In ye Alco [...]an of Titelman, ye incens is interpretit, for ye prayer of ye M [...]s­monger, because it gais vp to heuin, in odour of sweitnes, euin as ye perfume of ye incens is liftit on hich. He sophisticatis alswa with Biell his comp [...]nioun, ye incensour, to signifie ye grace of ye halie Gaist. Thir subtill Alcoranistis allegis ye place of Tobias, yat chaisit ye Deuil away, be ye perfume of ye brunt Liuer. This same Biell interpretis vtherwise ye incens, to figurate ye oyntment of Christ, be M [...]rie Magdalen, because Christ was oyntit twa tymis, ye incens alswa is offerit twise into ye Messell sacrifice.

For anuther parte of ye Messel sacrifice,8. Parte of ye Messe. Offering. Plin. lib. 1 [...]. Cap. 3. celebratit be ye auld Idolaters, was ye offering of ye first fruitis, offerit to ye honour of ye Godis, to quhais namis ye sacrificis war celebratit. This offerīg was for ye Mesmōging Preist, quhilk he micht bear away frelie to his house, for his nu­risment and his houshaulds. Alwayis yair war vthers offeringis distributit to yaim, yat war nedie.Platin. Thairafter be ye auarice of ye Mesmongers, yai haif turnit yis vse til ane offering or offrand of golde, and siluer to inriche ye box, quhilk sume wald haif attributit to Leon Bischop of Rome:Blond. lib. 2 de Rom. tri. albeit yat ye offering had bene practisit a thou­sand ȝeiris before him, and to ye end to iustifie yis be ye Romaine histories: quhan Numa had institutit ye Mini­sters of ye Religioun, as war the Bischoppis, Auguris, Salliens, Fecials, Curiouns, and vthers he ordenit alswa the meanis to nurisse and interteine thaim. He com­mandit to make a foundatioun of a publicke rent, for [Page] ye nurisment,Sacerdotio r [...]m siue be­neficiorum, duo erant genera: vnum, quorum col­latio ad rēp. aut principē aut ad pontificum colle­gium specta­bat: alterum quorum col­latio ad ali­quam familiam ei [...]sque successores pertinebat: quae bene­ficia iuris patronatus censebantur. Blond lib. 2 de Rom tri. Tit. liui. lib. 30. and enterteining of ye Religious Vestals. After his exampil monie particular men did ye like: swa yat ye benificis become riche be fundatiouns: yai bene­ficis war deuidit in twa kindis, ye ane was to ye presenta­tioun and collatioun of ye Prince, or of ye cōmon welth, or of ye college of Bischoppis: ye vthers war to ye pre­sentatioun of sume particular men, patrons of ye saidis beneficis, be yaim foundit, & drowriit with grete riches. Of ye quhilks beneficis, y^e greit Bischoppis of Rome, had vsurpit ye power to giue dispensatioūs, to hauld twa to­gether, as it is reheirsit be y^e Liuian historie, of Fabiꝰ Maximus, yat held be dispensatioun twa beneficis, yan quhan he was creatit Bischop, mair nor 200. ȝeiris before ye in­carnatioun of Iesus Christ. It was yan ye first rent of Messe Preistis to haif beneficis richlie foundit. For the second rent war ye offeringis, or offrandis, and oblatioūs. For ye thrid rent war ye Annatis, or annual fruitis of ye first ȝeir, yat ye Idolatrous Romaine Bischoppis, had cu­stomit to take for ye vacant of ye beneficis,Tertia sacer­dotiorum o­pulentia a solutionibus proueniebat, quas inferio­res superioribus Pontifi­cibus impendebant: quale apud nos est cum Pontifici Roma­no fructus primos, anti­stes & his minores sacer­dotes ad ob­tinenda be­neficia pecu­niam dissola unt. Blond. lib. 2. de Ro. triumph.. Viuentes vt deos haberet propitios, multa sacer­dotibus iar­g [...]ebātur, fe­licitatiam marum consul­turi. Blond. lib. 2. de Ro. triumph. Cic. in or [...]i­one pro do­mo su [...] ad Pontifices. Blond. lib. 2 de Rom. tri. yat yai gaif, sauld, or disponit. The fourt rent was of Obitis, Annu­als, Legacies, and donatiouns maid to pray yair Godis for ye saulis of ye deceassit. The quhilk verifies ye self vnto yis day, be ye monimentis, and graifis of auld Idolaters. The fift rent was vnlawis, condemnatiouns, & escheatis, yat ye Bischoppis of Rome causit adiuge to yaim selfe: as ye Palaice and house of Cicero, quhā he was banissit, was escheatit to ye College of ye Bischoppis: and dedicatit speciallie for ye sacrificis, to celebrate in ye Tempil, con­secratit to ye Goddes libertie. This summair of ye rent of ye anciēt Romaine Idolaters, I thocht gude in passing to reheirse, to ye end yat maire and mair euerie ane may knaw, yat ye abusis and Idolatries succedit in ye Kirk of Iesus Christ, are not new, bot begone and drawin out, or restorit of ye Antick Romaine Idolatreis: as ye fundati­ouns of Messis, ye Obitis, Annuals, ye dispensatiouns of monie beneficis, ye Annatis, ye vacancies, ye hameber­ngis, [Page 31] ye offrandis and Messalian offering stockis, ye vn­lawis, & escheatis adiugit to ye propertie of ye Bischop of Rome, & vthers ordinancis restorit to ye new Bischoppis of Rome, quhilks are cōtinewit fra ane til anuther. To yis purpose it is reheirsit in ye Romaine histories, yat in ye rigne of ye Emperour Valentinian, second of that name, yair chancit grete seditioun at Rome, betwene ye Christiane Preistis, & ye Idolaters, quha straise together, quha sould gather maist riches in ye Kirk, be fundatioūs, Testamētal Legacies, oblatiouns,The ȝeir of Christ 383. and be vthers inuenti­ouns: in sick sort, yat ye Pagane and vnfaithful Idolaters yat vsurpit ȝit ye Tempil, at yis present callit ye Kirk of S. Peter ad vincula, yai faucht yan contrair ye Christians at Rome, yat walde haif dedicatit it to thair deuo­tioun.

After ye offering, ye Alcoran of Titelman contenis how ye Mesmonger sould sumerymis hauld his toung, to figurat ye fleing of Christ: or ye feir of his Discipils, to confesse him before ye lowis. Than after ye Preist singis loude.Cap. 35. Per omnia se­cula seculorum: because yat Christ after he had concelit him self, he schew him self againe publick in ye house of Lazarus. Then he singis, Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, to represent ye sang of ye lowis, quhan Christ entrit into Ierusalem. This Musick being done, ye Preist sould murmure secreitlie, and betwene his teith, conterfaiting him to be sad, without onie merie conceatis: bot sould play a dum mumchance, be signes of litil Crossis reiteratit, as we sall reheirse heirafter.9. Part of ye Messe. Roundhoste of floure. Plutarc. in Numa.

After ye offering, it behuifis vs to cume to ye 9. parte of ye Messe, ye richest and delicatest for ye Mesmong­ers. That is ye hoste or sacrifice, in quhilk consistis ye chief point of ye Messall sacrifice. In ye tyme of the Magicien Numa,Pollux in [...] ­n [...]m. lib. 6. Mysteriis peractis, qui sa­cris intererāt rotundis pa­nibus, quos in honorem deorum adhibebant, si­antes vesce­bantur: nec nisi sacrificio perfecto, vesci licebat. Alex. ab alex lib. 4. cap. 17. ye Romainis had not ȝit vse to slaie & offer vp with ye blude of beistis, bot it was ordenit to eat and communicat within ye Tempil, about ye end of the Messell sacrifice of litil breade round, consecratit to the honour of Godis, to quhais Name ye sacrifice was cele­bratit. Thir litil round hostis of fine floure, war eatin be ye Sacrificer, and be yaim yat stuid by, being apon yair feit, and not sitting. The floure quhairof yai war maid, was callit Mola, and fra thence is cume yis tearme to im­molate. Thair war syndrie hostis, yat is to say, litil round breadis, dedicatit to diuerse Godis, euin as yair war di­uerse [Page] Messall sacrificis. with ye said round hostis was of­ferit wine, ye Alters seruing in stead of tabils. In y^e meane tyme yat ye Sacrificers & yai yat staid by at ye sacrifice eatit, and communicatit together of ye said litil rounde breadis, consecratit to ye honour of yair Go [...]is, yair war sung Hymnis and praisis, and be sume ye Organis and Cymbalis soundit.

Before or he deuorit yis round hoste imprintit with Imagis, ye Messalian Doc­touris haif ordenit ye Preist to vse coniuratiouns, and adiuratiouns be signes of a Crosse. First he man make th [...]e Crossis apon this roun [...] hoste, to figurat ye thre fauld geuing of Christ, to wit, be his Father, be Christ him self, and be ye halie Gaist, in pronuncing yir wordis: Haec dona, haec munera, haec sancta sacrificia illiba­ta. Sume vthers Alcaranistis and Messalian Doctouris, interpretis ye thrid Crosse for ye traison of Iudas, yat deliuerit his Maister into ye handis of ye Iowis.

Beside ye thre foresaidis Crossis, fiue vther followis to figurat ye fiue day is of di­stance fra Palmesonday, vnto ye day of his Passioun, or vtherwise to represent ye siue woundis of Christ, twa in ye handis, twa in ye feit, and in ye richt syde ane. Of ye quhilkis fiue Crossis, ye thre first sould be maid apon ye Chalice, and ye round Hoste, to figurat ye deliuering of Christ to ye Preistis, to ye Scribis, and to ye Phariseans, or for to figurat ye price of ye selling of Christ: to wit, thre tymis ten, quhilk are worth threttie pennies. The twa vther Crossis are maid separatlie, ye ane quhilkis ye fourt apon ye Hoste, and ye vther apon ye Chalice, and are done syndrie to play twa personagis, of Christ and of Iudas That being done ye Mesmonging Preist in continewing to play ye fule, and his mumchancis, spreadis out his armis, to figurat Christ Iesus, extendit on ye Crosse. Than he liftis on [...]ich his round Hoste, imprintit with Imagis to cause worschip it. After he begins again to m [...]ke thre Crossis, ane apon ye Hoste, ye vther apon ye Chalice, ye thrid apon himself, to play ye personage of thre estains, of yaim yat are in heuin, in purgatorie and on ye eard. He duntis afterward apon his breist, to play ye personage of ye theif hangit apon ye Crosse yat repentit. Bot ye knocking on ye brei [...]t sould be done with thre hindmest fingers of ye hand, because ye thumb and ye formest fin­ger are reseruit to consecrate and transubstantiat ye round Hoste. Mairouer he man strike on his breist thre tymis, to figurate ye threfauld offence of y [...] hart, of ye mouth, & of ye deid: in lifting vp his voice, to represent ye theif or ye Centurion, yat confessit God in his passioun: s [...]x vther Crossis are afterward reiteratit, thre apon ye couerit Chalice, to represent ye thre hou [...]is yat Christ was hung in yis life. And ye thre vther Crossis are maid apon ye discouerit Chalice & round Hoste be [...]ng againe lift [...]it vp, to figurate yet thre houris yat Christ was hung on ye Crosse dead: than are addit twa vther Crossis, after yat ye Mesmonger hes kissit ye Chalice, to figurate ye m [...]sterie of blude & water, sprung out of ye syde of Christ. Besi [...]is ye foresaidis dume m [...]mchancis, ye Preist sould lift ye Vaill fra aboue ye Ch [...]lice, and couer it again with ye Pa [...], to represent ye Vaill brokin in ye midis, at ye death of Christ. That being done, ye round Hoste is laid downe fra abuif ye Ch [...]lice, and laid apon ye corporall, to figurate ye buriall of Christ. The mesmon­ger hauing plaid ye personage of ye hangit theif, of ye traitour Iudas, of Christ & of ye Publicans, h [...] playis afterwarde ye personage of ye Centurioun, in singing ye Pater noster. Bot ye Alc [...]ran of Duran [...]us interpretis he ye vij. petitiouns of ye Pater Noster, ye vij. tearis of ye Virgin Marie, or ye vij. vertewis, or ye vij gif [...]is of ye halie gaist, or ye vij. bl [...]ssingis, or ye vij mortall sinnis. This s [...]ng being en­dit, ye Mesmonger taries a litil quhile in silence, to figurate ye silence or rest of Christ in ye graif. Anuther api [...] murgioun or mumchance is play [...]t be ye Mes­monger [Page 32] of his round Hoste quhilk he layis downe apon ye Pax, to figurate ye vni­oun of ye diuinitie with ye humanitie, bot quhan he playis ye secreit mysterie,Rediuina & ceremoniis celebratis, sacerdos tunc, I [...]licet, succl [...] mabat: qua voce illo [...]qui interfuerant, missos facie­bat. Alex. ab Alex. lib. ge­dier. 4. ca. 17 The Messe institutit be Num [...], m [...]ir yan 700. ȝe­ [...]ris before ye incarnatioū of Iesus Christ. ye Hoste is yan hid out of sicht.

The sacrifice being endit, and ye litil round Hostis ea­tin, Numa institutit to sing yir wordis I, licet, or Ite Missa est, yat is to say, ga it is dissoluit, ye assemblie is sent for to ga hame.

Are not yir all ye partis of ye Messell sacrifice, ye maist parte of yaim ordenit be ye Magicien Numa, mair yan 700. ȝeiris before ye incarnatioū of Iesus Christ? to wit, ye Vestimentis of ye Aube and Chasubil, ye blissit halie water coniurit with salt, to chais away Deuils, ye Alter, ye lichtit wax candil, ye sworlingis and turningis about alangis ye alter, with prayers and meditatiouns toward ye east, ye Processiouns, with ye Relickis or Caisis borne apon schoulders be ye Preistis, cled with quhite Surplisis, crownit apon ye head, ye Confiteor addressit to hie Saintis, and sche Saintis, ye sound of Organis, ye Canticils, Sangis, Hymnis, and Odis, ye incensour and incens, ye Offrand, ye communion of litil round breadis, consecra­tit to ye name of yair Godis, and at ye end ye sang, Ite Missa est. will ȝe not now acknawlege (ô Mesmon­gers) yat ȝe haif borro wit all yir partis and members in ȝour Messe, fra ye Religioun of Pompilius? Quhy haif ȝe retenit the Name of the Messe, in that quhilk Iesus Christ callit his Supper, and the communioun of his bo­die?Math. 27. Luc. 20. Marc. 14. 1. Cor. 11. Quhy haif ȝe taine the proper Vestimentis of Aube and Chasubill, paintit fra the auld Romaine Ido­laters, of quhilks habitis Iesus Christ ordenit nane to ȝow? Quhy haif ȝe geuin greter Faith to Pompilius Magik to chais away Deuils with salt water coniurit, cal­lit haliewater, than to the halie worde and Gospell of Iesus Christ, quha had assurit ȝow in his name, to chais away Deuils, and not with a Magik of salt? Quha inspirit ȝow except the Spirite of Numa,Mat. 16. to schaife ȝowr headis rounde, to tryme ȝow with quhite surplisis, to bear ye Caisis in Processioun with ye baner? Quhan [Page] Iesus Christ celebratit his halie Supper, and instructit the Apostils in ye communion of his bodie, and of his blude, commandit he yaim euer to follow ye Religioun of the auld Romaine Idolaters? To haif Alters decorit with Imagis, to vse turningis about, & sworlingis alangis ane Alter, to be cowit round, to haif Aubis and Chasubils, making yair confessioun to hie Saintis and sche Saintis, to cause ye Organis sound, to perfume with incense ye Alters & Imagis, to ga to ye offrand, to bring siluer to ye Box for ye Preist, to eat litil round hostis consecratit, and ornit w^t ane Image, yairafter to sing, Ite Missa est.

Bot I foresee ȝour Messell cauillatiouns, be ye quhilks (ô mesmongers) ȝe wil confesse to me yat ye bodie, and ye principall partis of ye Messe, haif bene inuentit be Nu ma Pompilius.Cauillatioūs or gellenzies Platin. Volaterian. ky [...]ieleison. Notyeles, ye apparrellingis and decora­tiouns, to haif bene inuētit be vthers Bischoppis of rome, speciallie be ane Monk callit Gregorius, first of yat name yat attenit to be Pape. The quhilk being instructit in a Pithagorical Magik and Philosophie, hauing alswa studiit ye Lawis of Tullus Hostilius ye King, successour of Nu­ma,Quoties pro­digium nun ciabatur, sa­crum nouen diale per no­uem dies age ba [...]ur. to ye end to make perpetuall his Name be sume new additioun to ye Messel Sacrifice, institutit to sing nyne tymis yir Greik wordis, Kyrieleison. Bot Gregorius had in grete reputatioun, ye nomber of nyne, euin as ye auld Romaine Idolaters had recourse to ye nouendial Sacri­ficis, or of nyne dayis, for miracils, and monstrous appe­rancis. He ordenit alswa,Tit. liui. lib. [...] decad. 1. yat in ye sacrifice of ye Messe, yair sould be sung twa Hebrew wordis, to accōpanie ye twa Greik wordis, and yat on sume Sondayis yai soulde sing yir wordis, Hallelu-ia: and on vther dayis it was for biddin,ye Allelu-ia.

In place of ye quhilk Hallelu-ia, is sung anuther sang callie Traict, with scharpnes of voice, prolixitie of sang, and grauitie of notis of Musick, to figurat ye mi­series of yis eard. Bot he yat singis Hallelu-ia, sould be heicher yan he yat routis ye graduell, as ye Alcoran of Titelman reheirsis it.

Was yair not aneuche of Magik in ye Messall sacrifice, without hauing addit yairto Greik and Hebrew wordis? [Page] To haif confoundit Pithagoricall nombers, and ye nouē ­dial sang? Institutit a distinctioun of dayis,Plati [...]. Sabell [...] to sing ye He­brew wordis, and on vther dayis it is forbiddin? And to inuent Crossis, and dum m [...]nchancis?Gloria patri. Agnus dei. kis Pax. in­sti­tu­rit. Are not yir cor­ruptiouns of ye halie Sacrament of ye Supper ordenit of God? Sume alswa haif decorit yis Messel sacrifice, as Damasus Bischop of Rome, with a gloria patri: Sergius, with ane agnus dei, sung thre tymis.

Quhilk Tite [...] man interpretis to figurat ye ascensioun of Iesus Christ.

Innocent, to kis the Pax of ye Preist, or his Patene.

The quhilk Paten [...] of gold figuris ye diuinitie of Christ, be ye doctrine of ye Alcoran ye gloria in excelsis be Symmachus: quhilk sang pronuncit with meik and l [...]uch voice, representis (as contenis ye Alcoran of Titelman) ye bleting and hairnl [...]e voice of Christ, being ȝit in ye Cradill. (O blasphemus,Cap. 14. and detestabill mumrie of ye Sone of God) Leon ye second, institutit a kispa [...], quhilk ye Alcoran of Titelman, say [...] to signifie ye vnion of Christianis,Cap. 56. 57. and y [...] ye kispa [...] hes boue subrogatit, in ye place of ye [...]alie communion, obseruit in ye first ki [...]k neirest ye Apost [...]s. This kispax it sung be ye Mesmonger (saying) Pax domini: and in ma­king rare Cros [...] apo [...] v [...] chalice,Th [...] kis pax quha [...] ye thrid part of ye Hoste is eastin in ye wine, to fig [...]rate ye incarn [...]tioun of Christ, or for ye [...]refald peace of tyme, of Spirite, and of eternitie to cume.

Than alswa is attributit ye forging of ye Cannon of ye Messe to Alexander, Gelasus, Syricius, Leon, & Pelagius. Thir are clam [...]it pecis,Can [...]o [...] of ye M [...]ss [...]. according to ye humouris of the Bischoppis of Rome, Authouris, and Restorers, Doters, and augmente [...]s of the Messell Sacrifice.

We man not sorzet ye best decoratioun institutit in the Messell Sacrifice: to wit, sume placis of ye auld and new Testament, callit Epistils, and Gospels, yat ye Mesmong­ers haif cuttit of, & mixit with yair Pompilian Idolatrie,Platin [...] Sab [...]lli [...]. Epistils and Euangils cut tit of in ye Messe. and in yat prophanit ye Law of God, euin as ye Apostate Sergius, Doctour of Mahomet, quha hes ornit ye Alco­ran with monie placis of the halie Bibill, and forgit a mingling of Fabils, and heresies with the halie Law of God.

The Mesmongers for ye sang of ye Epistils and Gospels, h [...]if institutit twa per­son [...]gis, to ye end to decore yair M [...]ssel [...]ince, to wit, ye subdeane, yat gais before to play ye personage of ye first Law of ye Lowis: and ye de [...]ne yat ma [...]chis after, of greter dignitte, to represent ye Law of ye Euangil, ye quhilk deane be [...]ris ane cod [...]pon his [...]reist, to signi [...] [...] humiliat hairt. The subdeane resaifis not ye blessing of ye Messe Preist as do [...] we deane, because sayis he Messalian [...]octouris, y [...]t God s [...]nd his Prophe [...]ie [...]: b [...]t ye dea [...]e pl [...]ying ye personage of ye Euangelical [Page] Law, he resaifi [...] blissingis, as being send in ye midis of ye wolfis, because Christ send his Discipils visiblie. To ye deane is ordenit to were ane crossit stoile, and hung apon his schoulders, athworte ye s [...]al of his back, to figurate strenth & con­tinencie, conioynit together to ye Messe Preist. The deane playing his Roll, and singing sume place cuttit of ye Euangil, in a langage not vnderstand be him, nor be ya [...]m yat stand by beside him, sould turne him to ye north, being apon his feit, because say is Titelman yat ye parte of ye north is cauld and malicious, for yis cause he sould make a crosse to chai [...] away ye Deuils of ye north. Are not yir sorcerie [...] and inchantmentis, mair horribil yan all ye commentaries of ye auld Romaine Ido­latrous hie Preistis.

Is yis to approue ye Alcoran of Mahomet, the lang possessioun,Agani [...] ye lang posses­ [...]ioun & pre­scriptioū of Idolaters. quhairin are presentlie ye Turkis, yair are passit nyne hundrith ȝeiris, hauing conquissit countries, Kingdomis, & Empiris, prosperit in yair enterprisis, and euer obseruit yis abhominabil Law, discriuit in yair Alcoran?A [...]nis ye Turkis. The pepil of Israel, war yai excusit towarde God, quhan yai maid sacrifice of ye blude of innocentis, in ye valey of Tophet to Moloch,Agani [...] ye Israelitis of­fering to Moloch. to allege ye lang possessioū & vse accustomit, yair are passit twelf hundrith ȝeiris be­fore yat yis Idolatrie was altogether brocht to nocht, be ye gude King Iosias? The Israelitis did yai not murmure aganis ye vertuous King Ezechias,4. Reg. 16. & 23. Aganis ye Idolatrie of ye Brasin Serpent. Num. 22. quhan he caist downe ye Brasin Serpent, quhilk was institutit be ye expresse command of God, yair war passit nyne hundrith ȝeiris? The pepil yaim self war yai excusit of yair Idolatrie, committit in ye twa Tempils, erectit in Dan and Bethel: in quhilks yair war Imagis of twa ȝoung kie of gold,Aganis ye Idoliserecti [...] be Ieroboam [...]. Reg. 12. institu­tit be yair King Ieroboam, vnder pretext of ye lang pos­sessioun, yat yai had continewit yis Idolatrie be ye space of thre or four hundrith ȝeiris?Aganis ye vnfaithful­nes of ye Iowas. The Iowis yat are presentlie vagaboundis, sall yai be excusit before ye maiestie of God, for schawing ye lang possessioun of yair cerimonial Law, ȝea institutit of God, yair are passit thre thousand ȝeiris? And ȝe alswa (ô Mesmongers) can ȝe allege aga­nis God a prescriptioun or lang possessioun,Aganis ye M [...]smongers to haif cele­bratit Pompilian Messis, a lang tyme being bypassit, yat ȝe and ȝour predecessouris haif swa vsit, sauld, and maid pennie of ȝour Messel sacrificis? Is it ane sufficient resson to be soundit on lang possessioun, euin as ȝour predeces­souris, the Romaine Senatouris allegit to ye Emperour [Page 34] Theodose, yair Pompilian Religioun to haif bene obser­uit, yair are passit mair nor a thousand ȝeiris?Prescriptio [...] hes [...]a place. aganis God This is not a sufficient excuse to confirme ȝour Idolatries, to allege ye lang possessioun and vse of lang tyme obseruit. For gif God be his mercie and meruelous patience, hes suffe­rit ye Iowis in yair infidelitie, ye Turkis in yair alcoranik Law, and ye Christianis in yair Messell Idolatries: it be­langis not to vs to dispute of ye vncomprehensibil secre­tis of God: bot with humilitie to resaif ye way of treuth, quhan it sall pleis him to gif it to vs, after ye deip and lang darknes, in quhilk ye pepil hes at all tymis fallin, swa yat yai haif turnit fra ye trew adoratioun and institu­tioun of God, as summarlie we haif heirtofore reheirsit of ye Israelitis, ye elect pepill of God, quha albeit yai had Moises and ye Prophetis, yat admonissit yaim be monie miracils and threatningis, how it behuifit to honour God and keip his Law, yai stoppit not neueryeles to worschip God be ye inuentiouns of man. Gif yan during ye rigne of ye Princis, Iugis of Israell, quhan ye pepill was gouernit in Aristocratia, yat is in a best reulit common welth, yairafter submittit to ye ȝock of Kingis, as in ane Monarchie, y^t is ye reule of ane man, & in ye end brocht vnder ye gouernance of Preistis, hauing embrasit ye tem­poral and spirituall affairis, ye Law of God was corruptit, ye sacrificis and sacramentis adulteratit and violatit, & Idolatrie cōtinewit, mair nor saxtene hundrith ȝeiris, fra ye writtin Law publissit be Moises, vnto ye incarnatioun of Iesus Christ, quhat can be hopit in ye Romaine pepil, instructil in all Idolatrie, as a drie trie, as a bastarde pepill and Heathen.

Neueryeles, to ye end yat ye Messalian Heretikis brag not yaim selfis of ouer lang possessioun in yair Messell sacrificis, except of ye restoring of ye nyne partie heirtofore discriuit, borrowit fra Numa [...]ompilius: ye rest of ye partis of ye Masse hes bene inuentit at diuerse tymis, be syndrie Antichristis, corrupters of ye halie Sacramentis ordenit of God. And for to vnderstand ye tymis and ȝeiris of ye mai­sters of wark, Agapetus Pape of Rome, rigning in ye ȝeir of Christ 533. restorit ye Processioun after ye maner prescriuit be Numa. The Confiteor restorit be Damasus, rigning in ye ȝeir 377. The kyrieleison and ye latinis, be Gregorius, rigning in ye ȝeir 593. The Graduell, ye Collectis, and ye Traict be Gelasu [...], rigning in ye ȝeir 493, The Sequencies be Gothgere, Abat of Sandall, ye Gloria in excelsis be Symma [Page] [...]hus, rigning in ye ȝeir 501. The incens & ye offering restorit of ye auld Pompilian doctrine, be Leon 3. of yat name, in ye 100 ȝeir. The kispax be Innocentius, first of ya [...] [...], rigning in ye [...] 408. agnus dei institutit be [...]ergius, in ye ȝeir [...], 7. The cōmemoration of ye dead, inuentit be Pelagius, in ye ȝeir 55 [...]. The Canon forgit be Gel [...]sus, Syricius, Leon, & Pelagius rigning in ye 8 [...]. ȝeir The trāsubstaciation in stirutit be ye Bischoppis of Rome, about ye ȝeir of God 1062. Quhair [...]drē of quli [...]i [...] impudencie are ye Alcoranist Messalian D [...]cto [...]is conuictit, ya [...] falslie geuis to vn­derstand ye halie Apostils of Iesus Christ, to hai [...] celebratit ye sacrifice of ye Messe? Considering yat yis sacrifice was not restoirit in ye awin integritie: sen Numa Pompilius, except mair nor 800. ȝeiris after Iesus Christ. In quhat approuit historie is yair mentioun maid, yat sick Idolatrie hes bene commi [...]tit be ye A­postils of God? How is it possibill to beleif it or think it, sen yis grete hure of Babilon, was not restorit in hir a win paintrie, and maske of halines, bot lang tyme after ye incarnatioun of Christ.

Bot it beliuifis vs to returne to our Romaine historie, for ye better discouering of ye trew original of y^e Messe:Continewa­tioun of hi­stories. we haif in passing throch ye partis and principall mem­bers of ye sacrifice of ye Messe, declarit how ye ancient Romainis before yat yai had vsit to sacrifice w^t ye blude of beastis, vsit litil round bread, consecratit to ye honour of yair Godis, quhilks yai eatit on yair feit within ye Tē ­pils, about ye end of yair Sacrifice. Thir litill rounde Hostis of floure of quheat, hes bene resauit be ye Messe Preistis: bot yai haif decorit ye Magik and Idolatrie of Numa Pompilius, in swra far as yai haif causit decore yair litil round Hostis with Imagis and Idolis, imprintit with­in ye roundnes of ye saidis Hostis, to ye end to make yaim halier, til yai cause worschip yaim be ye inuentioun of Honorius Romaine Antichrist, rigning in the ȝeir of ye incarnatioū of Christ, a thousand twa hūdrith twē ­tie sax. The quhilk ye Magicien Numa had not ȝit prac­tisit,Abhomina­bil Idolatrie nor cume to yis abhominabil Idolatrie: quhat mair detestabil heresie can be discouerit, yan to paint ye ma­iestie of God, in forme of mans licknes, as ye Anthropo­morphitis?Aganis ye I­dolatrie of round hostis Quha hes instructit ȝow (o Mesmongers) to haif corruptit ye halie sacrament of ye Supper of Iesus Christ, in resauing litil round breadis, and round Hostis, except ye Magicien Numa? For quhan Iesus Christ cele­bratit his halie Supper with his Apostils, ordenit he yaim to haif litil breadis and rounde Hostis, to cause print in yaim ye licknes and schapis of men, to adiure and con­iure [Page 35] yaim with Crossis and Crossingis in nomber, euin or od, and to cause worschip yaim? Acknawlege yan (ô Mesmongers) ȝour principal parte of ye Messe, to wit, ȝour litil round Hostis, to haif tane yair original fra the ancient Pompilian Religioun, mair nor 700. ȝeiris before ye incarnatioun of Iesus Christ, quha he [...] not ordenit to ȝow yis roundnes of Hostis, nor yat yai sould be rather round nor four nuikit, thre nuikit, or quarterit. Bot swa n ekil wantis yair yat he chuisit a round figure, after ye maner of Numa, yat contrariwise yan quhan he insti­tutit ye halie sacrament of ye communion of his bodie, he vsit breaking of bread in morsels, quhilk he distributit to his Discipils, for ane plege signe, and figure, signifiing reallie and sacramentallie his bodie, be ye vertew of the halie Gaist. And not onelie ye Mesmongers haif electit a round forme in yair litil consecratit Hostis, imprintit with Imagis, for to cause worschip ya [...]m after ye maner of ye auld Romainis: bot besid yai haif excedit all Idolaters. For in ye tyme of Numa Pompilius and his suc­cessouris, yai yat stuid by at ye Messell sacrifice, eatit to­gether on yair feit, of ye said litil round consecratit Ho­stis: bot s [...]nsyne ye Messe Preistis haif reseruit for yaim alane ye communion of ye litil round consecratit Hostis, without vsing of charitie towardis yaim yat stand by at yair Messell sacrificis. Is ye ordinance of Christ fol­low it, yat brake ye bread & distributit it to his Apostils? Iesus Christ ye eternall Preist was he onelie, beside ane Alter eating ane litil round Hoste, imprintit with Imagis, quhan he celebratit ye halie communion of his bodie? Could ȝe (ô Mesmongers) far mair detestabler, and les charitabil Idolaters, yan all vthers ancient Romainis, swa craftelie change, and worke swa subtillie, yat ȝe sould let vnderstand ȝour Messel sacrifice (quhairin ye Preist de­uouris alane ye litil round Hoste, imprintit with Imagis, without geuing parte to onie vther) be ane communion, and by a meruelous Magik, to cause yaim y [...]t standis by [Page] at ȝour sacrifice beleif yat yai haif cōmunicatit together with ye Preist, albeit yat yai haif not resauit nor eatin o­nie portioun of ye round hoste.

And besidis, for mair extreme Idolatrie, ye Messalian Doctouris interprours, re­heirtis ye round hoste to be deuidit in thre partis: ane for yaim yat are in heuin, ye vther for yaim yat are in Purgatorie, to obteine remis [...]ioun of yair sinnis: and ye thride steipitin wine, for yaim yat are in yis eard liuing. Bot ye Alcoran of Du­rand, reheirsis ye thre partis of ye brokin Hoste, to represent ye threfauld bodie of Christ: in ye graue sleping, in ye eard lying, and yan rissin again. The vther sub­til Doctour Biell, not to confesse ye bodie of Christ, to be brissit or brokin in ye round Hoste, he sayis subtillie ye breking of ye Hoste, to be maid of ye accident without substance. Are not yir horribill heresies to cause communicat ye sauli [...] being in heuin or in purgatorie institutie be Sergius, Doctour of Mahomet, be ye meanis of ane round Hoste deuourit be ye Messe Preist.

Bot ȝe may (ô Mesmongers obiect to me ye vse of ye primitiue Kirk, obseruit in ye communion of the halie Supper, quhair euerie ane of ye assemblie in ye Kirk tuik a portioun of brokin bread and consecratit, to communi­cat and eat together, ye quhilk vse hes bene retenit vnto yis day in ȝour Messell sacrificis, celebratit on Sonday, quhan ȝe cause distribute pecis of halibread to yaim yat standis by within ye Kirk. Bot yis auld communioun is remanit in a figure onelie: because yat ye Mesmongers abusing ye halie Sacramentis,Communiō of halibread haif reseruit for yaim alane ye litil round hoste consecratit, to deuour it without di­stributing of onie portioun yairof to yaim yat standis by,Ane notabil differēce be­twene ye round consecr [...]tit Hostis & h [...]li [...]read quhamto yai laife pecis of halibread yat are foure nuikit for ye maist parte. The round hoste is vnleuenit, and ye halibread leuenit: ye round hoste is without salt, and ye halibread saltit, ye round hoste is imprintit with Imagis, and ye halibread without forme or schap, ye round hoste is worschippit, and ye halibread resauit with thankisge­uing, ye round hoste is deuourit be ye Preist, and ye ha­libread distributit to euerie ane of ye assemblie, to com­municat and eat yairof: ye round hoste is in a parte steip­it in wine, and ye halibread is eatin drie without wine. Breistie yair is swa grete difference betwene yir twa kin­dis of communion, as yair is betwene ye Law of ye auld Idolatrie, and ye Euangelicall Law: reseruing yis yat yai [Page 36] aggre in ane point, yat is baith the ane & the vther are a corruptioun of ye halie Sacrament of ye Supper, ordenit of God.

Restis to discend to ye deipt of ye labirinth of Idola­trie. We haif reheirsit ye storie of ye pepil of Israel, yat contentit not yaim self of ye heuinlie bread, and MANNA geuin to yaim of God,Trāsubstan­ciatioun in­uentit. during ye tyme yat yai war in ye desertis: bot murmurit aganis God, and Moises yair con­ductor: desiring to eat flesche, ye pepil alswa of Rome,Blond lib. 4 de Rom. tri. Pagane, and vnfaithful, was not content with ye instituti­oun of Pompilius, for ye communion of litil round brea­dis: bot be ye hie Preistis of Rome Idolaters, it was insti­tutit, to slaie and offer beastis: to ye end to eat, and com­municat of ye flesche of ye beastis, in yair sacrificis, spe­ciallie ye scheip, ye sow, ye gate, and ye oxe: quhilk first had bene institutit, be Euander King of Arcadia. To ye end yan, yat ye Mesmongers sould not degener fra ye Idolatrie of yair predecessouris, yai thocht gude, to fol­low yis communion of flesche: and contentit not thaim selfis, of yir litil round hostis vnleuenit, consecratit,Hostis of f [...]our trāsub­stanciatit in flesche, and ye wine in blude. and imprintit with Imagis. Bot haif with tyme inuentit ane new Magik, to transubstanciat yair litil hostis of floure, in flesche and bane: ye bread being na mair bread, bot ane accident without substance: and be yis meanis to turne ye round hoste of floure, in a carnall and bludie sa­crifice for sinn: ye wine alswa offerit in yair Messell cha­licis, to transubstanciat it into blude,O detestabil Heresie. the wine being na mair wine, bot ane accident without substance▪ was yair euer mair abhominabil Magik, and mair detestabil here­sie, yan yis Messalian transubstanciatioun? Quhan the pep [...] of Israel murmurit aganis God, yat yai war lothit with eating of MANNA, and heuinlie bread, requiring flesche, ye MANNA was it transubstanciatit in flesche, in bane, and into blude? Quhan ye ancient Romaine Ido­laters, walde haif changit yair round hostis of floure, and askit to eat flesche in yair sacrificis, vsit yai yis Magik [Page] of transubstanciatioun?The ȝeir of Christ 1062. In Chronol. Ioan. funcii. Qhairfore I wil confesse frelie, yis Messell eik to haif bene newlingis institutit, be Mes­mongers mair nor a thousand ȝeir, after ye incarnatioū of Iesus Christ. This heresie begoud gretlie to be spred, in y^e tyme of ane Nicolaite Antichrist, quha intrusit him self to y^e hie preisthude of Rome,Volaterran. be y^e priuat cōspiracie of Hilde brant,Lanfranc. de sac. hauing chaissit out be force, ye vther chosin hie Preist, to wit, Benedict tent of yat Name, in the ȝeir of Christ 1062. ȝeiris. Than afterwarde he aduancit him self be a cōspiracie, haldin in ye Latran of Rome, during ye Ecclesiastical tyrannie of Innocent 3. of that Name: about twa hundrith ȝeiris after ye recantatioū was cano­nisit of Beringarius,Aganis ye trāsubstātiō. Trei [...] of life Deane of Saint Maurice of Angers. Aganis ye quhilk abhominabil Magik and heresie, it be­huifis summarlie, be maner of recapitulatioun, to confer ye institutiouns of ye Sacramentis, ordenit of God. First ye fruitis of knawlege of gude and ill, forbiddin to the first father Adam, as halie signes and Sacramentis of feir, and obedience, quhairof dependit life, and death: war yai transubstantiatit & turnit in knawlege, or into death? to laife yair nature of tries, and fruitis, reducit in ane ac­cident without substance: ye celestiall MANNA, and rock flowing with liuelie water,Heuinlie Manna Rock flow­ing of water being Sacramentis com­parit to ye halie Sacrament of ye Supper, war yai transubstantiatit to ane accident without substance? The Lambs without spot offerit vp be Abel in ye sacrifice acceptabil to God,Lambis offe­rit be Abell. war yai transubstātiatit in onie vther nature? The litil skinn circumcisit,Circumcisiō for a note and mark of ye conue­nāt, to ye gude Patriarche Abraham, & to his posteritie, was it turnit in ane accidēt without substance? The blude of ye Paschal Lambe, for assurance of ye saluatioun of Israel,Paschal Lāb was it turnit in anuther substance? The flesche of ye immaculat Lambe, ordenit to be eatin on ye day of ye Passouer, ye trew figure of ye halie Sacrament of ye Sup­per, was it transubstantiatit in ane accident without sub­stance?Serpent of B [...]asse. The Serpent of brasse, be ye onelie behalding [Page 37] quhairof was geuin health to ye seik, left it of to be a Serpent of brasse? was it transubstantiatit, in yat it was ordenit for a Sacrament, and halie signe to ye pepil of Is­rael? The beastis offerit in sacrificis,Beastis offe­rit vp. alsweil of eardlie beastis, as of vnleuenit bread, and vther halie signes, orde­nit of God, for Sacramentis, and halie figuris, for ye clen­sing and saluatioun of ye pepil of Israel, war yai transub­stanciatit in accidentis without substance? All ye signes consecratit, and ordenit of God, in ye Kirk of Israel, al­beit yat yai had reallie, and sacramētallie, representit yat quhilk was figurit be yaim, & war not as ane simpil pict­ure, or without effect, ȝit yair was neuer swa horribil ane heretike, yat hes inuentit yis Magik of tansubstanciatioū. Neueryeles it behuifis (ô Mesmongers) yat ȝe acknaw­lege, yat ye gude and halie fathers of Israel, hes bene a­doptit, impit, and regeneratit be faith in Iesus Christ, be­gottin before all warldis: yat yai haif bene narissit, and purchasit life eternal be Iesus Christ:Conference of ye Faith of ye auld fathers of Isra­el with ours yat yai and we haif bot ane onelie God, and ane onelie Iesus Christ, our Me­diatour, and redemer: yat yai be faith communicatit, and sacramentallie and participatit spirituallie, in ye blude of Iesus Christ, for yair saluatioun, and life eternal. That yair is na difference as tuiching God, betwene yaim ha­uing precedit Iesus Christis incarnatioun, and vs quha are sen his incarnatioun, bot yai and we are ye Kirk of God, redemit be ye blude of ye iust, and immaculat lamb Iesus Christ. Mairouer, yai had faith of ye promis to cume, and obseruit ye halie Sacramentis, and halie figuris of ye sacrifice, yat sould be perfitlie endit be Iesus Christ and we be ye new Law,D. August. contra faust. lib. 20 ca. 21 & cap. 14. lib 19. & contra Petilian. lib. 2. cap. 37.77 do celebrate ye memorie and re­membrance, of ye sacrifice alreadie endit be Iesus Christ, hauing fruitioun of ye promis accomplissit. Gif yan ye Israelits haif eatin y^e same heuinlie bread, and dronkin ye same hailsume drink, yat we haif be faith, in ane onelie Iesus Christ: gif yai had halie signes,1. Cor. 10. Aug. in psal. to represent actuallie and reallie, ye death of Iesus Christ to cume, euin as we [Page] haif had ye halie signes of his death, present, or passit: yai for ye tyme to cume, we for ye tyme passit, quhy is it yat ye Mesmongers haif inuentit yis new Magik, to turne a halie sacrament ordenit of God into ane Magik of transubstanciatioun, & into ane accident without sub­stance?Aganis ye miracils alle git be ye Mesmōgers. Exod 7. & 8 Exod. 14. Gif God to approue his micht, and manifest the hardnes, and obstinacie of Pharo, thocht gude to do wondrous thingis, be Moises and Aaron, in turning ane wand into ane Serpent, ye water of ye flude into blude, and in­to Padockis, or froggis: ye dust of ye eard into life, after alswa to make ye reid sailabil see, drie, and did monie v­thers meruels, is yat to infer ane transubstanciatioun, of litil round Hostis vnleuenit, imprintit with Imagis, into ane accident without substance? In quhat place of ye ha­lie Scripture, quhan yair is mentioun maid of ye halie signes, and sacramentis, or sacrificis ordenit of God, is it said, ye signe or Sacrament, to be transubstanciatit? Bot contrariwise, y^e wil of God, willing to accōmodat ye self, to ye infirmitie of man, hes ordenit to him fra tyme to tyme, common signes, for notis and markis of ye assu­rance of ye thing signifiit. Quhairin ye power of God is mair furthschawin and manifestit, to giue vs yat quhilk be ye halie signe is representit, be ye vertew of Faith, & of ye halie Spirite, yan gif ye signe it self war reallie trā ­substanciatit, be sume miracil sene to ye eye. For ye sa­cramentis comprehendis in yaim thingis mair spirituall nor carnall: for yis cause, God be his Prophetis hes euer blamit his pepill of Israell, for taking ye sacramentis ouer carnallie, as we haif before summarlie reheirsit.

Bot tell me (ô Mesmōgers) quhan Iesus Christ thocht gude to interprete,Interpretati­oun be Iesus Christ of ye communion of his bodie. yat he was ye trew bread of life, dis­cendit fra heuin, to giue life eternall, and how it behuifit to vnderstand yir Sacramentall wordis, to eat his flesche, & drink his blude, quhairthrowye Caphernitis ȝowr predecessouris war sclanderit, hes he taucht be his interpre­tioun, yat to eat his flesche, sould be vnderstand be ane [Page 38] litil round Hoste transubstanciatit? The round Hoste of flour, and ye wine to be na mair bread nor wine, bot ac­cidentis without substance. Is it ye doctrine of Christ ȝour abhominabill Magik? Nathing les,Ioh. 6. bot Iesus Christ as ane trew Lawgiuer (to quhame onelie belangis to in­terprete his Law) answerit vnto ye Caphernite Doctours, yat yai war ouer grosse, and carnall, yat restit yaim self in ye flesche, as ȝe (ô Mesmongers) albeit yat ye flesche alane profitis nathing, seing, yat his sacramental wordis, war spirituall, ye flesche sayis he profitis nathing,Ioh. [...]. bot ye Spirite quickins. And alswa how can ȝe (ô Mesmongers) halilie accord ȝour transubstanciatioun, with ye doctrine of Iesus Christ, yat promisis and assuris, to gif life eternal to yaim yat sall eat his flesche, and drink his blude, gif ȝe take yir wordis carnallie? For ȝe can not be ignorant yat ȝour bodie, albeit yat it haif deuourit ȝour round Hostis, transubstanciatit in flesche & into blude, suppit & lickit ye wine transubstanciatit into blude, neueryeles it dyis, and is mortall be ye necessitie of ye Law. Quhairfore ye life eternall, promisit be yis communion, can not be vnderstand of ye bodie nor of ye mortall flesche. It be­huifis yan necessarilie, yat ȝe acknawlege for ane halie interpretatioun, yat to eat ye bodie, and drink ye blude of Iesus Christ, sould be referrit to ye life spirituall, and celestiall, and yat ye flesche profitis nathing, bot ye spi­rituall wordis, and ye communion of ye bodie, & blude of Iesus Christ, be faith and in ye Spirite geuing life eternal. This interpretatioun is reheirsit, be ye halie Apo­stil Iohn monie tymis, quhan Iesus Christ vsit yir tear­mis, he yat cumis to me sall neuer haif hunger,Ioh. [...]. he that hes faith in me sall neuer be thristie, bot sall haif eternal life. Are not yir tearmis vnderstand abill aneuch, to interprete yis halie Sacrament of ye communion, of ye bodie and blude of Iesus Christ, without hauing recours vnto ȝour Magik of transubstanciatioun?

Anuther like interpretatioun, of ye halie Doctour and [Page] Authour of ye law of ye sacramentis is discriuit, quhan Iesus Christ was askit of Nicodemus,Conference of Baptisme with ye sa­crament of ye Supper. Ioh. 3. of ye meanis how a man sould be regeneratit and borne againe. Is it possibil, said Nicodemus, yat a man can returne againe to his mo­thers wambe? To yis questioun Iesus Christ hes he an­swerit, yat in ye halie sacrament of Baptisme, ye water is turnit into ye bodie, into flesche, and into blude, and transubstanciatit into a carnal wambe, be it for to be borne a­gaine & regeneratit? was yair not as grete ressone, accor­ding to ȝour Magik, to vse yis answer in it, as in ye Sacra­ment of ye Supper? For be ye ane of ye twa halie Sacra­mentis, we are regeneratit, & be ye vther we are nurissit. Bot regeneratioun is meruelous to ye wisdome of man, alsweil as ye nurisment: for according to ye humaine and carnall iugment, it walde appeir to be vnpossibil to be borne twise, bot our gude God hes vsit ye like interpre­tatioun, for ye regeneratioun, as for ye communion of his flesche and of his blude, to wit, yat it behuifis to vn­derstand yir sacramental tearmis spirituallie, and not car­nallie: for ye flesche profitis not, bot ye Spirit quic­kins. That quhilk is of ye flesche, is fleschlie, yat quhilk is of ye Spirite,Ioh. 3. is spirituall.

The halie Apostil in geuing to ye Corinthians, that quhilk he had resaisit of ye hād of God, admonissit yaim of ye second cumming of Iesus Christ,1. Cor. 11. quha cōmandis in ye meane tyme, to communicat with ye bodie, and blude of Iesus Christ, be ye breaking of bread, and cup of be­nedictioun, callit ye new Testament, and new conuenāt, contractit be ye blude of Iesus Christ. Seing yan yat we are assurit of ye second cumming of Iesus Christ, being gaue vp to heuin, sitting at ye richt hand of God his Fa­ther, vnto ye day predestinat, yat he sould cume againe to iuge ye quick and ye dead, how sall ȝe aggre yis place (ô Mesmongers) quhan be ȝour Magik, ȝe say, ȝe cause daylie cume downe, and causis cume againe ye bodie of Iesus Christ in flesche and in bane, before ye tyme pre­ordinat [Page 39] be cume of his second cumming?Tit. liui. lib. 1. Decad. [...]. Numa Pōpilius, vt populum Roma­num sac [...]is obligaret, vol [...]bat videri sibi cum dea Aegeria congressus esse nocturnos, e­iusque moni tu se, quae accepta diis immortalibus sacraforent, instituere. Valer. Max. lib. 1. cap. 3. This Magik hes be ȝow bene restorit fra ȝowr first Authour of the Messel sacrifice, Numa Pompilius: yat be his Magik gaif to vnderstand yat he causit cume downe fra heuin his Nymphe and Goddes Aegeria, ȝea and alswa his Iupiter Elicius, be ye meanis of quhame war reuelit to him the mysteries and secreitis of heuin. Gif be ȝowr Magik, ye round hoste consecratit, was transubstantiatit in ye trew, and reall bodie of Iesus Christ, ye bread being na mair bread, bot ye trew bodie, how haif ȝe tane yis bauldnes to brisse & break in pecis ye bodie of Iesus Christ, according to ye inuentioun of Sergius, second of yat Name, ȝour predecessour Bischop of Rome? Are ȝe not far mair detestabil hangmē, nor ȝowr predecessouris, ye lieutenāts of ye Kirk of Rome, yat crucifiit Iesus Christ,Ioh. [...]9. Exod. 12. Nomb. 9. neueryeles without onie brissing or breking in pecis his bodie, as it had bene propheciit? And ȝit ȝe haif not contentit ȝowr selfis to haif brissit him, in thre pecis, bot in ȝour Messel sacrificis,Corruptioū of ye halie Sacrament. haif enterprisit to drowne or steip a portioun in ye wine, transubstantiatit into blude to deuour it.

To confirme ȝowr Magik of transubstanciatioun, quhy haif ȝe not put ordour, to preserue fra corruptioun, ȝowr litil round hostis, imprintit, yat ȝe keip,Aganis tran­substātiacioū and layis vp in stoire, swa diligentlie in Occrestis, and Relick placis: af­ter yat yai haif bene transubstanciatit, in flesche & bane, and in ye reall bodie of Iesus Christ? is it not a detestabil heresie, to beleif yat ye bodie of Iesus Christ, resaifis corruptioun, ȝea and oftentymis is eatin of wormis, mytis, rattouns, and mise? Can ȝe interpret, yat it is ane accidēt without substance, seing yat ye hostis becume oftymis stinking, and corruptit, within ȝour Occrestis? Oftymis alswa deuourit be eardlie and brutall beastis, yat ȝe cause burne, and laie vp yair aiss in Relick placis? Quhan the Romaine Bischop victor, thrid of yat Name, resaifit poi­sone be ȝowr transubstanciatit wine into blude,Herman. [...]ō. was it ane accident without substance? Or quhan ye Empe­rour [Page] Henrie,Blond. Plat. seuint of yat Name, was wurriit in eating a litil round Hoste, consecratit and transubstanciatit, was it without substāce, considering it gaif occasioū of death? Thair is far greter apperance, in ye MANNA celestiall, geuin to ye pepill of Israel, ye quhilk althoch yat it be­com corruptit, gif it was keipit, ȝit is it, yat yat quhik was laid vp, in ye secreit place of ye Ark of conuenat of ye Lord,N [...]em. 9. Psāl 78.105. Sap. 16. Ioh. 6. was conseruit without onie corruptioū: was it yair fore transubstanciatit in flesche, and bane, to be callit ye celestiall bread, ye bread cum downe fra heuin, ye bread of life, and ye bread of Angels?

Now it restis to refute ye subtil ressouns of ye Mes­mongers, yat for all ye fundatioun of yair Magik, restit yaim self carnallie,Interpretati­oun of ye sacramentall wordie. in ye tearme of Est, saying yir wordis, to be writtin expresse, yis is my bodie, yis is my blude, quhan Iesus Christ institutit ye halie Sacrament of the communion of his bodie, and of his blude, vnder ye fi­guris of bread and wine. Bot I pray all yat are Zelous of ye honour of God, to consider exactlie ye halie in­stitutioū of yis Sacrament, be ye quhilk God hes thocht gude to represent, and signifie ye communion of his bo­die, be ye bread, & ye drinking of his blude, be ye wine and cup. All will confesse, yat ye trew and principall nurisment of ye bodie of man, is comprehendit vnder ye kindis of bread and of wine, swa yat ye tearme of bread, is oft tane in ye halie Scripture for ye nurisment and life of man. Let vs begin to passe throch ye placis of the Bibil. To ye first man, creatit to ye Image of God, for vengance of his sinne,Gen. 3. was it not forespokin vnto him, y^t he sould eat his bread, in ye sweat of his bodie? Is thair onie man swa ignorant,Gen. 28. yat will not confesse ye bread, to be vnderstand for ye liuing and life of man? Quhan Ia­cob maid his prayer to God, to gif him his bread and clais, vnderstude he not be ye bread, all yat quhilk was necessarie for his nurisment?Exod. 16. Quhā it is reheirsit yat God causit raine bread apon ye pepill of Israell, being in the [Page 40] desertis, and yat of yis heuinlie bread,N [...]em. 9. Psal. 78. Sap. 16. Ioh. 6. Gen. 14. ye Israelits war satisfiit, yis tearme of bread, is it not vnderstand, for ye celestial MANNA, send of God to nurisse ye pepil of Is­raell? This MANNA is it not callit ye bread fra heuin, and ye bread of Angels, geuin to ye pepill without tra­uell? Quhan Melchisedech thocht gude to help ye companie of Soldartis, of ye gude Father Abraham, presentit he yaim not bread and wine?Gen. 18. Quhan Abraham thocht gude, to gratifie, and refresche, ye thre Angels, yat appe­rit to him, gaif he yaim not bread bakin in ye aiss?Gen. 21. Gaif he not to Agar bread for hir fude? The mother of Isa­ak, to schaw hir fauour to hir best belouit Sone,Gen. 27. gaif him bread Ioseph in Egipt offerit bread to his brethrin for yair fude. Quhan a man will discriue a famine,Gen. 43. or scant­nes of victualis, is it not said, yair wantis bread?Gen. 47. Num. 21. Quhan it plesit God, to promis sume fauour, to ye pepil keping his commādementis, gaif he yaim not assurance of bread in aboundance?Leuit. 26. Quhan he recommendit ye pure as his members, hes he not commandit, to gif yaim bread.Tob. 4. It is yan bread yat nurissis and enterteinis ye hairt and ye life of man. Quhan Satan enterprisit to tempt Iesus Christ,Psal. 104. to make it manifest to vs yat he was trew man, chusit he not bread, to steir him vp, to turne ye stanis into bread.Mat. 4. Luc. 4.

Quhan it plesit Iesus Christ, to celebrat his bankets, to gif fude, ye ane tyme, to fiue thousand men,Ioh. 6. Mat. 14. Luc. 5. Mat. 15. ye vther tyme to foure thousand personis, did he not schaw furth his micht, apon ye element of bread? Quhan he taucht vs to dresse our prayer to God, ordenit he not in his Do­minicall oraison to praye God to gif vs our dailie bread.Mat. 6. Luc. 1 [...]. And not onelie in the halie Bibill is mentioun maid of bread, for ye bodelie & common fude, bot alswa in ye sacrificis, celebratit be ye sacrificers of ye Hebrewis,Exod. 12. yair is a Law prescriuit of y^e halie bread, ordenit of God, to wit, Azymall bread without leuen,Leuit. 24 Mat. 11. 1. Reg 21. Vther breadis war callit ye schew bread, quhilk ye Sacrificers euerie ouke renew­it, and eatit, quhairof vsit Dauid, being presentit to him [Page] be Abimelech ye hie Preist.

Be ye contrarie, ye tearme of bread is accommodat to ye bread of iniquitie,Proue. 20.13 Esay. 30. Ezech. 4. Malach. 1. Psalm. 2 [...]. Ezech. 12. Oze. 7. to ye bread of lying, to ye bread of anguisse, to ye vnclene bread of Idolaters, to ye pollutit bread offerit apon ye Alter, to ye bread of tearis, and to ye bread of trembling, ye Ephraimitis alswa are callit aissie bread, not turnit, yat is to say, on ye ane side bakin, and on ye vther not, circumcisit, and Idolaters.

Be yir meanis, it behuifis not (ô ȝe Mesmongers Ca­phernitis) yat ȝe be swa hardnit, and growin auld in ȝour carnalitie, yat ȝe take na head, to ye Phrasis of ye halie Scripture, in ye quhiks ye tearme of bread is sumtyme tane for eardlie,Deut. 8. Mat. 4. Luk. 4. and corporall bread, as quhan it is said, yat man liuis not onelie of bread, bot alswa of all, yat procedis out of ye mouth of God. Sumtymis alswa bread is tane for ye word of God, & for doctrine: quhan Iesus Christ commandit his Discipils,Mat. 15. to take tent yat yai eatit not of ye bread, with ye leuen of ye Pharisies, yir tearmis of bread and leuen, are yai not interpretit for ye doctrine of ye Pharisies,Mat. 15. Mar. 7. heretikis? Quhan ye woman of Canaan, askit grace and mercie for ye health of hir douchter, hal­din in infirmitie of seiknes, Iesus Christ answerit he not, yat it was not lawfull, to cast out ye bread of ye Childrin to gif it vnto Doggs. In yis answer, bread is it not tane, for ye life, and for ye health, and not allanerlie for the corporall fude?

Seing yan yat bread is tane for ye life of man, y^e quhilk dependis principallie of bread and wine, and yat ye gud­nes of God, willing to accommodat ye self to our infir­mitie, thocht gude to chuse ye twa signes, figuris, or mar­kis notabil, to signifie his bodie and his blude, to wit, ye bread and ye wine, yir twa kindis of fude being as it war common to all natiouns, is yis ane occasioun, to haif ima­ginit a transubstanciatioū fleschlie, as gif without it, God war not potent aneuch, to figurat vnto vs, and represent reallie and sacramentallie, life to be geuin vnto vs, ȝea [Page 41] eternall, be ye communion of ye consecratit bread, and wine of blissing, figuris and signes of his bodie and of his blude.

Iesus Christ hes pronuncit yir wordis, yat ye bread is his bodie, and ye wine his blude: he hes alswa said, yat he is ye liuelie bread, ye bread of life, & ye bread geuing life, quhilk is cum downe fra heuin. He sayis alswa,Mat. 6. Mar. 14. Ioh. 6. yat he quha eatis of yat bread, he fall liue eternallie. Is it to infer be yis word, Est, that Iesus Christ is turnit and trā ­substanciatit into bread, and yat he is na mair Christ, bot ane accident without substance? Oh detestabil he­resie. Haif ȝe (ô Mesmongers) greter ressone, to inter­prete carnallie yir wordis, yis is my bodie, to transubstan­ciat ye bread into his bodie, nor quhan he manifestis, yat he is ye bread, to transubstanciat him into bread, seing yat it is writtin yat ye communion of yis bread gifis life eternall? Iesus Christ sayis, hoc est corpus me [...]m:Ioh. 6. Mat. 26. Ioh. 6. he sayis alswa of him self, hic est panis qui de caelo descendit In baith ye twa placis yis word, Est, is it not yairto apply it? Behuifis it yairfore to infer a Magik of transubstan­ciatioun, in place to interprete hailsumlie, be ane Meto­nymie, and familiar comparisoun of the bread to Iesus Christ, to cause vs vnderstand, be him to be geuin vnto vs life eternal, and be him to be geuin to vs spiritual fude, euin as be ye bread corporall fude.

How euer it be, ȝit behuifis it ay to haif recours, to ye trew interpretatioun of Iesus Christ, ye trew Lawgiuer and authour of yis halie sacrament, yat exponing his in­stitutioun, sayis first of all, yat he is ye bread of life, yan after he sayis, yat yis bread is his flesche, and his bodie,Ioh. 6. yat sould be geuin for ye saluatioun of ye warlde. He sayis yat his flesche, is ye trew meat, & his blude ye trew drink: he sayis quha eatis his flesche, & drinkis his blude rem [...]inis in him: how is it yat he interpretis yis eating?Ioh. 6. Iesus Christ interpretis him self be yir wordis. He yat cumis to me sall neuer haif hunger, he yat wil beleif in [Page] me sall neuer haif thrist. Is not yis ye trew eating, and ye trew drinking, neuer to haif hunger, and neuer to haif Christ? Is it neidfull for ye hauing of faith, yat consistis in ye Spirit, is it neidsull for ye addressing of our self to Iesus Christ, our heuinlie bread, our spirituall drink, to satisfie vs for euer, to stanche perpetuallie our thrist of sinn, to rin to ane Magik of transubstanciatioū, and forge and inuent ane accident without substance? Quhairfore (ô Mesmongers) haif ȝe enterprisit, to inuent anuther in­terpretatioun, yan yat of Iesus Christ, quha testifies the flesche, not to profite, bot ye Spirit to quickin: and that yir wordis are not carnall, bot spiritual, geuing Spirit and life, be faith and assurance, yat he is ye Saluiour of the warld incarnat, dead, and crucifiit, to gif vs eternal life, yan after rissin againe, gain vp to heuin, sitting at ye richt hand of God his Father, abiding eternall Preist, propitia­tour, Mediatour, and Redemer.

Lat vs returne to yis tearme Est, yat cummers and troubils ye harnis of ye Mesmongers, to imagin a transubstan­ciatioun. Gif Iesus Christ hes pronuncit, yat he is the trew wine trie, yat God his Father is ye housband man, and yat we are ye branchis,Ioh. 15. is yat to infer, be yis tearme Est, ane Magik of trāsubstāciatioun of God into ane husband mā of Iesus Christ into ane wine trie,Ioh. 4. and of vs into branchis?Ioh. 10. Gif Iesus Christ is callit ye immaculat Lamb, yat takis away ye sinnis of ye warld, is yat to establisse or induce a transubstanciatioun? Gif Iesus Christ hes said yat he is ye dure of ye scheip faulde, be ye quhilk it be­huifis to enter, to be in saifgaird: and yat he is ye gude scheipheard, and we are his scheip, is yat to astrict to yis, yir placis of ye halie Scripture, yat it is necessarie, because yis tearme Est, is yairto applyit, to beleif a transubstanci­atioun? Quhan Iesus Christ admonissit his Apostils, saying vnto yaim,Mat. 5. yat yai are salt of ye eard, did he tran­substanciat or turne yaim into pillers of salt,Gen. 19. as ye wife of Loth? Gif Iesus Christ hes said be his Apostils, yat we [Page 42] are ye Tempil of God, quhairin ye halie Gaist dwellis, is it to Imagin, yat we are trāsubstāciatit in a heap of stanis?1. Cor. 3. 2. Cor. 6. Gif ye halie Apostil hes writtin yat Iesus Christ is y^e rok, of ye quhilk procedis ye liuelie water,1 Cor. 10. to wasche and purge vs fra our sinnis, is it to imagine a subtil transmu­tatioun, & transubstanciatioū of Iesus Christ into a rok, or material craig? Gif ye halie Apostil testifies, yat we are ye bodie of Iesus Christ, is it to infer,1. Cor. 12. yat we are vanissit away, and are na mair men, bot transubstanciatit into ane accident without substāce? I forese weil (o Mesmongers indurit) yat ȝe will obiect, all yir placis afore allegit, in ye quhilk yis tearme, Est, is found, not to make mentioun of ye sacramentis, quhilk are far mair exactlie to be obseruit, forsamekil as yai are halie mysteries, ordenit of God: ye quhilk is trew. And alswa not onelie yis word, Est, is found in ye halie Scripturis heir before declarit: bot quhan it is spokin of ye halie sacramentis, first ordenit of God, to his pepil of Israell, is it not writtin yat circumci­sioun is ye cōuenant, and contract of God?Gen. 17. In ye vther sacrament of ye communion of ye Paschal Lamb, is it not said yat ye Lamb is ye Passouer, yat is to say a passing by?Exod. 12.13. Is it to infer a Magik of transubstanciatioun? wil ȝe not confesse (ô Mesmonging transubstanciatouris) yat in yir placis of yehalie Scripture, speaking of ye halie sacramē ­tis, yis tearme (Est) can not be vther wise interpre [...]it, bot to signifie: and yat ye circumcisioun was ye signe and marke of ye conuenant and confederacie contractit be God with Abraham:Gen. 17. the Paschall Lamb was alswa the halie signe of the Passouer, for remembrance of the de­liuerance fra Egipt? The Ark of conuenant for anu­ther Sacrament, of ye quhilk it is writtin,Nomb. 10. Psal. 68.94. Math. 21. Ioh. 2. that it is ye ve­ritie and power of the Lord, is it to say, that it was tran­substanciatit into the maiestie of God? It behuifis, it behuifis with discretioū to interprete ye halie Scripture, and in humilitie, without sophistrie, and without Magik, to vnderstand hailsumlie ye trew interpretatioun of the [Page] tearmis and not abyde swa gretlie in ye letter, ye quhilk slais, bot to resaif ye word of God in ye Spirit, yat quic­kins. Gif yan ye Ark consecratit is namit ye Lord, and callit God, because yat in it, he exercisit his power, and declarit his Oracils, and mysteries to draw, be ane out­ward signe, ye pepill of Israel, to remember yaim self of God, to feir him and obay him: gif Iesus Christ hes alswa said yat he is ye bread cume downe fra heuin, ye bread yat quickins, yat ye bread brokin is his bodie, that the wine is his blude, yat ye cup is ye new Testament: be ye outward signes of bread and of wine, to cause vs vnder­stand our life, and fude of saluatioun, to depend of ane onelie Iesus Christ, and yat be his death & blude sched, we haif assurance of eternall life, euin as ye bread and ye wine are for ye bodelie nurisment: and yat it was his wil, and he ordenit yir halie signes to serue vs as sacramentis, for approbatioun and confirmatioun of our faith, is yis ane occasioun, to haif playit ye Caphernitis or Nicode­mits, for to inquire or dout of ye power of God, how is it possibill to eat ye bodie and drink ye blude of Iesus Christ, how is it possibil to be regenerat and borne again? Seing y^t ye promis be y^e word, hes bene gifin to vs, quhy haif ȝe (ô Mesmongers) imaginit ane carnal transubstan­tiacioun, mistraisting ye vncōprehensibil power of God? sould it not haif suffisit ȝow, to beleif simplie ye bodie, and ye blude of Iesus Christ, to be reallie and sacramen­tallie offerit vnto vs, to communicat of it for our fude, & for to gif vs life eternall, be ye bread and ye wine conse­cratit, with geuing of thankis, ye bread being trewlie his bodie, and ye wine his blude, quhilk it behuifis to resaif worthelie be faith, and in puritie of consciens, as halie signes and markis of ye heuinlie bage, without inquiring ouer subtillie of ye meanis, vthers yan ye interpretatioū of Iesus Christ, yat ye flesche profitis not, bot ye Spirit quickins, and yat his wordis are Spirit and life? Sould we doute, yat God hes not ye power, be ye signes of bread [Page] and of wine, consecratit, to make vs communicat with ye bodie and blude of Iesus Christ, albeit yat ye bread abi­dis still bread, and ye wine, remanis wine? Gif it war not a sacrament bot sould be callit ane miracil: as quhan Iesus Christ turnit ye water into wine, he vsit yen a miracil of transubstantiacioun, changing ye water into wine.Io [...]. [...]. Bot he ordenit not yairof a sacrament, as he did of ye communi­on of his bodie and blude, be ye halie figuris of bread & wine▪ was it not as easie to God to cause change ye wine into blude, or ye bread into flesche, as to moises and Aa­ron, to change ye water of ye riuer into blude,Exod. 4.7.8 to proue ye hardnes of Pharo: or quhan ye cludis war turnit into ye flesche of Quaillis,Exod. 16. yat ranit downe apon ye pepil of Israell? Neueryeles God hes not ordenit yir miracils, to serue as ordinare sacramentis: bot wald accommodat him self, to our infirmitie, in geuing vs halie signes, not tran­substanciatit, yat are not vaine or fantastik: bot are out­warde signes, yat we may se, tuiche, eat, and taist, abiding in yair substance, and neueryeles representis sacramental­lie, yat quhilk is comprehendit, and signifiit be yaim, quhairin consistis our approbatioun of faith, to schaw furth be ye wark of ye sacrament, yat we are of ye nom­ber of ye regenerat, and nurissit be ye halie sacramentis, of Baptisme, and of ye Supper.

Gif it be permittit to vse comparisouns,Comparisoū of ye twa halie sacramēts of ye twa halie sacramentis of Baptisme, and of ye Supper, albeit yat yair be difference betwene regeneratioun, ye quhilk is not reiteratit, for it suffisis to be anis borne, and regeneratit: bot ye nurisment is oft reiteratit, according to ye ordour of nature, and vthers differencis larglie aneuch discriuit, be ye halie Apostils, and Ministers of ye word of God. Notyeles ye same end, ye same God, y^e same Iesus christ, is representit alsweil in Baptisme, as in ye Supper: be ye blude of Iesus Christ, we are regeneratit: and be ye same blude nurissit, be ye blude of Iesus Christ we are renew­it, impit, and graftit, and be ye same blude are intertenit,Tit. 3. [Page] and preseruit fra hunger and thrist for euer mair.Ioh. 3.6. Be ye blude of Iesus Christ we are spoilȝit of ye auld corruptit skinn,Rom. 11. and cled with his bodie, quhairof alswa we haif fude and life eternall.Ioh. 6. Galat. 3. Ephes. 4. Be ye blude of Iesus Christ, we haif accesse and entrie to ye Kingdome of heuin, and be ye same blude, we haif fruitioun of ye said Kingdome.

To yis purpose, y^e halie Apostil testifies vs all to haif bene Baptisit, be ye vertew of ye same halie Gaist, and all to haif dronkin ye self same spirituall drink, geuin to vs be Iesus Christ. Are not yir comparisouns drawin out of ye halie Scripture, to iustifie weill, yat Iesus Christ is ye onelie end,Rom. 5. 1. Cor. 10. to quhilk it behuifis to tend, alsweil be Bap­tisme, as be ye halie Supper. It followis yan, y^t ye signes of ye sacramentall water for Baptisme, and of bread and of wine, for ye Supper of Iesus Christ, ar halie signes, arlis, plegis, weddis, figuris, sealis, and sacramentis institutit of God, for assurance and approbatioun of our faith. Seing yan (ô Mesmongers) yat ȝe haif inuentit a Magik of trā ­substanciatioun,Aganis ye Mesmōgers. for ye sacrament of ye Supper, quhy al­swa haif ȝe not subtillie inuentit, ye same Magik of tran­substanciatioun in ye sacrament of Baptisme? Quhy haif ȝe not institutit ye sacramentall water, after it hes bene be ȝow coniurit, and adiurit with salt, to chais away ye Deuils, to be trāsubstāciatit into ye blude of Iesus Christ, ye water being na mair water, bot ane accident without substance, as ȝe haif imaginit of ye bread and of ye wine? Quhat differēce can ȝe assigne, bot sophistries, sophismis, and subtilities of ye Messe, gif ȝe continew ȝowr heresie, be yis tearme,Ioh. 3.4.7. Tit. 3. Galat. 3. Est, it is alswa found applyit for ye water of Baptisme, ye quhilk is callit renouatioun and regene­ratioun, it is callit ye halie Spirit, and ye vestiment of quhilk, and be quhilk, we are cled, renewit, and regenera­tit in ye blude of Iesus Christ.Aganis ye corruptioūs of Baptisme Seing yan yat ȝe (ô Mes­mongers) acknawlege yat ȝe could not ȝit finde a second Beringarie, to institute a decreit of recanting, to ye effect to extend ȝour Magik of transubstanciatioun, to ye halie [Page 44] water of Baptisme, and be ye same meanis to transubstā ­ciat ȝowr spattils, and halie spittingis, ȝowr oilis, ȝowr Chrismis, ȝowr salt, and vther droggis, quhairwith ȝ [...] haif corruptit ye halie sacrament of Baptisme, quhy are ȝe hardnit and growin auld, in ȝowr Pompilian Religioū, willing to pluk away Iesus Christ fra ye richt hand of God, to cause him in bodie and blude cum downe be ȝowr murmurit Magik, as a Iupiter Elicius, before ye day appointit for his second cumming?

I may weil bring in to ȝow ye similitude of ye Sune,Luk. 1. Malach. 4. Comparisoū of ye Sune to Iesus Christ quhilk halie Iustin Mar­tir hes vsitin his tractat of ye expositi­oun of faith Cap. 3. be sume Apostils callit ye Sune of Iustice, Iesus Christ: be­cause yat ye licht cūmis fra heuin, be yis grete lichtsume starne: and alswa ye spirituall licht is geuin to vs be Iesus Christ, yat hes restorit vs in licht, out of ye nicht and darknes of sinne. Now yan (ô Caphernitis carnall and gros) vnderstand presentlie ane comparisoun sufficient aneuch to schaw ȝow ye infinit power of God, to be far mair perfite nor ȝowr abhominabil inuentioun of tran­substanciatioun. Will ȝe not acknawlege, gif ȝe haif not ye eine bound, and blindit in ye deip darknes of ob­stinacie, yat ye Sune gifis vs his licht, his beamis, his strenth, his heat, and vertew, and notyeles, ye bodie in it self of ye Sune, to rest and abide in ye heuin? Say ȝe not ordinarlie in common langage, quhan ye window of ye hous is opin on yat side of ye Sune, yat ye Sune is en­trit in ȝowr hous? Neueryeles ye Sune abidis euer in ye heuin: behuifis it to pluk downe and raif ye bodie of the Sune, to cause it cum downe and transubstanciat it in yis eardlie palaice, before yat he may gif his heat, his beamis, his licht, and nurissing to plantis, to tries, to herbis, and to eardlie beistis? Are ȝe swa brutall (ô Caphernitis) yat ȝe wil not acknawlege ye trew Sune of iustice Iesus Christ, to haif far greter power, yan yis signe of ye Sune, creatit and mortall? Gif yan ye mortall creature, hes yis power to gif vs ye vertew & power of his bodie, be his beamis, be his licht, be his heat, extendit on ye ea [...]d, reallie and [Page] effectuallie ye bodie euer abiding in ye heuin: it behuifi weil to beleif yat God immortall creator, hes far greter power to gif vs ye Sone of iustice Iesus Christ, to gif vs ye force and vertew of his bodie and blude, sched for vs be ye beamis, be ye licht and heit of his halie Gaist, with out yis yat he war constranit be ȝour magik, to be pluckit away fra ye richt hand of God, & yat his bodie be draw­in out of heuin, to cause transubstanciat it on eard. Quhy sal not Iesus Christ haif yis power to gif vs his licht, and offer vs his bodie, and his blude, to enter within vs, gif be faith and in a pure consciens, we wil resaif it be ye vertew of his halie Spirit, alsweil and far better, nor the Sune enters into our housis, in his force and power, ne­ueryeles, without drawing yairof fra heuin to trāsubstan­ciat it? The Sune is ane onelie bodie creatit, abiding in ye heuin, ye cause of ye generatioun of plantis, treis, and herbis, yat gifis nurisment be his force and heit, to all yat is liuing on ye eard, and in ane verrie moment, hes power to quickin, warme, and nurisse ane infinitnes of plantis, treis, herbis, and eardlie beastis, without onie separating or deuiding, nor drawing of his bodie out of heuin, nor transubstanciating it. The bodie alswa of Iesus Christ, quhilk he hes caryit vp to heuin, sitting at ye richt hand of God, hes it not greter force, greter ve [...]tew, and power, to regenerat vs, to nurisse and seid vs, to gif vs his vertew, his licht, and his beamis, to inspire, quickin, susteine, and illuminat vs, & in ane verrie moment, to make vs be faith partakers of his bodie, and of his blude: to make vs mē ­bers of his members, vnitit in him, and be him, be his ve­ritabil promis comprehendit vnder ye elementis & halie signes, left to vs vntill ye second cumming of his huma­nitie, be manifestit on eard? Quhairfore yan (ô Mes­mongers) haif ȝe inuentit yis Magik of transubstanciati­oun, to blaspheime aganis God, to diminisse his power, & esteime his vertew lesse yan yat of ye Sune his creature? Quhy wil ȝe reg downe ye bodie of Iesus Christ fra he­uin, [Page] before ye tyme preordinat, [...] qui [...]. to transubstan [...]t [...] litill round Hostis vnleuenit, imprintit with Imagi [...], y [...] ȝe cause worschip, seing Christ as God, assistis perpetual­lie with his Kirk, and hes ye power to regenerat, nurisse, and feid vs: ȝea with life and eternal fude, be his promis assurit and testifiit be his halie sacramentis of Baptisme, and of ye halie Supper?

For vther comparisounis, familiar and domestical,Vcher com­parisouns con­sider (ô Mesmongers) how eardlie and mortall Princis are reputit, reuerensit, and honorit be ye sacrit signes or denit of yaim. I wil propone to ȝow twa onelie, to wit, ye wax & Metals: of ye ane is maid ye seale of ye prince, quhairwith are sealit ye gracis, pardons, and remissiouns, ye chartouris and preuilegis, grantit be ye Prince. He yat falsesies ye seal, is he not punissit as for ye cryme of lese­maiesttie, euin as he had offendit ye proper persone of ye Prince? This seal representis it not his proper persone, as gif him self war yair present? Notyeles ye wax, albeit it be callit ye seal of ye Prince, it is not yairfore transub­stanciatit, bot abideth euer wax: albeit yat it hes resauit ye sacrit mark of ye Prince, being na mar callit wax, bot ye seal of ye prince. The Metals of golde and siluer, markit with ye coinzie of ye Prince, to serue as money, albeit yat yai are not callit onie mair golde nor siluer, bot hauing changit yair name after ye will of ye prince, are callit Crownis, Ducatis, Haries, Testouns, schillingis, or vther namis, laif yai of to be Metals, and of ye same substance yat yai war of? Ane onelie difference yair is yat yai are destinat & markit w^t y^e coinzie of y^e Prince, quhilk representis him reallie in sick sort, yat he quha clippis or makis fals yis monie, he is punissitas of ye cryme of lese­maiestie, & as gif he had offendit ye proper persone of ye Prince. Be far greter ressone ye bread and ye wine, cōse­cratit & markit to be sacramētis,1. Cor. 11. of ye bodie & blude of Ies [...] Christ, represētis him in verrie dei [...] & not in a pict­ure. Quhairfore he yat vsis yaim vnworthelie, commitis [Page] cryme of Lesemaiestie aganis God, to his eternall damna­tioun. Bot yis is not to infer a transubstāciatioun be ane Magik ouer abhominabil.

Gif ȝe (ô Mesmongers) Nicolaitis, and transubstancia­touris, are not aneuch satisfiit with ye interpretatioun of Iesus Christ, and his Apostils, ȝea alswa of ye similitudis and familiar comparisouns, to reduce ȝow to ye trew way and certaine forme ordenit of God, to celebrate his halie Sacramentis, in abolissing ȝowr Pompiliane and Messali­ane Idolatries, casting away alswa ȝowr abhominabill Magik of transubstanciatiouns, at ye least wil ȝe not gif sume faith to the interpretatioun of ye ancient Doctouris of ye Kirk.

S. Aug. ca. [...]2Harkin yan quhat S. Augustin recitis aganis Adaman­tinus: euin as ye blude, in monie placis of ye halie Scrip­ture is callit water,Authorities of ye halie auld [...]octouris. Interpretati­oun of S. Augustin, Lib. 3. de doct. Christ. at in prefat. Psal 3. ye Rock alswa Christ, swa ye bread is callit ye bodie of Iesus Christ, ye quhilk thre placis man be interpretit to be figuris and signes. Quhan yan (sayis ye same Doctour) Iesus Christ pronuncit yir wordis, hoe est corpus meum, yis is my bodie, in presenting bread, he gaif ye signe of his bodie. For it sould appeir vtherwise to be ane vnlesume thing, and ouer vncourtes, to deuour ye flesche, and ye bodie of Iesus Christ, gif yair war not ane figure, to wit, ye bread to reduce in memorie his flesche,Lib. 10. de caut. Cap. 5. ca. sacrificiū de consecra. distinct. 2. and ye bodie of Christ to haif bene offerit vp for our life and eternall fude. Afterwarde alswa ye same Doctour, vsis ye same interpretatioun, ye visibill sacra­ment it is ye Testament, yat is to say, ye halie signe of ye vnuisibill sacrifice. Like interpretatiouns are discriuit be Tertulian,Tertulian. lib. 1. & 3. 4. aganis ye Heretik Marcion. Quhairfore yan (ô Mesmongers) haif ȝe not followit ye authoritie of ye halie Doctouris of ye Kirk, yat wald not blaspheim aganis God, be ane Magik of transubstanciatioun? Bot did frelie acknawlege ye sacrament, to be a signe or visi­bill sacrit figure,Vt quid pa­ [...] [...]em & v [...]trem? crede & [...]. 2. [...] lib. de [...] poenitent. [...] in Ioan. trac. 25. Cap. 6. S. Hieroem. in Epist. ad Ephe. Cap dupliciter [...]ad. disti. signifiing in Spirit and be faith, y^e quhilk is vnuisibil. Quhy prepair ȝe ye mouth and ye bellie, to [Page] deuour ye flesche of Christ corporallie? Quhy offer ȝe not ȝowr selfis be liuelie faith, worthelie to eat Iesus Christ? Quhy haif ȝe not interpretit ye eating of ye bodie of Iesus Christ, be ye notabil distinctioun of ye halie Doctour S. Hierom, saying ye flesche of Iesus Christ is vnderstand carnallie, quhan it is spokin of his blude sched, and of his bodie crucifiit for oure saluatioun: or spiritual­lie, quhan it is said, yat his flesche is ye trew meat, quhilk it behuifis to eat?

For anuther halie Doctour,S. Gelas. cō [...]. Eutychio [...] & Nestorio [...]. I will allege ȝow Gelasius Bischop of Rome, quha disputing aga [...]s ye Heretikis, Eutychiens, & Nestoriens, affirmis ye bread and ye wine consecratit and maid sacramētis, not to laife of neuerye­les to be bread and wine in substance, bot to be signes & figuris of ye bodie and blude of Iesus Christ, be ye my­sterie of ye sacramentis▪ will ȝe mair ampill testimonies of Ambros. yat apon ye Epistil to ye Corinth.S. Ambrois. lib. de sacra­ment cap. 1. &. 11. hes ex­ponit to eat & drink ye bread and ye wine to signifie ye flesche and blude of Iesus Christ offerit for vs. Origene alswa in his Homelies,Origene. in Leui. home. li. 7. hes interpretit ye sacramētis to be signes, quhilk it behuifis to examine spirituallie, and not carnallie, because (sayis he) ye letter slais, gif it be not vnderstand spirituallie, quhan it is writtin,S. Chrisosto. h [...]li. 51. ca. 15. tom. 1. to eat ye flesche of Christ. Quhairfore S. Chrisostom admonissit to honour yis sacrament, in offering his saul to God, for the quhilk Iesus Christ had bene crucifiit,Psal. 12. and yat be this halie sacrament of bread and wine, is signifiit to vs ye si­militude of ye bodie and blude of Iesus Christ.

For resolutioun, it behuifis to be reulit after ye halie interpretatioun of our halie Doctour Iesus Christ, and of his Apostils, to honour and reuerence his halie sacramē ­tis, institutit of him be outward signes, to lift our Spirit to heuin, to comprehend yat quhilk is be ye signes repre­sentit, not to esteime yaim as vaine picturis & fantasies, bot worthelie to resaif yaim in liuelie faith, he ye vertew of ye halie Gaist, to ye end to be nurissit and fed of the [Page] heuinlie bread, to ye saluatioun of ye saulis, to cum to e­ternall life. L [...]t vs yan be assurit in Iesus Christ, as mē ­bers of his bodie, lat vs reduce vs all to vnitie, to commu­nicat ye self same bread, & drink ye self same wine, maid of monie cuirnis,1. Cor. 12. vnitit and knit together, to ye end yat we may say with ye halie Apostil, all vs faithful to be ye, bodie of Iesus Christ, sauit and redemit be ye bodie crucifiit, and ye blude sched for vs. Swa abiding and remaning be faith in Iesus Christ, eating him and drink­ing his blude, l [...]t vs beleif firmelie yat he was crucifiit & dead,D. Agust. in Ioan. tract. 30. Art. 1. et 3. yairafter [...]ssin, his bodie gaine vp to heuin to ane certaine place, sitting at ye richt hand of God, till yat he cum again, as he went vp in his humanitie, and neuerye­les his power and diuinitie to be distributit to vs, and spred apon ye eard, and in all placis, speciallie in his halie Sacramentis, quhilk he hes left to vs as plegis, and ane outward approbatioun of our Faith for memorie and re­membrance of the death and Passioun of our Salui­our Iesus, Christ. Amen.