The refutation of ane ansuer made be Schir Iohne Knox to ane letter send be Iames Tyrie, to his vmquhyle brother. Sett furth be Iames Tyrie. Tyrie, James, 1543-1597. 1573 Approx. 239 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 64 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2003-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A14159 STC 24476 ESTC S101283 99837099 99837099 1408

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 Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A14159) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 1408) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 978:20) The refutation of ane ansuer made be Schir Iohne Knox to ane letter send be Iames Tyrie, to his vmquhyle brother. Sett furth be Iames Tyrie. Tyrie, James, 1543-1597. Knox, John, ca. 1514-1572. Answer to a letter of a Jesuit named Tyrie. [6], 57, [1] leaves Apud Thomam brumenium in clauses brunello sub signo Oliuæ, Parisiis : 1573. At foot of title page: Cum privilegio. Errata on H2r, final leaf. Includes Tyrie's original letter, Knox's answer reprinted from STC 15062, An answer to a letter of a Iesuit named Tyrie (1572), and Tyrie's refutation. Reproduction of original in the Folger Shakespeare Library.

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THE REFVTATION OF ANE ANSVER MADE BE SCHIR IOHNE KNOX, to ane letter, send be Iames Tyrie, to his vmquhyle brother.

Sett furth be Iames Tyrie.

Currebant, & ego non mittebam eos Hier. 14. Quomodo predicabunt nisi mittantur? Rom. 10.

PARISIIS Apud Thomam brumenium in clauso brunello sub signo Oliuae. 1573.

CVM PRIVILEGIO.

TO THE BENEVOlent Reader.

ALL the writtinges of those quha defendes ane euill caus, as dois Schir Ioh • e knox, vsis 〈◊〉 be siufit, for inla • k of better garniment, with schoring and hedinfull saingis, lyes, wi • h wordes 〈◊〉 pa • nt • t and coloret, als cōuenient to begyle the simple readar, as to impesche and trauel men of gude ingyne, and midway knawlage, to cum to the vnderstanding of the veritie: suay that be the spreit of discretione thay may discerne betuix treu • h and falset. And thairfoir in the luill discurs I haue maid for ansuer to knox buke, writtin aganis ane letter of myne send to my vnqulyle Brother fyue zearis passit or thairby: I haue put asyde ād omittit all thing that appertenis noch • propirlie to the caus, and with als gryte simplicitie as I culd, with help of God • s grace, ansuerit: without ony boutgaitt or subterfuge frō the mater, that is betuix w • in debait, alwais, with sic strēth of reasone as thou gude reader sall think suffi • iēt to put at vnder the euill foū det fortres my aduersar hes builded agauis the veritie.

Nocht witstanding beresson thair is within his buke and dytment sum thinges nocht meakle appertenand to the caus, worthie alwais of reprehensione, I thocht gude to tuiche sum of thame, to the effect, that the rest of his followars, disciples, or marrowes, lerne to be sumpart moderat, and mair circumspect in thair writting, and nocht to esteme ws [albeid we be vtherwa is simple and negligent] to be so destitute of iugement and commone intelligence, that we can nocht perceaue, quhat difference thair be betuix the simple and strēth •• defence of ane iustcaus, and the craftie coloring of ane lesing

Be this I may h • ip in God, that sum reading this my censure of the adurrsa • s writting may perchance lerne sumthing, qu • isk of •• sorr, other thay misknew, or thā had 〈…〉 thay had knowē it ād other be learnīg or 〈…〉 also to the knaulage of thair 〈…〉 God his spous the halie Catholick and 〈…〉 , and thair awin saluation. Now gude 〈…〉 proposit ged willing saschorlie, that I 〈…〉 , and sa modes • lie, that nane of the 〈…〉 quhow • ffectionatlie that euer thay embrace his doc • rine, sall haue iust occasione to be cō ••• uit be • ny asperitie of wordis I sall vs • . And to begin 〈◊〉 the beginning of his buke, quhair of his accustomis modes • ie, he dois call me ane fule in thir wordis. ansuer nocht ane fule according to his folishenes. Corint. 3. To the quhilk iniure and contumelie I say no thing bot th • t, quhilk says the Apostole S. Paull, he that is wyse amāgis z • w lat him becum anefole, that he may be ane wyse man in dide: that is, quha estemis him self wyse, he man afoir he becum wyse in dyde esteme him self a fole, euin be ressō of the estimatione he hes of his awin wisdone. Suato the effect I may be participant of the t • ew wisdone, q • hair of the Apostle meanis, I nocht onlie heir with patiēce Schir Iohne k •• x call me ane fole, bot alsuay inwartlie in my hart and conscience, knawis my self to be ane fole: haue and na mater to gloir in▪ ony wisdome that I haue of my self: bot that I am ane of the weak membris of lesus Christ, participant be his grace, efter the measure of my capacitie of sic wisdome, as he hes teachit his maist deirlie belouit spous the halie catholick and Apostolick kirk, be the cōtinuall assistēce of his halie spreit according to his promis. Efter wart he declaris the caus that monit him to wreit aganis my letter in thais wordis: To quyet thairfore my conscience, when God gaif me to considder, that quh • soeuer opponis nocht thame selues to manifest lies, differris litle from tratoures, I did put my hand to the pen. we haue gude caus to dout at the best gif God be the author ād wirkar of ony sic cō sid • ration • s, or • hochtes, as knox mynd hes bene occupeit with this mony zearis past▪ lest be God we vnderstād the God of this warld,2. Cor. 4. quha be the ministerie of Schir Iohne knox and his acōplesis dois wirk in the sonis infidelitie. Zet dout we nocht, bot the veray trew God, (quha nocht onlie is the author and induellar of all gude myndes, bot also dressis and puttis in ordour euill myndes be his prouidēce, to the proffiet of his chosin) has permitted his malice to interprise this ansuer, that thairby his folie micht be maid manifest: ād mony be that way reterit out of the mirknes thay war drawin into be him. Ester wart being obstinatlie addicted to his awin oniust and vngodlie practeise dois fall in maist despytfull ād sklāderous reproches ealling our doctrine blasphemies and lies, quhair it is gret ••• lie to be lamētit, that the hartis of mē suld be so blindet with vtter ād extreme darknes, ād so separat frō the grace of god, that thay shuld nocht anis espye the abominable inuētionis, ād dessaitfull practises of thais personis colorit and setfurth be sic vtragius ad dispytfull sklandres. And albeid no wyse or godlie man will gi • eares to sic vane reproches: zit vnderstanding sindrie to be oftymes moued thairly I will exhort thame to considder diligentlie, the discurs of our disputatione, quhair thay sall cleirlie vnderstand, that it proceid rather of his custome and deprauat consuetud, nor of any reason: as alsuay thay sall onderstand it to • um of ane mair arrogāt and presumptious breast, sterit vp to that effect be Sathā, as cleirlie may appeir of his stile, quhilk he dois vsurpe to him self in thais word • . Iohne knox the seruand of Iesus Christ desyris grace mercie ād pace frō God the father of oure loird Iesus christ. Fane wald he appe • r to the simple people, that he seducis, S. Petir or S, P •• ul, or at the l •• st ane man of Apostolick lyf and verteu: clething him self with thair phrasis, maner of spe • king, and wordis, eu • n as the Asse of Cumis quha beand an is fled fra his maisters seruice did cleith him self with the skin of ane lyō that he micht l • ue at libertie, ād nocht to be drawin agane to the zok of his maister. Bot e • in, as that Asse, being with diligēce cleirlie espyet be his lāg luggis, was knawin to be ane asse cled with ane lyons skin: suay quha will • spy diligentlie Schir I • hne knox actionis, and behauiour, euin sen he begouth to be principall pillar of his new buildet kirk in Scotland, sall casalie persaue als greit difference to be betuix the spreit of Schir Iohne knox ād th • spreit of S. Petir or S. Paul, or ony vther Apostle, as is betuix ane Asse and anelyon, or to vse the similitude mair propre to oure propois) as is betuix ane wolf and ane trew pastour. Quhairfoir I bes • ik the gude reader to call to rememberance the admonitioun of oure Maistre Christ,Mas • h. 7. saing. Be war with thame that eumis to zo • in seheip skinnis, for thay ar in wartlie wolfes. And that his Apostle sayis fals prophetis ar subtile war km • n, and transformes thame selues in persones of the Apostles of Christ. Quhilk is no thing maruelous,2. Cor. 2. in • espect that Sathan transformes him self into ane angell of • cht For gif euill appereth without ony apperance of gude, thair is no mā, bot incontinent wald refuse it, euin as all men abhorris ane euill spreit without he be couered with the forme of ane angell. And thairfoir, euin as Sathan him self, quhen he will deceane, apperis nocht in his awin forme, bot in the forme other of ane gude angell, or than of sum-man of authoritie: euin in lyk naner, fal, prophetis, heretikis, and s • ducears of the people quhilk is ar the ministers of sathan, apperis neuer in thur awin liknes nor similitude, bot couer • d with the scriptures in thair wordes and speaking, or sum oth • r externe liknes of the Apostolis, and trew seruandis of God. And as euerie ane of thame is the m • ir wicked or author of ane doctrine maist far from the veritie: suay is he in his behalf mair craftie to couer him self with sic ane mantill, and thairby maist impudent to vsurp it, that nawa is appertenis to him. we knaw weill, that the Apostolis, espetialie S. Petir and Paul vsit sic titles, but for certane causes, and of gude richt: lyk alsuay as • fter thair days sum doctours of the Catholik kirk, bot with greit humilitie and modestie, and verray seindill, suay that in S. Augustenis epistolisAug. contr • Epist. Fundamenti. it is neuer found bot anis. And the Papis callis thame bot seruand • s of the seruādis of God. Be the cōtrar all heretikis almaist of all tymes hes vsur ped impudentlie the titles of the Aposteles, Suay did Manes (as testefies S. Augusten) author and beginner of the Manicheans superstitioun, suay hes done all the fals doctouris of oure dayes. Heirfoir gude Reader 〈…〉 the, for the affection, and zeall thou hes to thy awin saluation, quhair euir thou sall heir or read sic vantouris, nocht to trow hastclie, that thairb • e other t • ay be lyon or scheip, quhobeit thay weare thair skinnes: for in veritie it is great barnelines to be sa hastelse seducit and begylit, especiallic in ane mater of sa greit importance, • . Cor. 14. And the Apostle deith admonis ws to be barnes in malice, bot nocht in wit. To this he • d apperteanis also, quhilk he writtis, that his followars of Edinburgh sufferit litill les calamitre for his departing, thā did the faithfull efter the persecutioune of S. Stephan. For wnto he proue that he defendes that same caus, quhilk S. Stephan did def • nd and tholit deith for, he will neuer caus me to beleue nor grant, that other his followars of Edinburgh be lyk the faithfull of H • erus • lem, or thair calamities, quhilk thay s • ste ••• throch his doparting, lyk to the afflicti • n of the faithfull of Hierusalem efter the death of Stephan. Zit dois he mocht stand in ony way co • tent, h • ueand cled and habilzicth him self with the man • ell of the Apostles, and haueand also comparit his affliction and persecusion to the persecution of S. Stephane: onles moreeuer he declair him self indewed with the spreit of prophe • re in thir wordes. The Romane Antochrist salbe destro yet in dispyte of all thois yat labour in the cōtrare In the quhilk he dois follow the futstoppis of his forfather Martin luther, quha afoir his death desyred this verse to be put on his greaf. Pestis eram viuus, moriens tua mors ero Papa. In veritie he was ane pest quhen he leuit, nocht onlie becaus he said suay, bot becaus it wes suay in dide be all mennis iugement that knew him weill: suay it wes nothīg difficill to him to spe • k prophecie of that quhilk wes passtt in the sich • of all men, bot quhen he com to sch • w the thing that wes to cum, the spreit of prophecie falit him. For, quhat euer the Deuill be the ministr • e of Li • ther persuadit to the cuntray of Almani • in his lyf, it hes had bot litill succes efter his death, suay that thair is few cuntrais presentlie in Alman • e, quhilkis retenis nocht in sum part the Catholick▪ eligioun, quhilk the kirk of Rome professis, and ane greit part of thame quha wes seduc • d be him, hes verray greit desyre to returne to the Catholick kirk, alhe •• thay be impesch • t be warldlie impedimentis allu • erlie contrar to the trew faith and • eligio • n according to the word of Christ, quhilk he spak lang • yme ago.Iohan. 5. Quomodo potestis credere qui gloriam queritis abinuicem. Suay we may ho • p tha • this prophecte of Sr. Iohne knox, sall cum to the same effect be schort proces of tyme.

As concerning his forme and maner of ansuering, quhilk • e vses in all his discurs, I may assure the in feu wordes, that he neuer ansueris to that quhilk was demandit of him: bot euer seikand refugis and bygets, castis in mony other maters by it quhilk is in question, to distrack the readars intentioun and spreit, that he neuer perceaue it quhilk is in controuersie, nor quhous laulie he ansuer is thairto. Moirower, agains all law of gude resoning, he dois euer bring for probatioun that quhilk is in qurstione as quhair he will proue that he hes the trew kirk, he vsis this ordinalie for ane probation. Vve haif the trevv kirk, says he, becaus Vve ar assurit to be mantenit be God, and that Vve ar gadderit in his name. Now all man may se, that the question betuix him and ws is, quhether thay be gadderit and mantenit be God or no • ht. In 〈◊〉 maner, quhou oft that euer he callis the Pape. the Romane Antechrist, or the Messe Idolatrie, he fallis almaist in the lyke falt, to vsurp that as certan, quhilk of it self is ma • stfals, and repugnant to all veritie, And as concerning the present disputatione, at th • l • st, in controuersie. To his vanitie appertenis also, that he execr • tis and condamnis his aduersaris with ma • st horribill ex • crationis bosting the wraith of Gog to cum on thame, • nles that hastelie thay returne to repentance of sic thing • s, to the quhilkis (as the discours of his letter 〈◊〉 ) he can nocht ansuer. Gif he wald hane had ony crede • t or authoritie, he suld haue first ansueri • sufficientlie to all thinges, quhilkes wes obiectit ag • nis his doctrine: and thairefter he micht haue had sum iust occasione to call his aduersar ane liar and an • blasphemour. Bot onmyndfull of his awin dewtie, he can nocht fo • zet his accustomat modestie to blaspheme and execrat, quhasoeuer opponis thame to his new inuentis eu • ngell. As quhair he reproches my language and orthographie, I wald require sum iugemēt and circumspectione of him and his ministers in that behalf, for quhow impropir that euer my language be I am verray excusabill, be resson of my lang absence from my awin cuntray and hanting of the latine toung and vther languagis mair nor my awin. Alwais God willing, I sall spe • k 〈◊〉 , that I salbe easalie vnderstand.Aug: lib. 5. conf. c. 6. I reid in S. Augustein▪ that a mannis language, is lyk vnto ane plait, or ane vther eschall • ̄d the mater that he 〈◊〉 to be vnderstād 〈◊〉 his language, is lyk • he meat that is proponit in • he plait: and euin [s • is he] is ane hungrie man, will li • ll regard of quhat mater the plait be, or quhether it be • aftelis maid or nocht, hot rather desyris to assuage his • unger with the meat that is proponit: sua a man that • es desyre to feid his spreit with the weritie, will litill • egarde the maner of the language, he the quhilk the • eritie is proponit to him, quhether it be polite or clo • uent, or simple or rude. Bot Sr. Iohne knox in dide and •• is ministers hes mister of sum eloquence, that thair • hrow thair fals and erronius doctrine quhilk thai de • end, being craftelie bu • kit with poltte and exquisite • ermis appier nocht in the awin forme nor liknes, bot in • ne fals and deceatfull, garment, that thairthrow it be • ocht incontinent espyet. suay that I may say iustlie of • hame, quhilk S. AugustinAug. 3. lib. conf: c. 6. sais to the Manicheans Superbi lo quaces & deerrantes nimis, in quo • um ore la queus diaboli, & viscum confectum • x dulcissimis Syllabis nominis Dei Patris & • esu christi filii eius redemptoris nostri, & pa • acleti consolatoris spiritussancti. H • c enim nō • ecedunt de ore eorum sed sono tenus & strepitu linguae. Caeterum, corinane est veritatis, & dicunt nobis veritas & veritas, & multum • obis eam dicunt & nusquam est in eis. As to •• e I mak na professione of eloquence, nor zit the caus quhilk I defend hes mister ony wais thairof, becaus the veritie is beautifull aneuch of it self ād misteris no uther • antill nor fard to be acceptabill and aggreable to thame, quha with ane vpricht hart desiristo cum to the vnderstāding of it. Now gude deader to pretermit mony vther thinges, quhilkes of thame selues ar easie to be perceaued be ony man that considderis his haill discurs, I will pas to the mater, first proponand my lettre. thairefter his ansuer, nother • ikand nor pear and ane word, last of all I sall subione the refut atioun, quhilk salbe ordourlie obseruit to the end of the buke.

Daitit at Paris the 8. of Merche. 1573. Iames Tyrie.
The letter.

SChir efter hartlie commendatione of seruice and prayars I haue writtin sa oft afoir (we keip his awin wordis and orthographie) it come of my cheritie, that I aucht to zow for sindrie ressonis, and of the sollicitude that cheritie causit me to haue of the eternal saluation of zour saule desyrand be zour ansuer to haif knawin zour mynd in that behalf quhilk sen I haue nocht obteni • as zit I haif thoche haueand opportunitie of this bearer to wreit this writting amanges the rest and to exhort zowthairbie that Ze wald ernistlie (as it becummis ane man to quhome god hes geuin sa mony giftis and talentis) and ryplie cōsidder be quhat way ze man cum to that end to the quhilk god hes creatit and redemit zow.

SCHIR IOHNE k • ox ansuer.

TO this lang preface we onlie ansuer this that gif the scribes and Pharisies who compas • ed sea and land to mak a proselyt gat a curse be the mouth of our maister Iesus Christ notwithstāding all thair appeirād zeale and panefull trauell who can dout bot that sic as studie to draw back agane to superstitioun and I do latrie sic as god hes callet from the same shall receaue a double maledictioun vnder what pretence that euer thei do it. For gif thay who broght ethnickis and manifest Ialolatouris to sum religioun war accursed whou muche moir ar thay detestable that trauell to bring men from a trew religioun to the deapest Idolatrie that euer yet was vpon the face of the erath? 〈◊〉 this • sphomie • aibe efter • art ansue • which long hes bene manteynet in the Papisticall kirk wherto we persaue the wryttar of the letter wold entise Zou, as his subsequent persuasiouns manifestly declaireth. For thus he writeth.

THE REFVTATIOVN.

I kn • w that was said to the scribis and pharises, wo be vnto zou that dois compas sea and land to mak zou ane proselyt, that is, to caus ony man change his sec or religioun. It is Ze quha hes compassett beath sea and land to draw men from the tre wreligioun and worscheping of god. As to ws, we de • yre na man to change his religioun, bot be the contrar we exhort to perscueir in that faith and religioun quhilk euerie ane promiset to God in his baptisme. It is ze thairfoir quha dois incur that curs and maledictioun of our salueoure, as zour maister throuch inwye causeth Adame our first parent be eiected from Paradise. Suay ze following as zit zour fatheris futstoppis, do trauel nicht and day according to Zour pouuer to seduce all mā frō the vnitie of the trew and Catholict kirk quhilk is Paradise in erth nocht cōtent os zour awin fall ze entyse wtheris to followz ou, to that effect that ze apeir nocht to perise zour alanc.

THE LETTER.

QVhilk apperis to me, to be the onlie faith and religioun, hepith in the Catholick kirk of Christ, sen the beginning thairof, Quhilk apperis cleirlie be the maist plane wordes of the proph • t Isaie, quhair he spekis of the kirk. Gens & regnum quod nonseruierittibi peribit. Quhilk wordes gif ony wald apply to thair new found kirkes and speciallie to zour inuisible kirk of scotland bot zit aucht zeir auld he is conuicted. For it is manifest that befoir a thousand zeires in all the warld wes thair peple of God that trowit as thai do, quha defendis the contrar • e, quhilk na man bot he that wald schaw his impudencie and his ignorance to gidder dar deny: and of the kirk, quhair of the propheit spekis, It is said be him in the second chap. that it sall be manifest and visible throw all the warld. Quhairfoir gif ze cā nocht schaw quhat place of the warld afoir thre hūdreth zeir zour kirk was into, it followis of necessitie that it isna kirk.

SCHIR IOSHNE KNOX ANSVER.

THe first part of his counsall we aproue and adde thairto that the lyf euerlasting consistes in the knowlege of him whome he has send Iesus Christ. That he that beleuis in the sone of god hes lyfe euerlasting, and is all redie past from deith to lyfe, bot he that beleuis nocht sel nocht se lyfe: but the wraith of god aby dis vpon him. we further affirme that without the sociecie and bo some of the trew kirk, neuer was, is, nor salbe saluatioū vnto man. In thir and lyke generall heidis we disagre nocht frō the Papistis, but the diference and dout standis in the specialis, to wit, quhat faith is, and what ground it hes, what is religioun, and wherin it differis from superstit • oun, and from I dololatrie. And finallie what is the trew kirk, and whou it may be decerned from the sinagoge of Sathan. Thir heades we say onght he in special to haif intreted wnto zou if he had bene mynded to haue instructed Zou in a treuth▪ But becaus (as the progres of his letter declareth) his mynd was to draw you to ye boudage of that Romane Antechrist, he takes generall propositions most trew, and most certane in thame selues, wherupon he wold conclude that which is most fals and all together pernitious to the salauatioun of man. Bot thet the craft of sathan moir euidently appear, we shall draw his persuasioun in forme of argument, and efter returne to the farther meaning of the Propheit, and to the declaratioun of thir termis faith, religioun, and catholick kirk▪ the Propheit affirmes that whosoeuer sall nocht serue Ierusalem shall perishe.

Bot the promeis maid to Inrusalem, apertenis wnto the kirk, ergo whosoeuer seruis nocht the kirk fall perisse. This hoil argument we admit, and most cōstantly we do affirme it, and yet sall he neuer be able to proue his entent, which is, that the kirk of scotland is no kirk we wil oppin the wound which the wryter of the letter keapes couerit, and yet it most greuis him, as it doeth the rest of all Papistis. The realme of scotland (all praise to god) hes refused the Pape that Romane antechrist, and nocht only be preaching bot also be the publict lawes hes dampned his tyrannical lawis, his odious superstitiouns and vsurped iurisdictioun. And thairfoir cry the Papistis, that we at declyned from the trew kirk and ar f • llen back from the catholick faith. But befoir that thai be able to conuict ws of those crymes thay monprei • two thinges, • ormer, that whatseouer was promysed to Ierusalem, dois properly and only apertene wnto Rome, and this mon thay do not be coniectures, but be plane wordis as god prononced be his propheit of Ierusalem▪ this is the first. the secound is, that albeit Rome war als able to proue a promise maid to it as Ierusalem was of whome it was said this is my rest heare will I dwell. becaus I haue, chosin it, and albeit that the Papis of Rome whome he stylis the perpetuall successioun of that kirk, had as ane assured and plane probatioun, that be god thay wre called, be god they wer admitted, and that be god thay sould be mantenyd in thair ministerie and functioun, as that the leuites and successioun of Aaron had to produce at all tymes for their defence, yet if they (we say) who call thame selues the successouris of the Apostlis be nocht able to proueihat thai haif constantly remaned in the first league and conuenant which christ Iesus maid with his Apostolis when he send thame furth to preache the glaid tydingis of the kingdome, and to establish his throne, not only amonges the Iewis, bot also amonges the gentiles, according to the former propheseis. Albeid we say that all thir former thai wer able to proue (as thai ar neuer able to do) yet haue they said no thing that may help thair caus, not hurt ouris, onles that they thairwith planely proue that the kirk of Rome and the successioun of the same hes remanit, and yet remaneth in the original pu • itie of the Apostils in doctrine, lyfe, lawes and ceremoneis. For thir being corrupted the tytill of successioun will na mair help thame thē did the braging of the preistis wnder ye law, who cryit aganis the propheit leremie, the temple of the lord, te temple of the lord the temple of the lord▪ what was answeret wn to them, let the .7. chap. of his prophesie witnes Butfarther of the assurance theirof, efter. Now mon we sumthing speak of faith, religioun and catholick kirk wherwith he wold terrifie yowr conscience, and deface the trewth,Ierem 7. and then mon we auswer to his bleaspheamous tauntis and mockage, befoir we ha • f confessit that to leue without faith, without religioun, and vithout the societie of the catholick kirk, bringis with it most cettanely death and damnatioun. But yet we affirme that al opinioun that is commonly receaued wnder the name of faith is nocht faith whilk god aprouis, bot trew faith mon haue for the ground and assurance theirof godis expressed word, of his mercy promysed in christ Iesus, wher to the heart of the faith full mon cōsent so moued be the haly gaist. And thairfoir we fear not to affirme that the Papistis hauing no better ground for thair faith, then cōsent of men, decreis of counsals, and antiquitie of tyme, ha • f no faith, bot a fond, yea▪ a damnable opinion. And the same we affirme of religioun which if it be pleasing and acceptable wnto God, must haue his awin commandement, and approbatioun for a warrand: otherwais it can nocht be bot odious in his presence, as a thing repugning to his expres commandement: saying, not that which appearis Good in thy awin eyis sall thou do to the lord thy God, bot what the lord thy God hes commanded the, that do thou, ade nothing to it, diminishe nothing from it. Be this precept of that eternall God who is immutable, and that can command nothing but that which is iust, a • all pl • ple, realms, and natiounis (that will auow theme selues to be the inheritance of the lord) bound and oblist to measure their religioun, not be the exemple of other realmes, nather yet be their owen good intentioun; or determinatioun of men, but only be the expressed word of God. So that what theirein is commanded aucht to bedone, and what is not commanded be him, aucht in na wyse to be done be the people of God, what apperance or externall shaw of holynes that euer it hes. And thairfoir haue we most iustly reiected the rable of ceremoneis which the Papistis held for the cheif exercise of thair religioun, as thingis hauing na better ground then the inuention and consent of men. Now shortlie of the kirk communlie callit catholick. The name of the kirk is commun and is taken as weil for the congregatione of the wicked as for the assemble of the godlie, as it is plane be the wordes of Dauid sayng: I haue hatet the kirk, • hal. 26. or the assemble of the wicked, the terme Catholick, which signifyes vniuersal, heth not included in it that vertew which Papistis alledge, that is, that whatsoeuer is Catholick that most be goode. For if so wer than sin in the originall world shuld haue bene gude▪ for it wes so catholick (that is vniuersall) that it ouerfloued the hole earth only on hous excepted. whou vniuersall Idolatrie was amongis the Gentiles, histories witnesse, and whou braid the pestilent sect of Machomet is this day spred, experience dois teich ws. And yet we suppone that no man of right iudgement will aither approue the one or the other, notwithstanding of their vniuersalitie, and thairfoir we must haue a better assurance of the kirk, to the which we aucht to ioyne our selfis then that it is catholick or vniuersall, to wit it must be holie and the communioun of sainctis. For in the confessioun of oure faith, we say not I beleue the kirk vniuersall, bot I beleif the holie kirk vniuersall, the communioun of fanctis. wherfoir we affirme, that if that kirk whiche is called catholick or vniuersall, haue not holynes in the heart be trew faith,Or the harpan. and the confessioun of the same in the mouth, and in the foirheid it ceissis to be the immaculate spous of Iesus Christ, in whose bosome the sonnes of God at nurished to the lyfe euerlasting. And so befoir that the wryter of the letter shall be able to conuict ws, that we haue declyned from the holy kirk, he must first defyne what is the verray holynes of the kirk, wherein it consistis, fra whom it flowis, and what is the effect of the same. And when thus he hes done, he must proue yat the kirk of Rome hes bene and is only holy, so that no kirk befoir it did euer enioy that tytill, nether yet that any that after may ensew it, may sa be iustlie callit, and thus we think shalbe werray hard to Maister Tyrie and all the Iesuites in Europe to proue.

THE REFVTATION.

ALl this discurs is sa vane and sa litill to the propos, that I was nocht weill at quhat paire I suld begin. First he sais, that of tuay propositiones quhilkis ar verray trew, I collect ane conclusione maist fals and repugnant to all veritie. Ane Dialectitian wald ansuer, that schir Iohne knox hes nocht weill considderit the rewlis of Dialectik, to affirme ane fals conclusion to follow of trew premissis. Bot becaus I knaw his greit occupationis and sollicitude he hes of his wyf and childrine, that he culd nocht tack tent to sic trifflis I will pas this with silence, and tak tent • to sic trifflis I will. pas this with silence and will enter schortlie in the mater. He domandis ws two thingis, gif we wald establiss the Romane kirk to be the trew kirk. The first is that we schaw quhat sumeuer wes promised to Ierusalem to appertien onlie to the Romane kirk: I ansuer that the promeis appertenis to ane kirk quhilk suld be catholick or vniuerfall: lyk as we say I beleue the halie catholick kirk: suay gif na kirk or congregatioun of men quha professis the name of Christ at all tyme hes bene Catholick, nor zit is Catholick except the Romane kirk (quhilk dois nocht onlie comprehend the toun of Rome bot alsuay the haill warld, quhilk in vnitie of doctrine dois aggre with it) it followis necessarlie, that quhatsumeuer wes promised to • erusalem, dois onlie appertene to the Romane kirk. And this to zour first domand.

the secund domand is that albe • d the promeis be maid to the Romane kirk we schaw mairour that it hes remanit in the first conuenant with oure Saluiour. This domand contenis in it ane maist wicked blasphemie: for Schir Iohne knox Supponis, that God micht promeis that quhilk he wald nocht accompleis, quhilk is no thing els bot to mak him ane liar. Thairfore it requiris na new ansuer, becaus. the promeis of God is fer me and certane, that gif he hes promised to mantene his kirk be the assistance of his holie spreit to the end of the warld, we aucht to be assured thairof quhatsumeuer Schir Iohne knox say: quhais impudencie and arrogance is so great in this behalf that he apperis mair wicked, nor Sathan him self his Maister. Becaus albeid that the Romane kirk haue the promeis of God to be mantened, zet onles it proue that it hes bene, and is as zit mantenit, he will gif na credence nor authoritie thairto. And be the contrar albeid he and his ministers be destitute of all promeis, zet he will quhatsumeuer he says to be embraced as the trew and sincere woird of God. Gif his arrogance be greit, I leif the iugement to the reader. As to re place of Hieremie the propheit quhilk Ze cite, it makis no thing for zour opinione, bot reather is aganis Zow, becaus as the text schawis manifestlie, he spak nocht onlie to the preistes bot to the haill multitude, quhome he accusis that thay had maist enormlie transgressit the commandimentis of God, bot becaus the people vsit to obiect to the prophetis quhen thai wer admonised be thame that thai had the temple of the lord, euin as thairbie thai had bene in greit securitie, and na euill culd befall wnto thame. Hierrmie dois reiect sic obiectionis, sayand that sic vane persuasionis will no wais auale thame onles be sincere and onfenzed repentance thai turne wnto God, and leue accordinglie to his law. He denyed nocht • s ze affirme that thay had the trew kirk of God and that God was treulie worsehepit in the synagoge, bot admonised the people to gloir nocht in that as that thairthrowonlie thai micht pleis God lyk as we say now that it will nocht be proffitable to ws that we haue the trew kirk and the trew doctirne, onles oure lyf and maners correspond thairto. Bot lat ws pas fordward.

Ane argument quhilk uset euer to be obiected be Catholick men aganis Zour new inuented kirk is this, The trew kirk of God aucht euer to be catholick or vniuersall: Zour kirk hes nocht euer bene vniuersall: thairfore it can nocht be the trew kirk of God. Zeansuer, that quhatsumeuer is vninersall is nocht consequentlie good, as Ze deduce be mony exemples. Quhilk ansuer as euerie man may sie is naway to the propos Becaus albeit it wer granted to Zow that it war nocht sufficient to the trew kirk to be vniuersall, zit ze can nocht denye bot it is necessare. I hairfoir gif ze hed ansuerit to the propois, ze suld haiue schawin zour kirk to haue bene vniuersall at all tyme. Bot apperandlie conuicted be zour conscience, and be experience it self ze confesse all radie the contrar: and thairfoir reiectand that mark, quhilk of it self is maist euident, and approuit be all scriptures, ze seik refuge to ane vther mark, quhilk is far mair obscure, and onknawin, quhilk is, that the trew kirk of God aucht to be halie, For the halines of the kirk is onlie knauwin to him quha doith vnderstand the secretis and heartis of mē, and thairdy being only knauwin to God it can on naways be ane taikin to ws of the trew kirk. Bot gif ze wald affirme the halines of the kirk to confist in the dew and lauchfull administratioun of the sacramentis and cōdigne professione of the faith, as ze appeir to allege▪ ze micht alsuay thairby perfytlie vnderst and that it is in Lykmaner obscuir and ane ondecydet controuersie. For all heret • kes hes continuallie vnto this present hour vsurped that as ane taikin and note for approbatioun of thair kirk. As to the notis and taikines of tho trew kirk, thay suld be sua appropriat to it, that thay may nocht be vsurpet be fals propheites be onie meanis, as that the kirk is vniuersall, and that it hes continewall successioun of pastoures: Quhilk tuay markis did neuer as zet aggrie to onie assemblie or congregatioun of heretikes. Becaus that all heretikes hes decayet from the trew kirk, suay thair sinagoge at all tyme culd nocht be vniuersall, and be that same resson thay culd neuer be albe to schaw contineuatioun of thair pastoures. Bot did euer gadder to thame selfis ane ordour of ministeris without onie lauchfull beginning, as testifeis. S. Augustin in his questionis of the auld and new testament, saing, quhasoeuer hathe collected thame selfis ane seit nocht in tke kirk of God, we affirme it to be the cheir of pestilence. In respect thay do cummer and molest the ondouted ordour begun at Petir, and be continuall successioun of pastoures deducet vnto this present hour making to thame selfes ane ordour without beginning, and ane bodie without ane head. Quhairfoir in respect thais infallible and suir notes of the kirk of God can nocht be no meanes corespond to zour sinagoge, it is maist notoriouflie knawin that ze and the remanant of zour propheites ar alluterlie separat frō the trew kirk. zet pretermittād that of fiftie sectes quhilkis dois regne this day, euerie ane of thame dois attribuit to thame selfe the rycht administratioun of the sacramentis and the confessioun of faith, and beleues as ze do, that thay teche na thing bot the sinceir word of God. To preif that this mark dois on na way conuein to zour kirk, for the present I will wse bot ane aryument, The richt administratioun of ye sacramentis, and the confessioun of faith or onlie notes of the visible kirk: zour kirk afoir Iohne caluin was inuisible as ze cōfesse all reddie: Th • irfoir it culd nocht be knawin be the formar notes, and consequentlie the kirk of God hes bene destitute this monie kūdreth zeiris of hir maist certane and infallible markes, quhilk is ane great blasphemie. As quhain ze say that it wilbie verray hard to me and to all thame quhome ze call Iesuistis to preif that the Romane kirk onlie is halie, it is nawais hard bot verray easie. Becaus that the halines of the kirk is suay cōtonet with the forsaid no • es, that is, with the vniuersalitie and lauchfull suceession of pastouris that it can on na ways be separat. Thairfoir considdering that amangis all congregationis quha does profes the name of Christ, thai onlie quha dois adheir to the Romane kirk can be able to schaw sic successioun, with vniuersalitie it followis of necessitie that • rew halines do is onlie appertein to thame. And as Zour sinagoge is destitute of the formar notis, sua of necessitie it is destitute of all halines. Bot Schir Iohne knox to seduce the semple people do is argument sua, as gif the halines of the kirk culd be separat fra the vniuersalitie thairof, and the lauchfull succession of Paustouris: quhilk is maist fals, erronius, and repugnant to all scriptures. For the Apostoles did conione thais • uay notes together, I beleif the halie catholick kirk. Becaus the kirk of God, as it is halie, sua it is caeholick or vniuersall, And onles Schir Iohne knox proué his kirk to be catholick, it is impossible that it be halie.

THE REST OF SCHIR IOHNE knox ansuer.

BOt now that the vanitie of his argument may the moir euidentlie appeare, we will in as few wordis as we can examine the mynd of the propheit. Sic as diligētly markis the scope of the propheit Isaias, sais cleirlie, that from the 40. chap. of his prophecie to the end of the same, he traueillis principally to cōfort Ierusalē, and the natioun of the lewis, whose miserable distructioun and fearefull captiuttie he foresaw in spreit. Pronunced the same in his publict sermonis and left the memo • riall and on douted register their of to the posteritie, that was to follow and was to be partakeris of all the plaigues that wer befoir spoken? And least that they in the myddis of you calamitie suld haif disparit of any delyuerance: from the same 40. chap back we say that the propheit, as the messinger of Godis mercy pronounced to Ierusalem, to mont syon and to the afflicted Iewis, delyuerance from captiuitie, the protectiō of God, to be their defence, the distruction of Babylone and of all their enemies the cumming of the Messias promysed wnto them, the felicitie of his kingdome the vocatione of the Gentiles, and finally the promyses flowing from mercy that he had maid vnto them to continew for euer. And among thir manyfold promysis this was one, the kingdome and the natioun that sall not serue thee, sall perishe. Now gla • dly wald we learne of the wryter to what realme, to what natione, to what prouince or citie will he appoint ws, that thairin we may serue Iesus Christ, and his immaculate spous the kirk: to the end that we shall not perishe, if he will name Rome and the kirk theirof, then must we demand two thinges, the former. what become of all the faithfull the space of a thousand yeares that flowed betuix the making of the former promyses, and the dayis of the Apostilis, what tyme the Euangell began publictly to be offered wnto the Gentiles. All whiche tyme Rome was nothing bot a den of Idolatrie, we think he will nocht say that the faithfull perished and we ar bauld to say that the faithfull serued not Rome nather yet the kirk contenit thairin all that tyme, this is the first whereof we wold be resolued. The second is that if the wryter will alledge that during all the tyme the promise foirsaid apperteaned to Ierusalē and wnto mont Syon: but that after that the Euangell was receaued of the Gentiles the promise which befoir was maid te Ierusalem was transfered wnto Rome. If so be, we pray the wryter that efter he hes consulted with the fynest Papistis be they Iesuites, or be thay otheris that he will shaw wuto ws where we shall find the resign • tioun and the asseurance theirof. we clearlie read the promis maid to Ierusalem and wnto mōt syon. we find that the euangell was there preachet in dispyte of Sathan. we find that from thence Peter and I hone wer send to samarea and therefter the euangell was planted amonges the gentilles: we findfarher that Paule wrete to the sanctes that wer at Rome, and that he himself wes caryet presoner to it and that he remanit two yeares there vnder custodie in his ludgeing: bot that euer the promises maid to Ierusalem wer transferred wnto Rome, we find not. And therofoir albeit that we of the realme of scotland haue refussed Rome, and the tyrannie thairof, we think not that we haue refused the societie of christis kirk: but that we arioynit with it, ād daylie ar fed of oure motheris breastes, becans we embrace no other doctrine than that which, first flowed furth of Ierusalem whois cietizenes be grace we awou oure selues to be.

THE REFVTATIOVN.

This ansuer is sa litill to the propos that it nedis almaist na refutation. zit to the effect he appeir nocht to gloir of his awin folischenes, I vill discus sumpart mair diligentlie quhatsumeuir he says. As to his first propositioun that this promeis was made to Ierusalem or to mont Syon: gif he vnderstandis be Ierusalem the Synagoge of ye Iewis, it is necessare that all kingdome and natioun quha wald nocht pereis serue the Synagoge: becaus Isaias spekes vniuersalie, and dois except na natioun, sua schir Iohne with the rest of his halie propheites most be circumcydet. Gif he vnderstandis be Ierusalem the kingdome of Christ, his demandis quhilk is he askes ws ar vane. The first is quhat become of the faithfull that was▪ betuix the making of that promeis and the tyme quhilk the Romane kirk embracet the trew • eligioun: that demand I say is vane, for the promeis • aid to serue the kingdome of Christ culd oblis na man foir it begouth, suay all thay quha wis betuix the ma • ing of the said promeis and the beginning of the kin • dome of Christ culd nocht on na way be astricted to • he obseruatioun thairof. The secund is to schaw resi • natioun of this promeis maid to the kirk of Rome, • uhilk in lykmaner hes na place, for that quhilk is pro • esed to the kingdome of Christ can nocht be resignet to • a vther kingdome or natioun, as testefeis Daniel saing, • is kingdome sall nocht be geuin vnto ane other people. • uay quhatsumeuer he ansuer, he seis ane inconuneni • ̄t • o ensew, thairfoir his domandis being reiected as vane, • nd superfluous I wil returne to the explicatioun of the • rophecie of Isaias, quhais wordis can nocht be onder • tand bot of the trew kirk of Christ. To the quhilk onlie • ll natioun is bound to serue. The present controuersie 〈◊〉 quhether gif this kirk be that quhilk this monie hun • rech zeir hes bene manifest to the warld and spred • hrouch ane greit pairt of it, or the new inuentet kirk of • ohne Caluine. The quhilk can nocht be better decyded • or to considder diligentlie the markes and signes qu • ilkes wer forspokin be the propheites to conuein to the • irk of Christ, And in lykemaner the ta • kines appro • et be Christ and his Apostolis: and to quhat, • umeuer kirk thai conuein, without forther dispu • atioun to confes it to be the trew kirk. And be • he contrar to reiect all congregatioun of men, as • he synagoge of Satban, with the quhilk the for • aid markes does nocht aggrie. And to begin at Isa • as quha maist cleirlie amonges all the propheites • es spoken of this kirk, he • estifies that the Zettis of it salbe euer oppen baith nicht and day: as he wald say becaus all natioun and kyngdome is bound to seru • the kirk, it salbe euer patent to receaue all quh • plesis to enter in it. Of the quhilk it followis necessarlie that it Salbie euer wisible and knawen to th • warld. Bot Zour kirk as ze confess zour selues, he • bene inuisible this monie hundreth zeris: Thairfor • it can nocht be that kir • of the quhilk Isaias maki • mentioun: and consequentlie it can nocht be the kir • of god.Esai. 60. He testifies mairour that the kinges and pri • es of the erth sall walk in the licht of it. This prophecie we find fulfillit in onr kirk, in the quhilk to begin at Constantine the great, so m • nie Emperoures he •• randerit humble obedience and subiectioun, and s •• moine kinges and princes, that it suld be verray har • to ony man to compt thame. As to Zour synagog • afoir thir maist miserable dayis it hes bene alluterl •• onknawen, nocht onlie to the kinges and princes, bo •• alsuay to the haill warld. He sais alsuay that Chris • sall ressaue the bourding of the • ynnes of his people▪ Esai. 53. quilairthrow for his in heritance he sall possede mo • nie. In the quhilk wordis he doeth testifie that Christ b • meanes of his passioun hes merited fra the father t • haue ane greit mul • itude for his inheritāce. the quhil • muleitude is sufficientlie declared be him quhair h • sais:Esai. 54. that the sonnes of the relict sall forther multipli • nor the sonnes of hir quha hathe ane housband. Qu • hilk wordis in respect S. Paul doith refer to the kirk 〈◊〉 Christ, and the synagoge we collect tharbie necessarli • the sōnes of the kirk to exceid at all tyme be ane gre • number the sonnes of the synagoge.Gal. 4. Bot ze beand com • parit with the synagoge of the Iewis, Zour nombre 〈◊〉 nocht corre spond to tharis in ony wayis. Thairfore ze can nocht be the inheritance of Christ.Gen. 17. we reid in lykmaner in the buik of Genesis ane promeis maid to Abraham that his seid suld incres and multiplie lyk wnto the sand of the sea and sterres of the heuin. Quhilk promeis was maid to him in the persone of Isaac, quha being borne conforme to the promis • toun did represent the Christi • nis, as is contenit in the fourt chaptour to the Galat: lyk as on the vther part • smael being borne onlie conforme to the ca • nell generatioun, did represent, and signifie the auld testamēt and synagoge of the Iewis. Sway according to the said promeis, the seid of • saac quhilk signifeit the Christianis, aucht to be incresset and multipliet gretumlie be zound the seid of Ismael: bot the seid of Ismael as the experience it self • echis hes incresset mair nor thai quha hes prof • ssed Zour doctrine, and as Zet dois mair incress: quhairfore ze on na ways appertein to the seid of Abrahame. And in ane vther place it is propheceit that Esau sall do homage and obedience to his Zoungast brether Iacob.Gen. 25. Quhilk S. Paul in lykemaner doith attribuit to the synagoge,Rom. 9. and kirk of Christ, to the quhilk the synagoge suid serue: bot the synagoge at na tyme hes seruet zoure kirk, becaus, as ze do confess it hes bene almaist euer in • isible. Malachias testi • ies that in the Kyngdome of Christ thair sal • e ane pure sacrifice offered from the Orient to the Occident. Bot ze can nocht be able to schau ony kirk quhilk euer hes offeret sic sacrifice, except that onlie quhilk hes bene knawen and manifest to the warld: Thairfore that onlie is the trew kirk. And almaist all the propheites affirmes that the kirk of God salbe mair notefied and knawen at all tyme nor the synagoge of the Iewis: •• l 2. • al. 71. • al. 102. bot zour kirk hes bene mair obscure this thowsand and fyuehundreth zearis nor the synagoge, • ani 2. • alac. 1. • sai. 68. & • 9. in respect thai haue had thair synagoge all this tyme visible, zouris be the contrar for the maist part hes bene inuisible: thay haue had, • gger. 1. all this tyme certane places deputed and ordonit to the Ceremoneis and exerceis of thair religioūze in pluc king doun of our kirkes dothe gif ane euident testimonie to all men that ze war destitute alluterlie of all sic places: suay that it is cle • rlie to vnderstand that Christ on na wa • s hes had that prouidence to wart zou, as he maste assuredlie promised to his kirk. Bot to cum to the new testament, lat ws considder quhow Christ promised his kirk to be as ane citie collocat on ane montane, • at. 5. & • 6. Ma • h. 18. & • 8. the quh • lk he dothe promeis to edifie and erect in sic maner that the portes of hell suld nocht preuail aganis it bot continewand to the end of the warld suld haue the prerogatiue and power to decide all controuerseis, • phe 4. alsweil concernand maners as religioun. And to be schort, that it suld on na wayis inlaik pastowres nor doctoures to the end of the warld. Quhilk maist ondoubted testimonies and signes of the kirk of God, gif we wald confer with zour kirk we can nocht espy thame to correspond to zou in ony point. First in respect zour kirk hathe remanit thir monie hundreth zearis in extreme darknes▪ and suay on na wais can retene the name of ane citie collocat on ane montane. Secundlie, quhasumeuer in ony aige hes impugnet it, that haue reportet sic victorie that thay haue left na signe nor takin thair of to the posteritie. Thirdlie consinddering ze confesse it to, haue al maist euer bene inuisible, ze ar constranit also to grant that it hes neuer decydet onie controuersie quihilk hes rissin amanges Christiane men. Last to conclude, it is nocht possible to zou to imbring or mak mentioun of ony pastoures or doctoures thairof precedand the tyme of Caluin. Of the quhilk euerie man that is nocht alluterlie blindet and destitute of all iugement, may all reddie perceaue, that quhow mekle that euer ze gloir in the word of God, as euer did fals propheites, considdering ze ar destitute of all sic notes and ta • knes quhilk Christ hes appointet to his trew kirk, that all zour congregatioun and assemblie is na thing els bot the synagoge of Sathane: and consequentlie that na man quha adheris to zou, can be participand of the lyfe euerlasting quhilk is onlie promised to thame quha dois remane and perseueir in humilitie and obedience in the trew kirk of God to the end. Bot perchance ze will ansuer that I am deceaued in the interpretatioun of sic scripturis quhilkis I haue allegit aganis zow, as it is casuall to euerie man, onles he haue sum speciall assistance of the halie spreit, quhilk gif ze do, ze wil appardone me gif in lyk maner quhatsumeuer interpretatioun ze bring in the contrar, I say that ze haue bene abused and begylit. Thairfor puttād asyde baith my iugement and zouris, I am content to receaue for iugis of this controuersie all pastouris and doctouris quha euer hes bene in the kirk of God betuix th • Apostolis and Iohne Caluin: and onles be ane vniuersall consent thai confes all, the kirk of God euer to haue bene visible and knawin to the warld, I am content to quyt my haill caus. And be the contrar gif ze can name ane onlie for this zour opinioun, I am content without f • rther disputatioun to admit quhatsumeuer. ze say to be trew. This micht, haue bene sufficient for ansuer to all thinges quhilkis ze haue obiected aganis me. zit that zour ministeres beleue nocht that we feare thame, or that we haue other opinione of thame nor that thai arfals prophetis quha hes ingyrit thame self to the vsurpatioun of the ministerie of the kirk, to the effect th •• thay micht mair li •• ntiouslie scrue thair l • st and b • llie, I will propoise at lenth quhat sumeuer ze say, and sall defraud zou of nathing, quhilk ony way may be to the auancement of zour caus.

THE REST OF SCHIR IOHNE knox ansuer.

BVt n • w to the taunting blasphemies of the wrytter it plesis him to terme our kirkis new found, inuisible, yet but aucht yeare auld &c. and our • uangel new lie muented. which blaspheamis, albert that man spar, yet we ar assured, the eternall our God fall not suffer vnpunished in this lyfe, and in the lyfe to cum: onles that speady, and vnfeaned repentens blot away the same. But the wrytter left to the iugement of God, we wold knoue of him, why he calleth oure kirkes new found, and our Euangell but new inuented. He appeareth t • giue his reasone, in th • is wordes (for says he) it is ma • ifest, that befoir a thousand yearis, in all the world was there peple that trow it as thay do quha defendis the contrare. This reasone conteyneth in it sic foly, besydes the obscuritie and generalitie of it, that west: nd in dout at what member we shall begin to confute the same. But becaus his greatest strength, appeareth to stand in this, that befoir a thousand yeares, thair wes people in all the world that trowed as Papistis now trow • , what sall thair of yet be concluded, that our kirkis ar new found? And will he say, that our Euangell is bot new he inuented? A good d • a lecticiane wold ansuer: that albeid the antecedent war granted, the consequent may iustlie be denyed. And the reason is, becaus that nether doeth the kirk, the faith of the same, nor the authoritie of the Euangell of Christ Iesus, depend vpon that which men beleued, befoir that it was published. Nether yet is the age of the kirk, to be compted from the tyme when it pleased God of his mercy, either to reueale his word to any realme or natioun, that befoir was ignorant of it, or yet to reforme abuses, whiche haue taken roote amanges the people of God be the negligence of men▪ And that this reason and proportioun is trew, the consideratioun of the planting of the kirk, and of the diuers reformationis maid within the same, shall witnes. when God callit Abrahame from Vr of the Caldeanis,Gen. 12. and maid to him that promise of the blissed sead, and efter gaue vnto him the signe of Circumcisioun: wer there not people despersed vniuersallie vpon the face of the earth, what ro wit and thought, that thay had a good, and perfite religioun? yea euin that same religioun (as thay supposed) wherin Noha serued God. And yet we knowe that the spirite of God, dampneth the multitude of that age of Idolatrie: and theirintill magnifies the mercy of God, who from that corrupted multitude, called Abraham, and be grace maid him the father of the faithfull. Now wold we domād of the writer of the letter, if the age of Abrahames faith, should haue bene measured from the errour of the multitude, that past befoir him: and if that the age of the kirk, gadderit within his hous, should haue bene called an aucht yeare auld kirk, whē that Abraham had so long obeyed God, while that all • he warld continewed in their Idolatrie? we demād (we • ay) if their auld Idolatrie, maid Abrahames faith to be • ut a new found faith: and if thair multitude and vui • ersalitie hauing for thame antiquitie, maid the kirk that was in Abrahames hous to be a new found kirk? we suppone that men of iugemēt shall other wise pro • unce and subscrine with ws: that the faith of Abrahā had the same antiquitie, that the word had, which he • eleued. Now plane it is, that the word which he beleued was the self same word, which God pronūced vnto the woman in the gardine, speaklug aganis the serpēt,Gen. 3. saing, I shall put inimitie betuix the and the womā, betuix thy seid and hir seid, that sead sall braik doun thy head, and thou shall break doū his heale. This promise, we say▪ being espetialie maid to Abrahā in thase wordes: in thy sead shall all▪ the natiounis of the earth be blissed, was the grōud of his faith, lyk as that it wes the groūd of the faith of Adame, A bell, seth, and of al • the faithfull befoir him: so that hir'▪ faith wes no new faith, bot was that same faith, wiche had continued amonges Godis elect frō the beginning, for trew faith may not be measured frō the errour of mē, bot frō th • word, and promise, which the faithfull beleue Is th • word frō the beginning, and the promise vndo wted thē must, the faith, that thairupō is grounded, not onli • be trew, but alsuay of the same age, and antiquitie tha • the word is. And thairfoir whē soeuer the Papistes, an • we shall cum to reaknen of the age of oure faith: w • doutnothing, but that thair faith in mo principall poi • tis nor one or tuo, shalbe found verray Zoung, and bu • laitly inuēted: in respect of that onlie trew faith,Wald domād Quhomto h • s this reue • atio bene maid? whic • this day in the kirks of Scotland is professed. And th • selfe same thing assirme we of oure kirk, and of the E • uangell preached within the same: to wit, that the Eu • gell, which of Godis mercy is reuealed vnto ws is no • forged be man, but that it is the self same Euangel • which Iesus Christ taught be his awin mouth, and tha • his apostlis at his commandement, published vnto th • world And therefore, we say, that oure kirk is no ne • found kirk,Petitio principii. (as the wryter blaspheamously rayleth) bu • that it is a part of that holie kirk vninersall, which 〈◊〉 gronded vpon the doctrine of the prophetes, and A • postlis: haueing the same antiquitie that the kirk 〈◊〉 the Apostles hes, as concerning doctrine, prayers, adm •• nistratioun of Sacramētis, and all other thinges requ • site to a particulare kirk. But yet will the wryter of th • letter alledge, that we beleue not as the moste part 〈◊〉 men haue beleued a thousand yeares, and moir. 〈◊〉 they beleued the Messe to be a sacrifice propitiatori • for the synnes of the quick and dead: the Pape to be the head of the kirk, and Christes vicare in the erth: the naturall body of Christ Iesus, flesche bloode, and bane, to be in the sacrament of the alter, after that the wordis of consecratioun wer prononced be a preast, Super materia debita: that the prayers of the leuing▪ profite the departed, and sic others as the Catholick faith of the Papistes haue concluded. These articles will the wryter say we beleue not: and therefore, whou can it be denyed but that oure kirk is new found and the doctrine thairof is new, we haue ansuered, and yet we ansuer agane, that whatsoeuer Papistes haue beleued befoir ws, which hath no better ground than the determinatioun of thair owen counsall, can nether preiudge oure faith grounded vpon Godis expressed word,Al this is not to the propois. nether yet can proue oure kirk to be but a new found kirk▪ for gif ane commoun errour, and a superstitious worshipping of God, receaued of a multitude should haue that strength, that it should preuale against Godis▪ simple trewth, and against his worshipping presc • iwed in his word: then had the propheit Helias bene into a miserable conditioun: who being but one man, opponed him self to the king, to his counsall, to his prophetes, preastes, and people, and in plane wordes accused thame all of apostasie, frō his God, frō his trew worschipping and frō the obediēce of law: and planely cō uicted thame, to be Idolatoures, becaus they had imbrafed a worshipping of God, not cōteyned in his word. It is a wōder that the king, with his preastes, and propheites excepted not against the propheit, and said: whow eā that be Idolatrie, which oure kings ād people sence the days of Ieroboā haue vsed, and māteyned for Gods trew seruice, Thou art but one mā, ād we ar a multitude how cā it be, that thow onlie should pleis God. But no such thing find we obiected wnto the propheit. But his requeast being but ane mā was obeyed: which was, that god him self, should iudge betuix him ād thame, as that he did, be fyre frō the heauē. This priuiledge craue we to be granted to ws, of the Papistes in oure dayes, to wit that thay suffre god to iudge betuix oure religione, and theirs: what he approueth, let it be approuen of bothe, and what be him is not commandet nor be the Apostles of Iesus C • rist established, and practised, let it be of boith reiected, and so shall we suddanelie aggre. But if that will still cry, that we ar schis matykes and Apostates, becaus we refuse to defyle oure selues, with their abhominationis: we can nor but appeale frō their corrupt sentence, to the vncorrupt iudge, of whose fauoures we ar assuredly persuader in the point, becaus he hath said, follow not the multitude in e • il doing: and becaus that we find kingis propheites, and people befoir ws, to haue done the self same thing in their days (and therefore to • aue bene approued of god) whiche we in godis feare, haue done in oure dayes: so wit thay haue distroyed the monumentis of Idololatrie, and haue repressed the same externally, be power and force, notwithstanding she antiquitie thereof, and that great multitude adheared vnto it And this muche for the multitude, and that w • ich the multitude moste commonlie beleueth. Now to the further • essonis of the writer. He first tauntis and mockis ws and oure kirk, calling it your inuisible kirk of • cotland. Secondlie he a •• irmeth, that the kirk whereof the Prophet speakes, salbe manifest and visible through all the world And for his proue alledges the second chaptour of the propheit Isaias. And last he concludes in thais wordes: wherfore if ye can not shaw in what place of the world afoir thre hundret • yeare youre kirk was into • t followeth of necessitie that it is no kirk. To thais heades we must ansuer in ordour, and first we wil pray the writer in his nixt ansuer, to signifie wnto ws, why he calleth the kirk of Scotland inuisible seing that the groūd, and the persones inhabitant within the same ar s • biect to the senses of all those, that list to looke vpon the • e: yea the doctrine ta • ght vnto ws, is so patent, that the verray enemies them selues, ar not forbiddē to heare, and to iudge of it. And finally the a • ministratioun of the sacramentes within our kirkes, are so publict, that none iustly 〈◊〉 cōpleane, that thay ar either debarred frō hearing or frō sight, And therefore howsoeuer it pleaseth the wryter, to delite him self in his owen vanitie, we feare not to affirme that the kirk of God within Scotland this day, is as visible, as euer it wes in Iernsalem, after that Christ Iesus receaued the euangell: yea, we will forther affirme, that the trew kirk of Iesus Christ, is as visible, yea and as beutifull in all her proper ornamētis this day, within the realme of Scotland, as euer sche was in Corinthus, Galatia, Philippi, yea or yet in Rome it self, what tyme that any of the Apostles rewled thame: or that when they wer saluted be the Apostles in his epistles, for kirkis And this for the first heade.

TE REFVTATIOVN

OTheir ze haue calumniat my argumēt, or ze heue nocht onderstand it, for of the discours of my letter it is easie to euerie man to perceaue, that my argument was this. That thai, quha afoir ane thowsand zeare, wes acknawlegit for trew Christianis throw the haill warid, professed the cōtrare religioun to that quhilk ze professe. Sway gif ze had ansuerit to the propois, ze aucht to haue cōdamned thame as followares of fals and pernicious doctrine. Thairfore to omschew the difficultie of the mater, ze say, that the age of the kirk, aucht nocht to be compted frome the tyme quhen it plesis God, to reueal his word to ony natioun, Quhilk albeit it be trew, zet nocht withstanding, geuand that the word may be of lait re • elit to ony particalare natioun, it can nocht be of lait reuelit to the haill world: Quhilk we affirme of zour doctrine, becaus as the experience it self teachis, it was onknawen immediatlie afoir ane hundreth zeare▪ nocht only to the realme of Scotland, bot alsua to the haill world. Thairfore it can nocht be the word of God, quhilk as it wes reuealit frō Christ, sua sen him it hes euer bene conseruet in the warld. And quhen euer it hes pleasit him to reueill it to ony natioun, quhilk afoir wes ignorant, he hes vsed thame as instrumentis thairof, to quhome of befoir it wes reuealit: sua that we aucht nocht to abyde ony new reuelatioun, maid to Iohne Caluin, or Schir Iohne knox: bot to embrace that relig • oun quhilk anis being reuealit, and maid manifest to the warld, hes according to the promeis of Christ, be the assistance of the halie spreit, euer bene conseruet in it: lyk as it falbe conseruet, in despite of Sathan, and all his ministeris, to the end of the warld. Zet to cloik zour ignorance, ze ar nocht aschamed to compare zow to Abraham, and Helias: and zour kirk, to the kirk of God, quhilk wes in thair tyme. Bot to the effect, that na man be deceaued be sic vane persuasionis, I will declare, that nother ze may be compared onie way with thame, or zour new inuen • ed kirk, to that kirk quhilk that acknawlegit. For as concerning Abrahame, it is maist aggreable to the veritie, that he did, with all constance retene, and profes that religioun, quhen he receaued the circumcisioun of God, in the quhilk a lang tyme preceidād, he had bene instructed be his predecessouris: quhairin gif he had bene requerit, he culd haue sufficientlie schawin, continuatioun from the beginning of the warld to him, and to thame be quhome he wes instructed. Quhairfore gif zour proceding is be coincidād with Abrahame, we desyre zow to adduce sufficiēt testimonieto proue that religion, quhilk ze profes, to haue bene autorised in all agis, sen the tyme of Christ to zow or ellis be nocht so impudent, to compare zow to Abrahame, considdering it dothe nocht appeir, that Christ hes had les prouidēce of the kirk, sen se sched his maist pretious blude for it, nor he hade in the days of Abrahame. Bot perchance gif ze be nocht lyk Abrahame, ze wilbe lyk Helias: for as Helias reprouit Achab, together with the superstitioun, quhilk he, and the haill multitude did follow, notwithstanding the lang continuatioun of the same, to wit betuix the tyme of Hieroboam and that present tyme of Achab, sua ze, and zour prophetis dois reproue all thame, quhasoeuer follouis the auld, and Catholict Religioun. Thairfoir we will discus quhether zour religioun, or oures, be mair conforme to that, quhilk was professit be Helias. And to be schort Helias did nocht induce ane new religioun, and of befoir vnknawin to the haill warld bot professit that, quhilk the synagoge of the Iewes had imbraced from the beginning, and to that present tyme continuet. suay Helias, as said is of Abrahame, culd haue schawin successioun of lawchtfull paustouris, quha had euer professit his doctrine: And thairfoir reprouit Achab, becaus he had reiected the religioun, embraced be the Synagoge, and did follow ane maist abominable superstitioun, of lait days institute be Hieroboam. Albeid ze wald syle the redars eys, euin as it had bene ane lāg tyme betuix Achab and Hieroboā, quhilk did nocht mekle exceid the spaice of fourtie zearis. Bot gif ze had cōsidderit diligentlie, the historie of Helias and Achab, ze micht haue thairby vnderstād, zow and the remanēt of zour prophetis, to be iustlie cōparit to the prophetis of Achab:3. Reg. 1 • . for as is cōtenit in the third buke of the kingis, Hieroboā did cōstitute vnto him self tēplis in the heichast places, ād preistes of the cōmoū people, quhilk c • ̄trar to the cō stitutioū of the synagoge war nocht of the trybe of Leui. To quhome iustlie zour ministeris dothe correspond: for as in the synagoge, thay wer only lauchfull ministeris, quha descenait of the try • e of Leui: suay in the new testamēt, thay ar onlie lauchfull ministeris, quha be the ordour of pre • sth • d has receaned sic power, and authoritie, lyke as we sall heirefter mair fullelie declair. Quhairfoir it dothe necessarlie follow that ze ar the pristis of Baal, haue and togidder with Hieroboam (I mene Caluin) sallin from the trew, and vniuersall kirk▪ to Idolatrie, that is, to zour phantasticall imaginations and dreamis, fra the quhilk ze ar callit heretikes, lyke as the Grik word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 doith signifie electioun, or chois, becaus ze haue chosin to zour self ane religioun, by the vniuersall consent of the haill warld: and suay as S. Paul says be verteis of zour awin iugement, ze ar condemned,rtull. De • sc. heret. be resson as interpretis Tertullian, ze haue elect • d, and chosin that wnto zou, on the quhilk zour condemnatioun dothe iustlie follow, quhairfore ze mister nocht to call God so oft to witnes. quha has all reddy pronunced his sentence aganis zou, to be haldin as ane ethni • k, and publican, in respect, ze do nocht Obey his kirk▪ pri. Der • ecelesi. For as testifies Cipriane▪ he sall nocht in ony sort haue God to his father, quha refuset the kirk to h • s mother, and quh • is nocht ane membre of the bodie of Christ, can nocht be quikned • e his spreit.

THE REST OF SCHIR Iohne knox ansuer.

THe ansner to the secund can nocht be so schort, for his assertioun agg • eis so lytle with the place of the Propheit, that we 〈◊〉 in dout, whether he has trauelled to vnderstand the mynd of the propheit. His assertion is this. Of the kirk whereof the propheit speaketh, it is said be him in the secūd chap: that it shalbe manifest and visible through all the world. The wordes of the propheit at these.

It shalbe in the last dayes, that the montane of the hous of the lord shalbe prepared in the top of the montanis,Isai. 2. and shalbe exalted aboue the hilles and all nationes sall flow vnto it. And many people shall go and say: cum, let ws go vp vnto the montane of the lord, to the hous of the God of Iacob, and he will reache ws his wayes, and we will walk in his pathes. For the law shall go furth of Syon, and the word of the lord from Hierusalem, and he shall iudge among the nationes, and rebuke many people, &c.

In thais wordis of the propheit, we find no such thing as the kirk shalbe manifest and visible through all the world we acknawledge a promise of glade thinges, to cum to be ioyned to Hierusalem, and vnto mont • yon, after the miserable distructioun of the same. we find the tyme appointed, to wit, the last dayes. But that the promise may be better tryed, we must • now of the wryter, when these last dayis began, and quhen thay shalbe compleit. We must further know, if there be any one certane place appointed▪ in the which it is said that the kirk of God shalbe visible▪ and manifest in all ages These tuo heades being considdered, it shalbe moir easie to iudge of the assertioun of the wryter, and whou it aggreis with the mynd of the propheit. And first we think, that the wryter wil nocht deny, but the last dayes, whereof the propheit speakes, begā long befoir that euer the Euangell of Iesus Christ wes knowen, or publictlie receaued in Rome,Heb. 1. to wit at the appearing of Iesus Christ in the fleshe, when that • e reueled vnto the world the hole will of his father. For so ar we taught be the apostle sayng: God in auld tymes spak vnto oure fatheres, in diuers maners be the pro, hetes: in the last dayes, he hath spoken to ws, be his sone &c. and the Apostle Peter, in that his most notable sermone made to Ierusalem, the day of Penthecost,Act. 2. affi • es, that the prophesie of Ioell maid, as concerning the pouring furth of Godes graces, vpon all fleshe in the last dayes, wes euen then compleit, quhen that the holie spreit discended doun vpon those that beleued. So then we haue gotten the last dayes to haue begun with Iesus Christ, who is the glorie of the secund temple:This is n ••• ing to the • opos. when think we that thay ended. If the wryter wil say, • when Rome receaued the Euangel then wes the accomplishement of the last days As men iustly may dout thairof, so will the apostle planelie deny it saying: the spreit speaketh euidētlie, that in the last tymes some shall depart frō the faith &c. Wherof we may gadder, that the Apostle appointeth, the last tymes to continew longer, then that the Euangell was ones publictly preached: ro wit, till that mē • hould begin to sall from the faith, and giue airis to the doctrine of deuilles. Yea if we will searche the scriptures, we shall find that the last dayes continew from the first appearing of Iesus Christ in fleshe, vnto his last returning vnto iudgement. So that the last dayes, do not onely include the first publicatioun of the Euangell, but also the defectioun from it, 〈…〉 yea, and the restitutioun of it agane, vnto the world: be the brightnes wherof, that man of sin should be reuealed, and distroied: wherof we conclude that if the last dayes do yet continew, wherof the prophet maketh mentioun, the thinges promised to be performed in theme, are not yet alltogether compleit, but ar in thare progres, and shall so procead, 〈…〉 till that all be finished that is for spoken be the holie prophetes, and Apostles of Iesus Christ. And so may Iesus Christ this day, be working in Scotland▪ albeit that Papistes rage against his Euangell, as in thase dayes he wroght in Hierusalem, when the preastes and the hole visible • kirk (for the most part) raged against the same. But now to the secund head.

we wald knaw, if the wrytar can appoint vnto ws any one certane place, whair this montane of God, is promysed to Remane, manifestlie and visible. For this we mak knowen to the hole world, that for the lufe we beare to the building and reparing of Goddes holie hous, we haue endangered lyfe, and • all thinges temporall. And theirfoir if the writter can appoint wnto ws, a certane place, wherunto God hes maid • promise, we shall euerie one exhort an other with all diligence to go vp tharūto. But if he can appoint none, haueing greater assurance be Godes mouth, more then an other: then will we cheritabillie desyre him, to desist from taunting and mockage of so notable workes of God, as he of late yeares hes shawen in mo realmes thā one. Oure maister Christ Iesus apointes ws, to no one certane place, where that we shal be assured of his presens: but reather forbidding the obseruatioun of all places, he sendes ws to his owen spirituall presence, saying: wheresoeuer two or thrie are gathered in my name, there am I in the middest of thame.Matt. 28. And in ane other place, behold I am with zow to the end of the world. we being groūded vpon these promyses, haue good hope through Iesus Christ, that in oure • congregationis.Matt. 18. we haue the fauorable presence of Iesus Christ, asweill in his word, as in his holy sacramentes. For in his name alone conuene we, be him alone we call vpon God oure father: and be • him alone we ar assured through the power of his holie spreit, to obtene oure reque • stis maid according to his will we wonder greatlie that the wryter considderis not,petitio prin •• pii. the promise of the propheit • s • that all nationis shall cum to that holie montane. we ar a natione (how abiect that euer we appeare) why then will the wryter deny wnto ws fre passage to the hous of the lord: seing that the terme of the last dayes is not yet expyred, and seing that we desire to be taught in the wayes of the lord, and to walk in his pathes: yea, seing that thousandes in Scotland refuses not to be rebuked of the lord, and to suffer him to iudge amanges ws. If the wryter will say, becaus we will not acknawlege Rome, to be the mother of all vther kirkes: we ansuer as of befoir, let ws hear the commandement of our God, charging ws so to do, and oure obedience shall not be long craued. For we ar most willing to obey oure mother: prouiding that she sh • w the ondouted signes of a naturall mother. But an vsurped tytle, without farther assurance, we dar not admit. And this for his assertioun, and for the mynd of the Propheit.

THE REFVTATION.

THe probatioun quhilk I vsed in my letter to proue the kirk to be visible was, becaus Isaias testifies, that the hous of Iacob salbe builded vpon the top of ane montane: of the quhilk wordes I collect, that it suld be visible. Schir Iohne knox ansueris that he perceaues nocht quhow that may be collected of the wordes of Isaias. Becaus he spekes onlie of glaid thinges promised to Ierusalem, and mont Syon. In the quhilk ansuer, he declares no thing, bot his a wen blindnes. For the Propheit testifies, that the hous of Iacob (be the quhilk the kirk au • ht to be vnderstand) salbe builded vpon the top of ane montane: Christ in his Euangell says,Mat. 5. that ane citt • e builded vpon ane montane, can n • cht be hid: of the quhilk, it followis necessarlie, that his kirk cā nocht be hid, and consequentlie it must be visible. Suay, other Isaias be that Metaphore schawis the kirk to be visible and manifest, or ellis it seruts to no thing at all quhilk is ane blasphemie. The wordes that followes, dois conferme this so cleirlie, that no man onles he be blind can ony way dout thairof: Mony people, says he, sall flow to the hous of Iacob, to that effect, that thay may be taught the wayes of the lord: quhow is it possible that thay flow to the kirk, onles it be visible and manifest: or quhow is it possible, that thay be taught the wayes of the lord, onles thay acknaulege thois, be quhome thay ar to be instructed. Suay gif Schir Iohne had put on his specticles, he micht haue sene easalie, that Isaias dois testifie in thais wordes the kirk to be visible. I pretermit the Grik text (quhilk ever, all maist S. Paul vsed in his citations, and euer hes bene in great authoritie) is so cleir for me, that it cā na way be thrawin to ane vther sence 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is, the montane of the lord salbe manifest. Suay dois the ancient fatheres, euer allmaistreid this prophecie • as Tertullian, Cypriane,Tert. contr •• Iud. Cyp. lib. 3. ad Quir. Augustene, and the rest. Thairfore, as apperis, noch • content of his first ansuer, he propones to vse ane vther, that is,Augu. de vni • tate ecclesi • ▪ that the prophecie of Isaias is nocht as zet compleit, bot in the progres. Quhilk maner of ansuering hes euer bene comoun to all fals prophetis. Gif this prophecie be nocht compleit, I wald demand at his ministers, quhether gif the hous of • acob, wes in the top of the montane, quhen the Apostlis, and disciplis of christ prechit his Euangell all maist throuch the haill warld: quhether gif than mony people, did flow vnto the montane of the lord: qnhether gif than, the montane of the quhilk Daniel makis mentioun, did occupie the hail erth:Dan. 2. quhether gif than christ receaued the inheritance, promised to him be his father eternall. I beleue quhousoeuer thay be impudent, thay dar nocht deny the premissis. Than I collect necessarlie, that lang afoir Iohne Caluin, or Iohne knox, the prophecie of Isaias was furthfilled, and the hous of Iocob was in the top of ane montane: that is, visible and manifest to the warld, suay it salbe visible and manifest, nocht onlie for ane hundreth zear, or two, bot for euer, as testifies the for said propheit: the zeties of the kirk salbe euer patent day and nycht: and so,Esa. 60. according to Schir Iohne knox awin interpretatioun, be the letter letter days, we vnderstand the hail tyme quhilk is betuix the publicatioun of the Euangell, and the day of iugement, during the quhilk, the hous of Iacob salbe in the top of the montane. Zet he will nocht be sati fiet onles we schaw him the place, in the quhilk the montane of the lord remanis. Thairfoir he speris at ws, quhair is this montane?Dan. 2. Daniel ansueris that it hes occupeit the hail erth: Zet Schir Iohne knox is so blind that he dois nocht se it, The scriptures teches ws that the inheritance, and kingdome of Christ, quhilk is his kirk, salbe euer spred through ane greit part of the warld, and mair ample and magnificent,Psal. 102. nor euer wes ony kingdome afoir him,Psal. 114. in the quhilk his name • uld be louit,Psal. 112. and glorifiet for euer, to the quhilk the kinges and princes of ye erth suld serue:Psal. 95. that it is ane greit marueill, that euer ony man suld be so impudent, to say, that Christ hes bene priuat of his kingdome and inheritance this mony hundreth Zearis: and that Sathan hes possessed the hoill warld, all kingdomis, prouinces, cities: or that Christis kingdome hes bene alluterlie inuisible, and onknowen to the world. Zet tot • e effect, that Schir Iohne knox, nor his ministers haue na excūse, nor pretence of ignorance in the day of iugement, I will ansuer direct • ie to his domād: that the montane of the lord is in france, Spā ze, Italie, Germanie, Pole, and sindrie v • heris partis of Europ, and in innumerable cuntreis of inde, batth Oriē tall and Occidentall, and nocht all • terlie expirit in ingland and Sc •• land. Suay that his kingdome is mair ample for the • resent, nor euer wes the empyre of the Gr • k • s, or Romanis. B • t I feir gretumly that his ministers ansuer, as the Donatistis dit to S.Aug. in epist. Augustene quhen the montane of the lord [says he] is schawin to thame,Ioan. tract. 1. thay say, it is nocht to montane of the lord, thai ar so blindit with thair a win phantasies becaus Schir Iohne will acknowlegeno place quhair this mōtane suld be, bot will onlie, that we haue recours to the spirituall presence of Christ, quhilk is expreslie aganis Isaias, quhae sais, that mony people sall flow vnto this montane, quhilk in na ways thay culd do, onles thay did acknawlege sum certane place quhair it suld be: and repugnant to Christ him self, quhair he sais,Mat. 18. Gif thy brother offend the accuse him to the kirk: we can mak nae accusatioun to the kirk, onles we acknawlege in quhat place it is. Of the quhilk is it appearis euidentlie, to be ane greit blasphemie quhilk Schir Iohne knox affirmes, that Christ app • intes na certane place to ws, bot be the cotrar forbidd • s all obseruatioun of places. Zet lat ws considder ane litill his ressone, be the quhilk he is mouet to sic impietie. In Sainct Matthow Christ says, quhen euer tuo,Math. 18. or thre, ar gatherit in my name, thair I am in the middes of thame. Of this propofitioun, Schir Iohne collectis, that Christ appointes to ws no certane place, quhair we sall find him. I can nocht maruell aneuch of his impudencie, for in the same cheptour, a litill afoir the word is quhilk he rehersis for his opinioun, Christ commandis ws to gang to his kirk: than he dois nocht forbid all obseruat • oun of places, bot be the contrar prescryues ane certane place to the quhilk we suld haue recours: suay onles we say he repugnis to him self, Schir Iohne knox can na way collect of thais wordis, quhilk he citis for him, ony thing for the auancement of his opinioun, bot rather the contrar. For in that chaptour, Christ recommandis to ws his lufe, and charitie, and obedience to his kirk: And ester, he proposis the reward thair of, that quhen sumeuer tuo, or thre, ar gadderit in his name, he salbe in the middis of thame. But afoir that thay be assured that thay ar gadderit in the name of Christ, thay most be assured that thay keip luf, and obediēce to his kirk: suay first thay aucht to be assured of the kirk, and of mutuall lufe, and charitie with vtheris: and thare •• er thay may be assured, that thay ar gadderit in his name. Bot Schir Iohne dois peruert all ordour, in safar as he wald be certifiet, that we ar gathered in the name of Christ, afoir that we be assured of his kirk. At the end of zour ansuer, ze do inquire of me, gif the vuinersall warld, and all nations be call it to pas vp in the montane of the lord, and to the hous of the God of Iacob▪ quhy wald I nocht that Scotland passeth vp with the rest. Veralie I do nocht onlie maist effectiouslie desyre it, bot alsuay prays God that thay pas vp with all earnest full diligence. Bot I desyre nothing les, nor thay follow zow, or zour ministers as gyderis of thame: in caice thay do nocht only, nocht ascend to the hill, bot rather descend, errand aud straiand in the vales thairof. For treulie, gif Scotlande do onlie now of lait days, pas vp with zou to the montane of the lord, and at na tyme preceid and hath reiected the zok of idolatrie, nor embraced the Euangell of Christ, the estate thair of hes bene maist miserabill, and repugnant to all scriptures. For Isaias saith in the persone of Christ, the ilis of the sea • , and schippes thair of dothe abyd me from the beginning.Isai. 60. Fra the quhilk expectatioun, I beleue nocht oure ile to haue bene secludit: nor zit fra that blythnes, quhair of Dauid maketh mentioun in this maner: The lord has regnit,Psal. 96. lat the erth re ose, together with mony iles. Bot gif the insatiable desyre of warldlie pōpe, and riches, hathe tholit zou to haue considderit the ancient histories, ze micht haue cleirlie perceaued, Scotland lang befoir zour days to haue passit vp to that montane: Ze mycht haue red quhow that Lucius king of Britanny,Marianus Scotus lib. 2. in vita Anso nini Imperatoris. did send legatis to Eleutherius bischop of Rome for the tyme, to the effect he micht be ende wit with the trew religioun. Lyke alsuay as ane litill efter,Polido. lib. 2. Donald king of Scottis,Nauclerus in sua histo. did send to the same effect, to Victor than bischop of Rome, during the empyre of Seuerus. Tertullian affirmith Britanny to the subdeit to the realme of Christ quhilk at na tyme culd be 〈◊〉 wit to the Romane empyre. S.Veremūdus in sua hist. et in antiquissimis scotorū annalibus. Hierome saith, that the Britānis, apperith nocht to thame selues to be halie aneuch nor deuoit, onles thay passit in pilgramage to Hierusalem.Tert. contra Iudeos. And in ane other place, dothe esteme Britanny amangis the principall,Hier. ad Marcel. and first partis of the Christianitie. Pelagius pretendit at sum tyme to haue seducit the realme of Scotland from this mōtane: bot Celestinus than bischop of Rome (as testifies Prosper) willing to put remeid thairto did send Palladius in Scotland ane mā of singular doctrine,Hier contra Luciferian. ād conuersatioun of lyf,Prosper contra collatorē quha nocht only conseruit the integretie of Scotland in the formar estait, bot alsuay did conuert Orknay and the iles, to the trew religioū, quhair of the monument is dothe continew in Scotland to this present hour. Bot ze and zour factioun, willing to mak sum recompance worthie of this his labour did burne his body. Quhairfoir it is notoriusly knawē that Scotlād monie zeiris afoir zour day is, did pas vp to the montane of the loird, in the quhilk it hes fermelie cōtinewed thir mony hundreth zearis ago. Suay ze may esaly considder, quhow oniustlie ze requeir of ws, that the realme of Scotland pas vp in the montane of the lord with z • u, and the remanent of zour ministers.

THE REST OF SCHIR Iohne knox ansuer.

NOw folloueth his conclusioun in thais wordis. wherfoir if ye can not shaw, what place of the world afoir thre hundreth year tis, your kirk was into, it followeth of necessitie that it is no kirk &c.

How this conclusioun may be rightlie gathered of the wordis of the propheit,Quhow it • ay be co • lec • it it is al • eddie recla • it. we suffer the readers, and the wryter him self to considder. And yet becaus that till vs it wer a thing most greuous so to be excommunicat, that we wer no kirk: that is, no parcell of the holie kirk vniuersall we ansuer for our entres and say: that befoir 15. hundreth yearis out kirk wes in Ieruslem, in Samaria, in Antiochia, and wheresoeuer Christ Iesus wes trewlie preached, and his b •• ssed euangell obediētlie receaued, whether it was amonges the • ewes or gentilis. Thair we say was our kirk, which is not bound to any one place, but is dispersed vpon the face of the hole earth, hauing on god, on fayth, on baptisme, and on lord Iesus sauiour of all that vnfeanedly beleue. And so we feare not to receaue the titill and authoritie of a particular kirk, becaus we haue all thinges be Godes word that thereto apparteanes. Yea we ar farther bold to affir me, that if euer it shall pleis God to bring the kirk of rome to hir originall puritie that the shall not be ashamed to embrace and reuerence the pure kirk of Scotland▪ as her dearast sister and nixt resembling hir in all thinges: befour that pryd and auarice, ioyned with idelnes and riatous leuing corrupted her ministers ād that the inuē tionis of mē wer preferred to Godes simple treuth. we say yet agane that whensoeuer the kirk of Rome shal ebi reduced to that estait, in the whiche the apostles left it, we ar assured that she shall vote in oure fauores, against all such as shall deny ws to be a kirk if God continew vs in that simplicitie which is mocked of the world. Now let vs heare whou the wryter proceadeth.

TE REFVTATIOVN

NOw to cum to the conclusioun of my argument, quhilk wes that gif ze culd nocht schaw in quhat place of the warld zour kirk wes, immediatlie afoir this thre hundreth zeir, that it culd nocht be the trew kirk. Ze ansuer it was Hierusale ane thousand and fynehundre • h zeir syne Quhilk gif it be direct, ony man may cleirlie vnderstād for ze do tak and assnme that for probatioun of zour caus quhilk is in gretast controuersie. Marouer, ze war nocht domandet quhair it wes afoir ane thousand and fyuehundreth zeiris, bot quhair it wes immediatlie afoir threhundreth zeris. Suay as zit, ze haue ansuerit nothing to the propos Thairfoir I will persist in my former domād, and gif zour ministers can no htschaw in quhat place the k •• k of God wes immediatlie afo • r thir last thre hundret zeiris that ar constranit to grant that the inheritance of Christ, quhilk dois comprehend ewer ane greit part of the warld according to all scriptures,Mich. 4. was alluterlie inuisibill and vnkn • wē,Dan. 2. quhilk in it self is repugnāt To be schort I wald domand thame,Isai. 60. quhether gif during the tyme of the cō ceill of Nice,Psal. 2. thay quha was estemit for pastouris of the kirk,Psal. 21. wer pastouris in verray deide or nocht: for gif thay wer pastoures, the ministers and pastouris of our kirk (cōsiddering thai profes the self same doctrine with thame, and is chosin be ane lyk maner of vocatioun to the ministerie of the kirk) ar in lyk wais to be estemit as pastoures. Gif thai quha was in the cōceill of Nice wes noc • t trew pastouris, I beleue that thay sall-nocht be albe to name ony trew pastour of the kirk, afoir Iohne Caluin. Quhilk gif it be according to Goddis word (in the quhilk ze appear to gloir) I leue the iugement to the readar.

THE LETTER.

ANd suy • tlie gif ze, or ony of zour cunning ministers of zour n • w inuented Euangell, schaw me the successioun of his kirk sen Christ, and by that, aggre the manifest contradictioun that baith I haue red, and sene with my ene amangis the doctouris and principals of zour new doctrine, • sall nocht onlie renunce the sentence quhilk I haue haldin her • tofore, bot als sall afoix all that will heir me, confes my ignorance and fault, and sa • l employ all my strenth to the furthsetting of zour rel • gioun.

THE REST OF SCHIR IOHNE knox ansuer.

OF this part of the wryters letter, and of that whilk is p • st befoir, it is easie to cōsidder, that he will acknawledge no kirk to be the trew kirk of Iesus Christ, onles that is can shaw the deu successioun thair of from the days of Iesus Christ. And farther that the teachers of it, do so aggre in doctrine, that in no point thay be found to differ on from ane other. We ansuer if the immaculat spous of Iesus Christ wer, bound to thais tuo extremities, the bondage thairof wer maist miserable: but becaus we find oure master Iesus Christ is moir fauorable to his pure kirk, than maister Tyrie craues, we ar decreed to stand in that fredome and libertie, wherunto oure head and onlie souerane lord hes called vs. we find that he sendis nocht his afflicted kirk to seak a •• neall successioun of any personis, befoir that he will receaue thame: but he with all gē •• lnes calleth his sheap vnto him self saying: cū vnto me all • ye that labour and ar laden,Matt. 11. and I will ease you▪ And agane, all that the father geueth me,Ioh. 6. shall cum to me: and him that cometh to me I cast not away. O golden and most confortable sentence, pronūced of him who can not lie. Heir is no mention of any successioun that we should clame to, befoir that we be receaued of him, who is the head of the ki • k: but onlie it is said: that that which the father giueth, and that the sone receaueth shall not be cast away: nather yet will he lose any that cummeth to him, but that he will saue thame and rase thame vp at the last day. And the Apostle speking of the vocatioun of the Gentils send is thame not to seak a successioun: but in the persone of the Ephesianes pronunced this sentence in fauores of all that beleue Iesus Christ. Now thairfoir ye ar no moir strangers and foraners,Ephe. 2. but citizens with the sanctis, and of the houshald of God. And ar builded vpon the fundatioun of the Apostles and prophetes. Iesus Christ him self being the cheif corner stone: in whome all the building coupled together groueth vnto a holie tempill in the lord. Heir we find men which befoir wer strāgers maid cietizenes with the sainctis, and of the houshald of God, we find Iesus Christ, to be the cherf corner stone: but we find no mentioun of any fic successioun as maister Tyrie • seameth rigorouslie, and without Godis commandement to craue. And thairfoir we can not bot wonder why that mortall mā shall craue of ws, that, which nether God the father his sone Christ Iesus, nather yet the holie Apostlis in thair ministerie craued of any realme or natioun. And thairfoir let Maister Tyrie tak this for an ansuer. That an iniust requeast may iustlie be denyed. And yet least that the wryter or any other should think thame selues rather mocked then ansuered. We adde to the premissis that we ar able to shaw the successioun of our kirk directlie, and laughfullie to haue flowed, from the apostlis And oure reason is becaus that in oure kirkis we nather admitt doctrine, ryte, nor ceremony, which be thair writtingis we sind not authorised. And albeit that this shall not satiffe the new start vp Iesuites: yet oure consciences at rest Becaus we ar assured to be awowed of the supreme iudge.

THE REFVTATIOVN.

VEralie gif thair had bene na thing in all zour buke, bot th • s, of the quhilk ze micht haue bene cōuicted to be ane fals propheit, this only wer sussicient. Ze say Christ dothe call all mā vnto him, bot it is maist certane that he dois call no mā vnto him, bot be the meanes of his pastouris and ministers, as speciall instrumēt is thairof quhome he hes institute as ane sure way to ws, be the quhilk we suld cū vnto him: lyk as he saith, quha herith zou herith me, and quha contenit zou cōtemnit me. • nc. 10. For the apostolis, and thair successouris, ar appointed onlie to the gouernement of the kirk as testifies S. Luk, sayng, haue diligēt cure of zour selues,Acto. 20. and of the haill flok to the quhilk the halie gaist hes cōstitute zou, to the effect ze may gouerne the kirk of God. And suay in respect heir of quhasoeuer pretendis to vsurpe the ministerie of the kirk, be ane vther way ād resson, nor be the gouernouris quhilk is the halie spreit hes constitute in it, thay ar ondoutedlie fals prophetis bot (as the experience it self teachis, and zour selues dois all reddie cōfes) ze ar on naways enterit in the ministerie of the kirk be this way▪ thairefoir necessarlie ze declair zour selues to be fals ꝓphetis Christ hes left this ordour in his kirk to the effect the trew pastouris suld be discernit from, the wolfis, as may be cleirlie collected of the maste expresse word of God, and continuall obseruatioun from the beginning of the kirk to the present, for the apostolis doth nocht vsurpe thair authoritie,Ad Heb 5. bot wes callit and chosin thairto be Christ him self,Act 13. efter quhais asceosioun Mathaias in lyk maner wes ordanit and electit be thame,1. Timoth. 4. quhome Chast had appointitri to the gouernement of his kirk. And S.Act. 1. Paul, albeid he wes extraordinarlie called, and anonted for ane apostole be the halie spreit, zit not withstanding he wes sent to Ananias to receaue baptisme, and thairefter passeth to • erusalem, to the effect he micht conferre his Euangell with the remanent of the apostolis.Acto. 9. to that end [as he testifiet] that he ran nocht in vane, as he wald say that his labourts • in preching of the Euangell vther wais had nocht bene profitable,Ad Gal. 2. onles he had prouin his doctrine with the vniuersall consent of the kirk quhilk wes than. And quhen he wes send conforme to the consuetude of the Apostlis to exercise that office, thay quha precedit dit indew him with the ord • ur of preisthed,Act. 13. to the effect he micht be acknawlegit be the haill pastouris of the kirk Be the quhilk not, the trew ministers as than was discernit frō the fals prophetis. sāct Paul in lykmaner (as he writtis) efter this forme and custome, did institute Titus and Timotheus, to the minist • ri • of the kirk, and wrelt and to Tymotheus, did cōmand him expreslie to admit na mā hastelie to sic ordour,1. Timoth. 4. as he had receauit f • ō him, Quhair throw we ar mast certanlie instructed, that sic ordour and institutioun is necessarlie requirit to thame quha wald be estemit as lauchfull pastoures. Thairfore considder gif ze and the remanent of zour pastouris h • s enterit be this means in the kirk of God, or at the leist, vnderstand zour selues thairbie, to be fals prophet •• , gif ze haue nocht acknawlegit that heir untill. For in thi • maner (as said is) the fals prophetes hes bene euer discernit from the lauchfull pastoures, as testifies Tertullian of the fals prophetis of his age, sayng, amongis the heretik • s ane bischop is constitute this day, and ane vther surrogat in his place the morne:Tert de Presheret. and siclyk beand ane deiken the day, the m • rne is constitute ane reader, for it is tolerable amangis thame, to attribuit and inione spirituall offices to layke personis: Lyke alsuay as Cypriane writis, that quhasoeuer constitutes thame self pastouris without the ordinance of the law,Cyp. de vnit. e • cle. and indewit thame self with the tytill of ane b • schop without any ordinar power preceding, thaying yre thame in the kirck, contrar to the word and dispositioū appointet be God. And in ane vther place, gif Nouatus (saith he) hes with him the kirk of God, than C • rnelius of Rome necesserlie man be separat from the kirk:Epistola ad Magnum. and be the contrar gif Cornelius hes the trew kirk, Nouatus can na way appertene thairto, becaus as is cleir and manifest he hes succedit to na vther bischop, suay on na wais he can be ane lauchfull pastour of the kirk. Athanasius [as testifies Socrates] being scharplie accusit be the Arrians, that he had interpry fit to brek the chalice,Socrates lib. i. cap. x. and cast doū the altar quhairō isc • yras did offer sacrifice,Theod • retus lib. 2. ca. 8. quha tēding to purge him self of this intollerabill cryme, grantit all th • t quhilk was obiectit, bot subion and him to haue iustile done it, in respect Ischyras, hed at na tyme receawis onie lauchfull pouar or ordour of preisteid be verteu of the quhilk he culd haue power, to mak sic sacrifice or oblatiō. S. H • er. being domā dit, quhat apperit to him of ane Hylarius quha had fallin from the kirk of God,Hier. cōt. Luciferianos. he ansuerit, that in respect he wes onlie ane de • ken, he culd haue na lawchfull power to ministrat that sacrament of the altar, nor instituat ministers indewed with the ordour of preisthed: And th • irfo • r throw his deith, his kirk suld necessarly pereis, for the trew kirk [sais he] an nocht consist with out ane preist. Gifs. Hierome and the rest of the doctouris of that age micht haue affirmeth the lyk of Zou I mak zour selues iugis. S. Augustene, together with the fatheris quha wes present with him in the fourt counceill of Carthage, at lenth dois declair this maner of institutioun of ministers, quhick euer in the kirk of God wes obseruet afoir him,Conc. 4. car • . can. 2. and is obseruit to this present: that ane preist aucht to be consecrat be the power and auctoritie of his bischop. And to conclude, lyk as na man at any tyme hes bene estemit ane Christian, onles he had receaued the sacrament of baptisme: suay in lykwais, no man in ony age betuix Christ and his Apostolis and Iohne Caluin, hes bene estemit ane lauchf • ll minister of the kirk of God, quha had nocht receaued power, and authoritie, be the ordour of preisthed fra his bischop, as fra him quha had ordinar power to constitut ministers in the kirk of God. This is sa expres in Goddis word, and suay confirmit be the authoritie of all pastouris, quha euer hes flurished in ony age, or in ony prouince, that gif Schir Iohne knox ministers produce ane in the contrar, I salbe content, lyke as I haue said of befoir, to tyne the haill caus. Considdering thairfoir that the pasioures of the kirk, hes bene constitute the ane liniallie be the other, we man necessarlie grant contine watiou • of ministers, onles we wald allege aganis all trew doctrine the kirk at sum tyme to haue alluterlie expyrit. Thus is cleirlie confirmat be S. Paul,Ephe. 4. quhair he sais, tha • Christ hes geuin sum to be apostolis, vtheris to be prophetis, pairt to be euangelistis, and vtheris in lykways to be pastoures, and doctoures to the edificatioun and beilding of his kirk continuallie, unto the tyme we be vter • e perfyted [quhilk can nocht be afoir the da • of iugement (to the effect we be nocht seduced be euerie licht doctrine. In the quhilk word is, he declaris oppin • ie, that Christ will nocht leue his kirk destitute nor desolat, bot at all tyme will erect faithfull pastoures in it. Thairfoir it is nocht to be imputit to me, that I onlie do inquire of zou successioun of pastoures in zour allegit kirk: in respect the apostole S. Paul. doth affirme, that Christ hes appointed sic successioun in his kirk, and the ancient fatheris ( • uha in • nderstanding of the scripturis of god apperandlie has nocht bene inferiouris to zow did continuallie • se this forme of inquisitioun, aganis all heresies quhilk dot he spring in thair days. Ireneus quha doth see Policarp the discipill of Iohne, sayith,Iren. 4. rontra Valēt. c. 44. that we au • ht d • w obedience to thais ministers in the kirk, quha haue and thair successioun fra the apostolis, ar gratiouslie indewed and adornet be God, with the spreit of veritie conioynet with thair pre minent successioun. Bot vtheruis quha do is decline fra the principall successioun to be haldin and reput as suspect, not withstanding all thai can allege. Tertullian also writis in this maner,Tert. de prescrip. Seretic. I desyre thair authoritie to be publiceit and schawin, be vertew of the quhilk thai do ingyre thame selues in the kirk, lat thame mak manifest the originall ground of thair kirk, lat thame in lyk maner schaw furth ordinar successioun of thair cheif pastoures, and bischoppis. Epiphanius haue and all togidder reherset the cheif pastoures and bischoppis of the scit of Rome, subionis thir wordis, saing, lat na man maruell that we do mak m • tioun in particular of euerie ane, for be this the preeminent iurisdictioun of the kirk is maid manifest.Epiph. lib. • . de heres. c. 27. S. Hiero • e saith, I will disclois vnto zou that, quhilk dothe inuartlie appear vnto me maist expedient, to embrace that kirk, quhilk being fundit be the apostolis, dothe remane vnto this present hour. And quhasoeuer dothe call thame selues Christianis,Hier. contr •• Luciser. noch taking thair name from Christ, bot from sum other (as he wald say Caluinistis or lutheriens) it is out of all controuersie, that th •• do nocht mak ony pairt of the kirk of god, b • t the verray sinagoge of the Antechrist. S. Augustene in lykw • is • aith, the aggreable and vniuersall consent of diuers people and nations, the authoritie foundit with miracles, contine wit and nurischet with hoip, and corroborat with cheritie doith retene me in the kirk: as in lik maner, the success • oun of pastouris begun at Petir (to quhome Christ committit his flok ester his resurrectioun) and cō • ine wit wi • hout interruptioun to this present.Aug. contra epist Maniche • Thairfoir it is nocht onlie thay quhome ze do call Iesuistis that affirmis ane continuall successioun of pastouris to be necessar in the kirk of God: bot alsuay S. Paul him self, and the haill ancient fatheris, quha euer hes bene sen the beginning of the kirk, and of it self it is maist cleir and euident. For as the k • rk of God can nocht consist without sacrament is and preching of the word suay it can nocht consist without lauchfull ministers: and cōsequēetlie as the kirk cā nocht expire at na tyme suay it cā noch t • e desti • ute of pastouris: of the quhilk the perpetuall successioun is necessarlie de ducit Th • irfoir ze mō appardoū ws gif we h • ueād the authoritie of the apostolis and anciēt fatheris mili • āt part, do esteme zou as fals prophetis. And veralie knox, quha at na tyme did acknawlage in his allegit kirk ony successioun of pastoures, nor confidderit fra quhome his forget authoritie did proceid, hes left verray litill esperance to his posteritie, and vpspring, that ony successioun suld continew ony space in it, without ane suddane ruyne, and vter exterminioun. Quhilk apperis to me of maist singular probabilitie, it being consuetit with darknes, and suay with lang proces can nocht sustene the licht. It is thairfoir maist expedient, that this imaginat kirk receaue and embrace agane the former darknes, within the quhilk it hes bene closed this thousand and fyuehundreth zeiris bypast, with great peace and tranquillitie of the haill warld. As quhair ze say that the apostolis did nocht requeir successioun: folesche man is it nocht maist euidentlie knawen, that the Christiane religioun at that tyme did tak the beginning, to wit fra Christ and the Apostolis. quhow culd it be possibill than, euen at the originall point thairof, to schaw ony successioun. Gif ze had preuenit all otheris in teaching the Christiane religioun, no man wald haue requer it successioun of zois: bot considdering the Christian religioun, and kirk of God hes bene foundet be the Apostolis, and hes continewit formallie vnto this day, ze ar astricted to schaw fra quhome ze haue ordourlie deducit zour doctrine and authoritie. Quhilk for samekle as ze can nocht iustifie, we may easalie collect that ze ar alluterlie separat from the kirk of God. Thairfoir as apperis, conuicted be zour conscience and the veritie it selue, ze confes this zour ansuer rather to be ane scorne, nor ane direct ansuer, subionand that ze ar able to schau succes • ioun of pastouris in zour kirk. Now lat the reidar considder this maist erronious and repugnant writer to him self, quha laitlie in his promiss is hes maist starklie denyed ony ordinar successioū of ministers, to be requirit in ony maner of wais be Christ or his disciplis in the kirk of God: now presentlie as inspyrit be sum new Apocalips or reuelatioun, alleg • him able to declair his doctrine procedit frō the apostolis be continuatioun of pastouris: be resson he do is onlie profes that, quhilk the apostlis professit. Surelie, gif his former ansuer, according to his awin saingis, wes rather ane skorne nor ane direct ansuer, he mon appardoun me gif I e •• eme this his vther ansuer, no to be ane direct ansuer, bot ane direct skorne, becaus he do is vse that quhilk principallie consistis in cōtrouersie, as ane sure and ondouted propositio • ̄, for cōfirmatioū of his opinioū, nocht declarād, as he wes cheiflie domādit, be quhat meanis he ressauit his doctrine fra the apostolis. For gif he had receaued it be continual succissioun of lauthfull pastouris (as he opperis to say) he suld haue schawin, as wes domādit of him thair institutioū, and lineall descense vnto his days, Quh • irfoir it dothe clearlie appear that he hes brochs na ansuer, that doth in ony ways appertene to the purpos. It is thocht worthie of admiratioū, that the pastoures of his kirk hes cōtinewed in all agis, • ocht leuād any speciall memorie of thame to thair posteritie, considdering thair maist erniflifull diligēce in obseruatioū of the cōmandimentis of God, and espetiallie of this precept, incres and multiplie, suay that nane dot hink him appased in his consciēce, onles he posseid tuay or thre wyues at the leist: and to haue f • rther assurance in the day of iugemēt euin in the decrepit age (aganis the law of nature bot according to thair enangell) thai do ossociat to thanie sum faithfull sist • r of tender age, to the essect that the haill wardl may be witnes, that thai haue sparit na labouris for the setting furth of the euāg • ll, and the multiplicatioun of the • lect • And zit notwithsta • ding thairof, during the space of ane thousand, fyu • hūdreth, and fiftie zeris, we can find na vpspring, nor ony kind of generatioun of • hime onles it be thay quhilk the godlie pr • phetis of oure dais hes maist aboundātlie brocht surth. Heir I knaw nocht quhat thai cā ansuer, onles thai say that thair generatioun hes bene in all agis bot na testimony nor memorie thairof is left to the pesteritie, according to the prophecie of Dauid, thow sall destroy the fruit of • hame out of the • rth, and separat the seid of thame from the said of the sonnes of man,Mal. 21. becaus thai haue cons • itute eueil aganis the, and excogitat counsals quhilk tha • culd nocht establis.

THE REST OF SCHIR Iohne knox ansuer.

TH • s • cund which he req • ireth is that we shall aggre 〈◊〉 manifest contradictioun that is amangis principall doctou •• s of oure new doctrine and laite inuented euangell. This blaspheamie we remit be godes hand to be punishet, and yet we wald knaw what doctrine is that which he tearmes new. Our euangell (as be foir is sand) is that same which Iesus Christ be him self and be his apostles manifest vnto the world, as all sic as heare the forme of oure doctrine can witnes.Petitio principii. where he desyris ws to agg •• e all controuerseis amangis oure teachers: we ansuer, bona side, that we know no controuersie in doctrine, especialie of that which concern • s mannis saluatioū, within the realme of scotland: but that all the preacheours within oure kirkes vn • sormelie aggre in doctrine and iugement, notwithstanding the diuersitie of giftes. If Maister Tyrie wald send ws to reconciliat all cōtrouerseis, that ar in germanie, and ellis where his secund petitioun hes no greater reason then had the former. For of god we haue no father charge, but to watche ouer that f • ocke which is subiect vnto ws, god hes reased and appointed ws preacheours to the realme of scotland: in the boundis whereof if we plant not trew doctrine according to the talent comitted to our charge and opon our selues to all kynd of erroures, that may infect the flocke, we shalbe c • iminall befoir god. But that we ar precisely bond to ryn from cuntrie to cuntrie to aggre all controuersies, albeit it wer euen in the maters of religioun: we • ind uo expres commandiment geuin to ws in that behalf, of oure god. And tha • foir we most desyre the inspectioun of Maist • r Tyrie his power be verteu wherof, he may charge w • s to that panefull trawell▪ befoir that we can promi • e obedience. But Maister Tyrie, we know, will allegde, that in writing of his letter thair wes no suche thing in his mynd: but that his meaning wes that becaus we did not aggre fully amonges • ure selues in all heades, thaifoir he wald not be of our kirk. For that in plane wordis he declareth, &c. Now all contentioun laid asyde we will desire Maister tyrie, and the rest of his factiū, deaplie to cōsider if thay be bulder vpon a sure fundatioū: whill that than haue no ne other caus why thay oppone theme selues to the treuth of god, now of his marcie reuealed to the world but becaus that such as profess that treuth: agg • e not in all heades amongis thame selues. we domād then what if thay had leued in the days of the apostlis when the preaching of Christ Iesus wes no les odious to the visible kirk: to wit to the posteritie of ar • hon and leui, who then reuled in Hierusalem, then hes the ligh of the euā gell bene, of late yeares to that Romane antechrist, and vnto such as leue be his marchandece. Wold Maister Tyrie (we ask) and his factioun haue refused the euangell, becaus that in the bosome of the kirk there arose great controuersie, and that in the speciall heades of religioun? for did not some boldely affirme in the kirk of Antiochia that onles the gentilis wer circumcised, according to the law of moyses, thai culd not be saued, which doctrine and affirmatioun wes moir dangerous, and moir sclanderous in those dais, then all the controuersies that yet ar rissin amonges such as haue refused the dampnable ways of the Papistrie for • it concernet the cheaf head of iustificatioun. And will any yet say that thairfoir the, euangell wes not the glaid tydinges of saluatioun, and thay that embrased it treulie, wer not the trew membres of Iesus Christ? we loke that men wil be moir moderat, then some shaw thame selues to be, who for certane controuersies of far les importance then • hat was dare bouldlie blaspheme the treuth and the professours of the same, becaus say thay, proprium est hereti •• rum a se inuicem dissentire. That is, it is proper to heretikes to disagre amōges thame selues: which sentence w • ow ancient that euer it be if it shoud be so vnde • stand as the papist doith: that is, whosoeuer disagreis amonges thame selues in maters of religioun, thay ar here • ikis, gif the former sentence (we say) shuld be so vnderstand, then shall we accuse mo of heresie than can be excused in any on age from Christ Iesus to this day. For did not Paul disagre from peter? yea he did so disagre from him, that he did resist him planelie to his face becaus that he walked not according to the right way of the trewth of the gospell: thais wei tuo principall pillers the one appointed to the Iewes, and the vther to the gē tiles: quhat shall we say of the hot contentioun, which fell betuix Barnabas and paul▪ which separated thame that befoir wer ioyned in as strate coniunctioun, as euer wer tuo mortall men vpon the earth. If maister Tyrie and his Iesuites will alledge, that theis wer bot suddan passiones, and did not concerne any cheaf head of doctrine, the holie ghost will proue the contrar. For the one tuitched the conscience of men, concerning the fredome of mea • es, and the other admissioun of ministers▪ efter that they had ones fallen back from that functioun: which heades wer of greater wecht in those days (as heitofoir we haue said) then any controuersie which the Papistes ar able to shaw, to be, or yet to haue bene betuix vs that professes the euāgell and do abho • thair abhominationes. farther ressoning of this present we omi • , and will procead with maistre Tyries letter.

THE REFVTATIOVN.

FIrst of all I will adduce ane resson, quhilk may be able nocht onlie to braik doun, and ourethraw zour weak and sklender presumptionis foundit vpon colored meanis, and mier coniectur is▪ bot alsuay quhilk may iustlie moue ony man, to lichtlie and reiect zour haill doctrine, considder and zour discrepance in the cheif misteries, and essentiall pointes of oure faith. As amangis the rest, lather and his followars affirmis reall presens of the bodie of Christ in the sacrament of the alter▪ the Zuinglianis on the vther part onlie admittand ane signe and figure: Caluin ād Ze follouis nother preciselie the ane, nor the vther opinioū,Caluin 4 instit. c. 17. sect 12 & 13. bot sum phātasticall and mōstruous imaginatioun lyke vnto thame boith Quha alltogidder allegis zour selues professouris of the word of god, and in semblable maner, all euāgelistis, euer cryād furth with ane accord, the scriptures to be maist patent and manifest, reiect ād all constitutioun and ordinance of the kirk, and to conclude, euerilk ane persuading him self to be verelie inspyred with the halie gaist. Heirfoir seing Zou to haue certan propositionis as fundament and gr • und of zour religioun, quhairin ze do all consent, and thairfray collect ād maist cōtrarious and repugnant conclusions, it doith necessarlie follow zour ground and foirsaid propositionis quhairin ze do aggre, to be maist erronious: in respect of sure and ondoutet premissis, the cōclusioun m̄o follow of the lyk fors and strenth. Quhairbie any man may easalie cōsider zour clokit religioun, and forgit inuētionis, onles he be (as ze) alluterlie addicted to his a win found phantasies and friuolus imaginations, or vther wais wors deprauat. And to enter forther in the mater, Carolstadius haueād forsak in the catholik and Christiane religioū and embraced the heresie of luther, being no les ambitious and couatous of gloir nor his maister, he culd nocht stand content, vntill he had forget thait maist pernitious and abominabill errour quhilk ze do presentlie follow in the sacrament of the altar. Now I wald domand quhat maruelous and singular zeall of religioū, and haelie scripture, doith moue zow to affirme Carol stadius to be follow it rather than luther▪ gif Carolstadius dothe allege him to teache the sincere word of god, suay dois luther in lykmaner: gif Carolstadius approuis him self to be ane extraordinar propheit, in lykmaner lutharis wocatioun is extraodanr. Ze will perchance say Carolstadius being forther illuminat, hes mair fullelie vnderstand the scriptures nor luther: gif ze in scotland do adhere to that opinioun, the germans quha beleuis thame selues in no part inferiour to zow, geuis the lyk prerogaetiue and perfectioun preeminent to luther, Thairfoir we will fall in oure former questioun, quhether gif in discrepans of religioun, the decisioun suld be referrit to the germans, or left to zow in scotland. ze will perauentour cast in, that the mater cummand amanges zow to ressoning▪ micht be way of argument receaue the iust decisioun. • s it nocht maist notorious • e knowen, that d • ring the verie tyme of luther this mater wes deducet in c • ntrouersie, and earnestfullie ressonit the space of fourtene zearis, without ony determinat sentēce: ād efter luther his discipill uestphalus aganis zour maister Caluin did prosecute the same rather eik and the controuersie nor makand ony aggreable decisioun thairof. Thairfoir, gif ze beir ony great afectioun, or feruent zeall to the veritie, ze may easalie espy ane iust caus to repell and reiect sic pastouris quha being destitute of all ordinar power, hes na vther groūd nor fundamēt of thair religione, bot thair owin brane. we say th • n no les bauldlie nor treulie tha • t dois remane constantlie in the catholik k • rk, that be resson of the ondou • ed ground, and sure fundamentis of oure faith we all condescend in ane sentece, nocht onlie presentlie in oure days, bot in lyk maner acknawlegeing with the ancient fatheris (quha be ane lang space hes preced • th ws) that sincere, and ondoutet kirk quhilk cl • irlie we vnderstād to be gouern • t, and pres •• uet be the holie goist, as ane stark pillar▪ and sure grōd of veritie: firmelie aprouād that quhilk the k • rk proponis to be beleuit, and cōdamnand that quhilk it declaris to be contrar, and repugnāt to the intergritie of the trew faith and religioun. • n all vther maters, sa far as the kirk doithe nocht establis ony sentence in a • her of the partes, reserues libertie to quhatsueuer persone, to beleue frellie thairin as he will.

Quhair ze ansuer zour inioyned iurisdictioun of teching of the word of God, to be limitat within the realme of scotland, and nocht extendet to foronars, I wald maist affectio • slie domand 〈◊〉 zow to discl is and oppin, be quhais iniunctioun haue ze receauet thi • commandiment, considering in the four euangellis non sic commandiment can be found. Bot para • e • tur ze will seik recurss to the fyst euāgell, as ane cōmou • place to the rest of zour doctrine▪ The kirk c • ld noch • n ony w •• s inione the lyk precept to Zou espetialie it benig, as ze say inuisible. Bot suppois it had bene cōmādit to zou, zit zear obleist to profes no doctrine discrepant from the doctrine of the kirk: than I say that of force ze mon affirme the opinionis of luther-quhilk in essentiall maters of religioun ar repugnāt to zou, to be annullet and cōdamned, as maist wicked heresies, or els to condamnez our self. Bot ze apper and lie dar nocht cōdescend in nane of thois sentences, nother declar • nd thame as trew Christianis nor zit afirmād thame as herety kis: albeid thay with greatar libertie as appeares, and mair frelie, dothe call zou nocht onlie heretikis, and fals prophetis, bot alsuy ambitious and alluter lie deprauat Consider quhat luther dothe wreit agains Bucerus ane of zour factioū: thais miserable personis (says he) do nocht stand in ony sort cōtent, haueād scatterit thair venenous doctrine in ane infinit nūber of thair a win buikis, • utherus epi • ola ad Her • agiu. onles thay infect the buikis of vtheris with the same. And in ane vther epistoll, exhortes the Marques of Bārdeburg, to permit on na ways in his landis and Iurisdictioun,Epistola ad Marchi Brā leb. sic as followis zour doctrine▪ Vestphalus the disciple of luther says, that sic as profesis zour religioun meri • is rather to be punished be the power and authoritie of the magistrat, nor to be confutet be disputatioun or writing of buikis. Considder in lykmaner quhat • e'anc • hon d • ith rehers of Carostaldius, quh • wes the first author of zour herosie • Carolstadi •• (sais he) ane man cled with all inciuilitie,Melanch. de • ena domini. and almaist weild withouting yne, without letters, zea euin without the cōmoun 〈◊〉 of nature alluterlie • estitut of al humanitie, did start wp, and imbring this presens tumult and controuersie, in quhome dois euidentlie regne all wicked operations, tending to maist greuous impieti, as quhair he hes embraced the verray doctrine of the Anabaeptistis. Of the quhilk it is easalie to perceaue, the great repugnance and • ōtrarietie in essentiall maters of religioū, betuix zou and the rest of the prophetis quhilk ar rissin in thir maist miserabill days, notwithstanding that ze haue all the lyk fun • damentis of religioun, the Lyk instinctioun of the halie gaist, and the lyk ext • aordinar vocatioun.

Bot ze allege in the primitiue hirk sindrie heresies to haue stertup▪ as quhair Paul did resist vnto Peter. And in lyk wais, as the controuersie of religioun betuix Barnabas and S. Paul: albeid no man thairfoir culd haue had ony iust caus to haue denudeth and separat him self from the kirk.

Cōtroue • sies ni dide may befall nithe kirk, bot quhow oft soeuer thay happin, the kirk at no tyme is destitute of • ugis, be quhome with all expeditioun thay may be decydet. Quhilk we obserue to haue bene done maist vi gilantlie be the apostolis: as quhen the controuersie tuitching the obseruatioun of the law did vpspring, thay permittit nocht to euerie man to decerne efter his a win phātasie, bot reserued the determinatioun and decisioun to thame, quha wes appointed be god thairto: that is, t • the pastoures of the kirk, to quhome be the ordinance of God, the rest of the multitude wes obleist and bound to obey: Bot in zour sinagoge thair be ane infinit numbre of controuersies, aluterlie destitute of all Iuge: in respect euerie ane is accoustumet, to in • erpret the scripture as his opinioun do is leid him, and as euerie man be author of his awin religioun, suay doth constitute him self Iuge in all occurrand controu • rseis: quhilk clearlier apperit be experience, nor that it dois mister ony probatioū. Heirfoir it is euident and cleir, that no sic thing hes bene in the primitiue kirk, nor at any tyme in the kirk of • od, as we see dalie in zour synagoge. As quhair ze zay, that Peter did erre in the fayth, it is maist erronious: for Christ prayt for him that his faith suld on na wais decay, and zit ze ar so impudent to affirme, that the sone culd nocht obtene fra the father that quhilk he domandet. Tertullian sais, that thair wes na spot,Tert. de con • rip. hereti. nor errour of fath in Petir, bot of conuersatioun) as he dois call it) for he doithe knaw the vocatioun and calling of the Gentils to the Euangell: and the ceremonies of the Iewis nocht to haue bene in any wiis at that tyme necessar, neuertheles during ane schort space to haue bene • olerabill▪ Galat. 2. quhair by the synagoge of the Iewis micht haue bene zirdit with honour: to the end that he apperit nocht, to constitute the Idolatrie of the Gentils, in the lyk preeminence and degree with the religioun of the Iewis. Bot becaus necligentlie he substrakit him self fra the gentils, quhom with of befoir he wes at the tabill, he was reprochit be S. Paul: in respect he apperet to dyuers, to approue the obseruation of the law as necessar. Be the quhilk occasioun Sainct Paull • ppinlie refusit to circumcide Titus, becaus opportunitie of tyme and place did nocht in ony wais serue, onles he had fallin 〈◊〉 the lyke vyce in the quhilk Petir did fall, and be his exemple had persuader to mony, the circumcisioun to be all • terlie necessar. Bot gif Sainct Paul had nocht considderit the circumstan • es, and had circumcidet Titus he had falit nocht I say in ony errour of the fayth, bot necligentlie geuand otheris occasioun of sklander, as to bel • ue the obseruatioun of the law to haue bene necessar. Sic wes the faill of Peter, because he wes nocht circumspect to cōsidder the sklander quhilk culd enseu▪ Quhairf • ir, in thu pairt, dois onlie appear zour ignorance, that ze can nocht discerne betuix ane falt in maners, and in faith▪ for ze can put no reproche to the fayrh of Petir in this behalf, onles ze proue, that Sainct Petir beleuit the obseruatioun of the auld ceremoneis of the law, to haue bene necessa • as than, quhilk ze will neuer be able to do.

Bot in dide ze had mister of sum gude argument, quhen ze brocht this exemple of Paul and Barnabas, quhilk seruis no thing at all to zour propose. First becaus thair wes no dissentioun betuix thame, concerning the faith or religioun, bot onlie of a mater particular, and of litill wecht: to wit, gif it wes expedient in the great voyage quhilk thai wer to mak, to tak Sainct Marc, in thair cumpanie, quha had left thame of befoir in cypre apperandlie becaus he wes onhabill to indure the trauell quhilk thai bayth sustenit.Act. 15. Secundlie g • ue and, that be • uix Paull and Barnabas thair hade bene debait or controuersie in religioun, zit at that present no certane decisioun of sic controuersie wes in the kirk of God, suay that it wes lesum to euerie ane of thame, to follow his a win iugement in that part. Bot efter the decisioun and determinatioun of the kirk, ze can nocht be able to schaw ony debait, or questioun, other betuix the Apostlis, or ony other lauchfull pastouris that euer hes hene efter thame. Treulie it is ane mater worthie of admiratioun, gif Petir [as ze allege] did erre in the fayth, and Sainct Paul or Barnabas in lykmaner, nocht withstanding thay wer Apostolis ma • st surelie indewed, and illummat with the spreit of God: that ze and zour ministers, dois so cleirlie comprehend the misteries of God, and the richt intelligence of the scriptures, that quhatsume • er zesay, ze will that it be est • mit, and iugit, as the sinceir word of the God. Gif zour impudenci • be grea • , or nocht to vsurp, mair to zour s • lu • , norze attribute to 〈◊〉 • r Paull, I leif the iugement to the reidar.

THE LETTER.

QVhair foir schir considdering that in that kirk, in the quhilk I am be the grace of God thair is cō tinuall successioū of doctrine, and that same self quhilk is preached now, hes bene teached in all agis, as it is manifest to ony man that hes red all ancient writtars afoir oure tymes. And moirour I find it spred throw all the warld, as in lykmaner it is manifest and the experience dois teche zou, for ze will cum to na place quhair Christis doctrine is ressauit, bot ze will find the religioun at the leist in mony personis. Q • harfoir gifz • can nocht schaw in na vther religioun the samyng, it followis necessarlie that na vther religioun is the trew religioun.

THE REST OF SCHIR IOHNE knox ansuer.

TO this epiloge ād argumēt gadderit thairof, we ansuer onlie this: •• nis Asi • s est hom • • ānis knox 〈◊〉 a • inns, 〈◊〉 Ioannes • nox est h • mo e • fals • nō potest 〈◊〉 qui verum • ergo knox vel nō est mo vel est 〈◊〉 nus. that of a manifest lie, thair can no treuth be cōcludet. His manifest ād impudēt lie we say, is, that he affirmes that in that kirk in the which he is, is thair▪ cōtinuall successioū of doctrine▪ aud that the selue same which is preached now, hes bene taught in all agis. This we affirme is a most impudēt lie. For now, and o • lait yeares. id has bene taughr ād the people receaued, • hat the messe was a sacrifice propitiatorie for the synni • of the quick and the dead: that the Pape wes the head of the kirk▪ and suche other heades of most hereticall dotrine, approued in the papisticall kir • ▪ which heades we affirme wer vnknowen in the agis of the Apostoils, or yet of the fathers that immediatlie followed thame. And for the probatioū thairof we desire thair writtingig to be producet, euer beginning at thame quho wer appointed of god, to preache, and to plane the veritie in the world. we ar nocht bound to credite quh at soeuer the fathers haue spoken: but oure faith (as is befoir said) is builded vpon the sure rock Iesus Christ,Ephe. 〈◊〉 ad vpon the fundatioun of the apostlis, and prop •• etis. So far as any fatheris aggres thair with, we reuerenthe do embrase it but if the fathers haue affirmed any thing without the warrand of the writtin word of the eternall our god, to whose only voce the sheap of his pasture ar bound: it is as laughful to ws, to reiect that which proceadeth from man and not from god, as is easie to • hame to affirme it.Sed perper▪ intellactis. Maister Tyrie may know that we vse the wordes of the aucientis.

THE REFVTATION.

IT is said in the commun prouerb, ane liar suld be of gude memorie in the beginning of zour buke, ze affirmet the sacrifice of the Messe to haue bene receaued of auld in the papisticall kirk, now be the contrar, ze allege it to be of lait days inuentit. Bot that zour impudē cie be knawē and manifest to all men, I will adduce the plane, and sure testimonies of the maist ancient fathers, that euer hes bene in the kirk of God as cōcerning thais tua heades, quhilkis inspe • iall aboue the rest, apperis to zou to be destitute of all probatioun. And to begin at the bischop of Rome, quhome we affirme to be the successour of S. Petir quha was head and principall of the Apostol • .

Christ sa • eth vnto Peter, thou art Peter▪ and vpon this rock I will build my kirk▪ • sath. 16. In the quhilk word is he orda ned Peter the fundatioun or heid of his kirk: vnto him he deliuerit the keyes of the kingdome of heuin, and cō mitted vnto him efter his resurrectioun his scheape to be fed: sua that thair is no scheip of Christ quhilkis ar nocht also the scheip of Peter, a • sais S. Bernard. • an. 21. The ministers quha thi • kis nocht thame selues, comprehendit vnder the name of thais scheip, quhilkis Christ comendit to petir, mō cōfesse that thai ar nocht the scheip of Christ: otherwais gif thai wilbe the s • heip of Christ, let thame obey Peter, ād him that dothe succeid Peter in his office. Now becaus the present cōt •• uersi • is quhou thais wordis of the scripture aucht to be vnderstand, in the quhilk Christ cōmit • it has flock to Peter▪ lat ws cōsidder in quhat maner the p • stours, and doctures of the kirk euer s • n the dayes of the Apostolis, hes interpreted thame. And to begin at S Paul • s a win discipill S Dionise quha in his buke de diuinis nominibus, affirmeth Peter to be the heid of all the Apostolis. • io. c. 3. • iuin. nom.

Anacletu • , • n • c. epist. 3. quha wes in the Apostols tyme▪ saith that the holie Romā Apos • olicall kirk, obtenit supremacie, nocht of the Aposlolis bot of oure lord him self, as he sayeth to Peter, thow art Peter, &c. Thairfo • r this Apostolicall kirk, is maid the head of vther kirkes, by God, and by none vther.

Victor, quha wes nere vnto the tyme of the Apostolis, • usebius li. 5 eccl. hist c. 24 and bischop of Rome, pat in practise this authoritie, quhen he excommunicatet all the kirkes of asia, becaus that aggreit nocht with the Romane kirk. And albeid that he wes admonissed be letters send frō Ireneus, that he had nocht done discreitlie in that point, zet no man euerfād falt with him for vsing of sic authoritie for all men did knaw, and confesse, that he had authoritie to excommunicat quhom he thocht meite and expediēt. zepherin bischop▪ q • ha wes hi successour did call the Romane kirk mother of all kirkes, vnto the quhilk all con • rouersies auch to be brocht I omit (becaus I wilbe breue) the testimoneis of vthers Papes quho perauenture may seme to forther thair a win caus,zephe • in ep •• stola ad ep •• scopes Cicili •• althocht no suspitioun at all, tuitching this mater, culd euer enter into ony wyse mānis heid, becaus thais ancient fathers wer maist holie men, and also martyris, quho sched thair blude for the trewth. Bot lat ws speik of vtheris,

Ireneus:Iren lib. 3. 〈◊〉 • ersus haer • ses cap. 2. bot becaus it wald be oure lang to number the successionis of all kirk • s, declaring the traditioun of the gretast, and most ancient kirk [acknawlegit be all men and foundit at Rome be those tua maist glorious Apostolis, Petir and Paul] quhilk it receaued of the apostolis, and be cōtinuatioun deducit vnto ws, we confound all thais, quha reasson vther wais then thay aucht. For with the Romane kirk beresson of the preeminēt power thairof, euerilk kirk of necessi • ie most aggre.

Tertullian: wes ony thing hid from Pet • r, quho wes callit the rock, vpō quhilk the kirk suld be builded, quha also obtenit the keyes of the kingdome of heuin,Tertul. de prescrip. he •• and power to louss and bind in heuin and in erth. And in ane vther place, he acknaulegit in lykmaner the supreme authoritie of the bischop of Rome.Idem aduer sus Praxea.

Cyprian: efter all this Zit forther, efter a fals and wrang bischop be the heretikis appointed to thame selues,Cypr. lib. 1. cap 3. thay dar saill vpon the seas, and cary litters, from chismaticall and prophane persones, vnto the cheir of Peter and principall kirk, quhair vnitie of preisthed first began: nather do that think, that thai quhome to thai go vnto ar Romans, quha • s fay • his commendet be the Apostill, vnto quhome fals doctrine neuer culd haue acces. And in the samyng epistoll: heresies [sais he] or sectis, had neuer other beginning than this, that obediēce was nocht kepit to the preist of God, and that ane preist is nocht thocht in the kirk of God, to be the vicar of Christ.

Athanasius, with the rest quhilk wer present at the councell of Alexandria, 〈◊〉 opi •• ola conc: 〈◊〉 ad Ro • anum pon •• if. writeth in this sort to the Pape of Rome: God has not despiseth the prayars, and teiris of his seruandis, but has appointed zou, and zour pre decessouris, that is to say, the Apostoli call bischoppis in the tour of supremacie, and hathe commandit zou to succur ws, and to deliuer ws from all enemies, for vnto zou is committit all the iugement of vther bischoppis.

Chryso • tome: quhat God can be him self grant, that is,Chriso • t. • om 55. in Math. 16. remissioun of synn • s, he doth gif that unto man, to the effect that his kirk suld remane immouable, thocht mony wauis suld burst out vpon it, with great force: to the end alsuay, tha • the heid and pastour thairof [quha is bot ane fischar man] in fermenes, and stabitnes, suld exceid the nature of the adamant, no • ht withstanding the ha • ll warld, wald resist 〈◊〉 .Ibidem. So the father sayeth vnto Hieremie: • haue put the as ane pillar of yrne, and as ane wall of bres: bot the father dothe cō stitute Hieremie onlie oure a • e people and natioun, bot Christ had constitute Peter our the haill world.

Op • atus Meleuitanus ignorance can nocht be obiecti • vnto the, seing thou knawest that in the cietie of Rome, the bischopp is seat wes placed first for Peter, in the quhilk the said Peter satt,Opt. lib 2. contra Permenianum. quha wes heid of all the apost • lise for the quhilk caus he wes callit Cephas, in quhome as in ane, the vnitie of the kirk suld be cōceruet. And efter he had numered all the bischoppis from Peter vnto Syricius he concludis in this maner: All the world aggreit with ws in ane communion and societie with syricius, as to zou [says he mening of the Donatistis] schaw the benining of zour kirk gif ze can.

Hierome wrtttis to the bischop of Rome in this maner, Ispeik with the successour of the fischer [that is Peter] and the discipill of the crose: 〈◊〉 Damasum. and following nane as cheif bot Christ,S. Hierome being in asia acknawlegi • the Pape of Rome for his pastour. do c • nione my self, and tak pairt with zour halines, that is, with the cheir of Peter: I knaw that the kirk of God is buildet vpon that Rock: quha soeuer eateth the lam • out of this hous, is prophane: quha soeuer dothe nocht gadder with the doth scatter. Agane in the same epistell, he requireth the decisioū of the Romane bischop as of his pastour, towart ane incidant questioun, and offerit him self ready to change his mynd or opinion thairin gif it suld plais so to him.

Ambrose: Christ quha is heid, quhen he suld ascend vnto heuin left vnto ws Peter, as vicar and taikin of his lufe.Ambr. in 13. Luce. Agane, Satyrus callit vnto him the bischop, and domandit of him, quheter he aggreit with the Romane kirk or nocht:Ide • de obtn fratri • . becaus he wald acknawlage, no vther for trew bischoppe bot thais quha adheret to the bischoppe of Rome. Agane Peter is callit the rock of the kirk, that thairthrow the solid deuotiō of the kirk micht be signifiet ād declareth vnto ws, as oure lord saith thou art Peter and vpon this rock I well build my kirk. th • is callit a rock, becaus, he layt the first f • ndatioū of faith amangis he gentils, and becaus he berith (as a rock, quhilk can nocht be mouit) the wecht and burding of the haili wark.

Augustin: the principalitie, or preeminence of the apostolicall seit euer flurished in the kirk of Rome. • ug. opi. 163. Agane in ane vther place [writt and to the Pape] forsamekell as oure lord had placed thee in the seit apostolick, • dē • pist. 102. • ue est ad Rom. Pont. be ane speciall gift of his grace, I beseik thee wieth •• f towart ws the dewitie and diligence of ane pastour. Agane gifthe ordour of bischoppis,Epist. 165. succeding the an • to the vther is to be cōsidderit, quhow mek be mair certanlie, and also hel sumlie do we compt from Peter: vnto quhome representing the haill kirk▪ oure lord sayeth, vpon this rock I will build my kirk •• ter Peter succedit • inus efter linus, Clement efter Clement, Anacletus, efter Anacletus Fuaristus efter cuaristus Alexander. efter Alexander Sixtus, e • ter Sixtus, Theleesphorus efter Thelehsporus: ginius efter • ginius Anicetus: efter Anicetus Pius efter pius Soter, efter Sotor • leutherius: efter • leutherius victor: efter victor Sepherinus, efter Sepherinus Calixius: efter C • lixtus v • banus: efter Vrbanus Pontianus, efter Pontianus Antherius, efter Antherius Cambianus, efter Cambianus Cornelius, efter Cornelius Luc • us: efter Lucius, Stephan, efter Stephan, Xistus, efter Xistus Dionysius, efter Dionysius Felix, efter Felix Eutichianus efter Eutichianus Gaius: efter Gaius Marcellinus: efter Marcellinus Marcellus: efter Marcellus Eusebius, efter Eusebius, Melchiades: efter Melchiades: Syluester: efter Syluester Mark: efter Mark: Iulius: efter Iulius, L •• erius: efter Liberius Damasus: efter Damasus Cyricius: efter Cyritius Anastasius: In this ordour of successioun, thair is found no Donatest, (nor Caluinist) and zit gif ony wicked man had crepit in so mony zeri • , that culd nocht hurt the kirk, and innocent Christian: to quh • me God prouiding, sais, spek and of euill prelatis: do efter thair saingis, bot nocht efter thair doingis. with the forsaid doctouris and pastoures of the kirk▪ all the rest dois aggre, that it appearis nocht necesfar for the present, to adduce thair testimoneis, as of Basilius, Gregorius Naziauz enus▪ Epiphanius and vtheris quha with ane accord confirmis the authoritie and power of the seat of Rome, with the forsaid fatheris. It restis that we proue in lykmaner, that they ackaulegit all the sacrifice of the blude and bodie of Christ, to be offered in his kirk in rememberance of his death and passicuntlyk as in the auld law, it wes prefigurat be the sacrifite and immolatioun of brutall beast is, and to begin at Martialis quha did see Christ, speketh in this maner.

Martialis: for quhen the altars of Deuils wer brocht in dust, we commandit the altar of the onknawen God,Mart. in ep •• ad episc. Bui •• deg. to be rescrued, that it micht be hallowit. And a litill efter: Sacrifice is offered vnto God the creatour vpon ane hallowit altar, nocht vnto man nor vnto angell: and a clene oblatioun is offered vnto God, nocht onlie vpon the hallowed altar, bot alsuay in euerie place: we do offer▪ as he him self dothe witnes, his • odie and blude for euerlasting lyfe: saing, God is a spreit, and he that wirschipis him, must worschip him in spreit and treuth, haueand ane immaculat bodie without syn, becaus he was conceaued of the halie gaist, fuffer • t the same to be • ffered vpon the altar of the croce: that quhilk the Iewes offerit of inuy, think and to tak away his name owt of the earth, we for oure saluatioun do offer on the halie altar, for our lord commandeth ws so to do in rememberance of him.

Ignatius the discipill of S. I • hā, it is nocht lauchfull without a bischop to baptise, • gnat. epist. • d smirnen. to offer, or to mak sacrifice, bot quhatsoeuer sall seme gude to him, according to the plesour of God, that that quhilk thow dois may be salf and sure. Ignatius can nocht speik heir of the sacrifice of prayar, quhilk is permittit to euerie man: bot of the sacrifice of the bodie and blode of Iesus Christ.

S. Dionise efter that he had declareth the ceremoneis, for ane greit part, • i • ny. Ar • op. •• ccl • siast. • hierem. c. 3. of the sacrifice of the Messe, spekis in this maner: Quhen the bischop and preistis hathe weschet thair handis with watter, the bischop standeth in the middest of the halie altar. And a litill efter he sayeth, bot quhen the bischop had commendet the diwin giftis,The consecration of the Messe. he dothe cōsecrat the holie and heich misteries,The liftings of the Messe. and sch • wis oppinlie that quhilk he had commendeth couerit and hid in venerabill signis,The cōmmunione. and seruing reuerentlie the heuinlie giftis,The adoratione of the sacrament. he gothe to the halie resauing of thame, and exhorted vtheris that thay will also communicat, And nocht lang efter agane he saith. O diuine and verray halie ministerie, schaw thy self vnto ws, oppinlie and planlie opening the • id couerings of signes, and fill oure spirituall ces with the singular and manifest brichtnes of thy licht.

Anacletus: a bischop offering sacrifice to God, most haue with him witnessis (as is ordened) and ministers,Anaclet. epist. 1. quhilk may gif thair consent to the sacrifice.

IustinusIust. contra Triphonem: martyr dothe expone the place of Malachie the propheit (quhair he says that thair salbe ane pure sacrifice offered to God in his kirk from the orient to the occide • t) of the sacrifice of the coup, quhilk is offered be Christianis euery quhair.

Ireneus, Christ twik breid, ane of his creatures, and geuing thankes, sayith,Iren. lib. 4. aduersus her • sos c. 52. this is my bodie, and the coup in lykewa • s one of his creatures and confessit it to be his blude, and so taught a new oblatioun of the new testament, quhilk the kirk resauing of the apostolis, offeris to God throw the haill warld, of the quhilk thing Malachie ane of the tuelf prophetis spak af • ir hand, my will is nocht in zousais the lord, for in euerie place is offerit to my name ane pure sacrifice. And in ane vther place, quhow dar thow say, that oure flesch turnit into corruption,Idem lib. 4. c. 43. and nocht to receaue lyf, quhilk is nurischet of the bodie and blude of Iesus Christ. Thairfoir lat thame change thair mynd, or lat thame desist from the offering of the thingis forsaid. Heir it is manifest that in the tyme of I • eneus, that is fourtein hundreth zeir ag • , the sacrifice of the bodie and blude of Christ wes offerit throch the haill warld

Tertullian, we do mak sacrifice or oblatioun for the dead, the day of thair doparting euery zeir.Tertull. de corona milites. Et libro ad uxorem. Quhow may I be albe to declair the happines of that matrimonie, quhilk is knit be the kirk of God, and confirmit be the sacri • ice or oblatioun.

Cyprian: for gif Iesus Christ our lord and God heich preist of God the father,Cypr. lib. 2. epist. 3. first offerit this sacrifice in the letter suppar, and cōmandit the same to be maid in remembrance of him treulie than, that preist dothe richtlie vse the office and place of Christ, quho followit that quhilk he did. Agane, this sacrifice is perpetuall, and a brunt offering remaning for euer,Idem ser • de cena dimini. Idem epist. 9. lib. 7. no numbre of people consumis this breid. It is decretit that na memorie suld be maid of thame in the sacrifice or oblation, quha had constitute preistis or c •••• kis, tutouris, or curatoris in thair letter will, becaus that ar on worthie to be namit at the altar quhair the sacrifice is offerit, quha dois distract the preistis from the seruice of God to secular effaris▪ in the tyms of the persecuion of Deci • s 13. hnndreth zeiris ago, the sacrifice of the bodie and blude of christ wes offerit in his kirk▪ as is he • r manifest of S.Cyrillus Hierosol. cath. mistog. 4. Cypriane quha than tholit martyrdome.

cyrillus Hierosolimit.: we call vpon God, that he send his halie spreit vpon the giftis thair present, that he may mak the breid, the bodie of Christ, and the vyne, the blude of christ▪ for q • hatsoeuer the spreit sall tui • he is sanctifiet and changet. and aluill efter: we offer to thee this oblatioun, for all thame that be in necessitie and this onbludie sacrifice, for the vniue • sall peace of the haill kirk. And ef • erwart he declaris, quhow in this sacrifice we pray for thame that ar departit, that thair-throw thai may obtene remission of thair synnis, in the quhilk thai did depart from this warld. And at lenth almaist declaris the haill ceremoneis, quhilkis as zit▪ ar vsit in the sacrifice of the Messe▪ quhairofit is cleir, that during the tyme of the persecution of Iulianus apostata the sacrifice for said was offerit to God be his kirk.

Chrysost.Chrysost. hom • l. 17. ad Hebreos. quhat than, do we nocht mak oblationis and sacrifice to god, zea treulie we offer sacrifice euerilk day in rememberance of christis death, and this sacrifice is on, and nocht mony, vtherwais becaus Christ is offered in mony places, thair wald be mony Christis, quhilk na way is to be granted, becaus thair is bot ane Christ, quhilk euerilk quhair is offered.Id. m hom. 24 • ▪ ad Cotint. Agane, Christ hes preparit to ws ane sacrifice, mair excellēt and noble nor wes the sacrifice of the auld law, for haue and changeit the auld sacrifice in thair place, he hes comādit thut he him self suld be offered.

Ambrosius testifies,Ambr▪ de his qui myst. initiātur c. 9. that be the omnipotencie of God, the bread quhilk is proposit in the a 'tar, is changit in the bodie of Christ, and the wyne in his blode, albeid it apperis vtherwais to oure sensis, becaus that our imbecillitie culd nocht support, to receaue the bodie and blode of Iesus Christ, in thair awin formes▪ thairfoir to condescend to oure infirmitie and weaknes, he genis ws his bodie and blude vnder the formes of thais thinges, with the quhilkis we ar daylie accustamat.Idem 6 de sacrament. c. 1. Agane: as our lord Christ Iesus is the treu sone of God nocht as vther men, he grace, bot be nature of the verie substance of his father, so that quhilk we receaue is the veray treu flesche of Christ, as he him self dois testifie. B • t perauenture [sais he] thou will ask▪ quhou is it his treu flesch, or his treu blode, becaus I see nocht treu blode, bot onlie ane resemblance? I ansuer sais he, that the word of God is of sic strenth and efficacie, that it may change and turne the commoun curs of nature.Idem 4. de sacram c. Agane, he techis quhou the bodie of Christ is treulie offered, as ane trew sacrifice to God the father: thairfoir (sais he) the preist sais thais wordis, we beand myndfull of his maist glorius passioun, and rysing from death, and ascension vnto heauen, offer vnto thee this immaculat sacrifice, this ressonnable and onblodie sacrifice, this halie breid, and coup of euerlesting lyfe, The quhilk wordis ar to this day vsit in the sacrifice of the Messe.

Augustin:Aug. lib. confess. c. My mother Monica desyred onlie that memorie micht be had of hir at thy altar o lord, quhair sche knen to be ministrat that halie sacrifice, quhairbie the synes of the warld was tane away. Agane: in the sacrifice of Melchisedech, first apperit the sacrifice quhilk at this day is offered to God, throuch the haill warld be the Christianis: and that is fulfill it, quhilk wes forspokin lang ago, thou art ane preist for euer efter the ordour of Melchisedech.d • m lib 20. Quhilk he dois declair in ane vther place:on • r. Faustā • . 18. now the Christianis dois celebrat, the memorie of the sacrifice done afoir, in the halie oblatioun, and receauing of the bodie and blode of Christ. And quhen the gentiles reprochet the Christian religioun, becaus that it permittit sacrifice to be offered to thame, quha was departit out of this warld:dem lib. 22. S. Augustin ansueris in this maner:le ciuit. c. 10. we beild nocht templis to oure mar tyres as to Godis, bot in memorie of thame, as of men departit furth of this warld, quhais saulis leuis with God: nother do we erect altaris, in the quhilk is we may offer sacrifice to martyris: bot we offer onlie sacrifice vnto him, quha is the God of the martyris [albeid we offer in memorie of thame] becaus we ar the preistis of God and nocht of the martyris. The caluinistis in thair kirk dois nother permit altaris, preistis▪ sacrifice, nor memorie of martyris. Of the quhilk it is manifest, that it is nocht that kirk, quhilk during S. Augustenis tyme wes spred throch the haill warld Quha writting to Dardanus spekis of the sacrifice of the Messe, as of ane thing maist knowen to all men. Thou knawis weill sais he, in quhat sacrifice we say,Idem epi. 57. Gratias agamus Domino Deo nostro, from the humilitie of ehe quhilk sacrifice, thair proudnes and arrogancie, is far away.

Possidonias: quha wes present with S. Augustin at his departing from this warld writtis,Possidonius in vita Augu. that the same day he die • , the sacrifice of the Messe wes offerit for him: lyke alsuay as Optatus Mileuitanus,Opt. Mile • . lib. 6. contra Parm. quha wes afoir S. Augustin, obiect is to the Donatistis, that thai braik doun the altaris in the quhilkis afoir thay did offer sacrifice vnto God,Atha. in q ad Ant. q. 34. and as the Iewis quha crucified Christ, did trait his bodie contumelioustie in the croce, suay do thai trait his bodie in the altare.Naz. in car. ad episcopos. And to be schort, the samyng is confirmit be the rest of the fatheris,Basil in sua leiturgia. as be Athanasius, Nazianzonus,Hier ad Marcellam. Basilius, Hieronymus, Cassiodorus, Eusebius emissenus, Damaschenus, to pretermit ane infiuit numbre of vtheris.Euseb. serm. de paschate.

As to councellis, I will onlie cite the councell of Nice, quhilk na man dar reiect,Damasi. lib. 4. c. 14. onles he be alluterlie deploret, and without the commoun sense of nature.Cassiodo. i • Psal. 19. In the forsaid councell we find it decreated in this maner. It is adducet befoir the halie and vniuersall councell, that in sum particular places and cities, certane deikens ar accustumet to ministrat the sacrament to the preistis,Conci. Nice. can. 14. the quhilk nother decreit, nor consuetude doith approue, that thay quha on nawais hes receaued power to offer the sacrifice, fuld ministrat the sacrament vnto thame, quha hes receaued sic power. Now to conclude, considdering the cheif and principall pairt of this sacrifice, consistis in the consecratioun of the bodie and blude of Christ, the pastoures and Doctouris of all agis, nocht onlie beleued maist assuredlie, the trew and naturall bodie of our Saluioure to be in the sacrament of the altar, bot also of that, as ane maist sure and certane ground, doith proif vther misteries of oure faith, quhen thai wer in controuersie, as quhen in the tyme of Ireneus it wes affirmed be sum, that oure bodies quhilkis of thair awin natuir wer mortall, and subiect to corruptio • n, culd on na way be maid immortall.Iren. 4. con. The forsaid doctour did ansuer in this maner, • eres c. 34. our bodies (says he) be 〈◊〉 of the coniunctioun of the bodie and bloode of Christ in the sacrament, quhilk is ar immortall, ar in lyken 〈◊〉 maid capabill of immortalitie. •• f wenaus, and the fatheris of that age had beleued as the Caluinistis dois now, this argument hid bene alluterlie vane and of na strenth, as it is easie to • uerie man to perceaue in lykmaner, quhen Martion did profes ane maist wicked and balspheamous heresie, aganis the incurnatioun of our Saluiour, affirmand him nocht to be ane man in veray deide,Tert. 4. cont. bot onlie be externall apparence: Tertulliun to preif that he wes aue man as we ar,Martionem. and composed of flesche and bloode as we did argument suay, Christ sais he gaue his bloode to his disciplis in the letter suppar, blood can nocht proceid bot from ane trew bodie, chairfoir Christ hade ane trew bodie, and wes ane verray man.

Esterwart, quhen Areius denyed the sone of God to be consubstantiall with the father, the catholick men did obiect that place of the Euangell quhair Christ says,Iohan. 10. I and the father ar ane: of the quhilk thai collected the sone to be consubstantiall to the father. The Arrianis did ansuer, that na thing culd be collected of that place contrar to thair opinioun, interpreting the father and the sone to be ane, nocht as concerning nature, bot be mutuall luf and cheritie, lyk as we all ar ane with Christ. then the catholict men did reply, as testifies Hylarius, that we ar conioned with Christ,Hylar. 8. de • rinitate. nocht onlie be lufe and cheritie, bot also substantiallie and corporallie, be the participatioun of his bodie and blood in the sacrament, quhairthrow the impudencie of Ioh • e Caluin and his ministers is easalie perceaued.

In lykmaner, quhen Nestorius begouth to blaspeme our Saluiour Christ Iesus, say and, that he wes onlie, ane man, and in nawais God, the halie, and catholict fathers, dothe resson aganis him in this maner, as testifies Cyrillus Alexandrinus. In the dalie sacrifice of the kirk,Cyril epi. ad Nestorium. we receaue the flesch of Christ, nocht as a comoun flesch, nor zit as the flesch of him in quhome God did duell, as in ane tabernacle, bot as flesch conioned with the diuinitie: vtherwais it culd nocht haue strenth, to quicken and viuificat oure bodies,Iohan. 6. according to Christis awin saing. quhlik is so cleir and manifest, that the heretykis thair selues dois gif ws sufficient testimonie thair of, Luther in ane of his epistolis says, that the haill warld with ane accord afoir thir seditious men,Luth. epi. ad Marchio. beleued the trew and naturall bodie of our Saluiour to be in the sacrament,Brādeburg. suay that it is na les impietie to trow vtherwais, nor to condamne the hall kirk of God and Christ him self and his apostolis of maist wicked and abominable heresie. And in ane vther place he writtis in this maner:Idem in epi ad fratres Argent. gif Carolstadius, sais he or ony vther, culd haue prouen vnto me, in the sacramēt of the altare to be onlie breid and wyne, he wald done me ane greit plesour, becaus thairthrou I did easalie understand, that I micht haue done greit domage to the Papistrie, bot efter greit labouris quhilk I haue bestowet in that mater,Philipi: M • lanch. in esstola ad frdericum M • cenium. I find my self bound and captiue, becaus the text of the scripture is sa plane, and manifest, that it can na wais be thrawin to no vther sence. Quhilk also is confirmet be Philip Melanc, hon, I know, sais he, I will appeir verray dule and of sober iugement to su • mē, becaus I do nocht interpreit the wordis of oure sal, uiour, Hoc est corpus meum, be ane trop or ane figure, bot treulie sais he, gif libertie be anis granted, to interpreit the scriptures be sic tropis or figuris according to oure phantasie, we sall neuer be assured of the trew sence and intelligence thairof, as he deducis verray weill be sindrie exemplis, and efterwart he concludis in this maner: as to me, to follow fic ane opinione, quhilk of lait is inuented be Carolstadius, ane maist vngodlie, and wicked man aganis so manifest scriptures, and the vniuersall consent of the kirk of God, quhilk euer hes bene afoir ws, I can haue na assurance in my consciēce. suay to returne to our purpois, I beleue that no mā is so blind, that dois nocht perceaue first zour impudencie, and secundlie that the sacrifice of the Messe hes euer bene in the kirk of God, sen it • egouth. Bot apperandlie ze wald play with ws fast and lous, for albeid ze require the testimoneis of the fathers to be producet, zit ze say, ze will gif thame no credence, bot insafar as as thai ar conforme to the word of God: euin as zour brane wer ane infallible reul thairof, that quhat sumeuer ze imaginat or dreme, nocht withstanding it be contrar to the vniuersall consent of the haill warld, zit becaus it procedis of zou, it aucht to be embraced as the word of God. Bot to the effect zour iuglarie he • nderstand, I will oppin and manifest that quhilk deceaues zou, and the rest of zour ministres, coucerning the authoritie of the ancient fatheris of the kirk. we acknawlege the fatheris to haue bene men as ze do, and that thay micht haue fall • n in sindrie kynd of errouris, lyk as at sumtyme thay haue fallin: albeid, becaus thay did, at all tymes continew thame selues within the Catholick kirk, thair errouris culd on na wais ingendre ony preiudice to thair saluatioun. Bot quhair we do vse thair authorities for confirmatioun of our faith, we adduce thame onlie as witnes to ws, of that religion quhilk the catholik kirk during thair tyme did imbrace. Suay of necessite ze ar constranit, other to deny, that to be the trew kirk quhilk thay did acknawlage: or to embrace that doctrine quhilk in thair tyme the trew and catholick kirk imbraced. As be exemple, Ireneus testifies, that in his tyme the sacrifice of the bodie and bloode of Christ wes offerit throucht the haill warld, suay dois testifie Iustine martyr.Iren. 4. c. 34. And to pretermit the rest. S. Augustene in ane thousand places.Iust. de dial. c. Tripho. Gif ze permit nocht sic sacrificies to be offeret in zour kirk,Aug. in epist. 33. & lib. 20. contra Faust. c. 38. it is necessar to zou to confes, that S. Augustene did nocht acknawlage the trew kirk, nor the rest of the fathers in lykmaner cited of befoir.De ciuit. lib. 10. ca. 6. &. 20. Thairfoir we vse thair testimoneis, as ane necessar argument to be certifiet of that faith and religioun, quhilk euer hes bene taucht in the kirk of God sen it begouth, quhilk we do according to S. Paulis counsall, quha says, that Christ hes geuin his doctours and pastouris, to the effect we be nocht seduced, and allured with euerie licht doctrine, quhilk ze on the vther pairt will nawais acknawlage, euerie ane excogitane to him self ane new forme of religioun, contar to that quhilk hath bene establischet be the vniuersall consent of all nations. and maist cleielie expressed in the word of God.

THE REST OF KNOX ansuer.

IT appeareth to ws be the hole progres of Maister Tyries letter, that he and his factioun can acknowledge no kirk, which in all ages hes not bene visible to the eyes of men hauing lykwais a visible successioū. For first he affirmes, that the kirk, wherof the propheit Isaias speakes, should be manifest and visible through all the world. And heare last he allegeth, that we can cum in no place where we sall not find that religioun spred: at the least in mony persones. And thairof he cōcludes, that if we can not proue the like of our religioun: it followis that it is not the trew Religioun,

If Maiste • Tytie recant not this assertioun, he must correct his crede. And where vniuerselly befor we vse to say cred • sanctam ecclesiā &c He must say 〈◊〉 sanctā ecclesiam. For if thare be no kirk vpon the face of the earth, but that which is visible, than vane it wer to vs to say▪ I beleue the holie kirk vniuersall: but considērlie we might affirme, I see the holie kirk. If Maister Tyrie will say we may bothe se and beliue, and be our sight our faith may be strenghned. For Thomas saw the wondes in the handis, feat, and syde of Christ Iesus and beleue • ād so may we se the kirk and yet beleue it. If we sh • uld grant so far to Maister Tyrie, yet wer his argument nothing helped. For the questione is not whether that we may notifie those thinges that we ar bound to beleue. But the questioun is, if that we ar not bound to beleue those thinges, which somtymes ar vterlie remoued from the externall senses of men. Maister Tyrie will acknowledge no kirk except that which hes bene, and is visible▪ we in the contrare, acknowlegde and reuera ••• the spous of Christ Iesus,Apoc. 12. somtymes exyled from the 〈◊〉 receauing somtymes the winges of an egle that she may fle to the wyldernes: wher of God and not of man, she hath her place prepared. we reuerence her which doeth complane, that she hath bene desolat, barrane, a 〈◊〉 and a vāderar to and fro. That spous of Iesus Christ 〈◊〉 so lytill of hir successioun,Isai. 49. visible to mannes ey •• , that she is roft in admiratioun who should haue nurished her childrene during the tyme of her baniuemēt.Esa. 49. If Maister Tyrie be so well sene in the ancient writters, as in his writting he wold shaw him self to be, then can he not be ignorāt, that it is not without great caus that the holie goist hath taught ws to say: I beleue the holie kirk vniuersall. To wit becaus that oftentymes it is, that the kirk 〈◊〉 is so afflicted: yea, the beautie thereof is so obscured to the most part of the world, that the synagoge of Sathā vsurpes the tytle of the tieu kirk: and Babilone is preferred to Herusalē. So that the elect ar compell • d to complane and say we se oure owen signs, now is thair no propheit any moir amonges ws Let the days of Helias, and his complent witnes, whether that the kirk of God is alwayes so visible, that it may be pointed furth whith the singer of man Thus we wreit schortlie to gif occasion to Maister Tyrie, and to suche as ar blinded with that errour, more deaply to considder that artickle of thair beleue, and not so rashely to condempne suche as God of his mercy calis from darknes to light. Now to the rest of his litter.

THE REFVTATION.

HEir I pray the readar to considder diligētlie this inu • sible kirk of Schir Iohne knox, be the quhilk he is constrani • to grant, that the Doctours and pastouris cited of bēsoir, dois naway appertene to the kirk of God: for it is maist certane that that kirk, quhilk thay acknawleges wes visible, ād manifest to the warld. Morower the kirk to be inuisible it is maist erronious and repugnant to all scriptures: for quhat can be more manifest and clier,Isai. 60. nor that, quhilk of befoir wes cited of Isaias the portes of the kirk sall euer be patent baith nicht and day. And that, quhilk almaist all the prophets with ane v • ce dois testifie,Daniel. 2. that the kingdome and inheritāce of Christ▪ salbe mair triumphand and glorious,Psall. 88. nor euer wes • ny empyre or kingdome afoir him,Psal. 93. and that it sall continew in the former magnificence, to the end of the warld. Bot Sr. Iohne knox, of lait illuminat be sum new ent husiasme or reuelatioun, will be the contrar, that Sathan his maister posseid all visible kingdomes, nations citeis, and that Christ for his inheritance hes reserued onlie to him self, ane inuisible kingdome. Christ in lykwais the ondoubted fundatour of his awin kirk sp • ik and to his apostolis, quhome he had constitute and ordanit pastoures thair of, schaweth the same to be visible at all tyme, saying, ane citie situat vpon ane montan can nocht be onknawen or hid,Math. 5. thairby willing his apostolis, and pastours to schene euin as ane bricht mirrour to vtheris in the veritie, as being constitute in sic preeminence, and prerogatiue aboue the rest, quhair thay culd nocht at ony tyme be onknawen, and thairfoir he dois call thame the licht of the warld. Quhilk wordes in respect thay ar iustlie referret to the pastours, we do cōsequentlie imbring that the pastours being knawē the kirk necessarlie man be visible: and as the licht can nocht be in the darknes, suay the pastours of the kirk can nocht be inuisible. He testifies alsuay, that na man doth licht ane lanterne, putting it vnder ane firlot bot in ane chādler, to the effect the haill hous may haue licht: suay gif the euangell of Christ be the lanterne, be verteu of the quhilk the haill warld is illuminat, gif the kirk this mony hundreth zeris hath remanit inuisible, Christ hath collocat his euangell vnder ane firlot, quhik to allege, is ane maist abhominable impietie, and repugnan • to Christ him self. He saith alsuay, gif ony man offend zou, accuse him to the kirk: than he supposed his kirk necessarlie to be visible. And as this precept and comand of Christ, can nocht expyre afoir the end of the warld,Math. 18. suay euer to the end of the warld his kirk mon be visible. Moreower, in the fundatioun and beilding of it he certifies ws, that on naways it salbe suppressed or ourcū be ony maner of tribulatioū or persecution, quhik the experiēce it self dois maist fullelie declair: for in the greuous and horribill persecutionis of nero,Math. 16. Domitianus, Decius, Diocletianus, and the rest, his kirk nocht onlie wes nocht obscured, or in ony way inuisible, but be the contrar mair declarie and publised to the warld, in safar that Diocletianus and Maximinianus, throch desperatioun that thay culd nocht exterminat,Niceph. li. 7. c. 20. and abolisse the name of Christ, deposit thair empyris, suay that we may iustlie affirme with al christiane men that hes bene afoir ws.zonaras inuita Dioclet. Sanguis martyrum semen ecclesiae. Sathan zonr maister be this assault perceaue and him self of les strenth, nor that he culd euert the hous of God, did excogitatat ane vther assault, na les dangerous and heuy to the pure flock of Christ, that becaus he culd nocht bring thamefra the professioune of the name of Christ, to maist abhominable Idolatrie, he did call vp to him self sum extraordinar prophetis lik zou, quha in deid wer alluterlie separat frome Christ, bot in externall apparence, apperit to be Christianis, to the effect, that mair easalie the pure, and simpill people, vnder the pretext of the name of Christ, micht be seduced. Sic extraordinar prophetis hes bene callit heretikis, as we do call zou for the present, bot the hous of God, is sa weill beilded, and vpon ane sa firme and sure ground, that this assalt of Sathan, quhou dangerous that euer it be, may na mair nor the former assault. For as testifies Sainct Paul, heresies ar permitit, to the effect that thay, quha ar prouin be maid manifest: as he wald say, that be heresies the kirk is mair illustrat, and the veritie is mair tryet, and notoriouslie declaret vnto the warld. Quhilk in lykmaner, is confirmit be be experience of all agis. To begin at Symon Mag 〈◊〉 , to Martin Luther and Iohne Caluin. And in dide we may loue and glorifie God, that for correctioun of his kirk, he hes permittit sic heresies as we sec to ryse in our days: for nocht onlie be thame, the Catholick kirk is on na ways ourcum, nor the veritie obscured that it is maid mair cleir and euident, nor euer it wes afoir. For as to the multitude of Christiane men, it is gretumlie incressed sen Luther begouth to preche his fist Euangell, as concerning doctrine and eruditioun, alsueill in scripturis as in histories antiquittes, and all kynd of writtars: It is sa flurish▪ and in the Catholick kirk for the present, that: gif we wald compair thir days with thais in the quhilkis Luther begouth, for ane that wes ony way lernit, we ar able to produce ane thou sand. As to correctioun of maners [to pretermit ane i • finet numbre of thame quha from thair Idolatrie ar conuertit to the faish of Christ in sindrie cuntrais quhair the name of Christ wes nocht afoir acknawlegit we see sic reformatioun of all kynd of estait, that we haue greit occasioun to loue and glorifie God of his benefites. As concerning the religioun now professit be the Catholick kirk, it is satryed be deductioun of all agis, histories, vritters, to be that same self religioun, quhik euer hes bene embraced be Christian men, sen thay begouth, that na man, quha is nocht alluterlie reprobat, or blindit in his awin fantasies, dar deny it. Suay we may easalie perceaue, that the force and strenth of Sathan, sall neuer be able to ourthraw the hous of God, nor his ministeris the lauchfull pastouris of the kirk. Quhairthrou it is maist cleir, that the kirk of God, lyk as it wes visible quhen it wes foundet be Christ, and be his Apostolis, suay in dispyte of Sathan and all his accōplesis, quhou gre • t that euer thair vproir or thundering be, sall romane visible to the end of the warld. and the spous of Crist sall euer be able to sing the triumphand and glorius sang of the quhilk Dauid makis mentioun in hir persone. Saepe expugnauerunt me a iuuentute mea,Chrs. in Is • homil. 4. etenim non potuerunt mihi. Thairfoir the halie and glorious Doctour Chrysostome says, that it is easier the sone to be priuat,Aug. in epis▪ Ioā. tract. 2. and destitute of licht, nor the kirk to be onywais obscurit. S. Augustene alsuay, quha euer says he dois no • ht see the kirk, he is blind. And in ane vth r • place, the propheitis, says he, hes spoken • air cleirlie of the kirk nor of Christ,Idē in Psa 30. becaus thai knew be the spreit of Prophecie, that amangis thame quhasuld profes the name of Christ▪ thair wes to be mony controuerseis of the kirk, and for that caus, that na man suld be begylit in sa wechtie a mater, thai did speik sa cleirlie of it▪ And albeid the prophetis had nocht forspoken sa euidentlie, that the kirk at all tyme suld be visible, nor zit Christ him self, nor his apostolis had left sa certa • e and • ndoubted testimony thairof: nocht withstanding the kirk of it selfis of sic nature, that it is nocht possible, that it be ordourlie contine wit and conseruit, onles it be in all agis visible. First becaus it is requisit to the conseruatioun of the kirk (considdering it is composed of mortall men) that sum men quha did nocht of befoir appertene vnto it, adione thame thairto: than I domand quhow can it be possible, that in all age thair be sum quha do adione thame to the kirk, onles in all age it be visible. More ower, it is requisit in lykmamer that the pastours of the kirk haue sum power and ordour, be the quhilk thay may be acknawlegit as lauchfull ministers: gif the kirk at ony tyme had bene inuisible, it followis necessarli • that the ministers, quha dois immediatlie succeid thairefter, becaus they haue nocht ressauit thir power and authoritie be the kirk (considdering it wes as than inuisible) be destitute of all authoritie of lauchfull pastoures, suay that na man can be bound or obleist be the law of God, to obey thame, of the quhilk the extreme ruine and exterminione of the kirk dois necesserlie follow. And to be schort I wald domand, gif zour kirk, this mony hundreth zearis: hes followit, and embraced that maner of wirschiping of God, and administratione of sacramentis, quhilk the catholick kirk, or as ze call it the papisticall kirk, hes followit or nocht. Gif ze ansuer, that it hes followit sic maner of wir schining of God as the Catholick kirk. then I collect necessarlie that zour haill kirk wes composet of hypocritis, that is, of thame quha exterio • lie professit ane religione, and in wartlie ane vther, and suay it culd nocht be the kirk of God. becaus in our beleif we say, I beleue the catholick kirk. Gif ze ansuer that zour kirk hes wirschiped God in ane vther maner, that is, as ze do now, and follow it the lyk administratione of sacramentis as ze do: than I collect necessarlie, that it wes visible: becaus it is nocht possible, that in ane assemblie or congregatione of men, thay be diuers maners of worschiping of God, and of the administratione of Sacramētis, onles the ane pairt be knawin to the vther: suay of necessitie thay aucht bayth to be visible. I pretermit, that in all contrais quhair the name of Christ euer hes bene professit, thair is historeis maist faythfullie contenand the beginning, cours, and continuall progres of the kirk, euin vnto this present aige: bot quhow ony historicall narratioun culd haue correspondit to ane inuisibll kirk, I can nocht full alie perceaue. As to the authoritie of the ancient fatheres, pastoures, councels, or assembleis of Christian men as said is, be ane vniuersall consent thay confirme this to be trew: in safar, that all the ministers of the world, can nocht be able to produce ane in the contrar, quha in ony aige hes bene estemit as ane lauchfull pastour of the kirk.Math. 5. This is the trew citie collocat on the montan, quhilk can nocht behid. This is the bricht lanterne, quhilk can nocht be put onder ane firlot, this is, the tabernacle of Christ,Psal. 18. collocat nocht in the darknes bot in the sone.Psal. 62. This is the hous of God, in the quhilk magnisicens and halines or to be found, euin to the end. Lat zou nocht heirfoir sa gretumlie be abused, in zour awin phantasticall imaginations, as to beleue that quhilk is repugnant to sa manifest scriptures, and cleir testimoneis of the maist ancient fathers: and to conclude contrar to the vniuersall consent of the haill warld afoir zour zou. Bot perchance Schir Iohne knox hes fum demonstratione, or necessar argument, be the quhilk he is mouit to say the kirk to be inuisible, thairfore I thocht expedient to adduce his resson, and motiue in that part: we beleue, says he, the kirk to be catholick, thairfoir it is inuisibill. Thus is ane argument treulie maist subtile and strenthie, be the quhilk Schir Iohne knox prouis necessarlie (gif he prouis ony thing) that his kirk is as z • t inuisible. Becaus gif he wer domandit, quhether gif he beleuis the Catholick kirk or nocht: Gif he ansueris he beleuis nocht, than he wantis the maist chief article of his beleif. Gif he ansuer that he beleuis it, than according to his argument it followis necessarlie, that it is as zit inuisible. Thairfoir he is constranit to grant that of the forsaid article of the faith, it can be naways prouen the kirk at ony tyme to be inuisible. For quhen the apostoles authoriset, and setfurth thais articles, thay did acknawlege the kirk: Bot gif Schir Iohne knox had bene in thais days, be this argument he wald haue necessarlie collected the contrar, euin aganis the apostolis thame selues. Bot to proceid I will declair the ground quhairupon zour ignorance is foundet. We beleif the Catholick kirk, and neuertheles we see the pastouris of it, we se the externall administratioun of the sacramentis, we see the outwart signes and ceremoneis of religioun. zit to acknawlege thame quha vsis sie exercise of religione, to be the trew kirk of God, and gouernit be his halie spreit, it is necessare we haue fayth: suay at all tyme we beleue the halie and Catholick kirk, nocht obstant all exteriour appareill, quhilk is obiected to oure senses. As for exemple, the heretikes seis euidentlie the pastour • , quhairof the Catholick kirk consistes, bot in respect altogether thay inlaik the verteu of faith, beleuis it nocht to be the trew kirk: thairfoir necessarlie fayth is requeseit to beleue the kirk, euin quhen it is maist visible. Nor zit [as ze do maist freuolie and falslie affirme) Thomas beleued that quhilk he saw bot that quhilk he saw nocht: he saw Christ as concerning his humane nature, bot be faith he beleued him to be God. Quhairfoir it is manisest, that zour argument adduced to preif the inuisibilie of the kirk, is vane and of nastrenth, Quhair ze conclude. the kirk of God to tak the wingis of ane Egle▪ and flee in the desert, ze cleirlie declair zour self ane fals propheit: in respect that Christ hes commandit ws expreslie, to se • k him in his kirk and hes na les expreslie forbiddin to seik him in the desert. Thairfoir his kirk can nocht be in the desert. Bot grant and to zou that it had bene in the desert, ze suld haue schawin at mair lenth, quhow lang thair it hade remanit: and maist cheiflie of all, • old haue declarit be quhome as principall instrumēt •• it had bene brocht furth of the desert. For as to ws, we haue sene nane of thame, quhome ze say to haue bene in the desert, bot ane forloppen companie of monkis and freris, nocht out of the desert, bot of the closter to embrace the libertie of zour euangell: suay I feir grethumlee, that in quhatsumeuer desert zour kirk wes afoir zou, it do as zit thair in remane. Thus I am constranit to say, becaus thair is na thing in the quhilk ze vant mair, nor that Christ hes reseruet to him selfe mony thousandis, quha hes nocht bowit thair knie to Baal: As to zou all, considdering ze haue embraced samtyme our religioun, gif it be fals, ze haue all bowit zour knies to Baal: thairfoir of necessitie ze mon all pas to the desert to serce and inquyre thame, quh • me Christ hes reserued to him self, and quha hes nocht bowit as zit thair knies to Baal. Forther, gif zour kirk afoir Iohne Caluin wes in the desert, and alluterlie inuisible, ze can nocht be assured in ony ways, quether gif it vsed sic scriptures as we vse or nocht: thairfoir ze haue na iust title [considering ze reiect the authoritie of oure kirk) to vsurpe oure scripturis in ony ways: for lyk as zour kirk wes in the desert, suay wes zour scriptures, and becaus that na man hes brocht thame furth of the desert as zit, we may instlie suspect that thay be sumpart discrepant from ouris, at the leist ze can nocht be assured in the contrar. Thairfoir of necessitie ze mon proue [considdering the scriptures can nocht be acknawlegit bot be the trew kirk) ether that zour inuisibill kirk hes vsit sic scriptures as we vse, or ellis ze can haue na iust title, nor authoritie to vsurpe oure scriptures.

As quhair ze say, that Elias be his exempill, dois confirme the kirk at sum tyme to haue bene inuisible: gif we wald grant vnto zow that thing quhilk ze maist ernistfullie desire, to wit the kirk during the tyme of Elias to haue bene inuisibill, zit ze war no nerar zour propos. First becaus that in the self same tyme, we haue for oure part at the leist Elias, quhome we may produce as witnes aganis zow: zebe the contrar can nocht be able to name ane, during the tyme of the inuisibilitie of zour kirk. Secūdlie the kirk of God hes at na tyme bene sa obscurit nor hid, bot he of his prouidence hes reseruit sindrie, as ane seminar, be quhome he hes prorogat his doctrine to the posteritie. Thairfoir gif ze wald haue followit the exempill of Elias, ze suld haue produced ane at the leist, indewit with the trew wirschiping of God fra quhome it had ordourlie cum vnto zow, and the remanent of zour prophetis. For in this maner we reid, that Elias did anoynt, and constitute Heliseus ane propheit. And gif ze wald considder the haill histories of the au'd testament, ze sall nocht be abill to find, that in ony tyme the trew wirshiping of God did sa perische, in the quhilk he hes nocht reseruet sum, as said is, as ane seminar to the posteritie. Quhilk, gif we see to haue sa prec • selie obseruit in the synagoge, quhik wes bot ane schaddou, and vmbre of the trew kirk, and at sū tyme wes to haue ane ēd: quhat thā suld we beleif of the kirk Christ, quha for inheretance hes receaued the hail warld. And as he testifies him self, the seid quhilk he hes plantit, that is his word, sall grow and multiplie euin to the end of the warld. For albeid that it, be pers • cutione, heresies, or vther meanis maid decay in sumpart of the warld: zit vniuersalie it sall nocht decay befoir the letter day, quhairfoir the exempill of Elias doth na ways help zou. Bot quhat gist preif euin during the tyme of Elias, the kirk to haue bene visitill, mycht nocht the haill warld be iustoccasioun call zou ane maist impudent man, and worthie of oll punitioun, quha dois abuse the simple and ignorāt people be sic forgett and fals persuasions. Thairfoir, that zour impudencie be knawin to the haill warld, I ansuer resolutlie, that in the tyme of Elias, and in that self same tyme quhilk ze allege, the kirk of God was visible and manifest in the haill kinkdome of Iuda, the sacrifice wes offerit in Hierusalem, the ceremoneis and exercise of religioun wes practised: Io saphat quha wes than king, was ane of the maist Godlie princes, that euer rāg in Iudatand to be schort, throw his haill empyre, all thing wes to be found • uhilk wes ony way requisit to the visibili ie of the kirk as i, manifest in the bu • kis of the kinges. It is trew, that in the kingdome of Israel the persecutioun wes greit, in sa far, that Elias beleuit that amang the prophetis of God he wes left his alane, bot S. Iohne knox, other be extreme ignorāce, or extreme malice wald collect uniuersallie, that the haill kirk wes than inuisibill. becaus Elias mening of the persecutione of Achab onlie, and on naway of the kingdome of Iuda did say that he wes left his alane. Thairfoir to conclude this argumēt quhilk • sis to be the cheif groūd of the inuisibill kirk of Iohne Caluin, and S. Iohne knox is allut • rlie aganis thame: that onles thair mēstrals had lang syne tint all schame, thay suld be eschemit of sic vane and fantasticall doctrine, • gust. de • nit. ecclesie • tat. Mil. • nt. Perm. • iero. cont. • eif. Tert. 〈◊〉 prescrip. •• t. heret. & •• d. Cypr. de • it. eccl. contrar to all scripture, to all othoritie, to all resson, foundit on sic freuol and vane imaginations reid S. Augustene. Optatios Mileuitanus, S. Hierome, Tertullian, S. Cypriane, and thair ze will find at lēth, quhatsueuer I haue brocht aganis zou. Quhilk I say to that effect, that the reader perceaue, that ze haue vsit na vther argumentis, for the confirmatione of the maist cheif ground and pillar of zour religioun, that is to est thelis zour inuist ill kirk nor thay quha in all agis hes bene estemit as heretikis: And thad I, be the contrar to proue the kirk to be visible in all age, and to haue continuall successioun of lauchfull pastours and doctouris, do vse na vther argumē tis bot thais, quhilk in all agis, thay that wer estemit for Christiane men, and lau bfull pastouris of the kirk doth euer vse.

THE LETTER.

THair is sum I knaw, perchance, for laick other of gude discurs or witt, measures the veritie of the thing thay follow, be the wardlie succes thay haue in the following of it. Bot surelie I can nocht esteme zow to be ane of that rank, and gif ze war, I wald exhort zou to reid amāgis the rest, the 27. psalme, and the 143. psalme. Quhair by ze will easalie vnderstand, that nother the prosperous succes of zour pairt (in warldlie thingis I mene) prouis it that ze follow to be of veritie. nor zit our decay and aduersitie, makis our pairt to be conuicted, zea rather, the mater considerit as it aucht to be, zour prosperitie is rather a manifest argumēt of goddis wraith, nor of ony treuth of weritie. Fort it is said be ane godlie, halie, and cuning man ane XI. hundreth zeir bypast, quod nihil infeelicius foelicitate peccantium qua & poenalis nutritur impunitas, & mala voluntas velut interior hostis roboratur.

THE REST OF SCHIR IOHNE knox ansuer.

We micht haue passed by this parcell without ansuer, becaus that nothing in it conceaued▪ •• stly can be laid to our charge. For oure warldly 〈◊〉 prosperitie, and rest, nether is, nathir yet hes bene at any tyme, sence we haif embrassed the euāgell of Iesus Christ, suche as may nurishe ws in wickednes: nether yet are the Papists able to conuict ws of suche impictie, as all the warld know, hath roung among thame of mo yearis then an hundreth thryse told. And in the meane tyme, to what honour and worldlie dignitie thay arascendet we mak theme selues iudges. If they say the doctrine which we teach, is wondroufly spred within this hundreth yeares: so that now, it hes all moist red the self furth of bondage. we waild domand of the Papistes, if the euangell of Iesus Christ ceased to be the doctrine of saluation,All this is no thing to the propois. what tyme the kirkis gat rest in iwdea, and elles where, in the dayes of the apostles. If thay ansuer, that thay meane no such thing, then yet we demād, if the hand of the lord be more shortned now, thē that it wes in the primitiue kirk: so that now he may not alsweill manteane his treuth, and enlarge the kingdome of his onely sone, as that he did in the days of the apostlis. whatsoeuer the papistes fall ansuer, we are assured that nether is his power diminished so that he may not manteane his treuth: nether yet is his luf so waxen cold towardes his kirk, but that he will in his anger remember vpon his mercy. why do not those cruel men considder, what innocent bloode hath bene shed for the testimonie of Christes euangell within these thre score yeares. wold thay that god at no tyme shuld shaw pietie vpon the patiēt suffering of his afflicted kirk? wold thay thay that the suord should still deuor? wold thay that the flamming fyres should neuer be quenchet? Gif that so thay wold, thay shaw thame selues the sones of him quho heth bene a mortherer from the beginning, and yet contineu in the same malice. But oure god beareth to wardes his weak children a fatherlie affection, wherby he is moued somtimes, to stay the furie and rage of Sathan for a ceason: to the end, that his chosen more gladelie may prepair thame selues to a new batall, trew it is the doctrine of saluatiun is greatlie enlarged, and thairof we praise god: trew it is that Sathan hath not vniuersallie such power to persecute as somtymes he hath had. But will Maister Tyrie thairof conclude, that in oure kirk there is no strength? But now to the scriptures which Maister Tyrie coateth.

Trew it is that Dauid in his. 73 psalme according to the compt ōf the hebreues affirmes, that nether the word lie prosperite of the ongodlie, nor yet the afflictioun of the godlie ought to discourage such as feare god. In this generall head we aggre with Maister Tyrie, and with all Papistis. But we affirme that the notes and signes, which the holie ghost giueth in that place be the which the wicked shalbe knowē, do noways appertene to ws: but of many yearis moste euidentlie haue appeared, and to this hour do yet appeare in the Pape, in many of those that manteane his kingdome. For whether that the generatioū of that Romane antechrist, hath bene exemed from the troubles of men whether that thair pryde hes bene as visible as euer wes thair garment whether that their eyes haue start out fort fatnes: and f • nally quhether that thair licencious leuinges, thair opression and s • perstitiouu haue not planelie declared, that thay haue set their mouth against the heauen, we ar content that the warld [be it neuer so blind] the histories of thair liues [not written be ws bot be thair awin scribes] and the verray experience which all mē now haue, and heirtofoir haue had of thair procedingis beare record wheter that thay or we be noted in that psalme. we gif Maister Tyrie to vnderstand that we ar better acquented with the liues and cōuersations of the Papis and Cardinales, than thay think ws to be? and that we know the streingth of thair lawes, decries, statutes, and consalles better then the Iesuites knowes the reule of Iesus, albeid that persumptiouflie thai haue vsurped his name. And thairfoir we will craue of. M. Tyrie and of all his factioun, that in writting ather to ws,ze suld hawe specifi • t firme thing in the quhil • simplicit • e had not ben • kepit. or yet till suche as thay wold persuade: that thay wse treuth ād simplicitie, and so sall thay find thame selues better contented in reading of oure ansueris. For this, befoir the lord Iesus we protest that it is the treuth which we teache and whairin we delyte: the lufe whereof causes ws abhor all mannes inuentioun, superstition, and Idolatrie. And thus far to the ansueris of the scriptures, which. M. Tyrie coateth.

Now to the sentence of the ancient writar, whoise name he suppresseth. we say that his wordes cut the throttes of the proud Papistes of that age and of all thair is to be referrit to the fals preastes and hypochrites, who followers sence thois days. For then began the taill of the dragoun, to draw t • e starres from the heauen to the earth: then began the fontanis which sumtymes gaue cleir and holsome watter to becom bitter yea to be turned vnto blood, and yet did thay prosper in all worldlie felicitie. which was the caus that many godlie men lamenting that publict corruptione, we compelled to prononce, t • at and like sentences against the veray kirk mē that then liued. And least that Maister Tyrie shuld think that this we affirme without autorie we remitt him to the writtingis of Hierome Augustene Ambrose Benard and vtners that wer nether cum long befoir nor • f ther the tyme that he notes:Extrem impudence. whois writtinges if he sall diligentlie examine he fall find, what was thair iugement of the seat of Rome in thair dayes, and what others that after followed, addet to the former impietie of thair fathers: from the day that ones Popes wer decored, ar rather deformed with a triple croune, let the writars of all agis sence beare witnes? And least that M. Tyrie shall thank that we put him tomuche pane whē that we send him tho all writars in generall. we fall releue him somquhat, and appoint him to tuo onlye whome iustlie he cā nocht suspect to haue bene corrupted be ws. The one is • bbas Ioachim, a mā sometymes of great authoritie and reputatione amōges the Papistes The other is loānes Auentinus 〈◊〉 oriographour quhais wretinges was prentet be cōmand, and with priuiledge the empreour Charles the sist: let the writtingis, we say thais tuo beare witnes, what hes bene the iugement of diuers men in diuers ages, of Rome, of the pryde of the prelacie, of thair corruptione, in lyf and doctrine, and finallie of thair defection from the treuth. Abbas Ioac • im writting vpon the wordis of the reuclatione of Sainct Iohne, the sext angell poured furth has phyole vpon the great flood euphrates. &c. hes this sentence. Si autem aqua huius • uminis quod vocatur euphrates, populi sunt, & gentes, & linguae, quae parent Romano imperio: si quidem ciuitas Romana ipsa est noua Babilon. &c. that if [saith he] the watters of this flood that is callit uphrates be people, nations and tounges that obey the Romane empire, for the citie of Rome it self is new Babilon: This place and that which ensew is of the drawing vp of the watters euidenthe shawes what was the iugement of the writers▪ in his dayes of Rome. To wit, that it wes becum new Babilō. And least that any shuld think that the author meaneth of the ancient Romane Impyre, and nocht of the regiment of the kirk that was in it, or in the dominion therof he explanes him self after whill that he interpretes the great hoore, and the kinges of the earth, who commit huredome with her. The great hoore he saith the vniuersall 〈◊〉 affirmed to be Rome, Not sais he as concerning the congregatio • n of the iust, which sum tymes wes a 〈◊〉 in it, bot as concerning the multitude of the reprobat: who be thair wicked workes blaspheameth, and impungeth the same kirk being a pilgramer with 〈◊〉 et Maiseet Tyrie mark that the Writar sau in Rome tuo kirkes,Bot nother the ane nor the other was zour kirk because it culd not be seue it being inuisible. the ho • re and hir multi • ude dis • ersed in all the places of that Impyre: and the kirk which wes astranger blaspher •• d and impunged be the multitude▪ And yet ester he explanes himself more planelie: sayng, Reges vero terrae dicti sunt prae lati, quibus concessum est regimē animatū, Quorum nonulli fornic antur cum Babilone. Q •• m quidem vt placeāt hominibus paruipendunt & necligūt mandatū dei. The kinges of the earth (sais he) ar callen the prelates to quhome the regiment of saules is committed, of whome neuertheles some cōmitt fornicatioun with Babilon: becaus that thay for the pleasure of men neglect and dispise the commandimēt of god And least that any shuld thinck that suche a sentence had recklefly eshaped him he doubles the same wordis our agane▪ Sayng, Reges verò terrae esse pr • latos ecclesiae, qui fornicantur cum Babilone superius dictum est, It is befoir said, [saieth he] that the kinges of the earth ar the prelatis of the kirkes,Suche at I • hue knox and done Iohne win raip and W • tharis. of whome sum commit hooredome with Babilone. And proceades farther saing 〈◊〉 quod sequitur in mercatores terrae de virtu • e 〈◊〉 eius & diuites facti sunt, ad falsos facet dores & 〈◊〉 pocharitas, referendū est. qui negociantur regnū Dei tēporalibus lucris. That is. And that which followeth [sayet he] ād the merchādes of the earth wer maid rlche of her pleasures That making marchandise of the kingdome of God, gapes for temporall aduantage &c. And after a litill vpon thase wordes, and the merchandes of the earth shall mu • ne &c. he sais. Negotiatores terrae sicut superius dictum est: ip • i sunt sacerdotes bruti, qui nesciunt quae Dei sunt. Sacerdotes animales qui dati sunt in atrium exterius vt manducent peccata populi: qui vendunt orationes & Missa • pro denariis, facientis domum orationis apothecam negociationis, facientes inquam forum publicum & speluncam latrounum &c. As the foir- • saidi • . 〈◊〉 That is, the merchandes of the earth (as is befoir said) thay ar the brutish preastes that know not those thinges that apperteane to God Sensuall preastes that ar placed in the outward court that thai may eat the sinnes of the people, who sel prayers and Messes for money: macking the hous of payer ane chop of merchandise: yea making it [I say] a publict and oppē mercat, and a den of theues &c. If Maister Tyrie or any vther of that sect, blame ws of raylling [as commonlie thay vse to do, when that we speak treuth, then let him and thame cōsidder that we learned not of Martyn Luther, quhat kynd of men the papistes wer • bot that which we speak and affirme now we haue receaued of the Papistes thame selues. For this hath bene the mer • y • full prouidence of God, to warts his litill flock euer from the beginning. That when ane vniuersall corruption began to spred the self, than wer rased some as it wer one or tuo amonges the hole multitude till admonishe the present age, and the posterities to cum, • ow far men had declyned from the originall puritie: that at least God might haue sume testimonie that the veritie of God, was not altogether buried in the earth. But now let ws heare the iugement of vthers.

THE REFVTATION.

I Micht hane passit this iustlie onder silence, becaus it contenis nathing quhilk ony way is contrar to me. • ot in respect it abundet of maist impudent lyes, I culd • ocht be satisfiet in my conscience, • nl • s I had incidētlie admoneist the reader thairof, to the end he micht acknowlege the sinceritie of zour euāgell. As quhair ze reios sa gretumlie in the succes of zour dostrine, that it hes suay within schort space incresced, an multipliet: veralie I see na caus quhilk may in on • wais moue zou Suay, in that part: in respect God, quha of his infinit prouidence conse • ues his kirk at all tyme, hes in ane gre • t part purget it of men of zour faction: of the quhilk, sum be his iust iugement ar rutis out, as on profitable and pernicions to the hail warld, • theris vnderstanding thame selues to haue bene meruelouslie dec • aued, hes reunited thame selues agane to the Catholict faith. Suay that thair is few in th • haill warld, quha doith frielie profes zour doctrine, onles it be in • ngland, Scotland, and in the countie of • alatine in Germainie. Thairfoir it hes nocht sa gretum • lie incressed as ze beleue. and be the prouidēce of God the vanitie of it is daylie mair and mair espyed. Bot to pas fordwart, ze promeis first to adduce certane testimoneis, be verteu of the quhilk ze may be able to preif deprauation, nocht onlie of maners, bot alsuay of doctrine to haue bene in the Romane kirk. Bot haueād adduced sum testimoneis of abbat • oachim, and Auentinus, concernand onlie the corruptio • of maneris, and that bot of sum particulair persones ze do on nawais adduce ony testimonie, cō • orme to zour promeis quhairef deprauatiō of doctrine in ony sort may be collected: nor zit makād mention of ony, that did profes zour doctrine in ony age. For as cōcerning deprauatioun of maneris in sum particulair, personis, we do grāt it allreddie wnto zou, suay that ze mistert nocht to haue hestowit sa mekill • yme, in probatioun thairof, lyk as gidder in his kirk to the day of iugement. Bot as ane euill dialectitien, of ane particular or tuay, wald collect the vniuersall to be trew. As quhair ze obserue ane smal numbre of Prelatis, or pastouris of the kirk to fall in ony • ce, ze collect the haill remanent to be alyke. Thairfoir behald quhat S. Augustene doth wreit in ane of his epistolis:Aug. epist. 137. Quhat is it [saith he] that thay do maist diligētlie obserue and nott, bot as ane particular bischop clerk, or religious man dothe fall, suay beleif thay of the pastouris: and zit nocht withstanding, quhen thay obserue ony particular woman conioned in matrimony, notet as ane adulterar, nother do thay mak diuorcemēt with thair wyues, nor accuses thair motheris of the lyk salt Suay albeid the Papes of Rome had bene • sic men as ze allege, it is no preiudice to the catholick religioū as S.August. lib. 2 contra lite • as pet • li ani c. 51. Augustin prouis aganis the heretikis of his age, quha did argument aganis him euin as ze do. Quhat euill (says he) hes the seit of Rome done • vnto the, in the quhilk sat vmquhile Petir, and in the quhilk Anastasius do • presentlie sit (Gregorius 13.) or the seat of Hierusalem, in the quhilk S. Iames vmquhil did sit, and in the quhilk presentlie Iohne dois • it, with quhome we do aggre in vnitie of doctrine, and fra quhome ze haue violentlie separat Zour selues: quhy callis thou the seat of Rome the chear of pestilence: gif thou obiectis that th • y leue licenciou •• e, and nocht according to Goddis law, thow micht haue considderit, that Christ, nochtwithstanding he reproches the scribis and pharisees that thay war wicked me, zit he dois honour the chear of Moyses, in the quh • lk thay sat. Hactenus Augustinus. Bot in dide thair is tuo thingis worthie of admiratioun, in this discurs of Sr. Iohne knox the ane is, that haueand the space of fyue zeris to ansuer vnto my letter, espetiallie being assistit thairto be te haill concurrence of his ministers, he employet nocht sumpart of that tyme, to perceaue of quhat author I had allegit that sentence, nihil infoelici 〈◊〉 foelicitate peccantiū ▪ qua & lae talis nutritur tmpunitas, & mala volūtas tanquā inte rior hostis roboratur. Quhilk gif he had done, he had nocht committie so great ane falt into a mater so small, for quho w • eid it be no errour in his religioun, that he hes writtin towart this sentence, zit it is ane greit errour in eruditioun,Aug. epist. ad Marcellinum. first to misknaw, that S. Augustin wes the author of that sentence (it spetiallie being comone and vulgar) and meakle mair to misknaw quhat it menis, or to quhat effect it wes said, for it wes nocht said aganis the Papis of Rome, as he fal • lie allegis, bot aganis the paganis of Rome, suay I maruell of his impudēcie, that nochtwithstanding he confessis him self to misknaw the author of it, zit he affirmes that it wes said aganis the Papis of Rome, I maruell alsuay that he vsis the authoritie of Abb • t Ioachim, to proue corruptioun of doctrine in the Romane kirk, considering he confessis him to haue bene ane Paptist. And as is manifest of the concell of laterane,Con: later. can. 2. he submittit his haill writ tingis to the correctioun of the kirk of Rome: quhilk he wald nocht haue done, gif he had iugit it to haue followit fals and corrupted doctr • ne. Suay Sr. Iohne knox in citing hi • authoritie, schawis cleirlie that he hes litill regard to the veritie, or ellis he suld haue bene eschamit to haue brocht sic mēnis testimoneis in confirmatione of ony thing, quhilk concernis his doctrine or religioun▪ bot becaus he is destitute of all gude and solid ground, he is constranit so to do, that he appei • nocht to the simple and ignorant people, quhilk he deceauis, to hald his toung. Suay all that quhilk he hes brocht of Ioachim prouis onlie sum corruptione and deprauatioun of maners, to haue bene in the kirk during his tyme, quhilk we haue grātit al reddie without ony probatioun: And we adde thairto, onles thair had bene sum corruption of maners in our kirk, zour synagoge had euir riddin with ane thin court, becaus it is constitute onlie of the corrupted, and onprofitable membres of our kirk, that is, of Licentius and fil hie men, abandon • to thair anwin plesures: quhilkis becaus thai culd nocht enioy in the catholick kirk according to thair professioun, thai haue institute ane synagoge to thame self: as be example freir Mar • in Luther ane man of greit verteu and austeritie of lyf, did begin the play, thare •• er followit dene Iohne Ecolāpadius, and sindri • vthers in Germanye, as in Scotland, freir Iohne willox, done Iohne winraip, • chir Iohne knox, done Nicol spittel, and • indrie vtheris extraordinar prophetis, quha of thair a win power and authoritie, hes e • ekit and buildit suche notable ki • kis, that thay may iustlie be comparit in halines and perfection of lyf, with the kirkis of Hierusalem, Achaia, and vtheris quhilks wer buildit be the apostlis thame self.

THE REST OF SCHIR IOHNE knox ansuer.

SVche as be any thing acquented with the histo •• es of the an • iquitie, can not be ignorant, quhow vehement wes the conten •• oun bet • ix Nicolaus the frist and certane of the bischopis of Germanie, for the diu • rcement and secound mariage of loth a •• king of vngarie which of the tuo parties had 〈◊〉 actioun we dispute not: But quhat wer the crymes lade to the Pape in those days▪ we shall shortlie twoch efter that Tetogandus and gunt • erus, who wer the tuo cheif bischopes that opponed thame selues to the pryde of the romane bishop, had largely purged thame selues of all things wher with he charged thame. thay enter in into moste bitter accusation of the said Nicolas Pape. And ofter other thinges they lade to his charge, that most tyrannically he had opressed the libertie of the spous of Iesus Christ. And efter that thay hade rehersed the principall or namētis wherwith the trew kirk wes decored. thay say, quae beneficia tu veluti latro intercipis tēplo Dei praeripis, in teque transfers &c. And after, tu pontificis quidem personam prae to ferssed tyrannū agitas: Sub habitu & cultu pastoris lupum sentimus, titulus parentem mentitur luce factis Iouem ostētas. that is which benefites thou as a murtherar cutteth of, and takis away from the kirk of god, transferring thame vnto thy self. Thou shawis the persone of a pastour, but planelie thou playes the tyranne, wnder the • abet and clothing of a sheapherd. we feale the crueltie of a volf. The title lies, for it calleth the father: But thou thy self into this 〈◊〉 shawes the thundering of Iupiter &c. And thaifoir (say thay) we knowe not thy uoce: we regard not thy statutes nether yet feare we thy bulles nor thunderinges. If thou pretēd to interdyte ws, we fear not to cut thy th rot with thy owē suord: for the holy ghost is author of all the kirkes whersoeuer thai be dispersed vpon the face of the • arth. This wes the • udgemēt of many otheris then thais befoir expressed, of the • eat of Rome in those dayes about 800 yeares after the ascension of Christ, and how that the pryde and iniquitie of that seat augmented, as al so the fre • peaking of men against the same, the subsequentis will declare.

THE REFVTATIOVN.

I Micht iustlie reiect quhat sumeuer z • cite of Auētinus becaus he is of no anthoritie, and mairour wes ane lu • herian, suay that it is na maruell that beand addicted beand addicted to his awin opinione he rayl sum • tymes aganis the papis of Rome. Gif ze wald haue hade ony credeit ze suld haue cited historiographoris of sum authoritie, and quha had bene afoir thir tumultis, Zet that zour malice be knawin, I wil ordourlie rehers quhat euer ze say, and to begin at Lotharius king of Vngarie, that the veritie • e mair fullelie perceauit I wil recoumpt the haill historie. Lothari •• king of Vngarie hueand Thiebberg to his wyf, be ane licht phantasie and without occasion did mak diuorcement be the autoritie of Gontire bischop of Colane (fenzeand him myndfull te marie the said Gontires neice, to the effect he micht tharbie conqueis mair affectionatlie his authoritie) and of Thietgald, bischop of Ments, ane man bot simple and litil b • sene in the scriptures. Quhilkes maters being rypelie considderit, be the Romane bischop did excomunicat Lotharius and de pryued the sadis tuay bischop • s in respect of thair concurrēce and assistance maid to him. Thietgald patientlie berand the mater did nocht in ony sort efterwart mel him self with the administratioun of his former office, as grantād him to haue bene iustlie deposed thairfra. Gonterus did oppose him self in that pairt to the bischop of Rome, affirmand allmaist all that quhilk ze haue rehersie. This is the trew narratioun of the historie of Lotharius: now I will collect the strenth of zour argument in few word • s: ane bischop of Germanie moued be ambitioun in ane iniust caus opposit him to the Pape of Rome, quhat can be collecked of this propositione I can nocht easelie perceaue. Thairfoir I leif the conclusion to be gadderit be zour ministers. As concerning the estimatioun of that age of the • eat of Rome, it is first n • toriuslie knawin of the fourt councell of Constantinopole, quhairin wes hard the vniuersall and aggreable consent of the haill pastouris of the k • rk during that tyme. And in lyk maner of loys Empri • ur of the occidēt, quha passit him self to the bischop of Rome for the tyme, and of Michael Empriour of the • rient, quha in lykmaner did send his legatis: and alsuay of the haill writtars of that age. And last of all of the said Lotharius quha passit to Rome to Adrian the secund that succedit to Nicolas the first, that he micht be absoluit fra his excommunicatiō, and forther to the effect he micht mair fullalie testifie his innocencie, and purge him of the crymes that wer obiected aganis him, desyrit to ressaue the blissit sacrament in teakin and confirmation thairof, the quhilk Adrian than bischop of Rome culd nocht refufe. Bot shortlie haueand receauet the sacrament, inlakit: quhair bie ze may perfytelie knaw quhat religioū the haill warld professit, and in quhat estimatioun the authoritie of the seat of Rome was as than.

THE REST OF SCHIR IOHNE knox ansuer.

VVhat lamentabill tragedie was plaed betuix Heldebrand callit Gregore the seuint, and Henrie the fourt Empreour of Rome, mo historiographoures then on or tuo do witnesse. Nether yet do thase writters who wer most addict to the faction of the Pope, to wit Gerochus and Paulus, so co • er the shame of that deceauer, but that thay if sufficient light to men, to se whāt mischeaf lurked within the bosome of that pestilent seat. For writting What the said Heldebrand did, what tyme that he wes first deposed from that seat, which be craift and without all ordour he did vsurpe [thay say] that he spared not largelie to bestow the patrimonie of the kirk vpō soldiours ād vpō capitane of warre: vpō the which the pure, 〈◊〉 , should haue bene susteaned: yea, thay affirme that he shew him self mair rigerus against the empreour, then it become ane pastour to haue done. If this wes thair iugement who tooke vpon thame to defend his action and caus, what think we wes the iudgement of otheres.

That shall we better vnderstand he his accusatione, and be the sentence prononced agains him be all the bischoppes of france and Germanie. who with one voce cōcluded, that Hildebrand was ambitious peri •• ed: ane vsurpour of the empriou • is authoritie, one that violated and brak the concord of the kirk: and therefore that he was on worthie of that seat. This sentēce was prononced in his owen face, whill that he was Sitting in counsell in Rome be one Rulandus, cheaf preast of Parma. who boldlie and without any salutation offering the decreit of the counsall▪ togidder with the empriouris leters, said This Hildebrand is no bischop, no father, no pasture, he is a theaf, a wolf, a murtherer, a tyranne and thairfoir lat him be deposed &c. we ar not ignorant, that theirof ensewe great tumult, sedition, and trouble. But as that purget no thing his former infamie, so did it not stop that mouths of many planelie to prononce, iudgment they had of him and of that seat. To wit, that he vnder the tytle of Christ did the werray werk of the Antichrist: that he sat in the temple of God, which then was becom Babilon, that he was worschippit and extolled aboue all that which was called God: that he was glorified as if he culd not erre &c. Thais and others crymes of no les w • eght war laid in that age, to the bischoppes and seat of Rome: and this was far without the terme of thre hundreth yeres within the which, M. Tyrie wold limitat the doctrine of our kirk. But let ws heare forther.

THE REFVTATION.

THe trew narra • tioun of the historie is this. Henrie the 4. haueand commitet sindrie and diue wechtie crymes, was excommunicat be Gregorius the • bischop of Rome, quha of befoir wes namit Heldebrand. During the quhilk tyme thair wes certane bischopis of Germanie fauorars of the empriour. amāgis the quhilkis villiame bischop of Mastrich as principall accused the said Greg • ir as onlauchfullie electit,Lambertus de gestis german▪ in fin • Buching • ru • in vita gregori 17. Cuspinianus in vita henrici imerat. and on worthie of that seat: quha •• throw be ane comoun concell amongis th • me thay did surrogat the bis • hop of Rauēne in his rowme. Bot considder the end of the tragedie (as ze call it) the said Henrie the fourt fenzeand emendiment of lyf, being accompanit with certan bischoppis passit to Rome during the vehemencie of the winter, and greit stormes, to the end he suld obtene absolution fra the said Gregorius. Bot schortlie thairefter brakand his promeis and falland in the lyk iniquitie, was within schort space throch the iust iugement of God deposed be his sone fra his empyre, and thair • y dreuin in dolour and displesour miserablie endit his lyf. And villiame bischop of mastrich principall and head of the said coniuratione, e • ter he had bene oft accuctumet to excōmunicat this Gregour bischop of Rome, at the last did oppinlie cry out in presence of the haill cōuentioun for the tyme, that he wes throw the iust iugement of God iustlie condamnit, in so far as he had nocht deulie schawin obedience to his superiouris, and had bene the author of so greit euillis, • nd iniquities, end and his lyf miserablie in the said desperatiosū. Quhairthrou ony man may easalie perceaue gif this historie doith tend to the confirmatioun of zour opinioun. in respect thais bischoppis of Germanie had nocht allegit the said gregour on worthie of that seat, gif thay had denyit the Romane authoritie: lyk alsuay as thay wald nocht haue surrogat ane vther in his place: And the punitioun of God had nocht bene sa seueir aganis the Emperour him self and his principall accomplesis, onles his caus had bene iniust.

THEREST OF KNOX ansuer.

AS the practises of the bischoppes of Rome, wer moir and more espyed, the bischopes of Germanie assembled thame selues in counsall at Regmoburgium: where the bischope of that same cuntrie in his most vehement orison maid against the authoris of seditioū, amonges other thinges pronounced this sentence against the bischoppis and • eat of Rome: Christ oure sal • our (sais he) most diligētlie foir warned ws to be war of fals Christes and fals prophetes, whome he willed ws to discerne and know be thair workes, whome presentlie on les we be moir than blind we may se. For (sayes he) Romani fluminis arma in omnes habent Christianos, audendo fallendo, • at is Schir •• hne with •• e r • st of •• s ministe •• s. & bella ex bellis ferendo, magni facti omnes trucidāt, occidunt pacem concordiam terris de • ellut. &c. That is these Romane preastes (he notes the hole rable) mak weir against all Christianes, sum tymes malepartlie, some tymes craftelie and be deceat thai still continew, warre vpō warre. Tay thame selues being made great, murther, ād slay the sheap. Breuelie thay tak peace ād concord frō the earth. • ent: lib. 7. And after a litle in the same orison, which is to be found in the se • int booke of the historie foresaid he sayes: Hildebrandus ante annos cen • um atque septuaginta, primus specie relig • o •• s antihristi Imperii fundamedta iecit. Hoc bellum nephandum primus auspicatu • est, quod per successores hucusq • e continuatur &c. That is, Hildebrand (sayes he) before an hundreth, and 〈◊〉 yeares first vnder aperance of religioun laid the fundatioun of the empyre of the Antichrist, he first began this on happie warre, which to this day is continued be his successoures: he farther proc • ades and says, beleue the man that hes experience. Thays preastes of Babilon desyre to regne alone: they shall not cease vnto 〈◊〉 tyme as that they haue oppressed the honour of the Romane empire. And consequentlie the trew pastures that wold fead the flock being oppressed, and the barking doges being remoued thay shall extinguis the trewth, thay shall murther and trode all thinges vnder thair feat: that shall sit in the temple of God, and be extolled aboue all that is worcheped &c.gif thir b ••• ch • ppis w •• re halie, Z •• and zour •• nisteris ar heretikes

These and many other graues sentēces wer prononced be the said ebirhardus and wer ratified, and confirmed be the hole bischoppes and senat of Germanie: wherby it is euident what iugement that age had of the bischoppes of Rome and their colleges. To auoyde farther prolixitie, we omitt the orison and iugement of Probus the bischop of Tullose public the set furth against the pape and against his practises in the days of lodouicus the fourt emperour, tog • ther with the iugementis of mauy other:ze haue ci •• as zit na • cient Write. which such as are exercised in reading of histories may not. So that if▪ M. Tyrie or any of his sect shall, after this accuse ws that we ar the first that haue disclosit that man of sin: the most ancient writtars shall conuict him and purge ws. Now schortlie to te rest of his letter.

THE REFVTATIOVN.

QVhat may be collected of this discurs I can nocht perfytlie vnderstand, onles ze wald say, that quhasoeuer at ony tyme hes opposit thame self to that seat,Eg • sippu •• 3 de exi. P •• c. 2. Ire ••• lib. 3. c. 3. to haue bene of zour factioun. Quhilk gif ze do ze suld nocht haue begun at the bischoppis of Germanie bot at Symon Magus, quh • opposit him self to Petir, quha wes the first bischop of Rome,Te • t de p •• s • rip. haer •• Eus • bius 2. c. 13. 〈◊〉 . as testifies all the authoris cited of • efoir, and historicians, as Egesippus, Eusebius, Zonaras, Theodoretus, and the rest. Thairefter ze micht haue compted the Arriens. Pelagiens, Nestoriens, and vtheris heretikis of all tymes following. Now that zour impudencie be knawin, I will declair in few wordis what the haill warld as than beleued concerning the authoritie of the seat of Rome. In the con •• ill of lateran quhilk wes about that tyme, quhair thair wes gadderit, of sindry partis of the warl • four hundreth and •• elf bischopis, togidder with the Patriarchis of the seattis of Constantinopill, and Hierusalē, it is decretit in the • ift decreit in this maner. •• il. later. 〈◊〉 . 5. It is statute and ordanit, be the vniuersall and aggreable conuentioun, concerning the renouatione of the priuilegis of prīcipall sea • is of the Patriarchis • s, that efter the Romane kirk, quhi • k be the prouidēce of god hes obtenit ordinar powar aboue the remanēt as mother of the hail faithfulis of Christ the seat of Cōstā •• nople to haue immediatlie thairefter the first place, Alexandria the secund, Anthiochia the third, and Hie • usalem the fourt, Bo • as quhair certane seditious bischoppis of Germanie, albeid nocht all, (as ze maist falslie affirme) opposed thame selues to the seat of Rome, the argument is lichtar, nor that it do mister any refutatioun. Bot in respect in all thais conspirationis, the bischop of the seat of Rome at all tymes hes reportit the victorie, it is ane sure argument, that his power and authoritie dois proceid of God, and that be him in despyte of tyranis and vther seditious personis, it is mantenet, and nocht be the strenth of man▪

Last, • teranus • • 23. as concerning that quhilk ze adduce of Lois the fourt, it do • nawais mak in ony sort for zou: • rst becaus ze dar nocht affirme him to haue bene of zour factioun. Secundlie be resson his opositione followith of that becaus he was deposit from his Empyre, be the authoritie of the Romane bischop for the tyme, and thairbye iustlie thairefter did th • ill punitione for his inobedience.

THE LETTER.

SEn my departing fra zou, I haue sene sindrie congregationis, spetiallie in Germanye, peofessing as thay pratendit the tr • u word of god, and his euangell. bot in veritie, betuix thame thair selues, and betuix thame and zou, I find sa great differēce and repugnance in maters of greit consequence, that gif thair war na vther argument, to let me nocht depart from the catholick kirk in the qubilk I was baptiz at, that wer sufficient.

THE REST OF SCHIR IOHNE knox ansuer.

when M. Tyrie shall accuse in spetiall, whairin the congregations of Germ • nie, differ amonges thame selues, and that we differ from thame than shall we shaw our iugements, whether the difference be of such importance▪ as is ought to dissolue the vnitie of the kirk. The cōfessioun of our faith, and the ordour of our kirk is patēt to all that lyst to read the same, whē aither he, or any other shall oppūge any one or tuo heades of the same,Similes h •• bent lab ••• lactucas. In this co ••• trouersie, haill con •• sion of z ••• faith is pugnit. so lang as God pleases to retea • e in this miserable lyf, such as of • is mercie he has maid his Ministers, to blow the trumpet of his iugementis, to this most wicked generatione: nather he or any other that please to oppone thame selues to oure confession shall lang craue ane ansuer, ane ansuer we say, of any one or tuo heades which thay pleis to oppoung. For M, Tyrie ought to vnderstand that the preacheing ministers within the realme of Scotland ar oxen, euer laboring under the yock: • uha readis 〈◊〉 Augustene 〈◊〉 the 67 •• alme wil • y that ze 〈◊〉 lyker bu ••• s nor oxē • his is all • • ew as the • st of zour •• suer. and that into the husbandrie of the lord. And therefoir thai can haue no • yme vacant from thair necessarie cures, to compas countries with the Iesuites (who at subiect to non other yocke then to that of thair owen electione) to espy what faultes thay can find amō ges the congregations. As we haue no vacantes (we say) to considder all trifflis, that offend delicate men, who can acknowledge no kirk, but that which in all pointes be absolute and perfy • e: so albeid that boith we did considder thame, and condempne thame, yet we vsurp no authoritie aboue oure breather: But remit all men to thair owen iudge. And do reuerence, all congregations, who do aggre with ws in the principalis of ou • faith: as the particular kirkis of Iesus Christ: albeid that in all ceremoneis thair be nocht vniformitie: yea, and albeid that in sum heades of doctrine also, there appeare repugnance, yet will we not brek brotherlie concord, prouiding that we aggrie in the principallis. Principallis we call those heades and doctrine, without the confessioun and cousent wherof, the kirk wes not planted▪ Be thais few wordes M. Tyrie (gif he be wyre) may vnderstand what we meane, and so we procead to the conclusioun of his letter.

THE REFVTATION.

ALbeid it be notoriuslie knauē to the haill world, of the diuers and wechtie cōtrouersies betuix the Lutheriens and • aluinistes zet ze wald crafteli • dissemble the mater, as it war almaist onknawin to zou, or at the leist zeschaw si • cōtrouersies, quhilkis ar amangis zou to be friuoll, and of litill importance. • uay ze think it a mater of litill in portance, to beleue, gif the bodie of Christ, be contenit in the Sacrament of the altar or nocht: quhilk controuersie gif it apperits to zou friuoll, considder zour bauldnes and arrogance, quha dar reput the principall and cheif mistries of the faith, in sa small estimation, Bot gif ze beleue it of ony importance, zeschaw zour self ane greit hypocreit, that in sa wechtie ane mater dois sa grethumlie dissemble. And quhow oppen that euer zour synagoge be, to receaue all men of large conscience, as zuinglianis, Lutherianis, and vtheris: zit Lutheris followars, as said is of befoir, thinkis zou and thame of zour sect on worthie to be numbret amonges trew Christiens, condemnand zow as heretikes, and followers of maist pernitius and wicked doctrine. And nocht monie zearis ago, be zuinglius Scholars in Tigurin, Caluins, zour maisters werkis, wer consecrat to the fyre. Suay, quhair ze say that ze do reuerence the congregagationis of the Lutherians, and zuinglians, as particular kirkis of Iesus Christ, ze condamne zour awin kirk, at the leist according to thair iugement, as the synagoge of Sathan.

THE LETTER.

QVhairfoir Schir I exhort zou as I begouth, to 〈◊〉 on this mater, as deiplie as it becommeth • Christiane man. And quh • n ze haue sua done, aduertise, me of zour sentiment▪ in the meane tyme, I sal pray almichtie God be his grace, to illuminat zour spreit, to knaw in this mater the richt way, and to gif zou fortitude and strenth, quhē ze haue knowen it • to profes it sasar as salbe conuenient to zonr estare and saluatione. Hauing na forther occasione of writing, committis zou to the pr • tectione of almichtie God.

writtin at Paris the sex • of December. Be zour maist humble seruitour and brother. Iames Tyrie.
THE REST OF SCHIR IOHNE knox ansuer.

AGainst this exhortatiō will we obiect nothing. For oure ernest desyre is, that men diligentlie considder what doctrine thay embrase, what foundation and ground thair faith hes, and finallie what way thay follow, thinking thairbie to atteane to eternall felicitie. For this car • les securitie that vniuersal • e may be espyed in men,Sententia definiti • a. we dāpned, and euer hath dāned: but this we feare not to affirme, as befoir we haue written, that the doctrine of the Papisticall kirk, now many yeares by past, • ath bene all togidder corrupt: that thair opinioun, which, thay call thair catholick faith, hes no sure groūd within the word of god: and that the way which thay for the most pairt haue followed, westhe verray way of perditione, to all such as witthout treu repentence departed this lif in that blindnes. And muche moir shalbe to all persones ād estates, that now shall manteane those abominations▪ becaus the licht is come'and hes sufficientlie declared the former darknes. That man of syn is so manifestlie reueled, that excuse of ignorāce thair rested nō, but a fearefull iudgemēt abydis all such, that yet farther will follow his dampnable wayes.

THE REFVTATIOVN.

IT hes bene cōmone to all fals prophetis sen the beginning of the kirk of God, to haif coloured thair venome with sum honest denominatioū: for thay did maist cleirlie vnder stād, gif thai had professit oppinlie thame selues to be si • men, as thay war in deid, thay wald haue bene destitute of all concurrence and audience. Quhairfoir willing to clo • k thair impietie, thay altogether allegit, as ze do presentlie, that thay professit onlie the pure, and sincere word of God. As to begin at Symon Magus,Act. 8. quha callit him self the veray verteu of God.Aug. con. epi. Manichei. Manicheus in lyk maner did call him self Apostle of God. Marmetus affirmeth him to haue receaued his law out of the hand of God. And laitlie luther and Caluin, with thair accomplises, dois maist arrogantlie vāt thame selues, that all thair doctrine proceadis from the instinctione of the halie spreit. Suay zeschaw cleirlie, that ze do follow in this behalf the fu • stoppes of fals prophetis that has bene afoir zou, quha euer without all probation (as ze do presentlie) did maist arrogantlie vsurpe to thame self that, quhilk ze vsurp.

As quhair ze allege, the man of sin to be reuelit in the seat of Rome, it is fa far repugnant to the veritie, that it is maist cleirlie, and euidentlie prouen be the word of God, and continuatioun of Pastoures of all agis, the bischop of Rome to be the successour of Petir, and pastour of the vniuersall kirk: that na man, quha wald nocht schaw utter ignorance conioyned with ext • eme malice, dar deny it. Gif ze wald haue had ony authoritie, or credit, ze suld nocht haue spoken in sa wechtie ane mater, without all probatioun as ze do, euin as zour authoritie wer sufficient, to persuade to all man, all to be trew, quhatsoeuer apperis to zour phantasticall brane. Thairfoir quhomekill that euer zegloir in zour awin vanirie and foleschenes, it is easie to euerie man, quha will diligentlie inquire zour authoritie, and vocatioun to the preching of the word, the continuatione ad successioun 〈…〉 kirk of God: bot that ze ar of this 〈…〉 quhilk is S. Paull makis mentione writtād 〈…〉 in this maner. Considder, and acknawlege that in the last days thair sall cum perrolus tymes, in the quhilkis salbe men,Speculū pr • phetarū luffars of thair a win selues, couatous, presumptious, proud, blaspheamours, in obedient to thair parēts, on thankfull, on halie, without mutuall affectioun, trucebrekers, fals accusars, palliards, rude and on meik despysars of the gude, tratours, hedie, vantars, luffars of thame selues mair than of God, hauād out wartlie ane colour and apperance of halines, bot inwartlie reiect and the verteu and strenth thairof: Turne away thairfoir from suche.

This gude reader I haue written schor • lie, according to my promis, quha • by I beleue all thing to be suffitientlie refused, quhilk Sr. Iohne knox hes ansu • red to my letter. As to his Ministers I will thay vnderstand that thay haue ado with ressonable men, and with men quha hes als great desyre of the kingdome of heuin and lyf euerlasting, as thay haue (to say no forther.) sua I dout na thing, gif [all contentioun and vane multiplicatioun of wordis being pur asyde) thay ansuer directlie without all subterfuge, to that thing, quhilk is in questione or controuersie, that it salbe easie to euerie men to espy, quha defendis the richt caus, and quha intentis the wrang, Viher wais, it wilbe mair expedi •• to thame to keip silence, and ansuer no thing at all, nor to expose thame self troch sic wane subterfugis as thay ordinarlie vse, to be mocked an scorned to be all men quha readis thair writtingis.

FINIS.
THE ERROVRS Of the epistil.

deceane for deceaue Fol. 3. pag. 1. lin. II. gog, for, God. 4. 2. 3. Of the buke. ialolatouris, for idolatouris 1. 2. 4. hepith, for, kepith 1. 2. 30. tha • rdy, for, tharbye 5. 2. 17. quilairthrow for quhairthrow 8. 2. 21. waild, for, I waild 11. 2. 22. sallin, for, fallin 14. 2. 9. redarit, for declarit 19. 2. 12. albe, for able 20. 2. 1. wreltand for wreittand 22. 1. 23. alleg, for, allegis 25. 1. 7. zear, for, ze ar 28. 1. vlt. conceruit, for, conseruit, 33. 1. 5. the, for, he, cod. 1. vlt. ces, for, sensis 34. 2. 24. maid for, may 41. 1. 19. menstralis, for, ministeris 41. 2. 18. firme, for, sume 43. 1. 31. lyk as gidder, for, lyk as christ sais the ewill and the guid selbie togither 49. 1. vlt. bot as, for, bot ze as 49. 2. 1. the, for, all the 49. 2. 9. iu, for, iust 50. 2. vlt. the prenter hes left out the historiographoures concernand the histori • of lotarius. fol. 51. pag. 2. quhilkis a • Sigisbertus in suis cronicit. regio in cronicis. lib. 2, cusp. in vita lotharij. marmetus, for, mahometus 57. 1. 8. kirk of god, for, kirk that ze do naways appartene to the kirk of god 57. 2. 1.