. 
 
 DAYID FERGUSSON, 
 
 MINISTER OP DUNFERMLINE. 
 
 MD1XIII.-MDLXXII. 
 
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THE following Tracts by one of the Fathers of the Reformation 
 in Scotland, were reprinted by the late PRINCIPAL LEE, with 
 the view of presenting the volume as a contribution to the 
 BANNATYNE CLUB, of which he was an original member. It 
 is now completed at the request of his family. In this design 
 Principal Lee was not altogether influenced by a regard to 
 the extreme rarity of the original tracts, or even to their in- 
 trinsic curiosity and importance ; but partly with the intention 
 of tracing the Author's descendants, and pointing out the vari- 
 ous distinguished men, connected with the Church of Scotland, 
 who were to be reckoned in their number ; they having branched 
 out, as it is supposed, on the one hand to the family of Dr Adam 
 Ferguson (an old and early friend of Principal Lee), and on the 
 other to that of Principal Robertson. This had long been a 
 cherished scheme, as, upwards of thirty years ago, he was at the 
 expense of reprinting Fer^usson's Sermon preached before the 
 Regent and Nobility in 1571-2 (included in the present volume); 
 but the copies were allowed to remain in the printer's warehouse, 
 waiting for some favourable occasion of being able to prepare 
 a detailed memoir of the Author with an account of his numer- 
 ous descendants. Among the detached notices which the learned 
 Principal had collected for this purpose, there was found the 
 following sketch of an introductory notice, written on separate 
 leaves, apparently at two different periods. This is now arranged, 
 and here inserted, as it presents a brief outline of what Principal 
 Lee seems to have originally contemplated. 
 
 DAVID LAING. 
 Edinburgh, October 1860. 
 
 b 
 
INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. 
 
 DAVID FERGUSSON, appointed minister of Dunfermline in July 
 1560, was one of the boldest, most sagacious, and most amiable 
 of the reformers of the Church of Scotland. He was not a 
 voluminous writer, but he was advantageously known in his own 
 time as the author of a controversial work printed at Edinburgh 
 in 1563, entitled "An Answer to ane Epistle, written by Renat 
 Benedict, the French doctor, to John Knox and the rest of the 
 brethren, ministers of God's Word," etc. This book contains 
 much interesting information, and exhibits decided proofs both 
 of ingenuity and learning. The author, nine years afterwards, 
 published a " Sermon preached before the Eegent and Nobility 
 at Leith, Jan. 13, 1571-2," during the General Assembly. It 
 related to the provision for the reformed ministers, the schools, 
 and the poor. This Sermon was certainly not a courtly com- 
 position ; but when the next General Assembly (holden at Perth 
 in August 1572) proposed that it should be published, it was 
 submitted to the revision of five of the most eminent ministers, 
 all of whom expressed strong approbation, and John Knox, one 
 of the number, then on his death-bed, gave it the following 
 emphatic recommendation : " John Knox, with my dead hand 
 but glad heart, praising God that of His mercy He leaves such 
 light to His Kirk in this desolation." 
 
 David Fergusson is spoken of by Archbishop Spottiswood as 
 having been born about the year 1533, but Wodrow thinks it 
 
viii INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. 
 
 more probable that he must have been born ten or even twenty 
 years earlier. Wodrow mentions a common tradition that he 
 had been bred a skinner, a supposition which is said to have 
 been countenanced by one of the practical jokes ascribed to him. 
 Having on one occasion presented to the King and Council a 
 petition for an augmentation of stipend, he was mortified by 
 having it returned to him endorsed with the unpromising words, 
 " Sicut ante" Some time afterwards, the King, passing through 
 Dunfermline, saw the old minister going through the ungraceful 
 process of dressing hides, and asked somebody if he had lost his 
 wits ; whereupon Mr David, overhearing the question, promptly 
 replied, that he was endeavouring to fulfil his Majesty's com- 
 mands, by returning to his original trade, and thus gaining his 
 bread sicut ante, " as before." James is said to have engaged 
 to have his petition more favourably backed when it next came 
 before him. Some of the writers in the interest of the Church 
 of Rome spoke of Fergusson as an ignorant sutor and glover. 
 It is pretty well ascertained that David Fergusson never ob- 
 tained an academical degree, and it is not improbable that he 
 never had the benefit of a college education. But he was not 
 unacquainted with the languages of Greece and Rome, and his 
 writings and speeches were frequently enlivened by classical 
 allusions. 
 
 Fergusson is acknowledged to have been one of the first 
 preachers of the reformed doctrines in Scotland. He says him- 
 self that he was one of six who preached without the concurrence 
 of the civil magistrate, when the name of stipend was never 
 heard of. In July 1560 he was appointed to the Church of 
 Dunfermline. He was a member of the first General Assembly, 
 holden at Edinburgh in December 1560, and his name appears 
 in the roll of almost every future Assembly till the time of his 
 death. He was also frequently, indeed almost always, named as 
 a member of the deputations appointed to negotiate with the 
 Government on the affairs of the Church. For this service he 
 was well adapted, having been always distinguished by his 
 
INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. ix 
 
 singular penetration, firmness, and presence of mind. The most 
 practical courtier could not easily impose on the native shrewd- 
 ness of David Fergusson. Spottiswood allows that his pleasant 
 and jocund disposition always secured him a favourable recep- 
 tion both among the great and the small. 
 
 For several years Fergusson's provision was very inadequate. 
 In his answer to Kenat Benedict, printed at Edinburgh by Robert 
 Lekprevik in 1563, he describes the state to which he and other 
 ministers had been exposed : " The greatest number of us have 
 lived in great penury, without all stipend, some twelve months, 
 some eight, and some half-a-year, having nothing in the mean- 
 time to sustain ourselves and our families but that which we 
 have borrowed of charitable persons until God send it to us to 
 repay them." 
 
 Fergusson was Moderator of the General Assembly which 
 met at Edinburgh in March 1572-3. At that critical period 
 the counsel and influence of a man of such prudence, boldness, 
 and self-possession must have been felt by the Church to be of 
 the highest value. He was again chosen Moderator of the As- 
 sembly in October 1578. Various anecdotes concerning him 
 are told in Calderwood's History, Scott's Lives of the Pro- 
 testant Reformers, and Wodrow's Manuscript Lives, as well as 
 in the History of the Church of Scotland by John Row minister 
 of Carnock. 
 
 David Fergusson, soon after he became minister of Dunferm- 
 line, was married to Isobel Durham, by whom he had nine 
 children five sons and four daughters. His eldest son, William 
 Fergusson, A.M., survived him. His daughter Margaret, born 
 May 31, 1562, was married to Mr David Spens, minister at 
 Orwell, June 18, 1581 ; his daughter Grizzell, born February 
 1575-6, was married to Mr John Row, at Carnock, in 1595 ; 
 and his youngest daughter, Isobel, was married to David Ramsay 
 (a layman) before the 22d of April 1598, when her father made 
 his will, the day before his death. 
 
x INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. 
 
 The Kegister of Births and Marriages of the Parish of Dun- 
 fermline still extant begins in the year 1561. It contains the 
 following entries : 
 
 1562 May 31 DAVID FERGUSSON minister of the evangell had 
 a woman chyld born to him of his wyff ISOBEL 
 DURHAM, . baptizit and called MARGAEET. 
 
 1564 September 10 . - . a man chyld, WILLIAM. 
 
 1566 June 23 . PATRICK. 
 
 1568 October 3 . '. ROBERT. 
 
 1570 September 4 . V a woman chyld, JANET. 
 
 1572-3 January 21 . ' . ' a man chyld, DAVID. 
 
 1574 May 19 ;. \* JOHN. 
 
 1575-6 February 19 .. a woman chyld, GRIZZELL. 
 
 1579-80 February 24 . ISOBELL. 
 
 The only marriage of any one of his children recorded in the 
 Dunfermline Kegister, is 1581, June 18, Margaret Fergusson 
 to Master David Spens, Minister of the Evangell at Orwell ; but 
 there is a blank in the Register both of Births and Marriages 
 (which, at that period, are recorded in the same book) from 
 February 1592 to September 1598. 1 
 
 It may now be somewhat difficult to trace the descendants of 
 David Fergusson. In the manuscript memoirs of Mr Adam 
 Ferguson, minister at Logierait (father of the late Dr Adam 
 Ferguson of Edinburgh), the following particulars are recorded : 
 In 1689, "Patrick Balneaves, merchant in Dundee, and brother 
 to Mr Balneaves, minister of Moulin, having heard about him, 
 did take occasion to recommend him to Mr David Ferguson, 
 minister at Strathmartin, in Angus. He was great-grandchild 
 to David Fergusson, minister at Dunfermline in King James 
 the Sixth's time, and had a considerable stock in money, but had 
 no child to enjoy it, except a brother's daughter ; and being very 
 clannish, he was much inclined to be beneficial to any of the 
 name of Fergusson that was thought capable of liberal education, 
 especially after his only son was lost on the ice in the North Loch, 
 
 1 Letter from the Rev. P. Chalmers, one of the ministers of Dunfermline, 
 4th September 1830. 
 
INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. xi 
 
 at Edinburgh." Mr Adam Ferguson then gives an account of 
 the manner in which the influence of Mr David Fergusson was 
 exerted in his behalf, and adds : " The Regent, under whose 
 inspection Adam happened to be, was one Mr John Eow, son of 
 the minister at Ceres, who was grandchild by his mother to David 
 Fergusson, minister at Dunfermline. He did reckon Adam his 
 relation in that way, and was kind and careful about him. Under 
 him Adam made good proficiency in the parts of philosophy that 
 he taught, and was with great applause honoured with the degree 
 of Master of Arts upon the 21st day of July 1693." 
 
 The following extracts from the Kirk-Session Book of Ceres, 
 Fife, relate to the family of Mr William Row, youngest son of 
 the Minister of Carnock, and grandson of David Ferguson : 
 
 1644, July 4. M r William Row admitted Minister of Seres. 
 
 1647, April 11. M r William Row, minister of this congre- 
 gation and Jeane Blair in St Andrews, proclaimed pro l mo , 
 and married May 6. 
 
 1648, April 2. M r W m Row & Jeane Blair, a daughter 
 Catherine, witnesses M r Robert Blair, M r James Blair. 
 
 1652, Jan*. 13. M r W m Row min r . & Jeane Blair his 
 spouse, had a woman child baptized Margaret. 
 
 1653, Oct. 31. The minister M r W m Row, & Jeane Blair 
 his spouse, had a son baptized James. 
 
 1656, Sept r . 14. M r W m Row min r . & Jeane Blair had a 
 son baptized, called William. 
 
 1660, May 9. M r W m Row min r ., & Jeane Blair his spouse, 
 a daughter, Jeane. 
 
 1663, Dec r . 31. M r W m Row min r ., & JeaneBlair, a son, John. 
 
 1665, Jan^. 25. The Minister intended to have preached, but 
 was hindered by a sentence of deposition passed against him by the 
 Archbishop of St Andrews in his diocesan meeting in April last. 
 
 1667, Sept r . 29. M r Alex r . Leslie ordained minister of the 
 parish. 
 
 David Fergusson, it is said, began a History of the Church of 
 
*ii INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. 
 
 Scotland, which was continued by his son-in-law, the minister at 
 Carnock, son of John Bow, the Reformer. It was enlarged by 
 his grandson, John Row, Principal of King's College, Aberdeen, 
 and has recently been printed. 1 John Row, who became minister 
 of Perth in 1560, was unquestionably the most distinguished 
 among the Scottish Reformers both for sacred and secular learn- 
 ing. He was born in 1525, and obtained his classical instruction 
 at the school of Stirling and the University of St Andrews, where 
 he soon became eminent for his proficiency in dialectics and other 
 branches of philosophy, and still more for his skill in the civil 
 and canon law. Like many other churchmen, he practised at 
 the bar of the Official's Court at St Andrews, and in 1550 he 
 was sent to Rome by the clergy of that diocese, to attend to their 
 interests at the Court of Julius III., who about that time was 
 raised to the Papal chair. He continued at Rome eight years, 
 and while there obtained from the University of Padua the 
 degree of Doctor of Laws. He returned to Scotland in 1558, 
 having received instructions from Paul IV. to exert himself to 
 thwart the efforts of Knox and his associates. In 1559 he was 
 converted to the Protestant faith, and soon obtained the confi- 
 dence of the Earl of Murray and the other leaders of the revolt 
 against the Church of Rome. Along with John Knox, John 
 Winram, John Douglas, John Willock, and John Spottiswood, 
 he had a share (and, it is believed, a principal share) in the pre- 
 paration of the First Book of Discipline and the Confession of 
 Faith. He was the first Scotsman who introduced into his native 
 country the study of Hebrew, in which his grandson, Principal 
 of King's College, Aberdeen, afterwards acquired great eminence, 
 having been the first Scotsman who published a Hebrew gram- 
 mar in his native country. 2 
 
 1 Glasgow, 1842, 2 vols. 4to, for the Maitland Club ; and Edinburgh, 1842, 
 8vo, for the Wodrow Society. 
 
 2 " Hebrsese Linguae Institutiones Compendiosissimse, etc. XIAIA2 He- 
 braica, seu Vocabularium continens prsecipuas radices Linguse Hebrsese." 
 Glasguae, 1644, 18mo. 
 
INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. xiii 
 
 John Row's fourth son, John, born in the year 1568, after he 
 became minister of Carnock, married Grizell Fergusson, second 
 daughter of David Fergusson. He had two [three] daughters, 
 the first of whom, Elizabeth, was married to John Gibbon, by 
 whom she had one daughter, married to Adam Stobie, portioner 
 of Wester Luscar. John Row's second daughter was married to 
 Robertson of Gladney, in Perthshire. Adam Stobie's second 
 daughter, Margaret, was married to Andrew Rolland of Gask, the 
 ancestor of Adam Rolland, advocate. Robertson of Gladney was 
 the ancestor of the Rev. William Robertson, one of the ministers 
 of Edinburgh, father of the Principal of the Edinburgh Uni- 
 versity, and progenitor also of the Right Hon. William Adam, 
 Lord Brougham, John Clerk of Eldin, and others of high 
 celebrity both in arts and arms. 
 
 Fergusson died at Dunfermline on the 23d of August 1598. 
 A copy of his Will, transcribed from the Register of Confirmed 
 Testaments, and obligingly communicated by the Rev. Hew 
 Scott, A.M., Minister of Anstruther Wester, is added in an 
 Appendix. 
 
 SOME further particulars regarding FEKGUSSON may be sub- 
 joined to the preceding sketch. He was one of those individuals 
 whom Providence at that emergency raised up to advance the 
 cause of Reformation in this country. It is most probable that 
 Spottiswood, writing at a distance of thirty years, had mistaken 
 his age at the time of his decease, and we may suppose that he 
 was born not later than 1525. This may be inferred from the 
 terms in which Fergusson is mentioned by James Melville, in 
 his notice of the proceedings of the Synod of Fife in May 1596. 
 " And sa David Fergusone, Pastor of Dunfermling, a reverend 
 father, spak verie pleasandlie and comfortablie of the beginning 
 
xiv INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. 
 
 and succes of the Ministerie : Namlie, how that a few number, 
 viz. onlie sax, whairof he was ane, sa mightelie went fordwart 
 in the wark, but feir or cair of the warld, and prevalit, when 
 ther was na name of stipend hard tell of; when the authoritie, 
 bathe Ecclesiastik and Civill, opponit themselves, and skarslie a 
 man of name and estimatioun to tak the cause in hand," etc. 1 
 And again, in February 1597-8, "Efter the quhilk, David Fer- 
 gusone, the auldest Minister that tyme in Scotland" etc. 2 
 
 There is little doubt that Fergusson was a native of Dundee, 
 and the repeated testimony of a contemporary Popish writer 
 asserts the fact that his original occupation was that of a glover. 3 
 " Quidam hcereticus Scotus DAUID FAKGUSSON . . . chirothe- 
 carum sutor : Si credere fas est, urbis Dunfernilensis insignis 
 prcedicator" " Dauid sutor" " Valde miror Dauid quomodo tu 
 relicta tua arte consuendi chirothecas" etc. 4 Among the various 
 notices of Fergusson given by Dr M'Crie in his Lives of Knox 
 and Melville, is the following extract from the Treasurer's 
 Accounts, which is of importance, as it specially connects Fer- 
 gusson with Dundee. On the 7th of July 1558, the Rothsay 
 Herald was sent from Edinburgh with letters, summoning 
 " George Luvell, DAVID FERGUSONE, and certain utheris per- 
 sonis within the burgh of Dundee" to appear before the Justice 
 and his deputies on the 28th of that month, to answer the charge 
 of " their wrongous using and wresting of the Scripture, and 
 disputting upon erroneous opinions, and eiting of flesche in 
 Lenterone, and utheris forbidding tymes, contrair the Actis of 
 Parliament." 5 
 
 1 Diary of James Melville, p. 357. Calderwood's History, vol. v., p. 435. 
 
 2 Ibid. p. 437 ; and vol. v., p. 681. 
 
 3 See also Wodrow's Analecta, vol. i., p. 120. 
 
 4 De Vita et moribus atque rebus gestis Hsereticorum nostri temporis, 
 Authore Jacobo Laingseo, Scoto, Doctore Sorbonico (fol. 29-31). Parisiis, 
 1581. 12mo. He refers to the Epistola Latino, of Renatus Benedictus ; but 
 says, it remained unanswered till after Knox's death (in 1572), when Fergusson 
 sent copies to Paris of his Epistola barbara, et Scotica, in reply (ib. f. 31). 
 
 5 ATCrie's Life of Knox, vol. i., p. 446. 
 
INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. xv 
 
 Although Fergusson had not the advantage of completing his 
 studies at one of our Universities, 1 he was not deficient in learn- 
 ing, and had most probably been instructed at one of the borough 
 schools where Latin was taught. It is obvious, at least, that 
 when he was admitted to the ministry he could have found no 
 time for supplying any defects in his early education. At the 
 meeting of the nobility and chief part of the Congregation which 
 assembled in the Great Kirk of Edinburgh, in July 1560, the 
 first appointment was made of Ministers for the most important 
 and populous towns, and of Superintendents in consequence of 
 the insufficient number of persons qualified to supply the larger 
 districts. David Fergusson, as already noticed, was placed in 
 Dunfermline; 2 and there he continued his pastoral labours with 
 eminent success till his death. 
 
 His earliest publication, the Answer to Dr Renat Benedict's 
 Epistle, is now reprinted from the only copy known to exist, 
 having been presented to the University Library, Edinburgh, in 
 1701, by Mr John Row, one of the Regents or Professors of 
 Philosophy in the College. It is a small volume of 44 leaves, 
 in black letter, with the title-page and last leaves supplied in 
 manuscript from another copy. From the MS. Book of Dona- 
 tions, 3 it appears to have been accompanied with an original 
 portrait of the Author, which unfortunately cannot now be traced. 
 The entry is as follows : " 24 Aprile 1701. Mr JOHN Row, 
 " Professor of Philosophy, gave to the Library, the Picture of 
 " Mr DAVID FERGUSON, Minister of Dunfermling, and chaplain 
 " to King James the VI., done on Timber, of a small oval form ; 
 " he died 1598. Also a book of his writ in defence of the 
 " Reformation, in Answer to ane Epistle of ane Renat Benedict, 
 " a French Doctor : it is printed at Edinburgh 1563, in 12mo." 
 
 The author of the Epistle, Renatus Benedictus, or Rene 
 Benoist, was a French divine of considerable note. He was born 
 in 1521, studied at Angers, and took his degree of Doctor of 
 
 1 Coronis to Row's History, p. 418. 
 
 2 Calderwood's History, vol. ii., p. 11. 3 Fol. 59. 
 
XT! INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. 
 
 Divinity in the College of Navarre in 1559. Having been 
 appointed preacher and confessor to Mary Queen of Scots, by 
 her uncle the Cardinal of Lorraine, he accompanied her to 
 Scotland in August 1561. He returned to France about the 
 end of the following year. In 1594, he was presented to the 
 See of Troyes, but he could not obtain the Papal bull for his 
 consecration, not being in favour at the Court of Rome, and, 
 after some years, he was obliged to relinquish his claims. He 
 was the author of numerous small publications during the course 
 of a long life, having died on the 7th of March 1608, at the age 
 of 87. A list of these works, amounting to 119, besides 40 others 
 (chiefly Sermons), without date, is given by Niceron, 1 of which 
 the two following, Nos. 4 and 5, were written during his short 
 residence in Scotland : 
 
 " 4. Necessarius atque certus modus tollendse Keligionis dis- 
 " cordiaj. Paris. Nic. Chesneau, 1562. in 8vo, feuil. 19. date 
 " d'Edimbourg le 10 Decembre 1561. Cet ecrit a ete traduit 
 " d'abord en Ecossais, et ensuite en Fran9ais. 
 
 66 5. Le triomphe et excellente victoire de la i"oy, par le moyen 
 " de la veritable et toute puissante parole de Dieu. Paris, 
 " Nicolas Chesneau, 1562 et 1568. in 8vo, feuil. 40, sans la 
 " Preface, qui est plus longue que le livre. Elle est addressee 
 " au Roi Charles IX., a la Reine sa mere, et aux Princes de 
 " France, et est datee de la Cour de Marie Stuart, Reine 
 " d'Ecossele2eAoutl562." 
 
 The Epistle which Fergusson answered was neither of these 
 works, and was unknown to Niceron. While these sheets were 
 at press, I had an opportunity of examining the first as above, 2 
 and found it to be accurately described. It is dated the 4th 
 Ides or 10th of December, or three weeks subsequent to that of 
 his Epistle. It evidently was the original of a little volume 
 mentioned in the History of English Printing, entitled " Renatus 
 
 1 Memoires pour servir a 1'Histoire des Homines Illustres, etc., Tome xli. 
 
 2 In the Imperial Library, Paris ; see p, 88. 
 
INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. xvii 
 
 Benedictus concerning composing Discords in Religion," trans- 
 lated by Ninian Winzet, and printed at Paris, 1565, 8vo. No 
 copy of this translation has been discovered. 1 It was also sup- 
 posed that no copy of the Epistle of Renatus Benedictus had been 
 preserved; but having recently acquired a volume in which it 
 has been transcribed in a contemporary hand, it has been added 
 as an Appendix at page 81. It will be seen that the translation, 
 as incorporated with Fergusson's Answer, has been very closely 
 rendered; and the date is the 2 13th kalends of December, being 
 the 19th of November, 1561. It presents, in its calm and 
 respectful tone, a contrast to the scurrilous attacks on the Re- 
 formers by such Popish writers as Archibald Hamilton, James 
 Laing, and Nicol Burne. The translator was, no doubt, Ninian 
 Winzet, who wrote and translated other works at this period. 
 The copies were most probably circulated in manuscript. In that 
 of the Latin original, the address is somewhat peculiar, and its im- 
 port not fully given in the translation : "RENATUS BENEDICTUS, 
 Verbi Dei professor, disertissimo Joanni Knox atque aliis erudi- 
 tissimis viris apud antiquitatein nobilem Scotiae vocatis Ministris, 
 etc. (Renatus Benedictus, Professor of the Word of God, to the 
 most eloquent John Knox, and the other most learned men called 
 to be Ministers among the ancient noble [people] of Scotland.) 
 
 Of Fergusson's Sermon preached before the Regent Earl of 
 Lennox and the Nobility, during the meeting of the General 
 Assembly at Leith, 13th January 1571-2, only a single copy of 
 the original is known to be preserved ; and several years ago this 
 copy, it is believed, made a narrow escape from fire. It is a small 
 8vo, of 15 leaves, printed in the Roman character. The freedom 
 and boldness used by the author in expressing his sentiments, 
 
 1 Ames and Herbert's Typographical Antiquities. 
 
 2 The date, 18th December, as given at p. 39 of the translation, was 
 probably an error of the person who supplied the defective leaves of the 
 printed copy. Some obvious mistakes of the scribe in the original have 
 been corrected ; and it will be observed, that the postscript, pages 86-87, if 
 contained in the translation, is not given by Fergusson. 
 
xviii INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. 
 
 which called forth the remarkable attestation of Knox already 
 noticed (see p. 80), could not have been gratifying to the courtiers, 
 who had seized and* applied the teinds to their own use, instead 
 of making adequate provision for the ministry, or for endowing 
 schools and other seminaries of learning, at the same time over- 
 looking the poor, and neglecting to repair the churches, which 
 had become ruinous and unsuited for the performance of divine 
 worship. In his dedication to John Earl of Marr, then Regent, 
 he says, if this small work should be well accepted, it would 
 encourage him " to present your Grace some day with a greater 
 work and a larger volume, as a perpetuall monument of my 
 unfained love and affection to your Grace." But, after a brief 
 space of thirteen months, the death of this excellent man, whose 
 " humanity and gentleness" Fergusson justly celebrates, inter- 
 fered with such a design, and he is not known to have produced 
 any subsequent publication. 
 
 After Fergusson's death there was published in his name the 
 earliest collection of Scottish Proverbs. The first edition bears 
 the following title : 
 
 " Scottish Proverbs : Gathered together by David Fergusson, 
 sometime Minister at Dunfermline : And put ordine Alphabetic*) 
 when he departed this life, Anno 1598. Edinburgh, Printed 
 by Robert Bryson, and are to be sold at his Shop at the signe 
 of Jonah. 1641." 4to, 22 leaves. In the subsequent editions 
 of 1659, 1675, 1699, and 1705, the collection was enlarged, and 
 entitled, "Nine Hundred and Fourty Scottish Proverbs, the 
 greatest part of which were at first gathered together by David 
 Fergusson," etc. 
 
 Without attempting to form any minute pedigree or genea- 
 logy of Fergusson's numerous descendants, some detached notices 
 may be subjoined, as these may prove useful to any persons in- 
 clined to follow out the investigation. From the preceding ex 
 tracts from the Dunfermline Register, he appears to have had 
 five sons ; but we may presume, that four of them, as well as his 
 wife, had predeceased him, as in his Last Will, while he specially 
 
INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. xix 
 
 mentions his three sons-in-law, he only names one son, MR 
 WILLIAM FEKGUSSON, without any other designation. He 
 evidently was not then a resident in the place ; and from the 
 distinction made in the distribution of his books, by restricting 
 his son to an English and a Latin Bible in lieu of " his airship 
 buikis of theologie," it would seem that he belonged to some 
 other profession than the ministry. We may therefore be war- 
 ranted in identifying him with Mr William Fergusson, who 
 practised medicine, and was one of the magistrates of Dundee ; 
 and whose name occurs as a member of the General Assembly 
 in 1600 and 1601. He died in 1627, at the age of 64, which 
 corresponds very nearly with the date of his birth in the Dun- 
 fermline Kegister. According to the following funeral inscrip- 
 tion, he had several children, by his wife Euphemia Kinloch ; 
 but seven of them had been suddenly cut off, apparently by the 
 visitation of the plague, which at that period was not unfrequent, 
 and usually very fatal : it runs thus, " To Mr William Fergu- 
 son, Physician and Bailie in Dundee, and Euphemia Kinloch, his 
 dearest parents ; also t0 seven brothers and sisters-germ an, who 
 died by the disturbed order of nature ; likewise for himself and 
 Helen Duncan, his lawful wife, the surviving William Ferguson, 
 merchant, raised this monument to their pious memory. Mr 
 William Ferguson died 25th March 1627, aged 64 years, and 
 Euphemia Kinloch died 6th June 1603 [1623 ?], aged 57 years." l 
 
 An examination of the parochial registers of Dundee might 
 perhaps furnish' further particulars of the family and connexions 
 of William Fergusson, merchant, who erected this monument 
 in 1627. 
 
 There were, however, other persons of the same name : thus, 
 Magdalen Fergusson, spouse of John Duncan, junior, merchant 
 burgess of Dundee, was served heir of " Mr William Fergusson 
 of Balbeuchlie, her father," 31st May 1636. 2 
 
 Mr David Fergusson, upon occasion of a vacancy in the Rec- 
 
 1 History of Dundee, by James Thomson, p. 375. Dundee, 1847. 8vo. 
 
 2 Retours, Forfarshire, No. 215. 
 
xx INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. 
 
 torship of the Grammar School of Edinburgh, was recommended 
 by General Monk to the Provost and Magistrates, in January 
 1660 ; but the place had previously been supplied. Two years 
 later, the same office becoming vacant, he was then appointed, 
 6th December 1665, but he died in September 1669. 1 
 
 Mr David Fergusson, a youth of great promise, may also be 
 noticed. He was a native of Kirkaldy, but " was snatched 
 away by an early death." He published a small volume, dedi- 
 cated to John Duke of Lauderdale, u JEpithalamium Mysticum, 
 sive Analysis critico-practica Cantici Canticorum" Edinburgi, 
 1677, 12mo. The original MS., 4to, very neatly written, and 
 dated Kirkaldy, 1673, marked "Ex dono Authoris," is preserved 
 in the University Library, Edinburgh. 
 
 Mr David Fergusson, minister of Strathmartine, in Angus, 
 mentioned above at p. x, was among the ministers ejected in 
 1689, as Episcopal : he died soon after. 
 
 Mr Adam Fergusson, a native of Moulin, minister of Logie- 
 rait, in the highlands of Perthshire, from 1714 till his death in 
 1754, had previously been settled in the parish of Crathie and 
 Braemar, Presbytery of Kincardine O'Neill, in 1700. He 
 married Mary, daughter of Mr Eobert Gordon of the family of 
 Halhead, in Aberdeenshire. Their youngest son, Adam, was 
 born at Logierait, 20th June 1723 ; was educated for the church 
 at the University of St Andrews; officiated for a time as chap- 
 lain to a Highland Regiment ; and afterwards became succes- 
 sively, in the University of Edinburgh, Professor of Natural 
 Philosophy, 1759, of Moral Philosophy, 1764; and having re- 
 signed this chair on account of his health in 1784, he was 
 nominated, jointly with Professor Playfair, to that of mathematics. 
 He survived till he had attained the 93d year of his age, 22d 
 February 1816. A biographical memoir of Dr. AD AM FERGU- 
 SON, by Principal Lee, appeared in the Encyclopaedia Britannica, 
 Supplement to the sixth edition, and reprinted in the seventh 
 edition of that work. 
 
 1 Rev. Dr Steven's Hist, of the High School, pp. 68, 71, 73. 
 
INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. xxi 
 
 We now turn to the daughters of the minister of Dunfermline. 
 In June 1581, the eldest, Margaret Fergusson, married Mr 
 David Spens, minister of Urwell, in the Presbytery of Kinross. 
 He was translated to Kirkcaldy, and died in 1626. His de- 
 scendants have not been traced. 
 
 Another daughter, but whether Janet or Isobell is somewhat 
 uncertain, married David Kamsay, of whom not much is known. 
 He may have been the son of David Ramsay, a burgess of 
 Dundee, whose name occurs in 1569 and 1570 as a member of 
 the General Assembly. The other daughter was, probably, dead 
 in 1598, at the time of her father's death. 
 
 As already stated, Grizzell Fergusson was married in January 
 1595 to Mr John Kow, minister of Carnock, in the Presbytery 
 of Dunfermline. An account of his life is prefixed to the 
 Wodrow Society edition of his " History of the Kirk of Scot- 
 land" from 1558 to 1637, with a continuation to July 1639. 
 Extracts are there given from the earliest existing volumes of the 
 kirk-session book of Carnock, commencing in 1642, and written 
 with his own hand, till within eight days of his death, 26th June 
 1 646. Row was then in his 78th year, his wife surviving till 
 30th January 1659, when she was aged 83. Of their numerous 
 progeny, the following are a few brief notices : 
 
 1. Mr DAVID Row, educated for the ministry, but not settled 
 in any charge. In the kirk-session book of Carnock he appears 
 in 1642, as having for some time been his father's assistant ; but 
 having gone to Ireland, he married the sister of Thomas Boyd, 
 a wealthy merchant in Dublin ; and in the " Memorials of the 
 Family of Row " it is said, " This Mr David Row has issue in 
 Ireland by daughters." 1 
 
 2. Mr JOHN. Row, born in 1598, completed his studies at the 
 University of St Andrews, and was successively Master of the 
 Grammar School of Kirkcaldy and of Perth ; one of the ministers 
 of Aberdeen in 1641 ; and Principal of King's College in 1652. 
 
 1 Edinburgh, 1828, 4to. 
 
 c 
 
xxii INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. 
 
 After the restoration of Charles II., having resigned this charge, 
 he resided chiefly with his son-in-law, Mr John Mercer, minister 
 of Kineller, where he died about the year 1672. He was a man 
 of great learning, and was the author of the Hebrew Grammar 
 mentioned above at page viii. An account of his life and writ- 
 ings is contained in the Wodrow Society edition of his father's 
 History of the Kirk, which is taken from a MS. in the hand- 
 writing of Principal Row, and which has a continuation by him 
 from 1637 to 1639. His son, Mr John Row, first minister in 
 Galloway, and afterwards of Dalgetty, in Fife, became a 
 Roman Catholic in the reign of James the Second, and went to 
 France. 
 
 3. Mr ROBERT Row, minister of Abercorn, in Linlithgow- 
 shire, from about 1642 till 1661. By his wife, Elizabeth 
 Hamilton, he had a family of eleven children. 
 
 4. Mr WILLIAM Row, the youngest son, was born about 
 1612, and, after passing through the usual academical studies, 
 was licensed, and admitted minister of the parish of Ceres, in 
 Fife, in the year 1644. He was deposed for non-conformity in 
 1665, but having survived the Revolution, he was restored to 
 his former charge, and is supposed to have died about the year 
 1694. He married Jean, daughter by the first wife of Mr Robert 
 Blair, minister of St Andrews, whose Autobiography, with a 
 continuation by Row, edited by the Rev. Dr M'Crie, is one of 
 the most important volumes for which the public are indebted 
 to the Wodrow Society. His son, John Row, born in 1663, 
 was one of the Regents in the University of St Andrews from 
 1692 to 1695, and afterwards in Edinburgh, from August 1695 
 to 1700, when he resigned. 
 
 Of Blair's immediate descendants, by a second marriage, his 
 son David became King's chaplain, and one of the ministers 
 of Edinburgh ; was the father of Robert Blair, minister of 
 Athelstaneford, and author of the well-known poem, "The 
 Grave;" and grandfather of Robert Blair of Avonton, Lord 
 
INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. xxiii 
 
 President of the Court of Session. His second son, Archibald 
 Blair, minister of Garvald, was father to Dr Robert Blair, 
 Professor of Practical Astronomy in the University of Edin- 
 burgh. Hugh Blair, another son of the minister of St An- 
 drews, was grandfather to the Rev. Dr Hugh Blair, Professor 
 of Rhetoric, and one of the ministers of Edinburgh. 
 The Minister of Carnock had three daughters, 1 viz. : 
 
 1. ELIZABETH Row was married to William Gibbon, indweller 
 in Bonhard, who died in 1639. Their daughter Margaret was 
 married in 1647 to Adam Stobie of Wester Luscar; and, by 
 the marriage of their second daughter, were progenitors of the 
 family of the Rollands of Gask. 2 
 
 2. Another daughter [GrizzelH] was married to 
 Tullideff, and their daughter Grizzell Tullideff, appears as the 
 wife of Mr James Hutton, schoolmaster of Carnock, in a deed of 
 mortification by Principal Row, dated 10th December 1663. 3 
 
 3. The third daughter, MAKGARET, is said to have married 
 David Robertson of Muirton, ancestor of the Robertsons of 
 Gladney, in Fife. The account of the family, cadets of the 
 Robertsons of Strowan, as given in Douglas's Baronage, p. 413, 
 makes no mention of this marriage; but his great-grandson, 
 William Robertson, one of the ministers of Edinburgh, was the 
 father of Principal Robertson ; and among his descendants may 
 be reckoned Henry Lord Brougham, John Russell, Esq., Mr 
 Adam of Blair-Adam, and the Earl of Minto. 4 
 
 It may be added, that Dr JOHN Row, the Reformer, who 
 seems to have dropped his distinction of Doctor of Laws on 
 becoming Minister of Perth, died on the 16th of October 1580. 
 He is said to have had seven other sons besides John, minister 
 
 1 See Coronis to his History, Wodrow Society Edition, p. 457. 
 
 2 See Genealogical Table, No. I., in the Rev. Dr P. Chalmers's History of 
 Dunfermline, vol. ii., 1859. 
 
 3 Printed in the Wodrow Society edition of Row's History, 1842, p. liii. 
 
 4 See Genealogical Table, as above. 
 
xxiv INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. 
 
 of Carnock, and two daughters : James, minister of Kilspindie ; 
 William, minister of Forgandenny; Oliver; Robert; Patrick; 
 Archibald, minister of Stobo ; and Colin, minister of St Quivox, 
 Ayrshire ; three of whom, not being mentioned in the Reformer's 
 Last Will and Testament, may have predeceased him. A very 
 accurate genealogical table of his family is prefixed to the edition 
 of his History of the Kirk of Scotland, by his son the minister 
 of Carnock, with the Coronis, by the minister of Ceres, which 
 was printed as a contribution to the Maitland Club, by Beriah 
 Botfield, Esq., in 1842, 2 vols. 4td. Mr James Row, minister 
 of Muthil, 1 or, as elsewhere stated, of Monyvaird and Strowan, 
 in Perthshire, was the son of the above James, minister of Kil- 
 spindie. He has obtained some notoriety on account of a sermon 
 preached in St Giles's Church, Edinburgh, in July 1638. Copies 
 of it, abridged or parodied, have been several times printed, and 
 it was known, on account of its homely expressions, as the 
 "Pockmanty Sermon." 2 He married a daughter of William 
 Stirling of Ardoch, and had a son, William, whose son, Colonel 
 Archibald Row, brought express to Edinburgh the news of King 
 William IIL's death in March 1702. 
 
 1 I have seen receipts for stipend signed by him as Minister of Muthill, 
 from 1629 to 1639. 
 
 2 Reprinted in the " Memorials of the Family of Row." Edited by James 
 Maidment, Esq., Advocate, Edinburgh. 1828. 4to. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 DAUID FARGUSOUN, nono Nouembris 1598. 
 (Edinburgh Test. Reg., vol. xxxii.) 
 
 THE Testament datiue artd Inuentar of the guidis geir 
 sowmes of money and dettis pertening to vmquhile DAUID 
 FARGUSOUN Minister of godis word at Dunfermeling the 
 tyme of his deceiss quha deceist vpoun the xxiij day of 
 Aprile the zeir of God j m v Ixxxxviij zeiris fFaythfullie 
 maid & gevin vp be him self vpoun the xxij day of 
 Aprile the zeir of God foirsaid In presens of Mr Johnne 
 Row minister at Carnok Patrik Stewart of Baith William 
 Pratous [Porteous] ane of the baillies of the burgh of 
 Dunfermeling Mr James Dalgleische scolemaster thair 
 Mr Robert Durie instructour in the said scole & Dauid 
 Brown noter. 
 
 first the said vmquhile Dauid Fargusoun had the guidis 
 geir sowmes of money and dettis of the awaill and prices efter 
 following pertening to him the tyme of his deceis foirsaid viz. 
 Item his buikis of theologie and humane histories estimat to the 
 sowme of j c lb. Item in poiss of reddie gold the sowme of j c xviij lb. 
 Item of reddie money the sowme of lij lb. Item in vtenceillis 
 & domiceillis with the abuilzementis of his body by the air- 
 schipe estimat to the sowme of xx lb money. 
 
 Summa of the Inuentar ij c lxxxx tb. 
 
xxvi APPENDIX. 
 
 Followis the dettis awin to the deid. 
 
 Item thair was awin to the said vmquhile Dauid Fargusoun 
 
 be Aitkin relict of vmquhile Johnne Stobie portioner of 
 
 Wester Luscour resten of the crope and zeir of god j c Jv c lxxxxvij 
 zeiris assignit to him in pairt of his stipend for the price of sex 
 bollis thrid pairt furlett beir the sowme of xl lb xvj s viij d . Item 
 be James Dewar of Nether Lassody for the teindis of his landis 
 of Bayth vnder the hill assignit to him in pairt of payment of his 
 stipend of the crope and zeir of god foirsaid thrie bollis beir 
 price of the haill xxj lb. Item be Adame Currie burges in Dun- 
 fermeling aucht bollis ferme beir restand of the crope and zeir 
 of God foirsaid price of the boll viij lb. Summa Ixiiij lb. Item be 
 hir Majesties chalmerlanes of the abbacie of Dunfermeling for 
 his stipend of the Witsonday terme in anno Ixxxxviij zeiris the 
 sowme of tua hundreth merkis money. 
 
 Summa of the dettis awin to the deid ij c lix lb iij s iiij d 
 Summa of the Inuentar with the dettis v c xlix lb iij 8 iiij d 
 
 Followis the dettis awin be the deid. 
 
 Item thair was awin be the said vmquhile Dauid Fargusoun 
 
 to for the Witsoundayis termes maill 
 
 of his hous occupyit be him in anno Ixxxxviij zeiris and sindrie 
 termes preceiding xx li. Item to William Angus seruand for 
 his half-zeiris fie in anno foirsaid iiij lb. Item to Janet Burne 
 seruand for hir half-zeiris fie iiij It). Item to Helene Keid seruand 
 for hir half-zeiris fie four pundis. 
 
 Summa of the dettis awin be the deid xxxij lb 
 Restis of frie geir the dettis deducit v c xvj lb iij 8 iiij d 
 
 Quotta componitur 
 pro xiij lb vj 8 8 d . 
 
 Na Diuisioun. 
 Quhairof the quot is componit for xiij lb vj 8 viij d . 
 
APPENDIX. xxvii 
 
 Followis the Deidis Legacie & lettre will. 
 
 AT Dunfermeling the xxij daye of Aprile 1598 zeiris. The 
 quhilk day the said DAUID FARGUSOUN maid his testament 
 & lettre will as followis viz. That is to say he leuis and disponis 
 to Mr William Fargusoun his sone his haill naturall historicall 
 buikis and his Scottis cronicle and nominatis for his airschip 
 buikis of theologie ane Inglis bybill and ane Latyne bybill 
 allanerlie. Item the said Dauid leuis & disponis to Mr Dauid 
 Spens Mr Johnne Row & Dauid Ramsay his sonnes in law 
 equallie all his buikis of theologie and ordanis the saidis masteris 
 Dauid Spens and Johnne Row to satisfie the said Dauid Ramsay 
 for his third pairt thairof becaus the saidis buikis can nocht be 
 proffitabill to him. Item he leuis & disponis to ilk ane of his 
 saidis thrie sonnes in law and thair bairnes his oyis xl tt> money. 
 Item leuis & disponis to the appoticarie and vtheris quhilkis 
 ministrat curis to him the tyme of his sicknes thrie crounes of 
 the sone. Item to ilk ane of his foirnamit seruandis thair feis 
 addettit to thame at Witsonday nixt with the doubill thairof 
 and leuis & disponis the rest and superplus of all his frie guidis 
 geir dettis and plennessing to the saidis Maisteris Dauid Spens 
 Johnne Row and Dauid Ramsay his sonnes in law and thair 
 bairnes equallie to be diuidit amangis thame be thrie equall 
 thridis and nominatis the saidis masteris Dauid Spens Mr 
 Johnne Row and Dauid Ramsay his sonnes in law coniunctlie 
 his executoris and intromittoris with his saidis guidis geir and 
 dettis : thaiss thingis war done at xj houris at ewin or thairby 
 in the said Dauid Fargusouns chalmer day zeir inoneth and 
 in presens of the witnesses aboue-writtin heirto specialie & to- 
 gidder requyrit. (Sic subscribitur) Ita est ut premittitur Dauid 
 Brown notarius publicus in premissis omnibus et singulis cum 
 prenominatis testibus presens et requisitus testante manu propria 
 et signo. 
 
 WE M ris John Prestoun &c. and geuis and committis the 
 
xxviii APPENDIX. 
 
 intromissioun with the sarayn to the saidis M ria Dauid Spens 
 Johnne Row and Dauid Ramsay executoris testamentaris to the 
 said umquhile Dauid Fargussoun. Reseruand compt to be maid 
 be thame thairof as accordis of the law and thai being suorne &c. 
 and hes fundin James Dobie merchand burges of Edinburgh 
 cautioun &c. as ane act beiris. 
 
ANE ANSWER 
 
 ' ( i 
 
 RENAT BENEDICT^" 
 
 EPISTLE TO JOHN KNOX 
 AND HIS BRETHREN. 
 
C&ne &nstoer to 
 
 ane (Epistle toritten 6g 
 Benedict, i!je Crenel) 3Soetor 
 fessor of ffioir's toorft (as 
 translate of ti)ts ptstit 
 lrt$ Jn'w) to 3^o$ n itnox anO 
 tije rtst of ^t 
 mfnt'gters of 
 of 
 tritt 
 
 mintster of tjje 
 
 same toora at 
 
 t^ts present in 
 
 IfHf, 
 
 8. 
 
 of t^e moutf) of OBatfst anU gucEltngegi fja0t t^oii 
 orUeanen sftrengt^, iiecausse of tfjine enemies, t^at tfjou 
 mtgfjtegt jsitill tte enemte anu tfje atengcr. 
 
 f mprenttt at oin 
 
 5 6g iloftert Heftp 
 turn IJrtfailegto 1563. 
 
THE 
 
 PRENTER TO THE READER. 
 
 As that it was long, after this Epistle was written and translated, befor it 
 catne to >his' hdrids'<that ansuered it. So was it long after it was answered 
 j^0f;'fr]c<3wwd to nty tyanfato print, when therefor (good reader) thou shalt 
 see so much time passe over betwixt the translating and answering, and be- 
 twixt the answering and printing, Impute it neither to his negligence that 
 gladly would have answered it sooner if it had comen to his hands, or yet 
 to mine, that alass gladly would have printed it, but rather take in good 
 worth loth our labors, taken to thy confort, whosoever thou be that readeth 
 it, to purge thy heart from error, imbrace the truth, and beleive it to the 
 glory of God, and thy salvation in Christ Jesus, to whose protection I commit 
 the now and evr. 
 
THE PREFACE, 
 
 DAUID FEARGUSSONE VNTO THE HEADER WISHETH 
 
 GRACE MERCY AND PEACE FROM GOD THE FATHER, 
 
 AND FROM OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST WITH THE 
 
 SPIRIT OF RIGHTEOUS JUDGEMENT. 
 
 I HAUE not interprised (beloued Brethren in Christ Jesus) to 
 answer this Epistle as one more able so to do, then the rest of 
 my fellowes in office : but rather driuen thereunto by the vn- 
 cessant requeist of some zealous and godlie persones, who broght 
 it to my handes for that purpose, after that it had bene caried as 
 a matter of great importance from one place to an other : and so 
 at length 1 (translated by an certane Freir out of Latine into 
 Inglish in fauor of suche persones as he thereby wold gratifie) 
 it wes greatlie bosted of: partlie therefore to satisfie the reason- 
 able requeist of the aforesaid persones, and also to stop the 
 mouth of the aduersarie frome further braging but chiefly for 
 the discharge of my conscience in the office whereunto God 
 hath called me. I haue occupyed my pen in answering as after 
 folio weth. And althogh this pithles Epistle haue lytle or no 
 strength to deceaue any that haue but meanly teasted of the 
 treuth, yet because it may be a peice of help to hold them stil 
 in error that are as yet within it (in my judgement it wold not 
 be past ouer in silence) nether do I know whither any man hath 
 vnto this hour answered it or not. For asmuch as I se it a thing 
 
 1 What moved me to wryt. 
 
6 THE PREFACE. 
 
 which all learned men will not oriely laugh at, and so con- 
 tempe it, as not worthy of answer but also iudge it suche a 
 mater as they will spend no tyme vpon, seinge that they may be 
 better occupyed " nor to answer a foole according to his folie:" 1 but 
 list he esteame him self wise in his owne conceite, I haue thoght 
 good to write sumwhat in this mater : vnto the which writing 
 I haue added my name, 2 not for vain glorie God knowes, but 
 to this end onelie, that when the Reader shal find the reules of 
 Rethorick transgressed, and ornate Eloquence omitted (no man 
 be blamed but I allone) moreouer if it shal happen that I be 
 sumwhates longer than ye wold wishe, werie not yet I beseche 
 you to reid it to the end, for certanely as I suppose no man is 
 able fully to answer this ordorles confused Chaos without many 
 wordes. To the end therefor that ye may the better vnderstande 
 the mater (because this man's letter kepeth no certane ordor) so 
 far as the confusione of it will suffer, I have deuided it, and 
 that in four Sectionis : first, writing his wordes faithfully as they 
 are translated, and thereafter, my answer. Fair well cleare 
 Brethren in Christe Jesus our onely confort, and judge with 
 equitie. 
 
 1 Prone. 26. 2 Why I haue expressit my name. 
 
HEIR FOLLOWETH EENAT'S EPISTLE 
 THE FIRST SECTION. 
 
 THE loue of Christ (most cuning men) and no small desyre of Sal- 
 uation vnto you all, contrinis me to warne and pray you frome 
 the bottome of my hart, that ye intruse not nor bring not in an 
 strange doctrine and vncouth in the Church of God. Aliene 
 and inpertinent (after the judgement of all wise and good men) 
 to Gods word and consuetude thereof, ather for the fauoure of 
 the people, or for vaine and transitorie glorie, that is, that ather ye 
 may be estemed the more wise and cunning of some (and receaued 
 as they say in bothe their armes) or els that ye may thereby get 
 and gather to your selues riches. What tempt ye I pray you to 
 do, what is (I beseche you in Christ Jesu) this your beginning, 
 loke well I pray you how great is this your boldnes, to professe 
 a new doctrine against the antiquitie consent and uniuersalitie 
 of Religion, without any plaine testimonies or auctorities of holy- 
 Scripture, or of Christiane Authores, ancient and tryed in 
 learning and godlines. 
 
 D. FEARGUSSONE'S ANSWER. 
 
 IT wold appear at the first sight to men of small judgement and 
 learning, that the cause that hes moued you to write, were 
 verray godly and charitable. Forasmuch as ye say that the 
 loue of Christe, and the saluation of vs all hes contrined you 
 thereto : but when the mater is tried with treuth, the contrarie 
 will sone appear. It will please you therefore to giue vs leaue 
 a ly tie to try what kinde of loue this is that hath moued you, and 
 what frute it bringeth furth, and then I truste bothe ye and 
 
8 ANE ANSWER TO 
 
 vthers (if ye haue eyes to se) shal easylie perceaue this loue to 
 be preposterus and carnall : I will say no wors til I haue better 
 oportunitie, and list that ye should think that we deale to aus- 
 teirlie with you at the first : I wold ye vnderstude that the Spirit 
 of our God hath commanded vs in his Scriptures 1 (verray stratelie) 
 to be war of deceauers and not to harken to fals Prophets, but 
 rather to try the Spirites 2 whither they be of God or not ; yea, 
 and suppose the Prophet 3 shew a wonder or a myrackle, if his 
 doctrine be fals we are forbidden to credeit him. If then we 
 aught not to beleue him to be of God that workes mirackles : 
 If his doctrine persuade vs to Idolatrie how much les oght we 
 to beleue that this is the trew loue of God that moueth you to 
 write, when as your doctrine and admonition tendis to nothing 
 els throughout this Epistle, but to draw vs from the trew wor- 
 shipping of oure God in Spirit and veritie to serue him according 
 to manns inuention by Idoles and Idolatrie, And althogh that 
 I wold grant vnto you, that this your loue were euen to Christ 
 and Godward without any hipocrysie, yet I dar boldly say that 
 it is als preposterous as Peter's loue wes to Christe whene as he 
 exhorted him to fauor him self and not to suffer the death of the 
 Grose. 4 For the which Christ calleth him Satan, nether fear I 
 to aifirme that Peter's loue to Christ (which ye do se hear 
 damned) wes als trew loue as it that moued you to write which 
 suppose it be vnfeinzeit, is nottheles als voide of knowledge as the 
 zeal of Paule's brethren, for whome he prayeth moste effectuously 
 in his Epistle to the Romans. 5 This much I haue spoken of the 
 nature of your loue to Christe, to the end that the treuth may 
 appear, and that ignorants be not deceaued with the name of 
 loue, for trew loue indeid which proceadis of faith and know- 
 ledge. It is dangerous in deid to giue haistie credeit to all 
 such as haue the name of Christ hipocriticallie in their 
 mouthes : for he him self affirmeth in the Euangle of Mathew 
 that their shal come many and abuise his name 6 and that so 
 
 1 Math. 24. 2 1 Jhon. 4. Dent. 13. 
 
 4 Mnth. 1. * Rom. 10. " Math. 24. 
 
RENAT BENEDICTS EPISTLE. 9 
 
 craftelie, that if it were possible they should deceaue the verray 
 elect. These men are we expressedly forbidden to beleue. 
 The desyre that ye bear to our Saluation is no better nor your 
 loue, but in all pointes is lyke vnto the desyre that the Phari- 
 sies had vnto the conuersion of the Gentiles, for the which the 
 Lord Jesus pronunces an extreme wo against them in these 
 wordes: 1 "Wo be vnto you Scribes and Pharisies, Hipocrites, 
 for ye compas sea and land, to make one of your professione, 
 and when he is made ye make him the child of hell twofold more 
 then your selues." 2 
 
 Your admonition in desyring vs not to intruse an strange doc- 
 trine, we verray gladely admit. For as yet we haue taught nothing 
 (nether are in tyme cuming mynded to teach) that hes not agreed, 
 and shal fully and in all pointes agre with the infallible treuth of 
 God's eternall veritie, to the more euident manifestation whereof 
 we haue set out in prent a general Confession of our Faith and 
 Doctrine, with the which who so is not contented, let them shew 
 the cause out of the w r ord of God, and it shalbe amended. Ye 
 name generally all wise and good men to be against our doctrine, 
 and that also it disagreeth with God's word ; and yet in the mean 
 tyme ye bring furth no man for your prufe nor any sentence out 
 of God's word for your defence. The nixt tyme therefore that ye 
 write let vs hear these good mennis names that agreeth not with vs, 
 and the sentences of Scripture that be against vs (for we can not 
 answer to nameles men and wordles sentences) and then I truste 
 by the grace of God that ye shalbe answered accordinglie, for 
 preased be God " we be readie to giue a reckning of that hope 
 that is in vs, to all men that demandeth it." 3 
 
 There be twa things that ye charge vs with, the first is, That 
 we hunt for the fauor of the people ; the nixt, That we studie to 
 gather riches : the which accusations God knoweth are manifest 
 fals. That the first is fals, all men may se that are not wil- 
 fully blind ; for he that hunteth for the fauor of the people must 
 
 1 Math. 23. 2 Math. 23. 3 1 Peter. 3. 
 
10 ANE ANSWER TO 
 
 bear with their vice, 1 the contrary whereof the verray deid it self 
 testifies in vs. What persone or persones haue we spared to 
 reboke openly, of what estate soeuer they were of, if we knew 
 them to be vicious. And where the Magistrat is godly we pro- 
 cure at his hand the punishment of whordome, dronkennes, 
 blasphemie, Idolatrie, morther, thift, and all other vices as the 
 worde of God prescribes. For we know as sayeth the Apostle, 
 that the Law is good, being laughfully vsed, 2 so that suppose the 
 Law hath nothing to do with the just man, yet it serueth well 
 to punish the law r les and dissobedient, the vngodly and the 
 sinners, the vnholy and prophane, the murtherers of Fathers and 
 mothers, the horemongers and buggerers, the liers and perjured 
 persones, or to the punishment of any vther vice that is contrarie 
 to holsome doctrine, which is according to the glorious Gospell 
 of the blissed God, committed vnto vs. And where their is no 
 Magistrat that obeyth the voice of God (as to[o] few there be 
 the more to be lamented) we vse to expell such persones as are 
 aboue written, by excommunication out of our Congregations and 
 from the communion of the faithfull. This is not the meane to 
 win the fauor of the people, I am assured except they be alto- 
 gether godly, for then the rebuker of their vice is the more 
 beloued of them, as sayeth Salamon, 3 " Reboke the wise and he 
 will loue thee, and be the contrary he that reboked the wicked 
 purchaseth his hatred ;" nether fear I to affirme that the greatest 
 nomber of carnall Gospellers 4 in Scotland this day hateth the 
 Ministers of the Euangle, for no vther cause then for their seueir 
 reboking of vice, for the which I for one, that writeth this 
 Answer, am hated to the death, "but God is with me, and 
 therefore I fear not who be against me." 5 The second whereof 
 ye accuse vs (I meane the gathering of riches) is so impudent a 
 lie, that all men may perceaue it to haue proceaded of the 
 Deuil, the author of lies. Thou art neuer able to proue that 
 
 1 Fals prechers spekis to the peplc 3 Prouer. 9. 
 
 plcsant things. Whairfor the carnal gospellers 
 
 2 1 Time. 1. hateth the ministers. * Romn. 8. 
 
RENAT BENEDICT'S EPISTLE. 11 
 
 euer any Minister in Scotland had a brybe of any man in the 
 earth for any cause, yea, and I dar say for my own part (and 
 am assured my Brethren may say no les for their parts) with 
 Samuel, 1 " Whose ox, whose asse, haue I taken or whom haue I 
 done wrong to, or whom haue I hurt, or of whose hand haue I 
 receaued a brylpe to blind myne eyes therewith, tell me and 
 I will restore it?" But so far absent are we from gathering 
 of riches, that the greatest nomber of vs haue liued in great 
 penurie, without all stipend some tuelf moneth, some eight, and 
 some half a year, hauing nothing in the meane time to susteane 
 our selues and our families, but that which freindes haue giuen 
 vs, and that which we haue borrowed of cheritable persones 
 vntil God send it vs to repay them. Ye strife fast to shift this 
 faut from your selues to vs, but I muste walken you vp because 
 herein ye appeare to me to be fast aslepe. Haue ye forget the 
 insaciable gredmes of your Popes the Antichristes of Eome and 
 of you his chapmen. Remember your self (omitting the rest for 
 tediousnes) of Pope John the 23. of that name, called before 
 Jacobus Caturcensis, and of Clement the 5. of that name, called 
 before Bertrandus Gottho. The one of these, I mean John, left 
 behind him in his treasure more aboundance of gold as sayeth 
 Baptista Platyna nor any that euer wes Bischop of Rome did be- 
 fore him, some sayth 25. mylzeon but I will write the least, which 
 is. 25. M. pecis of gold. 2 The other, I meane Clement, at his coro- 
 nation, which wes at Lyons in France (for then wes the court of 
 Rome translated to France by this same Clement) lost of his attyre 
 stroken from his hors by a certane fall of the toun wall by which 
 also John the Duke of Bertanzie and diuers others were slaine ; 
 in this tumult, I say, your holy father Clement lost a carbunkle, 
 worth, as sayeth the same Platyna, sex thousand crounes. 3 
 
 Remember your self, who are gatherers of riches, Christ 
 and his Apostles who had not so much as to rest their head 
 
 1 1 Samu. 12. 3 dementis Carbounkle : worth sex 
 
 2 Pope Jliones treasour xxv. thow- thowsand crownis. 
 sand peioes off gold. 
 
12 ANE ANSWER TO 
 
 upon 1 to pay their tribute: 2 nor gold nor siluer in possession, 3 
 and we his ministers that suffereth affliction and penurie; and whi- 
 ther this faute of couetousnes may justly be laide to our charge 
 or youres, I bid you remember your self againe, yea, and more- 
 ouer I dar be bold to say, that these same two forenamed Popes 4 
 had more riches then all the Ministers of the Euangel in Scot- 
 land and Ingland bothe are valzeant of in temporall gear at this 
 houre. Whither wes it Aristippus or Diogenes that hunted for 
 riches ? Diogenes that liued on erbes, or Aristippus that waited on 
 the Court of Dionisius ? So whither is it we Ministers of God's 
 worde that liueth in penurie, as I haue said, taken vpon vs the 
 indignation of Princes together with the hatrede of the People, 
 for speaking of the veritie, and ar nothing els but " as shepe ap- 
 pointed to the slaughter," 5 desyring nothing for all these foresaides, 
 but that we may be suffered to reteane the trew worshipping of 
 our God and his Christ, as we are taught in the Scriptures ? 
 Whither is it we or ye -impudent and shameles shavillinges that 
 hunteth for riches, we that speaketh the treuth frelie without re- 
 spect of persones, or ye fals flatterers who for the mantenance of 
 your belleis careth not to go to euerlasting damnation. It wes 
 more lyke that Baalles chaplanis (that eat at Jesabels table) 
 serued Mammon, then Eliah and the hundreth Prophets that for 
 the tyrranny of this cruell Queue durst not walk abrode, but were 
 fed in caues (by Obadiah Ahabes Stewart) 6 under the ground. 
 But ye do well to charge vs with lies, because ye haue nothing 
 justly to accuse vs of. Ye ask of vs what we attempt to do, we 
 assure you (by the grace of God) to rute out supersticious and 
 pestilent Papistrie, and in place thereof to plant sincere and 
 wholsome veritie, conteined in the booke of God. Ye desyre vs 
 to looke to our beginning, God be preased we haue laide our 
 compt long ago, 7 what this laubour wil cost vs or euer we be- 
 gouth to put our handes to it, " nether commoned we with fleshe 
 
 1 Math. 8. 2 Ibid. 17. the ministeris of Scotland and Ing- 
 
 3 Actis. 3. land. 
 
 4 Two Popes ryoher in geir then all 4 Psal. 44. 6 1 Reg. 18. 7 Luke 14. 
 
RENAT BENEDICT'S EPISTLE. 13 
 
 nor blood in this case." 1 Ye affirme that this is a great boldnes 
 of vs to professe a new doctrine, contrarie to antiquitie, consent 
 and vniuersalitie of Religion, hauing for vs nether Scriptures nor 
 ancient Authors ; if this your affirmation were trew, certanly our 
 boldnes were to great. It is an easie mater to you to speak so, 
 but ye will not find it so easy to proue. It hath bene the wonted 
 and accustomed vse of Sathan, from tyme to tyme, to sclander 
 the treuth with noualtie, and deck falshead with antiquitie and 
 consuetude, persuading men that the doctrine of Saluation is 
 suche newfangled fantasie, as neuer hath bene hard before in 
 any place. Thus did the wise and cunning Philosophers of 
 Athenis call Paule's doctrine, 2 " May we not knowe (said they) 
 what this new doctrine is, whereof thou speakest V 9 And certanly 
 the rude multitude are easylie persuaded that it is so, for as 
 sayeth Tertuliane, Veritas peregrina est in terrisf that is to say 
 " The veritie is a stranger vpon the earth :" and it is no wonder 
 althogh a stranger be misknowen, so althogh the treuth appear 
 vnto you to be new doctrine (that so long hath bene nussaled vp 
 in falshead) I meruell not. But I wolde ye knew that we teache 
 no other doctrine then is conteined in the Law, the Psalmes, the 
 Prophets, and the Euangel, yea, euen that same that S. John 
 testifieth to haue bene, Ab initio,* that is, from the beginning. 
 Moreouer we offer vnto you with the aforesaid Tertuliane, that 
 the oldest religione (whither oures or youres) preuale. 5 Ye 
 boste much of antiquitie, but when the mater is tryed it will ap- 
 pear that ye haue lytle for you, yea, your moste precious geare 
 and eldest Constitutions will appeare, to be that thing that they 
 are in veray deid, to wit, beggerly cerimonies inuented by the 
 foolhardy and rashe conceat of man, without the warrand of 
 God's worde, or any exemple of that first or primatiue Church 
 moste happely planted by the Apostles and reuled by the Holy 
 Ghoste ; for long after the primatiue Church, and many hundreth 
 
 1 Gala. 1. * 1 Jhon. 1. 
 
 2 Actis. 17. s Tertulian in his Apologie for the 
 
 3 The treuth is ane stranger on earth. Christienis aganis the Gentils. 
 
14 ANE ANSWER TO 
 
 yeares after that the Word wes preached in Rome, yea, of poore 
 preachers of the Gospel, or Bishopes call them as ye list, and 
 then Archebishopes, and last Patriarckes (for be theis degries 
 they ascended to the Beastes saite) there wes in Rome past. 66. 
 in nomber, or euer there wes a word that any man durst clame 
 to himself the name of vniuersal Bishop or head of the Church : ] 
 After so many, Boniface the thrid of that name, obtened of Phocas 
 the traytor, that slew his master, 2 Mauritius the Emperour to- 
 gither with his wife and children, of this bloody Judas, the 
 ambicious beast, Boniface obteined (I say) to be called the head 
 of all Bishopes and the Churche of Rome the mother of all 
 Churches ; and this wes done in the year of God, sex hundreth 
 and seuen, or therby. This long the Church of God laked this 
 monstrous head from whome to the rest of his successors and 
 you Papistes their members, all poysone descended, as from the 
 natural head of mans body ather good nutriment or eiiil humors 
 discendeth to the rest' of the members. The visible head of 
 your kingdome is no older, judge ye then of the members there- 
 of, and incres of the body. For after that with great contention 
 (as sayeth Platina) this mater wes granted by- the aforesaid 
 traterous vsurper of the Impyre, yet did verie few for a long 
 time; acknowledg this tytle of the Head of the Church to ap- 
 erteane to any one earthlie man, but rather withstude it to the 
 vttermost of their powers ; and this chiefly did for the most part 
 all the Churches of Grecia, and of the East, lykewise did mony 
 vther Churches vntill that the strength of this beast wes such as 
 at lenth compelled them tirrannically to commit fornication with 
 her, after that she had shaken of the yock of lawfull obedience 
 to Kings and Empreours, (as their proud Decries whiche after- 
 ward I wil inter shal proue,) and had " exalted her self aboue all 
 that wes called God," 8 and so sat as one that promised vnto her 
 self nether sorow nor wedowhead, 4 but rather continual prosperitie, 
 
 1 Threscore Bischopis in Rome : or 2 Phocas, the traytor authorisis the 
 euer there wes ane Pope. firste Pope. 
 
 3 2 Thess. 2. * Esay. 47. 
 
RENAT BENEDICT'S EPISTLE. 15 
 
 and might do whatsoeuer she lyketh, 1 as these wordes following, 
 taken out of your own law shal testifie : Papa dicitur habere 
 celeste arbitrium, et ideoet iam naturam rerum immutat, substantialia 
 vnius rei applicando alii, et de nihilo potest aliquid facere, et sen- 
 tentiam que nulla est aliquam facere, quia in his que vult ei est pro 
 ratione voluntas, nee est qui ei dicat, Cur ita fads ? ipse enim 
 potest supra jus dispensare, et de injusticia facere justiciam, 
 corrigendo jura et mutando, nam plenitudinem obtinet potestatis. 
 These wordes are written in the firste boke of that blasphemous 
 volome gathered by one Raymond, and called the Decretalis of 
 Gregorie the 9. in the 7. tytle and 2. chapiter thereof: the tytle 
 is called, De translatione Episcopi, the chapiter beginneth with 
 this word, Quanta. 
 
 These wordes I did find in deid in many notable writers 
 that writeth against your Pope, but because I delyte not to make 
 report (much les to commit to writ) any thing by here say, and 
 also, that firste when ! I red them, it appeared an incredible 
 matter to me that euer the Deuill culd so far blind any man 
 that he wold break furthe in this plaine blasphemie, (so groslie 
 that all men may perceaue it) I therefore deferred the writing 
 of them vntill I did find out these same Decretales, wherein I red 
 these wordes before written, and thereof toke boldnes to aifirme 
 that whiche I did se and reid, the Inglish whereof is this, als 
 neir as I could translate it. " It is said that the Pope hath a 
 heauenly judgement, and therefore changeth the natur of things, 
 applying the substance of one thing to an other, and of nothing he 
 can make something, and of the sentence which wes noghtes he 
 can make it somewhat worth, 2 for in those things that he list, his 
 wil standeth for reasone, nether is there any man that may say 
 vnto him, Why doeth thou so I for he may dispence with the 
 Law, and of injustice may make justice, in amending or chang- 
 ing the Lawes, for he hath gotten the fulnes of power." Which 
 of you are so shameles as to stand in the defence of these 
 
 1 Apoca. 18. 2 O diuellishe presumption. 
 
16 ANE ANSWER TO 
 
 wordes ? or rather who seeth not that this is that same inouthe 
 that the Prophet Daniel 1 affirmeth, " should speak presumptious 
 things ;" this is the plesand doctrine that procedeth from this 
 monster, whose beginning ye haue hard, whose incres and 
 grouth to the hight I coulde declare, out of their own Histories, 
 (if it were not tedious) where out of ye might easylie perceaue 
 how falslie antiquitie, by them, is applyed to their new forged 
 religion in the deap dongeon of Sathan's workehous, and practised 
 by them, his members and Luftennents, hear in earth. But 
 when they find in our Congregations that thing vsed which 
 God's worde hath not taught vs, then boldlie accuse vs of 
 noualtie, and vnto that tyme, best it is to hold their peace list 
 they be found injust accusers. As to the Doctors I nether 
 contemp them, nor yet do I builde my faith vpon them, because 
 they were but men, and in their writinges many thinges amis 
 to be found ; as Augustine (indeid the verie best of them in my 
 judgement) testifieth in diuers places, and chiefly in his Retrac- 
 tations, 2 in these wordes, Negare non possum nee debeo, sicut in 
 ipsis majoribus, ita multa esse in tarn multis opusculis meis que 
 possunt justo judicio et nulla temeritate culpare. Beholde 
 freinde that Augustine doeth not deny that there be many 
 thinges in his volomes that may by just judgement, and 
 without all temerite be found faut with. Fynally, because 
 of all that hitherto ye haue written, and I haue answered, ye 
 haue inferred no prufe of Scripture but naked wordes of your 
 owne. In this case I say with Hierome, 3 Quod de Scripturis 
 non habet auctoritatem, eadem facilitate contempnitur qua 
 probatur. That is to say, " That thing which hath not his 
 authoritie out of the Scriptures, als easylie as it is prouen, als 
 easylie may it be rejected." 
 
 1 Daniel. 7. 3 Hierome vpon Mathew the 23. 
 
 2 Agustyne in his Retractations. Chap. 
 
RENAT BENEDICT'S EPISTLE. 17 
 
 KENAT'S EPISTLE, THE SECOND SECTION, 
 
 THIS a lytle I besech you take head and enter in your selues 
 by dilegent reasoning, putting away all mist of affection from 
 you : say I require you by the mercy of God and Christ 
 Jesus loue towardes vs all, Where is it red in the holy 
 write, ather in Old Testament or New, that the Masse, that is 
 the conswete Sacrifice of holy Kirk, is abhomination, or any 
 thing sounding to Idolatrie 1 where, or in an of so many Counsels 
 holden in the Kirk of God ? where in any learned or tryed 
 authorities ? Loke ! neuer treuly, alledge the place if ye can, 
 which verilie neuer an of you could euer yet do. I meruel there- 
 fore why ye affirme that doctrine with so great clamor, with 
 suche ardence as it is beleued, yea, with so great laboures, to the 
 perrell of so many Christiane soules, and to your own (I feare) 
 perdition : contempning the prudent authoritie of all good and 
 learned men ; which doctrine hath no certane probation except 
 that ye wold think your owne exposition of the Scripture (that 
 repugneth manifestlie to all cunning men's) yneugh for to con- 
 ferme a new doctrine of Faith and Religion. 
 
 D. FEAKGUSSONE'S ANSWEE. 
 
 ALL mist of affection set asyde, ye require vs by the mercy of 
 God and Christ Jesus loue towardes vs all, to shew you, where 
 the Masse is called abhomination e or Idolatrie, 1 in the Old Testa- 
 ment or New; whereunto we answer, that when ye find this 
 worde Masse ather in the Old or New Testament, then shal we 
 proue it to be Idolatrie. This might serue you right wel for an 
 answer, and should be also vnto you such a desyre as I am 
 assured ye were neuer able to accomplish. But in the meane 
 
 1 The name of the Masse is not in the Scripturis. 
 
 B 
 
18 ANE ANSWER TO 
 
 tyme vntill ye find it, list this might apeare rather to be a shift 
 nor an answer : we say and constantlie doo affirme, that whereso- 
 euer the Creature (or the thing that is made) is worshipped (in 
 the place of the Creator, and maker of all) that there is Idolatrie, 1 
 committed contrary to the commandiment of God, who hath said, 
 " Thou shal worship the Lord thy God, 2 and Him onely shalt thow 
 serue." But in the Masse there is worshipped bread and wine, 
 corruptible creatures in the place of God the Father, and Christe 
 his Sonne, as ye can not deny : wherefore it followeth that the 
 masse is Idolatrie ; 3 this argument (which I haue out of God's 
 worde als well old Testament as new) when ye haue refelled, 
 which wilbe ad Grecas calendas^ then shall ye haue others. 
 
 Ye call your abhominable Masse the conswete or wonted Sacri- 
 fice of holy Church : the wonted Sacrifice of your Malignant Syna- 
 goge of Sathan, I confesse it to haue bene euer since the dayes 
 of your Pope Agattho the firste ; whose orator John the Bishop of 
 Portuens to haue bene the first that euer song or said a Latine 
 masse, Platina the Pope's own Gnato in his book, I)e Vitis Pon- 
 tificum, affirmeth in these wordes, the Counsel being ended 
 (this wes the 6. general Consel holden in the year of God 681.) 
 that thankes might be giuen vnto God, that of the two Churches 
 had made one (meaning the Greak and the Latine Church), 
 the octaue of Pashe, John the Bishop of Portuens in the pre- 
 sence of the Prence and Patriarck, and people of Constantinopol 
 celebrated a Latine masse : all that were present for the tyme 
 allowing it (so easylie are men deceaued) this long, to wit 681. 
 yeare, wes the Churche without this Sacrifice which yet differed 
 far from it that wes in our dayes, for it wes almost 7. hundreth 
 yeares after this or euer the people were commanded to worship 
 it; for that wes done by Honorious 4 the 3, who wes Pope 
 the yeare from our Redemption 1216. thereafter, when it wes 
 worshipped as a God, the Demi did find the meanes that this 
 
 1 Deute. 6. 2 Mathe. 4. 4 Honorius firste ordenide the Masse 
 
 3 The mass Idolatrie. caik to be worschipped. 
 
RENAT BENEDICT'S EPISTLE. 19 
 
 new Idole shoulde be caryed solempnitlie, throughout all tounes, 
 vpon a peculyar day dedicat to that Histrionicall gyse, called 
 Corpus Christies day. 1 The instruments that the Deuill vseth to 
 this labour, were Urbanus Pope of Eome the 4. of that name, 
 and a certane Religious woman called Eua, and it came to pas 
 as ye shal hear. The aforesaid Urbanus 2 (Pope in the year 
 from our Redemption 1261.) had the aforesaid supersticious Eua 3 
 in familiar acquentance before he came to the Beastes saite, who 
 feinzeed her self to haue had a reuelation from heauen, concern- 
 ing the dedication of a Festual day to the Pope's God of bread 
 in the masse, the maner and circumstances of this reuelation, 
 she wrate to Urbanus at length, desyring him to performe her 
 vision ; which he did without delay, confirming it with a Bui, 
 which for lenth I omit. 
 
 The Churche wes a thousand two hundreth thre scoir and 
 one year, without this Idolatrous gyse ; this I wryte, and 
 muche more could, out of their own Histories (if it were not 
 oner longsome) to shew that all their braging of Antiquitie 
 is nothing els but fals forged lies. Their corrupted knauerie, 
 peice and peice, crope into the Churche by the craft of 
 Sathan their Father, who durste not shew him self at ones, list 
 he shoulde haue bene knowen, and so resisted. But rather 
 a transfiguring him self in an Angel of light," 4 as the slacknes of 
 Pastors begouth to incres, wroght spedylie as a bissie Bishop, 
 vnder their handes, til at length he had fully broght to pas the 
 whole Misterie of his Iniquitie, which the Apostle affirmeth to 
 haue bene a working in his days. 5 
 
 But what nedeth circumloquution when few wordes directlie 
 spoken, may spedily end this stryfe. What if I should say 
 with Ambrose, 6 Quicquid non ab Apostolis traditum est Sceleribus 
 plenum est; that is, " Whatsoeuer is not giuen vnto vs by the 
 Apostles, is full of iniquitie." 7 Or as he sayeth in an vther 
 
 1 Corpus Christies day. 5 2. Thes. 2. 
 
 2 Urbanus 4. 6 Ambrosius. 
 
 3 Eua. 4 2. Cori. 11. M. Corin. 4. 
 
20 ANE ANSWER TO 
 
 place, 1 Nos noua omnia que Christus non docuit, jure damna- 
 musj quia fidelibus via Christus est. Si igitur Christus non 
 docuit quod docemus, etiam nos id detestabile judicamus ; that 
 is, " We justlie damp all new thinges that Christe liath not 
 taught, because Christe is the way to the faithfull. If there- 
 fore Christ hath not taught that thing which we teache, yea, 
 euen we our selues do judge it detestable." 
 
 First therefore because your Masse wes neuer giuen nor or- 
 deined vnto vs by the Apostles I with Ambrose affirme it to 
 be full of iniquitie. Secondly, because it is a new doctrine 
 which Christ neuer taught, I justly damp it, that Christ neuer 
 taught it, these subsequentes shal declare : Where did euer 
 Christe or any of his Apostles say to a man, when they 
 Elected and admitted him to the ministerie of the church, 2 
 Accipe potestatem celebrandi vel sacrificandi pro viuis et mortuis ? 
 as your Idole Bishopes sayeth to you, their shawelinges, when 
 ye receaue the Beastes marke 3 with power to by and sell the 
 marchandrise of the great hoore of Babilon. These wordes 
 they say when the Chalice is giuen you, together with the 
 Patene, the bread and the wine, " Take thou authoritie or power 
 to celebrate or say Masse for the quick and the dead." 4 Yea, so 
 heighly are these wordes estemed of your Doctors, that if the 
 Bishope omit the saying of them for his part and the profering of 
 the aforesaid thinges, and he that is to be ordeined omit the 
 touching of the thinges profered, that all is for noght. Where 
 commanded Christe that ye should deuore all alone, standing at 
 an alter with your back to the peple ? Where are ye commanded 
 to lift the bread ouer your heades that the people may commit 
 Idolatrie with it ? Where are ye commanded to dissagyse your 
 selues lyke players or fooles with shauen crownes, long wide 
 sarkes aboue your clothing, and shorte peies lyke cotes of ar- 
 moure aboue all ? Where are ye commanded at the ministration 
 
 1 Libro. 4. de Virginibus. * Guide de Monte Rocherii in Mani- 
 
 2 Summa Angelica, folio 319. pulo curatorum, tractatu. 5. de Ordine. 
 
 3 Apoca. 13. Cap. 4. 
 
RENAT BENEDICT'S EPISTLE. 21 
 
 of the Sacrament/ some tymes to juke and some tymes to nod, 
 to slepe a while and walk another, now to cry out with a loud 
 voice, and then to quhisper that your taill may not hear you, to 
 put botlie your handes to your eares and then to streiche them 
 out as the daw doeth when she raxeth her in the morning? 
 Why speak ye in a strange langage 2 ( contrar to the mynde of the 
 Holy Ghoste) that the people vnderstandeth not ? When ye haue 
 told me who learned you these jugling castes, then will I assay 
 what reckening ye can giue of the rest. Fynally I wold ask at 
 you, if the thre thousand persones that Peter by the word of 
 God conuerted (of whom we read in the Second Chapiter of the 
 Actes 8 ) were of the Church of God or not? ye dar not deny but 
 that they were of the Church. If then the Masse be the 
 wonted Sacrifice of holy Church (as ye wolde make men 
 beleue) I wonder that they omitted it. For the Holy Ghoste 
 for our learning by the pen of Lucas hath moste diligentlie 
 registrat 4 their excercise which is, that after they had re- 
 ceaued the word, they were baptised, continued in the Apostles 
 doctrine, felowship, breaking of bread, and prayers. To be shorte 
 get me one word mention of a Sacrifice offered for sinnes, (since 
 the death of Christ) in all the Actes of the Apostles or in any 
 part of the New Testament by God's people, and I will grant 
 your argument trew ; but vnto the tyme that ye proue your 
 arguments out of the word of God, ye must apardone me for I 
 can not beleue you, no, not suppose ye were ane Angel 5 as ye 
 are but a man. 
 
 As to your Generall Counsels, my faith is not builded vpon 
 them, nether am I bound to beleue one jote of them, further 
 nor they aggre with God's word, for they that beleueth or taketh 
 any counsel but of God, hath an extreme wo pronounced against 
 them, by the Spirit of God in these wordes, 6 " Wo to the rebel- 
 
 1 The tryfling toyes of the Popes 4 The excerceis of the Primatiue 
 masse. Churche. 
 
 2 1. Cor. 14. 5 Gal. 1. 
 
 a Actis. 2. Esav. 30. 
 
22 ANE ANSWER TO 
 
 lions children, sayeth the Lord, that take counsel, but not of 
 me ; and couer with a couering, but not by my Spirit, that they 
 may lay sinne vpon sinne." And in few wordes, except these 
 foure, 1 to wit, the first Counsell Nicen holden against Arrius, 
 and gathered by the Empreoure Constantine, and by no Pope, 
 for many hundreth yeares after the Bishopes of Rome, were but 
 Prechers of the word of God, hauing no further dominion then 
 their own diosies did streich. The nixt general Counsel wes 
 gathered by the Empreoure Graciane, against the Herisie of 
 Macidonius and Eudoxus, and wes holden in Constantinopol. 
 The thrid wes holden in Ephesus, vnder the Empreour Theo- 
 doric against the Herisie of Nestorius. The fourth in 
 Chalchedon vnder the Empreour Martiane against the Herisie 
 of Eutiches : except these foure, all the rest for the moste part 
 are suspect to me, because your Popes were judges in them 
 their selues. Therefore seing the wise man hath counselled 
 me otherwise, namely, not to go to Law with the Judge 2 for- 
 asmuch as he will giue sentence according to his owne honor, 
 it were but foly then to subject my Faith to the judgement 
 of these Counseles whereof Antichristes haue bene heades 
 and Judges. 
 
 The controuersie then being betuix vs Christians, and you 
 Papistes, ye striuing for the tyrannical dominion and vainglorie 
 of your Pope, and the certitude of his Counsels, and we for the 
 eternal heauenly glorie of our Christ, and the veritie of his holy 
 Euangle : Let all men judge whither it be right to admit the 
 Pope Arbiter in his owne cause, or whither he oght to be judged 
 by the word of God, and Gospel of his Christe, " to whome all 
 power is giuen in heauen, and in earth," 3 whose word that he 
 hath spoken shall judge vs all in the last day. I feare not to 
 affirme that the mater oght to be tryed by the Scriptures, how- 
 soeuer Antichrist bragge of his owne authoritie ; that moste 
 injustly he vsurpeth ouer men, as his Law doeth witnes in these 
 
 1 Generall counsels. 2 Ecclesi. 8. * Math. 28. 
 

 RENAT BENEDICT'S EPISTLE. 23 
 
 wordes^ 1 Omnes Christifideles de necessitate Salutis subswit Romano 
 Pontifici, qui vtrumque gladium habet, et omnes judicat, a neniine 
 autem judicatur : that is, " All that be faithfull Christianis of the 
 necessitie of Saluation are subject to the Bishop of Koine, which 
 hath bothe the swordes (that is spiritual and temporal) and 
 judgeth all men, and to be judged of no man." What I beseche 
 you may we loke for at those Counsels ? whereof this tyrant is 
 judge, euen this (in my judgement) 2 that when all the adulterers 
 and hooremongers of Scotland and all vther Countries giueth 
 their general consent to put doun all bordales and villany, that 
 then a generall Counsel whereof the Pope is head and judge 
 (with his Creatures, the carnall Cardinalles and their assessors, 
 forsworne slaues and monstrous mytrat Bishopes) shal abolishe 
 and put doun al superstition and Idolatrie. Meruell not there- 
 fore why we affirme this doctrine of oures, I meane the Euangle, 
 with so great clamoure and laboure, not to our own perdition 
 and others, as ye suppose, but rather to our Saluation ; yea, we 
 knowe " that damnation abydeth vs," if that we preach not the 
 Euangle, 3 whiche also we are commanded "to cry" and " not to 
 ceis" from speaking and bearing witnes to the treuth, 4 which we 
 haue bothe hard and sene. 6 Nether doeth our doctrine repugne 
 (as ye wold make men beleue) to all good and cunning men, as 
 I trust the vnaifectionat Reader shal perceaue but we builde 
 not vpon men, but vpon the treuth of God, confessinge oure 
 selues "to know nothing but Jesus Christe" 6 (not him that hingeth 
 in a cord or halter ouer your altars sumtyme til he be woorm-eat- 
 ten and not worth the holding adjudged to the fyre) : no, but 
 him we confesse that wes made, not of white corne, but " of the 
 sede of Dauid, according to the fleshe," 7 yea, euen him that wes 
 crucified, and " declared mightylie to be the Sonne of God, touch- 
 
 1 These wordis ar writen in that * t. Cor. 9. 
 
 book that is callit Extrauagantes * Esay. 58. 
 
 Communes, libro. 1. de majoritate * Actis. 4. 
 
 et obedientia. Chap. 1. 1. Cor. 2. 
 
 * An pretty similitude. " Rom. 1. 
 
24 ANE ANSWER TO 
 
 ing the Spirit of Sanctification, by the Resurrection from the 
 dead." Ye bragge muche of Doctors and learned men to be 
 vpon your syde, but hitherto we haue nether hard their names, 
 nor yet any authorities out of their writings for your prufe. And 
 that it may appeare how fals this your accusation is, althogh I 
 haue no nede of Doctors, yet do I infer some, and shal God willing 
 infer mo hereafter, as that occasion shal be offered. 
 
 As to your sclandring with noualtie our faith and doctrine, I 
 haue alreadie in the first Section answered, and partlie by occa- 
 sion also in this. The doctrine that we professe and teach, to haue 
 bene from the beginning, I haue alreadie prouen, and that the scope 
 thereof is onely to teache men to knowe the Eternal the Father 
 of our Lorde Jesus, to be the verie onely trew God, and that he 
 whom he sent, is the Sauioure of the world. 1 In this doctrine 
 alone consisteth lyfe euerlasting, as witnesseth the Lord Jesus : 
 " and this is lyfe eternal, that they knowe thee to be onely verie 
 God, and, whom thow hath sent, Jesus Christ," this doctrine we 
 haue professed at this present doeth, and shall by Gods grace, 
 confesse vnto the end in dispyte of Satan and his Vickar your 
 Pope and Antechrist. 
 
 RENAT'S EPISTLE, THE THIRD SECTION. 
 
 BEHOLD I besech you, that ye deceaue not your selues, and 
 namely in these last and moste perrellous dayes, of the which the 
 Holy write prophecieth and affirmeth the great dangeres and 
 mischief so that in the dayes, euen the chosen and Elect (if it 
 were possible) therethrough shalbe peruerted. Ye knowe 
 planely if that ye loke ouer the Scripture with humilitie the 
 slight and desait of Sathan (Christes and all Christianes 
 enimies) for to misreule and disturb the trew Kirk and his 
 furious interpryses, also to deleit and put away the remembrance 
 of Christ Jesus ye misknow not. Take head therfore I adjure 
 
 1 Joh. 17. 
 
RENAT BENEDICT'S EPISTLE. 25 
 
 you welbeloued and Christiane brethren, that ye be not seduced 
 with his subteltie and craftines, and being seduced, that ye be 
 not the instruments to peruert others from the faith. Sathan 
 can not take Christes name from you ; but yet be war, I pray you, 
 and I warne you of charitie for your weill and Saluation, that 
 he pluk not Christe him self from you. Think I besech you 
 where, and by what maner we haue Christ treulie ? Haue we 
 him not by his trew worde in the trew Sacrament ? Haue we 
 him not in the trew Kirk by verie faith ? Haue ye not lightlyed, 
 I make your selues judges, and contempned the trew Kirk 
 sittuat vpon the montane? and this yneugh knowing of all 
 men, Intruse ye not an onely figure for the treuth of Christes 
 liuely bodie in the Sacrament and Euchariste ? They knowe who 
 hath red the Scriptures and Doctors writinges, that ye propone 
 the wordes of the Law, and not the Law it self, nor the trew 
 worde of God, for probation and setting forthe of your doctrine ; 
 therefore ye reteane onely the name of Christe : but be war, I 
 pray you, that ye put not Christe him selfe frome you : haue ye 
 not expelled him first in his ymages? and thereafter in the 
 Euchariste and Masse ? And last of all, in exponing the Scrip- 
 ture otherwise than it behoued, in whose roume what other thing 
 haue ye set out but a creatur or creatures inuent, that is your 
 doctrine and teachement. 
 
 D. FEARGUSSONE'S ANSWER. 
 
 Ir that we did depend ather on men or men's doctrine, whither 
 it were our owne or other men's, then no dout, we were verie 
 able to be deceaued, and to deceaue others. But forasmuch as 
 the doctrine that we are grounded vpon, come neuer " be the will 
 of man," (as sayeth Peter 1 ) but by the wil of God, we are assured 
 not to deceaue our selues, for he is no deceauer in whom we 
 trust, but rather " the way, the veritie, and the life," 2 and him we 
 
 1 2. Pet. i. 2 John. 14. 
 
26 ANE ANSWER TO 
 
 follow, certeanely beleuing that then " we can not walk in dark- 
 nes; 1 for we know (as sayeth S. John, in his first generall 
 Epistle) that we are of God, althogh the whole world lyeth in 
 wickednes." 2 We know that the Sonne of God is come, and hath 
 giuen vs a mynde to knowe him that is trew, and we are in him, 
 that is in his Sonne Jesus Christ, the same is verie God and 
 eternall lyfe. This doctrine we haue learned of God, in it we 
 trust, being assured " that the gates of Hell shall not preuale 
 against vs." 3 
 
 Trew it is, that the Scriptures plainly affirmeth in diuers and 
 syndrie places, that the latter dayes shalbe ful of dangers ; and 
 therefore moste carefully doeth the Spirit of our God, not onely 
 warne vs of the dangers, but also the meane to auoyde them is 
 manifestly proponed to vs in these wordes, "He that perseuereth 
 vnto the end shal be saued." 4 But as all shall be full of perrel 
 euerie where, so shal not the Church lack her part, being assalted 
 with fals Christes and fkls Prophetes, who shal shew suche lying 
 wonders, signes, and myrackles, 5 that if it were possible the verie 
 chosen should be deceaued. But blissed be God, that hath not 
 left these his moste necessar admonitions in so obscure parables 
 that hardly may the mater be decerned ; no, but rather hath by 
 his Apostles and diligent watchmen, painted out most liuely, the 
 maners and doctrine of these fals prophetes. Peter sayeth, " They 
 shal deny the Lord that boght them," and " through couetousnes 
 make merchandrise of the people." 6 Wes Christ Jesu alone (in 
 the Pope's Church) granted to be the Lorde that boght vs with his 
 blood ? or were we not teached to be boght out of Purgatorie by 
 masses, whiche of these gredie beastes wes boght for money; 
 with mony other such damnable wayes, whereby the way of treuth 
 wes euil spoken of, which I omit for tediousnes ; this remembring 
 onelie as the fontane whereout of the rest sprang. These men 
 that thus deminisheth the power of the Sonne of God, to be 
 
 ' John. 8. 4 Math. 24. 
 
 2 1. Jhon. 5. * 2. Thessa. 2. 
 
 3 Math. 16. '2. Peter. 2. 
 
RENAT BENEDICT'S EPISTLE. 27 
 
 vterlie ignorant of the Father, and with him to haue no societie, 
 S. John plainely affirmeth. 1 Judas, the seruant of Jesus Christ 
 and brother of James, 2 calleth them " cloudes without water, and 
 trees without frute," that is such men as are called Bishopes and 
 Pastors, and when it cometh to the watering of Christes shepe 
 with the water of lyfe, they ather suffer them to die for thirst or 
 els compell them " to do two euiles ; that is, to forsake the Eternal 
 who is the onely fontane of lyuing water and drink of rotten 
 pooles made by men that can hold no water ;" 8 when Christes 
 chosen are to be fed "with the frute of that tre 4 that standeth in 
 the middest of the Paradise of God," ather get they no frute, or 
 els stinking onzeons and garlyk of Egypt, that is to say massing, 
 clinking, ringing, singing, playing, sensing, crossing, juking, 
 nodding, and processions : wherein the vnpreaching Prelat (with 
 his shameles shauelinges, no better preachers then the dum dog 
 their master) he I say (lacking the misterie of Saluation in his 
 hart, and the Sermon of exhortation banished from his mouth) is 
 decked like a player in mistical aparel with Crose and myter, 
 gloves and ringes, caip and coule, to the great contempt and 
 mockage of God, and distruction of his people, forgetting in the 
 mean tyme that their triumph is the begining of their sorow, 
 hauing " the black darknes reserued to them for euer." 5 Paule 
 the most vigilant watcheman of Christes Church, not onely for 
 his owne tyme, but also careful for the posteritie, doeth no les 
 diligentlie not [e] these men, nor the rest of his nyghboures in 
 office, almoste in all his Epistles, but chiefly to Timothie, in these 
 wordes, " The Spirit speaketh euidently, that in the latter tymes 
 some shall depart from the faith, and shal glue head vnto 
 Spirites of errore, and doctrines of Deuilles ; whiche speak lyes 
 through ipocrycie ; 6 and haue their conscience burnt with an hote 
 yrne ; forbidding to marie, and commanding to absteane from 
 meates, which God hath created to be receaued with giuing of 
 
 1 i. Job. 2. Apo. 2. 
 
 2 Jude. 1. 5 2. Pet. 2. 
 ' Jere. 2. 1. Tim. 4. 
 
28 ANE ANSWER TO 
 
 thankes of them which beleue and know the treuth." Who doeth 
 not se (but suche as be wilfully blind) the doctrine papistical moste 
 liuely discriued and handsomely set furth in this prophecie ; for 
 who in these latter and dangerous dayes hath forbidden Manage, 
 and hath commanded distinction of meates, persecuting the 
 violators of these precepts with fyre and sword, " esteaming his 
 own traditions aboue the commandements of God," l who, I say, 
 hath done this but the Pope and his clargie the Antichriste and 
 his members. It wil auale you nothing to ascriue and applye 
 the accomplishing of this prophecie to Montanus, to the Heri- 
 tyques called Tatiani, and the Encratikes, 2 seing ye are found in 
 the lyke faut, and so gilty of the same damnation ; no more then 
 it wil auale a murtherer that now killeth a man, to think that 
 the curse of God pronounced against Cain, streacheth not ouer 
 him. 
 
 Wherefore freind in my judgement, it fareth with you as 
 Esope in his Fables, 3 fenzeed to haue happened to a Paddock, 
 that gaue her self forth for a Phisition, and a healer of others, who 
 when she came to giue her counsell and minister her phisick, 
 wes rejected of the seicke persones (because she her self appeared 
 to be all ouergoine with the gulsogh) with this answer, Medice 
 euro, teipsum. So say I to you, ye giue your self forth for a 
 spiritual Phisition, a professor of God's worde, and to be a warner 
 of others, to be ware of errours, when as in the meane tyme ye 
 your self had most eneid of spiritual phisick, and holsome counsell 
 of all others ; and that because I se you plonged in extreme 
 errore, and vehementlie deceaued with fals doctrine, therefore I 
 say to you, as Paule the Apostle said to his brethren 4 (the 
 Pharisies) as concerning the fleshe, who were to zealous for the 
 mantenance of their owne ryghteuosnes which they thoght they 
 had by the workes of the law ; and therefore vtterly spoyled them 
 selues of the ryghteousnes of God that came by Faith in Jesus 
 
 1 Math. 15. - 
 
 2 Old heretikis that forbad mariage 3 Esope. 
 cxcusis not the new. 4 Rom. 10. 
 
RENAT BENEDICT'S EPISTLE. 29 
 
 Christe, 1 "Thou preaches that a man should not steal, and in 
 the meane tyme thou robbist God of his glorie." 1 If then ye wold 
 that we should admit you to take the mote out of our eie, cast 
 first out the balk that is in your own. 2 If ye wold that we should 
 obey your admonitions, let them bring forth some frute in your 
 self, or els ye are lyke to be repulsed with this sentence, 
 " Phisition haile thy self." And althogh we do reject you for 
 just causes, principally for your intoxicat doctrine, think not 
 therefor that these Scriptures (whereof your admonitions are 
 taken, concerning the latter dayes) are of vs carelesly passed 
 ouer ; no, God forbid, for they be warninges betuix oure eyes. 3 
 The Apostle Peter hath moste carefully warned vs, of Sathan's 
 slyght and fury, not forgetting also to instruct vs how to with- 
 stand him, in these wordes, " Be sober and watche ; for your 
 aduersarie the Deuil, as a roring lyon, walketh aboute seking 
 whome he may deuore : whome (sayeth the Apostle 4 ) ye shall 
 resist, being steadfast in Faith." 
 
 Ye say that Sathan can not take Christes name from vs ; no, 
 certanely, nor steare a haire of our heades, forther then God 
 doeth appoint him. 5 We are not affrayed that that Serpent shal 
 ather.spoyle vs of Christ or of his name, for we know our 
 selues to be Christ's shepe, 6 to whom he hath not onely pro- 
 mised eternal lyfe, but also u that they shall neuer perishe, nor 
 be plucked out of his hand by any." This certanetie of our 
 Saluation, procedeth not of our owne merites and worthy- 
 nes (which God did foresie to be in vs, as ye blasphemous 
 Papistes do affirme) nor yet of the worthynes of these workes 
 that follow after our externall vocation ; no, but the begining, 
 the middest, and the end of our Saluation, cometh of the mear 
 mercy of our God alone, in Christe Jesus his Sonne, to whome 
 he frely and liberally gaue vs, 7 before all worldes; as that he him 
 self witnesseth in the Euangle of John, saying, " My Father 
 
 1 Rom. 2. 2 Mat. 7. 5 Job. 1. 
 
 3 Deute. 11. 6 Job. 10. 
 
 1 1. Pet. 5. 7 Ephe. 1. 
 
30 ANE ANSWER TO 
 
 which gaue them me, is greater then all ; and none is able to take 
 them out of my Father's hand i 1 I and my Father are one." Upon 
 these promises we rest, and shall God willing vnto the end, nether 
 feare we his promises nor the fidelitie of them ; for suppose we be 
 fragel, " yet wil he not deny him self." 2 But how cometh it to pas 
 that ye perceaue not the craft of this Serpent your self, whereof 
 ye admonish others so earnestly 1 For Sathan hath not onelie 
 spoyled you of Christ him self (giuen you a whyte tepertane God 
 to play you with) but also hath spoyled a great nomber of your 
 master's men, euen of the verie name of Christe. For they 
 think it to base a name to be called Christians wherewith euerie 
 man is tearmed that is Baptised. And therefore are som of 
 them called Fransiscans, some Benedictinis, some Dominicans 
 and Agustinians, some Carmelites and Cartusians, some Here- 
 mites and Jacobins, and some with one name and some with 
 other, whiche I irke to rehers. Hereby plainely witnessing that 
 they are ashamed of the name of Christ before men, 3 that he 
 may deny them before his Father in any wise to apertean to 
 him ; but to be of the nomber of those filthy locustes that S. 
 John 4 remembreth in his Reuelation, to haue come out of the 
 bottomles pit. 
 
 Ye desyre vs to remember where and by what maner we haue 
 Christe treuly. Then ye laboure to persuade vs that he is inclosed 
 in the Sacrament, and knet to the Church, vnto the which in 
 deid he is cupled and rnaried by an euerlasting couenant ; 5 but not 
 to your adulterus Church, which ye wold make men beleue 
 were the trew Church of God ; and so ye conclude that we haue 
 dispysed the Church sittuat vpon the montane, and hath intrused 
 a figure for Christes body in the Sacrament. This I trust be 
 your meaning and the scope of your argument, whereunto we 
 answer : 6 That the Lord Jesus being readie to leue the world 
 and go to his Father, seing his Disciples (who at that present 
 
 1 John. 10. * Apoca. 9. 
 
 2 2 Thno. 2. 5 Hosea. 2. 
 
 3 Math. 10. * John. 16. 
 
RENAT BENEDICT'S EPISTLE. 31 
 
 were carnall mynded) sorie for his bodylie departing, made vnto 
 them a solempned promise, " that he wolde not leaue them con- 
 forties," ' but if they wolde kepe his commandements and " teache 
 his people also to obserue all, and whatsoeuer he had com- 
 manded them, that then but dout he wold be present with them 
 vnto the end of the world," 2 not carnally nor magically inclosed 
 in a bit of conjured bread (which is now and then offered for 
 seicke swine and fearsy horses) but by his Holie Spirit effec- 
 tually working in their hartes that thing which his bodylie pre- 
 sence could not do ; whose departing from them wes vtterly 
 necessarie and expedient, as he him self doeth witnes, in these 
 wordes, 3 " I tell you the treuth ; it is expedient for you that I go 
 away : for if I go not away the Conforter which is the Holy 
 Ghoste, will not come vnto you ; but if I depart I will send him 
 vnto you." Marck these wordes ye carnal Capernaites (that 
 wold pluck Christes fleshe from the right hand of the Father) 
 that if ye haue his flesh yet still with you, ye lack his Spirit, for 
 he affirmeth in plaine wordes that the Spirit will not come ex- 
 cept he depart and be absent in bodie. Now chuse yow, whither 
 ye will want his bodie or his Spirit ? or rather whither think ye 
 it better to imagine that ye haue his bodie ? for otherwise ye 
 haue it not, and so for your fals imagination, lack his Spirit ; or 
 to grant that thing to be absent, which is absent in deid and can 
 not come til the latter day, to the end ye may be participant of 
 that Holie Spirit that God poureth in the hartes of his chosen, 
 euen here in this lyfe, whereby we cry Abba, Father. 4 But the 
 question is sone answered on your part, I am assured ye had 
 rather play you with your myrrie conceats, contenting your 
 selues with that presence of Christe that you think ye haue, nor 
 to haue his Spirit, except that ye might win money thereby, as 
 Symon Magus your predicessoure wold haue done. For ye 
 haue win more by the Magicall and merualous lying myrackle 
 of Transubstantiation, whereby ye wold make men beleue that a 
 
 1 John. 14. 2 Math. 28. a John. 16. * Rom. 8. 
 
32 ANE ANSWER TO 
 
 peice of bread not worth a quarter of farthing, were changed in 
 your masses, to the body of Christ God and man, the same 
 lenth and brede that he hang on the crose, by this jugling I say 
 ye haue win more then euer ye did by his Spirit. But to the 
 purpose, we conclude that Christ is here present with his 
 Church alwayes (according to his promise) by his Holy Ghoste, 
 whiche who so hath not, aperteined not to Christ 1 with what 
 giftes soeuer he be indued besyde. Ye make our selues judges 
 whither that we haue lighlyed the treu Church or not, sittuat 
 vpon the montane : if ye mean hereby the Church of Rome (as 
 I dout not but ye do) we deny simplie that it is the trew Church, 
 but rather that spirituall Babylone, 2 whereout of the Lord hath 
 commanded his people to come, that they be not partaker of 
 her plagues. Whither ye meane by this montane, that great 
 hil of ambition that Sathan caryed Christ to, 3 when that he pro- 
 mised him the whole Kingdomes of the earth, if he wold worship 
 him; which Christ refused, and your Pope hath receaued; 4 or if ye 
 meane hereby the hilles that are sittuat about Rome (which S. 
 John sayeth, are 7. in nomber ; which also Baptista Mantuanus 
 affirmeth, 5 for he calleth your Rome, Septicollem. urlem, ) I can 
 not well tell. An other hill or hilles whereon your harlot sitteth, 
 I know none, and thoght your meaning be not hid from me 
 concerning this mater, yet for the vanitie of it, I leaue it to be 
 interpreted by your self. 
 
 Ye affirme that we intruse an onely figure for the treuth of 
 Christes body in the Sacrament. They must haue leaue to lie 
 that can not speak the treuth. Who euer hard any of vs ather 
 say priuatlie or speak openly in our preachings that the Sacra- 
 ment is but a bare figure of Christes body. I am assured there 
 is no man able to proue it. But rather this is oure doctrine of 
 that moste sacrete and holie Sacrament, that, as we agree not 
 with you Papistes that wold make men beleue that the bread 
 
 1 Roma 8. 3 Math. 4. * Bap. Mantnan. libro 2.. 
 
 2 Apoc. 14. 4 Apoca. IT. de vita Blasii. 
 
RENAT BENEDICT'S EPISTLE. 33 
 
 were changed in Christes carnall and manly fleshe by transub- 
 stantiation (" which fleshe the heauen must hold vnto the time 
 that all thinges be restored, which God hath spoken by the 
 mouthes of his holy Prophetes, since the worlde begouth," as 
 witnesseth S. Peter), 1 so do we not agree with them that judgeth 
 the Sacramentall bread and wine to be but bare signes or 
 figures onely ; coristantlie affirming and vndoutedly beleuing that 
 als verilie as our teith eateth the bread, and our mouthes 
 drinketh the wine (" whereby our bodyes," as sayeth Dauid, 2 " is 
 strenthened, and our hartes made glade"), so verilie are we par- 
 takers of Christes body by Faith, whereby we are nourished 
 to lyfe euerlastinge ; and this partaking requireth nether tran- 
 substantiation, inpanation, nor carnall presence, but requireth 
 the eleuation of our spirites by faith to heauen, there to 
 be partakers of Christ, not with carnal teith, but with faith 
 affectual. This maner of partaking were the people taught in 
 the Primatiue Church, as witnesseth this sentence, Sursum 
 corda? which wes vsed at the ministration of the Lordes Supper, 
 whereby the people wer moued to lift vp their hartes aboue all 
 earthly and sensyble thinges; whose answer wes, Habemus ad 
 Dominum, We haue them lifted vp to the Lord : which wordes 
 moste shamefullie were abused in your mischiuous Masse, to your 
 shame and confusion. 
 
 And that Christes body is a trew naturall body in deid, lyke 
 vnto oures in all thinges, sinne except, 4 and no fantasy which may 
 be inclosed in a peice of bread, and so in ten thousand places at 
 ones ; and that the Sacramentall bread is not changed in Christes 
 fleshe and blood, as the Papist dreameth, not onely the whole 
 Scripture, but all godly and faithfull Writers do testifie. And 
 first S. Augustyne, 5 whose moste plaine and euident sentences 
 (for the prufe of this purpose) if I should infer, this lytle work 
 should grow to a greater volome then ather I am mynded now 
 
 1 Actis. 3. 2 Psal. 104. * Hebre. 4. 
 
 3 " Sursum corda," abused in the Masse. s Augustine. 
 
 C 
 
34 ANE ANSWER TO 
 
 to write, or yet tyme will permit ; being otherwayes occupyed, 
 principally in the feding of that flock whereof the Holy Ghoste 
 hath made me ouersear. Sum yet I will produce, to giue the 
 readers, a teast of the rest. In his commentary vpon the 
 Psalmes he hath these wordes i 1 Non hoc corpus estis mandu- 
 caturi quod videtis, et bibituri ilium sanguinem quern fusuri sunt 
 qui me crucifigent ; sed Sacramentum aliquod commendo vobis, 
 quod spiritualiter intellectum, viuificabit vos : that is, " Ye shal not 
 eat this body which ye se, nor drink that blood that they shall 
 shed which shall crucifie me ; but I commend vnto you a certane 
 Sacrament (or mysterie), which, being spiritually vnderstanded, 
 shal quicken you." And in an other place : Corpus Christi in quo 
 resurrexit in uno loco esse oportet : veritas autem illius vbique 
 di/usaest: 2 that is, "The body of Christ wherein he arose muste 
 be, on forse, in one place : but his veritie is spred abrode euerie 
 where." His tractat vpon John is full of suche sentences ; and 
 many other of his woi'kes also, as his Epistle to Dardan., his 
 boke of Christiane Doctrine, the notable worke of The Citie of 
 God ; al whiche I omit for lenth. And because that the Latine 
 sentences occupyeth roume, and also that euerie man vnder- 
 standeth them not, let it be sufficient to recite them in Inglish ; 
 the treuth of the allegations, and translating of them, who so 
 doutes of, let him examine the places alledged. 
 
 Tertuliane, 3 writing agaipst Marcione, hath these wordes : 
 " Christ taking bread, and distributing it to his Disciples, made 
 it his bodie, saying, 'This is my body;' that is to say, the figure 
 of my body ; but this bread could not haue bene a figure of it 
 except Christ hath had a trew body, for a vaine or fantastical 
 thing can take no figure." 
 
 Ambrose 4 vpon the first Epistle of Paule to the Corinthians, 
 and llth chapiter, hath these wordes (vpon this sentence), 
 " Shew the Lordes death." " Because (sayeth he) that we were 
 deliuered by the death of the Lord, we in eating and drinking 
 
 1 Agustine vpon the 98 Psal. 3 Tertulian, libro. 4. 
 
 * In ane Epistle to Hierome. * Ambrosi. 
 
RENAT BENEDICT'S EPISTLE. 35 
 
 of this thing (he meaneth the Sacrament) do signifie the fieshe 
 and blood whiche were offered for vs," etc. 
 
 Origene, 1 in his 7th Homilie vpon Leuiticus, hath these 
 wordes : " Not onely is there a letter that killeth in the Old 
 Testament to be found, but also in the New Testament a letter 
 which killeth him that doeth not vnderstand the thinges spiritu- 
 ally ; for if thou do follow after the letter, this that is spoken, 
 ' Except ye eat my fleshe, and drink my blood,' this letter killeth, 
 therefor it is spiritually to be vnderstand." 
 
 S. John Chrisostome, 2 in one of his Homilies vpon the 26th 
 of Mathew, hath these wordes : " He also drank of it, lest 
 when they hard his wordes they shuld say, < Why do we then 
 drink blood and eat fleshe f and so should be troubled : For 
 when he spak before of those thinges, they were offended with 
 his wordes ; and that the same should not now also come to pas, 
 he himself drank first of it, that they also without grudging or 
 trubil might communicat of the mysteries." 
 
 These same wordes in affect, shortlyer sumwhat collected, 
 hath Thomas Aquino in his book called Cathena Aurea vpon the 
 Four Euangelists, 3 where also he alledges the same Chrisostome 
 vpon the same place. 
 
 S. Hierome, 4 in his commentary vpon Mathew the 26th 
 chapiter, hath these wordes : " After the mystical Easter 
 lambe wes fulfilled, and he had eaten the lambis fleshe with 
 his Apostles, he passeth through vnto the Sacrament of the 
 trew Easter lambe, that when Melchisedec, the priest of the 
 heigh God, in prefiguration of him broght forth bread and 
 wine, he might also represent the treuth of his body." 5 Althogh 
 that Hierome haue not so clerly, as the mater required, made 
 the conference betuix Christ and Melchisedec, yet hath he 
 treuly judged in this place of the Sacrament. 
 
 If I shuld rehears all suche sentences as maketh for this 
 
 1 Origine. 2 Chrisosto. * Hierome. 
 
 3 Cathena Aurea Thome Aquinatio s Hieromis conference betuix Chris * 
 in Math. 2G. and Melchisedec, sumwhat obscure. 
 
36 ANE ANSWER TO 
 
 purpose out of the ancient Doctors writinges (as I haue said 
 before), this small treatie wold growe to a great volome : that 
 I be not to tedious, therefore, let these inferred serue at this 
 present, readie hereafter to collect mo, if these endes not the 
 stryfe. 
 
 Ye say that they which haue red Scriptures and Doctors 
 writinges knoweth that we propone but the wordes of the Law, 
 and not the Law it self, nor yet haue we (say ye) God's worde 
 for vs ; and so ye conclude, verie magistraliter, as your maner is ? 
 that we reteane onely Christes name and not him self. There 
 is no man, I am assured, that hath red the Scriptures and Doc- 
 tors writinges with judgement, which doeth not knowe this 
 affirmatiue of yours to be rashe rayling, lincked full of lies, etc. 
 
 And then ye laboure to shew how we haue expelled Christe, 
 firste, ye say, in his Ymages ; and secondly, in the Euchariste and 
 Masse ; and thridly, in exponing the Scripture according to man's 
 inuention. Hitherto it might haue appeared to men of sklender 
 judgement (as I haue said in the begining of this Answer) that 
 the loue of God had moued you to this mater ; but blissed be 
 God, euen the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that now ye 
 haue detected your self, bewraying that which before ye couered 
 with an exceading wyde cloke of hypocrycie. 1 Let an asse be 
 als well decked as may be with a lyon's skin, and yet will his 
 long eares declare what he is. Let a woulfe be neuer so well 
 cled with a shepe's skin, yet occasion being offered, he wil shew 
 him self to be a rauening and blood thristie deuorer of those 
 poore beastes whose skin he wes clothed with. So althogh 
 that hitherto ye haue most craftely couered your self with Christes 
 name, yet now thou doest shew thy self to be a filthy idolater 
 and fals worshipper of God, and that the loue to thy idoles and 
 idolatrous masse (which thou complanes that we haue expelled) 
 hath moued thee to write, and not the loue of God and salua- 
 tion of thy brethren, as thou pretendeth. 
 
 - 
 
 1 Hipocrisie disclosed. 
 
RENAT BENEDICT'S EPISTLE. 37 
 
 Thou sayest, That we haue expelled Christ in his ymages : it 
 became thee firste to haue prouen that he wes present in ymages, 
 and then thy argument had bene the stronger. But that ymages 
 are forbidden of God, and that his people shal abhor them, and 
 flee from them, as from snares that catcheth the soules of igno- 
 rants in the miserable captiuitie of idolatrie, and deuorcement 
 from God, the whole Scriptures do testifie. First, The Lorde 
 our God expresly forbiddeth in the Second commandement of 
 the Decaloge, 1 " That we shall make any ymages, similitudes, or 
 lycknesses of any kynde of thing in the heauen aboue, the earth 
 beneth, or in the water vnder the earth." Secondly, That if it 
 shall come to pas that Sathan shall fill any man's hart with 
 vanitie to make ymages, then are we forbidden to render any 
 kinde of reuerence ather in outward gestur or in inuard mynde, 
 in these wordes : " Thou shalt not bowe doune to them, nor 
 worshep them." Thridly, He promiseth to punish the trangressors 
 of this commandement, " vnto the thrid and fourt generation." 
 This is the immutable decrie of the Most Hiest concerning 
 ymages, whereupon we rest, not caring what men of how great 
 authoritie, nor the wicked world, be cankered custome hath ather 
 done or vsed to the contrarie. How greuously idolaters are 
 punished, the seuere and rigorus execution vsed by Moyses 
 against them (who yet wes the meakest man on earth 2 ) euidently 
 witnesseth ; read the 32 d of Exodus. 3 The intysers to idolatrie 
 must be killed, althogh they appeare to be holy, how neir so euer 
 they be of kin, freindship, or allyance. 4 The miserable (and 
 vnto this hour endles) captiuitie of the whole ten Tribes of 
 Israel (whom Jeroboam, the sonne of Nebat, caused to sinne 5 ) suf- 
 ficientlie doeth declare vnto vs, bothe how sore God hateth idolatrie 
 and punisheth idolaters. 6 How detestable they haue alwayes bene 
 in the syght of all God's prophetes, Dauidin his Psalmes, 7 Esayas 
 in his Prophecie, 8 and the Wise Man in his Wisdome, 9 testifieth. 
 
 1 Exod. 20 4 Deuter. 15. 7 Psalm. 115. 
 
 2 Numb. 12. 4 1 Keg. 12. 8 Esay. 40. and 41. 
 
 3 Exod. 32. 2 Beg. 17. 9 Sa ie. 13. 
 
\ 
 
 38 ANE ANSWER TO 
 
 Jeremie calleth them the doctrine of vanitie. 1 And yet ye are not 
 affrayed by your Theologie to affirme, that they ar lay men's 
 bokes, whereby Christ preseiiteth him self to his people, as if he 
 delited to teache his people with vanitie. God send you better 
 knowledge, if that ,of ignorance and not of malice ye write. 
 
 Seing, therefore, that as the Wise Man sayeth, " They were not 
 from the begining, 2 nether shall continue for euer ;" with him 
 I conclude, that they are miserable, and among the dead is their 
 hope that worshippeth and calleth them Gods, that are the 
 workes of men's handes. 
 
 Fynally, whither we that dependeth vpon God allone to 
 receaue our doctrine of His mouth, or ye that stablisheth your 
 doctrine by the authoritie of the Church, of Counsels and 
 Doctors, which of vs exponeth the Scripture according to man's 
 inuention, let all men judge as they wil answer to God. 
 
 EENAT'S EPISTLE, THE FOURT SECTION. 
 
 I REQUIRE, O learned and lettered men, for the death of 
 Christes sake, to weye and consider this foresaid ; for I bume 
 when I se so expert men, with a great nomber of others led by 
 your persuation and exemple, in so manifest perrel and danger 
 of their saluation. Wherefore abhor and reject ye tlie Chris- 
 tiane people's Sacrifice, that is the Masse? which we haue figured 
 by the Law of Nature and of Moyses, promised in the Prophetes; 
 which we haue exhebit and giuen vs in the Euangel; which wes 
 receaued and authorised in the Primatiue Kirk, and hath bene 
 alwayes vsed so oft as a thing most necessar by all the Elect and 
 predestinat people of God; whiche thing moste plainely wit- 
 nesseth Dionisius Areopagita, Ignatius, with the rest of the 
 holy Fathers of the Primatiue Kirk, whqse judgement and au- 
 thoritie in exponing and declaring the Holy Scripture, namelye 
 of, the Sacrifice of the Masse, I pray you (O conning men) let 
 
 1 Jeremi. 10. 3 Sapie. 14. 
 
RENAT BENEDICT'S EPISTLE. 39 
 
 vs with sobernes follow, and not lean to our own wit and judge- 
 ment in a mater of so great importance. Let vs stere vp the 
 negligence and sluggishnes of Pastors, not tollarable, and let vs 
 plainely argew their abuses with the vehemencie of God's word. 
 And I pray God of his infinit mercy that we may confirme and 
 kepe the Christiane people in trew faith and godlynes, and 
 that we may edifie and helpe, as belongeth to Christiane men, 
 ilk one other of charitie in religion and godly lyfe. Because 
 we oght to aduert moste circumspectlie that we peruert not the 
 treu faith and religion, and feare lest we vnderstand ouer hie in 
 exponing of Holy Scripture. 
 
 And firste of all, we oght to prouide that we leid in capti- 
 uitie our own wittes and others ; and that vnderstanding we 
 may haue the pouertie and humilitie of spirit which Christ 
 our Lord placed in the fundation of Christiane building, and 
 hath promised to recompence the same with the realme of 
 heauen Mat. 1 5 the Lord mot grant vs all to be so affected. 
 
 And thus faire ye well, O learned men, in Christ Jesu : And 
 requireth you again that ye wold declare me manifestlie, as 
 the Minister of God's worde oght to do, what ye think of the 
 Masse, the Christiane people's Sacrifice ? For so I hope it shal 
 come to pas, that by quiet talking had on ather partie, and 
 writinges giuen and taken, we shalbe instructed by the Holy 
 Spirit what we our selues should beleue in so weightie a mater, 
 and what we oght to propone to others, and set furth to trow. 
 For the thing that I trow and beleuis is teached by the Holy 
 Scriptures, the holy Doctors writings, and consuetude of the 
 Kirk, the same I as it aperteineth to euerie Christiane man 
 to do I professe simple and plainly without any simulation. 
 
 Written at Edinburgh, in the Palaice of the moste noble 
 Quene of Scotland, 18th calend of December. 
 
 Remember, I pray you, and prent in your myndes, that in 
 the last dayes the continuall and daylie Sacrifice is to be taken 
 away, Lawes and Statutes to be abrogat and changed ; and ye 
 
40 ANE ANSWER TO 
 
 knowe by whome : by the Antichrist, and they that taketh part 
 with him. Take head to youre selues, my Brethren, I besech 
 you. God is witnes of what mynde I deal with you. 
 
 D. FEABGUSSONE'S ANSWER. 
 
 How the aforsaides are by vs weyed and considered, let the in- 
 different Eeader judge : what zeil it is that hitherto hath, and 
 yet stil doeth burne you, I haue already noted. Ye ask of vs 
 why we reject the Masse, which ye call the Christiane people's 
 Sacrifice 1 We answer, Because it is not that thing in deid whiche 
 ye call it in worde, as at lenth before I haue prouen. Nether are 
 ye able to proue by God's word that euer Christ appointed his 
 ministers to offer the Sacramentall bread and wine in Sacrifice 
 for their own sinnes, and the sinnes of the people, aswel dead 
 as aliue. Cry out, and affirm e this mater with als many wordes 
 as ye list, yet may ye not be beleued vntill ye proue it by the 
 Scriptures : other Sacrifices then God's worde teacheth vs, we 
 may not with saif conscience admit, except we wilfully prouoke 
 God to punish and consume vs in his wrath, as he did Nadab 
 and Abihu, 1 and vterlie reject vs, as he did Saule. 2 S. Paule, 
 writing to the Eomans, exhorteth vs " to giue vp our bodies, a 
 lyuing Sacrifice, holy and acceptable vnto God, 3 which, he 
 affirmeth to be, our reasonable seruing of God." The Apostle, 
 writing to the Hebreues, also exhorteth vs to offer the Sacrifice 
 of thankes geuinge alwayes to God, 4 through Christe ? which 
 (he sayeth) is the frute of our lippes which confesse His name ; 
 willing vs also " not to forget to do good, and to distribute (he 
 meaneth our substance to them that nedeth) ; for (sayeth he) with 
 suche Sacrifices God is pleased." Other Sacrifices appertening 
 to Christiane people, we knowe none commanded in the New 
 Testament. 
 
 Ye boste much of Moyses, of the Law of nature, the Pro- 
 
 1 Leuiti. 10. Roma. 12, 
 
 2 1. -Samuel 13. * Hehr. 13. 
 
RENAT BENEDICT'S EPISTLE. 41 
 
 phetes and the Euangel, but out of none of them bring ye any 
 prufe for your purpose. Ye affirme that your Masse wes au- 
 thorised in the Primatiue Church, and alwayes vsed of God's 
 chosen ; and yet ye infer none of their excersices for your ex- 
 emple, but the bare names of two men, whose autoritie and 
 strenth is too weak to withstand God's worde. 
 
 As to Dionisius Areopagita, I will set his master, S. Paule, 
 against him, writing to the Corinthians, who hauing occasion to 
 treat of the veritie of the Lordes Supper (abused in that 
 Churche), 1 rehearseth the wordes of Christes institution, which 
 of him he had receaued, faithfully, without adding to, or 
 diminishing ; which wordes and whole action there by him 
 recyted, how lyke they are to your mischeuous Masse, I make 
 your self judge. Then whither oght we to creadit the Elect 
 veshell of God, S. Paule, that spak not his own wordes but 
 Christes, or to Dionisse, that hath added vnto them (if it 
 be treu that ye alledge on him), judge also. Ye wil neuer 
 be able to proue that that Dionisse of whom ye mean, wes 
 that Dionisius Areopagita that beleued Paules doctrine in 
 the Actes of the Apostoles ; 2 and althogh it were, yet is he of no 
 suche authoritie as an Angel of heauen, 3 whome yet we are for- 
 bidden to creadit, teaching any other doctrine then Paule hath 
 taught, but rather to hold him accursed. But that euer Paule 
 taught, ather to Timothie, Titus, or any other minister, that he 
 did appoynte ouer any Churche the merualus craft of massing, 
 the Scripture maketh no mention. Acursed, therefore, be the 
 teachers of it, as the Apostle hath commanded vs to hold them. 
 
 As to Ignatius, and the rest of your holy Fathers, I haue spoken 
 my judgement of them already ; that is, that I nether contempne 
 them, nor builde my faith vpon them, seing that they were but 
 men, and so might be deceaued, and also deceaue others. As to 
 your requeist, wherein ye exhort vs to follow them obsolutlie in 
 
 1 i Cor. 11. 
 
 2 .Actis. 17. 3 Gala. 1. 
 
42 ANE ANSWER TO 
 
 exponing the Scriptures, it is more then any Christiane may 
 admit, seing that we may follow no man, further then they 
 follow Christe ; nether in this case cal any man Father or Master 1 
 vpon earth, hauing one Father, the Eternall God, and one 
 Master, Christe Jesus, in the heauen. Yea, and althogh that 
 Paule wes the Elect and moste worthy veshell to bear the name 
 of Christe to Nations, Kinges, and the Childrene of Israeli, 2 
 and taught of God in the thride Heauen 3 the moste wonderfull 
 and vnspeakable mysteries of God, yet durst he not be so bolde 
 as precisly to desyre men to follow him, no, but euer rebuked 
 their depending vpon men moste seuerely, exhorting them to 
 follow him as he followed Christ ; affirming " that nether he that 
 planted nor he that watereth is any thing, but God, that giueth 
 the incres, is all in all, etc." 4 Moreouer the Lord by his Prophet 
 accurseth all suche as dependeth vpon men, in these wordes : 
 " Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh fleshe 
 his arme, and withdraueth his hart from the Lorde." 6 These and 
 the lyke comminations will not suffer vs to trust in man, or 
 make him the paterne of our saluation, lest we be accursed of 
 God. 
 
 As to the sluggishnes of your Pastors, we leaue them to be 
 stirred vp of you, as ye think good ; for in our judgements 
 they are so fast aslepe, that they can not be walkned; so vnsauere, 
 that they can not be salted; 6 and so blind, that they can not be 
 lyghtned. We haue therefore long ago determined, by the worde 
 of God, to giue none of our holy thinges to your dogges, nor 
 cast any mo of our pretious pearles before your filthy swyne. 7 
 Lift vp your voce, and cry als loude as euer ye can, yet shal it 
 come to pas, that when Baal heareth his chaplanes, and sendeth 
 them fyre to consume their sacrifice, that then your ignorant 
 idole Bishopes (who for the moste part knoweth nether new 
 nor old) shall preache the Euangel ; yea, your holy Father S. 
 
 1 Math. 23. 4 1. Cor. 1. ' Jerem. 17. 
 
 2 Actis. 9. 1. Cor. 11. " Math. 5. 
 2. Cor. 12. Ibid. 8.' r Math. 7. 
 
RENAT BENEDICT'S EPISTLE. 43 
 
 Frances, 1 shall als sone make good Christianes of the foules that 
 he preached to, as that ye being an idolater shal cause an igno- 
 rant idole to do the deutie of a paineful pastor. There did 
 neuer one of them enter in at the dure of the shepefolde, but 
 clam vp another way, by symonie, by violence, by requeistes 
 of great men, by Popes Bulles and dispensations, by sorcerie 
 and witchecraft ; wherefore we vnderstand (that as Christ hath 
 said of them) they be theues and murtherers. 2 Let the dead 
 therefore burie their dead, 3 seing that we are commanded to 
 preach the Gospel to Christes dispersed flock. I am assured ye 
 mean not (when as ye speak of sluggish pastors) of our pastors 
 and preachers ; for in your conscience (I dout not) but ye think 
 them too vigilant, and wolde wishe that they were als slack as 
 your owne, for then should ye not haue neded to haue written 
 this letter. I pray God of his infinit mercy to deliuer his people 
 from fals doctrine, and giue them grace to heare his voice onely, 
 as becometh his shepe ; abyding in him by trew faith and vn- 
 fenied loue ; imprenting his trew feare in their hartes, that they 
 presume not to vnderstand aboue that which is mete to be vn- 
 derstanded, but according to sobrietie, as God hath dealt to 
 euerie man the measur of faith. 4 We know that God hath 
 blissed the meak ; but there is a difference betuix meaknes and 
 ignorant error. God giue vs his grace therefore to imbraice 
 Jesus Christe, frely now offered vnto vs with humilytie and 
 meaknes, 5 giuing a bolde confession of His name before this 
 froward generation, that He may confesse vs before his Father 
 in heauen. 6 Amen. 
 
 Now ye bid vs faire wel, and thereafter ye require vs to de- 
 clare vnto you manifestlie (as the Minister of God's worcle oght 
 to do) what we think of the Masse, which ye throughout this 
 letter haue called the Christiane people's Sacrifice. This your 
 
 1 Legenda Aurea de vita 
 
 Francisci. folio 140. 3 Luk. 9. 5 Math. 10. 
 
 3 Jhon. 10. * Roma, 12 Mark. 8. 
 
44 ANE ANSWER TO 
 
 requeist we dar not put back, not for that we judge that ye will 
 beleue the treuth when it is told you, but because we are bound 
 " to giue a reconing of the hope that is in vs, 1 to euerie one that 
 demandeth it." 
 
 I haue already declared vnto you what Sacrifices are ap- 
 pointed for Christiane people to offer, out of the 12th Cfyap. of 
 S. Paules Epistle to the Romans, and 13th to the Hebreues. 
 But as to a Sacrifice for our sinnes daylie to be offered (as wer 
 the Sacrifices and oblations of the Olde Testament), appointed 
 of God vnto the tyme of reformation, 2 we vnderstand that not 
 onely haue we no neide so to do (being now already purged by 
 the blood of Christe), but also, whosoeuer he be that so doeth, 
 estemeth the Sacrifice of Christ insufficient, which the Apostle 
 affirmeth he offered ones for all on the Croce. " And as it is 
 (sayeth he) appointed vnto men that they shall ones die, and 
 after that cometh the judgement ; so Christ wes ones offered to 
 take away the sinnes of many ; and vnto them that loke for him 
 shal [he] appeare the second tyme, without sinne, vnto saluation." 3 
 From the 7th chapiter vnto the middest of the 10th chapiter, 
 he trauelleth at lenth in this mater, finding no other faute with 
 the Leuiticall Sacrifices, but that they were daylie offered, be- 
 cause they had not strenth to expell sinne at ones ; and there- 
 fore inferreth that Christes Sacrifice wes the consumation and 
 end of them, and all other Sacrifices for sinnes. Forasmuche as 
 he by one oblation hath done that thing (to wit, consecrated for 
 euer them that are sanctified) which they, be so often offerring 
 and sacrificing, could not do ; concluding, that where remission 
 of sinne is, there resteth no more offerring for sinne. Cursed 
 be he, then, that offereth for sinne any more, seing the Holy 
 Ghoste hath concluded the contrarie. 
 
 As to your Masse, ye shall haue our judgement of it in few 
 wordes, and what we do mislyke in it. Firste, we mislyke the 
 persone that sayeth it, and judgeth him to be a blasphemer of 
 
 1. Peter. 3. a Hcbre. 9. Hebre. 7. and the 9. 
 
RENAT BENEDICT'S EPISTLE. 45 
 
 Christes death, because he taketh vpon him the office of Christe : 
 namely, he vndertaketh, by that Sacrifice which he offered, to 
 pacific the wrathe of God the Father, conceaued against aswel 
 his own sinnes as the sinnes of them for whome he offereth, 
 whither they be aliue or dead. But this can no man do, but 
 Christ alone ; for of him and to him alone were these wordes 
 spoken out of the heauen, by the mouth of his Father : " This is 
 my welbeloued Sonne in whome I am well pleased, heare him." 1 
 Wherefore your preist, in his Masse, taking the aforesaid office 
 vpon him, doeth all that in him lyeth to spoyle Christ of his 
 dignitie, and therefor worthie to be judged a fals Christ, and a 
 traytor to man's saluation ; for if Christe pronounceth in the 
 Euangel all suche as came before him (vsurpinge the name of 
 Messiah, or tytle of Sauioures) to be theues and murtherers, 2 
 how muche more worthie are they of that name, that dare pre- 
 sume to be Sauioures ather of them sellues or others, now when 
 he is come and parfited the worke of our Redemption ? 
 
 Secondly, We mislyke the whole action of your Masse, which, 
 from the beginning to the end, is nothing els but als plaine an 
 antithesis or contraposition to the Lordes Supper as lyght is to 
 darcknes, or treuth to falshead. First, the Lord Jesus, when he 
 institute this Sacrament and did minister it (I dout not moste sin- 
 cerely) to his Apostles, wes no other way es clothed then his common 
 custome wes. And your preistes, after whose ordoure I can not 
 tell, for Aron's preistes they wil not grant themselues to be, and 
 according to Melchisedeces ordour there wes neuer one but 
 Christ, then must they be Baal's chaplanes; they,Isay,dissagysed 
 lyke players (euerie peice of their cote conteining a mysterie) 
 proceadeth to their Masse. The Lorde Jesus sat doune with the 
 Twelve Apostles : 3 they stand at an alter alone. He gaue thankes 
 vnto the Father before the ministration : 4 and they, before their 
 Masse, rehearseth there blasphemous CONFITEOR, wherein euerie 
 
 1 Math. 3. and 17. 3 Luk. 22. 
 
 8 Jhon. 10. * ' 4 1. Cor. 11. 
 
46 ANE ANSWER TO 
 
 S[aint] in Heauen is made equall, (or as we say) Jakfellow lyke, 
 vnto the Eternal God. He preached the corifortable promises 
 of saluation, mixed with exhortations to mutuall loue and amitie, 1 
 etc., in that language that they all might vnderstand; they 
 nether preach nor exhort, but occupyeth the tyme with speaking 
 to the wall, and now and then, for the manersakes, one word or 
 two (turning them to the people) in a strange language, that 
 nether the people nor the greatest part of those godmakers them 
 selues vnderstandeth. In giuing the Apostles the bread, the 
 Lorde Jesus declared vnto them in plaine wordes what it 
 signifieth, namely, his bodie, which should be broken for them, 
 in these wordes : " Take, eat; this is my bodie, which is broken 
 for you." 2 They round and whisper their wordes, with a certane 
 magical susurration, as if it were treason to speak them that the 
 people might heare ; saying, Hoc est enim corpus meum, adding 
 this word enim at their own hande. But this is not done without 
 a mysterie ; for to this end, say they, do we it, that as the Virgin 
 conceaued Christe with these fyue wordes, Fiat michi secundum 
 verbum tuumf so we may make Christe of bread by other fyue 
 wordes, distinctly vnder one breath, without respiration, broght 
 furthe. 4 
 
 These profound mysteries euerie soule preist knoweth not, 
 but onely the great Eabbines. All that were present with 
 Christ were pertakers of the Sacrament; 5 and no man is pertaker 
 with them, for they deuore all alone. But some of them wil 
 say, We debar no man, if any wold take part. The contrarie is 
 trew : it wes neuer sene that euer a preist wold parte with a 
 quarter of his God to another preist, no, not with a lyck of his 
 dishe, and that is less ; this I say they neuer did to their own 
 brethren of craft, muche less to a laye man, as they did call them. 
 I neuer knew any thing that euer they might or did forbeare 
 to any man at that dosoned disj one. except it were a kisse of the 
 
 1 Jhon. 13. 14. 15. 16. 3 Luk. 1. 
 
 2 Math. 26. Mark. 14. 4 The cauteles of the Massi-. Mark. 14. 
 
RENAT BENEDICT'S EPISTLE. 47 
 
 patene ; and that onely to him that lifted their taile, or els to 
 some gentilmen that sat by, whom they wold gratifie. If 
 temporal men had bene als euil fellowes of their carnal brek- 
 fasts as ye were of your fantasticall Feastes, some of you had 
 not worne so fat neckes as ye did. Christ gaue vnto his Apostles 
 the frute of the wine tree without any mixture ; but your Masse 
 is not ryghtly said, except there be commixtion of water and 
 wine togither. In the Lordes Supper bothe trew bread and 
 trew wine is ministrat to the communicants : and in the Masse 
 the Papist affirmeth that there remaneth nether bread nor wine 
 after their incantation, but accidents, as whytnes, roundnes, and 
 color, etc. When the Lord Jesus had finished his ministration, 
 the Euangelist sayeth : " They praysed God with a Hymne or 
 Psalme of thankesgeuing." 1 Bot when Masse is done, there is 
 nothing bot ITE MISSA EST, ather said or sung ; whereunto is 
 added a Latine blissing, with the aers of an emptie cup. 
 
 Now loke what ye think of your Masse ; for in my answer to 
 the second Section of your Epistle, I haue prouen it to be abho- 
 minable idolatrie, because that bread and wine, corruptable crea- 
 tures, are in it worshipped in place of God the Father, and Christ 
 his Sonne ; that it spoyleth Christ of his Preisthead, and so of his 
 Sacrifice, in that ye that offer it vsurpeth his office vpon you, I 
 haue prouen also. The wicked opinion of it, to wit, that it is 
 satisfactorie for sinnes, in this argument also is included; and 
 that the whole action of it in all pointes dissagreeth with the 
 institution of the Lordes Supper, the conferring of the one 
 action with the other, aboue written, sufficientlie proueth. 
 Wherefore we judge that your papistical inuention, the idolat- 
 rous Sacrifice of the masse, is to be rejected and abhorred of al 
 trew worshippers of God, as that that is contumelious and blas- 
 phemous to God the Father, and derogation to the honor and 
 dignitie of the Lord Jesus his Sonne. This is it that we think 
 of your Masse ; and this doctrine we teach to the people out 
 
 1 Math. 26. 
 
48 ANE ANSWER TO 
 
 of the infallible word of God, that indureth for euer: 1 nether 
 haue we respect to Doctors consuetude, or bare name of the 
 Churche; acknowledging onely that to be the trew Church in 
 deid which rendereth humble obedience vnto her housband 
 Christe Jesus. 2 
 
 This Letter ye say wes written in the Quene's Majestie's Palaice 
 at Edinburgh. I am the more sorie in deid, that suche as ye 
 are hath any interteniment in the palaices of Princes ; but it is 
 no new thing to se fals prophetes more familiar in the Court 
 then the trew seruandes of God. Amazias, 8 the idolatrous preist 
 of Bethel, wes in greater estimation with Jeroboam, King of 
 Israel, than wes Amos, 4 the trew prophet of God, as the imperi- 
 ous braging of that idolater witnesseth. a O thou sear (sayeth 
 Amazias), go fle thou away into the land of Juda, and there eat 
 thy bread, and prophecie there ; but prophecie no more at Bethel, 
 for it is the Kinges Chappell and the Kinges Court." 5 JesabeFs 
 idolatrous preistes were better beleued of Achab King of Israel, 
 althogh they prophecieth lies to his distruction, then the Pro- 
 phet of God, Micheas, that tolde him the treuth to his saluation. 6 
 
 GOD of his great mercy purge the hart of our Natiue Prin- 
 cesse from al leauen Papistical, and plant in place thereof his 
 trew feare, and loue to his eternal Veritie. 7 
 
 Ye desyre vs to prent into our myndes, that in the latter 
 dayes the continual and daylie Sacrifice shalbe taken away. 
 Vnderstand ye this of your Masse ? If ye do, then certanely, 
 Master Doctor, your Theologie is not onely rude, but also re- 
 pugnant to the mynd of the Prophet in this place, if ye mean of 
 that sentence that Daniel rehearseth in the end of his 12th 
 and last Chap, (as I think ye do) ; for I know no place where this 
 sentence (that ye haue throwen for your purpose) is written but 
 in that place; if ye mean of that sentence, I trust the Readers 
 
 1 Esayas. 40. 3 Amazias. 3 Amos. 7. 
 
 2 Ephes. 5. * Amos. - 1. Reg. 22. ; A prayer. 
 
RENAT BENEDICT'S EPISTLE. 49 
 
 shal easylie perceaue bothe your ignorance (if of ignorance ye 
 haue inferred it) and otherwayes your malice, in throwing of 
 this text. Daniel (as he him self confesseth in the beginning 
 of his 9th Chapiter) vnderstude by bokes, namely, 1 of Jeremie's 
 Prophecie, that the Lord had appointed his people to indure 
 banishment out of their own cuntrie, and to abyd captiues in 
 Babilon 70 yeares ; 2 which yeares drawing neir an end, Daniel 
 (as an cairful for his people, and their returning home) conuerted 
 him self vnto God by ardent and earnest prayer, desyring him 
 not to deffer the tyme of their deliuerance any longer, but for 
 his owne name's saike (althogh they were not worthy) to restore 
 them to their libertie. Whil he wes yet speaking, praying, and 
 confessing his own sinne, and the sinnes of his people vnto God, 
 the Angel of the Lorde is sent vnto him, to vtter vnto him the 
 yeares determinat of their captiuitie, their returninge home, 
 the reedifying of the citie, the comming of Christ, his slaughter, 
 and destruction of the citie Jerusalem. By a vision 3 is declared 
 vnto him in the 10th Chap, the cause of the hinderance or 
 defferring of their deliuerance, which come by the meanes of 
 Cambises, Prence of Persia. The kingdomes of the earth and 
 Monarches, with their Kings (as of Persia, Grecia, Egypt, 
 Syria, and the Romans, one striuinge with an other, and alV 
 against God), are at lenth wonderfull mystically recited in the 
 llth Chap. 4 Fynally, in the 12th Chap. 5 is declared how the 
 Church, being euen scattered and dispersed, shalbe deliuered by 
 Christes death, which should abolishe the daylie Sacrifice ; 
 whiche being done, he prophecies that the Temple and the 
 Citie shalbe distroyed by the abhominable desolation, which is 
 the hoste of the Romans ; mysticallie also signifeing, by the 
 thousand two hundreth and nynety dayes, and by the thousand 
 thre hundreth and fyue and threttie dayes, the tyme from the 
 deuastation of Jerusalem to Christes second comming in the 
 
 1 Daniel. 9. 
 
 Jerem. 29. * Daniel. 11. 
 
 3 Daniel. 10. s Daniel. 12. 
 
 D 
 
50 ANE ANSWER TO 
 
 cloudes ; the Prophet also in the mean tyme is certified, that 
 althogh he depart out of this lyfe, yet shal he stand vp at the 
 end of the dayes, in the generall resurrection, to ring with God 
 in glorie. Let all men now judge whither that this prophecie 
 apperteineth to the abolishing of the Judaical Sacrifices or not, 
 and then shal it appeare how falsly and ignorantly ye throw 
 this place, as I haue said, contrarie to the Prophetes mynde ; 
 adding of your own, that this Sacrifice shall be taken away in 
 the last dayes, where as there is no such word in the Prophecie, 
 reid it who so list : but with such lies and additions hath your 
 kingdome (that now bosteth to fall) bene holden vp. 
 
 To conclude, ye say that lawes and statutes shalbe abrogat 1 
 by Antichrist and his adherents. We are verie wel contented 
 that the name of Antichrist be ascribed vnto that man, or those 
 men, that euer hath abrogat, or now doeth abolish any law, 
 statute, or ordinance, that euer God in his eternall veritie hath 
 statut or ordeaned perpetualy to be observed. If this be not a 
 sword to cut your own craig with, let all men judge after that 
 I have spoken somwhat of this matter. Because of Images I 
 have spoken at length befor in the Answere of the third section, 
 this only I will adde : Is the Second Commandement of the ten 
 an perpetual precept to God's people to be observed ? I am assured 
 ye can not deny it. With what clergie now will ye defend your 
 Popes, Sinods, and Counsels, that hath made laws cleane contrarie 
 to it ; to wit, that images shall not only be made and had, but 
 also worshiped; and all that speaketh against this law to be 
 accursed ? This is more manifest then can be denyed, for it is 
 concluded in divers of your Counsels ; as in a Counsel gathered by 
 Stephanus the third of that name, 2 wherin the afforsaid law was 
 concluded. Another Counsel was for the same purpose gathered 
 by Irene, the wife of Leo the Imperor, wherin were 350 Bishops, 
 that all concluded the same : the rest I omit for length. But 
 what speak I of the alteration and changing of the law of God, 
 
 1 Daniel. 7. 2 Platina cle Vitis Pontificum. 
 
RENAT BENEDICT'S EPISTLE. 51 
 
 that every Pope hath claimed to himself as a thing that of his 
 absolut power he might doe (as he supposed) 1 But also that 
 law was never so surely made and established by an Pope and 
 his counsell, but an other at his pleasure might abrogate it. 
 This their own common practise verifieth ; beside that, that 
 abydeth written in their own books as followeth : Domine Papa 
 potest derogare Constitutionibus, predecessorum suorum, non ob- 
 stante quod par in parem non habet imperium ; l that is to say, 
 a My Lord the Pope may derogate the constitutions of his pre- 
 decessors, although that like hath not impire or dominion over 
 his maik or like." 
 
 But lest -ye should alledge, that although it be written that 
 the Pope may do so, yet never once did it, I wil not doe 
 as ye have done hitherto, that is, to say much and prove 
 nothing, but I wil prove it to be matter indeed. I might prove 
 with a great number of your Popes all that I have said, if it were 
 not tediouse ; for from Formosus the First unto Anastasius the 
 Third, there were 7 or 8 Popes, that never did turn, but some 
 abrogating and some restoring again the Acts of this Formosus. 
 And two of them in their beastly rage passeth the bounds of all 
 modestie : the first was Stephanus the Sixth. This mad tirrant, 
 soon after .he was made Pope, first of all abrogat all the acts of 
 his predecessors Formosus ; 2 and gathering a Counsel, they con- 
 cluded to take the body of the dead man out of the grave, and 
 besyde some other superstitions used toward him, Stiven caused 
 the two fingers of his right hand to be struken of these two, 
 namely, that he used to consecrate his priests with,- and there- 
 after caused the fingers to be cast in Tiber. The other, to wit, 
 Sergius the Third, thought it not enough to abrogate yet once 
 again the Acts of the same Formosus, and to put them all out of 
 authoritie that he had authorised, but caused the second time 
 the dead corps to be taken out of the grave, and the head to be 
 
 1 These words are written in theglose of 
 the Proeme of Gregor. Decretal, and 2. Co. ~ .Platina.de. Vitis Pontificum. 
 
52 ANE ANSWER TO 
 
 struken from it, as if he had been living, and the bodie as not 
 worthie of sepulchre to be casten in Tyber flood. Great was 
 this controversie (sayeth Platina), and a most 'wicked example, 
 specialie this consuetud being afterward stil almost observed of 
 such as were Popes, that either they brak or utterly abrogat the 
 Constitutions and Acts of their predecessors. Hitherto Platina : 
 yet I am compelled to recite an example moe of your holy 
 Fathers, written also by the same Platina, and so conclud. 
 
 Paul the Second of that name, befor he was Pope called Petrus 
 Barbo, an Venetian born, he succeeded to Pius the Second ; and 
 immediatly after he was established in his dignitie, did bear such 
 hatred and invie to all that ever his prsedecessor had done, that 
 straight way he abrogated all his Acts and Statuts, and put out 
 of office all the learned men that the other had gathered to- 
 gither to be his abbreviators, among whom Platina was one ; 
 who, somewhat more boldly than the rest, exhorted the Pope 
 that their cause might be suffered to come to tryall and ex- 
 amination befor the Judges. When the Pope had frowardlie 
 looked on him a while, he bursteth forth his answere in these 
 words : Ita nos inquit ad Judices revocas ? Ac si nescires omnia 
 jura in scrinio pectoris nostri collocata esse ? Sic stat sententia 
 (inquit) : Loco cedant omnes : eant quo volunt : niJiil eos moror, 
 Pontifex sum mihique licet pro arbitrio animi, aliorum acta et 
 rescindere et approbare. Hitherto Platina. That is to say, 
 " And doest thou so (sayeth he) call us bak unto thee Judges, 
 as if thou knew not that all lawes were placed within the chist 
 of our breast ? Thus (sayeth he) standeth the sentence : Let 
 all men give place, let them goe where they list, I regard them 
 nothing : I am high Bishop, and it is lesome to me according to 
 the arbitrament of my mind, ather to break or allow the acts of 
 others." 1 
 
 The Lord open your eyes, ears, and mind, to see, to hear, 
 and considder the truth, and considdering it to imbrace it ! For 
 
 1 Mark, good Reader, this proud bragging. 
 
RENAT BENEDICT'S EPISTLE. 53 
 
 if this be not Antichrist's voice, then shall it never be heard. 
 To the Lord our God be praise for evermor, that thus hath 
 illuminat our eyes to see and espie the enemie to all righteous- 
 nesse, to the end we may avoyd him, and so the plagues that 
 God hath prepared to power out upon that beastly kingdome 
 and the partakers therewith. Thus have I answered (according 
 to my knowledge) this forsaid Epistle, although not so learnedly 
 as some other of my Bretheren could have done, yet (I doubt 
 not) truly and according to the Scripturs of our God, whose 
 power is sufficient to beat doun "all imaginations and high 
 things, that do exhalt themselves against the knowledg of 
 God j" 1 yea, and " able to bring unto captivity every thought to 
 the obedience of Christ," 2 who is God over all, to whom be prais 
 for ever and ever. So be it. 
 
 From Dumfermling, the 26th April 1562. 
 
 Deut 18. 
 
 " The Prophet that shall presume to speake a word in my name, 
 which I have not commanded him to speak, or that speaketh in 
 the name of other gods, even the same Prophet shal dye." 
 
 1 2. Cor. 10. 2 Rom. 9. 
 
 IMPRINTED AT 
 
 Edinburgh by Robert Lekprevik, the 7th of Maij 1563. 
 Cum Privilegio. 
 
ANE SERMON 
 
 PREICHIT BEFOIR THE 
 
 Regent and Nobilitie, vpon a part of the 
 thrid Chapter of the Prophet Malachi, 
 in the Kirk of Leith, at the tyme of 
 the Generall Assemblie, on Son- 
 day the 13.of lanuarie. Anno. 
 Do. 1571. BeDauidFer- 
 gussone, Minister of the 
 Euangell at Dun- 
 fermlyne. 
 
 IMPRENTIT AT SANC- 
 
 tandrois be Robert Lekpreuik. 
 ANNO DO. M. D. LXXIL 
 
TO THE MAIST NOBILL 
 
 AND WORTHIE LORD, JOHNE ERLE OF MARR, 
 
 Lord Erskin, and Regent to the Kingis Maiestie, his Realme 
 
 and Liegis, zour humbill subject DAUID FERGUSSON 
 
 wischis the fauour and lufe of God throuch 
 
 Christ our Sauiour, togidder with 
 
 prosperous Gouernament 
 
 and all felicitie. 
 
 ALBEIT my mynd nor purpois was not (richt Nobill 
 and worthie Lord) to haue publischit this Sermon at ony 
 time, zit becaus it did not fructifie as I supposit it suld haue done, 
 being (as sayis Ezechiel) lyke a tone or plesant sang to the 
 heirers for a season, thair hartis in the meane time still going 
 efter their couetousnes, prouokit also be the malitious toungis of 
 sum, and eirnestly requeistit be vtheris. At lenth I was com- 
 pellit (for farther instructioun of the negligent heireris, the stop- 
 ping of the mouthis of euill speikeris, and the satisfactioun of the 
 incessant requeistis of gude and godlie men) to bestow and spend 
 sum time and trauel, to put it in that same forme and ordour, 
 that it was spokin and preichit in befoir zour Grace. Quhilk, 
 quhen I had faithfully performit (as all thay that hard it, quhen 
 thay sail reid it agane I trow will testifie), distrusting myne awin 
 judgement, I presentit it to the Kirk now laitly assemblit in 
 Perth the sext of August, that thay quha (for the maist part) 
 wer heireris of it micht judge asweil of the soundnes of the doc- 
 trine contenit into it, as of my sinceritie in the wryting thairof, 
 and sa micht allow, or disallow it, as it meritit ; vnto the quhilk 
 
58 EPISTLE. 
 
 besines the Kirk appointit Jolme Erskin of Dun, Superintendent 
 of Angus, M. Johne Dowglas, Bischop of Sanctandrois, M. Jolme 
 Winram, Superintendent of Stratherne, M. Knox, Minister of 
 Edinburgh, and Williame Christison, Minister of Dundie, quha 
 diligently red and approuit the same, subscriuing it with thair 
 handis, in the Name of the haill Kirk, as a Sermon consonant 
 and agreabill to Goddis word. Quhairof I haue takin bauldnes 
 to publische it, and that, vnder zour Grace's name (to quhome 
 the patrocinie arid defence of godlynes and vertew belangis), to 
 the end it may be the mair acceptabil to gude men, and that 
 wickit men may be the mair affrayit to calumniate or defame it ; 
 not that I greitlie regaird the judgement of men, hauing the tes- 
 timonie of a gude conscience for my warrand, bot that I judge 
 it profitabill to seik all ordinarie meanis that be lawful to man- 
 tene the treuth, and promot Goddis glorie. 
 
 Zour humanitie and gentilnes, quhairof not only I, bot almaist 
 all vther men, haue experience, muifis me to be sa hamely as to 
 offer and dedicate sa small a wark vnto zour Grace, douting 
 nathing but that ze will accept and regaird it rather according to 
 the qualitie and substance thairof, nor according to the quantitie 
 of it, or the persone of the wryter ; quhilk, quhen I sail vnder- 
 stand it, will prouoke and incourage me to present zour Grace 
 sum day with a greiter wark and a larger Volume as a perpetuall 
 monument of my vnfenzeit lufe and affection to zour Grace. 
 The Lord Jesus preserue the Kingis Maiestie, comfort and assist 
 zow, that ze may be abill to execute zour charge to the glorie of 
 God and the commoditie of this pure Realme. Amen. From 
 Dunfermlyne the 20. day of August. Anno 1572. Be zour 
 Grace's humbil subiect and daylie Oratour. 
 
 Dauid Fergussone, Minister 
 of Christis Euangell. 
 
IOAFNIS DAVIDSONII 
 CARMEN. 
 
 /"^ Rgecia mellifluo quantum det Nestoris ori, 
 
 Aut Demostheneo debeat eloquio, 
 Ipsi facundo quantum (mini crede) parenti 
 
 Attribuat linguae turba togata suse : 
 Nos tibi Fergusi tantum debere fatemur 
 
 Scotanam linguam qui.reparare studes. 
 Sermonem patrium ditas, inculta vetustas 
 
 Horret qua longe barbariemque fugas. 
 Adde etiam, neque abest facundis gratia dictis, 
 
 Respondet verbis materia apta tuis, 
 Quod satis ostendit nobis tua concio prsesens 
 
 Qua nihil in lucem doctius ire potest. 
 
 PAT RICH AVTHINLECTI 
 CARMEN. 
 
 QVisquis de decimis bonisque sacris 
 Quse sacris dominus dari ministris 
 Mandauit, dubitas, & anne nostro 
 Solui tempore debeant requiris, 
 Hunc vnum legito rogo libellum 
 Istam qui eloquio pio sacroque 
 Rem totam apcriet tibique pandet. 
 
ANE SERMON PREICHIT 
 
 befoir the Regent and Nobilitie, vpon a part 
 of the thrid Chapter of the PropKet Malachi, in 
 the Kirk of Leith, at the tyme of the Generall 
 Assemblie, on Sonday the 13. of 
 Januarie. Anno 1571. BeDauid 
 Fergussone, Minister of the 
 Euangell at Dun- 
 fermlyne. 
 
 HTHE TEXT. 
 
 the dayis of zour Fatheris, ze ar gone away from 
 myne ordinances, and haue not keipit them : returne vnto 
 me, and I will returne unto zow, saith the Lord of hostes : but 
 ze said, Quhairin sal we returne ? 
 
 " Will a man spoyle his Godis ? zit haue ze spoyled me : 
 but ze say, quhairin haue we spoyled thee? In teindis and 
 offeringis. 
 
 " Ze ar cursed with a curse : for ze haue spoyled me, euin this 
 whole Natioun. 
 
 " Bring ze all the Teindis into the stoirhous, that thair may be 
 meat iyi myne hous, and proue me now heirwith, saith the Lord 
 of Hostes, if I will not oppin the windowes of heuin vnto zow, 
 and powre zow out a blyssing without measure. 
 
 " And I will rebuke the deuourer for zour sakes, and he sail not 
 distroy the frute of zour ground, nether sail zour wine be barren 
 in the feild, saith the Lord of Hostes. 
 
 " And all Nationis sail call zow blissed : for ze salbe a plesand 
 land, saith the Lord of Hostes." 
 
62 ANE SERMON PREICHIT 
 
 THE ARGVMENT. 
 
 \ 
 
 T YKE as the wyse and trustie Medecineris, or the faithfull 
 and trew Chirurgianis, do not hike sa mekle (in ministra- 
 tioun of thair Phisik, or in applicatioun of thair Salues and Plais- 
 teris) vnto the present plesure or pane of thair patientis as vnto 
 thair profite, sa intende I this day nouther sa mekle to auoide or 
 seik ony of thir twa, as to profite the body of Christ 1 (quhilk is 
 his Kirk) tuiching that maledie and sair, quhilk in my judge- 
 ment, at this present maist cheifly vexis and anoyis it : not that I 
 count my self abill or sufficient sa to do, but that being callit to 
 occupy this place, in trauelling to do it, I may schow my gude 
 will and frelie vtter my mynd in this mater vnto zow all, accord- 
 ing to God's word, 2 leuing the incres to him that wirkis all thingis 
 to his glorie, and the commoditie of thame that lufe him. 3 And 
 thairfoir that I may the mair commodiously performe my pur- 
 pois, I haue chosin this Text of Scripture, now red in zour 
 audience, preichit of auld be the Prophet Malachie vnto the Kirk 
 of God, in the like stait that we now ar in ; the principal 1 partis 
 quhairof ar thir : 4 First, he perswadis them to repentance, with 
 argumentis proper and conuenient to mufe them thairunto. Se- 
 cundly, he confutis thair rebellious answeris, & schawis them 
 planely quhairin thay cheifly did offend. Thridly, he exhortis 
 them maist eimestlie to amend the faultis that he laid to thair 
 charge, promysing vnto thame, gif thay do sa, the benedictioun 
 of God and aboundance of all thingis. This is the ground or 
 ordour quhilk our Prophet, I say, obseruis, quhilk also I pur- 
 pois presentlie to follow as God of his mercy will minister his 
 graces vnto me. 
 
 1 Kphes. 1. 3 Rom. 8. 
 
 2 Frov. i. 6. 4 The ordour or divisioun of this text. 
 
BEFOIR THE REGENT AND NOBILITIE. 63 
 
 I. " From the dayis of zour Fatheris, ze ar gone away from 
 myn ordinances, &c." 
 
 The purpois of our Prophet is, first of all (as I haue said), to 
 perswade his brethren, the Jewis, to repentance and conuersioun 
 to God, of quhais grace and mercy onlie it was, that thair name 
 and natioun was to be found in eirth, vnrutit out and consumit, 
 as thay ar taucht in the verse precedant. But becaus it is but 
 loste laubour to craue repentance of thame that think not thame- 
 selfis giltie, acknawledges na fault committit, nor estemis that 
 thay haue ony neid of amendement, Thairfoir he dois let thame 
 vnderstand thair estait, and that thay, of all vther men, had 
 maist neid of repentance and amendement of lyfe, becaus thay 
 wer not only transgressouris of Goddis Law thame selfis, but also, 
 that baith thay, and thair Fatheris befoir thame, had vnto that 
 day departit from the haly Ordinances & Lawis of the Lord ; sa 
 that this was na vncouth or new thing that happinnit vnto them, 
 bnt ane inueterat & auld euill quhilk from age to age thay wer 
 inclynit and naturally geuin vnto, in the quhilk thay did euin 
 then still continew ; following in that cace thair progenitouris, 
 quhome thay in thair maneris na les viuely resemblit then gif 
 thay had remanit thame selfis aline vnto that hour, forasmekle 
 as in them planelie appeirit that same stif-neckitnes and vncir- 
 cumcision of hartis and earis, quhairwith thair Fatheris (as 
 sayis the constant Martir Steuin 1 ) alway is resistitthe haly Gaist. 
 We se then, Brethren, that the Prophetis purpois is, not only 
 to conuict thame of defectioun from God, but also to let thame 
 vnderstand that it was als natural for thame to rebell aganis 
 God as to be thair fathers' sonnis ; for, as we vse to say, thay 
 had it be kynd and coft it not : and zit sa far absent wer thay 
 from acknawledgeing of this, that thay almaist culd neuer be 
 brocht to grant it, no, not then, quhen it was euin bound, as 
 it wer, on thair backis. Of this we leirne, that lang custome 
 to sinne, is a thing maist pemitious, for it makis that thing, 
 
 i Act, 7. 
 
64 ANE SERMON PREICHIT 
 
 quhilk of the self is maist abhominable, to appeir nathing to 
 thame that are hantit thairwith, specially if God defer pun- 
 ischment ony quhyle, for then beginnis man to flatter him 
 self, to abuse the patience of God, & to wrap him self in 
 that cairles and maist perrillous perswasioun, that God re- 
 gairdis not his doingis, nor is thairwith sa heichly offendit as 
 the Scripture beiris, and sa procedis to heap sinne vpon sinne 
 vntil the day of wraith, zea, thair of cummis it (as sayis Salomon) 
 that the hartis of men ar fully set in thame to do euil, becaus 
 sentence aganis ane euill wark is not spedelie execute; 1 for this 
 caus the Prophet first trauellis to walkin vp thir pepill from this 
 wickit perswasioun, that his exhortatioun to repentance micht tak 
 the better effect. 
 
 Vnto the exhortatioun to repentance, quhairin the Lord desyris 
 them to returne to him, is addit a promeis, to wit, that he will 
 returne vnto thame, that thay thairby may be assurit that thair 
 repentance sail not be vnprofitable ; for, as it is but loste lau- 
 bour and a vane purpois to perswade men to repent that acknaw- 
 ledgis na fault (as we haue said befoir), sa na les vane is it to 
 exhort to repentance, albeit the sinne wer grantit, quhair thair is 
 na hope nor assurance of mercy ; for quhair na certitude of for- 
 giuenes is, bot only a bair knawledge and horrour of sinne, the 
 myndis of men ar rather thairby dreuin to desperatioun nor to 
 repentance, as appeiris in Cain, Saull, Ahitophell, Judas, and 
 diueris vtheris. 2 Thairfoir, amangis the cheif articklis of our faith 
 that ar vtterly necessar to be beleuit vnto saluatioun, this ane 
 amang the rest is countit, namely, to beleue the remissioun of 
 sinnis. Of this place, then, we leirne quhat is richt and trew 
 repentance, to wit, conuersioun vnto God, quhilk as it is the richt 
 definitioun of repentance, sa seruis it to confute the conuersioun 
 to creatures, and all the vaine theatricall toyis prescribit in Pa- 
 pistrie to penitentis, quhairof I mynde not at this present par- 
 
 1 Rom. 2. Ecclesi. 8. 2 Gen. 3. 1 Sam. 26 & 31. 2 Sam. 
 
 17. Math. 27. 
 
BEFOIR THE REGENT AND NOBILITIE. 65 
 
 ticularlie to speik, seing that it is a commoun place continually 
 taucht vnto zow in the Catechisme, and also becaus I purpois to 
 intreit ane vther mater contenit in this Text mair at lenth. 
 
 Nouther is it to be pretermittit that the Prophet vpbraidis the 
 pepill of his tyme with the wickitnes and rebellioun of thair foir- 
 fatheris, quhilk suppois it appeir at the first to be vncurteously 
 & vnjustly done, zit, gif we considder quhat maner of men he 
 had to do with, we sail se that he was justlie mouit sa to do ; for, 
 first, the pepil that he delt with, wer Hypocrites, that boistit and 
 gloryit of the Richteousnes of thair Fatheris, and vnder the pre- 
 tence thairof leuit maist licentiously and wickitly, thinking it 
 aneuch that thay wer discendit of haly and verteous Fatheris. 
 Thairfoir he is compellit to lat thame se quhat maner of men 
 thair Fatheris wer, to the end that thay micht the mair eirnestly 
 prepair them selfis to repentance, quhill thay suld se that cloik 
 takin away quhilk thay supposit thai had vnder the tytill of thair 
 foirbearis. 
 
 And in this sens do not only the Prophetis in the Auld Tes- 
 tament frequentlie cast the faultis of the Fatheris in the teith of 
 the Jewis, 1 bot also Johne the Baptist, Christ and his Apostillis, 
 do the same in the New Testament, 2 as in thair sermonis & 
 doctrine euidently appeiris. Secundly, thir pepill followit the 
 futesteppis of thair Fatheris in doing of euill, or ellis the prophet 
 wald not haue delt sa rigorously with them ; for thocht a wickit 
 man (as sayis Ezechiell) beget a sone, zit gif he feare and com- 
 mit na sic wickitnes, his Fatheris impietie sail not be laid to his 
 charge ; s bot gif he follow his Fatheris euill exampill, then will 
 the Lord visite the iniquitie of the Father vpon the sone. 4 
 Thairfoir maist justly (say I) ar thir pepilis wickit Fatheris 
 castin in thair teith, becaus thay ar found in the lyke wickit- 
 nes. 
 
 Mairouer, we haue heirof to obserue how vane a thing it is 
 
 1 Psalm 78. Isai. 1. Jerenu 9. 2 Mat. 3 & 23. John 8, Act. 7. 
 
 Zacharie. 1. 3 Ezechi. 18. * Exod. 20. 
 
 E 
 
6C ANE SERMON PREICHIT 
 
 to boist of our progenitouris, seing that thair ar nane of all our 
 Fatheris, quhais lyues being straitly examinit, but that thair salbe 
 found in thame mater aneuch to thair condempnatioun, & also 
 occasioun aneuch to abate that pryde quhilk we ar wount fu- 
 lischelie to consaue of thair halynes : it teachis vs also how far 
 furth we may, without danger, follow them that haue passit befoir 
 vs, to wit, sa far furth as they obey God and His worde; vther- 
 wayis thair exampill will not serue to excuse vs, becaus the 
 langer that wickitnes continew, and the ma that do commit it, it 
 is the mair abhominabill in Goddis sicht, and the neirer vnto 
 vengeance. And this mekle being spokin for the first part, lat 
 vs proceid to the secund. 
 
 II. But ze said, Quhairin sail we returne ? &c. Albeit that thir 
 pepill wer giltie, and had offendit God ma wayis then ane, as the 
 crymes laid to thair charge be the Prophet in the Chapteris pre- 
 cedant testifyis, zit becaus he dois specific na particulare cryme 
 now in this place, thay begyn to quarrell with him according to 
 thair accustomit maner, and to answer him as thay had done at 
 all vther tymes, demanding quhairin thay suld returne ? Na 
 vtherwise nor thay had bene giltles, & had bene rebukit without 
 a caus. Thairfoir that thay may be na mair dissauit and blindit 
 with sa gros ignorance, the Prophet declairis unto them, that 
 besyde all the rest of thair sinnis, whilk wer mony, thay wer 
 fallin in a new offence (quhilk thair Fatheris, for all thair wickit- 
 nes, neuer attemptit), namelie, sacriledge, in that the outlier 
 fraudulently retenit that quhilk was sanctifyit and dedicatit to 
 God and to His worschip, or elis conuertit and turnit the same 
 to vther vsis nor was appointit. Quhairin, albeit thay mony- 
 fauldlie offendit, zit dois the Prophet comprehend all vnder the 
 name of teindis and oblatiounis, becaus thay specially wer euill 
 payit, and withaldin from Godis Ministeris the Preistis and 
 Leuitis, 1 to quhome the teindis, oblatiounis, and first fruits 
 appertenit be the Law of God, besyde all vther thingis that the 
 Lord appointit vnto them, asweil for the Sacrifices, thair awin 
 
 1 Num. is. 
 
BEFOIR THE REGENT AND NOBILITIE. 67 
 
 sustentatioun, as for the releif of the pure. 1 And thairfoir had 
 thay na vther inheritance in Israeli, then to defraud them thairof 
 it was nane vther thing hot to spuilze them of that quhilk God 
 had geuin them as ane heritage forthair sendee, quhairwith thay 
 seruit Him in the Tabernackle of the Congregatioun, quhairunto 
 thay had als gude richt as ony man in Israeli had to his feild or 
 wynezaird. 
 
 Notwithstanding the pepill, vnmyndefull of thair dewtie, efter 
 thair returning out of Babilon, delt sa vnmercyfullie with the 
 pure, and sa nigardlie and fraudulentlie with the Preistis, that 
 the pure wer compellit to lay thair winezairdis and thair housis 
 in wed for eorne to eit in thair necessitie ; 2 and sum also maid 
 bondmen and slaues of thair sonnis and douchteris for money to 
 pay the Kingis tribute ; zea, and the Leuites, for laik of thair por- 
 tiounis, left thair offices, sa that the hous of God was forsakin, as 
 it is written in the buik of Nehemiah. 3 Of this fraude, negli- 
 gence, and cauldnes, I dout not bot the pepill had thair excusis, 
 as the pouertie that thay wer brocht to in thair banischment, the 
 greit expensis maid in re-edefying the towne and Tempill, to- 
 gidder with the continuall warris, incursiounis, and hostilitie that 
 thay sustenit of thair nichtbouris, to thair greit and importabill 
 charges ; zea, and that the Preistis, to quhome cheifly thir thingis 
 did belang, wer vnworthie of thame, being negligent in thair offices 
 and of corrupt conuersatiounis, as appeirit in tbair mariages 
 with the Heathen, 4 and familiaritie with thame, to the greit 
 hinderance of the wark of God. 5 Thir excusis, I say, thocht 
 the pepill micht haue pretendit, zit dois the Lord admit nane of 
 them, but maist schairplie rebukis and conuictis tham of the 
 horribill cryme of sacriledge, quhilk also he dois aggrauat be a 
 comparisoun, quhairin he conferris him self with the Idolis of the 
 Natiounis, and the ingrate behauiour of Israeli to him, with the 
 obseruance and fidelitie of the Gentiles to thair fals Godis. " Will 
 
 1 Deut. 14. Dent. 18. Josua 13. 3 Nehe. 13. 
 Ezechi. 44. 4 Ezra 10. 
 
 2 Nehe. 5. 3 Nehe. G and 13. 
 
68 ANE SERMON PREICHIT 
 
 a man (sayis he) spoyle his Godis? Zit ze haue spoylit me :" In 
 this sens also dois the Prophet Jeremie 1 aggrage the inconstancie 
 and defectioun of thair fatheris from God, in thir wordis : " Go ze 
 to the lies of Chittim and behauld, and send vnto Kedar, and 
 tak diligent heid, and se quhidder thair be sic thingis. Hes ony 
 Natioun changeit thair Godis? quhilk zit are naGodis; bot 
 my pepill haue changeit thair glorie for that quhilk dois na pro- 
 fite, <c." Sum thinkis that the word * Godis' signifyis in this place 
 Judgeis or Magistratis, vnto quhome the Lord compairis him self, 
 ressoning with the pepill efter this sort : What man is sa schame- 
 les or fulehardie that dar be sa bauld as to spoyle his ludge, 
 King, or Magistrate ? quhilk zit ar bot men (suppois, be ressoun 
 of thair office, I haue communicate my Name to thame, calling 
 them Godis and Children of the maist heich) : 2 And zit sa greit 
 is zour monstrous auclacitie, that ze dar spuilze me, quhilk am zour 
 Lord Eternall and only trew God. This interpretation is not 
 altogidder to be rejectit, forasmekle as it hes na inconuenience 
 nor absurditie in it ; zit dois the first (in my judgement) better 
 expres the prophetis mynd, and mekle mair dois aggrauat the 
 pepillis cryme. For was it not a horribill thing to se the Hea- 
 then Idolateris mair deuoit, reuerent, and faithfull to thair Idolis 
 and fals Godis nor the Jewes wer, to him that only is the verray 
 trew God ? And zit sa it was ; for as thair is na Natioun sa bar- 
 barous or beistly, that hes not this perswasioun, that thair is a 
 God, 3 sa quhat sa euer thay anis set vp to thame selfis for God, 
 that thay obstinatlie hauld still in reuerence and estimatioun, 
 vsing nouther fraud nor gyle, nor zit spairing ony expensis about 
 the thingis that thay haue dedicate to thair honour ; bot Israeli, 
 that knew God, or (as the Apostle sayis) rather wer knawin of 
 God, 4 and vnderstude thair dewtie toward him be the reuelatioim 
 of his will, contenit in his word, defraudit him of his honour, and 
 spuilzeit him of the thingis appointit to his worschip. And be- 
 
 1 Jercm. 3. 3 Cicero de Natnra Dcoruin. 
 
 3 Psalm 82. 4 Gala. 4. 
 
BEFOIR THE REGENT AND NOBILITIE. 69 
 
 caus thay wald not be estemit sic men, thay querell still with the 
 Prophet na les proudlie nor thay had done befoir, demanding 
 of him zit anis agane quhat thair offence was, " Quhairin (say 
 thay) haue we spoylit the I" Thairfoir, without ony parable, he 
 planely pronunces thame giltie of sacriledge, in that thay had 
 spuilzeit the Lord in teindis and offeringis. 
 
 Heirof, then, Brethren, we obserue that God countis him self 
 spuilzeit of that quhilk was withhaldin from the Preistis and 
 Leuitis ;* not that thair cummis ony vtilitie vnto him thairof (for 
 " He neidis na thing of ouris,nouther eitis he theflesche nor drinkis 
 the blude of bullis nor goatis," 2 as sayis the Psalmest), bot becaus 
 the Lord had ordanit that the Preistis and the Pure suld Hue of 
 the Teindis, and that the first frutis of all things suld be offerit 
 vnto him, in remembrance that all thingis wer ressauit of him, 
 thairfoir justly callis he the Teindis and Oblatiounis his, 3 specially 
 being now sanctifyit vnto him, and appointit to his worschip, of 
 the quhilk also he is spuilzeit, quhensaeuer thai ar with haldin or 
 applyit to ony vther vse. Nouther culd thir pepill excuse thair 
 fraud be the vnworthynes of the Preistis, for gif thay had only 
 thairwith bene offendit, doutles thay wald haue eirnestly socht 
 for reformatioun, quhilk thing thay did not ; quhairof it appeiris 
 that all this abuse procedit of thair awin priuate, auaritious, and 
 corrupt affectiounis, quhilk maid them in this ane sinne mony- 
 fauldlie to transgres. For, first, thay schew thame selfis to haue 
 bene prophaine and proud contempneris of the grace of God 
 and all externall Religioun, 4 in that thay wer cauld, slaw, and 
 negligent to mak ony coist to mantene those thingis quhairby 
 God seillit vp his presence and habitatioun amang thame. 5 Se- 
 cundly, thay manifestly brak Godis Law, 6 quhairin they ar 
 straitly commandit faithfully to pay thir thingis to the preistis 
 and Leuitis. Thridly, thay wer ingrate and vnthankfull vnto 
 God, in denying vnto him a part of the incres of thair substance, 
 
 1 Act. 17. 4 Exod. 25. 
 
 * Psal. 50. 5 Leuit. 7. 
 
 Leuit, 27. u Num. 18. 
 
70 ANE SERMON PREICHIT 
 
 of quhome thay had ressauit all. 1 Fourtly, thair auaritious im- 
 pietie is euident in this, that thay sufferit the Leuitis, for want 
 of thair leuingis, to fal away from the seruice of God. Fyftlie, 
 thay wer injust that withheld the wageis from Godis seraandis, 
 that was dew vnto thame for thair laubour, quhairunto also thay 
 addit inhumanitie and vnmercyfulnes, defrauding the pure of 
 thair sustentatioun appointit vnto thame of God. 2 
 
 Bot ane micht thinke, quhat neidis all thir wordis ? quha knawis 
 not that the Teindis and Oblatiounis wer ordanit be God to sustene 
 the Preistis and Leuitis in the auld Testament, and that thir 
 pepill wer worthely rebukit of the Prophet for withholding of 
 thame, bot quhat belangis that to vs?- I answer, that as we 
 subscriue the Prophetis doctrine, and with him this day con- 
 dempne thir pepil, sa gif we wil examine our selfis, we sal find 
 thair schooe (as we vse to say) meit aneuch for our fute, and our 
 transgressioun in this point to be nathing inferiour vnto thairis. 
 For, suppois the Leuiticall Preistheid be abrogatit, zit lies the 
 Lord a Kirk, for quhais edificatioun he hes ordanit Ministeris, 
 Pastouris, and Teicheris, 3 quha aucht, be the ordinance of Christ 
 him self, to haue thair rewaird for thair labour ; 4 quhairunto the 
 Apostle, wrytand to the Corinthianis, aggreis, affirming, that the 
 Lord hes ordanit, that thay quhilk preich the Gospell suld Hue 
 of the Gospell. 5 And, as for the pure, baith Moses 6 and our 
 Master do witnes that we sail neuer want thame, quhome also 
 we are bound to sustene and charitabillie to prouyde for. 7 How 
 cairfullie the Primatiue and first Kirk vnder the Gospell pro- 
 uydit for thair Ministeris and the pure, the Actis of the Apos- 
 tillis 8 and Paulis Epistillis 9 do testifie; quhairin we se euerie 
 Congregation!! not only cairful for thair awin pure, bot also reddy 
 to releif the necessitie of the pure sanctis that dwellit far from 
 thame. Thair Ministeris also, with thair famileis, wer honorabilly 
 
 1 Deut. 26. * Dcut. 14. Dcut. 15. 
 
 * Heb. 7 and 8. " Math. 26. John 12. 
 
 4 Ephes. 2. Math. 10. Luk. 10. K Act. 2, 4, 6. 18, & 24. 
 
 6 1. Cor. 0. 9 Kom. 15. 1. Cor. 16. 
 
BEFOIR THE REGENT AND NOBILIT1E. 71 
 
 sustenit in all thingis necessarie, 1 thocht sum of zow haue spokin 
 in derisioun, that suppois ze be bound to sustene the Minister, 
 quhat to do haue ze with his wyfe and children *? Brethren, for 
 my part, I wald ze had Angelis to zour Ministeris, gif ze wer 
 worthy of thame, or that it wer the will of God ; bot seing that 
 God willis not so, bot that ze salbe seruit be the Ministerie of 
 men, it behouis zow to tak thame as thay ar, with all thingis that 
 of necessitie belangis vnto thame, or lawfully dependis on thame, 
 sic as are wyfes, children, and familie, 2 quhilk not only must be 
 honestly reulit, and the children haldin vnder obedience with all 
 honestie (as Paul teichis), 3 bot also must be prouydit for hospi- 
 talitie, quhilk all men knawis requyris baith foirsicht and expen- 
 sis. Ze se then that the Ministeris of the Primatiue Kirk (that 
 leuit befoir Princes wer Christianes and nurischers of the Kirk, 
 as it was Prophesyit) 4 wer na beggeris, suppois thay wer no 
 Lordis that aboundit in superfluous welth, as the Papis Bishop- 
 pis did, bot had sufficient, asweill for the necessitie of thair awin 
 famileis, as for the help of vther Christianes, 5 that now and then, 
 as occasiounis seruit, repairit to thair housis. Efterward, quhen 
 the tyme come foirspokin be Dauid, 6 that Kingis and Empre- 
 ouris and thair Kingdomes suld serue the Lord, and bring giftis 
 vnto him, thay prouydit for the kirk. Not as the Heathen Ido- 
 lateris did for thair Preistis, bot as the Eternall God of auld, 
 vnder the Law, prouydit for his Ministeris, 7 to wit, that thay suld 
 be mantenit with the teindis ; sa, following his exampil that only 
 is wyse, thay ordanit be thair authoritie that the Teindis sulde 
 serue to the same vse in the tyme of the Gospell, adding also of 
 thair awiii substance diueris vtheris rentis and possessiounis, 
 making thame that taucht thame in the word of God (according 
 to the doctrine of the Apostle) 8 pertakeris of all their gudis. 
 Efter this sort, I say, did the godly and christiane Empreouris 
 
 1 2 Cor. 8 & 9. 1 Cor. 9. 1. Timo. 5. * Act. 21. 
 
 2 1. Timo. 3. 6 Psal. 68 & 102. 
 
 3 Titus 1. "' Rom. 16. 
 
 4 Esay 49. * Gala. 6. 
 
72 ANE SERMON PREICHIT 
 
 and Kingis prouyde for the Preicheris of the Euangell, the Scuilis, 
 the Pure, the Kirkis, and quhatsaeuer ellis belangit to the exter- 
 nall worschip and seruice of God, quhairupon all the substance 
 befoir mentionit alwayis was spendit, sa lang as outlier puritie of 
 doctrine or the ancient seueritie of disciplin remanit in the 
 visibill Kirk. Bot how sone that euer superstitioun enterit in 
 and the disciplin decayit, the Kirk rentis also began to be mis- 
 pendit ; for sum wer sauld, sum set in few, sum reft be Tyrannis 
 and wickit men, and the remanent wes deuorit be the Locustis 
 that come out of the smoke of the bottomles pit ; quhais impietie 
 albeit God hes reuelit, 1 and banischit, be the preiching of his 
 word, from amang vs ; zit is not that substance quhilk thay abusit 
 restoirit agane to the richt vse, bot als prophanely and wickitly 
 spendit this day in Scotland as euer it was. 
 
 Then the same accusatiounis and complaintis that God vsit of 
 auld, be his Prophet, aganis the Jewes, serue this day aganis 
 thame that ar lyke the Jewes in transgressioun, zea, thay serue 
 aganis vs : For this day Christ is spuilzeit amang vs, quhil that 
 quhilk audit to mantene the Ministerie of the Kirk and the Pure 
 is geuin to prophane men, flattereris in Court, Ruffianes and 
 Hyrelingis. 2 The Pure, in the meane tyme, oppressit with houn- 
 ger, the Kirkis and Tempilis decaying for laik of Ministeris and 
 vphalding, and the Schuilis vtterlie neglectit and ouersene. 3 1. Ar 
 not thir thingis so ? Behald the wayis and streitis, and ze sail 
 se thame (to the greit dishonour of Christ and decay of the com- 
 moun welth) replenischit with beggeris and vnbrydilit zouth, 4 
 albeit na man amang us, that may not, nor can not sustene thame 
 selfis, suld be sufferit to laik. Our zouth also audit to be nu- 
 rischit and mantenit at the schuilis, that thairoutof efterward 
 micht spring Preicheris, Counsellouris, Phisiciounis, and all vther 
 kyndes of leirnit men that we haue neid of. For the Schuillis 
 are the seid of the Kirk and commoun-welth, 5 and our Children 
 
 1 Apoc, 9. 
 
 2 The miserabill e/stait of the 4 Act. 2 & 4. 
 
 Kirk of Scotland. 5 The Schuilis the seid of the 
 
 5 The Pure & Schuili* neglectit. Kirk. 
 
BEFOIR THE REGENT AND NOBIL1TIE. 73 
 
 ar the hope of the posteritie, quhilk being neglectit, thair can 
 nathing be luikit for, bot that barbarous ignorance sail ouerflow 
 all ; for suppois God lies wonderously, at this tyme, steirit vp 
 preicheris amang vs, euin quhen darknes and ignorance had the 
 vpperhand, he will not do sa heirefter, seing we haue the ordi- 
 narie meane to prouyde them, quhilk, gif we contempne, in vane 
 sail we luke for extraordinarie prouisioun. Israeli was miracu- 
 luslie fed in the wildernes with MANNA, 1 bot how sone thay 
 did eit of the corne of the land of Canaan the MANNA ceissit, 2 
 nouther had thay it ony moir, bot leuit efterward on the frute of 
 the ground, ordinarlie laubourit with thair handis. I speik to 
 prudent men, that may vnderstand and judge qt&ajt'li say. 2. Bot 
 now to speik of zour Tempilis, 3 quhair the M r ord of God-saJci^bb 
 preichit and the Sacramentis ministerit, all men' seis to'quhat 
 miserabill rewyne and decay thay are cum ; zea, thay ar sa pro- 
 phanit, 4 that in my conscience, gif I had bene brocht vp in Ger- 
 manic, or in ony vther countrie, quhair Christ is trewly preichit, 
 and all thingis done decently and in ordour, according to Goddis 
 word, and had hard of that puritie of Religioun that is amang 
 zow, and for the lufe thairof, had takin trauell to visite this land, 
 and then suld haue sene the foull deformitie and desolatioun of 
 zour Kirkis and Tempilis, quhilk ar mair like to scheip cottis 
 then the housis of God, I culd not haue judgeit that thair had 
 bene ony feir of God, or richt Religioun, in the maist part of 
 this realme. 3. And as for the Ministers of the word, thay ar 
 vtterly neglectit, and cum in manifest contempt amang zow; 5 
 ze raill vpon thame at zour pleasure, of thair doctrine (gif it 
 serue not zour tume, and aggre not with zour appetytis) ; ze ar 
 becum impatient ; and, to be schort, we ar now maid zour tabill 
 talk, quhome ze mock in zour mirrines, and threatin in zour 
 anger. I am compellit to speik this, thocht I be als plane as 
 plesant, and appeir to zow as the greitest fule of the rest, to stand 
 
 1 Exod. 16 Deut. 8. 4 1. Cor. 4. 
 
 2 Josua 5. 5 The Ministoris neglectit 
 8 The Tempilis decayit. & contempnit. 
 
71 ANE SERMON PREICHIT 
 
 vp heir to vtter that quhilk vther men thinkis ; weil, let me be 
 countit a fule speiking the treuth, I regaird not, nouther may I 
 spair to speik it, thocht I suld be judgeit, in our awin caus, to 
 be caryit away with particular affectioun ; following heirin the 
 exampil of our Prophet Malachie, quha (gif credite may be geuin 
 to Hierom 1 ) was Ezra the Preist, the stait of quhais tyme, gif 
 we mark his buik diligentlie, properly aggreis with this prophesie. 
 And zit, thocht he was a preist, he sparit not frely, at the com- 
 mandement of God, to rebuik thame that defraudit the preistis 
 of the teindis and oblatiounis appointit vnto thame. This it is 
 4:<hat nrnifis me, let men judge as thay lyst, to lay out befoir zour 
 *eyis the-miserabUl estait of the pure Kirk of Scotland, that thair- 
 'by Selnay'be prouokit to pitie it, and to restoir the thingis that 
 injustly ze spuilzie'it of, leist the Lord requyre at zour handis 
 the blude of thame that perische in default of the richt dispensa- 
 tioun of thir thingis. I speik not this to prouoke ony priuat man 
 to retene in his hand that quhilk he is bound to pay to the pos- 
 sessouris of the beneficis, becaus thay may mispend it ; no, bot 
 rather exhortis thame faithfully to pry thair dewteis, 2 and com- 
 mit the punischeinent of the abuse to God, that behaldis the 
 doingis of all men, and will rewaird euerie man 'according to his 
 warkis ; 3 as appeiris in the wordis of the Text quhilk follow : 
 
 " Ze ar cursit with a curse : for ze haue spoylit me, euin this 
 haill Natioun." 
 
 Becaus thir pepill acknawledgeit, nor felt not the grauitie of 
 thair sin as thay audit, the Prophet puttis thame in mynd of 
 the punischement that hidderto thay had sustenit thairfoir, name- 
 ly, that thay wer cursit with a curse, signifying that thay wer al 
 maner of wayis miserabill and vnhappy ; and quhy ? Becaus not a 
 few of thame, bot that haill Natioun, had spuilzeit the Lord. How 
 miserabill thir pepill wer efter thair returning from Babell, the 
 bukis and prophesies of Ezra, Neherniah, Haggay, and Zechariah 4 
 
 1 Hieronimus in proemio super 2 Rom. 6. 
 
 Malachiam, ad Minerium et Alex- 3 Apoc. 22. 
 
 andrum monachos, et in Exposi- * Ezra 4 & 5. Nehc. 4, 5, & 6. 
 
 tione Capiti.s. 3. N-''?. 1 & 2. Zechariah 3. 
 
BEFOIR THE REGENT AND NOBIL1T1E. 75 
 
 do witnes, to wit, that thay wer only hatit and inuyit of all 
 the Natiounis adjacent, quha continually socht thair destruc- 
 tioun, baith be secreit dissaitis and oppin hostilitie, bot also wer 
 oppressit with famine, derth, and scarcitie of all thingis, quhilk 
 maid thame to complane, grudge, and murmure aganis God, as 
 thocht the cause of thair infelicitie had procedit of him. Quhair- 
 unto the Lord heir answeris, as it wer, in thir wordis : Ze com- 
 plane of zour miserie, bot ze persaue not the cause ; I grant that 
 ze ar miserabill, zea, that ze ar cursit and vnhappy ma wayis 
 then ane, bot the caus is in zour selfis, that hes spuilzeit me of 
 that quhilk was dedicat to my honour, and thairfoir ze can not be 
 blyssit quhyle ze defraud me of that quhilk is myne. That thir 
 pepill wer justly plaguit we all confes, but wald God that we 
 culd considder our awin estait, apply this to our selfis, and mak 
 our frute thairof : For thocht all men meruell at the cruell weiris, 
 vnfruteful seasounis, strange diseasis, dertb, famine, and vther 
 incommoditeis quhairwith the warld is oppressit, zit thay con- 
 sidder not, that the maist part of men ar sa inobedient and vn- 
 thankfull vnto God, that thay deserue to be na better intreatit, 
 bot rather worse. And to pas by vther Natiounis, let vs try our 
 selfis : We profes Religioun, zit ar we barrane of the frutis thairof: 
 for euin thay thingis, without the quhilk Religioun can not stand, 
 ar scarce to be found amang vs, sic as ar faith, innocencie, puri- 
 tie of lyfe, charitie, and inuocatioun of Goddis name. And as 
 for the Teindis and rentis of the Kirk, the almous of the Pure, 
 and sic thingis as we ar bound to bestow vpon the mantenance 
 of Goddis honour and richt Religioun (thocht we be prodigall in 
 vther thingis), zit in thame ar we negligent, cald, fraudulent, 
 gredie, and nigard. For as sumtyme Kingis, Prencis, Lordis, 
 and vther potent men, liberally inrichit the Kirk, sa now be the 
 contrair all thair trauell is to satiate thair gredynes with the 
 spuilze thairof. 
 
 Can the warld then luik for ony prosperitie, happynes, 
 tranquillitie, or benedictioun from God, quhyle thay thus ne- 
 glect his honour? Na surely. Ze meruel, I dout not, quhy 
 
76 ANE SERMON PREICHIT 
 
 ze haue not preuailit aganis zone throt-cutteris and vnna- 
 turall murthereris within the Towne and Castell of Edinburgh, 
 specially ze hailing a maist just actioun, being ma in number, 
 and mair vailzeant men, and nathing inferiour to thame in wis- 
 dome, circumspectioun, or ony gude qualiteis outher of body or 
 of mynd. Bot ceis to meruell : for the cans quhy that ze haue not 
 preuailit aganis thame lang or now, amang mony vther zour 
 sinnis quhair with ze ar defylit, is this, that the spuilze of the 
 pure is in zour housis ;* ze inuaid the possessioun of that quhilk 
 appertenis not vnto zow ; and that quhilk our foirbearis gaue of 
 gude zeill to Goddis honour and the commoun welth of the Kirk, 
 ze spuilze to zour awin priuate vsis without outher ryme or 
 ressoun, nouther will ze be controllit. This, this, I say, is the 
 cheif caus that nathing prosperis in zour handis : gif thairfoir ze 
 wald that euer God suld decoir zow with that honour to be his 
 instrumentis to clenge this land from the innocent blude quhair- 
 with it is pollutit, and the fylthie murthereris quhairwith it is 
 infamit and defylit, clenge" then zour handis of all impietie, 
 specially of sacriledge, quhairby ze spuilze the pure, the schuilis, 
 the Tempilis, and Ministeris of Goddis word, zea, Christ him self. 
 I grant that our Fatheris, of immoderat zeill (besyde the Teindis 
 and necessarie rentis of the Kirk), gaue thairunto superfluously, 
 and mair nor aneuch : Quhat then is to be done? bot that the 
 Preicheris of Goddis word be ressonabillie sustenit, seing that 
 thair is aneuch and ouer mekle to do it ; the schuillis and the 
 pure be weill prouydit as thay audit ; and the Tempilis honestly 
 and reuerently repairit, that the pepill, without injurie of wynd 
 or wedder, may sit and heir Goddis word, and participat of his 
 haly Sacramentis. And gif thair restis ony thing vnspendit 
 quhen this is done (as na dout thair wil), in the name of God 
 let it be bestowit on the nixt necessarie aifairis of the commoun 
 welth, and not to ony mannis priuate commoditie. Except ze 
 do this, God will not be with zow, nouther can ze haue ony pros- 
 peritie, bot the end of a cummer salbe the beginning of ane vther ; 
 
 1 Ksav 3. 
 
BEFOIR THE REGENT AND NOBILITIE 77 
 
 bot gif ze will be obedient to his voice, he will be with zow, and 
 blys all the warkis of zour handis, as 'he hes promysit in his 
 worde, 1 quhairof we sail haue better occasioun to speik in the 
 thrid heid of our Text, vnto the quhilk let vs now proceid : wearie 
 not, I pray zow, suppois the tyme be almaist spendit, for I sail 
 not be lang. 
 
 III. " Bring ze all the Teindis into the stoirhous, &c." Efter 
 that the Prophet hes confutit the vnjust querrellingis and respon- 
 sis of the pepill, and also had prouit thame criminail, he schawis 
 thame the remedie, and how thay may recouer agane the bene- 
 dictioun and fauour of God, to wit, gif thay will deill vprichtly 
 with him in time cumming, quhairunto he maist ernistly exhortis 
 thame, promysing (gif thay will amend the former faultis) Goddis 
 blyssingis and fauour in all thingis. " Bring ze (sayis he) all the 
 Teindis into the stoirhous," or treasure of the Tempill. He craifis 
 all, that thay may knaw that he will haue nane fraudulently 
 withdraw in as thay wer befoir, quhen for the fassoun thay gaue 
 a part, as thocht thay had bene zealous of Religioun, and retenit 
 the rest to satisfie thair auaritious affectiounis. The caus quhy 
 that the Lord commandis all the teindis faithfully to be geuin 
 without ony fraud, he sayis, that thair may be meit in his hous 
 to sustene the Preistis and the Leuitis that waitit on his seruice, 
 and that thair may be sufficient also for all vther thingis that he 
 had appointit in his Law to be done, quhairof we haue spokin at 
 lenth afoir. This is it that the Lord requyris of thir pepill, and 
 exhortis thame to proue him heirwithall : " Quhidder gif he will 
 not oppin vnto them the wyndois of heuin, &c." Behald, deir 
 Brethren, the bountifulnes and familiaritie of our God toward 
 vs, that this way subjectis his fidelitie to our tryall, binding him 
 self be promeis to recompance, and that largely, quhatsaeuer is 
 bestowit on his seruice, thocht he be detter to no man, nor zit 
 hes ony commoditie of our oblatiounis (as we haue said afoir) ; for 
 nouther dwellis he in Tempilis maid with handis, 2 nor zit hes he 
 ony neid that our gudis be spendit on him, bot all the extern all 
 
 1 Leuit. 26. Dent. 28. 2 Act. 7 & 17. 
 
78 ANE SERMON PREICHIT 
 
 worschipping is ordanit be him for the nurischement of our faith, 1 
 quha be eirthlie thingis mon be taucht peice and peice to vnder- 
 stand heuinly thingis, that thairunto be thame we may led, as it 
 wer, be the hand. For vs, then, I say, is the externall exercise 
 of Religioun, and all the expensis that is maid thairupon ordanit, 
 and not for him ; and zit, notwithstanding, in exhorting vs to be 
 liberall in that quhilk cummis altogidder to our awin profite, he 
 speiks als submissiuely as it were a borower making requeist to a 
 lenner, that wald say, Len me, I pray zow, sic a summe of money 
 or samekle victuall to sic a day, and proue my credite thairwith, 
 quhidder gif I will not thankfully pay zow agane, and that with 
 profite. O the meruellous and vnspeikabill cair that the Lord 
 lies oner vs and our Saluatioun. 
 
 Bot let vs heir with quhat benefitis he promysis to recompance 
 thame gif thay will do thair dewtie. First, he promysis to oppin 
 the windowis of heuin vnto them : He sayis not that Pie wil oppin 
 a wyndow, bot, in the plurall number, Wyndowis ; signifying, that 
 he will caus all thingis that thay haue neid of thairoutof to flow 
 vnto thame in all aboun dance. Secundly, that the blyssingis 
 quhilk He will powre out of heuin vpon thame, sail produce and 
 bring furth frute out of the eirth (not simplie to satisfie thair 
 neid), bot mekle mair, zea, it salbe bezond measure. Thridly, 
 He promysis that not only sail the heuin and the eirth mutually 
 aggre togidder (as sayis the Prophet Hosea 2 ) to produce all thingis 
 aboundantly vnto thame, bot also quhen thay ar producit he sail 
 preserue them from all thingis that may hynder thame from 
 cumming to maturitie and perfectioun, quhidder it be noysurn 
 beistis or vnseasonabill wedder. Finally, He promysis sa to deill 
 with thame that the prophane and godles Natiounis salbe com- 
 pellit to acknawledge thame for a happy and a blyssit pepill, in 
 quhome Goddis liberall blyssingis and benefitis sa sail abound, 
 that the plesandnes, fertilitie, and fruitfulnes of thair land sail 
 allure all men to lufe it, and to desyre to dwell in it. 
 
 1 Psalm 50. - Hosea 2. 
 
BEFOIR THE REGENT AND NOB1LITIE. 79 
 
 Of this we note from quhence cumrais aboundance of victual!, 
 incres of frutis, and all vther prosperitie to man : certanely not 
 from the elementis abufe, nor from the earth beneth, nor zit from 
 mannis laubour (for the heuinis, as sayis Jeremie, 1 can giue na 
 schouris, and then of force it mon follow that the earth salbe 
 barrane and mannis laubour loist), from nane of thirthingis then 
 procedis mannis happynes, bot from God only, in quhais hand is 
 the brydill that moderatis all thingis, quha also (quhen man is 
 obedient to him) maids all his creaturis to serue him ; zea, the 
 stanis of the feild (as sayis Job 2 ) to be in league with him, and 
 the beistis of the feild to be at peace with him. And be the con- 
 trarie, quhen men ar inobedient to God, thay ar cursit in all that 
 euer thay put thair hand vnto, 3 and all the creaturis of God ar 
 enemies vnto thame ; zea, the heuin geuis thame nouther dew 
 nor raine, nor the earth ony frute,, mair nor thay wer maid of 
 iron and brasse. 4 Let us then, Brethren, feir God, reuerence 
 and worschip him as He hes commandit, and be zealous to man- 
 tene his honour with all our poweris and substance, and sa sal 
 he prosper our interprysis to his glorie and our comfort ; bot gif 
 we be disobedient to him, cairles and negligent of his honour, 
 his plagues can riot depart from vs, for he will honour thame that 
 honour him, and powre contempt vpon thame that lichtly him. 5 
 
 Langer at this present, seing that the tyme faillis me, I will 
 not hald zow, bot beseikis zow all, and principallie zow maist 
 Nobill and Worthie personages, to prent thir thingis in zour 
 myndis to zour profite ; to suffer the wordis of exhortatioun 
 patiently, 6 and tak in gude worth that quhilk is spokin, albeit it 
 haue bene sumquhat rudely and schairply vtterit, considdering 
 that it procedit from the hart of him that luifis and fauouris baith 
 zow and zour caus ; remembring the saying of Salomon, 7 oppin 
 rebuke is better than secreit lufe, and the woundis of a lufer mair 
 
 1 Jeremiah 14. 
 
 2 Job 5. b I.Samuel 2. 
 
 3 Deut. 28. 6 Hebre. 13. 
 
 4 Leuit. 26. " Prouerb. 2G. 
 
80 ANE SERMON PREICHIT BEFOIR THE REGENT, etc. 
 
 faithfiill then the kissis of ane enemie, thocht thay be plesarit. 
 God grant that the wordis quhilk ze haue hard with zour out- 
 ward eiris may be sa fixit in zour hartis, that the frute thairof 
 may heir efter appeir to the glorie of God, and the commoditie 
 of his Kirk, quhilk he hes redemit to him self be the precious 
 blude of his only and weilbelouit Sone Jesus Christ our Lord 
 and only Sauiour, to quhome, with the Father and the Haly 
 Gaist, be perpetual praise, glorie, and honor, baith now and for 
 euer. Amen. 
 
 IT This Sermon was presentit to the Kirk, red and approuit be 
 the persounis vnderwrittin, appointit thairunto be the Assemblie 
 haldin at Perth 6. Augusti. Anno. 1572. 
 
 J. SANCTANDROIS. 
 
 JHONE ERSKYN. 
 
 M. JHONE WYNRAM. 
 
 WILLIAME CRYSTESONE M. of Dundie. 
 
 JOHN KNOX, with my dead hand but glaid 
 
 heart, praising God that of his mercy 
 
 he leuis suche light to his Kirk 
 
 in this desolatioun. 
 
E P I S T L A 
 RENATI BENEDICTI 
 
 VERBI DEI PROFESSORIS 
 
 AD JOHANNEM KNOX 
 
 ATQUE ALIOS IN SCOTIA MINISTROS. 
 M.D.LXI. 
 
EENATUS BENEDICTUS VERBI DEI PROFESSOR DISERTIS- 
 
 SIMO JOANNI KNOX ATQUE AHIS ERUDITISSIMIS VIRIS 
 APUD ANTIQUITATEM NOBILEM SCOTIAE VOCAT1S 
 
 MINISTRIS. CHRISTUM SEMPER SINCERE COGNOSCERE 
 PROFITERI. 
 
 I. 
 
 Vrget me Christi charitas et vestrae omnium salutis desi- 
 derium (eruditi Viri) vt ex intimo pectore vos moneam atque 
 rogem ne propter auram popularem et fluxam caducamque glo- 
 riam vt videlicet aliis peritiores a quibusdam sentiamini et obuiis 
 (vt aiunt) vlnis accipiamini aut propter diuitias accumulandas 
 doctrinam plane exoticam et a verbo Dei atque eius praxi om- 
 nium sapientum et bonorum iudicio prorsus alienam in ecclesia 
 Dei inueliere atque obtrudere velitis aut audeatis. Quid enim 
 tentatis ? Qui est per Jesum ipsum obsecro vestra ista inceptio ? 
 Quantus est perspicite quaeso vester hie ausus contra antiqui- 
 tatem consentionem et vniuersitatem religionis (quae vnica 
 vera esse potest) npua dogmata sine vllis apertis aut scripturae 
 sacrae aut etiam probatorum docta et pia antiquitate Christian- 
 orum testimoniis profiteri ? 
 
 II. 
 
 Hoc paulisper quaeso attendite atque in vos ipsos (expulsa 
 omnis affectionis caligine) diligenti ratione descendite. Cedo 
 enim per Dei misericordiam et Christi Jesu in nos omnes chari- 
 tatem vbi in scripturis sacris tarn veteris quam noui testamenti 
 legitur missam Christi ecclesiae consuetum sacrificium abhomina- 
 tionem aut aliquid idololatriae consentiens esse? Vbi vel in 
 
84 EPISTOLA 
 
 vno tot in ecclesia ad hoc vsque tempus celebratorum conciliorum? 
 Vbi in scriptis viri alicuius probati et docti 1 Nusquam sane 
 aut proferte locum, quod sane nemo vestrum adhuc praestare 
 potuit. Miror ergo quare tantis clamoribus tanto (vt putatur) 
 zelo tantis laboribus totque animarum piarum periculis in vestram 
 (timeo) perniciem earn doctrinam asseritis contempta omnium 
 doctorum et bonorum prudenti authoritate quae nullam habet 
 certam probationem nisi vestras sacrae scripturae expositiones 
 cum doctis aperte pugnantes satis esse ad confirmandam nouam 
 religionis et fidei doctrinam putetis. 
 
 ni. 
 
 Videte obsecro ne fallatis vosmetipsos et maxime his nouis- 
 simis temporibus periculosissimis quorum difficultatem et per- 
 niciem tantam praedicunt et affirmant sacra eloquia vt in illis 
 etiam ipsi (si fieri possit) electi debeant peruerti. Nostis aperte 
 si cum humilitate literas sacras euoluitis Satanae Christi et Chris- 
 tianorum omnium iurati hostis astum atque technas eiusque 
 furiosos conatus in funestanda ecclesia et Christi Jesu delenda 
 memoria non ignoratis. Videte ergo fratres et Christiani vos 
 obsecro dilecti ne seducamini ipsius vafricie et ne ab ipsa seducti 
 aliorum in fide deprauandorum organa sitis. Christi nomen non 
 potuit auferre Satan as at videte rogo atque ex charitate pro 
 vestra salute moneo ne ipsum Christum abstulerit. Cogitate 
 etiam vbi et quibus modis Christum et vere habeamus. Annon 
 in vero verbo et vero sacramento et vera fide in vera ecclesia 1 
 Annon (vos ipsos indices facio) ecclesiam veram supra montem 
 positam et ita ab omnibus satis cognitam deseritis et contemnitis ? 
 Annon pro veritate viuifici corporis Christi in eucharistiae sac- 
 ramento figuram solam obtenditis f Annon verba legis Dei et 
 non legem ipsam verumque atque germanum ipsius sensum (in 
 asseuerando vestra placita) proponitis ? Norunt qui Scripturam 
 sacram et Sanctorum scripta accurate legerunt. Christi ergo 
 nomen solum retinetis eum autem (videte quaeso) annon in 
 ipsius imaginibus primum deinde in eucharistia et missa postremo 
 
RENATI BENEDICT!. 85 
 
 vero in scriptura aliter quam oporteat exponenda expulistis 
 cuius loco quid nisi creaturam aut creaturae excogitationem 
 (vestra placita) proposuistis 1 
 
 IV. 
 
 Per Christi mortem hoc considerate et iterum considerate 
 quaeso Viri eruditi. Vror enim quum video viros tarn peritos et 
 illorum persuasione atque exemplo plurimos in tarn apertum 
 suae salutis discrimen vocari. Quid enim sacrificium Christian- 
 orum (missam intelligo) reiicitis atque abhominamini quod in 
 lege naturae et Moysis prefiguratum habemus quod in prophetis 
 promissum quod in euangelium exhibitum quod in primatiua 
 ecclesia receptum probatum et tanquam summae nostrum tain 
 saepe et semper ab omnibus electis et predestinatis frequentatum 
 est. Cuius rei locupletissimi testes sunt Dionisius Areopagita 
 Ignatius et reliqui ecclesiae primatiuae patres quorum indicium et 
 authoritatem in exponenda scriptura et de missae sacrificio potis- 
 sime insequimur. Vos ergo (Viri eruditi) rogo vt cum modestia 
 sequamur et non nostro sensu et iudicio in re tanti momenti 
 nitamur. Negligentiam et socordiam non tollerandam pastorum 
 excitemus atque eorum abusus verbi Dei vehementia plane re- 
 tundamus. Atque per misericordiam Dei immensam rogo vt 
 populum in vera fide et pietate (quod Christianum est) aedifice- 
 mini atque iuuemus. Veram autem fidem et religionem ne 
 peruertamus diligentissime animaduertere debemus. Verendum 
 est enim ne in exponendis scripturis sacris ne nimis alte sapia- 
 mus. Prouidendumque est in primis vt nostrum et aliorum 
 intellectum in obsequium fidei captiuantes habeamus illam spem 
 paupertatem atque humilitatem quam et Dominus Christianae 
 structurae basim collocauit atque regna caelorum sese compen- 
 saturum promisit. Mathe 5. Faxit Dominus Deus vt ita nos 
 omnes efficiamur. Bene valete in Christo Jesu Viri eruditi 
 dilectissimi. 
 
 y. 
 
 Vos autem iterum atque iterum rogo vt quid de missa Christian- 
 
86 EPISTOLA 
 
 orura sacrificio censeatis plane et aperte (quod in verbi Dei mini- 
 stris esse decet) exprimatis. Sic enim fore et tranquille verbis vitro 
 citroque habitis aut literis mutuo datis et acceptis nos a Spiritu 
 Sancto quid in re tanta et ipsi credere et aliis proponere creden- 
 dum facile docemur. Quid enim credo scriptura sacra sanctorum 
 doctorum scriptis atque ecclesiae praxi edoctus hoc simpliciter et 
 aperte sine vlla simulatione (quod Christianorum esse puto) 
 profiteer. 
 
 Scriptum Edinburgi in Palatio clarissimae Scotorum Reginae 
 xiii. calendas Decembris 1561. 
 
 Mementote quaeso et mentibus imprimite vestris in nouissimis 
 temporibus tollendum esse iuge sacrificium ac immutari debere 
 leges et statuta. At per quos 1 Scitis quod per Antichristum 
 et eos qui ipsius partes tutabuntur. Prospicite ergo fratres mei 
 Deus testis est quo animo vobiscum agam. 
 
 Virum facundia summa praeditum et diuina praesertim sapi- 
 entia ad diiiinae sapientiae laudes enarrandas viri omni dicendi 
 genere ditissimi qualem me prorsus diffiteor vestra nimirum de- 
 poscit expectatio eius namque diuinae sapientiae tanta dignitas 
 est tanta denique laus vt nedum a Marco Cicerone quern totius 
 eloquentiae parentem appellant enarrare possint. Veruin omnem 
 dicendi copiam omnesque ingenii vires quantumuis acres quam 
 longissime superat de quo apostolus in admirandam exclama- 
 tionem prorumpens ait " O altitudo diuitiarum sapientiae et 
 scientiae Dei ! quam incomprehensibilia sunt iudicia eius et in- 
 uestigabiles viae eius !" Et si sanctissimus Paulus gentium doctor 
 quern vas electionis nominauerit Dominus quique ad tertium 
 caelum raptus ea Dei archana vidit quae non licet homini loqui 
 sapientiam et scientiam Dei incomprehensibiles dixerit quid ego 
 ingenio tardus literarum expers studio inexercitatus omnique 
 vitiorum genere inuolutus 1 Quod impediment est non modico 
 in maleuolam animam non introibit sapientia Dei nee habitabit 
 in corpore subdito peccatis. Inquit sapiens " Sapientiae primo 
 
RENATI BENEDICTI. 87 
 
 diuinae sapientiae laudes enarrare tentabo." Quid igitur faciam 1 
 Loquarne ? At id pudor vetat. Sileam vero ? At e regione 
 eruditissimi praecedentis imperium ac amor sacramm literarum 
 non sinit. Ergo ne perpetuo in dubio haerebit animus huic 
 suadente amore huic dissuadente pudore verum ambiguo animo 
 vix quicquam est molestius cedat amori pudor. Nam pluris 
 debet esse mei commodi ratio immo meae salutis quam alienae de 
 me opinionis. Quod si nostrum dicendi officium arrogantiae 
 magis quam prudentiae dabitur eatenus danda venia erit quatenus 
 ab amore qui nihil consulto agere solet profectum videbitur. 
 Malim enim amanter loquendo andentius quam pudenter tacendo 
 prudentius agere. Cum igitur nee vlla [res] maximeque ilia 
 quae humanas superat vires Dei sine speciali nutu commode 
 fieri possit ipsum Deum in adiutorem ac directorem inuocemus 
 eum (inquam) qui in plateis clamitat vt apud Salomonem est 
 " Si quis dijigit sapientiam ad me declinet et earn inueniet et 
 beatus erit si tenuerit earn." Tu igitur optime Deus cui cum 
 caelum et caeli caelorum non sufficiunt quanto minus et hec 
 meae mentis domuncula quam ad imaginem tuam creasti nostris 
 coeptis benignus respondeas eaque ad tui nominis laudem et 
 honorem et gloriam in finem perducere digneris. Tuque diua 
 Virgo ter quaterque beata cui militat caelum quam trepidant 
 inferi cui et terrena seruiunt etsi ingenti a nobis disiungare spatio 
 nostrae tamen preces tangunt presens sis ac nostram infirm am 
 dirige ratem ad portum vsque optatum quern si fuerimus assequuti 
 ad eum veniemus vberrimum fontem vbi sitim sedemus ardorem- 
 que restringamus et vt ita dicam in ea lasciuire licebit sapi- 
 entia quae a Domino Deo est et fuit semper et est ante aeuum 
 non immemor Augustini viri longe doctissimi primo De Trinitate 
 capitulo secundo inquientis " Non me pigebit sicubi haesito 
 quaerere nee pudebit sicubi erro discere " et idem alibi errare 
 possum hereticus tamen non ero. Huic protestationi adhaereo 
 et adhaerere intendo dum spiritus meus reget actus. 
 
[88] 
 
 [Vide supra, p. xvi.] 
 
 NECESSARIUS ATQUE CERTUS MODUS TOLLEND^E RE- 
 LIGIONIS DISCORDS. Authore RENATO BENEDICTO 
 Andegauo, Doctore Theologo Parisiensi. Parisiis apud 
 Nicolaum Chesneau. 1562. 8vo min. foil. 19. 
 
 RENATVS BENEDICTVS Sacrae Theologise Doctor Parisiensis 
 omnibus Christum Deum atque Redemptorem profitentibus gratia 
 et pax. 
 
 Quseritis Christiani, quare Deus omnipotens quam stabiliuit, 
 & tamdiu totque modis confirmauit religionem veram, eiusque 
 professores in derisum et opprobrium hoc secujo dederit ? 
 Quare quicquid adhuc tentatum sit & nunc tentetur religionis 
 discordia tolli non possit? Quod denique sit certum atque 
 prsesens omnium in vnam fidem & religionem conciliandorum 
 atque coadunandorum remedium 1 Hoc attente animaduertite 
 atque considerate et forsan vobis satisfactum esse fatebimini. 
 Semper autem (vt Christianos decet) precibus ad Dominum nos 
 mutuo iuuemus. Edimburgi in Aula prudentissimse atque illus- 
 trissimse Mariae Stuuard Scotiaa atque Francise ReginaB, quarto 
 Idus Decembris 1561. 
 
 Oseaa 4. " Audite Verbum Domini," etc. 
 
 Incip. " Lycanthropiam perniciossimam summo rerumpub- 
 h'carum et religionis detrimento toto nostro seculo sensit Chris- 
 tianismus. Tot namque seditiones, discordias, odia atque bella, 
 etc." 
 
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 R- 
 
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