Martyris and maist aunciant Doctouris1 about fourhundreth zeris to Christis ascensioun) to hef bene men, and sa mycht hef errit, sua zour selfis nocht to be as zit in that angelicall perfectioun that ze may nocht 5 erre. *And zit as we grant it possible that ony ane of Note. thame adherand to his awin iugement micht hef sliddin in sum pointis, sua we affirm it to be impossible, and a thing blasphemous to Christ, to think that thai al writtand of ane mater and in ane mynd euir to hef 10 errit.*2 We exhort zou alsua, as ze knaw science to be the gift of God, sua ze wald remembir it to be indifferent to guid or ewil, sua that naturalie without the heit of cheritie it makis men bowldin and heicht. Bot sen ze 1 Cor. 8. misknaw nocht that godly wisdum may nocht dwell in 15 the bodyis of thame quha ar subdewit to sin (quhilk we say nocht to accuiss 4 zou præsentlie), we beseik zou Sap. 1. to haif inspectioun inteirly of 5 zour awin lyues, and thaireftir iuge and confer the samin with the lyues of the haly Martyris and wtheris aunciant Fatheris. Quhilk Note. 20 thing being done, we appele to zour conscience to declare, gif ze think we faill to lein erar to the iugement and vniforme consent of thai eldaris, quhois lyfe and leirning ar notifiit to the haill warld, to the grete gloir and prayse of the maist mercifull Lord thair vndoutit 25 gydear, or to zour priuat opinioun in thir our dayszea, albeit ze hald the haill warld at this præsent alyue7 (except a few numbre of ws) on zour syde, dissenting fra all aiges of men professing Christe in all the warld sen his ascensioun, afoir this our maist wrechit aige. Mair30 ouer, forsamekle as ze ar offendit and gretumlie displesit that we embrase nocht generalie zour new interpretationis on sindry places of the Scriptuir, zour determinationis and ordour in the hie mysteriis and sacramentis 1 MS. within tour or 2 MS. omits this sen tence. 3 MS. as we heirfor. 4 MS. excuse. 5 MS. interlie of, page 78. 6 MS. hade. 7 MS. one lyffe. tyme quhen Scotland first resauit the fayth. Ecclesiast. Hist. lib. 5. cap. 24, and Hist. Tri 5 ΙΟ of our Christiane and catholik religioun, and thairfor callis ws indurat Papistis, affirming zou to reduce all to the puritie and syncere doctrine of Godis Word, as it wes treulie vnderstandit in the primitiue Kirk, with the vniforme ordour keipit than; we heirfor effectuouslie desyris zou, and all Christianis quho heiris of our controuersie, to pance, wey, and consider gif ze haif iust occasioun thairto, and to that effect to knaw and reIn the mein membir the constancie of the primitiue Kirk in the leist ceremonie in religioun, resauit fra thair eldaris. And, for exemple, to haif in vigilant memorie the1 tumult and controuersie that hapnit2 in the tyme of the aunciant martyr Irenæus, neirby xiiijC. 3 zeris passit, betuix the Kirk of Asia (quhilk as principal Bischope in thai partis than reulit Polycrates) and the Kirk of Rome, with the 15 wtheris Kirkis, about the celebratioun of the Pasche day: nocht that other of the sydis 4 denyit the zerly celebratioun thairof, nor intendit, as ze do at this præsent amangis the (of quhat spirit we refer to Godis Kirk to iuge), to abolise the zerly celebratioun thairof, bot only that the Kirk of Asia celebratit the samin solennitie zerlie, nocht on the samin Sonday as the Romane Kirk and all wtheris did than and now dois, keipand in the mein tyme the fasting ueit: quhat of the lentren præcedand thair day 5 of the moneth; quha being exhortit maist feruentlie be Victor, than 25 Bischope of Rome, to change that ceremonie, and aggre thairin with the rest of Christis Kirkis, dissentit 6 aluterlie fra his desyre, and thairfor wes be him excommunicatit, as schismatikis nocht keipand ane vniformitie with the rest. Zit nochtwithstanding the said excommunicatioun, 30 thai perseuerit stiflie in thair purpose, affirming it naways lesum to thame to change sa litle a thing in thair pert. lib. 9, cap. 38. Neuir wes hard Catholikis sa grete a controuersie, and zit for a ceremonie Asia, Aphica, and Europa wes commo gif thai Christianis war nou alyue? 1 MS. page 79. 2 MS. happynnit. our dayis, togidder the ceremonie of thair 6 MS. assenting. 20 religioun fra the ordour eftir the traditioun quhilk that had resauit (as thai allegeit fra thair eldaris the Apostolis and wthiris bischoipis in Asia), and that with sa grete persuerance on bayth the sydis, that nocht without grete 5 labouris the said haly martyr Irinæus cumand1 furth of Irinæus the it, now callit France, to Rome, and causand the for- makear. nemmit Polycrates to cum thare at his requeist furth of Asia, for the reconciling and aggreing al Kirkis in the premissis, aggreit with grete difficultie the mater, sua IO that the Kirk of Asia suld be absoluit fra the former peace censuris, and permittit to vse that ceremonie of thair accustomit day, as thai vseit it afoir, sen it wes nocht disaggreing in effect fra the ordour of wtheris Kirkis. Haif we nocht, iuge ze, be this historie and exemple Note. 15 controuertit in the tyme abone specifiit, iust cause and grete occasioun to pance diligentlie, obserue, and consider with auisement (gif ze wald we war saifit be our awin fayth erar than be zouris) gif zour doctrine in sa many nouationis be suirlie foundit and bigit on Godis 20 Word trewlie vnderstand2 or nocht? Sen ze nocht only differris 3 fra ws, as the Asianis did fra wtheris Kirkis, tweching the said day of the moneth, bot aluterlie with mekle mair abolissis as idolatrical or papistical, as ze call it, the said solennitie of Pasche, and also of the 25 ascensioun, pentecoste, the natiuitie of our Saluiour, and circumcisioun, the epiphanie, the fasting of the lentrene, zerlie celebratit and obseruit be al Kirkis sen Christis ascensioun. Heirfor tweching the trew vnderstanding of the articulis præceding, quharein maist specialie ze hef 30 segregat zour selfis fra ws (in sa fer as we zit vnderstand 3 of zour doctrine), we ernestlie desyris zou to schaw till ws in writ, conforme to zour promis, as we twechit in the beginning, zour doctrine and confirmatioun thairof, prouin be the Word of God. As to our parte, to the Fy on the Apostate this conditioun ! A guid 5 intent that ze may be1 præseruit fra all damnage and that refuiseis apperand confusioun, and leue 2 with ws in a godlie vnitie, we promitt3 to zou maist faythfullie to play the trew parte of the haly peacemaker Irinæus, abone specifiit; that is, to beir sa fer with zou in all thingis, as we may but manifest errour and defectioun fra Godis Kirk. This we promit maist frelie, nocht doutand bot the godly mynde, the feruent zele, and trew luue of our Souerane Lady towart zow hir Graces subiectis, is maist bent to the samin end. And siklyke nocht doutand bot 10 our bischoipis and wthiris pastouris, quha ar of leirning able to thair offices, sall reforme thair lyfes to the plesour of all godly man, and trewlie leue heireftir conforme to thair vocatioun, and glaidly sall assent to this our mynd; hoipand also that wtheris vnable sal be moueit be Godis 15 spirit to dimit willinglie thair places to 5 the mair qualifeit, or wthirways, be a godly counseill that ordour sal be put thairto. Bot gif ze intend to establiss amangis ws a Quhasoeuir is a treu Christiane will tence on heicht without respect of perel. 6 new forme of religioun tweching the interpretatioun of cry this sen- Scriptuiris, the furthsetting of sacramentis, and ordour 20 in the Kirk vnknawin to all aiges of men quhill this præsent, and will adhere to the iugement of na aige of Christianis in the materis controuertit betuix ws sen the days of the Apostolis, bot interpret the Scriptuir and sett a prætendit ordour conforme to zour phantasie, imagina- 25 tioun, and priuat opinioun, we will ze persuadit and certifiit, that be the help of the Omnipotent maist merciful, quha conforme to his promitt hes bein, is, and sal be with His faythfull to the end of the warld,-geueand thame at all aiges the diueris giftis of His haly spirit— 30 for na feir of zour multitude, albeit ze war x thousand contrare x of ws, that we will nocht only nocht iwne with zow generalie in religioun, as ze maist seuerlie hes intendit to thrall ws, nor beir with zow in mutuall Matth. vlt. 1 MS. page 81. 2 MS. leiff. 3 MS. promit; O.E. per mitt. 4 MS. subdittis. 6 MS. state. finzeit societie, in dissimulatioun, contrar the law of our God, bot aluterlie fle zour cumpanie as of ethnikis and renigatis,1 nocht heirand Godis Kirk, nothir præsent nor bypast, keipand vniformitie sa mony zeris. Zit 2 hoipand 5 in the ineffable mercy of God till zow and ws, we sall nocht desist day nor nycht to pray with maist humil myndis our heuinly Father (quha makis all his seruandis of ane Godly concord in His Hows), that for the meritis Psal. 67. of Iesus Christe our only Saluiour, He wald sua illuminat Io zour hertis with the spirit of humilitie, sobirnes, and trewth, that ze nothir think afoir God, nor anssuer till ws in the premissis arrogantlie in stryfe and dissentioun ; bot only as afoir God, and of God, and in Christ accord- 2 Cor. 2. ing to His gloir and immutable will, to the Godly peace 15 and vnitie of all thame 5 quha vnfenzetlie luuis IESVS: to Quhome, with the Father and Haly Gaist, be all glore, pouer, vertew, and impire for euir. AMEN.6 Ad quod peruenimus, idem sentiamus, in eadem |