Answer to Epistle by Renat Benedict, Section 4 – Quotation

Answer to Epistle by Renat Benedict · Section 4 – Quotation

Renats Epistle the Fourt Section.

I Require, o learned and lettered men, for the death of Christes sake to weye a…d consider this foresaid, for I burne when I se so expert mē with a great nom ber of others led by your persuation and exemple in so manifest perrel and danger of their Saluation. Wherefore abhor and reiect ye the Christiane peoples Sacrifice that is the masse? which we hauehave figured by the Law of nature and of Mayses, pro mised in the Prophetes, which we hauehave exhebit and giuen vsus in the Euangel, which wes receaued and authorised in the Primatiue Kirk, and hath bene alwayes p. 31vsed so oft as a thing moste necessar by all the Elect and predestmat people of God, whiche thing moste plainely witnesseth, Dionisius Areopagita, Ignatius with the rest of the holy Fathers of the primatiue Kirk, whose iudgement and authoritie in exponing and declaring the holy Scripture, namelye of the Sacrifice of the masse. I pray you (o cōuing men) let vsus with sobernes follow and not lean to our own wit and iudgement in a mater of so great importance. Let vsus stere vp the negligēce and sluggishnes of Pastors, not tollarable, and let vsus plainely argew their abuses with the vehemēcie of Gods word. And I pray God of his infinit mer …y that we may confirme and kepe the Christiane people in trew Faith and god lynes, 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 …r …ūspectlie that we ꝑuert not the treu faith and Religion, and feare lest we vnderstād …uer hie in exponing of holy Scripture. And firste of all we oght to prouide that we leid in captiuitie, our own wittes ād others, & that vnderstāding we may hauehave the pouertie & 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. 15. The Lord mo… grant vsus all to be so affected. And thus faire ye well o learned men, in Christ Iesu. And requireth you again that ye wold declare me manifestlie as the Minister of Gods worde oght to do, what ye think of the masse, the Christiane peoples Sacrifice, for so I hope it shal come to pas that by quiet talking had on ather partie & writinges giuē 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 ap…rteineth to euerie Christiane mā to do. I professe simple and plainly with out any simulation. Written at Edinburgh in the Palaice of the moste noble Quene of Scotland 18. calend of December. Remember I pray you, and prent in your myndes that in the last dayes the p. 32continuall and daylie Sacrifice is to be …aken away, Lawes and statutes to be …brogat and changed, and ye knowe by …home, by the Antichrist, & they that ta…th part with him, take head to youre …elues my brethren I besech you. God is …itnes of what mynde I deal with you.

D. Feargussones answer.

HOw the aforsaides are by vsus weyed and considered, let the indifferēt …ader iudge, what zeil it is that hither…o hath, and yet stil doeth burne you, I …aue already noted. Ye ask of vsus why we …eiect the masse, which ye call the Chri…tiane peoples Sacrifice, we answer. Be…ause it is not that thing in deid whiche …e call it in worde, as at lenth before I …aue prouen, nether are ye able to proue … Gods word that euer Christ appoin…ed his ministers to offer the Sacramen…all bread and wine, in Sacrifice for their …wn sinnes, and the sinnes of the people, …swel dead as aliue. Cry out, and affirme …his mater with als many wordes as ye …st, ye… may ye not be beleued vntill ye …roue it by the Scriptures, other Sacri…ces then Gods worde teacheth vsus, we may not with saif consciēce admit, except we wilfully prouoke God to punish and consume vsus in his wrath, as he did Nadab Zeuiti. 10.and Abihu, and vterlie reiect vsus, as he did Saule. S. Paule writing to the 1. Samuel 13.1 Sam 13Romans exhorteth vsus to giuegive vp our bo dies, a lyning Sacrifice, holy and acceptable vntounto God, which he affirmeth to be Roma. 12.our reasonable seruing of God. The Apostle writing to the Hebreues, also exhorteth vsus to offer the Sacrifice of thankes geuinge alwayes to God, through Christe, which (he sayeth) is the frute of Hebre. 13.our lippes which confesse his name, willing vsus also not to forget to do good, and to distribute (he meaneth our substance to them that …edeth) 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 Prophetes & the Euangel, but out of none of thē bring ye any prufe for your purpose. Ye affirme that your masse wes authorised in the Primatiue Church, and alwayes vsed of Gods chosen, and yet ye infer none of their excersices p. 33for your exemple, but the bare names of two men, whose autoritie and strenth is to weak to withstand Gods worde.

As to Dionisius Areopagita, I will set his master S. Paule against him, writing to the Corinthians, who hauing occasiō to treat of the veritie of the Lordes Supper (abused in that Churche) rehearseth 1. Cor. 11.1 Cor 11the 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 iudge. Then whi ther …ght we to creadit the Elect veshell of God S. Paule that spak not his own wordes but Christes, or to Dionisse that hath added vntounto them (if it be treu that ye alledge on him) iudge also. Ye wil neuer be able to proue that, that Dionisse of whō ye mean, wes that Dionisius Areopagita that beleued Paules doctrine, in the Actes Actis. 17.of the Apostoles, ād althogh it were, yet is he of no suche authoritie as an Angel of heauen, whome yet we are forbidden Sala. 1to creadit, teachīg 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 vsus to hold them. As to Ignatius and the rest of your holy Fathers, I hauehave spoken my iudgement of them already, that is, that I nether contempne them nor builde my Faith vponupon them, seing that they were but men and so might be deceaued, and also deceaue others. As to your requeist, wherein ye exhort vsus to follow them obsolutlie in 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 vponupon earth, hauing one Father the Eternall …th. 23.God, and one Master Christe Iesus in the heauen, yea, and althogh that Paule wes the Elect and moste worthy veshell to bear the name of Christe, to Nations, …tis. 9.Kinges, and the Childrene of Israell, and taught of God in the thride Heauen, Cor. 12.the moste wonderfull and vnspeakable Mysteries of God, yet durst he not be so p. 34bolde as precisly to desyre men to follow him, no, but euer rebuked their depending 1. Cor. 1. 1. Cor. 11. Ibid. 3.1 Cor 11 Cor 11vponupon men moste seuerely, exhorting them to follow him as he followed Christ affirming that nether he that plan…ed nor he that watereth, is any thing but God that giueth the incres, is all in all. &c. Moreouer the Lord by his Propher accur seth all suche as dependeth vponupon men, in these wordes. Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh fleshe his Ierem. 17Jer 17arme, and withdraueth his hart from the Lorde. These and the lyke cōminations will not suffer vsus to trust in mā, or make him the Paterne of our saluation, lest we be accursed of God. As to the …nggishnes of your Pastors we leaue them to be stirred vp of you, as ye think good, for in our iudgements they are so fast a slepe that they can not be walkned so vnsauere math. ….that they can not be salted, & so blind that they can not be lyghtned, we hauehave therefore long ago determined by the worde of God to giuegive none of our holy thinges to math. 7.your dogges, nor cast any mo of our pretious Pearles before your filthy Swyne. Lift vp your voce & cry als loude as eue… 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. Frances, shall …egenda … de …. fo…o …40.als sone make good Christianes of the fou les that he preached to, as that ye beig an Idolater shal cause an ignorant Idole to do the deutie of a paineful Pastor. There did neuer one of them enter in as the dure of the shepefolde, but clam vp another …ay, by Sy…onie, by Uiolence, by requeis…s of great men, by Popes Bulles, and dispēsations, by Sorcerie ād witchecraft, wherefore we vnderstand (that as Christ hath said of them) they be theues and murtherers, let the dead therefore …on. 10. …k. 9.… there dead. Seing that we are commanded to preach the Gospel to Christes dispersed flock. I am assured ye mean not (when as ye speak of …uggish Pastors) of our Pastors and preachers, for in your conscience (I dout not) but ye think them to vigilant, and wolde wishe that they were a…s s…ack as your owne, for then should ye not hauehave neded to hauehave written this letter. I pray God of his infinit p. 35mercy to deliuer his people from fals doc trine, and giuegive them grace to heare his voice onelyonly, as becōmeth his shepe, a… ding in him by trew Faith and vnfenied louelove, imprenting his trew feare in their hartes that they presume not to vnderstand aboue that which is mete to be vnderstanded, but according to sobrietie, as God hath dealt to euerie man the measur Roma. 1…of Faith. we know that God hath blissed the meak, but there is a difference betuix meaknes and ignorant error, God giuegive vsus his grace therefore to imbraice Iesus Christe, frely now offered vntounto vsus with humilytie and meaknes, giuing a bolde math. 10…cōfession of his name before this froward generatiō, that he may confesse vsus before mark. 8.his Father in heauen. Amen.

Now ye bid vsus faire wel, and thereafter ye require vsus to declare vntounto you manifestlie (as the Minister of Gods worde oght to do) what we think of the masse, which ye throughout this letter hauehave called the Christiane peoples Sacrifice. This your requeist we dar not put back, not for that we iudge that ye will beleue the treuth whē it is told you, but because we are bound to giuegive a reconing of the hope that is in vsus, to euerie one that demandeth it.…eter. ….

I hauehave already declared vntounto you what Sacrifices are appointed for Christiane people, to offer, out of the 12. Chap. of S. Paules Epistle to the Romans, and 13. 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 vntounto the tyme of reformation, we vnderstand that not onelyonly hauehave we no neide so to do (being …. 9.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 vntounto mē that they shal ones die, and after that cometh the iudgement, so Christ wes ones offered …. …. … the 9.to take away the sinnes of many, and vntounto them that loke for him shal appeare the Second tyme without sinne, vntounto Saluation. From the 7. Chapiter vntounto the middest of the 10. Chapiter, he trauelleth at lenth in this mater, finding no other faute with the Leuiticall Sacrifices, but that they were daylie offered, because p. 36they had not strenth to expell sinne at ones, and therefore inferreth that Christes Sacrifice wes the consumation and end of them, and all other Sacrifices for sinnes. Forasmuche as he by one oblatiō hath done that thing (to wit, consecrated for euer them that are Sanctified) which they be so often offerring & Sacrificing, could not do, concluding, that where remission of sinne is, there resteth no more offerring for sinne. Cursed be he thē, that offereth for sinne any more, seing the holy Ghoste hath concluded the contrarie.

As to your masse ye shal hauehave our iudgement of it in few wordes, and what we do mislyke in it. Firste we mislyke the persone that sayeth it, and iudgeth him to be a blasphemer of Christes death, because he taketh vponupon him the office of Christe, namely, he vndertaketh by that Sacrifice which he offered, to pacifie 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. wherefore your …ath. 3. ād …7.preist in his masse taking the aforesaid office vponupon him, doeth all that in him lyeth to spoyle Christ of his dignitie, & therefor worthie to be iudged a fals Christ, and a traytor to mans 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 …hon. 10.and murtherers. How muche more worthie are they of that name, that dare presume 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 cōtraposition to the Lordes Supper, as lyght is to darck nes, or treuth to falshead. First the Lord Iesus when he institute this Sacrament and did minister it (I dout not moste sincerely) to his Apostles, wes no other wayes clothed then his common custome wes. And your preistes, after whose ordoure I can not tell, for Arons preistes they wil not grant them selues to be, and according to Melchisedeces ordour there p. 37wes neuer one but Christ, then must they be Baals chaplanes, they I say dissagysed lyke players (euerie peice of their cote cōteining a mysterie) proceadeth to their masse. The Lorde Iesus sat doune with Luk. 22.Luke 22the 12. Apostles. They stand at an alter alone, he gaue thankes vntounto the Father before the Ministration, and they before 1. Cor. 11.1 Cor 11their masse rehearseth there blasphemous Confiteor, wherein euerie S. in heauen is made equall (or as we say) Iakfellow lyke, vntounto the Eternal God. He preached the confortable promises of Saluation Ihon. 13. 14. 15. 16.mixed with exhortations to mutuall louelove ād amitie. &c. In that language that they all might vnderstand, they nether preach nor exhort, but occupyeth the tyme with speaking to the wall, and now & then for the manersakes, one word or two (turning them to the people) in a strange language that nether the people nor the grea test part of those god makers them selues vnderstandeth. In giuing the Apostles the bread, the Lorde Iesus declared vntounto math. 26. mark. 14.them in plaine wordes, what it signifieth namely his bodie, which should be brokē for them. In these wordes, take eat, this is my bodie which is broken for you. 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 owne hand, but this is not done without a mysterie, for to this end say they do we it, that as the Uirgin conceaued Christe, with these fyue wordes, Fiat michi secundū verbum tuum so we may make Christe of Luk. 1.Luke 1bread by other fyue wordes distinctly vnderunder one breath, without respiratiō, broght The caute les of the masse.furthe, these profound mysteries euerie soule preist knoweth not, but onelyonly the great Rabbines. All that were present with Christ were pertakers of the Sacra ment, and no mā is pertaker with them, mark. 14.for they deuore all alone. But some of thē wil say, we debar no mā 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 les, this I say they neuer did to their own brethrē of craft, muche les 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 disione p. 38except it were a kisse of the Patene, & that onelyonly to him that lifted their taile or els to some gentilmē that sat by, whom they wold gratifie. If temporal men had bene als euil fellowes of their carnal brekfasts as ye were of your fantasticall Feastes, some of you had not worne so fat neckes as ye did. Christ gaue vntounto his Apostles the frute of the wine tre 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, & in the masse the papist affirmeth that there remaneth nether bread nor wine, after their Incan tation, but accidents, as whytnes, roūdnes, and color. &c. when the Lord Iesus had finished his ministration, the Euangelist sayeth. They praysed God with a Hymne or Psalme of thankesgeuing. Bot math. 26.when masse is done, there is nothing bot …te …issa 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 hauehave prouen it to be abhominable Idolatrie because that bread and wine corruptable Creatures, are in it worshipped in place of God the Father and Christ his Sōne, that it spoyleth Christ of his Preisthead, & so of his Sacrifice, ī that ye that offer it vsurpeth his office vponupon you, I hauehave pro …ē also. The wicked opiniō 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 institutiō of the Lordes S… per, the conferring of the one action with the other aboue written sufficientlie proueth. wherefore we iudge that your papistical inuention, the Idolatrous Sacri fice of the masse, is to be reiected and abhorred of al trew worshippers of God as that, that is co…nelious and blasphemous to God the Father, and Derogatiō to the honor and dignitie of the Lord Iesus his Sonne. This is it that we think of your masse, and this doctrine we teach to the people out of the infallible word of God, that indureth for euer, nether hauehave we respect to Doctors cōsuetude, or bare …. 40.name of the Churche, acknowledging onelyonly that to be the trew Church in deid Ephest. 5.which rendereth humble obedience vntounto p. 39her housband. Christe Iesus.

This letter ye say wes written in the Quenes maiesties 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, thē the trew sernādes of God, Amazias the Idolatrous preist of Bethel, wes in greater estimation with Ieroboā AmaziasKing of Israel, then wes Amos the trew Amos.prophet of God, as the Imperious braging of that Idolater witnesseth. O thou Scar (sayeth Amazias) go fle thou …way Amos. 7.Amos 7into the land of Iuda, and there eat thy bread and prophecie there, but prophecie no more at Bethel, for it is the Kinges Chappell and the Kinges Court. Iesabels Idolatrous preistes were better bele 1. Res. 22.ned of A…hab King of Israel althogh they prophecieth lies to his distruction, then the Prophet of God Micheas that tolde him the treuth to his Saluation.

God of his great mercy, purge the hart of our natiue Princesse frō al leauen A prayer.Papistical, and plant in place thereof his …rew feare, ād louelove to his eternal veritie.

Ye desyre vsus 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, thē certanely, Master Doctor, your Theologie is not onelyonly rude, but also repugnant to the mynd of the Prophet in this place, if ye mean of that sentēce that Daniel rehearseth in the end of his 12. & last Ca. (as I thīk ye do) for I know no place where this sentence (that ye hauehave throwē for your purpose) is written but in that place, if ye mean of that sentence, I trust the Readers shal easylie perceaue bothe your ignorance (if of ignorance ye hauehave inferred it) and otherwayes your malice in throwing of this Text. Daniel (as he him self confesseth in the beginnīg of his Daniel. 9.Dan 99. Chapiter) vnderstude by bokes, name ly of Ieremies Prophecie, that the Lord had appointed his people to indure banishmēt out of their own cūtrie, & to abyd captiues in Babilō 70. yeares which yeares Ierem. 29Jer 29drawing neir an end, Daniel (as an cairful for his people & their returning ho me) euerted hī self vntounto God by ardent & earnest prayer, desyring him not to differ the tyme of their deliuerance any longer, but for his owne names …aike (althogh p. 40they were not worthy) to restore them to their libertie, whil he wes yet speaking, praying and cōfessing his own sinne, and the sinnes of his people vntounto God. The Angel of the Lorde is sent vntounto him, to otter vntounto him the yeares determinat of their captiuitie, their returninge home, the reedifying of the citie, the cōming of Christ, his slaughter, and destruction of the citie Ierusalem. By a vision is declared vntounto him in the 10. Chap. the cause of Daniel. 10Dan 10…he hinderante or defferring of their deli…rance, whiche come by the meanes of …ambises Prence of Persia. The king…omes of the earth ād Monarches, with their Kings (as of Persia, Grecia, Egypt Syria and the Romans, one striuinge with an other and all against God) are …t lenth wonderfull mystically recited in …he 11. Chap. Fynally in the 12. Chap. is Daniel. 11 and 12.Dan 11…eclared how the Church being euē scattered and dispersed, shalbe deliuered by Christes death, which should abolishe the …aylie Sacrifice, whiche being done, he Prophecies that the temple, and the citie …atbe distroyed by the abhominable de…ation, which is the Hoste of the Romans, mysticallie also signifeing. By the thousand, two hūdreth and nynety dayes and by the thousand thre hundreth & fyue and threttie dayes, the tyme from the deuastation of Ierusalem to Christes secōd cōming in the Cloudes, the Prophet also in the mean tyme is certified that althogh he depart out of this lyfe, yet shal he stād vp at the end of the dayes, in the generall resurrection, to ring with God in glorie. Let all men now iudge whither that this prophecie apperteineth to the abolishing of the Iudaical Sacrifices or not, ād then shal it appeare how falsly and ignorantly ye throw this place, as I hauehave 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, …id it who so list, but with such lies & additions hath your kingdome (that now bosteth to fall) bene holden vp.

To conclude ye say that Lawes and statutes shalbe abrogat by Antichrist and Daniel. 7Dan 7his adherents, we are verie wel cōtented that the name of Antichrist be ascribed vn to that man, or those men that euer hath abrogat, or now doeth abolish any Law, statute or ordinance, that euer God in his

p. 42…tlie rage passeth the boundes of all modestie. The first wes Stephanus the sext, this made tyrant soun after that he wes made Pope, first of all abrogat all the Actes of his predecessor Formosus, and gathering a Counsel they concluded to take the bodie of the dead mā out of the graue, … de vit… pon…and besyde some other superstitions vsed toward hi, Stiuē, caused the two fingers of his right hand to be stroken of, these two namely that he vsed to consecrat his preistes with, and thereafter caused the fingers to be cast in Tyber. The other, to wit, Sergius the thrid, thoght it not yneugh to abrogat, yet ones againe, the Actes of the same Formosus, and to put all out of authoritie that he had authorised, but caused the Second tyme the dead Cor…s to be taken out of the graue and the head to be stroken from it, as if he had bene leuing, and the body as not worthy of Sepulchre, to be casten in tyber …lood. Great wes this cōtrouersie (sayeth Platyna) and a moste wicked exemple, specially this consuetud being afterward still almoste obserued of such as were Popes, that ather they brak or vtterly abrogat the constitutions and Actes of their … decessors. Hitherto platyna, yet I am cōpelled to recite an exemple mo of your holy Fathers, written also by the same Platyna, and so conclude. Paule the Second of that name, before he wes Pope, called Petrus barbo an venetiane borne, he succeded to Pius the Second, and immediatlie after he wes established in his dignitie, did beare such hatred ād inuy to all that euer his predecessor had done, that straight way he abrogat al his actes & statuts, ād put out of office, al the learned men that the other had gathered togither, to be his abbreuiatoures, among whom Platina wes one, who somwhates more boldly then the rest, exhorted the Pope that their cause might be suffered to come to tryal and examination before the Iudges. When the Pope had frowardly loked on him a while, he brusteth furthe his answer in these wordes. Ita nos (inquit) ad iudices renoc…s / ac si nescires omnia …ra in Scrinio pectorie nostri collocat… esse. Sic stat sententia (inquit) loco cedant omnes / c…nt quo velunt / nihil eos moror / pontifex suin mihi…licet pro arbitrio animi / …orum acta et …ere et approbare. Hitherto Platyna that is to say, and doest thou so (sayeth …) call vsus back vntounto the Iudges, as if p. 43thou knew not that all Lawes were placed within the chist of our breist. Thus (sayeth he) standeth the sentence. Let all Marck …ood render this proude braging.men giuegive place, let them go where they liste, I regard them nothing, I am heigh Bishop, and it is lesome to me according to the arbitriment of my mynde, ather to break, or allow the Actes of others. The Lord open your eyes, eares and mynde, to se, to heare and consider the treuth, & considering it, to imbraice it. For if this be not Antichristes voice, then shal it neuer be hard. To the lord our god be praise for euer more, that thus hath Illuminat our eyes to se and espye the enimie to all ryghteousnes, to the end we may auoyde him, and so the plagues that God hath prepared to poure out vponupon that beastlie kingdome, and the pertakers therewith. Thus hauehave I answered (according to my knowledge) this foresaid Epistle, althogh not so learnedly as some other of my brethren could hauehave done, yet (I dout not) treuly, and according to the Scriptures of our God, whose power is sufficient to beat doune all imaginations and heigh 2. Cor. 10.2 Cor 10thinges, that do exault them selues against the knowledge of God, yea, and able to bring into captiuitie euerie thoght to the obedience of Christe, who is God ouer all, to whome be praise for euer and …. 9.euer. So be it.

From Dumfermling the 26. of Aprill. 1562.

Deut. 18.

The Prophet that shal presume to speak a word in my Name, which I hauehave not cōmanded him to speak, or that speaketh in the name of other Gods, euē the same Prophet shal die.

End of the text · David Fergusson, Answer to Epistle by Renat Benedict (1563)