The Confutation of the Abbot of Crosraguels Mass, To the reader 2
ACcording to the approued, laudable, and receaued vse of writers, that do trauell in any argument of consequence, I hauehave iudged it verie necessarie, to admonishe thee good reader, of the fyle, ordor, and maner that I hauehave followed and obserued,For thre reasones it may seme strā ge, why this Author suld vndertake this charge. in this my answer and confutation of the Abbote of Crosraguels masse. For it may appeare strange at the first face, that for a smal tractie and volome, not exceading the boundes of threttie small leaues, direct forth and sent by him, he shal receaue hard by fourtie sheites of paper, in greatest and fullest measure.
Secondly, it may be asked pereuenture, that in suche aboundance of flourishing ingiues, in suche welth of solide iudgementes, in suche plentie of eloquent men and perfection of letters, tongues and erudition, as I may treuly affirme, ether wes neuer at least these thousand yeares wes not, that this charge should be laide to me, or by me vndertaken. For in that one, may appeare temeritie and rashnes, in that other arrogancie and lack of iudgement. Somthing thridly may be inquired of our long silence in consideration, that this our Abbote hath continually barked from the beginning of this mercyful visitation of our God, and reformation in Scotland, yea, and set forthe some thinges that be plainely red,Ane answer to the firste reasone, wherein is declared why this Author may seme prolixt, and the Abbot breif & short. and euerie where to be found, that the rest of his workes which be no les pernitious be neglected, and this onelyonly hath bene iudged worthy of answer.
To satisfie thee good Reader, in the first head, thou shal vnderstand my studie and trauel to hauehave bene, to make all thinges plaine and sensible, aswel of Scripture, as of antiquitie: for in this, no dout, lyeth the cause of his shortnes and of my prolixetie, not that I hauehave bene any wayes long in this argument, which vndoutedly requireth an ample tractation: but in respect I speak of his compendiousnes and obscuritie.
In the maters of Scripture it can not be denyed, but he hath bene (as I note) in some places, …ther sleuthfull, negligent, and obliuius, or els so addicted to his owne iudgement (wherein he confidis not lytle) that whatsoeuer he hath iudged of any place, the same should the Reader immediatlie approue, and without any stay or impediment, esteme it for a verie vndouted treuth, To prike forward to this, the imprudent and vnskilfull Reader. We obserue his craft to be, to alledge and cote in the margen the authorities of Scriptures, Fathers and councils, as should appeare to the Lector, that all, that is alledged by him, is spoken out of the mouth of suche Authors as he there notes. In this part I am driuen to produce euerie place,Why the authour must insist on eueryevery place. oppen vp the mynde, sense and vnderstandīg of it, and satisfie to euerie thing can be obiected, because the danger is so great that if I should pas by any thing with silence, that incōtinentlie should be iudged to make for his partie.
In the Fathers and councils I foresaw somwhat more, that they hauing almoste continually in mouth, solemnities of Masses, Sacrifices, Hostes, Oblations, worshippinges, Myrackles, and suchlyke, I feared that these thinges should be interpreted, and vnderstand after the superstitious vse that we hauehave sene, rather then according to the mynde of the Author, and the practise and custome of that tyme. Here am I constrained by conferrence of places, to shaw the mynde of the writer, and by the consuetude then vsed, to declare the naturall intelligence of euerie thing, which part as it hath bene to me painefull and tedious, so I dout not, but it shall not onelyonly be to the vnlearned confortable, where they are assured of the antiquitie, but also to the learned, they being releaued of the werisome wadīg through the Doctors, and to bothe shall this my lauboure serue for a Mirror to behold the great puritie, the godly lyfe, the care ouer the poore, and the liberalitie of the primitiue Church, and the old Fathers which being conferred with the exemples of those that vanteth and brageth of the tytles of successors, may be knowen, how far they be not onelyonly fallen from the puritie of the doctrine, but lykewise horrible declined and degenered in all good vertuus and maners. This shortly for answer to the first head.
In the Second head I shal not be verie long,Ane answer to the secōd head. the ordor of reformed persones we know, to be subiect to the commandement of the Church, without all shift, tergiuersatiō, or repugnancie. What is the iudgement, and opinion of men of letters of me, I hauehave not to inquire: the occasions, mouing the… to laye this charge to me (moste vnable amonges many hundreth) ar vnknawen. But alwayes God be preased, my duetie I know, which is all particulare respectes and considerations layed asyde, to giuegive and dedicat my self holye to the seruice & proffect of the Churh of God, Iudgeing it rather my part and office in obeying there honest charge, to euenture my fame and estimation then in disobeying and schif…ing, to be estemed contumatious and fearfull.
The argument I knowe to be vnplausible & odious till a great noumbre, and they not of the lawest sorte. But vnderunder protestation, I speake of the particulare offence of any: that simplie I prosecute my mater and declares my iudgemēt frelie, wherin I dout not but eueryevery man wil tak in good part, that I gentlie and with a liberale hert doth offre euer submitting my self to iudgement & correction.
In deid the raling and babling forthe, without all modestie vponupon the ministers of God, hes moued me to be somewhat scharper then my nature beares or yet the Law of amitie requires, with the Abbote. But in that let eueryevery man be assured, that nether hauehave I bene so hoite as he moste iustlie haeth deserued nether yet do I meane any thing but of the qualitie of his mynde, without any further respect. Which vnfeynedlie I protest eueryevery where, doeth displease me with all the learned and Godlie.
As to the speaking somtymes in the singulare somtymes in the plurale nombre that my lorde knowes well yneugh, to be the maner of speaking in all tounges and of all writters in suche cace.
In the thrid poynt, ī verie deid I may say that before this boke wes deliuered to me,Answer to the 3. head. I neuer had sene none of his workes, yea, and I beleue that the most part of his writtings be ether vnsene to the rest of my brethren, or at least, they that they hauehave sene, they hauehave iudged vnworthy of any āswer. The causes of their silence may be easelie gathered out of Lipriane, against Demetrianꝰ, whome he along tyme barking and continually inueying against God, did contemne, iudgeing it better to winke at his ignorāce, thē by answer to stirre ād prouoke him to a greater phrenesie. We know wel yneugh the nature of such men, that rather by answer they be kindled & inflamed to burste forth, thē to receaue any instruction, or be moued to conteane themselues within the boundes of modestie and shame fastnes.
Cypriane adduceth sindry places out of the Scriptures, as.Prou. 23.9. Thou shal say nothing in the eares of the vnwise, least when he shal here, he mock at thy witty speaking: and in an other place. Thou shal not answer to the foolish, according to his foly,Prou. 26.4. that thou be not lyke vntounto him. We be warned by our Master, not to cast holy thinges before Swyne.Math. 7.6. Many other causes may be adduced of their silence, which should moue any man to beare with these mē for a certane tyme, in esperence of some amendimēt. But where the euil is incurable and danger appearing to the simple,Why cheiflie the Abbotes boke is answered. then the brydle is …o be loused to the tongue, and the pen sharped to the battell, not for the satisfaction of suche mē that giuen to cōtention, be indured ād wrapped vp in all blindnes and obstinacie, but in consideration of the good and vnlearned Rearder, who may here be seduced and caried out of the way by a blinde guide.
I hauehave trauelled here to comprehend his whole boke in this my answer, I hauehave broght forth his argumētes, word by word, wherein if any faut shalbe found, let it not be imputed to me, but ether to the author him self, or els to his scribe. To the argumentes I hauehave answered formally in my iudgement, his wordes be noted in the margine, with this marck "so that the Reader may easylie discerne betuix his text and my answer. Somethings in the latter part of his boke as nothing apertenīg to the mater, by his own cōfessiō, I hauehave only touched, & not fully recited. The mater is …fortable, seing as it were two aduersaries, Iuning hād to hand in a feild, & contending for the victorie.
These were the principall thinges I had to forwarne thee good Reader, praying thee, to tak in good part, this my trauel. Thus I commit thee to be guyded by the Spirite of the Lorde Iesus, in expectation of better, when God shal giuegive it vntounto me, and when the occasion and opportunitie shal serue. At Edinburgh, the 15. of Iulie. 1562.