History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland, Quotation 5 – Quotation 6
Letter.
BUt you think (peradventure) That the care of Religion is not committed to Magistrates,Answer to an Objection. but to the Bishops and state Ecclesiasticall, as they term it; but deceive not your self, for the negligence of Bishops shall no lesse be required of the hands of the Magistrates, then shall the oppession of false Iudges; for they injustly promote, foster and maintain the one and the other: The false and corrupt Iudge to spoil the Goods, and to oppresse the bodies of the simple, but the proud Prelates do Kings maintain to murther the souls, for the which the blood of Christ Iesus was shed; and that they do either by withholding from them the true Word of life, or else by causing a pestilent Doctrine to be taught unto them, such as now is taught in the Papisticall Churches. I know that you wonder, how that the Religion which is universally received,Gen. 6. can be so damnable, and corrupted: But if you consider, That ever from the beginning, the multitude hath declined from God (yea, even in the people,Ps…l. 14. to whom he spake by his Law and Prophets) if ye shall consider the complaint of the Holy Ghost,Psal 2. Act. 4. complaining, that Nations, People, Princes and Kings of the earth have raged, made Conspiracies, and holden Councels against the Lord, and against his Annointed Christ Iesus; further, if ye shall consider the question which Iesus himself doth move in these words,Luk. 18. When the Sonne of Man shall come, shall he finde faith on the earth? And lastly, if your Majestie shall consider the manifest contempt of God, and of all his holy Precepts, which this day reigne without punishment,Hosea 4. upon the face of the whole earth; for as Hosea complaineth, There is no verity, There is no mercy, There is no truth this day among men, but lies, perjury, and oppression overflow all, and blood toucheth blood; that is, Every iniquitie is joyned to another: If deeply (I say) your Majestie will contemplate the universall corruption that this day reigneth in all states, then shall your Majestie cease to wonder, That many are called,Matth 20 Matth. 7. 2 Thess 2. and few chosen; and you shall begin to tremble and fear to follow the multitude to perdition: The universall defection, whereof Saint Paul doth prophesie, is easie to be espied, as well in religion as in manners. The corruption of life is evident,Note. and Religion is not judged, nor measured by the plain Word of God, but by custome, consuetude, will, consent, and determinations of men. But shall he who hath pronounced all cogitations of mans heart to be vain at all times, accept the counsels and consents of men, for a Religion pleasing and acceptable before him? Let not your Majestie be deceived, God cannot lie, God cannot deny himself, he hath witnessed from the beginning,Deu 4 and 12 That no religion pleaseth him, except that which he by his own Word hath commanded and established: The veritie it selfe pronounceth this sentence;Matth. 15. In vain do they worship me, teaching doctrines the precepts of men. And also, All plantation, which my Heavenly father hath not planted, shall be rooted out. Before the comming of his welbeloved Sonne in the flesh, severely he punished all such, as durst enterprise to alter or change his Ceremonies and Statutes,1 Reg. 13 & 15 2 Par. 26. Levit. 10. Matt. 17 Act. 1 2, & 3. 1 Cor. 11. Col. 2. as in Saul, Uzziah, Nadab, Abihu, is to be read: And will he now, after that he hath opened his counsell to the world by his onelyonly Son, whom he commandeth to be heard, and after that by his Holy Spirit, speaking in his Apostles, he hath established the Religion, in which he would have his true worshippers to abide unto the end, will …e, now (I say) admit mens inventions in the matter of Religion which he reputed for damnable Idolatry? If men and Angels would affirm, That he will or may do it, his own verity shall convince them of a lie;De… 4. & 12. for this sentence he pronounceth, Not that which seemeth good in thy eyes, shalt thou do to the Lord thy God, but that which the Lord thy God hath commandeth thee, that do thou; adde nothing unto it, deminish nothing from it. Which, sealing up his New Testament, he repeateth in these words,Apoc. 2. That which ye have, hold till I come, &c. And therefore yet againe, it repenteth me not to say, That in this point, which is chief and principall, your Majesty must disassent from the multitude of Rulers, or else you can possesse no portion with Christ Iesus in his Kingdom and glory.
Addition.
KNowing by what craft Sathan laboureth continually to keep the world in blindnesse, I added these two former points, to wit, That ye should not think your self free from the Reformation of Religion, because ye have Bishops within your Realm, neither yet that ye should judge that Religion most perfect, which the multitude by wrong custome have embraced.The craft of Sathan. In these two points doth Sathan busily labour; First, That no civill Magistrate presume to take cognisance in the cause of Religion, for that must be deferred to the determinations of the Church. Secondly, That impossible it is, that that Religion should be false, which so long time (so many Councels,The ground of …ticall Religion. and so great a multitude of men, so divers Nations have allowed, authorised and confirmed. What is the duty of Magistrates, and what power the people hath in such cases granted by God, my purpose is to write in a severall Letter to the Nobility and States of the Realm; and therefore to avoid tediousnesse and repetition of one thing, I now supersede. And as touching the second, if ye rightly consider the testimonies of Scriptures, which I have before alleadged, I trust ye shall finde that Objection sufficiently answered; for, if the opinion of the multitude ought alwayes to be preferred, then did God injury to the originall World, for they were all of one minde, to wit, conjured against God (except Noah and his familie.) And if antiquity of time shall be considered in such cases,Note. then shall not onelyonly the Idolatrie of the Gentiles, but also the false Religion of Mahomet be preferred to the Papistrie; for both the one and the other is more ancient then is the Papisticall religion; yea, Mahomet had established his Alcoram, before any Pope in Rome was crowned with a Triple Crown. But as touching antiquitie, I am content with Tertullian to say,Tertul. in Apol. Let that be the most pure and perfect Religion, which shall be proved most ancient; for this is a chief point, wherein I will joyn with all the Papists on the earth, That their Religion (such as it is this day) is not of such antiquitie, as is that which we contend to be the true and onelyonly Religion, acceptable before God; neither yet that their Church is the Catholike Church, but that it is of late dayes in respect of Christs Institution, crept in and devised by man, and therefore am bold to affirme it odious and abominable;The chief Preposition. for this is our chief Proposition, That in the Religion of God, his own Word ought onelyonly to be considered; That no Authority of man or Angell ought in that case to be respected. And as for their Councels, when the matter shall come to triall, it shall be easily seen for whom the most godly and most ancient Councels shall most plainly speak.N…cen. 1. I will prove by a Councell, That of more authority is the sentence of one man (founded upon the simple Truth of God) then is the determination of the whole Councell without the assurance of the Word; But that all their determinations, which we oppugne, are not onelyonly maintained without an assurance of Scriptures, but also are established against the truth of the same; yea, and for the most part against the Decrees of the former Councels, I offer my self evidently to prove. But now to the rest of the former Letter.
Letter.
AN Oratour and Gods Messenger also might justly require of you now (by Gods hand promoted to high dignity) A motherly pitie upon your subjects, A justice inflexible to be used against murtherers and common oppressours, A heart void of avarice and partiality, A minde studious and carefull for maintenance of that Realm and Common-wealth (above whom God hath placed you) and by it hath made you honourable,The dutie of Magistrates. with the rest of vertues, which not onelyonly Gods Scriptures, but also Writers (illuminated onelyonly with the light of Nature) require in Gods Rulers. But vain it is to crave reformation of manners, where Religion is corrupted; for like as a man cannot do the office of a man, till first he have a beeing and life,The Spirit of God abideth not with Idolaters. so to work works pleasant in the sight of God the Father, can no man do without the Spirit of Iesus Christ, which doth not abide in the hearts of Idolaters: And therefore the most godly Princes J…siah, Hezekiah, and Jehosaphat, seeking Gods favour to rest upon them and upon their people,3. Reg. … 5. 2 …ar. 17. 4 Reg 22. 2 Pa…. 34. 4 Reg 18. 2 Par. 29, 30, &c. 31. before all things, began to reform the Religion; for it is as the stomack within the body, which, if it be corrupted, of necessitie it infecteth the whole body: And therefore (often I repeate that, which to be done is most necessary) if your Majestie pretend to reign with Christ Iesus, Then it behoveth you to take care of his true Religion, which this day within your Realm is so deformed,The second proposition. that no part of Christs Ordinances remain in their first strength, and originall puritie; which (I praise God) to me is lesse difficile to prove then dangerous to speak: And yet neither the one nor the other I fear, partly because the love of eternall life quencheth the terrour of temporall death, and partly because I would with Saint Paul, wish my self accursed from Christ (as touching earthly pleasure) for the salvation of my brethren, and illumination of your Majestie; which thing, Work, and very deed, and not bare writing, shall witnesse and declare, if I may purchase the liberty of tongue, but fourty dayes onelyonly.