Answer to the Tractive by Master Kennedy, Dedication
To the maiſt Noble and vertuous Lorde Alexander, Earle of Glencarden, Iohne Dauidſone wiſhit grace, and peace, be the Lorde Chriſte Ieſus, frome God the Father.
SEN the beginning of the Reformatione of the Kirk of Scotland, in the trew Chriſtiane Religione, amangis all vther thingis that ȝour L. Tauellitan, for the furthſetting of the Religion of Chriſte, I hard nocht ȝour L…mair effectiuſly deſyre ony thing, than that I wald make ane Anſwer to the lytle Burk, ſet furth be Maiſter Quintine Kennedy Commendatare, Abbote of Croſraguell: (inſeriuit ane Compendius …ractiue conferme to the Scripturs of Al…ychty God, reaſone and authoritie, declaring the narreſt and onelyonly way, to eſtabliſche the conſcience of ane Chriſtiane man, in all maters quhilks ar in debait, concerning Faith and Religione) Quhareby thare hes bene mony mouit to continew ſtill in thare auld ſuperſtitione and Idolatrie, throw the reaſonis contenit in the ſame, quha had imbracit the ſincere, and trew Religione of Chriſte, or thir davis, and it had bene ſuppreſt in it infancie, quhilk wald hauehave brocht baith quietnes to mony ane in thare conſcience, and commone peace, with great amitie amangis the inhabitantes of this countrie. And quhowbeit my inhabilitie diſſuadit me fra taking of ſic ane interpryſe on hand, ȝit ȝour L. earneſtfull and godly deſyre, was of ſa great weicht, and efficacie in my mynde, for the great Actes ȝour L. tuik on hand, firſt and laſt, for the mantenance of thaim that was able to hauehave bene oppreſt for the Religione of Chriſte, but feare of ony warldly Creature, or loſing of ȝour warldly gudis. And alſwa for the great humanitie, that I hauehave found in ȝour L. at all tyme, monit me (quhen I ſaw na vther, haiſtely taking the confutatione heirof on hand) to ſchaw my labours heirin, that the people of God ſould not be langer abuſit with his captions Sophiſticatione, ſa…far as be my ſimple ingyne, thay mycht be ſupportit, to the auancem…nt of the Kingdome of God: and that the warld mycht manifeſtly knaw that it was no…ht of Raſhnes, that the nobilitie of this Realme haſart thare liues and lan… is, for the Reformatione of Religione (as the Papiſtes alledgit) bot for the ſuppreſſing of thay things, quhilk was ſet vp aganis the glorie of the eternal God, and commone weill of this Realme.
And becauſe this Buik of M. Q. contenit ſa mony abſurditeis, quhilk wald hauehave conſumit great tyme, to hauehave confutit thaim all. It chancit weill, that ane lytle ſpace before the beginning of the Reformation of the Religion, he excerptit furth of this hale Buik, ane Schort tractiue, contening the hale mater of his Buik, as the Coppy bearis that he ſend me, to preſent to Iames Betoune, Archebiſchop of Glaſgw (quha was my gude Maiſter and liberall Freind, quhowbeit for religione we ar now ſeperatit in ane part, as mony Fathers and ſonnes is, in thir our dayis) to quhom I pray God, ſend the trenth and knawledge of his worde: at, that may vnit vsus in Spirit and mynde againe together, that hes ſeperatit vsus (as apperis) in our warldly kyndenes. And ſen of lait, that I fand this Tractiue, contening the hale ſubſtance of his Buik, amangis vther quaris of vther learuit mennis writingis that I hauehave. Aganis it I hauehave ttauellit be Scripturs, Reaſonis, and Ancient Doctours ſayingis, ſwa that heirby, I traiſt in God, the mouthes of the wickit, for the maiſt part ſalbe cloſit, that braggis with thare Councels, and Papiſticall Decretis, and conſtitutionis, outdrawing the hartis of the ſimple people fra the trew Religione, and thay quha hes bene in dout, quhidder thay war obleiſt to obſerue and keip the decretis of thare councels or not: In thare conſcience ſalbe quiettit, aſſuritly knawing be the worde of God, quhat ſould be keipit, and quhat nocht.
Praying ȝour L. to tak this my labours, quhilk I hauehave dedicate to ȝour L. in gude part. And that as ȝour L. hes begune to mantene the trew Faith, and ſincere Religione, teachit vsus be Chriſte: Swa I pray the leuing Lorde God, to mantene ȝour L. and all fauourers of the ſame, vntounto the end, that we may altogether receaue the Croune of immortall lyfe, that is promiſit to the faithfull, quha perſeueris vntounto the end. At the Paedagoge of Blaſgw, the Firſte of Marche. In the ȝeir of oure Lorde God, ane thouſand fiue hundreth, thre Score and twa ȝeris,