THE THRID TRACTAT. NINIANE WINZET TO THE REIDAR WYSSIS Q UHEN it come to my earis, gentill reidar, of the seditious calking of the buith durris of certane Catholiks in Edinburgh at the command of the reularis thairof, on Pasche 5 Monunday last passit, and quhow at that nycht at euin the durris of certane Caluinianis wes calket also with sum notes of dishonour, I wes panceand quhou happy ane thing it war giue euerie man mycht leue according to his vocation, at ane tranquillitie in godlines. And Io throw that reuolueand in mynd that maist flurissand part of my aige, spent in the teching of the grammar scule of Linlychtquow, about the space of ten zeiris, I iugeit the teching of the zouthhed1 in vertew and science, nixt efter the auctoritie with the ministeris of iustice vnder it, and 15 efter the angelicall2 office of godlie pastours, to obtene the thrid principal place maist commodious and necessare to the Kirk of God. Ze, sa necessar thocht I it, that the dewe charge and office off the prince and prelate withoute it is to thaim, efter my iugement, wonderous pynefull 20 and almaist importable, and zit lytle commodius to the commoun welth, till vnfenzeit obedience and trew godlines, quhen the peple is ruid and ignorant: and contrarie be the help of it to the zouthhed,1 the office of all potestatis is lycht to thaim and plesand to the subiectis. For Cice. li. 1. 25 the mynd of man of ane gude inclination (as ane auncient offic. wryttar rycht warly notis) obeyis not, nor submittis not the self willinglie to ony commandar or techear, bot to sick quhome it is persuadit, to command iustlie for vtiliteis cause,-quhilk persuasioun throw ignorance it maye not weill haue, without the lycht of vnderstanding. 5 Bot as vnderstanding with science is maist specialye and happelie conquest in zouthe sua nane doutis it at that tyme obtenit, maist firmlie to be reseruit in memorie, and maist fruit to cum thairof. The singular vtilitie1 thairof to the commoun welth causit me to maruell 10 gretumlie quhou in tymes passit amang sa gret liberalitie, and ryche dotations maid in Scotland of sindry fundationis to religion and science, that sa litle respect hes euir bene had to the grammar sculis (quhairin commonlie the maist happy and first sedis of the said common welth 15 ar sawin); that in mony townis thair is not sa mekle prouidit thairto as a common house; and in nane almaist of al ane sufficient life to ane techear. Albeit ma be requirit to vndertak that cuir deulie, as becumis of ony a scuil. And agane quhou it mycht be that at 20 this time, quhen men presis to reforme al cause of ignorance and abuse, that sa few childer war haldin at the studie of ony science, and specialie of grammar. The contempt heirfor of this smal enteres to science, without the quhilk na ferder progres may be had thairto, 25 I coniecturit to be ane gret portent and foretaiking of ignorance, and ma confusit errouris (quhilk God auert) schortlie to cum namelie, sen now al men wilbe theologis, and curius seircearis of the hie mysteriis of God. In remembring thir thingis, I callit thame to 30 memorie, quhou be the mercyful prouidence of the Almychtie (quha be in all and for euer praisit) thair wes sumtyme submittit to my techement (albeit my erudition wes smal) humane childer of happy ingynis, mair able to leir than I wes to teche, to quhome I vsit to propone 35 1O.E. utiltie. almaist dalie sum theme, argument, or sentence, of the quhilk I wald haif thaim intending to mak orisone or epistil in Latin tong; and thocht that this mater of sedition afore namit1 had bene ane verray conuenient 5 theme to that purpose. Heirfor I being drery and dolorus for the schisme and diuision presentlie in Godis Kirk, and apperand temporal calamiteis to vpryse tharthrou, and als haifand affection to my kynd discipulis, and my glaid and godlye exercise sumtyme with thaim, 10 began I almaist for pastyme, and sum mitigation of my displesur to writ this declamation follouing,—that is, ane form of ditement maid for caus of exercise and priuat studie, as vsis to be in sculis. Nochttheles 2 quhen ane of our breder chanceit to reid it, he diuulgat it in the 15 contre in my name, bot subscriuit as efter folouis, and gaif copiis thairof as it had bene ane ernist mater. Bot quhen I vnderstude that sum wes offendit thairwith, and with me also for it, I seik the copye thairof and consideris it. And as I persaue rethorik thairof verray 20 small, swa I can espy na thing thairin abhorring fra the treuth, of the quhilk I (geuing the honour of learning tyll vtheris), intending to be ane faithful Christiane, and ane sone of the haly Kirk vniuersale, hae3 only regaird. Heirfor sen I neuer sett furth ony wrytting contrare the 25 Protestantis, suppressing my name, that I maye saue me zit in the innocence, void of all detraction, I confesse me to haue wryttin the samin tractate and na thing penitent thairof as zit, except that I strenthit not my purpose with ma sufficient ressonis and auctoriteis, 30 quhilkis I differ quhill oure aduersaris mak answeir heirto, praying God maist gratius to moue thame with the spirit off humilitie, that thay be not eschamit to recant thair errour in this mater and all vtheris; bot thay be aluterlie confoundit to maling in ane iote aganis the knawin veritie. I nameit the twa personis following Apoca. 3. 15. To the honorable Prouest, Baillies, and Counsall Q of Edinburgh. UHEN I remember, honorabyll Schiris, that Solon the law maker of Athenis, amangis 15 the rest, commandit this in special, that gif ony of the town in ane publick1 seditioun or tumult, quhen on baith sydis thai ran to armour, hid him self as ane cowart at hame, not takand part with the ane syde, he sould be denudit of his gudis and banissit 20 the citie, it strykis me not with lytle feir, that I siclyke in this controuersie of religioun as ane soldiour of the Kirk of Laodicea—that is, nother haet nor cauld-be expellit (quhilk God forbid) out of my citie of heuinlie Hierusalem, for not assisting to the assurit veritie in 25 gainsaying leis, the father thairof the deuyll and all his memberis. Quhairfore quhen I se the seditioun amangis zou and zoure citizanis, for the celebratioun of the solennitie off Pasche, and quhou ze command to calk the closit buith durris, at this tyme of certane nocht 30 1 O.E. publict. disionit fra the haly Kirk vniversale with zou, and haldis the samyn men idolatouris and worthy of punisment,-it apperis to my waik iugement that to attempt sic proude misordour sall not only big vp ane wal betuix vs and 5 zou in religioun, bot also sall engener (quhilk the mercy of God stay) mair temporal seditioun, cummeris, and debait, I thocht that I, ane priuat man, could do na better at that tyme bot pray for peace amangis all professing our Lord Jesus. Quhilk quhen I did, and 10 thairefter castand vp the bukis of sum auncient Fatheris, to seik the mind of Godis Kirk in this mater, I fynd maist cleir witnessing of famous Fatheris, and specialie of Sanctis Hierome and Augustine, that the hail Kirk of God with ane consent hes zeirlie celebratit the solennitie 15 of Zule and Pasche, with vtheris feistis of our Saluiour, and siclyke kepit the zeirlie abstinence of fourty dayis afore Pasche, callit Lentren, in al contreis in the warld professing Christ afore thir dayis: and affirmis that thir and siclyke thingis vniuersaly obseruit, and zit not ex20 preslie contenit in Scripture, ar traditions of the Apostolis, or decreis of General Cunselis, and thairfor na wayis be ony particulare cuntre to be changeit. Ane notable cause of thir solennit dayis geuis the said renownit Father Augustine, and worthy to be lokit in the 25 memorie of thaim, quha knawis thaim selfis to be men in this flesche, and waik and frail as zit in this warld. Ne curriculo temporum, sayis he, ingrata subrepat obliuio, -that be the proces of tyme vnthankful forzetfulnes steil not vpon us. Quhen I reid this maist cleir testimonie 30 of sa renownit Fatheris, of the vniuersale consent of Godis Kirk in this mater sen our Saluiours dayis, I begin to maruel at the arrogant temeritie of zour haly prophete Iohne Knox, quha commandis to abolise thir solenniteis as papistrie,-be the quhilk name he vnderstandis, as I 35 can collect, idolatrie, superstition, or doctryne contrare the Scriptur. And gif he vnderstandis thai vices be |