withhaldis the peple of God in thraldum aganis His expres command and approuin ordinance. Quhairfor that the blynd of thaim and thair scoleris be not impute tyll vs in the sycht of God, for not schawing our brotherlie lufe to thaim in admonising of thair erroure and 5 perrell, we put furth this thrid and last blaste, to call abak the scoleris frome the plaig of Godis iustice, as we callit (as we mycht) thair techaris afore, thinkand this to be sufficient aduertisment to al thaim quha hes earis to heir the treuth, that we neid not in this mater 10 ony ofter to sound this trompet.

Reid and iuge.

TO THE CONGREGATIOUN OF THE

PROTESTANTIS IN SCOTLAND.

Q

VHILL we ar aluterlie irkit, honorable and deirbelouit, we haif kepit silence, almaist aganis our conscience, sen the twelft of Marche, awaityng on Iohne Knox answeir in 5 writt of his lauchfull vocatioun, accordinge to his promis maid in the pulpet to our last writtyng, delyuerit to him that day thairupon. Quhilk promis sen he nother fulfyllis (nother anentis this nor our vther questionis) nor zit he nor his brether desistis fra vsurpinge sa hie 10 ane office, to the quhilk thay can nocht schaw thaim lauchfullie callit conforme to Godis ordinance, nor zit mak ony answeir thairin without thair schame (as we ar persuadit) except thay godlie schaw thair repentance, we may not bot pray and beseik zour prudence for the 15 health and saifing of zour awin saulis, that ze reid, consider, and iuge sinceirlye withoute all affectioun our questionis and answeris maid to Iohne Knox declaratioun thairupon. And exhortis zow alswa gyf ze may collect furth of the Euangell ony defence be precept or 20 exemple to assure vs of zour precheouris lauchfull vocatioun, that ze assiste to thaim thairwith, and mak the samyn patent tyll vs; quhairby that ze and we sumtyme brether of ane Kirk, may be togidder zit obedient brether, but schisme and discorde, to the prophetis and ministeris 25 of God (of zoure precheouris we meine), fra thay be knawin vndoutittlie to be send be Him. Bot failzeing

Num. 16. 2 Par. 26.

Iudæ. 1.

1 King 13.

Num. 12.

3 Reg. 14. Ibid. 12 and II.

5

thairof (as we hope ze sall), we exhorte zow in the
bowelis of IESVS Christe, oure onelie Saluiour and
Mediator, that ze set asyde all blynd affectioun, and
auert zoure earis fra the sweit venum of deuyllish
eloquence of wordis, and begin to feir and trimble1
at the feirfull exemplis of deid in Core and his cum-
panie, and of the proude king Osias, quha temeruslie
in his arrogance ingerit him self to make sacrifice at the
altare of God, withoute all lauchfull vocatioun thairto.
For of thir dais now present aduertissis zow, nocht we, 10
bot the Apostle Iude. Woo be to thaim, (sayis he)
quha in the rebellioun and tressoun of Core hes
perissit. And giue ze think thir exemplis nocht suffi-
cient to persuade zow, quhilkis we haif writtin to Iohne
Knox in vtheris tractatis, remember alsua maist effectu- 15
ouslie we zou pray, that for vsurpyng Samuelis office, as
for ane falt in special, king Saule wes repellit fra his
kingdome. The mercy of God staye, that we and ze for
defending of sic misordour be not 2 repellit fra our
natiue possessionis heir, and efter fra our kingdome 20
eternale. Quhat? sulde nocht the arrogance and mur-
muring of Maria the sister of Moyses, with Aaron, and
that foule lippre quhairwith scho wes plagit thairfor,
stryk zow with feir, quha, murmuring aganis Moyses,
and ascriuing auctoritie to hir self without all lauchfull 25
vocatioun thairto (as zour precheouris dois presentlie),
said this: Hes God spokin be Moyses onlie? Hes he
not spokin siclik to vs? Euin as zour prophetis sais
now: Haue we not science, knaulege, and vnderstand-
ing-the gyft of God? Quhy ar we not thairthrow, 30
but farder auctoritie or ordination, lauchfull pastores,
bischopis, and prelatis? Reid and consider siclyke
to quhat miserable end Hieroboam wes brocht for his
wickit consaitis and doingis, causing the Isralites nocht
to passe to Hierusalem to make sacrifice to God, quhair 35
1 O.E. trimbe.

2 O. E. nott.

the arcke, tabernakle, and prestis (as in the town quhilk God peculiarlie had elect) wes appoyntit than to remane; and nocht chesing the preistis of the tribe of Leui according to Godis especiall command, bot passing with 5 the peple to Bethel and Dan, and thair offerit sacrifice to strainge goddis, electing be his auctoritie aganis the ordinance of God ane confusioun of wickit prestis of quhatsumeuer tribe thairto. Mark and obserue with al diligence, we exhort zour prudence in the name of our 10 Lord Iesus, gif ze haif folowit Hieroboam in lyke manner or nocht, drawing the peple and zour selfis fra our trew Hierusalem, Godis haly Kirk vniuersal (out of the quhilk thair is na sacrifice of prayer, louing, or rychteous- Cant. 6. nes plesand to God), to Bethel and Dan, to the priuat 15 conuenticules of schismatikis and heretikis. And giue ze haue thair maid sacrifice to fals godis-that is, alsua (as ancient fatheris godlie exponis it) hes embraceit fals and erroneus doctryne for the treuth-hes worschippit Vincent. and adornit erroures, hereseis, and leis for the eternall Lirinen. 20 veritie of Godis Word, and that ze mycht haif zoure

awin consaitis wicketlie fulfyllit-consider giue ze pruri- 2 Timo. 4. entes auribus hes not electit preistis and precheoures, and heipit vp masteris to zour selfis, not descending of the tribe of Leui—that is, not succeding to the Apos25 tles and thair successouris efter the ordinance appoyntit be the Word of God. And gyf al thir terrouris may nocht mollifie zour hartis to knaw oure iust motiones,

and that ordinare auctoritie and obedience thairto quhilk Christe hes left in His Kirk be His Apostlis and 30 thair successours, aduert, we praye zow, and mark the office of ane bischope to be sa hie and sa excellent that our Saluiour self tuke not that office vpon Him without the lauchfull vocatioun of His Heuinlie Fader; as St. Paule writtis-Euin sa Christ alsua glorifeïït1 not Him 35 self to be maid the hie preist: but He that said vnto 1 O.E. glorfeit

Io. 20. 14.

Act. 2, 6, 13,

I Timo. 5.

Tit. 1.

Hebre. 5. 109.

Psalm 2 and

Act. 6.

I Timo. 3

and 4. Tit. I.

Act. 6.

Him, Thou art my Sonne, this day haue I begottin the-
glorifeit Him. As he sais in ane vther place, Thou art
ane preist for euer efter the ordour of Melchisedech.
And sen ze reding the haill New Testament sen Christ,
and the historiis of al cuntreis sensyne, findis na 5
bischope, preist, nor deacone institute and ordanit be
the laic peple in the haly catholike Kirk, bot be the
Apostlis and thair successouris bischopis alanerlie,-
insamekle that the sewin diacones electit be the peple
to be steuartis specialie to the pure in Godis Kirk, wes 10
presentit afore the Apostlis and tuke thair ordinatioun
and power of thaim; ar ze not affrait to auante samekle
that ze haue Godis Worde for zow and not we, and
contrare the Worde of God sa expresse and sa largelie
put afore zour eine to manteine and defend sic mis- 15
ordoure? Wyll ze not schaw ane auctoritie of Godis
Word for zour ministers vocation? Quhair find ze euer
ony of the Apostlis writting to the Romanis, Corinthianis,
or ony vther multitude commanding thaim to constitute
and ordinat bischope or vther minister, as ze may reide 20
that he geuis expresse command to the bischopis,
Timothe and Tite, to vse that power euery ane off
thaim seueralie? Quhair reid ze euer in the Apostolis
dais amang sa mony thousande Christianis turnit to the
faith, or zit sensyne, ony multitude of laic people allane 25
to haue ordinatit ane bischope, preist, or diacone? Bot
that we appeir nocht to depriue ony part of the Kirk
membris off Christ of ony dignitie appoyntit to thaim in
the Scripture, we confesse (and to that glaidlye we、
assent) that the laic peple sumtyme hes electit sic per- 30
sones, as the sewin diaconis afore namit; and in the
presence of the peple the bischopis to haue bene ordi-
natit, quha afore had bene commonlie in the law of
grace, electit and presentit to the comprouinciall bischops
be thaim geuing to thaim testimonie of thair godlie 35
conuersation and consent of thair fauour to thaim, as to