sic personis quhome efter thay suld reuerence, baith for thair office and haly leuing. Sa institute Moyses the Num. 20. Bischope Eleazarus on the hyech montane Hor before the haill multitude, as before thaim quhay sulde testifie 5 alvvayis of his haly lyfe. Sa vves Matthias ordinatit in Act. I. the place of Iudas in the middis of the discipulis, quhome afore with Ioseph thai hed electit. On the quhilk place the haly martyr Cypriane writis this: Quod vtique idcirco tam diligenter & cautè, conuocata Cyp. li. 1. 10 plebe tota, gerebatur, ne quis ad altaris ministerium, vel ad sacerdotalem locum indignus obreperet, that is, quhilk thing verilie thairfore wes done sa diligentlie and warlie, the haill peple being callit togidder, that na vnworthy persoun mycht quietlie creip to the ministerie off the 15 altare, or to the preistis roum. And in the samyn place

epist. 4.

Ioh. Knox, is this, and

quhat altar

quhat preist?

Electioun

and ordina

tion ar not

ane, as it is

patent

abone.

contendis he, that be the auctoritie of Godis Word it suld be obseruit that the preist or bischope be admittit in the presence of all the peple, that he be haldin be the iugement and witnessing of all to be worthie and 20 apt to that office;-sen the peple, sais he, hes special power to elect the worthie preistis, and to refuse the vnworthie. Heirfore sen the princes in our dayis takis on thaim the haill power of electioun, vote, and suffrage of the peple, presenting quhat persoun thay pleis, wald 25 God that thair presentation war void of all symonie, Act. 6. ambition, and inordinat affection, and with it wer adiunit alsua the testimonie and consent of the peple in euery diocesie and parochin, according to the auctoriteis abone rehersit! Sa we think that thair suld nocht 30 be sa mony Blynd, crukit, and seik, smottit, mutilat, Levit 21 mankit,1 deformit, scabbit Moabites, Amonites, and sclanderous Mamzeres, contrare the law of God, presentit, offerit, and maid preistis and prelatis in the Kirk. Giue ony of zow wyl obiect that the preistis, bischopis, 35 and the clergie in oure dais hes bene blekkit with the 1 O.E. markit; Mait. Club edition, mankit.

and 22

Malach. 1.

Deut. 23.

saidis deformiteis, and [are] sa ignorant or vitious, or baith, and alsua sclanderous, that thay ar vnworthie the name of pastores, allace! we ar rycht sorie that this is treu for the maist part, and mair. Bot wald ze consider the cause thairof to be our iniquitie, vngodlines, and abom- 5 inable lyfis, for the quhilk God is at wraith with vs, and for the quhilkis, in reuenge of our sinnis according to His iustice, He sufferis Hypocrites to haif cure ouir US as He causis Sumtyme vitious or tyrane princes, sumtyme effeminat personis or babis, impotent to de- 10 Hierem. 38. fende vs throu iustice in quietnes and rest, sumtym Infidelis to haue dominioun abone vs? We wald seik

Iob. 34. Esa. 3. Eccle. 10.

As the Babilonianis

had vpon the Iowis, and the Turke

now vpon

tianis.

Antitheton.

Hiere. 2.

Act. 2.

ane vther remeid than to heip vp sin vpon sin in the defending of sa vngodlie misordour agains the ordinance mony Chris and reuelit wyl of God, in His Scripture sa expresse and 15 sa largely set furth. Quhat remede speir ze? But dout to turne vnfenzeitlie of al our hart fra our idolatricall 1 and insaciable auarice, proude feirles presumption, fra maist auaricious prodigalitie (we meine specially of the glorious bordouring of zoure garmentis with the blude 20 of pure); fra the deuoring of the patrimonie of the Kirk, the tressour of indigent; fra fleschelie libertie and brutale irreligiositie; fra vaine babling of Godis Worde, but feir and reuerence thairoff in contentioun and curiositie; fra proude ignorance; fra the abomination of 25 wychecraft and schameles mantening thairof in contempt of God and His law; fra fals fenzeit hypocrisie of halines; fra ingratitude and vtheris deuyllische monstres of vice regnand at this tyme,-to our maist mercyfull God and trew seruing of Him in haly feir and brotherlie 30 lufe, and in reiosing in Him be humill dredour and reuerence. Bot of the twa proude princes, Dame Heresie and hir sister, we wyll not talk, knawing that our Mastres faithfull simplicitie and lufeand lawtie with thair seruandis be thaim wyl nocht be hard, bot repellit 35 1 O.E. idolitricall.

Psalme. 2.

2 O.E. brothelie.

2

and schot to the dure as sillie thingis wantand craft to circumuene, flatter, and lie. For now quha seis it nocht cum to passe, quhilk God complenis be His Prophete, quhilk is—That mony heris and knauis His Worde (in Ezechi. 33. 5 ane parte) and dois not thairefter, bot turnis it in ane sang of thair mouth, thair hartis being geuin tyl auarice; and the Word of God is to thaim as ane ballat of menstralie, quhilk hes ane sueit tone, and plesand to sing.

Lat ws turne, I say, and pray That the Lorde of the Luc. 10. 10 winezarde send vs lauchfull treu workmen thairto, baith Psalme. 79. to schute oute the vnclene baris, quha be filthie leuing and sueingeing in thair stinkande styis infectis the tender burgeounis of the zong wynis; and to schut out or cut of alsua the wyld sangleris—that is, the proude 15 schismatikis and obstinat heretikis, na wayis sociale to the companie of Christiane Catholiks,-quha, in hie arrogance of thair maister Lucifer, trampis down the heuinlie incres and all decent policie of the samyn winzarde, drest and deckit be the former workmen, 20 vnfenzeit policiaris of the samin.

[The fragment of Original Edition breaks off here.]

1 O.E. meaine.

of doctrine we meane 1

and ordor

maist

specialie.

OF

FOUR SCOIR THRE QUESTIONS,

TUECHING

DOCTRINE, ORDOUR, AND MANERIS,

PROPONIT TO THE PRECHEOURIS OF THE PROTESTANTS IN SCOTLAND, BE THE CATHOLIKS OF THE INFERIOUR ORDOUR OF CLERGIE AND LAYT MEN THAIR, CRUELIE AFFLICTIT AND DISPERSIT, BE PERSUASIOUN OF

THE SAIDIS INTRUSIT PRECHEOURS.

SETH FURTH BE NINIAN WINZET A CATHOLIK PREIST,

AT THE DESYRE OF HIS FAYTHFULL AFFLICTIT BRETHIR, AND DELIUERIT

TO IOHNE KNOX THE XX. OF FEBRUAR OR THAIRBY, IN THE ZERE

OF THE BLISSIT BIRTH OF OUR SALUIOUR 1563.

Ne sis sapiens apud temetipsum.-PROUERB. iij.

Sed interroga patres tuos, et annunciabunt tibi: maiores tuos, et dicent tibi.-DEU. xxxij.

ANTVERPIÆ

EX OFFICINA ÆGIDIJ DIEST. M.D.LXIIJ. XIIJ. OCTOB.

CUM GRATIA ET PRIUILEGIO.