Church of Scotland; Knox, John, approximately 1514-1572; Reformation -- Scotland; Theology -- Early works to 1800
"I wald we should not jest in so grave a mater; nether wold I that ye
should begyn to illud the trewth with sophistrie; and yf ye do, I will
defend me the best that I can. And first, to your drinking, I say, that
yf ye eyther eat or drynk without assurance of Goddis worde, that in so
doing ye displease God, and ye synne into your verray eatting and
drynking. For sayis nott the Apostle, speaking evin of meatt and drynk,
'That the creatures ar sanctifeid unto man, evin by the word and by
prayer.' The word is this: 'All thingis ar clean to the clean,' &c. Now,
let me hear thus much of your ceremonyes, and I sall geve you the
argument; bot I wonder that ye compare thingis prophane and holy thingis
so indiscreatlie togetther. The questioun wes not, nor is nott of meat
or drynk, whairinto the kingdome of God consistis nott; butt the
questioun is of Goddis trew wirschiping, without the quhilk we can have
no societie with God. And, hear it is dowbted, yf we may tack the same
fredome in the using of Christis Sacramentis, that we may do in eatting
and drynking. One meat I may eatt, another I may refuise, and that
without scrupill of conscience. I may change ane with ane other, evin as
oft as I please. Whither may we do the same in materis of religioun? May
we cast away what we please, and reteane what we please? Yf I be weill
remembred, Moses, in the name of God, sayis to the people of Israell,
'All that the Lord thy God commandis thee to do, that do thow to the
Lord thy God: add nothing to it; diminyshe nothing from it.' Be this
rewill, think I, that the Kirk of Christ will measur Goddis religioun,
and not by that which seames good in thare awin eis."
THE SUPPRIOUR.
"Forgeve me: I spak it but in mowes, and I was dry. And now, Father,
(said he to the Freir,) follow the argument. Ye have heard what I have
said, and what is answered unto me agane."
ARBUCKILL GRAY-FREIR.[489]
"I shall prove plainlye that Ceremonyes ar ordeyned by God."
JOHNE KNOX.
"Such as God hes ordeyned we allow, and with reverence we use thame. But
the questioun is of those that God hes nott ordeyned, such as, in
Baptisme, ar spattill, salt, candill, cuide, (except it be to keap the
barne from cald,) hardis, oyle, and the rest of the Papisticall
inventionis."
ARBUCKILL.
"I will evin prove these that ye dampne to be ordeyned of God."
JOHNE KNOX.
"The pruif thareof I wald glaidly hear."
ARBUCKILL.
"Sayis not Sanct Paule, 'That another fundatioun then Jesus Christ may
no man lay.' But upone this fundatioun some buyld, gold, silver, and
precious stones; some hay, stuble, and wood. The gold, sylver, and
precious stones, ar the Ceremonyes of the Church, which do abyd the
fyre, and consumes nott away.' This place of Scripture is most plaine,"
(sayis the foolish Feind.)
JOHNE KNOX.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account