Church of Scotland; Knox, John, approximately 1514-1572; Reformation -- Scotland; Theology -- Early works to 1800
and altogidder have thair lyvis in sick feir and dreddour, as gif
the ennemy war in the myddis of thame; so that nathing can seme
plesand unto thame, quhilk thay possess in the bowellis of thair
natyve cuntrey; sa neir jugeis everie man, (and not but just caus,)
the practise usit upoun thair brethren to approche nixt unto thame
thair selffis, wyffeis, bairneis, housses, and substanceis, quhilk
altogidder ar cassin at the feit of straingearis, men of weir, to
be by thame thus abusit att thair unbrydillit lustis desyre. Now,
if it be seditioun, (deir Brethren,) to complane, lament, and pour
furth befoir God the sorrowis [and] sobbis of oure dolorouse
hartis, crying to him for redress of thir enormyteis, (quhilk ellis
quhair is not to be found;) and thir altogidder dois [proceid] of
the unlauchfull halding of strange suldiouris over the heidis of
oure brethren; gif this to complayne be sedition, then indeid,
(deir Brethren,) can nane of us be purgeit of that cryme; for as in
verray hart we dampne sick inhumayne creweltie, with the wickit and
craftie pretence thairof, sua can we, nor dar we nott, neather be
mouthis speiking, nor yitt by keiping of silence, justifie the
same. Neather do we heir aggrege the breking of the Appointmentt
maid at Leith, (quhilk alwayis hes manifestlie bene done;) bot
quhan we remember quhat aith we have maid to our commun-welth, and
how the dewatie we aucht to the same compellis us to cry outt, that
hir Grace, be wickit and ungodlie counsall, gais maist craftelie
about utterlie to oppress the same, and ancient lawis and
libertieis thairof, alsweill aganeis the King of Francis promeise,
hir awin dewatie, in respect of the heich promotionis that sche
resavit thairby, quhilk justlie sould have caussit hir to have bene
indeid that quhilk sche wald be callit, (and is nathing less in
veritie,) to wit, ane cairfull mother ovir this commun-wealth; bot
quhat motherlie cair sche hes usit towardis yow, ye can not be
ignorant. [SN: LETT THE NOBILITIE JUGE HEIROF.] Haif ye nocht bene,
evin frome the first entres of hir regne, ever smytit and oppressit
with unaccustomit and exhorbitant taxatiounis, [more] than ever war
usit within this realme? Yea, and how far was it socht heir to have
bene brocht in upoun yow and your posteritie, under cullour to have
bene laid up in stoir for the weiris? The inquisitioun tane of all
your guidis, movable and immovabill, be way of testament; the
seiking of the haill coill and saltt of this realme, to have bene
laid up in stoir and gernall, and sche allane to have bene merchant
thairof, dois teache yow be experience sum of her motherlie cair.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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