Church of Scotland; Knox, John, approximately 1514-1572; Reformation -- Scotland; Theology -- Early works to 1800
"Ye shall beleve (said he,) God, that planelie speaketh in his word:
and farther then the word teaches you, ye neather shall beleve the ane
or the other. The word of God is plane in the self; and yf thair
appear any obscuritie in one place, the Holy Ghost, whiche is never
contrariouse to him self, explanes the same more clearlie in other
places: so that thair can remane no doubt, but unto suche as
obstinatlie remane ignorant. And now, (said he,) Madam, to tack ane of
the cheaf pointis, whiche this day is in contraversie betwix the
Papistis and us: for example, the Papistis allege, and boldly have
affirmed, That the Messe is the ordinance of God, and the institutioun
of Jesus Christ, and a sacrifice for the synnes of the quyck and the
dead. We deny bothe the one and the other, and affirme, that the
Messe, as it is now used, is nothing but the inventioun of man; and,
thairfoir, is an abominatioun befoir God, and no sacrifice that ever
God commanded. Now, Madam, who shall judge betwix us two thus
contending? It is no reassone that eather of the parteis be farther
beleved, then thei are able to prove by insuspect witnessing: Let
thame lay down the book of God, and by the plane wordis thairof prove
their affirmatives, and we shall geve unto thame the pley granted. But
so long as thei ar bold to affirme, and yit do prove nothing, we man
say, that albeit all the warld beleved thame, yit beleve thei not God,
but receaves the lyes of men for the treuth of God. What oure maister
Jesus Christ did, we know by his Evangelistis: what the preast doeth
at his Messe, the warld seeth. Now, doeth nott the word of God
planelie assure us, that Christ Jesus neather said, nor yit commanded
Messe to be said at his Last Suppar, seing that no suche thing as
thair Messe is maid mentioun of within the whole Scripturis?"
"Ye ar oure sair for me, (said the Quene,) but and yf thai war here
that I have heard, thai wold ansuer you."
"Madam, (quod the other,) wold to God that the learnedest Papist in
Europe, and he that ye wold best beleve, war present with your Grace
to sustene the argument; and that ye wald patientlie abyd to hear the
mater reassoned to the end; for then I doubt not, Madam, but that ye
should hear the vanitie of the Papisticall religioun, and how
small[661] ground it hath within the wourd of God."
[661] In MS. G, "how little."
"Weall (said sche) ye may perchance gett that sonner than ye beleve."
"Assuredlie, (said the other) yf ever I gett that in my lyeff, I gett
it sonnar than I beleif; for the ignorant Papistis can not patientlie
reassoun, and the learned and crafty Papist will never come in your
audience, Madam, to have the ground of thair religioun searched out;
for thai know that thai ar never able to sustene ane argument, except
fyre and sweard, and thair awin lawis be judges."
"So say ye, (quod the Quene,) but I cane beleve that."
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