The Works of John Knox Volume II Part 10

[213] In Edinb. edit. 1561, "for Christes and cherites sake."

[214] In Lond. edit. 1561, several words are here omitted, and the pa.s.sage reads: "repugnyng to G.o.d's holye worde, and do admonishe us of the same in writyng, we by G.o.d's grace do promesse," &c.

[215] In the printed copies 1561, "oure Faithe, as by articulis followeth."

OFF G.o.d.--CAP. I.[216]

[Sidenote: Deut. 6. Esai. 44.]

[Sidenote: Deut. 4. Mat. 28.]

[Sidenote: Gen. 1.]

[Sidenote: Esai.]

[Sidenote: Proverb. 16.]

WE confesse and acknawledge ane onlie G.o.d, to quhom onlie we must cleave, [quhom onlie we must serve,][217] quhom onlie we must wirschip, and in quhom onlie we must put our trust; quha is eternall, infinite, unmesurable, incomprehensible, omnipotent, invysible: ane in substance, and yit distinct in thre personis, the Father, the Sone, and the Holie Ghost: Be quhom we confesse and beleif all thyngis in hevin and in earth, alsweill visible as invisible, to haif bene creat.i.t, to be reteanit in thair being, and to be rewllit and gydeit be his inscrutabill Providence, to sick end as his eternall wisdome, gudnes, and justice hes appoint.i.t thame, to the manifestatioun of his awin glorie.

[216] The numbers of the Chapters, and the marginal Scriptural references are not contained in any of the MS. copies of Knox's History. They are here supplied from the first edition of the Confession, printed by Lekprevik in 1561, compared with the Acts of Parliament of 1567, printed in 1568.

[217] These words, and such others as are inclosed within brackets, are omitted in the copies of Knox. By "the old printed copies," in the following notes to the Confession, is signified the editions printed in 1561, and the several editions of the Acts of Parliament 1567.

OFF THE CREATIOUN OF MAN.--CAP. II.

[Sidenote: Gen. 1. 2.]

[Sidenote: Gen. 3.]

We confesse and acknawledge this oure G.o.d to haif creat.i.t Man, (to witt, our fyrst father Adam) of quhom also G.o.d formit the Woman to his awin image and similitude;[218] to quhom he gaif wisdome, lordschip, justice, fre-will, and cleir knawledge of him selff; sua that in the haill nature of man thair could be not.i.t na imperfectioun: Frome quhilk honour and perfectioun man and woman did baith fall; the woman being desavit be the Serpent, and man obeying to the voice of the woman, baith conspyring against the Soverane Majestie of G.o.d, quha in expressit wordis of befoir had threatnit death, gif thay presumeit to eit of the forbiddin tree.

[218] The words, "of quhom also G.o.d formit the woman to his awin image and similitude," are omitted in the editions of the Confession 1561, and of the Acts of Parliament 1567: also in Adamson's Latin translation, 1572.

OFF ORIGINALL SYN.--CAP. III.

[Sidenote: Ephes. 3. Rom. 5. Joan. 3. Rom. 5. 8.]

By quhilk transgressioun, commonlie callit Originall Syn, was the image of G.o.d utterlie defaceit in man; and he and his posteritie of nature became ennemeis to G.o.d, slavis to Sathan, and servantis to syn; in samekill that death everlesting hes haid, and sall have power and dominioun over all that hes not bene, ar not, or sall not be regenerat frome above: quhilk regeneratioun is wrocht be the power of the Holy Ghost, wirking in the hartis of the elect of G.o.d ane a.s.sureit faith in the promeise of G.o.d, reveillit to us in his word; by quhilk faith thay apprehend[219] Chryst Jesus, with the graces and benefites promesit in him.

[219] In the old printed copies, "we apprehend."

OFF THE REVELATIOUN OF THE PROMEIS.--CAP. IV.

[Sidenote: Gen. 5. Gen. 12. 15. Esai. 7. 8.]

For this we constantlie beleif, that G.o.d, efter the feirfull and horribill defectioun of man frome his obedience, did seik Adam agane, call upoun him, rebuk his syn, convict him of the same, and in the end maid unto him a maist joyfull promeisse, to witt, "That the seid of the woman sould brek doun the serpentis heid;" that is, he sould destroy the warkis of the Devill. Quhilk promeis, as it was repeit.i.t and maid mair cleir from tyme to tyme, sua was it embraceit with joy, and maist constantlie retenit[220] of all the faithfull, frome Adam to Noah, frome Noah to Abraham, from Abraham to David, and sua furth to the incarnatioun of Chryst Jesus: quha all (we mene the faithfull Fatheris under the law,) did se the joyfull dayis of Christ Jesus, and did rejoyse.

[220] In the old printed copies, "ressavit."

THE CONTINUANCE, INCREASE, AND PRESERVATIOUN OF THE KIRK.[221]--CAP.

V.

[221] In the editions 1561, "Church."

[Sidenote: Ezech. 16.]

[Sidenote: Gen. 12. 13. Exod. 1. 2. Exod. 20.]

[Sidenote: Josu. 1. 2. 3. 1 Sam. 1. 23. 2 Reg. 17.]

[Sidenote: 2 Reg. 24. 25. Deut. 28. Jere. 39. Esdr. 1. Agg. 1, 2.

Zach. 3.]

We maist constantlie beleif, that G.o.d preservit, instruct.i.t, multipleit, honourit, decoirit, and frome death callit to lyfe his Kirk in all aiges, fra Adam, till the c.u.ming of Chryst Jesus in the flesche: for Abraham he callit frome his fatheris c.u.n.trey, him he instruct.i.t, his seid he multipleit, the same he marvalouslie preservit, and mair marvelouslie delyverit frome the bondage [and tyranny] of Pharao; to thame he gaif his lawis, const.i.tutiouns, and ceremoneis; thame he possessit in the land of Canaan; to thame efter Jugeis, and efter Saule he gaif David to be kyng, to quham he maid promeise, "That of the fruit of his loynis sould ane sitt for ever upoun his regall saitt." To this same pepill from tyme to tyme he send propheittis to reduce thame to the recht way of thair G.o.d, frome the quhilk often tymis thay declyneit by idolatrie. And albeit for thair stubburne contempt of justice, he was compellit to gif thame in the handis of thair ennemeis, as befoir was threatnit by the mouth of Moyses, in samekill that the halye citie[222] was destroyit, the tempill brynt with fyre, and the haill land left desolat the s.p.a.ce of sevintie yeiris; yitt of mercy did he reduce thame agane to Jerusalem, quhair the citie and tempill war reedifeit, and they, against all temptatiounis and a.s.saultis of Sathan, did abyde till the Messias came, according to the promeise.

[222] In the MSS. of Knox, "the haill citie."

OFF THE INCARNATIOUN OF CHRYST JESUS.--CAP. VI.

[Sidenote: Gal. 4.]

[Sidenote: Luc. 1, 2.]

[Sidenote: Esai.]

Quhan the fulnes of tyme came, G.o.d send his Sone, his Eternall Wisdome, the substance of his awin glory, in this warld, quha tuik the nature of manheid of the substance of ane woman, to witt, of ane Virgin, and that be the operatioun of the Holie Ghost: And sa was borne the just seid of David, the angell of the greit counsall of G.o.d; the verray Messias promesit, quham we acknawledge and confesse Emanuell; verray G.o.d and verray man, twa perfyte naturis unit.i.t and joynit in ane persona. By quhilk oure confessioun we dampne[223] the d.a.m.nabill and pestilent hereseyis of Arrius, Marcion, Eutiches, Nestorius, and sick utheris, as either deny[224] the eternitie of his G.o.dheid, either the veratie of his human nature, either confound thame, either yit devyde thame.

[223] In the old printed copies, "condempne."

[224] In the old printed copies, "did deny;" and "or," instead of "either," in the two next lines.

QUHY IT BEHOVIT THE MEDIATOUR TO BE VERRAY G.o.d AND VERRAY MAN.--CAP.

VII.

We acknawledge and confesse, that this maist wonderous conjunctioun betwix the G.o.dheid and the Manheid in Chryst Jesus, did proceid frome the eternall and immutabill decree of G.o.d, quhence alssua oure salvatioun springis and dependis.[225]

[225] In the edition 1561, and MS. G, "whence also our salvation springeth, and dependeth;" in the Acts of Parliament 1567, "fra quhilk all our salvatioun springs and depends."

ELECTIOUN.--CAP. VIII.

[Sidenote: Eph. 1.]

[Sidenote: Heb. 2.]