The Works of John Knox Volume II Part 12

[Sidenote: Ephes. 2.]

[Sidenote: Gal. 5.]

[Sidenote: Rom. 8.]

[Sidenote: Joan 15.]

So that the caus of Good workis, we confess to be, nott our free will, but the Spreit of the Lord Jesus, who dwelling in oure heartis be trew faith, bringis furth sick good workis as G.o.d hath prepared for us to walk into: for this we most boldlie affirm, that blasphemy it is to say, that Christ Jesus abydis in the heartis of sick as in whome thair is na spreit of Sanctificatioun. And thairfoir we fear nott to affirme, that murtherraris, oppressouris, cruell persecutaris, adulteraris, wh.o.r.emongaris, filthy personis, idolateris, drounkardis, theavis, and all workaris of iniquitie, have neather trew faith, neather any portioun of the spreat of Sanctificatioun, whiche proceadeth frome the Lord Jesus, so long as thei obstinatlie continew in thair wickednes. For how sone that ever the spreit of the Lord Jesus, (whiche G.o.dis elect children resave by trew fayth,) takis possessioun in the heart of any man, so soon dois he regenerat and renew the same man; so that he begynnis to hate that whiche befoir he luffit, and begynnis to luif that whiche befoir he hated; and from thence c.u.mis that continewall battell which is betwix the flesche and the spreit in G.o.dis children; while the flesche and naturall man (according to the awin corruptioun) l.u.s.tis for things pleasing and delectable unto the self, grudges in adversitie, is lyfted up in prosperitie, and at everie moment is p.r.o.ne and reddye to offend the Majestie of G.o.d. Bot the Spreit of G.o.d, whiche giveth witnessing till our spreit, that we ar the sones of G.o.d, makis us to resist the devill, to abhorr[233] fylthy pleasouris, to groane in G.o.dis presence for deliverance from this boundage of corruptioun; and finally, so triumphe over syne that it reigne not in our mortall bodyes. This battell hes nott the carnall men, being dest.i.tut of G.o.ddis Spreitt; but do follow and obey syn with greadynes, and without repentance, evin as the devill and thair corrupt l.u.s.tis do p.r.i.c.k thame. But the sonnes of G.o.d (as befoir is said) does feght against syn, do sobb and murne, when they perceave thame selfis tempted to iniquitie; and gif they fall, they ryse agane with earnest and unfeaned repentance. And these thingis they do nott by thair awin power, but the power of the Lord Jesus (without whome thai war able to do nothing) wyrketh in thame all that is good.[234]

[233] In the old printed copies, the words, "the devill, to abhorr,"

are omitted.

[234] In the editions 1561, and in the Acts 1567, the last seven words are omitted: the sentence runs thus, "but by the power of the Lord Jesus, without whom thai war hable to do nothing."

WHAT WORKIS AR REPUTED GOOD BEFOIR G.o.d.--CAP. XIV.[235]

[235] The marginal notes on this and the following Chapters, (with the exception of the Scripture references,) are not contained in Lekprevik's edition 1561: they are copied from the edition of the Confession, printed at London by R. Hall, 1561, small 8vo.

[Sidenote: Exod. 20. Deut. 4.]

[Sidenote: The Law.]

[Sidenote: The workes of the First Table.]

[Sidenote: Ephes. 6.]

[Sidenote: The workes of the Second Table.]

[Sidenote: Ezek. 22. Jere. 22. Esai 50. 1 Thes. 4. Luc. 2.]

[Sidenote: Things contrari to the Firste and Second Table.]

[Sidenote: Rom. 13. Ezek. 22.]

[Sidenote: Esai. 29. Matt. 15.]

We confesse and acknawledge, that G.o.d hes gevin to man his holy law, in whiche not onlie ar forbiddin all sick workis whiche displease and offend his G.o.dlye Majestie; but also ar commanded all sick as please him, and as he hath promised to rewarde. And these workis be of two sortis; the one ar done to the honour of G.o.d, the other to the proffit of our nychtbouris; and baith have the reveilled will of G.o.d for thair a.s.surance. To have one G.o.d, to wirschepe and honour him; to call upoun him in all our trubles; to reverence his holy name; to hear his word; to beleve the same; to communicat with his holy sacraments;--ar the workis of the First Table. To honour father, mother, princes, reullaris, and superiour poweris; to love thame; to supporte thame, yea, to obey thair charges (not repugnyng to the commandiment of G.o.d); to save the lyves of innocents; to represse tyranny; to defend the oppressed; to keep our bodyes cleane and holy; to lyve in sobrietie and temperance; to deall justlie with all men, boyth in word and in deed; and, finallie, to represse all appet.i.te of our nychtbouris hurte;--ar the good workis of the Second Table, whiche ar most pleasing and acceptable unto G.o.d, as those workis that are commanded by him self. The contrarie whairof is syn most odiouse, whiche always displea.s.ses him, and provokes him to anger,--as, nott to call upoun him allone when we have nead; not till hear his word with reverence; to contempne and despyse it; to have or to wyrschipe idolles; to mainteane and defend idolatrie; lychtlie to esteame the reverent name of G.o.d; to prophane, abuse, or contempne the sacramentis of Christ Jesus; to disobey or resist any that G.o.d hes placed in authoritie, (while thei pas not ower the boundis of thair office); to murther, or to consent thairto, to bear hattrent, or to suffer innocent blood to be schedd geve we may ganestand[236] it; and, finallie, the transgressing of any other commandiment in the First or Secound Table, we confesse and affirme to be syn, by the which G.o.ddis hote displeasour is kendilled[237] against the proude and unthankfull world. So that Good workis we affirme to be these onlie that ar done in faith, [and] at G.o.ddis commandiment, who in his law hes expressed what be the thingis that please him: And Evill workis, we affirme, nott onlie those that ar expressedlie done against G.o.ddis commandiment, but those also that, in materis of religioun and wirschipping of G.o.d, have no [uther] a.s.surance b.u.t.t the inventioun and opinioun of man, whiche G.o.d frome the begynning hes ever rejected; as by the prophete Esaias, and by our maister Christ Jesus, we ar taught in these wordis--"In vane do they wirschepe me, teiching the doctrine being preceptis of men."[238]

[236] In the old printed copies, "withstand."

[237] In the old printed copies, "G.o.ddis hait and displesoure is kendlit."

[238] In the old printed copies, "the doctrines the preccptes of men."

THE PERFECTIOUN OF THE LAW AND IMPERFECTIOUN OF MAN.--CAP. XV.

[Sidenote: Rom. 7.]

[Sidenote: Psal. 19.]

[Sidenote: Deut. 5.]

[Sidenote: Rom. 10.]

[Sidenote: 1 Joan 12. Rom. 10. Gal. 3.]

[Sidenote: Deut. 26. Eph. 1. Rom. 4.]

[Sidenote: Luc. 17.

To put trust in our own workes, is d.a.m.nable idolatrie.]

The Law of G.o.d, we confesse and acknawledge most just, most equall, most holy, and most perfite; commanding those thingis, whiche being wrocht in perfectioun, war able to geve lyfe, and [able] to bring man to eternall felicitie: But our nature is so corrupt, so weak, and imperfite, that we ar never able to fulfill the workis of the Law in perfectioun; yea, "Yf we say we have no syn, (evin after we ar regenerat,) we deceive our selfis, and the veritie of G.o.d is not into us." And thairfoir it behoved us to apprehend Christ Jesus, with his justice and satisfactioun, who is the end and accomplishment of the Law, to all that beleve, by whome we ar sett at this libertie, that the curse and maledictioun of G.o.d,[239] fall not upoun us, albeit that we fulfill not the same in all pointis. For G.o.d the Father beholding us in the body of his Sone Christ Jesus, accepteth oure imperfyte obedience as it ware perfite, and coverith our workis, whiche ar defyled with many spottis, with the justice of his Sone. We do not meane that we ar so set at libertie, that we awe no obedience to the Law, (for that befoir we have plainelie confessed); but this we affirme, that no man in earth, (Christ Jesus onlie excepted,) hath gevin, geveth, or shall geve in work, that obedience to the Law which the Law requyreth. But when we have done all thingis, we must fall doun and unfeanedlie confess, "That we ar unprofitable servandis." And thairfoir whosoever boast thame selves of the merittis of thair awin workis, or putt thair trust in the workis of supererogatioun, they boast thame selfis of that whiche is not, and putt thair trust in d.a.m.nable idolatrie.

[239] In the MSS. of Knox, "maledictioun of the Law."

OF THE KIRK.[240]--CAP. XVI.

[240] Here and elsewhere, in the editions 1561, "Church" is uniformly subst.i.tuted in place of "Kirk."

[Sidenote: Matth. 28.]

[Sidenote: Ephes. 1.]

[Sidenote: Collos. 3.]

[Sidenote: Ephes. 5.]

[Sidenote: Apoc. 7.]

[Sidenote: Ephes. 2.]

[Sidenote: Joan. 5. 6.]

As we believe in one G.o.d, Father, Sone, and Holy Ghost, so do we most earnestlie beleave[241] that from the begynning thair hes bein, now is, and to the end of the warld shalbe a Churche; that is to say, a company and mult.i.tude of men chosin of G.o.d, who rychtlie worschip and embrace him, by trew fayth in Christ Jesus, who is the onlie Head of the same Kirk, whiche also is the body and spous of Christ Jesus; whiche Kirk is Catholik, that is, universall, becaus it conteanes the Elect of all aiges, [of] all realmes, nationis, and tounges, be thai of the Jewis, or be thai of the Gentiles, who have communioun and societie with G.o.d the Father, and with his Sone Christ Jesus, throcht the sanctificatioun of his Holy Spreit; and thairfoir it is called [the] communioun, not of prophane personis but of sanctis, who, as citizens of the heavinlie Jerusalem, have the fruitioun of the most inestimable benefitis, to witt, of ane G.o.d, ane Lord Jesus, ane faith, and of ane baptisme; out of the[242] whiche Kirk thair is neather lyfe, nor eternall felicitie. And thairfoir we utterlie abhorr the blasphemye of those that affirme, that men quhilk live according to equitie and justice, shall be saved, what religioun soever they have professed. For as without Christ Jesus thair is neather lyfe nor salvatioun, so shall thair nane be partic.i.p.ant thairof but sik as the Father has gevin unto his Sone Christ Jesus, and those [that] in tyme come to him, avow his doctrine, and beleve into him, (we comprehend the children with the faythfull parentis). This Kirk is invisible, knowin onlie to G.o.d, who allone knoweth whome he hes chosin, and comprehendis alsweall (as said is) the Elect that be departed, (commounlie called the Kirk Triumphant), as those that yit leve and feght against syne and Sathan as shall leve hearefter.

[241] In the old printed copies, "constantlie believe."

[242] In the MSS. of Knox, "without the."

THE IMMORTALITIE OF THE SAULLIS.--CAP. XVII.

[Sidenote: Apoc. 14.]

[Sidenote: Apoc. 7.]