The Works of John Knox Volume II Part 13

[Sidenote: Luc. 16.]

[Sidenote: Apoc. 6.]

The Elect departed are in peace and rest from thair laubouris; not that thai sleap and come to ane certane oblivioun (as some fantastick headis[243] do affirme,) but that thai ar delivered from all fear, all torment, and all tentatioun, to whiche we and all G.o.dis elect ar subject in this lyfe; and thairfoir do bear the name of the Kirk militant. As contrariewyse, the reprobat and unfaythfull departed, have anguishe, torment, and paine, that can nott be expressed; so that neather ar the ane nor the other in sick sleap that thai feill not joy or torment, as the Parable of Christ Jesus in the saxtene of Luke, his wordis to the theaf, and these wordis of the saullis crying under the altar, "O Lord, thou that arte rychteous and just, how longe shalt thow not revenge our blude upoun thame that dwell upoun the earth!"

doeth playnlie testifie.

[243] In the old printed copies, "some fantastickis."

OF THE NOTIS BY WHICHE THE TRUE KIRK IS DISCEARNED FROM THE FALS, AND WHO SHALBE JUDGE OF THE DOCTRINE.--CAP. XVIII.

[Sidenote: Gen. 4. 21. 27.]

[Sidenote: Mat. 23.]

[Sidenote: Joan. 12.]

[Sidenote: Act. 5.]

[Sidenote: Notes of the Trew Church.]

[Sidenote: Joan. 1. 10.]

[Sidenote: Rom. 4.]

[Sidenote: 1 Cor. 5.]

[Sidenote: Act. 16. 18.]

[Sidenote: 1 Cor. 1.]

[Sidenote: Act. 20.]

[Sidenote: To whom the interpretation of the Scripture appertayne.]

[Sidenote: 1 Cor. 11.]

Because that Sathan from the begyning hes lauboured to deck his pestilent Synagoge with the t.i.tle of the Kirk of G.o.d, and hes inflambed the heartis of cruell murtheraris to persecute, truble, and molest the trew Kirk and members thairof, as Cain did Abell; Ismaell, Isaac; Esau, Jacob; and the whole preasthead of the Jewis, Jesus Christ him self, and his apostles after him; it is a thing most requisite, that the trew Kirk be discernit frome the filthy synagoge, be cleare and perfite nottis, least we being deceaved, resave and embrace to our awin condemnatioun the ane for the other. The nottis, signes, and a.s.sured tokenis whairby the immaculat spouse of Christ Jesus is knawin from that horrible harlote the Kirk malignant, we affirme ar neyther antiquitie, t.i.tle usurped, lineall discente, place appointed, nor mult.i.tude of men approving ane errour; for Cain in aige and t.i.tle was preferred to Abell and Seth. Jerusalem had prerogative above all places of the earth, whair also war the preastis lineally descended from Aaron; and greattare mult.i.tude[244] followed the Scribes, Pharaseis, and Preastis, then unfeanedlie beleaved and approved Christ Jesus and his doctrin; and yit (as we suppoise) na man of sound judgment[245] will grant that any of the foirnamed war the Kirk of G.o.d. The Notis, thairfoir, of the trew Kirk of G.o.d we beleve, confesse, and avow to be, first, The trew preaching of the word of G.o.d; into the whiche G.o.d hes reveilled him self to us, as the writtingis of the Prophettis and Apostles do declair. Secoundlie, The rycht administratioun of the sacramentis of Christ Jesus, whiche mun be annexed to the worde and promisse of G.o.d, to seall and confirme the same in our hartis. Last[ly], Ecclesiasticall discipline uprychtlie ministred, as G.o.dis word prescribed, whairby vice is repressed, and vertew nurished. Whairsoever then these former nottis ar sene, and of any tyme continew (be the number never so few above twa or thre) thair, but all dowbt, is the trew Kirk of Christ, who according to his promeise is in the myddis of thame: not that universal (of whiche we have befoir spokin) but particulare; sick as was in Corinthus, Galatia, Ephesus, and utheris places in whiche the ministerie was planted by Paule, and war of him self named the Kirkis of G.o.d. And sick kirkis, we, the Inhabitants of the Realme of Scotland, professouris of Christ Jesus, confesse us to have in our cities, townis, and places reformed; for the doctrine taught in our kirkis is conteaned in the writtin word of G.o.d, to witt, in the buikis of the Auld and New Testamentis. In these buikis we meane, whiche of the ancient have bene reputed canonicall, in the whiche we affirme that all thingis necessarie to be beleaved for the salvatioun of mankynd, is sufficientlie expressed; the interpretatioun whairof, we confess, neather apperteaneth to privat nor publict persone, neather yit to any kirk for any preheminence or prerogative, personall or locall, whiche one hes above another; b.u.t.t apperteaneth to the Spreit of G.o.d, by the whiche also the Scripture was writtin. When contraversie then happinneth for the rycht understanding of any place or sentence of Scripture, or for the reformatioun of any abuse within the Kirk of G.o.d, we aucht not sa mekle to look what men befoir us have said or done, as unto that whiche the Holy Ghost uniformelie speakis within the body of the Scriptures, and unto that whiche Christ Jesus him self did, and commanded to be done. For this is a thing universallie granted, that the Spreit of G.o.d, which is the Spirit of unitie, is in nothing contrarious unto himself. Yf then the interpretatioun, determinatioun, or sentence of any doctour, kirk, or counsall, repugne to the plane word of G.o.d writtin in any other place of [the]

Scripture, it is a thing most certane, that thairis is nocht the trew understanding and meanyng of the Holy Ghost, supposing that Counsallis,[246] Realmes, and Nations have approved and receaved the same: For we dar nott receave and admitt any interpretatioun whiche directlie repugneth to any princ.i.p.all point of our fayth, [or] to any other plane text of Scripture, or yitt unto the rewll of charitie.

[244] In the old printed copies, "greater number."

[245] In the MSS. of Knox, "of holle judgment."

[246] In the old printed copies, "although that Counsellis."

THE AUTHORITIE OF THE SCRIPTURIS.--CAP. XIX.

[Sidenote: 1 Tim. 3.]

[Sidenote: Joan. 10.]

As we beleve and confesse the Scriptures of G.o.d sufficient to instruct and maik the man of G.o.d perfect, so do we affirme and avow the authoritie of the same to be of G.o.d, and neather to depend on men nor angellis. We affirme thairfoir that sick as alledge the Scripture to have na [uther] authoritie, but that whiche is receaved from the Kirk, to be blasphemous against G.o.d, and injuriouse to the trew Kirk, whiche alwayis heareth and obeyeth the voice of hir awin Spouse and pastour, but taketh nott upoun her to be maistres over the same.

OF GENERALL COUNSALLIS, OF THAIR POWER, AUTHORITIE, AND CAUSES OF THAIR CONVENTIOUN.--CAP. XX.

[Sidenote: How far the Counsells are to be allowed.]

[Sidenote: Wherein they are to be rejected.]

[Sidenote: 1 Tim. 4.]

[Sidenote: Why they were a.s.sembled.]

[Sidenote: Why Counsels were called.]

[Sidenote: Ceremonies ought to be changed when they foster superst.i.tion.]

As we do nott raschelie dampne that whiche G.o.dlie men, a.s.sembled togidder in Generall Counsallis, lauchfullie gathered, have approved[247] unto us; so without just examinatioun dar we not resave whatsoever is obtrused unto men, under the name of Generall Counsallis: for plane it is, that as they war men, so have some of thame manifestlie erred, and that in materis of great weght and importance. So far then as the Counsall proveth the determinatioun and commandiment that it geveth by the plane word of G.o.d, so far do we reverence and embrace the same. But yf men, under the name of a Counsall pretend to forge unto us new articles of our faith, or to maik const.i.tutionis repugnyng to the word of G.o.d, then utterlie we mone refuise the same, as the doctrin of devillis which drawis our saullis from the voice of our onlie G.o.d, to follow the doctrines and const.i.tutionis of men. The caus, then, why [that] Generall Counsallis convened, was neather to mak any perpetuall law (whiche G.o.d befoir had nott maid,) neather yitt to forge new articles of our beleve, neather to give the word of G.o.d authoritie, mekle less to make that to be his worde, or yitt the trew interpretatioun of the same, which was not befoir by his holy will exprea.s.sed in his worde. But the caus of Counsallis, (we meane of sick as merite the name of Counsallis,) was partlie for confutatioun of heresyes, and for geving publict confessioun of thair faith to the posteritie following; whiche baith they did by the authoritie of G.o.ddis writtin worde, and nott by any opinioun or prerogative that they could nott err, be rea.s.soun of thair Generall a.s.semblie: And this we judge to have bene the cheaf caus of Generall Counsallis. The other was for good policie and ordour to be const.i.tut and observed in the Kirk, in whiche (as in the house of G.o.d) it bec.u.mis all thingis to be done decentlie and into ordour. Not that we think that ane policie, and ane ordour in Ceremonies can be appoint.i.t for all aigis, tymes, and plaicis; for as ceremonies (sick as men hes devised) ar but temporall, so may and aucht they to be changed, when they rather foster superst.i.tioun, then that they edifie the Kirk using the same.

[247] In the old printed copies, "have proponit."

OFF THE SACRAMENTIS.--CAP. XXI.

[Sidenote: The use of Sacraments.]

[Sidenote: Baptisme.]

[Sidenote: The Lordis Supper, perfythe and plainly described.]

As the Fatheris under the Law, besydis the veritie of the sacrifices, had two cheaf Sacramentis, to witt, Circ.u.mcisioun and the Pa.s.sover, the despysaris and contemnaris whairof war not reputed for G.o.dis people; so [do] we acknawledge and confesse that we now, in the tyme of the Evangell, have two[248] Sacramentis onlie, inst.i.tut.i.t be the Lord Jesus, and commanded to be used of all those that will be reputed members of his body, to witt, Baptisme and the Supper, or Table of the Lord Jesus, called The Communioun of his body and bloode. And these sacramentis (alsweill of the Auld as of the New Testament) war inst.i.tut[248] of G.o.d, not onlie to maik ane visible difference betwixt his people, and those that war without his league; but also to exercise the faith of his children; and by partic.i.p.atioun of the same sacramentis, to seall in thair heartis the a.s.surance of his promeis, and of that most blessed conjunctioun, unioun, and societie, whiche the Elect have with thair head, Christ Jesus. And thus we utterlie dampne the vanitie of those that affirme Sacramentis to be nothing else but naked and bair signes. No, we a.s.suredlie beleve, that by Baptisme we ar ingrafted in Christ Jesus to be maid partakaris of his justice, by the whiche our synes are covered and remitted; and also, that in the Supper, rychtlie used, Christ Jesus is so joyned with us, that he bec.u.mis the verray nurishement and foode of our saullis. Not that we ymagine any transsubstantiatioun of bread into Christis naturall body, and of wyne in his naturall bloode, (as the Papistis have perniciouslie taught and dampnablie beleved;) but this union and communioun whiche we have with the body and bloode of Christ Jesus in the rycht use of the sacraments, is wrocht by operatioun of the Holy Ghost, who by trew faith caryes us above all thingis that ar visible, carnall, and earthlie, and maikis us to feid upoun the body and bloode of Christ Jesus, whiche was ones brokin and schedd for us, whiche now is in the heavin, and appeareth in the presence of his Father for us.

And yit, notwithstanding the far distance of place, whiche is betwix his bodye now glorifeid in the heavin, and us now mortall in this earth, yit we most a.s.suredlie beleve, that the bread which we break is the communioun of Christis body, and the cupp which we bliss, is the communion of his bloode. So that we confesse, and undowttedlye beleve, that the faithfull, in the rycht use of the Lordis Table, so do eatt the body, and drynk the bloode of the Lord Jesus, that he remaneth in thame and thai in him: yea, that thai ar so maid flesche of his flesche, and bone of his bones, that as the Eternall G.o.dheid hath gevin to the flesche of Christ Jesus (whiche of the awin conditioun and nature was mortall and corruptible) lyfe and immortalitie, so doeth Christ Jesus his flesche and bloode eatten and drunken by us, give to us the same prerogatives: Whiche albeit we confesse, are neather gevin unto us at that onlie tyme, neather yit by the propir power and vertew of the Sacramentis onlie; yit we affirme, that the faithfull in the rycht use of the Lordis Table hes sick conjunctioun with Christ Jesus, as the naturall man can not comprehend: yea, and farther we affirme, that albeit the faithfull oppressed be negligence, and manlie infirmitie, doeth not proffeitt so mekill as thei wold att the verray instant actioun of the Supper, yit shall it after bring furth frute, as livelie seid sawin in good ground; for the Holy Spreit, whiche can never be devided frome the rycht inst.i.tutioun of the Lord Jesus, will not frustrat the faythfull of the frute of that misticall actioun. But all this, we say, c.u.mis by trew fayth, whiche apprehendeth Christ Jesus, who onlie maikis his Sacramentis effectuall unto us; and, thairfoir, whosoever sclandereth us, as that we affirmed or beleved Sacramentis to be onlie naiked and bair signes, do injurie unto us, and speak against a manifest treuth. But this liberallie and francklie we most confess, that we maik ane distinctioun betwix Christ Jesus, in his naturall substance,[249] and betwix the elementis in the Sacramentall signes; so that we will neather wirschip the signes in place of that which is signifeid by thame; neather yit do we dispyse and interprete thame as unprofitable and vane; but do use thame with all reverence, examyning our selfis diligentlie befoir that so we do, becaus we ar a.s.sured by the mouth of the Apostle, "That sick as eat of that bread, and drynk of that cupp, unworthelie, ar guyltie of the body and bloode[250] of the Lord Jesus."

[248] In the old printed copies, "two chief;" and "now inst.i.tuted."

[249] In the old printed copies, "in his eternall substance."

[250] In the editions 1561, "and of the blood of Christ Jesus."

OFF THE RYCHT ADMINISTRATIOUN OF THE SACRAMENTIS.--CAP. XXII.

[Sidenote: Christians may not partic.i.p.ate with the Papists in their Sacraments.]

[Sidenote: Women may not Baptise.]