The Estaitis of Scotland, with the Inhabitants of the samyn,
professing Chryst Jesus his Holy Evangell,[208] To thair
naturall Cuntreymen, and to all utheris Realmeis and
Natiouns, professing the samyn Lord Jesus with thame, wische
grace, peace, and mercy from God the Father of our Lord
Jesus Chryst, with the Spreit of rychteouse jugement, for
Salutatioun.
[208] In Vautr. edit. &c., "Gospell."
LONG have we thristit,[209] deir Brethren, to haif notifeit unto the
warld the summe of that doctrin quhilk we professe, and for the quhilk
we haif sustenit infamy and daingear. Bot sik hes bene the rage of
Sathan against us, and against Chryst Jesus his eternall veritie
laitlie borne amangis us, that to this day na tyme hes bene grantit
unto us to cleir our consciencis, as maist glaidlie we wald have done;
for how we have bene tossit ane haill yeir past, the maist pairt of
Europe (as we suppoise) dois understand. Bot seing that of the
infinite gudnes of our God (quha never sufferris his afflictit to be
utterlie confoundit) above expectatioun, we have obteinit sum rest and
libertie, we could not bot sett furth this breve and playne
Confessioun of sik doctrine as is proponit unto us, and as we beleif
and professe, pairtlie for satisfactioun of oure Brethren, quhais
hartis we dout not have bene and yitt ar woundit be the dispytefull
railling of sik as yitt have not leirnit to speik weill; and pairtlie
for stopping of the mouthis of impudent blasphemaris, quha baldlie
condempne[210] that quhilk thay have neither hard nor yet understand.
Not that we judge that the cankerit malice of sik is abill to be cured
be this sempill Confessioun: Na, we knaw that the sweit, savour of the
Evangell[211] is, and sall be death to the sonis of perditioun. Bot we
haif cheif respect to our weak and infirme brethren, to quham we wald
communicat the bottome of oure hartis, least that thay be trubillit or
careit away be the diversiteis of rumouris quhilk Sathan sparsis
contrar us,[212] to the defecting of this oure maist godlie
interprise; Protesting, that gif any man will note in this oure
Confessioun any article or sentence repugning to Godis holie word,
that it wald pleis him of his gentilnes, and for Christiane cherities
saik,[213] to admoneise us of the samyn in writt; and We of our honour
and fidelitie do promeis[214] unto him satisfactioun fra the mouth of
God, (that is, fra his holy Scriptures,) or ellis reformatioun of that
quhilk he sall prove to be amyss. For God we taik to record in our
conscienceis, that fra oure hartis we abhoir all sectis of heresye,
and all techaris of erroneous doctrine; and that with all humylitie we
embrace the puritie of Christis Evangell, quhilk is the onlie foode of
our saullis; and thairfoir sua precious unto us, that we ar determinit
to suffer the extremitie of warldlie daingear, rather than that we
will suffer oure selvis to be defraudit of the same. For heirof we ar
maist certainlie persuaidit, "That quhasoever denyis Chryst Jesus, or
is eschameit of him, in presens of men, sall be denyit befoir the
Father, and befoir his holie angellis." And thairfoir be the
assistance of the mychtie Spreitt of the same, oure Lord Jesus, we
firmlie purpoise to abyde to the end in the Confessioun of this oure
Faith.[215]
[209] In the printed copies 1561, "thrusted;" and in the London edit.
1561, lines 5-6, of the title, "by their publicke voices
authorised."--Some notices of the early editions of this Confession
will be given in the Appendix to this volume.
[210] In the printed copies 1561, "dampne," and "damne."
[211] In Lond. edit. 1561, "Gospell."
[212] In Lond. edit. 1561, "spreads abrode against us."
[213] In Edinb. edit. 1561, "for Christes and cherites sake."
[214] In Lond. edit. 1561, several words are here omitted, and the
passage reads: "repugnyng to God's holye worde, and do admonishe us of
the same in writyng, we by God's grace do promesse," &c.
[215] In the printed copies 1561, "oure Faithe, as by articulis
followeth."