[240] Here and elsewhere, in the editions 1561, "Church" is uniformly
substituted 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 God, 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 multitude of men chosin of God, 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 God 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 God, 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 participant 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 God, 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."