[Sidenote: Apoc. 14.]
[Sidenote: Apoc. 7.]
[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 Godis 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 title of the Kirk of God, 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 assured tokenis whairby the immaculat spouse of Christ
Jesus is knawin from that horrible harlote the Kirk malignant, we
affirme ar neyther antiquitie, title usurped, lineall discente, place
appointed, nor multitude of men approving ane errour; for Cain in aige
and title 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 multitude[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 God. The Notis, thairfoir, of the trew Kirk of God we beleve,
confesse, and avow to be, first, The trew preaching of the word of
God; into the whiche God 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 God, to seall and confirme the
same in our hartis. Last[ly], Ecclesiasticall discipline uprychtlie
ministred, as Godis 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 God. 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 God, 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; butt apperteaneth to the Spreit of God, 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
God, 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 God, 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 God 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 principall 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."