[372] In edit. 1722, Chap. I.
SEEING that Christ Jesus is he quhom God the Father hes commandit
onlie to be herd, and followed of his scheip, we urge it necessarie,
that his Evangell[373] be trewlie and openlie preached in everie Kirk
and Assemblie of this Realme; and that all doctrine repugnyng[374] to
the same be utterlie suppressed[375] as damnabill to mannis
salvatioun.
[373] In Vautr. edit., and edit. 1621, "Evangell" is always rendered
"Gospell."
[374] In edit. 1621, "repugnant."
[375] In Vautr. edit., and edit. 1621, "repressed."
_The Explicatioun of the First Head._
Least upone this our[376] generalitie ungodlie men tak occasioun to
cavill, this we adde for explicatioun. By preching of the Evangell, we
understand nott onlie the Scripturis of the New Testament, bot also of
the Auld; to wit, the Law, Propheittis, and Histories, in quhilk
Christ Jesus is no les conteaned in figure, then we have him now
expressed in veritie: And, thairfoir, with the Appostill we affirme,
that "All Scripture inspired of God is profitable to instruct, to
reprove, and to exhorte." In quhilk buykis of Auld and New Testamentis
we affirme, that all thingis necessarie for the instructioun of the
Kirk, and to mak the man of God perfite, is conteaned and
sufficientlie expressed.
[376] In edit. 1621, "Lest that upon," and omits "our."
By the contrarie Doctrine, we understand quhatsoever men, by Lawis,
Counsallis, or Constitutionis have imposed upone the consciences of
men, without the expressed commandiment of Goddis word; suche as be
[the] vowis of chastitie, foirswering of marriage, bindyng of men and
wemen to severall and disagysed apparrellis, to the superstitious
observatioun of fasting dayis, difference of meit for conscience saik,
prayer for the deid; and keping of holy dayis of certane Sanctis
commandit by man, suche as be all those that the Papistis have
invented, as the Feistis (as thai terme thame) of Appostillis,
Martyres, Virgenis, of Christmess, Circumcisioun, Epiphany,
Purification, and uther found[377] feistis of our Lady: Quhilk
thingis, becaus in Goddis Scripturis thai nather have commandiment nor
assurance, we juge thame utterlie to be abolischet from this Realme;
affirmyng farther, that the obstinat mayntenaris and teachearis of
suche abhominationis aucht not to eschaip the punyschement of the
Civile Magistrat.
[377] In Vautr. edit., and edit. 1621, "other fonde" and "fond
feastes."