Scottish Text Society publications > Old series > Catholic tractates of the sixteenth century, 1573-1600

HAMILTON’S CATHOLIK TRAICTISE, I 581.
77
estait of the premetiue kirk, quhilk vas instructit be Christis
apostlis and thair disciplis, and to put ordour and silence to
thame, quha intrudis thair auin inuentit doctrine and fals ex¬
position of Goddis haly vord, as the treu licht of the euangell,
5 dispysing the interpretation of all thame quha hes bene faithfull
pastoris in the kirk of God sen Christ and his disciples dayis, of
the quhilkis sindrie tholit cruell martyrdome for the testemonie
of Christis vord treulie exponit.
Seing Christ lesus the onlie cheif heid of his halie, pure and
10 immaculat catholik kirk, promeist continuall succession of pasturis
to the same, quha sould be instructit be the haly spreit, to teich
his membris, that thaj sould not be careit auay vith euerie lycht
doctrine quhat misteris men of this aige haif recourse to ony
vther exposition concerning ony obscure and controuersit scrip-
15 ture, bot onlie to that quhilk vas techit be the doctoris of the
premetiue kirk, quha var instructit be Christis apostlis and thair
disciples ? Can thair be contrarious interpretations of ane scrip¬
ture ? Is it possibill that in diuers eagis diuers expositions can
be inuentit and teicht as treu doctrine? Thair is na man bot
20 vill confes that as the spreit of God, is the spreit of cheritie and
vnitie, neuer dissenting from him self, sa the Catholik kirk,
quhais pastoris ar instructit be the haly spreit, hes retenit vnitie
of doctrine in all places, in all eagis and in all languagis, that
the self same exposition of the haly scripture is this day in the
25 Catholik kirk, quhilk vas teichit be Christis apostlis, and con-
tenuit in all tymes and places sensyne. Gif the craftie delusion
of Sathan sylit not the eyis of mennis hartis be ane subornit
opinion of knaulege, quhat misterit men in this cage seik out ane
neu interpretation, quhilk in na mannis dayis vas hard of before ?
30 Quhat madnes careis men auay, quha althocht thaj heir Christis
auin expres vordis saying, This is my Body, and the vniuersall
consentment of all the doctoris, quha euer hes bene in Christis
kirk, maist plainlie exponing the same for the reall presence of
Christis bodie in the sacrament, yit thaj vill imbrace ane neu
35 forgit opinion be Caluene thrauing Christis vordis to ane con¬
trarious sense, and confermis the same be fals applications of
the scripture, quhilk thaj thrau efter thair sensuall iugement lyk
Ephes. 1.
Ephes. 4.
1 Cor. 12.
S. Joh. 14.
Vnite of doctrin
in all placis,
in all agis, in
all langagis in
the Catholik Kirk,
quhilk is not
amangs the Cal-
uinistis, Luther-
iens and vther
scismatiques.
S. Luc. 22.