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

232
CATHOLIC TRACTATES.
tering of the text tendis to the dishonor of hir Glorious Sone,
and repugnis to the Euangile; becaus S. Mathew declarand the
genealogie of our Saueour in his humane nature on his mothers
syde, schawis that scho descendit of the noble kings of luda. I
leaue the ludgement to the readar, to consider, gif this doughter
of the stok off a noble and royal bluid in that tribe, whome God
chosit for his people amangis al nations, and the whilk he honorit
with the Natiuitie of the Messias, wha sauet the warld, was of a
poore degree or not ?
page 172. Thay teache lykwayes contrarious doctrine concerning the
exposition of the command, keip halie the sabath day, for albeit
thay consent baith to the changing of the Saterday in the
Exo. xx. Sonday, as the halie Spirit hes prescryuit, and causit to obserue
in al aages in the Romane kirk, for the honor of Christs resurrec¬
tion, yit thay accord not that this sabath, or day of repose, suld
be referrit als weil to the festuale and halie dayes of Christs
Conception, Natiuitie, Circumcision, Ascension to heauin, and
Sending of the halie Spirit on Witsonday, as to the day of his
resurrection, for thay of England kepis thir dayes halie, and
mony vthers; as the dayes of the Apostles and of sindrie halie
martyres of the primitiue kirk, affirming that thir ar compre-
hendit vnder the Sabath whilk is the day of repose. Bot the
Ministers of Scotland teachis the contraire doctrine in exponing
this command, referring the sabath to the onlie sonday; and
thairfor in contempt of the vther halie dayes obseruit be Eng¬
land, thay cause thair wyfis and seruants spin in oppin sicht of
the people vpon Yeul day; and thair affectionat auditeurs con-
straines thair tennants to yok thair pleuchs on yeul day in con¬
tempt of Christs Natiuitie, whilk our Lord hes not left vnpunisit;
for thair oxin ran wod and brak thair nekis, and leamit sum
pleugh men, as is notoriouslie knawin in sindrie partes of Scot¬
land. Of this it is manifest that thay of Scotland and England
ar different in thir substancial pointes of trew religion, baith
concerning the interpretation of this command of God, and also
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