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

APPENDIX.
265
They boast of the pure preaching of the Word of God, yet in effect
they haue no Commission, no Authority to preach, no vocation at all,
but are Thews, who enter not by the dore, but dimbe another way, to
steale, kill, and destroy your soules. They are the false prophets who
5 cry Thus sayth the Lord, when the Lord said it not, nor sent them.
They glory to haue reformed the Church of God; wheras you shall
easily perceaue how miserable, and deformed Scotland is become
by their reformed Religion : and their owne formes and fashions do
witnes the same plentifullie, as a famous, yea a Protestant-Writer
10 called Zanchius doth testify thus of them : We Protestants of the
reformed Church (sayth he) often of set purpose ouercloud the state
of the question with darknes; things which are manifest we im¬
pudently deny j things false without shame we avouch; things plainly
impious we propose as the first principles of Faith; things orthodoxall
15 we condemne of heresy : Scriptures at our owne pleasure we detorte to
our owne dreames; we boast of Fathers when we will follow nothing
lesse then their doctrine; to deceaue, to calumniate, to raile is familiar
with vs &c.
O yee flourishing Academians, O Scotland my dearest Countrey,
20 consider wisely, & in the presence of God, I beseech thee, how thou
hast damned vp the passage, by which the cleere waters of al anti¬
quity should flow vnto thy kingdome, and thou hast opened the sluse
to the Puddels of the Ministers new doctrine, new fayned Sacra¬
ments, new Articles of faith, new Bible, and Scripture vnknowne as
25 yet to all other Kingdoms, and Nations : Consider, I say, how God
therefore hath punished thee, yea now of late with extraordinary
Indigency ; and abandon these new, and vnwonted doctrines, and
imbrace againe that ancient Faith which once thy Noble, Ancient,
and Princly Kingdome, Daughter of God, deuoutly sucked from the
30 breasts of the Apostles, which all thy former Kings, and Princes,
from King Donald the first, vntil Blessed Queen Mary, constantly
professed, thy Lawes established, thy People honoured, thy Vniuer-
sities defended. To this end I will not cease to sacrifice vnto
God my continual! prayers, and rest alwaies,
Hier. in Ef.
ad Galat.
Ezech. 13.
Ep. ad loan.
Sturmi.
35
Your most humble Seruant.
P. A. S. I.