Volume II Part 14 (1/2)
[Sidenote: The Papists commit sacriledge.]
[Sidenote: Such as think not rightly of the Lords Supper receive it not worthely.]
That Sacramentis be rychtlie ministred, we judge twa thingis requisit: the one, That thei be ministred be lauchfull ministeris, whome we affirme to be onlie thei that ar appointed to the preaching of the worde, or into whose mouthis G.o.d hes putt some sermoun of exhortatioun, thei being men lauchfullie chosin thairto by some Kirk.
The other, That thei be ministred in sic elementis, and in sic sorte as G.o.d hath appointed. Ellis we affirme, that thei cease to be rycht Sacramentis of Christ Jesus. And, thairfoir, it is, that we flye the societie with the Papisticall Kirk, in partic.i.p.atioun of thair Sacramentis; first, becaus thair ministeris ar no ministeris of Christ Jesus; yea, (whiche is more horrible) thei suffer wemen, whome the Holy Ghost will not suffer to teache in the congregatioun, to Baptise.
And, secoundlie, Becaus thei have so adulterat, both the one sacrament and the other, with thair awin inventionis, that na pairte of Christis actioun abydeth in the originall puritie; for oyle, salt, spattle,[251] and siclyk in baptisme, are but menis inventionis; adoratioun, veneratioun, bearing throcht streittis and townes, and keaping of bread in boxes or buistis, are prophanatioun of Christis Sacramentis, and no use of the same: For Christ Jesus said, ”Tak, eat, &c.; Do ye this in remembrance of me.” By which wordis and charge he sanctifeid bread and wyne to be the sacrament of his body[252] and blude; to the end, that the one should be eatten, and that all should drink of the other; and not that thei should be keapt to be wirschiped and honoured as G.o.d, as the blynd Papistis have done heirtofoir, who also have committed sacriledge, stealling frome the people the one parte of the Sacrament, to witt, the blissed cupp. Moreover, that the Sacramentis be rychtlie used, it is requyred, that the end and caus why the Sacramentis war inst.i.tut, be understand and observed, alsweall of the minister as of the receaveris; for yf the opinioun be changed in the receavare, the rycht use cea.s.seth; whiche is most evident by the rejectioun of the sacrifices, (as also yf the teachar teache[253]
fals doctrin,) whiche war odiouse and abominable unto G.o.d (albeit thei war his awin ordinances,) becaus that wicked men use thame to ane other end than G.o.d hath ordeaned. The same affirme we of the sacramentis in the Papisticall Kirk, in whiche we affirme the haill actioun of the Lord Jesus to be adulterat, alsweill in the externall forme, as in the end and opinioun. What Christ Jesus did, and commanded to be done, is evident by the three Evangelistis [quho speak of the Sacrament,][254] and by Sanct Paule: What the preast does at his altare we neid not to rehea.r.s.e. The end and caus of Christis inst.i.tutioun, and why the self same should be used, is expressed in these wordis,--”Do this in remembrance of me. As oft as ye shall eatt off this bread and drynk of this cupp, ye shall schaw furth, (that is, extoll, preache, and magnifie,[255]) the Lordis death till he come.”
But to what end, and in what opinioun the preastis say thair ma.s.ses, lett the wordis of the same, thair awin doctouris and writtingis witness, to witt, that thei, as mediatouris betwix Christ and his Kirk, do offerr unto G.o.d the Father ane sacrifice propitiatorie for the synnes of the quick and the dead. Which doctrine, as blasphemous to Christ Jesus, and macking derogatioun to the sufficiencie of his onlie sacrifice, ones offered for purgatioun of all those that shalbe sanctified, we utterlie abhorr, detest, and renunce.
[251] In some copies, ”spittle.”
[252] In some copies, ”his holy body.”
[253] In the old printed copies, ”gif the teacher plainly teach, &c.
befoir G.o.d.”
[254] Supplied from MS. G; but the old printed copies also read, ”by the Evangelistis, and by Sanct Paule;” omitting the word ”three.”
[255] In the old printed copies, ”preach, magnifie, and prayse.”
TO WHOME SACRAMENTIS APPERTEANE.--CAP. XXIII.
We Confesse and acknawledge that Baptisme apperteaneth alsweall to the infantis of the faithfull, as to those that be of age and discretioun.
And so we dampne the errour of [the] Anabaptistes, who deny baptisme to apperteane to children, befoir that thei have faith and understanding. But the Supper of the Lord, we confesse to apperteane onlie to sick as[256] have bene of the houshold of faith, [and] can try and examyn thame selfis, asweill in thair faith, as in thair dewtie towardis thair nychtbouris. Such as eat [and drink] at that holy table without fayth, or being at dissentioun and divisioun with thare brethren, do eat unworthelye: and thairfoir it is, that in our Kirkis our Ministeris tackis publict and particulare examinatioun of the knowledge and conversatioun of suche as are to be admitted to the table of the Lord Jesus.
[256] In the old printed copies, ”to sic onlie as be of the houshald.”
OF THE CIVILE MAGISTRAT.--CAP. XXIV.
We Confesse and acknawledge impyres, kyngdomes, dominiounis, and cities to be distincted and ordaned by G.o.d: the powers and authorities in the same (be it of Emperouris in thair impyris, of Kingis in thair realmes, Dukis and Princes in thair dominiounis, or of otheris Magistratis in free cities,) to be G.o.dis holy ordinance, ordeaned for manifestatioun of his awin glorie, and for the singulare proffeit and commodite of mankynd. So that whosoever goes about to tack away or to confound the haill state of civile policies, now lang establisched, we affirme the same men not onlie to be ennemyes to mankynd, but also wickedlie to feght against G.o.dis expressed will. We farther Confesse and acknawledge, that sic personis as are placed in authoritie are to be loved, honoured, feared, and holdin in most reverent estimatioun; becaus [that] thei are the lieutennentis of G.o.d, in whose sessioun G.o.d him self doeth sitt and judge, (yea evin the Judges and Princes thame selfis,) to whome by G.o.d is gevin the sweard, to the praise and defence of good men, and to revenge and puniss all open malefactouris.
Moreover, to Kingis, Princes, Reullaris, and Magistratis, we affirme that cheiflie and maist princ.i.p.allie the reformatioun[257] and purgatioun of the Religioun apperteanes; so that not onlie thei are appointed for civile policey, bot also for mantenance of the trew Religioun, and for suppressing of idolatrie and superst.i.tioun whatsomever, as in David, Josaphat, Ezechias, Josias, and otheris, heychtlie commended for thair zeall in that caise, may be espyed. And thairfoir we confesse and avow, that sick as resist the Supreme power, (doing that thing which apperteanis to his charge,) do resist G.o.ddis ordinance, and thairfoir can not be guyltless. And farther, we affirme, that whosoever deny unto thame thair aid, counsall, and conforte, while the Princes and Reullaris vigilantlie travaill in the executing[258] of thair office, that the same men deny thair help, supporte, and counsall to G.o.d, who by the presence of his lieutennent craveth it of thame.
[257] In the old printed copies, ”conservatioun.”
[258] In the old printed copies, ”in executioun.”
THE GIFTIS FRELIE GEVIN TO THE KIRK.--CAP. XXV.
Albeit that the word of G.o.d trewlie preached, [and] the Sacramentis rychtlie ministred, and discipline executed according to the word of G.o.d, be the certane and infallible signes of the trew Kirk; yit do we nott so meane, that everie[259] particulare persone joyned with sick ane c.u.mpany, be ane elect member of Christ Jesus. For we acknawledge and confesse, that darnell, c.o.kle, and chaff, may be sawin, grow, and in great abundance lye in the myddis of the wheat; that is, the reprobat may be joyned in the societie of the elect, and may externallie use with thame the benefites of the word and sacramentis; but sic being b.u.t.t temporall professouris in mouth, but not in heart, do fall back and continew not to the end: and thairfoir haif thei no fruit of Christis death, resurrectioun, nor a.s.sentioun. But sick as with heart unfeanedlie beleve, and with mouth boldlie confesse the Lord Jesus, (as befoir we have said,) shall most a.s.suredly resave these giftis; first, In this lyfe, remissoun of synnes, and that by faith onlie in Christis blude, insamekle, that albeit syne remane and continuallie abyd in these our mortall bodyes, yit it is not imputed unto us, but is remitted and covered with Christis justice. Secondlie, In the generall judgement thair shalbe gevin to everie man and woman resurrectioun of the flesche; for the sea shall geve hir dead, the earth those that thairin be inclosed; yea, the Eternall, our G.o.d, shall stretche out his hand upoun the dust, and the dead shall aryse incorruptible, and that in the substance of the [self] same flesche that everie man now bearis, to resave, according to thair warkis, glorie or punishment: for sik as now delyte in vanitie, creueltye, filthynes, superst.i.tioun, or idolatrie, shalbe adjudged to the fyre inextinguishable, in the whiche thei shalbe tormented for ever, alsweall in thair awin bodyes, as in thair saullis, whiche now thei give to serve the devill in all abominatioun. b.u.t.t sik as continew in weall doing to the end, boldlie professing the Lord Jesus, [we constantly beleve, that they sall receive glorie, honour, and immortalitie, to reigne for ever in life everlasting with Christ Jesus,][260] to whose glorifeid body all his Elect shalbe [made] lyke, when he shall appeir agane to judgement, and shall render up the kingdome to G.o.d his Father, who then shalbe, and ever shall remane all in all thingis, G.o.d blessed for evir: To whome, with the Sone, and with the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glorie, now and ever. AMEN.
[259] In the old printed copies, ”the trew Kirk; we meane not that every.”
[260] This clause, omitted by Knox's amanuensis, is not contained in Vautr. edit., or in the later MSS.
_Aryse, O Lord, and lett thy ennemyes be confounded: Lett thame flye frome thy presence that hait thy G.o.dlie name: Give thy Servandis strenth to speak thy word in boldnes; and lett all Nationis atteane to[261] thy trew knowledge._
[261] In the old printed copies of the Confession, ”cleif,” ”cleve,”