place to thame and yow sal gif place to me. As he mycht say plainly, and yow beleif the auld doctouris afore me, yow alswa wil beleif me, for my doctrin in al pointis is conformit to thair doctrine. counsellis. xviii. The thrid way to knaw quhat ar the bukis of haly write, The quhat is the trew sence of the same, quhat ar the articlis general quhilk ar herisie, is the declaracioun, determinatioun, diffinitioun and decisionis of general counsellis, gaderit togidder and concludit be the inspiratioun of the haly spirit, quhame the father eternall and our salviour Jesus Christ his natural sone hais gevin to the kirk to be ledar, techar, and direckar of the same kirk, in all matteris concerning our catholike faith and gud maneris of the christin peple, quhilk catholike kirk is trewly representit in all general counsellis lauchfully gaderit in the haly spirit. Quharfor, he that will nocht heir, resaif and obey the diffinitionis and determinationis of lauchful general counsellis concerning materis of our faith he is nocht to be acountit a trew christin man, according to the wordis of our salviour: Si ecclesiam non audierit, sit tibi Math. tanquam Ethnicus et Publicanus. Gyf he will nocht heir the kirk, lat him be to the as ane infidele, unchristinit, and ane Publican. Thus ye haif quha is ane herityk, and how he brekis the first command. Of quhome saint Paul sais thir wordis to his disciple Titus: Hæreticum hominem post unam et Ad Titum secundam correptionem devita, sciens quia subversus est qui hujusmodi est, et delinquit, cum sit proprio judicio condemnatus. A man [Fol. xx. a.] that is gevin to herisie, eftir the first and secund monitioun fle and forbeir his company, and knaw that he that is siclike is subvertit and synnis, evin damnit be his awin jugement, for als mekle as he resaivit the fayth as trew and catholik and eftir hend in sum part he gangis fra it, and impugnis it. Or we may say that he is damnit be his awin jugement, that is to say, he is damnit afore God, throw his awin, or for his awin electioun, wilfulnes and stifnes of his hart, and will nocht leive his herisie and returne to the catholike faith. ultimo. God. Thridly, all thai brekis this command that lippinis mair in Hoip in the powar and help of man than of God, of quhome it is said: man abone Maledictus homo qui confidit in homine. Cursit and wariit is Jer. xvii. that man that traistis and puttis his hoip in man. And thairfor the Prophet sais in the Psalme: Nolite confidere in principibus, Psal. cxlv. Hoip in strenth in filiis hominum in quibus non est salus. Traist nocht principally in princis nor in the sonnis of men in quhome is na salvatioun. Fourt, all thai quhilkis traistis owyr mekle in thair awin wisdome, strenth or riches, and sa in tyme of thair neid riches and callis nocht to God dewly for help, of quhome God sais thus: Perdam sapientiam sapientium, et prudentiam prudentium reprobabo. I will destroy the wisdome of the wise, and will cast away the understanding of the prudent. And the prophet in Psal. xlviii. the Psalme repreiffis thame that lippinnis in thair awin strenth and powar and gloris in the abundans of thair riches. wisdome. I Cor. i. The viii. Cheptour. [Fol.xx.b.] will nocht resaif it, of quhome it is writtin: Qui incredulus NIFT, al infidelis quhilk wantis the faith of Christ, and Infidelite. tioun. Ephes. iv. cioun. Rom, x. est filio non videbit vitam, sed ira dei manet super eum. He that will nocht haif faith in the son of God, sal nocht se ye lyfe, bot the wrath of God bydis upon him, because he beleiffis nocht in the only sone of God. Sext, al thai quhilk disparis of the mercy of God promissit to us in Christ. Of siclike Despera- sanct Paul sais to the Ephesianis: Qui desperantes semetipsos tradiderunt impudicitiæ, in operationem immundicia omnis in avariciam. Thai be desperacion gaif thame self to wantones in Presump doing of al uncleinness and covatousnes. Sevint, thai that presumis owyr mekil of thair awin nakit frewill and gud deedis doin be the powar of the same, traistis to be saiffit, and nocht principally be the grace of God, and be the merittis of Christ Jesu. Of quhome sanct Paul sais: Ignorantes enim justiciam dei, et suam quærentes statuere justicia dei non sunt subjecti. Miskenning the rychteousnes of God, and willing to maintene thair awin rychteousnes, thai ar nocht subdewit to the rychteousness that is of valour afore God. Aucht, ydolatrie. quha evir luffis ony creature abone God, or mair than God, that same man in a maner makis a god of that creature, and committis spiritual ydolatrie. Sa the covatous man makis a god of his warldly geir, the glowton makis a god of his wambe, gif a man dois ony thyng aganis the command of God for plesure or lufe of his wyfe or barnis in a maner he makis a god of his wife and his barnis. Quhasa also for lufe and pleasour of thair prince, thair Lord, or ony uthir freind, Spiritual [Fol. xxi. a.] hurtis ony uther man and hareis him out of house and harbarie, that man forsakis the trew God of hevin and in maner makis a god of his king, his lord or his lard. Alswa thai syn agane this command, that committis cor- Corporall porall ydolatrie, quhilk is, quhen men or wemen, nocht only ydolatrie. giffis till certane creaturis, or thair ymagis the service of thair hartis, that is to say, Faith, Hoip, and Lufe, quhilk aucht to be gevin to God, bot alswa thai gif to thame the outwart service of thair body, as honour, worschip and reverence, quhilk aucht to be gevin to God. Thus in ald tyme the Gentilis throw the blindnes of thair hartis, instructioun and provokation of the devil, committit corporal ydolatrie, to the greit injure of God and damnation of thair saulis. Part of thame worschippit with godly honour the Sone, the Mone and the sternis. Part of thame worschippit with godly honour Sap. xiii. the fyre, wynde or ane of the elementis. Some of thame gaif Gods honour to thame that was mortal men, as Jupiter, Mercurius, Mars, Venus, Diana with mony uthers. And nocht only thai tuke for thair goddis siclike mortal men and uther creaturis, bot alswa the ymages of men and of uther creaturis, of quhome S. Paul sais thus: Mutaverunt Rom. i. gloriam incorruptibilis dei in similitudinem imaginis corruptibilis hominis et volucrum et quadrupedum et serpentum. Thai turnit and gaif the glore of the immortal God unto ane ymage made [Fol. xxi. b.] nocht only efter the similitude of ane mortall man, bot alswa of Byrdis and four futtit beistis, and of creping beistis. And amang all the leife of the benefitis of God, this is nocht the leist, that throw the preching of the evangil, he hais deliverit us fra all corporal ydolatrie, quhilk in auld tyme was wont to be usit amang the peple, sa that now (thankis be to God) Psal. cxii. the wordis of the Prophet in the Psalme may be verifiet: A solis ortu usque ad occasum laudabile nomen domini. Fra the rising of the sone to the ganging downe of the same, laudable is the name of our Lord. That is to say, in all partis of the warld the haly name of ane eternal God is laudable. of witch The nynt, thai brek this command, quhasaevir usis wiche- All kind craft, Nicromansie, Enchantment, Juglarie or trastis in thame, craftis and or seikis thair help, quhasa lippinnis to werdis or dremis, superstiquhasa lippinnis to defend thair self or thair beistis, or geir E tionis. [Fol. xxii. a.] christiana. aganis fyre, watter, swerd, noysum beistis, with certene takinnis or writingis supersticiously. And gyf ony man or woman wald say: Oft tymis we se, that thingis cummis to passe, quhilk divinaris sais. Oft tymes men and beistis ar helpit be wytchis charmis. Oft tymes geir, tynt or stowin, is gettin agane be cowngerars, and sa apperandly, it is nocht evil done to seike for siclike help. O thou wretchit and blind man or woman, that thinkis or says siclike wordis, knaw thow weil and understand, that quhen saevir thow speris or seikis for ony help, counsel, remede, consolation or defence at ony wytche, socerar, cowngerar or siclike dissaveris, thow dois greit injure to thi Lord God, because that thow takis the honour and service quhilk aucht to be gevin to God allanerly, and giffis it to the devil, quhilk is deidly enemie to thy saul. For without dout, all Wytches, Nigromanceris and siclike, workis be operatioun of the devil under a paction, condition, band or obligation of service and Aug. lib. 2. honour to be made to him. Mairouir thow sa doand, condemnis de doctrina thi awin saule to panis eternal, because that thow forsakis utterly thi Lord God quhilk hais creat the to his awin ymage and liknes, and redemit the with na lesse price than with the precious blud of his awin natural sone our salviour Jesus Christ. Attouir thow brekis thi condition and band of service made to him in the sacrament of Baptyme. Finally thou Aug. serm. art made as ane Pagan, Saracene or Infidele and sall perische for evirmair, except thou amend thy lyfe be trew, scharp, and lang penance. Quhat is deidly syn, bot wilfull transgressioun of the command of God? Than, how can thow that is ane wytche, or giffis credite to be helpit be Wytchcraft, excuse the fra deidly syn and endles damnation, seand that God almychty expresly in his haly law forbiddis al kindis of wytchecraft and siclike devilrie saiand thus: Non augurabimini, nec observabitis somnia. Use na kynd of wytchcraft, and tak na tent to dremis. And a litle efter hend: Non declinetis ad Magos, nec ab ariolis aliquid sciscitemini ut polluamini per eos, ego dominus deus vester. Gang nocht to witchis for ony help or confort, nother seik for counsell at ony socerar, for sa doand, ye are fylit in your saulis be thame, for I am your Lord God. And to mak an answar to thi argument. The devil sumtyme in smal matters schawis to the the verite, bot to that effeck, that finally he may ccxli. de tempore. Lev. xix. [Fol. xxii. b.] cause the gif credit to his lesingis and black falset, in maters of greit wecht concerning thi saul. Sumtyme he will help the to get agane the guddis of this warld, bot his intent is, that finally he may cause the tyne the guddis of the warld to cum. Sumtyme he wil help the to recover the helth of thi body, bot to that effeck, that finally he may bring the to eternal dede of thi saul. Quharfor all trew christin men and wemen, suld nocht only be the command of God use na kind of witchcraft, bot alswa suld seik for na help at witchis. because that all sicklike doingis is injurius to God, and damnable to mans saul. Nother can thai excuse thame self fra transgresssion of the first command, that supersticiously observis ane day mair than ane other, as certane craftis men, quhilk will nocht begin thair warke on the saterday, certane schipmen or marinars will nocht begin to sail on the satterday, certane travelars will nocht begin thair jornay on the satterday, quhilk is plane superstition, because that God almychty made the satterday as well as he made all other dayis of the wouke. Quharfor all lesum warkis may be begon als well on the Satterday as ony other day of the wouke, quhilk is nocht commandit haly day. Siclik supersticion is amang thame, that will nocht berisch or erde the bodis of thair freindis on [Fol. the North part of the kirk yard, trowand that thair is mair xxiii, a.] halynes or vertew on the South syde than on the North. It is nocht unknawin to us, that mony and sundry uther sinfull and damnable kindis of witchecraftis and superstitionis ar usit amang sum men and wemen, quhilk at this tyme we can nocht reherse and reprove in special, thairfor according to our dewtie we require yow forbeir thame all, because thai ar all damnable to your saulis. of God. The tent, thai breke this command that tempis God, and Temtation exponis thair bodie and saule to perrel, quhen thai may help' thame self be uther lauchful menis and wayis. The levint, quha presumis of thame self ony thing, or is Elatioun hilie and proud of Goddis giftis, or makis a vant of thair and pride. wisedome or rychteousnes quha wyrschippis or luffis God allanerlie for temporal geir. The twelft, quha lippinnis nocht upon God in al places, in al thair lesum warkis and counsellis, quha doutis in Goddis promis, or disparis of his mercy. |