If Master Tyrie recant not this assertion he must correct his creed.1 And where universally before we use to say credo sanctam ecclesiam. &c.2 He must say video sauctam ecclesiam. For if there be no kirk upon the face of the earth, but that which is visible, and that which may be shown first, be certain notes external, then superfluous and vane it were to us to say, I believe the holy K•rk universal: but confidently we might affirm, I see y• holy kirk. If Master Tyrie will say we may both see & believe, and be our sight our Faith may be strengthened. For Thomas saw y• wounds in the hands, […] and side of Christ Jesus, and believed: and so may we see the Kirk and yet bele•e it. If we should grant so far to M•ister Tyrie, yet were his argument nothing helped. For the question is not, whether that we may notify those things that we are bound to believe. But the question is, if that we are not bound to believe those things, which sometimes are utterly […] from the external senses of men. M••ster Tyrie will acknowledge no kirk except that which hes been ⟨image 28⟩and is visible. We in the contrary acknowledge and reverence the spouse of Christ Jesus,3 sometimes exiled from the world, receiving sometimes the wings of an Eagle, that she may flee to the wilderness: Whereof God and not of man, she hath her place prepared. We reverence her with doeth complain, that she hath been desolate, barren, a captive, and a wanderer to and fro. That spouse of Jesus Christ brags so little of her succession, visible to mans eyes,4 that she is reft in admiration, who should have nourished her Children, during the time of her banishment. If master Tyrie be so well seen in the ancient Writers, as in his writing he would show him self to be, then can he not be ignorant that it is not without great cause that the holy Ghost hath taught us to say:5 I believe the holy Kirk universal. To wit, because that oftentimes it is, that the Kirk militant is so afflicted. Yea, the beauty thereof is so obscured, to the most part of the world, that the Synagogue of Satan usurps the title of the true Kirk: and Babylon is preferred to Jerusalem.6 So that the elect are compelled to complain and say. We s• not our own signs, now is there no ⟨image 28⟩Prophet any more amongst us. Let the days of Elijah and his complaint witness whether that the Kirk of God is always so visible, that it may be pointed forth with the finger of man.
If Maister Tyrie recant not this assertiō he must correct his crede.1 Aud where vniuersally befor we vse to say credo sanctam ecclesiam. &c.2 He must say video sauctam ecclesiam. For if there be no kirk vpon the face of the earth, but that which is visible, and th•t which may be shawen first, be certane notes external, then superfluous and vane it wer to vs to say, I beleue the holy K•rk vniuersall: but confidētly we might affirme, I see y• holy kirk. If Master Tyrie will say we may bothe se & beleue, and be our sight our Faith may be strengthned. For Thomas saw y• woū des in the handes, 〈…〉 and syde of Christ Iesus, and beleued: and so may we se the Kirk and yet bele•e it. If we should grāt so far to M•ister Tyrie, yet wer his argument nothing helped. For the question is not, whether that we may noti•ie those thinges that we ar bound to beleleue. But the question is, if that we are not bound to beleue those thinge•, which somtymes ar vtterly 〈…〉 from the external senses of men. M••ster Tyrie will acknowledge no kirk except that which hes bene ⟨image 28⟩and is visible. We in the cōtrare acknowledge and reuerence the spous of Chiist Iesus,3 somtymes exyled from the world, receauing somtymes the wynges of an Egle, that she may fle to the wyldernes: Whereof God and not of man, she hath her place prepared. We reuerence her wt doeth complane, that she hath bene desolate, barrane, a captiue, and a wanderer to and fro. That spous of Iesus Christ brages so lytle of her succession, visible to mānes eyes,4 that she is reft in admiration, who should haue nurished her Children, during the tyme of her baniwement. If master Tyrie be so well sene in the ancient Wryters, as in his wryting he wold shaw him self to be, then can he not be ignorāt that it is not without great caus that the holy Goste hath taught vs to say:
- 1Answer to his affirmations.Answer to his affirmationes.
- 2Nota.
- 3Apocal. ••.
- 4Isai. 49.
- 5Note diligently.
- 6Psalm. 74.
