The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

If we will not deny that which Christ Jesus affirmeth to be a truth infallible; to wit, That the soul is greater and more precious then is the body, then shall we easily espy how unworthy of Authority be those that this day debar their subjects from hearing of Gods Word, and by fire and sword compel them to feed upon the very poison of their souls, the damnable Doctrine of Antichrist. And therefore in this point, I say, I cannot cease to admonish your Honours diligently to take heed over your charge, which is greater then the most part of men suppose.¹ It is not enough that you abstain from violent wrong and oppression which ungodly men exercise against their subjects; but ye are further bound, to wit, That ye rule above them for their weal; which we cannot do, if that ye either by negligence not providing true Pastors, or yet by your maintenance of such as be ravening Wolves, suffer their souls to starve and perish for lack of the true food, which is Christs Evangel sincerely preached: It will not excuse you in his presence who will require account of every Talent committed to your charge, to say, That ye supposed that the charge of the souls had been ⟨p. 12⟩committed to your Bishops. No no, my Lords, so ye cannot escape Gods judgement; for if your Bishops be proved to be no Bishops, but deceivable thieves,² and ravening wolves (which I offer my self to prove by Gods Word, by Law and Councils, yea, by the judgement of all the godly learned, from the primitive Church to this day) then shall your permission and defence, be reputed before God a participation with their theft and murder: For thus accused the Prophet Isaiah the Princes of Jerusalem: ³Thy Princes (saith he) are apostates, (that is, obstinate refusers of God) and they are companions of thieves. This grievous accusation was laid against them, albeit that they ruled in that City, which sometime was called Holy, where then were the Temple, Rites, and Ordinances of God; because that not only they were wicked themselves, but chiefly because they maintained wicked men, their Priests and false Prophets, in honours and authority: If they did not escape this accusation of the holy Ghost in that age, look ye neither to scape the accusation nor the judgement of wicked men;