The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

The second is, That ye neither know your duty which ye owe to God, neither yet your Authority which of him ye have received, if ye for pleasure or fear of any earthly man despise Gods true Religion, and contemn your brethren that in his Name call for your support. Your duty is to hear the voice of the Eternal your God, and unfeignedly to study to follow his Precepts; who, as is before said, of special mercy hath promoted you to Honours and Dignity.¹ His chief and principal Precept is, That with reverence ye receive and embrace his only beloved Son Jesus; That ye promote to the uttermost of your powers his true Religion; and That ye defend your brethren and subjects, whom he hath put under your charge and care. Now if your King be a man ignorant of God, enemy to his true Religion, blinded by Superstition, and a persecutor of Christs members, Shall ye be excused, if with silence ye pass over his iniquity? Be not deceived, my Lords, ye are placed in Authority for another purpose then to flatter your King in his folly and blind rage; to wit, That as with your bodies, strength, riches and wisdom ye are bound to assist and defend him in all things which by your advice he shall take in hand for Gods glory,² and for the preservation of his Common-wealth and subjects; so by your authorities, counsel, and admonition, ye are bound to correct and repress whatsoever ye know him to attempt expressly repugning to Gods Word, Honour and glory, or what ye shall espy him to do, be it by ignorance, or be it by malice, against his subjects, great or small: Of which last part of your obedience if you defraud your King, ye commit against him no less Treason,³ then if ye did extract from him your due and promised support, when by his enemies unjustly he were pursued. ⟨p. 19⟩But this part of their duty, I fear, do a small number of the Nobility of this age rightly consider; neither yet will they understand that for that purpose hath God promoted them: For now the common song of all men is, We must obey our Kings, be they good or bad; For God hath commanded it. But horrible shall the vengeance be, that shall be poured forth upon such blasphemers of God his holy Name and Ordinance;⁴