The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

to wit, That ye should call your Religion in doubt, which hath been approved and established by so long continuance, and by the consent of so many men before you. But I shortly answer, That neither is the long continuance of time, neither yet the multitude of men a ⟨p. 35⟩sufficient approbation, which God will allow for our Religion; For as some of the ancient Writers do witness, neither can long process of time justify an error, neither can the multitude of such, as follow it, change the nature of the same;¹ But if it was an error in the beginning, so is it in the end, and the longer that it be followed, and the mo that do receive it, it is more pestilent, and more to be avoided: For if antiquity or multitude of men could justify any Religion,² then was the Idolatry of the Gentiles, and now is the abomination of the Turks, good Religion; For antiquity approved the one, and a multitude hath received, and doth defend the other: But otherwise to answer, godly men may wonder from what Fountain such a sentence doth flow, that no man ought to try his faith and Religion by Gods Word, but that he safely may believe and follow every thing, which antiquity and multitude have approved;³ the Spirit of God doth otherwise teach us; for the wisdom of God, Christ Jesus himself, remitted his adversaries to Moses and the Scriptures, to try by them whether his Doctrine were of God, or not: The Apostles Paul and Peter command men to try the Religion which they profess,⁴ by Gods plain Scriptures, and do praise men for so doing; Saint John straightly commandeth, That we believe not every spirit, but to try the spirits whether they be of God, or not. Now seeing that these evident testimonies of the holy Ghost will us to try our faith and Religion by the plain Word of God; wonder it is that the Papists will not be content that their Religion and Doctrine come under the trial of the same. If this sentence of Christ be true (as it is most true, seeing it springeth from the verity it self) Who so doth evil hateth the Light, neither will he come to the Light, ⁵