The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

which is a cause of their fear, and why they claim that privilege, that no man dispute of their Religion;¹ the Verity and Truth being of the nature of fine purified Gold, doth not fear the trial of the Furnace; but the stubble and Chaff of mans inventions (such is their Religion) may not abide the the flame of fire. True it is, that Mahomet pronounced this sentence, That no man should in pain of death dispute or reason of the ground of his Religion; which Law to this day (by the art of Satan) is observed amongst the Turks, to their mortal blindness and horrible blaspheming of the Gospel of Christ Jesus, and of his true Religion; And from Mahomet or rather from Satan the father of all lies) hath the Pope and his rabble learned this former lesson; to wit, Their Religion should not be disputed upon, but what the fathers have believed, that ought and must the Children approve; and in so devising Satan lacked not his foresight, for no one thing hath more established the kingdom of that Roman Antichrist, then this most wicked decree; to wit, That no man was permitted to reason of his power, or to call his Laws in doubt: This is most assured, that whensoever the Papistical Religion shall come to examination, it shall be found to have no other ground, then hath the religion of Mahomet; to wit, mans invention, device and dreams overshadowed with ⟨p. 36⟩some colour of Gods Word: And therefore Brethren, seeing that the Religion is to man, as the stomach to the body, which if it be corrupted, doth infect the whole Members, it is necessary that the same be examined; and if it be found replenished with pestilent humours, (I mean with the fantasies of men) then of necessity it is, that those be purged, else shall your bodies and souls perish for ever:² For of this I would ye were most certainly persuaded,³ that a corrupt Religion defileth the whole life of man, appear it never so holy. Neither would I that ye should esteem the Reformation and care of Religion less to appertain to you, because ye are no Kings, Rulers, Judges, Nobles, nor in Authority;

which is a cause of their fear, and why they claim that priviledge, that no man dispute of their Religion;