The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

¹O Lord be merciful to my great offence, and deal not with me according to my great iniquity; but according to the multitude of thy mercies remove from me the burden of my sin: for of purpose and mind to have avoided the vain displeasure of man, I spared little to offend thy Majesty.

¹O Lord be mercifull to my great offence, and deal not with me according to my great iniquity; but according to the multitude of thy mercies remove from me the burthen of my sin: for of purpose and minde to have avoided the vain displeasure of man, I spared little to offend thy Majestie.

1. 1The prayer of the author.

Think not (beloved in the Lord) That thus I accuse my self without just cause, as though in so doing I might appear more holy; or that yet I do it of purpose and intent by occasion thereof to accuse others of my brethren the true Preachers of Christ of like or greater offences: No, God is Judge to my conscience, That I do it even from an unfeigned and sore troubled heart, as I that know my self grievously to have offended the Majesty of my God, during the time that Christs Gospel had free passage in England. ¹And this I do let you understand, That the taking away of the heavenly Bread, and this great tempest that now bloweth against the poor disciples of Christ within the Realm of England (as touching our part) cometh from the great mercy of our heavenly Father, to provoke us to unfeigned repentance, for that neither Preacher nor Professor did rightly consider the time of our merciful Visitation: But altogether so we spent the time, as though Gods Word had been Preached rather to satisfy our fantasies, then to reform our evil manners. Which thing if we earnestly repent, then shall Jesus Christ appear to our comfort, be the storm never so great. Haste, O Lord, for thy Names sake.