The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

What here happened to Christ Jesus himself,¹ that I might prove to have chanced, and daily to happen to the verity of his blessed Word in all ages from the beginning.

1. 1What chanced to Christ, that also in all ages chanceth to his holy Word.

For as Christ himself in this their trouble, was judged and esteemed by his disciples at the first sight a spirit, or fantastical body; so is the Truth and sincere Preaching of his glorious Gospel, sent by God for mans comfort, deliverance from sin, and quietness of conscience, when it is first offered, and truly preached, it is (I say) no less but judged to be heresy and deceivable doctrine, sent by the devil to mans destruction.

For as Christ himself in this their trouble, was judged and esteemed by his disciples at the first sight a spirit, or phantasticall body; so is the Truth and sincere Preaching of his glorious Gospel, sent by God for mans comfort, deliverance from sin, and quietnesse of conscience, when it is first offered, and truely preached, it is (I say) no lesse but judged to be heresie and deceivable doctrine, sent by the devill to mans destruction.

The cause hereof is the dark ignorance of God, which in every age since the beginning so overwhelmed the world, that sometimes Gods very Elect were in like blindness and error with the reprobate: As Abraham was an Idolater; Moses was instructed in all the ways of the Egyptians; Paul a proud Pharisee, conjured against Christ and his Doctrine: And many in this same our age, when the Truth of God was offered unto them, were sore afraid, and cried against it, only because the dark clouds of ignorance had troubled them before. But this matter I omit and let pass, till more opportunity.