The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

Here may be espied in this people great obstinacy and blindness;¹ for nothing which the Lord had before spoken by this Prophet Jeremiah, had fallen in vain; Their own eyes had seen the plagues and miseries which he had threatened, take effect in every point, as he had spoken before; yea, they were yet green and fresh both in mind and presence (for the flame and fire wherewith Jerusalem was consumed and burnt, was then scantly quenched) and yet could they not believe his threatenings then spoken, neither yet could they follow his fruitful counsel, given for their great wealth and safeguard. And why so? Because they never delighted in Gods Truth,² neither had they repented their former Idolatry, but still continued and rejoiced in the same,³ as manifestly appeareth in the four and fortieth Chapter of the same Prophet; and therefore would they and their wives have been in Egypt, where all kind of Idolatry and Superstition abounded, that they (without reproach or rebuke) might have their Bellies full thereof in despite of Gods holy Laws and Prophets. In writing hereof it came to my mind, that after the death of that innocent and most godly King Edward the sixth,⁴ while that great tumult was in England, for the establishing of that most unhappy and wicked woman's Authority (I mean of Mary that now reigneth in Gods wrath) entreating the same argument in a Town in Buckingham Shire, named Hammersham, before a great congregation, with sorrowful heart and weeping eyes, I fell into this exclamation;

Here may be espied in this people great obstinacie and blindnesse;¹ for nothing which the Lord had before spoken by this Prophet Ieremy, had fallen in vain; Their own eyes had seen the plagues and miseries which hee had threatned, take effect in every point, as he had spoken before; yea, they were yet green and fresh both in minde and presence (for the flame and fire wherewith Ierusalem was consumed and burnt, was then scantly quenched) and yet could they not beleeve his threatnings then spoken, neither yet could they follow his fruitfull counsell, given for their great wealth and safeguard. And why so? Because they never delighted in Gods Truth,