The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

The beginning of the Letter.

THE Eternal Providence of the same God,¹ who hath appointed his chosen Children to fight in this transitory and wretched life, a battle strong and difficile, hath also appointed their final victory by a marvellous fashion, and the manner of their preservation in their battle more marvellous; their victory standeth not in resisting,² but in suffering; as our Sovereign Master pronounceth to his Disciples, that in patience they should possess their souls: And the same foresaw the Prophet, Isaiah, when that he painteth forth all other battle to be with violence, tumult, and blood-shedding, but the victory of Gods people to be in quietness, silence and hope; meaning that all others that obtain victory, do enforce themselves to resist their adversaries, to shed blood, and to murder: But so do not the Elect of God, but all things they sustain at the commandment of him who hath appointed them to suffer; being most assuredly persuaded, that then only they triumph,³ when all wen judge them oppressed: For in the Cross of Christ always is included a secret and hid victory, never well known till the sufferer ⟨p. 82⟩appear all together to be (as it were) exterminate; for then only did the blood of Abel cry to God, when proud Cain judged all memory of his brother to have been extinguished; and so (I say) their victory is marvellous, and how that they can be preserved and not brought to utter confusion, the eye of man perceiveth not:⁴ But he, whose power is infinite, by secret and hid motions, toucheth the hearts of such as to mans judgment hath power to destroy them, with very piety and compassion to save his people, as (in times past) he did the hearts of the Egyptian Midwives, to preserve the men-children of the Israelites, when command was given of Pharaoh for their destruction.