The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

Addition.

Hereof ye cannot be ignorant: For besides these whom ye hear from time to time most cruelly to be murdered in France, ¹Italy, Spain, Flanders, and now of late years besides you in England, for no other cause, but that they profess Christ Jesus to be the only Saviour of the world,² The only Mediator betwixt God and man, The only Sacrifice acceptable for the sins of all faithful; and finally, The only Head to his Church. Besides these, I say (of whom ye hear the brute) ye have been witness, That some within the Realm of Scotland, for the same cause, most cruelly have been murdered, whose cause was never heard with indifferency; But murderers sitting in the Seat of Justice, have shed the blood of Christs true Witnesses; which albeit did then appear to be consumed away with fire, yet it is resent in the presence of him for whose cause they did suffer, and ceaseth not to call for vengeance, with the blood of Abel, to fall upon, not only such as were immediate and next authors of that murder, but also upon all those that maintain those tyrants in their tyranny, or that do consent to their beastly cruelty, or that do not stop, having the power in hand. Take not this as the affirmation of any man, but hear and consider the voice of the Son of God; Fulfil (saith he) the measure of your fathers, ³that all the blood which hath been shed since the blood of Abel the just, till the blood of Zachariah, &c. may come upon this generation. Hereby it is evident, That the murderers of our time, as well as in the time of Christ, are guilty of all the blood that hath been shed from the beginning. Fearful, I grant, is the sentence; yet it is most equal and just: For whosoever sheddeth the blood of any one of Christ Jesus his members,⁴ for professing of his Truth, consenteth to all the murder which hath been made since the beginning for that cause. So that as there is one communion of all Gods Elect, of whom every member is participant of the holy Justice of Christ; so is there a communion among the reprobate, by which every one of the Serpents seed are criminal and guilty of all iniquity which the whole Body committeth, because they are altogether against Christ Jesus, and against his eternal Verity; every one serving Satan the Prince of this world in their rank, age, degree and estate.