The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

If Tyrants of the earth, and such as delight in the shedding of blood should be persuaded that this sentence is true, they would not so furiously come to their own destruction; for what man can be so enraged, that he would willingly do even before the eyes of God, that which might provoke his Majesty to anger, yea, provoke him to become his enemy for ever, if that he understood how fearful a thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God?

If Tyrants of the earth, and such as delight in the shedding of blood should be perswaded that this sentence is true, they would not so furiously come to their own destruction; for what man can be so enraged, that he would willingly do even before the eyes of God, that which might provoke his Majestie to anger, yea, provoke him to become his enemy for ever, if that he understood how fearfull a thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God?

The cause then of this blind fury of the world, is the ignorance of God, and that men think that God is but an Idol, and that there is no knowledge above, that beholdeth their Tyranny; neither yet Justice that will, nor power that can repress their impiety; but yet the Spirit of truth doth witness the contrary, affirming, That as the eyes of the Lord are upon the just, and as his ears are ready to receive their sobbing and prayers, so is his angry visage against such as work iniquity, he hateth and holdeth in abomination every deceitful and blood-thirsty man, whereof he hath given sufficient document from age to age, in preserving the one, or at least in revenging of their cause, and in punishing of the other. Where it is said, That the Lord will come from his place, and that he will visit the iniquity of the inhabitants of the earth upon them, and that the earth shall disclose her blood, we have to consider, what most commonly hath been, and what shall be the condition of the Church of God, to wit, That it is not only hated, mocked, and despised, but that it is exposed as it were, in a prey, unto the fury of the wicked; so that the blood of the Children of God, is spilt like unto water upon the face of the earth.

The cause then of this blinde fury of the world, is the ignorance of God, and that men think that God is but an Idoll, and that there is no knowledge above, that beholdeth their Tyranny; neither yet Justice that will, nor power that can represse their impiety; but yet the Spirit of truth doth witnesse the contrary, affirming, That as the eyes of the Lord are upon the just, and as his ears are ready to receive their sobbing and prayers, so is his angry visage against such as work iniquitie, he hateth and holdeth in abomination every deceitfull and blood-thirsty man, whereof he hath given sufficient document from age to age, in preserving the one, or at least in revenging of their cause, and in punishing of the other. Where it is said, That the Lord will come from his place, and that he will visit the iniquity of the inhabitants of the earth upon them, and that the earth shall disclose her blood, we have to consider, what most commonly hath been, and what shall be the condition of the Church of God, to wit, That it is not onely hated, mocked, and despised, but that it is exposed as it were, in a prey, unto the fury of the wicked; so that the blood of the Children of God, is spilt like unto water upon the face of the earth.