The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

The Blind, Crooked, Lame, Widows, Orphans, and all other poor, so visited by the hand of God as cannot work: To all the flock of Friars within this Realm, we wish restitution of wrongs past, and reformation in times coming, for Salvation. YE your selves are not ignorant (and though ye would be) it is now (thanks be to God) well known to the whole world, by his most infallible Word, That the Benignity or Alms of all Christian people pertaineth to us alone; which ye, being whole of body, strong, sturdy, and able to work, what under pretence of poverty (and yet nevertheless possessing most easily all abundance) what through cloaked and hidden humility (though your proudness is known) and what feigned holiness (which now is declared to be Superstition and Idolatry) have these many years, expressly against Gods Word, and the practice of his holy Apostles, to our great torment (alas) most falsely stolen from us. And as ye have by your false doctrine and wresting of Gods Word, learned of your father Satan, induced the whole people, high and low, into a sure hope and belief, That to clothe, feed, and nourish you, is the only most acceptable Alms allowed before God; and to give a penny, or a piece a bread once in a week is enough for us. Even so ye have persuaded them to build you great Hospitals, and maintain you therein by their force, which only pertains now to us by all Law, as builded and given to the poor, of whose number ye are not, nor can be reputed, neither by the Law of God, nor yet by no other Law proceeding of Nature, Reason, or Civill Policy. Wherefore seeing our number is so great, so indigent, and so heavily oppressed by your false means, that none taketh care of out misery: And that it is better for to provide there our impotent members, which God hath given us, to oppose to you in plain controversy, then to see you hereafter (as ye have done afore) steal from us our houses, and our selves in the mean time to perish and die for want of the same. We have thought good therefore, ere we enter with you in the conflict to warn you, in the Name of the great God, by this public writing, affixed in ⟨p. 119⟩your gates where ye now dwell, that ye remove forth of our said Hospitals, betwixt this and the Feast of Whit-sunday next:

The Blinde, Crooked, Lame, Widows, Orphans, and all other poor, so visited by the hand of God as cannot work: To all the flock of Friers within this Realme, we wish restitution of wrongs past, and reformation in times coming, for Salvation. YE your selves are not ignorant (and though ye would be) it is now (thanks be to God) well knowne to the whole world, by his most infallible Word, That the Benignity or Almes of all Christian people pertaineth to us alone; which ye, being whole of bodie, strong, sturdie, and able to work, what under pretence of poverty (and yet neverthelesse possessing most easily all abundance) what through cloked and hidden humility (though your proudnesse is knowne) and what fained holinesse (which now is declared to be Superstition and Idolatry) have these many yeers, expresly against Gods Word, and the practice of his holy Apostles, to our great torment (alas) most falsly stollen from us. And as ye have by your false doctrine and wresting of Gods Word, learned of your father Sathan, induced the whole people, high and low, into a sure hope and belief, That to clothe, feed, and nourish you, is the onely most acceptable Alms allowed before God; and to give a penny, or a piece a bread once in a week is enough for us. Even so ye have perswaded them to build you great Hospitals, and maintain you therein by their force, which onely pertains now to us by all Law, as builded and given to the poore, of whose number ye are not, nor can be reputed, neither by the Law of God, nor yet by no other Law proceeding of Nature, Reason, or Civill Policy. Wherefore seeing our number is so great, so indigent, and so heavily oppressed by your false meanes, that none taketh care of out misery: And that it is better for to provide there our impotent members, which God hath given us, to oppose to you in plain controversie, then to see you hereafter (as ye have done afore) steale from us our houses, and our selves in the meane time to perish and die for want of the same. We have thought good therefore, ere we enter with you in the conflict to warne you, in the Name of the great God, by this publike writing, affixt in