The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

And now to you who are persuaded of the justice of our cause, who sometimes have professed Christ Jesus with us,¹ and who also have exhorted us to this enterprise, and yet have left us in our extreme necessity, at least look out through your fingers in this our trouble, as that the matter appertained not unto you, we say, That unless (all fear and worldly respects set aside) ye join your selves with us, that as of God ye are reputed Traitors, so shall ye be excommunicated from our Society, and from all participation with us in the Administration of Sacraments: the glory of this Victory which God shall give to his Church, yea, even in the eyes of men, shall not appertain to you, but the fearful judgement which apprehended Ananias, and his wife Sapphira, ²shall apprehend you and your posterity. Ye may perchance contemn and despise the Excommunication of the Church now by Gods mighty power erected amongst us, as a thing of no force: But yet doubt we nothing, but that our Church, and the true Ministers of the same, have the same power which our Master Christ Jesus granted to ⟨p. 142⟩his Apostles in these words, Whose sins ye shall forgive, shall be forgiven; and whose sins ye shall retain, shall be retained, and that because they preach, and we believe the same Doctrine which is contained in his most blessed Word: and therefore, except that ye will contemn Christ Jesus, ye neither can despise our threatening, neither yet refuse us calling for your just defence.³ By your fainting, and by extracting of your support, the enemies are encouraged, thinking that they shall find no resistance: in which point, God willing, they shall be deceived; for if they were ten thousand, and we but one thousand, they shall not murder the least of our brethren, but we (God assisting us) shall first commit our lives into the hands of God for their defence. But this shall aggravate your condemnation, for ye declare your selves both Traitors to the Truth once professed, and murderers of us and of our brethren,⁴ from whom ye withdraw your dutiful and promised support, whom your only presence (to mans judgement) might preserve from this danger. For our enemies look not to the power of God, but to the force and strength of man; when the number is mean to resist them, then rage they as bloody wolves; but a part equal or able to resist them by appearance, doth bridle their fury.