The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

The more pity (said the other) and yet what you have profited your own cause, let others judge. But as for my argument, I am assured you have infirmed it in nothing; for your first two witnesses speak against the Anabaptists, who deny that Christians should be ⟨p. 388⟩subject to Magistrates; or yet that it is lawful for a Christian to be a Magistrate: whose opinion, I no less abhor, then ye do, or any other that liveth. The others speak of Christians subject to Tyrants and Infidels, so dispersed, that they have no other force, but only to sob unto God for deliverance; that such (indeed) should hazard any further then these godly men wills them, I cannot hastily be of counsel: But my argument hath another ground; for I speak of a people assembled in one Body of a Common-wealth, unto whom God hath given sufficient force, not only to resist, but also to suppress all kind of open Idolatry: And such a people yet again I affirm, are bound to keep their Land clean and unpolluted. And that this my division shall not appear strange unto you, ye shall understand that God required one thing of Abraham and of his Seed, when he and they were strangers and Pilgrims in Egypt and Canaan; and another thing required he of them, when they were delivered from the Bondage of Egypt, ¹and the possession of the Land of Canaan granted unto them: The first, and during the time of their Bondage, God craved no more, but that Abraham should not defile himself with their Idolatry; neither was he, nor his Posterity commanded to destroy the Idols that were in Canaan, or in Egypt: But when God gave unto them possession of the Land, he gave unto them this strait Commandment, Beware that thou make not League or Confederacy with the inhabitants of this Land: give not thy sons unto their daughters, nor yet give thy daughters unto their sons, &c. But this ye shall do unto them, Cut down their Groves, destroy their Images, break down their Altars, and leave thou no kind of remembrance of these Abominations which the Inhabitants of the Land used before; for thou art a holy People unto the Lord thy God; defile not thy self therefore with their gods, &c. To this Commandment, I say, are ye, my Lords, and all such as have professed the Lord within this Realm, bound;

The more pity (said the other) and yet what you have profited your own cause, let others judge. But as for my argument, I am assured you have infirmed it in nothing; for your first two witnesses speak against the Anabaptists, who deny that Christians should be