An ansvver to the calumnious letter and erroneous propositions of an apostat named M. Io. Hammiltoun. Composed by M. VVilliam Fouler

❧ THE V. PRO. *In the trew and Cathol••k Kirk thair hes bene and sal be euer an continuall successious of faithfull Docteurs & Pasteur••.

That the confutatioun of of this conclusioun the mair ea∣sily may be concaued, & for eschewing of tha things, quhilks may reteine the lecteur in suspence, we mynd shortely to in∣trreat of the mater it selfe. We planely deny (quhairof we fall assigne guid reasons) that the Kirk of God is decernit by personal successioun, a note conuenient to al Kirks, Grecians Assyrians, Armenians, and Ethiopians: quhilkis the Pape hes condemnit in mony heads of heresie. And mair proper, to in∣daisme, and turcisme: then to the Kirk of Christ, as afterwart salbe breifly declarit.

AD. This is prouit by S. Paul to the ••phesi. 4. chap that Christe gaue to his Kirki•• sum Apostlis, sum prophets, Euangelists, Pasteurs and docteurs.

AN. We acknawledge Hammiltoun Christs gifts, & bene∣feits, be the quhilks cairfully and beneficially he hes indeuit his Kirk. Bot it is far socht to collect heirof, an continual sue cessioun from Pape, to Pape.

AD. And in S ••ath. quhair Christ say is to his Apostles I sathe with ʒou to the end of the warld. of t••e quhilk this thou infers Sua that gif the Apostlis did not remaine in thair a win persons as thay did not. it is necessare that thay ramanit in their successeurs vnto the latter d •• y.

AN O profound iudgement! Bot seing I will not tak vpon me, to alter thy words, I leaue them by thy selfe to be corre∣cted, and thy mynd farther to be explained, quhilk of it self is vaine, dark and obscure. For I wald thou fatiss••it my petition quhilk is necessar. Whither did the Apostles remaine in their successours bodily or spiritually? spiritually they micht not: Seing it is the Spreit of God, & not of the Apostles, that suld remaine▪rests then that bodely and substantialie, quhilke is fals.

AD. August,* 1.1 prouis be this argument the Donastis to be Schismatiques because they ••culd shaw•• na ••successioun of lawfull pasleurs sen Christs dayis.

AN. Treuth it is that augusteine e••teames it to be ane grit benifites of God and solid praise and commendatioun to the Kirk, that from Peters dayes, and the Apostles, they war vnto his age, a successioun of lanfull pasteurs. but he neuer repu••it personall successioun, to be an maist proper, necessare, and in fallabill note of the kirk, for he him self affirmes the contrair

s••ying 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••ill not proue our Kir••s,* 1.2 ••ther by successioun of Byshops, autoriti••s of councels, or be the number of miracles ••nd visions, but be the prescriuit ••ords of the euangel. For if it ••ar an necessar and maist propre not of the kirk; whairly∣neall successioun war, thair also suld be the Kirk of God. This reciprocatioun most be, for thou ea••teamis it to be proprium quarto modo. The Scrybes then and Pharisies personallie & lynealie discending from Aaron and Moyses(in quhais chyre ordinarly & successiuelie they sat) quha crucesyit Christ suld be the trew Kirk. I do not approue this reasoun but ʒour for-argument standing trew, it is inuincibill▪ in end, if euer the au∣toritie of ony kirk micht bene aduancit by personall succes∣sioun, it was Ierusalem: seing it was promisit, that the Lord for euer suld inhabit yat ••empil. & thairfor be this word the ••ēpil the Temple of the Lord, they opponit thē vnto the Prophets. bot we read in the 7 chap. of ••eremie quhat was answerit. Finallie granting (without preiudice to the veritie) lyneal sue cessioun to be an trew note to the kirk, we acknawledge it to mak mair for our defence, then for ʒour poursuit considering that our pasteurs succeadis personallie to quhatsume••er hes b••rne office in Christs Kirk: and in doctreine, vnto Christ & his Apostels, and vnto all vthairs, that after thame treulie hes professed the same word.

Notes

• * 1.1

  S. Augu. epist. ••65
• * 1.2

  De v••it ••••cl. ••••.