The catechisme that is to say, ane co[m]mon and catholik instructioun of the christin people in materis of our catholik faith and religioun, quhilk na gud christin man or woman suld misknaw: set furth be ye maist reuerend father in God Iohne aschbischop of sanct Androus legatuit and primat of ye kirk of Scotland, in his prouincial counsale haldin at Edinburgh the xxvi. day of Ianuarie, the yeir of our Lord 1551. with the aduise and counsale of the bischoippis and uthir prelatis with doctours of theologie and canon law of the said realme of Scotland present for the tyme.

Ane prologe to the Cathecysme.

THE fourt buke of the kingis,* 1.1 (o Christiane peple) makis menti∣oun, that the sonnis of Israel, vtherwais callit the peple of the Iewis, was led in captiuite into Babylone, be ye king of ye Assy∣rianis, callit Nebu••hodono••or, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thair greit miserie and confusioun. The cause quharof is plainlie expremit in the fift cheptour of Esaie, quhair God almychty sais thus:* 1.2 Propterea capi••s ductus est populus meus, quia non habuit scientiā. Thairfor is my peple (••ais almychty God) ledde in captiuite, because that thai haif nocht had knawlege or vnderstanding. Gyf ʒespeir, quharof had thai na vnderstanding or knawlege? Treulie nother of yame self nor of thair God, for baith thai miskend yame self & yair Lord God, quhilk thing, was the special cause of thair captiuite & miserable thirldome in Babylone. That yai miskend yame self, it is clerlie schawin in the secund cheptour of Ieremie, quhair oure Lord spekis thus to ye same peple:* 1.3 Si laueris te nitro & multiplicaueris tibi her∣bam borith, maculata es in iniquitate tua corā me dicit dn̄s. Quomodo dicis nō sū polluta? Post Baa∣lim nō ab••i. Vide vias tuas in conualle & scito quid feceris. Suppoise thow wesche thi self with saip, & gather a greit heip of ye herbe callit Borith quhilk hais greit vertue of clēging ʒet in my sycht yow ar fylit be reson of thi wyckites and syn sais oure Lord. Quhy sais thow swa? I am nocht fylit, I haif nocht gaine efter Baalim that ydole be ydola∣trie.

Behald & see thy wais quhilk thow hes gaine in the vail or den quharin yow vsit to commit ydolatrie. Ken quhat thow hast don. And eftir hend, in the same cheptour God sais thus to the same peple: Et dixisti abs{que} peccato et innocen•• ego sum er propterea auertatur furor tuus a me: Ecce ego in iuditio cōtendam tecum, eo {quod} dixeris non peccaui: Quam vilis facta es, nimis iterans vias tuas. Thow hes said, I am an innocēt without sinne. And thairfor O Lord lat thi wraith be turnit fra me. Behald sais oure Lord, I will strif with the in iugement, because yow sais: I haif nocht synnit. How vile & euil fauorit hes thow made thi self, ouir oft doand euil deidis. Be thir wordis ʒe may weil persaif, that the pe∣ple of ye Iewis miskend thame self, in sa mekil that thai war abhominab••l synnaris, & ʒit thai thocht yame self innocentis and without sinne wharin thai falʒeit mkeil, because that the be∣ginnyng of all perfectioun is, first a man to ken his awin falt, syne to seik for the mercy of God. And mairowyr the Iewis nocht onlie miskend thame self, bot alswa yai miskend yair Lord God and his godlie lawis & commandis geuin to thame, to ken and keip to ye plesour of God and thair saluatioun, accordyng to ye cō∣plant that God makis in the first cheptour of Esaie sayand thus:* 1.4 Cognouit bos possessorem suū et Asinus presepe domini sui, Israel autem me non cognouit & populus meus nō intellexit. The Oxe hes knawin the man that aucht him, & the Asse

has knawin the mangier of of his maister, bot Israel hes nocht knawin me, and my peple hes nocht hade vnderstanding, that is to say, sup∣poise I am thair only awner, Lord & maister, and my word is the fode of thair saulis, ʒit thai haif nocht knawin me for thair awner, Lord & maister, nother haif thai had vnderstanding of my worde quhilke is the fuode of thair saulis. Will ʒe plainlie vnderstand how mekil God re∣quiris of vs all to ken his hie maiestie and his haly word? Here quhat he sais in ye sext of O∣ser? Misericordiam volui et non sacrificium,* 1.5 & sci∣entiā dei plusquam holocaustū. I preferre deidis of mercy abone all corporal and outwart sacri∣fice, and I preferre the trew knawlege of God abone all brount offeringis, quhilk was wont to be offerit corporallie amang the Iewis in ye auld law.* 1.6 Heir alswa quhat he sais in the nynt cheptour of Ieremie: Non glorietur sapiens in sa¦pientia sua, et nō glorietur fortis in fortitudine sua et nō glorietur diues in diuitiis suis, sed in hoc glo∣rietur qui gloriatur scire et nos••e me, quia ego sum dn̄s, qui facio misericordiam & iudicium et iusticiā in terta. Lat nocht the wisman glore in his wis∣dome, lat nocht ye ste••k mā glore in his strenth lat nocht the riche man glore in his riches, bot lat him glore yat gloris, to ken & vnderstād me, that I am ye lord quhilk giffis mercy & makis iugement and rychteusnes in the erde. Be this it is manifest and plain, that our Lord God re∣qu••••is of vs all, to ken his maiestie & his godlie

will or lawis & yat with ane perfite knawlege, cle•• and ionit with his lufe and obediens. Of ye quhilk knawlege ye halie Apos••il S. Ihone sais thus: In hoc scimus quoniam cognouimus cum,* 1.7 si mandata eius seruamus. Qui dicit se nosse deum et mandata eius non custodit mendax est et in hoc veritas non est. Be this we vnderstād that we ken God, gif we keip his commandis, for he that sais yat he kennis God & kepis nocht his commandis, he is ane lear, and in him yair is na verite. We grant yat part of euil men hes some knawlege of God, bot because yat yair knawlege is nocht io••t & cled with sincere affection, lufe & obediens th••rfor thair knawlege is comptit of God as na knawlege, because it is nocht ple••and & acceptable to him. Now thairfor christin peple with all diligens lei•• to ken ʒour self, that is to say ʒour awne miserabil s••ait quha i••••e stand be reson of ʒour sinnis, and againe leir token ʒour Lord God, how gratious and mercifull he is to al trew penitent and faithful persones, and how richteous and iust he is in his iugem••tis againe al synnaris yat perseueris in thair synnis, & wil nocht ken thaime self and thair God as we haif schawin to ʒow. Call to your remēbrance quhat S. Paul sais to the Corinthianis:* 1.8 Qui ignorat ignorabitur. He yat miskennis salbe miskennit. Quhasumeuer miskennis thai thingis wylfullie quhilk God re∣quiris of yame to ken & keip for thair saluacioun, salbe mi••kennit of God in ye day of extreme iuge∣ment▪ ••uhen the heuinlie iuge ••al say to siclike per∣sonis, the wordis writtin in S. Mathewi•• eu••gel:

Amen dico vobis nescio vos.* 1.9 Veralie I say to ʒow I ken ʒow nocht, as he mycht say plainlie: because ʒe wald nocht knaw & keip my wordis and my com∣mandis, quhilk I spak to ʒow be my seruādis send to ʒow in my name and autorite tharfor this day I will nocht admit ʒow to be of the nowmer of thain•• that sal enter into ye kyngdom of heuin. Let vs all bewar of oure self and ta••e gud tent, that we be nocht siclike wilful ignorant and mi••kennand men as certane of the Iewis was, of quhome God said thi•• wordis Ipsi vero nō cognouerūt vias meas qui bus iura••i in ira mea si intro••bunt in requiem me••.* 1.10 Thai haif nocht knawin my wayis (that is to say) my mercy & my iugemēt, according as it is written in the Psalme:* 1.11 Vniuerse vie domini misericordia & veritas. All the wayis of our Lord is mercy & veri∣te. Now because yai haif nocht knawin my wayis, to thame I haif sworne in my wraith, that thai sall nocht enter into my rest, as he mycht say, I haif de∣termit to vse agains thame the rigour of iugement and w••l nocht admit thame to entir into my land o•• rest quhilk is eternal life. Thairfor christin peple that ʒe may esch••ip the dangerous thirldome and captiui••e of ye deuil and all his powar, that ʒe may haif the knawlege of God quhilk he requiris of ʒow sa specially and finally that ʒe may be admittit to ye glorious kyngdome of eternal rest, do as the Apostil S. Iames counsels ʒow say and thus:* 1.12 Ab∣••icientes omnem immunditiam & abundantiā ma∣litie, in māsuetudine suscipite insitum verbum quod potest saluare animas ••estras. &c. Quhair for (sais

he) put away all vnclenes & abundance of ma∣lice, with meiknes ressaue the word, that is plā∣tit or sawin amongis ʒow, quhilk is able to sa••f ʒour saulis. And se that ʒe be doaris of ye word and nocht heraris only, dissauing ʒour selfes, For gif ony heris ye word and do it nocht, he is like vnto ane mā, that behaldis his bodaly lace into ane myrrour, for alssone as he hais lukit on him self, he gais away & incōtinent forʒettis quhat his fassioun was, bot quha sa lukis on ye law of perfite libertie and perseueris tharin (gif he be nocht ane forʒetful herar, bot a doar of ye wark) the same mā salbe happy in his deid. And breuely, as he is nocht worthy to be callit ane craftis man, quhilk kennis nocht quhat belan∣gis to his craft, na mair is ane man or woman worthy to be callit ane christin man or ane chri∣stin woman, gif he or sche will nocht ken quhat belangis to thair christindome. Thairfor yat al christin men and wemen, specially thai that ar sympil and vnleirit in haly writ, may haif trew knawlege and plaine vnderstanding quhat be∣langis to thair christindome, it is thocht expidi¦ent to propone to yame ane Catethisme, y^e is ane cōmon instruction contenand schortly & plainly thai thingis quhilk ar necessary to yame to ken and keip, to the plesour of God & thair eternal saluation. And veralie siclike ane Catechisme, was had and vsit in the Apostils tyme. as it is manifest be y^e wordis of s. Paul writand thus to thame quhilke els war instruckit in ye Cate∣chisme:

Q••apropter intermittontis inchoationis Christi sermonem ad perfectionem fe••amur,* 1.13 nō rur sum iacientes fundamētum penitentie ab operibus mortuis, et fidei ad de••m, baptismatum doctrine, impositionis quo{que} manuū, ac resurrectionis mortu orū et iudicii eterni. Thairfor lat vs laif the do∣ctrine pertening to ye beginning of ane christin lyf, and lat vs ga vnto perfection, and now na mair laying ye fundatioun of penance fra dede warkis, and of fayth toward God & of doctrin of Baptime. of laying on of handis, of the re∣surrection of ye dede, & of general iugement. In thir wordis saint Paul declaris that the Cate∣chisme vsit in the beginning of ye kirk, had sax partis: The first declarit penāce to be done for all dedely synnis, quhilke ar transgressionis of Gods commandis. The secund ••echit fayth to be geuin to ye word of God. The third contenit the doctrine of Baptime. The fourt gaif in∣struction of ye sacrament of Cōfirmation. The fift declarit the general resurrection of ye dede. And ye last part schew plainlie ye general iuge∣ment. Thus christin peple ʒe se, yat to haif ane Catechisme or cōmō instructiō, to be set furth & declarit generallie to all christin men, is na new thing. bot a thing yat was vsit in ye beginning of ye kirk. This present Catechisme or cōmon instructiō, quhilk we purpose to {pro}pone to ʒow,* 1.14 schortly & plainly is reducit & deuidit into four principal partis. Quharof y^e first techis y^e law of God contenit in ye X. cōmandis▪ The secund

declaris ye trew fayth yat GOD requiris of vs all concerning the articles of the Crede. The third settis furth plainlie, the seuin sacramentis of halie ki••k, institute be oure saluiour Christ, to be to vs as instrumētis of our saluatioun, infallabil signis or takins of grace quhilk thai contene & betakins. The fourt declaris the trew inuocatioun of God, quhilk our saluiour IESVS CHRIST le••••it vs to pray to God in the seuin pe••i••ions of the Pater noster, and thairfor is propirlie callit the prayer of our Lord. As for the seuin dedlie synnis yai may be kennit be declaratioun of the X. commandis be∣cause thai ar transgressionis of the same. And the vii. workis of merci, may be kennit be declaratioun of ••harite, quhilk we aucht to our neychtbour. Sa that in the foure partis of this Catechisme, is com∣prehendit ye soume of our christin doctrine, necessa¦rie & sufficient to al vnleirit men & wemen, giffand to yame instructioun, quhat thai suld beleif and do for the optening of thair saluatioun eternal.

That ilk ane of ʒow may the better leir and re∣member ye twa first partis of this instructioun, we think maist expediēt to {pro}cede be schort questionis, and plaine ansueris to the same, to that effeck that quhen ony of ʒow is sperit ony questioun necessary for ʒow token, other concernyng the law and com∣mandis of God, or ony article of ʒour faith, ye same persone sa sperit, may ansuer in forme & maner as is here expremit.

Ane introductioun to the commandis.

The first cheptour.

AFoir we entir to the special declaratioun of ye X. commandis, we think it expediēt to declare in general foure pointes, concernyng the law or commandis of God. First, quhat is the law or commandis of God? Secund how suld the com∣mandis of GOD be obseruit and kepit to ye ple∣sour of GOD and our saluation? Third quhat pu∣nitions ar yai that GOD in haly scripture bostis & schoris aganis all the brekaris of his commandis? And fourtly, quhat ar the rewardis, quhilk GOD almychty promissis in haly scripture to all the ke∣paris of his commandis.

Quhat is the law or command of GOD?* 1.15 It is a rewil geuin to vs of GOD, for the gud gyding of our self, quhilk declaris and schawis to vs quhat the wil of GOD is, that we suld do, & quhat we suld nocht do in our thochtis, wordis and deidis. Quhy say ʒe yat ye law is a rewil geuin for ye gud giding of our lyif? For as ane biggare cā nocht make ane euin vp wal without direction of his lyne, a Mason can nocht hew ane euin aislair staine without direc∣tioun of his rewill, ane skyppar can nocht gyde his schip to gud heuin w^tout direction of his Compas, sa a man or a woman can nocht ordour or gyde his lyif euin and strecht to the plesour of GOD without direction of the commandis. Quhy say ʒe that thir commandis is giuen of GOD? For without dowe God hais geuin thame to vs, first in the law of na∣ture quhilk is prentit in our hartis, secund in the law of Moyses written with his awne fingar (that

is to say be y^e vertew of the haly spirit) in twa tables of stayne, & last of all our saluiour CHRIST baith God and man hes ratifeit and exponit thame in ye new law or Euangil. Quharfor with all diligence we suld study to obserue and keip thir commandis, nocht only because yat yai ar sa expedient and pro∣fitable to vs, but specially because y^t thai ax geuin to vs of God and declaris to vs his godly will, to quhome we and all creturis suld be obedient. Se∣cundly how suld we obserue & keip ye cōmandis of God to his plesour and tharby to obtene of him re∣ward in heuin?* 1.16 Trewly we suld keip thame thre maner of wayis. First hailelie in perfite nowmer. Exempil of zacharie and Elizabeth father and mo∣ther of saint Ihone Baptist of quhome saint Luke sais to yair greit cōmendatioun: Incedētes in o••∣bus mādatis, & iustificatiobus domini sine querela▪ Thai obseruit all the commandis and ceremonyis of our Lord but ony complaint. For it is nocht yneuch to keip part of the commandis of God, and leif part of thame vnkepit, bot as ane harper will tune all his stringis, to that effect that he may mak ane plesand sound to y^e heraris, sa we man keip all the cōmandis of God, or els our keping will nocht be plesand to God. Sa it is declarit be s. Iames: Qui totam legem seruauerit, offendit autem in vno, factus est omnium rens.* 1.17 Quhasaeuir sall keip the hail law, and ʒeit fail in ane point, he is giltie in al yat is to say, gif he depart fra this life without trew penance, he sal be condemnit perpetually to want y^e glorious sycht of God, alsweil as he that brekis al

the commandis. Nochtheles the ma commandis that a man brekis in this lyif, & sa dee without penance, he salbe condemnit to mair sensible paine in hell according to y^e grauitie of his syn. Secundly we suld keip the commandis of GOD with ane rycht intencioun, and for the lufe of God. Thane we haif ane rycht intēcion, quhen we keip yame allanerlie, for the honour & glore of God, and nocht for ony honour and glore to be geuin to vs of man in this lyif. For quhasa∣euir in doing of his gud deidis intendis princi¦pally to get honour, glore or reward of man, hais ane wrang intencion, and his deid sa doin (suppose it be cōmandit of god) is nocht plesand & acceptable to God. Of this rycht intencioun spekis our saluiour Christ sayand: Si oculus tu∣us fuerit simplex, totum corpus tuum lucidum erit.* 1.18 Si autem oculus tuus fuerit nequā, totū corpus tuū tenebrosum erit. The lycht of thi bodie is thyne ee, thane gif thyne ee be simpil and clere, al thi bodie is clere, but & gyf thyne ee be euil, all thy bodie is myrk, as it mycht be said plainlie: lyke as the ee of our bodie quhen it is hail & cleir, it direckis al the membris of our bodie in thair o∣peratiouns and deidis, and quhen it is hurt & nocht cleir, all the membris of oure bodie dois yair deidis as it war in myrknes. Siclik quhen ye intencioun of our mynd is cleir and richt, in∣tending principally the honour, glore & louing of God, yane our deid being conforme to y^e law of God and done to y^e intencioun is richt & cleir

plesand & acceptable to God, bot and gif our inten¦cion be principally, to get any fauour, louing glore or reward of man thane is our deid sa done myrke, yat is to say, displesand & nocht acceptable to God. Sa we suld keip the commandis of God with ane rycht intencion according as S. Paul exhortis vs thus saying:* 1.19 Siue māducatis siue bibitis s••ue aliud quid facitis, omnia in gloriā dei facite. Quhidder ʒe eit or drink or do ony vther thing, do al to y^e glore of God, ••o all with that intencion that God may be glorifyit. Thirdly we suld keip the commandis of God with constance & perseuerance, for as our sal∣uiour sais:* 1.20 Qui perseuerauerit in finē hic saluus erit Quhasaeuir perseueris to the end, he sal be ••auf. Sa constantly we suld kepe Gods cōmandis y^t na tēporal paine, bostit or put to vs in this warld suld moue vs to breke thame. Sik ane cōstant seruand to God was Susāna,* 1.21 of quhome we reid in y^e buke of Daniel, that quhen sche was prouok it to the syn of adultery be twa auld Iugis, vnder na les paine, thane to be accusit in opin iugement quhilk was deid be the law, sche wald nocht grant to that synful deid, bot said thir wordis: It is bettir for me to fal in ye handis of men nocht doand euil, than to brak the law of my Lord God. Siclyke, that honorabil ald mā Eleazarus was ane constant kepar of gods law,* 1.22 for he chesit earar to thoile ane cruel deid, yane he wald transgres and brek ane litil command of y^e law quhilk was to forbeare the eting of Swynis flesche. Heir quhat he sayd a litil afoir he deit. I will leif to ʒoung men a stowt exempil, for I will w^t

ane constant mynd, dee ane honest deid, for y^e maist haly law of God. To keip the commandis of God with ane constant mind, and nocht for to brek yame for feare of ony temporal payne. We haif ane excel∣lent exempil of ye vii. brether and thair mother, de∣clarit in the buke of Machabeis, quharof ane ••ayd thir wordis to y^e tyrrand: Parati sumus magis mori,* 1.23 {quam} patrias dei leges preuaricari. We ar reddy and content erar to dee than to brek the lawis of God, quhilk our forfatheris kepit. Mairouer thair mo∣ther gaf exhortaciō to ilkane of yame, erar ••o suffer deid, thane to brek ye commandis of God. Siclike all the Apostils and Martyris, with vther saintis in heuin kepit the cōmandis of God with constāce and perseuerance. Thus ʒe may leir how ʒe suld keip the commandis of God to his plesour. First keip thame all in thair hail nowmer. Secund keip thame all with ane rycht intencion, and for the lufe of god and eternal reward, quhilk is God himself. And thirdly keip thame al with ane constant mynd and perseuerance to the end of ʒour life, sa doand ʒe keip thame to the plesour of God, and ʒour eternal saluacioun.

The secund Cheptour.

QVhat panis or punitiones ar thai,* 1.24 quhilkis eftir the scripture, God schoris to al the bre∣kars and transgressouris of his cōmandis? The first punitioun in general, is the curse or ma∣leson of God, according as the Prophet sais in the Psalme: Maledicti qui declinant a mandatis tuis. War••it and cursit ar thai quhilk gangis by ye com¦mandis

of God.* 1.25 Thir cursingis ar expremit in speciall, in y^e buke of Deuteronome, quhare we reid that the Leuitis, that was the ministeris of Gods lawis, stude on the hill callit Heball, & be the cōmand of God, pronuncit thir wordis. Cursit & wartit ar thai,* 1.26 quhilkis makis a gra∣uin ymage, as ane God (and giffis ony godly honour to it) for it is abhominabil to God. Nochtwithstanding ymagis may be maid and had swa thai be weil and lawfully vsit as salbe declarit to ʒow eftirwart in the expositioun of y^e first command. It folowis in the text of Deu∣teronome. Cursit & wariit is he that honouris nocht his father and mother. Cursit and wariit is he y^e transferris or takis away the trew mar∣chis or boundis betuix his neichtbour and him self. Cursit & warryit is he yat causis ane blind man gang wrang in his iorney. Cursit & wariit is he y^e peruertis ye iugement of ane puir stran∣geir ane freindles man or woman or wedow. Cursit and wariit is he, that sleipis with his fa¦theris wif & opinnis vp ye couering of his bed, or that sleipis with his sister, or with his wiffis mother, or with his neichtbours wyf, & he yat strikis his nychtbour. Syne concluding thus: Maledictus qui non permanet in sermonibus legis huius. Cursit and wariit is that persone quhilk bydis nocht with perseuerance▪ in the wordis of this law. And to ilkane of thir cursingis & wa∣ryingis afore rehersit, the peple ansuerd Amen.

Eftir hend all this,* 1.27 yai turnit thame to the bre∣karis of the law, & spak to thame mair scharply saying: Cursit and wariit sall thow be in ye ci∣tie, & cursit in the feild, cursit is y^e barne quhar∣in thow puttis thi corne, cursit is the frute of thi wambe, and the frute of thi erde, cursit is the drift of thine Oxin, and ye flockis of thi scheip. Thow salbe cursit comand in & gangand furrh It war to lang to reherse heir all the malesonis waryingis or cursingis, quhilk God in ye same cheptour schoris to the transgressouris of his commandis. Bot breuelie and schortelie, thair is na calamitie, na sorow or mischeif yat may chance to mā or woman in this warld, bot it is expremit yare. Sa horribil a sin it is to disobey wilfully the cōmand of God, & to do our awin will and nocht the will of God. Bot ʒit tell vs mair specially, quhat ar the plaigis quhilk God is wont and vsis to send to the peple for trans∣gressioun of his commandis? Thai ar thre in special, hunger, pestelence, and the suerd, and repetit in syndry placis of the auld testament.* 1.28 He that is makar and Lord of heuin & erde sais thus in Esaie: Gif ʒe will heir me, ʒe sal eit the guddis of the erde, bot & ʒe will nocht, bot pro∣uoke me to anger, the suerd sall deuore ʒow. Mony siclik comminatiouns in Ieremie. Mo∣ny in Ezechiel, mony in the laif of the Prophe∣tis, full of terribil panys, bostit be God aganis the transgressouris of his commandis.

And that siclike schoringis of God is nocht spokin in vaine testifeis well ye distruction of sa mony ex∣cellent citeis, townis, castils: sa mony nobil kingis, princis & Emperouris. Was nocht y^e cities of So∣doma & Gomorra, Seboim & Adoma with Segor vtterly destroyit? Quhair is Troia & Babylone? Rome is nocht quarter samekil now as it was in Iulius Cesars dayis. Quhat was the cause that king Saul tynt his kingdome fra himself and all his posterite,* 1.29 and efterwart was slaine in battall? Quhat was ye cause? Veraly his rebellion agains God, dispisand to do as the seruand of God Sa∣muel commandit him to do in Gods behalf. Was it nocht ane miserabil mischance and calamitie that fell apon Sedechias king of Iewrie, quhilke for his rebellioun againe the king of Babylone,* 1.30 to quhome he was thane subieck it be the ordinatioun of God, he was takin and bound with chenʒeis, his sonnis was slaine before his eyne, syne was baith his eyne put out, and was led blind in captiuitie in Babylone. Quharto suld we seik sa far of exem∣pils of this mattir? Nocht lang syne, ʒe & alswa in our awin dayis, rycht many excellēt citeis and cun∣treis with mony nobil mē, hes bein distroyit for na other cause bot that thai wald nocht obey the com∣mādis of God. Thus ʒe may clerely se how sair ar the temporal plaigis, quhilk be the hand of God cummis vpon ye trāsgressouris of his cōmandis, Nochtwithstanding, to vs that ar christin pepel, ye spiritual plaigis of God suld be mair terribil. Quhat call ʒe the spirituall plaige of God? The

spiritual plaig of God,* 1.31 quhene he be his rych∣teous iugement withdrawis & takis away his special grace & fauour fra ony man or woman. This he schoris in the Cantikil of Moyses, a∣gane the peple of Israel: Abscondam faciem meā ab eis, e•• considerab•• nouissima eorū. I sall hyde my face fra thame, that is, I sall withdraw my fauour, presence & special protectione fra yame, and thane sal I considder quhat salbe yat•• end. Eftir this maner, God almychty plaigit y^e auld Gentils for yair abhominabil ydolatrie, quhen as saint Paul sais: Tradidit illos deus in desi∣deria cordis eorum in immundiciam.* 1.32 Tradidit illos deus in passiones ignomin••e. Tradidit illos deus in reprobū sensum, vt faciant ea que non conueniunt. God gaif th••me vp ••nto thair hartis lust, that is to say, tholit thame to folow the lustis of yair hart into vnclenes, to defyle yair awin bodies in thame self. And a litil eftir, God gaif thame vp into schameful lustis. And ʒit againe: and as thai regardit nocht to ken GOD, euin sa GOD gaif thame vp, that is to say, tholit thame to fall into a peruersit mynde to do thai thingis quhilk was nocht cumlie. And nocht onlie the Gentilis was strikin with this plaige of sub∣tractioun of grace, bot alswa the Iewis, as the Prophet sais in the Psalme:* 1.33 Dimisi eos secundū desideria cordis eorum. I haif left thame to leiue eftir the desyris and lustis of thair hart. And suppoise warldlie and carnal peple quhilk ar geuin allanerli. to the lufe and cure of ye warld

and of thair flesche, think{is} yat this spiritual plaige be subtractioun of grace, is na plaig nor punicioun of god▪ ʒit in varai deid, yair is na temporal scurge of God to be comparit to this spiritual plaig. For it is writtin: Si prestes anime tue concupiscentia•• eius,* 1.34 faciet te in gaudium inimicis tuis. And thow gif to thi self all thi sensual desiris and lustis, it sall cause the cum in greit dangeir, to the ioy of thi ene∣meis. And quhat plaig can be greiter thane the pe∣ple of God to want ye spiritual fude of yair saulis? quhilk plaig God schoris be the Prophet Amos: Ecce dies ueniunt dicit dominus, & mittam famem in terram,* 1.35 non famē panis, ne{que} sitim aque, sed au∣diendi verbum domini. Et cōmonebu••tur a mari vsque ad mare, et ab aquilone vsque ad orientem, circuibunt querentes verbum dn̄i & non inuenient. Behald the dayis cummis sais our Lord, and I sall send hungir vpon the erde, nocht the hungir of breed, nor the thri••t of wattir, bot of hering of the word of our Lord God, and yai salbe commouit fra the see to the see, and fra the North to the Eist thai sall gang about seik and y^e word of our Lord God, and sall nocht fynd it. We haif now to ʒow rehersit temporal and spirituall plaigis, quhair with God strikis his peple for trasgression of his cōmandis. Is yair ʒit na other plaig of god, quhilk he schoris to the brekaris of his lawis? ʒis trewlie, the maist terribil, cruel and fairest of all without comparison ar ye panis of b••lt, quhilk salbe eternal w^tout end, quhair of saint▪ ••one the Baptist makis this com∣minatioun:* 1.36 Ilk tre that bringis nocht furth gude

frute, sal be hewin doune and cassyn into y^e fyre.* 1.37 And the same sentence our saluiour giffis in the seuint cheptour of sainct Mathew, quhan to a∣••reis the sentence geuin agane ye vnprofitable seruand quhilk sal be cassyn into the outwart myrknes, thair salbe murning and chatering of teith. Bot abone all the laif the maist horrible wordis sall be pronuncit be our saluiour on the daie of extreme iugement, quhen he sall say to all thame that salbe found on his left hand that day,* 1.38 depart fra me ʒe cursit creaturis into euer∣lasting fyre, quhilk is preparit to the deuil and his angels.

The thrid Cheptour

NOw as we haif declarit syndry kindis of plaigis quhilk God schoris to al ye trās∣gressouris of his commandis,* 1.39 sa na dout God almychty of his liberal gudnes hais pro∣missit in the scripture greit rewardis to thame that kepis his command••s, temporal, spiritual and eternal. Of the first we reid in the buke of Leuitici: Si in preceptis meis ambulaueritis, et mādata mea custodieritis, et feceritis ea, dabo vo∣bis pluuias temporibus suis, & terra gignet germen suum, et pomis arbores replebuntur. Gyf that ʒe gang in my lawis, and keip my commandis and do thame, I sal gif ʒow rayne in tyme conuenient, the erde sall bring furth the corne, the treis sall be full of frute, ʒe sal eit

ʒour bred with fouth, & sall dwel in ʒour land with∣out feir. I sall gif peace to all ʒour bordouris, ʒe sall sleip & na mā sal inquiat ʒow. I sal take away euil bestis, and ye sue••d sall nocht pas throw ʒour cuntrie, ʒe sall persew ʒour enemeis, & thai sall fall doune before ʒow, v. of ʒow sal persew ane hūdreth aduersareis, & ane hundreth of ʒow sal persew ten thousand enemeis, ʒour enemeis sal fal be ye suerd in ʒour sicht. I sall behald ʒow and mak ʒow grow and multiplie, w^t mony siclyke wordis that folowis in the same, and mony other placis of the auld testa¦ment, GOD promissis temporal prosperitie to the peple quhilk keipis his commandis. And our sal∣uiour Christ in y^e euangil with ane word cōfermis the same promis saying:* 1.40 Querite ergo primū regnū dei, et iusticiam eius, et hec o••a ad••cientus vobis. Seik first the kingdome of God, and ye rychteus∣nes thairof, sa sall all the temporal thingis be mi∣nistred to ʒow Gyf this be trew y^t we say, how was it that certane Martyris deit for hunger, & alswa mony gude men and wemen leuis in greit pouertie and skantnes of yair necessare sustentation, quhilk S. Paul affermis of himself? It is trew that God sendis to his seruandis, sumtyme greit skantnes & extreme pouertie, and that for yair probatioun and encres of yair meritis be paciens, quhilk he think{is} to thame maist expedient, bot maist commonlie the word is trew that is said afore: Seik for the king∣dome of God, & ye rychteusnes yair of. Leiue nocht mydilnes, do ʒour deuore and dewtie exer••e ʒour self in conuenient laboris ilk ane man conforme to

his stait, degre and vocatioun, and God will nocht tho••e ʒow want ʒour dailie sustentatioun.

Quhat is the spiritual rewardis, quhilk GOD {pro}mi••sis to yame yat ar kepars of his commandis?* 1.41 First eftir the wisman, he promissis spirituall wis∣dome: Fili concupiscens sapientiam conserua iusti∣ciam, & deus prebebit illam tibi. Sone gif yow de∣siris wisdome keip rychteusnes, and God sall gyf wisdome to the. And in ane vther place he sais. Co∣gitatum tuum habe in preceptis dei, et in mandatis illius maxime assiduus esto et ipse dabit tibi cor et cōcupiscentia sapientie dabitur tibi. Haif thi thocht in the commandis of God, and in his commandis be yow diligent, and God sall gyf the ane hart, and desire of wisdome sall be geuin to the. This is de∣clarit weil be exempil of king Dauid, saying thir wordis: Super senes intellexi,* 1.42 quia mandata tua quesiui. I haif had vnderstāding aboue my eldaris because gud Lord I socht thi commādis. Secund, he promissis incressing of grace and vertew, as it is said in the Prouerbis of Salomon:* 1.43 Mis••ricor¦dia et veritas te nō deferent, circundes eas gutturi tuo, et describe in tabulis cordis tui, et inuenies gratiam et disciplinam bonam coram deo et homi¦nibus. Lat nocht mercy and verite forsake the, and thow sall find grace & fauour afore God and man. And saint Paul exhortand his Corinthianis to gif almous, sais thus:* 1.44 Augebit incrementum iusticio vestre. That is to say, quhen ʒe gyf almous accor∣ding to the command of God, God sall make ʒow grow dalie in grace and vertue. Thridly, our sal∣uiour

promissis to the doars of the commandis the eternal blis of heuin,* 1.45 saying thus: Si vis ad vitam ingredi, serua mandata. Gyf thow will en∣tir into the lyif, keip the commandis. Now ʒe haif hard quhow that God almychty schoris to punis the trangressouris of his commandis, w^t panis tēporal, spiritual and eternal. And all wa quhow that he hais promissit to rewarde the keparis of his cōmandis with reward tēporal, spiritual & eternal. Quhairfor I can say nocht ellis to ʒow at this tyme, bot the same wordis quhilk Moyses y^e seruād of God said to y^e peple of Israel:* 1.46 Testes inuoco ho die coelum et terram, quod {pro}posuerim vobis vitā et mortem, benedicti∣onem et maledictionē. Elige ergo vitā, vt & tu viua•• et semen tuū, & diligas dn̄m deū tuum at{que} obedia•• voci eius et illi adhereas. Ipse est enim vita tua, & lōgitudo dierum tuorū. I call to witnes this day heuin & erde, that I haif proponit & schawin to ʒow, lyf and deed, blissing and cursing. Cheis thairfor the lyif yat thow may leiue and thi seid eftir the, that thow may lufe thi Lord God, and be obedient to his voce, and cleiue to him, for he is thi lyif and the lenth of al thy dayis.

The fourt cheptour.

* 1.47THe first table of Moyses, contenis thre cōmandis, quhilk schawis vs the dewtie or seruis quhilk we aucht to God in our hartis, our wordis and deidis. Wald ʒe knaw ye first command word be word as God gaif it? The seruand of God Moyses to quhome God spak face for face, rehersis it on this maner.

Ego sum dn̄s deus tuus,* 1.48 qui eduxi te de terra Egyp¦ti, de domo seruituris. Non habebis deos alienos corā me. Nō facies tibi sculptile, ne{que} omnem simi∣litudinē que est in coelo desuper, et que in terra de∣orsum, nec eorum que sunt in aquis sub terra. Non adorabis ea, ne{que} coles: Ego sum dn̄s deus tuus for∣tis zelotes, visitans iniquitatem patrum in filios, in tertiam & quartā generationem eorum qui oderunt me, et faciens misericordiā in milia, his qui diligunt me, et custodiunt precepta mea. I am ye Lord thi God, quhilk hais brocht ye fra the land of Egypt, fra the house of bondage. Thow sall haif na other goddis bot me, y^u sal nocht mak to y^e (as gods) ony grauit ymage, nother ony similitude of ony thing y^e is in the heuin aboue, or in ye erd beneth, nor of ony thing yat is in the watter vnder the erd. Thow ••al nocht adorne yame, nor worschip yame (as goddis). Quhat gud dedis ar yai quhilk God biddis vs do in this first command? First the will of GOD is in yir wordis, y^t we ken him trewlie in our vn¦derstanding, syne y^t we serue him perfitly in our hartis & wil. How suld we ken god, or quharin standis ye trew knawlege of God quhilk he re∣quiris of vs all. The trew knawlege of God is techit vs in thir wordis: Ego sum dn̄s deus tuus,* 1.49 qui eduxi te de terra Egypti de domo seruitutis. I am y^e lord thi god, quhilk hais brocht the fra ye land of Egypt, fra the house of bondage. First quhen god sais this word, I am. We suld leir y^e God is eternal, quhilk had neuir begīning, nor sal haif endīg. He is allanerly in verai deid, for be his awin nature he is, nocht creat or maid of ony other

thing bothe him self allanerlie is makar & former of all vther thingis.* 1.50 Thus he sais in Exodi: Ego sum qui sum. That is to say, I am he that hais bein of my self only. And he bade Moyses schaw his name on this maner: Qui est, misit me ad vos. He y^e is, send me to ʒow. Be ye quhilk wordis it is geuin vs to vnderstand, that God allone is be him self, of his awin natural existens, & that all thingis of this warld quhider yai ar visible or vnuisibil, able to be sein of vs, or vnable to be sein of vs, thai ar al crea¦turis of God, and hais thair being of him. In ••a∣mekil that thai may nocht be a moment of ane hour bot gif yat God almychty keip yame in yair being, sustein yame & gyde thame. Secund, quhen he sais this word:* 1.51 Ego sum dominus I am the Lord. We suld leir to vnderstād y^e hie maiestie of God, quhilk is the vniuersal Lord of all this w••rld Lord of all Lordis, and king of all kingis, quhais power is e∣ternal, to quhom na creature may mak resistens, in quhais hād is our lyif and our dede, our saluacion and damnacion, a Lord of all knawlege & swa na thing can be hyd fra him, a Lorde off all wisdome, and swa misteris na counsellar, a Lord of al mycht power and autoritie and sa misteri•• na helpar. Sa he only of rycht may be callit thus in general, the Lord, the Lord for alsmekil as he dois all thingis according to the plesour of his will, as saint Pau•• sais to the Ephesianis:* 1.52 Qui operatur omnia secun∣dū consilium voluntaris sue. He wourkis al thing{is} according to the counsel of his awin will. Thridly, quhen he says:* 1.53 Deus tuus. Thy God▪ we suld vn∣derstand

him to be the only giffar of all grace, the well quhilk can nocht be dryit, & perpetuall spring of gudnes, our lyf, our lycht, our strenth, our singu¦lar defence & protectioun, breuely our only saluiour and God of al consolacioun and confort, quhilk in all tymes and in all placis is redy to be to vs (als mekle as lyes in him) gētil, large, liberal, and mair merciful thane we can think or say. Hais God done ony special thing to vs, quhairin he hais schawin him self to be our Lord God? ʒe veraly. He schew him self to the peple of Israel, to be thair mychty lord and gracious God, quhen he brocht yame out fra y^e la••d of Egypt, quharin yai dwelt mony ʒeiris as in a house of miserable th••ldome and bondage. Bot vnto vs al that ar trew christin peple specially he schew him self to be our mychty Lord & gracious God, quhen he deliuerit vs fra the dangier of the myrknes of hell, and fra the miserable captiuitie of the deuil, quharin we war all borne and haldin in. Bot he saffit vs nocht be y^e mediation of Moyses, bot be the bitter and painfull passion of his awin naturall sone our mediatour and redemar IESVS CHRIST. Tharfor be all rycht we suld apply all our wittis, power and diligence to ken and keip all the cōmandis of our mychty & maist gracious God quhilk nocht only in general,* 1.54 bot alsua in special hais done sa mekle for vs. Now eftir yat we haif declarit to ʒow the trew knawlege of God, we will gang fordwart and tel plainly quharin standis the trew and principal seruice quhilk we aucht to God in our hartis, quhilk he requiris of vs in the first

command? In the first command quhilk is yis: Non habebis deos alienos coram me: Thow sall haif na vther gods bot me allone. God requiris of vs thir iiii. vertous, Feare, Fayth, Hoip and Lufe to be geuin to him, as to ane trew leifuād God. And quhen we gif thir vertewis or ony of thame, mair to ony creature than to him, quhilk is our only trew and leifuād God, than we haif in our hartis strange gods, quhilk is forbiddī in this first cōmand. The first principal vertew quharin standis the trew seruice of God,* 1.55 is y^e feare of God, as it is writtin in y^e buke of Deu∣teronomi: Dominum deū tuum timebis, et illi soli serueis. Thow sall feare thi Lord God, and him only as thi God sall thow serue. How suld we feare our Lord God? Twa maner of wayis. The ane, as y^e seruand fearis his maister, doand his maisters cōmand for feir of punision. And of this it is writtin in the buke of Prouerbis: Principium sapientie timor dn̄i.* 1.56 The beginning of wisdome is the feare of God. Quhat thing suld moue vs maist to feare god on this maner? Trewly to beleif sickirly the iugemētis of god, and vther panis & punitions quhilk God sēdis to synnaris temporallie, spirituallie & eternally, as we haif rehersit to ʒow afore in the prologe of the law. And oft tymes to haif in our mynd yis artikil of our Crede: Inde venturus est iudi∣care viuos et mortuos. Fra heuin Christ our sal∣uiour sal cum to iuge baith quik & dede. Thus the haly prophet and excellent king Dauid cō∣sauit

in his hart the feare of God, quhen he said in the Psalme:* 1.57 A iudiciis enim tuis timui feci iudiciū et iustitiā. I haif had dreddour & feare throw con∣sideratioun of thi iugementis. And our saluiour Christ in the euangil of sainct Luke biddis vs haif this feare sayand: Timete eum qui postquā occide∣rit corpus, habet potestatē mittere in gehennam.* 1.58 Ita dico vobis hunc timete. Feir him quhilk eftir he hais slaine ʒour bodie, hais powar to cast ʒow in∣to hel, I say to ʒow feir him. Secund▪ we suld feir our lord God as y^e gud son feiris his father, doand his cōmand, nocht principally for feir of punicion, bot maist of all, yat he displese him nocht nor offend him in ony sort, lest he put him out of his company. And yis feir of God springis of lufe, for y^e mair we lufe him y^e mair we feir to offend him, and to depart fra his company. And of this feir it is writtin in ye Psalme:* 1.59 Timor domini sanctus permanet in seculū seculi. The haly feir of our Lord enduris for euir∣mair.

The fift cheptour.

THe secund principal vertew quharin stādis the trew seruice of GOD,* 1.60 quhilk he requiris of vs in this first command is fayth, quhar∣of it is writtin: Qui timetis dominum credite illi, et non euacuabitur merces vestra. Ʒe that feris our Lord haif faith in him, or gif credit to him, and ʒour reward sall nocht be takin fra ʒow.

Quhat is fayth? Na dout bot the fayth quhilk is

commendit in the scripture is ane vertue quharby we beleif nocht allanerly that thair is ane trew le∣uand God, quhilk is eternal, almychty, mercifull, rychteous & faithful, bot alswa we gif ferme credit to his word, quhilk is sa trew that na thing can be trewar. Quhat thing suld moue vs to beleif the word of God? Trewly twa thingis. The ane is ye eternal and infallible verite of God, fra quhom na lesing may {pro}cede, na mair than myrknes may cum fra the cleir schenand sonne. Thairfor it is writtin: Non est deus quasi homo vt mentiatur, nec vt filius hominis vt mutetur.* 1.61 God is nocht as a mā yat may mak ane lesing, nor ʒit as y^e sone of man yat may be changeit. And our saluiour said spekand as GOD: Ego sum via veritas et vita. I am the way, ye verite and lyif▪* 1.62 And he sais alswa: Coelum et terra tran∣sibunt▪* 1.63 verba autem mea non transibunt. Heuin and erd sall pas, bot my word sall nocht pas. Thus we suld gyf ferme credit to the word of GOD, because GOD that spekis it, is y^e eternal & infallible verite. The secund thing y^e suld moue vs to beleif y^e word of GOD & to knaw quhilk is the worde of GOD, quhilk ar the haly bukis quharin the word of GOD is contenit, and quhat is the trew sence of the same ••ukis is ye consent and authorite of our mother the haly kirk, fra the Apostils tyme hitherto, and speci∣ally quhen it is lawfully gadderit be the haly spirit in ane generall counsel, quharof sainct Augustine sais thus:* 1.64 Ego non crederem euāgelio nisi me am∣moneret ecclesie authoritas. I wald nocht gif cre∣dence to the euangel except that the vniuersal kirk

warnis me sa to do And tharfor leir thir twa lesso∣nis. The ane is, quhatsaeuir the haly spirit reuelis and schawis to vs, other in the bukis of haly scrip∣ture, or in ye determinatiouns and diffinitiouns of general counsellis lawfully gadderit for the corro∣boracion & maintenans of our fayth, we suld beleif ye same to be ye trew word of God, and thairto gyf ferme credens as to the verite that is infallible. The secund lesson, ʒe that ar simple and vnleirnit men & wemen suld expresly beleif al the artickils of ʒour Crede, as for al vthir hie mistereis & matteris of the scripture ʒe aucht to beleif generally as the kirk of God beleiffis. And this fayth is suffient to ʒow, for the perfectioun of that faith quhilk ʒe ar bund to haif, quharof we sal spek mair largelie in the expositioun of the Crede.* 1.65 The thrid principal vertue is Hoip, quharof it is writtin: Qui timetis dominum sperate in illū, & in oblectationem veniet vobis misericordia. ʒe that feris our Lord, hoip in him, and his mercy sall cum to ʒow with plesour. Quhat is Hoip? It is ane vertew quharby we lip∣pin to get all gudnes fra God, mercy and grace in this warld, and eternal blys in the warld to cum.* 1.66 Of the first sais the Prophet in the Psalme: Be∣neplacitum est domino super timentes eum, et in eis qui sperant super misericordia eius. Our Lord hais plesour vpō yame yat fearis him, and allwa vpon yame yat hoippis vpon his mercy. And quhy suld we nocht put all our traist and con∣fidens in the mercy of God, seand that he biddis vs call vpon him in tyme of our nede, and promissis to

heir and help vs:* 1.67 Inuoca me in die tribulationis, eruam te et honorificabis me. Call vpon me (sais our Lord God) in the day of thi trubil, and I sal delyuir the, and for that thow sall honour me. And suerly we suld nocht mistrest him, for he sais thus be his Prophet Esaie: Nunquid obli∣uisci potest mulier infantē suū, vt nō misereatur filio vteri sui?* 1.68 & si illa oblita fuerit, ego tamen non obli∣uiscar tui. Will a woman forʒet hir ʒonge barne, and nocht haif pitie on the sone of hir wambe, & suppois sche forʒet, ʒet I sal nocht forʒet ye, sais our Lord. Of the secund and principall part quhilk is expectatioun or loking for the blys of heuin to be geuin to vs be ye grace of God prin¦cipally, & our merittis secundly (quhilk merittis als ar ye giftis of God eftir sainct Augustine.) Sainct Paul sais thus:* 1.69 Gloriamur in spe glorie filiorum dei. We glore and ar blyth throw y^e hoip quhilk we haif to cum to the glore quhilk is pro¦missit to the sonnis of God. Quhat suld moue vs maist to hoip in ye mercy and glore of God? Veraily that God is trew & faythful in keping of his promis, according as ye Prophet sais in the Psalme:* 1.70 Fidelis dn̄s in omnibus verbis suis, & sanctus in omnibus operibus suis. Faythful is our Lord in all his wordis, & haly in all his deidis. Now as he hais els fulfillit his promis in ge∣uing of his mercy & glore to his sainctis in he∣uin, as Patriarchis, Prophetis, Apostils Mar¦tyris, Confessours & Virginis, sa suld we traist and hoip, that he will fulfill his promis to vs,

gif we feir him and with ane leifuād faith beleif in him.

The vi. Cheptour

QVhat is ye fourt principal vertew quhar in standis the trew seruice of God?* 1.71 It is ye maist excellēt vertew of cherite, quhar of it is writtin be ye wisman: Qui timetis dominū diligite illū, & illuminabuntur corda vestra. Ʒe yat feris our Lord lufe him, and ʒour hartis salbe lichtit with the licht of grace in this warld, and with the lycht of glore in the warld to cum. Quhate is cherite? It is lufe, quharbywe lufe god for his awin saik, because he is al gudnes, & fra him cummis al gudnes, and our neichbour for gods saik, or in God. Quhow suld we lufe God? Four maner of wayis, as it is gaderit out of syndrie placis of the scripture, & al rehersit to¦gidder in sainct Lukis euangil:* 1.72 Diliges dominū deum tuum ex toto corde tuo, et ex tota anima tua et ex oībus viribus tuis, et ex tota mente tua. Thow sall lufe thi Lord God with all thi hart, with all thi saule and with all thi strenth and with all thi mynde, That is to say, lat all thi thochtis, all the partis of thi lyf, all thi wittis and vnderstanding, all thi labour strenth and diligence be direckit to God, and occupied in his lufe and seruice, of quhom yow hais all thir thingis geuin to the. Ʒet schaw vs plainly quha luffis God with all thair hart?

Trewly thai that luffis God with ane trew knaw∣lege in yair vnderstanding, haifand ane trew fayth in y^e word of God without ony dout errour or heri∣lie. Thairfor quhasaeuir doutis or erris in y^e faith or stifly haldis ony fals opinioun condemnit be the kirk for herisie, yai lufe nocht God with al yair hart Secund, quha luffis GOD with all thair saule? Thai that luffis GOD with trew obediens in yair frewill without ony murmur, rebellioun or contra∣dictioun. Sa yat quhatsaeuir God hais comman∣dit yame to do, yai ar content to do it willingly with out ony cōpulsioun. And thairfor quhasaeuir dois ony deid commandit be God mair for lufe of tem∣poral geir or for feare of temporall payne than for ony lufe thai haif to God, thai lufe nocht God with all thair saule. Thridly quha luffis God with all thair mynd? Thai that luffis God with ane perfite remembrāce, and forʒettis nocht quhat God hais done for thame, bot euir mair to yair powar think{is} of y^e benefitis of God quhilk he hes geuin to yame in thair creatioun▪ conseruatioun, redemptiun and dalie prouisiun▪ baith temporal & spirituall in body and saule. Tharfor quhasaeuir rememberis nocht siclike benefitis of God or giffis na thākis to him for thame thai lufe nocht God with all thair mynd. And last of all thai lufe God with all thair strenth and powar, quhilk ar content to occupy the strenth of thair body and al the powar thairof in ye seruice of God, according to his command all the dayis of yair life. Thai lufe nocht God with al thair strenth quhasaeuir occupyis yair strēth in doing euil dedis

or perseueris nocht in yair gud life. Thus we suld lufe God with all our hart be trew knawlege, with all our saule be perfite obediens in keping his commandis, with all our mynd be perfite remē∣brance, and with al our strenth be perseuerance. Quhat suld moue vs maist of all to lufe God? Trewly the lufe of God towart vs. For gif we consider quhat God hes done for vs in our crea¦tion, cōseruation & dalie {pro}uision, bot specially quhat lufe h•• hes schawin to vs in our redēptiō, of necess•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 mone conclude y^t we ar oblissit to lufe god. Greit is y^e lufe quhilk y^e natural father & mother hes to yair childer, gret is y^e luf quhilk the g••d mar•• man hais to his gud wife, greit is the lufe quhilk ane trew freind wil haif to ane vther, bot as our saluiour sais:* 1.73 Maiorem hac dilectionem nemo habet, quam vt animā suam po∣nat quis pro amicis suis. Greiter lufe hais na mā than yis, yat a man spend his life for his frein∣dis. Sa hais our saluiour done for vs accor∣ding as sainct Paul declaris to ye Ephesianis sayand thus: Christus dilexit ecclesiam,* 1.74 & seipsum tradidit pro ea, vt illam sanctificaret, mundans eam lauachro aque in verbo vite, vt exhiberet ipse sibi gloriosam ecclesiam, non habentem maculam aut rugam, aut aliquid huiusmodi, sed vt sit sancta et im¦maculata. Christ hais luffit the kirk, that is to say, the congregatioun and company of all faithfull men and wemen, and hais geuin him self for it, to sanctifie it, and clengit it in the fyuntaine of watter be the word of lyfe, to mak

it to him self ane glorious congregacioun, haiffand na spot nor runkil, nor ony siclike thing, bot that it suld be haly & without repreif. And our saluiour sais in the euangil of sanct Ihone. Sic deus dilexit mundumvt filium suum vnigenitum daret,* 1.75 vt omnis qui credit in eum non pereat sed habeat vitam eter¦nam. Sa God hais luffit the warld, yat he hais ge um his awin sone, that quhasaeuir belei••is in him can nocht perisch, bot mone haif the lyif eternal. This lufe of GOD toward vs plainly declarit ••aint Ihone the Euāgelist saying: In hoc apparuit cha∣ritas dei in nobis,* 1.76 quoniam filium suum vnigenitum misit deus in mundum, vt viuamus per eum. In this apperit the greit lufe of GOD towart vs, yat he hes send his only natural sone in yis warld, y^t we mycht leiue be him. Maicatour y^e same Apostle sais thus: In hoc est charitas, nō quasi nos dilexerimus deum sed quoniam ipse prior dilexit nos, et mifit filium suum propitiationem pro peccatis nostris. In this standis the greit lufe of GOD quhilk he hais scha∣win to vs, yat we preuenit nocht god with our lufe, luffand him first, bot he preuenit vs first with his lufe schawand his infinite lufe first of all to vs, in that, yat he hais send his awin son•• our saluiour Iesus Christ to vs, to mak ane perfite mendis, & iust satisfaction for all our synnis. Gyf we wil thar∣for con••iddir the greit lufe of GOD syndry wayis schawin to vs it will doutles steire and prouok vs to lufe God agane. And thus ʒe haif four principal vertewis sch••rtly decla••it to ʒow, quhilk God com∣mandis vs to haif in this first command, quhairin

standis the trew seruice, quhilk we aucht to God in our hartis.

The vii. Cheptour.

QVha brekis this first command?* 1.77 First al yai yat feiris mā mair than God, for y^e quhilk yai do mony thing{is} wittinglie agane ye cōmand of God for feir of yair king, yair Lord, Lard, maister and siclike, quhilk is forbiddin be our saluiour say¦ing: No lite timere eos qui occidunt corpus, animā autē non possunt occidere, sed potius timete eum, qui potest et animā et corpus per••ere in gehennā. Feir nocht yame yat slais ʒour body▪ and may nocht slay ʒour saulis, bot erar feir him quhilk eftir y^t he hais slaine ʒour body▪* 1.78 hais powar to cast ʒour saule and body into hel. Secund al herityckis, quhilk stifly haldis false opinions aganis the trew faith of haly kirk, groundit vpon the haly scripture and de∣terminatiouns of the kirk & counsellis of the same.* 1.79

Heir it is expedient to descriue quha is ane he∣rityk, quhilk discription we will nocht mak be our awin propir inuencion, bot we will tak it as it is els made and geuin to vs be twa of the maist excellent doctouris of haly kirk, Hierome and Augustine. Thir ar the wordis of S. Hierome, quhilk he sais in his Commentarie vpon the Epistle of S. Paul to the Galathianis: Quicun{que} aliter scripturam in∣telligit quam sensus spiritus sancti flagitat quo con¦scripta est, licet de ecclesia nō recesserit, tamen he∣reticus appellari potest. Quhat christin mā or wo∣man saeuir thai ar, quhilk vnderstandis the haly scripture vtherwayis than the mind of y^e haly spirit

requiris, (be quhais inspiracion the scripture was writtin) suppois he gang nocht ••a the company of the kirk, ʒit he may be callit ane heretyk. Now heir y^e wordis of S. Augustin dis••riuand quha is ane heretyk:* 1.80 Hereticus est vt meafert opinio, qui alicuius temporalis cōmodi, & maxime glorie principatus{que} sui gratia, falsas & nouas opi∣niones vel gignit, vel sequitur. Eftir my opinion (sais he) he is ane heretyk, quhilk because of ony warldly profeit and maist of all, because of his awin glore and promotion leiffeis y^e new ••aith, and other makis or folowis ••als and new opi∣nions.* 1.81 Gyf ʒe speir agane at me, how may ʒe knaw the t••ew sence of ••he 〈…〉〈…〉 be ye haly spirit, & sa discerne y^e verite of our faith, fra new and fals opin••••uns callit hereseis? Trewly this ʒe may knaw and discerne be thre wayis. First be trew collat••oun, applicatioun and conferring ane place of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 scripture til ane vthir,* 1.82 for cōmonly y^• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 quhilk is put in ane place of the scripture obscuirly, the same sentē••e is put in a•• othe•• place of the scripture plain∣ly.* 1.83 Than quha sa hais the ingyne, cunning or knawlege to cōferre y^e obscu••re place to ye plain place, may cum to ye trew vnderstanding of the obscu••e place. And maist o•• al, it helpis vs to y^e trew intelligence of y^e scripture, to tak gud tent to the wordis that a•• writtin immediatly afore the ••e•• ••at ••e ••e••r or 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and alswa yat fo∣lowis eftir hend ye same▪ for sum tyme ye word{is} writtin afore, sum tyme the wordis writtin eftir

hend, sumtyme baith ye wordis afort & eftir op∣pinnis til vs ye trew and plaine sence of yat tex•• of ye scripture quhilk we desyre to vnderstand. Bot because mony men reidis y^e scripture, & hes nocht ye gift of y^e haly spirit, call••t interpre••atio sermonū, the interpretation of wordis, that is to say (eftir ane exposition) of difficil and ob••cuire placis, Thairfor it is expediēt to cum to y^e secu•• way quhilk is y^e expositiō of autentyk doctours appreuit be y^e auctorite of haly kirk, & resauit be lang consent of y^e christin peple, as Hierome,* 1.84 Am¦brose, Augustine, Gregorie, Chrisostome, with mony vthir siclike, to quhome y^e haly ••pirit gaif ye gift of interpretacion & exposition of ye scrip∣ture, & alsua leirit y^e trew sence of ye same at yair doctouris & eldaris, quhilk likwais letrit y^e same trew sence at thair doctouris & eldaris sa ascen∣dāt to y^e Apostils. Thairfor lat ilkane of vs heir and tak tent quhat the wisman sais:* 1.85 Non re pre tereat narratio seniorum ipsi enim didicerunt a pa¦tribus suis, quoniā ab ipsis disces intellectum, et in tēpore necessitatis dare responsum. Lat nocht t••e narration or instruction of thi wise eldaris pas by the, for yai leirit fra yair fatheris, & of yame thow sall lei•• vnderstanding, & in tyme of neide to gif ane wise answer. Sa sanct Augustine wri¦tand aganis Iuliane y^e Pellag••ane,* 1.86 rehersis c••r∣tane doctouris quhilk was afore his tyme, and sais thir word••s: Quod credunt credo, quod tenēt teneo, quod docent doceo, quod predicant predi∣co istis cede et mihi cedes▪

That thai beleif (sais he) I beleif, that thai hald, I hald yat yai teche, I teche, yat yai preche, I preche. gyf place to thame and yow sal gif place to me. As he mycht say plainly, & yow beleif ye auld doctouris afore me, yow alswa wil beleif me, for my doctrin in al pointis is conformit to yair doctrine. The thrid way to knaw quhat ar y^e bukis of haly write, quhat is the trew sence of the same,* 1.87 quhat ar the articlis quhilk ar herisie, is the declaracioun determina∣tioun, diffinitioun and decisionis of general coun∣sellis, gaderit togiddir and concludit be the inspira¦tioun of the haly spirit, quhame the father eternall and our saluiour IESVS CHRIST his natural sone hais geuin to the kirk to be ledar techar, and direckar of the same kirk, in all matteris cōcerning our catholike faith and gud maneris of the christin peple, quhilk catholike kirk is trewly representit in al general counsellis lauchfully gaderit in the haly spirit. Quharfor, he that will nocht heir resait and obey ye diffinitionis & determinationis of lauchful general counsellis concerning materis of our faith he is nocht to be acountit a trew christin man, accor∣ding to the wordis of our saluiour:* 1.88 Si ecclesiam nō audierit, sit tibi tanquā Ethnicus et Publicanus. Gyf he will nocht heir the kirk, lat him be to the as ane infidele, vnchristinit, and ane Publican. Thus ʒe haif quha is ane herityk, and how he brekis the fi••st command. Of quhome saint Paul sais yi•• wordis to his disciple Titus:* 1.89 Hereticū hominē post vnam et secundam correptionē deuita, sciens quia subuersus est qui huiusmodi est, et delinquit cum sit

proprio iudicio condemnatus. A man yat is geuin to herisie, eftir the first and secund monitioun fle & forbeir his company, and knaw yat he yat is siclike is subuertit and synnis, euin damnit be his awin iugement, for als me ••le as he resaiuit the fayth as trew & catholik, & eftir hend in sum part he gaugis fra it, & impugnis it. Or we may say yat he is danit be his awin iugemēt, y^e is to say, he is damnit afore God, throw his awin, or for his awin electioun, wil∣fulnes and stifnes of his hart, & will nocht leiue his herisie and returne to the catholike faith.* 1.90 Thridly all thai brekis this command that lippinis mair in in the powar & help of man than of god, of quhome it is said: Maledictus homo qui confidit in homine. Cursit & wartit is yat man yat traistis & puttis his hoip in man. And thairfor the Prophet lais in the Psalme: Nolite confidere in principibus,* 1.91 in filus hominum in cuibus non est salus. Traist nocht prin¦cipally in princis nor in y^e sonnis of men in quhome is na saluatioun. Fourt all thai quhilkis ••aistis owyr mekle in yair awin wisdome,* 1.92 strenth or riches and sa in tyme of thair neid callis nocht to GOD dewly for help, of quhome God sais thus: Pardam sapientiam sapientium, et prudentiam prudentium reprobabo. I will distroy the wisdome of the wise, and will cast away ye vnderstanding of the prudēt. And ye prophet in the Psalme reprei••is yame yat lippinnis in yair awin strenth and powar, and glo∣ris in the abundans of thair riches.

The vii. Cheptour.

* 1.93FIft, al infidelis quhilk wantis the faith of Christ, and will nocht resaif it, of quhome it is writtin: Qui incredulus est filio, non vi∣debit vitam,* 1.94 sed ira dei manet super eum. He that will nocht haif faith in ye son of God, sal nocht se ye lyse, bot the wrath of God bydis vpon him because he beleiffis nochtin y^e only sone of God. Sext,* 1.95 al yai quhilk disparis of ye mercy of God promissit to vs in Christ. Of siclike sanct Paul sais to the Ephesianis: Qui desperātes, semetipios tradiderunt impudicitie, in operationem immundi cie omnis in auariciā. Thai be desperacion gaif yame self to wātones in doing of al vncleinnes and couatousnes.* 1.96 Seuint, yai yat presumis owyr mekil of thair awin nakit frewill and gud deidis doin be the powar of the same, traistis to be saiffit, and nocht principally be the grace of God, and be the merittis of Christ Iesu. Of quhome sanct Paul sais:* 1.97 Ignorantes enim iusticiā dei, & suam querentes statuere, iusticie dei non sunt subiecti. Miskenning the rychteousnes of God, and willing to maintene thair awin rychteous∣nes, thai ar nocht subdewit to the rychteousnes that is of valour afore God. Aucht, quha euir luffis ony creature abone god,* 1.98 or mair yan god, that same man in a maner makis a God of that creature, and cōmittis spiritual ydolatrie. Sa the couatous man makis a god of his warldly geir, the glowton makis a god of his wambe, gif a man dois ony thing aganis the command of God for plesure or lufe of his wyfe or barnis

in a maner he makis a god of his wife & his barnis. Quhasa also for lufe and pleasour of thair prince, yair Lord, or ony vthir freind, hurtis ony vther mā and hareis him out of house and harbarie, that mā forsakis the trew God of heuin & in maner makis a god of his king, his Lord or his Lard.

Alswa thai syn agane this command,* 1.99 that com∣mittis corporall ydolatrie, quhilk is, quhen men or wemen, nocht only giffis till certane creaturis, or thair ymagis ye seruice of yair hartis, yat is to say, Faith, Hoip and Lufe, quhilk aucht to be geuin to God, bot alswa yai gif to yame the outwart seruice of thair body, as honour, worschip and reuerence, quhilk aucht to be geuin to God. Thus in ald tyme the Gentilis throw the blindnes of thair hartis, in∣strunctioun and prouokation of the deuil, cōmittit corporal ydolatrie, to the greit iniure of God and damnation of yair saulis. Part of thame worschip∣pit with godly honour the Sone,* 1.100 the Mone and the sternis. Part of thame worschippit with godly honour the fyre, wynde or ane of the elementis. Some of thame gaif Gods honour to thame that was mortal men, as Iupiter, Mercurius, Mars, Venus, Diana with mony vthers. And nocht only thai tuke for thair goddis siclike mortal men and vther creaturis, bot alswa the ymagis of men and of vther creaturis, of quhome S. Paul sais thus:* 1.101 Mutauerunt gloriam incorruptibilis dei insimilitu∣dinem imaginis corruptibilis hominis et volucrum et quadrupidum et serpentum. Thai turnit & gaif the glore of the immortal GOD vnto ane ymage,

made nocht only efter the similitude of ane mortall man, bot alswa of Byrdis and four futtit beistis, & of creping beistis. And amang all the leife of ye be∣nefitis of God, this is nocht the leist, that throw the preching of the euangil, he hais deliuerit vs fra all corporal ydolatrie, quhilk in auld tyme was wont to be vsit amang the peple,* 1.102 sa that now (thankis be to God) the wordis of the Prophet in the Psalme may be verifiet: A solis ortu vs{que} ad occasum, lauda bile nomen domini. Fra the rising of the Sone to the ganging downe of the same, laudable is the name of our Lord. That is to say, in all partis of y^e warld y^e haly name of ane eternal god is laudable.

* 1.103The nynt, thai brek this command, quha saeuir vsis wichecraft, Nicromansie, Enchantment, Iu∣glarie or trastis in thame, or seikis thair help, quha¦sa lippinnis to werdis or dremis, quhasa lippinnis to defend thair self or thair beistis, or geir aganis fyre, watter, swerd, noy••um beistis, with certene ta∣kinnis or writingis supersticiously.

And gyf ony mā or woman wald say: Oft tymis we se, that thingis cūmis to passe, quhilk diumaris sais. Oft tymes men & beistis ar helpit be wytchis charmis. Oft tymes geir tynt or stowm, is gettin a∣gane be cowngerars, and sa apperandly, it is nocht euil done to seike for siclike help. O y^u wretchit and blind man or woman, yat think{is} or sais siclike wor∣dis. Knaw thow weil and vnderstand, that quhen sa euir thow speris or seikis for ony help, counsel, re∣mede, consolation or defence at ony wytche, socerar cowage••ar or siclike dissaueris, thow dois greit in∣iure

to thi Lord God, because that thow takis the honour & seruice quhilk aucht to be geuin to GOD allanerly, & giffis it to the deuil, quhilk is deidly enemie to thy saul, For without dout, all Wytches, Nigromanceris and siclike, workis be operatioun of y^e deuil vnder a paction, condition, band or obli∣gation of seruice and honour to be made to him. Mairouir yow sa doand,* 1.104 cōdemnis thi awin saule to panis eternal, because that thow forsakis vtter∣ly thi Lord God quhilk hais creat the to his awin ymage and liknes, & redemit the with na lesse price than with y^e precious blud of his awin natural sone our saluiour IESVS CHRIST. Attouir yow bre∣kis thi condition and band of seruice made to him in the sacrament of Baptyme. Fynally y^u a••t made as ane Pagan, Saracene or Infidele and sall pe∣rische for euirmair, except y^u amēd thy lyfe be trew,* 1.105 scharp, and lang penance. Quhat is deidly syn, bot wilfull transgressioun of the command of God? Than, how can yow that is ane wytche, or giffis credite to be helpit be Wytchcraft, excuse the f••a deidly syn and endles damnation s••and that GOD almychty expresly in his haly law forbiddis al kin∣dis of wytchecraft and siclike deuilie saiand thus:* 1.106 Non augurabimini nec obseruabitis somnia. Vse na kynd of wytchcraft, and tak na tent to dremis. And a litle efter hend: Non declinetis ad Magos, nec ab ariolis aliquid sciscitemini▪ vt polluamini {per} eos, ego dominus deus vester. Gang nocht to wit∣chis for ony help or confort, nother seik for counsell at ony socerar, for sa doand, ʒe ar fylit in ʒour saulis

be yame, for I am ʒour Lord God. And to mak an answar to thi argument. The deuil sumtyme in smal matters schawis to the the verite, bot to yat effeck, y^• finally he may cause ye gif credit to his lesingis and black falset, in maters of greit wecht concerning thi saul. Sumtyme he will help the to get agane the guddis of this warld, bot his intent is, yat finally he may cause y^e tyne the guddis of the warld to cum. Sumtyme he wil help the to recouer the helth of thi body, bot to that effeck, that finally he may bring the to e∣ternal dede of thi saul. Quharfor all trew chri∣stin men and wemen, suld nocht only be the com∣mand of God vse na kind of witchcraft, bot al∣swa suld seik for na help at witchis, because yat all siclik doingis is iniurius to God, & damna∣ble to mans saul.

Nother can thai excuse thame self fra trans∣gression of the first command, yat supersticious∣ly obseruis ane day mair than ane other, as cer∣tane craftis men, quhilk will nocht begin thair warke on the saterday, certane schipmen or ma∣rinars will nocht begin to sail on the satterday. certane trauelars will nocht begin thair iornay on ye satterday. quhilk is plane superstition, be¦cause that God almychty made the satterday as well as he made all other dayis of the wouke. Quharfor all lesum warkis may be begon als well on the Satterday as ony other day of the wouke, quhilk is nocht commandit haly day. Syclik supersticion is amang thame, that will

nocht berisch or erde the bodis of thair freindis on the North part of the kirk ʒard, trowand yat thair is mair halynes or vertew on the South syde than on the North. It is nocht vnknawin to vs, that many and sundry vther sinfull and dānable kindis of witchecraftis & superstitiōis ar vsit amang sum men and wemen, quhilk at this tyme we can nocht reherse and reproue in special, thairfor according to our dewtie we re∣quire ʒow forbeir thame all, because thai ar all damnable to ʒour saulis.

The tent,* 1.107 yai breke this cōmand yat tempis God, and exponis thair bodie & saule to perrel, quhen thai may help thame self be vther lauch∣ful menis and wayis.

The leuint, quha presumis of yame self ony thing, or is hilie and proud of goddis giftis,* 1.108 or makis a vant of yair wisedome or rychteous∣nes, quha wyrschippis or luffis God allanerlie for temporal geir.

The twelft, quha lippinnis nocht vpon God in al places, in al thair lesum warkis and coun∣sellis, quha doutis in goddis promis, or dispa∣ris of his merry.

Fynally all kind of vnfaithfulnes, mistrast & desperation and presumption, or quhasaeuir is vnpacient & murmuris aganis aduersite send to thame be GOD, belangis to the breking of this command. And to ye keping of it pertenis al, quhat the hal•• scripture spekis of the feir of GOD, Fayth, Hoip and Cherite.

* 1.109Ar ymagis aganis the first command? Na, sa thai be weil vsit. Quhat is the rycht vse of ymagis? Imagis to be made na haly writ forbiddis (sais ve¦nerabil Bede) for the sycht of thame, specially of the crucifixe giffis greit compunction to thame quhilk behaldis it with faith in Christ, and to thame yat ar vnletterat it geffis a quik remēbrance of y^e passion of Christ.* 1.110 Salomon in tyme of his wisdome, nocht without the inspiration of God, made ymagis in ye temple. Moyses the excellent prophet and trew ser¦uand of God, made and ereckit a brassin ymage of a serpent (quhilk figurit the liftyng vp of our sal∣uiour Iesus Christ vpon the crosse) and als, be the cōmand of God, causit mak the ymagis of twa an∣gellis callit Cherubinis, quhilk thing thir twa sa excellēt men in wisedome wald neuir haif done, gif the makin of imagiswar aganis y^e cōmand of god. It is to be thocht, that yair was neuir ʒit ony pure mortal man that had mair and perfitar vnderstan∣ding of this cōmand than had Moyses▪ to quhome the law was geuin be the Angel of God in Gods behalf. And to Salomon was giffin mair wisdom yan was geuin to ony mortal king. Bot vtterly yis command forbiddis to mak ymagis to that effeck, that thai suld he adornit & wirschipp••t as goddis, or with ony godly honour, ye quhilk sentence is ex∣premit be thir wordis:* 1.111 Non adorabis ea ne{que} coles. Thow sall nocht adorne yame nor wirschip thame as goddis. Now we suld nocht gif goddis honour or Christis honour to ony ymage bot to God alla∣nerly, representit be ane image▪ And the ymagis of

the Apostils and Martyris with vtheris, represen∣tis thair trew and co••••ta it faith, quharin thai deit with greit panis for Christis lufe, quhilk quhen we se & remēberis, we suld beseik God in our praieris to gyf lykwais to vs a constant faith and a feruent lufe of God, quhairby we may be trew seruādis to God as yai war, & to folow yair gud exemple, that finaly we doand as thai did, may cum to be, quhair thai ar in heuin, Alsua the ymage of our lady the glorious virgine Marie, beirand in hir arme the bony ymage of hir sone commonly callit the baby Iesus, representis to vs the blissit Incarnatioun and haly byrth of our saluiour, yat he was borne of the glorious virgine Marie, that sche was and is the mother of y^e natural sone of God as concerning his manly nature, thairfor the samyn ymage be re∣presentatioun techis vs to honour & lufe the samyn glorious virgine as the mother of God.

The ix. Cheptour.

QVhar panis ar thai,* 1.112 quhilk eftir ye scripture God almychty schoris to the brekaris of yis first cōmand? We sall reherse thame plainly and schortly. First, aganis thame quhilk wantis the feir of God, or that feiris man mair than God, it is writtin thus: Si non in timore domini tenueris te instanter, cito subuertetur domus tua. Gyf yow hald nocht thi self continually in the feir of God, thi house sall be soine cassyn downe. And in the secund cheptour of Ieremy it is writtin thus:* 1.113 Scito et vide quia malum et amarum est, reliquisse te dn̄m deum tuū, et nō esse timorem mei apud te dicit domiuus

deus exercitu••̄. Ken and se, yat it is euil & bitter to y^e, because yat thow hais left thi Lord God, & that my feir is nocht in the sais our Lord God of hostis. And aganis thame quhilk will nocht haif ye trew faith of halie kirk, or y^e giffis nocht ferme credit to y^e enangil of our saluiour Christ it is writtin in sanct Ihonis euangel: Qui incre∣dulus est filio,* 1.114 non videbit vitam, sed ira dei mane•• super cum. He that will nocht gif sure faith to ye sone of God, sall nocht se lyfe, bot the wrath of God, yat is to say, y^e rychteous iugemēt of god bydis vpon him. And to gyfe bot ane example: quharfor was the fair and excellent citie of Ie∣rusalem vterlie destroyit, in the xlii. ʒeir efter the passiō of our saluiour, quharin perisched al••uin hundreth thousand men and wemen, as it is ga¦derit fra Iosephus, Flauius and Egisippus? Trewlie for na vther cause principallie, bot yat thai wald nocht knaw the tyme of thair visita∣tion, yat is, y^e thai wald nocht resaif the faith of our saluiour Ies{us} Christ, quhen he in his awin propir persone viseit yame with his preching & miraculis. Thridly, quha that wantis hoip in the mercy & help of God, or that lippinnis mair to the help of man, than of God, lat thame heir the maleson that God giffis thame be his Pro∣phet Ieremie,* 1.115 quhilk is this: Maledictus homo qui confidit in homine, et ponit carnem brachium suum, et a dn̄o recedit cor eius. Cursit and wariit is that man quhilk traistis and lippinnis in mā mair thane in God almychty, & puttis his hail

defence, and principal succure in tyme of neid in ony flesche (thai is to say) in mortal men quhilk of yame self is brukkil, revil and waik, and vn¦able to help vs by the will and powar of God. And mekil mair thai fall in the same maleson of GOD, quhilk puttis thair traist and confidence in heip & succure of the deuil quhilk is our per∣petual enemie, and fra the beginning hais bene a man slaar and stude nocht in verite, bot ••u••∣mair is a lear, and the father and first beginnar of all lelingis. And of thame quhilk hais nocht the trew lufe of god and tha••r nychbour sanct Ihone the euangelist sais thus:* 1.116 Qui non diligit manet in morte. He that hais nocht the lufe of God and his nychbour, dwellis in dede (that is to say) he remanis in deidly syne, and sa is giltie of eternal damnation. And thus ʒe may se, that quhasaeuir wantis ye four principal verteous quhilk God requiris in this first command, in∣curris the indignatioun of GOD.* 1.117 And quhat rewardis ar promissit in the scripture to thame quhilk hes y^e forsaid four verteous, ʒe may soine vnderstand. First it is writtin in the Psalme: Non est inopia timentibus eum. Commonlie thai want na warldly geir, quhilk feiris God. And agane in the Psalme: Oculi dn̄i super timentes eum, et in eis qui sperant super misericordia eius, vt eruat a morte animas eorum, et alat eos in fame. T••e eyne of our Lord behaldis on thame that feiris him. and alswa vpon yame quhilk hoipis on his mercy to deliuer yair saulis fra dede, & to

feid thame in tyme of hunger and skantnes. And it is said in ane vthir Psalme:* 1.118 Beatus vir qui timet dominum. Happie or blissit is yat mā quhilk feiris our Lord, with mony siclike autoriteis. And to all yame quhilk hais the trew leiffand and wourkand faith, our saluiour makis this promis as we haif in sanct Markis Euangil:* 1.119 Omnia quecun{que} orantes petitis credite quia accipietis, et euenient vobis. Veralie I saie to ʒow, quhatsumeuir ʒe desire in ʒour praier, beleif yat ʒe sall resaif it, & ʒe sall haif it. And in the secund of Abacuk and in the first of the Romanis this promis is maid:* 1.120 Iustus meus ex fide viuit. My rychteous man be fayth (sais almychty god) sal leif. That is to say, y^e mā or woman quhilk is iustifeit or maid rychteous in my sycht throw a leiff and faith, & therin is perseuerand, the same mā is he yat sal leiue the lyfe eternal. And it is said ex∣presly in sanct Ihonis euangil: Qui credit in filiū dei,* 1.121 habet vitam eternam. He yat trowis & fermely beleiffis in the sone of God, hais euirlastand lyfe, in this warld in hoip, & in the warld to cum in deid. Attour, how God almychty rewardis & sall reward all yame yat puttis yair hail hoip and confidence in his mercy and gloir, it is declarit in sindry placis of the scripture, specially be sanct Paul writand thus to the Hebrewis:* 1.122 No lite amittere confidentiam ve∣stram, que magnam habet remunerationem. Tak gud tent, that ʒe tyne nocht ʒour confidence, ʒour traist or hoip in God, for it hais greit reward. How can ony mortal man haif greitar reward than to be deliuerit and saffit fra ye deuil, syn, & eternal dede

and to haif geuin to him eternal blys and ioy that neuir fall end?* 1.123 Heir quhat sanct Paule sais to the Romanis: Spe enim salui facti sumus. We ar maid saif throw hoip. To quhome agreis the prophet in the Psalme sayand thus:* 1.124 Beati omnes qui confidūt in eo. Blissit ar all thai quhilk puttis thair traist in God. The same halie prophet exhortand the pe∣ple to put yair hail confidence in God, sais yit wor∣dis:* 1.125 Sperare in eo omnis congregatio populi O ʒe congregatioun of peple hoip in God: Effundite co∣ram ••o corda vestra. Powr out ʒour hartis afore him be trew & humyle confession of all ʒour synnis, Deus adiutor noster meternū. For God is our hel∣par and sall neuir leiue vs. Shortly, and ʒe will knaw quhow largelie and diuersly God rewardis yame yat hais in him trew hoip and confidence, ••eid or heir with diligence the Psalme that begynnis: 〈◊〉〈◊〉 habitat in adiu••orio altissimi,* 1.126 and ʒe sall find ••••ndry g••eit consolacionis, throw special promissis of defens, help and mercy & of eternal glore quhilk GOD makis in the same Psalme. And las•• of all quha that lu••is God with perfite cherite, as this first cōmand requiris, optenis and gettis greit be∣nefittis and giftis fra God temporal, spiritual and eternal.* 1.127 Of the first spekis sanct Paul to the Ro∣manis on this maner: Scimus quoniam diligētibus deum, omnia cooperantur in bonum. We knaw weil (sais sanct Paul) that all thingis cummis for y^e best till all thame that luffis God. As he mycht say plainlie, God almychty hais sik ane special cure & prouidens on yame yat luffis him, yat he pe••mittis

na thing •••• chance and cum to thame, quhilk he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 not ••t to yair weil & {pro}feit. For quhen he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to yame prosperite, he turnis it to yair cō∣solatio••••, gi•• thai get aduersitie, he turnis it to tha•••• pacience, & be his special grace, in tyme of yair seiknes yai ar exercit in meiknes, be mennis affliction••s & contradictionis, yai leir wisdome, be mennis hattred and malice, thai grow in lufe doand gud for euil. Thai vse all vertew to the gud gyding of thair life. Thai vse the precious body of our saluiour Christ being in the sacra∣ment of the Eucharist to yair spiritual fude and refectioun. Thai vse the word of God to thair inst••ctioun. Thai vse the knawlege of sanctis and all gud men and wemen to thair exemple & edificatioun. Thai vse ye knawlege of euil men to thair zeile & compaciens. Thai vse the knaw∣l••ge of yair awin synnis (quharof thai haif trew penance) to thair continual humiliatioun.

Thus we may vnderstand, that quhasaeuir luffis God with trew lufe vnfenʒetlie, be his spe¦cial grace, all thingis turnis to thair weil & pro∣fit. Of the secund our saluiour sais thus in the Euangil of S. Ihone:* 1.128 Si quis diligit me sermonē meum seruabit, & pater meus diligit eum, & ad eum veniemus et mansionē apud eum faciemus. Quha∣saeuir luffis me, he sall keip my command, & my father sall lufe him, and to him sall we cum, and mak our dwelling with him. Quhat thing can be to ane christin man better, or mair precious,

than to haif the bliss••t Trinitie dwelland in the chalmyr of his hart, for doutles siclike men ma weil say with sanct Paul:* 1.129 Si deus pro nobis quis contra nos. Gyf God be with vs quha can be a∣ganis vs? And of the thrid reward quhilk is e∣ternal, the Apostil sanct Iames writis plainlie on this maner: Beatus vir qui suffert tentationem,* 1.130 quoniam cum probatus fuerit, accipiet coronā vite quam repromisit deus diligentibus se. Happy is y^e man that tholis trubil, for quhen he is preuit knawin, he sall resaif the croune of lyfe, quh•• God hais promissit till thame that luffis him

The x. Cheptour.

ANd to cause all men and wemen leir & keip this first command with mair diligens,* 1.131 al∣mychty God hais e••kit to the same ane gre¦uous commination of panis, and ane gracious promis of mercy. Thir ar goddis wo••dis: Ego sum dominus deus tuus, fortis, zelotes, visitans ini∣quitatem patrum in filios, in tertiam et quartā ge∣nerationem, eorum qui oderunt me, et faciens mi∣sericordiam in millia his qui diligunt me, et custo∣diunt precepta mea. I am the Lord thi God, stark and iolious or eyndland, visityng or puni¦sing the iniquite or synnis of the fatheris vpon thair sonnis, into the thrid & fourt generatioun, of thame quhilk hettis me, and giffis mercy till a thousand of thame quhilk luffis me, & keipis my commandis.

Because thir wordis ar verrai excellent, & contenis sum difficultie, we think it expedient to opin yame to ʒow at lenth. Quharfor, it is to be notit, that in yir wordis & in mony v••hir placis of the halie scrip∣ture, God requiris verray mekil ane thīg of vs al, quhilk is to knaw how he behaiffis him self towar•• vs? Trewlie til thame quhilk contemnis, dispysis, and lythleis him & his godly lawis, he is ane mych∣ty and potent iuge, to quhais powar & will na crea∣ture may mak resistence. Bot till thame yat luffis him and his commandis, he is ane merciful father. And to cause vs vnderstand this ane thing, he ••e∣peittis thir wordis in the end of the first co••mand, quhilk he proponit in the beginning of the same quhilk ar exponit and declarit to ʒow in the same place. And that ʒe may vnderstand quhy he callis him self ane iolius or eyndland God, haif in ʒour re¦membrance, that in syndry placis of the scripture, God almychty comparis him self to a gud man, the saule of man, or the synagoge of the Iewis or the faithfull congregation of christin men and wemen, till ane spouse or ane gud wyfe. And the t••ew faith in GOD to a mariage as he sais be his Prophet Osee:* 1.132 Sponsabo te mihi in fide. I sal marie the to my self in faith, & affermis the same, sayand be his Apostil sanct Paule writand to the Corinthianis: Dispondi vos vni viro,* 1.133 virginem castam exhiber•• Christo. I haif mareit ʒow to ane man, to be ane chast virgin to Christ. Now thairfore, quhen al∣mychty God callis him self ane Ioli{us} or eyndlande God▪ he makis ane sair comminacion and greuous

bosting of punition aganis all yame quhilk leiffis his faith, and gangis to idolatrie and heresie, fallis fra his hoip and confidens, to mistraist and dispera¦cioun, & hais na trew lufe of God, bot rather con∣temptioun. All siclike personis leiffis God the spi∣ritual husband of thair saule, and committis spiri∣tual fornicatioun with y^e creaturis. Aganis quhom the Prophet sais thus in the Psalme: Perdi disti omnes qui fornicantur abs te.* 1.134 Thow O gud Lord hais destroyit all thame quhilkis committis forni∣catioun, luffand ony creature mair thane the. As it is plainlie knawin, yat man is properly callit a Ie∣lius or eyndland man, quhilk luffis his wife sa me∣kil, that all tymes with greit cure and diligens, he takis tent, that na man steir or prouok hir till adul∣trie, that sche be nocht begylit throw faire wordis or giftis spokin or giffin to that effeck. Efter siclike maner of speking, GOD almychty is callit ane Ie∣lius or eyndland god, for als mekil as he will nocht be content gyf we lufe ony creature mair thane him, feir ony, or traist in ony creature mair thane in him, quhilk gif we do we commit spiritual fornica∣tioun to the displesour of God, and damnatioun of our saulis. And to this effeck, in the end of yis first command, God giffis a sair comminatioun of ry∣gorous punitioun aganis thame that leiffis him & contemnis him, and alswa ane swete & plesand pro¦mis of his mercy till al yame quhilk bydis & cleuis fast with trew fayth, hoip and cherite to him, to the entent, that the transgressouris, at the leist for feir of paine, may begin to turne agane to him, and all

gud men and wemen, with ioy & blythnes may gang in the way of Gods commandis, till the kingdome of heuin. The sentence of the commi∣natioun is this. I will visit & punis the synnis quhilk the fatheris dois, nocht only on the fa∣theris, bot alswa on thair sonnis, procedand to the thrid & fourt generatioun, gif sa be that the sonnis follow the euil exemple of yair fa••heris gif yai het me as yair fatheris hettit me, gif yai transgres my commandis as yair fatheris trās∣gressit, sa that the sonnis kei••and the command of God, be trew lufe as yai aucht to do, sal nocht be punissit with the eternal paine for t••air fa∣theris synnis, suppoise sum tyme the sone is pu¦nissit with sum temporal paine for his fatheris syne, and that be the rychteous permissioun of God, for sum gud cause seyn to his deuine ma∣iestie, and vnknawin to vs.

Now quhat is the swete and plesand promis of mercy, quhilk God makis till all gud men? It is this. I will schaw and gif mercy vntill a thousand, quhilk luffis me and keipis my com∣mand. Behald christin man, how (as y^e prophet sais) the mercy of God is aboue all his warkis, and as sais sanct Iames:* 1.135 The mercy of God gangis aboue his iugement, according as he sais in the Psalme:* 1.136 Visitabo in virga iniquitate•• eorum, et in verberibus peccata eorum, misericor∣diam autem meam non dispergam ab eo. I sall vi∣sit and punis thair wyckidnes with a wa••d, & thair synnis with strakis, ʒet I will nocht tak••

away fra yame my mercy. And thir wordis ar said to that effeck, that suppose we be greit synnaris, ʒit we suld nocht dispair of ye mercy of God, knawand weil and we will be his grace turne to him, he will haif mercy vpon vs, and gif we perseuere in his ser¦uice he sal croune vs with the croune of glore in the kingdome of heuin. And gyf we will nocht turne to him, bot stiflie ganestand his vocatioun and folow our awin sensual will, lat vs nocht dout bot GOD sall be til vs ane rychteous iuge and ane rygorous punissar of our synnis. Thus we mak ane end of the first command, quhilk we haif declarit to ʒow sumquhat largelie, because it is the g••und & foun∣datioun of all perfection, conteynand the trew and perfeit seruice, quhilk in our hart we aucht to gil til our Lord God, toquhome be honour and glore for euirmair. Amen.

☞The secund command.☜

The xi. Cheptour.

NON assumes nomen Dn̄i Dei tui in vanum,* 1.137 nec enim habebit inson tem dominus eum, qui assumpserit nomen Domini Dei sui frustra. Thow sall nocht tak the name of thi Lord God invaine, for thi lord God sal nocht leif him vnpuni••it, quhilk takis his name in vayne.* 1.138 How folowis the secund cōmand efter the first? As the first command techis the hart to feir god, to beleif fermelie his haly word, to t••aist

vpon God, lippin all gud vpon him, to lufe him & to loue him thairfore,* 1.139 sa the secund command techis the mouth, how it sal vse y^e name of God. And thairfor we sall schaw ʒow the rycht vse of ye name of God, quhilk standis in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 pointis speciallie.* 1.140 First to confesse opinly the name of God and of our saluiour IESVS CHRIST, granting & expreming with our mouth, ye faith of our saluiour afore all men, quhen neid requi∣ris, and nocht to cesse fra confession of the same for ony plesour or panis yat may be doine to vs be men. Of this cōfession our saluiour sais: Qui me confessus fuerit coram hominibus,* 1.141 confiteb or & ego eum coram patre meo qui in coelis est. He that confessis me afore men, I wil confesse him afore my father quhilk is in heuin. Secundly, nocht only with our hart, as the first cōmand requiris bot alsua with our mouth, we suld loue god and thank him in all tymes,* 1.142 baith in prosperite and in aduersite, say and with the Prophet in the Psalme: Benedicam dominum in omni tempore, sempe•• ••aus eius in ore meo. I will blis the Lord in al tyme, euirmair his louing be in my mouth. Sayand alswa with Iob:* 1.143 Si bona suscepimus de man•• dei, mala quare nō sustineamus. Gyf we haif resaiuit guddis fra the hand of the Lord, quhy suld we nocht thoil payne or punissioun?* 1.144 Domi∣nus dedit, dominus abstulit, sicut domino placuit, ita factum est, sit nomen domini benedictum. The Lord hais giffin, the Lord hais takin away, as it plesit the Lord, sa it is done, blissit is ye name

of the Lord. Thridly,* 1.145 the name of y^e Lord God is richteously vsit, quhen his haly word is trew¦ly set furth, baith priuatlie & opinly. Priuatly quhen ye father techis his childrin & barnis, the master his seruandis, the scuile master his disci∣ples, how thai suld trow the artikillis of thair Crede, how thai suld keip & ken the cōmandis of God, and fle fra all synnis, and how thai suld pray to God for grace, be deuote and faithfull prayar and sayng of thair Pater noster.

Opinlie, quhen trew ministaris of Goddis word declaris it sincerelie and purely, to the edi∣ficatioun of the peple, in Faith, Hoip & Cherite. Quhilk office belangis in special to al & syndry prelatis & personis of ye kirk, to ilkane of yame sanct Paul sais thir wordis: Predica verbū, insta opportune, importune, argue, obsecra, increpa,* 1.146 in omni pacientia et doctrina. Preche thow the word, be feruent, quhidder it be takin in seasson or out of seassoun (that is, quhidder the peple be content or discontent with the trew worde) ympreif, repreif, exhort with all suffering and doctrine.

Fourtly,* 1.147 we vse the name of God, as we suld do, quhen we make trew and faythfull inuoca∣tioun to his name, prayand to him deuotely for his grace, yat we may ordayn all our thoch∣tis, wordis and deidis to his godly plesour, and that he wald deliuer vs fra all our aduer∣sareis according to his plesour.

This is y^e trew seruice quhilk God requi••is of vs, that we lippin nocht in our awin powar, wisedome, and g••dnes, bot only in the powar▪ wisedome, and gudnes of God euirmair calling for his grace to be with vs in all our deidis, quhilk gyf we do, we sall suerly be sai••fit, according to y^e promis of God maid in the secund of Iohel: Omnis qui inuocauerit nomen Domini,* 1.148 saluus erit. Quhasaeuir sall call vpon the name of our Lord God, sal be saiffit.

The fift point, quharin standis the rycht keping of yis cōmand, is (quhen necessite requiris) to sweis lau••hfully be the name of God, according as it is wri••tin:* 1.149 Dominum deum tuum timebis, et illi sol•• ser••••es et per nomen illius iurabis. Thow sall ••ei•• thi Lord God & him only (as God) sal thow serue, and be his name thow sall sweir. Heir it is expedi∣ent to schaw quhat is sweiring. & quhow mony ver¦teous conditionis ar requi••it to lauchful sw••i••ing?

As conce••ning the first: Sweiring is nocht els bot inuocatioun or calling on God to beir witnes to vs, that our wordis ar trew, quhen we a••fe••me ony thing to be trew, or that we sall fulfil ou•• promis. For as sanct Augustine sais: it is all ane thing to say, be God, & to say, God is my wytnes. Secund, quhow many verteous conditionis ar requirit to ane lauchfull eith? Thre, quhilk ar plainly expre∣mit in the fourt of Ieremie:* 1.150 Et iurabis: v••ui•• domi∣nus, in veritate, et in iudicio, & in iustitia. Thow sal sweir, the Lord le••ffis (that is to say, as trew as the Lord lei••fis) in verite, iugement, and rychteousnes.

The first conditioun requirit to ane lauchfull

eith is verite or truth. Thow suld be sikkar that the cause or matter quhilk thow confermis with ane eith is trew. The secund conditioun is rychte∣ousnes. Thow suld be sykkar yat the thing quhilk thow ••ais is iust, or yat, quhilk yow promi••is to do with ane eith, may be iustly and lauchfully done. The thrid conditioun is iugement (that is to say) discretioun For thow suld nocht sweir at all tymes nor for all matteris, suppose thai be trew and iust, bot allanerlie quhen greit neid requiris, and thane with greit deliberatioun, discretion, and auisement. Gyf thow wantis ony of thir thre conditionis, thi eith is vnlauchful, & (as sanct Heirome sais) plaine periurie or meinsweiring. When thow sweris with out verite, thow makis ane fals eith. Agane, quhē thow sweiris w^tout rychteousnes, thow makis ane vniust and wi••kit eith. When thow sweiris hastelie without the iugement of discretioun, thov makis ane vaine and fulehardie eith. And ••a doand thre maner of wayis yow brekis this command ta•• and the name of God in vaine. And this doctrine is cō∣forme to the expositioun of this command, quhilk our saluiour giffis in ye euangil, sayand thus:* 1.151 Au∣distis quia dictū est antiquis, nō periurabis, reddes autem dn̄o iuramenta tua. Ego autem dico vobis, nō iurare omnino, nec per coelum, quia thronus dei est, ne{que} per terram, quia scabellum est pedum eius, ne{que} per hierosolimā, quia ciuitas est magni regis, ne{que} per caput tuum iuraueris, quia non potes vnū capillum album facere aut nigrum. Sit autē sermo vester est est, non non, quod autem his abundantiu••

est. a malo est. Ʒe haif hard quhow it was said to thame of auld tyme, thow sal nocht forsweir thi self, bot sall performe thi ••ith to God: bot I say to ʒow, sweir nocht alutterly (that is to say, sweir nocht without verite, rychteousnes and discre∣tioun as is aforesaid) nother be heuin, for it is goddis sei••, nor ʒit be y^e erd, for it is his futstule, nother be Ierusalem for it is the citie of y^e greit king, nother sall thow sweir be thi heid, because thow can nocht mak ane hair quhyt or black. Bot ʒour talking sal be, ʒe ʒe, na na, for quhat∣••uir is mair thane this, that cummis of euil. Qu••ilk suld be vnderstand swa, yat nochtheles quhen my nychbouris neid or profit requiris & t••e Iuge biddis me sweir y^e verite,* 1.152 I may sweir lesumlie thane, for that is nocht to tak the name o•• God in vaine, bot to haif it in greit price, & as maist halie, quhen ye verite and rycht is confer∣mit be it, the lesing is confoundit, men is brocht to peace and rest, obediens aucht to the Iugis, and hear auctoriteis is completit, ye pley ceissit, Sanct Paul swair oft tymes in his Epistils,* 1.153 to conferme the verite, saying thus: Testis enim mihi est deus. God is my witnes, or I tak God to witnes.

The xii. Cheptour.

* 1.154QVha brekis the secund command? Thai yat sweris be the name of god fulehardie, nocht taking tent of ane euil vse, thai yat sueris ane lesing, mainsueris yame self, wariis,

bannis and widdillis thair saule, to excuse yair fault, or for ony vaine mater. Thai that brekis thair eith or vow, quhilk was wisely maid, and mycht be kepit to the louing of God. And that that sweiris lesum mariage amang yame self & keipis it nocht, ar mainsworne & brekis this cō∣mand. Thai that vowis and oblissis thair self be ane eith, to ony vnlesū euil thing. Thai that tellis thair awin fantaseis for Goddis worde, or takis Goddis word to conferme thair fals te∣ching or heresie with al. Thai that luffes nocht and louis nocht the name of God for all thing, baith in prosperite & aduersite. Thai yata••u••••s the name of god to coungeir y^e deuil be inch••∣mentis, be expresse or priuat pactio••is with him or waittis on siclike or ony of the laif of the a∣busis of the name of god, & mendis thame nocht to thair powar. Thai that will nocht chasteis or snibe yair barnis fra lesingis, sweiring, ban∣ning & widling, and techis thame nocht to lofe GOD and thank him at al tymes, nocht allaner¦ly for meit or clayth or temporal geir, bot for all gudnes in saule and bodie, and will nocht teche thame to call vpon the name of God in all ne∣cessiteis and perillis, to defende thame fra all thair enemeis. For thair is na thing that d••∣plesis the deuil samekil and stoppis all euil, as to call vpon goddis name with faith and de∣uotioun. Fynallie, thai brek this com∣mand, that ar in thair wordis prydful, h••l••▪

vaine glorious, thai that auantis or prysis thame self of thair wisdome, rychteousnes, ryches, strenth or ony vther thing, ascriuand the samyn to thame selfis, or yair throw dispysis yair nychtbour, as did the pridful Pharisiane. For the quhilk & all vther gud, the glorious name of God allanerlie suld be louit and thankit And (yat suld haif bein said first) all thai abusis the name of God aganis the secund cōmand, quhilk being ouircummit w^t fair wordis, giftis or panis, denyis God our saluiour Christ, & the trew catholik faith of haly kirk. Alswa, thai yat with yair euil maneris, lyfe & conuersatioun, causis the name of Christ to be blasphemit amang ye In∣fidelis. Alswa, all negligent and ignorant prelatis & personis quhilk aucht be thair office to set furth the word of God and instruck ye peple quhilk be∣langis to thair cure and negleckis or will nocht do it, yai syne aganis this command.

* 1.155To the secund command is eikit a greuous cō∣minatioun of punisioun aganis all the transgres∣souris of the same: Nec enim habebit dn̄a insontem eum, qui sumpferit nomen dei sui frustra. Our lord God sall nocht a compt him to be ane innocent, that is sal nocht lat him be vnpunissit, quhilk takis the name of his Lord God in vaine. The sentence of this cōminatioun is this, quhasaeuir yai ar, quhilk abusis ye name of God, be ony vniust, fals or vaine eith▪ sal be greuously punissit of God other in this warld, or ellis in the warld to cum. And suppose thair is mony greit synnis committit and doine a∣mang the peple, quhilk be the rychteous iugement

of God is abil to bring vpon vs the greit scurge of God, as the swerd, the post and darth, and skāt∣nes of vittallis, ʒit vndoutandly, the abhomina¦bil abusioun of the name of God amang al the laif, ʒe and apparādlie abone all the laif, inducis and bringis apon vs the vengeance of God, & all his scurgis & plaigis. Meinsweiring, vain swering, horribil blasphematioun of the mem∣beris of our saluiour Christ, vnreuerent swe∣ring be his blude, be his woundis, be his bodie, quhilk word{is} ar vgsum to ony gud christin mā or woman to heir, nochtheles, yai ar vsit amang the peple without ony sufficient repreif and pu∣nischment. Quharfor, lat euery christin man & woman, bot specially al house haldaris, tak gud tent to the wordis quhilk the Wisman sais:* 1.156 Vir multum iurans implebitur iniquitate, & nō discedet a domo illius plaga. The man yat is a greit swe∣rar sal be full of wikitnes, and the plaige of god sall nocht pas by or gang fra his house. It is expedient thairfor, that ilkane houshaldar, first to reforme him self fra al vnlauchful and vaine sweiring, syne ordand sum honest and scharp pu¦nitioun be the maner of ane law in his house, a∣ganis all thame that hais vse or custome to tak the name of God in vaine, yat thai may eschaip the plaige of God, and vse ye name of God with deuotioun and reuerence, as it becummis ye ser∣uandis of God to do.

The heretik Arrius blasphemit our saluiour Christ denyand his deuinitie, bot he eschapit nocht the vengeance of God, for quhen he passit to the scheild to purge his wame, al his bowallis & guttis fell doune throw him, and swa deit miserablie. Cerinthus, quhilk likwayis denyit the Godheid of our saluiour, the house quharin he was bathand and weschand him self, fell doune apon him & slew him. Rapsases, quhilk was lieutenant and cheif captane of the greit oist of the Assyrianis▪ he blas∣phemit the Lord God of Israel, for the quhilk, the angel of God in ane nycht slew him with a hūdreth fourscoir and fiue thousandis of the Assyrianis ar∣mye,* 1.157 & the king of ye Assyrianis ʒeid hayme & was slaine be his awin sonnis. Quharto suld we speik mair of this matter, all the Cronickillis and histo∣ries of y^e warld beiris witnes, yat meinsworne men, greit sweraris, abhominabil blasphemaris, cheapi•• neuir greit punitioun, othir a gait or vthir. Sa horribil a syn it is to abuse the halie name of our Lord.* 1.158 And on the vther part, to knaw quhat greit rewardis ar promissit in the scripture to all thame quhilk kepis this command, we neid nocht to vse lang declaratioun. Ʒe hard afore be the Prophet I••hel, how that saluatioun is promissit till thame▪ quhilk faythfully callis on the name of the Lord. And in the first buke of the kingis it is said thus: Quicun{que} honorificauerit me glorificabo eum.* 1.159 Quhasaeuir sall honour me, I sall glorifie him. And the Prophet sais in the Psalme:* 1.160 Laudan•• in∣uocabo dominum, et ab inimicis meis saluus er••.

I wil lofe and call on the Lord and sa sal I besa••l fra my enemies. And alswa ane excellent pro∣mis is maid in the Psalme, that quhasa sweiris to his nychbour ane lauchful eith & begylis him nocht sall dwel in the tabernakil of our Lord,* 1.161 and rest in his halie hil. And quhasa prayis deuotly in y^• name of Christ, he hes ane {pro}mis maid to him,* 1.162 yat quhat∣saeuir he aske of God the father eternal, it sall be grantit to him. Now tak tent I pray ʒow, quhow greit gud to man it is to be saiffit, to be glorifyit, to be deliuerit fra our enemies, to dwel in ye taberna∣kil of God▪ & to optane fra God all our petitionis, quhat can we de••yre mair? To God thairfor be ho∣nour and glore euirmair. Amen.

☞The thrid command.☜

The xiii. Cheptour.

MEmento vt diem sabba•• sanctifi∣ces. &c. Remember that thow hallow the Sabboth day. How followis this command,* 1.163 in ordour efter ye secund & the first? As the first command techis the hart, ye secund cōmand y^e mouth, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the thrid command techis the outwart memberis how yai suld haif yame self in y^e rycht worschipping of God. Quhat is the cause that this command begynnis w^t this word Remember? As experiens schawis vs, we ar all ouirmekil geuin to ydelnes, sweirnes & carnal lustis of y^e bodie, quhilk causis

vs to be owyr negligent in the trew seruice of God, with our body and membris thairof. To bring vs yarfor fra yis negligens in the begin∣ning of this thrid cōmand, God sais Remēber, be nocht sweir or negligent, bot tak gud tent to¦ken & keip this cōmand.* 1.164 Quhat is the sabboth day, quhilk God commandis to be hallowit? This worde Sabboth day is nocht ellis bot a day of rest, and vnto the Iewis it was the seuint day of y^e wouk quhilk we cal Satterday, quhat day the Iewis yair self, thair barnis, seruandis and bestis suld haif rest fra all bodily seruice or seruile labouris, quhilk seruandis mycht do or was wont to do. Ar we christin peple oblissit to keip that sabboth day with the Iewis? Quhen we spek of the sabboth day, we suld cōsider twa thingis,* 1.165 the tane is ceremonial, y^e vthir is moral. As cōcerning the ceremonial quhilk was nocht ellis bot yat yai suld keip yair sabboth day alla¦nerlie apon the seuint day of the wouk, we ar nocht oblissit to keip it, for our saluiour Christ be the merittis of his passion, hais deliuerit vs al fra y^e bondage of the law of Moyses, in takin quharof ye vail of the tēpil raif in pecis in tyme of his passioun.* 1.166 And the Apostil sanct Paul re∣preiffis rycht scharply the Galathianis for yat, that thai obseruit dayis & monethes, tymes and ʒeiris efter the ryt and custome of y^e Iewis. Sa we ar nocht oblissit to keip ye sabboth day apon the satterday as the Iewis did be cōmand of the law.* 1.167 Bot as concerning y^e moralite of y^e sabboth

day; we suld keip it on the Sundayis & vthir halie dayis commandit be the haly kirk to be kepit haly. Quhy was ye sabboth day translatit and changeit to y^e Sunday? First,* 1.168 yat we christin men suld nocht be lyke Iewis, trowand yat the Sabboth day was haliar thane ony vther day of the wouk in the awin nature, bot to christin men all dayis suld he haly. Mairouir, as the sabboth day was cōmandit to be kepit haly, in resting fra al labouris, in remēbrance of that rest quhilk God restit the seuint day efter ye creatioun of the warld. Sa we christin pepil be the ordinatioun of the Apostillis and haly kirk, keipis haly the Sunday, in the remembrance of yat rest, quhilk our saluiour tuk in his bodie within the se∣pulture efter the wark of our redemption, quhen he deliuerit vs fra the dangier of syn, the deuil, & hell, and vpon the Sunday eirly in the morning, raise potently in body and saule, owyr came the dede and began a glorious and immortall lyfe, quharto we hoip to cum be faith and obediens to his law.

Mairouir,* 1.169 it is heir to be notit yar the ceremony of the Sabboth day, quhilk the Iewis kepit, was ane figure be ane morall significatioun of that spi∣ritual rest, quhilk all we christin men and wemen suld haif in our conscience all the dayis of our lyfe. For that amang the Iewis, nother man nor best mycht work ony wark on ye seuint day, quhilk was callit thair Sabboth day, bot all tuik thair temporal and corporal rest fra all labouris, it was ane figure be ane moral significatioun, yat christin men & wemen suld get rest in yair consciens be ane

leiuand fayth in Christ Iesu here in this warld, & finally eternal rest in the warld to cum. And yat we suld rest fra our awin carnal warkis, that we suld mortifie our fleschlie desyris, quhilk, the mair yat thai ar mortifyit, we haif the mair rest in our consci∣ence. And this spiritual sabboth day suld we keip continually all the dayis of the wouke, & it is callit Iuge sabbatum, that is to say, the continual rest of our consciens, for as cōcerning the spiritual rest of our consciens all dayis suld be elyk. And to this spiritual rest of our consciens Christ our saluiour callis vs all sayand thus:* 1.170 Venite ad me omnes qui laboratis, et onorati estis, et ego reficiam vos. Tollite sugum meum super vos, et discite a me quia mitis sum et humilis corde, et inuenietis requiem animabus vestris. Iugum enim meum suaue est, et onus meum leue. Cum to me all ʒe that laboris and ar ladin with byrdingis, and I sall refresche ʒow. Tak my ʒok vpon ʒow, and leir fra me, for I am gentil and meik in hart, and ʒe sall fynd rest in ʒour saulis, for my ʒoik is sweit & my byrding is lycht. Quhow suld we keip the sunday haliday? Eftir yis maner,* 1.171 yai yat ar all the wouke in labouris & cum∣mis nocht, or may nocht get leif to cum the laif of y^e wouke to the kirk, on the sunday suld haif rest and space to conuein and gadder with the laif, to thank and loif God, heirand deuotly y^e deuine seruice, & specially the hie Mes, or at the lest ane said Mes, & alswa heir the word of God prechit gif thai may get it. Offer to god thair hart contrite as ane spiritual sacrifice, gif thai haif maid in the wouke dayis ony

falt to yair nychbour, on the sunday to be reconsalit to him agane, and mak him amēdis at yair powar, loif & thank God for all his benefitis geuin to him generallie or speciallie, pray to God for his grace & his mercy, for incres of faith, hoip & cherite amang christin peple. That God (gif it be his will & godly plesour) prosper the fruitis of the ground, ceise all weris, stanche all pestilent seiknes. Mairouir on the sunday, the father suld teche his barnis, the mastir his seruandis, to ken and feir God▪ to ken y^e artikillis of our fayth, how yai suld say thair Pater noster to God, with faith and deuotion, to ken and keip the commandis of God, to forbeir all deidly synnis, thus suld thai do als mekil as thai ••an and may, according to the grace of God geuin to yame. Furthermair, on the sunday men suld rest fra bodi∣ly labouris in getting of temporal geir, except sum greit necessite or vtilite of him self or of his nych∣bour or of the commen weil, quhilk may nocht be weil postponit may excuse thame. And abone all this, all men and wemen with diligens, nocht only suld forbeir vice and syn on the Sunday and all o∣ther dayis, bot specially on the sunday, suld eschew all ydilnes, vaine talking, bakbyting, sclandering, blasphematioun of the name of God, and conten∣tioun and also all occasionis of syn, as dansyng, vn¦necessarie drinking, wantones, lecherous sangis & tweching, hurdome, carting and dysing, & specially carreling and wanton synging in the kirk, and all vthi•• vice quhilk commonly hes bein maist vsit on the sunday. Agane on the sunday we suld nocht

only offre our hart to God, bot alswa we suld offer part of our warldly geir, be almous deid to the puir peple, euerilk man and woman mekil almous or litil, as God hes geuin to him warld¦ly substance. Breuelie, on the Sunday men and wemen suld fulfil (mair thane ony other day) all the deidis of mercy and cherite to the puir.

Quha brekis yair halie day? All thai quhilk will nocht exerce and occupy thame self in thir spiritual warkis afore rehersit.* 1.172 Thai that will nocht heir the word of God, loif and thank him in company of the christin peple. Thai that will nocht thoil thair seruandis to cum to ye kirk on ye Sunday, bot kepis yame in warldly besines occupeit, for thair vile lucre in doing of thair warldly erandis. Thai that cummis to the kirk and prayis nocht nor worschippis nocht God als well with the spirit as with the mouth and in wartlie in verite. Thai that beand in the kirk in the tyme of goddis word or seruice, occupeis thame self in vaine euil or ony warldly talking, lauchhing, scorning, or ony siclik doingis.

* 1.173Is yair na vthir haly day bot the Sunday? Ʒis veralie, the dayis of all the Apostillis, of ye glorious virgin Mari & vther sanctis ordanit to be kepit, & in vse to be kepit be the halie kirk and hail congregatioun of christin men, quhilk we suld keip halie efter the maner and forme afore rehersit. And quhasa contemnis to keip thame, cannocht excuse thame fra syn, and bre∣king of this command.

How mekil almychty God detestis the trāsgression of this thrid command,* 1.174 we may gadder of the buke of Nowmeris. Thair was a certane Iew, quhilk on the sabboth day gadderit a few stikkis, aganis the command of the law, for the quhilk transgres∣sioun, be the special command of God, he was s••a∣nit to the dede. Be this historie we may vnderstād how greuously the peple synnis in breking of the Sunday and vthir haly dayis, quhilk na dout is ane of the special causis of the calamiteis and greit plaigis and misereis quhilk we feil daylie amang vs send be the hand of God. Sa greit is the wic∣kitnes & miserable cowatousnes of mony men that (as it apperis plainly) thai contempne all haly dais of the kirk, thai disdein to heir the word of God, yai lychthye all ceremoneis doin in the kirk, ordanit to steir y^e peple to deuotioun, yai dispise all ministaris of the same. And quha can deny, bot yat this trans∣gressioun of halydayis is ane greuous syn,* 1.175 and is able til induce & bring vpon vs the wrath of God? And quha yat kepis yair halydais, forberand tem∣poral warkis and besynes, and exercis & occupeis thame self in feruent prayar amang the laif of the peple in the house of prayar, callit the kirk, heris or seis the Mes deuotly, heris the word of God dili∣gentlie, reconseilis thame self to God & thair nych∣bour vnfenʒetly, fulfillis the dedis of mercy cheri∣tably. Thai & siclik personis can nocht want thair reward, quhilk salbe geuin to thame of God, baith temporally & eternally, according as our saluiour promissis sayand thus:* 1.176 Querite primum regnū dei et iusticiam eius, et hec omnia ad••icientur vobis.

First of all seik for the kingdome of God, and the rychteousnes of the same, & all thai thingis quhilk pertenis to ʒour temporal leuing, salbe minister it to ʒow. Na man can sufficiently expreme with toung, quhat grace and spiritual gud a christin mā gettis in diligent hering the word of God. Quhat is mair to be de••yr••t of a christin man and woman, thane to get the giftis of faith, compunctioun, ••emi••ioun of synnis, the haly spirit, trew knawlege of God and of th••ne awin self reconciliatioun with God and thi nychbour, pece & rest of thi consciens, ioy in the haly spirit, y^e gift of trew iustificatioun, and finally eter∣nal lyfe. All thir spiritual giftis of God a•• obtenit and gottin, be diligent hering & leiring the word of God, praying co••tritioun, with the laif of spiritual exercitionis, quhilk we declarit afore to ʒow. To God thairfor be louing and thankis, honour and glore euirmair. Amen.

❧Heir followis ane introductioun to the commandis of the secund tabil.

The xiiii. Cheptour.

BEcause the seuin Commandis writtin in the secund tabil techis vs our dewtie quhilk we aucht to our nychbour, declaris how we suld beir vs to him in our ha••t, word & deid, afore we cum to the expositioun of the same commandis, we think it expedient to expone ye command of lufe quhilk we aw to our nychbour, for trewly the same 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is the ground and beginning of al gud deidis,

wordis and desyris, quhilk thir seuin cōmandis re∣quiris of vs towart our nychbour, nother can ony man or woman be knawin to lufe thair nychbour, bot only be fulfilling of thir cōmandis.* 1.177 For dout∣les he lu••is his nychbour in deid, quhilk according to thir seuin commandis, nocht only dois na ••ayth to him, bot also dois al gud to him, that he may and suld, be the directioun of thir seuin commandis. As we reid in the euangil of sanct Mathew, thair came ane doctour of y^e law till our saluiour, and proponit til him a questioun, tempand him & said: Magister quod est mandatum magnū in lege? Mastir, quhat is the greit command of the law? To this question our saluiour maid answeir, rehersand twa cōmand{is} of lufe, quharof the tane was this. Thow sall lufe thi Lord God with all thi hart, and with al thi saule and with al thi mynd. This is the gretest and first command. And of this command of lufe quhilk we aw to our Lord God, we maid declaratioun in the exposition of the first command. The secund command is of the lufe quhilk we aw till our nych∣bour, quhilk is this: Diliges proximum tuum, sicut teipsū. Thow sal lufe thi nychbour as thi self.* 1.178 For the plain vnderstanding of this command of lufe, the wordis is to be notit quhilk sanct Paule sais to ye Romanis: Qui diligit proximū, legem impleuit.* 1.179 He that luffis his nychbour, fulfyllis the hail law. Gyf ʒe merueil how a man lu•• and his nychbour, fulfillis & kepis the hail law, meruail nocht for the lufe of God is includit in the lufe of our nychbour. For we aw to lufe our nychbour in God or for gods

lufe, & gif we lufe him principally for ony vthir cause, we lufe him nocht sincerely and purely as we aucht to do, it followis thane, that quhasa lu••fis thair nychbour sincerely and purely, thai lufe God, and sa thai keip the commandis con∣tenit in ye first tabil, quhilk ordouris & direckis vs to the lufe of God. And quhasa luffis thair nychbour, yai keip the seuen commādis writtin in ye secund tabil, quhilk ordouris and direckis vs to ye trew lufe of our nychbour. Sa we may weil conclude, yat quhasaeuir luffis thair nych∣bour trewly, thai fulfil the hail law of moral cō∣mandis. And this is wel declarit be the Apostil sanct Paul,* 1.180 sayand thus: Nam non adulterabis, non occides, non furaberis, non falsum testimonium dices, non cōcupisces, et si quod est aliud mandatū, in hoc verbo instauratur. Diliges proximum ruum sicut teipsum. Thow sal nocht commit adultery, thow sall nocht steil, thow sall nocht beir fals witnes, thow sall nocht couit ony thing fra thi nychbour, and gif thair be ony vther command it is comprehendit in this word. Thow sall lufe thi nychbour as yi self. Fo••, sen lufe of our nych∣bour is na thing ellis, bot to wil and desyre gud to him, quhasaeuir luffis yair nychbour as yair self, thai do as thai wald be done to of resone. Thai will thame na skayth with thair hart, thai speik na euil to thame with thair mouth, thai do na skayth to thame in yair deidis, bot contrary, thai will thame all the gud yai can, thai spek to

thame and of thame gud wordis, thai do thame gud in deid at yair powar quhen thai suld do it. And sa the word of sanct Pa••le is trew, quhilk he sais, quhasa luffis thair nychbour fulfillis the law. And because that this command biddis vs lufe our nychbour as our self, we suld first leir efter quhat maner we suld lufe our self, to yat effeck, yat efter the same maner we may lufe our nychbour. How suld we lufe our self?* 1.181 Veraly, thre maner of wayis. First we ••uld lufe our self and sa our nychbour with ane honest & halie lufe, nocht to syn or to perseuere in syn,* 1.182 or to foster and nurisch our self or our nichbour in euil, for as the Prophet sais in the Psalme:* 1.183 Qui diligit iniquitatē odit animā suam. Quhasa luffis wikitnes or syn, he hettis his awin saule. And euin sa sais the wisman: Qui sibi nequam est,* 1.184 cui bonus erit? He that is euil to him self, to quhome can he be gud? Thane it followis weil, that no∣ther proud mā, nor ireful, inuious, swere, cowa∣tous, licherous or gluton luffis yair awin saul, because yair lufe is nocht honest & haly, quhilk lufe God requiris of vs all, according as the e∣ternal wisdome of God sais be the mouth of the wisman: Ego mater pulchre dilectionis.* 1.185 I am the mother of fair, honest and haly lufe, quhilk is to desyre ye remissioun of synnis & grace of God, quharby our saulis may be saiffit. According as it is writtin in the wisman:

* 1.186Miserere anime tuo placens deo. Haif mercy on thi awin saule, that thow may pleis God. Quhai for quhasa kennis thair nychbour to leif in syn, & suld and may reforme him and wil nocht, thai lufe noht yair nychbour with ane honest lufe as thai suld do.

Secundlie, we aucht to lufe our self and sa our nichtbour,* 1.187 w^t ane affectuous & trew lufe vnfenʒetly For quhē we lufe our nychbour principally for our awin profit and plesour, and nocht to his la••chfull profit and honest plesour, thane we lufe him nocht with ane trew lufe, for than, quhen our profit ceissis o•••• lufe ceissis, quhen our plesour quhilk we get be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ceissis, thane incontinent we ceis to lufe him. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 siclike ane lufe it is writtin in the buke of the ••i••m••n.* 1.188 ••st an••cus socius mense, et nō perman••bit in ••ie necessitatis. The wisman sais, yat yair is ane ••nd quhilk will beir vs company at our bu••de, to tak part of our meit, bot he will nocht byde with vs in tyme of our nede. And y^e warld (alace thair∣for) is full of siclike luffaris, quhairfor christin m••, leir to lufe thi ny••hbour as thi self trewly and vn∣fenʒetly. That is to say, as thow luffis thi awin self at all tyme baith in prosperite and aduersite. Sa thow auht to lufe thi nychbour with perseuerance, according as the wisman sais speikand of a trew freind:* 1.189 Omni tēpore diligit qui amicus est & frate•• in angustiis comprobatur. He that is a freind luffis at al times, & a brother is knawin in tyme of trubil. Alswa thow suld leir to lufe him effec••uously, nocht with fair wordis allanerly, bot with word and deid bayth,* 1.190 according as S. Ihon sais: Non diligamus

verbo ne{que} lingua, s••d opere et veritate. Lat vs nocht lufe our nychbour allanerly with word and toung bot with deid and verite. To quhom agreis sanct Paul sayand: Dilectio sine s••m ••lat••one.* 1.191 Lat ou•• lufe be without dissimulatioun or fenʒetnes. Thairfor all thai quhilk luffis yair nychbour alla∣nerly in tyme of thair prosperite and nocht in tyme of thair aduersite,* 1.192 or allanerly sa lang as thai get profit be thame, or allanerly with yair word & nocht with thair deid at yair powar, thai lufe nocht trewly thair nychbour as thame self. Of quhom the Pro∣phet ••ais in the P••alme: L••quuntur pacem c••m proximo suo, mala autem in cordibus eorum.* 1.193 Thai speik peace with thair nychbour, bot mekil euil r••∣manis in yair hartis. Thridly,* 1.194 we suld lu•• ou•• nychbour as our self with iust ordour, quhairof it is writ••in: Ordinauit in me charitatem. God al∣mychty our heuinly spouse, hais ordanit trew lufe in me. And be the iust ordour of lufe, we suld lufe God aboue ourself, and our nychbour as our self, and our warldly gei•• vnder our self. Thairfore quha luffis yame self yair nychbour or yair warld∣ly geir aboue God or mair thane God, sa that for y^e lufe of thame self, thair nychbour or yair geir, thai cure no••ht to brek y^e cōmand of God, ••ai lufe nocht thame self or yair nychbour with ane iust ordour of cherite. Quhairfor our saluiour sais:* 1.195 Qui amar pa¦trem aut matrem plus{quam} me non est me dignus, ••t qui amat filiū aut filiā super me non est me dignus. He yat luffis his father or mother mai•• tha••e me, he is nocht worthy of me. And he yat luffis his sone

or his dochter aboue me, he is nocht worthy of me. That is to say, gif the cace fortune yat other thow mone displese thi father or thi mother, thi sone or thi dochter, or ony vthir freind or nych∣bour, or els yow mone displese God, be breking of his command, sa that thow can nocht bayth plese God & thame to gidder at yat tyme, thane in this cace yow suld keip the ordour of cherite, and era•• displese al the freindis thow hes, than that thow suld brek ane command of God and sa displese him. Or gif ony of yame wald inty•••• counsel, and draw the to ony vnlesum thing, in sa mekill that gif thow do nocht yair counsel & bidding, thow fall tyne thair fauour. In this case cure nocht to tyne thair fauour, that thow may haif the fauour of God, and sa deand yow luffis God aboue thi nychbour. Mairouir, gif ony man or woman wald counsell or com∣mand y^e to do ony thyng, expresse agane the cō∣mand of God, and that vnder na les paine than tinsal of all thy warldly geir and landis, ʒe and of thi life, quhilk is derast to the of all the laif. In this case thow suld ••heis to tyne thi lyfe and all thi geir, erar thane to brek ane command of God, and sa doand, thow luffis God aboue thi self according to the dew ordour of Cherite.

The xv. Cheptour.

* 1.196QVhen almychty God sais, lufe thi nych∣bour as yi self, we suld leir to knaw quha is our nychbour, quharin the Iewis and also mony christin men and wemen ar begilit,

vnderstanding the command of God in ane wrang sence, think and that na man is thair nychbour, bot thai allanerlie, quhilk ar thair carnal and warldly frendis, yair awin cuntremen, or yai y^e dwellis neir hand thame.* 1.197 Bot our saluiour techis in the parabil or similitude quhilk he gaif of y^e woūdit mā yat lay in the hie way, betuix Ierusalē & Hierico half dede half quik, yat ilk a mā is to eueryman a nychbour, quhilk other hais▪ mercy of ane vthir, or ellis to quhom another mā ma haif mercy. That is to say, al men & wemē may be callit my nychbours, quhilk hais mister of my help, and al men and wemen may be callit my nychbouris, quhilk may help me, sa all men is nychbour til euery mā. For y^e Samaritane, suppose he was of ane strange cuntre, & comptit a∣mangis y^e Iewis as ane enemie, ʒit because he come by the woundit Iew seand him, had compacience on him and helpit him, he was his trew nychbour. Quhairfor, quhen God biddis the lufe thi nych∣bour as thi self, yow suld vnderstand by this word nychbour, all men and wemen, quhiddir thai dwell neir hand or far of.

Mairouir,* 1.198 the Iewis vnderstude the same cō∣mand in ane wrang sence (and lykwais dois mony christin men and wemen) trowand yat yai suld alla∣nerly lufe thair freind, and yat thai may lauchfully het thair enemie. Bot our saluiour Christ in the e∣uangil giffis the trew vnderstanding of the same command, techand plainly, & swa geuand cōmand to lufe bayth freind and fa. Thir ar his wordis:

Audistis quia dictum est,* 1.199 diliges proximum tuum & odio habebis inimicū tuum. Ego autem dico vobis diligite inimicos vestros, benefacite his qui oderūt vos, et orate pro persequentibus et calumniantibus vos, vt sitis filii patris vestri qui in coelis est, qui solē suum oriri facit, super bonos et malos, et pluit super iustos et iniustos. Si enim diligitis eos qui vos di∣ligunt, quam mercedem habebitis? Nonne et publi∣cam hoc faciunt? Et si salutaueritis fr̄es vestros tan∣tum, quid amplius facitis? Nonne et publicani ho•• faciunt? Estote ergo vos perfecti, sicut et pater v••∣ster celestis perfectus est. Ʒe haif hard how it was said: Thow sall lufe thi nychbour & het thine ene∣mie. Bot I say to ʒow, lufe ʒour ennemeis; blisse thame that curssis ʒow, do gud to thame that hettis ʒow pray for yame quhilk dois ʒow wrang and per¦secutis ʒow, that ʒe may be the sonnis of ʒour father quhilk is in heuin, for he causis his sonne to rise on the euil and on the gud, and sendis his rayne on the iust and vniust. For gif ʒe lufe yame (allanerly) yat luffis ʒow, quhat reward sal ʒe haif? dois noch•• the Publicanis eum sa? And gif ʒe be freindly to ʒour freind{is} only, quhat singlar thing do ʒe? dois nocht the Publicanis alswa siclik wais? Ʒe sall thairfor be perfit, eum as ʒour father in heuin is perfit. In thir wordis of our saluiour we may vnderstād that quhasa hettis bot ane man in all the warld,* 1.200 he luffis na man in al y^e warld, with the lufe of cherite and meritoriously to the plesour of God, suppose he may lufe yame with anewarldly or natural lufe. And quhy? For Cherite is excludit and put away

fra y^e saule of mā be ane deidly syn, than it followis weil, that gif thow beir hettred at ony man, quhat∣sumeuir he be, freind or fa, nychbour or strangar, thow hais na cherite, and hai•• and na cherite, thow art in the stait of dampnatioun, according as ye A∣postil sanct Ihon techis: Qui odit fratrem suum,* 1.201 in tenebris est. He that hettis his brother, he is in myrknes. And gyf ony man wald lay agains this doctrine, allegging that certane sanctis in ald tyme hettit yair enemeis, exemple of the h••ly Prophet & excellent king Dauid, quhilk sais thus of himself: Perfecto odio oderam illos, inimici facti sun•• mihi.* 1.202 I hettit thame (sais he) with ane perfite hettrend be cause thai war myne enemeis. Allwa our saluiour sais in the euangil of sanct Luke:* 1.203 Si quis non odit patrem suum et matrem suam et vxorem &c. Qhasa hettis nocht his father and his mother &c. Of the quhilk wordis an vnlei••it persone mycht gaddir, that it war lesum to het our enemeis. To the quhilk obiectioun we mak this answeir. That in al our deidis of lufe sa mekil as we may, we suld follow the exemple of God, according to the teching of sanct Paule: Estote imitatores dei,* 1.204 sicut filii charissimi. Be ʒe followaris of God as deir sonnis.* 1.205

Now we fynd in the haly writ, yat God almychty luffis & hettis. Quhat luffis God? Trewly the nature, or the persone quhilk he hais maid, accor∣ding as the wilman sais in the buke of Wisedome: Diligis omnia que sunt, et nihil odisti eorum que fecisti. Thow luffis all thingis that is, and hettis na thing that thow hais maid.

Quhat hettis God? Veraily, God hettis al vic•• and syn, quhilk is nocht maid be the command of God, bot allanerly it is maid be the peruersit will of euil angellis and euil men and wemen. Thus the prophet sais,* 1.206 spekand of God: Odisti omnes qui operātur iniquitatem. O Lord sais he, thow hes hettit all yame quhilk wirkis wickit∣nes and dois euil. Thus tharfor we aucht to do to all men and wemen, lufe thair persone with cherite, and also in all men & wemen we suld het thair vice and thair syn, with all thair euil con∣ditionis, & help with all our diligence to bring thame fra vice to vertew, fra syne to grace, yat sa we may lufe bayth thame self & thair gud con∣ditionis.* 1.207 Now efter yat ʒe knaw how ʒe aucht to lufe ʒour nychbour, & quha is ʒour nychbour, ʒe suld oft tymis considdir thai thingis quhilk speciallie mouis christin men and wemen to lufe thair nychbour with the trew lufe of Cherite. Quhairof the first motiue is, the lufe quhilk we haif to God, for quhasa luffis hartelie yair lord God aboue all thing, the same lufe mone neidis steir thame to lufe thair nychbour. And as sanct Ihon the euangelist sais:* 1.208 Si quis dixerit, qu••niā diligo deum et fratrem suum odit mandax est. Gyf ony man will say I lufe God, & ••ettis his nych∣bour, he is ane le••••. And 〈…〉〈…〉 is nocht possible that a man or woman lufe God, doe the same man sall lufe his nychbour, n••ther may a man lufe his nychbour, b••t also h•• sall lufe his God, sa mekil is the lufe of God & our nychbour

fessinit and linkit togiddir, yat the tane lufe can nocht be had without the tother. Exemple, gif a ma•• wald say, yat he luffis the king, & ʒit hertis the kingis sone, or the kingis membres, he may wel be callit ane lear. Now al trew christin men ar sonnis of God be adoptioun, & spiritual mē∣beris of the mistik body of our saluiour Christ. Quhairfor it is nocht possibil yat a man quhilk hettis his nychbour, may lufe God sa lang as he hettis his nychbour. The secund thing quhilk suld mo••e vs to lufe our nychbour, is y^e special command of our saluiour, quhilk a litil afore his departing fra this warld be his passi∣oun, amang all vthir cōmandis, in special gaif to his discipillis the command of lufe, sayand: Hoc est preceptū meum, vt diligatis inuicem,* 1.209 sicut dilexi vos. This is my command yat ʒe lufe ane ane vthir, as Ihaif luffit ʒow. Mairouir, the special signe & takin quhairby a christin man or woman is knawin to be Christis disciple, is gif yai lufe ane ane vthir according as he sais him self: In hoc cognoscent omnes quia discipuli mei estis si dilectionem habaeritis a dinuicem.* 1.210 Be this may al men ken yat ʒe ar my disciples, gif ʒe haif lufe ane till ane vthir. Tak tent, he sais nocht, & ʒe cause blind men to see, & ʒe caus•• deif men to heir, & ʒe cā raise vp deid mē to life agane. Bot y^e trew & special takin, to knaw ʒou to be my disci∣ples, is gif ʒe haif lufe & cherite ane til ane vthir Quhairfor christin man lufe thi nychbour, nat tharby y^u may schaw thi self to be a trew christin man.

The thrid, is communication or participatioun o•• our nature,* 1.211 for as it is said be the wisman: Omn•• animal diligit sibi simile. Ilk a best naturally luffis the best, that is lyk to the self in nature. Now sen we ar al lik ane til ane vthir, in our nature, al being maid be ane god, to his awin {pro}pir image & liknes, it followis, that quhasaeuir luffis nocht his nych∣bour, nocht only is a brekar of y^e law of God geuin to Moyses and ratifeit be our saluiour, bot also he is a brekar of the law of nature, quhilk God hais prentit in ye hartis of all men and wemen.

Now thair for christin peple we exhort ʒow to tak gud tent to the declaration of the seuin commandis contenit in the secund tabil, quhilk is geuin to ʒow of God him self, to ordour ʒow and direk ʒow in the trew lufe of ʒour nychbour, quhilk eui••mair ʒe aw to haif towa••t him, in ʒour deidis, wordis, & in ʒour hartis.

The xvi. Cheptour.

☞The secund tabil of Moyses contenis vii. com∣mandis, quhilk techis vs how we suld beir vs to our nychbour, of the quhilk the first cō∣mand and fourt in nowmer is this.

HOnora patrem tuum et matrē tuā, vt si•• long••uus super terram, quā dn̄s deus tuus dabit tibi. Exo. xx. Honour thi father & mother, tha•• thow may haif lang lyfe and gud dais vpon the e••d, quhilk thi lord God sall gyf to the.

Quhat is the ordour of the fourt command? As the thre commandis of the first tabil orda••ns vs to do our dewtie to almychty God our heuinly father,* 1.212 tech••••d vs how we suld serue him with our hartis, our wordis and outwart deidis, sa be conuenient ordour followis the fourt command, quhilk gi••fis instructioun how we suld do our dewtie till our pa∣rentis fatheris and motheris & eldaris heir in this warld, quhilk be the ordinatioun of God hais reule and gouernance ouir vs in gods stede, and tharfor ni••t eftir God & aboue all vther nychbou••is we aw to thame honour and obediens. Quhow mony maner of fatheris ar schawin in the haly scripture? Thre. The first is our naturall father & mother,* 1.213 quhilk be the benefit of GOD brocht vs into this warld. And of this natural father and mother, this cōmand is specially geuin. Of quhom it is writtin: Qui timet dominum honorat parentes, & quasi dn̄is seruiet his qui se genuerunt. He that feiris GOD, honouris his father and mother, and will be cōtent to mak seruice to thame quhilk hais brocht him to this warld. The secund fatheris ar thai quhilk hais cure and charge of our saulis, as byschoppis & personis, quhilk be thair office, suld, be the seid of gods word, beget vs to the faith of Christ, syne nu∣risch & bring vs vp to the perfectioun of a christian lyfe, and thir ar callit spiritual fatheris. Sa the Apostil said to the Corinthianis: Nō vt {con}fundā vos hec scribo, sed vt filios meos charissimos moneo.* 1.214 I writ nocht yis to schame ʒow bot as modeir chil∣dren I warne ʒow. For suppose ʒe haif ten thousād

instructouris in Christ, ʒit haif ʒe nocht mony fa¦theris, for I haif begottin ʒow in Christ Iesu throch the Euangil. And to the Galathianis he sais thus: Filioli mei, quos iterum parturio, donec formetur Christus in vobis.* 1.215 My litil children of quhom I trauel in byrth agane, quhil Christ be formit and fassionit in ʒow. The thrid father is all ciuile magistratis, yat is, al kingis, prin∣cis and temporal reularis of our common weil, quhilk in auld tyme amang the Romanis was wont to be callit patres patrie, fatheris of y^e cun∣tre. And sa we reid that quhen a certane prince of Siria callit Naaman,* 1.216 came to the Prophet Helyseus to be curit fra his lyppir, his seruādis callit him father, saying: Father, gyf the Pro∣phet had said to the a greit mattir, thow suld haif done it.* 1.217 And schortly all thai that hais cure and charge ouir vs vnder God, generally may be callit our fatheris, forsamekil that thai suld reule vs in yair office, with siclike fauour & diligence as the natural father reulis his sone. To quhome also we suld gife honour, seruice, & obediens as the sone dois to the father:* 1.218 Filii o∣bedi••e par••tibus per omnia, hoc enim placitum est domino. Barnis (sais sanct Paul) obey ʒour fa∣ther and mother in all pointis, for this is Gods command.* 1.219 Et vos patres, nelite ad iracundiā pro∣uocare filios vestros, sed educate illos in disciplina, et correptione domini.* 1.220 Fatheris prouoke noch•• ʒour barnis to crabitnes, bot foster thame and teche thame in the dredour of God. Qui bene pre

sunt presbyteri, duplici honore digni habeantur, maxime qui laborant in verbo et doctrina. Dicit e∣nim scriptura: non alligabis os boui trituranti. Et dignus est operarius mercede sua. The priestis yat reule weil ar worthi of doubil honour, maist of all yai yat labouris in the word of God & teching: for the scripture sais thow sal nocht bind vp the mouth of the Ox that trampis out the corne quhilk was thair thresching. And it is all a thing to say the la∣bourar is worthi of his wagis.* 1.221 Communicet autem is qui catechizatur verbo, ei qui se catechizat in oibus bonis. Lat him yat is techit in the worde, mi∣nister to him qhuilk techis him in all gud thingis. Serui obedite dominis carnalibus, cum timore et tremore, in simplicitate cordis vestri sicut Christo, non ad oculū seruientes, quasi hominibus placētes, sed vt serui Christi, facientes voluntatem dei ex a∣nimo, cum bona voluntate seruientes sicut domino et non hominibus.* 1.222 Seruandis (sais sanct Paule) obey carnal masteris with dredour and reuerence, with a simple hart as to Christ, nocht allanerly to mak seruice to the Ge sycht for mennis plesour, bot as the seruandis of Christ, doand the will of God fra the hart with gud will euin thinkand as ʒe suld serue God. Et vos domini, eadem facite illis, remit tentes minas, scientes quod et illorum et vester dn̄s est in coelis, et personarum acceptio non est apud deum. And ʒe masteris do siclik to thame,* 1.223 be nocht rygorous and bitter to thame, knawand weil that ʒour Lord is in heuin, to quhome all men is lyk in pryce and all bocht with ane blud of Christ.

Omnis anima potestatibus sublimioribus subdita sit,* 1.224 nō est enim potestas nisi a deo, que autem sunt, a deo ordinare sunt. Ita{que} qui resistit potestati, dei or¦dinationi resistit. Euereilk man submit him self (sais S. Paule) to y^e auctoritie of hear powaris, for thair is na powar bot of God, and quha re∣sistis to the powar, resistis to Goddis ordināce. And gif ʒe wald speir, to quhat powar suld I o∣bey? He answeris, to his powar quha beris the sweird to punis misdoaris, as the officiar of God.* 1.225 Subiecti igitur estote omni humane creature propter dominum, siue regi, quasi precellenti, siue ducibus tanquā ab eo missis ad vindictā malefacto∣rum, laudem vero bonorum. Submit ʒour self to all ordinance of the temporal powar, quhiddir it be to the king as to the principal, or to the prin∣cis and lordis, as thame that ar deput be him. Reddite ergo omnibus debita,* 1.226 cui tributum, tribu∣tum, cui vectigal, vectigal, cui timorem, timorē, cui honorem, honorem. Nemini quicquā debeati•• nisi vt inuicem diligatis. Gyf to all men quhat ʒe a•• awand to thame, tribute to quhome it belangis to, custome to the customaris, reuerence, dredour and honour to quhome ʒe ar haldin. Be awand na thing, bot euereilk man to lufe ane ane other amang ʒour self.

* 1.227And of the obediens dettit to be giffin to our spiritual reularis and prechoris, it is comman∣dit in the Epistil vnto the Hebrewis: Obedi••e prepositis vestris & subiacete eis, ipsi enim peruigi∣lāt

quasi rationem pro animabus vestris reddituri, vt cum gaudio hoc faciant, et non gementes, hoc enim non expedit vobis.* 1.228 Obey thame that hais the reule ouir ʒou, and submit ʒour self to yame, for thai walk for ʒour saulis, euin as thai that mone gif a compt thairfor. That thai may do it with ioy and nocht with greif. Schortly, this command techis a man how he suld beir him to all men quhilk hais powar ouir him vn∣der GOD, as father and mother, maister and hussye, the temporal powar and the spiritual. Quhat is the rycht keping of this command?* 1.229 To lufe with thi hart thi father and thi mother, honour thame, obey thame, gife thame part of thi temporal guddis gif thow hais and thai mi∣stir, ʒe mak thame seruice, gif thai mister for eild or seiknes, schortly, help yame with thi counsel, consolatioun, seruice of thi bodie, and sustenta∣tioun with thi geir quhensaeuir thai mister. And to honour, obey and supplie thi spiritual father, speciallie the trew minister of the worde of God, as we haif schawin afore be S. Paule. Do reuerence and trew seruice to yi maister, and all thame that giffis the wage. To obey the temporal powar, Kingis, Lordis, Schirriffis, Prouostis, Balʒeis, do thame reuerence & mur∣mur thame nocht.

Quha brekis this command?* 1.230 Thai brek this command, first, that thinkis schame of thair na∣tural father & mother for thair pouertie, seiknes or mischance. Thai that denyes yair necessarie

sustentatioun to thame of meit & cleyth or harborye in tyme of thair mister. Bot maist of all, thai brek this command quhilk bannis thame, puttis hādis into thame, bakbytes thame, hettis yame, & obeyes thame nocht. Alsua thai that tholis nocht thair fa∣ther and mother, suppose thai do yame iniuris and be cummersum. Secund, quha honouris nocht and obeyis nocht yair spiritual heddis, prelatis and pastoris, and will nocht pay thair teyndis & dewteis as thai ar oblissit be the law. Thridly, thai that honouris nocht the temporal powar, or thair awin masteris, quha fulfillis nocht yair cōmandis faith∣fully or obeyis yame nocht, suppose yai be euil and thrawart, quhene thai command na thing aganis Gods command & haly kirk. Thai that makis seditioun agane thair prince, reulmen or reular, or that risis or causis vthir rise aganis thair heidmen, quhasa is fals or negligent to do yair bidding and will nocht obey thame with trew seruice, all yai and siclik personis brekkis this command.

* 1.231Now we will declare to ʒow, how the transgres∣souris of this fourt command ar punissit, and how the keparis ar rewardit of God. We reid in the auld law, that the sone quhilk was inobedient, stif∣hartit and thrawart to his father and mother, was led to ye port or place of iugement, and be the peple was stanit to the deid. We reid in the buke of the kingis, that Absalon maid seditioun aganis his awin father king Dauid, quharfor he fled in bat∣tel, and in his fleing his hair fessinit about a stark brance of ane A••k••tre, his Mule ʒeid away fra vn∣der

him, and swa he was hangit be his awin hair, & afore he deit he was strikin throw the hart with thre pickes or speiris, be the handis of Ioab ane of the principal captanis of king Dauidis weirris, and sa deit a miserable deid. Secund, quhasa cōtem∣nis to be obedient to thair trew & lauchful spiritual fatheris, prelatis and pastoris of ye kirk, can nocht eschew the punissioun of God, because that the contemptioun of thame is the contemptioun of our saluiour Christ that ordanit thame. Heir quhat he sais to yame: Qui vos spernit, me spernit.* 1.232 Quha yat dispysis ʒow, thai dispise me. Chorie, Dathan and Abiron rebellit aganis Moyses and Aaron,* 1.233 dispysand to obey yair auctoritie, quhairfor the erd oppinnit and swellit thame, & sa leiuand ʒeid to hel. That terribil vengeance quhilk god tuk on yame, and sua was writtin for our instructioun, suld moue and warne all men and wemen to honour and obey yair superiouris & reularis, and to abstein fra scor∣ning, dispysing and rebellioun aganis thame.

Thridly, quhat punissioun is ordanit for thame quhilk will nocht be obedient to thair temporal fa∣theris, that is to say, to the king and his Iugis and officearis, it is plainly declarit be sanct Paul to the Romanis, sayand:* 1.234 That quhasaeuir resistis the auctoritie of the king, he resistis the ordinatioun of God. And thai that resistis sall resaif to thame self damnatioun. For reularis ar nocht to be feirit for gud warkis, bot for euil, gyf thow wald be without ••eir of the auctoritie, do well thane, & thow sall haif commendatioun of the same, for he is ye minister of

God for thi weil. Bot and gif thow do euil, than feir, for he beiris not the sweirde for nocht, for he is the minister of God, and takar of venge∣ance to punis thame that dois euil, quhan for ʒe mone neidis obey, nocht only for punischment, bot also because of conscience, mening that it is deidly syn to rebel or disobey y^e lauchfull aucto∣rite & leful command of y^e king & his officiaris. And as for the reward of thame quhilk kepis this command,* 1.235 it is plainly promissit in the end of the same command, in thir wordis: Et eris longeuus super terram. Thow sall haif lang lyfe vpon the erd. It is ane cōuenient reward, that yai may haif lāg lyfe quhilk dois yair dewtie to thair father & mother, quhilk vnder God giffis to thame thair lyfe. And be the promis of lang lyfe, vnderstand nocht only to leiue mony dais, bot also vnderstand peace, tranquilite, prospe∣ritie, abundance, or at the lest sufficient leiuing and sustentatioun in all thai thingis quhilk ar necessary to the mantening of this lyfe, without the quhilk, lang lyfe is nocht plesand, bot erar painfull and displesand. And this lang lyfe is commonly giffin to all thame that dewlie ho∣nouris thair father and thair mother. Nochthe∣les, sum tyme God almychty for sum causis sein to him expediēt, giffis to gud barnis bot schort dais, and that for thair weil, suppose it is vn∣knawin til vs. According as it is writtin in the buke of wisedome:* 1.236 Raptus est ne malicia mutares

intellectum eius. The iust man was takin away fra this life, that malicious or euil men suld nocht alter or change his mynd fra God be vi∣olent tormentationis. Bot trewlie we that ar christin peple suld maist of all considder, lufe and desire the lang lyfe promissit till vs, in the kingdome of heuin, quhilk the haly Prophet callis the land of lyfe, sayand:* 1.237 Credo videre bo∣na dn̄i, in terra viuentium. I trow (sais he) to se the gudnes of the Lord, in the land of leuing men. For doutles this present warld may weil be callit the land of deade, bot the warld to cum, quhilk salbe in the kingdome of heuin, suld on∣ly be callit the land of lyfe, quhair thair is lyfe, and neuir deade. Thus gud peple, ʒe may be sickir that God will punis the transgressouris of this command, and largelie reward all the keparis of the same. To him thairfore be ho∣nour and thākis, louing and gloir for euir and euir. Amen.

☞The fift command.

The xvii. Cheptour.

NOn occides.* 1.238 Thou sal nocht cōmit slauch∣ter. Quhat is the ordour of the fift com¦mand? The man that is content to do his dewtie to God and thame that ar his reularis vnder God, may esely be counsellit to do his dewtie to al his nychbouris. And be y^e contrary

he is redie to do skayth to his nychbour quhilk no∣ther feiris God nor man in Gods stede. Thairfor be iust ordour efter ye thre first commandis, quhilk biddis vs do our dewtie to God, and efter the fourt cōmand quhilk biddis vs do our dewtie til our fa∣theris in Goddis stede, followis the laif of the com∣mandis, quhilk ar six in nowmer, and giffis till vs instructioun how we suld ordour our self till our nychbour, in deid, word, and desire of hart. And be¦cause that till our nychbour na temporal or erdly thing is darrar and mair precious yane is his awin bodylie lyfe, in this fift command God almychty forbiddis vs to do ony skayth till our nychbour in his persone, quharby we may hurt his bodylie life. Quhat is the trew exposioun of yis cōmand?* 1.239 Our heuinly master and saluiour Christ Iesus exponis this command in the euangil of sanct Mathew on this maner: Audistis quia dictum est anti quis: non occides. Qui autem occiderit reus erit iudicio. Ego autem dico vobis quia omnis qui irascitur fratri suo reus erit iudicio. Qui autē dixerit fratri suo racha, reus erit concilio. Qui autem dixerit fatue, reus erit gehēne ignis. Ʒe haif hard how it was said to yame of auld tyme: Thow sall nocht commit slauchter. For he that slais sal be giltie of the iugement. Bot I say to ʒow, quhasaeuir hais hettrent at his bro∣ther salbe giltie & in dangeir of the iugement. And quhasaeuir sais to his brother racha (that is ane lythleful crabit word) he is giltie and in dangeir of the counsell. And quhasaeuir sais to his brother fuile, he salbe giltie & in dangeir of the fire of hell.

In thir wordis our saluiour techis that the law of God is spiritual. For to fulfil this command:* 1.240 thow sall nocht slay or comit slauchter, it is nocht yneuch to keip thi handis or outwart membres fra ••a••ing of ony persone, bot in yis command a••sua, God re∣quiris yat thow keip thi mynd or thi hart fra al vn∣lauchfull wraith & crabitnes,* 1.241 mairatour fra malice and hettred quhilk is the first beginning and occa¦sioun of all vnlauchful slauchter and vthir hurtis done to our nychbour. Thair for he sais, quhasae∣uir is angrie at his brother, is giltie in the iugemēt of God, according as sanct Ihone sais:* 1.242 Omnis qui odit fratrem suum homicida est. He that hettis his brother is ane māslaar. Vnderstand in y^e iugement of God quhilk seis the hart and the wil of man, and iugis efter the samyn. Quhy sais he, quhasa is āgry at his brother? It is weil sperit, for it is nocht all ane thing to be crabit at thi brother, & to be cra∣bit at thi brotheris fault. The first is euirmair vnlauchfull, for be the command of cheritie we suld lufe our nychbour (quhilk is our brother in Christ) as our self. That is to say, to will & desyre als weil gud to him in bodie and saule as we will and desyre to our self. Sa we suld nocht be crabit at ye nature or persone of our brother.* 1.243 Bot it is nocht aganis y^e command of God to be crabit agane the falt of our brother. For we suld quhen neid is, angirly repreue the falt of our nychbour, quhilk gif we do for his instructioun, iust correctioun and amendment, it is na syn, bot a cōmendit vertew, specially to al yame that hes cure and charge of ony other, according as

it is said in the Psalme:* 1.244 Irascimini et nolite pec∣care. Be crabit & syn nocht. And the same Pro∣phet sais:* 1.245 Iniquos odio habui. I haif hettit the wickit men. Without this halie crabitnes no∣ther can iugement stand, nor vertew incres, nor synnis be refrenit, as sais the doctour Chriso∣stome.* 1.246 Tell vs thane the rycht keping of this cōmand. Almychty God in all commandis ne∣gatiue includis ane affirmatiue, that is, quhene God forbiddis syn, in y^e same cōmand he biddis vs haif the vertewis quhilk ar contrary to the same forbiddin syn. Sa in yis command quhen he forbiddis slauchter and all occasionis of the same, as hettrent of the hart, indignatioun of y^e voce signifyit be Racha, manifest iniurious wordis signifyit be this worde fuile, he biddis vs be pacient, meik and sweit, kind and merciful nocht to hald in our mynd hettred, inuye, nor ʒit to foster it onyway agane our enemeis, nother to hurt yame in bodie or saule be word or deid, art, part or counsell, bot to help & deliuer our nych∣bour be word and deid, fra perel of saule & body to the vtermaist of our powar.

* 1.247Quha brekis this command? Thai brek this command that flytis & fechtis with thair nych∣bour, quha sais ony worde that cummis of vn∣lauchfull Ire and crabitnes, quha callis ane v∣ther fuile of malice, or sais ony iniurious word{is} to him, nyknamis, banning, bakbyting or scor∣ning, quha lattis his nychbour dee of hungir, thrist, cald, seiknes, presone, & helpis him noht to

his powar, quha wil nocht forgif to al yair nych¦bouris thair offencis & will nocht pray for thair enemeis, luffis yame nocht or helpis yame nocht at the le••t in tyme of thair extreme neid, quha of crabitnes committis slauchter or murthour, mu¦tilation, or lais on his nychbour ony violent hā∣dis, quha inuyis yair nychbouris gud fortune, quha sawis discorde and fosteris it, quha rasis pley amang nychbouris, alswa thai that may mak cōcord amang nychbouris or betuix fayis and dois it nocht, and puttis nocht away al euil occasionis thairof. Quhiddir gif kingis and temporal Iugis synnis aganis this command, quhen be ordour of the law thai condemne to deade theiffis, menslaaris and murtheraris, re∣uareis, tratouris, and siclyk misdoaris, pertur∣batouris, and destroiaris of the common weil? Na. For this command is giffin to priuat per∣sonis & takis nocht the temporall powar away, that thai may nocht punis misdoaris, for thai haif auctoritie of God & ar Gods seruandis or∣danit to do yat. Nochttheles, yai syn greuously in twa pointtis. First,* 1.248 gif yai lauchfully ken ony siclike misdoars w^tin yair boūdis quhairof yai haif auctoritie & tholis yame, lukis at yame throw yair fingaris, & will nocht punis yame, o∣ther for lufe of geir or carnal affection or sum v∣ther daft opinioun, be resone quharof misdoars takis mait baldnes to perseuere in euil, & the cō∣mon weil is hurt. Siclik cowatousnes, carnal affection, & fuilis mercy can nocht be excusit fra syn.

Secund, gif yai in iugement punis misdoaris, nocht for the lufe of iustice & the common weil, bot rathir of ire malice or hettret aganis the persone or his freindis▪ or for lu••e of his landis or geir, lyk∣wais thai syn greuously ••a doand.

* 1.249Quhat panis ar ordanit for the brekaris of yis fift command? And quhat rewardis ar promissit to the keparis of the samyn? The temporal paine or∣d•• be the will of God, for the punitioun of all 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of men and wemen by the ordour of iustice, is to be slaine, as it is decretit in the buke of Gene∣••is: Quicun{que} effuderit humanum sanguinem, funde t••r sangu••s illius, ad imaginem quipp•• dei factus est homo Quhasaeuir scheddis the blud of man, by y^e ordour of iustice, his blud sal be sched, be y^• or∣dour of iustice, because yat man is maid to y^e ymage of God. And in y^e law of Moysis it is writtin thus: Qui 〈◊〉〈◊〉 et occiderit hominē,* 1.250 morte moriatur. He that st••••kkis & slais a man or a woman, lat him dee the deed▪ that is to say, he suld be slaine for it him self. And our saluiour hais the same sentence in the euangil of sanct Mathew: Qui gladium acci∣pit,* 1.251 gladio peribit. He that takis the sweirde, sall perers with the sweirde. Vnderstand thir wordis, & all siclis▪ of thame that takis a sweirde to slay his nychbour▪ nocht kepand the ordour of iustice, he is worcht to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 & to be same, be y^e ordour of iustice. And the Apostil sanct Paule rehe••sand the deidis of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 rec••ins manslauchter amang thame: 〈◊〉〈◊〉 eftir hend thame all, quha sa d••is thame & siclik, sall nocht get the kingdome of God. Our

Lord God his awin self is a special defēdar of this command, & will nocht thoile mens••aaris to eschape punitioun. He said to Cayn that slew his brother, quhair is Abell thi brother? Vox sanguinis fratris tui, clamat ad me de terra.* 1.252 The voce of yi brothers blude, cries vengeance to me fra the erd. Quhat will ʒe mair? All menslaaris leiuis alwais in feir quhairsaeuir thai dwel, because thair conscience cō¦monly is neuir in rest and tranquilitie. Quhairto suld we spek of the reward that is promissit to the keparis of this command? Is it nocht perfite lufe and cherite (quhilk kepis, helpis, and defendis our nychbouris bodie, wife, and geir) the perfectioun of the law? And thairfor quhasaeuir helpis & defēdis thair nychbouris lyfe, thai sall get reward in the kingdome of heuin, quhairto he bring vs quhilk hais bocht vs with his precious blude Amen.

☞The saxt command.☜

The xviii. Cheptour.

NOn Mechaberis.* 1.253 Thow sall nocht commit adultery. With quhat ordour followis y^e saxt cōmand efter the fift? As the greitest iniure quhilk a mā may do to his nychbour is slauchter, quharby he takis away his lyfe fra him, sa th•• n••xt iniure of wra••g is to violat or to fele carnally his nychbours wife, quhilk is a persone w^t him maist deirly bond in the sacrament of matrimonie. Our saluiour Christ in the Euangil expo••is alsua the saxt com∣mand in siclik maner as he exponit the fift, teching

that this command nocht only forbiddis all outwart adultery committit in deid, bot alsua the same command forbiddis all inwart causis and occasionis of adultery, as lichetous sichtis, desyris, consenting, lustis of concupiscence in y^e hart.* 1.254 Audistis quia dictum est antiquis, non mecha beris. Ego autē dico vobis, quia omnis qui viderit mulierem ad concupiscendum eam, iam mechatus est eā in corde suo. Ʒe haif hard how it was said to yame in auld tyme. Thow sall nocht commit adultery. Bot I say to ʒow (sais our saluiour) quhasaeuir spyis or lukis apon ony womā haif∣fand ony lust & desyre to hir of concupiscence, he hais cōmittit adultery with hir ellis in his hart. Lyk as hettrent, wrath, and malice of y^e hart, is the rute and beginning of al mannis slauchter, sa is carnal desyre, lust and concupiscence of the hart the rute & beginning of adultery & all kind of lichorie. Quhat is the rycht keping of this command?* 1.255 To be chaist in mynd, word & deid, to be tēperat in meit, drink & sleip, to put away all occasionis of lechorie, quhairof all kind{is} ar heir forbiddin, suppose adultery be specially namit. For, fornicatioun was nocht tholit a∣mangis y^e Iewis vnpunissit, as oppin huirdom and manifest adulterie is daily doin amang christin men, aganis the command of God. Mairouir,* 1.256 amang the Iewis incest and synnis aganis nature was punissit with deade, as it is schawin plainly in the buke of Leuittis.

Now thairfor ʒe sall vnderstand yat yair is

thre degreis of chastitie.* 1.257 The first is kepit amang gud maryit men & wemen that leiuis ane chast lyfe in the stait of matrimonie, kepand yame self alwais within the bondis of yat sacrament. Quharfor S. Paule sais thus to the Hebrewis:* 1.258 Honorabile cō∣nubium, et thorus immaculatus Lat marriage be haldin honorable, and the bed vndefylit. How suld nocht marriage be honorable, sen it was ordanit be almychty God in the beginning of the warld, for multiplicatioun of mankind, & in ye new testament ratifyit and alsua grātit in remeid of co••cupiscence to eschew fornicatioun, to all thame quhilk hais nocht lauchful impediment, bot yat yai may lauch∣fully marry be y^• ordinās of Gods law & haly kirk. Alsua our saluiour gaif honour to marriage with his awin presence, and kythit his first mirakil in ye Cane of Galile turnand the wattir into wyne.

The secund degre of chastite is mair perfit than the first,* 1.259 & is kepit amāg yame yat leuis ane chast lyfe in the stait of wedohede, of quhome S. Paule sais thus: Mulier alligata est legi quanto tempore vir eius viuit quod si dormierit vir eius, liberata est,* 1.260 cui autem vult nubat, tantum in dn̄o. Beatior autē erit, si sic permenserit secundum meum consilium. The marreit woman is bond to the law of matri∣monie, als lang as hir husband leiuis, bot gif hir husband dee, sche is deliuerit fra yat law, and with quhome sche pleis, lat hir marrie, bot lauchfully ef¦••er y^e ordination of our Lord. Nochttheles sche sal ••e mair blissit or happie, gif that sche remaine euin ••ill vnmaryit efter my counsel.

* 1.261The thrid degre of chastitie is mair perfit than the first and secund, and is kepit amang thame quhilk liffis ane chast lyfe in the stait of virginitie, quhilk sanct Paule counsellis as a greiter perfectioun of chastitie,* 1.262 sayand thus to the Corinthianis: Qui ma∣trimonio iungit virginem suam, bene facit, et qui nō iungit melius facit. He that ionis his virgin to marriage dois weil, and he that ionis nocht, dois better. And agane he sais in the same cheptour: Mulier innupta et virgo, cogitat que domini sunt, vt sit sācta & corpore & spiritu. The woman quhilk is ane virgin and vnmareit, hes hir mynd and hir thocht apon thai thingis that belangis til hir Lord God, that sche may be halie baith in hir spirit and hir bodie. Thus we conclude, that all thai men and wemen keipis this command, quhilk liffis ane chast life according to yair stait,* 1.263 degre & vocatioun.

Quha brekis this command? First, quha com∣mittis adulterie with yair nychbouris wife other in bodie or in mynd, quhiddir thai be bayth marreit or the ane allanerly, quhilk syn was punissit with the dede in the ald law. Sa king Dauid synnit gre∣uously,* 1.264 and was greuously punissit, bayth in his sonnis and his wiffis,* 1.265 for bayth he tynt his barne gottin in adulterye,* 1.266 and was coackit and compell•• to flee his awin sone Absalon, quhilk entrit in to a∣buse his fatheris concubines in the sycht of all the peple, and did that lay in him to put the king his fa¦ther out of his kingdome. Sa we reid in the buke of Iugis,* 1.267 that almaist the hail tribe of Beniamin was slaine, for ane adulterie be oppressioun of a

Leuittis wyfe.* 1.268 Bot alsua Abimelech the king was punissit be God, nocht for committing adultery in de••d with Sara Abrahams wife, bot allanerlie yat he had desyre and pursose thairto.

Secund,* 1.269 thai syne greuously agane this com∣mand, yat takis virginis maidinhede, specially gyf thai be handfast with ony vther, quhilk syn was pu¦nissit with deade in the auld law.* 1.270

Thridly,* 1.271 thai syn mair greuously that reuissis ony woman, for the quhilk syn we reid yat Sichem the sone of Hemor, the prince of that land was slayne with his father, and all thair men and thair citie destroyit. Amon also king Dauid sone,* 1.272 be∣cause he rauissit and oppressit Thamar his sister, he was slayne be Absalon in tyme of a bankit.

Fourt,* 1.273 yai syn aganis this cōmand yat brekis y^e band of nature, & lyis with yame yat ar neir of yair kin, quhilk is forbiddin in the buke of Leuittis.* 1.274 The same syn was in y^e law punissit with the dead.

Fift, quha vsis the syn aganis nature (abone all the laif, synnis maist greuously) doand vtherwais than God hais institute betuix man & woman.

Saxt, all thai that synnis in simple fornicatioun quhiddir it be with concubynis or huiris. And also quhasa {pro}uokis vthirs to lechorie, be foule speiche, sāgis, taillis and pictouris, quha be foule thinking or feling, fylis thame self, quha eschewis nocht the occasionis of lichorie, drounkynnes, ydilnes, owir lang sleping, wātone & licht company, dansing, sin∣ging, with vthir siclik {pro}uicationis. And quha may keip vthirs vnfylit, be help & coūsel & dois it nocht.

Fynaly, to this command pertenis all yat the haly scripture techis of chastitie, fasting, absti∣nence, temperance in taking of meit and drinke, as nocht to be drounkin with wyne, in quhilk is exces & lechorie. And all exhortatioun to orisone and prayar,* 1.275 walking, honest labouris, honest company, hering of the word of God, studie of halie writ, quhilk helpis to keip and defende chastitie.

The xix. Cheptour.

* 1.276IT wald be to lang to reherse to ʒow all panis and corporal vengeance quhairwith God al∣mychty in tymes bygane hais punissit the bre∣karis of this saxt command, nochttheles, part of exempillis writtin in haly writ, we sall rehers to ʒow, to that effeck, that thir incorrigibil huir∣maisteris, inueterat fornicatouris, detestabil ad¦ulter••is, and vther brekaris of chastitie (quhilk yat suld keip be the cōmand of God & yair awin special vocatioun) may se as into ane myrrour thair awin dāpnatioun. For doutles mony of siclik fornicatouris, blindit be carnal concupi∣scence of thair hart, trowis that simpil fornica∣tioun is na deadly syn, nor to thame damnabil, and sa nocht beand punissit be man & haiffand na feir of God and alswa schame of this warld, being past the sched of thair heer, thai leiue con∣tinually in huirdome, thai corrup the ayre with

the exempil of thair vnclein lyfe, thai lufe and theris all yat ar siclik as thame self, thai het all yame y^e leiuis ane chast lyfe.* 1.277 Thairfor we exhort thame all for the weil of thair awin saulis to leif thair huirdome. and to keip ane chast lyfe, vnles thai be punissit of God be greuous panis and plaigis, bayth temporal & eternal, lyk as vther hais bein punissit in tyme bygane.

In the auld law all adultaris bayth men and wemen was stanit to the deade, as we reid in the buke of Deuteronome, and alswa in sanct Iohanis Euangill. All adulteraris ar excludit the kingdome of heuin, as sanct Paule sais in the first to the Corinthianis and saxt cheptour. Also to the Hebrewis he sais thus: Fornicatores et adulteros iudicabit deus. God sall iuge and condempne all fornicatouris and adulteraris. We reid in the buke of Iugis that for the vio∣lent adulterie doin to the wife of ane certane Leuit,* 1.278 thair was slayne of the trybe of Benia∣min xxv. thousandis of abil men of weir.

Salomon was first ane king incomparabill in wisedome and all gud properteis,* 1.279 bot efter hend that he was giffin inordinatly to y^e lufe of fair wemen, he turnit his hart fra God, and was giffin to ydolatry, in his ald dais his hart was blindit, enemeis was rasit & sterit aganis him Adad Idumeus, and Raʒō, his kingdome was diuidit, and thair was takin fra the house of Dauid ten trybes of Israel. It is ver∣rai

trew thairfor yat the prophet Osee sais,* 1.280 that all wantone licherous men and wemen ar punissit of God with blindnes of hart, and sa thai put of the honest and chast conuersatioun of man, & leiuis lyk brute bestis in thair awin sensual lust and plesour: Fornicatio, et vinum et ebrietas auferunt cor. For∣nicatioun or huirdome, wyne or dronkinnes takis away the hart or the mynd of man.

* 1.281In the buke of the Genesis we reid, that for ra∣uissing of Dina the dochter of Iacob, all the men callit Sichimittis was slayne, thair scheip and yair cattal was reft and had away, thair barnis and yair wyffis was led in captiuitie, thair citie was put to sak and all was destroyit.* 1.282 Amang the causis of the greit flude quhilk drownit all the warld (aucht per∣sonis except) ane cause is assignit to be y^e lecherous lust of the flesch.* 1.283 God almychty cuist doune So∣doma and Gomorra, Sebaim & Adama with Se∣gore fiue nobil and fair citeis, with brontstaine and f••re,* 1.284 for thair abhominabil vnclennes of lichorie. And quhen our Lord was to destroy the forsaid ci∣teis he reuelit the same destructioun to Abrahā, the first father of our faith, yat he mycht schaw it to his sonnis and seruandis, to that effeck, yat thai mycht for feir of the punitioun of God, forbeir that dam∣nabil syn, and leiue ane chast lyfe. And quhairfor was all thir exemplillis writtin, bot to gif vs war∣ning to fle fra the foule stinkand syn of lychorie, les as we synnand as thai did, fall in siclik vengeance of God as thai did. And ane special exempil worth•• to be no••it of al kirkmen,* 1.285 is writtin in the first buke

of the kingis, quhair we reid yat Ophna and Phi∣neis, sonnis of Hely priestis of the auld law vnder the hie priest Hely thair father, was giffin to greit wantones & huirdome, abusand the woman quhilk came to mak sacrifice, yair father Hely the hie priest kennit yair abusionis, and correckit thame nocht sa¦condingly as thai war worthie, be resone quhairof thai twa priestis Ophna and Phineis was slayne baith on ane day, ye Arch of God was takin, quhen tydans thairof was brocht to Hely thair father, he fell backwart of his chear and brak his neck. It is to be feirit that siclik punitioun of God sall fall on all thame yat kennis oppin fornicatouris and may and suld correck thame and will nocht.* 1.286 Bot suerly litil ar temporal panis, in comparisone of the panis eternal of hell, quhairto all fornicatouris and huir∣maisteris, be y^e rychteous iugement of God ar con∣demnit, except yai mend yair liffis be trew penāce. The blissit Apostil sanct Paul in thre placis of his Epistillis makis special mentioun of the iugement of God. The first is to the Corinthianis: Nolite errare ne{que} fornicatores, ne{que} ydolis seruientes, ne{que} adulteri, ne{que} molles, ne{que} masculorum concubito∣••es, ne{que} fures, ne{que} auari, ne{que} ebriosi, ne{que} maledic∣ti, ne{que} rapaces, regnum dei possidebunt. Be nocht begylit, nother huirmaisteris or fornicatouris, nor wyrschipparis of ydollis, nor adulteraris, nor soft or vnclein men, nother abusaris of thame self with mankind, nor theuis, nor cowatous men, nor droun¦kin men, nor euil speikaris, nor reiffaris or oppres∣saris, sal haif possessioun of the kingdome of God.

The secund place is to y^e Galathianis: Manifest•• sunt autem opera carnis quesunt:* 1.287 fornicatio, immun¦dicia impudicitia, luxuria, idolorum seruitus, ven•• ficia, inimicitie, cōtentiones, emulationes, ire, rixe, dissensiones, secte, inuidie, homicidia, ebrietates, comessationes et his similia, que predico vobis sicut predixi, quoniam qui talia agunt regnum dei non consequentur. The deidis of the flesche ar manifest quhilk ar thir, fornicatioun, vnclenes, wantonnes, ydolatrie, witchecraft, hettred, cō∣tentioun, emulatioun, wraith, strif, seditioun, sectis or hereseis, inuye, murther, drounkinnes, gluttony and siclik, of the quhilk I tell ʒow be∣fore as I haif tald ʒow in tyme bygane, that yai quhilk dois siclike deidis sall nocht optene & get the kyngdome of God.

* 1.288The thrid place is writtin to the Ephesianis: Hoc autem scitote intelligentes, quod omnis forni∣cator, aut immundus, aut auarus, quod est idolorū seruitus, non habet hereditatem in regno Christi et dei. Knaw this and vnderstand, that na huir∣maister or fornicatour, na vnclein persone or cowatous (quhilk is ye wyrschippar of ydollis) hais heretage in y^e kingdom of Christ & of god.

Now tak tent O thow lycherous man and woman how the Apostil sanct Paul placis and settis fornicatouris & lycherous men & wemen in the first place of all thame that salbe excludit and put fra the kingdome of heuin. Thairfor O christin mā lat euirmair the wechtie cōmand of sanct Paule sound in thi eris, quhen he sais:

Fugite fornicationem. Fle fornicatioun.* 1.289 Gyf yow speir at me, how may I fle fornicatioun? Trew¦ly, quhen thow fleis fra all thai thingis quhilk ar the occasionis of fornicatioun fosteris and kepis a man or a woman in fornicatioun, as is vaine, ydil and lychorous thochtis & vnclein desyris of carnal lust and plesour. Gluttony and all erces in eittng and drinking, all ydilnes of the boby with lang sle∣ping, all company of wantone, lycht and lychorous personis, all foule wordis and vnhonest talking. That thir ar the occasionis, nurissing & vphalding of ye syn of lychorie it is plainly schawin in the xvi. cheptour of the Prophet Ezechiel, quhair it is said to the peple of Israel: Hec fuit iniquitas Sodome sororis tue, superbia, saturitas panis,* 1.290 ocium ips••us et filiarum eius. This was the iniquitie, that is to say, y^e occasionis of wickitnes of Sodome thi sister, pryde, welth of meit & aboundance, and the ydilnes of hir and all hir dochteris. In thir wordis ʒe may vnderstand plainly, that suppose Sodoma with ye laif of the citeis was vtterly destroyit for the syn of the flesche abhominabil and nocht to be spokin, ʒit the special occasionis quhilk inducit & brocht yame to the vse of the same syn, was yair pryde, yair glu∣tony & yair ydilnes. Sa ʒe may se yat it is trew yat the wisman sais: Qui amar periculum in illo peri∣bit. He yat luffis the perrel mone peris in ye same,* 1.291 that is to say, he yat will do ony thing quhilk is the occasioun of syn, he mone neidis fall in the same syn and sa finally peris except he amēd his lyfe be trew penance. And sa conclude that na man can eschew fornicatioun except he fle the occasionis of ye same.

Now last of all quhat special rewardis God giffis to all thame quhilk leiuis ane chast lyfe,* 1.292 the same Apostil declaris in the same place afore allegite: An ne••citis quoniam membra vestra, templum sunt spi∣ritussancti, qui in vobis est, quem habetis a deo & non estis vestri. Empti estis precio magno, glorifi∣ca••e et portate deum in corpore vestro. Knaw ʒe nocht that ʒour bodeis is maid the tempil of y^e halie spirit quhilk is in ʒow, quhome ʒe haif giffin to ʒou of God, and ar nocht ʒour awin seruandis. Ʒe ar bocht w^t ane greit price, that is to say, with the blud of ye immaculate lame our saluiour Christ. Thar∣for, magnifie & beir God in ʒour boby, be ane clein and chast lyfe. Quhat greiter gift may God gife to man, than to gife to him the haly spirit. Quhilk be his special grace, wyrkis all gudnes in vs, mouis vs to gud, gydis our hartis be lufe, and gif we ex∣pel him nocht fra vs be syn, he wil bring vs fynally to y^e glorious kingdom of heuin, quhairto he bring vs quhilk hais bocht vs with his precious blude.

Amen.

☞The seuint command.☜

The xx. Cheptour.

* 1.293NOn furtum facies. Thow sall nocht steil o•• commit theift. Quhat is the ordour of this command? Efter thai God our law mak ar, in the fift command hais forbiddin all iniuris anent thi nychbouris persone, & in the saxt command forbade all iniuris anent thi nychbouris wife, heir in the

seuint command, he forbiddis al iniuris anent thy nychtbours geir.* 1.294 Quhat is the perfectioun of ver∣tew, quhilk God requiris to y^e rycht keping of this cōmand? To be lyberal of thy awin geir at thy po∣wer, to gyf thame almous, quhen thay mister, to len yame glaidlie, quhen thay wald borrow w^tout hope of wynning or of ockir, for sa our saluiour biddis the do, saying: Qui autem petit a te, da ei,* 1.295 & volenti mutuare a te, ne auertaris. Gyff to hym that askis, and fra hym that wald borrow, turne nocht awaye. Et si mutuum dederitis, his a quibus speratis recipi¦re, que gratia es•• vobis? Nam et peccatores pecca∣totibus fenerantur, vt recipiant equalia, verumtamē diligite inimicos vestros, benefacite, et mutuū date, nihil inde sperantes, et erit merces vestra multa, et eritis filii altissimi, quia ipse benignus est su{per} ingra∣tos et malos. Gyff ʒe len to thame of quhome ʒe hope to resaue, quhat thank haue ʒe thairfor? For synnars alsa lēnis to sinar{is} y^t yai mai resaue als me¦kle agane, bot rather lufe ʒe ʒour ennymeis, do gud & len, lukand for na vantage thairof agane, sa sall ʒour reward be gret, and ʒe sall be the chyldreing of the hiest, for he is kynde, euin to the vnthankfull & to the euyll. To be schort in this mater,* 1.296 our Salue∣our techis playnlie, in ye parabyl of the ryche Glut¦tone, & pure Lazarus, that a man or woman quhilk hes warldlie geir, & may gyf to the pure, in tyme of thair myster and wyll nocht, that thay ar worthy to be condampnit to the fyre of hell.* 1.297 And at ye latter dai of extreme Iugement, he sal gyf possessioun of the kyngrik of heuin to al thaim that in tyme of yis

lyfe was content to exerce and vse the werkis of mercy to the puir, and on the other partie, he sal condemne to the fyre of hell, all wyckit men and wemen quhilk ar vnmercyfull to the puir.

Be this cōmand also we ar warnit to eschew al ydilnes, & to be occupyit in lesum & profitabil labour, nocht only that we may thair with wyn trewly a leiuing to our self, bot also yat we may be abil to help y^e puir in tyme of yair neid, accor∣ding to the wordis of S. Paule before rehersit.

* 1.298Quha brekis this command? Trewly sa mony men and wemen brekis this command, that thai ar few of all degreis and estatis that can excuse thame fra thyft, othir priuatly or pertly, plainly or ellis vnder colour.* 1.299 First, all theiffis quhilk quyatly and wrangously takis mennis gei•• fra thame agane thair will:* 1.300 Vedete ne forte furtiuus sit (hedus) reddite eum dominis suis, quia non licet nobis, aut edere ex furto aliquid, aut contingere. Take tent (sais Tobias to his wife) yat the Kyd be nocht stowin, for it is nocht lesum for vs to eit or to twiche ony stowine thing.* 1.301 Secundly, al reffaris quhilk wrāgously & oppinly with vi∣olence spulʒeis vther men of yair geir, quhiddir it be be land or see. Of quheme sanct Paul sais thus:* 1.302 Fures et rapaces regnū dei non possidebunt. Theiffis and reffaris sall nocht get possessioun of the kingdome of God.* 1.303 And for als mekil as the Apostil sanct Paule sais:* 1.304 Non solum qui ea faciunt, sed etiā qui consensiunt facientibus. That

nocht only thai that dois euil ar worthie of the deade, bot also thai that consentis to the doaris.

All princis & temporal magistrattis quhilk giffis cōmand, licence, help,* 1.305 counsel and fauour to ony siclike reffaris be land or be see, or may stop yame and wil nocht, may be comptit as ref∣faris before God, and brekaris of this cōmand. Sa it was said to Iosaphat king of Iewrie: Impio prebes auxilium,* 1.306 et his qui oderunt dn̄m amicitia iungeris. Thow gyffis help to ane wic∣kit man, & is ionit in freindschip with yame yat he••tis God. To siclyk Princis God sais thir wordis, quhilk yai suld tak tent to:* 1.307 Principes tui infideles, socij furum. Thi princis ar vnfaithful, marrowis to theiffis. Also gif kingis or prin∣cis other excede and is exorbitant in taking of taxis fra thair peple, or spendis nocht the same taxis iustly apon the necessary defence of the cō∣mon weil, yai can nocht excuse yame fra breking of this command. Secundly,* 1.308 all Iugis temporal or spiritual, quhilk sellis iustice and iugement that aucht to be giffin frely, ar trans∣gressouris of this cōmand: Nec accipies munera que etiam excecant prudentes,* 1.309 et subuertunt verba iustorum. Thow sall nocht (sais God) resaif re∣wardis or buddis quhilk blindis the prudent men, and subuertis and puttis doune ye wordis of iust men. Non accipies personam, nec munera quia munera excecant oculos sapientum,* 1.310 et mutant verba iustorum.

And agane thow sall nocht except in Iugemēt ony mannis persone, nor resaue rewardis, for rewardis blyndis the eine of wysemen, and chengeis the wor∣dis of Iust mē. Thridlie, na les is the syn of Prin∣cis,* 1.311 Lordis, Byschoppis, and vthir Patronis spir∣tuall & tēporall, quhē thay {pro}uid & {pro}mouis ony vn∣worthy and vnqualifeit man to ony dignitie & bene¦fice in the kirk, for lufe of temporall geir to thair a∣win auantage, or of ony vthir f••eind or fremmit. Quhy sulde nocht that be callit theift, quhilk is ge∣uin for lufe of geir, that suld be giffin frelie for the lufe of, God and in respect of leirnyng and vertew?

* 1.312Fourtlie al Sacrilege is aganis yis commād, quhen ony thing ordani•• to the honestie & cōuenient myni••tratioun of the Sacramentis and seruice off God, is stowin and reft out of the kirk. Fyftlie, a•• thay that defraudis or spoulʒeis the cōmon geir, aganis the cōmon weill for lufe of thair awin pry∣uate and singulare weill. Saxtlie, all vsura∣ris & ocki••rars synnis aganis this cōmand yat wi•• nocht len thair geir frelie, bot makis conditione of ockir, aganis the cōmand of Christe. Seuint∣lie all thay quhilk hais seruandis or work men and wyll nocht pay thaim thair fee or waige, accordyng to cōditioun & thair deseruyng, quhilk syn as sanc•• Iames sayis, cryis vengeance before God. Auchtlie all thai that strykis cownʒe of vnlauchful mettall, quhair throuch the cōmon weil is hurt and ska••hi••. ❧The nynte, all Merchandis that sellis corruppit & euyll stufe for gude, and gyf thay or ony vthir in bying or sellyng▪ vse desait, falsate,

pariurie, wrang mettis or weychtis, to the skaith of thair nychtbour, thay cōmitt gret syn agane this cō¦mand.* 1.313 Nother can we clenge fra breakyng of this cōmand all kyndis of craftis men, quhilk vsis nocht thair awin craft leillalie & trewlie as yai suld do. ☞Laste of al, we can nocht▪ nor suld nocht excuse benefecit mē fra breakyng of yis command, quhilk ressauis the Patrymonye of Christ (that is to say) teindis and offeryngis fra the christin pepil, ʒe sum tyme mair largelie than thay suld do, & wyll nocht mynister agane to the peple ye word of God,* 1.314 for the fude of yair saulis, the haly Sacramēts for the consolatioun of thair saulis, & wyll gyf na parte of thair benefice, for ye sustentatioun of pure peple within thair paryschyng. For doutles thay ar bot dispensatouris or stewartis of the same, to be distru¦bit to thaim self sa far as thai myster to thair honest sustentatioun, & also to the pure peple of yair awin perrochyne in speciall, and in reparatioun of thair queir quhen it nedis. Also nocht only yai braik yis command quhllk stelis, reiffis, or committis ockir,* 1.315 quhay begylis men with fals met or mesour, quha sellis fals rottyn merchandyis, bot also thay that be falset, optenis vthir mēnis heretage or takis vp thair rentis, quha that payis nocht seruandis & lau¦borous mē thair feis. All wrechis y^e wyl be ground ryche incontynent, quhay be fraud, falset, and gyle twynnis men and thair geir,* 1.316 quhay may keip thair nychtbour, fra pouertie and myschance and dois it nocht. Quhay takis ouer sair mail, ouer mekle fer∣me or ony blake maillis, fra thair tennands, or put

tis thair cottaris to ouir sair labouris, quhait throw the tenentis & cottaris is put to herschip.

Quha inuies his nychbouris gud fortune, ouir byis him or takis his geir out of his hādis with fair hechtis, or preuenis him, or begylis him at his marchandis hand. All thir abone re∣hersit brekis yis command & ar comptit theiffis before God.

The xxi. Cheptour.

* 1.317HEir we may nocht lauchfully leiue out yame yat cōmittis symony, quhilk with∣out dout expresly synnis aganis this cō∣mand. Quhat is Symony? It is a diligent will to by or sel ony spiritual thing or ony vthir thing yat is annexit to spiritual thing{is}. Quhar∣fore, thai that byis or sellis the grace of God or ony special gift of the halye spirite, as Symon Magus wald haif bocht and Gezi sald, yai cō∣mit plaine Symony. Quha sa byis ony of the seuin sacramentis likwais committis plaine symonye. Nochtheles a puir priest quhilk sais Mes or ministaris ony other sacrament, may tak siluer, nocht as a price of the sacrament, bot as ane conuenient fee to his necessarie sustenta∣tioun. For gif he haif intentioun to sell the sa∣crament, he committis symony, bot nocht gif he intende allanerly to tak his necessary sustenta∣tioun according to the ordination and appreuit custome of the kirk, nocht haiffand vthirwais to leiue vpon. Mairatour thai that giffis

ony benefice of the kirk, specially gif it haif cure & charge of saulis, for ony siluer or siluer worth thai commit oppin symony. Attour, gif a pa∣trone of a benefice quhidder he be temporal mā or spiritual, gif he gife a benefice to his neir kynnis man or ony vthir freind, suppose he be qualifiet, ʒit and he gife it vnder a conditioun that the resaiffar of the benefice sall prouide a leiuing for the freindis of him that is giffar of the benefice, in sa giffin he committis plaine sy∣mony. And mekil mair failʒe thai aganis this command and incurris the spot of symony, thar giffis or tak{is} ane benefice in keping to vtheris. And yat giffis ane benefice with sick cōditioun that the kepar of the said benefice sall haif bot ane sober pensioun, that the giffar of that bene∣fice may get in the laif to thame self and yair ke∣ching.* 1.318 Nother may we leif out Iugis tēporal and spiritual, quhilk sellis iustice & iugement that aucht to be frely giffin, or yai yat procedis nocht ordainly and spedfully in executioun of iustice, can nocht be excusit fra breking of this cōmand, for to thame it is said: Iuste quod iustū est exequeris. Thow sall execute iustice iustly.* 1.319

How mony maner of wayis may iustice be peruertit and vniustly execute be Iugis & vthir officiaris of the law? Four maner of wayis. First be hettrent and malice quhilk thai beir a∣ganis ony man.

Secundly for feir to displese ony gret man or ••ny warldly freind.

Thridlie for lufe of ony temporall geir. And fourt∣lie for carnal affectioun of thair freindis. Be ane or ma of thir four maner of wayis iustice is oft tymes nocht trewlie and lauchfullie executit. And speci∣allie Aduocatis, Procuratours, & Scrybis, quhid¦der thay be of temporal court or spirituall, braikis yis command twa maner of ways. First quhen yai tak wagis to procure or defende a cause, quhilk yai ken is vnlauchfull & aganis Iustice. Secundlie, quhen for thair wagis thay tak on hand ane lauch∣full cause, bot for lucre of geir thay diffar and put∣tis of the executioun of Iustice,* 1.320 fra day to day, and oft tymes fra ʒeir to ʒeir to the gret skaith and her∣schype of thaim quhilk hes ane rycht actioun of the pley. All thay that fyndis ony tynt geir gold, syluer or ony vther thyng and knawis or may knaw with diligent spering quhay awe the same tynt geir and wyl nocht restore it & gyf it agane to ye trew awner, thay ar theiffis & braikis this cōmand. Lykwayis al thai breckis this cōmand,* 1.321 quhilk wyl nocht pay, thair dettis quhen thay may and suld pay thaim. Quhasaeuir payis nocht thair teindis dewlie and haillellie as thai aucht to do, thai cōmit theift & bre••¦kis yis command. All executouris quhilk takis on hand to fulfyll the last wyll of ony man or woman & wyl nocht pay the dettis of y^e dede & vther legaceis, wyll nocht help y^e freindis of y^e dede nor do deidis of cheritie and suffragis of the kirk for y^e saule depar¦tit, conforme to the deddis wyll and ordinance, thay greuouslie dyspleis God, be the transgressioun of yis command & may be comptit before God (noch••

only theiffis bot oppin reffaris.* 1.322 All Medicinaris and Chirurgeraris quhilk is nocht expert in thair facultie, and ʒit will tak on hand to cure ony man or woman fra seiknes quhilk thai can nocht do, takād wagis largely fra the same seik personis, yai com∣mit thift aganis this command.* 1.323 Lykwais all Pottingareis quhilk takis siluer for euil & rottin stufe and droggaris can nocht be excusit fra com∣mitting of thift. Thus in the same seuint com∣mand almychty God forbiddis all iniust and vn∣lauchful taking, getting & keping of vthir mennis geir.* 1.324 And be the contrare God commandis that all transgressouris & brekaris of yis seuint command afore reher••it, with al yir power suld mak hail resti∣tutioun of thair wrangous and vnlauchfull gottin geir, for it is ane common and trew saying of sanct Augustine: Peccatum non dimittitur, nisi ablatum restituatur. The syn is nocht forgiffin, except the wrangous geir be restorit. And gif sa be yat thow may nocht restore in deid and incōtinent, at the leist thow suld haif ane gud will and purpose to restore thi wrangous geir quhen, thow sal be abil.

Now will we spek of the panis quhilk God al∣mychty schoris to ye brekaris of yis command,* 1.325 and of rewardis quhilk he hais promissit to the keparis of the same. Albeit, that in the law of Moyses the punitioun of theiffis was restitutioun, sumtime of twyis als mekil, sum tymes of four tymes als mekle, sumtime v. tymes als mekil, as was stowin, ʒit in the new law Princis and ciuile Magistratis synnis nocht quhen thai punis theiffis and reffaris

with the deade, for thai haif auctoritie giffin to thame be God to beir a sweird, that is to say, to punis with the deade all perturbatouris of the common weil, sa yat yai procede efter the ordour of iustice according to thair ciuile law and lau∣dabil custome of thair countrie. And of the spi∣ritual paine that fallis apon cowatous men and wemen sanct Paul sais thus: Qui volunt diuites fieri,* 1.326 incidunt in tentationem & in laqueum diaboli, et desideria multa, inutilia et nociua, qui mergunt homines in interitum et perditionem. Radix enim omnium malorum est cupiditas, quam quidem ap∣petentes errauerunt a fide, et inseruerunt se dolori¦bus multis. Thai that will be riche, fallis into temptatioun, and in the gyrne of the deuil, and to mony vnprofitabil & noysum desyris, quhilk drownis men into distruction & dānatioun. For cowatousnes is the rute of all euil, quhilk quhil sum men desyrit, thai errit fra the faith, & brocht thame self in mekil sorrow. And of thair payne eternal spekis S. Paul sayand amang y^e laif of misdoaris:* 1.327 Ne{que} fures, ne{que} auari, ne{que} rapaces▪ regnum dei possidebunt. Nether sall theiffis, nor cowatous men, nor reffaris possesse y^e kingdome of God. Because Achan in the distructioun of Hieric••,* 1.328 tuk certane geir that was forbiddin be the special command of God, a cloke of silk ver∣rai fyne, twa hundreth syclis of siluer, and ane meswand of gold, he was stanit to the deade. Saule the king of Israel was repreuit of God,

and tynt his kingdome,* 1.329 quhairof ane cause was his cowatousnes, quhilk he had to the spulʒe of Amelech, quhairfor Samuel said to him, quhy hard thow nocht the voce of our Lord, bot is turnit to the spulʒe & hais done euil in the sycht of our Lord? Gehezi the seruand of the Pro∣phet Heliseus, was strikin with lipper,* 1.330 because he tuk certane giftis fra Naaman the prince of Syria, quhilk Heliseus his maister refusit, be∣cause it was neuer lesum to sell the spiritual gift of God. And this exemple is writtin in detesta∣tioun of symony. Iudas lykwais throch cowa∣tousnes sa••d our saluiour Christ quhen he said,* 1.331 quhat will ʒe gife me, and I sall deliuer him to ʒow?* 1.332 quhais end is discriuit in the Ackis of the Apostillis, that he hangit himself, and birstit a sunder in the myddis. Quhen Symon Magus saw, yat be the laing on of the Apostillis handis the haly gaist was giffin, he offerit yame money and said: Gife me also yis powar, yat on quhem saeuir I put my handis, he may resaif the halie gaist. Then sanct Peter said to him:* 1.333 Pecunia tua tecum sit in perditionem, quoniam donum Dei ex∣istimasti pecunia possideri. Perisch thow with thi money, because thow thinkis, yat y^e gift of God may be optenit with money. Mairouer, how gret and terribil vengeance God almychty hais takin on thame quhilk committis sacrilege, that is to say, that staw or reft ony thing hallowit or vnhallowit out of the tempil of God, or that a∣busis ony siclyk.

* 1.334We reid in the buke of Daniel, yat Belthasar king of the Caldeis, for abusing the hallowit veschellis quhilk his father Nabugodonosor brocht as a spulʒe out of the tēpil of Ierusalem, was excedan∣ly f••eit with ane strange and terribil visioun, sitting at ane ryall bankit, quhilk he maid till a thousand of his nobillis, he saw the fingaris of ane hand wri∣tand thre wordis apon the wall anent him. Na mā culd reid yame or tel yair signification, bot Daniel allanerlie, quhilk rede thame thus: Mane, The∣kell, Phares, and exponit thame thus. Mane, that is to ••ay, God hais nowmerit thi kingdome & hais cōpletit and endit it. Thekell, yat is, thow art weyi•• in a ballance, and thow art funde to want wecht. Phares, as mekil to say, as thi kingdome is deui∣dit and giffin to the Medis and Persis. And the same nycht Balthasar the king of Caldeis was slaine, and Darius the king of the Medis succedit in his kingdome. Breuelie, quhasaeuir hurtis yair puir nychbour doing ony skaith to yame, other oppinly or quyatly be ony kind of craft, falset or sutteltie, can nocht eschaip the rygorous punitioun of God, quhilk he schoris in the buke of Exodus sayand thus: Vidu•• et pupillo nō nocebitis, si lese∣ritis eos,* 1.335 vociferabuntur ad me, et ego audiam cla∣morem eorum, et indignabitur furor meus, percuti∣am{que} vos gladio, et erunt vxores vestre vidue, et filii vestri pupilli. Ʒe sall nocht noy, hurt, or skayth a wedow, fatherles, motherles or ony freindles mā or woman, for and ʒe hurt yame, thai will cry to me, and I will heir thair crie, and I will take indigna∣tioun

at ʒow, & sall stryk ʒow with the sweird. & ʒour wyfis salbe wedowis, & ʒour sonnis salbe fatherles.

Lat all gentilmen quhilk hais tenentes and cot∣taris vnder thame tak tent to thir wordis. Lat all Medicinaris, Chirurgeanis, and Pottingareis quhilk takis on hand to help seik or sair men, tak tent to thir wordis, lat all Gryntaris, Stewartis, Chamyrlandis, and al kind of craftesmen tak gud ••ent to yis comminatioun of God.

The xxii. Cheptour.

QVhat rewardis sall thai get be the promis of god quhilk helpis the puir,* 1.336 giffand to yame almous according to thair powar for Gods saik? Trewlie thai sall optene gret rewardis of God, temporal, spiritual, and eternal. Of the tem∣poral rewardis it is writtin in the buke of Prouer∣bis: Honora dominum de tua substantia, et de pri∣mitiis omnium frugum tuarum da pauperibus et im¦plebuntur horrea tua saturitate et vino torcularia tua redundabunt. Honour our Lord with thi sub∣stāce or with thi warldly geir lauchfully gottin and part of thi best geir gife to the puir, and thi barnis salbe fulfyllit with corne & frute, & thi wyne pressis sal flow with wyne. In thir wordis almychty God expresly {pro}missis sufficient welth & fouth of warldly geir to all thame, quhilk for his sake blythly giffis almous to the puir peple. And to this promis, all gredie cowatous men and wemen giffis na credit, quhilk trowis to want warldly geir to thair awin leiuing, gif thai gife ony almous to the puir pepil

according as thai may gife, & thairfor thai gi•• other litil or ellis na thing. Of thir spiritual re∣ward,* 1.337 it is writtin thus: Conclude ele••mosynā in corde pauperis, & hec {pro} te exorabit ab omni malo. Hyde thine almous in y^e hart of a puir body, yat is to say, gife thine almous (but ony intentioun of vaine glore) to the puir man and woman, and that same sall pray for the to God, yat yow may be deliuerit fra all euil. Also Tobias the elder giffand exhortatioun to his sonne Tobias the ʒongar, rehersis gret spiritual rewardis, sayand thus:* 1.338 Ex substātia tua fac elemosynā, et noli auer∣tere faciem tuam ab vllo paupere, Ita enim fiet, vt nec a te auertatur facies domini. Of thi awin gei•• gife almous, & turne nocht thi face fra ony puir man, yat is to say, gif thow may nocht gife him almous, at ye leist schaw to him a plesand coun¦tinans, and sum takin and syne that thow hais compaciens on him. And sa sais Tobias, it sall cum to pas yat God sal nocht turne his face fra the. Syne Tobias techit him the rewle of discretioun, quhilk men suld vse in giffing of almous, sayand thus: Quomodo potueris ita esto misericors, si multum tibi fuerit, abundanter tribu•• si exiguum tibi fuerit, etiam exiguum libenter im∣partiri stude. Euin as yow may, sa be thow mer∣ful, and yow haif mekil warldly geir gife mekil almous, and gife thow hais bot lytil warldly geir, apply thi mind to gife alsa lytil almous w^t blythnes. And last of all he schawis the gret re∣wardis that salbe giffin for geuing of almous:

Premium enim bonū tibi thesaurizas in die necessi∣tatis,* 1.339 quoniā elemosina ab omni peccato et mort•• liberat, et non patietur animam ire in tenebras. Thow sall gadder and prouide to thi self a tresour, quhilk sall be gret reward geuin to the in the day of necessite, that is the day of iugement, for almous deliueris fra all syn and deade, and sall nocht thoile the saulis of the merciful men, to gang to the myrk∣nes of hel. And of thir eternal reward our saluiour expresly spekis thus in the euangil of sanct Luke: Facite vobis amicos de mammona iniquitatis, vt cum defeceritis, recipiāt vos in eterna tabernacula.* 1.340 Mak ʒour self freindis of ʒour wyckit mammonie, that is to say, mak the puir men and wemen ʒour spirituall freindis be giuing of part of ʒour rychis to thame, quhilk richis oftymes is ane occasioun of wyckitnes to warldly men and wemen, nocht be the nature of the richis, bot allanerly throw the affe••∣tioun and abusioun of warldly men and wemen, with ʒour richis thairfor mak the puir men ʒour frendis, that quhen ʒe sall depart of this warld yai may resaif ʒow till eternal tabernaculis, that is to say, to the glorious dwelling placis in the kingdom of heuin. Gyf ʒe speir, how may puir men re∣saif the richemen till heuin? We answeir, nocht be thair awin powar and gift, quhilk allanerly be∣lāgis to God, bot be thair intercessioun & prayaris may optene the grace of God to riche men, quhair∣by thai may cum to the kyngdom of heuin.

All thir promissis afore rehersit is signifeit and geuin vs to vnderstand be ane promis quhilk 〈◊〉〈◊〉

saluiour makis in the euangil of S. Luke sayan•• thus:* 1.341 Dare et dabirur vobis. Gyfe, and to ʒow sall be giffin. Mensuram bonam et cōfertam, et coagi∣tatam et superfluentem, dabunt in sinum vestrum. Ane gud mesure, pressit doune & schakin to gidder and rumād ouir, sal yai gif to ʒow into ʒour bosum. Be thir wordis, eftir the expositioun of certan do∣ctouris is signifeit four kindis of giftis, quhilk al∣mychty God giffis to thame that giffis almous for Gods saik. The first is temporal geir, quhil ar callit guddis of fortune, quhilk sumtyme God gif∣fis for doing the warkis of mercy, and this gift is callit gud or lauchful mesour.

The secund gift is of nature, as helth of body, quhilk sūtyme God giffis for y^e warkis of mercy, & is callit ane mesour pressit doune, quhilk is largea•• met than the first, quhilk was ane lauchful met.

The thrid gift is encres of grace, quhilk oftymes God giffis to thame that ar mercyful, and this is largear met than was the secund.

The fourt is the gift of eternal glore, quhilk is the gretest gift of all the laif, and is signifeit be the met yat rynnis ouir. Now it followis in the wordis of our saluiour: Eadem quippe mensura, qua mensi fueritis,* 1.342 remetietur vobis. With the same mesour quhair with ʒe met to vthir, it salbe mettit agane to ʒow. For according as the deidis of cheritie corpo∣ral or spiritual is mair or les, sa sall the giffaris of the same deidis, be rewardit mair or les. And this is largelie declarit be sanct Paule sayand thus to the Corinthianis:* 1.343 Qui parce seminat, parce et ••••∣••et,

et qui seminat in benedictionibus, de benedi∣ctionibus et metet Quhasa sawis litill, sall scheir litil alsa, and he that sawis plenteously sal lykwais scheir largely. It followis: Vnusquis{que} prout desti∣nauit in corde suo, nō ex tristitia aut necessitate, hy∣larem enim datorem diligit deus. Euery ane accor∣ding as he hais purposit in his hart, nocht displei∣sandly or be compulsioun, for God luffis a blyth giffar. It followis in the text of S. Paule:* 1.344 Potens est autem deus, omnem gratiam abundare facere in vobis, vt in omnibus semper omnem sufficientiam habentes, abundetis in omne opus bonū, sicut scrip¦tum est, dispersit, dedit pauperibus, iustitia eius ma∣net in seculum seculi. God is abil to mak ʒow riche in all grace, that ʒe in all thingis hauing sufficient to the vttermaist, may be riche in all maner of gud warkis: as it is writtin, he hais scatterit and geuin to the puir, his rychteousnes remanis for euir.

Thus we end the seuint command, exhortand all christin men & wemē, to keip yame self fra al maner of taking or keping of wrangous geir fra thair nychbour, and with thair awin geir, help all thame that mistaris, for Gods saik, knawin well that thai sall get reward temporal, spiritual, and finally eter∣nal, fra the liberal hand of God, to quhome be all honour and glore for euir and euir. Amen.

☞The aucht command.☜

The xxiii. Cheptour.

NOn loqueris contra proximum tuum,* 1.345 falsum testimonium. Thow sall nocht beir fals wit∣nes

aganis thi nychtbour.* 1.346 Quhat is the or∣dour of this command? This command techis the to do na skaith to thi nychtbour in his fame and name, nor hurt him with thi toung in his persone, his wife or his temporal geir. For nixt his lyfe, his wife and his geir, his fame is derast to him, ʒa as necessarie as ony of the laif.

* 1.347Quhat is the rycht keping of this cōmand? Trewly, the vertew of yis cōmand is, to ordour and gyde thi toung in all thi wordis to the ple∣sour of God & the profit of thi nychbour. Nocht to raise pley, nor to do vther men skaith, bot yow suld spek thi wordis to the help & gud gyding of thi nychbour. To labour for concord amang thame that ar fayis, to defend thi nychtbouris fame, quhen vtheris bakbytis him or defamis him. Schortly, that thi speche be trew and pro∣fitable to the heiraris, and to thi brother, ••aith before his face and behind his back. All word{is} of halie scripture yat byddis y^e help thi brothers and nychtbouris gud name or fame, his rycht, his profite, and specially his saule heil with thi wordis, belangis to the trew vnderstāding and keping of this command.

* 1.348Quhasa wald ordour thair wordis and gyde thair toung to the plesour of God and edifica∣tioun of thair nychtbour, mone leir to haif thir thre verteous conditionis that followis.

The first is to vse discretioun in all our spe∣king, considerand alwais afore we spek, quhat

we ar to say, to quhome we spek in tyme and place conuenient, and because sik discretioun is a gift of God, we suld pray to God for it, sayand with the Prophet in the Psalme. Pone domine custodiam ori meo,* 1.349 et ostium circumstātie labiis meis. I beseik the, O gud Lord, put a ke∣ping to my mouth, Lord I pray the gife me thi grace, quhairby I may dant and refrane my toung fra all vaine and euil wordis, and to spek allanerly gud wordis, with dew circumstance of resone. And the Apostil sanct Paule sais:* 1.350 Si quis in verbo non offendit, hic perfectus est vir. Gyf a man offend or syn nocht in his worde, he is ane perfite man. Heir ʒe suld nocht vnder∣stand yat the perfectioun of a christin man stan∣dis onlie in gud gyding of our toung, for vn∣doutand, it standis principally in perfite lufe and cheritie, as sanct Paule declaris to the Col∣losiens, sayand: Super omnia charitatē habere,* 1.351 quod est vinculum perfectionis. Abone all thingis haif cheritie, quhilk is the band of perfectioun. Nochtheles, gud gyding of the toung, is a spe∣cial takin of perfectioun, and sa sanct Iames callis a mā yat synnis nocht in his toung, to be ane perfite man, for as mekil as he hes ane spe∣cial takin of ane christin mannis perfectioun. And to gyde our toung with discretioun, sanct Iames exhortis vs be twa familiar exemples.

* 1.352The first is of a brydil, sayand: Si autem equis frena in ora immittimus, ad consentiendum nobis, omne corpus illorum circumferimus. Behald lais he, we put brydillis into the hors mouthis, that yai suld obey vs, and we turne about all thair bodie. Mekil mair suld we put the brydil of discretioun apon our toungis, to dant thame and cause thame to obey the command of God in thair speking.

The secund exempil is of ane rudder of a schip: Ecce naues cum magnae sint, et a ventis validis minentur, circumferuntur autem modico guberna∣culo, vbi impetus dirigentis voluerit. Behald also the schippis, suppose yai be large & gret, and dreuin with gret windis ʒit ar yai turnit about with a ver∣rai smale Helme or Rudder, quhairto saeuir the schipmen will. euin sa the toung of man and womā suld be turnit be ye rudder of discretioun, quhairto saeuir the law of God will.

The thrid thing that suld moue vs to gyde our toung weil, is to considder oftymes quhat hurt and skaith cummis of ane euil toung, quhilk sanct Ia∣mes declacis in the place afore allegit, sayand thus: Ecce quantus ignis, quam magnā si••uam accendit & lingua ignis est vniuersitas iniquitatis. Behald how gret a thing a litil fyre kendillis, and the toung is a fyre, quhilk sumtyme is ane occasioun of all wy∣kitnes. As it mycht be said plainely, as ane litil fyre may burne and distroy a gret nowmer of treis, gret housis, palacis and tounis, sa ane euil toung may kendil mekil euil as stryif, contentioun and sedi∣tioun, hereseis and scismis, to the distructioun of

mekil vertew, & mony verteous men. It followis: Lingua constituitur in membris nostris, qui ma ••ulat totum corpus, et inflamma•••• rotā natiuitatis nostre, inflammata a gehenna. Sa is the toung set amang our membris, yat it defylit the hail bodie, and settis a fyre the hail course of our lyfe, and is it self set a fyre euin of hel. The sentence of thir wordis is this. The toung of man and woman is ane of the leist membris of all the bodie, quhilk gif it be nocht refrenit and dantit fra euil wordis be discre∣tioun, may hurt and skayth al the hail bodie, for oft tymes the hail bodie is brocht to mekil cummer and payne, for the falt of the toung. Or be the bodie we may vnderstand the hail congregatioun and cum∣pany of the pepil, for as we oft se be experiens, ane euil toung bringis ane hail congregatioun or cum∣pany to mekil cummer and payne. Mairouir, ane euil toung, specially of ane euil giffin counsellour, fals prechour or techar, may kendil y^e hartis of men and wemen to heresie and vthir synnis, and thairin to remaine fra the tyme of yair ʒouthede, to the tyme of thair auld, sa mekil euil may spring out fra ane euil toung. Gyf ʒe speir quha hais kendillit sa mekil euil in the toung of man and woman? Se quha puttis sa mekil euil in the toung? Trewly, nocht almychty God, for he hais wallit and defēdit the toung with certane teith and twa lippis, to signi¦fie that the toung suld nocht be hastie in speking, bot yat it suld speik with auisment and discretioun. Than quha hes kendillit sa mekil euil in the toung of man & woman? Verrailie the deuil of hel, quhilk

kendillis the fyre of concupiscence yat is in ou•• flesch sa mekil as he may, than the concupiscēce kindillit, kindillis and prouokis the toung to sa mekil euil. And heir we haif a cause to de∣ploir and be sorie for the malice of mony men & wemen, quhais toung is sa euil, that apparand∣ly it is incurabil, quhairin thai may be compti•• war of cōditionis than brutel bestis or serpētis, according as sanct Iames declaris thus: Omnia natura bestiarum,* 1.353 volucrum et serpentum et cete∣rorum, domantur et domita sunt a natura humana, linguam autem nullus hominum domare potest, in∣quietum malum, plenum veneno mortifero. All the nature of bestis and byrdis, and of serpentes, & vther of the see, ar meikit and dantit be the na∣ture of man, bot the toung of sum men & wemen can na man dant, it is ane vnrewly euil full of deadly poysone. As he mycht say: thair is na wyld best sa wyld, thair is na foule sa fors, na serpentis sa pestilent, na best of the see sa cruel, bot be the ingyne, industrie & craft of man, thai may be dantit. Lyonis ar maid gentil and meik, Tygaris ar maid myld, Drachonis ar dantit. Eliphantis mak seruice to mā, Cockatryces ar brocht in subiectioun, serpentis ar tamit, Ernys and Eglis ar maid familiar to the hand of mā, bot the euil toung (of sum men and wemen) may na man dant. And quhy? Because it is sa wyld, yat it will nocht be rewlit, it is sa ful of poysone, that na medicine of gud counsel can help it. Thus be gud consideratioun of the gret hurt &

skaith that cummis of ane toung, we suld seir to refrein our toung with discretioun.

The thrid thing that causis a man or a womā to haif a gud toung,* 1.354 is reformation of our hart or of our mynd, for as our saluiour sais in the euangil of sanct Mathew: Progenies viperarum, quomodo potestis bona loqui cum sicis mali? Ex a∣bundantia enim cordis os loquitur. O ʒe genera∣tioun of serpentis, how can ʒe spek gud, quhen ʒe ʒour selfis ar euil? for of the abundance of the hart y^e mouth spekis. Bonus enim homo de bono thesauro profert bona, et malus homo de malo thesauro profert mala. A gud mā, out of the gud tresour of his hart bringis furth gud thingis, & ane euil mā, out of his euil tresour brīgis furth euil thingis. Be thir wordis of our saluiour, it is manifest and plaine, yat na mā can speik gud wordis to the plesour of God and edificatioun of thair nychtbour, except that he haif ane gud hart or mynd indewit and annor••it with faith and cheritie. Quhairfor O christin man, & yow wald refrein thi tong fra all euil wordis quhilk thow spekis aganis God & thi nychbour, thow mone haif in thi hart the trew lufe of God and thi nychtbour. Quha brekis this command?* 1.355 Specially yai that beris in iugement fals wit∣nes. Fyrst thai offend almychty God quhais veritie thai denye and forsakis opinly.

Secundly, thai offend the Iuge,* 1.356 fra quhom yai syle & hyde the veritie. Thridly, yai offēd and hurtis the persone yat is accusit, quhom be ••esone of thair fals wytnes, thai condemne als

mekil as lyes in thame and haldin to restitutioun of all hurtis. And be this ʒe may consider plainly, how greuous a syn it is to bear fals witnes.

Mairouir, thai syn aganis this cōmand, quhilk dois wrang to yair nychbour in iugemēt, quhidder yai be Iuge, Scribe, Aduocat, fals witnes, partie, or ony siclike, quhilk oppressis thair nychbour be falset in iugement, or will nocht say y^e veritie quhen thai suld say it, quha be falsat and lesingis, puttis yair nychbour to sorow or skaith. All flatteraris, scornaris of men, fals accusaris and bakbytaris, quha giffis reidly eris to bakbytaris, fostaris the same and repreuis thame nocht. And quha inter∣pretis nocht all vther mennis indifferent wordis & deidis to the best face, quhen thai may be weil tane. Quha dissimillis to schaw the veritie quhen he is oblissit to schaw it be necessitie and for ye gud of his nychtbour.* 1.357 Is yair ony paine or punitioun ex∣premit in the scripture aganis yame yat brekis yis command, be speking of euil wordis? Ʒis trewly. First to speik in general, the wisman sais: Qui cu∣stodit os suum, custodit animam suam, qui autem inconsideratus est ad loquendum, sentiet mala. He yat kepis his mouth, kepis his saule or his lyfe, bot he yat spekis without cōsideratioun and auisment, sal feil trubil and paine. And to speik in special, the wisman sais:* 1.358 Testis falsus non erit impunitus. Ane fals witnes sal nocht be vnpunissit. Agane he sais: Testis mendax peribit.* 1.359 A leand witnes sall perisch. Also y^e same wisman,* 1.360 rehersand sax thingis quhilk God hettis, he rekins amang yame a mā yat beris

fals witnes, and spekis lesingis. Ane exemple ʒe may tak in ye buke of Daniel,* 1.361 of ye twa lycherous Iugis quhilk falsly accusit that honest and chast matrone Susanna, berand fals witnes aganis hir, for the quhilk, be the rychteous iugement of God yai wer stanit to the dead. Also the wisman sais:* 1.362 A∣bominatio hoim detractor. He that is a bak byter is abhominabil till all gud men.* 1.363 And sanct Paule in the first to the Romanis, rehersand yai synnaris quhilk is worthi the dead eternal, puttis amang thame detractouris, bakbytaris or sclanderaris, sayand: Detractores deo odibiles. Bakbytaris (sais he) ar hettit of God. Also the wisman speikis of thame yat ar quysperaris, rowkaris & rounaris on this maner: Susurro inquinabit animam suam,* 1.364 et in omnibus odietur. A rowkar and rownar, sall fyle his awin saule, & sal be hettit of all men. Mair ouir he sais: Susurro, et bilinguis maledictus erit,* 1.365 multos enim turbauit pacem habentes. A man or a woman that is ane rowkar and doubil toungit, is cursit and wariit, for siclik ane persone hes put me∣kil trubil amang men & wemen, quhilk afore was at peace. And to be schort with ʒow, our saluiour declaris this mattir in few wordis, sayand thus: Dico autem vobis, quoniā omne verbum ociosum,* 1.366 quod locuti fuerint homines, reddant rationem de eo in die iudicii. Bot I say to ʒow, that ilkane idil word, quhilk men and wemen speikis, thairof thai sall gife ane compt in the day of iugement.

Now sene we mone gife ane compt to God in the day of iugement, of all our ydil wordis quhilk ar

vaine and vnprofitabil till vs and our nychtbour, mekil mair it followis, yat we mone gife ane compt of all our euil word{is}, blasphemous wordis, backby∣ting & sclandering wordis, lycherous wordis, inui∣ous wordis, treful, prydful and malicious wordis with sicklike. Quhat will ʒe mair? as it followis be the wordis of our saluiour: Ex verbis tuis iustifi∣caberis, et ex verbis tuis cōdemnaberis. Thow sal be iustifeit be thi wordis, gif yai be conforme to the law of God, and spokin of ane gud mynd, & thow sall be condemnit for thi wordis, gif thai be aganis the law of God,* 1.367 and spokin of ane euil mynd. And sa it is nocht difficill to ken how God almychty re∣wardis yame yat spekis gud wordis, with ane gud mynd. The wisman sais: Qui custodit os suum, et linguam suam, custodit a tribulatione animam suā. He that kepis his mouth and his toung, kepis his saule or his lyfe fra trubil. And the Prophet king Dauid sais in the Psalme:* 1.368 Quis est homo qui vult vitam, et diligit dies videre bonos? Quhat is the man that wald haif life, and luffis to fee gud dais? To this questioun he answeris and sais: Prohibe linguam tuā a malo, et labia tua ne loquantur dolū Refraine thi toung fra spekin euil word{is}, and stop thi lippis that thai speik na dissait. In thir wordis the Prophet techis, that commonly be gud gyding of our toung, we may cum to mekil rest and tran∣quillitie, nocht only to be had in this temporal lyfe, bot also in the lyfe to cum, quhilk we luke for in the kingdome of heuin, quhilk he grant vs, that bocht vs with his precious blude. Amen.

☞The nynt command.☜

NOn concupisces vxorem proximi tui.* 1.369 Thow sall nocht cowet thi nychbouris wyfe.

☞The tent command.☜

The xxiiii. Cheptour.

NOn domum, non agrum, non seruum,* 1.370 non an∣cillā, non bouem, non asinū, nec vniuersa que illius sunt. Thow sall nocht cowet thi nycht∣bouris house, nor his croft or his land, nor his ser∣uand, nor his hyir womā, nor his Ox, nor his Asse, nor ony vther thing, quhilk pertenis to him. How kepis thir twa last cōmandis ordour with the laif? Men mycht trow that thai had kepit the laif of the commandis, quhen thai had nocht oppinly brokin thame in deid, as the Iewis traistit that thai fulfil∣lit yai twa commandis quhilk forbad adultery and thift, gif yai had nocht committit siclik in deid. God thairfor be his seruand Moyses, to put away yat errour fra the Iewis and al vther men and wemen, he schawis thame be thir twa last commandis, yat thai synnit than to, quhen thai desyrit thair nycht∣bouris wyfe, or watchit and waitit be wylis for yair geir. Amang the Iewis maisteris had power apō thair bond seruandis bodeis, as apon thair bestis, quhairfor the bond men and wemen was comptit a∣mang thame part of thair possessioun or temporal geir. Attour, amang the Iewis it was tholit for the hardnes of thair hart, that a man mycht put a∣way his wyfe for ony deformitie. Sa, and a man

mycht haif lauchfully luffit his nychtbouris wyfe,* 1.371 he mycht a fischit ane cause to ••is wife, to put hir away & tak ane vther, or sche also quhen sche desyrit ane vther, wald mak faltis to hir husband, to get hir leif. Sa mycht thai fynd mony suttill inuentionis to get vther mennis wyffis, housis, landis, geir, seruandis & bestis, quhairfor to schaw thame, that to desyre siclyke was nocht lef••ll, suppose thai had nocht got••in thair purpose in deid, thir twa commandis was giffin. Ar thir twa last commandis exponit in the haly scripture? Ʒe, our saluiour exponis the nynt command,* 1.372 sayand thus: Ego autem dico vobis, quia omnis qui viderit mulierem ad cōcupi∣scendū eā, iam mechatus est eam in corde suo. Bot I say to ʒow, quhasaeuir beholdis ane vther mannis wyfe, {fleur-de-lys} 1.373 to desyre hir, he hais cōmittit adultery with hir ellis in his hart. And as sanct Peter the Apostil sais: Oculos habentes plenos adulterii. Thai haif thair eyne full of adultery. Quhair is the tent exponit? In the Euangil of sanct Mathew, quhair our saluiour sais thus: Nō potestis deo seruire et māmone.* 1.374 Ʒe may nocht serue God & Mammon. Ideo dico vobis, ne soli∣citi sitis anime vestre quid māducetis, ne{que} corpori vestro quid induamini. Thairfor be nocht careful quhat ʒe sal eit or drink.* 1.375 And agane he sais: Soli¦citudo seculi istius, & fallacia diuittarū ^suffocat ver∣bum, et sine fructu efficitur. The carefulnes of yis warld and the desaitfulnes of riches, smoris the word that it beris na frute.

Quhat is the rycht keping of thir twa com∣mādis? To haif ane cleir ee,* 1.376 and ane clein hart A cleir ee, is the rycht iugement of reasone, and intentioun of our mynd, quhilk suld dereck, or∣dour & gyde all our deidis to be doine to the ple∣sour of God and profit of our nychbour, accor∣ding as the Apostil techis sayand:* 1.377 Siue ergo mā∣ducatis, siue bibitis, vel aliud quid facitis, omnia in gloriam dei facite. Quhiddir ʒe eit or drink, or do ony vther thing, do all to the honour and glore of God. And agane: Omne quodcun{que} facitis in verbo aut in o{per}e, oīa in noīe dn̄i nostri Iesu Christi facite. All thingis quhatsaeuir ʒe doin word or deid, do all in y^e name of our Lord Iesu Christ, yat is, quhen ʒe speik ony gud word, or dois ony gud deidis, lat ʒour intentioun be, to do yame, nocht to ʒour awin glore and singular profite, bot principally to y^e glore of God.* 1.378 Our saluiour declaris this in the Euangil, in the deidis of al∣mous, praying and fasting. Of this ee of our intentioun, our saluiour sais thus: Lucerna corporis tui, est oculus tuus. Si oculus tuus fuerit simplex, totum corpus tuum lucidum erit. Si au¦tem oculus tuus fuerit nequā, totum corpus tuum tenebrosum erit. Si ergo lumen quod in te est te∣nebre sunt, ipse tenebre quante erunt? Thi ee is the lycht of thi body. Gyf thi ee than be simpill and clein all thi bodie sall be full of lycht, bot and gyf thine ee be wykit, all thi body sall be full of myrknes. That is to say, gif thi

intentioun be rycht, thi deidis, quhilk ar nocht eu••l and repugnand to the law of God, ar rycht plesand to God, bot & gif thi intētioun be wrang, thi deidis ar maid displesand to God. A cleir ee to thi nycht∣bour,* 1.379 is to haif this intentioun, to do to him as yow wald that he of resone suld do to the, and to do na thing to him, quhilk thow wald nocht yat he of re∣sone suld do to the. Schortly, in al thi deidis intēd thi nychtbouris weil and profite, as thi awin.

* 1.380A clein hart is yat quhilk hais na inordinat de∣syre of warldly geir, bodelie lust & warldly honour. A clein hart is that quhilk is content to serue God▪ nocht principally for ony warldly plesour or profite, bot rather for his awin lufe & gudnes. A clein hart is that quhilk is hail giffin to the lufe of God and our nychtbour. A clein hart is yat quhilk luffis his nychtbour lykwais nocht for his geir, or vther car∣nal affectionis, bot maist of all for the lufe of God.

* 1.381And contrarie, that man hais ane foule hart, quhilk luffis him self allanerly, sa and he be weil he curis nocht quhat becum of his nychtbour, quhilk singular and priuat lufe, is the rute of all euil. Schortly, the rycht keping of thir twa commandis is to be blyth of thi nychbouris honour and profite, desyre the samyn, and help him thairto.

* 1.382Quha brekis thir twa commandis? Fyrst, quha yat with a deliuerit mynd and full consent, desyris to haif thair nychtbouris wyfe, to commit adultery with hir. Lykwais, quha yat with ful consent wald fulfill thair carnal lust with ony woman quhilk is nocht his mareit wyfe. Quha lykwais wald haif

his nychtbour partit fra his lauchfull wyfe, that he mycht haif hir, or ony vther vngodly cause. Quha inuies his nychtbour, yat he hais ane honest womā to his wyfe. Quha cowattis inordinatly thair nychtbouris geir, desyr and with full consent, to get geir fra him vniustly, or by vnlauchfull con∣trackis, be suttiltie, falsat and desait. Quha wald haif ony mānis seruand fra his maister vniustly, & by his maisteris wil. Quha inuies yair nychbours, beand blyth of his hurt and aduersitie, and sorie of his weil and prosperitie. Schortly al lycherous, in∣uious, & cowatous men, brekis thir twa cōmandis.

How may a christin man fulfill thir twa last cō∣mandis?* 1.383 Trewly it is exced and difficill to refrain our hart fra vnlauchfull desyre of wemen, warldly geir and honour, because that in our corruppit na∣ture is rutit concupiscence, lust and desyre of thing{is} forbiddin be the law of God. And suppose the same concupiscence remaine in vs, quhilk ar baptisit in Christ Iesu, or that ar reconcilit to God efter ou•• actual syn be trew penance. Ʒit it is in vs na syn, quhil we consent with a deliuerit mynd to fulfill in deid the same cōcupiscence, or ellis to haif lang de∣lectatioun in the same concupiscence without deid. According as the wismā sais:* 1.384 Post concupiscencias tuas nō eas, et a voluntate tua auertere. Thow sal nocht gang efter thi concupiscence, that is to say, thow sal nocht consent to fulfil the vnrasonabil lust and desyre of thi flesch.* 1.385 To this agreis S. Iames sayand: Vnusquis{que} vero tēptatur a concupiscentia su••, abstractus et illectus, deinde concupiscentia cū

cōceperit, parit peccatū, peccatū vero cum consum¦matum fuerit generat mortē. Ilk man is tēpit of his awin concupiscence, drawin away and en∣tyscit. Syne the concupiscence consaillis and bringis furth syn, quhen syn is completit it ge∣neris dead. Vnderstand heir, that the concupi∣scence cōsaillis be suggestioun & delectatioun, & bringis furth syn be consent. Se that suppose we feil suggestioun to syn, other be euil thochtis remembrance, sycht, heiring, smelling, sauering, tasting & tweching, or be ony euil counsel giffin to vs, be our enemie or ony other. Secundly, suppose we begin to haif sum plesour & delecta∣tioun in the same euil, ʒit gif we incontinent re∣f••ane out will fra consent to do the same euil, nocht only we cōmit na deadly syn, bot we pleis God in resistence of y^e same. That this doctrine is trew,* 1.386 sanct Paule teichis plainly: Nihil ergo nunc dānationis est his qui sunt in Christo Iesu, qu•• nō secundū carnē ambulāt. Thair is now (sais he) na damnatioun vnto thame that ar in Christ Iesu, quhilk gangis nocht efter the flesch, bot efter the spirit.* 1.387 Agane: Non ergo regnet peccatū in vestro mortali corpore, vt obediatis concupiscen eiis eius. Lat nocht syn regne in ʒour mortal bo∣deis, that ʒe suld obey the lust of it. Declara∣tioun of this matter we haif in the historie of A∣damis fall and first syn.* 1.388 The serpent come and maid suggestioun and gaif counsel to breik the command of God. Eue the woman, begane to haif delectatioun in the sycht of the frute for∣biddin.

Adame willing to content the mynd of the woman, consentit, and eit it, and sa braik the com∣mand of God, to the gret dammage & skaith of him self and all his posteritie. The same proces is daily found in cōmitting of our synnis. The serpent sig∣nifyis the deuil quhilk tempis and prouokis vs to breik the cōmand of God, prouok and other a thing or vthir forbiddin be God. Eue betakins y^e flesche, quhilk begynnis to haif plesour and delectatioun in the thingis sa proponit. Adame signifyis the fre will of man, quhilk quhen it cōsentis and deliueris to do the deid, syn is completit and fulfillit. Thus we conclude, that sa lang as we abstane fra the cō∣senting to the suggestioun and tystyng of our cōcu∣piscence, we syn nocht.

The xxv. Cheptour.

QVhat is the cause that this carnal concupi∣scence, the mother and nuris of syn,* 1.389 remanis in the flesche of al christin men & wemen eftir Baptyme and penance, how gud, how haly, and perfite saeuer thai be, it makis to thame impedimēt to do the lawis of God perfitely, full sair aganis thair will, and wald be quyt of it, and can nocht, & thairfor lamentis and murnis daily for the conti∣nual cummer of it? God almychty be his rychte∣ous iugement and infinite wysdome, permittis the carnall concupiscence to remaine in Christin men and wemen, efter the resauing of Baptyme and Penance, nocht for our euil, bot for our weil, nocht to our distructioun, bot to be to vs ane

occasioun of our saluatioun, for nane sal be crownit in heuin with honour & glore, except yai get victory, nane can get victorie except he fecht stowtly & man∣fully, na mā fechtis bot with his ennimy, sa gif yair be na ennymie, yair is na battel, na battel, na victo∣rie, na victory na croune. Now thairfor God hes permittit yis concupiscence to remaine in vs, yat we throch his grace owyrcūmand the same, may optene the croune of glore in heuin. Sa God permittit the Cananeittis to remane in a part of the land of promissioun amang the peple of Israel, nocht for thair distructioun, bot for yair exercitioun in battel, that yai haiff and exercitioun & practeis in fechting agane yame, be the help of God yai mycht ourcum, nocht only the Cananeis, bot also al vther nationis quhilk wald be yair enymeis. How may we our∣cum this enymie that dwellis in our mortal bodie, euirmair prouok and & steir and vs to euil?* 1.390 Thus, we doand throch Gods grace our deuore & diligens quhilk we aucht to do, God wil gife til vs his spret, be quhais vertew and grace, we fall eisalie ourcum the temptatioun of our flesch, ʒe and also the deuil, and the warld. We ourcum thame, quhen we resist thame, we resist thame, quhen we consent nocht to yair temptatioun. The first thing yat we aucht to do in this battell, is to mak inuocatioun to God be ane faithful prayar, to gife vs his haly spret, for as the wisman said to God: Et vt sciui quoniā aliter non possum esse continens,* 1.391 nisi deus det. And efter I kermit that I culd nocht vtherwais be continent 〈◊〉〈◊〉 my fle••ch fra euil, except that God gaif

me grace. And as the Apostil sais:* 1.392 Si enim secundū carnem vixeritis, moriemini, Si autem spiritu▪ facta carnis mortificaueritis, viuetis. And ʒe leif efter the flesch ʒe sal dee, bot and ʒe mortifie the deidis of the flesch be the spirit, ʒe sall leif. How sall we optene the spirit of God, bot with ane faithful prayar. For our saluiour Christ hais maid vs promis sayand: Ask and ʒe sall get. Amen amen dico vobis, si quid petieritis patrem in nomine meo dabit vobis.* 1.393 Quhat saeuir ʒe sall ask the father in my name, he sal gife it ʒow. Agane:* 1.394 Sa sal ʒour heuinly father gife the gud spirit to thame yat askis him. Lat vs thairfor ask this spirit of God be ane trew faith in Christ Iesu, committand our cause hailelie to him, traistand and lippinnand hailelie to him, that the father eternal, for the lufe & meritis of Christ, will nocht lat vs want his spirit, we doand that is in vs as is afore said, quhilk may renew our mynd and mak vs new men in God, in rychteousnes and ha∣lynes, sall slokkin the heit of carnal lust in vs, and kendil the fyre of Gods lufe in our hartis, & sa mak vs bring furth the frutis of the spirit, quhairof ane is continence & chastitie. The secund thing that we mone do in our battel aganis our concupiscence is to make resistence to our foule lustis and desyris in the beginning of yame, for & we thoil our carnal desyris byde in our mynd, yai wil grow and multi∣plie, & wax stark agane our spirit, & sa sall be diffi∣cil to ourcum thame. Thai ar lyk to ane slederie eil that may be haldin be the heid, & nocht be the tail. Thairfor sais the Prophet in the Palme: Beatu••

qui tenebit, et allidet par••ulos suos ad petram. Happy is the mā yat sal hald his first motionis,* 1.395 thochtis & desyris, & sall stryk yame to the stane. Quhilk vers be mistical expositioun menis yat we suld repres & dant our carnal lustis & desyris in the beginning, quhen thai ar litil, and that be faith of our saluiour Christ, quhilk is signifiet be the stane, because he is sickar and suir freind and defēdar, to all yat puttis yair traist in him.

Thridly, we suld forbeir all occasionis of syn, flee euil company, quhilk is lycht, wantone and vayne, keip w^t gret diligence our eyne fra wan∣tone sychtis, our eris fra hering of vile talk, ly∣cherous sangis, vnhonest talis, our handis and membris of our bodie fra vnhonest twyching, our mouth fra excess of meit and drink, & all our wittis fra all abusionis, quhair throch as wyn∣dokis,* 1.396 deade enteris into our saule. According as it is said be the Prophet Hieremie: Ascendit mors {per} fenestras nostras. The deade clymmis vp till our saule be the wyndokis, that is to say, deadly syn enteris in our saule be abusioun of our fiue wittes. And the haly man Iob keipit weil this rewle quhen he said:* 1.397 Pepegi fedus cum oculis meis, vt ne cogitarem quidem de virgine. I haif maid ane obligatioun and ane band to re∣frane the wantone sychtis of my eyne, that I mycht nocht haif ony inordinate thochtis of virginis. Fourtly, we suld dant our flesche fra ••ll wantones, as the Apostil sanct Paule sais

expresly: Qui autem sunt Christi,* 1.398 earnem suam cru∣cifixerunt cum vitiis et concupiscentiis. Quha is y^e seruādis of Christ, yai haue crucifie yair flesche togiddir with the vyce and cōcupiscence yairof. And ʒe wald ken how our flesche suld be cruci∣feit and dantit fra the euil of the concupiscence. Trewly, with walking, fasting, and labouris. Of the first the wisman sais:* 1.399 Vigilia honestatis tabefaciet carnes. Honest walking sall mortifie the flesche. And ane vther man said,* 1.400 lang sleip and rest, fosteris the vice of the flesche. Of the secund speikis sanct Paule,* 1.401 exhortand his Co∣rinthianis to be ministeris of God, amang vthir vertewis he puttis fasting before chastitie. And as sanct Hierome allegeis Tyrens: Sine cerer•• et Baccho friget Venus. Be abstinence of meit & drink, lychorie is cauld and hais na strenth. Of the thrid sais the doctour sanct Hierome: All ydil men ar ful of desyris. And the wisman sais:* 1.402 P••r agrum hominis pegri transiui, et per vineam viri stulti et ecce totum repleuerant vrtice. I haif gane (sais the wisman) be the feild of ane ydill man, & be the wyneʒard of ane fuile, and behald all was full of nettillis and wriddis, mening that ydill men of all vther ar maist disponit to y^e vice of y^e flesche. Do euirmair sum gud warke, ya•• y^e deuil may euir find y^e weil occupiit. The pu¦nissionis of yame quhilk brekis yir twa last cō∣mādis, & the reward of yame yat keipis y^e same

is knawin weil eneuch be the declaratioun, quhilk we maid in the endis of the saxt & seuint cōmandis, quhair it is schawin plainly with quhat punitionis God punis••is all cowatous men and also 〈◊〉〈◊〉 lyche∣rous men, and because thai breik thir twa last com∣mandis in special yat hais yair hartis fylit with the synnis of lychorie and cowatousnes. And thai keip thir twa last commandis in special, quhilk keipis thair hartis clein in chastitie & lufe to do the werkis of mercy to yair nychtbour. The punitioun thair∣for of all thame that hais vnclein hartis, is plainly expremit in the Apocalipsis, quhair mentioun is maid of certane men and wemen quhilk sall nocht haif enteres to y^e heuinly citie of Ierusalem, quhair it is said thus: Non intrabit in eā aliquod coinqui∣natum.* 1.403 Na thing sal enter into that glorious citie, quhilk is blekkit or fylit. And of the reward of all thame quhilk hais ane clein hart, our saluiour Christ sais thus: Beati mundo corde, quoniā ipsi deum videbunt.* 1.404 Blissit ar all thai quhilk ar clein in hart, for thai sall see God. And agane in the same place he speikis of the reward of all thame quhilk hais a mercyful hart to thair nychtbour. Beati mis•• ricordes, quoniam ipsi misericordiam consequētur. Blissit ar all thai quhilk ar mercyful to thair nych∣bour, for thai sal optene and get the mercy of God. And be the contrar sanct Iames speikis of all vn∣mercyful men,* 1.405 sayand thus: Iudiciū sine misericor∣dia illi, qui non facit misericordiā. He sall get iuge∣ment without mercy at the hand of God, quhilk hais na mercy on his nychtbour. And sa schortly ʒe

may vnderstand how God almychty punissis eter∣nally the brekaris of thir twa last commandis, and also how that he will reward all the keiparis of the same with eternall reward, quhilk he grant to vs that bocht vs with his precious blude. Amen.

☞The rycht vse of the ten commandis.☜

The xxvi. Cheptour.

TO conclude this doctrine, quhilk we haif giffin to ʒow of the law & cōmandis of God, we exhort ʒow till haif alwayis in ʒour remem∣brance thir wordis of S. Paule: Scimus autē, quia lex bona est,* 1.406 si quis ea legitime vtatur. We knaw (sais he) that the law is gud, gif a mā will vse it weil. For suppose ʒe knaw the law of God, ʒit & ʒe knaw nocht y^e rycht vse of the law of God, or how that ʒe suld vse the law of God dailie to ʒour edifi∣catioun, ʒour knawlege will do ʒow litill gud. Quhairfor we think it expedient to declare to ʒow the rycht vse of the law be plaine & familiar exem∣pillis, to that effeck, that quhensaeuir ʒe heir the law, or ony part of the law expremit to ʒow, ʒe may considdir the rycht vse of it, and sa apply the law to ʒour gret profite and spiritual edificatioun.

First christin pepill,* 1.407 ʒe suld vse the law of God as ʒe wald vse ane Torche quhen ʒe gang hayme to ʒour house in a myrke nycht, for as the Torche or

Bowat schawis ʒow lycht to descerne the rycht waie hayme to ʒour house, fra the wrang way, and also to descerne the clein way, fra the foule way. Euin sa aucht ʒe to vse y^e law or command of God, as a Torche, Bowat or Lanterin. For doutles, the law of God giffis y^e lycht of knaw∣lege to descerne ʒour hie way hayme to ʒour dwelling placis in heuin, fra the wrang way yat leidis to hel. For as the strecht way to heuin is the rycht keping of thir ten commandis, accor¦ding as our saluiour sais:* 1.408 Si vis ad vitā ingredi, serua mandata. Gyf thow will entir to the lyfe, keip the commandis, sa the wrang way is to breik ony of the ten cōmandis. Sa quhen thow hais gottin knawlege and vnderstanding of all thir ten commandis or of ony ane of yame, thai▪ cōsiddir thi self quhair thow gangis, and gif y^u ken thi self to gang the narrow way of vertew that leidis to heuin, be blyth in God, and thank him of his grace, and ask at him the gift of per∣seuerance, and gif thow thinkis thi self out of the hie and clein way of vertew, and that thow art gangand in the braid and hie foule way of deadly syn that leidis to hel, incontinent cum agane to the hie way of vertew, quhilk is com∣mandit in the law of God, sayand with the pro∣phet in the Psalme:* 1.409 Cogitaui vias meas, et con∣uerti pedes meos in testimonia tua. I haif consi∣derit my wayis, quhairin I haif gane wrang gaitis, and I haif turnit my feit into thi com∣mandis, gud Lord, because yai allanerly is my

strecht way to the kingdome of heuin. Gyf thow say agane to me, quha will tell me quhen I am in the rycht way, and quhen I am in the wrang way? Trewly thi awin conscience will tel the, being in∣formit be the trew knawlege of the commandis of God. And this rycht vse of the law is geuin vs be the wisman in the Prouerbes, sayand thus to his sone: Cōserua fili mi precepta patris tui,* 1.410 & ne dimit tas legē matris tue, liga eā in corde tuo iugiter, & circumda gutturi tuo. Cum ambulaueris, gradiātut tecum, cum dormieris, custodiant te, et euigilans loquere cum eis, quia mandatum lucerna est, et lex lux, et via vite increpatio discipline. O my sone (sais the wisman) keip the commandis of thi father, and leif nocht the law of thi mother. Bynd yame to gidder continually in thi hart, and festin yame fast about thi half, quhen thow gangis lat thame gang with the, quhen thow sleipis, lat thame keip the, & quhen thow walknys, speik with thame. For the command is the Lanterin, a Torche or ane candel, and the law is lycht and the way of lyfe and correc∣tioun of euil maneris & derectioun to gud maneris.

The secund exempil (quhairby we may knaw the rycht vse of the law) is of ane myrrour,* 1.411 quhairin a man or a woman behaldis thair awin face, to that effeck, that gif thai see thair face blekkit, thai may gang to the wattir to wesche thame. Euin sa ʒe suld vse the law or the commandis of God. For doutles the law is geuin to be ane spiritual myrrour to vs, quhilk gif we considdir weil, we may se the face of our conscience in it, and knaw perfitly all the defor∣miteis & spottis of syn, quhilk blekkis our saule,

quhilk, quhen we haif doine, we suld incontinent gang to the wellis to wesche vs, yat is to saie, to the sacramētis of haly kirk. And with trew faith giffin to the promis of God, draw out of yame the watter of grace, quhilk may wesche our saulis and mak tha ne fair. For quhasaeuer hais thair saule fyli•• with original syn, suld cum or ellis be brocht to the well of Baptyme, and thair be weschyne fra all yair synnis. And quhasaeuir ar fylit in thair saulis be actual syn, suld cum to the well of Penance be con∣tritioun, Confessioun, and satisfactioun, that ya••e yai may be weschyne with y^e watter of grace, quhilk is geuin be dew ministratioun & faithfull resauing of that same sacrament. And of thir wellis of grace ʒe haue large declaratioun maid to ʒow in the thrid pa••t of this Catechis, quhilk intraittis of the seuin sacramentis. Sa O christin mā & woman, quhen y^e law of God is declarit to the, heir it nocht in vaine, bot leir the rycht vse of it, and in it, as in ane myr∣rour behald the face of thi conscience, and eftir yow hes sem the gret deformiteis & spottis of thi synnis, incōtinent cum to the wellis of grace, that is to say, to the meritis of Christis passioun, quhilk may be applyit to the be the rycht ministratioun of the haly sacramētis. Bot tak tent yat thow cum vnfenʒetly. Cum thairfor with trew penance, cum w^t ane perfit faith geuin to the promis of God cum with ane fer∣uent lufe and desyre of thi awin saluatioun, and sa cumand to the well of grace, without dout thow sall resaif grace quhilk sall wesche thi saule and mak i•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉. And this rycht vse of the law may weil be ga∣derit

of the wordis of sanct Iames, sayand thus:* 1.412 Estote factores verbi, non auditores tantū, fallentes vosmetipsos, quia si quis auditor est verbi, et non factor, hic comparabitur viro consideranti vultum natiuitatis sue in speculo &c. Be ʒe doaris of the word, and nocht heiraris only, desaffand ʒour awin sel••••is, for gif ony heir the word, and do it nocht, he is lyke to a man that behaldis his bodely face in a myrrour. &c. Quhilk auctoritie was set furth to ʒow at lenth in the end of the Prologe.

Thridly,* 1.413 ʒe suld vse the law as ane spiritual V∣rinal, for lyk as luking in ane vrynal heilis na seik¦nes, nochtheles, quhen the watter of a seik man is lukit in ane Vrinal, the seiknes commonly is kna∣win, and than remede is socht be sum special Me∣dicin, geuin be sum expert Medicinar. Sa the law or commandis of God heilis na synnar fra the seik∣nes of syn: Nihil ad perfectum adduxit lex.* 1.414 The law gaif na grace quhairby men mycht be brocht to perfectioun. Nochitheles, as he sais to y^e Romanis: Per legē cognitio peccati. Be the law,* 1.415 is the knaw∣lege of syn. Quhairfor, quhen we haif knawlege of our spiritual seiknes of syn, be luking in the law, as in ane spiritual Vrynal, than suld we gang with trew penance & fayth, till the heuinly medicinar our saluiour Christ, quhilk sais thir wordis of him self: Non est opus valentibus medico,* 1.416 sed male habenti∣bus. Thai that ar stark and hail in thair persone, neidis na Medicinar, bot yai yat ar weik and seik neidis a Medicinar. Now because that we ar all togiddir in our saule febil, weik, and seik throch cō∣cupiscēce

& syn, quhilk we may se cleirly in y^e spi∣ritual Vrinal of y^e law, quhat suld we do, bot w^t trew penance and faith, pas till our Medicinar Iesus Christ, seik fra him the medicine yat may saif vs and heil all our seiknis, seik fra him the plaster of our saluatioun, yat may heil our woū∣dis, sayand to him w^t the prophet in ye Psalme: Sana animā meam,* 1.417 quia peccaui tibi. O Lord heil my saule, for I haif synnit aganis the, quhilk doutles he will do gif we gang to him vnfenʒet∣ly, doand the worthi frutis of penance with ane substantial traist and confidence in the meritis of his passioun, quhilk is the only spiritual me∣dicyn of our seik and woundit saulis.

* 1.418Fourtly, ʒe suld vse the law or commandis of God as the schippar of a schip vsis his compas, for his Compas mouis nocht nor dryuis nocht the schi•• on the braid & stormy see to gud hauin, bot the schippar haiffand a wynd, takis tent to the derectioun of his Compas, quhil he cum to ane gud hauin. Sa the law of God is till vs ane spiritual Compas, for we haiffand the pro∣sperous wynd and motionis of the haly spret, blow and in the salis of our vnderstanding and fre will, syne takand gud tent to the derectioun of the law of God, as till our spiritual compas, we may verrai prosperously w^t ane rycht cours saile to the glorious port and hauin of the he∣uinly Paradise, quhair we ••all rest the s••hip o•• our nature in perpetual tranquillitie and secu∣ritie of bayth bodie and saule. And thus we end

our declaratioun of the ten commandis, geuin to vs be almychty God, to quhome be ge∣uin al louing and thankis, honour and glore for euir and euer. Amen.

[illustration]

Notes

• * 1.1

  4. Reg•• vltimo.
• * 1.2

  Esaie. 5••
• * 1.3

  Iere. 2.
• * 1.4

  Esaie. i.
• * 1.5

  Osee. 6••
• * 1.6

  Iere. 9.
• * 1.7

  ••. Iohn. 2.
• * 1.8

  i. Cor. 14.
• * 1.9

  Mat. 25.
• * 1.10

  Psal. 904
• * 1.11

  Psal. 24.
• * 1.12

  Iaco. i.
• * 1.13

  Hebre. 6.
• * 1.14

  The diui∣sion of yis Cate∣chisme.
• * 1.15

  Quhat is ye lavv or command of God.
• * 1.16

  Hovv suld the com∣mandis be obseruit. Luc. 1.
• * 1.17

  Iaco. 2.
• * 1.18

  Math. 6.
• * 1.19

  i. Cor. ••.
• * 1.20

  Math. x.
• * 1.21

  Dani. xiii
• * 1.22

  ••. Mac. 6.
• * 1.23

  2. Mac. 7
• * 1.24

  Commina¦tiouns of panys a∣gan••s the brekars of the com∣mandis. Psal. 11••.
• * 1.25

  Deut. 27
• * 1.26

  The vva∣ryingis o•• malesonis of god, a∣ganis the brekars of the com∣mandis.
• * 1.27

  Deut. 28. Le. xxvi.
• * 1.28

  Leu. xxvi. Esaie. i. The tem∣poral pla∣gis send of God a∣ganis the brekaris of ye com¦mandis.
• * 1.29

  i. Reg. 5:
• * 1.30

  4. Re. 25.
• * 1.31

  Spiritual panis a∣g••nis the brekars of the com∣mandis.
• * 1.32

  Roma. ••
• * 1.33

  Psal. 80.
• * 1.34

  Eccle. 18.
• * 1.35

  Amos. 8.
• * 1.36

  Math. iii.
• * 1.37

  The eter∣nal panis orda••••t for ye bre¦karis of the com∣mandis.
• * 1.38

  Math. 2••
• * 1.39

  Tēporall revvardis p••omissit to the ke∣pa••s of ye cōmandis Leui. 26.
• * 1.40

  Math. ••.
• * 1.41

  Spiritual revvardis promissit to the ke∣paris of the com∣mandis. Eccle. i. Eccle. 6.
• * 1.42

  Psal cxviii
• * 1.43

  Pro. iii.
• * 1.44

  2. Cor. 9.
• * 1.45

  Eternall revvarde promissit for the ke¦ping of ye cōmandis Math. xix
• * 1.46

  Deut. xxx
• * 1.47

  The first cōmand.
• * 1.48

  Exo ••xx.
• * 1.49

  Quhairin standis ye trevv kna∣vvlege of God, quhilk h•• requi••i•• of vs.
• * 1.50

  Exod. iii.
• * 1.51

  Exod. xx.
• * 1.52

  Ephe. i.
• * 1.53

  Exod. xx.
• * 1.54

  The trevv seruice of god. quhilkvv•• avv to him in ou•• hartis.
• * 1.55

  The feir of god.
• * 1.56

  Prouer. 9
• * 1.57

  Psal cxviii
• * 1.58

  Luce. xii.
• * 1.59

  Psal xviii.
• * 1.60

  The faith of god. Eccle. 2.
• * 1.61

  Nu. xxiii.
• * 1.62

  Ihon. xiiii
• * 1.63

  Luce. xxi.
• * 1.64

  Contra e∣pistolam fūdamēti.
• * 1.65

  The hoip of god. Eccle. 2.
• * 1.66

  Psal. 146.
• * 1.67

  Psal. 49.
• * 1.68

  Esaie. 49
• * 1.69

  Roma. 5.
• * 1.70

  Psal. 144
• * 1.71

  Th•• lufe of god. Eccle. 2.
• * 1.72

  Luce. x
• * 1.73

  Ihon. 15.
• * 1.74

  Ephe. 5.
• * 1.75

  Ihon. iii.
• * 1.76

  i. Ihon. 4
• * 1.77

  The trās∣gressouris of the first command Math. x.
• * 1.78

  Heritykis
• * 1.79

  The di∣scripcion of herisie.
• * 1.80

  In lib. de vtilitate tredendi ad hono∣ratum.
• * 1.81

  hovv may the verite of our faith be discernit fra herisie
• * 1.82

  Collation of ye scri∣pture.
• * 1.83

  Aug de doctrina christiana lib. 2 ca. 9
• * 1.84

  Expositiō of the d••∣cro••s.
• * 1.85

  Eccle. 8
• * 1.86

  Aug cōtra Iulian•• Peligia•• lib. 1. c. ••••
• * 1.87

  The gene¦ral coun∣sellis.
• * 1.88

  Math. 18.
• * 1.89

  Ad titum vlt••mo.
• * 1.90

  Hoip in mā abone God. Iere. xvii.
• * 1.91

  psal. 145.
• * 1.92

  Hoip in our avvin strenth ri∣ches and vvisdome i. Cor. i. Psal. 48.
• * 1.93

  Infidelite
• * 1.94

  Ihon. iii.
• * 1.95

  Despera∣tioun. Ephe. 4.
• * 1.96

  Presump∣cioun.
• * 1.97

  Roma. x.
• * 1.98

  Spiritual ydolatrie
• * 1.99

  Corporall ydolatrie
• * 1.100

  Sapi. xiii.
• * 1.101

  Roma. i.
• * 1.102

  Psal. cxii.
• * 1.103

  All kind of vvitch∣craftis & supersti∣onis.
• * 1.104

  Aug. lib. ••. d•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 christ••
• * 1.105

  〈…〉〈…〉 c••xli. de tempore.
• * 1.106

  Leui. xix.
• * 1.107

  Temtatiō of god.
• * 1.108

  Elatioun and pride
• * 1.109

  Of imagis
• * 1.110

  2. Para. 4 iii. Reg. 7 Num. xxi.
• * 1.111

  Exo. 20.
• * 1.112

  Commina¦tioun of panis a∣ganis the brekaris of the first command Eccle. 27
• * 1.113

  Iere. 2.
• * 1.114

  Ihon. iii.
• * 1.115

  Iere. xvii.
• * 1.116

  i. Ihon. iii
• * 1.117

  Promis of revvardis to the ke∣parsis of this com∣mand. Ps xxxiii. Psal. xxxii
• * 1.118

  Psal. cxi.
• * 1.119

  Mar. xi
• * 1.120

  Abacuk 2 Roma. i.
• * 1.121

  i. Ihon. iii
• * 1.122

  Hebre. x.
• * 1.123

  Roma. 8.
• * 1.124

  Psal. 2.
• * 1.125

  Psal. 6••.
• * 1.126

  Psal. 81.
• * 1.127

  Roma. 8.
• * 1.128

  Ihon. xiiii
• * 1.129

  Roma. 8.
• * 1.130

  Iaco. i
• * 1.131

  Ane gre∣uous com¦mination of panis & ane grati∣ous {pro}mis of mercy quhilk God giffis in the end of the first command
• * 1.132

  Osee. 4.
• * 1.133

  2. Cor. xi.
• * 1.134

  Psal. 7••▪
• * 1.135

  Iaco. 2.
• * 1.136

  Psal. 88.
• * 1.137

  Exo. xx.
• * 1.138

  The or∣dour of y•• secund cō¦mand.
• * 1.139

  The rycht keping of ye secund command
• * 1.140

  Cōfession of our faith.
• * 1.141

  Math. x.
• * 1.142

  Louing & thankin of God. Ps. xxxiii.
• * 1.143

  Iob. 2.
• * 1.144

  Iob. i.
• * 1.145

  Teching or prechīg the vvord of God.
• * 1.146

  2. Timo. vltimo.
• * 1.147

  Faithfull praying to God.
• * 1.148

  Ioh••l. 2.
• * 1.149

  Deut. 6.
• * 1.150

  Iere. 4.
• * 1.151

  Math. v.
• * 1.152

  〈…〉〈…〉 God.
• * 1.153

  Roma. i.
• * 1.154

  Brekaris of the se∣cund com¦mand.
• * 1.155

  Commina¦tioun of panis to the bre∣ka••is of this com∣mand.
• * 1.156

  Ec. xxiii.
• * 1.157

  4. Reg. ••••
• * 1.158

  Promissis of revvar∣dis to the keparis of this com∣mand.
• * 1.159

  i. Reg. 2.
• * 1.160

  Psal. ••7.
• * 1.161

  Psal. xiiii.
• * 1.162

  Ihon. xvi.
• * 1.163

  Theordo•• of ye thrid command
• * 1.164

  Declara∣tion of ye Sabboth day.
• * 1.165

  The cere∣monie of the sab∣both day.
• * 1.166

  Gala. 4.
• * 1.167

  The mora¦litie of ye sabboth day.
• * 1.168

  The trans¦latioun of ye saboth dai to the Sunday.
• * 1.169

  Of ye spi∣ritual and continual rest of our consciens.
• * 1.170

  Math. xi.
• * 1.171

  The rycht keping of this com∣mand.
• * 1.172

  Quha bre¦kis thair haly day.
• * 1.173

  Vthir hali dayis by ye sunday
• * 1.174

  Commina¦tionis a∣ganis the brekaris of the ha∣ly dais. Nume. xv
• * 1.175

  Promissi•• of revvar∣dis to the keparis of the haly dais.
• * 1.176

  Math. ••••
• * 1.177

  Expositi•• of ye com¦mand of luf quhilk vve avv to our nych∣bour. Mat. xxii.
• * 1.178

  Mat. xxii.
• * 1.179

  Ro. xiii.
• * 1.180

  Ro. xiii.
• * 1.181

  Hovv suld vve lufe our self.
• * 1.182

  Honest & haly lufe.
• * 1.183

  Psal. ••0.
• * 1.184

  Eccle. xix
• * 1.185

  Eccle. 24
• * 1.186

  Eccle. xxx
• * 1.187

  ••evv••nd 〈…〉〈…〉.
• * 1.188

  Eccle. vi.
• * 1.189

  Pro. xvii▪
• * 1.190

  i. Ihon. iii
• * 1.191

  Roma. xii
• * 1.192

  Co•• an•• 〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.193

  Psal. ••
• * 1.194

  Th•• 〈…〉〈…〉 Can••.
• * 1.195

  Math. x.
• * 1.196

  Quha is our nych∣bour.
• * 1.197

  Luce. x.
• * 1.198

  Of ye lufe quhilk vve avv to ou•• enemye.
• * 1.199

  Math. 5.
• * 1.200

  Quhasa he••tis ane man, luffis na mā ch••¦ritablie.
• * 1.201

  i. Ihon. ii
• * 1.202

  Psal. 138.
• * 1.203

  Luce. xiiii
• * 1.204

  Ephe. 5.
• * 1.205

  Lufe thi nychbori•• persone, and het his euil cō¦ditionis. Sapi. xi.••••
• * 1.206

  Psal. 5.
• * 1.207

  Quhat thingis modis a mito lufe his nych∣bo••r.
• * 1.208

  i. Ihon. 4
• * 1.209

  Ihon. xv.
• * 1.210

  Ihon. xiii.
• * 1.211

  Eccle. xiii
• * 1.212

  The or∣dour of ••e fourt com¦mand.
• * 1.213

  Thre ma∣ner of fa∣theris, na∣tural, spiri¦tual and temporal. Eccle. iii.
• * 1.214

  i. Cor. 4.
• * 1.215

  Gala. 4.
• * 1.216

  4. Reg. 5.
• * 1.217

  Of ye obe¦die•••• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 our na¦tural fa∣theris.
• * 1.218

  collo. iii.
• * 1.219

  Ephe. 6.
• * 1.220

  Of honor, obediens, and proui¦sion detti•• til our spi∣ritual fa∣theris. 1. Timo. 5.
• * 1.221

  Gala. vl••i. Of honor and obe∣diens det∣tit till our temporal fatheris.
• * 1.222

  Ephe. 6.
• * 1.223

  Ephe. 6.
• * 1.224

  Roma xiii
• * 1.225

  ••. Peter. 2
• * 1.226

  Roma xiii
• * 1.227

  Of obedi∣ens dettit til our pre¦lati••.
• * 1.228

  Hebre. x••••
• * 1.229

  The rycht keping of this com∣mand.
• * 1.230

  Quha br••¦kis this command
• * 1.231

  punissioun of the bre¦karis of ye fourt com¦mand. Deut. xxi. 2. Reg. 16 and .17.
• * 1.232

  Luce. x.
• * 1.233

  Nume. 1••
• * 1.234

  Roma xiii
• * 1.235

  Promis of revvard maid to the kepars of this fourt com¦mand.
• * 1.236

  Sepi. 4.
• * 1.237

  Psal. 26.
• * 1.238

  The or∣dour of the fift command
• * 1.239

  The expo¦sitioun of Christ maid to the fift command Math. 5.
• * 1.240

  That the lavv of Godis spiritual.
• * 1.241

  Of vn∣lauchful crabitnes.
• * 1.242

  i. Ioan. iii.
• * 1.243

  Of lauch∣ful cra∣bit••es.
• * 1.244

  Psal. 4.
• * 1.245

  Psal. 118.
• * 1.246

  The rycht keping of this com¦mand.
• * 1.247

  Quha bre¦••es this command
• * 1.248

  Temporal Iugis syns greuously in tvva pointtis.
• * 1.249

  The puni∣tion 〈…〉〈…〉 of 〈…〉〈…〉 of 〈…〉〈…〉 Gene. ••.
• * 1.250

  Le••i. 2••.
• * 1.251

  Math. 26
• * 1.252

  Gene. 4.
• * 1.253

  Exod. xx. The or∣dour of ye saxt com∣mand.
• * 1.254

  Math. 5.
• * 1.255

  The rycht keping of this com∣mand.
• * 1.256

  Leuit. xx.
• * 1.257

  Marreage
• * 1.258

  Heb. xiii.
• * 1.259

  Vedohed
• * 1.260

  i. Cor. 7.
• * 1.261

  Virginitie
• * 1.262

  i. Cor. 7.
• * 1.263

  Quha bre¦kis this command

  Adulte∣raris.
• * 1.264

  Leuit. xx.
• * 1.265

  2. Reg. 12
• * 1.266

  2 Reg. 16
• * 1.267

  Iudi. xx.
• * 1.268

  Gene. xx.
• * 1.269

  Defoular•• of virgini••
• * 1.270

  Deut. 22.
• * 1.271

  Rauissaris of vvemen Ge. 34.
• * 1.272

  2. Re. xiii
• * 1.273

  Incestuus personis.
• * 1.274

  Leui. 18. Commit∣taris of ye syn aganis nature.

  Simple fornica∣touris.

  Prouo∣karis to ye syn of le∣chorie.
• * 1.275

  Ephe. 5.
• * 1.276

  Commina¦tioun of panis a∣ganis the brekaris of this command
• * 1.277

  Commina¦tioun of temporall pain aga∣nis adulte¦raris and all other lycherous personis. Deut. 22. Ihoan. 8. i. Cor. 6. Heb. xiii.
• * 1.278

  Iudi. xix. and xx.
• * 1.279

  iii. Reg. xi
• * 1.280

  Yat blind¦nes of the hart is the dochter of lichory Osee. 4.
• * 1.281

  Gene. ••4.
• * 1.282

  Gene. 7.
• * 1.283

  Gene. 29
• * 1.284

  Gene. 19.
• * 1.285

  i. Reg. 4.
• * 1.286

  Commina¦tioun of eternal pa¦nis aganis all lyche∣rus men & vvemen. i. Cor. 6.
• * 1.287

  Gala. v.
• * 1.288

  Ephe. v.
• * 1.289

  ••. Cor. 6.
• * 1.290

  Eze. 16.
• * 1.291

  Eccle. iii.
• * 1.292

  Special re¦vvardis promissit to the ke∣paris of this com¦mand. i. Cor. 6.
• * 1.293

  Exo. xx. The or∣dour of ye seuint cō∣mand.
• * 1.294

  The rycht keping of yis cōmād
• * 1.295

  Mathei. 5 Luce. 6.
• * 1.296

  Luc. 16.
• * 1.297

  Mat. 25.
• * 1.298

  Quha bre¦kis this cō¦mand.
• * 1.299

  Theiffis.
• * 1.300

  Tobi. 2.
• * 1.301

  Reuaris.
• * 1.302

  ••. Cor. 6.
• * 1.303

  Rece••tars
• * 1.304

  Roma. 1.
• * 1.305

  Princi••.
• * 1.306

  2 Para. 1••
• * 1.307

  Esaie. i.
• * 1.308

  Iugi••.
• * 1.309

  Exo. xxiii
• * 1.310

  Deut. xvi.
• * 1.311

  Patrons of beneficis.
• * 1.312

  Cōmittars of sacrile∣ge.

  Hartars of ye como•• vveill Vs••raris. Luce. 6. Defrauda∣ris of ser∣uādis vva∣gis.

  Iacobi. 5. Strykaris of vnlauch¦fu•• cōnʒey Cer••ane marchads
• * 1.313

  Certane craftis mē.
• * 1.314

  Certan be¦nef••it men
• * 1.315

  Certan gē¦tyll men.
• * 1.316

  Takars of ouir mekil mail or fer¦me.
• * 1.317

  Commit∣taris of symony.
• * 1.318

  Of Iugis and vthir men of ye lavv.
• * 1.319

  Deut. 16.
• * 1.320

  Quhay sa fyndis oni thing & re¦stors it not Quha vvyl nocht pay yair dettis
• * 1.321

  Quha vvyl nocht pay yar teinds treulie. Executors of testamē¦tis.
• * 1.322

  Medici∣naris and Chirurgi∣naris.
• * 1.323

  Pottin∣garis.
• * 1.324

  It is God•• command to mak re∣stitutiou••
• * 1.325

  Commin••¦tioun of panis a∣ganis the brekaris of this cō∣mand.
• * 1.326

  i. Timo. 6
• * 1.327

  i. Cor. 6.
• * 1.328

  Ios••e. 7.
• * 1.329

  i. Re•• ••
• * 1.330

  4. Reg. 5.
• * 1.331

  Math. 2••
• * 1.332

  Actu. 2.
• * 1.333

  Actu. 8.
• * 1.334

  Dani. 5
• * 1.335

  Ex••. 22.
• * 1.336

  Promis of revvardis to the ke∣paris of this com∣mand. Prouer. iii
• * 1.337

  Eccle. 29.
• * 1.338

  Tobi••. 4.
• * 1.339

  Tobi. 4.
• * 1.340

  Luce. 1••.
• * 1.341

  Luce. 6
• * 1.342

  Luce. 6
• * 1.343

  2. Cor. 9.
• * 1.344

  2. Cor. ••.
• * 1.345

  Exo. xx.
• * 1.346

  The or¦dour of ye aucht cō¦mand.
• * 1.347

  The rycht keping of this com∣mand.
• * 1.348

  To ye gud gyding of our toung thre thin∣gis ar ne∣cessary.
• * 1.349

  Psal. 140
• * 1.350

  Iaco. iii.
• * 1.351

  Colos. iii.
• * 1.352

  Iaco. iii.
• * 1.353

  Iaco. iii.
• * 1.354

  Reforma∣tioun of our hart is necessary to ye gud gyding of our toung Math. 12.
• * 1.355

  Brekaris of the viii. command
• * 1.356

  Isodorus.
• * 1.357

  The punis¦sioun of thame yat brekis yis command Pro. xiii.
• * 1.358

  Pro. xix.
• * 1.359

  Pro. xxi.
• * 1.360

  Pro. vi.
• * 1.361

  Dani. xiii.
• * 1.362

  Pro. xiiii.
• * 1.363

  Roma. i.
• * 1.364

  Eccle. xxi.
• * 1.365

  Eccle. 28.
• * 1.366

  Math. xii.
• * 1.367

  The re∣vvardis of thame yat kepis this cōmand. Pro. 21.
• * 1.368

  Ps. xxxiii.
• * 1.369

  Exo. xx. Deut. 5.
• * 1.370

  Exo. xx. Deut. v.
• * 1.371

  Deut. 24
• * 1.372

  Math. 5.
• {fleur-de-lys} 1.373

  or ony other wo∣mā by his awin wife 2 Perer. 2
• * 1.374

  Math. 6.
• * 1.375

  Math. xiii
• * 1.376

  The rycht keping of thir com∣mandis.
• * 1.377

  1. Cor. 10. The cleir ee of our intētioun to God. Colos. iii.
• * 1.378

  Matg. ••.
• * 1.379

  The cleir ee of our intētioun till our nychbour
• * 1.380

  The de¦scriptioun of ane clein hart
• * 1.381

  Descrip∣tioun of ane foule hart.
• * 1.382

  Quha bre¦kis this tvva com∣mandis.
• * 1.383

  Hovv may a christin man fulfill thir tvva last com∣mandis.
• * 1.384

  Eccle. 18.
• * 1.385

  Iaco. i.
• * 1.386

  Roma. 8.
• * 1.387

  Roma. 6.
• * 1.388

  Gene. iii.
• * 1.389

  Quhat is the cause yat carnal concupi∣scence re∣manis in our flesch efter Bap∣tyme.
• * 1.390

  Revvlis to dant the flesch.
• * 1.391

  Sapi. 8.
• * 1.392

  Roma. 8
• * 1.393

  Math. vii.
• * 1.394

  Ioan. 16.
• * 1.395

  Psal. 136.
• * 1.396

  Iere. 9.
• * 1.397

  Iob. xxxi.
• * 1.398

  Gala. 5.
• * 1.399

  Eccl. xxxi
• * 1.400

  Cato.
• * 1.401

  2. Cor. 6.
• * 1.402

  Pro. 24.
• * 1.403

  Apo. xxi.
• * 1.404

  Math. 5.
• * 1.405

  Iaco. 2.
• * 1.406

  i. Timo. i.
• * 1.407

  The ex∣emple of ane torch.
• * 1.408

  Math. 19.
• * 1.409

  Psal. 118.
• * 1.410

  Prouer. 6.
• * 1.411

  The exem¦pil of ane myrrour.
• * 1.412

  Iaco. i.
• * 1.413

  The exem¦pil of ane Vrinal.
• * 1.414

  Hebre. 7.
• * 1.415

  Roma. iii.
• * 1.416

  Math. 9.
• * 1.417

  Psal. 40.
• * 1.418

  The exem¦pil o•• the Compas.