AR not Zour indulgencis the inuention of the Pape, quairby he may vin syluer?

Ze sirris quha raillis sua oft aganis the Paip and papistis as ze cal thame vse to tribute the inuention of monie thingis to the Pape, bot quhen ze ar demandit in particular f•om quhat Pape sik inuentions did proceid ze be∣cum al dum, and hes na thing to speik. As quhen ve demand zou quhat Pape inuentit the sacrifice of the Messe, the Inuocation of sanctis, Praying for the deid, and vther heidis of religion quhilk ze haue callit in doubt. Sua I desyre that ze proue that thing quhilk ze say, and schau quhat Pape vas he that inuentit the indulgencis, quhilk ze vil neuer be abil to do. Nou becaus ze say that the indulgencis at na thing bot the inuention of man, I vil de∣clare that ze ar manifest impostors before tha me all quha ar heir present.* I scheu before be goddis vord that quhen the syn is remittit ve aucht to vnderly sum tēporal pane the quhilk vsis to be inionit efter a man haue maid con∣fession of his synnis. Nou sen Christ hes ge∣uin pouar to his kirk to bind and louse, euin as pastors hes pouar to inioyne penance to Page  18 men for thair synnis, sua thay haue pouar to relax thair penance vnto thame, vtheruyse the pastoris vald haue gretar pouar to bind nor to louse, quhilk is cōtrare to the mearcie and gudnes of God.* And thairfore S. Ambroise monie hundreth zeiris syne in his buikis de poenitentia aganis the Nouatians, did obiect vnto thame, that thay did onlie bind men, and na vayis lousit, aganis the ordinance and institution of Christ.* Zea S. Paul him self as is manifest in the secund to the Corinth, did gi∣ue sik indulgence to him, quha had commit∣tit the horrible cryme of incest, saying:

Be the quhilkis vordis he testifeis maist cleir∣lie that be the pouar and auctoritie grantit vn¦to him be Christ he did relax sum pairt of that Paenitence quhilk before vas inionit for the said cryme of incest. And gif ze had plesit to haue red the ancient vrittaris ze vald haue persauit maist cleirlie hou in the tyme of the persecutiō of the Romā emperoris as Decius, and vtheris, this vse and custume vas keipit in the kirk, that be the intercessiō of the Christia¦nis quha var impresonit for thair faith, and re∣ligione the bischopis and pastoris of the kirk vsit to relax the paenitēce quhilk thay had in∣ioynit for ony gret and vechtie crime.* Of this ve haue monie epistlis in S. Cyprian, threttene hūdreth zeris syne and mair: zea thay quha fol¦louit the heresie of Mōtanus did reproue the Page  [unnumbered] the Papis of Rome that thay did grant sik indulgencis to adulteraris, and vther siclyk synners thruch the intercession of martyrs impresonit.* Quhair of I produce to zou as ane sufficient vitnes Tertullian quha vrait before fourtene hundreth zeiris. Sua the indulgencis is na Papis inuention as ze ma∣ist falslie preach to the people. Bot the or∣dinance of Christ Iesus (practesit be his Apostlis and the vniuersall kirk euer vnto this present) groundit vpon the meritis of his maist ptecious death and passiō quhilk a• applyit vntovs, for the satisfactiō of our synnis and to supplie our vaiknes and imbecillitie in that pairt: for quhat thing can be thocht mair according to reason, nor that the ful and perfyt satisfaction of the head supplie the vai¦knes and imbecillitie of the mēbers,* zea euin the satisfaction of ane member may supplie the satisfaction of ane vther, conforme to our beleif I beleue the communion of sanctis. Bot ze sirris, as ze haue na thing amāg zou bot syn according to zour auin cōfession, It is na ma∣ruel that ze deny the communion of sanctis.

The Apostlis and Martirs ressauis glore aboue the merit of al thair temporal afflictionis,* Becaus as vrit∣tis S. Paul:

And farder thair is na truble quhilk man efter the fall of Adam may sustine bot his syn hes deseruit the same and rather mair, sua that the sanctis ar scarcelie suffi∣•ient or abîll to dispone thame selfis that thay may Page  19 haue participation of that satisfaction quhilk Christ hes maid.

The gude varkis, and paynis quhilk the Apostlis, and martyrs haue tholit ar considerit in ane vay, as meritorious, proceiding from grace thruch Christ be the operation of the halie ghaist. And in this respect the Apostlis and Martyrs hes ressauit glore according to thair vark is: vtheruyse ve cōsidder the trublis quhilk thay sustinit, as satisfaction for syn, In the quhilk respect thair meritis may be ap∣plyit to vther membris of the kirk,* seing sin∣drie of thame (as Ieremie quha vas sanctifeit fra his mothers vambe) sustinit monie maj tē∣poral paynis in this lyf, nor vas requyrit to mak satisfaction for ony synnis be thame cō∣mittit. Syclyk S. Iohne the Baptist, and Innu∣merable vther martyrs, quha thoillit gret pay∣nis in thair lyf quhilk vas aluyse vithout gret syn,* as the halie and pacient Iob in his vexatiō sayis:

And insafar as thir paynis and pa∣cient suffering of aduersite for goddis caus beīg varkis maist acceptable vnto god, vrocht be the halie ghaist, thruch the grace of Chri∣stis satisfaction, can not be in vane, It is ne∣cessar that thay be applyit to vther membris of the kirk quha hes mister of the same: sua that heirby the grace thruch Christ cōmuni∣cat Page  [unnumbered] vnto the faithful is cōmendit insafar as be the same that quhilk inlaik is in ane mem∣ber, may be suppleit be another, for vnto this do is appertine the communiō of sanctis, quhairby the gude• varkis of ane ar prof∣fitable to vthers, according to the maist ex¦pres vordis of S. Paull: that zour aboundan∣ce may snpplie thair indigence,* and thair abo∣undance may supplie zour pouertie• as he vald say, euin as ze be zour riches do supplie thair pouartie in vardlie guddis, sua thay quha ar¦rache in gude va•kis may supplie zour pouar∣tie thairin, sua that according to the maist expres vord of God, ve sould navyis doubt, bot that the paneful induring of the martyrs and vther halie men may be applyit vnto vs, and fulfill that quhilk inlakis of our satisfac¦tion. For euin as the Eey dois se not onlie to the self bot the hail body as it is ane member of the same, sua as ve ar all mēbers of the ki•k, the varkis of euerie ane, ar proff•able to vt∣hers. As to zour last obiection, I maruel gret¦tumlie hou ze ar sa forzetfull of zour self as to admit manifest cōrradiction, for at sum tyme ze deny altogither that efter the syn is re∣mittit, thair be ony temporal payne quhilk sould be sustinit for it, and nou ze affirme that ve sustine al trublis and pane for the O∣riginal syn, quhilk ve contract of Adam. I ansuer thaifore, that seing be baptisme, thruch the merit of Christ al our synnis ar allurerlie aboleist, sua that be the iustice of god, ve Page  20 ar obleist to na satisfaction for the same, and verie monie sustinis gretar pane tem∣poral, nor thair synnis deseruit efter grace ressauit in Baptisme, as is manifest in the halie martirs quha for confession of the na∣me of Christ sufferit al kynd of tormentis that could be deuysit be infidel Princis: heirof it is euideut that thair paneful induring of troubillis may be applyit to supplie the satisfactione of vtheris.