"Weill than," said Johne Knox, "I am assureit that Peter said thir wordis to Symoun Magus, 'Repent thairfoir of this thy wyckitness, and pray to God, that gif it be possible the thought of your hairt may be forgevin thee.' Heir we may cleirlie see that Peter joynes ane conditioun with his commandiment, That Symoun sould repent and pray, to wit, gif it wer possible that his sin mycht be forgevin; for he wes nocht ignorant that sum synnis wer unto the deith, and so without all houpe of repentence or remissioun. And think ye nocht, my Lord Secretar, (said he,) but the same doute may tuich my hairt, as tuyching the Quenis conversioun, that then tuiched the hairt of the Appossill?"
"I wald nevir," said Lethingtoun, "heir you or onie uther call that in doubt."
"But your will," said the uther, "is no assurance to my conscience: And to speik frelie, my Lord, I wonder gif ye your self doute nocht of the Quenis conversioun; for more evident signes of induratioun haif appeirit, and still do appeir in hir, than Peter outwartlie could haif espyit in Symoun Magus. For albeit sum tymes he wes are sorcerar, yit joynit he with the Appossillis, belevit, and wes bapteissit; and albeit that the venome of avarice remaneit in his hairt, and that he wald haif bocht the Holie Goist, yit when he heard the feirfull threitnyngis of God pronunceand aganis him, he trymbillitt, desyreit the assistance of the prayeris of the Appossilis, and so humblit him self, so far as the jugement of man could perss, lyke ane true penitent, and yit we see that Peter douttis of his conversioun. [Quhy then may not all the godly justly doubt of the conversioun[1008]] of the Quene, wha hes usit idolatrie, quhilk is no less odious in the sicht of God than is the other and still continewis in the same, yea, that dispyseis all threitnyngis, and refuisses all godlie admonitiounis?"
"Quhy say ye that sche refuisses admonitioun?" said Lethingtoun. "She will glaidlie heir ony man."
"But what obedience," said the uther, "to God or to his worde, ensewis of all that is spokin unto hir? Or when sall sche be sene to gif hir presence to the publict preiching?"
"I think nevir," said Lethingtoun, "so lang as sche is thus intreittit."
"And so lang," said the uther, "ye and all utheris maun be content that I pray so as I may be assureit to be heard of my God, that his gude will may be done, ether in making hir comfortable to his Kirk, or gif that he hes appoyntit hir to be ane scurge to the same, that we may haif patience, and sche may be brydellit."
"Weill," said Lethingtoun, "lat us cum to the Secound Heid. Whair find ye that the Scriptour callis onie the bound slaiffis to Sathan? or that the Propheittis of God speik so irreverentlie of kingis and princes?"
ACTIS 26
2 TIMO. 2