hurch. We must decerne the immaculat
spous of Jesus Christ, frome the Mother of confusioun, spirituall
Babylon, least that imprudentlie we embrase a harlote instead of the
cheast spous; yea, to speak it in plaine wordes, least that we submitt
our selves to Sathan, thinking that we submitt our selfis to Jesus
Christ. For, as for your Romane Kirk, as it is now corrupted, and the
authoritie thairof, whairin standis the hope of your victorie, I no more
dowbt but that it is the synagog of Sathan, and the head thairof, called
the Pape, to be that man of syne, of whome the Apostle speakis, then
that I doubt that Jesus Christ suffurred by the procurement of the
visible Kirk of Hierusalem. [SN: THE OFFER OF JOHNE KNOX FIRST AND LAST
UNTO THE PAPISTIS.] Yea, I offer my selve, by woord or wryte, to prove
the Romane Church this day farther degenerat from the puritie which was
in the dayis of the Apostles, then was the Church of the Jewes from the
ordinance gevin by Moses, when thei consented to the innocent death of
Jesus Christ." These woordis war spokin in open audience, in the parishe
Kirk of Sanctandrois, after that the said Dean Johne Annane had spokin
what it pleasith him, and had refuissed to dispute. The people hearing
the offer, cryed with one consent, "We can not all read your writtingis,
butt we may all hear your preaching: Tharefore we requyre yow, in the
name of God, that ye will lett us hear the probatioun of that which ye
have affirmed; for yf it be trew, we have bene miserable deceaved."

[SN: THE FIRST PUBLICT SERMON[478] OF JOHNE KNOX MAID IN THE
PARISH KIRK OF SANCTANDROIS.]

And so the nixt Sounday was appointed to the said Johne, to expresse his
mynd in the publict preaching place. Which day approching, the said
Johne took the text writtin in Daniel, the sevint chapter, begynnyng
thus: "And ane other king shall rise after thame, and he shall be unlyik
unto the first, and he shall subdew three kinges, and shall speak wordis
against the Most Heigh, and shall consome the sanctes of the Most Heigh,
and think that he may change tymes and lawes, and thei shalbe gevin into
his handis, untill a tyme, and tymes, and deviding of tymes."

1. In the begynnyng of his sermon, he schew the great luif of God
towardis his Church, whome it pleaseth to foirwarne of dangeris to come
so many yearis befoir thei come to pas. 2. He breavelie[479] entraited
the estait of the Israelitis, who thane war in bondage in Babylon, for
the mo