The minor poems of William Lauder playwright, poet, and minister of the word of God, (mainly on the state of Scotland in and about 1568 A.D., that year of famine and plague) ... Edited from the unique originals belonging to S. Christie-Miller ... By F. J. Furnivall |
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| 1. | THE FIRST COMMODITE OF THAME THAT ABYDIS IN TO CHRIST. |
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 | The minor poems of William Lauder |  |
THE FIRST COMMODITE OF THAME THAT ABYDIS IN TO CHRIST.
THE TEXT.
ASK QUHAT ȜE WILL. IT SALL BE GEUIN VNTO ȜOW.
First, in this Spirituall Unioun we haue
Quhat richtius thing of Christ that we sal craue.
Quhat better thing can man seik for his hyre,
Nor get all thing he Iustlie will desyre?
No better thing can onye crayf or wys,
In to this earth on lyfe that leuing is,
Nor haue all thingis to thame performit and done
That Godlie is, be the grit God abone,
For the imbrasing of his wourd most trew,
And so to be Ingraft in Christ Iesu.
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That laykis this gift, so lichtlie may be had,
Sekand the sam vpon ane vther ground,
Quhilk be no vther maner can be found.
Sen Christ hes promist this to his faithful all,
Be this Coniunctioun and Unioun Spirituall,
I saye it is bot verraye Uanytie
For to desyre Christ with ws corporallie.
It is the Spreit that quyknis auld and ȝing;
The corporall flesche, it proffittis no thing:
“Without,” sayis Christ, “my body do ascend,
The Confortour to ȝow I can nocht send.”
Thus it behouit Christ of necessitie
Unto the Father to passe vp reallie,
Quhair he abydis, and euer sall remane
Quhill he discend to Iudge the warld agane.
For vthirwyse, gyf Christ had nocht ascendit,
The holy Gost till ws had nocht discendit.
Thow can not, Papist, be Scripture mak it kend
That Christ sensyne did corporallie discend.
How is it than thow thinkis no schame to le,
To say thow makis him, and eytis him carnallie?
Now may it heir be sperit and demandit,
And gude it wer that we suld vnderstandit,
Quhat is the cause the Kirk Papisticall
Can neuer haue this Unioun Spirituall
Of Christ Iesus trewlie in thame ingrauit?
The cause is this, sa fer as I perceauit,
That so lang as tha seyk him carnallie,
Tha can no wayis posses him Spirituallie.
As the Appostillis, beleuing Christ to ring
In earth amangs thame as ane temporall King,
So lang as tha of this had Esperance,
Tha euer leuit still in Ignorance,
And neuer knew quhat Christ ment in his teaching,
For all his daylie and contynewall preaching;
No moir sall neuer no carnall Creature—
So lang as tha sall fleschelie Folkis Indure,—
Cum to the knowledge and intelligence
Of God[i]s wourd, and Spirituall pure sentence,
Thocht Angellis wer to preache it to thame plane;
Preue quho so please, thair laubour sall be vane.
Now falls it weill to vs to wey but moir,
Quhat is the cause the Kirk Papisticall
Can neuer haue this Unioun Spirituall
Of Christ Iesus trewlie in thame ingrauit?
The cause is this, sa fer as I perceauit,
That so lang as tha seyk him carnallie,
Tha can no wayis posses him Spirituallie.
As the Appostillis, beleuing Christ to ring
In earth amangs thame as ane temporall King,
So lang as tha of this had Esperance,
Tha euer leuit still in Ignorance,
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For all his daylie and contynewall preaching;
No moir sall neuer no carnall Creature—
So lang as tha sall fleschelie Folkis Indure,—
Cum to the knowledge and intelligence
Of God[i]s wourd, and Spirituall pure sentence,
Thocht Angellis wer to preache it to thame plane;
Preue quho so please, thair laubour sall be vane.
Quhat wes the cause, the reasoun, and quhairfoir
The Papistis said ‘tha maid Christ Reallie
‘In to thair Messe, and Eate him carnallie.’
As I perceaue, it wes, that tha and thairs
Mycht stylit be “most holy God-makairs,”
And thairthrow cum to warldlie Pomp and gloir,
Richt as tha did;—for nane micht clim to moir;
For Papis precellit the Kings in Dignytie,
And Cardinals wes Companȝeonis to our Kings;
For with my Eis my self did se thir things;—
This mouit thame that werk till Interpryse,
Quhilk montit thame on sic ane prydfull wyse.
And thocht sum schaifling wald haue ilk nycht in cure
Ane Concubyne, ane Harlote, or ane Hure,
With gaping, Iowking, with mony bek and nod,
Upon the morne he wald haue maid ȝow God!
Sa lyke, sa lyke, as it wes trew to be,
Quhen nane of thame could mak ane lytill fle!
And ȝit no schame, to tak in hand, tha thocht,
To mak grit God, quhilk maid all thing of nocht!
Grit God we pray, sen Prencis wald perceaue,
And it in to thair hart[i]s deiplie graue,
How be tha Iuglours tha haue bene blindlynes led,
With deuillysche Doctrine fosterit and fed!
Na dout, gude Lord, bot than tha wald refuse it,
Quhen as tha knew how tha haue bene abuse-it!
| The minor poems of William Lauder | |