Raigne we wish may be prosperous and long to the glory of God and comfort of his Church we heartily commit you to the protection of the Omnipotent From Edinburgh the 17 of Iuly 1559. With this our Letter Iohn Knox wrote two one to the said Secretary and another to the Queens Majesty her self The Tenour whereof follows thus Iohn Knox his second Letter to M. Cecile for the delivery of one other to the Queen SIR AFter my humble commendations please you deliver this other enclosed to the Queen It containeth a few and simple words of my Confession what I think of her Authority how it is just and what may make it odious in Gods presence I hear that there is one Confutation set forth against the first blast God grant that the writers thereof have no more sought the favours of this present world no lesse the glory of God and the stable good of his Countrey then he who enterprised in that blast to utter his conscience When I shall have time which now is somewhat precious unto me to peruse that work I will communicate my judgement with you The time is now Sir that all who either thirst for Christ to raigne in this Isle or yet the hearts of the Inhabitants be joyned together in love unfained ought rather to study how the same might be brought to passe then vainly to travell for the maintenance of that whereof already we have seen the danger and feel the smart If the most part of women be wicked and such as willingly we would not should raigne over us And if the most godly and such as have are graces be yet mortall we ought to take heed lest in establishing of one judged godly and profitable to her Countrey we make an Interest and Title to many by whom not onely will the Truth be impugned but also will the Countrey be brought into bondage God give you and other favourers of your Countrey eyes to see and wisedome to avoid the dangers appearing By divers Letters I have required license to have visited the North parts of England but as yet I have received no favourable answer The longer Sir this it be delayed the lesse comfort will the faithfull there receive yea the weaker will the Queens favour be If I were not an unfained friend to her Majestie I would instantly beg such liberty which to me I know will neither be profitable nor pleasing in the flesh The common things here I doubt not you know some things I have as often times I have written which gladly I would communicate but I minde not to commit them to Paper and Inke finde therefore the means that I may speake with such a one as you will credit in all things The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ rest with you I heartily beseech you to have my service recommended to the Queens Majesty adding That whosoever maketh me odious to her Majestie seeketh somewhat besides the glory of God and her Majesties prosperity and therefore cannot be assured and unfained friends from c. The Letter sent from the said Iohn to the Queens Majestie of England being enclosed in the foresaid M. Ceciles Letter To the vertuous and godly Elizabeth by the Grace of God Queen of England John Knox desireth the perpetuall comfort of his holy Spirit MADAME AS your Majesties displeasure against me most unjustly conceived hath been and is to my wretched heart a burden grievous and almost intolerable so is the testimony of a clear conscience to me a stay and uphold that I sinke not in despair how vehement soever the temptations appear For in Gods presence my conscience beareth me record That maliciously nor of purpose I never offended your Majesty nor your Realme And therefore howsoever I be judged of man I am sure to be absolved of him who onely knoweth the secrets of hearts I cannot deny the writing of a Book against the usurped Authothority and unjust Regiment of Women neither yet am I minded to recant or call back any principall Point or Proposition of the same till truth and verity do further appear But why that your Majesty or any such who unfainedly favour the liberty of England be offended at the Author of such a Work I can perceive no just occasion For first my Book touched not your Majesties Person in speciall neither is it prejudiciall to any Liberty of the Realme if the time of my writing be indifferently considered How could I be enemy to your Majesties Person for delivery whereof I did more studie and undertake further then any of those who now accuseth me And as concerning your Government How could or can I envy that which most I have wished for and for which as my weak memory will suffer I render thanks unfainedly to God to wit That it hath pleased him of his eternall goodnesse to exalt your head which sometime was in danger to the manifestation of his glory and extirpation of Idolatry And as for my offence which I have committed against England either by writing that Book or by any other work I will not refuse that moderate and indifferent men judge and discerne betwixt me and those that accuse me viz. Whether of the parties do most hurt to the Liberty of England I who affirme that no woman may be exalted above any Realme to make the Liberty of the same thrall and subject to a strange proud and cruell Nation Or they that approve whatsoever pleaseth Princes for the time If I were as well disposed to accuse as some of them to their own shame have declared themselves I nothing doubt but that in few words I should let reasonable men understand That some that this day lowly crouch and bow to your Majestie and labour to make me odious in your eyes did in your adversity neither shew themselves faithfull friends to your Majesty neither yet so loving and carefull of the native Countrey as they would be esteemed But omitting the accusation of others for my owne purgation and your Majesties satisfaction I say That nothing contained in my book is or can be prejudiciall to your Majesties just Regiment providing that you be not found ungrate unto God ungrate you will be proved in the presence of his Throne howsoever that flatterers justifie your fact if you transfer the glory of that honour in which you now stand to any other thing then to the dispensation of his mercy which onely maketh that lawfull to your Majestie which Nature and Law denieth to all women to command and bear rule over men Neither would I that your Majesty should fear That this your humiliation before God should in any case infirm or weaken your Majesties just and lawfull Authority Nay Madame such unfained confession of Gods benefits received will be the establishment of the same not only to your self but also to your seed and Posterity Where contrariwise a proud conceit and elevation of your self will be the occasion that your Raigne will be unstable troublesome
retire marched forward with great expedition and approached within a mile before that ever their horsemen stayed and yet they kept betwixt us and them a water for their strength It appeared to us That either they marched for Cowper or S. Andrews and therefore our Horse-men in their Troope and a part of the Foot-men with the Ordnance marched somewhat alwayes before them for safety of the Towne The Lords with the Gentlemen of Fyfe and so many of Angus and Mearns as were present kept themselves close in a knot neere to the number of a thousand Speares The Townes of Dundie and S. Andrews were arrayed in another battell who came not to the sight of the enemy till that after twelve of the clock the mist began to vanish and then passed some of their Horse-men to a mountaine from the height whereof they might discerne our number Which perceived by them their Horse-men and Foot-men stayed incontinent Posts ran to the Duke and Monsieur Dosell to declare our number and what order we kept And then were Mediators sent to make appointment but they were not suffered to approach neere to the Lords neither yet to the view of our Camp which put them in great feare Answer was given unto them That as we had offended no man so would we seek appointment of no man but if any would seek our lives as we were informed they did they should finde us if they pleased to make diligence This answer received were sent againe the Lord Lindsay and Laird of Wâ—nchton who earnestly requested us to concord and that we would not be the occasion that innocent blood should be shed We answered That neither had we quarrell against any man neither yet sought we any mans blood onely we were convened for defence of our own lives unjustly sought by others We added further That if they could finde the meane that we and our brethren might be free from the tyrannie devised against us that they should reasonably desire nothing which should be denied for our part This answer received the Duke and Monsieur Dosell having Commission of the Queen Regent required That Assurance might be taken for eight dayes to the end that indifferent men in the mean time might commune upon some finall agreement of those things which were then in controversie Hereto did we fully consent albeit that in number and force we were far superiour and for testification hereof we sent unto them our hand writs and we likewise received theirs with promise That within two or three dayes some discreet men should be sent to us to S. Andrews with further knowledge of the Queens minde The tenour of the assurance was this The Assurance WE James Duke of Chattellerault Earle of Arrane Lord Hamilton and my Lord Dosell Lieutenant for the King in these parts for our selves our assistaries and partakers being presently with us in company By the tenor hereof promits faithfully in honour to my Lords Archibald Earle of Argyle and James Commendater of the Priory of S. Andrews to their assistants and partakers being presently with them in company That we and our company aforesaid shall retire incontinent to Falkland and shall with diligence transport the French men and our other folkes now presently with us and that no French men or other Souldiers of ours shall remaine within the bounds of Fyfe but so many as before the raising of the last Army lay in Disert Kirkcaldie and Kinghorne and the same to lie in the same places onely if we shall think good And this to have effect for the space of eight dayes following the date hereof exclusive That in the meane time certaine Noble-men by the advice of the Queen and the rest of the Councell may convene to talk of such things as may make good order and quietnesse amongst the Queens Lieges And further We nor none of our assisters being present with us shall invade trouble or disquiet the said Lords nor their assisters during the said space And this we binde and oblige us upon our loyall fidelitie and honour to observe and keepe in every point above-written without fraud or guile In witnesse whereof we have subscribed these presents with our own hands At Garlebanke the 13 day of Iune 1559. Subscribed Iames Hamilton Meneits Dosell And this received we departed first because we were thereto requested by the Duke and so we returned to Cowper lauding and praising God for his mercy shewed and thereafter every man departed to his dwelling place The Lords and a great part of the Gentlemen passed to S. Andrews who there abode certain dayes still looking for those that were promised to come from the Queen for appointment to be made But we perceiving her craft and deceit for under that assurance she meant nothing else but to convey her selfe her Ordnance and French-men over the water of Forth took consultation what should be done for delivering S. Iohnston from these ungodly Souldiers and how our brethren exiled from their own houses might be restored again It was concluded That the brethren of Fyfe Angus Mernes and Stratherne should Convene at S. Iohnston the foure and twentieth day of June for that purpose and in the mean time were these Letters written by the Earle of Argyle and Lord Iames to the Queen then Regent Letters to the Queen Regent MAdame after our hearty commendations of service this shall be to shew your Majestie That upon the 13 day of Iune we were informed by them that were Communers betwixt the Duke Monsieur Dosell and us That we should have spoken unreverently of your Majestie which we beseech your Majestie for the true service that we have made and are ready to make at all times to your Majestie That of your goodnesse you will let us know the sayers thereof and we shall do the dutie of true Subjects to defend our own innocency As we take God to witnesse of the good Zeale and Love we beare towards you to serve you with true hearts and all that we have as well lands as goods desiring no other thing for our service but the liberty of our conscience to serve our Lord God as we shall answer to him which your Majestie ought and should give us unrequired Moreover please your Majestie That the Duke and the Noble-men being in Sterlin for the time by your Majesties advice solicited us to presse the Congregation assembled at the Town of Perth to Commune of Concord where we did our exact diligence and brought it to passe as your Majestie knows And there is a point that we plainly see it not observed to us which is That no Souldier should remain in the Town after your Majesties departing And suppose it may be inferred That it was spoken of French Souldiers onely yet we took it otherwise like as we do yet That Scottish-men or any other Nation taking wages of the King of France are reputed and holden French Souldiers Therefore seeing we of good will and minde brought
them he was instant with the Counsell of the City to provide themselves of a worthy man to succeed in his Place Master James Lauson who at that time professed Philosophy in the Vniversity of Aberdene being commended for a good Preacher Commissioners were directed from the Body of the Church of Edinburgh and from Master John Knox in particular to desire him to accept of the Charge To the Letter that the Commissioners carried after that he had set his hand he added this Postscript Accelera mi frater alioqui sero venies Make haste Brother otherwise ye shall come too late Meaning That if he made any stay he should finde him dead and gone These last words moved M. Lauson to take journey the morrow thereafter When he was come to the Town and had preached two severall times to the good liking of the people order was taken by the Rulers of the Church for his admission and the day appointed at which day John Knox himself would not onely be present but also preach though he could scarce walk on foot to the Chayre which he did with such fervency of spirit that at no time before was he heard to speak with such great power and more content to the hearers And in the end of the Sermon calling God to witnesse That he had walked in a good conscience amongst them not seeking to please men nor serving either his own or other mens affections but in all sincerity and truth preached the Gospel of Christ With most grave and pithie words he exhorted them to stand fast in the Faith they had received And having conceived a zealous Prayer for the continuance of Gods blessing among them and the multiplying of his Spirit upon the Preacher who was then to be admitted he gave them his last fare-well The people did convey him to his lodging and could not be drawn from it so loath were they to depart from him and he the same day in the afternoon was forced to take bed During the time he lay which was not long he was much visited by all sorts of persons to whom he spake most comfortably Amongst others to the Earle of Morton who came to see him he was heard say My Lord God hath given you many blessings he hath given you Wisdom Honour high Birth Riches many good and great friends and is now to prefer you to the Government of the Realme the Earle of Marr late Regent being newly dead In his Name I charge you That ye will use these blessings better in times to come then you have done in times past In all your actions seek first the glory of God The furtherance of his Gospel The maintenance of his Church and Ministery and next Be carefull of the King to procure his good and the welfare of the Realme If you shall do this God will be with you and honour you If otherwise ye do it not he will deprive you of all these benefits and your end shall be shame and ignominy These speeches the Earle about nine yeers after at the time of his Execution called to minde saying That he had found them to be true and him therein a Prophet A day or two before his death he sent for Master David Lindsay Master James Lauson and the Elders and Deacons of the Church to whom he said The time is approaching for which I have long thirsted wherein I shall be relieved of all cares and be with my Saviour Christ for ever And now God is my witnesse whom I have served with my spirit in the Gospel of his Son That I have taught nothing but the true and solid Doctrine of the Gospel and that the end I proposed in all my Doctrine was To instruct the ignorant To confirm the weak To comfort the consciences of those that were humbled under the sense of their sins and born down with the threatnings of Gods Judgements Such as were proud and rebellious I am not ignorant that many have blamed and yet do blame my too great rigour and severity But God knoweth That in my heart I never hated the persons of those against whom I thundred Gods Judgements I did onely hate their sins and laboured according to my power to gain them to Christ That I did forbear none of whatsoever condition I did it out of the fear of my God who hath placed me in the Function of his Ministery and I know will bring me to an account Now brethren for your selves I have no more to say but to warn you That you take heed to the Flock over which God hath placed you Overseers which he hath redeemed by the Blood of his onely begotten Son And you Master Lauson fight a good fight do the Work of the Lord with courage and with a willing minde And God from above blesse you and the Church whereof you have charge Against it so long as it continueth in the Doctrine of the Truth the gates of hell shall not prevail This spoken and the Elders and the Deacons dimitted he called the two Preachers unto him and said There is one thing that grieveth me exceedingly You have sometimes seen the courage and constancy of the Laird of Grange in the cause of God and that most unhappy man hath cast himself away I will pray you two to take the pains to go unto him and say from me That unlesse he forsake that wicked course wherein he is entred neither shall the Rock in which he confideth defend him nor the carnall wisedom of that man whom he counteth half a god this was young Lethington yeeld him help but shamefully he shall be pulled out of that nest and his carkase hung before the Sun meaning the Castle he did keep against the Kings Authority And so it fell out the yeer next following for the Castle was taken and he was publikely hanged and his body hung before the Sun The soul of that man is dear unto me and if it be possible I could fain have him to be saved They went as he had desired and conferred a long space with Grange but with no perswasion could he be diverted from his course Which being reported he took most heavily Yet Grange at his death did expresse serious repentance for his sins The next day he gave order for making his Coffin wherein his body should be laid and was that day as thorow all the time of his sicknesse much in prayer crying Come Lord Jesu Sweet Jesu into thy hands I commend my Spirit Being asked by those that attended him if his pains were great he answered That he did not esteem that a pain which would be to him the end of all troubles and beginning of eternall Joyes Oftentimes after some deep meditations he burst forth in these words O serve the Lord in fear and death shall not be troublesome unto you Blessed is the death of those that have part in the death of Jesus In the evening which was the last of this wretched life having slept some hours together
after in Seaton But at length by Bribes given to the said Lord Seaton and to the old Laird of Lethington he was restored to Saint Andrewes from whence he wrought all mischief as we shall after heare The PARLIAMENT approached which was before EASTER there began question of the abolishing of certaine Tyrannicall ACTS made before at the Devotion of the Prelates for the maintaining of their Kingdome of Darkenesse To wit That under paine of Heresie no man should reade any part of the Scriptures in the Vulgar Tongue neither yet any Tractate or Exposition of any place of Scripture Such Articles began to come in question we say And men began to enquire If it were not lawfull to men that understood no Latine to use the word of their Salvation in the Tongue they understood as it was for the Latine men to have it in Latine Grecians or Hebrews to have it in their Tongues It was answered That the Church he means the Prelats first had forbidden all Tongues but the three viz. Hebrew Greek and Latine But men demanded when that Inhibition was given and what Counsell had ordained it considering that in the dayes of Chrysostome he complained That the people used the Psalmes and other holy Books in their owne Tongues And if ye will say they were Greeks and understood the Greek Tongue We answere That Christ Jesus commanded his word to be Preached to all Nations now if it ought to be Preached to all Nations it must be Preached in the Tongue they understand Then if it be lawfull to Preach and heare it Preached in all Tongues Why should it not be lawfull to reade it and hear it read in all Tongues to the end that the people may try the spirits according to the commandment of the Apostle Beaten with these and other Reasons they denied not but it might be read in the Uulgar Tongue provided if the Translation were true It was demanded What could be reprehended in it And when much searching was made nothing could be found But that Love say they was put in the place of Charity When the Question was asked What difference was betwixt the one and the other and if they understood the nature of the Greek term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were dumb Reasoned for the party of the seculars The L. Ruthwen father to him that prudently gave counsell to take just punishment upon that knave David for that he abused the unhappy K. Henry Stuart in mo cases then one a stout and a discreet man in the cause of God and M. Henry Balneves an old professour For the part of the Clergy one Hay Dean of Lastarrik and certain old Bishops with him The conclusion was the Commissioners of Broughes and a part of the Nobility required of the Parliament that it might be Enacted That it should be lawfull to every man to use the benefit of the Translation which then they had of the Old and New Testament together with the benefit of other Treatises containing wholsome Doctrine untill such time as the Prelats and other Church-men should give and set forth unto them a Translation more correct The Clergie hereto long repugned But in the end convinced by Reasons and by multitude of voyces in their contrary they also condescended And so by Act of Parliament it was made free to all men and women to read the Scriptures in their owne Uulgar Tongue and so were all Acts made to the contrary abolished This was no small Victorie of CHRIST JESUS fighting against the conjured enemies of his Veritie No small comfort to such as before were holden in such bondage that they durst not have read The Lords Prayer The ten Commandments nor The Articles of their Faith in the Uulgar Tongue but they should have been accused of Heresie Then might have beene seene the Bible lying almost upon every Gentlemans Table The New Testament was borne about in many mens hands We grant that some alas prophaned that blessed Word for some that perchance had never read ten Sentences in it had it most common in their hand they would chop their familiars on the cheeke with it and say This hath lyne under my beds feet these ten yeers Others would glory O how oft have I been in danger for this Booke how secretly have I stollen from my wife at midnight to reade upon it And this was done we say of many to make cowrt and curry favour thereby For all men esteemed the Governour to have been one of the most fervent Protestants that was in Europe Albeit we say that many abused that libertie granted of God miraculously yet thereby did the knowledge of God wonderously increase and God gave his holy spirit to simple men in great abundance Then were set forth works in our owne Tongue besides those that came from England that did disclose the pride the craft the tyrannie and abuses of that Romane Antichrist The fame of our Governour was spread in divers countreys and many praised God for him King Henry the eight sent unto him his Ambassadour M. Radulph Saidlair who lay in Edinburgh a great part of the Summer his Commission and Negotiation was to contract a perpetuall amitie betwixt England and Scotland The occasion whereof God had so offered that to many men it appeared that from heaven he had declared his good pleasure in that behalfe For to King Henry of Iane Seymer after the death of Queene Katherine and of all others that might have made his Marriage suspect was given a sonne Edward the sixth of blessed memory elder some yeeres then our Mistresse and unto us was left a Queene as before we have heard This wonderfull providence of God caused men of greatest judgement to enter into disputation with themselves Whether that with good conscience any man might repugne to the desires of the King of England considering that thereby all occasion of Warre might be cut off and great commodity might ensue to this Realme The offers of King Henry was so large and his demands so reasonable that all that loved quietnesse were content therewith There were sent from the Parliament to King Henry in Commission Sir Iames Lermont and M. Henry Balnevis who long remaining in England so travailed that all things concerning the Marriage betwixt Edward the sixth and Mary Queen of Scots was agreed upon except the time of her deliverance to the custody of English-men Upon the finall conclusion of the which head were added to the former Commissioners William Earle of Glencarne and Sir George Dowglas to whom was given ample Commission and good Instructions In Scotland remained M. Radulph Saidlaire advertisements past so frequently betwixt yea the hands of our Lords liberally were anointed besides other commodities promised and of some received for divers Prisoners taken at Solway mosse were sent home free upon promise of their fidelity which as it was kept the issue will witnesse But in the end so well were all once content the Cardinall the
Souldiers in generall admonishing them that their Vocation was not to fight against us naturall Scotish-men nor yet that they had any such Commandment of their Master We besought them therefore not to provoke us to enmity against them and to consider that they had found us favourable in their most great extremities We declared farther unto them That if they entred in hostility and bloody War against us that the same should remain longer then their owne lives to wit even in all posteritie to come so long as naturall Scotish-men should have power to revenge such cruelty and most horrible ingratitude These Letters were caused to be spread abroad in great abundance to the end that some might come to the knowledge of men The Queen Regent her Letter was laid upon her Cushion in the Chappel Royall at Sterlin where she was accustomed to sit at Masse she looked upon it and put in the pocket of her Gown Monsieur d' Osel and the Captains received theirs delivered even by their own souldiers for some amongst them were favourers of the Truth who after the reading of them began to pull their own beards for that was the modest behaviour of Monsieur d' Osell when truth was told unto him so that it repugned to his fantasie These our Letters were suppressed to the utmost of their power and yet they came to the knowledge of many But the rage of the Queen and the Priests could not be stayed but forward they move against us who then were but a very few and mean number of Gentlemen in S. Iohnston we perceiving the extremity to approach did write to all brethren to repair towards us for our relief to the which we found all men so ready bent that the Work of God was evidently to be espied the Tenour whereof followeth And because that we would omit no diligence to declare our innocency to all men we formed a Letter to those of the Nobility who then persecuted us as after followeth To the Nobility of Scotland The Congregation of Christ Iesus within the same desire the spirit of righteous Iudgement BEcause we are not ignorant that ye the Nobility of this Realme who now persecute us employing your whole study and force to maintain the kingdom of Sathan of superstition and Idolatry are yet neverthelesse divided in opinion We the Congregation of Christ Jesus by you unjustly persecuted have thought good in one Letter to write unto you severally Ye are divided we say in opinion for some of you think that we who have taken this enterprise to remove Idolatry and the Monuments of the same to erect the true Preaching of Christ Jesus in the bounds committed to our Charges are hereticks seditious men and troublers of this Commonwealth and therefore no punishment is sufficient for us and so blinded with this rage and under pretence to serve the Authority ye proclaim War and destruction without all order of Law against us To you we say that neither your blinde zeal neither yet the colour of Authority shall excuse you in Gods presence who commandeth none to suffer death till that he be openly convinced in judgement to have offended against God and against his Law written which no mortall creature is able to prove against us for whatsoever we have done the same we have done at Gods commandment who plainly commands Idolatry and all Monuments of the same to be destroyed and abolished Our earnest and long request hath been and is That in open Assembly it may be disputed in presence of indifferent auditors Whether that these abominations named by the pestilent Papists Religion which they by fire and sword defend be the true Religion of Jesus Christ or not Now this humble request denied unto us our lives are sought in most cruell manner And the Nobility whose duty is to defend innocents and to bridle the fury and rage of wicked men were it of Princes or Emperors do notwithstanding follow their appetites and arme your selves against us your brethren and naturall Countrey-men yea against us that be innocent and just as concerning all such crimes as be laid to our charges If ye think that we be criminall because that we dissent from your opinion consider we beseech you that the Prophets under the Law the Apostles of Christ Jesus after his Ascension his Primitive Church and holy Martyrs did disagree from the whole world in their dayes And will ye deny but that their action was just and that all those that persecuted them were murtherers before God May not the like be true this day What assurance have ye this day of your Religion which the world that day had not of theirs ye have a multitude that agree with you and so had they ye have antiquity of time and that they lacked not ye have Counsells Laws and men of reputation that have established all things as ye suppose but none of all these can make any Religion acceptable unto God which onely depended upon his owne will revealed to man in his most sacred Word It is not then a wonder that ye sleep in so deadly a security in the matter of your owne salvation considering that God giveth unto you so manifest tokens that ye and your leaders are both declined from God For if the tree shall be judged by the fruit as Christ Jesus affirmeth that it must needs be then of necessity it is That your Prelats and the whole rabble of their Clergie be evill trees For if Adultery Pride Ambition Drunkennesse Covetousnesse Incest Unthankfulnesse Oppression Murther Idolatry and Blasphemy be evill fruits there can none of that Generation which claim to themselves the title of Churchmen be judged to be good trees For all these pestilent and wicked fruits do they bring forth in greatest abundance And if they be evil trees as ye your selves must be compelled to confesse they are advise prudently with what consciences ye can maintain them to occupy the room and place in the Lords Vine-yard Do ye not consider that in so doing ye labour to maintain the servants of sin in their filthy corruption and so consequently ye labour that the devill may raigne and still abuse this Realme by all iniquity and tyranny and that Christ Jesus and his blessed Gospel be suppressed and extinguished The name and the cloke of the authority which ye pretend will nothing excuse you in Gods presence but rather shall ye bear double condemnation for that ye burden God as that his good Ordinances were the cause of your iniquity All Authority which God hath established is good and perfect and is to be obeyed of all men yea under pain of damnation But do ye not understand That there is a great difference betwixt the Authority which is Gods Ordinance and the persons of those which are placed in Authority the Authority and Gods Ordinances can never do wrong for it commandeth that vice and wicked men be punished and vertue with
your Majestie did know the same and the truth thereof as we were perswaded in our consciences and all them that are truly instructed in the eternall Word of our God upon whom we cast our care from all dangers that may follow the accomplishment of his eternall will and to whom we commend your Majestie beseeching him to illuminate your heart with the Gospel of his eternall Truth to know your Majesties duty towards your poore Subjects Gods chosen people and what you ought to crave justly of them againe for then we should have no occasion to feare your Majesties wrath and indignation nor your Majesties suspition in our inobedience The same God have your Majestie in his eternall saveguard At Dunbartane the 12 of August 1559. This answer directed to the Queen our Soveraigne and Francis her husband the Queen Dowager received and was bold upon it as she might well enough for it was supposed That the former Letters were forged here at home in Scotland The answer read by her she said That so proud an answer was never given to King Prince nor Princesse And yet indifferent men thought that he might have answered more sharply and not have transgressed modesty nor trueth For where they burden him with the great benefits which of them he had received if in plain words he had purged himselfe affirming That the greatest benefit that ever he received of them was to spend in their service that which God by others had provided for him no honest man would have accused him and no man could have been able to have convinced him of a lye But Princes must be pardoned to speak what they please For the comfort of the brethren and continuance of the Church in Edinburgh was left there our deare brother Iohn Willock who for his faithfull labours and bold courage in that battell deserves immortall praise For when it was found dangerous that Iohn Knox who before was elected Minister to the Church should continue there the brethren requested the said Iohn Willock to abide with them lest that for lack of Ministers Idolatry should be erected up again To the which he so gladly consented That it might evidently appeare that he preferred the comfort of his brethren and the continuance of the Church there to his own life One part of the French-men were appointed to lye in Garison at Leith that was the first benefit which they gate for their confederacie with them the other part were appointed to lye in the Canon-gate the Queen and her train abiding in the Abbey Our brother Iohn Willock the day after our departure preached in S. Giles Church and fervently exhorted the brethren to stand constant to the Truth which they had professed At this and some other Sermons was the Duke and divers other of the Queens faction This liberty of Preaching and resort of all people thereto did highly offend the Queen and the other Papists And first they began to give terrours to the Duke affirming That he would be reputed as one of the Congregation if he gave his presence to the Sermons Thereafter they began to require That Masse might be set up again in S. Giles Church and that the people should be set at liberty to chuse what Religion they would For that said they was contained in the appointment That the Town of Edinburgh should chuse what Religion they listed For obtaining hereof were sent to the Town the Duke the Earle of Huntly and the Lord Seaton to solicite all men to condiscend to the Queens minde wherein the two last did labour what they could the Duke not so but as a beholder of whom the brethren had good hope and after many perswasions and threatnings made by the said Earle and Lord the brethren stoutly and valiantly in the Lord Jesus gain-said their most unjust Petitions Reasoning That as in conscience they might not suffer Idolatry to be erected where Christ Jesus was truely Preached so could not the Queen nor they require any such thing unlesse she and they would plainely violate their Faith and chiefe Article of the appointment For it is plainely appointed That no member of the Congregation shall be molested in any thing That at the day of the appointment they peaceably possessed But so it was That we the brethren and Protestants of the Town of Edinburgh with our Ministers the day of the appointment did peaceably enjoy Saint Giles Church appointed us for Preaching of Christs true Gospel and right ministration of his holy Sacraments Therefore without manifest violation of the appointment you cannot remove us therefrom untill a Parliament have decided the Controversie This answer given the whole brethren departed and left the foresaid Earle and Lord Seaton then Provest of Edinburgh still in the Tolbuith Who perceiving that they could not prevaile in that manner began to entreat that they would be quiet and that they would so far condiscend to the Queens-pleasure as that they would chuse them another within the Town or at the least be content that Masse should be said either after or before their Sermon To the which answer was given That to give place to the devil who was the chiefe Inventer of the Masse for the pleasure of any creature they could not They were in possession of that Church which they could not abandon neither yet could they suffer Idolatry to be erected in the same unlesse by violence they should be constrained so to do And then they were determined to seek the next remedy Which answer received the Earle of Huntly did lovingly intreat them to quietnesse faithfully promising That in no sort they should be molested so that they would be quiet and make no farther uproare To the which they were most willing for they sought onely to serve God as he had commanded and to keep their possession according to the appointment which by Gods grace they did till the moneth of November notwithstanding the great boasting of the enemy For they did not onely convene to the Preaching daily supplâ—cations and administration of Baptisme but also the Lords Table was ministred even in the eyes of the very enemy to the great comfort of many afflicted consciences and as God did strongly work with his true Ministers and with his troubled Church so did not the devil cease to inflame the malice of the Queen and of the Papists with her For that after her coming to the Abbey of Halyrud-house she caused Masse to be said first in her own Chappell and after in the Abbey where the Altars before were cast down She discharged the Common-Prayers and forbade to give any portion to such as were the principall young men who read them Her malice extended in like manner to Cambuâ—kenneth for there she discharged the portions of as many of the Canons as had forsaken Papistry She gave commandment and inhibition that the Abbot of Lyndors should be answered of any part of his living in the North because he had submitted
owne desire we know not but the Queen spake with Iohn Knox and had long reasoned with him none being present except the Lord Iames two Gentlemen stood in the one end of the room The sum of their reasoning was this The Queen accused him That he had raised a part of her subjects against her Mother and her self That he had written a Book against her just Authority she meant the Treatise against the Regiment of Women which she had and would cause the most learned in Europe to write against it That he was the cause of great sedition and great slaughter in England And that it was said to her That all that he did was by Necromancy To the which the said Iohn answered Madame it may please your Majestie patiently to hear my simple answers And first said he my simple Answers And first said he if to teach the Word of God in sincerity if to rebuke Idolatry and to will a people to worship God according to his Word be to raise Subjects against their Princes then cannot I bee excused for it hath pleased God of his mercy to make me one amongst many to disclose unto this Realme the vanitie of the Papisticall Religion and the deceit pride and tyranny of that Romane Antichrist But Madame if the true knowledge of God and his right worshipping be the chief cause which must move men to obey their just Princesse from their heart as it is most certain that they are wherein can I be reprehended I thinke and am surely perswaded that your Majestie has had and presently hath as unfained obedience of such as professe Christ Jesus within this Realm as ever your Father or Progenitours had of those that were called Bishops And touching that Booke that seemeth so highly to offend your Majestie it is most certaine that if I wrote it I am content that all the learned of the world judge of it I heare that an Englishman hath written against it but I have not read him if hee hath sufficiently confuted my reasons and established his contrary Propositions with as evident testimonies as I have done mine I shall not bee obstinate but shall confesse mine errour and ignorance But to this houre I have thought and yet thinkes my selfe alone more able to sustaine the things affirmed in that my Work than any ten in Europe shall be able to confute it You thinke said shee that I have no just Authoritie Please your Majestie said he that learned men in all ages have had their judgements free and most commonly disagreeing from the Common judgement of the world Such also have they published both with Pen and tongue notwithstanding they themselves have lined in the common Societie with others and have borne patiently with the errour and imperfections which they could not amend Plato the Philosopher wrote his Booke of the Common wealth in the which hee condemnes many things that were maintained in the world and required many things to have beene reformed And yet notwithstanding he lived under such Politicks as then were universally received without farther troubling any State Even so Madame am I content to do in uprightnesse of heart and with a testimony of good Conscience I have communicate my judgement to the world if the Realme findes no inconveniencies in the Regiment of a woman that which they approve shall I not further disallow then within my owne brest but shall be all well content and shall live under your Majestie as Paul was to live under the Roman Emperour And my hope is that so long as ye defile not your hands with the Blood of the Saints of God that neither I nor that Booke shall either hurt you or your Authoritie for in very deed Madame that Booke was written most especially against that wicked Mary of England But said shee you speake of women in generall most true it is Madame said the other and yet plainly appeareth to me that wisedome should perswade your Majestie never to raise trouble for that which this day hath not troubled your Majestie neither in person nor in anxietie For of late yeeres many things which before were holden Stable have been called in doubt yea they have been plainely impugned But yet Madame I am assured That neither Protestant nor Papist shall be able to prove That any such Question was at any time moved in publike or in private Now Madame said he if I had intended to trouble your State because you are a woman I might have chosen a time more convenient for that purpose then I can do now when your own presence is within the Realme But now Madame shortly to answer to the other two accusations I heartily praise my God through Jesus Christ that Satan the enemy of mankinde and the wicked of the World have no other crimes to lay to my charge then such as the very World it selfe knoweth to be most false and vaine For in England I was resident onely the space of five yeeres The places were Barwick where I abode two yeeres So long in New-castle And a yeere in London Now Madame if in any of these places during the time that I was there any man shall be able to prove That there was either Battell Sedition or Mutinie I shall confesse That I my selfe was the Malefactour and shedder of the blood I am not ashamed further to affirme That God so blessed my weake labours then in Barwick wherein then commonly used to be slaughter by reason of quarrells that used to arise amongst Souldiers there was also great quietnesse all the time that I remained there as there is this day in Edinburgh And where they slander me of Magick Necromancie or of any other Art forbidden of God I have witnesse besides mine owne conscience all the Congregations that ever heard me what I speak both against such acts and against those that use such impietie But seeing the wicked of the world said That my Master the Lord Jesus was possessed with Beelzebub I must patiently beare Albeit that I wretched sinner be unjustly accused of those that never delighted in the Veritie But yet said she you have taught the people to receive another Religion then their Princes can allow And how can that Doctrine be of God Seeing that God commandeth Subjects to obey their Princes Madame said he as right Religion tooke neither Originall nor Antiquity from worldly Princes but from the eternall God alone So are not Subjects bound to frame their Religion according to the appetite of their Princes For oft it is that Princes are the most ignorant of all others in Gods true Religion as we may reade in the Histories as well before the death of CHRIST JESUS as after If all the seed of Abraham should have beene of the Religion of Pharaoh to whom they had beene a long time Subjects I pray you Madame what Religion should there have been in the world Or if all men in the dayes of the Apostles
the Sermon was charged by one of the Dukes own servants to turn and abide with the Queen The fame whereof spread over all What ground it had we cannot say but shortly after the Duke and some of the Lords remained at Glasgow their conclusion was not known The Earle of Arrane came to Edinburgh where the Earle Bothwell lay The Queen and the Court were departed to Fyfe and remained sometimes in S. Androes and sometimes in Falkland The Earle Bothwell by means of Iames Barron Burgesse and then Merchant of Edinburgh desired to speak with Iohn Knox secretly which the said Iohn gladly granted and spake with him upon a night first in the said Iames his lodging and after in his own Study The sum of all their conference and communication was The said Lord lamented his inordinate life and especially That he was provoked by the enticements of the Queen Regent to do that which he sore repented as well against the Laird of Ormestoun whose blood was spilt albeit not by his faults But his chief grief was That he had misbehaved himself toward the Earle of Arrane whose favour he was most willing to redeem if possible it were that so he might For said he if I might have my Lord Arranes favour I would aye wait upon the Court with a Page and a few servants to spare my expence where now I am compelled to keep for my own safety a number of wicked and unprofitable men to the utter destruction of my state that is left To which the said Iohn answered My Lord would to God that in me were Counsell and Judgement that might comfort and relieve you for albeit that to this hour it hath not happened to me to speak with your Lordship face to face yet have I born a good minde to your house and have been sorry at my heart of the trouble that I have heard you to be involved in for my Lord my great Grandfather Grandfather and Father have served your Lordships Predecessors and some of them have died under their standers and this is a part of the Obligation of our Scotish kindenesse but this is not the chiefe But as God hath made me his publike Messenger of glad Tydings so it is my earnest desire that all men may embrace it which perfectly they cannot so long as there remaineth in them rankor malice or envie I am sorry that you have given occasion unto men to be offended with you But more sorrowfull That you have offended the Majesty of God wherefore he often punisheth the other sins of man And therefore my counsell is That you begin at God with whom if you enter into perfect reconciliation I doubt not but he shall bow the hearts of men to forget all offences And as for me if you will continue in godlinesse your Lordship shall command me as boldly as any that serves your Lordship The said Lord desired him that he would trie the Earle of Arrans minde If he would be content to accept him in his favour Which he promised to do And so earnestly he travelled in the matter and it was once brought to such an end as all the faithfull praised God for such agreement The greatest stay stood upon the satisfaction of the Laird of Ormestoune who beside his former hurt as is before declared was even at that time of the coming pursued by the said Earle Bothwell and his son Master Alexander Cockburne was taken by him and carried by him to Berwicke but courteously enough sent back again The new trouble so greatly displeased Iohn Knox that he almost gave over further travelling for amity But yet upon excuse of the said Earle and upon declaration of his minde he re-entred into labour and so brought it to passe that the Laird of Ormestoun referred his satisfaction in all things to the Judgement of the Earles of Arrane and Murray to whom the said Earle submitted himselfe in that Head And thereupon delivered his hand writing and so was conveyed by vertue of his friends to the Lodging of the Church of Field where the Earle of Arrane was with his friends and the said Iohn Knox with him to beare witnesse and testification of the end of the Agreement As the Earle of Bothwell entred the Chamber and would have done those Honours that friends had appointed Master Gabriel Hamilton Abbot of Kilwinning and the Laird of Richardton were the chief friends that communed the said Earle of Arrane gently past unto him embraced him and said If the hearts be upright few Ceremonies will serve and content me The said Iohn Knox in audience of them both and of their friends said Now my Lords God hath brought you together by the labour of simple men in respect of such as would have travelled therein I know my labours are already taken in evill part but because I have the testimony of a good conscience before God That whatsoever I have done it is in his fear for the profit of you both for the hurt of none and for the tranquility of this Realm Seeing therefore that my conscience beareth witnesse to me what I have sought and do continually seek I the more patiently bear the misreports and wrongfull judgements of men And now I leave you in Peace and desire you who are the friends to study that Amity may encrease all former hatred forget The friends on either party embraced other and the two Earles departed to a window and talked by themselves a reasonable space And thereafter the Earle of Bothwell departed for that night and upon the next day in the morning returned with some of his honest friends and came to the Sermon with the said Earle whereat many rejoyced But God had another work to work then the eyes of men could espie The Thursday next they dined together and thereafter the said Earle Bothwell and Master Gabriel Hamilton rode to the Duke who then was in Enmell what communication was betwixt them it is not certainly knowne but by the report which the said Earle of Arrane made to the Queen and unto the Earle of Murray by his writings for upon the third day after their Reconciliation the Sermon being ended the said Earle of Arrane came to the house of the said Iohn Knox and brought with him Master Richard Strange and Alexander Guthrie to whom he opened the grief of his minde before that Iohn Knox was called for he was busie as commonly he used to be after his Sermon in directing of writings Which ended the said Earle called the three together and said I am reasonably betrayed and with these words began to weep Iohn Knox demanded My Lord Who hath betrayed you One Iudas or other said he I know it is but my life that is sought I regard it not The other said My Lord I understand no such dark manner of speech if I shall give you any answer you must speak more plainly Well said he I take you three to witnesse That I open this
second Booke of the Historie Commissions and charge was given unto Iohn Knox Minister of Edinburgh and unto certain of the Elders of the Church of Edinburgh to passe to the Town of Iedwart where the slander was raised and to be found there the third of Ianuary next was the tryall to be taken of the slander raised and to hear the Articles and complaint of the said Paul and after the tryall to report the truth to the Session of the Church of Edinburgh To whom with the assistance of the superintendent of Lowthian Commission was given to discerne therein The tryall and examination of that crime was difficile the slander was universall in that Towne and Country the servant woman of the said Paul had betwixt that and Christmas left his House she had borne a child no father to it could she finde but alleaged her self to have been suppressed late in an Evening the said Paul constantly affirmed himself innocent and would have given his publike purgation but because his Accusators had taken on them to prove ther accusation that was denyed many witnesses were produced of whom some deposed so clearly that the Commissioners suspected that they had been suborned and therefore they required to have inspection of the places where some said they saw and some said they heard them in the very act of iniquitie The sight and consideration of the place augmented greatly the suspition but one thing was most suspitious of all other for the Wife of the sad Paul an ancient Matron was absent from him the space of eight or nine weeks in Dundie which time or at least a great part thereof they suspected and he lay nightly in one house without other company then a Childe of seven or eight yeers of age The Judges notwithstanding these suspitions having a good opinion of the honestie and godlinesse of the man travelled what they could conscience not hurt to purge him of the slander But God who would not that such a Villanie should be cloaked and concealed within his Kirk otherwayes had decreed for he brought the brother of the guilty woman to the Towne having no minde of such matters who being produced by the Accusators as one that was privy to the fact and knew the veritie of all circumstances this witnesse we say which could not be suspected being produced made the matter so plain and clear that all suspition was removed for he it was that conveyde the woman away he it was that caused the Childe to be baptised alleaging it to be his own he it was that carried frequent message betwixt them and from Paul carryed money and clothes divers times How soon that ever the said Paul saw that man produced as Witnesse he withdrew himselfe and left the Town by that means plainly taking upon him the Crime And so the Commissioners with full information returned to Dundie and notified the same unto the Kirke who caused publikely to summon the said Paul to hear the sentence pronounced who not appearing in the end for his odious Crime and contumacy was publikely excommunicated and was deprived of all functions within the Kirke of Scotland and so left the Realme For two causes we insert this horrible fact and the order kept in punishing of the same the former to forewarn such as travell in that Vocation that according to the admonition of the Apostle Such as stand take heed lest they fall No man in the beginning of the Evangell was judged more fervent and more upright and yet we have heard how far Sathan has prevailed against him God grant that we may hear of his repentance neither yet should this fall do any thing to prejudice the Authoritie of the Doctrine which he taught for the Doctrine of God hath its authority of no creature but hath the assurance of God himselfe how weak or imperfect soever the Instruments be by whom it pleaseth God to publish the same The treason of Iudas the Adultery of David and abnegation of Peter did derogate nothing from the glory of Christs Evangell nor yet the Doctrine which before they had taught but declared the one to be a Reprobate and the other to be Instruments in whom mercy must surmount judgement The other cause is that the World may see what difference there is betwixt the uprightnesse of the Kirke of God and the corruption that reignes in the Synagogue of Sathan the Papisticall rabble for how many of that sort hath been and still remaine openly knowne Whoremongers Adulterers Violators of Virgines yea and committers of such abominations as we will not name and yet are they called and permitted to be Bishops Archbishops Cardinalls and Popes themselves For what sinnes can unable the sworne servants of Symonie and of their Father the Devill For bragg what they list of Christ of Peter and of Paul their lives and conversation bear witnesse to whom they belong But we return to our History of things done in Court Amongst the Menizoons of the Court there was one named Monsieur Chattelet a Frenchman that at that time passed all others in credit with the Queene In dancing of the purpose so terme they that dance in the which man and woman talketh secretly wise men would judge such fashions not agreeable to the gravity of honest women In this dance the Queen choose Chattelet and Chattelet took the Queen for he had the best dresse All this winter Chattelet was so familiar with the Queen that the Nobilitie being by this means stopped to have so free accesse as they thought fit and due unto them were highly offended at length Chattelet having conveyed himselfe privately under the Queens Bed but being espied was commanded away The Bruit arising the Queene called the Earle of Murray and bursting in a womanly affection charged him that as he loved her he should slay Chatelet and let him never speak word The other at the first made promise so to doe but after calling to minde the judgement of GOD pronounced against the shedders of innocent blood and also that none should die without the testimonie of two or three witnesses returned and fell upon his knees before the Queen and said Madame I beseech your Majestie cause not me to take the blood of this man upon me Your Majestie hath used him so familiarlie before that you have offended all your Nobilitie and now if he shall be secretly slain at your owne commandment what shall the world judge of it I shall bring him to the presence of Justice and let him suffer by Law according to his deserving Oh said the Queene you shall not let him speake I shall doe said he Madame what in me lyeth to give your Majestie content Poor Chattelet was brought back from Kingorne to Saint Andrews examined put to an Assize and so beheaded the two and twentieth day of February Anno Dom. 1562. He begged license to write to France the cause of his death which said he in his Tongue was Pour estre
foreseen they shew what pains and travel they had taken to mittigate her anger but they could finde nothing but extremity unlesse that he himself would confesse his offence and put him in her Majesties will To which Heads the said Iohn answered as follows I praise my God through Jesus Christ said he I have learned not to crie Conjuration and Treason at every thing that the godlesse multitude doth condemn nether yet to fear the things that they fear I have the testimony of a good conscience that I have given no occasion to the Queens Majestie to be offended with me for I have done nothing but my duty and so whatsoever shall thereof ensue my good hope is that my God will give me patience to bear it but to confesse an offence where my Conscience witnesseth there is none far be it from me How can it be defended said Lethington have you not made a Convocation of the Queens Leiges If I have not said he a just defence for my fact let me smart for it Let us hear said they your defences for we would be glad that you might be found innocent Nay said the other I am informed by divers that even by you my Lord Secretary I am already condemned and my cause prejudged therefore I might be reputed a fool if I would make you privie to my Defences At these words they seemed both offended and so the Secretary departed but the said Earle remained still and would have entred into further discourse of the state of the Court with the said Iohn who answered My Lord I understand more then I would of the state of the Court and therefore it is not needfull that your Lordship trouble me with the recounting thereof if you stand in good case I am content and if you do not as I fear you do not already or else you shall not do it ere it be long blame not me you have the Councellors whom you have chosen my weak judgement both they and you despised I can do nothing but behold the end which I pray God it be other then my troubled heart feareth Within four dayes the said Iohn was called before the Queen and Councell betwixt 6 and seven a Clock at night the season of the year was the midst of December the report rising in the towne That I. Knox was sent for by the Queen The Brethren of the Town followed in such number that the inner Close was full and all the Staires even to the Chamber door where the Queen and Counsell sate who had been reasoning amongst themselves before but had not fully satisfied the Secretaries minde And so was the Queen retired to her Cabbinet and the Lords were talking one with another as occasion served But upon the entry of Iohn Knox they were desired to take their places as they did sitting as Councellors one against another The Duke according to his dignity began the one side upon the other side sate the Earle of Argile and consequently followed the Earle of Murray the Earle of Glencarne the Earle of Mershall the Lord Ruthven the common Officers Pittaro then Controller the Justice Clerk with Master Iohn Spence of Condie Advocate and divers others stood by removed from the Table sate old Lethington father to the Secretary Master Henry Sinclare then Bishop of Rosse and Master Iames Makgill Clerke of the Register Things thus put in Order the Queen came forth and that with no little worldly pompe was placed in a Chaire having two faithfull Supporters the Master of Maxwell upon the one Torre and Secretary Lethington upon the other Torre of the Chaire whereon hee waited diligently at the time of the Accusation sometime the one was speaking in her Eare and sometime the other Her pompe lacked nothing of an womanly gravitie for when she saw Iohn Knox standing at the other end of the Table bare-headed at the first she smiled and after gave a guaf of laughter whereunto her Placeboâ—â— gave their Plaudite assenting with like countenance This is a good beginning she said but know you whereat I laugh Yon man caused me to crie and shed never a Tear himself I will see if I can cause him to grieve At that word the Secretary whispered her in the Eare and she him again and with that gave him a Letter after the inspection whereof he directed his visage and speech to Iohn Knox in this manner The Queens Majesty is informed That you have travelled to raise a Tumult of her Subjects against her and for Certification thereof there is presented to her your owne Letter subscribed in your name Yet because her Majesty will do nothing without good advertisement she hath convened you before this part of the Nobilitie that they may witnesse betwixt you and her Let him acknowledge said she his owne hand-writing and then shall we judge of the Contents of the Letter and so was the Lettet sent from hand to hand to Iohn Knox who taking inspection of it said I acknowledge this to be my hand-writing and also I remember that I indited a Letter in the month of October giving signification to the Brethren in divers Quarters of such things as displeased me and so good opinion have I of the fidelity of the Scribes that willingly they would not adulterate my originall albeit that I left divers blanks subscribed with them And so I acknowledge both the Hand-writing and the Dictatement You have done more said Lethington then I would have done Charity said the other is not suspitious Well well said the Queen read your own Letter and then answer to such things as shall be demanded of you I shall do the best I can said the other and so with a loud voice he began to reade as before is expressed After that the Letter was read it was presented again to M. Iohn Spence her Advocate for the Queen commanded him to accuse as he did but very gently After we say that the Letter was read the Queen beholding the whole Table said Heard you ever my Lords a more dispightfull and Treasonable Letter While that no man gave answer Lethington addressed himself to Iohn Knox and said M. Knox are you not sorry from your heart and do you not repent that such a Letter hath passed your Pen and from you hath come to the knowledge of others I. Knox answered My Lord Secretary before I repent I must be taught of my offence Offence said Lethington if there were no more but the vocation of the Queenes Leiges the offence cannot be denyed Remember your selfe my Lord said the other there is a difference betwixt a lawfull Vocation and an unlawfull If I have been guilty in this I have oft offended since I came last in Scotland for what Vocation of Brethren hath ever been this day unto which my Pen hath not served and before this no man laid it to my charge as a crime Then was then and now is now said Lethington we have no need of
Lethington that is the chief Head wherein we never agreed but of that we shall speak hereafter What will ye say as touching the moving of the people to have a good opinion of the Queens Majesty and as concerning obedience to be given to her Authority as also of the form of Prayer which ye commonly use My Lord saith he more earnestly to move the people or yet otherwise to pray then heretofore I have done a good conscience will not suffer me for he who knows the secrets of hearts knows That privately and publikely I have called to God for her conversion and have willed the people to do the same shewing unto them the dangerous state wherein not onely she her self stands but also the whole Realm by reason of her indurate blindnesse That is said Lethington wherein we finde the greatest fault your extremity against her Masse in particular passeth measure ye call her a slave to Sathan ye affirm that Gods vengeance hangs over the Realm by reason of her impiety And what is this else but to raise up the hearts of the poeple against her Majesty and against them that serve her Then there was heard an acclamation of the rest of the flatterers that such extremity could not profit The Master of Maxwell said in plain words If I were in the Queens Majesties place I would not suffer such things as I hear If the words of Preachers said Iohn Knox shall be alwayes wrested in the worst part then will it be hard to speak any thing so circumspectly providing that the truth be spoken which shall not escape the censure of the calumniator The most vehement as ye speak and most excessive manner of Prayer that I use in publike is this O Lord if thy good pleasure be purge the heart of the Queens Majestie from the venome of Idolatry and deliver her from the bondage and thraldom of Satan into the which she hath been brought up and yet remains for the lack of true Doctrine and let her see by the illumination of thy holy Spirit That there is no means to please thee but by Iesus Christ thy only Son and that Iesus Christ cannot be found but in thy holy Word nor yet received but as it prescribes which is To renounce our own wisedom and preconceived opinion and worship thee as it commands that in so doing she may avoid the eternall damnation which is ordained for all obstinate and impenitent to thee and that this poor Realm may also escape that plague and vengeance which inevitably followeth Idolatry maintained against thy manifest Word and the light thereof This said he is the form of common Prayer as your selves can witnesse Now what is worthy of reprehension in it I would hear There are three things in it said Lethington that never liked me and the first is Ye pray for the Queens Majesty with a condition saying Illuminate her heart if thy good pleasure be Wherein it may appear That ye doubt of her conversion Where have ye the example of such Prayer Wheresoever the examples are said the other I am assured of the Rule which is this If we shall ask any thing according to his Will he shall grant us And our Master Christ Jesus commands us to pray unto our Father Thy will be done But said Lethington Where ever finde ye any of the Prophets so to have prayed It sufficeth me said the other my Lord that the Master and Teacher both of Prophets and Apostles hath taught me so to pray But in so doing said Lethington ye put a doubt in the peoples heads of her conversion Not I said the other but her own obstinate rebellion causeth more then me to doubt of her conversion Wherein said he rebells she against God In all the actions of her life said M. Knox but in these two Heads especially The former is That she will not hear the Preaching of the blessed Evangel of Jesus Christ. 2. That she maintaineth that Idol the Masse She thinks not that rebellion said Lethington So thought they said the other that sometimes offered their children unto Molech and yet the Spirit of God affirms That they offered them unto devils and not unto God And this day the Turks think they have a better Religion then the Papists have and yet I think ye will excuse neither of both from committing rebellion against God neither yet can ye do the Queen unlesse ye will make God to be partiall But said Lethington Why pray ye not for her without moving any doubt Because said the other I have learned to pray in faith now faith ye know depends upon the Word of God and so it is that the Word teacheth me That prayer profiteth the sons and daughters of Gods Election of which number if she be one or not I have just cause to doubt and therefore I pray that God would illuminate her heart if his good pleasure be so to do But yet said Lethington ye can produce the example of none that so hath prayed before you Thereto I have already answered said Iohn Knox But yet for further declaration I will demand a question which is this Whether ye think that the Apostles prayed themselves as they commanded others to pray or not who doubts of that said the company that were present Well then said Iohn Knox I am assured that Peter said these words to Simon Magus Repent therefore of this thy wickednesse and pray God That if it be possible the thoughts of thy heart may be forgiven thee Here we may cleerly see That Peter joynes a condition with his Commandment That Simon should repent and pray to wit If it were possible that his sin might be forgiven for he was not ignorant that some sinnes are unto death and so without all hope of repentance or remission And think ye not my Lord Secretary said he but that same doubt may touch my heart as touching the Queens conversion that then touched the heart of the Apostle I would never said Lethington heare you or any other call that in doubt But your will said the other is no assurance to my conscience And to speak freely My Lord I wonder if yee your self doubt not of the Queens conversion for more evident signes of Induration have appeared and do appear in her then Peter outwardly could have espyed in Simon Magus for albeit sometimes he was a Sorcerer yet joyned he with the Apostles beleeved and was baptized And albeit That the venome of Avarice remained in his heart and that he would have bought the holy Ghost yet when he heard the fearfull threatnings of God pronounced against him he trembled desired the assistance of the Prayers of the Apostles and so humbled himself so farre as the judgement of man could peirce like a true penitent and yet we see that Peter doubts of his conversion Why then may not all the godly justly doubt of the conversion of the Queen who hath used Idolatry which is also most odious
Grace of God King and Queen of Scots To all and sundry Our Lieges and Subjects whom it may concerne and to whose knowledge these Letters shall come Greeting Forasmuch as in this Uprore lately raised up against us by certaine Rebels and their assistants the authors thereof to blinde the eyes of the simple people have given them to understand That the quarrell they have in hand is onely Religion thinking with that cloke to cover their ungodly designes and so under that plausible argument to draw after them a large train of ignorant persons easie to be seduced Now for the preservation of our good Subjects whose case were to be pitied if they blindely should suffer themselves to be induced and trapped in so dangerous a snare it hath pleased the goodnesse of God by the utterance of their own mouthes and writings to us to discover the poyson that before lay hid in their hearts albeit to all persons of cleer judgment the same was evident enough before For what other thing is this but to dissolve the whole Policy and in a manner to invert the very order might move the principal raisers of this tumult to put themselves in Arms against us so unnaturally upon whom we had bestowed so many benefits But that the great honor we did them they being thereof unworthy made them misknow themselves and their ambition could not be satisfied with heaping riches upon riches honor upon honor unlesse they retain in their hands us and our whole Realme to be led used and disposed at their pleasure But this could not the multitude have perceived if God for disclosing their Hypocrisie had not compelled them to utter their unreasonable desire to Governe for now by Letters sent from themselves to us which make plain profession that the establishing of Religion will not content them but we must be forced to govern by Councell such as it shall please them to appoint us a thing so farre beyond all measure that we thinke the onely mention of so unreasonable a demand is sufficient to make their nearest Kinsfolks their most mortall enemies and all men to run on them without further scruple that are zealous to have their native Countrey to remain still in the state of a Kingdome For what other thing is this but to dissolve the whole policie and in a manner to invert the very order of nature to make the Prince obey and Subjects command The like was never demanded by any of our most Noble Progenitors heretofore yea not of Governours and Regents but the Prince and such as have filled their place chose their Councell of such as they thought most fit for the purpose When we our selves were of lesse age and at our first returning into this our Realme we had free choice of our Councell at our pleasure and now when we are at our full maturity shall we be brought back to the state of Pupills and be put under Tutory So long as some of them bore the whole sway with us this matter was never called in question but now when they cannot be longer permitted to do and undoe all at their pleasure they will put a Bridle into our mouthes and give us a Councell chosen after their fantasie This is the quarrell of Religion they made you beleeve they had in hand This is the quarrell for which they would have you hazzard your Lands Lives and goods in the company of a certain number of Rebels against your naturall Prince To speak in good language they would be Kings themselves or at the least leaving to us the bare Name and Title and take to themselves the credit and whole administration of the Kingdome We have thought good to make publication hereof to shew that you suffer not your selves to be deceived under pretence of Religion to follow them who prefering their particular advancement to the publike tranquilitie and having no care of you in respect of themselves would if you would hearken to their voice draw you after them to your utter destruction Assuring you that you have heretofore good experience of our clemency and under our Wings enjoyed in peace the possession of your Goods and lived at liberty of your Conscience so may you be in full assurance of the like hereafter and have us alwayes your good and loving Princes to so many as shall continue your selves in due obedience and do the office of faithfull and naturall Subjects Given under our Signet at Saint Andrews the tenth of December and of our Reignes the first and twentie three years 1565. NOw the Lords desired next the establishing of Religion That the Queens Majesty in all the Affairs of the Realme and Common-wealth should use the counsell and advice of the Nobility and ancient blood of the same whereas in the mean time the Councell of David and Francisco the Italians with Fowler the Englishman and Master Iames Balfour Parson of Flisk was preferred before all others save onely the Earle of Athole who was thought to be a man of grosse judgement but neverthelesse in all things given to please the Queen It was now finally come to this point that in stead of Law Justice and equity onely Will ruled in all things there was thorow all the Countie set out a Proclamation in the King and Queens names commanding all persons to come and meet them at Sterlin the first day of October following with twenty dayes provision under pain of life lands and goods It was uncertain whether their Majesties intended to passe from Sterlin or not and I beleeve the principall men knew not well at that time for a report was That by reason the Castles of Hamilton and Draffen were kept Fortified and Victualled at the Dukes command that they would passe to siege the said houses give them some shot of a Canon others said They would passe towards my L. of Argile who had his people alwayes armed whereof his neighbours were afraid especially the Inhabitants of Athole and Lenox but at length it was concluded that they should passe to Dumfreis as shall be declared During this time there were Propositions made continually to the King and Queen by the Lords desiring alwayes their Majesties most humbly to receive them into their hands Their Articles tended continually to these two Heads viz. To abolish the Masse root out Idolatry and Establish the true Religion And that they and the affaires of the Realm should be governed by the advice and counsell of the true Nobility of the same offering themselves and their cause to be tried by the Lawes of the Countrey Yet nothing could be accepted nor taken in good part albeit the Master of Maxwell laboured by all meanes to redresse the matter who also entertained the Lords most honourably in Dumfreis for he had the government of all that Countrey But he himself incurred the Queens wrath so that he was summoned to present himself and appear before the King and Queens Majesties after the same form
from the Den of Lions To the confusion of their enemies To the better instruction of the ignorant Kings and To the perpetuall comfort of Gods afflicted children And Abdemelech in the day of the Lords Visitation when the King and his Councell did drink the bitter cup of Gods Vengeance did finde his life for a prey and did not fall by the edge of the sword when many thousands did perish And this was signified unto them by the Prophet himself at the commandment of God before that Ierusalem was destroyed This promise and cause were recited unto him in these words I will bring my words upon this City unto evil and not unto good but most assuredly I shall deliver thee because thou hast trusted in me saith the Lord. The trust and hope which Abdemelech had in God made himself bold to oppose himself being but one to the King and to his whole Councell who had condemned to death the Prophet whom his conscience did acknowledge to be innocent for thus did he speak in presence of the King sitting in the Port of Benjamin My Lord the King saith Abdemelech these men do wickedly in all things that they have done to Jeremy the Prophet Advert and take heed my Lords that the men who had condemned the Prophet were the King his Princes and Councell and yet did one man accuse them all of iniquity and did boldly speak in the defence of him of whose innocency he was perswaded And the same I say is the duty of every man in his Vocation but chiefly of the Nobility which is joyned with their kings to bridle and represse their folly and blinde rage Which thing if the Nobility do not neither yet labour to doe as they are Traitours to their Kings so do they provoke the wrath of God against themselves and against the Realme in which they abuse the Authoritie which they have received of God to maintaine Vertue and to suppresse Vice And hereof I would your Honours were most certainly perswaded That God will neither excuse Nobilitie nor people but the Nobility least of all that obey and follow their Kings in manifest iniquity but with the same vengeance will God punish the Prince People and Nobility conspiring together against him and his Holy Ordinances as in the punishment upon Pharaoh Israel Iuda and Babylon is evidently to be seene for Pharaoh was not drowned alone but his Captains Charets and great Army drank the same Cup with him The Kings of Israel and Iudah were not punished without company but with them were murthered the Counsellors their Princes imprisoned and their people led Captive And why because none was found so faithfull to God that he durst enterprise to resist nor gainstand the manifest impietie of their Princes And therefore was Gods wrath powred forth upon the one and the other But the more ample discourse of this argument I deferre to better opportunity onely at this time I thought expedient to admonish you That before God it shall not excuse you to alleadge We are no Kings and therefore neither can we reforme Religion nor yet defend such as be persecuted Consider my Lords that ye are powers ordained of God as before is declared and therefore doth the Reformation of Religion and the defence of such as unjustly are oppressed appertaine to your charge and care which thing shall the Law of God universally given to be kept of all men most evidently declare which is my last and most assured reason why I say ye ought to remove from your Honours and to punish with death such as God hath condemned by his own mouth After that Moses had declared what was true Religion to wit To honour God as he commanded adding nothing to his Word neither yet diminishing any thing from it and after also that vehemently he had exhort-the same Law to be observed he denounced the punishment against the Transgressors in these words If thy brother sonne daughter wife or neighbour whom thou lovest as thine own life solicitate thee secretly saying Let us go serve other gods whom neither thou nor thy fathers have knowne consent not to him hear him not let not thine eye spare him shew him no indulgency or favour hide him not but utterly kill him let thy hand be the first upon him that he may be slaine and after the hand of the whole people Of these words of Moses are two things appertaining to our purpose to be noted The first is that such as solicitate only to Idolatry ought to be punished to death without favour or respect of person For he that will not suffer man to spare his sonne his daughter nor his wife but straitly commandeth punishment to be taken upon the idolatours have they never so nigh conjunction with us will not wink at the Idolatry of others of what state or condition soever they be It is not unknown That the Prophets had Revelations of God which were not common to the people as Samuel had the Revelation that Eli and his posterity should be destroyed That Saul should first be King and thereafter That he should be rejected That David should raign for him Michaiah understood by Vision That Achab should be killed in the Battell against the Syrians Elias saw that dogs should eat Iezabel in the Forts of Iezreel Elisha did see hunger come upon Israel by the space of seven yeers Ieremiah did foresee the destruction of Ierusalem and the time of their Captivity And so divers other Prophets had divers Revelations of God which the people did not otherwise understand but by their affirmation and therefore in those dayes were the Prophets named Seers because that God did open unto them that which was hid from the multitude Now if any man might have claimed any priviledge from the rigour of the Law or might have justified his fact it should have been the Prophet For he might have alleadged for himself his singular Prerogative that he had above other men to have Gods Will revealed unto him by Vision or by Dream or That God had declared particularly unto him that his pleasure was To be honoured in that manner in such a place and by such means But all such excuses doth God remove commanding That the Prophet that shall so solicitate the people to serve strange Gods shall die the death notwithstanding that he alleadge for himself Dream Vision or Revelation yea although he promise miracles and although that such things as he promised should come to passe yet I say commandeth God that no credit be given to him but that he die the death because he teacheth apostasie and defection from God Hereby your Honours may easily see That none provoking the people to Idolatry ought to be exempted from the punishment of death For if neither that inseparable Conjunction which God himself hath sanctified betwixt man and wife neither that unspeakable love grafted in nature which is betwixt the father and the son neither yet that
to record in my conscience That I delivered the same bread that I received of Christs hands and that I mixed no poyson with the same that is I teached Christs Gospel without any mixture of mens dreames devises or phantasies But alas I did it not with such fervency with such indifferency and with such diligency as this day I know my duty was to have done Some complained in those dayes That the Preachers were undiscreet persons yea some called them raylers and worse because they spake against the manifest iniquity of men and especially of those that then were placed in Authority as well in Court as in other Offices universally thorowout the Realme both in Cities Towns and Villages And among others peradventure my rude plainnesse displeased some who did complain That rashly I did speak of mens faults so that all men might know and perceive of whom I meant But alas this day my conscience accuseth me That I spake not so plainly as my duty was to have done For I ought to have said to the wicked man expressely by his name Thou shalt die the death For I finde Ieremiah the Prophet to have done so to Pashur the high Priest and to Zedechiah the King And not onely he but also Elijah Elisha Michah Amos Daniel Christ Jesus himself and after him his Apostles expressely to have named the blood-thirsty tyrants abominable Idolaters and dissembling hypocrites of their dayes If that we the Preachers within the Realme of England were appointed by God to be the Salt of the earth as his other Messengers were before us Alas Why with-held we the Salt where manifest compunction did appear I accuse none but my selfe The blinde love that I did bear to this my wicked carkase was the chiefe cause that I was not fervent and faithfull enough in that behalfe For I had no will to provoke the hatred of all men against me And therefore so touched I the vices of men in the presence of the greatest that they might see themselves to be offenders I dare not say that I was the greatest flatterer But yet neverthelesse I would not be seen to proclaim manifest Warre against the manifest wicked Whereof unfainedly I ask my God mercy As I was not so fervent in rebuking manifest iniquity as it became me to have been So was I not so indifferent a feeder as is required of Christs Steward For in preaching Christs Gospel albeit mine eye as knoweth God was not much upon worldly promotion yet the love of friends and carnall affection of some men with whom I was most familiar allured me to make more residence in one place then in another having more respect to the pleasure of a few then to the necessity of many That day I thought I had not sinned if I had not been idle But this day I know it was my duty to have had consideration how long I had remained in one place and how many hungry souls were in other places to whom alas none took pain to break and distribute the bread of Life Moreover remaining in one place I was not so diligent as mine Office required but sometime by counsell of carnall friends I spared the body sometime I spent in worldly businesse of particular friends and sometime in taking recreation and pastime by exercise of the body And albeit men may judge these to be light and small offences yet I acknowledge and confesse That unlesse pardon should be granted to me in Christs blood that every one of these three offences aforenamed that is to say Lack of fervency in reproving sin The lack of indifferency in feeding those that were hungry And the lack of diligence in the execution of mine Office deserved damation And beside these I was assaulted yea infected and corrupted with more grosse sins that is My wicked nature desired the favours the estimation and praise of men against which albeit that sometime the Spirit of God did move me to fight and earnestly did stir me God knoweth I lye not to sob and lament for those imperfections yet never ceased they to trouble me when any occasion was offred And so privily and craftily did they enter into my brest that I could not perceive my self to be wounded till vain-glory had almost gotten the upper hand O Lord be mercifull to my great offence and deal not with me according to my great iniquity but according to the multitude of thy mercies remove from me the burthen of my sin for of purpose and minde to have avoided the vain displeasure of man I spared little to offend thy Majestie Think not beloved in the Lord That thus I accuse my selfe without just cause as though in so doing I might appear more holy or that yet I do it of purpose and intent by occasion thereof to accuse others of my brethren the true Preachers of Christ of like or greater offences No God is Judge to my conscience That I do it even from an unfained and sore troubled heart as I that know my selfe grievously to have offended the Majesty of my God during the time that Christs Gospel had free passage in England And this I do let you understand That the taking away of the heavenly Bread and this great tempest that now bloweth against the poor disciples of Christ within the Realme of England as touching our part cometh from the great mercy of our heavenly Father to provoke us to unfained repentance for that neither Preacher nor Professor did rightly consider the time of our mercifull Visitation But altogether so we spent the time as though Gods Word had been Preached rather to satisfie our fantasies then to reforme our evill manners Which thing if we earnestly repent then shall Jesus Christ appear to our comfort be the storm never so great Haste O Lord for thy Names sake The second thing that I finde to be noted is The vehemency of the fear which the disciples endured in that great danger being of longer continuance then ever they had at any time before In Saint Matthewes Gospel it appeareth That another time there arose a great stormy Tempest and sore tossed the Boat wherein Christs disciples were labouring But that was nigh the day light and then they had Christ with them in the Ship whom they awaked and cryed for help unto him for at that time he slept in the Boat and so were shortly delivered from their sudden fear But now were they in the midst of the raging Sea and it was night and Christ their Comforter absent from them and cometh not to them neither in the first second nor third Watch What fear think ye were they in And what thoughts arose out of their so troubled hearts during that storm Such as this day be in like danger within the Realme of England doth by this storm better understand then my pen can expresse But of one thing I am well assured That Christs presence would in that great
Word from the whole Realme of England But be thou mindefull O Lord that it is thy Truth which we have professed and that thy enemies blasphemeth thy holy Name and our Profession without Cause Thy holy Gospel is called heresie and we are accused as traytors for professing the same Be mercifull therefore O Lord and be salvation unto us in this time of our anguish Albeit our sins accuse and condemne us yet do thou according to thine own Name We have offended against thee Our sins and iniquities are without number and yet art thou in the midst of us O Lord albeit that tyrants bear rule over our bodies yet thirsteth our souls for the comfort of thy Word Correct us therefore but not in thy hot displeasure spare thy people and permit not thine inheritance to bâ— in rebuke for ever Let such O Lord as now are most afflicted yet once againe praise thy holy Name before thy Congregation Represse the pride of those blood-thirsty Tyrants consume them in thine anger according to the reproach which they have laid against thy holy Name Pour forth thy vengeance upon them and let our eyes behold the blood of thy Saints required of their hands Delay not thy vengeance O Lord but let death devour them in haste Let the earth swallow them up and let them go downe quick to the hells For there is no hope of their amendment the feare and reverence of thy holy Name is quite banished from their hearts and therefore yet again O Lord consume them consume them in thine anger and let them never bring their wicked counsells to effect but according to the godly powers let them be taken in the snare which they have prepared for thine elect Look upon us O Lord with the eyes of thy mercy and shew pity upon us thy weak and sore oppressed Flock Gather us yet once again to the wholesome treasures of thy most holy Word that openly we may confesse thy blessed Name within the Realme of England Grant this O heavenly Father for Christ Iesus thy sons sake Amen If on this manner or otherwise as God shall put in our hearts without hypocrisie in the presence of our God respecting more his glory then our private wealth continually we poure forth our complaint confession and prayers Then so assuredly as our God liveth and as we feel these present troubles shall our God himself rise to our defence he shall confound the counsels of our enemies and trouble the wits of such as most wrongfully troubleth us He shall send Jesu to execute his just judgments against Idolators and against such as obstinately defendeth them Yea the chiefe men of our times shall not escape the vengeance and plagues that are prepared for their portion The flatterers and maintainers of her abominations shall drink the cup of Gods wrath And in despite of the Devill shall yet the glory of Christ Jesus and the brightnesse of his countenance so shine in our hearts by the presence of his grace and before our eyes by the true preaching of his Gospel that altogether we shall fall before him and say O Lord thou art our God we shall extoll thee and shall confesse thy Name for thou â—ast brought wonderous things to passe according to thy counsels which albeit appear to be farre off yet are they true and most assured Thou hast brought to ruine the palaces of tyrants and therefore shall the afflicted magnifie thee and the City of tyrannicall Nations shall fear thee Thou hast been O Lord a strong defence to the poor a sure place of refuge to the afflicted in the time of his anguish This no doubt dear Brethren shall one day be the song of Gods Elect within the Realm of England after that God hath poured forth his vengeance upon these disobedient and blood-thirsty tyrants which now triumpheth in all abominations and therefore yet again beloved in the Lord Abide patiently the Lords deliverance avoyding and flying such offences as may separate and divide you from the blessed felloâ—ship of the Lord Jesus at his second comming Watch and pray resist the â—ivell and row against this vehement tempest and shortly shall the Lord come to the comfort of your hearts which now are oppressed with anguish and care but then shall ye so rejoyce that through gladnesse you shall say Behold this our God we have waited upon him and he hath saved us This is our Lord we have long thirsted for his comming now shall we rejoyce and be glad in his salvation Amen The great Bishop of our souls Jesus our Lord so strengthen and assist your troubled hearts with the mighty comfort of his Holy Ghost that earthly tyrants nor worldly torments have no power to drive you from the hope and expectation of that Kingdom which for the Elect was prepared from the beginning by our heavenly Father to whom be all praise and honour now and ever Amen Remember me dear Brethren in your daily prayers The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen Yours with sorrowfull heart JOHN KNOX The Copie of A LETTER Delivered To Queen Mary Regent OF SCOTLAND FROM IOHN KNOX Minister of Gods Word in the yeer of our Lord 1556. and thereafter augmented and explained by the Author in the yeer of our Lord 1558. To the most Excellent Princesse MARY DOVVAGER Regent of Scotland MADAME THE cause which moved me to present this my Supplication unto your Majestie enlarged and in some places explained being in the Realm of Scotland in the Moneth of May 1556. I caused to be presented to your Majesty is the incredible rage of such as beare the Title of Bishops who against all justice and equitie have pronounced against me a most cruell sentence condemning my Bodie to Fire my Soul to Damnation and all Doctrine taught by me to be false deceivable and Hereticall If this injury did tend to me alone having the testimony of a good conscience with silence I could passe the matter being assured that such as they curse and expell their Synagogues for such causes shall God blesse and Christ Jesus receive in his eternall societie But considering that this their blasphemy is vomited forth against the eternall Truth of Christs Evangell whereof it hath pleased the great mercy of God to make me a Minister I cannot cease to notifie as well to your Majestie as to them That so little am I afraid of their Tyrannicall and surmised sentence that in place of the Picture if God impede not my purpose they shall have the Body to justice that Doctrine which they Members of Satan blasphemously do condemne Advertising your Majestie in the mean time That from them their sentence and tyrannie and from all those that lift to maintain them in the same I do appeal to a lawfull and generall Councel beseeching your Majesty to take in good part that I call you for witnesse that I have required the libertie of
the same did cut it and cast it into the fire notwithstanding that some of the Princes I think not all made request in the contrary But the Prophet was charged by God to write again and to say to Iehoiakim Thus saith the Lord Thou hast burnt this Book saying Why hast thou written in it according to this sentence Assuredly the King of Babylon shall come and shall destroy this land and shall make it void of men and beasts Therefore thus saith the Lord of Jehoiakim the King There shall not be one left alive to sit in the Seat of David Their carkases shall be cast to the heat of the day and to the frost of the night whereby the Prophet did signifie the most vile death and most cruell torment and I shall visite the iniquity of himself and of his seed and servants And I shall bring upon them and upon the inhabitants of Ierusalem and upon all Iudah all the calamities which I have spoken against them Albeit they would not hear This is not written Madame for that time onely but to assure us That the like punishment abideth the like contemners of what state condition or degree that ever they be I did write unto you before having testimony of a good conscience That I did it in the fear of my God and by the motion of his holy Spirit for the request of the faithfull brethren in things lawfull and appertaining to Gods glory I cannot but judge to be the voice of the holy Ghost But how ye did accept the same my former writing I do not otherwise then by conjectures understand whether ye did reade it to the end or not I am uncertain One thing I know That ye did deliver it to one of your Prelats saying My Lord Will ye reade a Pasquill As charity perswadeth me to interpret things doubtfully spoken in the best sense so my duty to God who hath commanded me to flatter no Prince on the earth compelleth me to say That if no more ye esteem the Admonition of God then the Cardinalls do the scoffing of Pasquills that then he shall shortly send you messengers with whom ye shall not be able on that manner to jest If my person be considered I grant my thâ—eatnings are no more to be feared then be the merry sports which fearfull men do father upon Pisquillus in Rome But Madame if ye shall deeply consider That GOD useth men yea and most commonly those that be of lowest degree and most abject before the world to be his Messengers and Ambassadours not onely to notifie his will to the simple but also to rebuke the most proud Tyrants and potent Princes then will ye not judge the liquor by the outward appearance and nature of the vessell For ye are not ignorant That the most noble Wine is inclosed within the Tun made of Fraile wood and that the precious oyntment is often kept within the pot made of Clay If further ye shall consider that God will do nothing touching the punishment of Realms and Nations which he will not reveale to his servants the Prophets whose tongues he will compell to speak somtimes contrary to the appetites and desires of their own hearts and whose words he will perform be they never so unapparent to the judgement of men If these ye do deeply weigh then will ye fear the thing which presently is not seen Elias was but a man as Saint Iames doth witnesse like to his Brethren and yet at his prayer was Achab the Idolater and all Israel with him punished three yeares and six moneths God shutting up the heaven that neither rain nor dew fell upon the earth the space afore written And in the end God so wrought by him that Baals Priests were first confounded and after justly punished And albeit that Iesabel sought his blood and by oath had determined his death yet as she was frustrate of her intent so could she not keep her own bones from the dogs which punishment the Prophet God so ruling his tongue had before appointed to that wicked woman Albeit Madam that the Messengers of God are not sent this day with visible miracles because they teach none other doctrine then that which is confirmed with miracles from the beginning of the world yet will not he who hath promised to take charge over his poor and little flock to the end suffer the contempt of their Embassage escape punishment and vengeance For the truth it self hath said He that heareth you heareth me and he that contemneth you contemneth me I did not speak unto you Madam by my former letter neither yet do I now as Pasquillus doth to the Pope and his carnall Cardinals in the behalf of such as dare not utter their names but I come in the name of Christ Jesus affirming that the Religion which ye maintain is damnable Idolatry the which I offer my self to prove by the most evident testimony of Gods Scriptures And in this quarrell I present my self against all the Papists in the Realm desiring none other Armour but Gods holy Word and the liberty of my tongue God move your heart to understand my Petition to know the truth and unfeinedly to follow the same Amen REVEL JOH 21. I am the beginning and the end I will give to him that is a thirst of the well of the water of life freely He that overcommeth shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my son But the fearfull and unbelceving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all lyers shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death JOHN KNOX THE SERVANT OF JESUS CHRIST In preaching of his Holy Evangell To the benevolent Reader desireth grace and peace with the spirit of righteous judgement WOnder not Christian Reader that all my studie and travell within the Scriptures of God these twenty yeers I have set forth nothing in expounding any portion of Scripture except this onely rude and indigested Sermon preached by me in the publike audience of the Church of Edinburgh the nineteenth day of August Anno 1565. That I did not in writing communicate my judgement upon the Scriptures I have ever thought my self to have most just reason for considering my self rather called of my God to instruct the ignorant comfort the sorrowfull confirm the weak and rebuke the proud by tongue and lively voyce in these most corrupt dayes then to compose Books for the age to come seeing that so much is written and by men of most singular erudition and yet so little well observed I decreed to contain my self within the bounds of that Vocation whereunto I found my self especially called I dare not deny lest that in so doing I should be injurious to the Giver but that God hath revealed unto me secrets unknown to the world and also that he hath made my tongue a Trumpet to forewarn