A FAYTHfull admonition made by Iohn̄ Knox vnto the professours of Gods truthe in England wher by thou mayest learne howe God wyll haue his Churche exercised with troubles and how he defendeth it in the same Esaie ix After all this shall not the Lordes wrath ceasse but yet shall hys hande be stretched out styll Ibidem Take hede that the Lorde roote thee not out bothe heade and tayle in one daye THE EPISTLE OF A BAnyshed manne out of Leycester Shire sometyme one of the Preachers of Goddes worde there to the Christen reader wysheth health delyueraunce and felicitie THere hath bene no tyme syth the fyrst fashionynge of man whiche hath not had her manyfold myseries and great troubles by which God chaistened and punished all men for their euel lyfe and vnthanckfulnes to hym continually refusyng his callyng and warnyng wherof the ryghteous and iuste had their partes althoughe it was for their cōmoditie profit but to the vtter destruccion of the wycked and vngodly for iudgement begynneth at the faythful which are called the housholde of God in the Scripture and the punyshment wherby God chasteneth them cōmeth alwayes to them for the best either to the bringyng of pacience or the acknowlegyng of their synnes or for the auoidynge of the eternall condempnatiō And their fashion is when they perceaue the hāde of the Lorde to be vpon them or vpon others by any maner of trouble as pouertie sycknes banishment fallynge awaye of faithful frendes encreasyng of foes or any other lyke trouble Immediatly they turne to God are hertely sorye for their synnes and vnthankful nes confesseth them selues giltie calleth earnestly for mercye whiche God for and in Iesus Christ graūteth vnto thē of his great goodnes according to his promise So as in y e myddest of their troubles he hath vsed al wayes to comforte them yea helpe and deliuer them as it appeareth by Noe Abrahā Loth and the patriarkes Dauid and Ezechia kynhes Helye Hieremy and Daniel prophetes Susanna a woman Peter Paule and the reste of the Apostles together with al good persones in all tymes and ages who in their great troubles chaunges of estates and kyngdomes and destruccion of their cōmō wealthes after they had turned to God from whence those plagues came foūd reliefe helpe cōforte and deliueraunce in these and the lyke miserable necessities Thys was the onely remedye and defence for all good men thyther hath bene their chef refuge there fastened they their hope and rested not cōtinually callyng vpon hym vntyl they obreyned their requestes or els y t whiche made moste for Goddes glorie and their commoditie and profyt but cōtrarie wyse it is wyth the peruers vngodly For so sone as they are plaged or punyshed they grudge agaīst God they hate hym and speake dispitefully against hym they ascribe theyr plagues to euel luck or to misfortune they are nothyng moued by them to acknowledge their great sinnes therfore they call not vpon him but eyther they do runne in dispaire or in contempt of God and therfore it can not be thought y t their punyshmentes are tokens of the rest quietnes that they maye haue after thys lyfe but rather to be the begynnyng of their tormentes whiche they shall thē suffre The examples wherof are lykewyse set out to vs in y e holy Scri ptures as of Cain of the Iewes as wel before the cōmyng of Christe as after his ascention of wycked Iesabel of Iudas the traitor and of the thefe whiche was hanged vpon the left syde of our Lorde Jesus Christe with diuers many mo who in all their troubles either grudged againste God forsoke hym or spake wordes of despite against hym and his prophetes or els fell into dispaire or in contempt of hym any of which are causes of goddes further displeasure and of sendyng of his greater plages to haist their destruccion yet the order of the punyshmētes of God wherin he declareth his merciful nature is to be obserued of vs which is he plageth not cōmōly al offenders with one maner plages in one tyme although they be all a lyke gyltie but he stryketh some sorer thē others begynneth in some one coūtre or citie that y e residue mighte be moued by the example of their punishmentes and haue tyme place to turne to hym who seketh not the death of a synner but hys amendement and lyfe as it appeareth by the storye of Achab after his wyfe Iesabel had caused Naboth to be put to death howbeit where he threatneth to punyshe the earth wyth some one plague as honger noisome beastes the sworde or pestilence he threateneth all iiij at once vpon Ierusalem which bear the name of his people but were disobediēt vnto hym whiche may worthely make vs feare the more because we the people of England are in the lyke case amonge whom he hath sent alreadye the deuourynge swerde and a greate sort of slowe bellyed hote and cruel beastes to destroye But let vs follow the exāples of all good men in doinge as the Lorde our God commaundeh vs yet in these our plages whyche is to turne to hym wyth all oure hartes and call vpon hym it is he onelye that maye can and wyll delyuer vs let y t vaine truste of mās helpe be forgotten leaue of to seke swete water in filthy puddels what comfort can the sycke mā haue of one that is moche sycker then hym selfe and loketh for nothynge els but for death let the noble men of England leaue inconstancie luste and couetousnes and turne to God a ryght and let the people do the same lyke as there is no man that feleth not or feareth not some great plague to come vpō him because of his synne euen so let euery mā repent turne to God cal for helpe betyme for there hath bene no tyme sence the ascencion of our Lord Iesus Christ wherin there hath ben greater plages then ther is now in oure tyme for besyde bloody warre soden death great vntruth opē periurie diuision straūge cōsumyng fyres chaūge of great estates cōmon wealthes ouerflowyng of great cities lādes by water honger pouertie without petie so as it should appeare y t God causeth the very elementes to fyght agaynst the world which somtyme he caused to defend his people he hath suffred al so y t trueth of his word the true maner of worshipping of him accordig to the scriptures to be cleane takē away as it was by Christ threatned to the Iewes in y e gospel of S. Math. in token of his further indignatiō the honger and thirst after hym and his kyngdome is takē from the most parte of y e whole realme that it may be altogether voide of that good blessyng which Iesus Christ our Lorde speaketh of in y e gospel of S. Math. sayeng Blessed are they which honger thrust after ryghteousnes c. Ho suffreth for thy vnthankfulnes O Englande false
therfore of necessitie it was that in their owne bo dies they should suffre trouble for their better instruccion When I depely consider dearly beloued in our Sauiour Christ how aboundauntly and how miraculouslye the poore smale flocke of Christe Iesus was fedde within the realme of Englande vnder that electe chosen vessel of God to glorye honour Edward the sixte and nowe againe be holde not only the dispersion and scattering abrode but also the apperinge destruccion of the same vnder these cursed cruel and abhominable Idolatrers me thinke I se the same causes to haue moued God not only to withdrawe his presence frō the multitude but also to haue sent his welbeloued seruaūtes to the trauels of the Seas wherin they are sore tossed and turmoylled and appearantly moste lyke to perishe What were the affeccions of the greatest multitude that folowed the Gospel in this former reste abundaunce is easy to be iudged yf the lyfe and conuersation of euery man should haue bene throughlye examined For who lyued in that rest as that he had refused him selfe Who lyued in that reste as that he hadde ben crucified with Christ Who lyued in that reste as that he had certainly loked for trouble to come vpō him Yea who lyued not rather in delicacye and ioye sekyng the world and pleasures therof caryng for the fleshe carnal appetites as thoughe death and synne had cleane ben deuoured And what was this els then to make of Christe an earrhlye Kynge The worde that we professed dayly cryed in our eares that our kingdom our ioye our reste and felicitie neither was is nor should be in the earth neither in any transitory thinge therof but in heauen in to whiche we muste entre by many tribulations But Alas we sleped in suche securitie that the sounde of this trompet coulde of manye neuer be parfytly vnderstanded but alway es we perswaded our selues of a cer tain trāquillitie as though the troubles wherof mencion is made with in the Scriptures of God appertai ned nothing at al to this age but vnto suche as of longe tyme are pas sed before vs. And therfore was our heauenly father compelled to withdrawe from vs the presence of his verite whose voice in those dayes we could not beleue to y e ende that more earnestly we may thrist for the same and with more obedience imbrace and receaue it◅ yf euer it shal please his infinite goodnes in suche abundaunce to restore the same agayne I meane nothinge of those y e folowed Christ onely for their bellies for suche perceiuing y t they could not optaine their hertes desire of Christ haue grudged left hym in bodye herte whiche thinge their blasphemouse voices spokē against his eternall veritie dothe witnesse and declare For suche brother be ye not moued for in the tyme of their profession they were not of vs but were very dissemblers and hypocrites And therfore God iustly permitteth that they blaspheme the truthe whiche they neuer loued I meane not that euer suche dissemblinge hypocrites shal imbrace the veritie but I meane of suche as by infirmitie of the fleshe and by natural blyndnesse which in this lyfe is neuer al together expelled then coulde not geue the very obedience which Goddes worde required neither nowe by weaknes of faith dare openly bold ly confesse that which their hertes knowe to be moste true and yet lamenteth and mourneth both for the imperfection by passed and present From suche shal not the amiable pre sence of Christe Iesus for euer be withdrawen But yet agayn shal the eyes of their sore troubled hertes be holde and se that light of Christes Gospel wherin they moste delyte The Ministers who were the distributours of this bread the true worde of God wherwith the multi tude within Englande was fedde lacked not their offences which also moued God to sende vs to the sea And because the offences of no man are so manifest vnto me as are myne owne only of my selfe I wyl be thac cusoure It is not vnknowen vnto many that I the moste wretched was one of that nombre whom God appointed to receaue that bread as it was broken by Christ Iesus to distribute and geue the same to suche as he had called to this banket in that parte of his table where he appointed me to serue It is not in my knowlege nor iudgement to define nor determine what porcion or quantitie euery mā receaued of this breade neither yet howe that whiche they receaued agreed with their stomackes But of this I am assured that the benedicciō of Christ Iesus so multiplied the porcion that I receyued of his handes that duryng that banket this I writte to the prayse of his name and to the accusacion of myne owne vnthankfulnes the bread neuer failed when the hongry soule craued or cry ed for foode and at the ende of the banket myne owne conscicnce beareth wytnesse that my handes gathered vp the crummes that were lefte in suche abundaunce that my basket was ful amonge the reste To be playne myne owne consci ence beareth recorde to my selfe how smale was my learning and howe weake I was of iudgement when Christ Iesus called me to be his stewarde and howe mightely daye by daye and tyme by time he multiplied his graces with me if I should concele I were moste wicked and vnthankful But alasse howe blynded was my herte and howe litle I dyd consyder the dignitie of that office and the power of God that thē multiplied and blessed the bread whiche the people receaued of my handes this daye myne owne cōscience beareth witnesse to my selfe God I take to recorde in my cōscience that I delyuered the same bread that I receaued of Christes handes that I mixed no poison with the same that is I teached Christes Gospel without any mixture of mēnes dreames deuises or phantasies But Alasse I dyd it nat with suche feruencie with suche indifferency with suche diligence as this day I know my dutye was to haue done Some complained in those dayes that y e preachers were vndiscrete persones yea and some called them raylers and worse because they spake against the manifest iniquitie of men and especially of those that thē were placed in authoritie aswel in the courte as in other offices vniuersally throughout the realme both in cities townes and villages And amonge other paraduenture my rude plainnesse displeased some who did complaine that rasshly I dyd speake of mennes fautes so that al men myght knowe and perceaue of whō I ment But alasse this daye my cōsciēce accuseth me that I spake not so plainly as my dutie was to haue done For I ought to haue said to the wicked man expressedlye by his name Thou shalt dye the death For I fynde Ieremye the prophete to haue done to Pashur the hygh Priest and to Zedechias the Kinge And not only him but also ◅elias Eliseus Micheas
also to be the power of God to salua cion to al that beleue the bryght laÌ„tarne to the fete of these that by nature walke in darkenesâ—…e the lyfe to those that by synne are dead A com forte of suche as be in tribulation the towre of defence to suche as be moste feble the wysedome and great felicitie of suche as delyteth in the same and to be shorte you knowe Goddes worde to be of suche efficacie and streÌ„gth that therby is synne purged death vanquyshed tyrauntes suppressed and finally the deuell the 〈◊〉 of all myserie ouerthrowen and consounded This I saye I write that ye knowynge this of the holy worde and moste blessed gospel and voyce of God whiche once you haue herde I trust to your comforte maye nowe in this houre of darkenesse and moste ragynge teÌ„peste thriste and praye that ye maye heare yet once agayne this amiable voyce of your sauiour Christe be of good comforte it is I feare not And also that ye maye receaue some consolacion by that blessed Gospel which before you haue professed assuredly knowyng that God shal be no lesse mercyfull vnto you then he hath bene to other afflicted for hys names sake before you And albeit that god by and by remoue not thys horrible darknesse neither yet that he soddenly pacifieth this tempeste yet shall he not suffer his tossed bote to be drowned Remembre brethren that Goddes vengeaunce plaged not Pharao the fyrst yeare of his tyranny Neyther dyd the dogges deâ—…oure and coÌ„ sume bothe the fleshe and bones of wicked Iezabel when she first erected and set vp her Idolatrie And yet as none of them escaped due pu nishment So dyd God preserue his afflicted churche in despite of Sathan and of his blynde and moste wretched seruauntes As he shal not faile to do in this great tempest and darkenesse within the realme of En glande And therfore yet agayne be loued in the Lorde let the comforte of Goddes promises somwhat quyc ken your dulled spirites Erercise your selues now secretly i reuoluing that which somtymes you haue herde openly proclamed in your eares And be euery man nowe a faythful preacher vnto his brother Yf youre cammunicacion be of Christ assured ly he wyll come before you be ware His worde is lyke vnto swete smellynge oyntmeÌ„t or fragrant flowres which â—…eue â–ª can be moued nor haÌ„dâ—… but forth goeth the odoure to the comforte of those that standeth by whiche is nothyng so delectable yf the oyntment remayne wythin the boxe and the floures stande or lye wythout touchyng or mocion Marke well dere brethreÌ„ before that Christe spake his disciples iudged hym to haue bene some wycked spirite which was to them no delectable sauoure But wheÌ„ he speaketh the swete odoure of his voyce pearseth their heartes For what coÌ„forte was in the heartes of the disciples when they herde these wordes Be of good comforte it is I. That is Iudge not that I am a spirite come to your destruccion â—…o I am come for your delyuerauÌ„ce It is I. Youre maister yea your maister most familiar It is I whose voyce and doctrine you knowe for ye are my shepe It is I whose workes you haue sene although perfytly ye consydered not the same It is I who coÌ„maunded you to entre into this iourney and therfore am I come to you now in the houre of your trouble therfore be not affrayed This storme shall â—…casse and you shal be delyuered What comforte I say deare bre thren was in the hertes of the disciples hearing Christes voice â—… ynge hym by the same can neither the tounge nor penne of maÌ„ expresse but onely suche as aster longe conflicte and stryfe whiche is betwixte the fleshe and the spirite in the tyme of extreme troubles when Christ appereth to be absent feleth at laste the consolation of the holy ghost can wytnesse and declare And Peter geueth some external signe what Christes wordes wrought inwardly in his herte For immediatly after he heard his masters voice he sayeth Lorde yf it be thou Commaunde me to come vnto the vpon the waters Here maye be sene what Christes voyce had wrought in Peters herte truely not onlye a forgettynge and contempt of the greate tempeste but also suche bolde nesse and loue that he coulde feare no daunger folowyng but assuredly dyd beleue that his maister Christes puissaunce power and myghte was suche that nothyng myght resiste his worde and coÌ„manÌ„dement and therfore he sayeth CommauÌ„de me to come As thoughe he woulde saye I desyre no more but the assuraunce of thy commaundement Yf thou wilt commaunde I am determined to obeye For assuredlye I knowe that the waters can not preuaile against me Yf thou speake the worde So that what so euer is possible vnto thee by thy wil and word maye be possible vnto me Thus Christe to instructe Peter further and vs by his example condescended vnto his petition And coÌ„ maunded him to come And Peter quickly leauyng y e bote came downe from it and walked vpoÌ„ the waters to come to Christe Thus farre of Pe ters facte in whyche lyeth great aboundaunce of doctrine but I will passe ouer al that especially appertai neth not to the qualitie of this time within the realme of Englande Before it is sayd welbeloued bre threÌ„ that somtymes the messengers of lyfe are iudged to be very messengers of death that not onely with the reprobate but also with goddes electe As was Moses with the Israelites Ieremie with the citie of IerusaleÌ„ and Christe him selfe with his apostles But that is not a synne permaneÌ„t and that abydeth for euer with goddes electe but it vanysheth awaye in suche sorte that not onely they knowe y e voyce of their pastour but also they earnestly studye to obey and folowe it with the daunger of theyr owne lyues For this is the spe cial difference betwixte the children of God and the reprobate The one obeyeth God speaking by his messengers whome they imbrace wyth vnfayned loue And that they do somtymes not onely against al worldly appearaunce but also against ciuile statutes and ordinaâ—…ces of men And therfore in their great extremitie receyue they comforte beyonde expectacion The other alwayes resysteth god des messengers hateth his worde And therfore in their great aduersitie God either taketh from them the presence of his worde or els they fal into so deadly desperacion that although goddes messengers be sente vnto them yet neyther can they receaue comforte by Goddes promyses neyther folowe the couÌ„sel of god des true messengers be it neuer so perfite and frutful Hereof haue we many euident testimonies within the scriptures of God Of Saul it is plaine that God so lefte him that neither wolde he geue him aunswere by prophete by dreame nor by vision To Ahas kynge of Iuda in his great anguyshe and feare whiche he had conceyâ—…ed by the multitude of those that were conâ—…ured