produced good frute in abundance But o alasse howe are ye changed how are ye corrupted whiâ—â—ervnto are ye fallen and how â—aue ye deceiued the expectation â—f those that then dyd labour in â—laÌ„â—inge and watering you and â—ow do sobbe vnto God for your â—â—gratitude callinge withe teares â—nto his mercie for your coÌ„uersioÌ„â—nd that vnfayned repentance â—ay sodeÌ„ly appeare in you O miserable change that ye who were once ferueÌ„t professors of Christ Iesus aÌ„d of his gospel shulde now â—e subiectes to Antichrist geuiÌ„ge obedieÌ„ce to his false and deceuable doctrine O greuous fall and more theÌ„ greuous y t from y e dignitie of the soÌ„nes of God which prerogatiue ye had by grace and not by nature ye are become slaues to Satan iustifiing by your presence most abominable Idolatrye Yf ye se not the daunger whiche hereupon dependeth ye are more then blynd and if ye se it aÌ„d studye not w t al diligeÌ„ce to auoyd it ye are not onely folishe but altogether bewitched and enraged God dyd not call you frome darkenes to light he dyd not send his sonne Christ Iesus vnto you contemning and refusinge many thowsandes more noble more wise more ancient and more puissant then ye are or euer were God I say dyd not so familiarely coÌ„municate hym self with you in his onely beloued soÌ„ne Christ Iesus to the end that ye at your pleasure and appetite or for the feare of wordly men for losing of goods or corporal lyfe shuld returne to darkenes that ye shulde refuse to serue that soueraing prince in the day of his battayle before whome all knees shal bowe But contrarywise that according as ye were called to y e participation of light that so coÌ„stantly ye shuld walke in y e same that as ye were appointed souldyers to fight against Sathan the â—rince of this worlde and against â—is progenye ennemies to Christ Iesus so shulde ye boldly abyde â—n the rancke in whiche God had placed you being farther moste â—ertenly persuaded y t he that â—lieth the battail and denieth Christ Iesus before men shal be denyed before his heuenly father yea also y t suche as refuse not father mother sister and brother are not worthy of hym and moreouer y t suche as do not boldly confesse him before this wicked generation shal neuer be confessed to appertayne to him nor to the glorie of his kingdome when he shal be accoÌ„paned w t his angels Which thinges I thoght once had bene so depely grafted in your hartes that albeit angels frome heauen shulde haue persuaded you to the contrary y t ye shuld haue holden them accuâ—sed and so in that behalfe haue reiected their persuasion doctrine as a poison most pestilent which is death damnation to all that receiue it For so dyd ye once professe and suche was my hope of you y t so in hart you had determined for Christ Iesus was not preached amongst you without his crosse Howe oft hath it bene bett in your eares that the seruaÌ„t can not be aboue the Lord that the membres must be conformed to the head that by many tribulations we must enter into the kiÌ„gdome of God that all y t will lyue godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution and that paâ—tly because Sathan the prince of this worlde can neuer be so brydeled during this battayle but that he will striue to recouer strength and partly because that synne remayneth in vs he is permitted to sting with his venomous tayle wheÌ„ his head is brused Was not this doctrine â—ommon vnto you Yea haue ye â—ot hard ofter theÌ„ once that your â—yes shuld se Christ Iesus perseâ—uted in his pore membres that â—is veritie shulde be oppugned â—hat superstition lyes and Idolaâ—rie shuld preuayle and haue the â—pper hand that the kindome of heauen the true preaching of his Euangil shuld be taken from you â—or the ingratitude and stubburâ—es of men who more delyted in â—arkenes then in light None of â—hese things at that tyme dyd â—ppeare strange vnto you nether â—yd they discorage you but ye â—emed being admonished what â—aunger it was to refuse Christ Iesus most stedfastly to cleaue to â—he veritie notwithstanding that â—he whole world shuld haue refuâ—ed the same How oft haue ye assisted to Baâ—tisme how oft haue ye bene parâ—akers of y e Lords table prepared vsed ministred in all simplicitie not as maÌ„ had deuised netheâ— as the kinges procedinges dyd aâ— lowe but as Christ Iesus dyd institute and as it is euident thaâ— Sainct Paule dyd practise Theâ—â— two sacrameÌ„tes â–ª seales of Christe Euangil ye commonly vsed baptisme for your children and the table of the Lorde to your ownâ— comforte and for the open confession of your religion And so oft I say deare brethern dyd yâ— witnesse before meÌ„ sweare bâ—fore God that ye woulde dye 〈◊〉 Christ Iesus to the end that yâ— might lyue by him that ye would refusâ— the doctrine of men and the participation of all Idolatry â–ª and woulde constantly stand and stickfast to that religion which then ye pâ—ofessed and approued But ô alasse what miserable ruâ—ne hathe this suddayne and shoâ—â— storme made of that building◠〈◊〉 was beg on amongst you The windes haue blowne and the flodes are come and the walles are fallen in one heape God graunt that the fundatioÌ„ abyde the fyer is come but in you alasse is nether founde golde siluer nor precious stone but all is brent and all is consumed so that if I shal iudge the frute of my pore lobors amongst you by myne owne iudgment reason or apprehension I shulde iudge my selfe and my labors accursed of God for that that I se no better successe O consider deare brethren what grief it is that in suche a multitude none shal be found faithful none constant none bolde in the cawse of the Lorde Iesus whome so boldlye before they had professed God is witnesse and I refuse not your owne iudgmentes how simplye vprightly I conuersed and walked amongst you thogh in his presence I was and am nothing but a masse of corruption rebellion and hypocrisie yet as coÌ„cerning you and the doctrine taght amongst you as then I walked so nowe do I write in the presence of him who onely knoweth shal reueale y e secretes of all hartes y t nether for feare dyd I spare to speake the simple truthe vnto you nether for hope of worldly promotion dignitie or honour dyd I willingly adulterate any parte of Gods scriptures whether it were in expositioÌ„ in preaching contention or writing but that simply plainly as it pleased the merciful goodnes of my God to giue vnto me the vtteraÌ„ce vnderstanding spirite I dyd distribute the bread of lyfe I meane Gods most holy worde as of Christ Iesus I had receiued it I soght nether preheminence glorie nor riches my honour was that Christ Iesus shuld reigne my glorie that the light of his truthe shuld shyne in you and my greatest
THE COPIE OF AN EPISTLE SENT BY IOHN KNOX ONE OF the Ministers of the Englishe Church at Geneua vnto the inhabitants of Newcastle Barwike In â—â—e end wherof is added a briefe exhortation to England for the spedie imbrasing of Christes Gospel hertofore suppressed banished MATTH CHAP. VII â—uerie tree which bringethe not fourthe good frute is hewne downe and cast into the fyer AT GENEVA M.D.LIX. MATH x. VVho so euer shal confesse me before men him wil I confesse also before my father whiche is in heauen but who soeuer shal denie me before men him wil I also denye before my father whiche is in heauen â—â—hn Knox to the inhabitantes of Nâ—wcasâ—le aÌ„d Barwike and vnto â—â—her who sometyme in the Realme â—nglande profâ—ssed Christ Iesus aÌ„d 〈◊〉 be returned to the bondage of 〈◊〉 wisheth true and earnestreâ—ancely the powre and operation â—at same spirite who called from â—he Iesus the onely pastour of our 〈◊〉 IF the reason of man shal be called to iudg what frute ensuethe the payneful trauail of Gods most faithâ—â—ll seruantes who at his comâ—andement studie to repayre his â—itie and to purge his temple â—â—t onely shal their labours be â—stemed for a tyme to be vainly â—pent but skarsely shal the wisdome of God throughe mans â—ashe iudgement escape condemnation nether shal the veritie of his promesses be free frome suspition of falsehod and vanitie For to mans reason nothing appeareth more absurde folishe nor vnreasonable then y t God whose powre no creature is able to resist shal send fourth his messingers to performe his worke and wil and that the same shal be so impugned that their building in their owne eyes shal be ouerthrowne and destroyed and that the natural man can not se how the promesses of Christ Iesus made to his Apostles and vnder their names to all true preachers of his holy Gospel in these wordes can be prouen constant and true I haue saith he appointed you to go and to bring fourthe frute that your frute shal abyde The stabilitie and truth I say of this promesse dothe not sodenly appeare but rather the playne contrary For if the frute of the Gospel and glad tydinges preached be first in this lyfe the glorye of God I meane such good workes as may declare the spirite of regeneration shining in man after that he be planted in Christ Iesus and after this battel the ioy prepared for Gods children if these I say be the frutes of Christ Iesus preached then appeare the most parte of trees to be destroyed before the tyme of frute dothe approche For some by tyrannie and violence are rooted out frome the societie of earthely creatures before they beginne to florish so is their frute to maÌ„s iudgement impeaded and hindered some are blasted and wythered withe stormy windes and some are corrupted ether by vermine or by venemous humors proceding frome a corrupt fountayne so that the frute of none almost dothe appere to our eyes To speake the matter simply and without figure the men that appeared to the faithfull laborers to haue bene planted in Christ who callethe him self the verie vyne and those that professe his truthe the vine branches are subiect to so many tentacions that skarsely emongst a thowsand dothe one take roote and bring forthe frute with pacieÌ„ce Notwithstanding suche as by tyâ—annye violent persecution are suddaynly rest from this lyfe do neuertheles produce and bring forthe frute delectable and pleasing in the sight of him who hathe appointed an ende to the trauayl miseries of his deare children albeyt this frute to the natural maÌ„ is so sowâ—e and vnsauery so hard and vnpleasant that the onely sight of it not onely gyuethe occasion to the reprobat to vtter their venome and malice against Christ Iesus but also for a season it vexeth and tormenteth Gods most deare children For as the one doeth insolently reioyce as thoghe God dyd fauor maiÌ„tein their tyraÌ„nye so dothe the other vndiscretely lament aÌ„d pronounce wrong iudgement esteminge that more it shulde stande with Gods glorie and honour and more also with the profet of his Churche y t suche as to whome he hathe of mercie graunted notable graces shulde rather be preserued in lyfe then permitted and giuen ouer to the wicked appetites of cruel persecutors Howbeit as y e frute of these trees is best knowne to God alone so is it iustified and approued by him whatsoeuer the folishe wisdome of the natural man shal iudge in the contrary For the prophet Esai pronounceth that the iust perisheth so dothe it appere to maÌ„s iudgement and yet that no man putteth it in harte that is dothe earnestly consider it that the men of mercie are taken awaye and the worlde neuertheles dothe reioyce and tryumphe But the holy ghost assigneth an other cawse that the iust is taken away before that his eyes behold greater miseries that he entreth into his peace before that Gods vengeance beginne to be powred forthe vpon the prowde and disobedient and so doth their frute abyde and continew not onely to their perpetual ioye but also to the comforte and consolation of the afflicted y t suffer for rightuousnes sake euen to th eÌ„de For y e same God y t of mercie had respect to their infirmitie and so dyd preuent the daungers that might haue apprehended them prouiding also for his Churche aboue the expectation of mortal man wil not dispise the sobbes of his â—fflicted now in these most wretâ—hed and most wicked dayes But of these trees and of their frute I cease at this tyme farther â—o speake because that the doloâ—ous estate of many that be alyue â—awsethe me some tymes to giue thankes vnto God for the happie deliuerance of suche as constantly departed in the Lorde whether it was by persecution of tyrantes or by natural deathe Consider with me deare brethern I speake to you of New-castle and Barwicke your miserable estate and most dolorous condition Your profession dyd once declare before men that ye were branches planted and ingrafted in Christ Iesus whose holy gospel whiche is the powre of God to the saluation of all y t beleue it ye appeared to haue receaued with all reuerence and gladnes The displeasure of your natural and carnal frendes who then were ennemies to Christ Iesus aÌ„d to his eternal veritie some of you dyd paciently beare Ye feared not to go before statutes and lawes yea openly and solemnedly you dyd professe by receiuing the sacramentes not as maÌ„ had appointed but as Christ Iesus the wisdome of God the father had institute to be subiect in al thinges concerning religioÌ„ to his yoke alone to acknowledg and auouche him before y e world to be your onely lawe gyuer soueraigne prince and onely sauiour Thus I say ye appeared at that tyme to haue bene the delicate plantes of the Eternal the workemanship of his owne handes and the trees that in season and tyme shulde haue
founde no place of repentaÌ„ce the dore of mercie was shit vp by his former contempt he bowled and cryed but not for his syn former vnthankefulnes he begged blessiÌ„g but his eie being fixed vpoÌ„ this present world he remayned accursed before God burniÌ„g in hatred imagining murther and the death of his brother whome God had honored with his spiritual benedictioÌ„ This historie as by y e Apostle we are taght is not written for Esau onely but for ensample and admonition to aâ—l those that prefer the prophane and contemptible pleasures of this earthe to the benediction inheritaÌ„ce promised to Abrahám and vnto his seale Enter in iudgement with your selues deare bretherne coÌ„sider earnestly what exchange ye haue made Ye haue refused â—enied God the father his deare sonne Christ Iesus so y e whole ioye coÌ„fort of his kingdome ye haue quit y e portion of your inheritaÌ„ce haue despised y e benedictioÌ„ promised to suche as shulde abyde in the truethe to the ende And what reward haue ye receyued a measse of pottage yea muche lesse if the matter shal be wel coÌ„sidered For the fauour of your Quene accursed by God y e freÌ„dshipe of the counsel destitute of wisdome and your wretched and miserable lyues compared w t y e thiÌ„ges w c ye haue lost are muche inferiour to the pottage for y e w t Esau solde his birthright For his appetites and lustes were saciaâ— for a tyme but I am assured that your bellies for the whiche ye haue refused God are more eÌ„ptie theÌ„ they were before Now are ye coÌ„pelled to fede y e proude Spanyard bothe within and wtout your coÌ„try Taxe followeth taxe and one exaction calleth for an other The laÌ„des aÌ„d inheritances must pay at pleasure of y e parlament â–ª y e mouable goodes can not escape valuation and censure where oppression and extorsion beare rule dominioÌ„ These are y e great benifites w c of Iesabel ye haue receyued for refusinge of God bowing at her coÌ„mandement to Baal But let it be y t you had receyued sinse your reuolt falling from God y e greatest riches y e greatest honor y e greatest victorie the most established rest y t euer natioÌ„ had sinse the begynning yet had ye chaÌ„ged your former glorie for a mease of pottage For do ye not know y t al these things shal cuanish as a dreame in the night ceasoÌ„ And as coÌ„cernyng y e preseruatioÌ„ safetie of your lyues for y t w c ye haue refused God who onely is y e auctor of life y e day shal shortly come wheÌ„ ye shal proue this sentence of Christ Iesus to be true in experience that whosoeuer to kepe or find his life denyeth Christ Iesus before meÌ„ shal lose his life bothe corporal eternal For as your Iesabel can nothinge without the wil permission of him who is omnipoteÌ„t so can nether she nor you reteine nor holde the breath in her nor your moste frayle bodies when that most potent Lord shal saye Returne to dust ô ye vnthankful sonnes of moâ—tal men Seing it is so deare bretherne that Gods iudgemeÌ„tes ye can not escape humble your selues be tymes before that his vengeance be armed to your destruction Yf ye coÌ„tinue in this deadlie securitie regarding nothing what honour ye haue lost it shal be to late for you to howle and crye when youre blessing 〈◊〉 in your owne cares be giuen to others Repent therfore betymes and as ye haue opeÌ„ly declined from God by refusal of his vâ—â—itie so let your coÌ„uersioÌ„ be manifest by remouynge from amoÌ„gâ—â— you all kiÌ„de of Idolatrie This I knowe appeareth to you so vnpossible to be ê‘formed 〈◊〉 ye iudge me rather to mock you â—neÌ„ to exhort you to repentaÌ„ce by this meaÌ„es But deare bretherne coÌ„sider with me that the thinges which to man seme most impossible are easie to our God to 〈◊〉 to passe if we wil refuse our selues and onely giue obedience to his commandemeÌ„tes Impossible it appeared to the afiliated children of Israel that they â—oulde be deliuered from the tyrannie of Phorao and from the bondage of the Egyptians And â—n verie dede their yoke was augmeÌ„ted and their burthens made more greuous many dayes after they had at Moses commandement asked libertie to make sacrifice to the liuing Godâ— But were they dispised or frustrate of their expectation in the end or dyd suche as suppressed them or assisted their king in persecution of Gods people escape veÌ„geaÌ„ce we knowe the contrarie The haÌ„d of our God is no more feble now â–ª then it was then â–ª his good wil aÌ„d loue remayneth one at al tymeâ— towarde such as depeÌ„d vpoÌ„ him Acknowledge then your synnes mourne for your vnthaÌ„kefulnes absteyne froÌ„ Idolatrie call boldely that the libertie of Christ Iesus of his holy gospel preached may be restored vnto you consent not by your silence to the sheding of the blood of innoceÌ„tes whiche for the testimonie of Christes trueth is shed amongst you in great abundaÌ„ce but boldly beare witnes that iniurie is done vnto them and so shal you knowe shortly in experieÌ„ce that God is no vayne promiser of support to such as shal be iniustly oppressed especially for the cause of his Euangil But alas deare brethern I speak to you of whose boldenes I once reioysed for whose fall God knoweth I now mourne if ye shal continue in rebellioÌ„ against God because ye dare not displease men as ye shal not escape damnation eternal so shal ye fele in your owne bodies yea the bodies of your posteritie after you shal feele that his prophetes haue not vaynely threatned bondage and thraldoÌ„ against the inobedient And be you assured that by mainteyning of Idolatrie you shal neuer attein to that quietnes which ye seke in this earthe but contrarywise God shal plage you eueÌ„ by those whome ye studie to please Therfore in few wordes to coÌ„clude yf ye intende to escape Gods seuere iudgementes if ye loke to find â—oÌ„ fauorable other to you or yet to your posteritie sleape no longer in your syn coÌ„sider froÌ„ what honour you are falleÌ„ what daunger hangeth ouer your heades remember how feareful and horrible it is to haue God your ennemie in depe consideratioÌ„ therof call for mercie studie vnfaynedly to rise agayne professe the trueth whiche ye haue denyed remoue to your powre iniquitie fâ—ome amongste you aÌ„d abstayne in your bodies from Idolatrie committed and maynteyned by your wicked rulers And in so doing as ye shal dayly increase in knowledge and strength so shal ye finde grace whiche ye haue not deserued aÌ„d that by the meanes of our Lorde Iesus Christ whose omnipotent spirit so illuminate your senses and vnderstandinge that clearly ye may se what is the riches of y t glorie which God hath prepared for such as vnfaynedly loue him and how horrible are the tormentes whiche the slaues of