AN ANSWER TO A LETTER OF A IESVIT NAmed Tyrie be Iohne Knox. ¶ PROV XXVI Answer not a foole according to his foolishenes least thow be lyke him answer a foole according to his foolishnes least he be wise in his oweÌ„ coÌ„seat THE contrarietie appearing at the first sight betuix thir twa senteÌ„cis stay it for a tyme baith heart to meditate hand to wryte any thing coÌ„trair that blaspheamous letter But when with better mynd God gaue me to considder that whosoeuer opponis not him self bouldly to blasphemy manifest leiâ— differis lytill fra tratouris cloking fostering so far as in them ly the treasoun of tratours dampnable impietie of those against whome Gods iust evengance mon burne without end vnles spedie repentaÌ„ce follow To quyet therefore my owne conscience I put hand to the pen as followeth IMPRENTIT AT SANCTANdrois be Robert Lekpreuik Anno. Do. 1572. IOHNE KNOX The seruand of Iesus Christ now wearie of the world and daylie luiking for the resolution of this my earthly Tabernakle to the faithfull that God of his mercy sall appoint to feght after me desyris grace mercy and peace from God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ with the spirite of sanctificatioun to resist all kynd of impietie in thir last and moste wicked dayis wherein Sathan rages knowing that he hes a short tyme to trouble Goddis peple WONDER not gentill Reidar that sic ane argumeÌ„t suld proceed fra me in thir dolorous days after that I haue taken gudenight at y e world and at all y e fasherie of the same except to lament for my awin sinnis and for the sinnis of vtheris Of whome allace I feir mony can not lament for them selues becaus they haue sauld theÌ„ selues to wirk impietie with all gredynes without sens fealing of any dolour that proceadeth froÌ„ God Yet Lord thow knowes thy owen thow drawes froÌ„ iniquitie all that vnfeinedly incall thy name There ar seuin yeares past sen a scrole send froÌ„ a Iesuite to his brother was presented vnto me be a â—aithfull brother requyring sum answer to be maid to the same whais iust petitioun I willing to obey I pat my haÌ„d to the pen alâ—hogh I â—and small tyme of quyetnes for it was immediatly â—fter that I was called back fâ—om exyle be the Kirk of Edinburgh after Dauids Iudgement Amongs my other caires I 〈◊〉 that which follow is that in few day is which being finished I â—epented of my laubour and purposed fullie to haue suppressed it Which naâ— dout I had done if that the Deuil had not steirit vp the Iesuites â–ª of Paris to â—â—ouble godlie harts with the same argâ—mentis which Tyâ—ie vsis amplifyed and set 〈◊〉 with all the dog eloquence that Sathan can deuyse for suppressing of the fre progres of the Euangell of Iesus Christ and for the cuiring of the wouÌ„dit â—ead of y e beist thaâ— Romane Antichrist who shall to distruction in despyte of all those that studie either to erect or yet to manteane him and his dampnable abusis Which God hes discloâ—â—t to sic as the Deuill hes not blinded so that they can not discerne betuix darknes and light The ordour that is keped in an swering of his proud arrogancie presumpteous foolishenes the entres of the treatise will declare I haue added vnto this prefâ—ce a meditatioun or prâ—yer thrawin furth of my sorrowful heart pro 〈◊〉 be my half dead toung befoir I was coÌ„pelled to leaue my flocke of Edinburgh who now dispersed suffering lytill les calamitie then did the faithfull efter the persecuâ—ioun of Steaphen Lord comfort and strenthen thame to the end that anes we may meit in glorie For all worldly 〈◊〉 is bot vane and an occasioun of new dolour Call for me deir brethren that God in his mercy will pleis to put end to my long and panefull battell For now being vnabill to feght â–ª as God 〈◊〉 gaue strenth I thrust an end befoir I bâ— moir troubilsum to the Faithfull And yet Lord let my desyre be moderat be thy holy spirit and giuâ— me patience to beir whatsoeuer it pleisis thy godlie Maiestie to lay vpon this my wicked Carkaso THE PRAYER ¶ Lord Iesus receaue my spirite and put an end at thy gude pleasure to this my miserable lyfe for Iustiâ—e and treuth ar not to be found amoâ—ges the sonnes of men Iohne Knox with deliberat mynd to his God BE mercyfull vnto me ô Lord and call not into Iudgement my manyfold finnis and cheiflie those whereof the warld is not able to accuse me In youth â—â—yd age now after many battelles I find nothing into me bot vanitie and corruption For in quyetnes I am negligent in trouble impatient tending to disperation and in the meane state I am so caryed away with vane fantaseis y â— allace o Lord they withdraw me from the presence of thy Maiestie Pryde and ambitioun assault me on the ane part couetousâ—es and malice trouble me on the oâ—her breifly o Lord the affâ—ctionis of the fleshe do almoste suppres the operatioun of thy spirâ—te I tak the o Lord who only knowes the secreitis of hearts to record that in nane of y e foirsaid I do delyte bot that with them I am troubled and that foir aganis the desyre of my in ward man which sobbis for my corruptioun and wold repose in thy mercy alone To the which I clame and that in the promise that thow hes maid to all penitent sinneris of whose number I profes my self to be one in the obedience and death of my only Sauiour our Lord Iesus Christ. In whome be thy meare grace I dout not my self to be electit to eternall saluatioun whereof thow hes geuin vnto me vnto me o Lord most wretched and vnthanâ—full creature most assured signes For being drowned in ignoraÌ„ce thow hes geuin to me knawledge aboue the coÌ„moun sort of my brethren my toung hes thow vsit to set furth thy glorie to oppoung Idolatrie errouris and fals doctrine Thow hes coÌ„pelled me to foirspeak asweil delyuerance to y â— afflicted as distructioun to certane inobedient the performance whereof not I alone bot the verray blind world hes alreddy sâ—ne But aboue all o Lord thow be the power of thy holy spirite hes sealed into my heart remissioÌ„ of my sinnes which I acknawledge and coÌ„fes my self to haue receaued be the precious bloode of Iesus Christ ones shed Be whose perfyte obedience I am assured my manyfould rebellionis ar defaced my greuous sinnes purged and my â—aule maid the tabernackle of thy godlie maiestie Thow o father of mercyes thy Sone our Lord Iesus my only Sauiour Mediator and Aduocate and thy holy spirite remaning in y â— same be trâ—w faith which is the only victorie that ouercuÌ„meth the world To the thereâ—oir o Lord I coÌ„mend my spirite For I thrist to be resolued froÌ„ this body of sin am assured that I â—all
that in our CoÌ„gregationis we haue the fauourable presence of Iesus Christ aswel in his word as in his holy sacrameÌ„tes For in his name alone conuene we be him alone we call vpon God our Father and be him alone we are assured through y â— power of his holy spreit to obtene our requeastes made according to his wil. We â—onder greatlie that the wryter considderis not that the promise of the Prophet is that all Nationis shall cum to that holie montane We are a Nation how abiect y â— euer we appeare why theÌ„ will the wryter deny vnto vs fre passage to the hous of y â— Lord seing that the terme of the last dayes is not yet expyred and seing that we desyre to be taught in the wayes of the Lord and to walk in his pathes yea seing that thousandis in Scotland refuses not to be rebuked of the Lord and to suffer him to iudge amoÌ„ges vs. If the wryter will say becaus we will not acknowledge Rome to be the mother of all other Kirkis We answer as befoir let vs heare the commaÌ„dement of our God charging vs so to do and our obedience shall not be long craued For we are most willing to obey our mother Prouyding that she shaw the vndouted signes of a naturall mother But an vsurped tytle without farther assuraÌ„ce we dar not admit And this far for his assertion and for the mynd of the Prophet Now followeth his conclusioun in these wordes Wherefoir if ye can not shaw what place of the worlde afoir thre hundreth yeares your Kirk was into It followeth of necessitie that it is no Kirk c. ¶ How this conclusion may be rightly gathered of the wordes of the Prophet we suffer the readers and the wryter him self to coÌ„sidder And yet becaus y â— till vs it wer a thing moste greuous so to be excommunicate that we â—er no Kirk That is no parcell of the holy Kirk vniuersall We answer for our entres and say That befoir 15. hundreth yeares our Kirk was in Ierusalem in Samaria in Antiochia and wheresoeuer Christ Iesus was trewly preached and his blissed EuaÌ„gell obedientlie receaued whether it was amonges y â— Iewis or Gentiles There we say was our Kirk which is not bound to any one place but is dispersed vpon y â— face of the hole earth hauing one God one faith one baptisme and one Lord Iesus sauiour of all that vnfeanedly beleue And so we feare not to receaue the tytle and authoritie of a particulare Kirk becaus we haue all thinges be Godes word that thereto apperteâ—nes Yea we are farther bold to affirme that if euer it shall please God to bring y â— Kirk of Rome to hir originall puritie that she shall not be ashamed to imbrase and reuerence the pure Kirk of Scotland as her dearest sister and nixt resembling her in all thinges before that pryde and auarice ioyned with Idilnes and ryatous leuing corrupted her Ministers and that the inuentionis of men wer preferred to Godes simple treuth We say yet againe y â— whensoeuer the Kirk of Rome shal be reduced to that estate in the whiche the Apostles left it we ar assured that she shall vote in our fauoures against all such as shall deny vs to be a Kirk if God continew vs in y â— simplicitie which this day is mocked of y â— world Now let vs heare how the wryter proceadeth ¶ TYREIS LETTER AND swyftlie gif ze or ony of zour cunning Ministeris of zour new inueÌ„ted Euangell schaw me the dew successioÌ„ of his Kirk sen Christ and by that aggre the manifest contradictioun that baith I haue red and sene with my ene amangis y â— Doctouris principallis of zour new doctrine I sall not only reâ—unce the senteÌ„ce quhilk I haif haldin heirtofoir bot al 's sall afoir all that will heare me confes my ignorance and faâ—lt and sall employ all my strength to the furthsetting of zour Religioun c. ANSWER OF this part of the wryters letter of that w t is past befoir it is easie to coÌ„sider that he wil acknawledge no Kirk to be the trew Kirk of Iesus Christ onles y â— it can shaw the dew succession therof froÌ„ the dayes of Iesus Christ. And farther y â— the teachers of it do so aggre in doctrine that in no point they be found to differ one from an other We answer if the immaculate spous of Iesus Christ wer bouÌ„d to these two extremities The bondage thereof wer moste miserable but becaus we find our maister Iesus Christ is moir fauourable to his pure Kirk then Maister Tyrie craues we are decreed to stand in that fredome and libertie whereunto our head and only souerane Lord hes called vs. We find y t he sendes not his afflicted Kirk to seak a lineal successioÌ„ of any persones befoir that he wil receaue theÌ„ but he with all gentilnes calleth his sheap vnto him self saying cum vnto me all ye y t laubour and are laden I will ease yow And agane all that the Father giueth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I cast not away O golden and moste comfortable sentence pronunced of him who can not lie Heir is no mention of any succession that we should clame to befoir that we be receaued of him who is the head of y â— Kirk but only it is said that that which the father giueth and that the sone receaueth shall not be cast away nether yet will he lose any that cuÌ„meth to him but that he will saue them and rase them vp at y e last day And the Apostle speaking of the vocation of the Gentiles sendes them not to seak a succession but in the persone of y â— Ephesianes pronunceth this sentence in fauoures of all that beleue in Iesus Christ. Now therefore ye ar no moir strangers and foraners but Cietizens with y â— sanctâ—s and of the houshold of God And ar builded vpon the fundatioun of the Apostles and Prophetes Iesus Christ him self being thâ— cheaf corner stone in whome all the buylding coupled together groweth vnto an holy TeÌ„ple in the Lord. Heir we find men who befoir wer strangers maid Cietizenes with the sainctes and of the houshold of God we find them buyded vpon the â—undation of the Apostles and Prophetes we find Iesus Christ to be the cheaf corner stone but we find no mention of any sic successioÌ„ as maister Tyrie seameth rigorously and without Godes commandement to craue And thereâ—oir we caÌ„ not but wonder why that mortall man shall craue of vs that which nether God y â— Father his sone Châ—ist Iesus nether yet thâ— holy Apostles in their Ministerie craued of any Realme or Nation And therefoir let Maister Tyrie tak this for an answer That an iniust requeast may iustly be denyed And yet least that the wryter or any other should think theÌ„ selues rather mocked then answered We
no such thing Then yet we demand if the hand of the Lord be more shortned now then that it was in the primatiue Kirk So that now he may not aswell manteane his trâ—uth and enlarge the Kingdome of his onely Sone as that he did in the dayis of the Apostlis Whatsoeuer the Papistes shall answer we are assured that nether is his power diminished so that he may not manteane his treuth nether yet is his lufe so waxen cold towardes his Kirk but that he will in his anger remember vpon mercy Why do not those cruell men considder what innocent bloode hath bene shed for the testimonie of Christes Eâ—angell within these thre score yeares Wold they that God at no tyme should shaw pietie vpon the patient suffering of his afflicted kirk Wolde they that the sworde should still deuor Wold they that the flaming fyres should neuer be queÌ„ched If that so they wold they shaw them selues the Sones of him who hath bene a murtherer from the beginning and yet continew in the same malice But our God beareth towardes his weak Children a fatherly affectioun whereby he is moued somtymes to stay y â— fuâ—ie and rage of Sathan for a ceason To the end that his chosen moir gladely may prepare theÌ„ selues to a new battell Trew it is the doctrine of saluatioun is greatly enlarged thereof we praise God Trew it is that SathaÌ„ hath not vniuersally such power to persecute as somtymes he hath had But will Maister Tyrie thereof conclude that in our Kirk there is no streÌ„gth But now to the Scriptures which Maister Tyrie coateth Trew it is that Dauid in his 73. Psalme according to the compt of the Hebrewes affirmes that nether the worldly prosperitie of the vngodly nor yet the afflictioÌ„ of the godly ought to discourage such as feare God In this generall head we aggre with Maister Tyrie and with all Papistes But we affirme that the notes and signes which y â— holy Ghost giueth in that place be the which the wicked shal be knowen do no wyse apperteane to vs but of many yeares moste euidently haue appeared to this hour do yet appeare in the Pape in many of those that manteane his kingdome For whether that the generatioÌ„ of y â— Romane Antechrist hath bene exemed from the troubles of meÌ„ whether y â— their pryde hes bene as visible as euer was their garmeÌ„t whether that their eyes haue start out for fatnes And finally whether that their licentious leuinges their oppression and presumption haue not planely declared y t they haue set their mouth against the heauen we are content that the world be it neuer so blind the histories of â—heir liues not written be vs but be their owen scribes and the verray experience which all men now haue heirtofoir haue had of their proceadinges beare record whether that they or we be noted in y t psalme We giue Maister Tyrie to vnderstand That we aâ—e better acquented with the liues and conuersationis of the Papes and Cardinalles then thay think vs to be and that we know the strength of thâ—ir lawes decries statutes and counsalles better theÌ„ the lesuites knowes the reule of Iesus albeit that presumpteousâ—y they haue vsurped his name And therefoir we wil craue of Maister Tyrie and of all his factioÌ„ that in wryting either to vs or yet till suche as they wold perswade that they vse treuth and simplicitie and so shall they find theÌ„ selues better contented in reading of our answers For this befoir the Lord Iesus we protest that it is the treuth which we teach and wherein we delyte The lufâ— whereof causes vs abhor all maÌ„nes inuention superstition and Idolatrie And thus far to the answers of the Scriptures which Maister Tyrie coateth Now to the sentence of the ancieÌ„t wryter whose name he suppresseth We answer that his wordes cut the throttes of the proud Papistes of that age and of all their followers sence those day is For theÌ„ began the taill of the Dragoun to draw the starres from the heauen to the earth Then began the fontanes which sometymes gaue cleare holsome watter to become bitter yea to be turned vnto blood and yet did they prosper in all worldlie felicitie Which was the caus that many godly men lamenting that publict corruption wer compelled to pronunce that like sentences against the verray Kirk meÌ„ that then lyued And least that Maister Tyrie should thinke that this we affirme without authoritie We remit him to the wrytings of Ierome Augustine Ambrose Bernard others that wer nether come long before nor after the tyme that he whose wrytinges if he shall diligentlie examine he sal find what was their iudgement of the seat of Rome in their dayes and what others y t after followed added to the former impietie of their Fathers from the day that ones the Popes wer decored or rather deformed with a triple Crowne let the wryters of all ages sence beare witnes And least that Maister Tyrie shal think that we put him to to much pane when that we send him to all wryters in generall We shal releue him somwhat and appoint him to two only whoÌ„e iustly he can not suspect to haue bene corrupted be vs. The one is Abbas Ioachim a man sometymes of great authoritie and reputation amonges the Papistes The other is IoaÌ„nes AueÌ„tinus historiographur whose historie was prented be coÌ„mand with priuiledge of the Empreour Charles the Fyft Let the Wrytinges we say of these two beare witnes what hes bene y e iudgement of diuers men in diuers ages of Rome of the pryde of the prelacie of their corruption in lyfe and doctrine and finally of their defectioun from the treuth Abbas Ioachim wryting vpon the wordes of the Reuelation of sanct Iohne The sext Angel powred furth his Phyolâ— vpon the great flood Euphrates c. Hes this sentence Si autem aquae huius fluminis quod vocatur Euphrates populi sunt gentes linguae quae parent Romano imperio Si quideÌ„ ciuitas Romana ipsa est noua Babilon c. That if sayeth he the watters of this flood that is called Euphra tes be people Nationis and tounges that obey the Romane Impyre for the Cietie of Rome it self is new Babilon This place and that which ensewes of the drying vp of the watters euideÌ„tly shawes what was the iudgement of the wryter in his dayes of Rome To wit that it was become new Babilon And least that any should think that the Author meaneth of the ancient Romane Impyre and not of the regimeÌ„t of the Kirk that was in it or in the dominion thereof he explanes him selfe after whill that he interpretes the great hoore and the Kinges of the earth who commit huredome with her The great hoore he sayes the vniuersal Fatheris affirmed to be Rome Not sayes he as concerning the Congregation of the iust which sometymes was a pilgramer in it but as concerning the multitude
so we procead to the conclusion of his letter ¶ TYREIS LETTER QVhairfoir Schir I exhort yow as I begouth to think on this mater as deiply as it becuÌ„mis a Christiane man and quhen ze haue swa done aduertise me of zour sentiment In the meane tyme I sall pray almichtie God be his grace to illuminat zour spreit to knaw in this mater yâ— richt way and to gif fortitude and strenth quhen ze haif knawin it to profes it sa far as salbe conuenient to zour estate and saluatioun hauing na farther occasioun of wryting committis zow to the protectiouÌ„ of Almichtie God Writtin at Paris the vj. of December be zour maist humbill Seruitour and brother IAMES TYRIE ¶ Gif ze pleis to answer ze may send zour wryting to the Baillie of Arroll quha will caus it to be send to me ANSWER AGainst this exhortation wil we obiect nothing For our ernest desyre is that men diligently considder what doctrine they imbrase what fundation and ground their faith hes and finally what way they follow thinking thereby to atteane to eternall felicitie For this careles securitie that vniuersally may be espyed in meÌ„ we dampne and euer haue dampned But this we feare not to affirme as before we haue written that the doctrine of the Papisticall Kirk now many yeares bypast hath bene altogether corrupt that their opinioÌ„ which they call their Catholick faith hes no sure ground within the word of God And that the way which they for y â— moste part haue followed was the verray way of perdition to all suche as without trew repentance departed this lyfe in y â— blindnes And much more shal be to all persons and estates that now shal manteane those abhominationes becaus the light is come and hes sufficiently declared the â—ormer darknes That man of sin is so manifestliâ— reueled that excuse of ignorance there resteth none But a fearefull iudgement abydes all such that yet farther will follow his dampnable wayes This Schir ye haue our iudgement which albeit ye shall receaue laitter then we wold yet the state of tyme being considdered we dout not but ye shall interprete all thinges to the best Vse our letter so we pray yow that it may come to the knowledge of the wryter to yow whose coÌ„uersion we no les seak then he appeares to seak youres And thus we hartly commit yow to the protection of the Omnipotent Of Edinburgh the 10. day of August Anno Do. 1568. TO THE FAITHFVLL REAEDR WHAT malice Inuy and heatrent of the treuth hes moued men to brust furth against me my behauour in Scotland Ingland and elles where I lytle regarde For a good coÌ„science susteanes me before my God against all y e odious lies that haue bene laide to my charge now many yeares past For the whiche I dout not but the blaspheamers shall answer onles repentance preuene Iudgement when the secreates of heartes shal be disclosed The caus that I adde this imperfyte letter to y e former discourse is That they whome Sathan hath not blinded by inuy may see and vnderstand what a troubled conscience craues into the day of battell Becaus that God now in his mercy hath put end to y e battell of my deare Mother Maistres Elizabeth Bowes before that hâ— put end to my wretched lyfe I could not cease but declare to the worlde what was the caus of our great familiaritie and long acquentance Whiche â—as nether fleshe nor bloode but a troubled conscieÌ„ce vpoÌ„ hir part which neuer suffered her to rest but when she was in the company of the faithful of whome fra the first hearing of the word at my mouth she iudged me to be one Now seing her battell is ended I am vpoÌ„ the point shortly to follow this I leaue to the posteritie for discharge of my conscience and to the instruction of her children That in Scotland Ingland France and Germanie I haue heard the complaintes of diuers that feared God but of the lyke conflict as she susteyned fra the tyme of her first acquentance and long before as her owen mouth ofter theÌ„ ones confessed to me til this hour I haue not knowen For her tentation was not in the fleshe nor for any thing that appertey ned to fleshe no not when she was in greatest desolation but it was in spirite For Sathan did continually buffette her y t remission of sinnes in Christ Iesus apperteyned nothing vnto her be reason of her former Idolatrie and other iniquities For the which notwithstanding any worldlie comfort I haue sene her not for a starte but in long coÌ„tinuance powre furth teares and send to God dolorous coÌ„plaints ofter then euer I heard man or woman in my lyfe Her company to me was coÌ„fortable yea honorable and profitable for she was to me and myne a Mother but yet it was not without some Croce For besydes trouble and fasherie of body susteyned for her my mynde was seldome quyet for doing somewhat for the coÌ„fort of her troubled conscience Whereof this rude letter is the least and of basest argument amongs many â—hich ly besyde me and so must do be reason of my inabilitie in mo sortes then one I hartly salute take my goodnight of all the faithfull in bothe the Realmes earnestly desyring y e assistance of their prayers that without any notable sclander to the Euangell of Iesus Christ I may end my battell For as the worlde is wearie of me so am I of it Of Sanctandrois the 12. of Iulij 1572. IOHNE KNOX ¶ Lord be mercyful to England Scotland for we stand bothe in a dangerous estate and that becaus we wold not obey thy holesome admonitionis whiche wer thyne how contemptable that euer the persones of thy Messingers wer Yet Lord remember mercy for thy treuthes saik Amen Amen And giue vs not to the opprobrie of thy enemies of whome the Castell of Edinburgh are the principales within this Realme Conuert them Lord or elles confound them that the worlde may oneâ— agane vnderstand that thow art a trew a righteous God Amen Amen Amen FOLLOWETH THE LETter as it past from my hand at Deip the 20. of Iulij 1554. TO HIS LOVING MOTER MAISTRES Elizabeth Bowes troubled in spirite whome God comfort for his great mercyes sake Amen PSALME 79. RYSE LORD STREACHE out thy hand forget not the sobbes of the oppressed RIGHT dearely beloued Mother in our Sauiour Iesus Christ now is our dolour appointed by God and forespokeÌ„ by his Prophetes come vpon vs as the dolour of a woman in the birth of her first Chylde and so is it come as with your eares bothe oppenly and priuately oftentymes yow haue hard declared When I remember your great infirmitie and the strong battel that continually ye feght calles to my mynd how small coÌ„fort yow haue in earth I am compelled to â—ob and grone to him that only may giue streÌ„gth comfort and consolation without help of any creature
vnto yow in these moste dolorous dayes And good hope I haue that my petition shall not be repelled but for Christ Iesus sake accepted and graunted albeit not in suche sort as yow and I most gladely wold yet I dout not but in suche sort we shall obteane it as his glorie and our Euerlasting comfort and proffeit requyreth It hes not bene without the most speciall prouyde nâ—e and fauoures of God that these many dayes by past yow haue bene greuously tâ—â—pted and sore assaulted to reuolt turne back agane to that abhominable and blaspheamous Idolatrie which now in Gâ—odes anger is erected before the vttermâ—st of his plaigues be pow red furth vpon tâ—e stubburne and inobedieÌ„t which neuer wold delyte in y â— treuth of his word And therfor of his iust iudgmentes most iustly hes he giuen theÌ„ ouer according to there heartes desyre to delyte in lies to their eternall coÌ„dempnatioÌ„ In the dayes I say dearely beloued Mother that no apperance there was y â— euer such abhominationes should haue taken place so suddanely within this Realme of England yow wer tempted and assaulted to turne back agane to Idolatrie whichâ— tempting spirite God our heaueÌ„ly Father permitted to trouble yow partly for that he wold haue yow exercised in the battel before the great danger approched least perchance that ye might haue bene ouerthrowen if inprouydedly bothe occasion and temptation at ones had assaulted yow and partly that by continuall â—epugnance ye might learne how odious is all kynd of Idolatrie in y â— sight of God For Sathan vseth seldome to tempt but in those thingis where with he knoweth god moste to be offended as pryde lust couetousnes adâ—lterie idolatrie such others the committers whereof and continuers in the same pronunces Paule to haue no portion in the Kingdome of God This is my hope beloued Mother That in zour continuall battell so far ye haue profited that in this case almost ye nead no admonition of me But becaus it is my bounden dewtie not only by a common Christiane cheritie but also for that moste vnfeaned familiaritie and tender loue according to godlynes that we haue kept sence our first acquentance to do the vttermoste of my power for your coÌ„fort By pen therefore will I wryte becaus the bodyes be now put a sunder to mete agane at Godes plesure that which by mouth and face to face ye haue often hard If man or Angell shâ—ll lâ—ubour to bring yow back from the professioÌ„ that ones ye haue giuen let theÌ„ in that behalf be accursed and in no part coÌ„cerning your faith religion obeyed of yow if any trouble yow aboue measure whether they be Magistrates or câ—rnall freindes they shall beare their iust condempnation onles they suddanly repent But whosoeuer it be that shal prouoke or solist yow to that abhominable Idol resist yow all such boldely to the end learning of the holy Gost not to defyle the TeÌ„ple of God with Idolles nether yet to giue your bodylie presence vnto them but obeying God more then maÌ„ auoide all apperance of iniquitie The nâ—cessitie that all man hath so to do that willingly will not deceaue him self I remit partly to y â— which oft yow haue hard and partly to a generall letter by me written in great anguissie of heart to the Congregationis of whome I hear say a great part vnder pretense that they may kepe faith secrete in the heart and yet do as Idolaters do be ginneth now to fall before that Idoll But ô allace blinded and deceaued are they as they shall knowe in the Lordes sharpe visitation which so assuredly as our god liueth shall shoâ—tly apprehend those back starters amongis the myddes of Idolaters With the verray greaf of heart I wryte Better it had bene vnto theÌ„ neuer to haue knowen the treuth theÌ„ so suddanely with Godes great dishonour to haue returned to their vomet God of his infinite mercy grant vnto them suddane repentance for if the sin sleap long I feare it shall a walke to their perpetuall confusion But now deare Mother coÌ„fort yow my heart God grant ye may in this my great afflictioun and dolorous pilgramage CoÌ„tinew stoutly to the end and bow yow neuer before that Idoll and so will the rest of worldlie troubles to me be more tollerable With my owen heart I oft common yea and as it wer comforting my self I appeare to triumph that God shall neuer suffer yow to fall in that rebuke Sure I am that bothe yow wolde feare and eshame to commit that abhomination in my presence who am but a wretched man subiect to sâ—n and miserie lyke to your self But ô dear mother though no earthlie creature should be offended with yow yet fere yow the presence and offence of him who present in all place searches the verray heart and raynes whose indignation ones kendilled against the inobedient and no sin more inflaÌ„meth his wraith then Idolatrie doth no creature in heauen nor yet in earth y â— only is creature is able to appease the same And therefore deare mother auoide and fle from it euen as from the death Euerlasting Verray loue and carefull sollicitude whiche God knoweth my heart taketh for yow compelleth me so oftentymes to dowble and rehearse one thing being vncertane when God shall graunt any opportunitie to visite yow agane But the spirite of the Lord Iesus shall by his owen omnipoteÌ„t yet inuinsible power supplie in yow that w t lacketh of worldly comfort that the glorie may be knowen to be Godes alone who for a tyme vseth to comfort susteane fead one creature by another but in the end he draweth vs his owen Image vnto him self that by him alone without the help of all other we may liue reioyce regne triumph as he hes promysed by Iesus Christ his sone One thing will I not conceale from yow deare Mother That nether are we sure nether yet in our heartes can we glorifiâ— God as our dewtie requyreth so long as that we haue the carnall coÌ„fort defence of creatures with vs. The hole man in body and saule shall euidentlie proue this coclusioun For that body that liueth by meat drink sleap clothing nurishemeÌ„t we se it subiect to infirmitie yea to mutabilitie and sin as the finall death of all maÌ„ declareth and the saule euen of Goddes verray elect liuing by the liuely worde of the heuinly father hauing a teacher that caries fleshe is alwayes flowing and troubled with some feare as in Christes Apostles and many others most manifestly we ar instructed But when all earthly creature ceases then shall the sufficiencie of Godes spirite wirk his owen work And therefore beloued Mother feare not the battell that ye susteane nether yet the infirmitie that ye find either in fleshe or spirite only absteane from external iniquitie That yow make not your members seruandes to sin and your