preferred to Aaron that the one commaunded and the other did obey who dar esteme that the ciuile power is now becomed so prophane in Gods eyes that it is sequestred from all intromission with the matters of religion The holie ghost in diuers places declarethe the contrarie For one of the chefe praecepts commaunded to the king when that he should be placed in his throne was to write the example of the boke of the Lordes law that it should be with hym that he might read in it all the daies of his life that he might learn to fear the Lord his God and to kepe all the wordes of his law and his statutes to do them This praecept requireth not onlye that the king should hym selfe fear God kepe his Law and statutes but that also he as the chefe ruler should prouide that goddes true religion should be kept inuiolated of the people and flock which by God was committed to his charge And this did not onlie Dauid and Salomon perfectly vnderstād but also somme godlie kinges in Iuda after the apostasie and idolatrie that infected Israel by the meanes of Ieroboam did practise theyre vnderstanding and execute theyre power in somme notable reformations For Asa and Iosaphat kinges in Iuda fynding the religion altogither corrupt did applie theyre hearts saieth the holie ghost to serue the Lord and to walk in his waies and thereafter doth witnes that Asa remoued from honours his mother somme say grādmother because shee had committed and laboured to mentaine horrible idolatrie And Iosaphat did not only refuse strange goddes hym selfe but also distroying the chefe monuments of idolatrie did send furth the. Leuites to instruct the people whereof it is playne that the one and the other did vnderstand suche reformations to appertaine to theire dueties But the factes of Ezechias and of Iosias do more clerely proue the power and duetie of the ciuile Magistrate in the reformation of religion Before the reign of Ezechias so corrupt was the religion that the dores of the house of the Lord were shut vpp the lampes were extinguished no sacrifice was orderly made but in the first yeare of his reigne the first moneth of the same did the king open the dores of the temple bring in the Preestes and Leuites and assembling them togither did speak vnto them as folloeth Hear me o yce Leuites and be sanctified now and sanctifie also the house of the Lord God of your fathers and carie furth from the sanctuarie all filthynes he meaneth all monumēts and vesselles of idolatrie for our fathers haue transgressed and haue committed wickednes in thee eyes of the eternall our God they haue left hym and haue turned theyre faces from the tabernacle of the Lord ▪ and therefore is the wrath of the Lord cōmed vpon Iuda and Ierusalem Behold our fathers haue fallen by the sworde our sonnes daughters ād wifes are led in captiuitie but now haue I purposed in my heart to make a couenante with the Lord God of Israel that he may turne the wrath of his furie from vs. And therefore my sonnes he swetely exhorteth be not faint for the Lord hath chosen you to stand in his presence and to serue hym Such as be not more then blynd clerely may perceaue that the king dothe aknolledge that it appertained to his charge to reforme the religion to appoint the Leuites to theyre charges and to admonish thē of theyre duetie and office which thing he more euidently declareth writing his lettres to all Israel to Ephrtaim an Manasses and sent the same by the handes of messingers hauing this tenour You sonnes of Israel return to the Lord God of Abraham Isaac ād Israel and he shall return to the residue that resteth from the handes of Assur Be not as your fathers and as your brethren were who haue trāsgressed against the Lord God of theyre fathers who hath made them desolate as you see Holde not your heart therefore but giue your hand vnto the Lord return vnto his sanctuarie serue hym and he shall shew mercie vnto you to your sonnes and doughters that be in bondage for he is pitifull and easie to be intreated Thus far did Ezechias by lettres and messingers prouoke the people declined from God to repentance not only in Iuda where he reigned laufull king but also in Israel subiect then to an other king And albeit that by somme wicked men his messingers were mocked yet as they lacked not theyre iust punishmēt for within sixe yeares after Samaria was destroyed and Israel led captiue by Salmanazar so did not the zelous king Ezechias desist to prosecute his duetie in restoring the religion to Gods perfecte ordenance remouing all abominations The same is to be red of Iosias who did not only restore the religion but did further distroy all monumentes of idolatrie which of lōg tyme had remained For it is written of him that after that the boke of the law was found and that he had asked counsil at the prophetesse Hulda he sente ād gathered all the elders of iuda and Ierusalem and standing in the temple of the Lord he made a conuenant that all the people frō the great to the small should walk after the Lord should obserue his law statutes and testimonies with all theyre heart and all theyre soule and that they should ratifie and confirme what soeuer was written in the boke of God He further cōmaunded Helkias the hic preest and the preestes of the inferiour order that they should carie furth of the temple of the Lord all the vessels that were made to Baal which he burnt and did carie theire pouder to Bethel He did further distroy all monuments of idolatrie yea euen those that had remained frō the dayes of Salomō He did burn them stampe them to powder whereof one part he scattered in the broke Kidron and the other vpon the sepulcres and graues of the idolaters whose bones he did burn vpō the altars where before they made sacrifice not only in Iuda but also in Bethel where Ieroboam had erected his idolatrie yea he further proceded and did kyll the preestes of the hie places who were idolaters and had deceaued the people he did kyll them I say and did burn theyre bones vpon theyre owne altars and so returned to Ierusalem This reformatiō made Iosias and for the same obtained this testimonie of the holie Ghost that neither before hym neither after hym was there any suche kīg who returned to God with his hole soule and with all his strengthe according to all the law of Moses Of which histories it is euident that the reformation of religion in all points togither with the punishement of false teachers doth appertaine to the power of the ciuile Magistrate For what God required of them his iustice must require of others hauing the like charge and auctoritie what he did approue in them he can not but approue in all others who with like zeale and
loue grafted in nature which is betwixt the father and the sonne neither yet that reuerence which goddes people oght to bear to the Prophetes can excuse anie man to spare the offendour or to conceale his offense what excuse can man pretend which God will accept Euident it is that no estate condition nor honour can exempt the idolatour from the handes of God when he shal call him to accomptes or shall inflict punishment vpoÌ„ him for his offence how shall it then excuse the people that they according to goddes coÌ„maundemeÌ„t punish not to death such as shal solicitate or violeÌ„tly draw the people to idolatrie And this is the fyrst which I would your Honours should note of the former wordes To witt that no person is exeÌ„pted froÌ„ punishmeÌ„t if he can be manifestly coÌ„uicted to haue prouoked or led the people to idolatrie aÌ„d this is most euidently declared in that solemned othe and coÌ„uenante which Asa made with the people to serue God aÌ„d to meÌ„taine his religioÌ„ adding this penaltie to the traÌ„sgressours of it To wit that whosoeuer should not seke the Lord God of Israel should be kylled were he greate or were he small were it man or were it woman And of this oth was the Lorde coÌ„pleased he was fouÌ„d of theÌ„ aÌ„d gaue theÌ„ rest on euerie parte because they soght hiÌ„ with their hole heart aÌ„d did swear to punishe the offeÌ„ders according to the precept of his Law without respect of persons And this is it which I say I would your Honours should note for the fyrst that no idolatour can be exempted froÌ„ punishement by goddes Law The seconde is that the punishment of such crimes as are idolatrie blasphemie aÌ„d others that tuche the maiestie of God dothe not appertaine to kinges and chefe rulers only but also to the hole bodie of that people and to euerie membre of the same accordiÌ„g to the vocatioÌ„ of euerie maÌ„ and according to that possibilitie and occasion which God doth minister to reuenge the iniurie done against his glorie what time that impietie is manifestly knowen And that doth Moses more plainely speak in these wordes Yf in anie of thy cities saieth he which the Lord thy God geueth vnto the to dwell in them thou shalt hear this brute There are soÌ„me men the sonnes of Belial passed furthe from thee aÌ„d haue solicited the citizens of theyr cities by these wordes Let vs go aÌ„d serue strange goddes which you haue not knowen search and inquire diligently and if it be true that such abomination is done in the middest of thee thou shalt vtterly stryke the inhabitants of that citie with the sworde thou shalt destroy it and whatsoeuer is within it thou shalt gather the spoile of it in the middest of the marketplace thou shalt burne that citie with fier and the spoile of it to the Lord thy God that it may be a heap of stones for euer neither shall it be any more buylded Let nothing of that execration cleaue to thy hand that the Lord may turne from the furie of his wrath aÌ„d be moued to werdes thee with inward affection Plaine it is that Moses speaketh nor geueth not charge to kinges rulers and iudges only but he commauÌ„deth the hole bodie of the people yea and euerie membre of the same according to their possibilitie and who darbe so impudent as to denie this to be most reasonable and iust For seing that God had delyuered the hole bodie from bondage and to the hole multitude had geuen his law and to the twelue tribes had he so distributed the inheritance of the land of Canaan that no familie could complaine that it was neglected Was not the hole aÌ„d euerie membre addetted to coÌ„fesse aÌ„d acknolledge the benefites of God yea had it not bene the part of euerie man to haue studied to kepe the possession which he had receaued which thiÌ„g God did plainely ê“nouÌ„ce they should not do except that in their heartes they did sanctifie the lord God that they embrased and inuiolably kept his religioÌ„ established and finally except they did cutt oute iniquitie from amongest them declaring them selues earnest ennemies to those abominations which God declared hym selfe so vehemently to hate that fyrst he commaunded the hole inhabitants of that countree to be distroyed and all monuments of their idolatrie to be broken doune and thereafter he also streatly commauÌ„deth that a citie declininge to idolatrie should fall in the edge of the sworde aÌ„d that the hole spoile of the same should be burned no portioÌ„ of it reserued To the carnal man this may appeare a rigorous and seuere iudgement yea it may rather seme to be pronounced in a rage then in wisdome For what citie was euer yet in which to mannes iudgement were not to be found manie innocent persons as infants children and somme simple and ignoraÌ„t soules who neither did nor could consent to such impietie And yet we fynd no exception but all are appointed to the cruel death And as concernyng the citie and the spoile of the same mannes reason can not think but that it might haue bene better bestowed then to be consumed with fier and so to profitt no man But in such cases will God that all creatures stoupe couer their faces and desist from reasonyng when commaundement is geuen to execute his iudgement Albeit I could adduce diuerse causes of such seueritie yet will I search none other then the holie Ghost hath assigned Fyrst that all Israel hearing the iudgement should fear to commit the like abomination and secondarely that the Lord might turn from the furie of his anger might be moued towerds the people with inward affection be mercifull vnto them and multiplie them according to his oth made vnto theire fathers Which reasons as they are sufficient in goddes children to correct the murmuring of the grudging fleshe so oght they to prouoke euerie man as before I haue said to declare hym selfe ennemie to that which so highly prouoketh the wrath of God against the hole people For where Moses saieth Let the citie be burned and let no part of the spoile cleaue to thy hand that the Lord may return from the furie of his wrath c. He plainely doth signifie that by the defection and idolatrie of a few goddes wrath is kyndled against the hole which is neuer quenched till such punishement be taken vpon the offenders that what soeuer serued them in their idolatrie be broght to destruction because that it is execrable and accursed before God And therefore he will not that it be reserued for anie vse of his people I am not ignorant that this law was not put in execution as God commaunded But what did thereof insue and folow histories declare to witt plage after plage till Israel and Iuda were led in captiuitie as the bokes of kings do witnesse The consideration whereof maketh me more bold to affirm that it is the duetie of euerie man that list to
all fainted I except euer such as gaue witnesse with theyr blood or theyr flying that such impietie displeased them all kept silence by the which all approued iniquitie and ioyned haÌ„ds with the tyraÌ„tes and so were all arrayed and set as it had bene in one battayle against the omnipotent and against his sonne Christ Iesus For whosoeuer gathereth not with Christ in the day of his haruest is iudged to scatter And therefore of one veÌ„geaÌ„ce teÌ„poral were they all partakers Which thiÌ„g as before I haue touched oght to moue you to the depe coÌ„sideratioÌ„ of your duties in these last and most perilous tymes The iniquitie of your Byshoppes is more then manifest theyr filthie liues infect the aier the innoceÌ„t blood which they shed crieth veÌ„geaÌ„ce in the eares of our God the idolatrie and abominatioÌ„ which opeÌ„ly they coÌ„mit aÌ„d without punishmeÌ„t maiÌ„taine doth corrupt aÌ„d defyle the hole laÌ„d and none amongest you doth vnfainedly studie for any redresse of such enormities Wil God in this behalf hold you as innocentes Be not deceaued dear Brethren God hath punished not only the proude tyrantes filthie persoÌ„s and cruel murtherers but also such as with them did draw the yoke of iniquitie was it by flattering theyr offenses obeying theyr iniust coÌ„maundemeÌ„tes or in wynking at theyr manifest iniquitie All such I say hath God once punished with the chefe offeÌ„ders Be ye assured Brethren that as he is immutable of nature so will he not pardon in you that which so seuerely he hath punished in others and now the lesse because he hath plainely admonished you of the daungers to come and hath offred you his mercie before he pourefurth his wrath and displeasure vpoÌ„ the inobedieÌ„t God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ who is father of glorie and God of all consolation geue you the spirit of wisdome and open vnto you the knolledge of hym self by the meanes of his dear sonne by the which ye may attaine to the esperance and hope that after the trubles of this traÌ„sitorious life ye may be partakers of the riches of that glorious inheritance which is prepared for such as refuse them selues and feght vnder the baÌ„ner of Christ Iesus in the day of this his battaile that in depe consideration of the same ye may learn to prefer the inuisible and eternal ioyes to the vaine pleasures that are present God further graunt you his holie spirit righteously to consider what I in his name haue required of your nobilitie and of you the subiects and moue you all togither so to answer that my petition be not a testimonie of your iust condemnation when the Lord Iesus shal appear to reuenge the blood of his sainctes and the contempt of his most holie worde Amen Sleap not in syn for vengeance is prepared against all inobedieÌ„t Flie from Babylon if ye will not be partakers of her plages Be witnesse to my appellation Grace be with you From Geneua The 14. of Iuly 1558. Your brother to commaunde in godlines IOHN KNOXE AN ADMONITION TO ENGLAND AND Scotland to call them to repentance written by Antoni Gilby VVhere as many haue writteÌ„ many profitable admonitioÌ„s to you twaine O England and ScotlaÌ„d both makinge one Iland most happie if you could know your own happines somme against the regimeÌ„t of womeÌ„ wherewith ye are bothe plaged somme against vnlauful obedieÌ„ce and the admitting of strangers to be your kinges somme declaring the vile nature of the Spaniards whome thou o EnglaÌ„d to thy destructioÌ„ mainteinest somme the pryde of the Frenchmen whome thou o Scotland to thy ruine receauest and many hundrethes with penne with tonge with worde with writing with ieopardie and losse of landes goods and lyues haue admonished you bothe twaine of that caÌ„kred poyson of papistrie that ye foster and pamper to your own perdition and vtter destruction of soules and bodies of your selues aÌ„d yours for now and euer I thoght it my duetie seing your destructioÌ„ to mans iudgemeÌ„t to draw so neare how much or litle so euer they haue preuailed yet once againe to admonishe you both to giue testimonie to that trueth which my brethren haue writteÌ„ aÌ„d specially to stirre your hearts to repentance or at the least to offre my selfe a witnesse against you for the iustice of God and his righteous iudgementes which doubtles if your hearts be hardned against you both are at hand to be vttered Thus by our writiÌ„gs whome it pleaseth God to styrre vp of your nations all men that now liue and that shall comme after vs shall haue cause also to praise the mercie of God that so oft admonisheth before he do stryke and to coÌ„sider his iust punyshment when he shall pourefurth his vengeance Giue eare therefore betymes O Britanie for of that name both reioyseth whiles the Lord calleth exhorteth aÌ„d admonisheth that is the acceptable tyme when he will be founde Yf ye refuse the tyme offred ye can not haue it afterward thogh with teares as did Esau ye do seme to seke it Yet once againe in goddes behalfe I do offre you the verie meanes which if God of his mercies graunte you grace to folow I doubt nothing but that of al your ennemies spedely ye shallbe deliuered Ye reioyce at this word I am sure if ye haue ani hope of the perfourmaÌ„ce TheÌ„ harkeÌ„ to the matter which I do write vnto you not furth of mennes dreames nor fables not furth of prophane histories painted with mannes wisdome vaine eloquence or subtile reasons but furth of the infallible trueth of goddes worde and by such plaine demonstrations as shall be able to conuince euerie one of your owne consciences be he neuer so obstinate I will aske no further iudges Is not this goddes curse and threatninge amongest many other pronounced against the sinfull land and disobedient people That strangers should deuoure the frute of thy laÌ„d that the stranger should clyme aboue the and thou should comme downe and be his inferiour he shall be the head and thou the taile The Lord shall bring vpon the a people farr of whose tongue thou canste not vnderstand thy strong wales wherin thou trusted shall be destroied c. And doth not Esaie reckeÌ„ this also as the extremitie of all plages for the wickednes of the people to haue womeÌ„ raised vp to rule ouer you But what saieth the same ê“phete in the begynnyng of his prophesie for a remedie against these and all other euilles Your handes are full of blood saieth he O you princes of Sodom and you people of Gomorrha but washe you make you cleane take away your wicked thoghts furth of my sight Cease to do euil learn to do well seke iudgemeÌ„t help the oppressed c. Then will I turn my hand to the and trie owt all thy drosse and take away thy tynne aÌ„d I will restore thy iudges as afore tyme and counsilours as of old And Moses said before in the place alledged That if thou wilt heare the voice
Prophetes with the sayinges of Dauid or of this holy sainct of God Iohn the Baptist but with our sauiour Christs two most swete parables of the two sonnes and of the tilme to whome he set his vineyard I will labour to set before your eyes your rebellion hypocrisie and crueltie if so I caÌ„ bring any of you to repentance Our sauiour Christe putteth furth this parable A certaine man had two sonnes aÌ„d he came to the first and said soÌ„ne go aÌ„d worke to day in my vineyard Who answered I will not but afterward repeÌ„ted and went Then came he to the second and said likewise and he answered I will syr but went not Wherein a wonderful comforte first is to be coÌ„sidered how the Lord our God maker of heaueÌ„ aÌ„d earth doth huÌ„ble him selfe not only to be called a maÌ„ a husbaÌ„d man a housholder aÌ„d such like but he abaseth hiÌ„selfe of mercie to vs vile earth and asshes that his sonne becometh maÌ„ to make mankynd glorious in his sight to make all those that do not refuse his grace offred of the slaues of Satan his sonnes by adoption You are his sonnes you are his vineyard you are as dear vnto hym as the apple of his eye as Moses speaketh if you can beleue it he sweareth that you shall be his inheritaÌ„ce and he will be yours if ye will only receiue his grace and beleue hym when he sweareth Will ye call his trueth into doubt his glorie into shame by your misbelefe Better it were that all creatures should perish heauen man and angels then that God should not haue credit or that his glorie in the least iote should be diminished He hath called you by his worde now many a tyme to worke in his vineyard I aske what you haue answered your conscience can witnesse and all the world seeth it SoÌ„me of you haue said plaine lyke rebellious childreÌ„ that ye would not do it that ye would not worke in your fathers vineyarde Shall I applie this part to Scotland I may right well do it and also to a greate parte in England But Scotland in dede called most plainely and euidently through the mercies of God both by their own faithfull countrie men and also by earnest trauail of our English nation to comme to the Lords vineyard in the tyme of king Edward hath to the domage of both coÌ„tinually refused as the coÌ„science of many this day beareth witnesse That tyme as ye know the vineyarde in EnglaÌ„d by the children of God was not all togither neglected and theÌ„ most earnestly were ye O Brethren of Scotland required to ioyne haÌ„des with vs iÌ„ the Lords worke but Satan alas would not suffer it His old fostred malice and Antichrist his sonne could not abyde that Christ should grow so strong by ioynynge that ile togither in perfect religioÌ„ whome God hath so many waies coupled aÌ„d streÌ„gthended by his worke in nature the papistes practised all theyr fyne craftes in England Scotland and in France that the Ghospellers should not with so strong walles be defensed lest this one iland should becoÌ„me a safe sanctuarie as it began to be to all the persecuted in all places They moue sturdie stomackes they dispens with periuries they worke by theyr craftie coÌ„fessions they raise vp warre in the end whereby ye deare Brethren of Scotland were sore plaged Of all these traiterouse sleghtes ye can not be ignorant For yet it is not passed the memorie of man that your king made promisse to haue mett king HeÌ„rie the eght att Yorke â–ª whose purpose albeit in other things I do not alow him in that case was most godlie and praise worthie For it was to make an end of that vngodlie warre and cruell murther which loÌ„ge had coÌ„tinued betwixt the two realms Your king I say made promisse to mete him the breche whereof as it was the occasion of much trouble so is it euidently knowen that your Cardinal and his clergie laboured and procured the same For it is not vnknowen to somme amongest you how many thousand crownes the churchmen did promisse for maintenance of the warre which king Henrie did denouÌ„ce by the reason of that breche Superfluous it were to me to recite all the causes mouing your pestilent preestes to solicitat your king to that infidelitie But this is moste euident that they feared nothing but the fall of their glorie and the trouble of their kingdome which then in England beganne to be shaken by suppressing of the abbaies This moued your preestes ernestly to labour that your kinge should falsly breake his promisse But what affliction ye sustained by that and other their practises your selues can witnesse For your borderrs were destroyed your nobilitie for the most parte were takeÌ„ prisoners and your king for sorowe sodenly died But these your miseries did nothing moue your preestes to repentance but rather did inflame them against God and against the ê“pfit of their natiue realme For when againe after the death of your kiÌ„ge your freÌ„dship and fauours were soght first by king HeÌ„rie and after his death by king Edward his sonne aÌ„d by him who theÌ„ was chosen Protectour how craftely I say did theÌ„ your preestes vndermine all ye are not ignoraÌ„t When your Gouernoure with the consent of the most part of the nobilitie had soleÌ„nely sworne iÌ„ the abbay of Haliroode house syr Raphe Sadler theÌ„ being embassadour for EnglaÌ„d to perfurm the mariage coÌ„tracted betwixt king Edward and your yonge quene and faithfully to stand to euerie point coÌ„cluded and agreed 〈◊〉 perfurmaÌ„ce of that vnioÌ„ when seales were interchanged and the embassadour dimissed what sturr tumult and sedition raised your Cardinal in that your realme it is not vnknowen To witt how that by his craft and malice the realme was deuided the Gouernour compelled to seke his fauour to violate his oth and so to becomme iÌ„famous for euer And finally by the pride of the papistes was that leage broken But what did thereof ensue Edinburgh Leith DuÌ„die yea the most part of the realme did fele Your shippes were stayed your gooddes were lost your chefe townes were burned and at the end the beautie of your real me did fall in the edge of the sworde the hand of God manifestly feghting against you because against your solemne oth ye did feght against them who soght your fauours by that godlie coÌ„iunction which before was promised But still proceaded your ennemies the clergie and theire adhereÌ„tes in theyr purposed malice WoÌ„der not that I terme them your ennemies For albeit they be your countrie men yet because they seke nothing more then the maiÌ„tainaÌ„ce of their owne kiÌ„gdome which is the power of darckns aÌ„d the king dome of Antichrist they are becomme coÌ„iured ennemies to euerie citie nation or man that labour to comme to the knolledge of the trueth That pestilent generation I say did not cease till they obteined their purpose by deliueringe your yonge quene to the handes of the French king assuredly
mindinge by that meanes to cutt for euer the knot of the frendship that might haue ensued betwixte England and Scotland by that godlie coniunction What the papistes feared is manifest For then Christe Iesus being more purely preached in England then at any tyme before would shortly haue suppressed their pride and vaine glorie and therefore they raged that he should not reigne aboue them also But what is like to apprehend you for because ye did not betymes withstaÌ„d their most wicked couÌ„sils wise men do coÌ„sider How heauie and vnpleasant shall the burthen and yock of a Frenchman be to your shoulders aÌ„d necks God graunt that experience do not teach you But to returne to my former purpose by all those means rehersed by his messeÌ„gers by the blood of his saincts shed amoÌ„gest you by fauours aÌ„d frendship by warre and the sword yea by famin aÌ„d pestileÌ„ce aÌ„d all other meaÌ„s hath God your mercifull father called you to labour in his vineyard but to this day alas we heare not of your huÌ„ble obedience but stil ye say with stubburn faces we will not labour we will not be bouÌ„de to such thraldome to abide the burthens of the vineyard Ye think perchaÌ„ce I am to sharpe and that I accuse you more then you deserue For amoÌ„gest you many do know the will of your father and many make profession of his Ghospel but coÌ„sider BrethreÌ„ that it is not enoug he to know the coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„t and to ê“fesse the same in mouthe but it is necessarie that ye refuse your selues your owne pleasures appetites and your owne wisdome if ye shall be iudged faithfull labourers in the Lordes vineyard aÌ„d that ye beare the burthens togiter with your brethren and suffre heate and sweate before ye taste the frutes with them God will not stand content that ye loke ouer the hedge and beholde the labours of your brethreÌ„ but he requireth that ye put your haÌ„des also to your labours that ye trauail continually to pluck vpp all vnprofitable wedes albeit in so doing the thornes pricke you to the hard bones that ye assist your brethreÌ„ in theyr labours thoghe it be with the icopardie of your lifes the losse of your substance and displeasure of the hole earthe Except that thus ye be minded to labour the Lord of the vineyarde wil not acknolledge you for his faith full seruantes And because this matter is of weight and greate importance I will speake soÌ„what more plainely for your instruction It is bruted to the greate comfort of all godlie that heare it that somme of you deare Brethren of Scotland do desire Christ Iesus to be faithfully preached amoÌ„gest you which thing if froÌ„ the heart you desyre and with godlie wisdome and stowt courrage folow your purpose and enterprise ye shall be blessed of the Lord for euer But in the begynnyng ye must beware that ye folow not the exaÌ„ple of your brethreÌ„ of EnglaÌ„d in whose handes albeit the worke of the Lord appeared to prosper for a time yet because the eye was not single we see to our grief the ouer throw of the same They began to plante Christ Iesus in the heartes of the people aÌ„d to baÌ„nish that Romish Antichrist they did driue owt the fylthie swyne froÌ„ theyr dennes and holes I mean the monkes and other such papisticall vermin from their cloisters aÌ„d abbayes This was a good be ginning but alas in the one and the other there was great faulte For the banishiÌ„g of that Romish Antichrist was rather by the feare of the lawes pronouÌ„ced against him by actes of parlameÌ„t theÌ„ by the liuelie preachiÌ„g of Christ Iesus aÌ„d by the discoueriÌ„g of his abominatioÌ„s And the suppressioÌ„ of the abbaies did rather smell of auarice theÌ„ of true religioÌ„ Those venemous locustes which before were holdeÌ„ within their cloisters were then set abrode to destroy all good aÌ„d grene herbes For superstitious freers ignoraÌ„t moÌ„ks aÌ„d idle abots were made archbishoppes bishoppes persons vicars aÌ„d such as oght to fede the soules of men â–ª who thus set at libertie did coÌ„tinually wrootup the Lords vineyard And one crafty Gardener whose name was Stephen hauiÌ„g wolflik coÌ„ditioÌ„s did maiÌ„taiÌ„ many a wolfe did sow wicked seed in the gardeÌ„ aÌ„d cherished many weedes to deface the vineyard And his maid Marie who after was his mastres now maried to Philip waÌ„tiÌ„g no wil to wickednes wheÌ„ she was at the weakest norsto make to do euill when she gatt the mastrie did cherishe many weedes Those two I say haue so broken the hedges of the same vineyarde God so punishing the sinnes of those that oght to haue made better prouision for the same that the husbandmen are hanged vp the diggars dressours and planters are banished prisoned and burned Such hauock is made that al wilde beastes haue power to pollute the sanctuarie of the Lorde O heauens beholde her crueltie o earthe cry for vengeance o seas and deserte mountains witnesses of her wickednes break furthe against this monster of England But whether do I runne by the bitternes of my grefe I must nedes leaue the o Scotland after that I haue aduertised the of this that thou folow not the example as I haue said of EnglaÌ„d but in the bowels of Christ Iesus I exhorte the that if thou preteÌ„dest any reformatioÌ„ in religion which is the chefe labour of the vineyarde that thou do it at the first with a single eye and all simplicitie that from yeare to yeare thou be not compelled to change as was England but let thy reformation be full and plaine according to goddes holie will and worde without addition Let all the plaÌ„tes which thy heauenly father hath not planted be rooted owt at once let not auarice blind the neither yet wordlie wisdome discourage thy hearte let none beare the name of a teacher that is knowen to be a fosterer of superstitioÌ„ or any kynde of wickednes And thou so doing shalt moue God of his greate mercie to send vnto the faithfull worke men in abundaÌ„ce to blesse the worke that thou preteÌ„dest in the vineyarde aÌ„d to preserue the to the glorie of his own name and to thy euerlasting comforte Thus must thou Scotland repent thy former inobedience if that thou wilt be approued of the Lord. And now do I return to the O EnglaÌ„d I do liken the to the secoÌ„de sonne in the parable which answered his father with flattering wordes saying I go father but yet he went not at all For sence the time that I had any remembrance our heaueÌ„lie father of his great mercies hath not ceased to call the in to his vineyard and to these late daies thou hast said alwayes that thou woldest enter and be obedient In the tyme of king Henrie the eght when by Tyndale Frith Bylnay and other his faithfull seruantes God called EnglaÌ„d to dresse his vineyard many promised full faire whome I could name But what frute folowed nothing but bitter grapes yea breeres and brambles the wormewood of auarice the
goddes their worshippers but both alike accursed shall thē perish for euer And thoghe our mercifull father hathe longe suffred heretofore in the tyme of ignorāce yet now in the ende of the world he calleth all people so plainely by his worde to repentance that he must nedes take spedie vengeance if his callinge be contemned especially because the day can not longe be delayed wherein he hath determined to iudge all people and nations of the whole world and to put an end to wickednes Wherefore to conclude behold your onlie remedie remaineth to repent your tyme of ignorāce of stubburnnes of crueltie of idolatrie wherein ye haue so long continued And now with all diligence to seke for knolledge of the worde of God and opēly to professe the Ghospell which is the power of God whereof ye oght not to be ashamed Cease at the last from your olde stubburnnes wherbie ye haue deserued vengeance and labour in the vineyarde with all mekenes that ye may receaue mercie and grace cease from your crueltie against Christes membres and learne to suffer for Christes sake if ye will be true Christians banishe all idolatrie and popishe superstition from amongest you els can ye haue no parte in Christes kingdome no more then Christ can be partaker with Antichrist Pray to the Lorde of hostes and armies to giue you the courrage strengthe and meanes The Lords arme is not shortened now no more then of olde Be stronge therefore in the Lord for the defence of the trueth thogh all the worlde ryse agaīst itt Now when the battaile is fierce against the liuinge God for dead idols euen for the vile wafercake the most vaine idol that euer was against the Ghospel of Christe for the inuentions of Antichrist against Christes mēbres for Popishe ceremonies can any of you that wilbe compted gods children styll halt of bothe handes If that cake baked in yron tonges not able to abyde a blast of winde be the aeternal God folow it but if he only be God that hath created the heauens abhorre suche vile idols that haue no force to saue thē selues if Christes Ghospel and doctrine be sufficient to saluation and by receauing of it ye are called Christians away with all Antichristes inuentions broght into your Romish churches if you hope to haue any parte with Christ cherishe his mēbres and maintaine thē against theire ennemies the papistes ād the bishoppe of Rome the verie Antichriste What strengthe what force what power what coūsil so euer ye haue of God bende all to this ende and purpose as ye wyll make answere to your heauēly kīg for the talent receaued If you haue no regarde of those prīcipal pointes which only or chiefly should be before your eyes go to with your forraine mariages ioyne Frāce to Scotlād and Spayne to England if it be possible yet shall ye all be confounded The Lord shall plage you one with an other vntill you be consumed your strēgth wherein ye trust shall be shakē to naught your courrage shalbe cowardise your wisdom shall be folie ād the Lord of hostes by your ruine ād destructiō will be renowmed ād praised ād his iust iudgemēts through owt the earth shalbe honoured ād feared Where of the contrarie if you will maintaine Gods trueth in the earthe he will receaue you as his children into the heauens if you confesse his Christe before this wicked generation Christ shall confesse you before his father in the heauens in the presēce of his angels But if you persiste stubburnly to banishe goddes worde and his sonne Christ in his membres furth of your earthlie kyngdomes how cā ye loke for any parte in his heauēlie king dome muche more if ye continue to murther his messīgers what cā ye loke for emōgst your selues but that ye shoulde digge one ī anothers bellie to be your own murtherers So that if ye wil stil remaine after all these admonitiōs in your murthers and idolatries be suer that in this worlde ye shall haue enoghe of your idolatries and you shalbe filled with blooddy murthers aud in the end ye shall be iudged without the gates of the heuenlie Ierusalem amongest the dogges enchaunters hooremōgers and murtherers and idolaters with all those that loueth lies But he that ouercommeth all these shall inherit all thinges and I will be his God saieth the Lord and he shall be my sonne Where as the fearefull in gods cause the vnbeleuing the abominable the murtherers hooremongers sorcerers and idolaters shall haue their parte in the lake that burneth with fier and brymstone Lo here is the choise of life and deathe of miserie and welthe offred vnto you by gods mercies and the meanes how yow may winne goddes fauour opened wherebie onely ye may preuaile against your ennemies God graūte you heartes to answer as the people did to Iosua offering the lyke choyse God forbyd say they that we shoulde forsake God we will serue the Lorde our God and obey his voice for he his our God And we your banished brethren by the power of God to prouoke you forward will thus pronounce with Iosua That we and our families will serue the Lorde God thoghe all natiōs runne to Idols thoghe all people do persecute vs. We knowe that Satan hathe but a shorte tyme to rage and that Christe our captaine right spedely will crowne his souldiours to whome as he is the eternal God with his father be all honour and glorie for euer and euer So be it IOHN KNOXE TO THE READER BEcause many are offended at the first blast of the trompett in whiche I affirme that to promote a woman to beare rule or empire aboue any realme nation or citie is repugnant to nature contumelie to God and a thing moste contrariouse to his reuealed and approued ordenāce and because also that somme hath pomised as I vnderstād a confutation of the same I haue delayed the second blast till suche tyme as their reasons appere by the which I either may be reformed in opinion or els shall haue further occasion more simply and plainly to vtter my iudgement Yet in the meane tyme for the discharge of my conscience and for auoyding suspitiō whiche might be ingendred by reason of my silence I could not cease to notifie these subsequent propositiōs which by Gods grace I purpose to entreate in the secōd blast promised 1 It is not birth onely nor propin quitie of blood that maketh a kīge lawfully to reign aboue a people professing Christe Iesus and his eternall veritie but in his election must the ordenance which God hath established in the election of inferiour iudges be obserued 2 No manifest idolater nor notoriouse transgressor of gods holie preceptes oght to be promoted to any publike regimēt honour or dignitie in any realme prouince or citie that hath subiected the self to Christe Iesus and to his blessed Euāgil 3 Neither can othe nor promesse bynd any such people to obey and maintein tyrantes against God and against his trueth