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
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
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
rise agane in glorie howsoeuer it be that the wicked for a â—yme â—all trode me others thy seruandes vnder their feit Be mercyfull o Lord vnto the Kirk within this Realme continew with it the light of thy Euangell augment the nuÌ„ber of trew preicheris and let thy mercyfull prouydence luik vpon my desolate bedfellow the frute of hir bosome and my two deir Children Nathanael and Eleâ—zer Now Lord put end to my miserie At Edinburgh the 12. of Marche 1565. AN ANSWER TO A LETTER OF A IEsuit named Tyrie be Iohne Knox. OF leat dayis there came to our hands a Letter direct vnto yow right worshipfull from Iames Tyrie who styleth him self your huÌ„ble seruitour brother The beginning wherof shaweth the care that he beiriâ— of your saluatioun his cheritie that hes moued him so oft to wryte vnto yow and thairwith couertly he accuses yow y t he hes receaued no answerof his former and yet that the same cheritie moueth him stil to coÌ„tinew in his former sute In the progres of the said letter he planely furthshawis what is his scope purpois to wit to alien at your mynd froÌ„ the treuth of God now of Goddis greit mercy â—fter long darknes offered to this Realme The purpois as we suppone wherefore ye send y e same letter vnto vs is y â— we may giue solutioÌ„is to thay thingis that he obiectis aganis the treuth Which to do wer not verray hard prouydit that his dytement wer sensible and his argumentis formall and propir to that which he wald perswade But becaus in wryting he appeareth to vs rather scabrushly to haue translatit that which he wrytis furth of latine or of sum other forane toung theÌ„ frely to haif expressit his a win mynd And becaus that his argumeÌ„tis ar not onlie impertinent but also sa generall that in na wyse they conclude that which hâ— wold proue Our answeres must excâ—id y â— measure of a missiue yet we sall auoidâ— sa far as we can all vnprofitabil prolixitie But leist that any suld thinke that we depraue either his dytement or argumeÌ„tis we shal insert his hole letter from parcel to parcell and giue answer to sic headis as either ar blaspheamous aganis y e treuth of God or yet may be offeÌ„siue to y â— waâ—k conscience of men In other thingis 〈◊〉 â—all not be curious his letter thus beginis ¶ TYREIS LETTER SCHIR efter hartly coÌ„mendatioun of seruice and prayeris That I haue writtin sa oft afoir we keip his a win wordis and ortographie It come of my cheritie that I aucht to zow for sindrie ressounis and of the solicitude that cheritiâ— causit me to haue of the eternal saluatioâ—Ì„ of zour saule desyraÌ„d be zour answer to haue knawin zour mynd in that behalf quhilk sen I haue not obtenit as zit I haâ—e thocht haifand opportunitie of yis beirer to wryte this wryting amangis the rest and to exhort zow thairby that ze wald ernistly as it becuÌ„mis ane man to quhome God hes geuin sa mony giftis talentis and rypely considder be quhat way ze mon cuÌ„ to that end to the quhilk God hes creatit and redemit zow ¶ ANSWER TO this long preface we only answer this that if the Scribes and Pharesies who coÌ„passed sea land to mak a proselyt gat a curse be y e mouth of our maister Iesus Christ notwithstanding all their appeirand zeale and panefull trauell who caÌ„ dout bot that sic as studie to draw back agane to superstitioun and Idolatrie sic as God hes called froÌ„ the same shall receaue â— dowble maledâ—ctioun vnder what pretence that euer they do it For if thay who broght Ethnickis and manifest Idolatouris to sum Religioun wer accursed How muche moir ar they detestable that trauell to bring men froÌ„ a trew ReligiouÌ„ to the deapest Idolatrie that euer yet was vpon the face of the earth Which long hes bene manteyned in y e papistical Kirk wherto we persaue the wryter of the letter wold entyse yow as his subsequeÌ„t perswasionis manifestly declaireth For thus he wryteth TYRIES LETTER QVhilk appeiris to me to be the only Faith and Religioun keipit in the Catholick Kirk of Christ sen the beginning thairof Quhilk appeiris cleirly be the maist plane wordis of the Propheit Isai quhair he speikis of ye Kirk Gens regnum quod non seruierit tibi peribit Quhilk words gif ony wald apply to yair new found Kirkis specially to zour inuisibil Kirk of ScotlaÌ„d bot zit aucht zeir auld he is coÌ„uictit For it is manifest yat befoir a thousand zeiris in all the warld was yair pepill yat trow it as yai do quha defendis the contrarie quhilk na maÌ„ bot he that wald schaw his impudence his ignorance togidder dar deny and of the Kirk quhairof the Propheit speikis It is said be him in the secund Cha. that it sal be manifest visibil throw all ye warld Quhairfoir gif ze can not schaw quhat place of the warld afoir thre hundreth zeir zour Kirk was into it follow is of necesâ—itie that it is na Kirk c. Thus far of his letter ANSWER THE first part of his counsall we approue and adde thereto that the lyfe Euerlasting consistes in the knawledge of the onlie trew God and in y â— knowledge of him whome he hes send Iesus Christ. That he that beleuis in the Sone of God hes lyfe euerlâ—sting and is alreddy past froÌ„ deith to lyfe bot he that beleuis not sall not le lyfe but the wraith of God abydes vpon him We further affirme y â— without the societie and bosome of the trew Kirk neuer was is nor salbe saluatioun vnto man In thir and lyke generall heidis we disagre not froÌ„ the Papistis but the difference and dout standis in y â— speciallis to wit what Faith is and what grouÌ„d it hes what is religioun wherein iâ— differis from superstitioun and from Idolâ—trie And finallie what is the trew Kirk â–ª and how it may be decerned from y â— Sinagoge of Sathan Thir heades we say ought he in special to haue intreted vnto yow if he had bene mynded to haue instructed yow in a treuth But becaus as y â— progres of his letters declareth his mynd was to draw yow to the bondage of that Romane Antechrist he takis generall propositionis moste trew moste certane in them selues whereupon he wold coÌ„clude that which is most fals altogether pernitius to the saluatioun of man To let the craft of Sathan moir euidently appear wâ— shall draw his perswasioun in forme of argument and after returne to the farther meaning of the Propheit and to the declaratioun of thir termis Faith Religioun and Catholick Kirk The Propheit affirmes that whosoeuer sall not serue Ierusalem shall perishe But the promeis maid to Ierusalem appertenis vnto the Kirk Ergo whosoeuer seruis