heare thy cause and decerne in the same The controuersie standith in matters of religion Thou art accused as an apostatat from the Law as a violator of the temple and transgressor of the traditioÌ„s of theyre fathers in which matters I am ignorant and therefore desire information by those that be learned in the same religion wherof the question is And yet doest thou refuse so many godly fathers to hear thy cause and doestappeale to the Emperour preferring hym to all our iudgements of no purpose belike but to delay tyme. Thus I say it myght haue appeared that Paule did not only iniurie to the iudge and to the Preestes but also that his cause was greatly to be suspected partly for that he did refuse the iudgement of those that had moste knowledge as all men supposed of Gods will and religion and partly because he appealed to the Emperour who then was at Rome farr absent from Ierusalem a man also ignoraÌ„t of God and ennemie to all vertue But the Apostle coÌ„sidering the nature of his ennemies and what thinges they had intended against hym euen from the fyrst day that he began freelie to speak in the name of Christ did not fear to appeale from them and from the iudge that would haue gratified them They had professed theÌ„ selues plain ennemies to Christ Iesus and to his blessed Euangill and had soght the death of Paule yea euen by factioÌ„s and treasonable coÌ„spiracie and therefore by no meanes would he admit them either iudges in his cause either auditours of the same as Festus required but grounding him selfe vpon strong reasons to wit that he had not offeÌ„ded the Iewes neither yet the Law but that he was innoceÌ„t and therefore that no iudge oght to geue hym in the haÌ„des of his ennemies grounding I say his appellation vpon these reasons he neither regarded the displeasure of Festus neither yet the brute of the ignoraÌ„t multitude but boldely did appeal from all cognition of them to the iudgement of the Emperour as said is By these two examples I dout not but your honours do vnderstand that lawfull it is to the seruantes of God oppressed by tyraÌ„nie to seke remedie against the same be it by appellation from theire senteÌ„ce or by imploring the helpe of ciuile Magistrates For what God hath approued in Ieremie and Paul he can condemne in none that likewise be eâ—â—reated I might alledge some histories of the primatiue Church seruing to the same purpose as of Ambrose and Athanasius of whom the one would not be iudged but at Millan where that is doctrine was hard of all his Church and receaued and approuâ—d by many and the other would in no wise geue place to those couÌ„ciles where he knew that meÌ„ conspired against the trueth of God should sit in iudgement and coÌ„sultatione But because the Scriptures of God are my only fundation and assurance in all matters of weight and importaÌ„ce I haue thoght the two former testimonies sufficient aswell to proue my appellation reasonable and iust as to declare to your honours that with safe conscience ye can not refuse to admit the same Yf any thinke it arrogaÌ„cie or foolishnes in me to compare my selfe with Ieremie and Paule let the same man vnderstaÌ„d that as God is immutable so is the veritie of his glorious Euangill of aequall dignitie whensoeuer it is impugned be the membres suffering neuer so weak What I think touching myne owne person God shall reueale when the secrets of all hartes shall be disclosed and such as with whome I haue bene conuersant can partly witnesse what arrogaÌ„cie or pryde they espie in me But touching the doctrine and cause which that adulterous aÌ„d pestilent generatioÌ„ of Antichrists seruaÌ„ts who wilbe called Byshoppes amongst you haue condened in me I neither fear nor shame to coÌ„fesse and auow before man and Angell to be the aeternall trueth of the aeternall God And in that case I dout not to coÌ„pare my selfe with any menbre in whome the trueth hath bene impugned seÌ„ce the begynnyng For as it was the trueth which Ieremie did preach in these wordes The Preestes haue not knowen me saieth the Lord but the pastors haue traiterously declined and fallen back from me The Prophetes haue prophesied in Baal and haue gone after those things which can not helpe My people haue left the fontaine of liuing waters and haue digged to them selues pits which can containe no water As it was a trueth that the pastors and watchmen in the daies of Isaie were becomed doÌ„me dogs blynd ignoraÌ„t proud and auaricious And finally as it was a trueth that the Princes and the Preestes were murtherers of Christ Iesus aÌ„d cruell persecutors of his Apostles so likewyse it is a trueth and that moste infallible that those that haue condemned me the hole rable of the papisticall clergie haue declyned from the true faith haue geuen eare to deceauable spirits and to doctrine of deuils are the sterres fallen from the heauen to the earth are fontaines without water and finally are ennemies to Christ Iesus deniers of his vertue and horrible blasphemours of his death and passioÌ„ And further as that visible Churche had no crime where of iustly they could accuse either the Prophetes either the Apostles except theyr doctrine only so haue not such as seke my blood other crime to lay to my charge except that I affirm as alwais I offer to proue that the religion which now is maintained by fier and sword is no lesse contrarious to the true religion taught and established by the Apostles then is darknes to light or the Deuill to God and also that such as now do claime the title and name of the Churche ar no more the elect spouse of Christ Iesus then was the Synagoge of the Iewes the true Church of God what tyme it crucified Christ Iesê° damned his doctrine and persecuted his Apostles And therefore seing that my battail is against the proude and cruell hypocrites of this age as that battaill of those most excellent instrumentes was against the fals Prophetes and malignant Church of theyr ages neither ought any man think it strange that I coÌ„pare my self with them with whome I sustaine a coÌ„mon cause neither ought you my Lordes iudge your selues lesse addetted and bound to me calling for your support then did the Princes of Iuda think theÌ„ selues bouÌ„de to Ieremie whome for that tyme they deliue red notwithstaÌ„ding the seÌ„teÌ„ce of death ê“nouÌ„ced against him by the visible Church And thus much for the right of my appellatioÌ„ which in the bowelles of Christ Iesus I requier your honours not to esteme as a thing superfluous aÌ„d vaine but that ye admitt it aÌ„d also accept me in your ê“tection aÌ„d defence that by you assured I may haue accesse to my natiue couÌ„trie which I neuer offeÌ„ded to the end that freely and opeÌ„ly in the preseÌ„ce of the hole realme I may geue my confession of all such pointes
the same To wit that it notwithstanding that fals and cruel sentence which your disgised byshoppes haue pronounced against me would please you to be so fauorable vnto me as to be indifferēt auditours of my iust purgation Which to do if God earnestly moue your heartes as I nothīg doubt but that your entreprise shall redounde to the praise of his holie name so am I assured that ye and your posteritie shall by that meanes receaue most singular comfort edificatiō ād profit For when ye shall heare the matter debated ye shall easelie perceaue and vnderstand vpon what grounde ād foundation is builded that religion which amongest you is this day defended by fier and sword As for my own conscience I am most assuredly persuaded that what soeuer is vsed in the papistical Churche is al togither repugning to Christes blessed ordināce and is nothing but mortal venem of which whosoeuer drinketh I am assuredly persuaded that therewith he drīketh death and damnation except by true conuersion vnto God he be purged from the same But because that long silence of goddes worde hath begotten ignorance almost in al sortes of men and ignorance ioyned with long custome hath cōfirmed superstition in the heartes of many I therefore in the name of the Lord Iesus desire audience aswell of you the communaltie my Brethrē as of the estates and nobilitie of the realme that in publike preaching I may haue place amongest you at large to vtter my mind in all matters of cōtrouersie this day in religion And further I desire that ye cōcurring with your nobilitie would compell your byshoppes and clergie to cease their tyrannie and also that for the better assurance and instruction of your consciēce ye would compell your said bishoppes and fals teachers to answer by the scriptures of God to such obiectiōs ād crimes as shalbe laid against their vaine religion fals doctrine wicked life and sclanderous conuersation Here I know that it shalbe obiected that I require of you a thing most vnreasonable To witt that ye should call your religion in doubt which hath bene approued and established by so long continuance and by the consent of so manie men before you But I shortly answer that neither is the lōg processe of tyme neither yet the multitude of men a sufficiēt approbation which God will alow for our religiō For as somme of the most aunncient writers do witnesse neither can long processe of tyme iustifie an errour neither can the multitude of such as folow it chaūg the nature of the same But if it was an errour in the begynnyng so is it in the end and the longer that it be folowed and the mo that do receaue it it is the more pestilent and more to be auoided For if antiquitie or multitude of mē could iustifie any religion then was the idolatrie of the Gentiles and now is the abomination of the Turkes good religiō For antiquitie approued the one and a multitude hath receaued and doth defende the other But otherwise to answer godlie men may wonder from what fontaine such a sentēce doth flow that no man oght to trie his faith and religion by goddes worde but that he safely may beleue and folow euerie thing which antiquitie and a multitude haue approued The spirit of God doth otherwise teach vs. For the wisdone of God Christ Iesus hym selfe remitted his aduersaries to Moses and the scriptures to trie by them whether his doctrine was of God or not The Apostles Paule and Peter commaunde men to trie the religion which they professe by goddes plaine scriptures and do praise men for so doing S. Iohn straytly commaundeth that we beleue not euerie spirit but willeth vs to trie the spirits whether they be of God or not Now seyng that these euident testimonies of the holie Ghoste will vs to trie our faith and religion by the plaine worde of God wonder it is that the papistes will not be content that theyr religion and doctrine comme vnder the triall of the same If this sentēce of Christ be true as it is most true seing it springeth from the veritie it self who so euill doeth hateth the light neither will he cōme to the light lest that his euill workes be manifested and rebuked then do our papistes by their own sentence condemne them selues and theyr religion For in so far as they refuse examination and trial they declare that they know somme fault which the light will vtter which is a cause of theyr feare ▪ ād why they claime to that priuiledge that no man dispute of theyr religion The veritie and trueth being of the nature of fyne purified gold doth not fear the trial of the fornace but the stuble and chaf of mannes inuentions such is theyr religion may not abyde the flame of the fier True it is that Mahomet pronounced this sentence that no man should in paine of death dispute or reason of the grounde of his religion Which law to this day by the art of Satā is yet obserued amōgest the Turkes to theyr mortal blindnes and horrible blasphemyng of Christ Iesus and of his true religion And from Mahomet or rather from Satan father of all lies hath the Pope and his rabble learned this former lesson To witt that theyr religion should not be disputed vpon but what the fathers haue beleued that oght and must the childrē approue And in so diuising Satan lacked not his foresight For no one thing hath more established the kingdome of that Romane Antichrist then this most wicked decrie To witt that no man was permitted to reason of his power or to call his lawes in doubt This thing is most assured that whensoeuer the papisticall religion shall comme to examination it shalbe founde to haue no other grounde then hath the religion of Mahomet To witt mannes inuention deuise and dreames ouershadowed with somme colour of goddes worde And therefore Brethren seing that the religion is as the stomake to the bodie which if it be corrupted doth infect the hole membres it is necessarie that the same be examined and if it be founde replenished with pestilent humors I mean with the fantasies of men then of necessitie it is that those be purged els shal your bodies and soules perishe for euer For of this I would ye were most certaīly persuaded that a corrupt religion defileth the hole life of man appear it neuer so holie Neither would I that ye should esteme the reformation and care of religion lesse to appertaī to you because ye are no kinges rulers iudges nobils nor in auctoritie Beloued Brethren ye are goddes creatures created and formed to his own image and similitude for whose redemption was shed the most pretious blood of the onlie beloued sonne of God to whome he hath commaunded his Ghospell and gladtidinges to be preached ād for whome he hath prepared the heauenlie inheritance so that ye will not obstinately refuse
THE APPELLATION OF IOHN KNOXE FROM the cruell and most iniust sentence pronounced against him by the false bishoppes and clergie of Scotland with his supplication and exhortation to the nobilitie estates and cōmunaltie of the same realme Printed at GENEVA M.D.LVIII TO THE NOBILITIE AND ESTAtes of Scotlād Iohn Knoxe wisheth grace mercie and peace from God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ with the spirit of righteous iudgement IT is not only the loue of life temporall right honorable neither yet the fear of corporall death that moueth me at this present to expone vnto you the iniuries done against me and to craue of you as of laufull powers by God appointed redresse of the same but partly it procedeth from that reuerence whiche euerie man oweth to Godds eternal trueth and partly from a loue which I beare to your saluation and to the saluation of my brethren abused in that realme by such as haue no fear of God before their eyes It hath pleased God of his infinite mercie not onlie so to illuminate the eyes of my minde and so to tuche my dull hart that clearly I se and by his grace vnfeanedly beleue that their is no other name geuen to men vnder the heauen in whiche saluation consisteth saue the name of Iesus alone Who by that sacrifice which he did once offer vpon the crosse hath sanctified for euer those that shall enherite the kingdom promised but also it hath pleased him of his superaboundant grace to make and appointe me most wretched of many thousandes a witnes minister and preacher of the same doctrine the somme whereof I did not spare to communicate withe my brethren being with them in the realme of Scotland in the yeare 1556 because I know my selfe to be a steward and that accompts of the talēt cōmitted to my charge shalbe required by him who will admit no vaine excuse which fearfull men pretend I did therefore as God did minister during the tyme I was conuersant with them God is record and witnesse truely and syncerly according to the gift grāted vnto me deuide the worde of saluation teachinge all men to hate Syn whiche before God was and is so odious that none other sacrifice coulde satisfie his iustice except the death of his onlie sonne and to magnifie the greate mercies of our heuenlie Father who did not spare the substāce of his own glorie but did giue hym to the world to suffer the ignominious and cruell death of the crosse by that meanes to reconcile his chosen children to hym selfe teaching further what is the duetie of such as do beleue them selues purged by such a price from their former filthines To wit that they are bound to walke in the newnes of life fighting against the lustes of the fleshe and studyinge at all tymes to glorifie God by such good woorkes as he hath prepared his children to walke in In doctrine I did further affirme so taught by my master Christ Iesus that whosoeuer denieth hym yea or is ashamed of hym before this wicked generation hym shall Christ Iesus denie and of hym shall he be ashame whē he shall appeare in his maiestie And therefore I feared not to affirme that of necessitie it is that suche as hope for life euerlasting auoide all superstition vaine religion and idolatrie Vaine religion and idolatrie I call what soeuer is done in Goddes seruice or honour without the expresse commaundement of his own worde This doctrine did I beleue to be so cōformable to Goddes holie scriptures that I thoght no creature could haue bene so impudent as to haue dāned any point or article of the same Yet neuerthelesse me as an heritike and this doctrine as heriticall haue your fals bishoppes and vngodlie clergie damned pronouncing against me a sentence of death in testification wherof they haue burned a picture From which fals and cruell sentence and from all iudgement of that wicked generation I make it knowen to your honours that I appeal to a laufull and generall counsil to suche I mean as the most auncient lawes and canones do approue to be holden by suche as whose manifest impietie is not to be reformed in the same most humbly requiring of your honours that as God hath appointed you princes in that people and by reason therof requireth of your handes the defence of innocētes troubled in your dominion in the meane tyme and till the controuersies that this day be in religion be laufully decided ye receaue me and suche others as most vniustlie by those cruell beastes are persecuted in your defence and protection Your honours are not ignorāt that it is not I alone who doth sustain this cause against the pestilēt generation of Papistes but that the most part of Germanie the countrie of Heluetia the kinge of Denmarke the nobilitie of Polonia togither with many other Cities and Churches refromed appeall from the tyrannie of that Antichrist and most earnestly do call for a laufull and general coūsil wherin may all cōtrouersies in religion be decided by the auctoritie of Goddes most sacred worde And vnto this same as said is do I appeal yet once againe requirīg of your honours to hold my simple and playn appellation of no lesse value nor effect then if it had bene made with greater circunstāce solemnitie and ceremonie and that ye receaue me calinge vnto you as to the powers of God ordained in your protection and defence against the rage of tyrantes not to mentaine me in any iniquitie errour or fals opinion but to let me haue such equitie as God by his worde auncient lawes and determinations of most Godlie counsils graunte to men accused or infamed The word of God will that no man shall die except he be found criminall and worthie of death for offence committed of the whiche he must be manifestly conuicted by two or three witnesses Ancient lawes do permitt iust defences to such as be accused be their crimes neuer so horrible and godlie counsilles will that nether Byshopp nor Person ecclesiasticall whatsoeuer accused of any crime shall sit in iudgement consultation or counsil where the cause of such men as do accuse them is to be tried These thinges require I of your honours to be graunted vnto me to wit That the doctrine which our aduersaries condemn for haeresie may be tried by the simple and playn word of God that iust defenses be admitted to vs that sustain the battaile against this pestilent generation of Antichrist and that they be remoued from iudgement in our cause seinge that our accusation is not intended against any one particular persō but against that hole kingdome whiche we doubt not to proue to be a power vsurped against God against his cōmaundement and against the ordenance of Christ Iesus established in his Church by his chefe Apostles Yea we doubt not to proue the kingdome of the Pope to be the king dome and
escape the plage and punishement of God to declare hym selfe ennemie to idolatrie not only in heart hating the same but also in externall gesture declaring that he lamenteth yf he can do no more for such abominations Which thing was shewed to the ê“phete Ezechiel what tyme he gaue hym to vnderstaÌ„d why he would destroy Iuda with Israel aÌ„d that he would remoue his glorie from the temple and place that he had chosen aÌ„d so powerfurth his wrathe and indignation vpon the citie that was full of blood and apostasie which became so impudent that it durst be bold to say the Lord hath left the earth and seeth not At this tyme I say the Lord reuealed in vision to his prophete who they were that should fynd fauour in that miserable destruction To witt those that did murne and lament for all the abominations done in the citie in whose foreheades did God commaund to print and seal Tau to the end that the destroyer who was commaunded to stryke the rest without mercie should not hurt them in whome that signe was found Of these premisses I suppose it be euident that the punishment of idolatrie doth not appertaine to kinges only but also to the hole people yea to euerie membre of the same according to his possibilitie For that is a thing most assured that no man can murne lament and bewaile for those thinges which he will not remoue to the vttermost of his power Yf this be required of the hole people and of euerie man in his vocation what shall be required of you my Lordes whome God hath raised vpp to be Princes and rulers aboue your brethren whose handes he hath armed with the sword of his iustice yea whome he hath appointed to be as bridels to represse the rage and insolencie of your kinges when soeuer they pretend manifestly to transgresse goddes blessed ordenance Yf any think that this my affirmation tuchinge the punishmeÌ„t of idolaters be contrarie to the practise of the Apostles who fynding the Gentiles in idolatrie did call them to repentance requiring no such punishmeÌ„t lett the same man vnderstand that the Gentiles before the preaching of Christ liued as the Apostle speaketh without God in the world drowned in idolatrie according to the blindnes aÌ„d ignoraÌ„ce in which then they were holden as a prophane natioÌ„ whome God had neuer opeÌ„ly auowed to be his people had neuer receaued iÌ„ his houshold neither geuen vnto them lawes to be kept in religion nor politie and therefore did not his holie Ghost calling them to repentance require of them anie corporall punishment according to the rigour of the law vnto the which they were neuer subiects as they that were strangers from the commune welth of Israel But if anie think that after that the Gentiles were called from theyr vaine conuersation and by embrasing Christ Iesus were receaued iÌ„ the nombre of Abrahams children and so made one people with the Iewes beleuing yf ani think I say that then they were not bounde to the same obedience which God required of his people Israel what tyme he confirmed his leage and conuenante with them the same man appeareth to make Christ inferiour to Moses and contrarious to the law of his heauenlie father For if the contempt or transgression of Moses law was worthie of death what should we iudge the contempt of Christes ordenance to be I mean after they be once receaued And if Christ be not commed to dissolue but to fulfill the law of his heauenlie Father shall the libertie of his Gospell be an occasion that the especiall glorie of his Father be troden vnder foote and regarded of no man God forbid The especial glorie of God is that such as professe them to be his people should harken to his voice and amongest all the voices of God reuealed to the worlde tuching punishement of vices is none more euident neither more seuere then is that which is pronounced against idolatrie the teachers and mentainers of the same And therefore I fear not to affirm that the Gentiles I mean euerie citie realme prouince or nation amongest the Gentiles embrasing Christ Iesus and his true religioÌ„ be bound to the same leage and coÌ„uenant that God made with his people Israel what tyme he promised to roote owt the nations before them in these wordes Beware that thou make anie coÌ„uenante with the inhabitantes of the land to the which thou commest leste perchaÌ„ce that this comme in ruin that is be destruction to the but thou shalt destroy theyr altars break their idols and cutt doune their groues Fear no strange goddes worship them not neither yet make you sacrifice to them But the Lord who in his great power and owtstretched arme hath broght you owt of the land of Egypt shall you fear hym shall you honour hym shall you worship to hym shall you make sacrifice his statutes iudgements Lawes and commaundementes you shall kepe and obserue This is the conuenante which I haue made with you saieth the Eternall forget it not neither yet fear ye other goddes but fear you the Lord your God and he shall deliuer you froÌ„ the haÌ„des of all your ennemies To this same Law I say and coÌ„uenante are the GeÌ„tiles no lesse bounde then somtyme were the Iewes when soeuer God doth illuminate the eyes of anie multitude prouince people or citie and putteth the sworde in their own hand to remoue such enormities from amongest them as before God they know to be abominable Then I say are they no lesse bouÌ„d to purge theyr dominions â–ª cities and countries from idolatrie then were the Israelites what tyme they receaued the possession of the land of Canaan And moreouer I say if any go about to erect and set vp idolatrie or to teach defection from God after that the veritie hath bene receaued and approued that theÌ„ not only the Magistrates to whome the sword is coÌ„mittet but also the people are bouÌ„d by that oth which they haue made to God to reuenge to the vttermost of their power the iniurie done against his Maiestie In vniuersal defections and in a general reuolt such as was in Israel after Ieroboam there is a diuerse consideration For then because the hole people were togither coÌ„spired agaiÌ„st God there could none be fouÌ„d that woulde execute the punishement which God had coÌ„maunded till God raised vpp Iehu whom he had appoiÌ„ted for that purpose And the same is to be coÌ„sidered in all other general defectioÌ„s suche as this day be in the papistrie where all are blinded and all are declined from God and that of loÌ„ge coÌ„tinuance so that no ordinarie iustice caÌ„ be executed but the punishmeÌ„t must be reserued to God aÌ„d vnto such meanes as he shall appoint But I do speak of such a noÌ„bre as after they haue receaued goddes perfect religioÌ„ do boldly professe the same notwithstaÌ„diÌ„g that soÌ„me or the most part fal back as of late daies was iÌ„
and against the libertie of their owne natiue realme they haue cōmitted The same plages shall fall vpon you be you assured if ye refuse the defence of his seruantes that call for your support My words are sharpe but cōsider my Lords that they are not mine but that they are the threatnynges of the omnipotent who assuredly will perfurme the voices of his Prophetes how that euer carnall men despise his admonitions The sworde of Goddes wrath is alredie drawē which of necessitie must nedes stryke when grace offred is obstinatly refused You haue bene long in bondage of the Deuil blyndnes errour and idolatrie preuailing against the simple trueth of God in that your realme in which God hath made you princes and rulers But now doth God of his great mercie call you to repentance before he power furth the vttermost of his vengeance he crieth to your eares that your religiō is nothing but idolatrie he accuseth you of the blood of his saincts which hath bene shed by your permission assistance and powers For the tyrannie of those raging beastes should haue no force if by your strength they were not mentained Of those horrible crimes doth now God accuse you not of purpose to condemne you but mercifully to absolue and pardō you as somtyme he did those whom Peter accused to haue killed the sonne of God so that ye be not of mind nor purpose to iustifie your former iniquitie Iniquitie I call not only the crimes and offenses which haue bene and yet remaine in your maners and liues but that also which appeareth before men most holie with hassard of my life I offre to proue abomination before God that is your hole religion to be so corrupt and vaine that no true seruante of God can communicate with it because that in so doing he should manifestly denie Christ Iesus and his eternal veritie I know that your byshoppes accompained with the swarme of the papistical vermine shal crie A damned heretik oght not to be hard But remembre my Lords what in the beginning I haue protested vpō which groūnd I cōtinually stād to witt that I am no heretike nor deceauable teacher but the seruante of Christ Iesus a preacher of his īfallible veritie innocent in all that they can lay to my charge cōcerning my doctrine and that therefore by them being ennemies to Christ I am iniustly damned From which cruell sentence I haue appealed and do appeal as before mention is made in the mean tyme most hūbly requiring your Honours to take me in your protection to be auditours of my iust defēses graūting vnto me the same libertie which Achab a wicked king and Israel at that tyme a blynded people grāted to Helias in the like case That is that your byshoppes and the hole rabble of your clergie may be called before you and before that people whome they haue deceaued that I be not condemned by multitude by custome by auctoritie or law diuised by man but that God hym self may be iudge betwixt me and my aduersaries Let God I say speak by his law by his prophetes by Christ Iesus or by his Apostles and so let hym pronounce what religion he approueth and then be my ennemies neuer so manie and appeare they neuer so stronge and so learned no more do I feare victorie then did Helias being but one man against the multitude of Baales preestes And if they think to haue aduantage by theyre councils and doctours this I further offer to admitt the one and the other as witnesses in all matters debateable three thinges which iustly can not be denied being granted vnto me First that the most auncient Councils nighest to the primitiue Church in which the learned and godlie fathers did examine all matters by goddes word may be holden of most auctoritie Secondarely that no determination of Councils nor man be admitted against the plaine veritie of goddes word nor against the determination of those foure chefe Councils whose auctoritie hath bene and is holden by them equal with the auctoritie of the foure Euangelistes And last that to no doctour be geuen greater auctoritie then Augustine requireth to be geuen to his writinges to witt if he plainely proue not his affirmation by Gods infallible worde that then his sentence be reiected and imputed to the errour of a mā These thinges graunted and admitted I shall no more refuse the testimonies of Councils and doctours then shall my aduersaries But and if they will iustifie those Councils which mentaine theyr pride ād vsurped auctoritie and will reiect those which plainly haue condemned all such tyrannie negligence and wicked life as byshoppes now do vse and if further they will snatche a doubtfull sentence of a doctour and refuse his mynd when he speaketh plainly then will I say that all man is a lyer that credit oght not to be geuen to an vnconstant witnes and that no Coūcils oght to preuaile nor be admitted against the sentence which God hath pronounced And thus my Lordes in few wordes to cōclude I haue offred vnto you a triall of mie innocencie I haue declared vnto you what God requireth of you being placed aboue his people as rulers and princes I haue offred vnto you and to the inhabitātes of the realme the veritie of Christ Iesus and with the hasard of my life I presently offer to proue the religion which amongest you is mentained by fier and sworde to be fals dānable and diabolicall Which thinges if ye refuse defending tyrantes in their tyrānie then dar I not flatter but as it was commaunded to Ezechiel boldly to proclaime so must I crie to you that you shall perishe in your iniquitie that the Lord Iesus shall refuse so manie of you as maliciously withstand his eternall veritie and in the day of his apparition when all flesh shall appear before hym that he shall repell you from his compagnie and shall commaund you to the fier whiche neuer shalbe quēched and then neither shall the multitude be able to resist neither yet the counsils of man be able to preuaile against that sentence which he shall pronounce God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ by the power of his holie spirit so rule and dispose your hearts that with simplicitie ye may cōsider the thinges that be offred ād that ye may take such order in the same as God in you may be glorified and Christes flock by you may be edified and comforted to the praise ād glorie of our Lord Iesus Christ whose omnipotent spirit rule your hearts in his true feare to the end Amen TO HIS BELOVED BRETHREN THE communaltie of Scotland Iohn Knoxe wisheth grace mercie and peace with the spirit of righteous iudgement VVhat I haue required of the Quene Regēt estates ād nobilitie as of the chife heades for this present of the realme I can not cease to require of you dearli beloued Brethrē which be the cōmunaltie and bodie of
chose his habitation amongest them and also that best knoweth what lieth within man did prouide the remedie for the one and for the other making them equal in that behalfe who in other thinges were most vnequal Yf the poore should haue founde hym selfe greued by reason of that taxe and that asmuch was imposed vpon hym as vpon the riche yet had he no small cause of ioy that God him selfe would please to cōpare hym and to make hym equal in the mentenāce of his tabernacle to the most riche and potent in Israel Yf this equalitie was commaunded by God for mentenāce of that transitorie tabernacle which was but a shadoe of a better to cōme is not the same required of vs who now hath the veritie which is Christ Iesus who being clad with our nature is made Immanuel that is God with vs. Whose natural bodie albeit it be receaued in the heauens where he must abyde till all be complete that is forespoken by the Prophetes yet hath he promised to be presēt with vs to the ēd of the world And for that purpose and for the more assurance of his promisse he hath erected amongest vs here in earthe the signes of his owne presence with vs his spiritual tabernacle the true preaching of his worde and right administration of his sacramentes To the mentenance whereof is no lesse bounde the subiect then the prince the poore then the riche For as the price which was geuē for mannes redēption is one so requireth God of all that shalbe partakers of the benefites of the same a like duetie which is a plaine confession that by Christ Iesus alone we haue receaued what soeuer was lost in Adam Of the prince doth God require that he refuse hym selfe and that he folow Christ Iesus of the subiect he requireth the same Of the kinges and iudges it is required that they kysse the sonne that is giue honour subiection and obedience to hym And from such reuerēce doth not God exempt the subiect that shalbe saued And this is that aequalitie which is betwixt the kinges and subiectes the most riche or noble and betwixt the poorest and men of lowest estate to wit that as the one is oblished to beleue in heart and with mouth to cōfesse the Lord Iesus to be the onlie sauiour of the world so also is the other Neither is there anie of goddes childrē who hath attained to the yeares of discretion so poore but that he hath thus much to bestow vpon the ornamentes and maintenance of their spiritual tabernacle when necessitie requireth neither yet is there anie so riche of whose hande God requireth any more For albeit that Dauid gathered greate substāce for the buylding of the temple that Salomon with earnest diligence and incredible expenses erected and finished the same that Ezechias and Iosias purged the religion which before was corrupted yet to them was God no further dettour in that respect then he was to the most simple of the faithfull posteritie of faithfull Abraham For theyr diligence zeal and workes gaue rather testimonie and confession before men what honour they did bear to God what loue to his worde and reuerēce to his religiō then that any worke proceading from them did either establishe or yet encrease goddes fauoure towardes thē who freely did loue thē in Christ his sonne before the foundation of the world was laied So that these forenamed by theyr notable workes gaue testimonie of theyr vnfained faith and the same doth the poorest that vnfeanedly and openly professeth Christ Iesus that doth embrase his gladtydinges offred that doth abhorre superstition and flie from idolatrie The poorest I say and most simple that this day in earth in the daies of this cruel persecution fermely beleueth in Christ and boldly doth confesse hym before this wicked generation is no lesse acceptable before God neither is iudged in his presence to haue done any lesse in promoting Christ his cause then is the king that by the sworde and power which he hath receaued of God wrooteth owt idolatrie and so aduanceth Christes glorie But to return to our former purpose it is no lesse required I say of the subiect to beleu◠in Christ and to professe his true religion then of the prince and king And therefore I affirme that in goddes presence it shall not excuse you to alledge that ye were no chefe rulers and therefore that the care and reformation of religion did not appertaine vnto you Ye dear Brethren as before is said are the creatures of God created to his owne image and similitude to whome it is commaunded to hear the voyce of your heauenlie Father to embrase his sonne Christ Iesus to flie from all doctrine and religion which he hath not approued by his own will reuealed to vs in his moste blessed worde To which preceptes and charges if ye be founde inobedient ye shall perish in your iniquitie as rebelles and stubborn seruantes that haue no pleasure to obey the good will of their soueraigne Lord who most louingly doth call for your obedience And therefore Brethren in this behalf it is your part to be carefull and diligent For the question is not of thinges temporall which allthoghe they be endaungered yet by diligēce and processe of tyme may after be redressed but it is of the dānation of your bodies and soules and of the losse of the life euerlasting which once lost can neuer be recouered And therefore I say that it behoueth you to be careful and diligēt in this so weghtie a matter lest that ye contemnyng this occasion which God now offereth fynd not the like althoghe that after with gronyng and sobbes ye lāguyshe for the same And that ye be not ignorant of what occasion I mean in few words I shall expresse it Not only I but with me also diuers other godlie and learned men do offer vnto you our labours faithfully to instruct you in the waies of the Eternal our God and in the synceritie of Christes Euangil which this day by the pestilent generatiō of Antichrist I mean by the pope and by his most vngodlie clergie are almost hyd from the eies of men We offer to ieopard our liues for the saluation of your soules and by manifest scriptures to proue that religion which amongest you is mentained by fier and sworde to be vaine fals ād diabolical We require nothing of you but that paciently ye will heare our doctrine which is not oures but is the doctrine of saluation reuealed to the world by the onlie sonne of God ād that ye will examine our reasons by the which we offer to proue the papistical religion to be abominable before God And last we require that by your power the tyrannie of those cruel beastes I mean of preests and freers may be brideled till we haue vttered our mindes in all matters this day debateable in religion Yf these thinges in the fear of God ye