doubt Festus did understand pronouncing these words Hast thou appealed to Caesar Thou shalt go to Caesar. As if he would say I as a man willing to understand the truth before I pronounce sentence have required of thee to go to Ierusalem where the learned of thine own Nation may hear thy Cause and discern in the same The controversie standeth in matters of Religion thou art accused as an apostate from the Law as a violator of the Temple and a transgressor of the Traditions of their Fathers in which matters I am ignorant and therefore desire information by those that be learned in the same Religion whereof the question is and yet dost thou refuse so many godly Fathers to hear thy cause and dost appeal to the Emperor preferring him to all our judgments of no purpose belike but to delay time Thus I say it might have appeared that Paul did not onely injury to the Judge and to the Priests but also that his cause was greatly to be suspected partly for that he did refuse the judgement of those that had most knowledge as all men supposed of Gods Will and Religion and partly because he appealed to the Emperour who then was at Rome far absent from Ierusalem a man ignorant of God and enemy to all vertue But the Apostle considering the nature of his enemies and what things they had intended against him even from the first day he began freely to speak in the Name of Christ did not fear to appeal from them and from the Judge that would have gratified them They had professed themselves plain enemies to Christ Jesus and to his blessed Evangell and sought the death of Paul yea even by factions and treasonable conspiracy and therefore by no means would he admit them either as Judges in his cause or auditors of the same as Festus required But grounding himself upon strong reasons to wit That he had not offended the Jews neither against the Law but that he was innocent therefore that no Judge ought to give him into the hands of his enemies grounding I say his Appellation upon these reasons he neither regarded the displeasure of Festus neither yet the brute of the ignorant multitude but boldly did appeal from all cognoscance of them to the judgement of the Emperour as said is By these two examples I doubt not but your Honours do understand That it is lawfull to the servants of God oppressed by tyrannts to seek remedy against the same be it by appellation from their sentence or by imploring the help of Civill Magistrates For what God hath approved in Ieremy and Paul he can condemne in none that are so dealt withall I might alleadge some History of the primitive Church serving to the same purpose as of Ambrose and Athanasius of whom the one would not be judged but at Millan where that his Doctrine was heard of all his Church and received and approved by many And the other would in no wise give place to those Councells where he knew that men conspiring against the Truth of God should sit in Judgement and Consultation But because the Scriptures of God are my onely foundation and assurance in all matters of weight and importance I have thought the two former testimonies sufficient as well to approve my Appellation reasonable and just as to declare to your Honours That with safe conscience ye cannot refuse to admit the same If any think it arrogancy or foolishnesse in me to compare my self with Ieremy and Paul let the same man understand That as God is immutable so is the Verity of his glorious Evangell of equall dignity whensoever it is impugned be the members suffering never so weak What I think touching mine owne person God will reveal when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed and such as with whom I have been conversant can witnesse what arrogancy or pride they espie in me But touching the Doctrine and cause which that adulterous and pestilent Generation of Antichrists servants who will be called Bishops amongst you have condemned me I neither fear nor shame to confesse and avow before man and Angel to be the Eternall Truth of the Eternall God And in that case I doubt not to compare my self with any member in whom the Truth hath been impugned since the beginning For as it was the Truth which Ieremy did Preach in these words The Priests have not known me saith the Lord but the Pastors have treacherously declined and fallen back from me The Prophets have Prophesied in Baal and have gone after those thingâ— which cannot helpe My people have left the fountain of living Water and have digged to themselves pits which can contain no water As it was a truth That the Pastors and Watch-men in the dayes of Isaiah were become dumb dogs blinde ignorant proud and avaricious And finally as it was a truth That the Princes and the Priests were murtherers of Christ Jesus and cruell persecutors of his Apostles so likewise it is a truth and that most infallible That those who have condemned me the whole rabble of the Papisticall Clergie have declined from the true Faith have given ear to deceivable spirits and to doctrine of devils are the stars fallen from the heaven to the earth are fountains without water and finally are enemies to Christ Jesus denyers of his vertue and horrible blasphemers of his death and passion And further As that visible Church had no crime whereof justly they could accuse either Prophets or the Apostles except their Doctrine onely so have not such as seek my blood other crime to lay to my charge except That I affirm as alwayes I offer to prove That the Religion which now is maintained by fire and sword is no lesse contrarious to the true Religion taught and established by the Apostles then is darknesse to light or the devill to God And also That such as now do claim the title and name of Church are no more the elect Spouse of Christ Jesus then was the Synagogue of the Jews the true Church of God when it crucified Christ Jesus condemned his Doctrine and persecuted his Apostles And therefore seeing that my Battell is against the proud and cruell hypocrites of this age as that Battell of those most excellent instruments was against the false Prophets and malignant Church of their ages Neither ought any man to thinke it strange that I compare my self with them with whom I sustain a common cause Neither ought your Lordships judge your selves lesse addebted and bound to me calling for your support then did the Princes of Iuda think themselves bound to Ieremy whom for that time they delivered notwithstanding the sentence of death pronounced against him by the visible Church And thus much for the right of my Appellation which in the bowells of Christ Jesus I require your Honours not to esteem as a thing superfluous and vain but that ye admit it and also accept me in your
she and hers can claim for their own but she and hers must be serviceable to those who have undone them To this end she must have People about her namely Court-Chaplains to disguise businesse unto her and so make her have a bad conception of those who are her best friends to wit the true Professors of the Truth and good Patriots in these Dominions Next her eldest son after a long and great neglect of yeelding him any help for the recovery of his own is betrayed at our corrupt Court when he is put in away to do somewhat for his own restoring c. And after this by the same Court he is sollicited to take Arms here against the onely men who really and constantly have expressed unto him and his true affection but they being stopped by the Court could not effectuate much by their good will He in wisdome refuseth to fight against his friends Since he will not his two next Brothers must be employed the eldest whereof is released from prison to that effect And so they hazard their lives and spend their blood to serve the party who hath undone their Fortunes and now strives to undo their persons The King having left London after he had been in severall places retires to Yorke where he begins to raise men against the Parliament The Scots seeing this send to him thither to intreat him to lay aside all such intentions and offer their service by way of Mediation betwixt him and the Parliament to take away all known mistakes The Scots Commissioners were not suffered to proceed any further then in the businesse and were sent back beyond the expectation of men After a long Pen-skirmishing on both sides Armies are leavied many men killed and taken at divers times on each side yea a set Battell fought where numbers of men are slain The Scots not being able any longer to see their Brethren in England destroyed and the Executioners of Ireland butchering man woman and childe the help that the innocents should have had from England being almost altogether diverted by the Intestine War and neither say nor do in the businesse under safe-Conduct send to the King and Parliament Commissioners to intercede for an Agreement But they being arrived at Court were neglected with their Commission and not suffered to repair unto the Parliament At last they are dismissed not without difficulty and having done nothing return Upon this the Scots convene the States to consult concerning their own safety and the help of their friends At this nick of time when they received many fair promises from the Court with a request to be quiet a Plot of the Papists set afoot by the Court for embroyling the Countrey is discovered by the means whereof they were incited to look more narrowly to themselves and their friends Then the Parliament of England sends to the Scots for help Upon this a Covenant is made betwixt the two Nations for the defence of the true Religion and Liberty of the Countreys with the Kings just Rights and after due preparation the Scots having setled their own Countrey enter into England with a strong Army to fight the Battells of the Lord having for scope of their Expedition The glory of God and the good of his People with the Honour of the King Here we shall observe in these our Countreys in these last yeers such Riddles of State and Church as have hardly been heard of A Protestant Prince makes one Protestant Nation fight against another for the Protestant Religion which have been thought to be of one and the same Doctrine for the main One Church thunders Curses against another Then a Prince misled with the ayd of Papists and Atheists spoyling and destroying the professors of the Truth because they professe it for the good and advancement of the Protestant Religion Next in a very short time a Prince to have all his subjects declared Rebells First he is made declare the Scots Then he is constrained to declare the Irish An Army gotten together in the Kings name declares all those that did oppose them Rebells The Parliament declares all those who in the Kings name oppose them Rebells and Traytors Farther under the Kings Authority the named Rebells in England by the King maintain a War against the declared Rebells in Ireland But the late carriage of things at Court and by the Court-Instruments at home and abroad hath solved the Riddle namely The Patent for the Rebellion in Ireland The detaining of help ordained for the repressing of it The Kings offer to go into Ireland The Cessation and bringing over of the Irish and The last-discovered Plot in Scotland all other things laid aside tell us cleerly howsoever the Proclamations and Protestations going in the Kings name be soft and smooth as the voyce of Jacob yet the hands are rough as of Esau destroying and seeking to destroy the true Religion grounded in Gods Word with the professors thereof as also the lawfull Liberty of the Countrey and bring all unto slavery Let Ireland and England say if this be not true and Scotland likewise according to its genius speak truth I shall close up all with two or three Instances of eminent men amongst the Papists Clergie to shew clearly how they stand affected to the Protestants Cardinall Pool in an Oration to Charles the fifth Emperour saith You must leave off the War against the Turks and hereafter make War against the Heretikes so names he the professors of the Truth He adds the reason Because the Turks are lesse to be feared then the Heretikes Paul Rodmek in a Book expresse tells us That the Heretikes must be put to death slain cut off burnt quartered c. Stapleton the Iesuite tells us That the Heretikes are worse then the Turks in an Oration he made at Doway Campian the Iesuite in a Book of his Printed in the yeer 1583 in Trevers declares thus in the name of his holy Order Our will is That it come to the knowledge of every one so far as it concerns our Society That we all dispersed in great numbers thorow the world have made a League and holy solemn Oath That as long as there are any of us alive that all our care and industry all our deliberations and counsells shall never cease to trouble your calm and safety That is to say We shall procure and pursue for ever your ruine the whole destruction of your Religion and of your Kingdom He speaks to the English Now it is long since we have taken this resolution with the hazard of our lives so that the businesse being already well begun and advanced it is impossible that the English can do any thing to stop our Designe or surmount it Let these few Passages satisfie for this time I wish that thou maist reap some benefit of what is written here for thy good So praying for your happinesse I rest Yours in the Lord D. B. The LIFE OF IOHN KNOX IOHN KNOX was borne in Gifford neer
the Realmes we think it strange that your Queene hath no better advice And therefore we do require you all being the States of that Realme upon whom the burden resteth to consider this matter deeply and to make us answer whereunto we may trust And if you shall think meet she shall thus leave the Peace imperfect by breaking of her solemne promise contrary to the order of all Princes we shall be well content to accept your answer and shall be as carelesse to see the Peace as ye shall give us cause And doubt not by the grace of God but whosoever of you shall incline thereto shall soonest repent You must be content with our plain writing And on the other side if you continue all in one minde to have the Peace inviolably kept and shall so by your advice procure the Queen to ratifie it we also plainly promise you That we will also continue our good disposition to keep the same in such good termes as now it is And in so doing the honour of Almighty God shall be duely sought and promoted in both Realms The Queen your Soveraigne shall enjoy her State with your surety and your selves possesse that which ye have with tranquility to the encrease of your Families and Posterities which by the frequent Wars heretofore your antecessors never had long in one state To conclude we require you to advertise us of what minde you be specially if you all continue in that minde that you mean to have the Peace betwixt both the Realmes perpetually kept And if you shall forbear any longer to advertise us ye shall give us some occasion of doubt whereof more hurt may grow then good From c. These Letters received and perused albeit the States could not be convened yet did the Councell and some others also in particular return answers with reasonable diligence The Tenour of our Letters was this MADAME PLease your Majestie that with judgement we have considered your Majesties Letters And albeit the whole States could not suddenly be assembled yet we thought expedient to signifie somewhat of our mindes unto your Majestie Far be it from us that either we take upon us That infamy before the world or grudge of conscience before our God that we should lightly esteem the observation of that Peace lately contracted betwixt these two Realmes By what motives our Soveraigne delayed the ratification thereof we cannot tell But of us of us we say Madame that have protested fidelity in our promise her Majesty had none Your Majestie cannot be ignorant That in this Realme there are many enemies and farther That our Soveraigne hath Councellors whose judgements she in all such causes preferred to ours Our obedience bindeth us not onely reverently to speak and write of our Soveraigne but also to judge and thinke And yet your Majestie may be well assured That in us shall be noted no blame if that Peace be not ratified to your Majesties contentment For God is witnesse That our chief care in this earth next the glory of God is That constant Peace may remain betwixt these two Realmes whereof your Majestie and Realme shall have sure experience so long as our counsell or votes may stop the contrary The benefit that we have received is so recent that we cannot suddenly bury it in forgetfulnesse We would desire your Majesty rather to be perswaded of us That we to our powers will studie to leave it in remembrance to our posterity And thus with lawfull and humble commendation of our service we commit your Majesty to the Protection of the Omnipotent Of Edinburgh the sixteenth day of Iuly 1561. There were some others that answered some of the Ministers of England somewhat more sharply and willed them not to accuse nor threaten so sharply till that they were able to convince such as had promised fidelitie of some evident crime which although they were able to lay to the charge of some yet respect would be had to such as long had declared themselves constant procurers of quietnesse and peace The sudden arrivall of the Queen made great alteration even in the Councell as after we will hear In this mean time the Papists by surmising troubled what they might their Posts Letters and Complaints were from day to day directed some to the Pope some to the Cardinall of Loraine and some to our Queen The principall of those Curriers were Master Steven Wilson Master Iohn Leslie called Nolumus and Volumus Master Iames Throgmorton and others such as lived and still live by the traffique of that Romane Antichrist The Preachers vehemently exhorted us to establish the Book of Discipline by an Act and publike Law affirming That if they suffered things to hang in suspence when God had given unto them sufficient power in their hand they should after sob for it but should not get it The Books of Discipline have been of late so often published that we shall forbearâ— to Print them at this time hoping that no good men will refuse to follow the same till God in a greater light establish a more perfect The end of the third Booke THE FOVRTH BOOK OF The Progresse and Continuance of true Religion within SCOTLAND IN the former Bookes Gentle Reader thou mayest clearly see how potently God hath performed in these our last and wicked dayes as well as in the ages that have passed before us the promises that are made to the servants of God by the Prophet Isaiah in these words They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint This promise we say such as Satan hath not utterly blinded may see performed in us the Professours of Christ Jesus within this Realme of Scotland with no lesse evidence then it was in any age that ever passed before us For what was our force What was our number Yea what wisdome or worldly policie was in us to have brought to any good end so great an enterprise our very enemies can bear witnesse And yet in how great purity God did establish amongst us his true Religion as well in Doctrine as in Ceremonies To what confusion and fear were Idolaters adulterers and all publike transgressours of Gods Commandments within short time brought the publike Orders of the Church yet by the mercie of God preserved and the punishment executed against malefactours can testifie unto the world For as touching the administration of the Sacraments used in our Churches we are bold to affirme That there is no Realme this day upon the face of the earth that hath them in greater puritie yea we can speak the Trueth whomsoever we offend there is none no Realme I meane that hath them in the like purity for all others how sincere that ever the Doctrine be that by some is taught retain in their Churches and in the Ministers thereof some footsteps of Antichrist and dregs
owne desire we know not but the Queen spake with Iohn Knox and had long reasoned with him none being present except the Lord Iames two Gentlemen stood in the one end of the room The sum of their reasoning was this The Queen accused him That he had raised a part of her subjects against her Mother and her self That he had written a Book against her just Authority she meant the Treatise against the Regiment of Women which she had and would cause the most learned in Europe to write against it That he was the cause of great sedition and great slaughter in England And that it was said to her That all that he did was by Necromancy To the which the said Iohn answered Madame it may please your Majestie patiently to hear my simple answers And first said he my simple Answers And first said he if to teach the Word of God in sincerity if to rebuke Idolatry and to will a people to worship God according to his Word be to raise Subjects against their Princes then cannot I bee excused for it hath pleased God of his mercy to make me one amongst many to disclose unto this Realme the vanitie of the Papisticall Religion and the deceit pride and tyranny of that Romane Antichrist But Madame if the true knowledge of God and his right worshipping be the chief cause which must move men to obey their just Princesse from their heart as it is most certain that they are wherein can I be reprehended I thinke and am surely perswaded that your Majestie has had and presently hath as unfained obedience of such as professe Christ Jesus within this Realm as ever your Father or Progenitours had of those that were called Bishops And touching that Booke that seemeth so highly to offend your Majestie it is most certaine that if I wrote it I am content that all the learned of the world judge of it I heare that an Englishman hath written against it but I have not read him if hee hath sufficiently confuted my reasons and established his contrary Propositions with as evident testimonies as I have done mine I shall not bee obstinate but shall confesse mine errour and ignorance But to this houre I have thought and yet thinkes my selfe alone more able to sustaine the things affirmed in that my Work than any ten in Europe shall be able to confute it You thinke said shee that I have no just Authoritie Please your Majestie said he that learned men in all ages have had their judgements free and most commonly disagreeing from the Common judgement of the world Such also have they published both with Pen and tongue notwithstanding they themselves have lined in the common Societie with others and have borne patiently with the errour and imperfections which they could not amend Plato the Philosopher wrote his Booke of the Common wealth in the which hee condemnes many things that were maintained in the world and required many things to have beene reformed And yet notwithstanding he lived under such Politicks as then were universally received without farther troubling any State Even so Madame am I content to do in uprightnesse of heart and with a testimony of good Conscience I have communicate my judgement to the world if the Realme findes no inconveniencies in the Regiment of a woman that which they approve shall I not further disallow then within my owne brest but shall be all well content and shall live under your Majestie as Paul was to live under the Roman Emperour And my hope is that so long as ye defile not your hands with the Blood of the Saints of God that neither I nor that Booke shall either hurt you or your Authoritie for in very deed Madame that Booke was written most especially against that wicked Mary of England But said shee you speake of women in generall most true it is Madame said the other and yet plainly appeareth to me that wisedome should perswade your Majestie never to raise trouble for that which this day hath not troubled your Majestie neither in person nor in anxietie For of late yeeres many things which before were holden Stable have been called in doubt yea they have been plainely impugned But yet Madame I am assured That neither Protestant nor Papist shall be able to prove That any such Question was at any time moved in publike or in private Now Madame said he if I had intended to trouble your State because you are a woman I might have chosen a time more convenient for that purpose then I can do now when your own presence is within the Realme But now Madame shortly to answer to the other two accusations I heartily praise my God through Jesus Christ that Satan the enemy of mankinde and the wicked of the World have no other crimes to lay to my charge then such as the very World it selfe knoweth to be most false and vaine For in England I was resident onely the space of five yeeres The places were Barwick where I abode two yeeres So long in New-castle And a yeere in London Now Madame if in any of these places during the time that I was there any man shall be able to prove That there was either Battell Sedition or Mutinie I shall confesse That I my selfe was the Malefactour and shedder of the blood I am not ashamed further to affirme That God so blessed my weake labours then in Barwick wherein then commonly used to be slaughter by reason of quarrells that used to arise amongst Souldiers there was also great quietnesse all the time that I remained there as there is this day in Edinburgh And where they slander me of Magick Necromancie or of any other Art forbidden of God I have witnesse besides mine owne conscience all the Congregations that ever heard me what I speak both against such acts and against those that use such impietie But seeing the wicked of the world said That my Master the Lord Jesus was possessed with Beelzebub I must patiently beare Albeit that I wretched sinner be unjustly accused of those that never delighted in the Veritie But yet said she you have taught the people to receive another Religion then their Princes can allow And how can that Doctrine be of God Seeing that God commandeth Subjects to obey their Princes Madame said he as right Religion tooke neither Originall nor Antiquity from worldly Princes but from the eternall God alone So are not Subjects bound to frame their Religion according to the appetite of their Princes For oft it is that Princes are the most ignorant of all others in Gods true Religion as we may reade in the Histories as well before the death of CHRIST JESUS as after If all the seed of Abraham should have beene of the Religion of Pharaoh to whom they had beene a long time Subjects I pray you Madame what Religion should there have been in the world Or if all men in the dayes of the Apostles
That ye and your posterity shall by that means receive most singular comfort edification and profit For when ye shall hear the matter debated ye shall easily perceive and understand upon what ground and foundation is builded that Religion which amongst you is this day defended by fire and sword As for mine owne conscience I am most assuredly perswaded That whatsoever is used in the Papisticall Church is altogether repugning to Christs blessed Ordinance and is nothing but mortall venome of which whosoever drinketh I am assuredly perswaded that therewith he drinketh death and damnation except by true conversion unto God he be purged from the same But because that long silence of Gods Word hath begotten ignorance almost in all sorts of men and ignorance joyned with long custome hath confirmed superstition in the hearts of many I therefore in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ desire audience as well of you the Commonalty my brethren as of the States and Nobility of the Realm that in publike Preaching I may have place amongst you at large to utter my minde in all matters of controversie this day in Religion And further I desire That ye concurring with your Nobility would competl your Bishops and Clergie to cease their tyranny And also That for the better assurance and instruction of your conscience ye would compell your said Bishops and false Teachers to answer by the Scriptures of God to such Objections and crimes as shall be laid against their vain Religion false Doctrine wicked life and slanderous conversation Here I know that it shall be objected That I require of you a thing most unreasonable to wit That ye should call your Religion in doubt which hath been approved and established by so long continuance and by the consent of so many men before you But I shortly answer That neither is the long continuance of time neither yet the multitude of men a sufficient approbation which God will allow for our Religion For as some of the ancient Writers do witnesse neither can long processe of time justifie an errour neither can the multitude of such as follow it change the nature of the same But if it was an errour in the beginning so is it in the end and the longer that it be followed and the mo that do receive it it is more pestilent and more to be avoided For if antiquity or multitude of men could justifie any Religion then was the Idolatry of the Gentiles and now is the abomination of the Turks good Religion For antiquity approved the one and a multitude hath received and doth defend the other But otherwise to answer godly men may wonder from what Fountain such a sentence doth flow that no man ought to trie his faith and Religion by Gods Word but that he safely may beleeve and follow every thing which antiquity and multitude have approved the Spirit of God doth otherwise teach us for the wisdome of God Christ Jesus himself remitted his adversaries to Moses and the Scriptures to trie by them whether his Doctrine were of God or not The Apostles Paul and Peter command men to trie the Religion which they professe by Gods plaine Scriptures and doe praise men for so doing Saint Iohn straightly commandeth That we beleeve not every spirit but to trie the spirits whether they be of God or not Now seeing that these evident testimonies of the holy Ghost will us to trie our faith and Religion by the plain Word of God wonder it is that the Papists will not be content that their Religion and Doctrine come under the triall of the same If this sentence of Christ be true as it is most true seeing it springeth from the verity it self Who so doth evill hateth the Light neither will he come to the Light lest that his works be manifested and rebuked then do our Papists by their own sentence condemne themselves and their Religion for in so farre as they refuse examination and triall they declare that they know some fault which the Light will utter which is a cause of their fear and why they claim that priviledge that no man dispute of their Religion the Verity and Truth being of the nature of fine purified Gold doth not fear the triall of the Fornace but the stubble and Chaffe of mans inventions such is their Religion may not abide the the flame of fire True it is that Mahomet pronounced this sentence That no man should in pain of death dispute or reason of the ground of his Religion which Law to this day by the art of Sathan is observed amongst the Turkes to their mortall blindnesse and horrible blaspheming of the Gospell of Christ Jesus and of his true Religion And from Mahomet or rather from Sathan the father of all lies hath the Pope and his rabble learned this former lesson to wit Their Religion should not be disputed upon but what the fathers have beleeved that ought and must the Children approve and in so divising Satan lacked not his foresight for no one thing hath more established the kingdome of that Romane Antichrist then this most wicked decree to wit That no man was permitted to reason of his power or to call his Laws in doubt This is most assured that whensoever the Papisticall Religion shall come to examination it shall be found to have no other ground then hath the religion of Mahomet to wit mans invention device and dreams overshaddowed with some colour of Gods Word And therefore Brethren seeing that the Religion is to man as the stomack to the body which if it be corrupted doth infect the whole Members it is necessary that the same be examined and if it be found replenished with pestilent humours I mean with the fantasies of men then of necessitie it is that those be purged else shall your bodies and souls perish for ever For of this I would ye were most certainly perswaded that a corrupt Religion defileth the whole life of man appear it never so holy Neither would I that ye should esteem the Reformation and care of Religion lesse to appertain to you because ye are no Kings Rulers Judges Nobles nor in Authoritie beloved Brethren ye are Gods Creatures created and formed to his own Image and similitude for whose redemption was shed the most precious blood of the onely beloved Sonne of God to whom he hath commanded his Gospell and glad-tydings to be preached and for whom he hath prepared the heavenly Inheritance so that ye will not obstinatly refuse and disdainfully contemne the means which he hath appointed to obtain the same to wit his blessed Evangell which now he offereth unto you to the end that ye may be saved For the Gospell and glad Tydings of the Kingdome truly preached is the power of God to the salvation of every Beleever which to credite and receive your the Communalty are no lesse addebted then be your Rulers and Princes for albeit God
you think peradventure That the care of Religion is not committed to Magistrates but to the Bishops and state Ecclesiasticall as they term it but deceive not your self for the negligence of Bishops shall no lesse be required of the hands of the Magistrates then shall the oppession of false Iudges for they injustly promote foster and maintain the one and the other The false and corrupt Iudge to spoil the Goods and to oppresse the bodies of the simple but the proud Prelates do Kings maintain to murther the souls for the which the blood of Christ Iesus was shed and that they do either by withholding from them the true Word of life or else by causing a pestilent Doctrine to be taught unto them such as now is taught in the Papisticall Churches I know that you wonder how that the Religion which is universally received can be so damnable and corrupted But if you consider That ever from the beginning the multitude hath declined from God yea even in the people to whom he spake by his Law and Prophets if ye shall consider the complaint of the Holy Ghost complaining that Nations People Princes and Kings of the earth have raged made Conspiracies and holden Councels against the Lord and against his Annointed Christ Iesus further if ye shall consider the question which Iesus himself doth move in these words When the Sonne of Man shall come shall he finde faith on the earth And lastly if your Majestie shall consider the manifest contempt of God and of all his holy Precepts which this day reigne without punishment upon the face of the whole earth for as Hosea complaineth There is no verity There is no mercy There is no truth this day among men but lies perjury and oppression overflow all and blood toucheth blood that is Every iniquitie is joyned to another If deeply I say your Majestie will contemplate the universall corruption that this day reigneth in all states then shall your Majestie cease to wonder That many are called and few chosen and you shall begin to tremble and fear to follow the multitude to perdition The universall defection whereof Saint Paul doth prophesie is easie to be espied as well in religion as in manners The corruption of life is evident and Religion is not judged nor measured by the plain Word of God but by custome consuetude will consent and determinations of men But shall he who hath pronounced all cogitations of mans heart to be vain at all times accept the counsels and consents of men for a Religion pleasing and acceptable before him Let not your Majestie be deceived God cannot lie God cannot deny himself he hath witnessed from the beginning That no religion pleaseth him except that which he by his own Word hath commanded and established The veritie it selfe pronounceth this sentence In vain do they worship me teaching doctrines the precepts of men And also All plantation which my Heavenly father hath not planted shall be rooted out Before the comming of his welbeloved Sonne in the flesh severely he punished all such as durst enterprise to alter or change his Ceremonies and Statutes as in Saul Uzziah Nadab Abihu is to be read And will he now after that he hath opened his counsell to the world by his onely Son whom he commandeth to be heard and after that by his Holy Spirit speaking in his Apostles he hath established the Religion in which he would have his true worshippers to abide unto the end will â—e now I say admit mens inventions in the matter of Religion which he reputed for damnable Idolatry If men and Angels would affirm That he will or may do it his own verity shall convince them of a lie for this sentence he pronounceth Not that which seemeth good in thy eyes shalt thou do to the Lord thy God but that which the Lord thy God hath commandeth thee that do thou adde nothing unto it deminish nothing from it Which sealing up his New Testament he repeateth in these words That which ye have hold till I come c. And therefore yet againe it repenteth me not to say That in this point which is chief and principall your Majesty must disassent from the multitude of Rulers or else you can possesse no portion with Christ Iesus in his Kingdom and glory Addition KNowing by what craft Sathan laboureth continually to keep the world in blindnesse I added these two former points to wit That ye should not think your self free from the Reformation of Religion because ye have Bishops within your Realm neither yet that ye should judge that Religion most perfect which the multitude by wrong custome have embraced In these two points doth Sathan busily labour First That no civill Magistrate presume to take cognisance in the cause of Religion for that must be deferred to the determinations of the Church Secondly That impossible it is that that Religion should be false which so long time so many Councels and so great a multitude of men so divers Nations have allowed authorised and confirmed What is the duty of Magistrates and what power the people hath in such cases granted by God my purpose is to write in a severall Letter to the Nobility and States of the Realm and therefore to avoid tediousnesse and repetition of one thing I now supersede And as touching the second if ye rightly consider the testimonies of Scriptures which I have before alleadged I trust ye shall finde that Objection sufficiently answered for if the opinion of the multitude ought alwayes to be preferred then did God injury to the originall World for they were all of one minde to wit conjured against God except Noah and his familie And if antiquity of time shall be considered in such cases then shall not onely the Idolatrie of the Gentiles but also the false Religion of Mahomet be preferred to the Papistrie for both the one and the other is more ancient then is the Papisticall religion yea Mahomet had established his Alcoram before any Pope in Rome was crowned with a Triple Crown But as touching antiquitie I am content with Tertullian to say Let that be the most pure and perfect Religion which shall be proved most ancient for this is a chief point wherein I will joyn with all the Papists on the earth That their Religion such as it is this day is not of such antiquitie as is that which we contend to be the true and onely Religion acceptable before God neither yet that their Church is the Catholike Church but that it is of late dayes in respect of Christs Institution crept in and devised by man and therefore am bold to affirme it odious and abominable for this is our chief Proposition That in the Religion of God his own Word ought onely to be considered That no Authority of man or Angell ought in that case to be respected And as for their Councels when
maintenance and defence of most horrible Idolatry with the shedding of the blood of the Saints of God who laboured to notifie and rebuke the same This I say other iniquities omitted is such a crime before the eyes of his Majestie That for the same he hath poured forth his extreme vengenance upon Kings and upon their Posteritie depriving them from honours and dignitie for ever As by the Histories of the Books of the Kings is most evident To Ieroboam it is said Because I have exalted thee from the midst of the people and have made thee Prince over my people Israel I have rent the Kingdom from the house of David for Idolatry also and have given it unto thee but thou hast not been as David my servant c. But thou hast done wickedly above all that have gone before thee For thou hast made to thee other gods and molten images to provoke me and hast cast me behinde thy back Therefore shall I bring affliction upon the house of Jeroboam and I shall destroy to Jeroboam all that pisseth against the Wall signifying thereby the Male children and shall cast forth the Posteritie of Jeroboam as dung is cast forth till it be consumed This sentence was not onely executed against this Idolater but also against the rest of Idolaters in that Realm as they succeeded one after another for to Baasa whom God used as an Instrument to root out the seed of Ieroboam it is said Because thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam and hast caused my people to sin that thou shouldest provoke me in their sins therefore shall I cut down the posteritie of Baasa and the posterity of his house and shall make thy house as the house of Jeroboam He that shall die to Baasa in the City him shall dogs eat and be that shall die in the field him shall the fowls devour Of the same Cup and for the same cause drank Ela and Achab yea and the Posterity of Iehu following the footsteps of their forefathers By these examples you may evidently espy That Idolatry is the cause why God destroyeth the posteritie of Princes not onely of those that first invent abominations but also of such as follow and defend the same Consider Madame That God hath begun very sharply with you taking from you as it were together two children and a husband He hath begun I say to declare himself angry beware that you provoke not the eyes of his Majesty It will not be the haughty looks of the proud the strength of your friends nor multitude of men that can justifie your cause in his presence If you presume to rebell against him and against him you rebell if you deny my most humble request which I make in his Name and it is this With the hazard of mine own life I offer to prove That Religion which now you maintain to be false deceiveable and abomination before God And that I shall do by most evident testimonies of his blessed holy and infallible Word If this I say you deny rebelling against God The favour of your friends shall little avail you when he shall declare himself enemy to you Which assure your self he will shortly do if you begin to display the banner of your malice against him Let not the prosperity of others be they Princes Queens Kings or Emperours bolden you to contemn God and his loving Admonition They shall drink the Cup of his wrath every one in their rank as he hath appointed them No Realme in these quarters except it that next lieth to you hath he so manifestly stricken with his terrible rod as he hath done you and your Realme And therefore it becometh you first to stoup except that you will have the threatnings pronounced by Isaiah the Prophet ratified unto you To wit That your sudden destruction be as the rotten Wall and your breaking as the breaking of a Potsherd which is broken without pitty so that no portion of it can be found able either to carry fire or water Whereby the Prophet doth signifie That the proud contemners of God and of his Admonitions shall so perish from all honours That they shall have nothing worthy of memoriall behinde them in the Earth Yea If they do leave any thing as it shall be unprofitable so shall it be in execration and hatred to the elect of God and therefore Thus proceedeth my former Letter Letter HOw dangerous soever it shall appear to the flesh to obey God and to make warre against the divell the prince of darknesse pride and superstition yet if your Majesty look to have your self and seed to continue in honour worldly and everlasting subject your self betimes under the hand of him that is omnipotent Embrace his Will despise not his Testament refuse not his Graces offered When he calleth upon you withdraw not your ear Be not led away with the vain opinion that your Church cannot erre Be ye most assuredly perswaded That so farre as in life ye see them degenerate from Christs true Apostles so in Religion are they further corrupted Lay the Book of God before your eyes and let it be judge to that which I say Which if ye with fear and reverence obey as did Josias the admonitions of the Prophetesse then shall he by whom Kings do reign crown your Battell with double benediction and reward you with wisedome riches glory honour and long life in this Regiment temporall and with life everlasting when the King of kings whose Members now do cry for your help the Lord Iesus shall appear in judgement accompanied with his Angels before whom yee shall make accompt of your present Regiment when the proud and disobedient shall cry Mountains fall upon us and hide us from the face of the Lord. But then it shall be too late because they contemned his voice when he lovingly called God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ by the power of his holy Spirit move your heart so to consider and accept the things that be said That they be not a Testimony of your just condemnation in that great day of the Lord Iesus to whose omnipotent Spirit I unfainedly commit your Majesties Addition WHen Ieremiah the Prophet at the Commandment of God had written the Sermons threatnings and plagues which he had spoken against Israel and Iudah and had commanded them to be read by Baruch his Scribe because himself was excommunicated and forbidden to enter into the Temple by the providence of God it came to passe That Michaiah the son of Gemariah hearing the said Sermons passed to the Kings House and did communicate the matter with the rest of the Princes who also after they had read the same Volume of Ieremiah his Preachings did not conceal the truth from Iehoiakim who then did raigne in Ierusalem But the proud and desperate Prince commanding the Book to be read in his presence before he had heard three or four leaves of
that they are forgiven us by Christ and so we count God a liar for God saith Thou shalt have the inheritance of heaven for my Sons sake You say It is not so but I will gain it through mine own works So I condemn not good works but I condemn the false trust in any works for all then works that a man putteth confidence in are therewith intoxicate or impoysoned and become evil Wherefore do good works but beware thou do them not to get any good through them for if thou do thou receivest the good not as the gift of God but as a debt unto thee and makest thy self fellow with God because thou wilt take nothing from him for nought What needeth he any thing of thine who giveth all things and is not the poorer Therefore do nothing to him but take of him for he is a gentle Lord and with a gladder heart will give us all things that we need then we take it of him So that if we want any thing let us blame our selves Presse not then to the inheritance of heaven through presumption of thy good works for if thou doest thou countest thy self holy and equall unto him because thou wilt take nothing of him for nought And so shalt thou fall as Lucifer fell from heaven for his pride Thus ends M. Patricks Articles And so we return to our History When those cruell wolves had as they supposed clean devoured the prey they found themselves in worse case then they were before for then within S. Andrews yea almost within the whole Realm who heard of that fact there was none found who began not to inquire wherefore M. Patrike Hamilton was burnt and when his Articles were rehearsed Question was holden if such Articles were necessary to be beleeved under the pain of damnation And so within short space many began to call in doubt that which before they held for a certain verity insomuch that the University of S. Andrews and S. Leonards Colledge principally by the labours of Master Gawin Logy the Novises of the Abbey and by the sub-Prior began to smell somewhat of the verity and to espie the vanity of the received Superstition yea within few yeers after began both black and gray Friers publikely to Preach against the pride and idle life of Bishops and against the abuses of the whole Ecclesiâ—sticall estate amongst whom was one called Will. Arithâ— who in a Sermon preached in Dundie spake somewhat more liberally against the licentious life of the Bishops then they could well bear He spake further against the abuse of cursing and of Miracles The Bishop of Brechain having his Parasites and Jack-men in the Towne buffeted the Frier and called him Hereticke The Frier impatient of the injury received past to S. Andrews and did communicate the heads of his Sermon with Master Iohn Mair whose word then was holden as an Oracle in matters of Religion and being assured of him than such Doctrine might well be defended and that he would defend it for it contained no Heresie There was one day appointed to the said Frier to make repetition of the same Sermon and advertisement was given to all such as was offended at the former to be present And so in the Parish Church of S. Andrews upon the day appointed appeared the said Frier and had amongst his Auditors M. Iohn Mair M. George Lockart the Abbot of Gambuskeneth M. Patricke Hepburn Prior of Saint Andrews with all the Doctours and Masters of the Universities The theme of his Sermon was Verity is the strongest of all things His discourse of cursing was That if it were warily used it were the most fearfull thing upon the face of the earth for it were the very separation of man from God but that it should not be used rashly and for every light cause but onely against open and incorrigible sinners but now said he the avarice of Priests and the ignorance of their Office hath caused it altogether to be vile-pended For the Priest saith he whose Duty and Office is to pray for the people standeth up on Sunday and cryeth Anne has lost her Spindle There is a Flail stollen behinde the barne The goodwife on the other side of the gate hath lost a horne spoon Gods curse and mine I give to them that knoweth of thy goods and restoreth them not How the people mocked their cursing he further told a merry tale How after a Sermon that he made at Dumfermeling he came to a house where gossips were drinking their Sundayes penny and he being drie asked drink Yes Father said one of the gossips ye shall have drinke but ye must first resolve one doubt which is risen among us to wit What servant will serve a man best at least expences The good Angel said I who is mans keeper who maketh good service without expences Tush said the gossip we mean no such high matters we mean What honest man will do greatest service for least expences And while I was musing said the Frier what that should mean she said I see father that the greatest Clerks are not the wisest men Know ye not how the Bishops and their Officials serve us husbandmen Will they not give to us a letter of cursing for a plack to last for a yeare to curse all that look over our ditch and that keep our Corne better nor the sleeping boy that will have three shillings of Fee a shirt and a pair of shooes in the yeer And therefore if their cursing do any thing we hold the Bishops the cheapest servants in that behalf that are within the Realme As concerning Miracles he declared what deligence the ancients took to try true miracles from false But now said he the greedinesse of Priests not onely receive false miracles but also they cherish and hire knaves for that purpose that their Chappels may be the better renowned and Offerings may be augmented And thereupon are many Chappels founded as that if our Lady were mightier and that she took more pleasure in one place than in another As of late dayes our Lady of Karsgreng hath hopped from one green hillock to another But honest men of Saint Andrewes said he if ye love your wives and daughters hold them at home or else send them in good honest company for if ye knew what miracles were wrought there ye would neither thank God nor our Lady And thus he meerly tanted their Priests of whoredome and adultery used at such devotion Another Article was judged more hard for he alleadged the common Law That the Civill Magistrate might correct the Church-men and deprive them of their Benefices for open vices Another day the same Frier made another Sermon of the Abbot of Unreason unto whom and whose Laws he compareth Prelats of that age for they were subject to no Laws no more than was the Abbot of Unreason And among other things he told such a merry jest There was said he a Prelate
short discourse of the four Empires The Babylonian The Persian That of the Greekes And the fourth of the Romanes in the destruction whereof rose up that last Beast which he affirmed to be the Romane Church for to none other power that ever hath yet beene do all the notes that God hath shewed to the Prophet appertain except to it alone And unto it they do so properly appertaine that such as are not more then blinde may cleerly see them But before he began to open the corruptions of Papistrie he defined the true Church shewed the true notes of it whereupon it was built why it was the Pillar of Verity and why it could not erre to wit Because it heard the voyce of the onely Pastor JESUS CHRIST would not heare a stranger neither would be carried with every winde of Doctrine Every one of these heads sufficiently declared he entred to the contrary and upon the notes given in his Text he shewed that the Spirit of God in the new Testament gave to this King other new names to wit The man of sin The Antichrist The Whore of Babilon He shewed That this man of sin or Antichrist was not to be restrained to the person of any one man onely no more then by the fourth Beast was to be understood the person of any one Emperour But by such names the Spirit of God would forewarne his chosen of a body and a multitude having a wicked head which should not onely be sinfull himself but also should be occasion of sin to all that should be subject unto him as Christ Jesus is the cause of Justice to all the Members of his Body and is called the Antichrist that is to say One contrary to Christ because that he is contrary to him in Life Doctrine Lawes and Subjects And there began to decipher the lives of divers Popes and the lives of all the Shavelings for the most part Their Doctrine and Lawes he plainly proved to repugne directly to the Doctrine and Lawes of God the Father and of Christ Jesus his Son This he proved by conferring the Doctrine of Justification expressed in the Scriptures which teach that man is justified by Faith onely That the blood of Iesus Christ purgeth us from all our sinnes And the Doctrine of the Papists which attribute Justification to the works of the Law yea to the works of mens inventions as Pilgrimage Pardons and other such baggage That the Papisticall lawes repugned to the Lawes of the Gospel he proved by the Lawes made of observation of dayes abstaining from meats and from Marriage which Christ Jesus made free and the forbidding whereof Saint Paul calleth the doctrine of devils In handling the notes of that Beast given in the Text he willed men to consider if these notes There shall another rise unlike to the other having a mouth speaking great things and blasphemous could be applyed unto any other but to the Pope and his kingdome For if these said he be not great words and blasphemous The Head of the Church most holy most blessed that cannot erre That can make right of wrong and wrong of right That of nothing can make somewhat And that had all verity in the Shrine of his brest yea That had power of all and none power of him Nay not to say That he doth wrong although he draw ten thousand Millions of souls with himself to hell If these said he and many other easie to be showne in his own Cannon-Law be not great and blasphemous words and such as never mortall men spake before let the world judge And yet said he is there one most evident of all to wit Iohn in his Revelation sayes That the Merchandise of that Babylonian Harlot among other things shall be the bodies and souls of men Now let very Papists themselves judge If any before them took upon them power to relax the pains of them that were in Purgatory as they affirme to the people that daily they do by the merits of their Masse and of their other trifles In the end he said If any here and there were present Master Iohn Maire the University the Sub-Prior and many Cannons with some Friers of both the Orders that will say That I have alleadged Scripture Doctor or History otherwise then it is written let them come unto me with sufficient witnesse and by conference I shall let them see not onely the Originall where my Testimonies are written but I shall prove That the Writers meant as I have spoken Of this Sermon which was the first that ever Iohn Knox made in publike was divers brutes Some said He not onely hewes the branches of Papistry but he strikes at the root also to destroy the whole Others said If the Doctors and Magistri nostri defend not now the Pope and his Authority which in their own presence is so manifestly impugned the devill may have my part of him and of his Lawes both Others said Master George Wischarde spake never so plainly and yet he was burnt even so will he be In the end others said The Tyranny of the Cardinall made not his cause the better neither yet the suffering of Gods servant made his cause the worse And therefore we would counsell you and them to provide better defences then fire and sword for it may be that else ye will be disappointed men now have other eyes then they had then This answer gave the Laird of Nydrie a man fervent and upright in Religion The bastard Bishop who yet was not execrated consecrated the Sub-Prior of S. Andrews who Sede vacante was Vicar Generall That he wondered that he suffered such Hereticall and Schismaticall Doctrine to be taught and not to oppose himselfe to the same Upon this rebuke was a convention of gray-Friers and black-Fiends appointed with the said Sub-Prior Deane Iohn Winrame in S. Leonards Yard whereunto was first called Iohn Rough and certain Articles read to him And thereafter was Iohn Knox called for The cause of their convention and why that they were called is expounded And the Articles were read which were these 1. No mortall man can be the head of the Church 2. The Pope is an Antichrist and so is no member of Christs mysticall body 3. Man may neither make nor devise a Religion that is acceptable to God but man is bound to observe and keep the Religion that from God is received without chopping or changing thereof 4. The Sacraments of the New Testament ought to be ministred as they were instituted by Christ Iesus and practised by his Apostles nothing ought to be added unto them nothing ought to be diminished from them 5. The Masse is abominable Idolatry blasphemous to the death of Christ and a prophanation of the Lords Supper 6. There is no Purgatory in the which the soules of men can either be pined or purged after this life But heaven resteth to the faithfull and hell to the reprobate and unfaithfull 7. Praying for the dead
deprehended For the brethren assembled themselves in such sort in companies singing Psalmes and praising God that the proudest of the enemies were astonished This Tragedie of Saint Gyles was so terrible to some Papists that Durie sometimes called for his filthinesse Abbot Stottikin and then intituled Bishop of Galloway left his Riming wherewith he was accustomed and departed this life even as he had lived For the Articles of his beleefe were I referre Decarte you Ha ha the foure Kings and all made The devil go with it It is but a varlet From France we thought to have gotten a Rubie And yet is he nothing but a Cahoobie With such Faith and such Prayers departed out of this life that enemy of God who had vowed and plainly said That in despight of God so long as they that then were Prelates lived should that Word called the Gospel never be Preached within this Realme After him followed that belly-God Master David Panter called Bishop of Rosse even with the like documents except that he departed eating and drinking which together with the rest that thereupon depended was the pastime of his life The most part of the Lords that were in France at the Queens Marriage although that they got their leave from the Court yet they forgot to return to Scotland For whether it was by an Italian Posset or French Feggs or by the Pottage of their Apothecary he was a French-man there departed from this life the Earl of Cassiles the Earl of Rothesse Lord Fleming and the Bishop of Orknay whose end was even according to his life For after that he was driven back by a contratious winde and forced to land again at Deep perceiving his sicknesse to increase he caused to make his bed betwixt his two coffers some said upon them such was his God the gold that therein was inclosed that he could not depart therefrom so long as memory would serve him The Lord Iames then Prior of S. Andrews had by all appearance licked of the same broath that dispatched the rest for thereof to his death his stomacke doth testifie But God preserved for a better purpose This same Lord Iames after Earle of Murray and the said Bishop were commonly at debate in matters of Religion and therefore the said Lord hearing of the Bishops disease came to visit him and finding him not so well at a point as he thought he should have been and as the honour of the countrey required said unto him Fie my Lord how lie you so will you not go to your Chamber and not lie heere in this utter Roome His answer was I am well where I am my Lord so long as I can tarry for I am neer unto my friends meaning his coffers and the gold therein But my Lord said he how long have you and I been in plea for Purgatorie I thinke that I shall know ere it be long whether there be such a place or not While the other did exhort him to call to minde the promises of God and the vertue of Christs death He answered Nay my Lord let me alone for you and I never agreed in our life and I thinke we shall not agree now at my death I pray you therefore let me alone The said Lord Iames departed to his Lodging and the other shortly after departed this life whither the great day of the Lord will declare When the word of the departing of so many Patrons of Papistry and of the manner of their departing came unto the Queene Regent after astonishment and musing she said What shall I say of such men They left me as beasts and as beasts they die God is not with them neither with that which they enterprise While these things were in doing in Scotland and France that perfect hypocrite Master Iohn Synclare then Deane of Lestarrige and now Lord President and Bishop of Brechin began to Preach in his Church of Lestarrige and at the beginning held himselfe so indifferent that many had opinion of him That he was not far from the Kingdom of God But his hypocrisie could not long be cloaked for when he understood that such as feared God began to have a good opinion of him and that the Friers and others of that sect began to whisper That if he took not heed in time to himself and unto his Doctrine he would be the destruction of the whole state of the Church This by him understood he appointed a Sermon in the which he promised to give his judgement upon all such heads as then were in controversie in the matters of Religion The bruit hereof made his audience great at the first But that day he so handled himself that after that no godly man did credit him for he not onely gainsaid the Doctrine of Justification and of Prayer which before he had taught but also he set up and maintained Papistry to the uttermost prick yea Holy-water Pilgrimage Purgatory and Pardons were of such vertue in his conceit That without them he looked not to be saved In this mean time the Clergy made a brag That they would dispute But M. David Panter which then lived and lay at Lestarrige disswaded them therefrom affirming That if ever they disputed but where themselves were both Judge and partie and where that fire and sword should obey their decree that then their cause was marred for ever For their victory stood neither in God nor in his Word but in their own wills and in the things concluded by their own counsells together with sword and fire whereto said he these new up-start fellows will give no place but they will call you to your Count-book and that is to the Bible and by it ye will no more be found the men that ye are called then the Devil will be approved to be God And therefore if ye love your selves enter never into disputation neither yet call ye the matter into question but defend your possession or else all is lost Caiaphas could not give any better counsell to his companions but yet God disappointed both them and him as after we shall heare At this same time some of the Nobility directed their Letters to call Iohn Knox from Geneva for their comfort and for the comfort of their brethren the Preachers and others that then couragiously fought against the enemies of Gods Trueth The Tenour of their Letter is this Grace Mercy and Peace for Salvation DEarly Beloved in the Lord the faithfull that are of your acquaintance in these parts thanks be unto God are stedfast in the beliefe wherein yee left them and have a godly thirst and desire day by day of your presence againe Now if the Spirit of God will so move you and grant time unto you we all heartily desire you in the Name of the Lord That ye would returne again into these parts where you shall finde all the faithfull that ye left behinde you not onely glad to heare your
commends to the poore Cardinall of Loraine The freedomes of Scottish Merchants were restrained in Roane and they compelled to pay Tole and Taxations others then their ancient Liberties did beare To bring this head to passe to wit to the Matrimoniall Crown the Queen Regent left no point of the Compasse unsailed with the Bishops and Priests She practised on this manner Ye may clearely see that I cannot do what I would within this Realme for these Hereticks and Confederates of England are so banded together that they stop all good order But will ye be favourable unto me in this suit of the Matrimoniall Crowne to be granted to my daughters husband Then shall we see how I shall handle these Heretickes and Traitours ere it be long And in very deed in these her promises she meant no deceit in that behalfe Unto the Protestants she said I am not unmindfull how oft ye have solicited me for Reformation in Religion and gladly would I consent thereunto but ye see the power and craft of the Bishop of S. Andrews together with the power of Duke Hamilton and of Church-men ever to be bent against me in all my proceedings so that I may do nothing unlesse the full authority of this Realme be delivered to the King of France which cannot be but by donation of the Crowne Matrimoniall which thing if ye will bring to passe then devise ye what ye please in matters of Religion and they shall be granted With this Commission and Credit was Lord Iames then Prior of S. Andrews directed to the Earle of Argyle with moe other promises then we list to rehearse By such dissimulation to those that were simple and true of heart inflamed she them to be more fervent in her Petition then her selfe appeared to be And so at the Parliament holden at Edinburgh in the moneth of October in the yeere of God 1558. it was clearely voed no man reclaiming except the Duke for his interest and yet for it there was no better Law produced except that there was a solemne Masse appointed for that purpose in the Pontificall This head obtained whereat France and she principally shot what faith she kept to the Protestants in this our second Book shall be declared In the beginning whereof we may more amply rehearse some things that in this our first are summarily touched The end of the first Booke The Second Booke OF THE HISTORY OF Things done in SCOTLAND in the Reformation of Religion Beginning in the yeere of our Lord God 1558. OUr purpose was to have made the beginning of our History from the things that were done from the yeere of God 1558. till The Reformation of Religion which of Gods mercy we once possessed and yet in Doctrine and in the right use of administration of Sacraments do possesse But because divers of the godly as before is said earnestly required That such persons as God raised up in the midst of darkenesse to oppose themselves to the same should not be omitted We obeyed their Request and have made a short Rehearsall of all such matters as concerne Religion from the death of that notable Servant of God Master Patricke Hamilton unto the aforesaid yeere when that it pleased God to looke upon us more mercifully then we deserve and to give unto us greater boldnesse and better albeit not without hazard and trouble successe in all our enterprizes then we looked for as the true Narration of this second Booke shall witnesse The PREFACE whereof followeth The Preface LEst that Sathan by our silence shall take occasion to blaspheme and to slander us the Protestants of the Realme of Scotland as that our fact tended rather to Sedition and Rebellion then to Reformation of Manners and abuses in Religion We have thought expedient so truely and briefly as we can to commit to writing the causes moving us as we say and great part of the Nobility and Barons of the Realme to take the sword of just Defence against those that most unjustly seek our destruction And in this our confession we shall faithfully declare What moved us to put our hands to the Reformation of Religion How we have proceeded in the same What we have asked and what presently we require of the sacred Authority To the end that our Cause being knowne as well our enemies as our brethren in all Realmes may understand how falsly we are accused of tumult and Rebellion and how unjustly we are persecuted by France and by their Faction And also that our brethren naturall Scotish-men of whatsoever Religion they be may have occasion to examine themselves If they can with safe conscience oppose themselves to us who seek nothing but Christ Iesus his glorious Gospel to be preached his holy Sacraments to be truely ministred Superstition Tyranny and Idolatry to be suppressed in this Realme And finally This our native Countrey to remaine free from the Bondage and Tyranny of Strangers While that the Queen Regent practised with the Prelats how that Christ Jesus blessed Gospel might utterly be suppressed within Scotland God so blessed the labours of his weak servants that no small part of the Barons of this Realme began to abhorre the Tyranny of the Bishops God did so open their eyes by the light of his Word that they could cleerly discerne betwixt Idolatry and the true honouring of God Yea men almost universally began to doubt whether they could God not offended give their bodily presence to the Masse or yet offer their children to the Papisticall Baptisme The doubts when the most godly and the most learned in Europe had answered both by word and writing affirming That neither of both we might do without perill of our souls we began to be more troubled For then also began men of estimation and those that bare rule amongst us to examine themselves concerning their duties as well towards Reformation of Religion as towards the just defence of their brethren most cruelly persecuted And so began divers questions to be moved to wit If that with safe conscience such as were Iudges Lords and Rulers of the People might serve the higher Powers in maintaining of Idolatry in persecuting their Brethren and in suppressing Christs Truth Or Whether they to whom God in some case hath committed the Sword of Iustice might suffer the blood of their Brethren to be shed in their presence without any declaration that such Tyranny displeased them By the plain Scriptures it was found That a lively faith required a plaine Confâ—ssion when Christs Truth is oppugned That not onely are they guilty that do evil but also they that consent to evil And plain it is That they consent to evil who seeing iniquity openly committed by their silence seem to justifie and avow whatsoever is done These things being resolved and sufficiently proved by evident Scriptures of God we began every man to look more diligently to his Salvation For the Idolatry and Tyranny of the Clergy called
please him And evill works we affirme not onely those that are expresly done against Gods Commandment but those also that in matters of Religion and worshipping of God have no assurance but the invention and opinion of man which God from the beginning hath ever rejected as by the Prophet Isaiah and by our Master Christ Jesus we are taught in these words In vaine do they worship me teaching doctrines which are the Precepts of men XV. The perfection of the Law and the imperfection of man THe Law of God we confesse and acknowledge most just most equall most holy and most perfect commanding those things which being wrought in perfection were able to give life and to bring man to eternall felicity But our Nature is so corrupt so weak and imperfect that we are never able to fulfill the works of the Law in perfection yea if we say we have no sin even after we are regenerate we deceive our selves and the Verity of God is not in us And therefore it behoveth us to apprehend Christ Jesus with Justice and Satisfaction who is the End and Accomplishment of the Law to all that believe by whom we are set at this liberty that the curse and malediction of the Law fall not upon us albeit we fulfill not the same in all points For God the Father beholding us in the Body of his Son Christ Jesus accepteth our unperfect obedience as were perfect and covered our works which are defiled with many spots with the Justice of his Son We do not mean that we are set so at liberty that we owe no obedience to the Law for that before we have plainly confessed but this we affirm That no man in earth Christ Jesus onely accepted hath given giveth or shall give in work that obedience to the Law which the Law requireth But when we have done all things we must fall down and unfainedly confesse That we are unprofitable servants And therefore whosoever boast themselves of the merits of their own works or put their trust in the works of Supererogation they boast themselves of that which is not and put their trust in damnable Idolatry XVI Of the Church AS we believe in God the Father Son and holy Ghost so do we most earnestly believe That from the beginning there hath beene now is and to the end of the world shall be A Church that is to say A Company and Multitude of men chosen of God who rightly worship and embrace him by true faith in Christ Jesus who is the onely Head of the same Church which also is the Body Spouse of Christ Jesus which Church is catholike that is Universal because it containeth the elect of all Ages all Realms Nations and Tongues be they of the Jews or be they of the Gentiles who have Communion or Society with God the Father and with his Son Christ Jesus through the Sanctification of his holy Spirit and therefore it is called Communion not of profane persons but of Saints who are Citizens of the heavenly Ierusalem have the fruition of the most inestimable benefits to wit of one God one Lord Jesus one Faith and one Baptisme without the which Church there is neither life nor eternall felicity And therefore we utterly abhorre the blasphemy of those that affirm That men that live according to equity and justice shall be saved what Religion soever they have professed For as without Christ Jesus there is neither life nor salvation so shall there none bee participant thereof but such as the Father hath given unto his Sonne Christ Jesus and those in time to come to him avow his doctrine and beleeve in him we comprehend the Children with the faithfull Parents This Church is invisibly known onely to God who alone knoweth it whom hee hath chosen and comprehendeth as well as is said the Elect that be departed commonly called the Church triumphant as those that yet live and fight against sin and Sathan as shall live hereafter XVII The immortalitie of the Soules THe Elect departed are in peace and rest from their labours not that they sleep and come to a certain oblivion as some fantanstick heads do affirme but that they are delivered from all fear all torment and all temptation the which we and all Gods Elect are subject unto in this life and therefore doe bear the name of the Church militant As contrary alwayes the reprobate and unfaithfull departed have anguish torment and paine that cannot be expressed so that neither are the one nor the other in such sleepe that they feele not joy or torment as the Parable of Christ Jesus in the sixteenth of Luke his words to the Theefe and these words of the souls crying under the Altar O Lord thou that art righteous and just how long shalt thou not revenge our blood upon them that dwell upon the earth doth plainly testifie XVIII Of the Notes by the which the true Church is discerned from the false and who shall be Iudge of the Doctrine BEcause that Sathan from the beginnig hath laboured to deck his pestilent Synagogue with the Title of the Church of God and hath inflamed the hearts of cruell murtherers to persecute trouble and molest the true Church and Members thereof as Cain did Abel Ishmael Isaac Esau Iacob and the whole Priesthood of the Iewes Jesus Christ himself and his Apostles after him It is a thing most requisite that the true Church be discerned from the filthy Synagogue by cleere and perfect Notes lest we being deceived receive and embrace to our own condemnation the one for the other The Notes Signes and assured Tokens whereby the Immaculate Spouse of Christ Jesus is knowne from the horrible Harlot the Church malignant we affirm are neither antiquity title usurped lineall descents place appointed nor multitude of men approving any errour For Cain in age and title was preferred to Abel and Seth. Ierusalem had prerogative above all places of the earth where also were the Priests lineally descended from Aaron and greater multitude followed the Scribes Pharisees and Priests then unfainedly believed and approved Christ Jesus and his Doctrine and yet as we suppose no man of whole judgement will grant that any of the forenamed were the Church of God The Notes therefore of the true Church of God we beleeve confesse and avow to be first the true preaching of the Word of God in which God hath revealed himself to us as the writings of the Prophets and Apostles doe declare Secondly the right administration of the Sacraments of Christ Jesus which may be annexed to the word and promise of God to seale and confirme the same in our hearts Lastly Ecclesiasticall discipline uprightly ministred as Gods Word prescribeth whereby vice is repressed and vertue nourished wheresoever then these former Notes are seen and of any time continuall be the number never so few above two or three there
of the Lord Jesus XXIV Of the Civill Magistrate VVE confesse and acknowledge Empires Kingdomes Dominions and Titles to be distincted and Ordained by God the powers and authorities in the same be it of Emperours in their Empires of Kings in their Realms Dukes and Princes in their Dominions or of other Magistrates in free Cities to be Gods holy Ordinance ordained for manifestation of his owne glory and for the singular profit and commoditie of mankinde So that whosoever goeth about to take away or to confound the holy state of Civill Policies now long established We affirm the same men not onely to be enemies to mankinde but also wickedly to fight against Gods expresse will We further confesse and acknowledge That such persons as are placed in authority are to be loved honoured feared and holden in most reverent estimation because they are the Lieutenants of God in whose Session God himself doth sit and judge yea even the Judges and Princes themselves to whom by God is given the sword to the praise and defence of good men and to revenge and punish all open malefactours To Kings moreover Princes Rulers and Magistrates to affirme that chiefly and most principally the reformation and purgation of Religion appertaineth so that not only they are appointed for civill policie but also for maintenance of the true Religion and for suppressing of Idolatry and Superstition whatsoever as in David Iosaphat Ezekias Iosias and others highly commended for their zeal in the cause may be espied And therefore we confesse and avow that such as resist the supreme Powers doing that which appertaineth to their charge do resist Gods Ordinance and therefore cannot be guiltlesse And further we affirme that whosoever deny unto them their aide counsell and comfort while the Princes and Rulers vigilantly travell in the executing of their Office that the same men denie their help support and counsell to God who by the presence of his Lieutenant craveth it of them XXV The gifts freely given to the Church ALbeit that the word of God truly preached the Sacraments rightly ministred and discipline executed according to the Word of God be the certain and infallible signes of the true Church yet doe we not so meane that every particular person joyned with such a company be an Elect Member of Christ Jesus for we acknowledge and confesse that Darnell Cockle and Chaffe may be sowne grow in great abundance lie in the middest of the Wheate that is the Reprobate may be joyned in the societie of the Elect and may externally use with them the benefits of the Words and Sacraments But such being but temporall professors in mouth but not in heart doe fall backe and continue to the end And therefore have they no fruit of Christs death resurrection and ascension But such as with heart unfained beleeve and with mouth boldly confesse the Lord Jesus as before we have said shall most assuredly receive these gifts first in this life remission of sinnes and by faith onely in Christs blood in so much that albeit sinne remain and continually abide in these mortall bodies yet it is not imputed unto us but is remitted and covered with Christs justice Secondly in the generall judgement there shall be given to every man and woman resurrection of the flesh For the Sea shall give her dead the earth those that therein be inclosed yea the Eternall our God shall stretch out his hand upon the dust and the dead shall arise incorruptible and that in the substance of the same flesh that every man now bears to receive according to their works glory and punishment for such as now delight in vanitie crueltie filthinesse superstition or idolatry shall be adjudged to the fire inextinguible in the which they shall be tormented for ever as well in their bodie as in their soules which now give to serve the devill in all abomination But such as continue in well doing to the end boldly professing the Lord Jesus to whose glorified Body all his Elect shall be like when he shall appear againe to Judgment and shall render up the Kingdom to God his Father who then shall be and ever shall remain All in All things God blessed for ever To whom with the Son and with the holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory now and for ever Amen Arise O Lord and let thine enemies be confounded let them flie from thy presence that hate thy holy Name Give thy servants strength to speake thy Word in boldnesse and let all Nations attain to thy true knowledge These Acts and Articles were read in face of Parliament and ratified by the three States of this Realm at Edinburgh the 17 day of Iuly in the yeer of our Lord 1560. This our Confession was publikely read first in audience of the Lords of the Articles and after in the audience of the whole Parliament where were present not onely such as professed Christ Jesus but also a great number of the adversaries of our Religion such as the forenamed Bishops and some other of the Temporall State who were commanded in Gods Name to object if they could say any thing against that Doctrine Some of our Ministers were present standing upon their feet ready to have answered in case any would have defended Papistry and impugned our affirmatives But while that no objection was made there was a day appointed for concurrence in that and other Heads Our Confession was read every Article by it self over again as they were written in order and the voice of every man was required accordingly Of the Temporall State onely gave their voice on the contrary the Earl of Athol the Lords Simmerwaile and Borthwicke And yet for their disassenting they produced no better reason but We will believe as our Fathers believed The Bishops Papisticall we mean spake nothing The rest of the whole three States by their publike Votes affirmed the Doctrine and the rather Because that fain the Bishops would but durst say nothing on the contrary for this was the Vote of the Earle Marshall It is long since I have had some favour unto the Truth and since that I have had a suspicion of the Papisticall Religion But I praise my God who this day hath fully resolved me in the one and the other For seeing that the Bishops who for their learning can and for their zeal that they should bear to the Verity would as I suppose have gainsaid any thing that directly repugneth to the Verity of God Seeing I say the Bishops here present speak nothing in the contrary of the Doctrine proposed I cannot but hold it for the very Truth of God and the contrary to be deceivable Doctrine And therefore so far as in me lieth I approve the one and condemne the other And do farther ask of God That not onely I but also all my posterity may enjoy the comfort of the Doctrine that this day our ears
it in nothing for your first two witnesses speak against the Anabaptists who deny that Christians should be subject to Magistrates or yet that it is lawfull for a Christian to be a Magistrate whose opinion I no lesse abhor then ye do or any other that liveth The others speak of Christians subject to Tyrants and Infidels so dispersed that they have no other force but onely to sob unto God for deliverance that such indeed should hazard any further then these godly men wills them I cannot hastily be of counsell But my argument hath another ground for I speak of a people assembled in one Body of a Common-wealth unto whom God hath given sufficient force not onely to resist but also to suppresse all kinde of open Idolatry And such a people yet again I affirme are bound to keep their Land clean and unpolluted And that this my division shall not appear strange unto you ye shall understand that God required one thing of Abraham and of his Seed when he and they were strangers and Pilgrims in Egypt and Canaan and another thing required he of them when they were delivered from the Bondage of Egypt and the possession of the Land of Canaan granted unto them The first and during the time of their Bondage God craved no more but that Abraham should not defile himselfe with their Idolatry neither was he nor his Posterity commanded to destroy the Idolls that were in Canaan or in Egypt But when God gave unto them possession of the Land he gave unto them this strait Commandment Beware that thou make not League or Confederacie with the inhabitants of this Land give not thy sonnes unto their daughters nor yet give thy daughters unto their sonnes c. But this ye shall do unto them Cut down their Groves destroy their Images breake downe their Altars and leave thou no kinde of remembrance of these Abominations which the Inhabitants of the Land used before for thou art a holy People unto the Lord thy God defile not thy selfe therefore with their gods c. To this Commandment I say are ye my Lords and all such as have professed the Lord within this Realme bound for God hath wrought no lesse miraculously upon you both Spiritually and Corporally then he did unto the Carnall Seed of Abraham For in what state your Bodies and this poor Realme were within these seven yeers your selves cannot be ignorant you and it were both in the Bondage of a strange Nation and what Tyrants did raigne over your consciences God perchance may yet again let you feel because that ye do not rightly acknowledge and esteeme the benefits received when our poore Brethren that were before us gave up their bodies to the flames of fire for the Testimony of Gods Truth And when scarcely could be found ten in a Country that rightly knew God it had been foolishnesse to have craved either of the Nobility or of the mean Subjects the suppressing of Idolatry for that had been nothing but to have exposed the simple Sheep in a prey to the Wolves But since that God hath multiplyed knowledge yea and hath given the victory to his Truth even in the hands of his servants if yee suffer the Land again to be defiled yee and your Princes shall both drinke the cup of Gods indignation The Queen for her obstinate abiding in manifest Idolatry in this great light of the Evangell of Jesus Christ And ye for your permission and maintaining her in the same Lethington said In that point we will never agree And where finde ye I pray you that ever any of the Prophets or of the Apostles taught such Doctrine That the people should be plagued for the Idolatry of the Prince or yet That the Subjects might suppresse the Idolatry of the Rulers or them for the same What was the Commission given unto the Apostles My Lord said he we know it was to preach and plant the Evangell of Jesus Christ where darknesse before had Dominion And therefore it behoved them to let them see the light before that they should will them to put their hands to suppresse Idolatry What precepts the Apostles gave unto the faithfull in particular other then that they commanded all to fly from Idolatry I will not affirme But I finde two things which the faithfull did The one was They assisted their Preachers even against the Rulers and Magistrates The other was They suppressed Idolatry wheresoever God gave unto them force asking no leave of the Emperour nor of his Deputies Read the Ecclesiasticall Histories and ye shall finde examples sufficient And as to the Doctrine of the Prophets we know they were Interpreters of the Law of God and we know They spake as well unto the Kings as unto the People I read that neither of both would heare them and therefore came the plague of God upon both but that they flattered the Kings more then they did the people I cannot be perswaded Now Gods Law pronounces death as before I have said to Idolaters without exception of persons Now how the Prophets could rightly interpret the Law and shew the cause of Gods Judgements which ever they threatned should fall for Idolatry and for the rest of the abhominations that did accompany it for it is never alone but still corrupt Religion brings with it a filthy and corrupt life How I say the Prophets could reprove the Vice and not shew the people their duty I understand not And therefore I constantly beleeve That the Doctrine of the Prophets was so sensible That the Kings understood their own abhominations and the people understood what they ought to have done in punishing and repressing them But because that the most part of the People was no lesse Rebellious unto God then were their Princes Therefore the one and the other conjured against God and against his servants And yet my Lord The facts of some Prophets are so evident That thereby we may collect what Doctrine they taught For it were no small absurdity to affirme that their facts did repugne to their Doctrine I think said Lethington ye meane of the History of Iehu What will yee prove thereby The chief head said Iohn Knox that ye deny to wit That the Prophets never taught that it appertained to the people to punish the Idolatry of their Kings The contrary whereof I affirme and for the probation I am ready to produce the fact of a Prophet For ye know my Lord said he that Elizeus sent one of the children of the Prophets to annoint Iehu who gave him a commandment to destroy the house of his Master Achab for the Idolatry committed by him and for the innocent blood that Iezabell his wicked Wife had shed While he obeyed and put in full execution for the which God promised unto him the stability of the Kingdome unto the fourth Generation Now said he here is the fact of a Prophet that proves that Subjects were commanded to execute Gods judgements upon
would they consent that any thing there should be voted or concluded I cannot tell said Lethington if my Lords that be here present and that bear the burthen of such matters should be bound to their will What say ye my Lords said he will ye vote in this matter or will ye not vote After long reasoning some that were made for the purpose said Why may not the Lords vote and then shew unto the Church whatsoever is done That appears to me said Iohn Knox not onely a backward order but a tyranny usurped upon the Church But for me do as ye list said he for as I reason so I wrote yet protesting as before That I disassent from all voting till that the whole Assembly understand as well the questions as the reasons Well said Lethington that cannot be done now for too much time is spent And therefore my Lord Chancellor said he ask ye the votes and take ever one of the Ministers and one of us And so was the Rector of Saint Androes commanded first to speak his conscience Who said I refer it to the Superintendent of Fyfe for I think we are both of one judgement and yet said he if ye will that I speake first my conscience is this That if the Queen oppose her self to our Religion which is the onely true Religion that in that case the Nobility and States of this Realme professors of the true Doctrine may justly oppose themselves to her But as concerning her Masse I know it is Idolatry but I am not yet resolved Whether by violence we may take it from her or not The Superintendent of Fyfe said That same is my conscience And so affirmed some of the Nobility But others voted frankly and said That as the Masse is abominable so it is just and right that it should be suppressed And that in so doing men did no more hurt to the Queens Majesty then they that should by force take from her a poysoned cup when she were a going to drink in it Last Master Iohn Craig fellow Minister with Iohn Knox in the Church of Edinburgh was required to give his judgement and vote who said I will gladly shew unto your Honours what I understand but I greatly doubt Whether my knowledge and conscience shall satisfie you seeing you have heard so many reasons and are so little moved by them But yet I will not conceale from you my judgement adhering first to the Protestation of my Brother to wit That our voting prejudge not the Liberty of the Generall Assembly I was said he in the University of Bonnonia in the yeer of our Lord 1554. where in the place of the black-Friers of the same Town I saw in the time of their Generall Assembly this Conclusion set forth the same I heard reasoned determined and concluded to this sense Conclusion ALl Rulers be they Supreme or Inferiour may and ought to be reformed or bridled to speak moderately by them by whom they are chosen confirmed or admitted to their Office so oft as they break that promise made by Oath to their subjects Because that the Prince is no lesse bound by Oath to the subjects then are the subjects to their Princes And therefore ought it to be kept and reformed equally according to Law and Condition of the Oath that is made of either party This Conclusion my Lords I heard sustained and concluded as I have said in a most notable Auditory The sustainer was a learned man Master Thomas de Finola Rector of the University a man famous in that Countrey Master Vincentins de Placentia affirmed the Conclusion to be most true and certain agreeable both with the Law of God and man The occasion of this disputation and conclusion was a certain disorder and tyranny that was attempted by the Popes Governours who began to make Innovations in the Countrie against the Laws that were before established alleadging themselves not to be subject to such Laws by reason that they were not instituted by the People but by the Pope who was King of that Countrey And therefore they having full Commission and Authority of the Pope may alter and change Statutes and Ordinances of the Countrey without any consent of the people Against this usurped Tyranny the learned and the people opposed themselves And when that all reasons which the Popes Governours could alleadge were heard and consulted the Pope himself was fain to take up the matter and to promise not onely to keep the Liberty of the people but also that he should neither abrogate any Law nor Statute neither yet make any new Law without their owne consent And therefore my Lord said he my Vote and my Conscience is That Princes are not onely bound to keep Laws and Promises to their subjects But also That in case they fail they justly may be bridled For the Band betwixt the Prince and the People is reciprocall Then start up a claw-back of that corrupt Court and said Ye wot not what ye say for ye tell us what was done in Bononia we are a Kingdom and they are a Common-wealth My Lord said he my judgement is That every Kingdom is or at least should be a Common-wealth albeit that every Common-wealth be not a Kingdom And therefore I think that in a Kingdom no lesse diligence ought to be taken that Laws ought not to be violated then they ought to be in a Common-wealth because that the tyranny of Princes who continuing in a Kingdom is more hurtfull to the subjects then is the mis-government of those that from yeer to yeer are changed in free Common-wealths But yet my Lord to assure you and all others that Head was disputed to the uttermost and then in the end was concluded That they spake not of such things as were done in divers Kingdoms and Nations by Tyrannie and negligence of people But we conclude said they what ought to be done in all Kingdoms and Common-wealths according to the Law of God and unto the just Laws of man And if by the negligence of the people by the tyranny of Princes contrary Laws have been made yet may that same people or their posterity justly crave all things to be reformed according to the originall institution of Kings and Common-wealths and such as will not so do deserve to eat the fruit of their own foolishnesse M. Iames Markgow then Clerk of the Register perceiving the Votes to be different and hearing the bold plainnesse of the foresaid servant of God said I remember that this same question was long debated on before in my house and there by reason we were not all of one minde it was concluded That M. Knox in all our names should have written to M. Calvin for his jugement in the controversie Nay said M. Knox my Lord Secretary would not consent that I should write alleadging That the greatest weight of the answer stood in the Narrative and therefore promised that he would write and that I should see
joyne with those that had bound themselves to stand for the Kings Authority He was very earnest with divers by reason of their old friendship but to little purpose The twentinth of August he received the Regencie after mature and ripe deliberation at the desire of the Queen and Lords that were for the King and so was publikely proclaimed Regent and Obedience shewed unto him by all that stood for the young King The end of the History of the Church of Scotland till the yeer 1567. and Moneth of August THE APPELLATION OF IOHN KNOX From the cruell and most unjust Sentence pronounced against him by the false Bishops and Clergie of Scotland With his Supplication and Exhortation to the Nobility States and Communalty of the same Realme To the Nobility and States of SCOTLAND JOHN KNOX wisheth Grace Mercy and Peace from God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ with the Spirit of righteous Iudgement IT is not onely the love of this Temporall life Right Honourable neither yet the fear of Corporal death that moveth me at this present to expose unto you the injuries done against me and to crave of you as of lawfull Powers by God appointed redresse of the same But partly it proceedeth from that reverence which every man oweth to Gods Eeternall Truth And partly from a love which I bear to your Salvation and to the Salvation of my Brethren abused in that Realme by such as have no fear of God before their eyes It hath pleased God of his infinite mercy not onely to illuminate the eyes of my minde and so to touch my dull heart that cleerly I see and by his grace unfainedly believe That there is no other name given to men under the heaven in which Salvation consisteth save the Name of JESUS alone Who by that Sacrifice which he did once offer upon the Crosse hath sanctified for ever all those that shall inherite the Kingdom promised But also it hath pleased him of his superaboundant grace to make and appoint me most wretched of many thousands a Witnesse Minister and Preacher of the same Doctrine the sum whereof I did not spare to communicate with my Brethren being with them in the Realme of Scotland in the yeer 1556 because I know my self to be a Steward and that accounts of the Talent committed to my charge shall be required of me by him who will admit no vain excuse which fearfull men pretend I did therefore as God his minister during the time I was conversant with them God is record and witnesse truely and sincerely according to the gift granted unto me divide the Word of Salvation teaching all men to hate sin which before God was and is so odious that none other Sacrifice would satisfie his Justice except the death of his onely Son and to magnifie the mercies of our heavenly Father who did not spare the substance of his own glory but did give him to the world to suffer the ignominious and cruell death of the Crosse by that means to reconcile his chosen children to himself teaching further what is the duty of such as do believe themselves purged by such a Price from their former filthinesse to wit That they are bound to walk in the newnesse of life fighting against the lusts of the flesh and studying at all times to glorifie God by such good works as he hath prepared his people to walk in In Doctrine I did further affirm so taught by my Master Christ Jesus That whosoever denieth him yea or is ashamed of him before this wicked Generation him shall Christ Jesus deny and of him shall he be ashamed when he shall appear in his Majesty And therefore I feared not to affirm That of necessity it is that such as hope for life everlasting avoid all Superstition vain Religion and Idolatry Vain Religion and Idolatry I call whatsoever is done in Gods Service or Honour without the expresse Commandment of his own Word This Doctrine I did believe to be so conformable to Gods holy Scriptures that I thought no creature could have been so impudent as to have condemned any Point or Article of the same Yet neverthelesse me as an heretick and this Doctrine as hereticall have your false Bishops and ungodly Clergie condemned pronouncing against me a Sentence of death in testification whereof they have burned a Picture From which false and cruell Sentence and from all judgement of that wicked Generation I make it known unto your Honours That I appeal to a Lawfull and Generall Councell to such I mean as the most ancient Laws and Cannons do approve to be holden by such as whose manifest impiety 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 thereof requireth of your hands the defence of Innocents troubled in your Dominion in the mean time and till the controversies that this day be in Religion be lawfully decided ye receive me and such others as most unjustly by those cruell Beasts are persecuted in your defence and Protection Your Honours are not ignorant That it is not I alone who doth sustain this Cause against the pestilent Generation of Papists but that the most part of Germany the Countrey of Helvetia the King of Denmarke the Nobility of Polonia together with many other Cities and Churches Reformed appeal from the Tyrannie of that Antichrist and most earnestly call for a Lawfull and Generall Councell wherein may all Controversies in Religion be decided by the Authority of Gods most sacred Word And unto this same as said is do I appeal yet once again requiring of your Honours to hold my simple and plain Appellation of no lesse value nor effect then if it had been made with greater circumstance solemnity and ceremony and that you receive me calling unto you as to the Powers of God ordained in your protection and defence against the rage of Tyrants not to maintain me in any iniquity errour or false opinion but to let me have such equity as God by his Word ancient Laws and Determinations of most godly Councells grant to men accused or infamed The Word of God wills That no man shall die except he be found criminall and worthy of death for offence committed of which he must be manifestly convinced by two or three witnesses Ancient Law do permit just defences to snch as be accused be their crimes never so horrible And godly Councells wills That neither Bishop nor person Ecclesiasticall whatsoever accused of any crime shall sit in Judgement Consultation or Councell where the cause of such men as do accuse them is to be tried These things require I of your Honours to be granted unto me to wit That the Doctrine which our adversaries condemn for heresie may be tried by the simple and plain Word of God That just Defences be admitted to us that sustain the Battell against this
same but also in externall gesture declaring that he lamenteth if he can do no more for such abominations Which thing was shewed to the Prophet Ezekiel when he gave him to understand why he would destroy Iuda with Israel and that he would remove his glory from the Temple and place that he had chosen and so pour forth his wrath and indignation upon the City 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 And this time I say the Lord revealed in vision to his Prophet who they were that should finde favour in that miserable destruction to wit That those that did mourn and lament for all the abominations done in the City in whose foreheads did God command to Print and Seal Tau to the end that the destroyer who was commanded to strike the rest without mercy should not hurt them in whom that signe was found Of these premises I suppose it be evident That the punishment of Idolatry doth not appertain to Kings onely but also to the whole people yea to every member of the same according to his possibility For that is a thing most assured That no man can mourn lament and bewail for those things which will not remove to the uttermost of his power If this be required of the whole people and of every man in his Vocation What shall be required of you my Lords whom God hath raised up to be Princes and Rulers above your Brethren whose hands he hath armed with the sword of Justice yea whom he hath appointed to be as Bridles to represse the rage and insolency of your Kings whensoever they pretend manifestly to transgresse Gods blessed Ordinance If any think that this my affirmation touching the punishment of Idolaters be contrary to the practice of the Apostles who finding the Gentiles in Idolatry did call them to repentance requiring no such punishment let the same man understand That the Gentiles before the preaching of Christ lived as the Apostle speaketh Without God in the World drowned in Idolatry according to the blindnesse and ignorance in which they were holden as a prophane Nation whom God had never openly avowed to be his people had never received in his houshold neither given unto them his Laws to be kept in Religion nor Policy and therefore did not the holy Ghost calling them to repentance require of them any corporall punishment according to the rigour of the Law unto the which they were never subjects as they that were strangers from the Common-wealth of Israel But if any think That after that the Gentiles were called from their vain conversation and by embracing Christ Jesus were received in the number of Abrahams children and so made one people with the Jews believing If any think I say That then they were not bound to the same obedience which God required of his people Israel when he confirmed his League and Covenant with them the same appeareth to make Christ inferiour to Moses and contrarious to the Law of his heavenly Father For if the contempt or transgression of Moses Law was worthy of death What should we judge the contempt of Christs Ordinance to be I mean after they be once received And if Christ be not come to dissolve but to fulfill the Law of his heavenly Father Shall the liberty of his Gospel be an occasion that the especiall glory of his Father be trodden under foot and regarded of no man God forbid The especiall glory of God is That such as professe themselves to be his people should hearken to his voice And amongst all the voices of God revealed to the world touching punishment of vices is none more evident neither more severe then is that which is pronounced against Idolatry the teachers and maintainers of the same And therefore I fear not to affirm That the Gentiles I mean every City Realm Province or Nation amongst the Gentiles embracing Christ Jesus and his true Religion be bound to the same League and Covenant that God made with his people Israel when he promised to root out the Nations before them in these words Beware that thou make not any Covenant with the Inhabitants of the Land to the which thou comest lest perchance that this come in ruine that is be destruction to thee but thou shalt destroy their Altars break their Idols and cut down their Groves Fear no strange Gods nor worship them neither yet make you sacrifice to them But the Lord who in his great power and out-stretched arm hath brought you out of the Land of Egypt shall you fear him shall you honour him shall you worship to him shall you make Sacrifice his Statutes Iudgements Laws and Commandments you shall keep and observe This is the Covenant which I have made with you saith the Eternall forget it not neither yet fear ye other gods but fear you the Lord your God and he shall deliver you from the hands of all your enemies To this same Law and Covenant are the Gentiles no lesse bound then sometime were the Jews whensoever God doth illuminate the eyes of any multitude Province people or Citie and putteth the sword in their own hand to remove such enormities from amongst them as before they knew to be abominable then I say are they no lesse bound to purge their Dominions Cities and Countries from Idolatry then were the Israelites what time they received the Possession of the Land of Canaan And moreover I say If any go about to erect and set up Idolatry or to teach defection from God after that the verity hath been received and approved that then not onely the Magistrates to whom the sword is committed but also the people are bound by that Oath which they have made to God to revenge to the utmost of their power the injury done against his Majesty In universall desections and in a generall revolt such as was in Israel after Ieroboam there is a divers consideration for then because the whole people were together conspired against God there could none be found that would execute the punishment which God had commanded till God raised up Iehu whom he appointed for that purpose And the same is to be considered in all other generall defections such as this day be in the Papistry where all are blinded and all are declined from God and that of long continuance so that no ordinary Justice can be executed but the punishment must be reserved to God and unto all such means as he shall appoint But I speak of such a number as after they have received Gods perfect Religion do boldly professe the same notwithstanding that some or the most part fall back as of late dayes was in England unto such a number I say it is lawfull to punish the Idolators with death if by any means God give them power For so did Ioshua and Israel determine to
despise his admonitions The Sword of Gods wrath is already drawn which of necessity must needs strike when grace offered is obstinately refused You have been long in bondage of the devill blindenesse errour and Idolatry prevailing against the simple Truth of God in that your Realme in which God hath made you Princes and Rulers But now doth God of his great mercy call you to repentance before he pour forth the uttermost of his vengeance He cryeth to your ears That your Religion is nothing but Idolatry he accuseth you of the blood of his Saints which hath been shed by your permission assistance and powers For the tyranny of those raging Beasts should have no force if by your strength they were not maintained Of those horrible crimes doth now God accuse you not of purpose to condemne you but mercifully to absolve and pardon you as sometime he did those whom Peter accused to have killed the Son of God so that ye be not of minde nor purpose to justifie your former iniquity Iniquity I call not onely the crimes and offences which have been and yet remain in your manners and lives but that also which appeareth before men most holy with hazard of my life I offer to prove abomination before God that is your whole Religion to be so corrupt and vain that no true servant of God can communicate with it because that in so doing he should manifestly deny Christ Jesus and his Eternall Verity I know that your Bishops accompanied with the swarm of the Papisticall vermine shall cry A damned heretick ought not to be heard But remember my Lords what I protested in the beginning upon which ground I continually stand to wit That I am no hereticke nor deceivable Teacher but the servant of Christ Jesus a Preacher of his infallible Verity innocent in all that they can lay to my charge concerning my Doctrine and therefore by them being enemies to Christ I am unjustly condemned From which cruell Sentence I have appealed and do appeal as before mention is made in the mean time most humbly requiring your Honours to take me in your protection to be auditors of my just defences granting unto me the same liberty which Achab a wicked King and Israel at that time a blinded people granted to Elijah in the like case That your Bishops and the whole rabble of your Clergie may be called before you and before that people whom they have deceived That I be not condemned by multitude custome by Authority or Law devised by man but that God himself may be judge betwixt me and my adversaries Let God I say speak by his Law by his Prophets by Christ Jesus or by his Apostles and so let him pronounce what Religion he approveth and then be my enemies never so many and appear they never so strong and so learned no more do I fear victory then did Elijah being but one man against the multitude of Baals Priests And if they think to have advantage by their Councells and Doctors this I further offer To admit the one and the other as witnesses in all matters debatable three things which justly cannot be denied being granted unto me First That the most ancient Councells nighest to the Primitive Church in which the learned and godly Fathers did examine all matters by Gods Word may be holden of most Authority Secondly That no determination of Councells nor man be admitted against the plain Verity of Gods Word nor against the determination of those four chief Councells whose Authority hath been and is holden by them equall with the Authority of the four Evangelists And last That to no Doctor be given greater authority then Augustine requireth to be given to his Writings to wit If he plainly prove not his affirmation by Gods infallible Word that then his sentence be rejected and imputed to the errour of a man These things granted and admitted I shall no more refuse the testimonies of Councells and Doctors then shall my adversaries But and if they will justifie those Councells which maintain their pride and usurped Authority and will reject those which plainly have condemned all such tyranny negligence and wicked life as Bishops now do use And if further they will snatch a doubtfull sentence of a Doctor and refuse his minde when he speaketh plainly then will I say That all men are lyers That credit ought not to be given to an unconstant witnesse and that no Councells ought to prevail nor be admitted against the sentence which God hath pronounced And thus my Lords in few words to conclude I have offered unto you a tryall of my innocency I have declared unto you what God requireth of you being placed above his people as Rulers and Princes I have offered unto you and to the inhabitants of the Realme the Verity of Christ Jesus And with the hazard of my life I presently offer to prove the Religion which amongst you is maintained by fire and sword to be false damnablâ— and diabolicall Which things if ye refuse defending tyrants in their tyrannie then I dare not flatter but as it was commanded to Ezechiel boldly to proclaim so must I cry to you That you shall perish in your iniquity That the Lord Jesus shall refuse so many of you as maliciously withstand his eternall Verity and in the day of his apparition when all flesh shall appeare before him that he shall repell you from his company and shall command you to the fire which never shall be quenched and then neither shall the multitude be able to resist neither yet the counsells of man be able to prevail against that sentence which he shall pronounce God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ by the power of his holy Spirit so rule and dispose of your hearts that of simplicity ye may consider the things that be offered and that ye may take such order in the same as God in you may be glorified and Christs Flock by you may be edified and comforted to the praise and glory of our Lord Iesus Christ whose Omnipotent Spirit rule your hearts in his true feare to the end Amen The Admonition of John Knox to the Commonalty of Scotland To his beloved Brethren the Commonalty of SCOTLAND JOHN KNOX wisheth Grace Mercy and Peace With the Spirit of righteous judgement WHat I have required of the Queen Regent States and Nobility as of the chief Heads for this present of the Realm I cannot cease to require of you dearly beloved brethren which be the Communalty and Body of the same to wit That it notwithstanding that false and cruell Sentence which your disguised Bishops have pronounced against me would please you to be so favourable unto me as to be indifferent auditors of my just Purgation Which to do if God earnestly move your hearts as I nothing doubt but that your enterprise shall redound to the praise and glory of his holy Name so am I assured
rich and potent in Israel If this equality was commanded by God for maintenance of that transitory tabernacle which was but a shadow of a better to come is not the same required of us who now have the verity which is Christ Jesus who being clad with our nature is made Immanuel that is God with us Whose naturall body albeit it be received into the Heavens where he must abide till all be compleat that is forespoken by the Prophets yet hath he promised to be present with us to the end of the world And for that purpose and for the more assurance of his Promise he hath erected amongst us here in earth the Signes of his own presence with us his spirituall Tabernacle the true preaching of his Word and right administration of his Sacraments to the maintenance whereof is no lesse bound the subject then the Prince the poor then the rich For as the Price which was given for mans redemption is one so God requireth of all that shall be partakers of the benefits of the same a like duty which is a plain confession That by Christ Jesus alone we have received whatsoever was lost in Adam Of the Prince doth God require That he refuse himself and that he follow Christ Jesus of the Subject he requireth the same Of the Kings and Judges it is required That they kisse the Son that is give honour subjection and obedience to him and from such reverence doth not God exempt the Subject that shall be saved and this is That equality which is betwixt the kings and subjects the most rich or noble and betwixt the poorest and men of lowest state to wit That as the one is obliged to beleeve in heart and with mouth to confesse the Lord Jesus to be the onely Saviour of the world so also is the other Neither is there any of Gods children who hath attained to the yeers of discretion so poor but that he hath thus much to bestow upon the Ornaments and maintenance of their spirituall Tabernacle when necessity requireth neither yet is there any so rich of whose hands God requireth any more For albeit that David gathered great substance for the building of the Temple that Solomon with earnest diligence and incredible expences erected and finished the same That Hezekiah and Iosiah purged the Religion which before was corrupted yet to them was God no further debter in that respect then he was to the most simple of the faithfull posterity of faithfull Abraham for their diligence zeal and works gave rather testimony and confession before men what honour they did bear to God what love to his Word what reverence to his Religion then that any work proceeding from them did either establish or yet encrease Gods favour towards them who freely did love them in Christ his Son before the foundation of the world was laid So that these forenamed by their notable works gave testimony of their unfained faith and the same doth the poorest that unfainedly and openly professeth Christ Jesus and doth embrace his glad tydings offered That doth abhor Superstition and flie from Idolatry The poorest I say and most simple that this day on earth in the dayes of this cruell persecution firmly believeth in Christ and boldly doth confesse him before this wicked generation is no lesse acceptable before God neither is judged in his presence to have done any lesse in promoting Christ his Cause then is the King that by his sword and power which he hath received of God rooteth out Idolatry and so advanceth Christs glory But to return to our former purpose It is no lesse required I say of the subject to believe in Christ and to professe his true Religion then of the Prince and King And therefore I affirm That in Gods presence it shall not excuse you to alleadge That yee were no chief Rulers and therefore that the care and reformation of Religion did not appertain unto you Yee dear brethren as before is said are the creatures of God created to his own Image and similitude to whom it is commanded To hear the voice of your heavenly Father To embrace his Son Christ Jesus To flie from all doctrine and Religion which he hath not approved by his own Will revealed to us in his most blessed Word To which Precepts and Charges if yee be found inobedient ye shall perish in your iniquity as rebells and stubborn servants that have no pleasure to obey the good Will of their Soveraign Lord who most lovingly 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 things temporall which although they be endangered yet by diligence and processe of time may after be redressed but it is of the damnation of your bodies and souls and of the losse of life everlasting which once lost can never be recovered And therefore I say That it behoveth you to be carefull and diligent in this so weighty a matter lest that ye contemning this occasion which God now offereth finde not the like although that after with groaning and sobs ye languish for the same And that ye be not ignorant of what occasion I mean in few words I shall expresse it Not onely I but with me also divers other godly and learned men do offer unto you our labours faithfully to instruct you in the wayes of the eternall our God and in the sincerity of Christs Evangell which this day by the pestilent Generation of Antichrist I mean by the Pope and by his most ungodly Clergy are almost hid from the eyes of men We offer to jeopard our lives for the salvation of your souls and by manifest Scriptures to prove that Religion that amongst you is maintained by fire and sword to be false vain and diabolicall We require nothing of you but that patiently ye will hear our Doctrine which is not ours but the Doctrine of salvation revealed to the world by the onely Son of God And that ye will examine our reasons by the which we offer to prove the Papisticall Religion to be abominable before God And last we require That by your power the tyranny of those cruell beasts I mean of Priests and Fryers may be bridled till we have uttered our mindes in all matters this day debatable in Religion If these things in the fear of God ye grant to me and unto others that unfainedly for your salvation and for Gods glory require the same I am assured That of God ye shall be blessed whatsoever Satan shall devise against you But and if ye contemn or refuse God who thus lovingly offereth unto you salvation and life ye shall neither escape plagues Temporall which shortly shall apprehend you neither yet the torment prepared for the devill and for his angels except by your speedy repentance ye return to the Lord whom now ye refuse if that ye refuse the Messengers of his
their greatest prosperity For the better understanding of this complaint and of the minde of the Prophet we must first observe from whence all Authority floweth and secondly To what end Powers are appointed by God The which two points being discussed we shall the better understand what lords and what authority rules beside God and who they are in whom God and his mercifull presence rules The first is resolved to us by the words of the Apostle saying There is no Power but of God David bringeth in the Eternall God speaking to Judges and Rulers saying I have said Ye are gods and Sons of the Most High And Solomon in the person of God affirmeth the same saying By me Kings raigne and Princes discern the things that are just Of which place it is evident That it is neither Birth influence of Stars election of people force of Arms nor finally whatsoever can be comprehended under the power of nature that maketh the distinction betwixt the superiour power and the inferiour or that doth establish the Royall Throne of Kings but it is the onely and perfect Ordinance of God who willeth his Terrour Power and Majestie in a part to shine in the Thrones of Kings and in the faces of Judges and that for the profit and comfort of man So that whosoever would studie to deface that order of Regiment that God hath established and by his holy Word allowed and bring in such a confusion as no difference should be betwixt the upper Powers and the subjects doth nothing but evert and turne upside downe the very Throne of God which he will to be fixed here upon earth as in the end and cause of this Ordinance more plainly shall appear which is the second Point we have to observe for the better understanding of the Prophets words and minde The end and cause then why God printeth in the weak and feeble flesh of man this Image of his own Power and Majestie is not to puff up flesh in opinion of it self neither yet that the heart of him that is exalted above others shâ—ll be lifted up by presumption and pride and so despise others but that he shall consider that he is appointed Lieutenant to one whose eyes continually watch upon him to see and examine how he behaveth himself in his Office Saint Paul in few words declareth the end wherefore the sword is committed to the powers saying It is to the punishment of the wicked doers and unto the praise of such as do well Of which words it is evident That the sword of God is not committed to the hand of man to use as it pleaseth him but onely to punish vice and maintain vertue that men may live in such society as before God is acceptable And this is the very and onely cause why God hath appointed powers in this Earth For such is the furious rage of mans corrupt nature That unlesse severe punishment were appointed and put in execution upon malefactors Better it were that man should live among brute and wilde Beasts then among men But at this present I dare not enter into the description of this common place for so should I not satisfie the Text which by Gods grace I purpose to absolve This onely by the way I would that such as are placed in Authority should consider Whether they raign and rule by God so that God ruleth them or if they rule without besides and against God of whom our Prophet here doth complain If any list to take tryall of this point it is not hard For Moses in the election of Judges and of a King describeth not onely what persons shall be chosen to that honour but doth also give to him that is elected and chosen the rule by the which he shall try himself whether God raign in him or not saying When he shall sit upon the throne of his Kingdom he shall write to himself an examplar of this Law in a Book by the Priests and Levites it shall be with him and he shall read therein all the dayes of his life That he may learn to fear the Lord his God and to keep all the words of this Law and these Statutes that he may do them that his heart be not lifted up above his Brethren and that he turn not from the commandment to the right hand or to the left The same is repeated to Ioshuah in his inanguration to the Regiment of the people by God himself saying Let not the Book of this Law depart from thy mouth but meditate in it day and night that thou mayst keep it and do according to all that which is written in it For then shall thy way be prosperous and thou shalt do prudently The first thing then that God craveth of him that is called to the Honour of a King is The knowledge of his Will revealed in his Word The second is An upright and willing minde to put in execution such things as God commandeth in his Law without declining to the right or to the left hand Kings then have not an absolute Power to do in their Regiment what pleaseth them but their Power is limited by Gods Word So that if they strike where GOD hath not commanded they are but murtherers and if they spare where GOD hath commanded to strike they and their Throne are criminall and guilty of the wickednesse that aboundeth upon the face of the earth for lack of punishment O that Kings and Princes would consider what account shall be craved of them as well of their ignorance and misknowledge of Gods Will as for the neglecting of their Office But now to returne to the words of the Prophet In the person of the whole people he doth complain unto God That the Babilonians whom he calleth Other lords besides God both because of their ignorance of God and by reason of their cruelty and inhumanity had long ruled over them in great rigour without pity or compassion had upon the ancient men and famous matrons For they being mortall enemies to the people of God fought by all meanes to aggravate their yoke yea utterly to have exterminate the memory of them and of their Religion from the face of the earth After the first part of this dolorous complaint the Prophet declareth the Protestation of the people saying Neverthelesse in thee shall we remember thy Name others reade it But we will remember thee onely and thy Name But in the Hebrew there is no Conjunction Copulative in that sentence The minde of the Prophet is plaine to wit That notwithstanding the long sustained affliction the people of God declined not to a false and vain Religion but remembred God that sometime appeared to them in his mercifull presence which albeit then they saw not yet would they still remember his Name that is They would call to minde the Doctrine and Promise which at sometimes they heard albeit in their prosperity they did not sufficiently glorifie God
should have beene of the Religion of the Romane Emperours What Religion should have been upon the face of the earth Daniel and his fellows were subjects to Nebuchad-nezzar and unto Darius and yet Madame they would not be of their Religion neither of the one nor of the other For the three Children said We make it knowne to thee O King That we will not worship thy Gods And Daniel did pray publikely unto his God against the expresse Commandment of the King And so Madame ye may perceive that Subjects are not bound to the Religion of their Princes albeit they are commanded to give them obedience Yea quoth she none of these men raised their Sword against their Princes Yet Madame quoth he ye cannot deny but they resisted For those that obey not the Commandments given in some sort resist But yet said she they resisted not by the Sword God said she Madame had not given them the power and the meanes Thinke you said she That Subjects having power may resist their Princes If Princes do exceed their Bounds quoth he Madame and doe against that wherefore they should be obeyed there is no doubt but they may be resisted even by Power For there is neither greater Honour nor greater Obedience to be given to Kings and Princes then God hath commadned to be given to Father and Mother But so it is That the Father may be stricken with a Phrenzie in the which he would slay his owne Children Now Madame if the children arise joyn themselves together apprehend the Father take the Sword or other Weapon from him and finally binde his hands and keepe him in Prison till that his Phrensie be over-past Thinke ye Madame that the children do any wrong Or thinke ye Madame that God will be offended with them that have stayed their Father from committing wickednesse It is even so said he Madame with Princes that would murther the children of God that are subject unto them Their blinde zeale is nothing but a very mad phrenzie and therefore to take the sword from them to binde their hands and to cast them into prison till that they be brought to a more sober minde is no disobedience against Princes but just obedience because that it agreeth with the Word of God At these words the Queene stood as it were amazed more then a quarter of an houre her countenance altered so that the Lord Iames began to entreat her and to demand What hath offended you Madame At length she said Well then I perceive that my Subjects shall not onely obey you and not me And shall do what they list and not what I command and so must I be subject unto them and not they to me God forbid answered he that ever I take upon me to command any to obey me or yet to set Subjects at liberty to do whatsoever please them but my travell is That both Princes and Subjects obey GOD. And thinke not said he Madame that wrong was done unto you when you are willed to be subject unto GOD for it is he that subjects the people under Princes and causes obedience to be given unto them yea God craves of Kings That they be as it were Foster-Fathers to the Church and commands Queens to be Nourishers unto his People And this subjection Madame unto God and to his troubled Church is the greatest dignity that flesh can get upon the face of the earth for it shall carry them to everlasting glory Yea quoth she but ye are not the Church that I will nourish I will defend the Church of Rome for I think it is the true Church of God Your will quoth he Madame is no reason neither doth your thought make that Romane Harlot to be the Immaculate Spouse of Jesus Christ. And wonder not Madame that I call Rome an Harlot for that Church is altogether polluted with all kinde of Spirituall Fornication as well in Doctrine as in Manners yea Madam I offer my selfe further to prove That the Church of the Jewes who crucified Jesus Christ when that they manifestly denied the Sonne of God was not so farre degenerated from the Ordinances and Statutes which God gave by Moses and Aaron unto his People as the Church of Rome is declined and more then five hundred yeers hath declined from the Purity of Religion which the Apostles taught and planted My conscience said she is not so Conscience Madame said he requires knowledge and I fear that of right knowledge you have but little But said she I have both heard and read So Madame said he did the Jewes that crucified Christ Jesus reade both the Law and the Prophets and heard the same interpreted after their manner Have ye heard said he any teach but such as the Pope and his Cardinalls have allowed And you may be assured That such will speak nothing to offend their owne state Ye interpret the Scriptures said she in one manner and they in another Whom shall I believe and who shall be Judge Believe said he God that plainly speaketh in his Word And further then the Word teacheth you ye shall neither believe the one nor the other The Word of God is plain in it self And if there appear any obscurity in one place the holy Ghost which is never contrarious to himself explains the same more clearly in other places So that there can remaine no doubt but unto such as obstinately will remaine ignorant And now Madame said he to take one of the chief Points which this day is in controversie betwixt the Papists and us for example The Papists alleadge and boldly have affirmed That the Masse is the Ordinance of God and the Institution of Jesus Christ and a Sacrifice for the quick and the dead We deny both the one and the other and affirme That the Masse as it is now used is nothing but the Invention of man and therefore it is an Abomination before God and no Sacrifice that ever God commanded Now Madame who shall judge betwixt us two thus contending It is not reason that either of the persons be further believed then they are able to prove by insuspect witnessing Let them lay downe the Book of God and by the plain words prove their affirmatives and we shall give unto them the play granted But so long as they are bold to affirme and yet do prove nothing we must say That albeit all the world believe them yet believe they not God but do receive the lyes of men for the Truth of God What our Master Christ Jesus did we know by his Evangelists What the Priests do at the Masse the world seeth Now doth not the Word of God plainly assure us That Christ Jesus neither said nor yet commanded Masse to be said at his last Supper seeing that no such thing as the Masse is made mention of within the whole Scriptures You are over-hard for me said the Queen but if they were here whom I have heard they would answer you