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Dearly beloved in our Savior Jesus Christ, hope
you against hope, and against all worldly appearance. For so assuredly as
God is immutable, so assuredly shall he stir up one Jehu or other, to
execute his vengeance upon these blood-thirsty tyrants, and obstinate
idolaters. And therefore, abide ye patiently the time, that is appointed to
our correction, and to the full ripeness of their malicious minds. Be not
discouraged, although the bishops have gotten the victory. So did the
Benjamites (natural brethren to our bishops,) defenders of whoredom and
abominable adultery, twice prevail against the Israelites, who fought at
God’s commandment. Ye shall consider, beloved brethren, that the
counsels of God are profound and inscrutable: the most just man is not
innocent in his sight. There may be secret causes, why God sometimes will
permit the most wicked, to prevail and triumph in the most unjust action.
But yet will He not long delay to execute his wrath, and justly deserved
vengeance, upon such as be proud murderers, obstinate idolaters, and
impenitent malefactors. And therefore have they not great cause to rejoice;
for albeit they have once prevailed against flesh, yet shall God shortly bring
them to confusion and shame for ever. Let Winchester and his cruel council
devise and study till his wits fail, how the kingdom of his father, the
Antichrist of Rome, may prosper; and let him and them drink the blood of
God’s saints, till they be drunk, and their bellies burst; yet shall they never
prevail long in their attempts. Their counsels and determinations shall be
like the dream of a hungry or thirsty man, who in his sleep dreameth that
he is eating or drinking, but after he is awakened, his pain continueth, and
his soul is impatient, and nothing eased. Even so shall these tyrants, after
their profound counsels, long devices, and assured determinations,
understand and know that the hope of hypocrites shall be frustrated, that a
kingdom begun with tyranny and blood can neither be stable nor
permanent, (<180501>Job 5) but that the glory, the riches, and maintainers of the
same, shall be as straw in the flame of fire. (<181501>Job 15). Altogether with a
blast they shall be consumed in such sort, that their palaces shall be a heap
of stones, their congregations shall be desolate, and such as do depend
upon their help, shall fall into destruction and ignominy with them.
(<32201>Isaiah 22).
And therefore, beloved brethren in our Savior Jesus Christ, seeing that
neither can our imperfections nor frail weakness hinder Christ Jesus to
return to us by the presence of his Word; neither that the tyranny of these
blood-thirsty wolves may so devour Christ’s small flock, but that a great
number shall be preserved to the praise of God’s glory; neither that these
most cruel tyrants can long escape God’s vengeance, let us in comfort lift
up our heads, and constantly look for the Lord’s deliverance with heart and
voice, saying to our God, “O Lord, albeit other lords than thou have power
over our bodies, yet let us only remember thee, and thy holy name; to
whom be praise before the congregation. Amen.”
Temptation, or to tempt, in the Scriptures of God is called to try, to prove,
or to assault the valor, the power, the will, the pleasure, or the wisdom,
whether it be of God or of creatures. And it is taken sometimes in good
part, as when it is said, that “God tempted Abraham,” “God tempted the
people of Israel;” that is, God did try and examine, not for his own
knowledge, to whom nothing is hid, but for the certification of others, how
obedient Abraham was to God’s commandment, and how weak and infirm
the Israelites were, in their journey towards the promised land. And this
temptation is always good, because it proceedeth immediately from God,
to open and make manifest the secret motions of men’s hearts, the
puissance and power of God’s word, and the great lenity and gentleness of
God towards the infirmities, the horrible sins, and rebellions of those whom
he hath received into his regiment and care. For who would have believed,
that the bare word of God could so have moved the heart and affections of
Abraham, that to obey God’s commandment, he determined to kill with his
own hand, his best beloved son Isaac? Who could have trusted, that under
so many torments as Job did suffer, he should not speak, in all his great
temptations, one foolish word against God? Or who could have thought,
that God so mercifully, should have pardoned so many and so manifest
transgressions committed by his people in the desert; and yet, that his
mercy did never utterly leave them, but still continued with them, till at
length, he did perform his promise made to Abraham? To whom, I say,
could these things have been persuaded, unless, by trial and temptation
taken of his creatures by God, they had come by revelation made in his
holy Scriptures to our knowledge?
Here is to be noted the ground and foundation of this temptation. The
conclusion of Satan is this: Thou art none of God’s elect, much less, his
well-beloved Son. His reason is this: Thou art in trouble, and findest no
relief. Then the foundation of the temptation was Christ’s poverty, and the
lack of food, without hope of remedy to be sent from God; and it is the
same temptation which the devil objected to him by the princes of the
priests, in his grievous torments upon the cross. For this they cry, “If he be
the Son of God, let him come down from the cross, and we shall believe in
him: he trusted in God; let Him deliver him, if he have pleasure in him.” As
that they would say, God is the deliverer of his servants from troubles: God
never permits those that fear him, to come to confusion. This man we see
in extreme trouble: if he be the Son of God, or yet, a true worshipper of his
name, He will deliver him from this calamity. If He deliver him not, but
suffer him to perish in these anguishes, then is it an assured sign, that God
hath rejected him, as a hypocrite that shall have no portion of his glory.
Thus, I say, taketh Satan occasion to tempt, and moveth also others to
judge and condemn God’s elect and chosen children, by reason, that
troubles are multiplied upon them. But with what weapons we ought to
fight against such enemies and assaults, we shall learn, in the answer of
Christ Jesus which followeth: Verse 4th, “But he answering, said, It is
written, man liveth not by bread only, but by every word which proceedeth
out of the mouth of God.” This answer of Christ, proveth the sentence
which we have brought of the before-named temptation, to be the very
meaning of the Holy Ghost: for unless the purpose of Satan had been, to
have removed Christ from all hope of God’s merciful providence towards
him, in that his necessity, Christ had answered nothing directly to his
words, saying, “Command that these stones be made bread.” But Christ
Jesus perceiving his art and malicious subtlety, answereth directly to his
meaning, his words nothing regarded: in which answer, Satan was so
confounded, that he was ashamed to reply any further in that behalf.
Advert and consider, dearly beloved, in what estate was David when he
had no other comfort, except the remembrance only of God’s former
benefits showed unto him. And, therefore, marvel you not, nor yet despair
ye, albeit that you find yourself in the same case that David was. Sure I am,
that your own heart must confess, that you have received like benefits at
the hands of God as David did. He hath called you from a more vile office
than from the keeping of sheep, to as great a dignity (touching the
everlasting inheritance) as he did David. For, from the service of the devil
and sin, he hath anointed us priests and kings, by the blood of his only Son
Jesus. He hath given you courage and boldness to fight against more cruel,
more subtle, more dangerous enemies, and against enemies that be more
nigh unto you, than either was the lion, the bear, or Goliah, to David —
against the devil, I mean, and his assaults; against your own flesh, and most
inward affections; against the multitude of them that were, and yet remain
enemies to Christ’s religion; yea, against some of your most natural friends,
who appear to profess Christ with you; and in that part, the battle is the
more vehement. What boldness I have seen with you in all such conflicts, it
needeth me not to rehearse. I write this to the praise of God, I have
wondered at that bold constancy which I have found in you, at such time as
mine own heart was faint. Sure I am, that flesh and blood could never have
persuaded you to have contemned and set at nought those things that the
world most esteemeth. You have tasted and felt of God’s goodness and
mercies in such measure, that not only you are able to reason and speak,
but also, by the Spirit of God working in you, to give comfort and
consolation to such as were in trouble. And therefore, most dear mother,
think not that God will leave his own mansion for ever. No, impossible it is
that the devil shall occupy God’s inheritance; or yet, that God shall so
leave and forsake his holy temple that he will not sanctify the same. Again,
God sometimes suspendeth his own presence from his elected, as here by
David may be espied; and very often he suffereth his elect to taste of
bitterness and grief, for such causes as are before expressed. But to suffer
them to be wrested out of his hands, that he neither will nor may permit;
for so were he a mutable God, and have given his glory to another, if he
permitted himself to be overcome of his adversary; which is as like
impossible, as it is that God shall cease to be God.
Albeit your pains be
sometimes so horrible, that no release nor comfort, you find neither in
spirit nor body, yet if the heart can only sob unto God, despair not; you
shall obtain your heart’s desire. And destitute you are not of faith: for at
such time as the flesh, natural reason, the law of God, and present torment,
and the devil at once do cry, God is angry, and therefore is there neither
help nor remedy to be hoped for at his hands! — at such time, I say, to sob
unto God, is the demonstration of the secret seed of God, which is hid in
God’s elect children; and that only sob, is unto God a more acceptable
sacrifice, than without this cross, to give our bodies to be burned even for
the truth’s sake. For if God be present by assistance of his Holy Spirit, so
that no doubt is in our conscience but that assuredly we stand in God’s
favor, what can corporal trouble hurt the soul or mind, seeing the bitter
frosty wind cannot hurt the body itself, which is most warmly covered, and
clad from violence of the cold? But when the Spirit of God appeareth to be
absent, yea, when God himself appeareth to be our enemy: then, to say, or
to think, with Job in his trouble, “Albeit He should destroy or kill me, yet
will I trust in him,” oh, what is the strength and vehemency of the faith
which so looketh for mercy, when the whole man feeleth nothing but
dolors on every side! Assuredly, that hope shall never be confounded, for
so it is promised by Him who cannot repent of his mercy and goodness.
But, beloved in the Lord, the sword of anguish and of dolor hath now
pierced the tender heart of Christ’s mother, (that is, of his very church,)
that the cogitations of many hearts are sufficiently revealed. (<420201>Luke 2).
The fire is come, which as it hath burnt away with a blast the stubble, hay,
and wood, (<460301>1 Corinthians 3) so in trying the gold, silver, and precious
stones, it hath found such dross and dust, that the whole mass may appear
to be consumed. For who now calleth to mind, that the same voice which
fore-spake our dolors, fore-spake also our everlasting comfort with Christ
Jesus? Who delighteth now in his amiable promises? Who rejoiceth under
the cross? Yea, who rather doth not fear, tremble, grudge, and lament, as
that there were no help in God, or as that he regarded not the trouble
which we suffer? These are the imperfections that continually remain in this
our corrupt nature, the knowledge whereof ought to move us earnestly to
cry, “O Lord, increase our faith. Be merciful unto us, and let us not drown
in the deep for ever.” Which if we do with unfeigned hearts, then yet shall
Christ Jesus appear to our comfort: his power shall be known to the praise
and glory of his own name, in despite of all his conjured enemies.
Albeit that I have in the beginning of this battle appeared to play the faint-hearted and feeble soldier (the cause I remit to God), yet my prayer is, that I may be restored to the battle again.
Albeit Satan appear sometimes to prevail
against God’s elect, yet is he ever frustrated of his final purpose. By
temptation, he led the woman and David from the obedience of God; but
he could not retain them forever under his thraldom. Power was granted to
him, to spoil Job of his substance and children, and to strike his body with
a plague of sickness most vile and fearful: but he could not compel hismouth to blaspheme God’s majesty. And therefore, albeit we be laid open
sometimes, as it were, even to the mouth of Satan, let us not think
therefore that God hath abjected us, and that he taketh no care over us.
No; He permitteth Satan to rage, and as it were, to triumph for a time, that
when he hath poured forth the venom of his malice against God’s elect, it
may return to his own confusion; and that the deliverance of God’s
children may be more to his glory, and comfort of the afflicted, knowing
that his hand is so puissant, his mercy and good-will so prompt, that he
delivereth his little ones from their cruel enemy, even as David did his
sheep and lamb from the mouth of the lion. For a benefit received in
extreme danger, doth more move us, than the preservation from ten
thousand perils, that we fall not in them: and yet, to preserve from dangers
and perils, that we fall not in them whether they be of body or spirit, is no
less the work of God, than to deliver from them: but the weakness of our
faith doth not espy that.;
TO THE MOST EXCELLENT PRINCESS MARY, DOWAGE REGENT OF SCOTLAND.
MADAME,
The cause which moved me to present this my supplication unto your majesty, enlarged and in some places explained (being in the realm of Scotland in the month of May 1556. I caused to be presented to your Majesty) is the incredible rage of such as bear the title of Bishops, who against all justice and equity, have pronounced against me a most cruel sentence, condemning my body to fire, my soul to damnation, and all doctrine taught by me to be false, deceivable, and heretical: if this injury did tend to me alone, having the testimony of a good conscience, with silence I could pass the matter, being assured that such as they curse and expel their synagogues for such causes, shall God bless, and Christ Jesus recieve in his eternal society: But considering that this their blasphemy is vomited forth against the eternal Truth of Christ's evangel, (whereof it hath pleased the great mercy of God to make me a Minister) I cannot cease to notify, as well to your Majesty, as to them. That so little am I afraid of their Tyrannical sentence, that in place of the Picture (if God impede not my purpose) they shall have the body to justify that doctrine, which they (Members of Satan) blasphemously do condemn. Advertising your Majesty in the mean time, That from them, their sentence and tryanny, and from all those that live to maintain them in the same, I do appeal to a lawful and general Counsel; beseeching your Majesty to take in good part, that I call you to witness, that I have required the liberty of tongue, and my Cause to be heard before your Majesty and the body of the realm, before that any such process was laid against me; as this my letter directed to your Majesty doth testify.
From the start of a letter from Knox to Mary of Guise
RIGHT DEARLY BELOVED SISTER in our Sovereign Jesus Christ,--very dolour and anguish of heart will not suffer me at this instant to answer your letter: but to call for you I will not cease, and doubt not to obtain God's free mercy, your continuance in Christ. Faithful is He that has commanded us to pray one for another, promising that our petitions are acceptable, yea, and that we shall give life to such as sin not unto death. To sin to death is to blaspheme the word of life, which once we have professed, and to fall back (not of fragility, but of hatred and contempt,) to such idolatory and aboniation as the wicked maintain; whereof I am most surely persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that your heart shall never do. You are ingrafted into the body, and by Him you shall be defended, but not without dolour; for it behoves every member of his body, to suffer with the Head. That false and lying spirit, does according to his wicked and decievable craft, when he would cause you to believe that I know your rejection. No, false devil! he lies: I am even equally certified of your election in Christ, as I am that I myself preacheth Christ to be the only Saviour, etc. I have more signs of your election than presently I can commit to writ.
Your brother,
JOHN KNOX.
At Newcastle, in haste, 1553
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