Answer to a Jesuit, Title page – To the reader
AN ANSWER TO A LETTER OF A IESVIT NAmed Tyrie, be Iohne Knox.
¶PROV. XXVI.
Answer not a foole according to his foolishenes, least thow be lyke him: answer a foole according to his foolishnes least he be wise in his owē cōseat
THE contrarietie appearing at the first sight, betuix thir twa sentēcis, stay it for a tyme, baith heart to meditate & hand to wryte any thing, cō trair that blaspheamous letter. But when with better mynd, God gaue me to considder, that whosoeuer opponis not him self bouldly to blasphemy & manifest lei…, differis lytill fra tratouris: cloking & fostering, so far as in them ly, the treasoun of tratours, & dampnable impietie of those, against whome Gods iust evengance mon burne without end, vnles spedie repentāce follow: To quyet therefore my owne conscience, I put hand to the pen as followeth.
IMPRENTIT AT SANCTANdrois be Robert Lekpreuik, Anno. Do. 1572.
IOHNE KNOX The seruand of Iesus Christ, now wearie of the world, and daylie luiking for the resolution of this my earthly Tabernakle, to the faithfull, that God of his mercy sall appoint to feght after me, desyris grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, with the spirite of sanctificatioun, to resist all kynd of impietie, in thir last and moste wicked dayis, wherein Sathan rages, knowing that he hes a short tyme to trouble Goddis peple.
WONDER not (gentill Reidar) that sic ane argumēt suld proceed fra me in thir dolorous days, after that I hauehave taken gudenight at ye world and at all ye fasherie of the same, except to lament for my awin sinnis, and for the sinnis of vtheris.
Of whome (allace) I feir mony can not lament for them selues, becaus they hauehave sauld thē selues to wirk impietie, with all gredynes, without sens & fealing of any dolour that proceadeth frō God. Yet Lord thow knowes thy owen, & thow drawes frō iniquitie, all, that vnfeinedly incall thy name. There ar seuin yeares past, sen a scrole, send frō a Iesuite to his brother, was presented vntounto me be a …aithfull brother, requyring sum answer to be maid to the same: whais iust petitioun, I willing to obey, I pat my hād to the pen, al…hogh I …and small tyme of quyetnes: for it was immediatly …fter that I was called back f…om exyle, be the Kirk of Edinburgh after Dauids Iudgement. Amongs my other caires, I … that which follow is, & that in few day is: which being finished, I …epented of my laubour, and purposed fullie to hauehave suppressed it.
Which na… dout I had done, if that the Deuil had not steirit vp the Iesuites▪ of Paris to …ouble godlie harts, with the same arg…mentis which Ty…ie vsis: amplifyed and set …, with all the dog eloquence, that Sathan can deuyse, for suppressing of the fre progres of the Euangell of Iesus Christ, and for the cuiring of the woūdit …ead of ye beist, tha… Romane Antichrist: who shall to distruction in despyte of all those that studie, either to erect, or yet to manteane him and his dampnable abusis. Which God hes disclo…t to sic as the Deuill hes not blinded: so that they can not discerne betuix darknes and light. The ordour that is keped in an swering of his proud arrogancie & presumpteous foolishenes, the entres of the treatise will declare. I hauehave added vntounto this pref…ce, a meditatioun or pr…yer thrawin furth of my sorrowful heart & pro … be my half dead toung, befoir I was cō pelled to leaue my flocke of Edinburgh, who now dispersed, suffering lytill les calamitie, then did the faithfull efter the persecu…ioun of Steaphen. Lord comfort and strenthen thame to the end: that anes we may meit in glorie. For all worldly … is bot vane, and an occasioun of new dolour. Call for me deir brethren, that God in his mercy will pleis to put end, to my long and panefull battell. For now being vnabill to feght▪ as God … gaue strenth, I thrust an end befoir I b… moir troubilsum to the Faithfull. And yet Lord let my desyre be moderat, be thy holy spirit: and giu… me patience to beir whatsoeuer it pleisis thy godlie Maiestie to lay vponupon this my wicked Carkaso.