Sermon in Edinburgh, Title page – Preface to the reader
A SERMON preached by Iohn Knox Minister of Christ Iesus in the Publique audience of the Church of Edenbrough, within the Realme of Scotland, vponupon Sonday, the .19. of August .1565. For the which the said Iohn Knoxe was inhibite preaching for a season. 1. Timoth. 4. ¶The time is come that men can not abyde the Sermon of veritie nor holsome doctrine. To this is adioyned an exhortation vntounto all the faythfull within the sayde Realme, for the reliefe of suche as faythfully trauayle in the preaching of Gods worde. Written by the same Iohn Knoxe, at the commaundement of the ministerie aforesayd.
Imprinted Anno. 1566.
IOHN KNOXE THE seruaunt of Iesus Christ, Inpreaching of his holy Euangell, to the beneuolent Reader, desireth grace and peace, with the spirite of righteous Iudgement.
WONDER NOT, christian Reader that of al my studye and trauayle within the scriptures of GOD these twentye yeares, I hauehave set forth nothing in exponing anye portion of scripture, except this onelyonly rude and indigest Sermon preached by me in the publicke audiēce of the church of Edingbrough the day and yeare aboue mēcioned. That I did not in writ communicate my iudgemēt vponupon the scriptures, I hauehave euer thought and yet thinke my selfe to hauehave most iust reason. For cō sidering my selfe rather cald of my God to instruct the ignorant, comfort the sorowfull, confirme the weake, and rebuke the proud by tong & liuelye voyce in these most corrupt dayes, thā to compose bokes for the age to come, seeing that so much is written (& that by men of most singuler cō dition) and yet so little well obserued: I decreed to containe my selfe within the bondes of that vocation, wherevnto I founde my selfe especially called. I dare not denie (lest that in so doing I should be iniurious to the giuer) but that God hath reuealed vntounto me secretes vnknowen to the worlde, and also that he hath made my tong a trumpet to forwarne realmes and nations, yea certaine great personages, of mutations and chaunges, when no such thinges were feared, nor yet was appearing, a portion wherof can not the world denie (be it neuer so blind) to be fulfilled, and the rest (alas) I feare shall followe with greater expedition and in more full perfection, than my sorowfull heart desireth. These reuelations and assurances not withstanding, I did euer absteyne to commit anye thing to writ, contented onelyonly to hauehave obeyed the charge of him, who commaunded me to cry. If anye then will aske to what purpose this onelyonly sermon is set forth, & greater matters omitted, I answere, to let such as Sathan hath not altogether blinded see, vponupon how small occasions, great offence is nowe conceyued. This sermon is it for the which from my bed I was called before the Councell: and after long reasoning, I was by some forbidden to preach in Edingbrough so long as the King and Queene were in the towne. This sermon is it that so offēdeth such as would please the Court, and yet will not appeare to be enimies to the truth, that thei dare affirme that I hauehave exceded the bonds of Gods messanger. I hauehave therfore faithfully committed vntounto writ, what soeuer I could remember might hauehave beene offensiue in that sermon. To the ende that aswell the enimies of Gods truth, as the professors of the same, may eyther note vntounto me wherin I hauehave offended, or at the least ceasse to condempne me before they hauehave conuicted me by Gods manifest worde. If any man thinke it easy vntounto me to mitigate by my pen the inconsiderate sharpenesse of my tongue, and so can not men freely iudge of that my sermon, I answere that neyther am I so impudent that I will study to abuse the worlde, in this great light, neyther yet so voyde of feare of my God, that I will auowe a lye in his owne presence. And no lesse doe I esteeme it to be a lye, to deny or cōceile that which in his name I hauehave once pronounced, than to affirme that GOD hath spoken, when his worde assures me not of the same, for in the publike place I consulte not with flesh and bloud what I shall propone to the people, but as the spirit of my God who hath sent me and vntounto whome I must answere, moueth me, so I speake, and when I hauehave once pronounced threatnings in his nāe (howe vnpleasant soeuer they be to the world) I dare no more deny thē, than I dare deny that God hath made me his messinger to forwarne the inobedient of their assured destruction. At that sermō were auditours vntounto me not onelyonly professors of the truth and such as fauor me, but rancke papistes, dissembled Hipocrites, & no small number of couetous clawbaks of the new court. Now I will appeale the conscience of them all, as they will aunswere in the presēce of the eternal god, that eyther they beare me record now writing the truth, or els note vntounto me the sentences offensiue then by me pronounced, & now ommitted in writting, for in Gods presence I protest that so far as memorie would serue me, I hauehave written more vehemētly, than in the action I spake and pronounced, but of purpose I hauehave omitted persuasions and exhortations which then were made for alluring of suche vntounto the feare of God, whom gladly I would hauehave pleased, if so I could hauehave done, & not hauehave betrayed the manifest truth of my God. The Lorde be mercifull vntounto me that I did not more fullye expresse whatsoeuer his holy spirit layde before me, in that text, which I am assured the indifferent reader shal think I hauehave but slenderlye handeled, all circumstances being cōnsidered. O Lord for thy great name sake giuegive vntounto vsus Princes and rulers that delight in thy truth, that louelove vertue, hate impietie, and that desire rather to be roundely taught to their saluation, than deceyueably flattered to their euerlasting confusion. Amen.
At Edingbrough the .19. of September .1565.