History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland, Commentary 2 – Quotation 4
Addition.
HEreof ye cannot be ignorant: For besides these whom ye hear from time to time most cruelly to be murthered in France, The causes why the Saints of God b… this day persecutedItaly, Spaine, Flanders, and now of late yeers besides you in England, for no other cause, but that they professe Christ Jesus to be the onelyonly Saviour of the world,1 Joh. 1.2. Heb. 6. & 10. Ephes. 5. The onelyonly Mediator betwixt God and man, The onelyonly Sacrifice acceptable for the sins of all faithfull; and finally, The onelyonly Head to his Church. Besides these, I say (of whom ye hear the brute) ye have been witnesse, That some within the Realm of Scotland, for the same cause, most cruelly have been murthered, whose cause was never heard with indifferency; But murtherers sitting in the Seat of Justice, have shed the blood of Christs true Witnesses; which albeit did then appear to be consumed away with fire, yet it is resent in the presence of him for whose cause they did suffer, and ceaseth not to call for vengeance, with the blood of Abel, to fall upon, not onelyonly such as were immediate and next authors of that murther, but also upon all those that maintain those tyrants in their tyranny, or that do consent to their beastly cruelty, or that do not stop, having the power in hand. Take not this as the affirmation of any man, but hear and consider the voice of the Son of God; Fulfill (saith he) the measure of your fathers, Matth. 23.that all the blood which hath been shed since the blood of Abel the just, till the blood of Zachariah, &c. may come upon this generation. Hereby it is evident, That the murtherers of our time, as well as in the time of Christ, are guilty of all the blood that hath been shed from the beginning. Fearfull, I grant, is the sentence; yet it is most equall and just: For whosoever sheddeth the blood of any one of Christ Jesus his members,Whosoever sheddeth the Blood of one of Christs members, for his Names sake, consenteth to the blood of all that have suffered since the beginning. for professing of his Truth, consenteth to all the murther which hath been made since the beginning for that cause. So that as there is one communion of all Gods Elect, of whom every member is participant of the holy Justice of Christ; so is there a communion among the reprobate, by which every one of the Serpents seed are criminall and guilty of all iniquity which the whole Body committeth, because they are altogether against Christ Jesus, and against his eternall Verity; every one serving Sathan the Prince of this world in their rank, age, degree and estate. The murtherers of their brethren which this day live,Note. are guilty with Cain of the blood of Abel: Gen. 4.The Kings and Princes which by power oppresse the people of God, and will not suffer that the people truely worship God as he hath commanded, but will retain them in Egypt, are brethren and companions to Pharaoh: The Prelats and Priests, whose horrible iniquities and insolent life have infected all Realmes where they raigne, have with their fathers the old Pharisces, taken away the key of knowledge, and have shut up the Kingdom of heaven before men; so that neither they themselves will enter, neither yet will they suffer others to enter into the same: And the multitude blinded, some by ignorance, some by fear, and by insatiable appetite of their part of the spoyl (for Christ being crucified, the souldiers parted amongst them his garments) are conjured to defend those murtherers, proud pestilent Prelats, against Christ Jesus, and against his poor Flock: And therefore, because of one crime, they are all guilty (which is, of treason and rebellion against Christ) of one torment they shall all taste, which is, Of the fire that never shall be quenched. And herein ought you, Madame, be circumspect and carefull, if that ye hope for the life to come: For if the consent which proceedeth of ignorance and blindenesse bringeth destruction and death (as Christ our Master doth witnesse,Matth. 15. saying, If the blinde lead the blinde, they shall both fall into the ditch) What shall become of the proud and malicious contemners of Gods Verity offered? But our Doctrine, perchance, shall be denyed to be the Verity: Whereunto I answer,Answer to an Objection. That so was the Doctrine of Noah, of Moses, of the Prophets, of Christ Jesus, and of his Apostles; and yet the originall world perished by water,Gen. 19. Exod. 14. Sodome and Gomorra by fire descending from heaven;Iosephus. Pharaoh and his adherents in the Red Sea; the City of Ierusalem, and the whole Nation of the Jews, by punishments and plagues, notwithstanding that the whole multitude cryed, This is a new doctrine, this is heresie, and tendeth to sedition. Our Petition is, That our Doctrine may be tryed by the plain Word of God;The Petition of such as be persecuted. That liberty be granted to utter and declare our mindes at large in every Article and Point which now are in controversie: Which if ye deny, giving ear to Christs enemies (who condemne his doctrine for heresie) ye shall drink the Cup of Gods wrath with them. But now to the former Letter.
Letter.
I doubt not but the rumors which have come to your Majesties ears, of me, have been such, that if all reports were true, I were unworthy to live upon the earth: And wonder it is, That the voices of the multitude should not so have enflamed your Majesties heart with just hatred of such a one as I am accused to be, that all accesse to pity should have been shut up. I am traduced as an heretick, accused as a false teacher and seducer of the people, besides other opprobries, which (affirmed by men of worldly honour and estimation) may easily kindle the wrath of Magistrates, where innonocence is not known. But blessed be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, who by the dew of his heavenly grace, hath so quenched the fire of displeasure, as yet, in your Majesties heart (which of late dayes I have understood) that Sathan is frustrate of his enterprise and purpose; which is to my heart no small comfort; Not so much (God is my witnesse) for any benefit that I can receive in this miserable life, by protection of any earthly creature (for the cup which it behoveth me to drink, is appointed by the wisedom of him whose counsels are not changeable) as that I am for that benefit which I am assured your Majestie shall receive, if that ye continue in like moderation and clemency towards others that most unjustly are and shall be accused, as that your Majestie hath begun towards me, and my most desperate Cause: that is, If that by godly wisedome ye shall studie to bridle the fury and rage of them, who, for the maintenance of their worldly pomp, regard nothing the cruell murthering of simple innocents.Matth. 5. Matth. 10. Then shall he who doth pronounce mercy to appertain to the mercifull, and promiseth that a cup of cold water given for his Names sake shall not lack reward, first cause your happy Government to be praised in this present age, and in posterities to come; and last recompence your godly pains and study with that joy and glory,… Cor. 2. which eye hath not seen, nor yet can enter into the heart of mortall creature.
Addition.
IF Christs words were esteemed true,Matth 10. That of every idle word an accompt shall be given; and that nothing is so secretly done, which shall not come to knowledge and light; I suppose that the tongues of men should be better bridled, then impudently to speak their pleasure in matters unknown. For albeit that the true fear of God should not move them to speak truth; yet would I think (if any spark of humanity remained) that worldly shame should impede them to lye. When reasoning was, before your Majesty, what man it was that preached in Aire, and divers men were of divers opinions; some affirming, that it was an Englishman, and some supposing the contrary; a Prelate, not of the least pride, said, Nay, no Englishman, but it is Knox that Knave. It was my Lords pleasure so to Baptize a poor man. The reason whereof, if it should be required, his Rochet and Miter must stand for Authority. What further liberty he used in defining things like uncertain to him, to wit, of my learning and doctrine, at this present I omit, Lamenting more that such pestilent tongues have liberty to speak in the presence of Princes, then that I am sorry for any hurt that their venome can do to me in body or fame: For what hath my life and conversation been, since it hath pleased God to call me from the puddle of Papistry, let my very enemies speak; And what learning I have, they may prove when they please. The report of your Majesties moderation, as well at that time, as after, when suite was made for my taking, moved me to write this my other Letter; in which, albeit, I have not played the Orator, trimming and decking the matter for the pleasure of itching, and delicate ears; yet doth my conscience bear me record, That with simplicity I have advertised you of a mortall danger; As this portion subsequent shall prove.
Letter.
SUperfluous and foolish it shall appear to many, That I, a man of low estate and condition, dare enterprise to admonish a Princesse so honourable, indued with wisedom,Exod. 20. Rom. 13. 1 Pet. 2. and graces singular. But when I consider the honour which God commandeth to be given to Magistrates, which no doubt (if it be true honour) containeth in it self, in lawfull things, obedience, and in all things, love and reverence. When further I consider the troublesome state of Christs true Religion, this day oppressed by blindnesse of men; and lastly, The great multitude of flatterers, and the rare number of them that boldly and plainly, dare speak the naked verity in presence of their Princesse, and principally in the cause of Christ Iesus: These things I say, considered, whatsoever any man shall judge of my enterprise, I am compelled to say, That
Unlesse in your Regiment,The first proportion. and in using of Power, your Majesty be found different from the multitude of Princes, and head Rulers, That this pre-eminence wherein ye are placed, shall be your dejection to torment, and pain everlasting. This proposition is sore, but alas it is so true, That if I should conceal and hide it from your Majesty, I committed no lesse treason against your Majestie, then if I did see you by imprudency take a Cup which I knew to be poysoned, or invenomed, and yet would not admonish you to abstain from drinking of the same.
The second proposition.The Religion which this day men defend by fire and sword, is a Cup invenomed, of which whosoever drinketh, (except that by true repentance, he after drink of the water of life) drinketh therewith damnation and death.John 4. Apo. 14. & 17.
How, and by whom it hath been invenomed, if it were no more tedious to your Majestie to read or hear, then it is painfull to me to write or rehearse, I would not spare the labour. But for this present, I have thought it some discharge of one part of my duty, if I, of very love, admonish your Majesty of the danger; which I do, as God one day shall declare, preferring your Majesties salvation, and the salvation of the People (now committed to your charge) before any corporall benefit that can redound to my self.