History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland, Commentary 7 – Quotation 8
Addition.
IN writing of this parcell, as I remembred the impediments which might call you back from God, and from his true obedience; so did I consider what occasion you had to tremble and to fear before his Majestie, and to undergo the losse of all the worldly glory, for the promoting of the glory of God. I do consider, that your power is but borrowed, extraordinary, and unstable, for you have it but by permission of others.Note. And seldom it is, that women do long raign with felicitie and joy. Your most especiall friends moreover, blinded by the vanitie of this World; yea, being drunken with the Cup of that Roman Harlot, are mortall enemies to Christ Jesus, and to his true Religion. These things may easily abash the minde of a Woman not confirmed by grace; But yet, if you will a little consider with me the causes why, that ye ought to hazard all for the glory of God in this behalf, the former terrours shall suddenly vanish. I do not esteem that thing greatest, which peradventure some others do: to wit, That if ye shall enterprise to innovate any thing in matters of Religion, that then ye shall lose your Authoritie, and also the favours of your carnall friends.
I look further, to wit, To the judgements of God, who hath begun already to declare himself angry with you, with your Seed, and Posteritie; yea, with the whole Realm, above which it should have ruled. Impute not to fortune, that first your two sons were suddenly taken from you, within the space of six houres, and after your Husband, raft as it were, by violence, from life and honour; the memoriall of his name,Note. succession, and royall dignitie, perishing with himself. For albeit, the usurped abuse, or rather tyranny of some REALMS, have permitted Women to succeed to the honour of their Fathers; yet must their glory be transferred to the house of a stranger. And so I say, That with himself was buried, his name, succession, and royall dignitie, as he himself did apprehend in dying; And in this, If ye espy not the anger and hot displeasure of GOD (threatning you and the rest of your Posteritie with the same plague) ye are more obstinate, then I would wish you to be.Note. I would ye should ponder and consider, deeply with your self, That God useth not to punish Realms and Nations with such rare plagues without great cause; neither useth he to restore to honours and glory, the house which he beginneth once to deject, till repentance of the former crimes be found; you may perchance, doubt what crimes should have been in your Husband, you, or the Realm, for the which God should so grievously have punished you.
I answer, The 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, 1 Reg. 14.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 onelyonly 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: 1 Reg. 16. 2 Reg. 10. 2 Reg. 17.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 onelyonly 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,The offer of Iohn Knox. 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.Advert. Let not the prosperity of others,Prosperity for a time proveth not Religion good. 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,No Realme, England except, so grievously plagued at Scotland. 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;Isai. 30. 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,Isai. 14. If they do leave any thing, as it shall be unprofitable, so shall it be in execration and hatred to the elect of God;Isai 6. 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,Exhortation. 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.Josh. 1. Lay the Book of God before your eyes, and let it be judge to that,2 Par 34. 2 Par. 1. 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.