History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland, To the reader
JOHN KNOX, THE SERVANT OF JESUS CHRIST, In preaching of his Holy Evangell, To the benevolent Reader, desireth grace and peace, with the spirit of righteous judgement.
WOnder not, Christian Reader, that all my studie and travell within the Scriptures of God, these twenty yeers, I have set forth nothing in expounding any portion of Scripture, except this onelyonly rude and indigested Sermon, preached by me in the publike audience of the Church of Edinburgh, the nineteenth day of August, Anno 1565. That I did not in writing communicate my judgement upon the Scriptures, I have ever thought my self to have most just reason; for, considering my self rather called of my God to instruct the ignorant, comfort the sorrowfull, confirm the weak, and rebuke the proud, by tongue and lively voyce, in these most corrupt dayes, then to compose Books for the age to come, seeing that so much is written (and by men of most singular erudition) and yet so little well observed; I decreed to contain my self within the bounds of that Vocation, whereunto I found my self especially called. I dare not deny (lest that in so doing I should be injurious to the Giver) but that God hath revealed unto me, secrets unknown to the world, and also that he hath made my tongue a Trumpet to forewarn Realms & Nations, yea, certain great revelations of mutations and changes, when no such things were feared, nor yet was appearing; a portion whereof cannot the world deny, (be it never so blinde) to be fulfilled; and the rest (alas) I fear shall follow with greater haste, and in more full perfection then my sorrowfull heart desireth: Nothwithstanding these revelations and assurances, I did ever abstain to commit any thing to writing, contented onelyonly to have obeyed the charge of him, who commanded me to crie. If any then will ask to what purpose this onelyonly Sermon is set forth, and greater matters omitted; I answer, to let such as Sathan hath not altogether blinded so, upon how small occasions, great offence is now conceived, 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 Edinburgh so long as the King and Queen were in Town; This Sermon is it that so offendeth such as would please Court, and will not appear to be enemies to the Truth, yet they dare affirm, That I exceeded the bounds of Gods Messenger: I have therefore faithfully committed unto writing whatsoever I could remember might have been offensive in that Sermon, to the end, That as well the enemies of Gods truth, as the professors of the same, may either note unto me wherein I have offended, or at the least cease to condemn me before they have convinced me by Gods manifest Word. If any man think it easie unto me to mitigate by my pen the inconsiderate sharpnesse of my Tongue, and so cannot men freely judge of that my Sermon; I answer, That I am neither so impudent, that I will studie to abuse the world in this great light, neither yet so void of the fear of my God, that I will avow a lie in his own presence; and no lesse do I esteem it to be a lie, To deny or conceale that which in his Name I have once pronounced, then to affirm, That God hath spoken, when his Word assures me not of the same; for in the publike place I consult not with flesh and blood wha… I shall propose to the people, but as the Spirit of my God, who hath sent me, and unto whom I must answer, moveth me, so I speak; and when I have once pronounced threatnings in his Name (how unpleasant soever they be to the World) I dare no more deny them, then I dare deny that God hath made me his Messenger to forewarn the inobedient of their assured destruction. At that Sermon were auditors unto me, not onelyonly professors of the truth, and such as favour me, but rank Papists, dissembling Hypocrites, and no small number of covetous Clawbacks of the new Court; now I will appeal to the conscience of them all, as they will answer in the presence of the Eternall God, that either they bear me record, now writing the truth, or else note unto me the sentences offensive then by me pronounced, and now omitted in writing; for in Gods presence I protest, That so far as memory would serve me, I have written more vehemently then in the action I spake and pronounced; but of purpose I have omitted perswasions and exhortations which then were made Quaedam hîc desunt.