The Works of John Knox Volume I Part 22

This Psalme had the said Johne begun in Edinburgh, as it war foirseing our calamitie, of whiche in verray deid he did not obscurelie speik, b.u.t.t planelie did admonishe us, that he was a.s.sured of trubles suddanelie to come; and thairfoir exhorted all men to prayeris. He entreated the three first versicles in Edinburgh, to the conforte of many. He declaired the argument of the Psalme, affermeing for his judgment, that it was maid by David him self, who, in the spreitt of prophesye, foirsaw the miserable estait of G.o.dis people, especiallie after that the Ten Tribes wer devided, and departed frome the obedience of Juda; for it was nott, (said he,) without caus that Josephe, Ephraim, Benjamin, and Mana.s.se, war especiallie named, and nott Juda; to witt, becaus that thei came first to calamitie, and war translaited from thair awin inheritance, whill that Juda yitt possessed the kingdome. He confessed that justlie thei war punished for idolatrie committed. But he affirmed, that amanges thame continewalie thair remaned some trew wirschipparis of G.o.d, for whose conforte war the Propheittis send, alsweill to call thame to reapentance, as to a.s.sure thame of deliverance, and of the promisse of G.o.d to be performed unto thame.

[SN: THE DIVISIOUN.]

He divided the Psalme in three partis, to wit, in a prayer: 2. In the ground whairupoun thair prayer was founded: 3. And in the lamentable complaintis, and the vow whiche thei maik to G.o.d. Thare prayer was, "That G.o.d should convert and turne thame; that he should maik his face to schyn upoun thame; and that he should restoir thame to thair formar dignitie." The groundis and fundationis of thair prayeris ware, 1. That G.o.d him self had bec.u.m pastour and governour unto thame: 2. That he had tacken the protectioun of thame in his awin hand: 3. That he had chosin his habitatioun amangis thame: 4. That he had delivered thame frome bondage and thraldome: 5. That he had multiplyed and blessed thame with many notable benedictionis. Upoun those Two partis he gave these notis:--

First, That the felicitie of G.o.dis people may not be measured by any externall appeirance; for oftyn it is, that the same people, to whome G.o.d bec.u.mis not onlye creator, bot also pastour and protectour, is more seveirlie intreated, then those nationis whair verray ignorance and contempt of G.o.d reigneth.

Secondlie, That G.o.d never maid his acquentance and leigue with any people by his worde, bott that thare he had some of his elect; who, albeit thei suffered for a tyme in the myddis of the wicked, yitt in the end thei fand conforte, and felt in verray experience, that G.o.dis promisses ar nott in vane.

Thridlie, That these prayeris wer dyted unto the people by the Holy Ghost, befoir thei came to the uttermost of truble, till a.s.sure thame that G.o.d, by whose Spreit the prayare was dited, wald nott contempt the same in the myddis of thair calamities.

The Thrid parte, conteynyng the lamentable complaynt, he entreated in Stryveling, in presence of my Lord Duik, and of the hole Counsall. In the expositioun whairof, he declaired, Whairfoir G.o.d somtymes suffered his chosin flock to be exponed to mockage, to dangearis, and to appeiring destructioun; to witt, that thei may feill the vehemencye of G.o.dis indignatioun; that thei may knaw how litill strenth is in thair selfis; that thei may leave a testimony to the generationis following, alsweill of the malice of the Devill against G.o.ddis people, as of the mervaillouse werk of G.o.d, in preserving his litill flock by far other meanes then man can espye. In explanyng these wordis, "How long shall thow be angree, O Lord, against the prayer of thy people?" he declaired, How dolorouse and fearfull it was to feght against that tentatioun, that G.o.d turned away his face from our prayaris; for that was nothing ellis then to comprehend and conceave G.o.d to be armed to our destructioun: whiche temptatioun no flesche can abyd nor owercome, onless the mychtie Spreit of G.o.d interpone the self suddanelie.

The example he gave, the impatience of Saule, when G.o.d wald nott hear his prayaris. The difference betuix the elect and reprobate in that temptatioun, he planelie declaired to be, that the elect, susteaned by the secreat power of G.o.ddis Spreit, did still call upoun G.o.d, albeit that he appeared to contempt thair prayaris; whiche, (said he,) is the sacrifice most acceptable to G.o.d, and is in a maner evin to feght with G.o.d, and to ovirc.u.m him, as Jacob did in warsling with his Angell. b.u.t.t the reprobat, (said he,) being denyed of thair requeastis at G.o.dis hand, do eather cease to pray, and altogitther contempt G.o.d, who straitlie commandeth us to call upoun him in the day of adversitie; or ellis thei seik at the Devill that whiche thei see thei can nott obteane by G.o.d.

In the Secound parte he declared, how hard it was to this corrupt nature of ouris not to rejose and putt confidence in the self, when G.o.d geveth victorye; and thairfoir how necessare it was that man by afflictioun should be brocht to the knawledge of his awin infirmitie, least that, puffed up with vane confidence, he maik ane idoll of his awin strenth, as did King Nabuchadnezzar. He did gravelie disput upoun the nature of the blynd warld, whiche, in all ages, hath insolentlie rejosed when G.o.d did chasten his awin children, whose glory and honour, becaus the reprobat can never see, thairfoir thei dispyise thame, and the wonderouse werk of G.o.d in thame. And yit, (said he,) the joy and rejosing of the warld is but meare sorrow, becaus the end of it tendith to suddane destructioun, as the ryatouse banquetting of Balthasar declaireth. Applying these headis to the tyme and personis, (he said,) yf none of G.o.ddis children had suffered befoir us the same injureis that presentlie we susteane, these our trubles wald appear intollerable; suche is our tender delicacie, and self luif of our awin flesche, that those thingis whiche we lychtlie pa.s.s over in otheris, we can greatlie complane of, yf thei tweiche our selfis. I dowbt not bot that some of us have ofter then ones redd this Psalme, as also that we have redd and heard the travaill and trubles of our ancient fatheris.[1057] But whiche of us, eather in reading or hearing thair dolouris and temptationis, did so discend in to oure selfis that we felt the bitterness of thair pa.s.sionis? I think none. And thairfoir hes G.o.d brocht us to some experience in our awin personis.

[SN: _SPECIALIS APPLICATIO_]

But, yit, because the mater may appeir obscure, onless it be more propirlie applyed, I can nott bot of conscience use suche plainnes as G.o.d shall grant unto me. Oure faces ar this day confounded, oure ennemyes triumphe, oure heartis have quaiked for fear, and yitt thei remane oppressed with sorrow and schame. But what shall we think to be the verray cause that G.o.d hath thus dejected us? Yf I shall say, our synnes and formar unthankfulness to G.o.d, I speik the treuth. b.u.t.t yitt I s.p.a.ck more generalie then necessitie required: for when the synnes of men ar rebucked in generall, seldome it is that man discendeth within him self, accusing and dampnyng in him self that whiche most displeaseth G.o.d. b.u.t.t rather he dowttis that to be a cause, whiche befoir G.o.d is no cause in deid. For example, the Israelitis, feghting against the tribe of Benjamin, wer twise discomfeitted, with the loss of fourtie thowsand men. Thei lamented and bewailled boyth first and last; but we fynd nott that thei cam to the knawledge of thair offence and synne, whiche wes the cause that thei fell in the edge of the sworde; but rather thei dowted that to have bene a cause of thair mysfortoun, whiche G.o.d had commanded: for thei ask, "Shall we go and feght any more against our brethren, the sonnes of Benjamin?" By whiche questioun, it is evident, that thei supposed that the caus of thair overthrow and discomfeit was, becaus thei had lifted the sword against thair brethren and naturall countreymen. And yitt, the expresse commandiment of G.o.d that wes gevin unto thame, did deliver thame from all cryme in that caise. And yitt, no dowte but that thare wes some caus in the Israelitis that G.o.d gave thame so over in the handis of those wicked men, against whom he send thame, by his awin expressed commandiment, till execut his judgementis.

[SN: LETT SCOTLAND YITT TACK HEAD.] Suche as do weall mark the historye and the estait of that people, may easilie see the caus why G.o.d wes offended. All the haill people had declyned from G.o.d; idolatrie was manteaned by the commoun consent of the mult.i.tude; and as the text sayeth, "Everie man did that whiche appeareth good in his awin eyis." In this meantyme, the Levite compleaned of the vilanye that was done unto him self, and unto his wyf, whiche oppressed by the Benjamites of Gibeah, died under thare fylthy l.u.s.tis. Whiche horrible fact inflammed the heartis of the hole people to taik vengeance upoun that abhominatioun: and thairin thei offended not; but in this thei failled, that thei go to execut judgement against the wicked, without any reapentance or remorse of conscience of thair formare offenses, and defectioun from G.o.d. And, farther, becaus thei war a great mult.i.tude, and the other war far inferiour unto thame, thei trusted in thair awin strenth, and thought thame selfis able aneuch to do thair purpose, without any invocatioun of the name of G.o.d. Bot after that thei had twise provin the vanitie of thair awin strenth, thei fasted and prayed, and being humbled befoir G.o.d, thai receaved a more favorable answer, ane a.s.sured promeise of the victorye. The lyik may be amangis us, albeit suddanelie we do nott espye it. And to the end that everie man may the bettir examyne him self, I will devide our hole c.u.mpany in two sortes of men: The one ar those that from the begynnyng of this truble have susteaned the commoun danger with thair brethren: The other be those whiche laitlie be joyned to our fallowschip. In the one and in the other, I fear, that just caus shalbe found that G.o.d should thus have humiled us. And albeit, that this appear strange at the first hearing, yitt yf everie man shall examyn him self, and speik as that his conscience dites unto him, I dowbt not bot he shall subscrive my sentence. Lett us begyn at our selves, who longast hes continewed in this battell. When we war a few nomber, in comparisoun of our ennemyes, when we had neather Erle nor Lord (a few excepted) to conforte us, we called upoun G.o.d; we tooke him for our protectour, defence, and onlie refuge. Amanges us was heard no braggin of mult.i.tude, of our strenth, nor pollecey: we did onlye sob to G.o.d, to have respect to the equitie of our cause, and to the crewell persute of the tyranefull ennemye. b.u.t.t since that our nomber hath bene thus multiplyed, and cheaflie sen my Lord Duik[1058] his Grace with his freindis have bene joyned with us, thair was nothing heard, bot "This Lord will bring these many hundreth spearis: this man hath the credite to perswaid this c.u.n.trey; yf this Erle be ouris, no man in suche a boundis will truble us." And thus the best of us all, that befoir felt G.o.dis potent hand to be our defence, hath of lait dayis putt flesche to be our arme. b.u.t.t whairin yit hathe my Lord Duik his Grace and his freindis offended? It may be that, as we haif trusted in thame, so have thei putt too muche confidence in thair awin strenth. But granting so be not,[1059] I see a cause most just, why the Duik and his freindis should thus be confounded amangis the rest of thair brethren. I have nott yit forgottin what was the dolour and anguishe of my awin hearte, when at Sanet Johnestoun, Cowper Mure, and Edinburgh Crages, those crewell murtheraris, that now hath putt us to this dishonour, threatned our present destructioun: my Lord Duik his Grace and his freindis at all the three jornayes, wes to thame a great conforte, and unto us a great discorage; for his name and authoritie did more effray and astonise us, then did the force of the other; yea, without his a.s.sistance, thei could not have compelled us to appoint with the Quene upoun so unequall conditionis. I am uncertane yf my Lordis Grace hath unfeanedlie repented of that his a.s.sistance to those murtheraris unjustlie persewing us. Yea, I am uncertane yff he hath reapented of that innocent bloode of Chrystes blessed Martyres, whiche was sched in his defalt. But lett it be that so he hath done, (as I hear that he hath confessed his offence befoir the Lordis and Brethren of the Congregatioun,) yit I am a.s.sured, that neather he, nether yit his freindis, did feall befoir this tyme the anguishe and greaf of heartis whiche we felt, when in thair blynd furye thei persewed us: And thairfoir hath G.o.d justlie permitted both thame and us to fall in this confusioun at ones: us, for that we putt our trust and confidence in man; and thame, becaus that thei should feill in thair awin hearttis how bytter was the coupe which thei maid otheris to drynk befoir thame.

[SN: _CONCLUSIO._] Restis that boith thei and we turne to the Eternall oure G.o.d, (who beattis doun to death, to the intent that he may raise up agane, to leav the remembrance of his wonderouse deliverance, to the praise of his awin name,) whiche yf we do unfeanedlie, I no more dowbt but that this our dolour, confusioun, and feare, shalbe turned into joy, honour, and boldness, then that I dowt that G.o.d gave victorye to the Israelitis over the Benjamites, after that twise with ignominye thei war repulsed and doung back. [SN: LETT THE PAPISTIS AND GREATEST ENNEMYIS WITNESS.] Yea, whatsoever shall become of us and of our mortall carca.s.ses, I dowt not but that this caus, (in dyspite of Sathan,) shall prevaill in the realme of Scotland. For, as it is the eternall trewth of the eternall G.o.d, so shall it ones prevaill, howsoever for a time it be impugned. It may be that G.o.d shall plague some, for that thei delyte nott in the trewth, albeit for warldlye respectis thei seame to favour it. Yea, G.o.d may tak some of his dearest children away befoir that thair eyis see greattar trubles. Bott neather shall the one nor the other so hynder this actioun, but in the end it shall triumphe.

This Sermoun ended, in the whiche he did vehementlie exhorte all man to amendment of lyffe, to prayaris, and to the warkis of charitie, the myndis of men began wounderouslye to be erected. And immediatlie after dennare, the Lordis pa.s.sed to Counsall,[1060] unto the whiche the said Johnne Knox was called to mack invocatioun of the name of G.o.d, (for other preachearis war nane with us at that tyme.) In the end it was concluded, that Williame Maitland[1061] foirsaid should pas to Londoun to expone our estait and conditioun to the Quein and Counsall, and that the n.o.ble men should departe to thair quyett, to the s.e.xtene day of December, whiche tyme was appointed to the nixt Conventioun in Striveling, as in this our Thrid Booke following shalbe more amplie declaired.

ENDIS THE SECOUND BOOKE OF THE HISTORYE OF THE PROGRESSE OF RELIGIOUN WITHIN SCOTLAND.[1062]

_Look upoun us, O Lorde, in the mult.i.tude of thy mercyes; for we ar brought evin to the deape of the dongeoun._

APPENDIX.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

APPENDIX.

No. I.

INTERPOLATIONS AND VARIOUS READINGS IN THE EDITIONS OF KNOX'S HISTORY OF THE REFORMATION, BY DAVID BUCHANAN, PRINTED AT LONDON, 1644, FOLIO, AND REPRINTED AT EDINBURGH, 1644, 4TO.

(THE PAGES AND LINES AT THE LEFT-HAND SIDE REFER TO THE PRESENT EDITION.)

Page 1, line 5. (_This t.i.tle and Preface are not contained in Buchanan's editions._)

5, l. 20. _Instead of the words_, "In the Scrollis of Glasgw," &c., _it begins_, In the Records of Glasgow is found mention of one whose name was James Resby, an Englishman by birth, scholler to Wickliff: He was accused as an Heretike, by one Lawrence Lindors in Scotland, and burnt for having said, That the Pope was not the Vicar of Christ, and that a man of wicked life was not to be acknowledged for Pope. This fell out Anno 1422. Farther our Chronicles make mention, That _in the dayis_,[1063] &c.

6, l. 23. _injust accusatioun and condemnatioun._ Both these G.o.dly men, Resby and Craw, suffered Martyrdom for Christ his truth, by Henry Wardlaw, Bishop of St. Andrewes, whom the Prelates place amongst their Worthies. But that their wicked _practise did not greatly advance_, &c.--l. 25.

7, l. 11. Helene Chalmer, Lady Pokellie, Isabelle Chambers, Lady Stairs.

8, l. 4. _ar not to be had_ in the Kyrk, nor to be worshipped.--9. _That it is not_ lawfull to fight for the faith, nor to defend the faith by the sword, if we be not driven to it by necessity, which is above all law.--12. _gave power to Peter_, as also to the other Apostles, and not to the Pope his pretended successour, _to binde_, &c.--14. _to consecrate_ as they do in the Romish Church these many yeers.--19. _were then called_, to wit, wholly, but a part to the poor, widow, or orphans, and other pious uses.

9, l. 5. _is a preast_, in that sence that they are called by the Apostle Saint John, Apoc. i. 6, v. 10, xx. 6.--7. _coming of Christ_; and truely it was but late since Kings were anointed, namely in Scotland, for Edgar was the first anointed King in Scotland, about the year 1100.--12. _the souls_, who in those dayes were said to be _in Purgatory_.--25. _not to be feared_, if there be no true cause for it.--26. _to swear_, to wit, idly, rashly, and in vain.--27. _Priests_ may have wives, _according to the const.i.tution of the law_, and of the primitive Christian Church.--30. _every day_ by Faith.--31. _be contracted_ and consummate, the Kyrk may make, &c.--32. _bindes not_ if unjust.

10, l. 1. _to miracles_, to such namely as the Romish were then, and are to this day.--3. _to G.o.d onely_, since he onely hears us, and can help us.--12. _are murtherars_ of souls.--13. _That they which are called_ Princes and Prelates in the Church, _are theives and robbers_.

16, l. 14. _upon the_ morrow after brought forth to judgment.

19, l. 10. into vulgar language.--11. (_This t.i.tle and Fryth's Preface are not contained in Buchanan's editions._)

36, l. 18. _was ane called_ Will. Arithe.

37, l. 2. _his_ parasites and jackmen.

38, l. 12. _and cryes_, Anne has lost hir spindle.--13. _flaill stollin_ behinde the barne.

39, l. 9. _he said_--she said.--13. _that look_ over our ditch.--17. _we hold_ the Bishops the cheapest servant.

41, l. 12. _for the_ other Friers fearing.

42, l. 6. _in_ hollow cellars, for the smoke of.

43, l. 2, _He_ leapt up merrily upon the scaffold, and, casting a gambade, said.

49, l. 1. thy Majesties sometime servant.--(_In this Letter of Seaton's_, your Grace is _uniformly changed to_ Majestie.)

51, l. 11. _to put_ out _thy_.

52, l. 15. _could greatly_ availl.--17. _fostered the_ unadvised _Prince in all_ dissolutenesse, by which means they made him obsequious unto them.

53, l. 7, 8. _ten yearis or_ thereabout.--11. _realme_ in these times.--_intestine and_ cruell.--15. _Levenax_--Lenox, who was sisters son to the Earle of Arran.

54, l. 7. _of Rome_; commanded the Bible to be read in English; _suppressed_.--8. _of Idolatrie_, with their idols, which gave great hope.--(_In the margin_,) 1534. 1538. The civil troubles give some rest to G.o.d's flock for a time.--20. _craftynes of_ Gardner, Bishop of.--23.

_but that_ G.o.d potently had a.s.sisted him in all his life, _but_.

56, l. 12. _maid_ he _them_.

57, l. 1. _Johnne Stewart_ of Leyth.--3. _Johnestoun_, Advocate.

59, l. 11. _Laird of Dun_, Areskin.--20. _as one_ revived, cast _himself_.