The Works of John Knox Volume I Part 8

He is the doore, by which we must enter in:

He that entereth not in by this doore, but clymeth ane other way, is a theif and a murtherare:

He is the Veritie and Lyef:

He that goeth out of this way, thare is no dowbt but he shall fall into the myre; yea, verrelye, he is fallin in to it all readdy. This is the fa.s.sioun of my doctrine, the which I have ever followed. Verrelie that which I have heard and redd in the woorde of G.o.d, I taught opinelye and in no cornerris, and now ye shall witness the same, yf your Lordschippis will hear me: Except it stand by the worde of G.o.d, I dar nott be so bold to affirme any thing. These sayingis he rehersed diverse tymes.

THE XIII ARTICLE.

Thow fals Heretike has preached plainelie, saying, That thare is no Purgatorie, and that it is a fayned thing, any man, after this lyfe, to be punished in Purgatorie.

THE ANSWERE.

My Lordis, as I haif oftentymes said heirtofoir, without expresse witnes and testimonye of Scripture, I dar affirme nothing. I have oft and divers tymes redd ower the Bible, and yitt such a terme fand I never, nor yet any place of Scripture applicable thairunto. Tharefore, I was eschamed ever to teach of that thing, which I could nott fynd in Scripture.

Then said he to Maister Johnne Lauder, his accusare, "Yf yow have any testimonye of the Scripture, by the which ye may prove any such place, schew it now befoir this auditoure."[419] But that dolt had not a worde to say for him self, but was as doume as a bitle[420] in that mater.

THE XIIII ARTICLE.

Thow fals Heretyke hast taught plainelie against the vowis of Monkis, Freiris, Nonnes, and Preastis, saying, That whosoever was bound to such lyik vowis, thei vowed thame selves to the estate of d.a.m.natioun: Moreover, that it was lauchfull for Preastis to marye wyffis, and not to leve sole.

THE ANSWER.

Of suth, my Lordis, I have redd in the Evangell, that thare ar three kynd of chast men: some ar gelded frome thare motheris wombe; some ar gelded by men; and some have gelded thame selfis for the kingdome of heavinis saik: verrelye, I say, these men ar blessed by the Scripture of G.o.d. But as many as have nott the gyft of Chast.i.tie, nor yitt for the Evangell have nott owercome the concupiscence of the flesche, and have vowed chast.i.tie, ye have experience, althowght I suld hold my toung,[421] to what inconvenience thei have vowed thame selfis.

When he had said these wordis, thei were all doume,[422] thinking better to have ten concubynes, then one maryed wyfe.

THE XV ARTICLE.

Thow fals Heretike and runnagate, sayest, That thow will not obey our Generall nor Princ.i.p.ale[423] Councellis.

THE ANSWER.

My Lordis, what your Generall Counsallis ar, I know not: I was never exercised in thame; b.u.t.t to the pure woord of G.o.d I gave my laubouris.

Read hear your Generall Counsallis, or ellis give me a book, whairin thei ar conteaned, that I may reid thame: Yf that thei aggree with the word of G.o.d, I will not disagree.

[SN: THIS WAS FREIR SCOT.]

Then the ravineyng wolves turned into madnes,[424] and said, "Whareunto lett we him speak any further? Reid furth the rest of the Articles, and stay not upoun thame." Amonges these cruell tygres, thare was one fals hypocryte, a seducer of the people, called Johnne Scot,[425] standing behynd Johnne Lauderis back, hasting him to reid the rest of the Articles, and nott to tary upone his wittie and G.o.dlye ansueris; "For we may not abyde thame, (quod he,) no more then the Devill may abyde the sign of the croce, when it is named."

THE XVI ARTICLE.

Thow Heretike sayest, That it is vane to buyld to the honour of G.o.d costlie Churches, seing that G.o.d remaneth not in Churches made by menis handis, nor yit can G.o.d be in so litill s.p.a.ce, as betuix the Preastis handis.

THE ANSWER.

My Lordis, Salomon sayith, "Yf that the heavin of heavinis can not comprehend thee, how much less this house that I have buylded." And Job consenteth to the same sentence, saying, "Seing that he is heychtar then the heavins, tharefor what can thow buyld unto him? He is deapar then the h.e.l.l, then how sall thow know him? He is longar then the earth, and breadar then the sea." So that G.o.d can nott be comprehended into one s.p.a.ce, becaus that he is infinite. These sayingis, nochtwithstanding, I said never that churches should be destroyed; bot of the contrarie, I affirmed ever, that churches should be susteaned and upholdin, that the people should be congregat in thame to hear the worde of G.o.d preached.

Moreover, wharesoever is the trew preaching of the word of G.o.d, and the lauchfull use of the Sacramentes, undoubtedlye thare is G.o.d him self. So that both these sayingis ar trew together: G.o.d can nott be comprehended into any one place: And, "Wharesoever thare ar two or three gathered in his name, thare is he present in the myddest of thame." Then said he to his Accusar, "Yf thow thinkest any otherwyise then I say, schaw furth thy reasonis befoir this auditorie." Then he, without all rea.s.sone, was dome,[426] and could not answer a worde.

THE XVII ARTICLE.

Thow fals Heretike contemnest Fasting, and sayest, thow shouldest not fast.

THE ANSWER.

My Lordis, I find that Fasting is commended in the Scripture; tharefor I war a sclanderar of the Gospell, yf I contemned fasting. And not so onlye, but I have learned by experience, that fasting is good for the health and conservatioun of the body. But G.o.d knowith onlye who fast.i.th the trew fast.

THE XVIII ARTICLE.

Thow fals Heretike hes preached opinlie, saying, That the Soulles of men shall sleip to the latter day of judgement, and shall not obtene lyfe immortale untill that day.

THE ANSWER.

G.o.d, full of mercy and goodnes, forgeve thame that sayeth such thingis of me. I wote and know suirelie by the word of G.o.d, that he which hath begone to have the faith of Jesus Christ, and belevith fermelie in him, I know suirelie, that the sawll of that man shall never sleape, bot ever shall leve ane immortall lyef; the which lyef, frome day to day, is renewed in grace and augmented; nor yitt shall ever perish, or have ane end, but shall ever leve immortall with Christ thare heid: To the which lyfe all that beleve in him shall come, and rest in eternall glorie.

Amen.

When that the Bischoppis, with thare complices, had accused this innocent man, in maner and forme afoirsaid, incontinentlie thei condemned him to be brynt as are Heretike, not having respect to his G.o.dly answeris and trew rea.s.sones which he alledged, nor yitt to thare awin consciences, thinking verelye, that thei should do to G.o.d good sacrifice, conformable to the sayingis of Jesus Christ in the Gospell of Sanct Johnne, chapter 16: "Thei shall excommunicat yow; yea, and the tyme shall come, that he which killeth yow shall think that he hath done to G.o.d good service."

THE PRAYER OF MAISTER GEORGE.

"O Immortall G.o.d! how long sall thow suffer the woodnes and great crudelitie of the unG.o.dlie to exercise thare furie upoun thy servandes, which do further thy word in this world, seing thei desyre to do the contrarie, that is, to chok and destroy thy trew doctrin and veritie, by the which thow hast schewed thee unto the world, which was all drouned in blyndness and mysknowledge of thy name. O Lord, we know suirlie, that thy trew servandes most neidis suffer, for thy names saik, persecutioun, afflictioun, and troubles in this present lyef, which is but a schaddow, as thow hast schewed to us, by thy Propheittis and Apostles. But yitt we desyre thee, (Mercyfull Father,) that thow conserve, defend, and help thy Congregatioun, which thow hast chosen befoir the begynning of the world, and give thame thy grace to hear thy word, and to be thy trew servandis in this present lyef."

Then, by and by, thei caused the commoun people to remove,[427] whose desyre was alwyise to hear that innocent speak. And the sonis of darknes p.r.o.nunced thare sentence definitive, not having respect to the judgement of G.o.d. When all this was done and said, my Lord Cardinall caused his tormentares[428] to pas agane with the meke lambe unto the Castell, untill such tyme the fyre was maid reddy. When he was come into the Castell, then thare came two Gray feindis, Freir Scott and his mate, saying, "Schir, ye must maik your confessioun unto us." He answered, and said, "I will mak no confessioun unto yow. Go fetch me yonder man that preached this day, and I will maik my confessioun unto him." Then thei sent for the Suppriour of the Abbay,[429] who came to him with all dilegence; but what he said in this confessioun, I can not schaw.[430]

When the fyre was maid reddy, and the gallowse, at the West parte of the Castell, neir to the Priorie, my Lord Cardinall, dreading that Maister George should have bene takin away by his freindis, tharefoir he commanded to bend all the ordinance of the Castell richit against the place of executioun, and commanded all his gunnaris to be readdy, and stand besyde thare gunnes, unto such tyme as he war burned. All this being done, thei bound Maister George's handis behind his back, and led him furth with thare soldeouris, from the Castell, to the place of thare cruell and wicked executioun. As he came furth of the Castell gate, thare mett him certane beggeris, asking of his almes, for G.o.ddis saik.

To whome he answered, "I want my handis, wharewith I wont to geve yow almes. But the mercyfull Lord, of his benignitie and aboundand grace, that fedith all men, votschafe to geve yow necessaries, boith unto your bodyes and soules." Then afterward mett him two fals feindis, (I should say, Freiris,) saying, "Maister George, pray to our Lady, that sche may be a mediatrix for yow to hir Sone." To whome he answered meiklie, "Cease: tempt me not, my brethrene." After this, he was led to the fyre, with a rope about his neck, and a chaine of irne about his myddill.

When that he came to the fyre, he sat doun upoun his knees, and rose agane; and thrise he said these wordis, "O thow Saviour of the warld, have mercy upon me: Father of heavin, I commend my spreit into thy holy handis." When he had maid this prayer, he turned him to the people, and said these wordis: "I beseik yow, Christiane brethrene and sisteris, that ye be nott offended att the word of G.o.d, for the afflictioun and tormentis which ye see already prepared for me. But I exhorte yow, that ye love the word of G.o.d, your salvatioun, and suffer patientlie, and with a confortable harte, for the wordis saik, which is your undoubted salvatioun and everlesting conforte. Moirover, I pray yow, shew my brethrene and sisteris, which have heard me oft befoir, that thei cease nott nor leve of to learne the word of G.o.d, which I taught unto thame, after the grace gevin unto me, for no persequutionis nor trubles in this world, which lest.i.th nott. And schaw unto thame, that my doctrine was no wyffes fables, after the const.i.tutions maid by men; and yf I had taught menis doctrin, I had gottin grettar thankis by men. Bot for the wordis saik, and trew Evangell, which was gevin to me by the grace of G.o.d, I suffer this day by men, not sorowfullie, but with a glaid harte and mynd. For this caus I was sent, that I should suffer this fyre for Christis saik. Considder and behold my visage, ye sall not see me change my cullour. This gryme fyre I fear nott; and so I pray yow for to do, yf that any persecutioun come unto yow for the wordis saik; and nott to fear thame that slay the body, and afterwarte have no power to slay the saule. Some have said of me, that I taught, that the saule of man should sleap untill the last day; but I know suirlie, and my faith is such, that my saule sail sowp[431] with my Saviour this nycht, or it be s.e.x houris, for whome I suffer this." Then he prayed for thame which accused him, saying, "I beseik the Father of Heavin to forgive thame that have of any ignorance, or ellis of any evill mynd, forged lyes upone me; I forgeve thame with all myne hearte: I beseik Christ to forgeve thame that have condemned me to death this day ignorantlye." And last of all, he said to the people on this maner, "I beseik yow, brethrene and sisteris, to exhorte your Prelattis to the learnyng of the word of G.o.d, that thei at the least may be eschamed to do evill, and learne to do good; and yf thei will not converte thame selves frome thare wicked errour, thare shall hastelie come upone thame the wrath of G.o.d,[432]

which thei sail not eschew."

Many faythfull wordis said he in the meane tyme, takin no head or cair of the cruell tormentis which war then prepared for him. Then, last of all, the hangman, that was his tormentour, sat doune upoun his kneis, and said, "Schir, I pray yow, forgive me, for I am nott guiltie of your death." To whome he answered, "Come hither to me." When he was come to him, he kissed his cheik, and said, "Lo! hear is a tokin that I forgeve thee: My harte, do thyn office." And then by and by, he was putt upoun the gibbet, and hanged, and there brynt to poulder.[433] When that the people beheld the great tormenting of that innocent, thei mycht not withhold frome piteous morning and complaining of the innocent lambes slawchter.[434]

[SN: THE WORLDLY STRENTH OF THE CARDINALL OF SCOTLAND.]