The Works of John Knox Volume I Part 1

The Works of John Knox.

Vol. 1.

by John Knox.

THE PREFACE.

TO THE GENTILL READAR, GRACE AND PEACE FROME G.o.d THE FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, WITH THE PERPETUALL ENCREASE OF THE HOLY SPREIT.[10]

It is not unknowen, Christeane Reader, that the same clud[11] of ignorance, that long hath darkened many realmes under this accurssed kingdome of that Romane Antichrist, hath also owercovered this poore Realme; that idolatrie[12] hath bein manteined, the bloode of innocentis hath bene sched, and Christ Jesus his eternall treuth hath bene abhorred, detested, and blasphemed. But that same G.o.d that caused light to schyne out of darknes, in the mult.i.tud of his mercyes, hath of long tyme opened the eis[13] of some evin within this Realme, to see the vanitie of that which then was universally embrased for trew religioun; and hes gevin unto them strenth to oppone thame selfis unto the same: and now, into these our last and moist corrupt dayis, hath maid his treuth so to triumphe amonges us, that, in despyte of Sathan, hipochrisye is disclosed, and the trew wyrschipping of G.o.d is manifested to all the inhabitantis of this realme whose eis[14] Sathan blyndis not, eyther by thair fylthy l.u.s.tes, or ellis by ambitioun, and insatiable covetousnes, which maek them repung to the power of G.o.d working by his worde.

And becaus we ar not ignorant what diverse bruittis war dispersed of us, the professoures of Jesus Christ within this realme, in the begynnyng of our interprise, ordour was lackin, that all our proceidingis should be committed to register; as that thei war, by such as then paynfullie travailled[15] boith by toung and pen; and so was collected a just volume, (as after will appeir,) conteanyng thingis done frome the fyftie-awght[16] year of G.o.d, till the arrivall of the Quenis Majestie furth of France,[17] with the which the Collectour and Writtar for that tyme was content, and never mynded further to have travailled in that kynd of writting.[18] But, after invocatioun of the name of G.o.d, and after consultatioun with some faythfull,[19] what was thought by thame expedient to advance G.o.ddis glorie, and to edifie this present generatioun, and the posteritie to come, it was concluded, that faythfull rehersall should be maid of such personages as G.o.d had maid instrumentis of his glorie, by opponyng of thame selfis to manifest abuses, superst.i.tioun, and idolatrie; and, albeit thare be no great nomber, yet ar thei mo then the Collectour wold have looked for at the begynnyng, and thairfoir is the volume some what enlarged abuif his expectatioun: And yit, in the begynnyng, mon we crave of all the gentill Readaris, not to look of us such ane History as shall expresse all thingis that have occurred within this Realme, during the tyme of this terrible conflict that hes bene betuix the sanctes of G.o.d and these b.l.o.o.d.y wolves who clame to thame selves the t.i.till of clargie, and to have authoritie ower the saules of men; for, with the Pollicey,[20] mynd we to meddill no further then it hath Religioun mixed with it. And thairfoir albeit that many thingis which wer don be omitted, yit, yf we invent no leys, we think our selves blamless in that behalf. Of one other [thing] we mon foirwarne the discreat Readaris, which is, that thei be not offended that the sempill treuth be spokin without partialitie; for seing that of men we neyther hunt for reward, nor yitt for vane[21] glorie, we litill pa.s.s by the approbatioun of such as seldome judge weill of G.o.d and of his workis. Lett not thairfoir the Readar wonder, albeit that our style vary and speik diverslie of men, according as thei have declared thame selves sometymes ennemyes and sometymes freindis, sometymes fervent, sometymes cold, sometymes constant, and sometymes changeable in the cause of G.o.d and of his holy religioun: for, in this our simplicitie, we suppoise that the G.o.dlie shall espy our purpose, which is, that G.o.d may be praised for his mercy schawin, this present age may be admonished to be thankfull for G.o.ddis benefittis offerred, and the posteritie to c.u.m may be instructed how wonderouslie hath the light of Christ Jesus prevailled against darkness in this last and most corrupted age.

HISTORIae INITIUM.[22]

In the Scrollis of Glasgw is found mentioun of one whais name is not expressed,[23] that, in the year of G.o.d 1422, was burnt for heresye;[24]

bot what war his opinionis, or by what ordour he was condempned, it appearis not evidentlie. But our Cronikilles mack mentioun, that in the dayis of King James the First, about the year of G.o.d 1431, was deprehended in the Universitie of Sanctandrose, one named Paull Craw,[25] a Bohame,[26] who was accused of heresye befoir such as then war called Doctouris of Theologie. His accusatioun consisted princ.i.p.allye, that he followed Johnne Husse and Wyckleif, in the opinioun of the sacrament, who denyed that the substance of braid and wyn war changed be vertew of any wourdis; or that confessioun should be maid to preastis; or yitt prayeris to sanctes departed. Whill that G.o.d geve unto him grace to resist thame, and not to consent to thair impietie, he was committed to the secular judge, (for our bischoppis follow Pilat, who boith did condempne, and also wesche[27] his handis,) who condempned him to the fyre; in the quhilk he was consumed in the said citie of Sanctandrose, about the time afoir writtin. And to declair thame selvis to be the generatioun of Sathan, who, from the begynnyng, hath bein ennemy to the treuth, and he that desyrith the same to be hyd frome the knowledge of men, thei putt a ball of bra.s.s in his mouth, to the end that he should nott geve confessioun of his fayth to the people, neyther yit that thei should understand the defence which he had against thair injust accusatioun and condemnatioun.

Bot that thair fatheris practise did nott greatlie advance thair kingdome of darknes, nether yit was it able utterlie to extingueise the trewth: For albeit, that in the dayis of Kingis James the Secund and Thrid, we fynd small questioun of religioun moved within this Realme, yit in the tyme of King James the Fourt, in the saxt year of his reigne, and in the twenty-twa yeir of his age, which was in the year of G.o.d 1494, war summoned befoir the King and his Great Counsell, by Robert Blackedar called Archebischope of Glasgw,[28] the nomber of thretty personis, remanyng some in Kyle-Stewart, some in Kingis-Kyile, and some in Cunyghame;[29] amonges whome,[30] George Campbell of Sesnok, Adame Reid of Barskymming, Johne Campbell of New Mylnes, Andro Shaw of Polkemmate, Helen Chalmour Lady Pokillie,[31] [Marion][32] Chalmours Lady Stairs: These war called the LOLARDIS OF KYLE. Thei war accused of the Articles following, as we have receaved thame furth of the Register[33] Glasgw.

I. First, That Images ar not to be had, nor yitt to be wirschepped.

II. That the Reliques of Sanctes are not to be wirschepped.

III. That Lawis and Ordinances of men vary frome tyme to tyme, and that by the Pape.

IV. That it is not lauchfull to feght, or to defend the fayth. (We translait according to the barbarousnes of thair Latine and dictament.[34])

V. That Christ gave power to Petir onlie, and not to his successouris, to bynd and lowse within the Kyrk.

VI. That Christ ordeyned no Preastis to consecrat.

VII. That after the consecratioun in the Messe, thare remanes braid;[35]

and that thair is nott the naturall body of Christ.

VIII. That teythes aught not to be given to Ecclesiasticall men, (as thei war then called.)

IX. That Christ at his c.u.ming has tackin away power from Kingis to judge.[36] (This article we dowbt not to be the vennemouse accusatioun of the ennemyes, whose practise has ever bene to mack the doctrin of Jesus Christ suspect to Kingis and rewllaris, as that G.o.d thairby wold depose thame of thair royall seattis, whare by the contrair, nothing confermes the power of magistrates more then dois G.o.ddis wourd.--But to the Articles.)

X. That everie faythfull man or woman is a preast.

XI. That the unctioun of Kingis cea.s.sed at the c.u.ming of Christ.

XII. That the Pape is not the successour of Petir, but whare he said, "Go behynd me, Sathan."

XIII. That the Pape deceavis the people by his Bulles and his Indulgenses.

XIV. That the Messe profiteth not the soules that ar in purgatorye.

XV. That the Pape and the bischoppis deceave the people by thare pardonis.

XVI. That Indulgenses aught not to be granted to feght against the Saracenes.

XVII. That the Pape exaltis him self against G.o.d, and abuf G.o.d.

XVIII. That the Pape can nott remitt the panes of purgatorye.

XIX. That the blessingis of the Bischoppis (of dum doggis thei should have bein stilled) ar of non valew.

XX. That the excommunicatioun of the Kirk is not to be feared.

XXI. That in to no case is it lauchfull to swear.

XXII. That Preastis mycht have wieffis, according to the const.i.tutioun of the law.

XXIII. That trew Christianes receave the body of Jesus Christ everie day.

XXIV. That after matrimonye be contracted, the Kyrk may mack no divorcement.

XXV. That excommunicatioun byndis nott.

XXVI. That the Pape forgevis not synnes, bot only G.o.d.

XXVII. That fayth should not be gevin to miracules.

XXVIII. That we should not pray to the glorious Virgyn Marie, b.u.t.t to G.o.d only.

XXIX. That we ar na mair bound to pray in the Kirk then in other plaices.

x.x.x. That we ar nott bound to beleve all that the Doctouris of the Kyrk have writtin.

x.x.xI. That such as wirschep the Sacrament of the Kyrk (We suppoise thei ment the Sacrament of the altar) committis idolatrie.

x.x.xII. That the Pape is the head of the Kyrk of Antichrist.

x.x.xIII. That the Pape and his ministeris ar murtheraris.

x.x.xIV. That thei which ar called princ.i.p.allis in the Church, ar thevis and robbaris.

By these Articles,[37] which G.o.d of his mercyfull providence caused the ennemies of his trewth to keip in thare Registeris, may appeir how mercyfullie G.o.d hath looked upoun this Realme, reteanyng within it some sponk of his light, evin in the tyme of grettast darkness. Nether yit awght any man to wonder, albeit that some thingis be obscurly, and some thingis scabruslie spokin;[38] but rather awght all faythfull to magnifye G.o.ddis mercy, who without publict doctrin gave so great light.

And farther, we awght to considder, that seing that the ennemies of Jesus Christ gathered the foirsaid Articles, thairupoun to accuse the personis foirsaid, that thei wold deprave the meanyng of G.o.ddis servandis so far as thei could; as we dowbt not bot thei have done, in the headis of Excommunicatioun, Swearing, and of Matrimonye. In the which it is no dowbt but the servandis of G.o.d did dampne the abuse only, and not the rycht ordinance of G.o.d; for who knowes not, that Excommunicatioun in these dayis was altogether abused! That Swearing abounded without punishment, or remorse of conscience! And that Divors.e.m.e.ntis war maid for such causes as worldly men had invented!--But to our History.