The Works of John Knox Volume II Part 52

[1001] In MS. G, "ingender."

The said Johne prepairit him for ansuer, as followis: "Gif such as feir G.o.d haif occasioune to praise him, that becaus that idolatrie is maintenit, the servandis of G.o.d dispyseit, wyekit men placeit agane in honour and authoritie, (Mr. Henrie Synclair wes of schort tyme befoir maid President,[1002] who befoir durst nocht haif syttin in jugement;) and, finalie, (said he,) gif we aucht to prais G.o.d becaus that vice and impyettie overfloweth this hoill Realme without punischment, than haif we occasioun to rejoise and to prayse[1003] G.o.d: But gif those and the lyke use to provoik G.o.dis vengeance aganis Realmis and Natiounis, than, in my jugement, the G.o.dlie within Scotland aucht to lament and murne; and so to prevent G.o.ddis jugementis, leist that he, fynding all in a lyke security,[1004] stryke in his hot indignatioun, begynning [perchance] at sik as think thai offend nocht."

[1002] Sinclair had been appointed President of the Court of Session in 1559: see page 398, note 1.

[1003] In MS. 1566, "and praysit."

[1004] In MS. 1566, "lyke secreit."

"That is ane heid," said Lethingtoun, "whairinto ye and I nevir aggreyit; for how ar ye abill to prove that evir G.o.d straik or plaigit ane natioun or peopill for the iniquitie of thair Prince, gif that thame selfis levit G.o.dlie?"

[Sidenote: 2 PARALI. 33.][1005]

[1005] That is, _Paralipomena_, a name given by the Alexandrian translators to the two Books of Chronicles, as _things omitted_ or supplementary to the other historical records belonging to the Old Testament Canon. (Kitto's Biblical Cyclopedia.)

"I lukeit," said he, "my Lord, to haif audience, till that I had absolvit the uthor two pairtis; but seing it pleissis your Lords.h.i.+p to cut me off befoir the myddis, I will ansuer to your questioun. The Scriptour of G.o.d teichis me, that Jerusalem and Juda wes punischit for the sinne of Mana.s.ses; and gif ye will allege, that thai wer punischit because that thai wer wyckit, and offendit with thair King, and nocht because thair King wes wyckit; I ansuer, that albeit the Spreit of G.o.d makis for me, saying in expressit wordis, 'For the syn of Mana.s.ses,'

yit will I nocht be so obstinat as to lay the whole syn, and plaigis that thairof followit, upoun the King, and utterlie absolve the peopill; but I will grant with you, that the whole peopill offendit with the King: but how, and in what fa.s.sioun, I feir that ye and I sall nocht agrie. I doute nocht but the grit mult.i.tude acc.u.mpanit him in all abhominatiounis quhilk he did; for idolatrie, and ane fals religioun haith evir bene, is, and wilbe plesing to the moist pairt of men. But to affirm that all Juda committ.i.t realie the actis of his impyettie, is but to affirm that quhilk nether hes certentie, nor yit appeirence of ane treuth: for who can think it to be possible, that all those of Jerusalem sould so schoirtlie turn to externall idolatrie, considdering the notabill reformatioun laitlie befoir had in the days of Ezechias? But yit, says the text, 'Mana.s.ses maid Juda and the inhabitantis of Jerusalem to erre.' True it is; for the one pairt, as I haif said, willinglie followit him in his idolatrie, and the other, be ressoune of his authoritie, sufferit him to fyle Jerusalem, and the tempill of G.o.d, with all abhominatiounis, and so wer thai all cryminall for his sin; the one be act and deid, the uther be suffering and permissioun: even as hoill Scotland is guiltie this day of the Quenis idolatrie, and ye, my Lordis, speciallie above all utheris."

"Weill," said Lethingtoun, "that is the cheif heid quhairin we nevir aggreit; but of that we sall speik heirefter. What will ye say as tuyching the moveing of the peopill to haif ane gude opinioun of the Quenis Majestie, and as concerning obedience to be gevin to hir authoritie, as also of the form of the prayer quhilk commounlie ye use," &c.

"My Lord," said he, "moir eirnistlie to move the peopill, or yit utherwyse to pray than heirtofoir I haif done, a gude conscience will nocht suffer me; for He who knawis the secreittis of hertis, knawis that privilie and publictlie I haif callit to G.o.d for hir conversioun, and haif willit the peopill to do the same, schawing thame the dangerous estait quhairin nocht onelie sche hir self standis, but also the haill Realme, be the ressoun of hir indureit blindnes," &c.

"That is it," said Lethingtoun, "whairin we find gryttest falt. Your extremitie aganis hir Messe, in particular, pa.s.sis mea.s.sour. Ye call hir ane slaif to Sathan; ye affirme that G.o.dis vengeance hingis oure the Realme, be ressoune of hir impietie;[1006] and what is this ellis but to rouse up the hairt of the peopill aganis hir Majestie, and aganis thame that serve hir."

[1006] In MS. G, "iniquity."

[Sidenote: THE MR. OF MAXWELL'S WORDS IN THE a.s.sEMBLIE.]

Thair wes heard ane exclamatioun of the rest of the flatteraris, that sick extremittie could nocht proffit. The Maister of Maxwell said in plane wordis, "Gif I war in the Quenis Majesties place, I wald nocht suffer sick thingis as I heir."

[Sidenote: JOHN KNOX HIS PRAYER FOR THE QUENE.]

"Gif the wordis of prechouris," said Johne Knox, "sall alwayis be rest to the worst pairt, than will it be hard to speik onie thing so circ.u.mspectlie, provyded that the treuth be spokin, quhilk sall not eschape the censure of the calamniatour. The moist vehement, and, as ye speak, excessive maneir of prayer that I use in publict is this, 'O Lord, gif thy plesour be, purge the hairt of the Quenis Majestie from the venoum of idolatrie, and deliver hir from the boundage and thraldom of Sathan, in the quhilk sche hes bene brocht up, and yit remanis, for the lack of true doctrine; and lat hir see, be the illuminatioun of thy Holie Spreit, that thair is no meane to pleis thee but be Jesus Christ thy onlie Son, and that Jesus Christ can nocht be found but in thy holie word, nor yit ressavit but as it prescrybeis; which is, to renunce our awin wittis, and preconsavit opinioun, and worschip thee as thou commandis; that in sa doing sche may avoid that eternall dampnatioun quhilk abydeis all obstinat and impenitent unto the end; and that this poor Realme may also eschaip that plaig and vengeance quhilk inevitablie followis idolatrie, menteinit aganis thy manifest worde, and the opin lycht thairof.'

This, (said he,) is the form of my commoun prayer, as your selflis can witnes. Now, what is worthie reprehensioun in it I wald heir?"

"Thair ar three thingis," said Lethingtoun, "that nevir lykeit unto me. And the first is, Ye pray for the Quenis Majestie with ane conditioun, saying, 'Illuminat hir hairt, gif thy gude plesour be;'

quhairby it may appeir, that ye doute of hir conversioun. Whair haif ye the example of sik prayer?"

"Whairsoevir the exampillis are," said the uther, "I am a.s.sureit of the reule, whilk is this, 'Gif we sall ask onie thing according to his will, he sall heir us;' and our Maister, Chryst Jesus, commandit us to pray unto our Father, 'Thy will be done.'"

"But," said Lethingtoun, "whair evir find ye onie of the Propheitis so to haif pray it?"

"It sufficeth me," said the uther, "my Lord, that the Maister and teicheare of bayth Prophettis and Appossillis hes taucht me so to pray."

"But in so doing," said he, "ye put ane doute in the peopillis heid of hir conversioun."[1007]

[1007] In MS. 1566, "conversatioun."

"Nocht I, my Lord," said the uther, "but hir awin obstinat rebellioune causis mo than me to doute of hir conversioun."

"Whairinto," said he, "rebellis sche aganis G.o.d?"

"In all the actiounis of hir lyffe," said he, "but in thir two heidis especiallie; former, That sche will nocht heir the preiching of the blissit evangill of Jesus Chryst; and secoundlie, That sche menteinis that idoll, the Messe."

"Sche thinkis nocht that rebellioune," said Lethingtoun, "but goode religion."

"So thocht thai," said the uther, "that sumtymes offerit thair childerin unto Moloch, and yit the Spreit of G.o.d affirmeis that thai offerit thame unto devillis, and nocht unto G.o.d. And this day the Turkis thinkis to haif ane better religioune than the Papistis haif; and yit, I think, ye will excuse nether of thame boith from committing rebellioun aganis G.o.d: nether yit justlie can ye do the Quene, onles that ye will mak G.o.d to be parcyall."

"But yit," said Lethingtoun, "why pray ye nocht for hir without moving onie doute?"

"Becaus," said the uther, "I haif leirnit to pray in faith. Now Faith, ye know, dependis upoun the wordis of G.o.d, and so it is that the word teichis me, that prayeris proffettis the sonis and dochteris of G.o.dis electioun, of which noumer, quhether sche be ane or nocht, I haif just cause to doute; and, thairfoir, I pray G.o.d 'illuminat hir hairt, gif his gude plesour be.'"

"But yit," said Lethingtoun, "ye can produce the exampill of none that so hes prayit befoir you."

"Thairto I haif alreddy ansuerit," said Johne Knox; "but yit for farther declaratioun, I will demand ane questioun, quhilk is this, Quhider gif ye think that the Appossillis prayit thame selves as thai commandit utheris to pray."

"Who douttis of that?" said the haill companie that wer present.

"Weill than," said Johne Knox, "I am a.s.sureit that Peter said thir wordis to Symoun Magus, 'Repent thairfoir of this thy wyckitness, and pray to G.o.d, that gif it be possible the thought of your hairt may be forgevin thee.' Heir we may cleirlie see that Peter joynes ane conditioun with his commandiment, That Symoun sould repent and pray, to wit, gif it wer possible that his sin mycht be forgevin; for he wes nocht ignorant that sum synnis wer unto the deith, and so without all houpe of repentence or remissioun. And think ye nocht, my Lord Secretar, (said he,) but the same doute may tuich my hairt, as tuyching the Quenis conversioun, that then tuiched the hairt of the Appossill?"

"I wald nevir," said Lethingtoun, "heir you or onie uther call that in doubt."

"But your will," said the uther, "is no a.s.surance to my conscience: And to speik frelie, my Lord, I wonder gif ye your self doute nocht of the Quenis conversioun; for more evident signes of induratioun haif appeirit, and still do appeir in hir, than Peter outwartlie could haif espyit in Symoun Magus. For albeit sum tymes he wes are sorcerar, yit joynit he with the Appossillis, belevit, and wes bapteissit; and albeit that the venome of avarice remaneit in his hairt, and that he wald haif bocht the Holie Goist, yit when he heard the feirfull threitnyngis of G.o.d p.r.o.nunceand aganis him, he trymbillitt, desyreit the a.s.sistance of the prayeris of the Appossilis, and so humblit him self, so far as the jugement of man could perss, lyke ane true penitent, and yit we see that Peter douttis of his conversioun. [Quhy then may not all the G.o.dly justly doubt of the conversioun][1008] of the Quene, wha hes usit idolatrie, quhilk is no less odious in the sicht of G.o.d than is the other and still continewis in the same, yea, that dispyseis all threitnyngis, and refuisses all G.o.dlie admonitiounis?"

[1008] Those words are omitted in MS. 1566.

"Quhy say ye that sche refuisses admonitioun?" said Lethingtoun. "She will glaidlie heir ony man."

"But what obedience," said the uther, "to G.o.d or to his worde, ensewis of all that is spokin unto hir? Or when sall sche be sene to gif hir presence to the publict preiching?"

"I think nevir," said Lethingtoun, "so lang as sche is thus intreitt.i.t."

"And so lang," said the uther, "ye and all utheris maun be content that I pray so as I may be a.s.sureit to be heard of my G.o.d, that his gude will may be done, ether in making hir comfortable to his Kirk, or gif that he hes appoynt.i.t hir to be ane scurge to the same, that we may haif patience, and sche may be brydellit."

"Weill," said Lethingtoun, "lat us c.u.m to the Secound Heid. Whair find ye that the Scriptour callis onie the bound slaiffis to Sathan? or that the Propheittis of G.o.d speik so irreverentlie of kingis and princes?"

[Sidenote: ACTIS 26]

[Sidenote: 2 TIMO. 2]

"The Scriptour," said Johne Knox, "sayis, that 'be natour we are all the soneis of wraith.' Our Maister, Chryst Jesus, affirmes, 'that sik as do sin ar servandis to sin,' and that it is the onlie Son of G.o.d that settis men at freedome. Now what difference thair is betwix the sonnis of wraith, and the servandis of sin, and the slaiffis to the devill, I understand nocht, except I be taught; and gif the scharpnes of the terme offendit you, I haif nocht invent.i.t that phrase of speich, but haif leirnit it out of G.o.dis Scriptour; for those wordis I find spokin unto Paul, 'Behauld, I send thee to the Gentillis, to oppin thair eyes, that thay may turn from darknes to lycht, and from the power of Sathan unto G.o.d.' Mark thir wordis, my Lord, and sture nocht at the speiking of the Holie Goist. And the same Apostle wryting to his scoller Timotheus, says, 'Instruct with meiknes those that ar contrarie myndit, gif that G.o.d at onie tyme will gif thame repentence, that thay may knaw the treuth, and that thay may c.u.m to amendment, out of the snair of the Devill, quhilk ar tackin of him at his will.' Gif your Lordschip rychtlie considder these sentences, ye sall nocht onlie find my wordis to be the wordis of the Holie Goist, but also the conditioune quhilk I use to adde, to haif the a.s.surance of G.o.dis Scriptouris."

"But thay spak nothing aganis kingis in especiall," said Lethingtoun, "and yit your continewall crying is, 'The Quenis Idolatrie, the Quenis Messe, will provoke G.o.dis vengeance.'"

"In the former sentences," said the uther, "I heir nocht Kingis and Quenis excepit, but all unfaithfull ar p.r.o.nunced to stand in one rank, and to be in bondage to ane tyrant, the Devill. But belyke, my Lord, ye lyttill regaird the estait whairin thay stand, when ye wald haif thame so flatterit, that the daingour thairfoir sould neither be knawin, neither yit declareit to the poore peopill."

"Quhair will ye find," said Lethingtoun, "that onie of the Propheittis did so intreat Kingis and Quenis, reuleris or magistratis?"