The Works of John Knox Volume II Part 54

"I find no moir privilege grant.i.t unto Kingis," said the uther, "be G.o.d, moir than unto the peopill, to offend G.o.dis majestie."

"I grant," said Lethingtoun; "but yit the peopill may nocht be jugeis unto thair King to punisch him, albeit he be ane idolater."

"G.o.d," said the uther, "is the Universall Judge, alsweill unto the King as to the peopill; so that what his worde commandis to be punischit in the one, is nocht to be absolved in the uther."

"We agree in that," said Lethingtoun; "but the peopill may nocht execute G.o.dis jugement, but man leif it unto him self, who will either punische it be deith, be war, be emprisounment, or be sum uther plaigis."[1024]

[1024] In MS. G, "or be sum uther kynd of his plagues."

"I knaw the last pairt of your ressoune," said Johne Knox, "to be trew; but for the first, to wit, that the peopill, yea, or ane pairt of the peopill may nocht execut G.o.d jugementis aganis thair King, being ane offender, I am a.s.sureit ye haif no uther warrand except your awin imaginatioun, and the opinioune of sik as moir feir to offend princes than G.o.d."

"Why say ye so?" said Lethingtoun, "I haif the jugementis of the most famous men within Europe, and of sik as ye your self will confes boith G.o.dlie and leirnit."

And with that he callit for his paperis, quhilk produceit be Mr.

Robert Maitland,[1025] he began to reid with greit gravitie the jugementis of Luther, Melanchton, the myndis of Bucer, Musculus, and Calvin, how Christianis soulde behaffe thame selffis in tyme of persecutioun: yea, the Buik of Baruch wes nocht omitt.i.t with this conclusioune.[1026] "The gathering of these thingis," said he, "hes coist moir travell, than I tuik this sevin yearis in reiding of anie commentareis."

[1025] Mr. Robert Maitland was Dean of Aberdeen, having succeeded Mr.

Robert Erskine, about the year 1560. He was frequently a member of the General a.s.sembly, and became one of the Commissaries of Edinburgh. He died at Brechin in August 1579. In his confirmed Testament, (recorded 19th August 1580.) mention is made of his brother-german, James Maitland, in Monlaittie: and in 1601, the name occurs (probably his nephew) of Mr. Robert Maitland of Monlatie. (Eccl. Records of Aberdeen, p. 177.)

[1026] In MS. 1566, "yea, the Buik of Baruce was nocht admitted, with his conclusioun."

"The moir pitie," said the uther, "and yit, what ye haif proffeit.i.t your awin cause, let utheris juge. But as for my argument, I am a.s.sureit, ye haif infirmit it nothing; for your first two witnesses speik aganis the Anabaptistis, who deny that Christianis soulde be subject to magistratis, or yit that is lauchfull for ane Christiane to be ane magistrate; quhilk opinioune I no less abh.o.r.e than ye do, or onie uther that levis do. The uthers speik of Christiane subjectis unto tyrantis and infidellis, so dispersed that thai haif no uther force but onlie to sobbe to G.o.d for delyverance. That sik indeid sould haisard onie farder than these G.o.dlie men willis thame, I can nocht haistellie be of counsell. But my argument hes ane uther grounde; for I speik of the peopill a.s.sembled togidder in one bodie of ane Commounewelth, unto whome G.o.d hes gevin sufficient force, nocht onlie to resyst, but also to suppres all kynde of opin idolatrie: and sik ane peopill, yit agane I affirme, ar bound to kepe thair land clene and unpollut.i.t. And that this my devissioune sall nocht appeir strange unto you, ye sall understand, that G.o.d requyreit one thing of Abrahame and of his seid, when he and thay wer strangeris and pilgremes in Egipte and Canaan; and ane uther thing requyrit he of thame, when thay wer delyverit fra the boundage of Egipt, and the possessioune of the land of Canaan grant.i.t unto thame. At the first, and during all the tyme of thair boundage, G.o.d craveit no moir but that Abraham soulde nocht defyle himself with idolatrie. Nether wes he, nor yit his posterittie commandit to distroy the idollis that wer in Canaan or in Egypt. But when G.o.d gaif unto thame the possessioune of the land, he gaif unto thame this strait commandiment, 'Bewar that you mak league or confyderacye with the inhabitantis of this land: gif nocht thy sonnis unto thair dochteris, nor yit gif thy douchteris unto thair sonnis. But this sall ye do unto thame, cut downe thair grovis, destroy thair imageis, brek doune thair altaris, and leif thou no kynde of remembrance of those abominatiounis, whilk the inhabitantis of the land useit befoir: for thou art ane holie peopill unto the Lorde thy G.o.d. Defyle nocht thy self, thairwith, with thair G.o.ddis.'

"To this same commandiment, I say, are ye, my Lordis, and all sik as haif professit the Lorde Jesus within this Realme bound. For G.o.d hes wrocht no less myrakill upoun you, baith spirituall and corporall, than he did unto the carnell seid of Abraham. For in what estait your bodyis, and this pure Realme wes, within this sevin yeir, your selfis can nocht be ignorant: You and it wer boith in boundage of ane strange natioun; and what tyrrantis rang over your conscience, G.o.d perchance may lat you feill, becaus that ye do nocht rychtlie acknawlege the benefit ressavit. When oure pure Bretherin befoir us gave thair bodeis to the flamis of fyre, for the testimonie of the treuthe, and when skairslie coulde ten be founde into ane contrie, that rychtlie knew G.o.d, it had bene folishnes to haif craveit ether of the n.o.billitie, or of the meane Subjectis, the suppressing of Idolatrie; for that had beene no thing but to haif exponeit the sempill scheip in ane prey to the woulves. But sen that G.o.d hes multipleyit knawlege, yea, and hes gevin the victorie to his treuthe, evin in the handis of his servandis, gif ye suffer the land agane to be defyleit, ye and your Princess sall boith drink the coupe of G.o.dis indignatioun, sche for hir obstinat abydeing in manifest idolatrie, in this grit lycht of the Evangill of Jesus Chryste, and ye for your permissioune and mentenyng hir in the same."[1027]

[1027] In MS. G, there is this marginal note, which, we may suppose, was added by the transcriber: "QUHIDDER THIS HES c.u.m TO PAS OR NOT, LET THE WARLD JUDGE."

Lethingtoun said, "In that poynt we will nevir agree; and whair find ye, I pray you, that evir onie of the Prophettis or of the Appossillis taucht sik ane doctrine, that the peopill soulde be plaigit for the idolatrie of the prince; or yit, that the subjectis mycht suppres the idolatrie of thair rewleris, or punisch thame for the same?"

"What wes the commissioune giffin to the Appossillis," said he, "my Lorde, we knaw: it wes to preche and plant the Evangill of Jesus Chryste, whair darkness affoir had dominioune; and thairfoir it behuifit thame, first to lat thame see the lycht befoir that thay soulde will thame to put to thair handis to suppress idolatrie. What preceptis the Appossillis gaif unto the faythfull in perticular, other than that thai commandit all to fley frome idolatrie, I will nocht affirme: But I find two thingis quhilk the faithfull did; the one wes, thay a.s.sisted thair preichouris, evin aganeis the reuleris and magistrates; the other wes, thay suppressit idolatrie whairsoever G.o.d gaif unto thame force, asking no leif at the Empriour, nor of his deputtis. Reid the Ecclesiasticall Historie, and ye sall find cxampill sufficient. And as to the doctrine of the Prophettis, we knaw thay wer interpretouris of the law of G.o.d; and we knaw thay spak alsweill to the kingis as to the peopill. I reid that nether of boith wald heir thame; and thairfoir come the plaig of G.o.d upoun boith. But that thai more flatterit Kingis than that thay did the peopill, I can nocht be persuadit. Now, G.o.dis lawis p.r.o.nunces deith, as befoir I haif said, to idolateris withoute exceptioune of onie persoune: Now, how the Propheittis coulde rychtlie interpret the law, and schew the causes of G.o.dis jugementis, quhilk evir thay threitned soulde follow idolatrie, and for the rest of abominatiounis that acc.u.mpaney it, for it is nevir alone; but still corrupt religioune bringis with it ane fylthie and corrupt lyfe: How, I say, the Propheittis coulde reprove the vyces, and nocht schaw the peopill thair dewtie, I understand nocht; and thairfoir I constantlie beleif that the doctrine of the Prophettis wes so sensible, that the Kingis understude thair awin abhominatiounis, and the peopill understude what thay aucht to haif done, in punisching and repressing thame. But becaus that the moist pairt of the pepill wer no less rebellious unto G.o.d than wer thair princes, thairfoir the ane and the uther conveineit aganis G.o.d and aganis his servandis. And yit, my Lord, the factis of sum Propheittis ar so evident, that thairof we may collect what doctrine thay taucht; for it war no small absurdity to affirme that thair factis soulde repugn to their doctrine."

"I think," said Lethingtoun, "ye meane of the historie of Jehu. What will ye prove thairby?"

"The cheif heid," said Johne Knox, "that ye deny, to wit, That the Propheittis nevir taucht that it appertenit to the peopill to punisch the idolatrie of thair Kingis; the contrair whairof I affirm: And for the probatioun, I am reddie to produce the fact of ane Propheit; for ye knaw, my Lord, said he, that Eliseus send one of the childrene of the Propheittis to anoynt Jehu, who gaif him in commandiment to destroy the hous of his maister Achab for the idolatrie commit.i.t be him, and for the innocent blude that Jesabell his wyckit wyff had sched: quhilk he obeyit, and pat in full execution; for the quhilk G.o.d promessit unto him the stabillatie of the kingdom to the fourt generation. Now, said he, heir is the fact of ane Propheit, that proveis that subjectis wer commandit to execute jugementis upoun thair King and Prince."

"Thair is eneuch," said Lethingtoun, "to be ansuerit thairto; for Jehu wes ane King befoir he pat onie thing in executioun; and besydis this, the fact is extraordinaire, and aucht nocht to be imitat."

"My Lord," said the uther, "he wes ane meir subject, and no King whan the Propheittis servand came unto him; yea, and albeit that his fellow capitanis, heiring of the message, blew the trumphet, and said, 'Jehu is king;' yit I doute nocht, but Jesabell boith thocht and said, 'He wes ane traitour;' and so did monie utheris that wer in Israell and in Samaria. And as tuiching that ye allege, that the fact wes extraordinarie, and is nocht to be imitat, I say, that it had ground of G.o.dis ordinary jugement, whilk commandis the idolater to dey the deith; and, thairfoir, I yit agane affirme, that it is to be imitat of all those that prefferis the true honour, the true worschip and glorie of G.o.d, to the affectiounis of flesch, and of wickit Princes."[1028]

[1028] The conclusion of this sentence is corrected by MS. G. In MS.

1566, the words are here awkwardly transposed; and various others in this Disputation have either been omitted, or inaccurately transcribed.

"We ar nocht bound to imitat extraordinarie exampillis," said Lethingtoun, "unles we haif the lyke commandiment and a.s.surance."

"I grant," said the uther, "gif the exampill repugn to the law; and gif ane avaricious and deceitfull man wald borrow [gold,] silver, rayment, or [ony] uther necessaris from his nychtbour, and withhauld the same, alledging, that so thay mycht do and nocht offend G.o.d, because that the Iseraellitis did so to the Egiptianis at thair depairtour furth of Egipt. The exampill served to no purpoise unles that thai coulde produce the lyke cause, and the lyke commandiment that the Iseraellitis had, and that because thair fact repugnit to this commandiment of G.o.d, 'Thou sall nocht steill.' But whair the exampill aggreis with the law, and is, as it wer, the executioun of G.o.dis jugementis expressit in the same, I say, that the exampill approved of G.o.d standis to us in place of a commandiment: for, as G.o.d of his natour is constant, immutable, sa can he nocht dampne in the aigis subsequent, that whilk he hes approvit in his servandis befoir us. But in his servandis befoir us, He be his awin commandiment hes approvit, that subjectis hes nocht onlie distroyit thair Kingis for idolatrie, but also hes ruit.i.t out thair hoill posteritie, so that none of that race wes left efter to impyre above the peopill of G.o.d."

"Whatsoevir thai did," said Lethingtoun, "wes done at G.o.dis commandiment."

"That fortifeis my argument," said the uther; "for be G.o.dis commandiment he approvit, that subjectis punish thair Princes[1029]

for idolatrie and wickitness be thame committ.i.t."

[1029] In MS. G, "thair Kings."

"We haif nocht the lyke commandiment," said Lethingtoun.

"That I deny," said the uther; "for the commandiment, 'The idolater sall dey the deith,' is perpetuall, as [ye] your self hes grant.i.t: You doutt.i.t onlie who sould be executouris againis the King; and I said the peopill of G.o.d, and hes sufficientlie provin, as I think, that G.o.d hes raissit up the peopill, and by his Propheit hes anoynt.i.t ane King to tak vengeance upoun the King, and upoun his posteritie. Quhilk fact, G.o.d sen that tyme hes nevir retreitt.i.t; and, thairfoir, to me it remanis for ane constant and cleane commandiment to all the peopill professing G.o.d, and haifing the power to punisch vyce, what thay aucht to do in the lyke caise. Gif the peopill had interprysit onie thing without G.o.dis commandiment, we mycht haif dout.i.t whidder thai had done weill or evill; but seing that G.o.d did bring the execution of his law agane in practice, efter that it wes c.u.m in oblivioun and contempt, what ressonable man can doute now of G.o.ddis will, unles we will doute of all thingis quhilk G.o.d renewis nocht unto us be miracallis, as it wer from age to age. But I am a.s.sureit, that the ansuer of Abraham unto the riche man, who being into h.e.l.l, desyreit that Lazarus, or sum of the deid, sould be send unto his bretherin and freindis, to foirwairne thame of his incredable [pane and] tormentis, and that thay sould behaif thame selfis, so that thai sould nocht c.u.m in that place of torment: the ansuer, I say, gevin unto him, sall confound sik as craif farder approbatioun of G.o.dis will then is alreddy expressit within his holie Scriptouris; for Abraham said, 'Thay haif Moyses and the Propheittis, whome gif thay will nocht beleif, neither will thay beleif albeit that one of the deid sould ryise.' Evin so, I say, my Lord, that sik as will nocht be taucht what thay aucht to do, be commandiment of G.o.d anis gevin, and anis put in practice, will nocht beleif nor obey, albeit that G.o.d sould send angellis from hevin to instruct that doctrine."

"Ye haif but produceit ane exampill," said Lethingtoun.

[Sidenote: 2 PARALI.2][1030]

[1030] See page 427, note 1.

"One sufficeth," said the uther; "but yit, G.o.d be praissit, we lack nocht utheris; for the whole peopill conspyreit aganis Amasiath king of Juda, efter that he had turnit away from the Lord, followit him to Lachess and slew him, and tuik Uziah and anoynt.i.t him king in steid of his father. The peopill had nocht altogidder forgottin[1031] the league and covenant quhilk wes maid betwix thair king and thame, at the inauguratioun of Joash, his father, to wit, 'That the King and the peopill sould be the peopill of the Lord,' and than sould thai be his faythfull subjectis: From the quhilk convenant, whan that first the father, and efter the sonne declynit, thai wer boith punischit to the deith, Joash be his awin servandis, and Amasias be the whole peopill."

[1031] In MS. 1566, "gottin."

"I doubt," said Lethingtoun, "whidder thay did weill or nocht."

"It salbe free for you," said the uther, "to doubt as ye pleis; but whair I find executioun according to G.o.dis lawis, and G.o.d him self nocht to accuse the doaris, I dar nocht doubt of the equittie of thair cause. And farder, it appeiris unto me, that G.o.d gaif sufficient approbatioun and allowance to thair fact; for he blissit thame with victorie, peace, and prosperitie, the s.p.a.ce of fifty-two yeiris thairafter."

"But prosperitie," said Lethingtoun, "does nocht alwayis prove that G.o.d approveis the factis of men."

"Yis," said the uther; "when the factis[1032] of men aggrie with the law of G.o.d, and ar rewairdit according to G.o.dis awin promeise, expressit in his law, I say, that the prosperitie succeiding the fact is moist infallable a.s.surance that G.o.d hes approvit that fact. Now so it is, that G.o.d hes promeissit in his law, that when his peopill sall exterminat and destroy sik as declyne from him, that he will bliss thame, and multipley thame, as he hes promeissit unto thair fatheris.

But so it is, that Amasias turneit fra G.o.d; for so the text do witness; and plane it is the peopill slew thair king; and lyke plane it is, that G.o.d blissit thame: Thairfoir, yit agane conclude I, that G.o.d approvit thair fact, in so far as it wes done according to his commandiment, wes blissit according to his promeise."

[1032] In MS. 1566, "faltis."

"Weill," said Lethingtoun, "I think nocht the ground sa sure as I durst builde my conscience thairupoun."

"I pray G.o.d," said the uther, "that your conscience haif no worse ground than is this, when soevir ye sall begin that lyke work whilk G.o.d in your awin eis hes alreddie blessit. And now, my Lord, (said he,) I haif but one exampeill to produce, and than I will put [an] end to my ressonying, becaus I wearie langer to stand." (Commandiment wes gevin that he sould sytt doune; but he refuissit it, and said, "Melancholius[1033] ressouns wald haif sum myrth intermixed.") "My last exampill, (said he,) my Lord, is this:--Uzzias the King, nocht content of his royal estait, malepeirtlie tuk upoun him to enter within the temple of the Lord, to burne incense upoun the alter of incense; 'And Azarias the preist went in efter him, and with him fourscore preistis of the Lord, vailzeant men, and thay withstude Uzzias the king, and said unto him, It pertenith thee nocht, Uzzias,[1034] to burne incense unto the Lord, but to the preistis, the sonnis of Aaroune, that ar consecrat.i.t to offer incense: Go furth of the sanctuary, for thou hes transgressit, and you sall haif no honour of the Lord G.o.d.' Heirof, my Lord, I conclude, that subjectis nocht onlie may, but also aucht to withstand and resist thair princes, whensoever thay do onie thing that expreslie repugnis to G.o.d, his law, or holie ordinance."

[1033] In MS. 1566, "malankourelie;" in MS. L 3, "malancholik."

[1034] In MS. G, "it apperteneth not unto Uzzias."

"Thay that withstude the King," said Lethingtoun, "wer nocht sempill subjectis, but wer the Preistis of the Lord, and figoureis of Chryste, and sik preistis haif we none this day, to withstand Kingis gif thay do wrang."

"That the Hye Preist wes the figour of Chryste," said the uther, "I grant: but that he wes nocht ane subject, that I deny. For I am a.s.sureit, that he in his priestheid had no prerogative above those that had pa.s.sit befoir him. Now, so it is, that Aaroune wes subject unto Moyses, and callit him his Lord. Samuell, being boith propheit and preist, subject him self to Saule, eftor he wes inaugurat of the peopill. Sadock bowit befoir David; and Abiathar wes depossit frome the preistheid be Salamoune, quhilkis all confessit thame selfis subjectis to the Kingis, albeit that thairwith thei ceissit nocht to be the figouris of Christe. And whairas ye say, that we haif no sik preistis this day, I mycht answer, that nether haif we sik Kingis this day as than wer annoynt.i.t at G.o.dis commandiment, and sat upoun the sait of David, and wer no les the figour of Chryste Jesus in thair juste administratioun, then wer the preistis in thair appoynt.i.t office: and sik Kingis, I am a.s.sureit, we haif nocht now moir than that we haif sik preistis: for Chryste Jesus being annoynt.i.t in our natour, of G.o.d his Father, both King, Priest, and Prophet, hes put an end to all externall unctioune. And yit, I think, ye will nocht say, that G.o.d hes now diminissit his graceis for those whome he appoyntis amba.s.sadouris betwix him and his peopill, [more] than that he dois from kingis and princes; and thairfoir, why that the servandis of Jesus Chryste may not also justlie withstand kingis and princes, that this day no less offendit G.o.dis majestie than Uzzias did, I see nocht, onless that ye will say, that we, in the brychtnes of the Evangill, ar nocht sa straitlie bound to regaird G.o.dis glorie, nor yit his commandimentis, as wer the fatheris that leiffit under the dark schaddowis of the Law."

"Weill," said Lethingtoun, "I will dip no farder in that heid. But how resisted the Preistis the King? Thai onelie spak unto him without farder violence intendit."

"That thay withstude him," said the other, "the text a.s.sureis me; but that thay did nothing but speik, I can nocht understand; for the plane text affirms the contrair, to wit, that thay caused him haistilie to depairt frome the sanctuarie, yea, and that he wes compellit to depairt: quhilk maner of speiking, I am a.s.sureit in the Hebrew toung impoirtis uther thing than exhoirting, or commanding by worde."

"Thay did that," said Lethingtoun, "efter that he wes espyit leaprous."

"Thay withstude him hefoir," said the other; "but yit thair last fact confermes my propositioune so evidentlie, that sik as will oppone thame unto it, moist neidis oppone thame unto G.o.d; for my a.s.sertioun is, that kingis haif no previlege moir than has the peopill to offend G.o.dis majestie; and gif that so thay do, thay ar no moir exempted from the punischment of the law than is onie uther subject; yea, and that subjectis may nocht onlie lauchfullie oppone thame selfis to thair kingis, whensoevir thay do onie thing that expressedlie repugnes to G.o.ddis commandiment, but also that thay may execute jugement upoun thame according to G.o.ddis law; so that [if] the king be ane murtherar, adulterar, or idolater, he soulde suffer according to G.o.dis law, nocht as ane king, but as ane offender, and that the peopill may put G.o.dis lawis in executioune, this Historie cleirlie proveis: for how soon that the leprosie appeirit[1035] in his foirheid, he wes nocht onelie compellit to depairt oute of the sanctuarie, but also he was removeit frome all publick socyetie and administratioune of the kingdome, and wes compellit to dwell in ane house ane pairt, evin as the law commandit, and gat no grytter privilage in that cais than onie uther of the peopill soulde haif done; and this wes execut.i.t be the peopill; for it is no doute mo wer witnesses of his leprossie than the preistis allone. But we fynd none oppone thame selfis to the sentence of G.o.d p.r.o.nounced in his law aganis the leprouse; and thairfoir, yit agane say I, that the peopill aucht to execute G.o.ddis law evin aganis thair princes, when that thair oppin crymes be G.o.dis law deserve deith, but especialie when thay ar sik as may infect the rest of the mult.i.tude.

And now, my Lordis, (said he,) I will ressoune no langer, for I haif spokin moir than I intendit."