Knox to Mks. Anna Lock
1559.
KNOX TO MRS. ANNA LOCK.
XXXVII.
Knox to Mks. Anna Lock.
God is marvellous in his Sands.
Your letter, dated at Frankfurd, the 23d of Marclie, receaved I in Dundie the 13th of September, and the 20th of the same, I receaved fronie my Wife your questiouns.
To both I have ofter than once answered.
Frome Deepe, I did write my full judgement concerning the particij)atioun with a bastard religioun, the summe wherof was this, as I can call to minde, That we ought not to justifie with our presence such a mingle mangle as now is commaunded in your kirks ; and althogh suche precisenes, as men that know not God terme it, appeare to proceid frome curiositie, and yit if the heart abhorre corruptioun in God's service, and feare least that by leaning with our corruptioun we be drawen in another, God sail absolve such as men unjustlie damne.
As tuiching these that, onlie for negligence, absent themselves, they sail beare their owne burthein
; nather can yee therof be accused, seing that ye conceale not the cause why ye assist not to their assemblie, which I thinke ye doe not.
It is not the leaving off of the surplice, nather yit the removing of external monuments of idolatrie, that purgeth the Kirk frome superstitioun ; for, peculiar services appointed for Sancts dayes, diverse Collects as they falslie call them, in rememberance of this or of that Sanct, as fashioun to call upouu
God, not used by the prophets, nor commaunded by Christ, nor found in the prayers of the Apostles, nather yit receaved in anie weill-reformed Kirk, are, in my conscience, no small portioun of papisticall superstitioun.
Wliat by the superfluous things yit used in the Lord's Supper amongst you, becaus I have not scene your Booke,^ I cannot give you other answere
" The Booke of Common Praier, Churclie of Englande.
Londini, etc. and administration of the Sacramentes, Anno 1559."
There were three ediand other rites and Ceremonies in the tions of Queen Elizabeth's Prayer Book
LETTERS, ETC.
1550. than oft ye have heard of my mouth, that in the Lord's actioun nothing ought to be used that the Lord Jesus hath not sanctified, nather by precept nor by practise.
And, therefore. Sister, as I will not be a snare to your conscience, to bmd me ather to my words, ather yit to my worke, farther than I prove by evident Scripture, so darre I not counsell you to doe that thing which my self am no wise minded to doe.
Stronger reasoun have I none to give unto you, nather yit to assure my owne conscience, when I disassent from the multitude, than is the precept of my God, thus commanding not Israel onlie, but the whole kirks of the Gentiles, to the end :
" Not that thing which appeareth good in thy eyes sail thou doe to the Lord thy God, but what the Lord thy God hath commanded thee, that do adde nothing to it, diminishe nothing from it," etc.
If this was commanded in these ceremonies which did preligurate Christ Jesus, what, thinke we, God doeth require in these mysteries, which exhibite and declaire Christ Jesus present ?
Nather my penne, nather yit my presence, can prescribe unto you how farre yee are addebted to expone your self to daungers for these imperfectiouns in religioun which ye cannot remedie
; but yee, directing your heart to advance God's glorie, sail be instructed by his Holie Spirit how farre yee may condescend, and how farre ye are bound to abstaine.
Alas !
Sister, I feare a plague shortlie to follow this cold beginning, after so manifest a defectioun.
Eesteth onlie to us prayer, for the preservatioun of the afHicted flocke.
True it is, sister, that of our selves we are unworthie to be heard, by reasoun of our great ingratitude
; but his Majestic doeth not measure His mercie according to our deservings.
Yea, mercie to me were no mercie, unlesse I were at all times confounded in my self.
The exemples of God's childrein alwayes complaining of their owne wretchednes, serve for the penitent, that they piiblisliod in that year.
See Lilurgictvl belli, published by the Parker Society, Services of the Keign of Queeu EHzaLond. 18i7, Svo.
1559.
KNOX TO MRS. ANNA LOCK.
slide not in desperatioun.
Better is the sense and feilling of sinne so stinking in our owne nosetharles/ that to Christ Jesus we may runne, and have our feete washed, than the opinioun of vertue that puffeth up our pride, and maketh man carelesse to complaine before his God.
Fight to the end, and yee sail triumphe by Him that is made to us of God's wisdome, justice, sanctificatioun, and redemptioun, whose Holie
Spirit comfort you ever.
Salute all faithful heartlie in my name :—Mr. Hickman, and his bedfellow ; Mr. Michael Locke, with his wife, as imacquented; brother Blase ; Thomas Cole, if he be neere ; James Young, and others of acquaintance.
These other writtings, after yee have read them, close, and provide that they may be surelie sent to Geneva, for the way of France is now stopped frome us.
God deliver us frome their tyrannic.
God be with you.
Frome Sanct Andrewes, the 15th of October 1559.
The daylie trubles more and more increassing, wold not suffer me to finishe the letters to my brethrein of Geneva.
Bot and God, for his great name's sake, give us prosperous issue to expell the Frenche, who now most unjustlie possesse Leith, ye and they sail shortlie understand more.
Excuse me to all brethrein that I can not write, bot especiallie to Adame Haliday ; for trubles and labours ly upoun me, so that I feele some part of the case of these that before me have foughten against Sathan for deliverance of God's people.
If I might have had anie leasure, I wold have written to the Brethrein, to have beene mindefull of our necessitie ; but now I cannot.
God move the hearts of men to consider our cause, estate, and little power.
Cause this other letter be sent to Deepe, to William Guthrie, frome my Wife.
Your brother, JoHNE Knox.
To Mastresse Anna Locke.
^ Nostrils,
»tj
LETTERS, ETC.
1559.
XXXVIII.— Knox to Geegokie Eaylton.
Your lettres long looked for receaved I in Edinburgh this 23d of October.
It is most assured that such a Jewell as your other writeinges due specifye/ is latlie cumed to our Eealme, but it is keapt mervalus secreat, and the rather becaus these cold blastes of winter be able to cause the beuty of suche Maij flowers faid.
Thus much my eis saw and my handes tuiched.
A trym staff for the Quen then Eegent, sent from the persons whom befor ye did specifye, in which w^er all thinges which ye expressd gorgiuslie ingraived in silver and dowble gilt.
This staff was sene in the moneht of Maij in the sam schip in which I cam to Scotland, and was schawen unto me in great secreacye.
The nomber and names of my neady brethren I did signifye to such as be in your cumpanye, and unto the man above.^
The nomber is now agmented, and thare povertie also in such sort, that yf releaf be not provided speadely,^ I fear that mo then I murn, when we may not so weall amend it.
What wold suffice every on in particular, I cannot weall assure you ; but such I know thare necessitie to be, that some that daly fed forty and mo in houshold, is not now able to fead two.
God confort , ViC;. thame for thare battall is strong.
The alteration that be hear .© / ^ is this : the Quen Eegent, with publick consent of the Lordes
S / fl and barrons assembled, is deprived of all authoritie and regi- 'y> /I ment amonges us.
She, her Frenchmen and assistants ar by o open proclamation declared and denunced ennemies and traiters to this common-wealht, for that being thrisce required and charged to desist from fortification of Leyth, sche and thei do ' The Great Seal, see p. 88, note 2. ler's State Papers, vol. ii. pp.
18 20.) * Secretary Sir William Cecill.
Another letter specifies the kind of ^ A warrant from the Queen and a money that was sent, chiefly Spanish letter from Sir William Cecill to Sir dollars, to avoid suspicion of aid from Ralph Sadler, dated 5th October 1559, England.—(/?). p. 2.3). granted a rnrtlicr sum of £3000.—(Sad-
1559.
KNOX TO MR. RAYLTON.
obstiuatlie procead in thare wicked enterprise.
This was don tlns3roimdayl)efor noun.
Thare shalbe appointed to occupye the autlioritie a great Connsall ; tlie president and cheafe head wliarof shalbe my Lord Duck.
The autlioritie of the Frenclie King and Quen is yet receaved, and wilbe in wourd till thei deny our most just requeastes, which ye shall, God willing, schoTtlie hereafter understand, togetther with our hole proceadings from tlie begynninge of this matter, which we now ar to sett furth in maner of Historic.-^ The battell is begun scharpe yneuht ; God geve the issliew to his glory and our comfort.
Sche hath yet small advantage ; for the death of two of our soldiers, and for the hurting of three gentilmen, sche hath lost two capitanes, and hath sor wounded many of her cheaf soldiers, to the number of twenty upon one day.
Thei brag, and the Quen especially, that ye will leave us in the myddest of the trouble
; and this sche hath of her last post which cam by you.
My battall to this day hath ben verry bitter, but yf ye frustrate my expectation, and the promess that I have maid in your name, I regard not how few my dolorus dayes shalbe.
What God hath wrought by me in this mater, I will not now recyte : but this I may say, that such offerrs ar refused, that mo do judge us fooles tlian do praise our constancye.
We ar determyned to assay the utermost ; liut first we most have 3000 mo soldiours.
For yf we assault and be repulsed, then shall our enterprise be in great hasard : and our Commons ar not able to abyde togetther.
Geve advertisment therfor to such as favor us, that without delay our support be send as weall hy money as by men._ Yf your eis be single, ye may not lett to succour our present necessitie, whatsoever daunger appear tharof to ensew.
I must farther requyr you to be a sujrttar to all such as ye know to be unfeaned favorars, and especiallie to our brethren of London, to have a respect to our necessities.
The Frenche schippes keap the narro watters heir, which is to us a great ' See vol. i. p. xxvi.
LETTERS, ETC.
1559. noyance, and unto tlieni a great releaf.
Provision wold be liad by tymes, which we cannot watch, be reasson that all our schippes ar absent, and as we fear, stayed, so many as be in France.
Mack ye advertisment as ye think good, for I cannot write to any, especiall for lack of opportunitie
; for in twentyfour hours, I have not four free to naturall rest, and ease of this wicked carcass.
Ptcmember my last request for my Mother, and say to Mr.
George,^ that I have nead of a good and an assured horse ; for great watch is laid for my apprehension, and large money promissed till any that shall kyll me ; and yet wold I hasard to cum unto you, yf I war assured that I myght be permitted to open my mouth, to call againe to Christ Jesiis those unthankefull children, who allace ! have appeared uterlie to have forgotten his loving mercies, which somtymes I supposed thei had embrased.
And this part of my care now poured in your bosom, I cease farther to truble you, being trubled my self in body and in spirit, for the trubles that be present, and appear to grow.
God geve end to his glory and to our comfort.
This 23 of October 1559, at mydnicht.
Many thinges I have to write, which now tym suffereth not but after, yf ye mack hast our messenger, ye shall understand more.
E ryt be.
I write with sleaping eis.^ Advertiss me yf all thinges cum to your handes close.
XXXIX.—Postscript of a Letter from Sadler and Croft TO Sir William Cecill.
27th October 1559.
Postscripte.—You shall receyve, amongst the rest, a lettre from Knox to Mr. Rayleton, who before wrote to him to gette '^ This conclusion is so written in the ' Ilis mother-in-law, Mrs. Eowes, ami lior son George, afterwards Sir George ui-iginal.
Bowes.