Knox to Sir William Cecyll.^
1559.
TO MES. ANNA LOCK.
1-S booke, as I understand, is written against.^ Assuredlie I feare that men shall rather destroy then edifie, be such interprises.
Lett no man be deceaved, as that the qualitie of this time shall affray me to answere, although corporall death should be my rewarde.
No, the veritie which I affirme is invincible, and shall triumphe to the confusion of all oppugners.
England hath refused me ; but because, before, it did refuse Christ Jesus, the lesse doe I regard the losse of that familiaritie.
And yet have I beene a secret and assured friend to thee, England, in cases which thyself could not have remedied.
God grant! that their ingratitude be not punished with severitie, and that ere they be aware.
And thus, with sorrowfull hart, I committ yow to the protection of the Omnipotent.
From Diepe, the sixte of Aprile 1559.
II.
Knox to Sir William Cecyll.^ The Sjoirite of wisclome, judgement, and sanctijicatioun, I ivissJie you, hy Jesus Christe.
As I have no pleasure with longe writinge to troble you, Eight Honorable, whose mynde I knowe to be occupied in most grave matters, so labor I not with longe preface to conciliate your favors ; the which I suppose to have already, (how so ever the rumours brut the contrary,) as it becometh one membre of Christes bodye to have of another.
The contentes, therfore, of theis my presentes, shalbe absolved in twoo pointes.
In the former, I purpose to discharge, in fewe woordes, my conscienc toward you : And in the other, somewhat must I speake, in my
' Evidently referring to Dr. Aylmer's copies differ in a number of minute par- " Harborowe," etc.
See vol. iv. p. 354. ticulars, rot necessary to point out ; ex- ^ Knox has inserted this letter in his cept in supplying some apparent omisHistory : see vol. ii. pp.
16-22.
The sions in the duplicate original.
LETTERS, ETC.
1559. owen defence, of that poore flocke of late assembled in the most godlye reformed Church and Citty of Geneva.-^
To you, Sir, I say, that as from God ye have received life, wisdome, honours, and this presente estate in which now ye stande, so ought you wholly to imploye the same to the advancement of his glory, who only is the auctor of life, and fountaine of wisdome, and who most assuredly dothe and will honour and glorifye those that, with simple hartes, do glorifye him.
The which, alas ! in times past ye have not done : But beinge overcome with common iniquitye, ye have followede the worlde in the way of perdiciomi :
For [to] ^ the suppression of Christ's true Evangell, to the erectinge of Idolatry, and to the sheddinge of the bloode of God's deare children, have you, by silence, consented and subscribed.
This your horrible defection from the trueth knowne and professed, hathe God unto this day mercifully spared
; yea, to manes judgment, he hathe utterly forgotten and pardonned the same.
He hathe not intreated you as he hath done others (of like knowledge), whome, in his angere (but yet most justly according to their deserte), he did shortly strike after theire defection.
But you (gilty in the same offences) hathe he spared, preservede, as it wer in his owen bosome, duringe the tyme of that most myserable thraldome [of that professed enemie of God, mischievous Marie] : and nowe hathe sett you at soche libertye as the fury of God's enemyes can not hurte you, except that willingly against his honour, ye take pleasure to conspire with them.
As this benefit which ye have received is great, so must Godes justice require of you a thankfull hart for, seinge that his mercy hathe spared you, beinge traytor to his Majestic ; seinge further, that amongst your enemyes he hathe preserved you ; and, last, seinge that you worthy of hell, he hathe promoted to honors and dignitye ; of you must he require (because he is just) ernest repentance for your former ^ "The most godlieEeformedClmrclie Supra, vol. ii. p. 16. and Citie of the World, Geneva."— "
" For dont," in MS.
1559.
KNOX TO SIR WILLIAM CECYLL.
defection, a hart myndfull of his merciful! providence, and a will so readye to advance his glory, that evidentlye it may appeire, that in vaine ye have [not] received theis graces of God ; to the performance wherof, of necessitye it is, that carnall wisdome, and worldly poUicye, (to which both, ye are bruted to be moche inclined,) give place to God's simple and naked trueth.
Very love compelleth me to say, that [except] the Spirit of God purge your hart from that venyme, which your yees^ have seene to have ben the destruction unto others, that you shall not longe escape the rewarde of dissemblers.
Call to minde what your eares harde proclaimed in the Chappell at St. James,^ when this verse of the first Psalme was intreated :
" Not so, wicked, not so ; but as the dust wiche the winde tossethe," etc.
And consider, that now ye travell in the same way which then they dide ; pleinly to speke, now are you in that estat and credit, occupy in which ye shall either comfort the sorrowfull and afflicted for righteousnes sake, or els you shall oppugne the Spirit of God speakinge in his messingers.
The comfort[ers] of the afflicted for godlines have promis of comfort in their greatest necessities
: but the trooblers of God's servants, (how contemned soever they appeire before the world,) are thretnede to leve their names in execration to the posterities followinge.
The examples of the one and of the other are not only evident in the Scriptures, but also have ben latly manifested in Englande.
And this is the conclusione of that which, to yourself, I say. Except that in the cause of Christes Evangell ye be founde simple, sincere, fervent, and unfayned, ye shall tast of the same cuppe that pollitique hedds have dronke before you.
The other point concerninge my self, and the poore flocke now dispersed (and, as I feare, rudely intreatede) is this : By divers messingers I have requested soche privelege as Turkes commonly do graimt to men of every nation ; to witt, that fredome should be granted me peaceably to passe through '
" Yees," eyes.
^ See note, vol. ii. p. 18.
VOL.
VI.
LETTERS, ETC.
1.5.-,n.
Englande, to the eiide tLat with greater expedition T might repare towards my owne coiitrey, the which iiowe begiuneth to thirste for Christ's triithe.
This request I thought so resoii able, that alhnost I had enterede the Eeahne without licence demaunded ; and yet I understand, that it hath ben so rejected, that the solicitors therof did liardly escape ymprisonment.
And some of that poor ilocke I hear to be so extremly handled, that those that most cruelly have shedd the bloode of Godes most deire children, hnde this day amongst yow greater favore than they doe.
Alas ! this appeireth moche to repugne to Christen charity ; for Avhat so ever hath bene mine offence, this I feir not to afiirme in their cans, that if any which have suffered exile in tlieis most dolorous days of persecutioun, deserve praise and commendation, for peace, conj corde, sober, and quiet livinge, it is they.
And for me, liowe crymynall so ever I ame in God's presence for the multitude of my sinnes, yet before his justiceseate 1 have a testimony of clere conscience, that since my first acquaintance with Englande, willingly I never offended person within it, except in open chare to reprove that which God condemneth can be judged offence.
But I have written (say you) a tresonable booke against the Eegiment and empire of Women : if that be any offence, the poore flocke is innocent (except soche as this day loudest crye treason) ; for. Sir (in God's presence I M'ritt), with none in that (company did I consult thereof, before the finish inge of the same; and, therfor in Christ's name, I require that the blame may be upon me alone.
The writinge of that booke I will not denye ; but to prove it tresonable 1 think it shall be harde.
For, Sir, no more doe I doubt [the truth of my principall proposition, than that I doubt] that this was the voice of God, the which first did pronounce this penaltye against Women, " In dohn' slialt thou beare thy children."
It is bruited that my booke is or .shall be written against ; if it be so, Sir, 1 greatly fear that
1559.
KNOX TO SIR WILLIAM CECYLL.
flatterrers shall rather hurt then lielpe the matter, which they would seme to meintein ; for, except that my errour be pleinly shewen and refuted by bettre auctority then by suche lawes as from yeire to yeire may and doe change, I dare not promis silence in so weightye a busienes, lest, that in so doinge, I shall appeire to betray the veritie which is not subject to the mutability of time.
And yet if any think me enuemy to the persone, nor yet to the regiment of her, whome God hathe now promoted, tbey are utterly deceived in me.
For the miraculouse woorke of God's comfortinge his afflicted by an infirme vessell, I doe reverence ; and the power of his most potent hande, exalting whom best pleasethe his wisdome (commaundinge nothinge against his glory) I will obey, albeit that nature and Godes most perfect ordinaunce repugne to soche regiment.
More pleinly to speake, if Queue Elizabeth shall confes, so that the extraordinary dispensation of Godes great mercy maketh that lawfull unto her, which both nature and Godes lawe denye [to all women] ; then shall non in Engiande be more willinge to meintein her lawfull auctority then I shal be.
But if (Godes wounderous worke be sett aside) sche groiinde (as God forbide) the justnes of her title upon consuetude, lawes, and ordinaunce of men ; then, as I am assured, that soche folishe presumption doeth highly offend God's supreme Majestic, so doe I greatly feare that her ingratitude shall not long lacke punishment.
And this, in the name of the eternall God, and of his Sonne Christ Jesus (before whom both' you and I shall stand, to make an account of all counsell that we give), I require you to signifye unto Her Grace [in my name]
; addinge, that only humilitye and dejection of her self before God, shalbe / the firmitye and stabilitye of her throne, the which I know ' shalbe assaulted more waies then one.
If this ye conceale from j Her Grace, I will make it patent to the worlde that thus faiTe
I have communicated with you, haveing also further to speake,
if my weke judgment may be hearde.
Alas ! Sir, is myne offence :
LETTERS, ETC.
1559.
(although in that time, and in that matter, I had wTitten tenne books) so hainouse that I can not have licence, by preachinge of Jesus Christe, to refreshe those thirstye soules which longe have lacked the watere of life.
No man will I presentlie accuse ; but I feare that the leprouse have no pleasure to beholde ther faces in the clere glasse.
Let non be afraide that I require to frequent the Court, either yet of any continuance to remaine in Englande ; my only thirst is, in passinge to my Contrey, to communicat with you, and with some others, soche things as willingly I list not to committ to paper, neither yet to the knowledge of manye.
And then, in North-pairtes, to offer God's favors to soche as I doe suppose doe moorne for their former defection.
And this I suppose should be no lesse profitable to Her Grace, [and to all Godlie within England,] then it should be pleasinge to me in the fleshe.
This is the tliirde time that I have beggede licence to visite the houngrye and thirstye amongst you, the which, if nowe be denyed, as before God I have a testimony, that so moche I seeke not myself, as the advancement of Christ's Evangell, and the comforte of soche whome I knowe afflicted; so shall the godly understande that Englande, in refusinge me, refuseth a friende, howe smale soever the power be.
The mighty Spirit of the Lord Jesus move your hart deeply to consider your dutye unto God, and the state of the Eealme in which you nowe serve by his appointment.
From Deype, the 10th of Aprill 1559.
Yours to commaunde in godlines, John ICnoxe.
Suspectinge the former messinger to have protracted time in his journey, I have doobled my letters by this gentleman, of whose fidelity I aime fully persuaded, desiering you most effectuously by hime to signify unto me, if I may have licence only to visit the poore and dispersed flocke at Berwicke, Newcastle, and other parties in the North.
I hope in God that nothinge