Knox to his Brethren of the Church of
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XCVI.
Knox to his Brethren of the Church of Edinburgh.
The Troiihlis of the Just sail schortlie come to an etid, to the Glorie of God, and to their Eternall Comfort.
Beloved Brethren in the Lord Jesus, pertakers now of his affiictiones, if the inhabilitie of bodie wold suffer, I wold wryte a long letter ; but being in that estait that I may not wryte with my owen hand two lynes, I must abyde the good leasure of God, and desyre yow to have me excused, that I have not soner visited yow into this your dolerous persecution.
When I call to myud the fearefuU threatninges of God that have bene often tymes thoundered out into your eares, and doeth considder these present dayes, in the middest of my dolour, I praise my God, that Sathan hath not gotten the full victorie, as he pretended.
For this separation whiche now is made to the grief of many hartes, is yet a severe document, that the word of God hath not lost the whole strength in yow ; but that God, working theirby, hath pulled yow furth from the middest ot the wickit, least that ye should be with them condampned, who now moste manifestlie rebelleth bothe against God and man.
Of one thing I must put yow in mynd, and I pray God that ye may frutefully remember it, that the worde of God preached be the mouth of man, is not a vane sound, and wordcs spoken
A^ithout a purpois ; but is the summoning of God himself, forewarning men before the judgement come.
Ye have hard it planelie spoken, that we wolde till ^gypt agane, in dispyte of Jeremie, and all his admonitiones ; whiche threatning for that tyme was not onelie mocked, but also boldlie spoken against.
But whether this day declaireth the treutli of that and other threatninges, let the verray blynde worlde judge
: for what can be to returne to ^gypt, if to joyne handes with idolaters be not ? Yea, to erect an authoritie (be God justlie dampned), with-
LETTERS, ETC.
out ordour, bothe against God and man ?
Suclie men, when they were spoken unto, and were plainelie admonished of their appearing defection, could not abyde to be called proude contempners of God ; who now spareth not at everie moment to blaspheme God, and be their wicked workes planelie to deny, that there is a God that maketh difference betuix vice and vertew.
Eejoyce, therefore, and praise Goddes mercyes, who hath called yow from the company of such ; and continew constant into that, that God of his mercy hath Ma'oght into yow, to wit, a feare to remaine in the faction of the wicked ; which feare I pray God may daylie increase into your liartes.
I knowe the assaultes that ye slial suffer are sore and hard to be ganesstanded ; and therefore be yow fervent in prayer, that ye repent not that God hath chosen yow to suffer affliction with his Sone
Jesus Christ.
Hard it is (I say), to ganestand fleslie and blood, and whatsoever is moste pretious into this lyfe onlie, in lioip of that kingdome promised ; and yet onlie they that contineweth to the end shall stand in assurance before the Lord Jesus, into that general day when vertew shall ressave a just rewarde, and vice (with the workers of impietie) shall suffer wraith and vengeance without end.
Be not ye sclandered at the multitude of them that have joyned handes with impietie :
" For if thay had bene of us (as Sanct Jolme sayeth) they had remaned with us."
But now this their defection doeth planelie declare, that when they were with us, they were but as corrupted humoures within the body, which behoved to be expelled furthe, before the body coulde convalesce, and come to perfection againe.
Lament their fall, but follow not their trade ; for howsoever they prosper into their attemptat, the end thereof shalbe their destruction temporall and eternall, oules spedie repentance prevene Goddes judgementes ; which to wishe is godlie, but to beleve is foolishe presumption, as oftymes ye have hard.
Luke not for fynall victorie before that the strength and