his face angry against sin, then to seek unto his promises, then to call upon his help, and to appeal to him, as it were that he declare himself a true, merciful, and benign Father towards us, is the greatest glory that we can give unto him. Yea it is to overcome him, and to be victor over him by his own strength, which albeit we feel not in the present combat, no more than Jacob did in wrestling with the angel, yet shall we find the comfort of it when the storm is a little assuaged. For how is it possible that we should call upon Him for help, whom we think armed to our destruction, except the secret power of his Holy Spirit moved us thereto? In such cases hypocrisy hath no place, but the sorely bruised heart pours forth anguish into the bosom of Him, whom we confess only able to remedy us. But of this matter, alas! I may not now write. You write that your desire is earnest to see me. Dear sister, if I should express the thirst and languor which I have had for your presence, I should appear to pass measure. To have seen you in prosperity was to me no doubt comfortable, but now, if it shall please God that I should see you in these most dolorous days, my comfort should be doubled; for in prosperity, in the midst of mirth, my heart quaked for the sorrows to come, and sometimes I sobbed, fearing what should become of you. But now to see you tried a little under the cross, would cause my heart greatly to rejoice-yea I weep and rejoice in remembrance of you, but that would vanish by the comfort of your presence, which I assure you is so dear to me, that, if the charge of this litle flock here did not impede me, my presence should prevent my letter. I have not made your commendations to the persons specified in the letter, except to my mother and wife, who heartily re-salute you, by reason of the sudden departure of the bearer. As touching James Young, he left your Bible in Scotland amongst other things whereof he made money; but that is no matter; with the same heart that I sent it unto you, I will that you take it, using the same to the glory of God. If you have occasion to write to Mr. Hickman, and his wife, your sister and mine unfeignedly beloved, salute them heartily in my name, and show that I will write, as God shall give opportunity. Against the market in Frankford* you shall look for letters, if God pleases, more largely. Remember me, now burdened with * Frankfort fair. double cares, in your daily prayers unto our God. The grace of the Lord Jesus rest with you for ever. At Geneva, the 19th November, 1556. Your brother, JOHN KNOX. LETTER XIII. To Mr. Locke. The perpetual increase of the Holy Spirit, for salutations. DEARLY beloved in our Saviour Jesus Christ. If power and possibility were correspondent to good will, my lines should not be so bare and brief unto you; but daily troubles occurring as well in my domestic charge, wherewith before I have not been accustomed, and therefore are they the more fearful, as also in the administration of public things appertaining to the poor flock here assembled in Christ's name-do compel me oftentimes to forget not only my most especial friends, but also myself, in some things necessary to the body and corporeal health; and therefore I doubt not but that you will accept my rude letters in good part; till such time as God shall grant me better opportunity. And in this mean season you shall receive my judgment upon the first temptation of Christ, which I wrote when in Scotland at the request of some, who before, being in great anguish, confessed themselves somewhat reclaimed, yea, as they said, brought from the bottom of hell, by the doctrine of the same. For first I taught it before I did write it. As I can find opportunity, and some quietness, you may perchance receive the rest of the same matter, which is not all complete; for satan did so trouble me on the one part, and so did my brethren crave the duty to be paid to them on the other part, that small space was then granted for writing.* My other letters I trust you have received ere this, in the which you may perceive my estate; also you may learn of this our brother, dearly beloved in the Lord, who more conveniently can explain all things that are here, * This treatise is printed in the present volume, but does not appear to have been fully completed. than I can write. Were it not that you were partly impeded by the command of your head, and partly by such good occasion as God hath now offered you to remain where you are, in my heart I would have wished, yea and cannot cease to wish, that it would please God to guide and conduct you to this place; where I neither fear, nor am ashamed to say, is the most perfect school of Christ that ever was in the earth since the days of the apostles. In other places I confess Christ to be truly preached, but manners and religion so sincerely reformed I have not yet seen in any other place besides. Satan, I confess, rages against the one and the other, but potent is He that hath promised to be with us in all such enterprises as we take in hand at his commandment, for the glory of his name, and for maintenance of his true religion; and therefore we fear the less any contrary power. Yea in the boldness of our God we altogether contemn them, be they kings, emperors, men, angels, or devils, for they shall never be able to prevail against the simple truth of God which we openly profess. By the permission of God they may ap pear to prevail against our bodies, but our cause shall triumph in spite of satan. Other causes moving me to desire your presence, yea, and the presence of all such as unfeignedly fear God, if possible, I will remit to some better opportunity. This other letter it will please you to send to Mr. Hickman, with my hearty commendations to your sister and mine. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ rest with you. At Geneva, the 9th December, 1556. Your brother, JOHN KNOX. LETTER XIV. To his loving sisters in Edinburgh, Janet Adamson and Janet Anderson. Grace and peace from God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for salutations. BELOVED sister. With most hearty commendations I have scribbled these few lines unto you, to let you understand that I have received the contents of your letter. God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ make me mindful of his ample benefits, which he most plentifully poureth upon me. And send you, and all that call upon his godly name, such comfort and mercy both in spiritual and temporal things, as he hath moved your hearts to show towards me and other afflicted brethren. In all matters concerning your conscience, I must at this time remit you to my former letters, which I trust are common betwixt you and the rest of our sisters, for to me you are all equal in Christ; and therefore I wish that both counsel, exhortation, and admonition written to any one of you do serve to you all. In my last letters to our sister Janet, I touched upon what duty the wife owed to the husband, and therefore I provided that this our brother should reason the same matter with Mr. Calvin. Let my letter be considered, and let him faithfully repent, as I doubt not but he will, his answer in that and other particular articles. And so I trust ye will fully understand what God requires of you. God grant me his Spirit to obey your most just petition. For prayer is not always in the power of man. Your husband is dear to me, because he is a man endowed with some good gifts, but most dear, for that he is your husband. Charity moveth me to thirst for his illumination, both for his comfort, and for the trouble which you sustain by his coldness, which justly may be called infidelity. But, dear sister, the prophets of God are oft impeded to pray for such as they love unfeignedly in the flesh. This, I say, not that I find as yet any such things within myself, but I would advertise you that I dare promise nothing whereof the performance is not within my own powers. If God will have you exercised under that kind of cross, which is most bitter, namely, to have your head appointed to you by God for your comfort, to be your enemy, with patience you must abide his merciful deliverance, determining with yourself never to obey manifest iniquity for the pleasure of any mortal man-which if you do, your tears shall be turned into joy, and the bitterness of your dolour into the sweet comfort which now cannot be felt. The God of comfort and consolation assist you with his almighty Spirit, valiantly to fight your battle to the end. Salute all faithful acquaintance in my name. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ rest with you. From Lyons, 1557. Your loving brother, JOHN KNOX. LETTER XV. Letter to John Fox the Martyrologist.* To his loving brother, master Fox, be these delivered at Basil. The mighty comfort of the Holy Ghost for salutation. DEARLY beloved brother, albeit at the departure of this our brother, from whom I received your loving and friendly letter, I could write nothing by reason of the evil disposi tion of my body, yet because I could not suffer him to depart without some remembrance of my duty to you, I use the help of my left hand, that is of my wife, in scribbling these few lines unto you, concerning my purpose and mind in publishing the first blast of the trumpet. When the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed, that shall be known which now many cannot be persuaded, namely, that therein I neither have sought myself, nor yet the vain praise of men. My rude vehemence and inconsidered affirmations, which may appear rather to proceed from choler than of zeal and reason, I do not excuse; but to have used any other title more plausible, thereby to have allured the world by any art, as I never purposed it, so do I not now purpose it. To me it is enough to say that black is not white, and man's tyranny and foolishness is not God's perfect ordinance, which I do, not so much to correct commonwealths as to deliver my own conscience, and to instruct the conscience of some simple persons who I fear are yet ignorant in that matter, but further of this I delay till better opportunity. Salute your wife and daughters heartily in my name. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ rest with you now and for ever. From Geneva, the 18th of May, 1558. JOHN KNOX. I, your sister, the writer hereof, salute you and your wife most heartily, thanking her for her loving tokens which my mother and I received from mistress Kent. * From the original, among the Harleian MSS. British Museum. THE END. |