"To the verteous and godlie Elizabeth, by the grace of God Quein of England, &c., Jhonne Knox desyreth the perpetuall conforte of the Holy Spreit.
"As youre Grace's displeisoure aganis me, most injustlie conceaved, hath bein, and is to my wretched hearte a burdene greavouse, and almost intollerable; so is the testimony of ane cleir conscience to me ane stay and uphald, that in disperatioun I synk nott, how vehement that ever the tentatiouns appeir. For, in Goddis presence, my conscience beareth me record, that maliciously, nor of purpoise, I never offended youre Grace, nor youre realme; and, thairfoir, howsoever I be judged of man, I am assured to be absolved of him quho only knaweth the secreitis of hairtis. I can not deny the wreiting of a booke aganis the usurped Authoritie, and injust Regement of Women;[74] neither [yit] am I myndit to retract or call back any principall point, or propositioun of the same, till treuth and verritie do farder appeir. But quhy, that either youre Grace, either yitt ony suche as unfeanedlie favore the libertie of England, be offendit at the authore of suche ane warke, I can perceave no just occasioun. For, first, my booke tueched nott youre Grace's persoune [in speciall,] neither yitt is it prejudiciall till any libertie of the realme, gif the tyme of my wretting be indifferentlie considdered. How could I be ennemy to youre Grace's persone, for delyverance quhairof I did more studie, and interpryse farther, then ony of these that now accuise me? And, as concerning youre Regiment, how could or can I invy that whiche most I have thristit, and for the quhilk (as oblivioun will suffer) I render thankis unfeandlie unto God? That is, 'That he hath pleised him, of his eternall goodness, to exalt your head, (which some tymes was in danger,) to the manifestatioun of his glorie, and extirpatioun of idolatrie.' And as for my offense, quhilk I have committed against England, either in wreitting that, or of any uther werk, I will nott refuise that moderat and indifferent man judge and discerne betwix me and those that accuise [me]: to witt, quhither of the parties do maist hurt to the libertie of England, I that affirme, 'That no woman may be exalted above any[75] realme, to mak the libertie of the same thrall to ane strange, proude, and cruell natioun;' or, they that approve quhatsoever plaeseth Princes for the tyme. Gif I war alsweill disposed to accuse, as some of thame (till thair awin schame) have declaired thame selfis, I no thing doubt, bot that in few wourdis I sould lett reassonable men understand, that some that this day lawlie crouche to your Grace, and laubor to mak me odiuss in your eyes, did, in your adversitie, neather schaw thame selfis faithfull freindis to your Grace, neather so loveing and carefull over thair awin native countrey, as thei wald be estemed. But omitting the accusatioun of utheris, for my awin purgatioun, and your Grace's satisfactioun, I say, that nothing in my booke contained, is, nor can be prejudiciall to your Grace's just regiment, providit that ye be nott found ungrate unto God: Ungrate ye sallbe provein in presence of his throne, (howsoever that flattereris justifie your factioun,) gif ye transferr the glorye of that honor, in quhilk ye now stand, to any uther thing, then to the dispensatioun of his mercie, which only maketh that lauchfull to your Grace, quhilk nature and law denyeth to all woman. Neither wald I that your Grace should feare that this your humiliatioun before [God] sould, in ony caise, infirme or weaken your Grace's just and lauchfull authoritie befoire men. Nay, Madame, such unfeaned confessioun of Goddis benifits receaved shalbe the establissement of the same, nott only to youre self, but also to youre seid and posteritie; whair, contrariwyse, a proude conceat and elevatioun of youre self, salbe the occasioun, that youre reigne salbe unstable, troublesome, and schorte. God is witnesse, that unfeanedlie I boyth love and reverence youre Grace; yea, I pray, that youre reigne may be long, prosperouse, and quyet; and that, for the quyetnes which Christis membres, befoire persecuted, have receaved under you.
"Bot yett, gif I should flatter youre Grace, I war no friend, bot ane deceavable traitor. And thairfoire of conscience, I am compelled to say, that neather the consent of people, the process of tyme, nor multitude of men, can establische a law which God sall approve; bot quhatsoever he approveth by his eternall wourd, that shalbe approved, and quhatsoever he condempneth salbe condempned, thocht all men in earth wald hasard the justificatioun of the same. And, thairfoire, Madame, the only way to reteane and kept those benefites of God, aboundantlie poured now of laitt dayis upoun you, and upoun youre realme, is unfeanedlie to rander unto God, to his mercie, and undeserved grace, the [whole] glorie of this youre exaltatioun. Forgett youre birth, and all tytill which thairupoun doeth hing; and considder deiplie, how for feir of your lyef, ye did declyne from God, and bow till idollatrie. Lett it not appeire ane small offence in your eyes, that ye have declyned from Christ Jesus in the day of his batteill. Neither yett wald I, that ye sould esteme that mercie to be vulgare and commoun which ye have received; to witt, that God hath covered your former offense, hathe preserved you quhen ye war most unthankfull; and in the end, hath exalted and raiseit you up, nott only from the dust, bot also from the portis of deith, to reule above his people, for the confort of his Kirk. It apperteneth to you, thairfoire, to ground the justice of your Authoritie, nott upoun that law, which from year to year doeth change, but upoun the eternall providence of Him, who, contrair to nature, and without your deserving, hath thus exalted your head. Gif thus, in Goddis presence, ye humill your self, as in my heart I glorifie God for that rest granted to his afflicted flocke within Ingland, under you a weik instrument; so will I with toung and penn justifie your Authoritie and Regiment, as the Holy Ghost hath justified[76] the same in Debora, that blissed mother in Israell. Bot gif the premisses (as God forbeid) neglected, ye sall begin to bragg of your birth, and to builde your Authoritie and Regiment upoun your awin law, flatter you quho so list, your felicitie salbe schorte. Interpreit my rude wordis in the best pairte, as written by him who is no ennemye to your Grace.
"By dyverse letteris I have requyred license to veseit your Realme, nott to seik my self, neither yett my awin ease nor commoditie; which, gif ye now refuise and deny, I most remit my caus to God; adding this for conclusioun, that commonlie it is seine, 'That such as refuise the counsaill of the faithfull, (appeir it never so scharpe,) ar compelled to follow the deceat of flattereris to thair awin perditioun.' The mychtie Spreit of the Lord Jesus move your hairt to understand quhat is said; give unto you the discretioun of spreittis, and so rewll you in all your actions and interpryses, that in you God may be glorified, his Kirk edified, and ye your self as ane lyvlie member of the same, may be an example of vertew and godlie lyffe till all utheris. So be it. Of Edinburgh, the [20th[77]] day of Julij 1559."
These letters war directed by Alexander Quhytlaw,[78] a man that oft hath hazarded him self, and all that he had, for the cause of God, and for his freindis being in danger for the same cause.
Within a day or twa efter the departing of the said Alexander, thair come a lettre from Sir Harye Percye to Jhone Knox, requyring him to meitt him at Annyk,[79] the threid of August, for such effairis as he wald nott wreit, nor yitt communicat with any but with the said Jhone him self. While he was preparing him self for the journay, (for Secretary Cycill had appointed to have mett him at Stampfourd,)[80] the Frenche men furiouslie come furth of Dumbar, of purpose to have surprised the Lordis being in Edinburgh, as in the Secound Booke befoir is declared: Which stayit the journay of the said Jhonne, till that God had delyvered the innocentis from that great danger; and then was he, having in his company,[81] Maister Robert Hamyltoun,[82] minister of the Evangell of Jesus Christ, directed from the Lordis, with full commissioun and instructiouns to expone thair hole cause and estait quhairin thei stoode.
SIR JAMES CROFTIS COUNSALE.
Thair passage was from Petinweame,[83] by sea. Thei arryvit at Holy-Iland; and being advertissed that Sir Harye Percie was absent from [the North], thei addressed thame selfis to Sir James Croftis, then Capitane of Berwik, and Wardein of the East Marches of England. Thei schew unto him thair creddit and commissioun. He receaved thame gentlie, and comforted thame with his faithfull counsall, which was: "That thei sould travaill no farther,[84] neather yitt sould thei be seine in publict, and that for dyverse consideratiouns. First, The Quene Regent had her espyellis in England. Secoundarlie, The Quene and the Counsall that favored our actioun, wald that all thingis should be secreat so long as thei mycht. And last, (said he,) I think it nott expedient, that in such raritie of preachearis, ye two be ony long tyme absent from the Lordis. And thairfoire, (said he,) ye shall do best to committ to wreating your hoile mynd and creddit, and I shall promeise to you, upoun my honour, to haif answer at you, and at the Lordis againe, befoire that ye your selfis can be at Londoun. And quhaire that your letteris can nott expresse all thingis so fully as your presence could, I sall supplie the same, not only by my penne, but also by my awin presence, to suche as will informe the Counsall sufficientlie of all thingis."
The said Jhone and Maister Robert followed his counsall,[85] for it was faithfull, and proceidit of luif at that tyme. Thei taried with him verry secretly, within the Castell of Berwick, two dayis. In the which tyme, returned Alexander Quhytlaw foirsaid, with answer to the Lordis, and to Jhone Knox;[86] the tennour of whose letter was this:—
Maister Cycillis Letter to Jhone Knox.
"Maister Knox,
"Non est masculus neque foemina, omnes enim, ut ait Paulus, unum sumus in Christo Jesu. Benedictus vir qui confidit in Domino; et erit Dominus fiducia ejus.[87]
"I have resavit your letteris, at the same tyme that I have thocht to have sein your self about Stampfurd. Quhat is now hitherto the caus of your [lett], I knaw nott. I forbeir to descend to the bottome of thingis, untill I may conferr with such one as ye ar; and, thairfoire, gif your chance shalbe heirefter to cum hither, I wishe you furnissed with good credite, and power to mak good resolutioun. Althocht my answer to the Lordis of Congregatioun be some quhat obscure, yitt upoun farther understanding ye sall find the matter plaine. I neid wishe to you[88] no more prudence then Goddis grace, quhairof God send you plentie. And so I end. From Oxford, the 28th of Julij 1559.
(Sic subscribitur,)
Youris as ane member of the same body in Christ,W. Cecill."[89]