In great haist your brother,
Johne Knox.
No III. [MS. Letters, p. 283.]
To his Mother‑in‑law, and his Wife.
ffrome the eis of his Sanctis sal the Lord wype away all teiris and murnyng.
Deir mother and spous unfeanidlie belovit in the bowells of oure Saviour Chryst Jesus, with my verie hartlie commendationis. I perusit baith your letteris, not only directit to me, but also it that sorrowfullie compleanis upon the unthankfulnes of your brother as also of myne, that ye suld not have bene equallie maid privie to my coming in the countrie with utheris, whairof the enemy wald persuad yow (ane argument maist fals and untrew) that we judge you not to be of our noumber. Deir mother, be not sa suddanlie moveit, hie is your enemy that sa wald persuad you. God I tak to recorde in my conscience that nane is this day within the realme of Ingland, with whome I wald mair gladlie speik (onlie sche whome God hath offirit unto me, and commandit me to lufe as my awn flesche, exceptit) than with you. For your causis principallie enterprysit I this jurney; for hering my servand to be stayit, and his letteris to be takin, I culd na wys be pacifeit (for the maist part of my letteris was for your instructioun and comfort) till farther knawledge of your estait, and that ye wer na soner advertisit, only want of a faithfull messinger was the caus; for my coming to the countrey was sa sone noysit abrod, that with greit difficultie culd I be convoyit fra a place to another. I knew na sic danger as was suspectit be my brethrene; ffor as for my letteris in them is nathing conteanid, except exhortation to constancie in that treuth whilk God hes opinlie laid befoir our eis, whilk I am not myndit to deny whenever sic questions sal be demandit of me. But the cause moveing me that ffor a tyme I wald have bene clos, was, that I purposit (gif sa had bene possible) to have spokin with my wyfe, whilk now I persave is nathing apeirand, whill God offer sum better occasioun. My brethren, partlie be admonitioun, and partlie by teiris, compellis me to obey sumwhat contrair to my awn mynd; for never can I die in a mair honest quarrell nor to suffer as a witnes of that treuth whairof God hes maid me a messinger, whilk with hart I belivemaist assuredlie, (the halie Gaist beiring witnes to my conscience,) and with mouth I trust to God to confes, in presence of the warld, the onlie doctrine of lyfe. Notwithstanding this my mynd, gif God sall prepair the way, I will obey the voces of my brethrene, and will gif place to the furie and rage of Sathan for a tyme. And sa can I not espy how that ether of yow baith I can speik at this tyme. But, gif God pleis preserve me at this tyme, whairof I am not yit resolved, then sal thair lak in me na gud will, that ye may knaw the place of my residence, and farthir of my mynd. But now, deir mother, haif we cause to rejois, for our heavinlie Father, wha callit us be grace to wryt in our hartis the signis and seallis of our election in Chryst Jesus his sone, begynnis now to correct our crukedness, and to mak us lyke in suffering afflictionis, schame and rebuke of the warld, to the greit bischope of our saullis, wha by mekill tribulation did enter in his glorie, as of necessitie man everie ane to whome that kingdome is apoyntit. And thairfor, mother, be nathing abasched of theis maist dolorous dayis, whilk schortlie sal have end to oure everlasting comfort. Thay ar not cropin upon ws without knawledge and foirsight; how oft have ye heard theis dayis foirspokin? thairfoir now grudge not, but pacientlie abyd the Lords delyverance. Hie that foirspak the trubill, promissis everlasting pleasure by the same word; albeit the flesche complene, dispair nathing, for it must follow the awn nature, and it is not dampnabill in the syght of oure Father; albeit the corrupt fraill flesche draw bak and refuse the croce, ffor that is as naturall to the flesche, as in hunger and thirst to covet reasonable sustenance. Onlie follow not the affectionis of the flesche to cōmit iniquytie; neither for feir of deth, nor for love of lyf, cōmit ye idolatrie; neither yit gif your presence whair the same is committit, but hait it, avoid it, and flee frome it. But your leter makis mention that ye haif pleasure and delyt in it: na, mother, I espy the contrarie, for ye compleane and lament that sic motionis ar within you; this is na sign that ye delyt in thame, for na man compleanis of that whairin hie delytis. Ye ar in na wors cas, tuiching that poynt, nor yet tuiching any uther whairof ye desyre to be red, than was the apostil, when with gronyng and angusche of hart he did cry, “O unhappie man that I am, wha sal delyver me fra this bodie of syn:” reid the haill chapter, andgif glorie to God that lattis you knaw your awn infirmitie, that from Chryst allone ye may be content to resave that whilk never remanit in corruptibill flesche, that is, the justice whilk is acceptabill befoir God, the justice by faith and not by workis, that ye may glorie in him wha frelie gives that whilk we deserve not. And thus nether feir that, nor uther assaltis of the divill, sa lang as in bodie ye obey not his persuasionis. Schortnes of tyme, and multitude of cairis, will not lat me wryt at this present sa plentifullie as I wald. Ye will me to charge you in suche thingis as I mister, God grant that ye may be abill to relief the nedie. Ye may be sure that I wald be bold upon you, for of your gude hart I am persuadit, but of your power and abilitie I greitlie dout. I will not mak you privie how ryche I am, but off Loundoun I departit with les money then ten grottis, but God hes sence provydit, and will provyd I dout not, heirefter abundantlie for this lyfe. Ather the quenis majestie, or sum thesaurer will be XL pounds rycher by me for samekill lack I of dewtie of my patentis. But that litill trubillis me. Rest in Chryst Jesus, your sone,
1553. Johne Knox.
No IV. [MS. Letters, p. 303.]