John Knox.docx

John Knox.docx

《John Knox.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《John Knox.docx（25页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

JohnKnox

SelectedWritingsofJohnKnox:

PublicEpistles,Treatises,andExpositionstotheYear1559

Editor'sNote

WhenKnoxvisitedScotlandin1555-56,hispreachingwaseagerlyreceivedthroughoutthecountry.Hepreachedinhomes,andadministeredthesacramentstoscatteredProtestantsinhishomeland.

Thepapalauthoritieswerealarmedbyhissuccess,andsummonedhimtoappearbeforeaconvocation.Tothesurpriseoftheprelates,KnoxappearedinEdinburgh,accompaniedbyacontingentofProtestants,withtheintentionofdisputingtheclaimsofhisRomishadversaries.ThePapistsquicklybackedoff,settingasidetheirsummons.Therefore,onthedayofthesummons,May15,1556,Knoxseizedtheopportunitytopreach"inEdinburgh,inagreateraudiencethaneverbeforehehaddoneinthattown"（seeKnox's History,in Works,vol.1,p.251）.

Thatsamemonth,attherequestofScottishnobles,Knoxsentalettertothequeenregent,seekingherprotectionforProtestantpreachers,andaskingforafairhearingoftheirdoctrine.Theregentdismissedtheletter,passingitontotheprelatesandjestingthattheletterwasasatire.

AfterKnoxdepartedforGeneva,thePapistsrenewedtheirproceedings,triedKnox inabsentia,condemnedhim,andburnedhimineffigy.

In1558,fromGeneva,Knoxpublishedanenlargedversionofhislettertothequeenregent.Hereproducedthetextofhisoriginalepistle,interspersedwithadditionalcommentstobringthemainargumentshomewithgreaterforce.Knoxmadeitclearthathedidnotconsidertheissuesajokingmatter.Theaugmentedversionoftheletteristhatwhichfollowshere.

Thisepistleisparticularlyinterestingasitaddressesthedutyofmagistratestopromotetruereligion.Itrevealsthepropheticspiritwhichwastypicalofmuchofthereformer'sministry.

LettertotheQueenDowager,

RegentofScotland

（AugmentedVersion）

TOTHEEXCELLENTLADYMARY

DOWAGER,REGENTOFSCOTLAND

Thecausemovingme,righthonourable,topresentthismysupplicationuntoyourgrace,enlargedandinsomeplacesexplained（whichbeingintherealmofScotland,inthemonthofMay1556,Icausedtobepresentedtoyourgrace）,istheincrediblerageofsuchasbearthetitleofbishops,whoagainstalljusticeandequityhavepronouncedagainstmeamostcruelsentence,condemningmybodytofire,mysoultodamnation,andalldoctrinetaughtbymetobefalse,deceitful,andheretical.Ifthisinjurydidtendtomealone,havingthetestimonyofagoodconscience,withsilenceIcouldpassthematter,beingassuredthatsuchastheycurseandexpel[from]theirsynagogues（forsuchcauses）shallGodbless,andChristJesusreceiveinhiseternalsociety.ButconsideringthatthistheirblasphemyisvomitedforthagainsttheeternaltruthofChrist'sevangel（whereofithaspleasedthegreatmercyofGodtomakemeaminister）,Icannotceasetonotifyaswelltoyourgrace,asuntothem,thatsolittleIamafraidoftheirtyrannicalandsurmisedsentence,thatinplaceofthepicture（ifGodimpedenotmypurpose）theyshallhavethebodytojustifythatdoctrinewhichthey（membersofSatan）blasphemouslydocondemn:

advertisingyourgraceinthemeantime,thatfromthem,theirsentence,andtyranny,andfromallthosethatlistmaintaintheminthesame,Idoappealtoalawfulandgeneralcouncil,beseechingyourgracetotakeingoodpartthatIcallyouforwitness,thatIhaverequiredthelibertyoftongue,andmycausetobeheardbeforeyourgraceandthebodyofthatrealm,beforethatanysuchprocesswaslaidagainstme,asthismyletterdirectedtoyourgracedoestestify.

THEBEGINNINGOFTHELETTER

TheeternalprovidenceofthesameGod,whohasappointedhischosenchildrentofightinthistransitoryandwretchedlifeastronganddifficultbattle,hasalsoappointedtheirfinalvictory,byamarvellousfashion;andthemanneroftheirpreservation,intheirbattle,[is]moremarvellous（Gen.3:

15-24;Matt.10:

16-39;Acts14:

1-20）.Theirvictorystandsnotinresisting,butinsuffering;asoursovereignMasterpronouncestohisdisciples,thatintheirpatienceshouldtheypossesstheirsouls（Matt.5:

10-12;John14,16）.AndthesameforesawtheprophetIsaiah,whenhepaintedforthallotherbattlestobewithviolence,tumult,andbloodshedding,butthevictoryofGod'speopletobeinquietness,silence,andhope:

meaningthatallothersthatobtainvictorydoenforcethemselvestoresisttheiradversaries,toshedblood,andtomurder（Isa.9）.ButsodonottheelectofGod,buttheysustainallthingsatthecommandmentofhimwhohasappointedthemtosuffer,beingmostassuredlypersuaded,thatthenonlytheytriumph,whenallmenjudgethemoppressed. [1]ForinthecrossofChristalwaysisincludedasecretandhiddenvictory,neverwellknowntillthesuffererappearsaltogethertobe（asitwere）exterminated.ForonlythendidthebloodofAbelcrytoGod,whenproudCainjudgedallmemoryofhisbrothertohavebeenextinguished（Gen.4:

9-10）.

Andso,Isay,theirvictoryismarvellous.Andhowthattheycanbepreserved,andnotbroughttoutterconfusion,theeyeofmanperceivesnot.Buthe,whosepowerisinfinite（Isa.40,41,51）,bysecretandhiddenmotions,touchestheheartsofsuchas,toman'sjudgment,havepowertodestroythem,ofverypityandcompassiontosavehispeople;asthathedidtheheartsoftheEgyptianmidwives,topreservethemenchildrenoftheIsraelites,whenpreceptwasgivenbyPharaohoftheirdestruction（Ex.1:

15-22）;theheartofPharaoh'sdaughterlikewisetopityMosesinhisyounginfancy,exposedtothedangerofthewaters（Ex.2:

5-6）;theheartofNebuchadnezzartopreservethecaptivesalive,andliberallytonourishthechildrenthatwerefoundapttoletters（2Kings25;Jer.52）;andfinallytheheartofCyrus,tosetatlibertythepeopleofGod,afterlongbondageandthralldom（Ezra1）. [2]AndthusdoestheinvisiblepowerandloveofGodmanifestitselftowardshiselectfromtimetotime,fortwocausesspecially:

first,tocomforthisweakwarriorsintheirmanifoldtemptations,lettingthemunderstandthatheisabletocompelsuchassometimeswereenemiestohispeople,tofightintheircause,andtopromotetheirdeliverance;andsecondarily,togiveatestimonyofhisfavourtothemthatbyallappearancedidlivebefore（asSt.Paulspeaks）wanting[without]Godintheworld,asstrangersfromthecommonwealthofIsrael,andwithouttheliegeofhismercifulpromiseandfreegracemadetohischurch（Eph.2:

12）.

Forwhocouldhaveaffirmedthatanyofthesepersonsaforenamedhadbeenofthatnatureandclemency,beforeoccasionswereoffereduntothem?

ButtheworksofmercyshowntotheafflictedhaveleftusassurancethatGodusedthemasvesselsofhonour.ForpityandmercyshowntoChrist'safflictedflock,astheyneverlackedtemporalreward,soiftheyarecontinued（andarenotchangedintocruelty）,[they]areassuredsignsandsealsofeverlastingmercytobereceivedfromGod,whobyhisHolySpiritmovestheirheartstoshowmercytothepeopleofGodoppressedandafflicted.

ADDITION

ThisprefaceIused,togiveyourgraceoccasionmoredeeplytoconsiderwhathasbeentheconditionofChrist'smembersfromthebeginning,thatinsodoing,youmightseethatitisnonewthingthatthesaintsofGodareoppressedintheworld;thatyou,movedbyearnestcontemplationofthesame,mightalsostudyrathertosavethemfrommurder（althoughbythewickedcounselsofmanyyouwereprovokedtothecontrary）,thantobeaslaveofSatan,obeyinghisservantsyourclergy,whosefuryisbentagainstGodandhisverity[truth].Butthiswillafterfollowinourletter,whichthusproceeds.

LETTER

Yourgraceperchancedoeswondertowhatpurposethesethingsarerecited,andIinverydeedcannotwonderenoughthatoccasionisofferedtome（awormmostwretched）torecitethesameatthispresent[time].ForIhavelookedratherforthesentenceofdeath,thantohavewrittentoyourgraceintheselastandmostwickeddays,inwhichSatansoblindstheheartsofmany,thatinnocentsaredamned,[and]theircausenevertried.

ADDITION

[3]Hereofyoucannotbeignorant.ForbesidesthesewhomyouhearfromtimetotimetobemurderedmostcruellyinFrance,Italy,Spain,Flanders,andnowoflateyearsbesidesyouinEngland（fornocause,butthattheyprofessChristJesustobetheonlySaviouroftheworld,theonlyMediatorbetwixtGodandman,theonlyacceptablesacrificeforthesinsofallfaithful,andfinally,theonlyHeadtohischurch[1John2:

1-2;1Tim.2:

5;Heb.6:

26-27;10:

12;Eph.5:

23]）besidesthese,Isay（ofwhomyouheardthebruit[report]）,youhavebeenwitnessthatsomewithintherealmofScotland,forthesamecause,havebeenmurderedmostcruelly,whosecausewasneverheardwithindifferency[impartiality].ButmurderersoccupyingtheseatofjusticehaveshedthebloodofChrist'struewitnesses:

whichalbeitdidthenappeartobeconsumedawaywithfire,yetisitrecentinthepresenceofhimforwhosecausetheydidsuffer,andceasesnottocallforvengeance,withthebloodofAbel,tofallnotonlyuponsuchaswereauthorsofthatmurder,butalsouponallthatmaintainthosetyrantsintheirtyranny,orthatdoconsenttotheirbeastlycruelty.

Takethisnotastheaffirmationofanyman,buthearandconsiderthevoiceoftheSonofGod:

"Fulfill,"sayshe,"themeasureofyourfathers,thatallthebloodwhichhasbeenshed,sincethebloodofAbelthejust,tillthebloodofZechariah,"etc."maycomeuponthisgeneration"（Matt.23:

32,35）.[4]Herebyitisevidentthatthemurderersofourtime,aswellasinthetimeofChrist,areguiltyofthebloodthathasbeenshedfromthebeginning.