The Works of John Knox Volume I Part 7

THE ANSWER.

My Lordis, I say, that Auriculare Confessioun, seing that it hath no promeis of the Evangell,[409] tharefoir it can not be a Sacrament. Of the Confessioun to be maid to G.o.d, thare ar many testimonyes in Scripture; as when David sayeth, "I thowght that I wold knowledge my iniquitie against my self unto the Lord; and he forgave the trespa.s.ses[410] of my synnes." Heir, Confessioun signifieth the secreat knowledge of our synnes befoir G.o.d: when I exhorted the people on this maner, I reproved no maner of Confessioun. And farther, Sanct James sayith, "Knowledge your synnes[411] one to ane uther, and so lett yow to have peace amonge your selfes." Heir the Apostle meaneth nothing of Auriculare Confessioun, but that we should acknawledge and confesse our selfis to be synneris befoir our brethrene, and befoir the world, and not to esteame our selfis as the Gray Freiris dois, thinking thame selfis allreddy purgeid.[412]

When that he had said these wordis, the horned Bischopis and thare complices cryed, and girned[413] with thare teith, saying, "See ye not what colouris he hath in his speich, that he may begile us, and seduce us to his opinioun."

THE FYFT ARTICLE.

Thow Heretike didest say openlye, that it was necessarie to everie man to know and understand his Baptisme, and that it was contrarie to Generall Counsallis, and the Estaites of Holy Churche.

THE ANSWER.

My Lordis, I beleve thare be none so unwyse hear, that will mak merchandise with ane Frenche man, or any other unknawin stranger, except he know and understand first the conditioun or promeise maid by the French man or stranger. So lyikwyse I wold that we understood what thing we promeis in the name of the infante unto G.o.d in Baptisme: For this caus, I beleve, ye have Confirmatioun.

Then said Maister Bleiter,[414] chaplen, that he had the Devill within him, and the spreit of errour. Then answered him a cheild,[415] saying, "The Devill cane not speik such wordis as yonder man doith speik."

THE SAXT ARTICLE.

Thow fals Heretike, tratour, and theif, thow saidest that the Sacrament of the Altare was but a pece of bread, backin upon the asches, and no other thing elles; and all that is thare done, is but a superst.i.tious ryte aganis the commandiment of G.o.d.

THE ANSWER.

Oh Lord G.o.d! so manifest lyes and blasphemyes the Scripture doith not so teach yow. As concernyng the Sacrament of the Altare, (my Lordis,) I never tawght any thing against the Scripture, the which I shall, (by G.o.ddis grace,) mak manifest this day, I being ready tharefore to suffer death.

The lauchfull use of the Sacrament is most acceptable unto G.o.d: but the great abuse of it is verray detestable unto him. But what occasioun thei have to say such wordis of me, I sall schortlie schaw your Lordschippes.

I once chanced to meitt with a Jew, when I was sailling upoun the watter of Rhene.[416] I did inqueir of him, what was the caus of his pertinacie, that he did not beleve that the trew Messias was come, considering that thei had sene all the prophecyes, which war speking of him, to be fulfilled: moreover, the prophecyes tackin away, and the Scepter of Juda. By many other testimonyes of the Scriptour, I vanquest him, and approved that Messias was come, the which thei called Jesus of Nazareth. This Jew answered agane unto me, "When Messias c.u.mith, he shall restore all thingis, and he sall not abrogate the Law, which was gevin to our fatheris, as ye do. For why? we see the poore almost perish throw hunger amang yow, yitt yow ar nott moved with pitie towardis thame; b.u.t.t among us Jewes, thowght we be puir, thare ar no beggares found. Secundarly, It is forbiddin by the Law, to faine any kynd of imagrie of thingis in heavin above, or in the erth beneth, or in the scy under the erth; but one G.o.d only to honour; but your sanctuaries and churches ar full of idolles. Thridly, A peice of braid backin upone the aschis, ye adore and wirschip, and say, that it is your G.o.d." I have rehersed hear but the sayingis of the Jew,[417] which I never affirmed to be trew.

Then the Bischoppis schooke thare headis, and spitted into the earth: And what he ment in this mater farther, thei wold nott heare.[418]

THE SEVINT ARTICLE.

Thow fals Heretike did say, that Extreme Unctioun was not a Sacrament.

THE ANSWER.

My Lord, forsuyth, I never tawght any thing of Extreme Unctioun in my doctrine, whetther it war a Sacrament or no.

THE EYGHT ARTICLE.

Thow fals Heretike saidest that the Holy Watter is no sa good as wasche, and suche lyik. Thow contempnest Conjuring, and sayest, that Holy Churches cursing availled nott.

THE ANSWERE.

My Lordis, as for Holy Watter, what strenth it is of, I tawght never in my doctrine. Conjuringes and Exorzismes, yf thei war conformable to the word of G.o.d, I wold commend thame. But in so far as thei ar not conformeable to the commandiment and worde of G.o.d, I reprove thame.

THE NYNT ARTICLE.

Thow fals Heretike and runnagate hast said, that everie Layman is a Preast; and such lyik thow sayest, that the Pope hath no more power then any other man.

THE ANSWERE.

My Lordis, I tawght nothing but the worde of G.o.d. I remember that I have red in some places in Sanct Johnne and Sanct Petir, of the which one sayeth, "He hath made us kingis and preastis;" the other sayeth, "He hath made us the kinglye preasthode:" Wharefoir, I have affirmed, any man being cuning and perfite in the word of G.o.d, and the trew faith of Jesus Christ, to have his power gevin him frome G.o.d, and not by the power or violence of men, but by the vertew of the word of G.o.d, the which word is called the power of G.o.d, as witnesseth Sanct Paule evidentlie ynewgh. And agane, I say, any unlearned man, and not exercised in the woord of G.o.d, nor yit constant in his faith, whatsoever estaite or order he be of; I say, he hath no power to bynd or loose, seing he wanteth the instrument by the which he bindeth or looseth, that is to say, the word of G.o.d.

After that he had said these wordis, all the Bischoppes lawghed, and mocked him. When that he beheld thare lawghing, "Lawgh ye, (sayeth he,) my Lordis? Thowght that these my sayingis appeir scornefull and worthy of derisioun to your Lordschippis, nevertheless thei ar verray weightye to me, and of a great valow; becaus that thei stand not only upon my lyif, bot also the honour and glorie of G.o.d." In the meantyme many G.o.dly men, beholding the wodness and great crueltie of the Bischoppis, and the invincible patience of the said Maister George, did greatlie mourne and lament.

THE TENT ARTICLE.

Thow fals Heretike saidst, that a man hath no Free Will; but is lyik to the Stoickis, which say, That it is nott in man's will to do any thing, but that all concupiscence and desyre c.u.mith of G.o.d, of whatsoever kynd it be of.

THE ANSWER.

My Lordis, I said nott so, trewlie: I say, that as many as beleve in Christ firmelie, unto thame is gevin libertie, conformable to the saying of Sanct Johnne, "If the Sone mak yow free, then shall ye verelie be free." Of the contrarie, as many as beleve not in Christ Jesus, thei ar bound servandis of synne: "He that synneth is bound to synne."

THE ELLEVINT ARTICLE.

Thow fals Heretike sayest, It is as lawfull to eitt flesche upoun Fryday, as on Sonday.

THE ANSWERE.

Pleasith it your Lordschippis, I have redd in the Epistles of Sanct Paule, "That who is cleane, unto thame all thingis is cleane." Of the contrarie, "To the filthie men, all thingis ar uncleane." A faithfull man, cleane and holy, sanctifieth by the worde the creature of G.o.d; but the creature maketh no man acceptable unto G.o.d: so that a creature may not sanctifie any impure and unfaithfull man. But to the faythfull man, all thingis ar sanctifeid, by the prayer of the worde of G.o.d.

After these sayingis of Maister George, then said all the Bischoppes, with thare complices, "Quhat nedeth us any witnesse against him: hath he nott oppinlie hear spokin blasphemie?"

THE TWELTH ARTICLE.

Thow fals Heretike doest say, That we should nott pray to Sanctes, b.u.t.t to G.o.d onlye: Say whetther thow hast said this or no: say schortlye.

THE ANSWER.

For the weaknes and the infirmitie of the heararis, (he said,) without doubt plainelie, that Sanctis should not be honored nor incalled upone.

My Lordis, (said he,) thare ar two thingis worthy of note: the one is certane, and the other uncertane. It is found plainlie and certane in Scriptures, that we should wirschipe and honour one G.o.d, according to the saying of the first Commandiment, "Thow sall onlie wirschip and honour thy Lord G.o.d with all thy harte." But as for praying to and honoring of Sanctes, thare is great dowbt amang many, whether thei hear or no invocatioun maid unto thame. Tharefoir, I exhorted all men equallye in my doctrine, that thei should laif the unsure way, and follow the way which was taught us by our Maister Christ:

He is onlye our Mediatour, and maketh intercessioun for us to G.o.d his Father: