Answer to a Letter of a Jesuit Named Tyrie

AN ANSWER TO A LETTER OF A IESVIT NAmed Tyrie, be Iohne Knox. PROVE. XXVI. Answer not a fool according to his foolishenes, least thou be like him: answer a fool according to his foolishnes least he be wise in his owe^ co^seat THE contrariety appearing at the first sight, betuix their two sente^cis, stay it for a time, both heart to meditate and hand to write any thing, co^trair that blaspheamous letter. But when with better mind, God gave me to considder, that whosoever opponis not him self bouldly to blasphemy and manifest lei^, disseris lytill fra tratouris: cloking and fostering, so far as in them ly, the treasoun of tratours, and dampnable impiety of those, against whom Gods just evengance mon burn without end, unless spedie repentance follow: To quiet therefore my own conscience, I put hand to the pen as follows. IMPRENTIT AT SANCTANdrois be Robert Lekpreuik, Anno. Do. 1572. IOHNE KNOX The seruand of Jesus Christ, now weary of the world, and daily luiking for the resolution of this my earthly Tabernakle, to the faithful, that God of his mercy sall appoint to feght after me, desyris grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, with the spirit of sanctificatioun, to resist all kind of impiety, in their last and most wicked dayis, wherein Satan rages, knowing that he hes a short time to trouble Goddis people. WONDER not (gentill Reidar) that sic ane argument should proceed fra me in their dolorous days, after that I have taken gudenight at ye world and at all ye fasherie of the same, except to lament for my awin sinnis, and for the sinnis of vtheris. Of whom (allace) I feir money can not lament for them selves, because they have sauld the^ selves to wirk impiety, with all gredynes, without sens and fealing of any dolor that proceadeth from God. Yet Lord thou knows thy owen, and thou draws from iniquity, all, that unfeignedly incall thy name. There are seuin years past, sen a scrole, send from a Jesuit to his brother, was presented unto me be a ^aithfull brother, requyring sum answer to be maid to the same: whais just petitioun, I willing to obey, I pat my hand to the pen, al^hogh I ^and small time of quyetnes: for it was immediately after that I was called back from exyle, be the Kirk of Edinburgh after David's Judgment. Amongs my other caires, I (...) that which follow is, and that in few day is: which being finished, I ^epented of my laubour, and purposed fully to have suppressed it.

Which na^ dout I had done, if that the Devil had not steirit up the Jesuits* of Paris to ^^ouble godly hearts, with the same arg^mentis which Ty^ie vsis: amplifyed and set (...), with all the dog eloquence, that Satan can deuyse, for suppressing of the fre progres of the Euangell of Jesus Christ, and for the cuiring of the wou^dit ^ead of ye beist, tha^ Roman Antichrist: who shall to destruction in despyte of all those that study, either to erect, or yet to manteane him and his dampnable abusis. Which God hes disclo^^t to sic as the Devil hes not blinded: so that they can not discern betuix darkness and light. The ordour that is keped in an swering of his proud arrogancy and presumpteous foolishenes, the entres of the treatise will declare. I have added unto this pref^ce, a meditatioun or pr^yer thrawin forth of my sorrowful heart and pro (...) be my half dead tongue, besoir I was compelled to leave my flock of Edinburgh, who now dispersed, suffering lytill les calamity, then did the faithful after the persecu^ioun of Steaphen. Lord comfort and strenthen them to the end: that anes we may meit in glory. For all worldly (...) is bot vane, and an occasioun of new dolor. Call for me deir brethren, that God in his mercy will pleis to put end, to my long and panefull battle. For now being vnabill to feght* as God (...) gave strenth, I thrust an end besoir I b^ moir troubilsum to the Faithful. And yet Lord let my desire be moderat, be thy holy spirit: and giu^ me patience to beir whatsoever it pleisis thy godly Majesty to lay upon this my wicked Carkaso. THE PRAYER. Lord Jesus receive my spirit, and put an end at thy good pleasure, to this my miserable life: for Iusti^e and treuth are not to be found among the sons of men. Iohne Knox with deliberat mind to his God. BE merciful unto me. o Lord, and call not into Judgment my manyfold finnis: and cheiflie those, whereof the world is not able to accuse me. In youth, ^^yd age, and now after many battelles, I find nothing into me, bot vanity and corruption. For in quyetnes I am negligent, in trouble impatient, tending to disperation, and in the mean state, I am so carried away with vane fantaseis, y^ (allace) o Lord, they withdraw me from the presence of thy Majesty. Pride and ambitioun assault me on the ane part, couetous^es and malice trouble me on the other: briefly, o Lord, the ass^ctionis of the flesh do almost suppres the operatioun of thy spir^te. I tak the, o Lord (who only knows the secreitis of hearts) to record, that in nane of ye foirsaid I do delight: bot that with them I am troubled, and that foir aganis the desire of my in ward man, which sobbis for my corruptioun and would repose in thy mercy alone. To the which I clame: and that in the promise that thou hes maid to all penitent sinneris, (of whose number I profes my self to be one) in the obedience and death of my only Savior our Lord Jesus Christ. …