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  • PREACHED BY JOHN KNOX, MINISTER OF CHRIST JESUS
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    IN THE CHURCH OF EDINBURGH, UPON SUNDAY, AUGUST 19, 1565, FOR THE WHICH HE WAS FORBIDDEN TO PREACH FOR A SEASON.

    The time is come that men cannot abide the sermon of truth, or wholesome doctrine.

    PREFACE. John Knox, The Servant Of Jesus Christ In Preaching Of His Holy Evangel, To The Benevolent Reader Desireth Grace And Peace, With The Spirit Of Righteous Judgment. WONDER not, Christian reader, that in all my study and travel within the Scriptures of God these twenty years, I have set forth nothing in expounding any portion of Scripture, except this only rude and indigested sermon, preached by me in the public audience of the church of Edinburgh, the nineteenth day of August, Anno 1565.

    That I did not in writing communicate my judgment upon the Scriptures, I have ever thought myself to have most just reason. For considering myself rather called of my God to instruct the ignorant, comfort the sorrowful, confirm the weak, and rebuke the proud, by tongue and lively voice in these most corrupt days, than to compose books for the age to come; seeing that so much is written (and by men of most singular erudition) and yet so little well observed, I decreed to contain myself within the bounds of that vocation whereunto I found myself especially called. I dare not deny (lest that in so doing, I should be injurious to the giver,) but that God hath revealed unto me secrets unknown to the world; and also, that he hath made my tongue a trumpet, to forewarn realms and nations; yea, certain great revelations of mutations and changes, when no such things were feared, nor yet were appearing; a portion whereof cannot the world deny (be it never so blind,) to be fulfilled, and the rest, alas! I fear shall follow, with greater haste, and in more full perfection than my sorrowful heart desireth. Notwithstanding these revelations and assurances, I did ever abstain to commit anything to writing, contented only to have obeyed the charge of Him who commanded me to cry.

    If any then will ask, to what purpose this only sermon is set forth, and greater matters omitted, I answer, To let such as Satan hath not altogether blinded see, upon how small occasions great offense is now conceived.

    This sermon is it for the which, from my bed, I was called before the Council; and after long reasoning, I was by some forbidden to preach in Edinburgh, so long as the king and queen were in town. This sermon is it that so offendeth such as would please the court, and will not appear to be enemies to the truth, yet they dare affirm, that I exceeded the bounds of God’s messenger. I have therefore faithfully committed unto writing, whatsoever I could remember might have been offensive in that sermon, to the end, that as well the enemies of God’s truth, as the professors of the same, may either note unto me wherein I have offended, or at the least, cease to condemn me, before they have convinced me by God’s manifest word.

    If any man think it easy unto me, to mitigate by my pen, the inconsiderate sharpness of my tongue, and so cannot men freely judge of that my sermon; I answer, that I am neither so impudent, that I will study to abuse the world in this great light, neither yet, so void of the fear of my God, that I will avow a lie in his own presence. And no less do I esteem it to be a lie, to deny or conceal that which in his name I have once pronounced, than to affirm, that God hath spoken, when his word assures me not of the same.

    For in the public place, I consult not with flesh and blood what I shall propose to the people; but as the Spirit of my God who hath sent me, and unto whom I must answer, moveth me, so I speak; and when I have once pronounced threatenings in his name (how unpleasant soever they be to the world,) I dare no more deny them, than I dare deny that God hath made me his messenger, to forewarn the inobedient of their assured destruction. At that sermon were auditors unto me, not only professors of the truth, and such as favor me, but rank Papists, dissembling hypocrites, and no small number of covetous claw-backs of the new court. Now I will appeal to the conscience of them all, as they will answer in the presence of the eternal God, that either they bear me record now, writing the truth, or else note unto me the sentences offensive then by me pronounced, and now omitted in writing: for in God’s presence I protest, that so far as memory would serve me, I have written more vehemently than in the action I spake and pronounced. But of purpose I have omitted persuasions and exhortations which then were made . . . . . . . [Here something is wanting. ]

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