Scotland/Scots > Life of John Knox ; and, The life of Alexander Henderson

LIFE OF JOHN KNOX.
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agement to his brethren in England, or an inducement
to them to make sinful compliances with the view of
saving their lives.
On this subject we find him unbosoming himself to
Mrs. Bowes in his letters from Dieppe. “ The desire
that I have to hear of your continuance with Clirist Je¬
sus, in the day of this his battle (which shortly shall end
to the confusion of his proud enemies), neither by tongue
nor by pen can I express, beloved mother. Assuredly,
it is such, that it vanquisheth and overcometh all remem¬
brance and solicitude which the flesh useth to take for
feeding and defence of herself. For, in every realm and
nation, God will stir up some one or other to minister
those things that appertain to this wretched life; and, if
men will cease to do their office, yet will he send his ra¬
vens : so that in every place, perchance, I may find some
fathers to my body. But, alas! where I shall find child¬
ren to be begotten unto God, by the word of life, that
can I not presently consider; and therefore the spiritual
life of such as sometime boldly professed Christ (God
knoweth), is to my heart more dear than all the glory,
riches, and honour in earth; and the falling back of such
men as I hear daily to turn back to that idol again, is to
me more dolorous than, I trust, the corporal death shall
[be,] whenever it shall come at God’s appointment. Some
will ask then, Why did I flee ? Assuredly I cannot tell.
But of one thing I am sure, the fear of death was not
the chief cause of my fleeing. I trust that one cause
hath been to let me see with my corporal eyes, that all
had not a true heart to Christ Jesus, that, in the day of
rest and peace, bare a fair face. But my fleeing is no
matter : by God’s grace I may come to battle before that
all the conflict he ended. And haste the time, O Lord!
at thy good pleasure, that once again my tongue may
yet praise thy holy name before the congregation, if it
were but in the very hour of death.”—“I Would not bow
my knee before that most abominable idol for all the
torments that earthly tyrants can devise, God so assisting