A04917:20
A godly letter sent too the faithful in London, Newcastle, Berwick, and to all…A godly letter sent too the fayethfull in London, Newcastell, Barwyke, and to all…
A godly letter sent too the faithful in London, Newcastle, Berwick, and to all other within the realm off England, that love the co[m]minge of our Lord Jesus by John KnoxA godly letter sent too the fayethfull in London, Newcastell, Barwyke, and to all other within the realme off Englande, that loue the co[m]minge of oure Lorde Iesus by Ihon Knox
Rome: printed by J. Lambrecht? for H. Singleton, 1554
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Here is first to be noted / that the people was already entered in to iniquity / and especially straight after the death of their king / into Idolatry / from which the Lord by his prophet laboured to call them back / threatening unto them desolation / if they proceed to rebel.1 Secondarily / it is to be observed / that amongest them were false prophets / not that they were so known / & holden of the people / no / they were holden and esteemed for so they boasted them selves to be. The true church of God that cold not err / for how should the law perish from the mouth of the priests.2 These false prophets were maintainers of Idolatry / and yet boldly promised to the people prosperity and good luck. Wherewith the people were so abused and blinded / that the words of Jeremy / did rather harden their hearts / then provoke any to repentance / as the consequents declared / for his sermon ended / the priests / prophets / and the hole people apprehended Jeremy / and with one voice cried / he is worthy of the death. Great was ⟨image 10⟩the uproar against the poor prophet / 3in which appearinglye / he could not have escaped the death. If the princes of Judah / had not hastily come from the kings house / in to the temple / and had taken upon them / the hearing of the cause / in which after much debate (while some defended and some accused the prophet most vehemently) the text saith / that the hand of Ahikan the son of Saphan, 4was with Jeremy / that he should not be given into the hands off the people / to be killed. Hereof you may easily consider (beloved brethren) what were the man nours of that wicked generation immediately / after the death of their good king / and how they were encouraged to Idolatry by false prophets / but in all this time / the prophet ceaseth not most faithfully / to execute his office / for albeit after this he might not enter in the temple (for he was forbidden to preach)5 yet at Gods commandment / he writing his sermons / and causing them to be openly read in the temple (alas I fear we lack Baruch) and after they come to the ears of the counsel / & last to the king. And albeit in despite they were ones burnt / Yet is Jeremiah commanded to writ again / and boldly to say: Jehoiakim shall have no seed, that ever shall sit upon the seat of David.