An answer to a letter of a Jesuit named Tyrie, be John KnoxAn answer to a letter of a Iesuit named Tyrie, be Iohne Knox

Now to the sentence of the ancient writer, whose name he suppresseth. We answer, that his words cut the throats of the proud Papists of that age and of all their followers sense those day is. For them began the tail of the Dragon, to draw the stars from the heaven to the earth: Then began the fountains which sometimes gave clear & wholesome water to become bitter: yea, to be turned unto blood, and yet did they prosper in all worldly felicity. Which was the cause that many godly men lamenting that public corruption, were compelled to pronounce, that, & like sentences, against the very Kirk men that then lived. And least that Master Tyrie should think that this we affirm without authority. We remit him to the writings of Jerome, Augustine, Ambrose, Bernard, & others that were nether come long before nor after the time that he ⟨image 31⟩whose writings if he shall diligently examine, he shall find, what was their judgement of the seat of Rome in their days, and what others that after followed, added to the former impiety of their Fathers: from the day that ones the Popes were decored or rather deformed with a triple Crown, let the writers of all ages sense bear witness. And least that Master Tyrie shall think that we put him to to much pane, when that we send him to all writers in general. We shall relieve him somewhat, and appoint him to two only, whom justly he can not suspect to have been corrupted be us. The one is Abbas Joachim, a man sometimes of great authority and reputation amongst the Papists. The other is Joannes Aventinus historiographer, whose history was printed be command & with privilege of the Emperor Charles the Fifth: Let the Writings we say of these two bear witness, what hes been the judgement of divers men in divers ages, of Rome, of the pride of the prelacy, of their corruption, in life and doctrine, and finally of their defection from the truth. Abbas Joachim writing upon the words of the Revelation of sanct John, ⟨image 32⟩The sext Angel poured forth his Phyol• upon the great flood Euphrates. &c. Hes this sentence. Si autem aquae huius fluminis quod vocatur Euphrates, populi sunt, & gentes, & linguae, quae parent Romano imperio: Si quidē civitas Romana ipsa, est nova Babilon. &c.

Now to the sentence of the anciēt wryter, whose name he suppresseth. We answer, that his wordes cut the throttes of the proud Papistes of that age and of all their followers sence those day is. For thē began the taill of the Dragoun, to draw the starres from the heauen to the earth: Then began the fontanes which sometymes gaue cleare & holsome watter to become bitter: yea, to be turned vnto blood, and yet did they prosper in all worldlie felicitie. Which was the caus that many godly men lamenting that publict corruption, wer compelled to pronunce, that, & like sentences, against the verray Kirk mē that then lyued. And least that Maister Tyrie should thinke that this we affirme without authoritie. We remit him to the wrytings of Ierome, Augustine, Ambrose, Bernard, & others that wer nether come long before nor after the tyme that he