"MAISTER KNOX,
"_Non est masculus neque foemina, omnes enim, ut ait Paulus, unum
sumus in Christo Jesu. Benedictus vir qui confidit in Domino; et erit
Dominus fiducia ejus._[87]
[87] That is, "There is neither male nor female, for as saith Paul,
they are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galat. iii. 28.) Blessed is the man
who trusteth in the Lord; and the Lord will be his confidence."
"I have resavit your letteris, at the same tyme that I have thocht to
have sein your self about Stampfurd. Quhat is now hitherto the caus of
your [lett], I knaw nott. I forbeir to descend to the bottome of
thingis, untill I may conferr with such one as ye ar; and, thairfoire,
gif your chance shalbe heirefter to cum hither, I wishe you furnissed
with good credite, and power to mak good resolutioun. Althocht my
answer to the Lordis of Congregatioun be some quhat obscure, yitt
upoun farther understanding ye sall find the matter plaine. I neid
wishe to you[88] no more prudence then Goddis grace, quhairof God send
you plentie. And so I end. From Oxford, the 28th of Julij 1559.
(_Sic subscribitur,_)
Youris as ane member of the same body in Christ,
"W. CECILL."[89]
[88] In MS. 1566, "need you writ."
[89] In MS. 1566, "M. Cecill;" and this mistake is followed in all the
copies.
Albeit the said Jhone ressaved this letter at Berwyk, yett wald he
answer no thing till that he had spokein the Lordis; quhome he fand in
Striveling, and unto quhome he delyvered the answer send from the
Counsall of England; (for Alexander Quhytlaw tuik seakness betwix
Berwyk and Edinburgh, and was troubled be the Lord Seatoun, as in the
formar booke is declaired.[90]) The answer send by Maister Cycill, was
so generall, that many amanges us war dispaired of ony comforte to
come from that countrey; and thairfoire war determined that thei wald
requeast no farder. Jhone Knox laboured in the contraire;[91] but he
could prevaill no farther, but that he should have licence and
libertie to writt as he thocht best. And so tuik he upoun him to
answer for all, in forme as follows:--
[90] Dr. M'Crie says, Knox, "at this time, prudently returned by sea
to Fife:" the above statement, I think, clearly shows, he must have
returned by land. He set out from Berwick, in company with Whytelaw,
on the 3d of August, but the latter _being detained on the road_ by
sickness, Knox proceeded, without delay, and reached Stirling on or
before the 6th of August, on which day he addressed letters to Sir
James Crofts: see Tytler's Hist. vol. vi. pp. 127, 130. Soon
afterwards, Whytelaw having recovered, and set out on his journey,
along with William Knox, _when between Preston and Edinburgh_, they
were pursued by Lord Seaton, and narrowly escaped: see vol. i. p. 393.
[91] The result of Knox's previous communications was very important,
having led to the resolution of the English Council to support the
Protestants in Scotland in their contest with the Queen Regent, but
with so much secrecy as might not infringe the treaty of peace between
the two kingdoms. For this purpose a commission was granted on the 8th
of August to Sir Ralph Sadler, in conjunction with the Earl of
Northumberland and Sir James Crofts, to reside at Berwick, ostensibly
to settle some Border disputes, and to strengthen the fortifications
of that city; and the sum of £3000 was placed at Sadler's disposal. A
similar sum was paid to him on the 5th of October; and a third payment
in November. It was part of this money that was sent to Scotland with
Balnaves, and with Cockburn of Ormiston. (See Letter of Queen
Elizabeth to Sadler, in Sir H. Ellis's Original Letters, 3d Series,
vol. iii. p. 332.)--Sadler's Correspondence, extending from August
1559 to April 1560, (included in his "State Papers and Letters,"
Edinb. 1809, 2 vols. 4to,) furnish copious and most important
materials for illustrating the negotiations and proceedings at this
time.