conteaneht in few and sempill wordes my confession what I think of her
authoritie, how far it is Just, and what may make it odious in
goddis presence.

I hear there is a confutation sett furht in prent against _the first
blast._ God graunt that the writar haue no more sought the fauours of the
world, no less the glory of God and the stable commoditie of his country
then did him who interprised in that _blast_ to vt[t]er his Conscience.
When I shall haue tym[e] (which now Is Dear and straitt vnto me) to peruse
that work I will communicat[e] my Judgement with you concernying the
sam[e]. The tym[e] Is now sir that all that eyther thrust Christ Jesus to
r[e]ing in this yle, the liberties of the sam [e] to be keapt, to the
inhabitantes therof, and theire hartis to be joyned together in love
vnfeaned ought rather to study how the sam[e] may be brought to pass then
vainly to trauall for the maintenance of that wharof allready we have seen
the daunger, and felt the smart.

_State Papers, Scotland, Vol_. Art. 57. in Public Record office, London.



20 JULY 1559. JOHN KNOX'S _Declaration_ to QUEEN ELIZABETH.

To the verteuus and godlie ELIZABEHT by the grace of GOD quen of England
etc JOHN KNOX desireht the perpetuall Encrease of the Holie Spiritt. etc.

As your graces displeasur against me most Iniustlie conceaned, hath be[en]
and is to my wretched hart a burthen grevous and almost intollerabill, so
is the testimonye of a clean conscience to me a stay and vphold that in
desperation I sink not, how vehement that ever the temptations appear, for