True it is that a zealous brother, named Patrick Cranston, passed into the chapel, and finding the altar covered, and the priest ready to go to that abomination, the Mass, said, "The Queen's Majesty is not here; how darest thou then be so malapert, as openly to do against the law?" No further was done or said, and yet the bruit was posted to the Queen, with such information as the Papists could give; and this found as much credit as their hearts could have wished for. Here was so heinous a crime in her eyes, that there was no satisfaction for that sin, without blood. Without delay, Andrew Armstrong and Patrick Cranston were summoned to find surety to underlie the law, for "forethought, felony, hamesucken,[215] violent invasion of the Queens Palace, and for spoliation of the same." [215] The crime of beating or assaulting a person within his own house. When those summonses were divulged, the extremity was feared, and the few brethren that were in town consulted as to the next remedy. In the end, it was concluded that John Knox (to whom the charge had been given to spread intelligence whenever danger should appear) should write to the brethren in all quarters, giving information as to how the matter stood, and requiring their assistance. This he did in tenor as here follows-- [Sidenote: John Knox's Letter to the Brethren: 8th October 1563.] "'Wheresoever two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.' "It is not unknown unto you, dear brethren, what comfort and tranquillity God gave to us, in most dangerous times, by our Christian assemblies, and godly conferences, as oft as any danger appeared to any member or members of our body: and that, since we have neglected, or at least not frequented our conventions and assemblies, the adversaries of the holy Evangel of Christ Jesus have enterprised, and boldened themselves, publicly and secretly, to do many things odious in God's presence, and most hurtful to the liberty of true religion, now granted unto us by God's great favour. The holy Sacraments are abused by profane Papists. Masses have been, and yet are, openly said and maintained. The blood of some of our dearest ministers has been shed, without fear of punishment or correction being craved by us.