Rome as antichristian, so that many inhabitants, both of the town and castle, openly professed the protestant faith.

An account of Knox's first sermon, and a disputation with the papists which followed, is given in his history.

On the last day of July, 1547, the castle of St. Andrew's was surrendered to the French forces then in Scotland. The besiegers, however, engaged that the lives of all persons in the castle should be spared; also that they should be carried to France, and afterwards be conveyed to any other country they might prefer.

On their arrival in France, the capitulation was violated. At the instigation of the pope and the Romish clergy of Scotland, they were detained as prisoners. Knox with some others was sent to the gallies, where they were kept in chains, and treated with much severity. They were continually threatened with torture if they would not join in the popish worship, but they steadfastly refused, and a finely painted wooden image of the virgin being one day forced into the hands of a prisoner, (probably Knox himself,) he threw it into the water, saying, "Let our lady now save herself, she is light enough, let her learn to swim!"

The gallies cruised off the coast of Scotland during the summer of 1548, and Knox's health suffered much from severe treatment, but while lying in a fever, he still expressed his confidence that God would deliver them. Mr. Balfour, a fellowprisoner, one day pointed out the coast between Dundee and St. Andrew's, asking if he knew it. Knox replied, "Yes, I know it well, I see the steeple of that place where God first opened my mouth in public to his glory; and I am fully persuaded, how weak soever I now appear, that I shall not depart this life, till my tongue shall glorify his name in the same place.” Such an event then appeared scarcely possible, but some years afterwards it was literally fulfilled. During this confinement, his mind suffered much as well as his body, but he found relief in earnest supplication, and expressed his feelings at that period in his treatise on Prayer. He also found opportunity to write a confession of his faith, and other pieces, which he conveyed to his friends.

In 1549, Knox was liberated, when he immediately went to England. Edward the VIth was then upon the throne, and Cranmer was most anxious to supply the realm with able preachers of the gospel, the want of whom was greatly felt. Knox was soon stationed at Berwick, and his labours were very successful. This gave umbrage to Tonstal, then bishop of Durham; that prelate had renounced the pope's supremacy, and was exceedingly moderate for a Romanist, yet he could not endure the doctrines taught by the Reformer. As Knox was sanctioned by the government, Tonstal could not prohibit him from preaching, but he listened to, and encouraged the enmity

of the Romanists. Knox was in consequence called upon to defend his tenets, which he did publicly, and completely silenced his adversaries. His confession, or sermon, on that occasion is

printed in the present work.

In 1551, Knox was removed to Newcastle, where his opportunities for usefulness were extended, and in December that year, he was appointed one of the king's six chaplains in ordinary; two of whom in turn were to be at court, and four absent, preaching in different parts of the kingdom. In this work Knox laboured indefatigably, frequently preaching every day in the week, besides having numerous conversations with the principal inhabitants of the places he visited. Various documents, noticed by Burnet and Strype, show the importance of his services, and the value placed upon them. His enemies, however, circulated many false and calumnious reports which he was obliged to answer before the council, by whom he was honourably acquitted, and he received fresh marks of the king's favour. Preferment was offered to him, but he declined it, and continued his itinerant labours, occasionally preaching at court, where he discharged the duty of his office with the same bold, uncompromising fidelity as Latimer. In these labours Knox was employed when king Edward died. He foresaw the measures which were soon afterwards adopted, and forewarned the citizens of London what they must shortly expect; however, he preached in Buckinghamshire and in Kent till November 1553, when he returned to London.

At this period Knox considered it his duty to form a union with a young lady named Bowes, of a respectable northern family, to whom he had been engaged for a considerable time; and as the protestants were now in much danger, he withdrew to Northumberland, where he continued to preach the gospel even after the day on which the reformed worship was to cease. Three days subsequent to that period, he wrote thus in a letter, "I may not answer your places of scripture, nor yet write the exposition of the sixth psalm, for every day of this week must I preach if this wicked carcass will permit." But his enemies now sought for him; he found himself closely watched, and his friends urging him to withdraw, he embarked for France, and landed safely at Dieppe on January 28, 1554.

He spoke thus of his flight in a letter to his mother-in-law. "Some will ask, Why did I flee? Assuredly I cannot tell. But of one thing I am sure the fear of death was not the chief cause of my fleeing. I trust that one cause has been to let me see that all had not a true heart to Christ Jesus, who in the day of rest and peace bare a fair face."-"I would not bow my knee before that most abominable idol (the mass) for all the torments that earthly tyrants can devise, God so assisting me, as his Holy Spirit now moves me to write unfeignedly. And albeit I have in the beginning of this battle appeared to play the faint

hearted and feeble soldier, (the cause for which I remit to God,) yet my prayer is that I may be restored to the battle again."

While at Dieppe, he wrote and sent to England an exposition of the sixth psalm, and a letter addressed to the Faithful in London, Newcastle, and Berwick, among whom he had laboured, admonishing them of the danger of forsaking true religion.

From thence Knox travelled to Switzerland, and after visiting the different congregations in that country, he returned to Dieppe to obtain information respecting the state of England, and hoping to be able to revisit Scotland. Finding this was impracticable, he went back to Switzerland, and settled at Geneva, where he formed an intimate friendship with Calvin. During his banishment, his afflicted brethren were ever present to his mind, and under the feelings their sufferings excited, he wrote his " Admonition to England." Knox's enemies refer to this tract as manifesting undue bitterness of language ;-his expressions certainly are strong, but it must not be forgotten that he was speaking of Gardiner, Bonner, and queen Mary, and of their barbarous persecutions.

In November, 1554, he was called to undertake the charge of the congregation of British exiles then at Frankfort. Disputes, however, shortly after arose, relative to the form of worship; those who opposed Knox had recourse to a most unjustifiable measure to procure his removal; they laid before the magistrates some passages in his writings, which reflected upon the emperor and queen Mary, now daughter-in-law to that prince. These were represented as treasonable; the result was, that the magistrates prohibited the Reformer from preaching, and advised him to leave the city. Knox retired to Geneva. In August, 1555, Knox returned to Scotland, anxious to see his family; he was also induced to revisit his native country, by learning that a renewed disposition for reformation was beginning to appear, which was promoted by some who had fled from England on account of religion. He conversed with his friends and some of the nobility, and urged them to separate from the Romish church. He even preached and administered the sacrament publicly. The papists summoned Knox to appear before a convention of the clergy, hoping to drive him from the country, but finding that he was resolved to attend, they discharged the summons upon some frivolous pretence. Knox, however, came to Edinburgh, and preached publicly both morning and afternoon, for ten days, no one interrupting him. While thus employed, he wrote to his mother-in-law. May God, for Christ his Son's sake, grant me to be mindful, that the sobs of my heart have not been in vain nor neglected in the presence of his Majesty. Sweet were the death that should follow forty such days in Edinburgh as I have had three." At the desire of some nobles, he addressed a letter to the queen

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regent, urging her to countenance the Reformation, but she treated his counsel with contempt.

At this time Knox received an application from the English church at Geneva, requesting him to return and become their pastor. He complied, and proceeded thither in July 1556, accompanied by his wife and mother-in-law. As soon as he had departed, the Romish clergy, who dared not to meet him face to face, condemned him as a heretic; and as his body was out of their reach, they caused his effigy to be burned at the cross of Edinburgh. Upon hearing of this, Knox drew up an Appellation, with a Supplication and Exhortation, addressed to the nobility and commonalty of Scotland, in which he gave a summary of the doctrines he had taught during his late visit.

Knox abode at Geneva for nearly two years. This was the most quiet period of his life. The greatest cordiality existed between himself, his colleague, and the people under his charge. He also enjoyed the friendship of Calvin and the other Genevese ministers. During this time, he assisted several other exiles from England in preparing a translation of the bible more conformable to the originals than those which had previously appeared. This is commonly called the Geneva bible, and thirty editions of it were printed during the ensuing half century. It was at that period more used in private families than any other, and many strong testimonies have been given of its value.

In 1557, Knox received a letter from the earl of Glencairn, and others who desired to promote the Reformation in Scotland. They stated that the professors of the truth continued steadfast, while the papists declined in credit, and invited him to return to Scotland, where he would find many disposed to receive him and support him with their lives and fortunes. Calvin and other friends advised Knox to comply with this call: he accordingly proceeded to Dieppe, where he received letters, stating that some had already repented of having sent the invitation. He wrote a reply, printed in his history, admonishing the leaders of the importance of their enterprise. Knox was thus compelled to delay his journey; he passed some time in France, and then returned to Geneva, having first written some earnest and heart-searching epistles to his countrymen;-indeed the letters of Knox appear to have had a very considerable influence in effecting the Reformation of Scotland. At this time, in consequence of the bigoted proceedings of Mary queen of England, Knox wrote against females being intrusted with the government of nations; but that work, and the controversy which it occasioned, need not be here noticed.

The protestant nobility of Scotland again took courage. In December 1557, they subscribed a bond of mutual assurance, and again invited Knox to return. Their letters did not reach him till November 1558, by which time they had formed congregations in many parts of the kingdom.

KNOX.

2

The popish clergy now resumed their persecutions, and burned an aged priest of good character, named Walter Mill, which excited universal horror, and stimulated the protestants to avow more openly their resolutions to adhere to their faith. About this time queen Mary of England died, and most of the English exiles prepared to return.

Knox now once more proceeded towards his native country: being refused permission to pass through England, he sailed for Scotland, and landed at Leith, in May, 1559. The Reformer arrived at a critical moment, for the queen regent had summoned all the protestant preachers to appear before her at Stirling, to answer for their conduct. He resolved to join them, and found a large body of the laity assembled to conduct their preachers, but in a peaceable manner. The great body of the Reformers remained at Perth, sending one of their number to court. The queen pretended to be appeased, and authorized their deputy to assure them that she had stopped the trial; but when the day came, the preachers were summoned and outlawed for non-appearance!

The news of this treachery could not but incense the body of protestants,* many of whom had remained at Perth. On the day when the intelligence was received, Knox preached a sermon, in which he exposed the mass and image worship. Scarcely had he concluded, when a priest exhibited a rich altarpiece decked with images, and prepared to say mass. Some idle persons were loitering in the church, one of whom, a boy, expressed his disapprobation aloud. The priest struck him, and the boy threw a stone in return, which broke one of the images. This excited the bystanders, and in a few minutes the altar, images, and all the trumpery were broken and trampled under foot. A mob then assembled, composed of the lower classes, who, in defiance of the magistrates and reformed preachers, hastened to attack the other strong holds of superstition, and soon laid the monasteries in ruins. But so far from encouraging this attack, Knox exerted himself to the utmost to repress the tumult, which in fact promoted the views of the queen regent rather than those of the reformers, as she was thereby enabled to excite many against the Reformation who hitherto had been indifferent upon the subject.

But the nation was now roused, and several of the nobility determined to exert to the utmost the powers they possessed under the feudal system, rather than allow the Reformation to be suppressed, and their country again to be enslaved beneath the yoke of superstition. It is unnecessary to enter minutely into the details of the proceedings which followed, during which Knox preached in the cathedral of St. Andrew's, agreeably to the confident hope he had expressed when a prisoner on board the galleys. The result of his visit to that city was the removal of * About this time they were first called The Congregation.