she accused him of exciting rebellion, he replied, "If to teach the truth of God in sincerity, if to rebuke idolatry, and to exhort the people to worship God according to his word, be to raise rebellion, I certainly am liable to the charge; for it has pleased God of his mercy to make me an instrument of showing to my countrymen the falseness of popery-the deceit, the pride, the tyranny of the Roman Antichrist. But if the true knowledge of God, and the appointed mode of worshiping him, be powerful motives to loyalty and submission, in what am I blamable? I am persuaded your grace has had, and at present has, more unfeigned obiedence from those who profess the truth in Christ, than ever your father or ancestors had from those who called themselves bishops." The queen then accused him of having taught the people a religion different from that of their sovereign, and inquired, "How can such a religion be true, seeing God commands subjects to obey their princes?" To this Knox replied, that "as true religion does not depend upon the authority of princes, but on that of God, subjects cannot be required to conform their religion to the taste of their rulers." To prove his assertion, he produced the examples of the Israelites in Egypt, and of Daniel in Babylon, who, refused to adopt the religion of their respective sovereigns. "Then, I perceive," said the queen, "that my subjects are to obey you, and not me." "God forbid," replied Knox, "that I should ever command any to obey me. My desire is, that both princes and subjects may obey God, who requires kings to be nursing fathers, and queens nursing mothers to the church." "But you are not the church I will nourish,” said the queen; "Iwill defend the church of Rome, for I think it is the true church of God." "Your will, madam," replied the intrepid reformer, "is no reason; neither doth your thought make the Roman harlot to be the true and immaculate spouse of Christ; for it is altogether polluted with all kinds of spiritual fornication, both in doctrine and manners. Yea, madam, I offer myself further to prove, that the church of the Jews who crucified Christ, was not so far degenerated from God, as the church of Rome is declined." "My conscience," replied the queen, "is not so.' "Conscience, madam," said Knox, "requires knowledge; and I fear that right knowledge you have none. "But," said she, "I have both heard and read." "So," returned Knox, "did the Jews, who crucified Christ, read both the law and the prophets, and heard the same interpreted in their own way." "You interpret the scriptures one way," replied the queen," the church of Rome another way. Whom shall I believe?" "You shall believe God," returned Knox, "who speaks plainly in his word; and farther than his word teaches you should not be. lieve any one." When taking leave of the queen, he said, “I pray God, madam, you may be as blessed within the commonwealth of Scotland, (if such be the will of God,) as Deborah was in the commonwealth of Israel." Many of the Protestants expected favorable results from this interview. But Knox, a keen and penetrating judge of human nature, formed no such flattering expectations. "If there be not in her," said he, "a proud mind, a crafty wit, and an indurate heart against God and his truth, my judgment faileth me." He was afraid, also, that the insinu. ating manners of the queen would abate the zeal of the Protestant nobility, and therefore he not only watched her proceedings carefully, but fearlessly proclaimed the dangers to which he believed the reformation was exposed. When the general assembly met in 1561, their attention was particularly directed to suppressing the remnants of superstition and idolatry, and obtaining a suitable support for the reformed ministers. Application having been made to the convention of estates, it was decreed-that twothirds of the ecclesiastical revenues should remain in the hands of the possessors, whether they were the clergy of the church of Rome, or lay impropriators-and that the remaining third should be given to the queen, out of which she undertook to provide for the reformed ministers. For this purpose she allotted about the sum of £2,000, a miserable pittance, which afforded to each minister not above one hundred merks Scots a year. By Knox the settlement was denounced as most unjust; for "two parts," he declared, "were freely given to the devil, and the third part divided between God and the devil." The displeasure of Knox arose not from selfish motives. He had been an itenerant missionary on forty pounds a year, and found it abundance; he had refused one of the richest livings in London; he had refused also one of the richest bishoprics in England; and he was not, therefore, grieving at the narrowness of his ministerial remuneration in Scotland. Indeed, so far as concerned himself, Knox, as a minister of Edinburgh, was more liberally provided for than some of his brethren, and could not have expected any increase of his own allowance. But his grief was to see so many other ministers sunk down into the condition of absolute poverty-while the abundant revenues of the church were perverted to pamper wordly pride, and encourage a debasing superstition. Intelligence having reached the queen in May, 1562, that her popish friends in France were acquiring new strength, and that they had begun to persecute the Protestants, she gave a ball to her servants, and expressed the most unbecoming joy at the tidings. This conduct of the queen did not pass unnoticed by our reformer. În a sermon from Psal. ii. 10, he particularly inveighed against the oppression of princes, their fond. ness of worldly pleasure, and their joy at the afflictions of the people of God. For the honest discharge of his duty he was summoned before the queen; by whom he was accused of speaking irreverently of her person and character. Knox denied he was guilty, and entreated leave to repeat his sermon to the queen. Having repeated his discourse, he observed, "If any man, madam, will affirm that I said more, let him now accuse me." All who had been present were forced to acknow. ledge the correctness of the repetition, and the queen declared she had heard a false report concerning him. "I know," she added, "that my uncles and you are not of one religion; and, therefore, I cannot blame you if you have no good opinion of them: but if you hear any thing of myself, with which you are offended, come and tell myself, and I will listen to you." Knox replied, "that the house of Guise were the enemies of God, and he was sure their designs would be overthrown; that he was willing to do any thing for her satisfaction; and that if her majesty would hear his public discourses, or appoint à time for him to explain the Protestant faith, he should willingly wait on her; but to come merely to her chamber door, and to have no liberty but to whisper his sentiments, was inconsistent with his duty as a Christian minister." On retiring, some of the popish attendants observed in surprise and displeasure, "He is not afraid!" Knox, turning round, replied, "Why should the pleasing face of a gentlewoman frighten me? I have looked in the face of many angry men without being greatly terrified." The general assembly, which met this year, appointed Knox to visit the churches in Kyle and Galloway; and in performing this duty, he prevailed upon the nobility and gentry to renew the covenant for the defense of the Protestant faith. The Roman Catholics, still hoping to regain the ascendancy, now offered to dispute publicly with any of the Protestant ministers. Accordingly a discussion of three days continuance took place at Maybole, between Knox and Quintin Kennedy, abbot of Crossraguel. The record of the controversy, which Knox has preserved, gives evidence that Kennedy was a talented disputant, and able to afford to the doctrines of the church of Rome all the defense of which her specious errors are capable. Knox, however, was anxious again to meet his opponent in Edinburgh; but the discussion was never afterwards resumed. When the parliament of Scotland assembled in May, 1563, Knox was most anxious to induce the leading Protestant members to secure the settlement of the reformed religion by some new acts; or by a solemn ratification of the treaty of Leith. He used all his influence to induce the earl of Murray to forward this object. Failing in his attempts, he renounced the friendship of the earl, and continued unreconciled to him for nearly two years. Previous to the rising of this parliament, he preached a sermon in presence of many of the members, in which he accused the nobles of ingratitude, and of a cowardly desertion of the cause of Christ. Before concluding, adverting to the reported marriage of the queen with a Roman Catholic, he exclaimed, "This, my lords, will I say, that whensoever the nobility of Scotland who profess the Lord Jesus consent to have an infidel (and all papists are infidels) for their king, you do all that is in your power to banish Christ from the realm; you will bring see it, as much as it doth to any the vengeance of God on the of the nobility. My vocation country, a plague on yourselves, and conscience crave plainness. and most probably will add little Therefore to you I repeat what I to the happiness of your sove. have said in public-that whensoreign." Such expressions were ever the nobility of this land shall not to be passed over by the consent that you become subject queen's minions, who instantly to an unfaithful husband, they do carried tidings to the palace, that all that in them lies to renounce Knox had preached against her Christ, banish his truth, destroy marriage. He was, accordingly, our liberties, and do little comfort cited to appear before her; when to yourself." The queen burst the queen, bursting into tears, into tears, and continued to sob passionately accused him of in- and cry for some time; during sulting both her character and which time Knox was silent, and government. Waiting till she was with unaltered countenance. At somewhat composed, Knox calm- last he said, "Madam, I declare, ly replied, that if it should please I never delighted in the weeping God to deliver her from the pre- of any of God's creatures; yea, judices in which she had been I can scarce abide the tears of my educated, she would not consider own sons when I correct them, his honest liberty of speech offen- much less can I rejoice in your sive. That, when out of the pul- majesty's weeping. But knowing pit, he believed he had seldom that I have given no just cause of given offense to any man; but offense, I must sustain your tears, that, in the pulpit, he was not his rather than hurt my conscience, own master, being the servant of or betray the commonwealth by Him who commanded to speak my silence." Still more irritated, plainly, and not to flatter any oue the queen commanded him to on the face of the earth. "But leave her presence, and wait her what have you to do with my mar- pleasure in another room. While riage?" replied the queen. Knox there he employed his time in exwas proceeding to explain the ex- horting the ladies of the court to tent of his commission as a minis. think of death, judgment, and ter of the gospel, when the queen eternity. Meantime the queen, interrupted him, by again exclaim- having consulted with the lords on ing, "But what have you to do the propriety of punishing him, with my marriage?" and in a tone was advised to let him pass withof indignation and contempt-out farther remark, and Knox was "What are you in the common- accordingly allowed to return wealth?" "A subject born within home. the same, madam," replied Knox; and, although neither earl, lord, nor baron, yet God has made me (however abject in your eyes), a profitable member within the same. Yea, madam, to me it belongs to forewarn of evil, if I foreVOL. I.-Nov. 1831. In the month of August, during the queen's residence at Stirling, her domestics at Holyrood House celebrated mass more openly than had been done when she was present. Several of the Protestants, offended at this breach of the laws, 33 repaired to the palace, and observing numbers entering the chapel, burst in along with them, and demanded why the laws were thus wantonly violated? The comp. troller being summoned from sermon at St. Giles' came, accompanied by the provost, but found neither riot nor commotion. Two of the Protestants, however, were taken into custody, and, by order of the queen, put upon their trial for invasion of the palace. The dan. ger of these two men alarmed the Protestants, and they directed Knox to issue circulars for a meeting at Edinburgh, on the day of the trial. This letter was pronounced treasonable, and a prosecution was instituted against Knox. Previous to his trial, every means was employed to intimidate the reformer, and lead him to acknow. ledge his offense. But all proved ineffectual to move the undaunted spirit of Knox. "I have done nothing," said he, "but my duty; and, therefore, whatever shall befall me, my hope is, that my God will enable me to bear it with patience." When conducted to the court, and standing uncovered at the foot of the table, the queen, looking at him, burst into laughter, and exultingly said, "That man made me weep, and never shed a tear himself; but I will see if I can make him weep." When charged with issuing the letter, he acknowledged it was his. The secretary asked him, if he was not sorry for having written it? "Before I repent," said Knox, "I must be taught my offense." "Offense," replied Maitland, "you have convoked the queen's subjects: the offense cannot be denied." You distinguish, my lord, between an unlawful and a lawful convocation. I have often called assemblies, and it was never till now pronounced offensive." "Then was then, but now is now," replied the secretary. "We have no need of such convocations." "The time that has been," replied the reformer, "is even now before my eyes. I see the poor flock in as much danger as ever; only the devil has got a vizor upon his face. Formerly the devil got his own face discovered by open ty. ranny, seeking the destruction of all who refused idolatry; but now he comes under the cover of pretended justice, to effect the mischief he could not accomplish by force," "Ye trifle with him," said the queen; "who gave him authority to convoke my subjects? Is not that treason!" "No, madam," replied lord Ruthven, "for he makes convocation almost daily to hear prayers and sermons, yet we count it no treason." "Hold your peace," said the queen, "and let him answer for himself." "I began, madam," resumed Knox, "to reason with the secretary, (whom I take to be a better dialectician than your grace,) that all convocations are not unlawful; and now, my lord Ruthven has given the instance of lawful convocation; which, if your grace will deny, I address myself to the proof." "I say nothing against your religion," replied the queen, nor against convening to your sermons ; but what authority have you to convene my subjects at your will, without my authority?" "At my will," replied Knox, "I never convened four persons in Scotland. What I have 66 |