John Knox

nt

YEARS

of the Church. But when Knox was at home, his preparations for the pulpit, which were regular and careful, and his other pastoral work, challenged his whole time. And this work was carried on in two places chiefly; in St Giles, which now became the High Church of Edinburgh, and in his house or lodging, which was always in or near the Netherbow, a few hundred yards farther down the High Street. The picturesque old building 'in the throat of the Bow,' which attracts innumerable visitors as the traditional house where Knox died, was not that in which he spent most part of his Edinburgh life. From 1560 down to about the time of his second marriage he lived in a 'great mansion' on the west side of Turing's or Trunk Close; and thereafter for some years in a house on the east side of the same close. Neither of them now exists; but the entrance into the High Street from both was under the windows of the third or Netherbow house, which is shewn in modern times, and which was probably ready for Knox's recep

own his bonnet over his eyes, when idolatry, witchcraft, murder, oppression, and such vices were rebuked

ly when that life is fed from an immortal hope, is nobler still. But Knox, let us remember, was throughout his early ministry the witness of a still more fascinating and indeed unexampled spectacle-a whole generation suddenly confronted with the moral call of primitive Christianity, and striving to respond to it, no longer in dependence on Church tradition, but by each man moulding himself directly upon Christian facts and Christian promises in the very form in w

every day during all those years, pacing up

ly turning grey. The face was somewhat long, the nose decidedly so, the mouth large, and the lips full, so that the upper lip in particular seemed to be swollen. The chief peculiarity of his face was that his eyes-sunk between a rather narrow forehead, with a strong ridge of eyebrow, above, and ruddy and swelling cheeks, below-looke

rews. Edinburgh and Leith were now again at war, and the quarter of Knox's house was the most unsafe in the city. The 'King's Men' outside were always attempting to force the Netherbow Port; and their guns, planted close by on the Dow Craig,[120] and a little farther off on Salisbury Crags, smote from either side. They were crossed and answered, not only by the great guns of the castle, held by the Quee

ifted up to the pulpit, where he behoved to lean at his first entry; but before he had done with his sermon, he was so active and vigorous that he was like to ding that pulpit in blads,[123] and fly out of it!'[124] And the impact on the mind of the youthful Melville was scarcely less than

fter an unexpectedly mild address to the Papists, and a prophecy (which was not fulfilled) that his death would turn out a worse

Jesus Christ. But according to the measure of the grace granted unto me, I have divided the sermon [word] of truth into just parts: beating down the pride of the proud in all that did declare their rebellion against God, according as God in His

or in this inevitable anti-climax of failing life, Knox found his compensations not in the world, nor even in the Church. When he returned to Edinburgh, he had become unable for pastoral work. 'All worldly strength, yea, even in things spiritual,' he writes to his expected colleague, 'decays, and yet never shall the work of God decay.... Visit me, that we may confer together on heavenly things: for, in earth, there is no sta

t critic; and, at least when that previous life has included a problem, (as we have thought to be the case here), it may be well before we volunteer a verdict to listen to his summing up. It may finally divide, or it may reunite, the inward and outward elements which have co-existed in the life. And it may at least reveal which of them was the ruling and radical characteris

ues must not postpone them to their last hours. His defence was roundabout and ineffectual; and all were glad when he parted from these details of his long life-struggle, so that his friends, with tears, might take their last look of his worn and wearied face. The effort had been too much for him, and henceforth he never spoke but with great pain. Yet during the rest of the week he had many visitors. One after another the nobles in Edinburgh, Lords Boyd, Drumlanrig, Lindsay, Ruthven, Glencairn, and Morton (then about to be elected Regent) had interviews with him. Of Morton he demanded whether he had been privy to the murder of Darnley, and receiving an evasive assurance that he had not, he charged him to use his wealth and high place 'better in time to come than you have done in time past. If so ye do, God shall bless and honour you; but if ye do it not, God shall spoil you of these benefits, and your end shall be ignominy and shame.' When so many men pressed in, women, devout and honourable, were of course also present. One lady commenced to praise his works for God's cause: 'Tongue! tongue! lady,' he broke in

on the troubled Church of God, the spouse of Jesus Christ, despised of the world, but precious in His sight. I have called to God for her, and have committed her to her head, Jesus Christ. I have been fighting against Satan, who is ever ready to assault. Yea, I have fought against spiritual wickedness in heavenly things, and have prevailed.

s. It seems to have been after this that he fell into a moaning slumber. All watched around him. Suddenly he woke, and being asked why he sighed, said that he had been sustaining a last 'assault of Satan.' Often before had he tempted him with allurements, and urged him to despair. Now he had sought to make him feel as if he had merited heaven by his faithful ministry. 'But what have I that I have not received? Wherefore,[127] I give thanks to my God, through Jesus Christ, who hath been pleased to give me the victory; and I am persuaded that the tempter shall not again attack me, but that within a short time I shall, without any great pain of body or anguish of mind, exchange this mortal and miserable life for a blessed immortality through Jesus Christ.' During the hours whi

fe had su

TNO

Works,'

to Beza, 13th Nov. 1579.-'Life

now look green amid surrounding buildings, but which then were a dark and frownin

owly and

] Ar

te it int

ography and D

e = to thril

ography and D

ed that this sentence is

N

ament, 24, 80

n, Treati

Cupboar

a,

ists, 7

first, 30, 37

Order of W

latio

iations

of St Andre

Earl o

cottish, 20-22

nian

Earl

eneral, 107

ce, 28,

nd to suppor

y, 9, 12, 13

aves

3, 74,

e, Richa

omew, S

(Cardinal),

mes (Archb

Warning

ces, 1

ck, 4

a,

, 30, 33,

offered

, The R

and Kin

st Women's R

Knox's Li

gia

, 139, 1

well

Mrs,

ory, (Mrs K

Sir R

e, 10, 21, 39

ning

, George

inge

in Bedf

ghs

, J. H

0, 43, 51

f Kinyeanc

n-bal

37, 38, 3

m Palati

system, 1

28, 31, 32, Ch

87, 9

onies

ties,

ault, Duk

Knox's la

, Letter t

, The,' 43,

sation

ons,' Kn

f 1560, 92-9

First Helvetic), 30, 36

Knox's perso

ns, Chang

of Protestan

ation, T

86, 90, 12

antin

ionalism,

etude

x's, 9, 27, Cha

on of Lie

ion Oat

ion Ser

scle,

neral Churc

rovincial

t I have been

see Con

n life,

, Le,

41, 136

f Knox,

e Mind,' 2

rtio

ith Queen M

ook of, 106,

or Bothwell's

ions,

raig,

dee

epsi

9, 86, 88, Chapt

h, Treat

Summons o

ar Kn

n, 82, 92, 119,

-22, 83, 104,

22, 24, 38, 41,

ment, 14,

34, 39, 43, 44,

nicatio

Knox's

of Bra

ty,' never

ness' of

the Fir

82, 117,

is II

kfor

, The,

s, 32,

ism, 15,

eva

, Knox

man's fa

Chance

n Ros

Cardinal,

vel

, 10, 12,

Patrick, 1

ew,

nfession, 30, 36, 3

Reformatio

ital

nox's, 1

m, 16,

Earl of,

, 67, 77, 10

of Church, 94

ncy,' 70,

ualism,

ation

y, 56, 60

nox's, Chapte

14, 23, 24, 2

leness of

s V.

(Tyri

of Elphin

ion, 99,

f Fiel

of Grange

, Dav

James,

ip, Weig

14, 24, Chap.

, 88,

2, 89, 131, 1

nox (private

, Sir D

y, Lor

Mrs,

e, 3

ddry,

7, 18, 20

Dr Tho

n, Mr

, Dr Jas

36, 67, 68, 73, 77, 9

(see

(see Le

hn, 10, 1

The Four

l, The E

ion,

age, M

ls, 4

egent, 69-71, 76, 79, 80,

s, 42, 52, 80, 82,

en of Eng

7, 69, 99, 1

n or Praye

oly, Kn

e, Jame

l, Dr A

, 51, 122, 131

rl of, 33,

, Leaders

iel Kn

Churche

all,' of

w, 145,

Castle,

ary

ree, L

f Church, 35,

te Catec

ge of K

iversity

hes,

t, 92, 94

uil,

the Church, 1

of the Poo

24, 26, 32, 35, 43,

th,

83, 106-108

12, 15, 18, 2

its, 1

ook, Eng

Treatise

6, 89, 94, 110, 132, 138

tions,

nox as, 1

damental, of Kn

Life, Ch

yings,'

Knox as

Mind,

Knox, 26, 35,

3, 105, 110, 115,

mbassador), 90, 92,

ion of Cr

tion, Artic

of Women

Priests,

sance,

tance

of Knox, 1

e Reformati

136, 1

en,

John,

Lord, 1

otalis

s, Sir Ja

icism, 1

Scotland,

The, 24, 30,

f God's C

tortu

re, Pries

ony

Knox, 1

131, 132, 13

0, 26, 31, 65

iles

as, 45, 46, 11

24, 80, 99

ord James

rgaret (Mrs

ng, 89

ation,

e Civil,

ism, 6

f Knox, 13

ary Chari

ssin,

22, 105-10

(see

4, 76, 79, 80, 81, 86, 90, 91, 98

Council

r Trunk C

ves Godly,'

x's, 28, 31,

Sir Wil

unsel,' Lette

ox's, 42

ock,

w, 29

25, 26, 30, 36,

iends, C

ir Peter

riber'

rs and misspellings have been correcte

t the end of the chapt

x" has been changed to page 11 since there is no page 1,

dex as a reference for ""Ki

""Bothwellhaugh" has been retained as there

since the final number of the date is c

have been changed to Campbell of Kinyeancleugh and Kirkald