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CHARACTERS. 



Character of John Knox. 



From M^ eric's Life of Knox. 



THAT he possessed strong na- 

 tural talents is unquestiona- 

 ble. Inquisitive, ardent, acute ; vi- 

 gorous and bold in his concep- 

 tions ; he entered into all the sub- 

 tleties of the scholastic science 

 then in vogue, yet, disgusted with 

 its barren results, sought out a 

 new course of study, which gra- 

 dually led to a complete revolution 

 in his sentiments. In his early 

 years he had not access to that 

 finished education which many of 

 his contemporaries obtained in fo- 

 reign universities, and he was af- 

 terwards prevented, by his unset- 

 tled and active mode of life, from 

 prosecuting his studies with lei- 

 sure; but his abilities and appli- 

 cation enabled him in a great mea- 

 sure to surmount these disadvan- 

 tages, and he remained a stranger 

 to none of the branches of learn- 

 ing cultivated in that age by per- 

 sons of his profession. He united 

 in a high degree the love of study 

 with a disposition to active em- 

 ployment. The truths which he 

 discovered he felt an irresistible im- 

 pulse to impart to others, for which 

 he was qualified by a bold, fervid. 



and impetuous eloquence, singu- 

 larly adapted to arrest the atten- 

 tion, and govern the minds of a 

 fierce and unpolished people. 



From the time that he em- 

 braced the reformed doctrines, the 

 desire of propagating them, and 

 of delivering his countrymen from 

 the delusions and corruptions of 

 popery, became his ruling passion, 

 to which he was always ready to 

 sacrifice his ease, his interest, his 

 reputation and his life. An ar- 

 dent attachment to civil liberty 

 held the next place in hi« breast 

 to love of the reformed religion. 

 That the zeal with which he la- 

 boured to advance these was of 

 the most disinterested kind, no 

 candid person who has paid atten- 

 tion to his life can doubt for a 

 moment, whatever opinion he may 

 entertain of some of the means 

 which he employed for that pur- 

 pose. •' In fact, he thought only 

 of advancing the glory of God, 

 and promoting the welfare of his 

 country." Intrepidity, indepen- 

 dence and elevation of mind, in- 

 defatigable activity, and constancy 

 which no disappointments could 

 shake, eminently qualified him for 

 the hazardous and difficult post 

 which he occupied. His integri- 

 ty was above the suspicion of cor- 

 ruption ; 



