K N 
appointed at Stirling; and he inftantly hurried to Perth, 
to (hare with his brethren in the common danger, or to 
afiift them in promoting the common caufe. “ While,” 
fays Dr. Robertfon, “ their minds were in that ferment, 
•which the queen's perfidioufnefs and their own danger 
occafioned, Knox mounted the pulpit, and, by a vehement 
harangue againft idolatry, inflamed the multitude with 
the utmoft rage. The indifcretion of a prieft, who, im¬ 
mediately after Knox’s fermon, was preparing to celebrate 
mafs, and began to decorate the altar for that purpofe, 
precipitated them into immediate afiion. With tumultu¬ 
ous but irreiiftible violence they fell upon the churches 
in that city, overturned the altars, defaced the pictures, 
broke in pieces the images ; and, proceeding next to the 
monafteries, laid thofe fumptuous fabrics almoft level with 
the ground. This riotous infurre&ion was not the effect 
of any concert, or previous deliberation. Cenfured by 
the reformed preachers, and publicly condemned .by the 
perfons of mod power and credit with the party, it mull 
be regarded merely as an accidental eruption of popular 
rage.” From this time Mr. Knox continued to promote 
the reformation in Scotland by every means in his power; 
and to advance the objeft which he had in view, (paring 
no pains, and fearing no dangers. A full account of his 
conduct, till the proteftants were obliged to apply for af- 
fiftance to England, may be feen in the fecond book of 
his Hiftory. Mr. Knox, by his correfpondence with fe- 
cretary Cecil, was principally inftrumental in eftablifning 
thofe negociations between the congregation and the En- 
glifli, which terminated in the march of an Englifh army 
into Scotland, to afiift the Scotch proteftants, and to pro¬ 
tect them againft the profecutions of the queen-regent. 
This army, being joined by almoft all the great men in 
Scotland, proceeded with fuch vigour and l'uccefs, that 
they obliged the French forces, who had been the princi¬ 
pal f'upporters of the tyranny of the regent, to quit the 
kingdom, and reftored the parliament to its independence. 
Of that body, a great majority had embraced the proteft¬ 
ant opinions; and, encouraged as they were by the zeal and 
number of their friends, they were not backward in im¬ 
proving the favourable juncture, to the overthrow of the 
whole fabric of popery. By one add, they gave the fanc- 
tion of their approbation to a confeftion of faith prefented 
to them by Knox and the other reformed teachers ; by a 
fecond, they abolifhed the jnrifdiclion of the ecclefiaftical 
courts, and transferred the caufes which formerly came 
under their cognizance to the decifion of the civil courts; 
and by a third aft, the exercife of religious worfhip, ac¬ 
cording to the rites of the Romifh church, was prohibited. 
The manner in which the laft law was enforced difcovers the 
xeal of the affembly; but (hows them to have been no lefs 
ftrangers to the fpirit of toleration, and the laws of hu¬ 
manity, than the ecclefiaftical tyrants whofe yoke they 
had juft broken. 
The zeal of the parliament in reforming the doflrine 
and difcipline of the church kept pace with the ardour 
and expeffation even of Knox himfelf. Indeed, to his 
influence and authority they chiefly yielded, in adjufting 
the new fcheme of ecclefiaftical policy which they adopt¬ 
ed. The bad ufe which the popifh bifhops had made of 
their authority and power, occasioned the Scotch proteft¬ 
ants to conceive a violent averfion to epifcopacy ; and, as 
to Knox himfelf, having been a confiderable time at Ge¬ 
neva, he had, during his refidence there, ftudied and ad¬ 
mired that fyftem of ecclefiaftical policy which had been 
eftablifhed in that city by Calvin. He, therefore, warmly 
recommended to his countrymen the prejbyterian fcheme 
of church government and difcipline, which was adopted 
by them. But, on the firft introduction of his fyftem, 
Knox did not deem it expedient to depart altogether from 
the ancient form. Inftead of bifhops, he propofed to ef- 
tablifti ten or twelve fuperintendants in different parts of 
the kingdom. Thefe, as the name implies, were empow¬ 
ered to infpefl the life and doftrine of the other clergy. 
They prefided in the inferior judicatories of the church, 
O X. 839 
and performed feveral other parts of the epifcopal func¬ 
tion. Their jurifdiilion, however, extended to facred 
things only; they claimed no l'eat in parliament, and pre¬ 
tended no right to the dignity of the former bifhops. 
And, in order to give greater ftrength and confidence to 
the prefbyterian plan, Knox, with the ailiftance of his 
brethren, compofed the Firft Book of Difcipline, which 
contains the model or platform of the intended po icy, 
and which was prefented to a convention of eftates, which 
was held in the beginning of the year 1561. In the 
courfe of this year, Mary queen of Scots, the widow of 
Francis II. king of France, arrived in her native country, 
from which (he had been abi'ent nearly thirteen years, 
though (lie was not yet nineteen. On the Sunday after 
her arrival, (he commanded mafs to be celebrated in the 
chapel of her palace. The firft rumour of this occafioned 
a fecret murmuring among the proteftants who attended 
the court; and Knox, with his accuftoined vehemence, 
declared from the pulpit, “that one mafs was more fright¬ 
ful to him than ten thoufand armed enemies landed in 
any part of the realm.’’ So great was the animofity of the 
people againft popery, that the fervants belonging to the 
queen’s chapel were infulted and abufed ; and the popu¬ 
lace would have proceeded to the utmoft exceffes, had 
not the prior of St. Andrew’s, who was one of the heads 
of the proteftant party, feafonably interpofed. By his in¬ 
fluence, and that of fome of the other more moderate 
proteftant leaders, the queen and her domeftics were per¬ 
mitted to enjoy the free exercife of their religion unmo- 
lefted. Knox’s freedom of fpfech, however, gave great 
Offence to the queen, who had along conference with him 
upon that and other fubjeffs. Being accufed by her of 
having written a book, which tended to lubvert her au¬ 
thority, alluding to the “ Blaft;” he readily avowed that 
he was the author of that book, and pleaded the privilege 
of the learned in all ages; citing Plato in particular, who 
had publicly taught doftrines contrary to the common 
opinion, without difturbing fociety, bearing with patience 
the errors and imperfections which the ' could not amend. 
“ Even fo, madam,” faid he, in no courtly ftyle, “ am I 
content to do in uprightnefs of heart; and with the tefti- 
mony of a good confcience I have communicated my 
judgment to the world. If the realm finds no inconveni- 
ency in the regiment of a woman, that which they ap¬ 
prove (hall not I farther difallow than within my own 
bread; but (hall be as well content to live under your 
grace, as Paul was under Nero. And my hope is, that fo 
long as ye defile not your hands with the blood of the 
faints of God, neither I nor the book (hall either hurt 
you or your authority ; for in very deed, madam, that 
book was written molt efpecially againft the wicked Jeze¬ 
bel of England.” 
In 1562, we find Mr. Knox employed in bringing 
about a reconciliation between the earls of Bothvvell and 
Arran ; which is an evidence how much he was regarded 
by the mod eminent perfons in the kingdom, and how 
much intereft he had with them. This year alfo, he was 
appointed, by the general affembjy, commiftioner to the 
counties of Kyle and Galloway ; and, by his influence, 
feveral of the molt eminent gentlemen entered into a bond 
or covenant at Air, fimilar to that entered into at Edin¬ 
burgh in 1557, which was fubfcribed on the 4th of Sep¬ 
tember. About this time he accepted a challenge made 
by the prior of Whithorn, to a public deputation upon 
the mafs, which continued for the (pace of three days, 
and was afterwards publifhed. In the following year, the 
parliament was affembled for the firft time (ince the 
queen’s arrival in Scotland. No attempt, however, was 
made in it to obtain the queen’s affent to file law's which 
had been made before her arrival, for the eftablhhment of 
the proteftant religion. For her minifters, though zea¬ 
lous proteftants themfelves, were aware that this could 
not be urged at prefent, without manifeft danger and im¬ 
prudence; and, as the laws in favour of the proteftant re¬ 
ligion were generally obferved, though they had not yet 
x received 
