840 
K -N 
received the royal affent, they thought it bed to defer any 
further proceedings on that-fubjecl till a better opportu¬ 
nity ; hoping that the queen’s bigotry might in time abate, 
her prejudices gradually wear off, and that at lalt (he 
might yield to the wifhes of her people what importunity 
or violence could never extort. The zeal of the proteit- 
ant clergy was, however, deaf to all thele confiderations of 
policy. The leading men of that order infifted, that this 
opportunity of eltablifhing religion by law was not to 
be neglected. They pronounced the moderation of the 
courtiers apoftacy ; and Knox folemnly renounced the 
friendfhip of the earl of Murray, as a man fo blindly zea¬ 
lous for the queen’s fervice as to become regardlefs of 
thole objects which he had hitherto elteemed moft facred. 
The proteftant preachers, being thus difappointed by the 
men in whom they placed the greateft confidence, gave 
vent to their indignation in their pulpits. Thefe echoed 
more loudly than ever, with declarations againlt idolatry ; 
with bitter reproaches againft thofe who, from interelted 
motives, had defected that caufe which they once rec¬ 
koned Lt their honour to fupport; and with dil'mal prefages 
concerning the queen’s marriage with a papift. On that 
fubjecl Knox delivered his opinion, in his ufual undif- 
guiled and vehement manner, towards the dole of a fer- 
mon which he preached before many members of parlia¬ 
ment. What he faid gave great offence to the court ; 
and the queen, fending for him, expreffed her refentment 
with much warmth and pafiion. In his defence before 
the queen he obferved, that out of the pulpit few had oc- 
cafion to be offended at him ; “arid there, madam,” faid 
he, “ I am not mafter of myfelf, but mull obey One who 
commands me to fpeak plain, and to flatter no fleth upon 
the face of the earth.” Her majetty intended to have pu¬ 
nched him for his freedom on this occafion ; but was 
prevailed upon to defill at that time. 
The repeated vehement declamations of the preachers 
on the fubjerils above-mentioned, which were dictated by 
a zeal more lincere than prudent, kept the minds of the 
populace iu a conftant Hate of irritation, and lometimes 
excited them to proceed to rafh and unjultifiable arils of 
violence. Such was their conduit in the autumn of 1563, 
during the queen’s abfence on a progrels into the welt of 
Scotland. Notwithftanding that the- court was removed, 
mafs continued to be celebrated in the royal chapel at Ho- 
lyrood-houfe. The multitude of thofe who reforted thither 
gave great offence to the citizens of Edinburgh, who, be¬ 
ing free from the reftraint which the royal prefence im- 
pofed, afFembled in a riotous manner, interrupted the fer¬ 
vice, and filled thofe who were prefent with the utmoll 
confternation. After having been difperled by the inter¬ 
ference of the magillrates of Edinburgh, two of the molt 
arilive perfons in the tumult were feized, and a day ap¬ 
pointed for their trial. Knox, who coniidered the zeal 
of thefe perfons to be laudable, and their conducl meri¬ 
torious, efteemed them as fufferers in a good caufe 5 and, 
being authorized by the lalt general affemblv to give in¬ 
formation to the whole body of proteftants in Scotland, 
fhould any circumftance arrive that lhould threaten danger 
to the reformation, iflued circular letters, requiring all 
who profeffed the true religion, or were concerned for its 
prefervation, to affemble at Edinburgh on the day of trial, 
that they might comfort and aflift their diftreffed brethren. 
One of thefe letters having fallen into the queen’s hands, 
it was conltrued to be an act of treafon to affemble the 
fubjerils without the authority of the fovereign ; and a re- 
folution was taken to profecute Knox for that crime be¬ 
fore the privy-council. Happily for him, almoit all his 
judges were not only zealous proteftants, but men who 
themfelves had very lately refilled and fet at defiance the 
queen’s authority 5 and it was under precedents drawn 
from their own conduril that Knox endeavoured to fhel- 
ter himfelf: nor would it have been an eafy matter for 
thefe counfellors to have found out a diltinrition by which 
they could cenfure him without condemning themfelves. 
After a long hearing, to the furprife and mortification of 
o X. 
many of the courtiers, he was unanimoufly acquitted. 
His conduril, likewife, met with the approbation of the 
general affembly of the church, which met foon after¬ 
wards. In this affembly, complaints of the increafe of 
idolatry were inceffantly urged. For the proteftants, not¬ 
withftanding that the queen had lately appeared defirous 
of fatisfying them, and made many declarations in their 
favour, could not help harbouring fufpicions of her en¬ 
tertaining defigns againft their religion. She had never 
once conl'ented to hear any preacher of the reformed doc¬ 
trines ; and Ore had abated nothing of her bigotted at¬ 
tachment to the Romilh faith. She had alfo given her 
friends on the continent repeated affurances of her refo- 
lution to re-eitablifti the catholic church; and fhe had in- 
duftrioufly avoided every opportunity of ratifying the arils 
of parliament in favour of the reformation. The vigilant 
zeal of the proteftant preachers was inattentive to none 
of thefe circumftances ; and the coolnefs of their principal 
leaders, who were, at this time, entirely devoted to the 
court, added to their jealoufies and fears. Thefe they ut¬ 
tered to the people in language which they deemed liiita- 
ble to the necefllties of the times, and which the queen 
reckoned difrefpeftful and infolent. In a meeting of the 
general affembly, Maitland publicly accufed Knox of 
teaching (editious doctrine, concerning the rights of fub- 
jerits to refill thofe fovereigns who trefpafs againft the duty 
which they owe to the people. Knox was not backward 
to juftify what he had taught. And upon this general 
doritrine of refiftance, fays Dr. Robertfon, fo juft: in its 
own nature, but fo delicate in its application to particular 
cafes, there enfued a debate, which admirably difplays the 
talents and charariler of both the difputants; the acute- 
nefs of the former, embellifhed with learning, but prone 
to fubtlety; the vigorous.underftanding of the latter, de¬ 
lighting in bold fentiments, and fuperior to all fear. 
In the year 1565, lord Darnley, having been married to 
the queen, was advifed by the proteftants about the court 
to hear Mr. Knox preach, they being of opinion that fuch 
a ftep would contribute much to procure him the good 
will of the people. Darnley accordingly complied ; but 
he was fo much offended at the fermon, that he complained 
to the council, who immediately ordered Mr. Knox be¬ 
fore them, and, out of complailance to the queen’s con- 
fort, filenced him for feveral days. His text on this oc¬ 
cafion was Ifaiah xxvi. 13. “O Lord our God, other 
lords- befides thee, have had dominion over us, &c.” 
From which words he took occafion to fpeak of the go¬ 
vernment of wicked princes, who, for the fins of the peo¬ 
ple, are fent as tyrants and fcourges to plague them; 
“ and fomelimes,” laid he, “ God fets over them, for their 
offences, boys and women.” In the general affembly 
which met towards the clofe of this year, Mr. Knox 
wasappointed to draw up aconfolatory letter in their name, 
to encourage the minifters to continue in the exercife of 
their function, notwithftanding the difeouragement which 
they were under, from their fcanty means of fubfiftence; 
and to exhort the friends of religion throughout the king¬ 
dom to fupply their necefllties. He was alfo appointed 
by the affembly to vifit and eftablilh the churches in the 
the fouth; and, having obtained their leave to go into 
England, on a vifit to two of his fons who were in that 
kingdom, he was furniflied by them with ample teftimo- 
nials of his life, dorilrine, and ufefulnefs, and a ftrong re¬ 
commendation of him to all proteftants. He was likewife 
the bearer of a letter from the affembly to the biftiops of 
England, drawn up by himfelf; the purport of which 
was, to complain of the fevere treatment of the Englilh 
puritans, and to folicit indulgence for them. In the 
year 1567, Mr. Knox preached a fermon at the corona¬ 
tion of king James VI. of Scotland, afterwards James I. 
of England; queen Mary having been compelled to re- 
fign the government, and to appoint the earl of Murray 
regent of the kingdom. He alfo preached a very zealous 
fermon at the opening of the convention of all the eftates, 
in the month of December in the fame year. 
