Glimpses of Christian History Presents Pastwords #89: The Death of John Knox by Samuel Clarke ©2007

KNOX, JOHN (C. 1513-72), Scottish Reformer. He was born at Haddington, educated at Glasgow and possibly St. Andrews, received minor orders, perhaps even the priesthood, and set up as a notary in his native town. Having giving up his profession he became a private tutor c. 1544, and soon afterwards, under the influence of the reforming G. Wishart, embraced the principles of the Reformation. In 1547 he became preacher at St. Andrews; at the capture of the castle by the French galleys he was taken prisoner and sent to France, but released in 1549, when he came to England. In 1551 he was made chaplain to Edward VI and as such assisted in the final stages of the revision of the Second Prayer Bood; he appears to have been chiefly responsible for the Black Rubic. In 1553 he went as a preacher to Bucks, but on Mary's accession fled to the Continent. He met J. Calvin at Geneva, and in 1554 was for a short time pastor of the English refugees at Frankfurt, but was expelled after a dispute over matters of Sunday worship. In 1555 he returned to Scotland. Here his preaching and writing met with great success, but the continuing persecution of Protestants led him in 1556 to accept a call to the English church at Geneva, where he published several tracts concerning the situration in Scotland, among them The First Blast of the Trumpet against the Monstrous Regiment of Women (1558), a violent diatribe against Mary of Guise, asserting that government by a woman is contrary to the law of nature and to Divine ordinance. This pamphlet, which appeared shortly before the accession of Elizabeth, earned him the hostility of the English Queen, who refused to let him pass through England on his way back to Scotland in 1559. Becoming leader of the Reforming party, he devoted himself to preaching and to procuring money and troops from England. After the death of Mary of Guise (1560), he drew up the Scottish Comfession (q.v.) and brought into being a commission which was forbidden under pain of death. The First Book of Discipline (q.v.) was largely his work. About the same time his only theological work, the Treatise on Predestination (1560), appeared at Geneva; it is an exposition of rigid *Predestinationism. After *Mary Stuart's return to Scotland (1561), Knox came into repeated conflicts with the Queen over the question of having Mass celebrated for her as well as over the worldiness of her court, on both of which subjects he preached violent sermons. The Book of Common Order (1556-64), the Scottish service book, was largely his work. In 1567 he preached daily against the Queen, and after her abdication preached the sermon at the coronation of James and became closely connected with the regent, the earl of Moray. After the murder of Moray in 1570, Knox's political power diminished, and it was only after his death that his cause finally triumphed. Narrow, bigoted, and outspoken, Knox easily made enemies; yet, fearless and straightforward, he wielded an enormous influence. Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church

r. John Knox, having left Edenburgh, and gone to St. Andrews, met there with strong opposition from the Professors of Philosophy, which together with the grief which he conceived from the present troubles, cast him into a sickness, whereof he never perfectly recovered. And at this time, hearing that the Assembly of the Church was met at Striuling, he sent unto them this Letter;

Because the daily decay of natural strength doth threaten me with a certain, and sudden departure from the miseries of this llife, I exhort you, Brethren, yea, in the fear of God, I charge you, to take heed to your selves, and to the Flock over which God hath placed you Ministers. What your behaviour should be, I am not now, nor have I need, as I think, to express; but to charge you to be faithful, I dare not forget: And unfaithful ye shall be accounted before the Lord jesus, if with your consent, directly, or indirectly, you suffer unworthy men to be thrust into the Ministry of the Church, under what pretext sorever. Remember the Judge before whom we must give an account, and flee this, as you would esthew Hell fire. This will be an hard battel, I grant, but there is a second that will be harder, that is, to withstand the merciless devourers of the Church Patrimony. If men will spoil her, let them do it at their own peril and condemnation: but communicate not ye with their sins, of what estate or rank soever they be, neither be consent, nor silence: but by publick Protestation make known to the world, that ye are innocent of such Robbery, and that you will seek redress thereof, at the hands of God and man. God give you wisdome, strength, and Courage in so good a cause, and me an happy end. From St. Andrews, Aug. 13. 1571. AB. Spots. Hist. of the Church of Scotl. p. 257.

The Reader (saith the Arch-bishop) will pardon me, if I make a little digression, to shew what a man Mr. Knox was, both in his Life and Death; the rather, because some wicked and malicious spirits have studied by many forged lyes, to deprave his fame, only out of a hatred of the true Religion, whereof he was a zealous promoter. he was born in Gifford within Lothian: of a mean, but honest Parentage, and being put to School, made such a proficiency in his studies, under the famous Doctor, Mr. John Major, as he was held worthy to enter into Orders before the years allowed. By reading the Ancients, especially the Works of St. Austin, he was brought to the knowledge of the truth, and for the profession therof, endured many troubles. But having happily escaped these dangers he went into England, and became a Preacher of the Gospel, making his chief aboad in the Towns of Berwick, and New castle. In the beginning of Queen Maries Reign, he fled together with some other Ministers, to Geneva, and served with them in an English Congregation, which was gathered, until the year 1559. at which time he was called home by the Scottish Nobles, who endeavoured a Reformation, and as soon as the Church got liberty, placed him at Edenburgh. In this charge he continued to his last: for, as soon as the Civil troubles which forced him from thence were ceased, he returned to his charge again. But when his Body was grown infirm, and his voice so weak, as the People could not hear him, teaching in the ordinary place, he made choice of another, more comodious, in the Town, reading to his Auditory the History of the Passion, with which (he said) it was his desire to finish and close his Ministry. Thus he continued Preaching, though with much weakness, two Months and more after his return; and knowing that he was not to remain any long time with them; he was instant with the Council of the Town to provide themselves of a worthy Person to succeed in his place. Mr. James Lawson, who at the time, was a Professour of Phylosphy in the Colledge of Aberdeen, being commended for a good Preacher, Commissioners were directed from the Superintendent of Lothian, the Church of Edenburgh, and from Mr. John Knox himself to desire him to accept of the charge. To the Letter that the Commissioners carried, after he had set his own hand, he added this Postscript, Accelera, mi Frater, alioqui sero venies. Make haste, my Brother, otherwise you will come too late. Meaning, that if he made any delay, he should find him dead and gone. These last words moved Mr. Lawson to make the more haste in his journey: and when he was come to the Town, and had preached once, or twice, to the good liking of the People, order was taken by the Superintendent for his admission, and a Diet was appointed, at which Mr. Knox would be present himself and teach, though he could scarce walk on foot to the Chair.

At no time was he heard to speak with greater power, and with more content to the hearers; and in the end of his Sermon, calling God to witness that he had walked in a good Conscience among them, not seeking to please men, nor serving, either his own, or other mens affections, but in all sincerity and truth, had preached the Gospel of Christ, and with most grave and pithy words he exhorted them to stand fast in the Faith they had receaved. And having conceived a Zelous Prayer for the continuance of Gods blessings upon them, and the miltiplying of his Spirit upon the Preacher who was then to be admitted, he gave them his last farewell. The People conveyed him to his lodging, and could scarce be drawn from it, so loth they were to part with him. That afternoon, by sickness, he was forced to take his Bed. He was much visited by all sorts of Persons to whom he spake most comfortably: and the Earl of Morton coming to him, he thus spake to him:

My Lord God hath given you many blessings: he hath given you Wisdom, Riches, many good, and great Friends, and is now about to prefer you to the Government of this Realm. In his Name, I charge you, to use these blessings aright and better in time to come, than past. In all your actions, seek first the Glory of God, and the furtherance of his Gospel, and maintenance of his Church and Ministry; and next, be careful of the King, and procure his good, and the welfare of the Realm. If you do this, God will be with you, and honour you: if otherwise, you do it not, he shall deprive you of all these benefits, and your end shall be shame, and ignominy.

These words the Earl, nine years after, at the time of his execution, called to mind, saying, That he had found them to be true, and him therein a Prophet.

A day ot two before his Death, he sent for Mr. David Lindsay, Mr. James Lawson, and the Elders, and Deacons of the Church, to whom he said, The time is approaching which I have long thirsted for, wherein I shall be relieved of all cares, and be with my Saviour Christ for ever. And now, God is my witness, whom I serve with my Spirit, in the Gospel of his Son, that I have taught nothing but the true and solid Doctrine of the Gospel, and that the end that I propounded in all my preaching was, to instruct the ignorant, to confirm the weak, to comfort the Consciences of those that were humbled under the sense of their sins, and that were born down with the threatnings of Gods Judgments against proud and rebellious persons. I am not ignorant that many have blamed, and yet do blame my too great rigor and severity: but God knows, that in my heart I never hated the persons of those against whom I thundered Gods Judgments. I did only hate their sins, and laboured with all my power to gain them Christ: That I forbore none of whatever condition. And I did it out of the fear of my God, who had placed me in the function of my Ministry, and I knew that he would bring me to account. Now, Brethren, for your selves, I have no more to say, but to warn you, that you take heed to the Flock overwhom God hath placed you Overseers, and whom he hath redeemed by the bloud of his only begotten Son: And you, Mr. Lawson, fight a good fight, and do the work of the Lord with courage, and with a willing mind: and God from above bless you, and the Church whereof you have the charge. For against it, so long as it continueth in the Doctrine of Truth, the Gates of Hell shall not prevail.

The next day he gave order for making his Coffin, wherein his Body should be laid: and was that day (as in all the time of his sickness) much in Prayer, ever crying, Come Lord Jesus: Sweet Jesus, into thy hands do I commend my Spirit. Being asked by those that attended him, if his pain was great? he answered, That he did not esteem that a pain, which would be to him the end of all trouble, and the beginning of eternal Joyes. Oft times, after some deep meditations, he burst forth into these words; O serve the Lord in fear, and Death shall not be terrible to you. Blessed is the Death of those that have part in the Death of Jesus. The evening which was to him the last of this wretched life, having slept some hours together, but with great unquietness, sending forth many sighs and groans, two men that constantly attended him, when he awaked, asked him, how he found himself? and what it was that made him in his sleep to mourn so heartily? To whom he answered;

In my life I have been often assaulted by Satan, and many times he hath cast in my teeth my sins, to bring me to despair; yet God enabled me to overcome all his temptations: and now that subtile Serpent who never easeth to tempt, hath taken another course, and seeks to preswade me that my labours in the Ministry, and the fidelity I have shewn in that service, hath merited Heaven and immortality: but blessed be God that brought to my mind these Scriptures. What hast thou, that thou hast not reveived? And, Not I, but the Grace of God in me: with which he is gone away ashamed, and shall no more return. And now I am sure that my Battel is at an end; and that without pain of Body, or trouble of Spirit, I shall shortly change this mortal and miserable Life, with that happy and immortal Life which shall never have an end. Prayers being ended; he was asked, if he heard them? he answered, would to God you had heard them with such an ear and heart as I have done. Adding; Lord, Jesus receive my Spirit. After which words without any motion of hands or feet, as one falling a sleep rather than dying, he ended his Life.