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Puritan Storm Rising!
Models for Reformation: John Kn...
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http://forerunner...
Puritan Storm Rising!
Models for Reformation: John Knox (1505-1572)
John Knox was ordained a priest in the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland at the time when John Calvin began the Reformation of Geneva. The flames of the Reformation began to be kindled in Scotland in the heart and mind of Knoxs close friend George Wiseheart. When Wiseheart was burned at the stake by Cardinal Beaton, the fires that consumed his body fired the heart of John Knox. From that hour he was the enemy of the Roman Catholic Church. Two years later, Beaton was assassinated by parties unknown.
Shortly after the death of Beaton, John Knox came to Edinburgh as a newly ordained priest, having been accused of hatching the plot against the cardinal even though he did not personally take a hand in executing it. Soon Knox had a growing group of followers. Knox traveled to Geneva three times to study under Calvin who had a high regard for the young Scotsman.
Then hell sent a close call for the Reformer in the person of Mary Queen of Scots.
Marys mother was Mary of Guise, a French woman married to King James of Scotland. Knox bore a terrible hatred toward Mary of Guise. As soon as Mary Queen of Scots had landed on Scottish soil, Knox fled fearing for his life.
Before long he returned to Scotland and sought a personal interview with the queen, then 20-years-old, with intent to bring her heart to Jesus. Mary then tried her hand at converting Knox back to Roman Catholicism or the Mother Church with bribes of political power. Stormy interviews followed, punctuated by covenantal lawsuits served up by Knox and his followers.
Increasing persecution by the Catholic authorities against the Scottish Reformers in the 1500s led them to adopt a form of public prayer proclamations or covenantal lawsuits. The intent of these prayer proclamations was to implore their enemies to come to the knowledge of salvation. If the wicked rulers refused to repent of their murders and idolatries, the Church, acting as an ecclesiastical court, was giving them over to hell. These declarations warned their oppressors to repent or suffer the consequences of facing a militant uprising led by the Church of Scotland:
"To the generation of Antichrist, the pestilent prelates and their Shavelings within Scotland, the Congregation of Christ Jesus within the same, sayeth,
"To the end that ye shall not be abused, thinking to escape just punishment, after that ye in your blind fury have caused the blood of many to be shed, this we notify and declare unto you, that if ye proceed in this your malicious cruelty, ye shall be entreated, wheresoever ye shall be apprehended, as murderers and open enemies to God and unto mankind; and therefore, betimes cease from this blind rage. Remove first from your bands of bloody men of war, and reform yourselves to a more quiet life; and thereafter mitigate ye the authority which, without crime committed upon our part, ye have inflamed against us, or else be ye assured, that with the same measure that ye have inflamed against us, and yet intend to measure to others, it shall be measured unto you: That is, as ye by tyranny intend not only to destroy our bodies, but also by the same to hold our souls in bondage of the Devil, subject to idolatry, so shall we with all force and power, which God shall grant unto us, execute just vengeance and punishment upon you.
"Yea, we shall begin that same war which God commanded Israel to execute against the Canaanites; that is, contract of peace shall never be made till ye desist from your bloody idolatry and cruel persecution of Gods children. And this we signify unto you in the name of the eternal God, and of his Son Jesus Christ, whose verity we profess, and Evangel we will have preached, and holy Sacraments rightly ministered, so long as God will assist us to gainstand your idolatry. Take this for advertisement and be not deceived."
The Scottish Covenanters refuted the idea of the Divine Right of Kings arguing that the King himself is in covenant with God. The people, as the kings subjects, were also a part of the covenant. John Knox implored the earthly rulers to submit themselves to Gods authority.
Armed uprising was not the first priority of the Church. They were first to dispense with all effective means of Church discipline. But armed resistance, as a last means of self defense, was never ruled out.
In response to Knoxs imprecatory prayers, Mary Queen of Scots is reputed to have said:
"I fear the prayers of John Knox more than all the assembled armies of Europe."
In response to the rising resistance of the Scottish Reformers, Mary fled Scotland and was later put to death by a court of English who had accused her of plotting to assassinate Elizabeth I.
John Knox, The Reformation in Scotland, pp.168,169,171,172.
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bahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
what a fucking joke. males like you need to be kept busy with manual labor. get off your fat ass and get a job.