John Knox (c.1505-1572) - Puritan Storm Rising! - by Ron Auvil

http://forerunner.com/puritan/puritan.html

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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[saoirse2011]

Knox was a political and religous opportunist.He was a catholic priest, and when he could'nt advance in the catholic church he latched on to other disaffected malcontents to enhance his own career and prospects.He later converted back to catholicism to gain his freedom from the French but then denied this as it would have destroyed his credentials as pioneering reformer.Were he alive today he would not look much different from the mad mullahs that the taliban love.

[jcr4runner]

@saoirse2011

How do you explain that the whole nation of Scotland was converted to Christ in one generation and embracing Reformed theology and ecclesiology? This happened under Roman Catholic rule. Knox led it, but it was a movement that went beyond what one man could do.

[WorshipInTruth]

@saoirse2011 We would still be living in the dark ages if it were not for men like John Knox, show some respect. Comparing the men of times past to our modern sensibilities is ridiculous. You are indoctrinated to the point where you would compare anybody who is zealous about their religious beliefs to the taliban? Such foolishness. I see you are as supporter of pagan druidism, those tyrannical druid priests weren't at all "religious fanatics" even when they sacrificed people to their pagan gods?

[WorshipInTruth]

@saoirse2011 Knox was an honest priest who wanted to follow the Biblical faith, when he realized that Biblical faith was more pronounced within Protestantism then in papal catholicism he turned on his former error and became one of the most outspoken opponents to the papal system. The fact that you call him an "opportunist" is slanderous, he risked his own life and limb to speak against his government at that time under Mary. That is the exact opposite of an opportunist.

[ProtestantThomas]

@LordEnglishPatriot

Monarchy is as stupid as popery tbh.

[saoirse2011]

@LordEnglishPatriot LOL and the rest of the fanatics.;

[LordEnglishPatriot]

@saoirse2011

Agreed, let's kill the pope and all priests.

[saoirse2011]

What a load of unadulterated shite talk from a 100% presbtyrant bigot,Knox was a murderous anti catholic and anti semite,everybody should be glad this christian fundamentalism is dying out in Europe.It has no place in the modern world.

[saoirse2011]

He was just another oppurtunist christian fundamentalist,as usual the scots were duped , no doubt calvin and knox's love of captitalism and money appealed to them.By the way not all the scots turned.

[smcguire1888]

@KiNGZeDDi3x HA HA i got this guy banned from youtube for abusing other users and most likely children