Posted on 01/15/2015 11:22:08 AM PST by Alex Murphy
Like a gathering storm off the shores of Scotland, the spiritual intensity within John Knox was building in strength during the initial years of his ministry. From the moment of his call to preach, the fiery convictions of this bold Scot were surging ahead with great force. In an hour when Rome was “breathing out threatenings and slaughter against all who tried to break them,” Knox was fearlessly preaching the Word of God with the undaunted boldness of the martyrs who preceded him. Nothing could prevent the inevitable Reformation from crashing upon Scotland’s coastline, led by this one who would become the most pivotal figure in the nation’s history.
From the outset of his ministry, Knox firmly believed that to preach the Bible was ‘to blow the Master’s trumpet.’ Knox viewed himself, not as a gentle flute, but as a militant blast, awakening a slumbering nation from its spiritual sleep. As the walls of Jericho came crashing to the ground with the blast of Israelite trumpets, Knox was strongly convinced that it would be the authoritative proclamation of Scripture that would bring down the false religious battlements of this world. It was to such a transcendent view of biblical authority that Knox committed himself throughout the entirety of his ministry.
In the second article of this series, the foundational years of Knox’s inaugural ministry will be traced (1547-54). During these early years, Knox became a marked man, as life-threatening circumstances put him at extreme risk. However, through these many dangers God was preparing him to one day establish the Church of Scotland and advance the cause of the Reformation in his native land. The story of this famed reformer, John Knox of Scotland, now continues.
Preaching in St. Andrews (1547)
From his initial preaching in St. Andrews, Knox daringly upheld the cardinal Reformation truth of sole fide, that justification is by faith alone in Christ alone. A staunch defender of salvation by grace alone, Knox denounced Rome’s teaching on purchased indulgences, holy pilgrimages, forced fasts, and clerical celibacy. He declared these vain practices to be blasphemous and openly pronounced the pope to be an antichrist. Describing the spiritual climate of the day, William Blaikie explains, “In those days, every man’s preaching was coloured by the attitude he held to the Church of Rome.” As a result, the congregation in St. Andrews renounced Roman Catholicism and pledged their allegiance to the message being preached in the Reformation.
As a lightning rod draws fire, Knox unavoidably attracted the heat of the Romish church for such preaching. He was called before John Winran, the sub-prior of the Augustinians, to give an account of his Protestant doctrine. Knox declared that no man can usurp Christ as the Head of the church, not even the pope. Moreover, he asserted that Catholic ceremonies went beyond the commands and instruction of Scripture. He further insisted the mass to be idolatrous and decried purgatory. Knox also recognized an insurmountable chasm between the true and false church. But surprisingly, Winran took no action, and Knox was delivered out the lion’s mouth.
Imprisoned as a Galley Slave (1547-49)
In June 1547, the St. Andrews Castle came under siege by a fleet of eighteen French galleons. After a month long attack, the Protestants were bombed into submission and forced to surrender. As their spiritual leader, Knox was the prime target. He was captured, along with 120 defenders, and consigned to be a galley slave in the hull of a French battleship. For nineteen months (1547-8), he was chained to an oar with little food, deplorable sanitation, and rampant galley-fever. Knox was scorched and blistered in the blazing sun and would shiver in the damp cold nights. During this long period of intense suffering, Knox grew physically weak and his health suffered due to the deplorable conditions.
Aboard this ship, repeated efforts were made by his French captors to drive Knox back to Catholicism. On one occasion, a statue of Mary was thrust in his face, and they tried to force him to kiss the image. He resolutely resisted: “Trouble me not; such an idol is accursed and therefore I will not touch it.” Unflinchingly, Knox threw the icon overboard, proclaiming, “Let our Lady now save herself; she is light enough; let her learn to swim.”
On two occasions, Knox rowed in the open water within sight of the steeple of St. Andrews Castle. Longing to stand within her walls once again, he never surrendered his ardent hope that he would one day return and preach where he had first been called to the ministry. With unshakable confidence in the Lord, Knox stated:
I see the steeple of that place where God first opened my mouth in public to His glory, and I am fully persuaded, how weak soever I now appear, I shall not depart this life till my tongue shall glorify His Holy name in the same place.
By the negotiation of the new Protestant King of England, Edward VI, Knox was eventually released from his slavery through a prisoner exchange with France in early 1549. However, it was unsafe for Knox to return to his pro-Catholic homeland, where a certain arrest, trial, and possible death would await him. Instead, he journeyed south across the English border to London, believing Protestant loyalists would welcome him. As expected, Knox was well received and for the next five years (1549-53), Knox preached as a Scottish exile in England. His mission would be to establish reform in the Church of England.
Pastoring in Berwick-on-Tweed (1549- 51)
Under the placement of the Privy Council, an inner circle around Edward VI, Knox was assigned a pastorate in Berwick-upon-Tweed. This crossroads town was located just three miles from the Scottish border and consisted of some 5,000 inhabitants, half of them soldiers. In April 1549, Knox began pastoring the Berwick Parish Church, also known as the Church of the Holy Trinity. This rugged, outpost town proved to be a difficult place in which to minister. In this spiritually dark town, known for moral corruption and licentious living, Knox established God’s Word as a beacon of gospel light.
Through the fiery preaching of Knox, many people in the border town of Berwick were dramatically converted to Christ. Knox would reflect upon this life-changing effect of his preaching:
God so blessed my weak labours that in Berwick—where commonly before there used to be slaughter by reason of quarrels among the soldiers—there was as great quietness, all the time that I remained there.In preparation for his sermons, Knox would pour over numerous books and commentaries in personal study of the Scripture. He was convinced that biblical preaching demands the best mental powers. He, thus, absorbed the important works written by the leading theological writers of ancient and modern times. For example, Knox describes himself as ‘sitting at his books’ and contemplating the Gospel of Matthew by the help of ‘some most godly expositions, and among the rest Chrysostom.’ By this, Knox used his brilliant mind to study and expound the truth.
On Trial in Newcastle (1550)
The deeper Knox dug into Scripture, the stronger his preaching grew, especially against the idolatrous practice of the mass. Accusations by those sympathetic to Catholic dogma were again raised in opposition to him. In April of 1550, he was summoned to Newcastle to give an account for his Reformed doctrine before the Council of the North. Before his examiners, Knox presented a strong biblical defense, stating “all worshipping, honoring, or service invented by the brain of man in the religion of God, without his [God’s] own express commandment, is idolatry.” Knox’s argument was so compelling that no formal charges were made against him. He again was released and returned to Berwick to continue his pastorate.
In this outpost town, Knox met his future wife, Marjorie Bowes, at the time a teenager. Marjorie was the daughter of Richard Bowes, the captain of nearby Norham Castle and one of the most influential men in all of northern England. She, in addition to her mother, was converted to Christ under Knox’s strong biblical preaching. Knox and Marjorie fell in love and pledged betrothal to one other, though they would not be married until 1555. Marjorie would eventually bear him two sons, Nathanael and Eleazer. Later, in Geneva, John Calvin would refer to Marjorie as “a wife the like of whom is not found everywhere.”
Pastoring in Newcastle (1551)
In the early summer of 1551, Knox accepted the call to pastor the Church of St. Nicholas in Newcastle, England, located south of Berwick. Though his time here would be brief, his preaching spread in reputation, so much so that many fellow Scots traveled across the border to hear him. In the pulpit, Knox’s singular focus remained intent upon feeding the living Word to his hungry flock. He stated:
I did distribute the bread of life, as of Christ Jesus I received it… My honor was that Christ Jesus should reign, my glory that at the light of his truth should shine in you.Chaplain to the King (1551-53)
In September 1552, Knox was asked to move to London, where he frequently preached before the King at such notable places as Windsor Castle, Hampton Court, St. James’ Palace, and Westminster Abbey. This strategic placement, Martyn Lloyd-Jones notes, positioned Knox “right in the centre of affairs in England.” Knox used his increased influence to challenge the prescribed public worship within the Church of England, which, he believed, retained elements of Catholic influence. Under the previous English king, Henry VIII, Knox was convinced that the national church did not go far enough in its separation from Rome. This staunch Scotsman was persuaded that more reform was still needed.
Accordingly, the archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, insisted that one should kneel in communion before the bread and wine. Knox vehemently objected and denounced the practice as idolatrous, fearing it resembled Catholicism and failed to conform to Christ. Such protest forced Cranmer to insert in the Second Book of Common Prayer (1552) an addition known as the “Black Rubric,” which clarified that lowering oneself was not an act of worship toward the elements. By this insistence, Lloyd-Jones maintains that Knox was the “founder of Puritanism,” or the first to attempt to purify the practices of the Church of England.
With increasing notoriety, Knox was nominated for the highly regarded bishopric of Rochester (October 1552). Nevertheless, he declined this esteemed position of overseeing many churches, convinced that the Church of England had not reformed enough to join it. Instead, he chose to remain “simply a preacher.” Subsequently, the office of vicar of All-Hallows in Bread Street, London, was also offered to him (February 1553). Again, Knox refused.
Withdrawal into Hiding (1553-54)
On 6 July 1553, the Protestant cause in England came to an abrupt halt. At age sixteen, the reform-minded king, Edward VI, suddenly died. After a nine days reign by Lady Jane Grey (10 July-19 July), the Protestant’s worst nightmare came to pass. On 19 July 1553, Edward’s sister, the strict Catholic, Mary Tudor, was proclaimed Mary I, Queen of England. This Romish succession to the royal throne would ignite persecution fires under a reign of terror for the true believers throughout the nation.
‘Bloody Mary,’ as she came to known in future years, slaughtered some 288 of the reformers, women, and children, and stained England with their blood. Among those burned at the stake would be some of the finest Englishmen of the day, spiritual leaders like John Rogers, Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley, and Thomas Cranmer. With this martyrdom looming on the near horizon, Knox withdrew to southern England, where he continued preaching for several months. Finally, in March 1554, he made the agonizing decision to cross the English Channel to the safety of the European Continent. There Knox would minister for the next five years.
Little did Knox know that through these tumultuous conflicts, he was becoming battle-tested for the larger campaigns that lay ahead. With every trial and circumstance he faced during these early years, Knox proved himself to be faithful to each divine assignment entrusted to him. In due time, God would promote this servant of the Word to even greater responsibilities. In his future ministry, Knox’s life work would be the establishment of the Church of Scotland. But for now, Knox was found trustworthy to the God-entrusted stewardship committed to him.
Like John Knox, may God raise up valiant men, ones who are firmly committed to the exclusivity and sufficiency of Scripture. May God give to His church those who, in the face of much adversity, would steadfastly persevere and boldly lead His sheep to higher spiritual ground. In this demanding hour, filled with much darkness and difficulty, may God’s servants hold fast the torch of gospel truth, and in so doing, may reformation flames spread far and wide once again throughout this world.
....On 6 July 1553, the Protestant cause in England came to an abrupt halt. At age sixteen, the reform-minded king, Edward VI, suddenly died. After a nine days reign by Lady Jane Grey (10 July-19 July), the Protestant’s worst nightmare came to pass. On 19 July 1553, Edward’s sister, the strict Catholic, Mary Tudor, was proclaimed Mary I, Queen of England. This Romish succession to the royal throne would ignite persecution fires under a reign of terror for the true believers throughout the nation. ‘Bloody Mary,’ as she came to known in future years, slaughtered some 288 of the reformers, women, and children, and stained England with their blood. Among those burned at the stake would be some of the finest Englishmen of the day, spiritual leaders like John Rogers, Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley, and Thomas Cranmer. With this martyrdom looming on the near horizon, Knox withdrew to southern England, where he continued preaching....
....Like John Knox, may God raise up valiant men, ones who are firmly committed to the exclusivity and sufficiency of Scripture. May God give to His church those who, in the face of much adversity, would steadfastly persevere and boldly lead His sheep to higher spiritual ground. In this demanding hour, filled with much darkness and difficulty, may God’s servants hold fast the torch of gospel truth, and in so doing, may reformation flames spread far and wide once again throughout this world.
John Knox PING
Yes...I like John Knox.
Did you no’ think tae tell when John Knox himsel’
Preached under your branches sae black
To the poor common folk who would lift up the yoke
O’ the bishops and priests frae their backs
But you knew the bargain he sold them
And freedom was only one part
For the price o’ their souls was a gospel sae cold
It would freeze up the joy in their hearts
My bonnie yew tree
Tell me what did you see
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8nIFwpb3NQ
John Knox, my favorite reformer. No king but Jesus - in modern democracies like the US, that means “king” Obama and the left agenda.
Except that when he wasn’t busy plotting and engaging in murder and stirring up looting and pogroms, he was conspiring with Scotland’s enemies for the end of Scottish independence. What Knox really meant was “no king except the king I want.” Which was the English king.
The regs of this forum forbid mind reading.
-Of other freepers. The no-minding clause falls under the heading of “making it personal” which is under the “ad hominems” section. If John Knox starts posting here he can feel free to ping the mods and have my comment pulled. He can then also explain his pro-English stance against his own homeland.
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