Knox, John, approximately 1514-1572; Reformation -- Scotland
Bullinger and Gualterus in particular were outworn by the pertinacious
English Puritans who visited them. One Sampson had, when in exile, made
the life of Peter Martyr a burden to him by his "clamours," doubts, and
restless dissatisfaction. "England," wrote Bullinger to Beza (March 15,
1567), "has many characters of this sort, who cannot be at rest, who can
never be satisfied, and who have always something or other to complain
about." Bullinger and Gualterus "were unwilling to contend with these
men like fencing-masters," tired of their argufying; unable to "withdraw
our entire confidence from the Bishops." "If any others think of coming
hither, let them know that they will come to no purpose." {261a}
Knox may have been less unsympathetic, but his advice agreed with the
advice of the Genevans. Some of the seceders were imprisoned; Cecil and
the Queen's commissioners encouraged others "to go and preach the Gospel
in Scotland," sending with them, as it seems, letters commendatory to the
ruling men there. They went, but they were not long away. "They liked
not that northern climate, but in May returned again," and fell to their
old practices. One of them reported that, at Dunbar, "he saw men going
to the church, on Good Friday, barefooted and bare-kneed, and creeping to
the cross!" "If this be so," said Grindal, "the Church of Scotland will
not be pure enough for our men." {261b}
These English brethren, when in Scotland, consulted Knox on the dispute
which they made a ground of schism. One brother, who was uncertain in
his mind, visited Knox in Scotland at this time. The result appears in a
letter to Knox from a seceder, written just after Queen Mary escaped from
Lochleven in May 1568. The dubiously seceding brother "told the Bishop"
(Grindal) "that you are flat against and condemn all our doings . . .
whereupon the Church" (the seceders) "did excommunicate him"! He had
reviled "the Church," and they at once caught "the excommunicatory
fever." Meanwhile the earnestly seceding brother thought that he had won
Knox to _his_ side. But a letter from our Reformer proved his error, and
the letter, as the brother writes, "is not in all points liked." They
would not "go back again to the wafer-cake and kneelings" (the Knoxian
Black Rubric had been deleted from Elizabeth's prayer book), "and to
other knackles of Popery."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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