The Scottish Reformation: Its Epochs, Episodes, Leaders, and Distinctive CharacteristicsMitchell, Alexander F. (Alexander Ferrier)
History
The Scottish Reformation: Its Epochs, Episodes, Leaders, and Distinctive Characteristics
Mitchell, Alexander F. (Alexander Ferrier)
Reformation -- Scotland
It was there that Puritanism was organised as a distinct school, if not
also as a distinct party, in the church. If it had done nothing more
than what it was honoured to do in the few peaceful years our fathers
were permitted to spend in that much loved city by the bright blue
waters of the Leman Lake, it would have done not a little for which the
church and the world would have had cause to be grateful to it still.
There were first clearly proclaimed in our native language those
principles of constitutional government, and the limited authority of
the "upper powers," which are now universally accepted by the
Anglo-Saxon race. There was first deliberately adopted and resolutely
put in practice among British Christians a form of church constitution
which eliminated sacerdotalism, and taught the members of the church
their true dignity and responsibility as priests to God and witnesses
for Christ in the world. There was first used that Book of Common Order
which was long to be the directory for public worship in the fully
reformed Church of Scotland, and whose simple rites Bishop Grindal was
forced to own, in his controversy with the English Puritans, he could
not reprove. There was nearly completed, after the model of the French
version, the English Metrical Psalter. There was planned and executed a
translation of the Scriptures into our mother tongue, which for nearly
half a century continued to hold its place alongside of others executed
at greater leisure and more favoured by authority.[92] That was how our
reformer and his tireless associates occupied themselves when left
freely to follow their own bent. That was how he was ultimately prepared
for the great work he was to accomplish in his native country when
finally invited to return to it.
Immediately after the accession of Elizabeth to the English throne in
the autumn of 1558,[93] the English exiles on the Continent began to
break up their congregations and return to their native land. Those at
Geneva were among the first who commenced to do so; but those of them
who had been occupying themselves in that translation of the Bible into
English which was to prove such a blessing to their countrymen decided
to remain where they were until they had finished that work.[94] Those
who returned were at first favourably received by the queen and her
advisers, and taken into service in the reconstituted church; but when
it was found that they were generally averse to comply fully with the
ceremonies which she fostered, a change took place.
[Sidenote: Returns to Scotland.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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