of harvest, finding the professors of the Reformed religion much increased in number, and formed into a society under the inspection of the following teachers; William Harlow, John Willock, Paul Maffy or Methuen, and John Erskine of Dun, he associated himself with them, and preached to them. Presently after this, he accompanied one of them, the laird of Dun, to his seat in the north; where he staid a month, teaching and preaching daily to considerable numbers who resorted thither, among whom were the chief gentlemen in that country. From thence returning to Lothian, he resided for the most part in the house of Calder with sir James Sandilands, a man of great prudence and worth, where he met with many persons of the first rank; viz. the maister of Erskine, afterwards earl of Mar; the lord Lorn, afterwards earl of Argyle; lord James Stewart, prior of St. Andrew's, afterwards earl of Murray, and regent of Scotland. With these noble personages he conversed familiarly, and confirmed them in the truth of the Protestant doctrine.

In the winter of 1555, he taught, for the most part, in Edinburgh; about Christmas 1556, he went to the West of Scotland at the desire of some Protestant gentlemen, as John Lockhart of Bar, Robert Campbell of Kinzeancleugh, and others, and preached in many places in Kyle, viz. the houses of Bar, Carnal, Uchiltree, Gathgirth, and the town of Air. He visited likewise the earl of Glencairn, at Fynlaiston in the county of Renfrew, and administered the sa crament to his lordship's family. From these western parts he returned to the east, and resided some time in Calder, where many resorted to him both for doctrine and the benefit of the sacraments. From thence he went a second time to the laird of Dun's house, in the county of Means, where he preached more publicly than before, and admi nistered the sacrament to many persons of note at their desire. The popish clergy being alarmed at this success of Mr. Knox, in promoting the Protestant cause, summoned him to appear before them in the church of Blackfriers in Edinburgh, on May 15, 1556. Several gentlemen of dis tinction, among whoin the laird of Dun was none of the least considerable, resolving to stand by him, he determined to obey the suminons. But the prosecution was dropped, upon some informality of the summons, as was pretended, when the bishops perceived such a considerable party ap

pearing

pearing in his behalf. However, he went to Edinburgh on the day to which he was cited, where he preached to a greater audience than ever he had done before; in the bishop of Dunkeld's great house he taught, both before and after noon, to a great number for ten days.

At this time the earl of Glencairn prevailed with the earl Marischal, and his trustee Henry Drummond, to hear one of Mr. Knox's sermons. They were extremely well satis fied with his discourse, and proposed to him to write to the queen regent an earnest letter, to persuade her, if possible, to hear the Protestant doctrine. He complied with their desire, and wrote to her in May, 1556. The letter was delivered by the earl of Glencairn; the queen read it, and gave it to James Beaton, archbishop of Glasgow, with this sarcasm; "Please you, my lord, to read a pasquil." This gave occasion to Mr. Knox to make some additions to his letter, which he printed afterwards with the additions at Geneva, in 1558.

While our Reformer was thus occupied in Scotland, he received letters from the English congregation at Geneva, earnestly intreating him to go thither for after his expul sion from Frankfort, several of the congregation went to Geneva. Having seriously considered this invitation, he determined to return to that people, who had so great a regard for him. Accordingly, in July, 1556, he left Scotland, and having first sent his mother-in-law Elizabeth Bowes, and her daughter Margery his wife, to Dieppe in France, he followed after, and from thence they went to Geneva. He had no sooner turned his back, than the bishops summoned him to appear before them; and, upon his non-appearance, they passed a sentence of death against him for heresy, and burnt him in effigy at the cross of Edin burgh. Against this sentence he formed, and afterwards printed at Geneva, in 1558, his "Apellation from the cruel and most unjust Sentence pronounced against him by the false Bishops and Clergy of Scotland; with his Suppli cation to the Nobility, Estates, and Commonalty of the said Realm."

On March 10, 1556-7, the earl of Glencairn, lord Lorn, John Erskine of Dun, (for lord Erskine had not yet joined himself to this party), and James Stewart, afterwards earl of Murray, the chief promoters of the Reformation at that time in Scotland, judging their affairs to be in a pretty

good

good posture, and being sensible of the usefulness of Mr. Knox for the purpose, sent him an express, earnestly desiring him to return home. This letter coming to his hands in May, 1557, he immediately communicated it to his congregation, who were very unwilling to part with him; but having consulted with Calvin and other worthy. ministers, they gave it as their opinion, that he could not refuse such a plain call, unless he would declare himself rebellious to God and unmerciful to his country. The congregation upon this yielded to his return to Scotland, and he wrote back by the messengers who brought the letter, that he would return to them with all reasonable expedition. Accordingly, having provided for his congregation at Geneva, he left them in the end of September, and came to Dieppe, in his way to Scotland, on October 24. But there he unexpectedly met with letters from thence, contrary to the former, informing him, that new consultations were entered into, and advising him to stay at Dieppe till the final conclusion of them. This was further also explained in another letter, directed to a friend of Mr. Knox, in which he was told, that many of those who had before joined in this invitation, were becoming inconstant, and began to draw back. Upon the receipt of these advices, Mr. Knox wrote an expostulatory letter to the lords who invited him, concerning their rashness; in which he denounced judgements against such as should be inconstant in the religion they now professed. Besides this, he wrote several other letters from Dieppe, both to the nobility and professors of the Reformed religion of an inferior degree, exhorting them to constancy in their profession, and giving some useful cautions against the errors of sectaries, which grew up about this time both in Germany and England.

Mr. Knox exciting them in these letters to a greater degree of zeal for the doctrine they had espoused, they came at last to this resolution, that "They would follow forth. their purpose, and commit themselves, and whatsoever God had given them into his hands, rather than suffer idolatry to reign, and the subjects be defrauded of the only food of their souls ;" and that every one might be assured the

This letter is printed in his history, p. 97, 98, and is dated Stirling, March 10, 1556; to which, on account of its length, we are obliged to refer the curious reader.

VOL. III.-No. 57.

Y

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more of one another, a common bond or covenant was made and entered into by them, dated at Edinbugh, December3, 1557.

Mr. Knox returned to Geneva in the beginning of 1558, and the same year he printed there his treatise, entitled, "The first Blast of the Trumpet against the monstrous Regiment of Women.” Mr. D. Calderwood takes notice that the cruel and bloody government of queen Mary of England, and the endeavours of Mary of Lorrain, queen regent of Scotland, to break through the legal constitution, and introduce tyrannical government, and the domination of the French, were the chief motives which induced Mr. Knox to write and publish this piece.

In April, 1559, he determined to return to his native country; and having a strong desire in his way thither to visit those in England, to whom he had formerly preached the Gospel, he applied to sir William Cecil, his old acquaintance, to procúre leave for that purpose. But this petition was so far from being granted, that the messenger, whom he sent to solicit that favour, very narrowly escaped imprisonment. Upon this he made the best of his way to Scotland, where he arrived on May 2, 1559, and was very active in promoting the Reformation there, as appears from the second book of his history, which contains a full account of his conduct, till the Protestants were obliged to apply to England. For carrying on which transaction, in July this year, he was pitched upon to meet sir William Cecil, incognito at Stamford*; but his journey being retarded by the danger of passing near the French, who lay at Dunbar, he was afterwards sent in company with Mr. Robert Hamilton, another Protestant minister, to negociate these affairs between the Protestants in Scotland and queen Elizabeth. When they came to Berwick, they remained some days with sir James Crofts, the governor, who undertook to manage their business for them, and advised them. to return home; which they did. Secretary Cecil sent also an answer to the Protestant nobility and gentry, concerning their proposals to queen Elizabeth; which was so general, that they were very near resolving to break off the negocia tion, had not Mr. Knox interposed with so much earnest

Sir William Cecil's letter desiring that meeting, is dated at Oxford, July 14, 1559, and printed in Knox's History, p. 212, 213.

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nesss, that they allowed him once more to write to the secretary.

To Knox's letter there was quickly sent an answer, des siring that some persons of credit might be sent to confer with the English at Berwick; and the same letter informed them, that there was a sum of money ready to be delivered for carrying on the common cause, assuring them, that if the lords of the congregation were willing to enter into a league with queen Elizabeth upon honourable terms, they should want neither men nor money. Upon this answer, Mr. Henry Balnaveis, a man well respected in both kingdoms, was sent to Berwick, who soon returned with a sum of money, which defrayed the public expence till November; when John Cockburne of Ormiston being sent for the second support, received it, but fell into the hands of earl Botk well, who took the money from him. In the interim, Mr. Knox was chosen minister of Edinburgh, in July; but be ing obliged to attend the lords, while the agreement was in dependence, Mr. Willock was left in Edinburgh to officiate in his room. The effect of these negociations was the sending of an army under the command of the duke of Norfolk; which being joined by almost all the great men in Scotland, at last a peace was procured and concluded between the two kingdoms, on July 8, 1560.

Mr. Knox, and the rest who had formed themselves into congregations, being freed by this peace from any disturb ance, inade several regulations for the farther propagating and establishing the Protestant religion; and in order to have the Reformed doctrine preached through the kingdom, a division was made of it into twelve districts (for the whole number of the Reformed ministers at this time was only twelve,) and the district of Edinburgh was assigned to Mr. Knox. These twelve ministers also composed a confession of faith, which was afterwards ratified by parliament; they also compiled the first books of discipline for that church.

In December, this year, Mr. Knox buried his first wife Margery Bowes, an Englishwoman, for whose loss he was much grieved. In January, the following year, viz. 1561, we find Mr. Knox engaged in a dispute concerning the controverted points of religion, against Mr. Alexander Anderson, sub-principal of the King's College at Aberdeen, and Mr. John Leslie, parson of Une, afterwards bishop of Ross.