John Knox was a Scottish Protestant Reformer and was the cause of major transformation in the faith of the people. He is mentioned to be the founder of Presbyterian denomination in Scotland.
Background
Knox was born c. 1513 in Giffordgate, Scotland. His father, William Knox, was a merchant. All that is known of his mother is that her maiden name was Sinclair and that she died when John Knox was a child. Their eldest son, William, carried on his father's business, which helped in Knox's international communications.
Education
It is stated that Knox underwent training at the University of St. Andrews for the priesthood under Scholar John Major. Though he did not complete his master’s degree, his studies were considered to be equivalent to a good scholarship in Scotland.
Career
By the year 1540, Knox was in priest’s order and three years later he was also practicing apostolic brief in the area of Haddington. This establishes the fact that he had earned a good reputation by then.
In the year 1545, Knox was teaching political Protestantism to the sons of two gentlemen belonging to East Lothian. The same year in December, a Reformation leader named George Wishart started preaching in the area of Lothian. Knox came in contact with Wishart and was highly influenced by him. In the month of March, the following year Wishart was burnt for apostasy by the ruler of Scotland David Beaton. Beaton was murdered by conspirators from Protestants three months later.
During this time, Knox moved to several places with his pupils for protection. His plan to visit Germany to study Protestantism deeply was distracted when some of his employees asked him to move to the Castle of St. Andrews that would even provide him protection. Within three months of time in St. Andrews, Knox was a completely transformed man with the skill of a knowledgeable speaker and the leading role in reformation movement in Scotland. The Protestants who stayed in the castle came to know about Knox and tried to convince him to become the preacher and take charge of the office. After resistance to become a preacher, Knox gave a lecture in St. Andrews which convinced the people that they had found a great scholar.
In the year 1547, Knox and others at the castle were made captive in the French galley. They were released after nineteen months when English intervened. Knox’s health had started deteriorating by then.
Meanwhile, in England, Edward VI was looking for preachers and clergy to support Protestantism. Knox was contacted to become a licensed preacher to visit north to the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed to support reformation.
By the year 1551, the responsibilities of Knox had increased and he was given more tasks in the Newcastle. He was also hired to be a part of one of the six royal chaplains who performed preaching at the courts and visited towns lacking protestant enthusiasm. He with the support of the government began a ministry in London, Kent, and Buckinghamshire.
When Mary Tudor, who was a Roman Catholic, came on to the throne in the year 1553 Knox had to escape from the country. He visited several towns of England disturbed by the fact that the new rule had changed the faith of many. He started to realize that the ruler was forcing religion on the people and the fact of ‘true religion’ was being affected. The same year Knox was made the minister of the congregation of English refugees in Frankfurt am Main for few months after which he became the minister of a congregation of English exiles in Geneva. He worked there until the year 1559.
In the city of Edinburgh, Knox was impressed by the response he received from all classes of people. He proclaimed the feature of ‘justifiable resistance’ to the Romans who wanted all Protestants to stop their ceremonies and rites in the Roman Churches. Before leaving back to Geneva, he provided a letter titled ‘Letter of Wholesome Council’ in the year 1556 which guided believers of the faith. This, in turn, helped create major reforms and also created Elders of the Reformed Church.
In the year 1559 when the relationship between France and Scotland improved, the Queen felt the need to stop the expansion of Protestantism. She called all the protestant preachers to appear at Stirling on May 10th.
The year of 1559 was a lot of sufferings for the Protestants who were kept motivated by Knox. The following year, 10,000 English troops joined the Scottish Protestants. The queen died in Edinburgh while the French had to submit defeat. Finally, the Scottish Protestants became victorious. Knox prepared Scots Confession and papal authority was closed down. Knox put forward before the Scottish government ‘First Book of Discipline’ which instituted guidelines to a reformed church. The ‘Book of Order’ mentioned on the guiding principles to be used for the worship and appointment of Ministers and Elders.
When the situations once again started worsening in the year 1571 Knox and other members moved to St. Andrews for protection. Edinburgh had become a war ground but for some reason, Knox returned to the place in 1572 to die. By the time of his death, Scotland was transformed and the parliament had accepted the transformation policies. It is mentioned that the first missionaries to visit America came from Scotland.
Religion
Knox dedicated his entire life to reform the faith of Protestants. For this reason, he had to fight with the Roman Catholics and also with the Royals to prove his faith and bring order to the ‘True religion’.
He was a great preacher and religious reformer in Scotland. He fought for the people who believed in his faith till the end of his life. He tried to bring protestant reformation in the region of Scotland and was major successful in it. He was a powerful preacher and was greatly appreciated by the fellow Protestants. His lifelong work and devotion to the Protestant faith became the base of a major religious reform in the region.
Politics
Knox is popularly known for publishing ‘First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women’ which mentions about the rule by the females and their policies. He is mentioned to be basically against the female ruling.
Views
Quotations:
‘To promote a woman to bear rule, superiority, dominion, or empire above any realm, nation, or city, is repugnant to nature; contumely to God, a thing most contrary to his revealed will and approved ordinance; and finally, it is the subversion of good order, of all equity and justice.’
‘The Scriptures of God are my only foundation and substance in all matters of weight and importance.’
‘Prayer is an earnest and familiar talking with God, to whom we declare all our miseries, whose support and help we implore and desire in our adversities, and whom we laud and praise for our benefits received. So that prayer contains the exposition of our sorrows, the desire of God's defense, and the praising of His magnificent name, as the Psalms of David clearly do teach.’
Personality
Quotes from others about the person
“I fear the prayers of more than all the armies of England,” - Queen of Scotland
Connections
Knox visited the town of Berwick where he met Marjorie Bowes whom he married. In 1560, his wife succumbed to death after giving birth to two sons of Knox. In the year 1564, he married a distant relative of Mary, Margaret Stewart who was seventeen years of age then. They had three daughters together named Martha, Margaret and Elizabeth.