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to take away the round-clipped God." These alterations gave great offence to the Papists.* In 1552, he was likewise employed, with his brother-chaplains, in revising the Articles of Religion,† previously to their parliamentary ratification.

During his residence at Berwick he paid his addresses to Miss Margery Bowes, a lady of an honourable family, being nearly allied to Sir Robert Bowes, a distinguished courtier during the reigns of Henry VIII. and his son Edward. By the young lady herself, and her mother, he was favourably received but from the presumed aversion of her father, as it has been conceived, they deemed it prudent to delay solemnising the union. Henceforward, however, he conceived himself sacredly bound to her by promise, and invariably in his letters + designated Mrs. Bowes by the name of mother.

Presaging apparently, that the golden opportunity

* In a disputation with Latimer, after the accession of Queen Mary, the Prolocutor (Dr. Weston) complained of Knox's intervention upon this occasion: "A runagate Scot did take away the adoration, or worshipping, of Christ in the Sacrament, by whose procurement that heresy was put into the last Communion-Book; so much prevailed that one man's authority at that time."

In the Liturgy, it may be added from Dr. M'Crie, which was attempted to be imposed upon the Scottish Church in 1637, all the qualifications and explications in the last Prayer-Book of Edward VI. were totally excluded, and various expressions and gestures favourable to the old superstition were unblushingly substituted in their place. But the rulers of the church in the three kingdoms were then posting fast to Rome, when they were overturned in their mad career.

†They were, at this time, forty-two in number. In 1562, they were reduced to thirty-nine.

See the Extracts.

would not be of long duration, he was now eager to "redeem the time:" in addition to his ordinary service on the Sundays, preaching frequently upon every day of the week; and often employed in conversing with persons, who applied to him for advice on religious subjects. The Council were not insensible to the value of his labours. By letters to the governors and principal inhabitants of the places where he preached, they recommended him to notice and protection: they secured to him the regular payment of his salary; and, as a farther proof of their high respect, in September 1552 they granted to his brother William Knox, by patent, permission for a limited time to trade to any port of England, in a vessel of a hundred tons burthen.

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He could not, however, escape the hostility of the Catholics of the North. In a sermon delivered about Christmas 1552, having asserted that such as were enemies to the Gospel then preached in England were secret traitors to the crown and commonwealth, thirsted for nothing more than his Majesty's death, and cared not who should reign over them, provided they got their idolatry again erected,' he was accused of high misdemeanors before the Privy Council. Profligate and ambitious, the haughty Duke of Northumberland had not heard him lament the fall of Somerset, which he had himself accomplished, with indifference: and he had accordingly, previously to the occurrence just mentioned, applied to the Council by letter for his removal.

But though powerful enemies had been extremely industrious in endeavouring to excite prejudices against him, his illustrious Judges, convinced of their malice, gave him an honourable acquittal. He was

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employed to preach before the Court; and his Majesty, delighted with his discourses, was anxious to have him promoted in the church. The Council re

solved, that he should preach in London and the southern counties during the following year; allowing him however to go for a short time to Newcastle, either that he might settle his affairs in the North, or that a public testimony might be borne to his innocence in the place where it had been attacked.

About the beginning of February, 1553, he returned to London. In the February preceding, Archbishop Cranmer had been directed to present him to the vacant living of All-Hallows in the city: but this, as he did not feel himself disposed entirely to conform to the English Liturgy, he thought proper to decline.

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Upon his refusal, he was called before the Council ́and informed, that they were sorry to find him of a contrary mind to the common order.' Knox replied,

he was sorry" the common order" was contrary to Christ's institution;' alluding to some ceremonies still retained in the Church of England, to which he objected. On the same ground, we learn both from Beza and himself, he refused a bishopric, vehemently condemning all ecclesiastical dignities.* He continued, however, to hold his appointment of public

* Tunstale being sequestered upon a charge of misprision of treason, the Council had come to a resolution to divide his extensive diocese into two, the seat of one of which was to be at Durham, and of the other at Newcastle. Ridley, Bishop of London, was to be translated to the former; and it is highly likely, that Knox was intended for the latter." He was offered a bishopric (says Brand) probably the new-founded one at Newcastle, which he refused-reverà noluit episcopari.”

preacher. Of the boldness of his court-discourses we may form a judgement from the account, which he has given of the last he delivered before his Majesty, upon John xiii. 18. In that, he directed several piercing glances of reproof at the haughty Premier, and his subtile relation the Marquis of Winchester, both of whom were among his hearers. • It had been often seen, he said, that the most excellent princes were surrounded with false officers and counsellors.' Having inquired into the reasons, of this, and illustrated the fact from the scripture-examples of Achitophel under David, Shebna under Hezekiah, and Judas Iscariot under Christ, he added; "What wonder is it, then, that a young and innocent king be deceived by crafty, covetous, wicked, and ungodly counsellors? I am greatly afraid that Achitophel be counsellor, that Judas bear the purse, and that Shebna be scribe, comptroller, and treasurer."

On the sixth of July, 1553, died Edward VI.; to the unspeakable grief of all lovers of learning, virtue, and true religion. This afflictive event did not find Knox unprepared. He had long anticipated it, with it's probable consequences; and he had frequently introduced it, as a subject of bitter anguish, into his public discourses, as well as his confidential conversations with his friends. Immediately after the proclamation of Mary, under a just apprehension of the measures which might be adopted by the new government, he appears to have withdrawn into the North. That Princess, however, with a view of conciliating her Reformed subjects, having promised not to do any violence to their consciences, in the August following he resumed his labours. At this period, most probably, he composed the Confession

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and Prayer,'* commonly used by him in his congregations, in which he supplicated for Queen Mary by

* "Omnipotent and everlasting God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who by thy eternal providence disposest kingdoms as best seemeth to thy wisdom, we acknowledge and confess thy judgements to be righteous, in that thou hast taken from us for our ingratitude, and for abusing of thy holy word, our native King and earthly comforter. Justly may thou pour forth upon us the uttermost of thy plagues, for that we have not known the days and times of our merciful visitation. We have contemned thy word, and despised thy mercies. We have transgressed thy laws; for deceitfully have we wrought every man with our neighbours: oppression and violence we have not abhorred: charity hath not appeared among us, as our profession requireth. We have little regarded the voices of thy prophets; thy threatenings we have esteemed vanity and wind: so that in us, as of ourselves, rests nothing worthy of thy mercies. For all are found fruitless, even the princes with the prophets, as withered trees, apt and meet to be burned in the fire of thy eternal displeasure. But, O Lord, behold thy own mercy and goodness, that thou mayest purge and remove the most filthy burthen of our most horrible offences. Let thy love overcome the severity of thy judgements, even as it did in giving to the world thy only son Jesus when all mankind was lost, and no obedience was left in Adam nor in his seed. Regenerate our hearts, O Lord, by the strength of the Holy Ghost. Convert thou us, and we shall be converted. Work thou in us unfeigned repentance, and move thou our hearts to obey thy holy laws. Behold our troubles and apparent destruction; and stay the sword of thy vengeance, before it devour us Place above us, O Lord, for thy great mercies' sake, such a head, with such rulers and magistrates, as fear thy name, and will the glory of Christ Jesus to spread. Take not from us the light of thy evangelists, and suffer thou no papistry to prevail in this realm. Illuminate the heart of our Sovereign Lady, Queen Mary, with frequent gifts of thy Holy Ghost: and inflame the hearts of her Council with thy true fear and love. Repress thou the pride of those, that would rebel; and remove from all hearts the contempt of thy word, Let not our enemies rejoice in our destruction; but look thou to the honour of thy own name, O Lord, and let thy gospel be preached with boldness in this realm,

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