John Knox

John Knox

John Knox (c. 1514 – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister who helped lead important changes in his country's religion. He was born in Giffordgate, a street in Haddington, East Lothian, and studied at the University of St Andrews.

Knox wanted to change the Scottish Church. He faced many difficulties, including being captured and sent away from home. While he was away, he worked in the Church of England and served under King Edward VI. When the rules changed under Queen Mary I, he moved to Geneva, where he learned more about new ways of worship.

When Knox returned to Scotland, he helped lead these changes. He worked with Scottish nobles to create new beliefs and practices for the Reformed Church, known as the Kirk. Knox wrote about these changes and continued to lead the Protestant community, even speaking openly to Mary, Queen of Scots. He preached until the end of his life, leaving a big impact on Scotland's religious history.

Early life: 1505–1546

John Knox was born between 1505 and 1515 near Haddington in East Lothian. His father, William Knox, was a merchant. His mother, Sinclair, died when John was young. John went to school in Haddington and later studied at the University of St Andrews or the University of Glasgow.

In 1536, John became a priest in Edinburgh. By 1540, he worked as a priest and a notary. He tutored children from families who supported new religious ideas during the Reformation.

Embracing the Reformation of 1546–1547

John Knox was influenced by two important reformers, Patrick Hamilton and George Wishart. Wishart had to leave Scotland because of his beliefs and traveled to places like England, Germany, and Switzerland. When he returned, he began preaching about changing the church. Knox became one of his closest friends.

Wishart was arrested and later had to leave because of his beliefs. Knox was advised to leave and continued teaching children for their families. Later, a group took over a castle as a protest, and Knox joined them there. His preaching skills were noticed, and soon he began giving sermons. In his first sermon, he spoke about his beliefs based only on the Bible and the idea that people are made right with God through faith alone. He also talked about rejecting certain church practices.

Confinement in the French galleys, 1547–1549

John Knox had a difficult time when the French took over a castle in Scotland. In 1547, French ships came and captured the castle, taking Knox and other Scottish leaders as prisoners. Knox had to work on French ships, rowing every day in hard conditions. They sailed to France and spent the winter near the Loire River.

Knox became very ill but stayed strong and supported his fellow prisoners. He hoped to return to the church where he first preached. In February 1549, after almost two years as a prisoner, Knox was finally released.

Exile in England, 1549–1554

After being released, John Knox found safety in England. The church in England was changing, though not as much as in other places. Leaders such as the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, and the Duke of Somerset supported these changes. Knox began working in the Church of England in April 1549, starting in Berwick-upon-Tweed. He used a new prayer book but changed some parts to fit ideas from other reformers. His sermons were very popular.

Knox met his wife, Margery Bowes, in England. Her family was from Durham and Yorkshire. Knox married her, even though her family did not approve. Later, Knox became a preacher in Newcastle upon Tyne and one of the king's six royal chaplains. In 1551, a new leader took power, and Knox spoke out against this change. He was asked to preach in London and suggested changes to the prayer book, which led to some debates. Knox was offered an important church position but refused it. When Queen Mary Tudor returned England to older Catholic traditions, Knox left for the Continent in 1554 because it was no longer safe for him there.

From Geneva to Frankfurt and Scotland, 1554–1556

John Knox traveled from Dieppe in France to Geneva, where John Calvin led the church. Knox asked Calvin some questions about rulers and got answers. He wrote a pamphlet and was invited to be a minister for English exiles in Frankfurt.

Knox had disagreements with the exiles about their church services. After a conflict with new people, including Richard Cox, Knox left Frankfurt and went back to Geneva. Later, he returned to Scotland, where many noble people welcomed him. Church leaders were worried about his preaching, but they did not stop him. Knox kept sharing his ideas in Edinburgh.

Return to Geneva, 1556–1559

In 1556, John Knox went back to Geneva after writing to the Queen Regent. Geneva had asked him to be their minister in 1555, and he agreed. He said goodbye to his friends, packed up, and left Scotland with his wife and mother-in-law. Knox reached Geneva on September 13, 1556.

For the next two years, Knox was happy in Geneva. He often told his friends in England that Geneva was a good place to learn about Christ's teachings. He believed Geneva had very strong and true beliefs.

Knox was busy in Geneva. He gave three long sermons each week. The church services used a special format he helped make, which later became the Book of Common Order in 1565. He preached in a church for English and Italian people, now called the Auditoire de Calvin. Knox's two sons, Nathaniel and Eleazar, were born there.

In 1558, Knox wrote a pamphlet named The first blast of the trumpet against the monstruous regiment of women. He wrote it without using his name because it could get him into trouble. The pamphlet upset some rulers, including Queen Mary I of England and Mary of Guise. Later that year, Elizabeth Tudor became Queen of England. Even though Knox did not write about her, she was upset with him.

With Elizabeth as queen, many English people in Geneva planned to return home. Knox also decided to go back to Scotland. Geneva honored him before he left in January 1559. Because Elizabeth would not let him travel through England, he did not get to Scotland until May 2, 1559.

Revolution and end of the regency, 1559–1560

Two days after John Knox arrived in Edinburgh, he went to Dundee. Many people there supported the Protestant faith. Knox was declared an outlaw, and the Queen Regent asked them to meet in Stirling. Fearing arrest, the group moved to Perth, a town with strong walls. At the church of St John the Baptist, Knox gave a speech that caused some unrest. A crowd entered the church and caused damage. They also attacked two buildings used by religious orders, taking valuable items and destroying statues.

Mary of Guise, the Queen Regent, gathered supporters and a small French army. She sent two leaders, the Earl of Argyll and Lord Moray, to negotiate. She promised not to send French soldiers to Perth if the Protestants left. The Protestants agreed, but once the Queen Regent entered Perth, she placed Scottish soldiers there paid by France. This was seen as unfair, and Lord Argyll and Lord Moray joined Knox. He moved his base to St Andrews. When Knox preached there, unrest happened again, with people damaging buildings. In June 1559, after one of Knox’s sermons, a crowd damaged a cathedral, and it was never used again.

With more Protestant supporters arriving, the Queen Regent moved back to Dunbar. Her soldiers were unhappy, and on 30 June, Protestant leaders took control of Edinburgh but only held it for a month. Before they arrived, crowds had already damaged churches and religious buildings. On 1 July, Knox preached at St Giles', the main church in the capital. The Protestant leaders left Edinburgh after agreeing to the Articles of Leith, and Mary of Guise promised to allow people their own beliefs.

Knox expected the Queen Regent to ask France for help, so he secretly wrote to William Cecil, an adviser to England’s ruler, asking for support. He met with English leaders near Lindisfarne and later at Berwick upon Tweed. When French troops arrived in Leith, the seaport of Edinburgh, Protestants took back the city. On 24 October 1559, Scottish nobles removed Mary of Guise from her position as ruler. Her secretary, William Maitland of Lethington, joined the Protestants and handled political matters. With help from England after the Treaty of Berwick, Scottish Protestant forces grew stronger. Mary of Guise passed away in Edinburgh Castle on 10 June 1560, leading to peace, the Treaty of Edinburgh, and the departure of French and English soldiers from Scotland. Knox led a service of thanks at St Giles’ on 19 July.

Reformation in Scotland, 1560–1561

On August 1, the Scottish Parliament met to talk about religion. Knox and five other ministers made a new confession of faith. They finished it in four days, and it was called the Scots Confession. Parliament approved it.

A week later, Parliament passed three important laws. These laws ended the Pope’s authority in Scotland, rejected old teachings, and stopped the celebration of Mass. Before Parliament ended, Knox and the ministers were asked to organize the new church, called the Kirk. They worked on the Book of Discipline, which explained how the church would be organized.

In December 1560, Knox’s wife, Margery, passed away, leaving him with two young sons. In January 1561, Parliament met again to discuss the Book of Discipline. The plan let each community choose its own leader. Each area was to support itself, and bishops were replaced by ten to twelve "superintendents". The plan also wanted to create a national education system. But Parliament did not accept the plan, mainly because of money. The Kirk was to be funded using assets from the Roman Catholic Church, but many nobles did not want to give them up. A final decision was postponed because Mary, Queen of Scots was returning soon.

Knox and Queen Mary, 1561–1564

In 1561, Queen Mary came back to Scotland, and cannons were fired to greet her. She wanted to keep the old religious ways, but many people, including John Knox, did not agree. Knox spoke out in his sermons against her rules. Queen Mary asked to talk with him about their differences. She asked if people could challenge a ruler, and Knox said that if a ruler broke the law, people could stand up for what was right.

Knox kept speaking his mind in his sermons, even when Queen Mary asked him to be careful. Once, when some priests broke the law, Knox supported those who stood up for the law. Queen Mary agreed the priests should be dealt with fairly. During one meeting, Queen Mary became upset when Knox spoke against her plan to marry Don Carlos of Spain. She asked why he cared about her marriage, and Knox said it was his duty to warn of dangers to the country. Their talks showed they disagreed strongly, but Knox stayed firm in his beliefs.

Final years in Edinburgh, 1564–1572

On 26 March 1564, Knox married Margaret Stewart, the daughter of an old friend, Andrew Stewart, 2nd Lord Ochiltree. She was seventeen, and Knox was fifty. They had three daughters, Martha, Margaret, and Elizabeth.

In 1565, after the wedding of Mary and Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, some Protestant nobles rebelled. Knox spoke out against the marriage while preaching. Because of this, he was not allowed to preach when the court was in Edinburgh. Later, Knox went to Kyle in Ayrshire, where he worked on his major book, History of the Reformation in Scotland. He returned to Edinburgh after some conflict and continued to preach, even though Scotland was still troubled.

In 1572, Knox returned to Edinburgh after a truce. Though he was very weak, he kept preaching at St Giles'. He passed away on 24 November 1572, surrounded by friends and nobles. His last words were from Paul's first letter to the Corinthians.

Legacy

John Knox did not leave much money when he passed away. The regent, Lord Morton, helped his family after his death.

Knox had five children and a second wife. His sons went to school in Cambridge, and his daughters married into families in the church.

Though few leaders spoke about his death, Knox's ideas changed the church in Scotland to Presbyterianism, a way of organizing churches that many people still follow today. He believed in standing up for what is right, even if it means going against unfair rulers.

Knox is remembered in many places, like in Stirling, Edinburgh, and his hometown of Haddington, where a school was named after him.

Selected works

John Knox wrote many important books and letters. Some of his well-known works include The Book of Common Order, which was the first book printed in a Gaelic language, and The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstruous Regiment of Women. He also wrote The History of the Reformation in Scotland, sharing his experiences and ideas with others. His writings helped guide people during a time of big changes in their beliefs and church practices.