John Knox

John Knox (c. 1514 – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister and a key leader in the country's Reformation. He played a big role in shaping the Church of Scotland. Born in Giffordgate, a street in Haddington, East Lothian, Knox studied at the University of St Andrews and later became involved in efforts to change the Scottish Church.

Knox was influenced by early reformers and became a strong voice for change. He faced many challenges, including being captured and sent away from his home. While in exile, 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 Reformed beliefs and created new ways of worship.

When Knox returned to Scotland, he helped lead the Protestant Reformation. He worked with Scottish nobles and helped create new beliefs and practices for the Reformed Church, known as the Kirk. Knox wrote a detailed history of these changes in Scotland and continued to guide the Protestant community, even speaking openly about his concerns to Mary, Queen of Scots. He preached until the end of his life, leaving a lasting 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, and his mother, whose maiden name was Sinclair, passed away when John was young. John likely went to school in Haddington and later studied at the University of St Andrews or perhaps the University of Glasgow.

In 1536, John became a priest in Edinburgh. By 1540, he was working as a priest and a notary. Instead of becoming a parish priest, he tutored the children of some 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 to Scotland, he began preaching about changing the church. Knox became one of his closest friends and even protected him with a sword.

Unfortunately, Wishart was arrested and later burned for 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 faced hard times when the French took control of a castle in Scotland. In 1547, French ships arrived and captured the castle, taking Knox and other Scottish leaders as prisoners. Knox was forced to work on French ships, rowing every day in tough conditions. They sailed to France and spent the winter near the Loire River.

Knox became very ill during this time but kept his spirit strong, comforting his fellow prisoners. He dreamed of returning to the church where he first preached. In February 1549, after almost two years as a prisoner, Knox was finally set free.

Exile in England, 1549–1554

After being released, John Knox found safety in England. The changes in England's church were not as big as in other places, but people there were moving away from old Roman ways. Important leaders like 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 match 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, 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, leading to some debates among leaders. Knox was offered an important church position but refused it. When the new 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 important questions about rulers and received careful answers. He then wrote a pamphlet criticizing leaders and was invited to become a minister for English exiles in Frankfurt.

However, Knox soon faced disagreements among the exiles about their church services. After a conflict with new arrivals, including Richard Cox, Knox left Frankfurt and returned to Geneva. Later, he went back to Scotland, where he was welcomed by many noble people. Although church leaders were concerned about his preaching, they did not stop him, and Knox continued to share his ideas openly in Edinburgh.

Return to Geneva, 1556–1559

After sending a letter to the Queen Regent, John Knox decided to return to Geneva. In November 1555, the people of Geneva had chosen him to be their minister, and he accepted the position. He wrote a final letter to his supporters and left Scotland with his wife and mother-in-law. Knox arrived in Geneva on September 13, 1556.

For the next two years, Knox lived a fulfilling life in Geneva. He often recommended it to his friends in England as a safe place for Protestant believers. In a letter, he described Geneva as the best place to learn about Christ's teachings since the time of the apostles. He felt that while Christ's message was shared in other places, Geneva stood out for its strong and sincere beliefs.

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

In 1558, Knox published a famous pamphlet called The first blast of the trumpet against the monstruous regiment of women. He wrote it anonymously because it was very bold and could cause 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. Though Knox did not aim his words at her, she was upset and never forgave him.

With Elizabeth now ruling England, many English refugees in Geneva planned to go home. Knox also decided to return to Scotland. He received honors from Geneva before leaving in January 1559. However, because Elizabeth refused to allow him to travel through England, he did not reach 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 where many people supported the Protestant faith had gathered. Knox was declared an outlaw, and the Queen Regent asked these people to meet in Stirling. Fearing they might be arrested, the group moved to Perth, a town with strong walls for protection. At the church of St John the Baptist, Knox gave a passionate speech that led to some unrest. A crowd entered the church and caused damage. They also attacked two buildings used by religious orders in the town, 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 and avoid war. She promised not to send French soldiers to Perth if the Protestants left the town. The Protestants agreed, but once the Queen Regent entered Perth, she placed Scottish soldiers there who were paid by France. This was seen as unfair by Lord Argyll and Lord Moray, who then joined Knox. He moved his base to St Andrews. When Knox preached there, similar unrest happened, 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 even 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, allowing Knox to focus on leading the church. 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 gathered to address religious matters. Knox and five other ministers, all named John, were asked to create a new confession of faith. Within just four days, they presented the Scots Confession to Parliament, which approved it. A week later, Parliament passed three important laws in one day. These laws ended the Pope's authority in Scotland, rejected teachings that went against the new faith, and stopped the celebration of Mass in Scotland. Before Parliament ended, Knox and the other ministers were tasked with organizing the newly reformed church, known as the Kirk. They worked for several months on the Book of Discipline, which explained how the new church would be organized.

In December 1560, Knox's wife, Margery, passed away, leaving him to care for their two young sons. During this time, Parliament met again on January 15, 1561, to discuss the Book of Discipline. The plan for the Kirk included democratic rules, allowing each community to choose its own leader, who could not be removed once chosen. Each area was meant to support itself whenever possible, and bishops were replaced by ten to twelve "superintendents". The plan also aimed to create a national education system for everyone. However, Parliament did not accept the plan mainly because of money issues. The Kirk was supposed to be funded using assets from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland, but many of these assets were held by nobles who did not want to give them up. A final decision on the plan was postponed because Mary, Queen of Scots was returning soon.

Knox and Queen Mary, 1561–1564

In 1561, Queen Mary returned to Scotland, and cannons were fired to welcome her. She wanted to keep the old religious ways, but many people, including John Knox, disagreed. Knox spoke out against her rules from the pulpit, and Queen Mary called him to discuss their differences. She asked if people had the right to challenge a ruler, and Knox said that if a ruler went against the law, people could stand up for what was right.

Knox continued to speak 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 that the priests should face justice. 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 replied that as a subject, it was his duty to warn of dangers to the country. Their discussions showed strong disagreements, but Knox remained 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 only seventeen, while Knox was a widower of 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, which led to him being forbidden to preach when the court was in Edinburgh. Later, Knox fled to Kyle in Ayrshire, where he worked on his major book, History of the Reformation in Scotland. He returned to Edinburgh after a period of conflict and continued to preach, even as the situation in Scotland remained 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 left very little money when he passed away, showing that he did not gain wealth from his work. The regent, Lord Morton, helped support 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 that were part of the church.

Though few leaders talked about his death, Knox's ideas had a big effect. He helped change the church in Scotland to Presbyterianism, a way of organizing churches that many people still follow today. His belief was to stand 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.