The New York herald., 1872-11-24
TERCENTENARY OF PREsBYTEREANIsM.
John Knox and Calvinism-ScOtlan nd's
Debt to the Sturdy ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Services in the Churches To-day.

John Knox and Calvinism-scotland
Debt to the sturdy Reformcr-Memorial
Services in the Churches To-day.
Three hundred years ago to-day-November "a,
1572-J0hn Knox, the famous Scotch Presbyterian
reformer, left the scenes Of his spiritual warfare
for the more peaceful scenes OF the world above,
and to-day his spiritual children IN Europe and
America viii celebrate the event with appropriate
religious ceremonies. Knox was sixty seven years
of age when ne died. The place Of mis- birth is a
matter Of dispute but 1t is supposed to have been
Gifordgate, Haddngtonshire. He died in the
city OF Edinburgh. He was a graduate OF
the Glasgow University, and prior to 1880 he
entered the ministry. The Protestant Reformation
was taking deep root and spreading all over Eng
land at the time and In 1912 John Knox became an
avOwed and marked reIormer. He was for while
O teacher OF philosophy in st. Andrews, but, becom-
ing disguised with certain practices therein, he
left his position and retired to the south Of Scot
land, where he was degraded from his ofi:e, de-
clared hereto and his life threatened He then
became private tutor in a family and remained in
retirement until 1547, when he, with other PrOtes-
tants, took refuge in the castle of ST. Andrews
and there he began to preach against the Papacy
The garrison OF the castle surrendered and, be-
cause OF violation OF the terms OF captulation
Knox and his comrades were transferred to France
where he remained
PRISONER IN THE GALLEYs
for nineteen months. In l549 he was released, and
returning to England he was appointed to preach
at Berwick and Newcastle and became one OF the
chaplans TO Edward vi He declined a bishopric
which was rendered to him. When Queen Mary
ascended the throne Knox fed to Geneva, where
in 1856, he became pastor OF small English con-
gregation. Here ne associated with Calvin, Beza
and other rcf0rmers, and his reform principles be-
came confirmed. During his residence IN Geneva
he was condemned by the British authorities to be
burned as hereto, and the sentence was exc
cuted on his eiigy. He first appeared as an author
in his "Appelation" against this condemnation
and also in a tract published soon after against
'The Monstrous Regiment of Women''-Mary Tudor
time the Regent in scotland. and whose nearest rest
successors to both thrones were women. Knox did
not believe in petticoat government, and his fol-
lowers at this day are very much OF his belief in
this regard for they set their faces as nts against
women preaching in their pulpits. In 1859 Knox
heather and, landing at Leith, he iourneyed
toward Perth where he preached against ''the
idoatry of the mass and the veneration OF images"
row ensued in the church, during which the
images were demolished the pictures torn from
the walls and trampled under foot and the houses
of the Dominican and Franciscan iriars and the
laid in ruins by the infuriatcd mob The
Queen Regent advanced her army upon the
prepared to receive her and her army capituated
instead OF the city. Similar riots took place in
Stirling, Lindores, Cupar, St. Andrews and other
drews the magistrates united with the people in
dcsolatng the churches and monasteries and in
aid of Elizabeth OF England,
THE REFORMED RELIGION WAS ESTABLISHED
in Scotland. Knox, through his vehement and
ultra radicalism, frequently got himself into trou-
BILE, but he was invincibe, and, with energy un-
daunted, he continued to preach and to discuss
publicly with opponents from the Catholic party the
great questions involved In the Reformation. In 1871
he fed from Edinburgh to st. Andrews but returned
the next year to denounce most bitterly the perpe-
traitors OF the massacre OF st. Bartholomew. The
doctrines OF Knox embraced a Calvinistlc creed
with Presbyterian poty He was man OF stern
morality, intensely earnest in every practical di
rection, but he was not very deep or speculative
thinker. In his radicalism he swept away from
Scotland some OF the grandest archite ectural mOnu-
ments OF former ages, and left the country almost
az bare as the hills Of 'Bonnie Scotland" He
wrote comparatively few works, but he left an eX-
annie o religious steadfastness which Presbyte-
rians throughout the world admire and honor, and
which to-day they win reverence in his memory by
songs and sermons