Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-10-01
other sense, each of them is John Knox's
euual if not his SUPERIOR


stars and stripes wave, claim common in
heritance in George Washington. Robert
Burns was born, lived and died near the
banks of Ayr This is restrictively the
land of Burns, but all Scotland is the land
of Burns. John Knox was born in Scot
land, lived in Scotland, labored for Scotland
and for Scotland he wore himself out, but
all Christendom has in him common in
heritance, and owe him debt of gratitude.
Is it asked why? The answer is, he infict-
ed deadly wound upon Popery. It is i'm
John Wickliffe and John Knox. The world
had sunk into state of religious and politi
cal slavery. In Rome there sat 4 tyrant,
who dictated what men should believe, and
what they should do. He had usurped all
the prerogatives of God, and cheated his
subjects out of their birthright. John Wick
life was one of the greatest men the world
ever produced, and the translation of the
Bible by Wickliffe was the greatest event
that ever occurred in Anglo-Saxon history.
This work was accomplished in 1884. The
mankind under his control and make every
government an appanage of Rome. Wick
life advocated the doctrine of equal politi
cal rights, and that it is the heaven-born
right Of each individual to search the Scrip
lures for himself, and worship God accord
ing to their teachings. This was a deadly
thrust at Popery. Knox did the same
thing. The majority of reformers, who pre-
ceded, aimed their blows at the abuses of
Popery, but Knox attacked Popery itself,
declaring that it is anti-Christ. The re-
formers who followed after Knox polished
what he had left in a rough state.
It is common to regard John Knox as
Presbyterian, and the originator of Presby-
terianism. This is not correct. John Knox
was Protestant. For the cause of Protest
antism he literally wore himself out. Eve
ry Christian denomination, all Protestants,
all who protest against the tyranny of the
Pope of Rome, may, with the utmost pro-
priety, claim to be followers of John Knox.
Strictly speaking John Knox was rebel
against anti Christ. He was, it may be said,
an unpublished man. This is not true. John
Knox has been slandered more than any
man who has lived since the apostles. Be-
cause he had the moral courage-rather, be-
cause he had the faith, to tell the most fasci-
mating woman in Europe, and the most
beautiful queen living, that subjects might
lawfully, for cause, rebel against their SOW
ereign, he had been called a harsh man.
Because he dared to question the divine
right of kings in the presence of the proud
est of the Stewarts, he has been called a
hard hearted man. Jezebel abused Elijah
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Jezebel was fascinating woman. She had
all the beWitchery of Baal, but she both
feared and hated Elijah. So was Mary
Queen of Scots. She was beautiful, accom-
plished and everything that in unsanctifed
eyes is fascinating, but with all she was
proud, imperious and licentious She fear
ed and she hated John Knox. There was
not in the kingdom of Scotland, perhaps
not in the whole world, a single individual
who would have dared to have said about
Mary Queen of Scots, in his own bed cham
ber, what John Knox said to her face in
Holyrood Palace surrounded by her cour-
tiers.
Prior to the time of the Reformation Pope
ry had everything, both in Church and
State, under its control. The reformers
broke the spell of Popery, took the dicta.
torship out of the hands of the Pope and
declared to the world that God only and
alone, is lord of the conscience. The strug-
gle was long and the conflict severe, but
civil and religious liberty was the result.
To-day the Pope of Rome is a very insignif-
icant parsonage. His subjects are ignorant
and degraded, but as malicious as vipers,
and as dictatorial as demons. Where Pope
ry is in the ascendency and the Pope reigns
ism. The work began by Knox resulted,
about one hundred years afterward, in emit
ting the following which is known as the
Queensferry Paper:
ave do declare that we shall set up over
ourselves, and over what God shall give US
power of, government and governors accord
ing to the word of God that we shall no
more permit the government of ourselves,
and the making of laws for us, to any one
single person, this kind of government be-
ing most liable to Inconvenience and aptest
to degenerate into tyranny"
This declaration, in 1776, developed into
the Declaration of American independence,
and finally into the American constitution.
shall close this sketch with quotation
from Carlysle: "This that Knox did for his
nation, say, we may really call resurrec-
tiOn as from death. 1t was not smooth
business but it was welcome surely, and
cheap at that price, had it been far rougher.
On the whole, cheap at any price; as life is:
The people began to live; they need first Of
all to do that, at what cost, and cost soever.
try: James Watt, David Hume, Walter
Scott, Robert Burns. I find Knox and the
Reformation acting in the hearts core Of
every one Of these persons and phenomena !;
find that without the Reformation they
would not have been. Or what ofScotland I?
The Puritansm of Scotland became that Of
England, of New England. A tumult in
the High Church (St. Glles) or Edinburgh,
spread into universal battle and struggle
over these realms: then came out, after fifty
years struggling, whatw call the Glorious
Revolution" a ha6eas corpus act, free Par
lianents, and much else."
BOYS AND SMoKING.-One of the lead
ing and standard papers of the country,
the Scientific american, says: "The United
States Navy annually takes into its service
a large number of apprentice boys, who
are sent all over the world and taught to
be thorough sailors. 1t has been the policy
of the Government since the war to educate
the blue Jackets upon the principle that
the more intelligent a man is, the better
sailor he is likely to become. There is no
lack of candidates for these positions. Hun
dred of boys apply, but many are rejected
because they cannot pass the physical ex-
animation. The first question to boy who
desires to enlist is: ''Do you smoke" The
invariable response is. No, sir" but the
tell-tale discoloration of the fingers at once
shows the truth. The surgeons say that
cigarette smoking by boys produces heart
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