IPC Messenger
A Weekly Publication of The Independent Presbyterian Church O ffi c e 912-2 3 6- 3 3 46 | F a x 912- 236-3676 | E-Mail info @ ipcsav. org | Website www. ipcsav. org
Volume 17 • No 5 FEBRUARY 2017
John Knox and Worship – II
We have traced Jane Dawson’ s account of John Knox’ s involvement with English Protestantism from Edward VI and the 1552 Prayer Book, to the English exiles in Frankfurt and Geneva during the reign of Queen Mary. We move along now to Knox’ s homeland.
Scotland
Once Queen Mary died and her sister Elizabeth came to the throne in 1559, Protestantism was restored in England. Knox penned his Brief Exhortation in anticipation of this event, urging,“ Let God’ s word alone be the rule and line to measure his religion. What it commands, let that be obeyed; what it does not command, let that be execrable”( 167). Forbidden by Elizabeth to reenter England because of his infamous tract against female rulers, First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women( 1558), he returned to Scotland in May of 1559. Within a year, amidst intense military and political struggle, Presbyterianism was established as the religion of the realm in Scotland. The First Scots Book of Discipline and the Scots Confession of Faith were adopted by the Scottish“ Reformation” Parliament in August, 1560. English Ambassador Thomas Randolph( 1525 / 6-1590) described Knox’ s battlefield sermons“ as like having five hundred trumpets blowing in one’ s ears”( 183). Archbishop John Jewel( 1522-1571) described Knox’ s policy as“ churching like a Scythian,” that is, of promoting undiluted reform. Worship was the litmus test separating Protestants from Roman Catholics in Scotland, as also was the case among the Reformed churches on the continent.
The struggle continued throughout the 1560’ s and into the 1570’ s as Scotland was ruled by Mary Queen of Scots, a Roman Catholic. For a time the Roman Catholics seemed to gain strength in Edinburgh, the capital. Throughout it all, Knox was a champion of“ the true worshiping of God,” worship in its purity, worship as regulated by God’ s word. A young James Melville( 1556-1614), future leader of the Church of Scotland, but then a 15-year-old student at St. Andrews, was awestruck by the preaching of Knox,“ that most notable prophet and apostle of our nation.” The elderly Knox had to be helped up into the pulpit as he began his exposition of Daniel 1-9. Melville at first took notes. However, as the sermon progressed, he later wrote in his diary,“ He made me so to shudder and tremble, that I could not hold a pen to write.” Before Knox finished,“ He was so active and vigorous that he was like to ding that pulpit in pieces, and fly out of it”( 300-301).
Dawson is not entirely sympathetic in her portrait of Knox. She at one time or other regards him as extremist, tactless, unforgiving, ungrateful, hateful, uncompromising, inflexible, radical, and paranoid. So often does she regard Knox in a pejorative light that one wonders how such a disagreeable man could have experienced so powerful an influence, and done so not through the command
Continued Page 2
IPC Messenger
CONTENTS
2 Music Ministry 3 Children’ s MInistry 5 Student Ministries 6-7 Missions Conference 8 Family Corner
10 Announcements and Events
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