and on the second of May 1559, being
then 54 years old.--He preached first at Dundee and afterwards at St.
Johnstoun, with great success. About this time the queen put some
preachers to the horn, prohibiting all upon pain of rebellion to
comfort, relieve, or assist them; which enraged the multitude to that
degree, that they would be restrained, neither by the preachers nor
magistrates, from pulling down the images and other monuments of
idolatry in St. Johnstoun: which being told to the queen, it so enraged
her, that she vowed to destroy man, woman and child, in that town, and
burn it to the ground. To execute this threat, she caused her French
army to march towards the place, but being informed that multitudes from
the neighbouring country were assembling in the town for the defence of
its inhabitants, her impetuosity was checked, and she resolved to use
stratagem where force could not avail her; accordingly she sent the
earls of Argyle and Moray, to learn what was their design in such
commotions, Mr. Knox, in name of the rest, made answer, "That the
present troubles ought to move the hearts of all the true servants of
God, and lovers of their country, to consider what the end of such
tyrannical measures would be, by which the emissaries of Satan sought
the destruction of all the friends of religion in the country. Therefore
I most humbly require of you, my lords, to tell the queen, in my name,
that we, whom she, in her blind rage doth thus persecute, are the
servants of God, faithful and obedient subjects of this realm, and that
the religion which she would maintain by fire and sword, is not the true
religion of Jesus Christ, but expresly contrary to the same; a
superstitious device of men, which I offer myself to prove, against all
who, in Scotland, maintain the contrary, freedom of debate being
allowed, and the word of God being the judge. Tell her from me, that her
enterprize shall not succeed in the end, for she fights not against man
only, but against the eternal God, &c." Argyle and Moray promised to
deliver this message, and Mr. Knox preached a sermon, exhorting them to
constancy, adding, "I am persuaded that this promise" (meaning the
promise she had made to do them no harm if they would leave the town
peaceably) "shall be no longer kept than the queen and her Frenchmen can
get the upper hand;" which accordingly happened when she took possession
of the town, and put a garrison of French in it. This breach of pro