Presbyterian student alike regret and
condemn. These persecuting ideas "were only a mistaken theory of
Christian duty, and nothing worse," says Dr. Lorimer. Nothing could
possibly be worse than a doctrine contrary in the highest degree to the
teaching of Our Lord, whether the doctrine was proclaimed by Pope,
Prelate, or Calvinist.

Here it must be observed that a most important fact in Knox's career, a
most important element in his methods, has been little remarked upon by
his biographers. Ever since he failed, in 1554, to obtain the adhesion
of Bullinger and Calvin to his more extreme ideas, he had been his own
prophet, and had launched his decrees of the right of the people, of part
of the people, and of the individual, to avenge the insulted majesty of
God upon idolaters, not only without warrant from the heads of the
Calvinistic Church, but to their great annoyance and disgust. Of this an
example will now be given.

CHAPTER X: KNOX AND THE SCOTTISH REVOLUTION, 1559

Knox had learned from letters out of Scotland that Protestants there now
ran no risks; that "without a shadow of fear they might hear prayers in
the vernacular, and receive the sacraments in the right way, the impure
ceremonies of Antichrist being set aside." The image of St. Giles had
been broken by a mob, and thrown into a sewer; "the impure crowd of
priests and monks" had fled, throwing away the shafts of the crosses they
bore, and "hiding the golden heads in their robes." Now the Regent
thinks of reforming religion, on a given day, at a convention of the
whole realm. So William Cole wrote to Bishop Bale, then at Basle,
without date. The riot was of the beginning of September 1558, and is
humorously described by Knox. {107}

This news, though regarded as "very certain," was quite erroneous except
as to the riot. One may guess that it was given to Knox in letters from
the nobles, penned in October 1558, which he received in November 1558;
there was also a letter to Calvin from the nobles, asking for Knox's
presence. It seemed that a visit to Scotland was perfectly safe; Knox
left Geneva in January, he arrived in Dieppe in February, where he
learned that Elizabeth would not allow him to travel through England. He
had much that was private to say to Cecil, and was already desirous of
procuring English aid to Scottish reformers. The tidings of the Queen's
refusal to admit him to England came through Cecil, and Knox told him
that he