In 1567, Mr. Knox preached a fermon at the coronation of king James VI. of Scotland, afterwards James I. of England. This year was very remarkable in Scotland, on account of the great turn of affairs there, queen Mary being obliged to refign the government, on the appointment of the earl of Murray to be regent. The firft parliament which was called by the earl, met upon the 15th of December. It was a very numerous convention of all the eftates, and Mr. Knox preached a very zealous fermon at the opening of it. He was alfo extremely afflicted at the regent's death in 1559.

In 1571, the Hamiltons and others, who had entered into a combination against the earl of Lenox, then regent, began to fortify the town of Edinburgh. While they were thus employed, a council was held by them in the castle on the fourth of May; where the laird of Grainge, captain of the caftle, propofed that they might give fecurity for the perfon of Mr. Knox, which was alfo much defired by the town's people. The Hamiltons answered, That they could not promife him fecurity upon their honour, because there were many in the town who loved him not, befides other diforderly people that might do him harm without their knowledge.

Upon this anfwer, which plainly fhewed no good intention to Mr. Knox, his friends in the town, with Mr. Craig, his colleague, at thir head, entreated him to leave the place. In com. pliance with their requests, he left Edinbugh on the fifth of May; he went first to Abbotfball in Fife, and from thence to St. Andrew's, where he remained till the twenty-third of Auguft, 1572.

This year there was a convention of the miniters at Leith, where it was agreed, that a ce tain C 6

kind

kind of epifcopacy fhould be introduced into the church, which was zealoufly opposed by our reformer. The troubles of the country being much abated, and the people of Edinburgh, who had been obliged to leave it, being returned, they fent two of their number to St. Andrew's, to invite Mr. Knox to return to them, and to afk his advice about the choice of another minifter to affift him during the time of the troubles. The fuperintendant of Lothian was with them, when they prefented the letter; which, when Mr. Knox had perufed, he confented to return, upon this condition, that he fhould not be defired in any fort to ceafe speaking against the treafonable dealings of thofe who held out the caftle of Edinburgh; and this he defired them to fignify to the whole body of the brethren, left they fhould afterwards repent; and, after his return, he repeated these words more than once, to his friends there, before he entered the pulpit. They answered, that they never meant to put a bridle on his tongue, but defired him to fpeak according to his confcience, as in former times. They alfo requested his advice upon the choice of a minifter; and, after fome debates, they agreed upon Mr. James Lawfon, fub-principal of the king's college at Aberdeen.

Mr. Knox left St. Andrew's on the feventeenth of Auguft, and came to Leith on the twentythird. Upon the last day of that month, he preached in the great kirk; but his voice was become very weak, and therefore he defired another place to teach in, where his voice might be heard, if it were but by an hundred perfons; which was granted after which Mr. Knox continued to preach in the Tolbooth as long as he had ftrength; but his health received a great fhock from the news of the maffacre of the Protestants at Paris, about this time. However, he introduced

it

it into his next fermon, with his ufual denunciation of God's vengeance thereon, which he defired the French ambaffador, monfieur La Crocque, might be acquainted with. On Sunday, November the ninth, 1572, he admitted Mr. Lawson to be minifter of Edinburgh. But his voice was fo weak, that very few could hear him; he declared the mutual duty between a minifter and his flock; he praised God, that had given them one in his room, he being now unable to teach, and defired that God might augment his graces to him a thousand-fold above what he had poffeffed, if it were his pleasure, and ended with pronouncing the bleffing.

From this time his approaching diffolution was observed with concern by all his friends; an unwearied application to ftudy, continual agitation in bufinefs, during trouble fome times, joined to the frequency and fervour of his public preaching, -had worn out a conftitution naturally ftrong, and had brought on a lingering decay; during the courfe of which, he difcovered the greatest fortitude and refignation, conftantly employing himfelf in acts of devotion, and comforting himfelf with the profpect of immortality, which not only preferves good men from defpondency, but fills them with exultation in their last moments. Thus in his death, which happened on the 24th of November, 1572, did he fet a glorious example, as he had done in his life, to thofe whose principal di-` rector he had been, in the laudable but arduous task of reforming them from the errors of fuperftition, ignorance, and priestcraft.

A fummary of the character of this extraordinary man is fo admirably drawn up by the mafterly pen of Dr. Robertson, that we cannot finish this article with greater propriety, than by borrowing it upon fo juftifiable an occafion as the embellishment

of

of a work, which in its very nature difclaims ori ginality, and can only stand indebted for its merit to the judicious introduction of established authorities, and of the refined fentiments of celebrated writers.

"Knox was the prime inftrument of fpreading and establishing the reformed religion in Scotland. Zeal, intrepidity, difinterefted nefs, were virtues which he poffeffed in an eminent degree. He was acquainted too with the learning cultivated in that age; and excelled in that fpecies of eloquence, which is calculated to roufe and to inflame. His maxims however were often too fevere, and the impetuofity of his temper exceffive. Rigid and uncomplying himfelf, he fhewed no indulgence to the infirmities of others. And regardless of the diftinétions of rank and character, he uttered his admonitions with an acrimony and vehemence, more apt to irritate than to reclaim. Thofe very qualities, however, which now render his character less amiable, fitted him to be the inftrument of Providence for advancing the Reformation among a fierce people, and enabled him to face dangers, and to furmount oppofition, from which a perfon of a more gentle fpirit would have been apt to fhrink back."

He was interred with great folemnity in the kirk yard of St. Giles's, the corpfe being attended by feveral of the nobility then in Edinburgh, particularly by the earl of Morton, that day chofen regent, who, as foon as he was laid in his grave, faid, "There lies a man who never in his life feared the face of a man, who hath been often threatened with dag and dagger, but yet hath ended his days in peace and honour. For he had God's providence watching over him in an efpe cial manner, when his very life was fought."

Dr.

Dr. Robertfon juftly obferves, that this eulogie um is the more honourable, as it came from one whom he had often cenfured with peculiar feverity.

Mr. Knox published several theological and controverfial pieces in his own time, which were reprinted, and annexed to the fourth edition of his History of the Reformation of Religion within the Realm of Scotland, &c." which was printed at Edinburgh, in folio, in 1732.

66

*** Authorities. Biog. Britan.

Mackenzie's

Lives of the Scotch writers; Dr. Robertfon's Hiftory of Scotland..

The LIFE of

MATTHEW PARKER,

ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY..

(A. D. 1504, to 1575.)

Including Memoirs of George Browne, and of Hugh Corwin, Archbithops of Dublin.

THE

HE æra of the complete and permanent eftablishment of the Proteftant religion in England, Scotland, and Ireland, comprizes the moft interefting part of the ecclefiaftical hiftory of these kingdoms; and it is hoped, that the reader's patience will not be put to too fevere a