Scotland/Scots > Life of John Knox ; and, The life of Alexander Henderson

LIFE OF JOHN KNOX. 27
he must give an account to the Chief Bishop: the charge
of declaring “ the whole counsel of God, keeping no¬
thing back,” however ungrateful to his hearers, and of
“ preaching in season and out of seasonthe manner of
life, afflictions, persecutions, imprisonment, exile, and
violent death, to which the preachers of the protestant
doctrine were exposed; the hazard of his sinking under
these hardships, and “ making shipwreck of faith and a
good conscience;” these, with similar considerations,
rushed into his mind, and filled it with agitation and
grief. At length, satisfied that he had the call of God
to engage in this work, he composed his mind to a reli¬
ance on Him who had engaged to make his “ strength
perfect in the weakness” of his servants, and resolved,
with the apostle, “not to count his life dear, that he
might finish with joy the ministry which he received of
the Lord, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” Of¬
ten did he afterwards reflect with lively emotion upon
this very interesting step of his life, and never, in the
midst of his greatest sufferings, did he see reason to repent
the choice which he had so deliberately made.
An occurrence which took place about this time con¬
tributed to fix his wavering resolution, and induced an
earlier compliance with the call of the congregation
than he might otherwise have been disposed to yield.
Though sound in doctrine, Rough’s literary acquire¬
ments were moderate. Of this circumstance, the pa¬
trons of the established religion in the university and ab¬
bey took advantage; among others, one called Dean John
Annan, had long proved vexatious to him, by stating
objections to the doctrine which he preached, and en¬
tangling him with sophisms, or garbled quotations from
the fathers. Knox had assisted the preacher with his
pen, and by his superior skill in logic and the writings
of the fathers, exposed Annan’s fallacies, and confuted
the popish errors. One day at a public disputation in the
parish church, in the presence of a great number of peo¬
ple, Annan being beat from all his defences, fled, as his