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

LIFE OP JOHN KNOX. 118
office. This was a dictate of nature as well as revelation;
and he would not insist long upon that topic, lest he
should seem to suppose them “ lesse careful over God’s
true religion, than were the Ethnikes over their idol-
atrie.” Inferior magistrates, within the sphere of their
jurisdiction, the nobles and estates of a kingdom, as
well as kings and princes, were bound to attend to this
high duty. He then addresses himself to the com¬
monalty of Scotland, and points out their duty and
interest, with regard to the important controversy in
agitation. They were rational creatures, formed after
the image of God; they had souls to be saved; they
were accountable for their conduct ; they were bound
to judge of the truth of religion, and to make pro¬
fession of it, as well as kings, nobles, or bishops. If
idolatry was maintained, if the gospel was suppressed, if
the blood of the innocent was shed, how could they be
exculpated, provided they kept silence, and did not ex¬
ert themselves to prevent these evils.
But the most singular treatise published this year by
Knox, and that which made the greatest noise, was, The
first Blast of the Trumpet against the monstrous Regi¬
ment of Women; in which he attacked, with great
vehemence, the practice of admitting females to the go¬
vernment of nations. There is some reason to think that
his mind was struck with the incongruity of this practice,
as early as Mary’s accession to the throne of England.
This was probably one of the points on which he had
conferred with the Swiss divines in 1554. It is certain,
from a letter written by him in 1556, that his sentiments
respecting it were then fixed and decided. He continued,
however, to retain them to himself; and refrained for a
considerable time from publishing them, out of deference
to the opinions of others. But at last, provoked by the
tyranny of the Queen of England, and wearied out with
her increasing cruelties, he applied the Trumpet to his
mouth, and uttered a terrible blast, “To promote a
woman to bear rule, superiority, dominion, or empire,