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

LIFE OF JOHN KNOX.
167
avoid giving offence to the queen and her relations, at
the present juncture, used his influence in private con¬
versation to allay the fervour of the more zealous, who
were ready to prevent the service by force. But he was
not less alarmed at the precedent than the rest of his
brethren; and having exposed the evil of idolatry in his
sermon on the following Sabbath, he said, that “ one
mess was more fearfull unto him, than if ten thousand
armed enemies wer landed in ony parte of the realme,
of purpose to suppress the hole religioun.”
At this day, we are apt to be struck with surprise at
the conduct of our ancestors, to treat their fears as vision¬
ary, or at least highly exaggerated, and summarily to
pronounce them guilty of the same intolerance of which
they complained in their adversaries. Persecution for
conscience’ sake is so odious, the least approach to it is
so dangerous, that we reckon we can never express too
great detestation of any measure which involves it.
But let us be just as well as liberal. A little reflection
upon the circumstances in which our reforming fore¬
fathers were placed, may serve to abate our astonishment,
and qualify our censures. They were actuated, it is
true, by a strong abhorrence of Popish idolatry, and
unwilling to suffer the land to be again polluted with it.
But they were influenced also by a proper regard for their
own preservation ; and neither were their fears fanciful,
nor their precautions unnecessary.
The warmest friends of toleration and liberty of con¬
science, some of whom will not readily be charged with
Protestant prejudices, have agreed, that persecution of
the most sanguinary kind was inseparable from the
system and spirit of Popery which was at that time
dominant in Europe; and they cannot deny the infer¬
ence, that the profession and propagation of it were, on
this account, justly subjected to penal restraints, as far,
at least, as was requisite to prevent it from obtaining
the ascendancy, and reacting the bloody scenes which it
had already exhibited The Protestants of Scotland had