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

LIFE
JOHN KNOX.
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siastical jurisdiction, to be presented to next meeting
of Parliament. The General Assembly, which met
about the same time, gave him a commission, along
with some others, to act for them in this matter, and,
in general, to consult with the regent and council on
such ecclesiastical questions as occurred after the dis¬
solution of that Assembly. He was also appointed to
assist the superintendent of Lothian in his visitation,
and afterwards to visit the churches in Kyle, Garrick,
and Cunningham.
During the regency of Murray, there were no jars
between the church and the court, nor any of those un¬
pleasant complaints which had been, made at every meet¬
ing of the General Assembly before that time, and which
were afterwards renewed. All the grievances of which
they complained were not, indeed, redressed; and the
provision made by law was still inadequate for the sup¬
port of such an ecclesiastical establishment as the nation
required, including the seminaries of education. But
the regent not only received the addresses of the Gene¬
ral Assemblies in a “ manner very different from that
to which they had been accustomed;” but shewed a
disposition to grant their petitions, as far as was in his
power. It was chiefly through his influence that the
favourable arrangement concerning the thirds of bene¬
fices was made; and he endeavoured, though unsuc¬
cessfully, to obtain the consent of Parliament to the dis¬
solution of the prelacies, and the appropriation of their
revenues to the common fund of the church.
Our Reformer had now reached that point from which
he could take a calm and deliberate view of the danger¬
ous and bustling scene through which he had passed, and
the termination to which the arduous struggle in which
he had been so long engaged, was now happily brought.
Superstition and ignorance were overthrown and dis¬
pelled ; true religion was established; the supreme go¬
vernment of the nation was in the hands of one in whose
wisdom and integrity he had the greatest confidence;