Somewhere, in the time period between 1505 and 1515, John Knox was born in Scotland. St. Andrews was captured by the French, and John Knox was made a prisoner. Then he became a galley slave on a ship. He was treated in a cruel way and was continually instructed to pray to Mary. He went to England, once he was released and worked with a man named Thomas Crammer. Thomas Crammer appointed John Knox as a chaplain of the king.
Because of his position as being chaplain, it provided him a way to go to different districts of the kingdom and teach the principles of the Reformation.
John Knox made his way to Switzerland, and settled in Geneva, where he learned and adopted the teachings of Calvin. A group of Protestant men, known as the 'Common Band' requested Knox to return to Scotland to preach. In Knox's preaching, he clearly denounced the mass and the worship of images. He was such a powerful and direct preacher, that sometimes he appeared to fly out of the pulpit.
Much of his preaching was directed toward Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary feared John Knox, although she was determined to make all the British Isles Catholic. Mary seemed like a sneaky person. It is thought that she may have plotted her husband's death. She certainly tried to plot her cousin, Elizabeth I's overthrow. Queen Elizabeth I was a Protestant, so there was tension between the two cousins. John Knox preached against Mary's Catholicism, and all the abuses that were going on in the church. Mary said that she feared the prayers of John Knox more than 10,000 troops. Mary's life ended when she was beheaded. But John Knox continued to bring reform to Scotland.
I fear the prayers of John Knox more than all the assembled armies of Europe - Mary, Queen of Scots.
Qted Bruce Atkinson, Land of Hope and Glory p57
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