The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2

III. Knox’s First Sermon a Comprehensive Prophetic Exposition

1. SCOTTISH REFORMATION Is FROM THE “KYRK OF ANTI CHRIST”

John Knox sounded out his prophetic testimony as with a trumpet. ²⁴ In the very title of his Hystory of the Reformatioun of Religioun Within the Realme of Scotland, he states that it Contains “The Maner and by what Persons the Light of Christis Evangell Hath Bene Manifested unto This Realme, After That Horrible and universall Defectioun from the Trewth, which hes Cume by the Meanes of that Romane Antichryst.” ²⁵ PFF2 450.4

At the outset of his history Knox gives a list of thirty-four articles of faith attributed to the Lollards of Kyle, taken from the Register of Glasgow back in 1494, when they were summoned before the tribunal on the charge of heresy. Of these the seventeenth reads, “That the Pape exaltis him self against God, and abuf God.” And the thirty-second declares, “That the Pape is the head of the Kyrk of Antichrist.” ²⁶ Then, after the martyrdom of Patrick Hamilton—whose dying words were, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit! How long wilt Thou suffer the tyranny of men?”—and of George Wishart, Knox tells how, in 1547, he was led to undertake the public work of preaching the truth about the Papacy. ²⁷ PFF2 450.5

2. KNOX OFFERS TO PROVE DEGENERACY OF THE PAPACY

In 1547 Knox, wearied of moving from place to place by reason of persecution for his faith, purposed to leave Scotland to visit the schools of Germany. But the fathers of his pupils urged him to go to St. Andrews, that he might benefit the group at the castle, as well as help their own children. This Knox did, and began not only to teach the usual subjects of “humane Learning,” but to read to them from a catechism, and also from the Gospel of John. The castle leaders were much impressed, especially the Protestant preacher John Rough, and began to urge that Knox take the “Function of Preacher” upon him. But Knox refused, saying he would not run where God had not clearly called him. The leaders decided they would issue a public call through John Rough, who in public meeting, preached on the election of ministers and charged Knox not to refuse the call, which those present supported. Bursting into tears, Knox withdrew to his chamber, greatly troubled, and was sober and silent for many days. ²⁸ PFF2 451.1

Then a crisis arose that drew Knox into the pulpit. A Catholic controversialist, Dean John Annan, had long troubled John Rough in his preaching. “By his Pen,” Knox had fortified Rough with doctrinal arguments against Annan, and had driven him from Biblical grounds and compelled him to take shelter in the authority of the church. But Knox contended that the “Church” must first be defined. The “Immaculate Spouse of lesus Christ” must be distinguished from “Spirituall Babilon,” “the mother of Confusion,” lest they embrace a “Harlot, instead of the chaste Spouse,” and submit themselves to Satan, thinking him to be Jesus Christ. Then follows this remarkable public declaration and challenge by Knox before the open audience: PFF2 451.2

“As for your Romane Church, as it is now corrupted, and the Authority thereof, wherein stands the hope of your Victory, I no more doubt but that it is the Synagogue of Sathan; and the Head thereof, called the Pope, to be that man of Sin of whom the Apostle speaketh, then that I doubt that JESUS CHRIST suffered by the procurement of the visible Church of Jerusalem. Yea, I offer my self by word or writing, to prove the Romane Church this day farther to degenerate from the purity which was in the dayes of the Apostles, then was the Church of the Jewes from the Ordinance given by Moses, when they consented to the innocent death of JESUS CHRIST, These words were spoken in the open audience of the Parish Church o£ Saint Andrewes, after the said Dean John had spoken what it pleased him, and had refused to dispute.” ²⁹ PFF2 452.1

Then the people urged him to lay his proofs before them in a public address, declaring: PFF2 452.2

“We cannot all reade your writings, but we can all hear your Preaching: Therefore we require you in the Name of God, That ye let us heare the approbation of that which ye have affirmed: For if it be true, we have beene miserably deceived.” ³⁰ PFF2 452.3

3. PROOF BASED ON BEASTS AND LITTLE HORN OF Daniel 7

Knox consented, and the next Sunday was accordingly appointed for Knox to “expresse his minde in the publike Preaching place.” On that memorable day Knox- PFF2 452.4

“took the Text written in Daniel, the seventh Chapter, beginning thus: And another King shall rise after them, and he shall be unlike unto the first, and he shall subdue three Kings, and shall speak words against the most High, and shall consume the Saints of the most High, and thinks that he can change Times and Lawes: And they shall be given unto his hands untill a time, and times, and dividing of times, &c. In the beginning of his Sermon, he shewed the great love of God towards his Church, whom he pleased to forewarne of dangers to come, so many yeers before they come to passe. He briefly treated of the state of the Israelites, who then were in bondage in Babylon, for the most part, and made a short discourse of the four Empires, The Babylonian, The Persian, That of the Greekes, And the fourth of the Romanes; in the destruction whereof, rose up that last Beast, which he affirmed to be the Romane Church; for to none other power that ever liath yet bcenc, do all the notes that God hath shewed to the Prophet appertain, except to it alone; And unto it they do so properly appertaine, that such as are not more then blinde, may clccrly see them.” ³¹ PFF2 452.5

4. LITTLE HORN SAME AS MAN OF SIN AND BABYLON

But that was not all. Knox next showed that Daniel’s “little horn” was identical with Paul’s “man of sin” and John’s “Whore of Babylon”—three paralleling descriptions of one single Antichrist. PFF2 453.1

“He shewed that the Spirit of God in the new Testament gave to this King other new names; to wit, The man of sin, The Antichrist, The Whore of Babilon. He shewed, That this man of sin, or Antichrist, was not to be restrained to the person of any one man oncly, no more then by the fourth Beast, was to be understood the person of any one Emperour. But by such names the Spirit of God would forewarne his chosen of a body and a multitude, having a wicked head, which should not only be sinfull himself, but also should be occasion of sin, to all that should be subject unto him (as Christ Jesus is the cause of Justice to all the Members of his Body) and is called the Antichrist.” ³² PFF2 453.2

5. THE MERCHANDISE OF BABYLON

Then, after showing that the pope’s laws were opposed to God’s laws, and his system of works was contrary to God’s provision of justification by faith, and commenting on papal laws commanding to abstain from meats and from marriage, which Paul denominates the “doc trines of devils,” Knox discussed the “notes of that Beast,” as given in Daniel 7:25 - the speaking of great words and blasphemies—and cited the pope’s claims as fulfillment. Then he said: PFF2 453.3

“If these (said he) and many other, easie to be showne in his own Cannon-Law, be not great and blasphemous words, and such as never mortall men spake before, let the world judge. And yet (said he) is there one most evident of all, to wit, John in his Revelation sayes, That the Merchandise of that Babylonian Harlot, among other things, shall be the bodies and souls of men. Now let very Papists themselves judge, If any before them, took upon them power to relax the pains of them that were in Purgatory, as they affirme to the people that daily they do, by the merits of their Masse, and of their other trifles.” ³³ PFF2 453.4

Then Knox invited any or all to examine his authorities, and stated that he was prepared to sustain his positions. PFF2 454.1

“If any here (and there were present Master Iohn Maire, the University, the Sub-Prior, and many Cannons, with some Friers of both the Orders) that will say, That I have alleadged Scripture, Doctor, or History, otherwise then it is written, let them come unto me with sufficient witnesse, and by Conference I shall let them see, not only the Originall where my Testimonies are written, but I shall prove, That the Writers meant as I have spoken.” ³⁴ PFF2 454.2

6. STROKE AT ROOT OF TREE OF EVIL

The boldness and the clarity of this sermon, which was the “first that ever John Knox made in publike,” astonished all. Some said, “He not only hews the branches, but strikes at the root.” Others said, “If the Doctors, and Magistri nostri, defend not now the Pope and his Authority, which in their own presence is so manifestly impugned, the devill may have my part of him, and of his Lawes both.” And yet others said that Wishart was burned for much milder language. Would not Knox suffer the same? A report of this sermon having come to the ears of the bishop, a “convention of gray-Friers, and black-Fiends” was appointed. Nine heretical articles were extracted from the utterances of Rough and Knox, and the preachers were successively summoned to appear before the convention to justify or vindicate themselves, the second article being “2. The Pope is an Antichrist, and so is no member of Christs mysticall body.” ³⁵ PFF2 454.3

The Papacy lost ground by this dispute, as the papal disputants were worsted. But all in the castle, and many in the town, openly professed the Reformed doctrine as a result, and testified the same by partaking of the Lord’s supper in the same manner as it is now administered in the churches of Scotland- the first time the emblems were celebrated in this way in that country. ³⁶ PFF2 454.4

7. LATER CONCEPTS UNCHANGED CONCERNING ANTI CHRIST

A letter sent from the Continent in 1554, while Knox was in exile, contains two excerpts that show his unchanged burden and concept concerning Antichrist: PFF2 454.5

“And greatter iniquitie was never frome the beginning, than is containit in worshipping of an abominabill ydoll; for it is the seill of the league whilk the Devill hes maid with the pestilent sons of the Antichryst, and is the verie cheif cause why the blude of Godis Sanctis hes bene sched neir the space of ane thousand yeirs.” ³⁷ PFF2 455.1

“We knaw that he sall, and that with expeditioun, when Sathan and his adherentis, idolateris, and worschipperis of that blasphemous beast, filthie personis, and feirfull schrinkeris frome the treuth of God, sal be casten in the stank burning with fire, whilk never sal be quencheit.” ³⁸ PFF2 455.2

Knox’s strong convictions on the non-apostolic character of Rome were vigorously phrased, as will be observed: PFF2 455.3

“As far as I am concerned I am absolutely convinced, that whatever is done in the Roman church is contradictory to Christ’s blessed rule, and is nothing else than a lethal poison; and whosoever drinks of it drinks death and damnation to himself.... PFF2 455.4

“The malice of your bishops is only too evident, their impure lives contaminate the very air; the innocent blood they shed cries to God for vengeance; the idolatry and abominations they with impunity commit perverts and defiles the whole country. And none amongst you has the courage to do away with these villainies. Will not God consider you guilty? Do not deceive yourselves, dear brethren. Do not sleep in your sins, for vengeance is near to all the disobedient. Flee from Babel, if you do not want to partake in her destruction.” ³⁹ PFF2 455.5

Thus spoke Knox, one of the great figures of the Reformation. Fearless as a leader, weighty in counsel, and champion of right, he was in constant battle with what he deemed the powers of darkness. Like John the Baptist, his strong voice cried out in the wilderness of apostasy, warning men to flee from the wrath to come. And from first to last prophecy was his guiding light. PFF2 455.6