The life of John Knox - M'Crie - I - Preface & Period 1

Required reading
The life of John Knox by Thomas M'Crie (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read the Preface and Period 1.

My summary
Today we start a new biography.

In the preface M'Crie outlines his reasoning for writing the book and provides a few details concerning the extent of his research.

Then we begin 'Period I' of the Knox biography itself.  Period one concerns:
(i) the origins of Knox,
(ii) his education;
(iii) the state of religion in Scotland.

What grabbed me
A terrible picture was drawn of the corruptions of the Roman Catholic church at the time of Knox: 'The corruptions by which the Christian religion was universally disfigured, before the Reformation had grown to a greater height in Scotland than in any other nation within the pale of the Western Church. Superstition and religious imposture, in their grossest forms, gained ail easy admission among a rude and ignorant people. By means of these, the clergy attained to an exorbitant degree of opulence and power; which were accompanied, as they always have been, with the corruption of their order, and of the whole system of religion. The full half of the wealth of the nation belonged to the clergy; and the greater part of this was in the hands of a few individuals, who had the command of the whole body. Avarice, ambition, and the love of secular pomp, reigned among the superior orders.'

A shocking state. 

But just because it happened to them, doesn't mean it can't happen to the Protestant church.  Ministers must continue resist the allure of money and keep the gospel central in their ministry.

Next week's reading
Read Period 2.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.