Life of John Knox - M'Crie - IV - Period 4 commenced

Required reading
The life of John Knox by Thomas M'Crie (Available from Amazon or free here) - Commence Period 4 by reading up to the paragraph beginning 'On the 25th of March, Knox delivered a very consolatory discourse to about fifty members of the congregation, who assembled at his lodgings in the evening' (pg 84 in the Free Presbyterian edition).

My summary
Now we read of Knox's time in exile from England.

Firstly we read about Knox's misgivings in leaving his fellow Christians behind in England to suffer without him.

Next we see Knox start to move around from his base in France including visits to Switzerland and Geneva (where he begins a friendship with Calvin).

Then Knox accepts a call to minister over an English congregation in Frankfort, Germany.  However major division erupts when some members insist on using the Book of Common Prayer.  The result is that Knox is expelled from the congregation and then accused of treason so that he is forced to flee.

What grabbed me
Incredible to think that people were so caught up with the prayer book that they would go to the point of seditious lies against their own pastor: 'Perceiving the influence which our countryman had in the Church, and despairing to carry their plan into execution so long as he was among them, they determined, in the first place, to rid themselves of his presence. To accomplish this object, they had recourse to one of the basest and most unchristian acts ever employed to ruin an adversary. Two of them, in concurrence with others, went privately to the magistrates, and accused Knox of high treason against the Emperor of Germany, his son Philip, and Queen Mary of England...'

Reminds me of Isaiah: 'These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men' (Isa  29:13).

Next week's reading
Conclude Period 4.

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