The Fortnightly Review: No. CCCCLXIII, New Series [‎624r] (138/239)

SCOTLAND AND JOHN KNOX.
107
“ men that will observe this exercise may not any of the two
dayes use any kynde of games, but exercise themselves after the
publict Assemblies in previe meditation with their God.” It is
a fair inference that, on other Sundays (Knox does not speak of
“Sabbaths”), games had not yet been forbidden. The Ke-
former’s own practice would have led him into difficulties in more
rigid days, for we know that his second marriage w’as celebrated
on a Sunday, in accordance with the usual custom of the Church,
and that he employed the hour after public worship for his corre
spondence, and Randolph, the English ambassador, has preserved
for us the record of one little Sunday supper-party at Knox’s
house, made for himself to meet the Duke of Chatelheraut. As
usually happens, the followers have improved upon the position
of the leader, and Knox has frequently been credited with opinions
w r hich may be good or bad, but which are certainly alien to his real
views.
In the short paper from which we have quoted, Sheriff Guthrie
shows that Knox’s personality has been misunderstood in one
respect, and that he was neither grim nor sour. That Mr. Guthrie
is right, we do not question ; but, if popular belief may be wrong
in one respect, it may also err in others. Enemies and friends
alike have misrepresented the real man. Mr. Lang will not be
accused of undue partiality to Knox, and Mr. Lang’s summing-
up of his character may almost satisfy Knox’s most fervent
worshipper : —
That Knox w r as a great man; a disinterested man ; in his
regard for the poor a truly Christian man ; as a shepherd of Cal-
vinistic souls a man fervent and considerate ; of pure life ; in friend
ship loyal; by jealousy untainted; in private character genial and
amiable, I am entirely convinced. In public and political life he
was much less admirable; and his ‘ History,’ vivacious as it is,
must be studied as the w r ork of an old-fashioned advocate, rather
than as the summing-up of a judge.”
Of whom among Knox’s contemporaries could an impartial
student write in terms like these? His faults and failings are
small compared with those of his fellows, and w T ho among them
possessed his virtues? To what Englishman or other Scotsman
of the period could the w T ord ‘ ‘ disinterested ’ ’ be applied ? It w~as
no mean thing that in such an age of lust and avarice there was
one great voice that witnessed to a light which was from above.
Poor and weak' all such human witness must ever be ; that of
Knox was tainted by the defects of his own character, and by the
evil influences of his times. The importance of these faults, as
we have seen, is partly due to the folly w r hich insists upon ignoring
theii existence; some of them, in fact, once that existence is
admitted, almost disappear from the historical perspective.