name, and for the suppression of such as meditated rebellion. Having continued during the harvestmonths to preach in Kent and Buckinghamshire, recommending to his hearers every where a steady adherence to the faith which they had embraced, although the measures of government daily rendered his safety more precarious, in the beginning of November he returned to London.

At this time, also, it was his destiny to encounter a severe trial of a more private nature. Having solemnised his union with Miss Bowes, in opposition to the will of her father, who either from family-pride or from religious considerations (as he appears to have resolved to comply with the prevailing religion) resisted the match to the last, he in vain attempted through the medium of Sir Robert Bowes, by a candid explanation of circumstances, to procure an amicable settlement of the affair. That gentleman, instead of undertaking the proffered mediatorship, "with disdainful, yea despiteful words pierced his heart."

In the beginning of December, he retired to Newcastle. Soon afterward, his servant was seized as he carried letters from him to his wife and motherin-law; and his papers were taken from him, with the hope of finding in them some matter of accusation against the writer. But they contained only religious advices, and exhortations to continue in the Protestant Faith.

If thy justice must punish, then punish our bodies with the red of thy mercy. But, O Lord, let us never revolt, nor turn back to idolatry again. Mitigate the hearts of those that persecute ^us, and let us not faint under the cross of our Saviour; but assist us with the Holy Ghost even to the end.”

At last, contrary to his own mind (for "never," as he observed, "could he die in a more honest quarrel") in January 1554, to avoid the storm of persecution raised by the bigoted and merciless Mary, upon the urgent entreaties of some of his wife's relations he left England, and crossed the sea to Dieppe.

Upon landing, one of his first cares was, to employ his pen in writing suitable advices to those, whom he could no longer instruct by his sermons and conversation. With this view, he transmitted to England two short treatises; an Exposition of the Sixth Psalm, begun at the request of Mrs. Bowes, and a large Letter addressed to his various congregations. How must the reader be struck with the animated strain of this epistle; when he reflects that it proceeded from a forlorn exile, in a strange country, without a single acquaintance, and ignorant alike where he should find a place of abode or the means of subsistence!* It's conclusion furnishes a specimen at once of the most impressive eloquence, and the most elevated piety: "Alas! shall we, after so many graces that God has offered in our days, for pleasure or for vain threatening of them, whom our heart knoweth and our mouths have confessed to be odious idolaters, altogether without resistance turn back to our vomit and damnable idolatry, to the perdition of us and our posterity? O horrible to be heard! Shall God's holy precepts work no greater obedience in us? Shall nature no otherwise mollify our hearts? Shall not fa

* His 'Letter to the Faithful in London, &c.' concludes thus: "From a sore troubled heart, upon my departure from Dieppe, 1553 (N. S. 1554.) whither God knoweth."

therly pity overcome this cruelness? I speak to you, O natural fathers. Behold Behold your children with the eye of mercy, and consider the end of their creation. Cruelty it were, to save yourselves and damn them. But O more than cruelty, and madness that cannot be expressed, if for the pleasure of a moment ye deprive yourselves and your posterity of that eternal joy, that is ordained for them that continue in confession of Christ's name to the end! If natural love, fatherly affection, reverence of God, fear of torments, or yet hope of life move you, then will ye gainstand that abominable idol. Which if ye do not, then alas! the sun is gone down, and the light is quite lost, the trumpet is ceased, and idolatry is placed in quietness and rest. But if God shall strengthen you (as unfeignedly I pray that his Majesty may), then is there but one dark cloud overspread the sun for one moment, which shortly shall vanish, so that the beams afterward shall be sevenfold more bright and amiable than they were before. Your patience and constancy shall be a louder trumpet to your posterity, than were the cries of the prophets that instructed you: and so is not the trumpet ceased, so long as any boldly resisteth idolatry; and therefore, for the tender mercies of God, arm yourselves to stand with Christ in this short battle.

"Let it be known to your posterity that ye were Christians, and no idolaters; that ye learned Christ in time of rest, and boldly professed him in time of trouble.

*

"Ye fear corporal death. If nature admitted any man to live ever, then had your fear some appearance of reason. But if corporal death be common to all, why will ye jeopard to lose eternal life, to escape

that which neither rich nor poor, neither wise nor ignorant, proud of stomach nor feeble of courage, and finally, no earthly creature by no craft nor ingene (wit) of man did ever avoid? If any escaped the ugly face and horrible fear of death, it was they, that boldly confessed Christ before men.-Why ought the way of life to be so fearful, by reason of any pain; considering that a great number of our brethren has passed before us by like dangers as we fear? A stout and prudent mariner in time of tempest, seeing but one or two ships, or like vessels to his, pass throughout every danger, and to win a sure harbour, will have good esperance (hope) by the like wind to do the same. Alas! shall we be more fearful to win life eternal, than the natural man is to save the corporal life? Have not the most part of the saints of God from the beginning entered into their rest by torment and troubles? And yet what complaints find we in their mouths, except it be the lamenting of their persecutors? Did God comfort them; and shall his Majesty despise us, if in fighting against iniquity we will follow their footsteps? He will

not."

From Dieppe he proceeded to Switzerland, where he was cordially received, and spent some time in visiting the particular churches, and conferring with the learned natives, After a short return to Dieppe, with a view of receiving information from England, he next repaired to Geneva; where he had not long resided, before he was invited conjointly with two others by the congregation of English refugees, then established at Frankfort, to become their pastor.*

1

About the end of this year, afflicted by the persecution, and

6

This vocation, at the command of Calvin, who was then in the zenith of his reputation, he reluctantly obeyed; and he continued there, till some of the principal persons of his congregation, finding it impossible to persuade him to adopt the English Liturgy, resolved to effect his removal.* With that view Dr. Cox, a Protestant exile,† and his party, took the most ungenerous measures to oblige him to quit the city. In his Admonition to England,' Knox with his usual boldness had asserted, that "the Emperor of Germany was no less enemy to Christ than ever was Nero." His adversaries, taking advantage of this and other unguarded expressions, accused him to the magistracy of treason, against both their Sovereign and his own. The magistrates, finding that they would not have it in their power to save him, if he should be demanded either by the Emperor, or in his name by Queen Mary, gave him through his friend Whittingham private notice of the charge; which he no sooner received, than he set out for Geneva, and

still more by the apostasy, of many of his Protestant flock, he drew up his Admonition to England; a tract, in which with great vehemence of spirit and bitterness of language, he holds up the Papists as objects of human execration and divine vengeance. Now, also, he seems to have made himself master of the Hebrew language. He was supported chiefly, at this period, by remittances from his English and Scottish friends.

The exiles of Zurich and Strasburg refused to combine with those of Frankfort, unless they would "use the same order of service concerning religion, which was in England last set forth by King Edward:" and this the latter refused to do, alleging, that they had obtained the liberty of a place of worship upon 'condition of accommodating themselves as much as possible to the French protestants there assembled.' Knox, for some time, mediated effectually between the contending parties.

+Preceptor to Edward VI., and afterward Bishop of Ely.