From Tudors to Stuarts

We need to turn our attention, briefly, to the Reformation as it was taking place in Scotland. Of course, we’re looking at the Reformation on the continent and the Reformation that took place in the British Isles, the primary activity being in England. But, there were also some notable things that were taking place to the north in Scotland during this time, as well. One name that we have already mentioned and that you are familiar with otherwise is John Knox. John Knox was to the Scottish Reformation what Martin Luther was to the German Reformation.

Through a series of events that are really fairly complicated and somewhat convoluted, John Knox had already begun his work of Reformation in Scotland, but he would eventually be in England. And the period of time that he was in England was when “Bloody Mary” came to the throne. And you recall that her efforts were to stop the move toward Protestantism, and to revert back to Catholicism. And so, since John Knox was in England at this time, and because he could not return to his native Scotland because of some things that had transpired previously, he would, rather, flee to the continent. He would eventually wind up in Geneva, Switzerland. There, he would come under the influence of John Calvin. You remember that we spent some time talking about Calvin when we were discussing the Reformation that took place in Switzerland.

Meanwhile, while Knox is in Geneva, the Reformation in Scotland is actually making progress. There was at this time sort of a “nominal ruler” of Scotland, and her name was Mary Stuart. She is known as “Mary Queen of Scots.” At the age of sixteen, Mary married Francis II, the prince of France [in April of 1558. In July of the year 1559, Francis became King of France and Mary became Queen of France, even though at the same time she was Queen of Scotland.]. Well, this caused quite a bit of stir in Scotland for two reasons, primarily, none the least of which was because the thought of Scotland being tied to France through marriage was a thought that the people did not want to consider—they did not appreciate that. As I mentioned, she was something of a nominal ruler. She was actually living in France at the time that this marriage took place, ruling Scotland from afar. And all of these things, then, as they transpired, caused the people of Scotland to become more interested in, and to listen to, those who were the reformers of the day.

Well, John Knox returned to Scotland in 1555. And then, in 1557, an all-out effort was mounted to oust the French and the French influence from Scotland—from the country, from the government, and so on—and a civil war would follow. Mary, who had by this time returned to Scotland—she was in residence in Scotland at this time of the civil war—would eventually have to flee to England to find sanctuary. When she left, she left in such haste—leaving under the circumstances of the civil war—that she had to leave her infant son, James VI, in Scotland.

Under John Knox, the Scottish Reformation continued, and the country and the influence became more and more Protestant than the reform that was going on in England at the time. For one thing, the influence of Calvin was strong. If you remember our discussion a number of weeks ago about John Calvin, you recall that he advocated something of a church-state government. He was a very, very strong reformer, and he invoked a number of very strict moral laws, and that kind of thing, over the people. Knox was influenced by Calvin, having been exposed to his teachings and studying under him, etc. So, many of Calvin’s teachings would be carried over to Scotland by Knox.

The Scottish church, although it was the established church—was state sponsored—enjoyed much greater freedom from the state than did the Church of England, its counterpart in England. In its form of government, the Scottish church became Presbyterian. And we talked about this, the distinguishing of this form of government being led by Presbyters, by multiples of presbyters, or elders. John Knox died in 1572, but his influence continued, even reaching, eventually, to America. That, of course, was in the form of Presbyterianism, the denomination of the Presbyterians.