First Blast of the Trumpet against the monstrous regiment of Women | Page 4

was led to the discussion of the
conditions of divorce, through his desertion by his wife MARY
POWELL; so the fiery martyrdoms of England led KNOX to denounce
the female sex in the person of her whom we still call "Bloody MARY"
that was the occasion of them all.
If in the happiest moment of his happiest dream, JOHN KNOX could
have foreseen our good and revered Queen VICTORIA reigning in the
hearts of the millions of her subjects, and ruling an Empire wider by far

than those of Spain and Portugal in his day; if he could have seen
England and Scotland ONE COUNTRY, bearing the name which, as
almost of prophecy, he has foreshadowed for them in this tract, "the Ile
of greate Britanny;" if he could have beheld that one country as it now
abides in its strength and its wealth, the most powerful of European
states; if he could have realized free Italy with Rome, the Popes
without temporal power, and modern civilisation more than a match for
Papal intrigues; if he could have known that the gospel for which he
lived had regenerated the social life of Great Britain, that it was tha
confessed basis of our political action and the perennial spring of our
Christian activities, so that not merely in physical strength, but in moral,
force and mental enlightenment we are in the van of the nations of the
world: if the great Scotch Reformer had but had a glimpse of this
present reality, this tract would never have been written, and he would
willingly have sung the paean of aged SIMEON and passed out of this
life.
But this work was the offspring of the hour of darkness, if not of
despair. Something must be done. A warrior of the pen, he would forge
a general argument against all female rule that would inclusively
destroy the legal right of MARY to continue these atrocities.
II.
The first note of this trumpet blast, "The Kingdom apperteineth to our
GOD," shows us the vast difference between the way in which men
regarded the Almighty Being then and now. Shall we say that the awe
of the Deity has departed! Now so much stress is laid on the
Fatherhood of GOD: in KNOX'S time it was His might to defend His
own or to take vengeance on all their murderers. Both views are true.
Nevertheless this age does seem wanting in a general and thorough
reverence for His great name and character.
KNOX seems like some great Hebrew seer when he thus pronounces
the doom of MARY and her adherents.
The same God, who did execute this greuous punishment, euen by the
handes of those, whom he suffred twise to be ouercomen in batel, doth
this day retein his power and iustice. Cursed Iesabel of England, with
the pestilent and detestable generation of papistes, make no litle bragge
and boast, that they haue triumphed not only against Wyet, but also
against all such as haue entreprised any thing against them or their

procedinges. But let her and them consider, that yet they haue not
preuailed against god, his throne is more high, then that the length of
their hornes be able to reache. And let them further consider, that in the
beginning of their bloodie reigne, the haruest of their iniquitie was not
comen to full maturitie and ripenes. No, it was so grene, so secret I
meane, so couered, and so hid with hypocrisie, that some men (euen the
seruantes of God) thoght it not impossible, but that wolues might be
changed in to lambes, and also that the vipere might remoue her natural
venom. But God, who doth reuele in his time apointed the secretes of
hartes, and that will haue his iudgementes iustified euen by the verie
wicked, hath now geuen open testimonie of her and their beastlie
crueltie. For man and woman, learned and vnlearned, nobles and men
of baser sorte, aged fathers and tendre damiselles, and finailie the bones
of the dead, as well women as men haue tasted of their tyrannie, so that
now not onlie the blood of father Latimer, of the milde man of God the
bishop of Cantorburie, of learned and discrete Ridley, of innocent ladie
Iane dudley, and many godly and worthie preachers, that can not be
forgotten, such as fier hath consumed, and the sworde of tyrannie moste
vniustlie hath shed, doth call for vengeance in the eares of the Lord
God of hostes: but also the sobbes and teares of the poore oppressed,
the groninges of the angeles, the watch men of the Lord, yea and euerie
earthlie creature abused by their tyrannie do continuallie crie and call
for the hastie execution of the same. I feare not to say, that the day of
vengeance,