Protestantism in Scotland - James Aitken Wylie

your God? To betray his cause when you have it in
your hands to establish it as you please?... Their
religion had the authority of God, and was
independent of human laws, but it was also
accepted within this realm in public Parliament,
and that Parliament he would maintain was as free
and lawful as any that had ever assembled in the
kingdom of Scotland." He alluded, in fine, to the
reports of the queen's marriage, and bidding his
audience mark his words, he warned the nobility
what the consequences would be should they ever
consent to their sovereign marrying a Papist.[3]
Knox himself tells us in his History that this
plainness of speech gave offense to both Papists
and Protestants. He had not expected, nor indeed
intended, that his sermon should please the latter
any more than the former. Men who were sinking
their patriotism in cupidity, and their loyalty in
sycophancy, would not be flattered by being told to
their face that they were ruining their country.
Another result followed, which had doubtless also
been foreseen by the preacher. There were those in
his audience who hurried off to the palace as soon
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