Key Figure of the Reformation Paper John Knox “A Presbyterian with a Sword” was noted for his statement, “The sword of justice is God’s and if princes and rulers fail to use it, others may” ("Presbyterian with a sword," 2018, p. 1). According to Shelley (2013), “Knox was a restless activist who had tried earlier to point England in the direction of Calvinism” (p. 273). Queen Mary, daughter of Henry VIII, also known as, Bloody Mary the persecutor of Protestant leaders, was responsible for England’s return to the Catholic faith. John Knox was able to escape her wrath and returned to Scotland, his birthplace and there, he continued to lead the Reformation in Scotland. A timeline for John Knox might look something like this, in 1514, John Knox …show more content…
In 1540, he was in the priest order, and by 1543 he was recognized at the age of 29 years old for his disputation which was of Scottish scholarship caliber. He also practiced as an apostolic notary which was indicative of his good standing with the church authorities. In 1545, Knox became a tutor for the two sons of a local family of nobility. Knox, during this time, also accompanied another Scottish reformer named George Wishart who was martyred. Knox’s admiration for Wishart profoundly changed his life. After Wishart was burned to death as a heretic, Knox’s zeal for reformation got him labeled as a Protestant conspirator which kept him on the run from persecution and imprisonment. A turning point in Knox’s life came in 1549 when he preached a sermon that propelled him further in the spotlight of the reformation. By the end of 1547, St. Andrew’s Castle, where Knox was residing, was assailed by the French and Knox and his friends were taken captive and held as slaves in the French galleys. During this time, Knox’s health began to decline, however, it was England who intervened and secured Knox’s release. Now, in England, Knox was in the service of England which was a Protestant government at the