the　people　to　receive　a　religion　prohibited　by　the　state；　she　declared；　and
  had　thus　transgressed　God's　command　enjoining　subjects　to　obey　their
  princes。　Knox　answered　firmly：
  〃As　right　religion　took　neither　original　strength　nor　authority　from　worldly
  princes；　but　from　the　eternal　God　alone；　so　are　not　subjects　bound　to　frame
  their　religion
  251
  according　to　the　appetites　of　their　princes。　For　oft　it　is　that　princes　are
  the　most　ignorant　of　all　others　in　God's　true　religion。　。　。　。　If　all　the
  seed　of　Abraham　had　been　of　the　religion　of　Pharaoh；　whose　subjects　they
  long　were；　I　pray　you；　madam；　what　religion　would　there　have　been　in　the
  world？　Or　if　all　men　in　the　days　of　the　apostles　had　been　of　the　religion　of
  the　Roman　emperors；　what　religion　would　there　have　been　upon　the　face　of　the
  earth？　。　。　。　And　so；　madam；　ye　may　perceive　that　subjects　are　not　bound　to
  the　religion　of　their　princes；　albeit　they　are　commanded　to　give　them
  obedience。〃
  Said　Mary：　〃Ye　interpret　the　Scriptures　in　one　manner；　and　they　＇the　Roman
  Catholic　teachers＇　interpret　in　another；　whom　shall　I　believe；　and　who　shall
  be　judge？〃
  〃Ye　shall　believe　God；　that　plainly　speaketh　in　His　word；〃　answered　the
  Reformer；　〃and　farther　than　the　word　teaches　you；　ye　neither　shall　believe
  the　one　nor　the　other。　The　word　of　God　is　plain　in　itself；　and　if　there
  appear　any　obscurity　in　one　place；　the　Holy　Ghost；　which　is　never　contrary
  to　Himself；　explains　the　same　more　clearly　in　other　places；　so　that　there
  can　remain　no　doubt　but　unto　such　as　obstinately　remain　ignorant。〃David
  Laing；　The　Collected　Works　of　John　Knox；　vol。　2；　pp。　281；　284。
  Such　were　the　truths　that　the　fearless　Reformer；　at　the　peril　of　his　life；
  spoke　in　the　ear　of　royalty。　With　the　same　undaunted　courage　he　kept　to　his
  purpose；　praying　and　fighting　the　battles　of　the　Lord；　until　Scotland　was
  free　from　popery。
  In　England　the　establishment　of　Protestantism　as　the　national　religion
  diminished；　but　did　not　wholly　stop；　persecution。　While　many　of　the
  doctrines　of　Rome　had　been　renounced；　not　a　few　of　its　forms　were　retained。
  The　supremacy　of　the　pope　was　rejected；　but　in　his　place　the　monarch　was
  enthroned　as　the　head　of　the　church。　In　the　service　of　the　church　there　was
  still　a　wide　departure　from　the　purity　and　simplicity　of　the　gospel。　The
  great　principle　of　religious　liberty　was　not　yet　understood。　Though　the
  252
  horrible　cruelties　which　Rome　employed　against　heresy　were　resorted　to　but
  rarely　by　Protestant　rulers；　yet　the　right　of　every　man　to　worship　God
  according　to　the　dictates　of　his　own　conscience　was　not　acknowledged。　All
  were　required　to　accept　the　doctrines　and　observe　the　forms　of　worship
  prescribed　by　the　established　church。　Dissenters　suffered　persecution；　to　a
  greater　or　less　extent；　for　hundreds　of　years。
  In　the　seventeenth　century　thousands　of　pastors　were　expelled　from　their
  positions。　The　people　were　forbidden；　on　pain　of　heavy　fines；　imprisonment；
  and　banishment；　to　attend　any　religious　meetings　except　such　as　were
  sanctioned　by　the　church。　Those　faithful　souls　who　could　not　refrain　from
  gathering　to　worship　God　were　compelled　to　meet　in　dark　alleys；　in　obscure
  garrets；　and　at　some　seasons　in　the　woods　at　midnight。　In　the　sheltering
  depths　of　the　forest；　a　temple　of　God's　own　building；　those　scattered　and
  persecuted　children　of　the　Lord　assembled　to　pour　out　their　souls　in　prayer
  and　praise。　But　despite　all　their　precautions；　many　suffered　for　their
  faith。　The　jails　were　crowded。　Families　were　broken　up。　Many　were　banished
  to　foreign　lands。　Yet　God　was　with　His　people；　and　persecution　could　not
  prevail　to　silence　their　testimony。　Many　were　driven　across　the　ocean　to
  America　and　here　laid　the　foundations　of　civil　and　religious　liberty　which
  have　been　the　bulwark　and　glory　of　this　country。
  Again；　as　in　apostolic　days；　persecution　turned　out　to　the　furtherance　of
  the　gospel。　In　a　loathsome　dungeon　crowded　with　profligates　and　felons；　John
  Bunyan　breathed　the　very　atmosphere　of　heaven；　and　there　he　wrote　his
  wonderful　allegory　of　the　pilgrim's　journey　from　the　land　of　destruction　to
  the　celestial　city。　For　over　two　hundred　years　that　voice　from　Bedford　jail
  has　spoken　with　thrilling　power　to　the　hearts　of　men。　Bunyan's　Pilgrim's
  Progress　and　Grace　Abounding　to　the　Chief　of　Sinners　have　guided　many　feet
  into　the　path　of　life。
  Baxter；　Flavel；　Alleine；　and　other　men　of　talent；　education；　and　deep
  Christian　experience　stood　up　in　valiant　defense　of
  253
  the　faith　which　was　once　delivered　to　the　saints。　The　work　accomplished　by
  these　men；　proscribed　and　outlawed　by　the　rulers　of　this　world；　can　never
  perish。　Flavel's　Fountain　of　Life　and　Method　of　Grace　have　taught　thousands
  how　to　commit　the　keeping　of　their　souls　to　Christ。　Baxter's　Reformed　Pastor
  has　proved　a　blessing　to　many　who　desire　a　revival　of　the　work　of　God；　and
  his　Saints'　Everlasting　Rest　has　done　its　work　in　leading　souls　to　the
  〃rest〃　that　remaineth　for　the　people　of　God。
  A　hundred　years　later；　in　a　day　of　great　spiritual　darkness；　Whitefield　and
  the　Wesleys　appeared　as　light　bearers　for　God。　Under　the　rule　of　the
  established　church　the　people　of　England　had　lapsed　into　a　state　of
  religious　declension　hardly　to　be　distinguished　from　heathenism。　Natural
  religion　was　the　favorite　study　of　the　clergy；　and　included　most　of　their
  theology。　The　higher　classes　sneered　at　piety；　and　prided　themselves　on
  being　above　what　they　called　its　fanaticism。　The　lower　classes　were　grossly
  ignorant　and　abandoned　to　vice；　while　the　church　had　no　courage　or　faith　any
  longer　to　support　the　downfallen　cause　of　truth。
  The　great　doctrine　of　justification　by　faith；　so　clearly　taught　by　Luther；
  had　been　almost　wholly　lost　sight　of；　and　the　Romish　principle　of　trusting
  to　good　works　for　salvation；　had　taken　its　place。　Whitefield　and　the
  Wesleys；　who　were　members　of　the　established　church；　were　sincere　seekers
  for　the　favor　of　God；　and　this　they　had　been　taught　was　to　be　secured　by　a
  virtuous　life　and　an　observance　of　the　ordinances　of　religion。
  When　Charles　Wesley　at　one　time　fell　ill；　and　anticipated　that　death　was
  approaching；　he　was　asked　upon　what　he　rested　his　hope　of　eternal　life。　His
  answer　was：　〃I　have　used　my　best　endeavors　to　serve　God。〃　As　the　friend　who
  had　put　the　question　seemed　not　to　be　fully　satisfied　with　his　answer；
  Wesley　thought：　〃What！　are　not　my　endeavors　a　sufficient　ground　of　hope？
  Would　he　rob　me　of　my　endeavors？　I　have　nothing　else　to　trust　to。〃John
  Whitehead；　Life　of　the　Rev。　Charles　Wesley；　page　102。　Such　was　the　dense
  darkness
  254
  that　had　settled　down　on　the　church；　hiding　the　atonement；　robbing　Christ　of
  His　glory；　and　turning　the　minds　of　men　from　their　only　hope　of
  salvationthe　blood　of　the　crucified　Redeemer。
  Wesley　and　his　associates　were　led　to　see　that　true　religion　is　seated　in
  the　heart；　and　that　God's　law　extends　to　the　thoughts　as　well　as　to　the
  words　and　actions。　Convinced　of　the　necessity　of　holiness　of　heart；　as　well
  as　correctness　of　outward　deportment；　they　set　out　in　earnest　upon　a　new
  life。　By　the　most　diligent　and　prayerful　efforts　they　endeavored　to　subdue
  the　evils　of　the　natural　heart。　They　lived　a　life　of　self…denial；　charity；
  and　humiliation；　observing　with　great　rigor　and　exactness　every　measure
  which　they　thought　could　be　helpful　to　them　in　obtaining　what　they　most
  desiredthat　holiness　which　could　secure　the　favor　of　God。　But　they　did　not
  obtain　the　object　which　they　sought。　In　vain　were　their　endeavors　to　free
  themselves　from　the　condemnation　of　sin　or　to　break　its　power。　It　was　the
  same　struggle　which　Luther　had　experienced　in　his　cell　at　Erfurt。　It　was　the
  same　question　which　had　tortured　his　soul〃How　should　man　be　just　before
  God？〃　Job。　9：2。
  The　fires　of　divine　truth；　well…nigh　extinguished　upon　the　altars　of
  Protestantism；　were　to　be　rekindled　from　the　ancient　torch　handed　down　the
  ages　by　the　Bohemian　Christians。　After　the　Reformation；　Protestantism　in
  Bohemia　had　been　trampled　out　by　the　hordes　of　Rome。　All　who　refused　to
  renounce　the　truth　were　forced　to　flee。　Some　of　these；　finding　refuge　in
  Saxony；　there　maintained　the　ancient　faith。　It　was　from　the　descendants　of
  these　Christians　that　light　came　to　Wesley　and　his　associates。
  John　and　Charles　Wesley；　after　being　ordained　to　the　ministry；　were　sent　on
  a　mission　to　America。　On　board　the　ship　was　a　company　of　Moravians。　Violent
  storms　were　encountered　on　the　passage；　and　John　Wesley；　brought　face　to
  face　with　death；　felt　that　he　had　not　the　assurance　of　peace　with　God。　The
  Germans；　on　the　contrary；　manifested　a　calmness　and　trust　to　which　he　was　a
  stranger。
  255
  〃I　had　long　before；〃　he　says；　〃observed　the　great　seriousness　of　their
  behavior。　Of　their　humility　they　had　given　a　continual　proof；　by　performing
  those　servile　offices　for　the　other　passengers　which　none　of　the　English
  would　undertake；　for　which　they　desired　and　would　receive　no　pay；　saying　it
  was　good　for　their　pr