The First Blast of the Trumpet against the Monstrous Regiment of Women.. . . . by John Knox
This month’s featured text is The First Blast of the Trumpet against the Monstrous Regiment of Women. . . by John Knox (1505-1572). John Knox was born in Haddington, East Lothian Scotland. Little is known about his life before 1545. He was ordained a Catholic priest and possibly attended the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. He was a follower of George Wishart, an early Scottish reformer who was executed in 1546. With the help of Henry VIII and later Edward VI of England Knox and his followers staged a coup against the Scottish government which was repelled by the Regent Marie de Guise. Knox spent over a year as a prisoner of the French until he was released with the help of Edward VI and under his patronage preached in the North of England. After the death of Edward and Mary I (a devout Catholic) became Queen of England, Knox fled to Geneva where he came into contact with John Calvin. Knox served as chaplain to the English congregation in Geneva until his return to Scotland in 1559 andwith the help of the Protestant Scottish lords (known as the Lords of the Congregation) led a revolt against Marie de Guise who was overthrown by 1560. In 1561 Mary Stewart, Queen of Scots returned from France (she had been married to King Charles IX of France who died in 1560) to claim her throne. Knox preached against her and her Catholic religion and by 1567 Mary abdicated in favor of her son James (VI of Scotland and later I of England). Knox and his allies then successfully passed the Confession of Faith through the Scottish parliament making Scotland a presbyterian country. He continued to be an important preacher until his death 5 years later.

The First Blast of the Trumpet. . . was published in 1564 from exile in Geneva. It is an important document theologically, culturally and even politically. It was written primarily against the regency of Marie de Guise and Mary I of England. In it, Knox argues that scripture proves women are unfit to rule over men and that scripture is the ultimate and complete authority over all things. So complete and unquestionable that "to add anything were superfluous, were it not that the world is almost now come to that blindness, that whatsoever pleases not the princes and the multitude, the same is rejected as doctrine newly forged, and is condemned for heresy." This helps to understand much about the form of Presbyterian worship that took hold in Scotland (rather different from the Church of England) and the early modern attitudes toward women. Knox's pamphlet in addition to reflecting theological and cultural principles also had political ramifications. When Elizabeth I became Queen in 1558 she viewed Knox and his ideas as a threat to her as well and a condemnation of women rulers like herself. Therefore, relations between England and Scotland, though they shared much theologically were strained because of Elizabeth's dislike for Knox and the church he headed. In all, The First Blast of the Trumpet against the Monstrous Regiment of Women serves as an interesting conduit for the foundations of Scottish Presbyterianism, cultural attitudes toward women, and political relations between England and Scotland in the sixteenth century. It was an influential book in its day and continued to influence events long after Knox's death.

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