Page:Life of John Knox (2).pdf/6

6 might be pursued by Queen Mary's government, he retired to the north. In August following, he resumed his labours, although his safety was daily becoming more precarious. By the end of November, Parliament had repealed all the laws in favour of the Reformation, and restored the Roman Catholic religion, but liberty was allowed to such as pleased to observe the Protestant worship, until the 20th of December, after which they were to be exposed to the pains decrced against hereties. Knox, however, could not prevail on himself to leave the kingdom, till he found that he could no longer clude the pursuit of his enemies, if he continued to preach in England, so he set sail in a vessel which landed him safely at Dieppe, on 28th Jannary, 1554. About the end of February of that year, he set out from Dieppe, “ not knowing whither he went," and, travelling through France, came to Switzerland, where he spent some time in visiting the churches, and conferring with the learned men in that country. Early in May following, he returned to Dieppe to receive information from England, and, shortly after, visited Geneva, where he became acquainted with the celebrated John Calvin, and formed that intimate friendship which subsisted between them till the death of the latter in 1564. While residing here, the English Church at Frankfort invited him to become their pastor, a charge which he was averse to undertake ; but, by the persuasion of Calvin, he was induced to accept the call, and, repairing to Frankfort in November, he commenced his ministry with the unanimous consent of the congregation. This situation, however, he did not long enjoy ; for having refused to administer the sacrament according to the form prescribed by the English Liturgy, he was deprived of office, and, leaving Frankfort, he returned to Geneva. In the month of August, 1555, he came to Dieppe, and,