Mary Queen of Scots-A Second Jezabel

At creation women was given the gift of influence and helpmeet to the men in authority over them. Many women over the course of history twisted and manipulated this gift to overrule men's leadership, yet few so devastating to a family and nation as Mary Stuart. Mary was a prototype of the Stuart clan; devotedly catholic but altogether immoral. On the outside she worshiped the god of Catholicism, inwardly she worshiped herself.

Mary ruled Scotland in a time of great reformation of Calvinist thinking. The work of great men such as John Knox, William Cecil, and the Regent Moray had greatly impacted the laymen. Yet John Knox was more than a laymen’s reformer and theologian, he was an ardent politician: understanding as William Feral did, that the reform would impact all three institutions, family, church and state. Knox himself preached a fiery sermon demanding the execution of Mary shortly after the discovery of her participation in the murder of her husband: King Henry. He might have succeeded if the Virgin Queen, Mary’s cousin had not taken pity on her. He did however throw her out of Scotland into the neighboring realm of England. He was said to be the only man who had met Queen Mary who was not deceived either by her whorish ways or her many political snares and plots.

Knox describes his teaching thus in a interview with the Queen. "If Princes exceed their bounds, Madam, no doubt they may be resisted, even with power...Their blind zeal is nothing, but very mad frenzy, and therefore, to take the sword from them, to bind their hands, and to cast them into prison , till they be brought to a more sober mind, is not disobedience against princes, but just obedience, because it agreeth with the will of God. (1)

Yet Mary’s mess of a life would have an impact on the future. The Queen of Scots went into a relationship, and eventually marriage with the young and handsome Lord Darnely, later King Henry, after the murder of her first husband. It was not long before yet another Stuart had entered into the realm: James I of England and James IV of Scotland. His mother, feminist ruler that she was rarely knew her son, rather handing over to be educated by reformer George Buchanan. James’ education was the thorough education of a Calvinist. At a remarkably young age James was found to be remarkably witty and apt to the task of a leader, yet for all his genius he was a spoiled rebel.

Mary no longer found herself popular to the Scots people when a horrifying discovery was made. Bothwell, another man seeking marriage to Mary after the death of Lord Darnely, had left a gold-ringed casket in the charge of a friend. Upon investigations the casket was found to contain plots by both Bothwell and Mary to murder King Henry. As mentioned before, the Queen of Scots was forced to leave Scotland and her position as queen and taken into captivity in England. Mary used her captivity for the best, for she continued to correspond with the other European rulers as well as receive money from many supporters until shortly before her death.

Mary’s life would have been in great danger had not the queen of England, her cousin Elizabeth, taken pity on the young queen. However, the Virgin Queen was not one to act quickly on any matters of importance leaving Mary in life-long imprisonment.

It was not long until young James found himself King of Scotland. Finding the Vatican followers much more pleasant flatterers from the stern followers of the reform, James had soon left his Calvinist training behind in his hubris search for power. The Virgin Queen was getting worried, and took the step to make her cousin heir of the English throne should she dye childless, instead of James IV.

Elizabeth’s attitude toward her cousin would not remain so for long, for she cared too much about her own reign to desire competition. With Europe looking as if it would erupt into full scale war any moment, Mary’s enemies took action. They sent a representative to the Virgin, asking her to sign a pile of papers. Elizabeth agreed to do so, and without realizing it, permitted the execution of Mary.

On the outside, such a time in fair Scotland was tumultuous as the mind of man groped for power. Yet deeper study reveals the amazing fight between good and evil, the city of God, and the city of man. On the surface it seemed that evil was winning. After all, they had the money, the power, and even the rulers on their side. Their towers were tall, but the taller, the greater their fall. Here we see Knox, Melville, Durie, and Buchanan fighting for the cause of the reform; whether from pulpits, press or politics the cause of the reform would only fall to rise once more. It seemed bleak for but a moment, before the ever-rising sun of Christendom would rise, ever brighter toward the final day. For mere men they had no fear, what powers they had mattered not: It was the God who reigned over every point of history that mattered. He that sitteth in the heavens (laughed), the Lord (had) them in derision (Psalm 2). In their rebellion they forgot the law of God, rather creating one in their own autonomous minds.

It was February 7, 1587 that Mary’s end would come. She had never regained freedom after her captivity in England, instead her chains grew tighter and even her friends turned enemies. Her execution was somewhat a cunning one, since the Virgin Queen cared at least somewhat for her cousin. Nevertheless, in one sense, it was a day of victory to the reformation, for although she never persecuted the Kirk of Scotland, she supported the Vatican freely. Yet, in another sense, it only brought in even worse times, the reign of her son, James IV. Mary’s personal life was enough to keep her busy. With James it would be otherwise; for James, apostate of Calvinism, hated the reform; claiming himself to be the head of the Kirk.

As we look back at the dark days of the English crowns, ahead was the light that future reformation would come. Had it not been for the Stuarts, America’s freedom might never have been won. Without them American freedom would have been a weak freedom, a freedom destitute of the foundation of Scottish Presbyterianism.(2)

(1) John Knox, Reformation in Scotland

(2) Information on Mary from Otto Scott, Fool as King