While we associate John Knox more than anyone else with the Reformation in Scotland, there were several men who prepared the way for him. One of these was Patrick Hamilton, a young nobleman who studied at different uni versities on the Continent and came to the Prot estant position. He returned to Scotland and preached the new views. Cardinal Beaton was primate of Scotland and resolved to suppress heresy. Hamilton refused to change his views and was burned at the stake. George Wishart was another enthusiastic preacher of the Prot estant views. He was protected by the nobles who were friendly to his teachings and he made evangelistic journeys in different parts of Scot land. One of his followers was John Knox. Wishart was captured and executed for heresy and Knox became the leader of the Scotch Reformation. He had obtained a priestly edu cation and soon showed marked ability as a Protestant leader. He worked in England in the reign of Edward VI and went to the Con tinent when the persecution broke out in the reign of Mary. He studied at Geneva and. adopted Calvin's views in regard to Church organization and theology. On his return to Scotland in 1559 he became virtually the head of the Protestant movement in that country. He gave his support to the Lords of the Congrega tion in their attempt to maintain Protestantism against the wishes of Mary Stuart, who desired to hold the nation to Catholicism. The conflict resulted in a victory for Protestantism and Presbyterianism was established by law. After Knox s death in 1572 his work was ably carried on by Andrew Melville.
The Reformation was also introduced into Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The leaders were men who had been pupils of Luther and the Ref oramiton was under state control. It
was in some cases forced upon the people be fore they had been thoroughly informed of the meaning of the Educational work was carried on later so that the Scandinavian coun tries became thoroughly Protestant.
The Lutheran Reformation also extended into Bohemia, Hungary and Poland. In Bo hemia the way had been prepared by Huss and his followers. It spread rapidly here but was almost entirely overthrown by the work of the Jesuits and the Thirty Years' War. In Hun gary and Poland the progress of the Reforma tion was greatly hindered by the rivalries of Lutherans, Calvinists and Unitarians.
Attempts were made by the Roman Catholic Church to recover the ground lost and to it new territory in the non-Christian world. principal agency in this effort was the Society of Jesus, an cuatmatum founded by the Span ish monk, Ignatius Loyola. The new religious order placed itself under the power of the Pope to be used unreservedly by him in the service of the Church. It worked along two lines —educationl and missionary —and was so successful that in some parts of Europe the Reformation was held in check, in other places large numbers who had been Protestants were won back to Catholicism. In non-Christian lands the members of the Society worked as missionaries and thousands were won to Cath olicism. COUNTER REFORMATION). consult Fisher, ( *story of the Reformation) (1893) ; Newman, (Manual of Church History) (1903) ; Walker, Reformation> (1900) ; Lindsay, of the Reformation> (1907) ; (The Reformation> in the Modern His tory) (1907).