The Knoxes were devout Presbyterians, and Henry attended services with them. He found that there was little formal ceremony there, but a strong dependence on the morning sermon. The clergyman was not reticent in expressing his views on current circumstances, finding little difficulty in connecting almost any political or social issue with an appropriate selection from the Scriptures. The sessions were filled with criticisms of the dominant Anglican Church, its closeness to the political authorities, and demands for the full independence of all worshippers. Members of the congregation seemed to be caught up in these issues, and they precipitated long Sunday-afternoon talks and sometimes mild arguments between Mr. Knox and Henry.

Although there were some political comments at church that were surprising and somewhat disturbing to Henry, Mr. Knox was even more outspoken in his home.

“I’ve always been a loyal subject of the crown, but King George the Third is so ignorant and incompetent that he has strained my confidence in the monarchy itself.”

Henry had never heard such comments in his own family. Any negative references to the royal family would have been almost as unlikely as a personal criticism of Jesus Christ. In order to disassociate himself from Mr. Knox’s opinions and, at the same time, to keep the conversation going, he replied, “Well, down through history we have often had monarchs who lacked perfect judgment. In fact, a few were known to be quite sinful and even mentally deranged.”

Mr. Knox replied, “But this one has violated a long-standing principle that has been honored for more than a hundred years, when Charles the First tried but failed to impose English worship services on Scotland. Since then, the king has acknowledged that Parliament has the power to govern. In fact, ever since the Magna Carta in 1215, citizens have been assured that there would be no taxation without representation. Otherwise, we Scots would never have joined with England sixty years ago.”

Henry realized that he was at a disadvantage in this discussion. Mr. Knox was much more familiar with British history, and particularly with facets of it that applied to his own people.

“I thought it was Parliament that passed the Stamp Act earlier this year, and not King George?”

“The problem is that the king no longer stays aloof from the details of administration concerning the colonies, and injects himself into almost everything that is domineering and abusive. Instead of acting as something of a sea anchor, to provide stability and restraint while parliamentarians consider legislation carefully, he is in the forefront of wild and ill-considered decisions. His voice and influence are used to inflame the public and force Parliament to act against those of us in the colonies.”

Henry replied, “But the final influence is with the people, and the leaders they choose to represent them in London.”