Interesting Facts About King James I & VI (Part One)

▪ King James I was a Christian who wanted the Bible in the hands of the common man. Commissioned the Authorized King James Bible in 1604.
▪ Fluent in Greek, Latin, French, English, and his native Scots. Schooled in Italian and Spanish. Basilicon Doron
▪ Wrote extensively including Basilicon Doron (the Kingly Gift), Daemonologie, and tracts on varied subjects such as "Counterblaste to Tobacco" which condemned the use of tobacco.
▪ William Shakespere was one of his subjects. Learning and writing thrived under the King's reign.
▪ Formed the foundation for what is now known as the British Empire by uniting warring tribes of Scotland and then enjoining the crowns of Scotland and England in 1603. First to call it Great Britain.
▪ King James was became King of Scotland in 1567 when he was 13 months old and acceded to the English throne in 1603.
▪ Reformation leader John Knox read the sermon when he was crowned King.
▪ He endured racism as a Scot ruling over the English, nevertheless had the love and admiration of many subjects. Years after his death, detractors tried to sully his good name. Unfortunately, it continues today, yet KJV translators, yea the King himself had predicted such.
▪ King James was sickly having crippling arthritis, weak limbs, abdominal colic, gout, and a number of other chronic illnesses. He also had physical handicaps which affected his legs and tongue. Coupled with numerous attempts on his life, he required constant attention and watchcare.
▪ His mother was Mary Queen of Scots who was deposed in 1567 and executed in 1587 after 19 years in prison. His father, Lord Darnley, was murdered in 1567.
▪ Held the Roman Catholic religion in contempt. Roman clerics tried to kill him more than once. The King was born during the time of the Reformation and well knew popery’s atrocities. In 1536, popery burned William Tyndale to death for distributing the Bible and it was MUCH displeased with King James' authorization of a Bible in English (see translator's notes). Roman Catholic Nicolo Molin, an Ambassador said this of King James:
"...He is a Protestant...The king tries to extend his Protestant religion to the whole island. The King is a bitter enemy of our religion (Roman Catholic)...He frequently speaks of it in terms of contempt. He is all the harsher because of this last conspiracy (Gun Power Plot) against his life...He understood that the Jesuits had a hand in it." King James said this in Basilicon Doron:
"I am no papist as I said before...Now faith...is the free gift of God (as Paul sayeth). It must be nourished by prayer, which is no thing else but a friendly talking to God. Use oft to pray when ye are quiet, especially in your bed..."
▪ He led a chaste life. Sir Henry Wotton (June 1602) said this of King James:
"There appears a certain natural goodness verging on modesty...He wears short hair...among his good qualities none shines more brightly than the chastness of his life, which he has preserved without stain down to the present time. Contrary to the example of almost all his ancestors, who disturbed the kingdom with the great number of bastards which they left." F.A. Inderwick wrote in 1891: "James had a reputation for learning, for piety, for good nature, and for liberality." In 1603, Sir Roger Wilbaham wrote: "The King is of sharpest wit and invention...of the sweetest most pleasant and best nature that I ever knew, desiring nor affecting anything but true honor."
Source: https://www.jesusisprecious.org/bible/king_james-the_man.htm