▁an ▁oracle ▁on ▁the ▁matters ▁of ▁religion " ▁If ▁this ▁is ▁not ▁exactly ▁a ▁ring ing ▁end ors ement , ▁it ▁is ▁not ▁hard ▁to ▁see ▁in ▁Kno x ' s ▁pre aching ▁an ▁inten se ▁version ▁of ▁Major ' s ▁enthus ias ms ▁– ▁the ▁utter ▁freedom ▁of ▁God , ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁the ▁Bible , ▁s cept ic ism ▁of ▁earth ly ▁authority . ▁It ▁might ▁be ▁more ▁surprising ▁that ▁Major ▁preferred ▁to ▁follow ▁his ▁friend ▁Er as mus ' s ▁example ▁and ▁remain ▁within ▁the ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁( though ▁he ▁did ▁en vis age ▁a ▁national ▁church ▁for ▁Scotland ). ▁Major ▁also ▁filled ▁with ▁enthus ias m ▁other ▁Scottish ▁Reform ers ▁including ▁the ▁Protest ant ▁mart yr ▁Patrick ▁Hamilton ▁and ▁the ▁Latin ▁sty list ▁George ▁Buch an an , ▁whose ▁enthus ias m ▁for ▁w itt y ▁Latin isms ▁had ▁him ▁was p ish ly ▁suggesting ▁that ▁the ▁only ▁thing ▁major ▁about ▁his ▁ex - te acher ▁was ▁his ▁surname ▁– ▁typical ▁Renaissance ▁dis d ain ▁for ▁the ▁School men . ▁ ▁Emp ir ic ism ▁Major ▁and ▁his ▁circle ▁were ▁interested ▁in ▁the ▁structures ▁of ▁language ▁– ▁spoken , ▁written ▁and ▁' ment al '. ▁This ▁latter ▁was ▁the ▁language ▁which ▁under lies ▁the ▁thoughts ▁that ▁are ▁expressed ▁in ▁natural ▁languages , ▁like ▁Sc ots , ▁English ▁or ▁Latin . ▁He ▁attacks ▁a ▁whole ▁range ▁of ▁questions ▁from ▁a ▁generally ▁' nom inal ist ' ▁perspective ▁– ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁philosoph ical ▁disc ourse ▁whose ▁tradition ▁der ives