Fox's Book of Martyrs
Chapter XV
Like as there was no
place, either of Germany, Italy, or France, wherein there were not some branches sprung out of that most fruitful root of
Luther; so likewise was not this isle of Britain
without his fruit and branches. Amongst whom was Patrick Hamilton, a Scotchman
born of high and noble stock, and of the king's blood, of excellent towardness,
twenty-three years of age, called abbot of Ferne. Coming out of his country
with three companions to seek godly learning, he went to the University of
Marburg in Germany, which university was then newly erected by Philip,
Landgrave of Hesse.
During
his residence here, he became intimately acquainted with those eminent lights
of the Gospel, Martin Luther and Philip Melancthon;
from whose writings and doctrines he strongly attached himself to the
Protestant religion.
The
archbishop of St. Andrews (who was a rigid papist) learning of Mr. Hamilton's
proceedings, caused him to be seized, and being brought before him, after a
short examination relative to his religious principles, he committed him a
prisoner to the castle, at the same time ordering him to be confined in the
most loathsome part of the prison.
The
next morning Mr. Hamilton was brought before the
bishop, and several others, for examination, when the
principal articles exhibited against him were, his publicly disapproving of
pilgrimages, purgatory, prayers to saints, for the dead, etc.
These
articles Mr. Hamilton acknowledged to be true, in consequence of which he was
immediately condemned to be burnt; and that his condemnation might have the
greater authority, they caused it to be subscribed by all those of any note who
were present, and to make the number as considerable as possible, even admitted
the subscription of boys who were sons of the nobility.
So
anxious was this bigoted and persecuting prelate for the destruction of Mr.
Hamilton, that he ordered his sentence to be put in
execution on the afternoon of the very day it was pronounced.
He was accordingly led to the place appointed for the
horrid tragedy and was attended by a
prodigious number of spectators. The greatest part of the multitude
would not believe it was intended he should be put to death, but that it was only done
to frighten him, and thereby bring him over to embrace the principles of the
Romish religion.
When
he arrived at the stake, he kneeled down, and, for some time prayed with great fervency. After this he was fastened to the stake, and the fagots placed round him.
A quantity of gunpowder having been placed under his
arms was first set on fire which scorched his left hand and one side of his
face, but did no material injury, neither did it communicate with the fagots.
In consequence of this, more powder and combustible matter were
brought, which being set on fire took effect, and the fagots being kindled, he called out, with an audible voice:
"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit! How long shall darkness overwhelm this
realm? And how long wilt Thou suffer the tyranny of these men?"
The
fire burning slow put him to great torment; but he bore it with Christian
magnanimity. What gave him the greatest pain was, the clamor of some wicked men set on by the friars, who frequently cried,
"Turn, thou heretic; call upon our Lady; say, Salve Regina, etc." To whom he replied, "Depart from me, and
trouble me not, ye messengers of Satan." One Campbell, a friar, who was
the ringleader, still continuing to interrupt him by
opprobrious language; he said to him, "Wicked man, God forgive thee."
After which, being prevented from further speech by
the violence of the smoke, and the rapidity of the flames, he resigned up his soul into the hands of Him who gave it.
This
steadfast believer in Christ suffered martyrdom in the year 1527.
One
Henry Forest, a young inoffensive Benedictine, being charged
with speaking respectfully of the above Patrick Hamilton, was
thrown into prison; and, in confessing himself to a friar, owned that he
thought Hamilton a good man; and that the articles for which he was sentenced to die, might be defended.
This being revealed by the friar, it was received as evidence; and the poor Benedictine was sentenced to be burnt.
Whilst
consultation was held, with regard
to the manner of his execution, John Lindsay, one of the archbishop's
gentlemen, offered his advice, to burn Friar Forest in
some cellar; "for," said he, "the smoke
of Patrick Hamilton hath infected all those on whom it blew."
This
advice was taken, and the poor victim was rather suffocated, than burnt.
The
next who fell victims for professing the truth of the Gospel, were David
Stratton and Norman Gourlay.
When
they arrived at the fatal spot, they both kneeled down,
and prayed for some time with great fervency. They
then arose, when Stratton, addressing himself to the spectators, exhorted them
to lay aside their superstitious and idolatrous notions, and employ their time
in seeking the true light of the Gospel. He would have said more,
but was prevented by the officers who attended.
Their
sentence was then put into execution, and they
cheerfully resigned up their souls to that God who gave them, hoping, through
the merits of the great Redeemer, for a glorious resurrection to life immortal.
They suffered in the year 1534.
The
martyrdoms of the two before-mentioned persons, were soon followed by that of Mr. Thomas Forret, who, for a
considerable time, had been dean of the Romish Church; Killor and Beverage, two
blacksmiths; Duncan Simson, a priest; and Robert Forrester, a gentleman. They
were all burnt together, on the Castle-hill at Edinburgh, the last day of February, 1538.
The
year following the martyrdoms of the before-mentioned
persons, viz. 1539, two others were apprehended on a suspicion of heresy; namely, Jerome Russell and Alexander Kennedy, a
youth about eighteen years of age.
These
two persons, after being some time confined in prison,
were brought before the archbishop for examination. In the course of which Russell, being a very sensible man,
reasoned learnedly against his accusers; while they in
return made use of very opprobrious language.
The
examination being over, and both of them deemed
heretics, the archbishop pronounced the dreadful sentence of death, and they
were immediately delivered over to the secular power in order
for execution.
The
next day they were led to the place appointed for them to suffer; in their way
to which, Russell, seeing his fellow-sufferer have the appearance of timidity
in his countenance, thus addressed him: "Brother, fear not; greater is He
that is in us, than He that is in the world. The pain that we are to suffer is short, and shall be light; but our joy and consolation shall
never have an end. Let us, therefore, strive to enter into
our Master and Savior's joy, by the same straight way which He hath taken before
us. Death cannot hurt us, for it is already destroyed by Him, for whose sake we
are now going to suffer."
When
they arrived at the fatal spot, they both kneeled down
and prayed for some time; after which being fastened to the stake, and the fagots lighted, they
cheerfully resigned their souls into the hands of Him who gave them, in full
hopes of an everlasting reward in the heavenly mansions.
About the year of
our Lord 1543, there was, in the University of Cambridge, one Master George
Wishart, commonly called Master George of Benet's College, a man of tall
stature, polled-headed, and on the same a round
French cap of the best; judged to be of melancholy complexion by his
physiognomy, black-haired, long-bearded, comely of personage, well spoken after his country of Scotland, courteous,
lowly, lovely, glad to teach, desirous to learn, and well
travelled; having on him for his clothing a frieze gown to the shoes, a
black millian fustian doublet, and plain black hosen, coarse new canvas for his
shirts, and white falling bands and cuffs at his hands.
He
was a man modest, temperate, fearing God, hating covetousness; for his charity
had never end, night, noon, nor day; he forbare one meal in three, one day in four for the most part, except something to comfort nature.
He lay hard upon a puff of straw and coarse, new canvas sheets, which, when he
changed, he gave away. He had commonly by his bedside
a tub of water, in the which (his people being in bed,
the candle put out and all quiet) he used to bathe himself. He loved me
tenderly, and I him. He taught with great modesty and
gravity, so that some of his people thought him
severe, and would have slain him; but the Lord was his defence. And he, after
due correction for their malice, by good exhortation amended them and went his
way. Oh, that the Lord had left him to me, his poor boy, that he might have
finished what he had begun! for he went into Scotland with divers of the
nobility, that came for a treaty to King Henry.
In
1543, the archbishop of St. Andrews made a visitation into various parts of his
diocese, where several persons were
informed against at Perth for heresy. Among those the following were condemned to die, viz. William Anderson, Robert Lamb,
James Finlayson, James Hunter, James Raveleson, and Helen Stark.
The
accusations laid against these respective persons were as follow: The four
first were accused of having hung up the image of St. Francis, nailing ram's
horns on his head, and fastening a cow's tail to his rump; but the principal
matter on which they were condemned was having regaled themselves with a goose
on fast day.
James
Reveleson was accused of having ornamented his house
with the three crowned diadem of Peter, carved in wood, which the archbishop
conceived to be done in mockery to his cardinal's cap.
Helen
Stark was accused of not having accustomed herself to pray to the Virgin Mary, more especially during the time she
was in childbed.
On
these respective accusations they were all found guilty, and
immediately received sentence of death; the four men, for eating the goose, to be hanged; James Raveleson to be burnt;
and the woman, with her sucking infant, to be put into
a sack and drowned.
The
four men, with the woman and the child, suffered at the same time, but James
Raveleson was not executed until some
days after.
The
martyrs were carried by a great band of armed men (for
they feared rebellion in the town except they had their men of war) to the
place of execution, which was common to all thieves, and that to make their
cause appear more odious to the people. Every one comforting another,
and assuring themselves that they should sup together in the Kingdom of
Heaven that night, they commended themselves to God, and died constantly in the
Lord.
The
woman desired earnestly to die with her husband, but she was not suffered; yet,
following him to the place of execution, she gave him comfort, exhorting him to
perseverance and patience for Christ's sake, and, parting from him with a kiss,
said, "Husband, rejoice, for we have lived together many joyful days; but
this day, in which we must die, ought to be most joyful unto us both, because
we must have joy forever; therefore I will not bid you good night, for we shall
suddenly meet with joy in the Kingdom of Heaven." The woman, after that, was taken to a place to be drowned,
and albeit she had a child sucking on her breast, yet this moved nothing in the
unmerciful hearts of the enemies. So, after she had commended her children to
the neighbors of the town for God's sake, and the sucking child was given to the nurse, she sealed up the truth by her
death.
Being
desirous of propagating the true Gospel in his own country George Wishart left
Cambridge in 1544, and on his arrival in Scotland he first preached at
Montrose, and afterwards at Dundee. In this last place he made a public
exposition of the Epistle to the Romans, which he went through with such grace
and freedom, as greatly alarmed the papists.
In
consequence of this, (at the instigation of Cardinal Beaton, the archbishop of
St. Andrews) one Robert Miln, a principal man at Dundee, went to the church
where Wishart preached, and in the middle of his discourse publicly told him
not to trouble the town any more, for he was determined not to suffer it.
This
sudden rebuff greatly surprised Wishart, who, after a short pause, looking
sorrowfully on the speaker and the audience, said: "God is my witness,
that I never minded your trouble but your comfort; yea, your trouble is more
grievous to me than it is to yourselves: but I am assured to refuse God's Word,
and to chase from you His messenger, shall not preserve you from trouble, but
shall bring you into it: for God shall send you ministers that shall fear
neither burning nor banishment. I have offered you the Word of salvation. With
the hazard of my life I have remained among you; now
you yourselves refuse me; and I must leave my innocence to be
declared by my God. If it be long prosperous with you, I am not led by the Spirit of truth; but if unlooked-for
troubles come upon you, acknowledge the cause and turn to God, who is gracious
and merciful. But if you turn not at the first warning, He will visit you with
fire and sword." At the close of this speech he
left the pulpit, and retired.
After
this he went into the west of Scotland, where he preached God's Word, which was gladly received by many.
A
short time after this Mr. Wishart received intelligence that the plague
had broken out in Dundee. It began four days after he was
prohibited from preaching there, and raged so
extremely that it was almost beyond credit how many died in the space of twenty-four hours. This being
related to him, he, notwithstanding the importunity of his friends to detain
him, determined to go there, saying: "They are now in troubles, and need
comfort. Perhaps this hand of God will make them now to magnify and reverence
the Word of God, which before they lightly esteemed."
Here
he was with joy received by the godly. He chose the east gate for the place of
his preaching; so that the healthy were within, and
the sick without the gate. He took his text from these words, "He sent His
word and healed them," etc. In this sermon he
chiefly dwelt upon the advantage and comfort of God's Word, the judgments that
ensue upon the contempt or rejection of it, the freedom of God's grace to all
His people, and the happiness of those of His elect, whom He takes to Himself out
of this miserable world. The hearts of his hearers were so
raised by the divine force of this discourse, as not to regard death,
but to judge them the more happy who should then be called, not knowing whether he should have such comfort
again with them.
After
this the plague abated; though, in the midst of it,
Wishart constantly visited those that lay in the greatest extremity,
and comforted them by his exhortations.
When
he took his leave of the people of Dundee, he said that God had almost put an
end to that plague, and that he was now called to
another place. He went from thence to Montrose; where he sometimes preached,
but he spent most of his time in
private meditation and prayer.
It
is said that before he left Dundee, and while he was engaged in the labors of
love to the bodies as well as to the souls of those poor afflicted people,
Cardinal Beaton engaged a desperate popish priest, called John Weighton, to
kill him; the attempt to execute which was as follows: one day, after Wishart
had finished his sermon, and the people departed, a priest stood waiting at the
bottom of the stairs, with a naked dagger in his hand under his gown. But Mr.
Wishart, having a sharp, piercing eye, and seeing the priest as he came from
the pulpit, said to him, "My friend, what would you have?" and
immediately clapping his hand upon the dagger, took it from him. The priest
being terrified, fell to his knees, confessed his intention, and craved pardon.
A noise was hereupon raised, and it coming
to the ears of those who were sick, they cried, "Deliver the traitor to
us, we will take him by force"; and they burst in at the gate. But
Wishart, taking the priest in his arms, said, "Whatsoever hurts him shall
hurt me; for he hath done me no mischief, but much good, by teaching more
heedfulness for the time to come." By this conduct he appeased the people
and saved the life of the wicked priest.
Soon
after his return to Montrose, the cardinal again conspired his death, causing a
letter to be sent him as if it had been from his
familiar friend, the laird of Kennier, in which it was
desired with all possible speed to come to him,
as he was taken with a sudden sickness. In the meantime the cardinal had provided sixty men armed to lie in
wait within a mile and a half of Montrose, in order to
murder him as he passed that way.
The
letter came to Wishart's hand by a boy, who also brought him a horse for the
journey. Wishart, accompanied by some honest men, his friends, set forward; but
something particular striking his mind by the way, he returned, which they
wondering at, asked him the cause; to whom he said, "I will not go; I am
forbidden of God; I am assured there is treason. Let some of you go to yonder place, and tell me what you find." Which doing, they
made the discovery; and hastily returning, they told Mr. Wishart; whereupon he
said, "I know I shall end my life by that bloodthirsty man's hands, but it
will not be in this manner."
A
short time after this he left Montrose, and proceeded to Edinburgh, in order to propagate the Gospel in that city. By the way he
lodged with a faithful brother, called James Watson of Inner-Goury. In the
middle of the night he got up, and went into the yard,
which two men hearing they privately followed him. While in the yard, he fell
on his knees, and prayed for some time with the
greatest fervency, after which he arose, and returned to his bed. Those who
attended him, appearing as though they were ignorant of all, came and asked him
where he had been. But he would not answer them. The next day they importuned
him to tell them, saying "Be plain with us, for
we heard your mourning, and saw your gestures."
On
this he with a dejected countenance, said, "I had rather you had been in
your beds." But they still pressing upon him to know something, he said,
"I will tell you; I am assured that my warfare is near at an end, and
therefore pray to God with me, that I shrink not when the battle waxeth most
hot."
Soon
after, Cardinal Beaton, archbishop of St. Andrews, being
informed that Mr. Wishart was at the house of Mr. Cockburn, of
Ormistohn, in East Lothian, applied to the regent to cause him to be apprehended; with which, after great persuasion, and much against his will, he complied.
In
consequence of this the cardinal immediately proceeded to the trial of Wishart,
against whom no less than eighteen articles were exhibited.
Mr. Wishart answered the respective articles with great composure of mind, and
in so learned and clear a manner as greatly surprised most of
those who were present.
After
the examination was finished, the archbishop
endeavored to prevail on Mr. Wishart to recant; but he was too firmly fixed in his religious principles and too much
enlightened with the truth of the Gospel, to be in the least moved.
On
the morning of his execution there came to him two friars from the cardinal;
one of whom put on him a black linen coat, and the other brought several bags of gunpowder, which they tied about different parts of his body.
As
soon as he arrived at the stake, the executioner put a rope round
his neck and a chain about his middle, upon which he fell on his knees and thus
exclaimed:
"O
thou Savior of the world, have mercy upon me! Father of heaven, I commend my
spirit into Thy holy hands."
After
this he prayed for his accusers, saying, "I beseech thee, Father of
heaven, forgive them that have, from ignorance or an evil mind, forged lies of
me: I forgive them with all my heart. I beseech Christ to forgive them that
have ignorantly condemned me."
He was then fastened to the stake, and the fagots being lighted
immediately set fire to the powder that was tied about
him, which blew into a flame and smoke.
The
governor of the castle, who stood so near that he was singed with the flame, exhorted the martyr, in a few words, to be of good cheer, and to ask the pardon of
God for his offences. To which he replied, "This
flame occasions trouble to my body, indeed, but it hath in nowise broken my
spirit. But he who now so proudly looks down upon me from yonder lofty place
(pointing to the cardinal) shall, ere long, be ignominiously thrown down, as
now he proudly lolls at his ease." Which prediction was soon
after fulfilled.
The
hangman, that was his tormentor, sat down upon his
knees, and said, "Sir, I pray you to forgive me, for I am not guilty of
your death." To whom he answered, "Come hither to me." When that he was come to him, he
kissed his cheek, and said: "Lo, here is a token that I forgive thee. My
heart, do thine office." And then he was put upon
the gibbet and hanged, and burned to powder. When that
the people beheld the great tormenting, they might not withhold from piteous
mourning and complaining of this innocent lamb's slaughter.
It was
not long after the martyrdom of this blessed man of God, Master George Wishart,
who was put to death by David Beaton, the bloody archbishop and cardinal of
Scotland, A.D. 1546, the first day of March, that the said David Beaton, by the
just revenge of God's mighty judgment, was slain within his own castle of St.
Andrews, by the hands of one Leslie and other gentlemen, who, by the Lord
stirred up, brake in suddenly upon him, and in his bed murdered him the said
year, the last day of May, crying out, "Alas! alas! slay me not! I am a
priest!" And so, like a butcher he lived, and like a butcher he died, and
lay seven months and more unburied, and at last like a carrion was buried in a dunghill.
The
last who suffered martyrdom in Scotland, for the cause of Christ, was one
Walter Mill, who was burnt at Edinburgh in the year
1558.
This
person, in his younger years, had travelled in Germany, and on his return was installed a priest of the Church of Lunan in Angus, but,
on an information of heresy, in the time of Cardinal Beaton, he was forced to abandon his charge and abscond. But he was
soon apprehended, and committed to prison.
Being
interrogated by Sir Andrew Oliphant, whether he would recant his
opinions, he answered in the negative, saying that he would 'sooner forfeit ten
thousand lives, than relinquish a particle of those heavenly principles he had
received from the suffrages of his blessed Redeemer.'
In
consequence of this, sentence of condemnation was immediately passed on him,
and he was conducted to prison in
order for execution the following day.
This
steadfast believe in Christ was eighty-two years of age, and exceedingly
infirm; whence it was supposed that he could scarcely be
heard. However, when he was taken to the place
of execution, he expressed his religious sentiments with such courage, and at
the same time composure of mind, as astonished even his enemies. As soon as he
was fastened to the stake and the fagots lighted, he addressed the spectators
as follows: "The cause why I suffer this day is not for any crime, (though
I acknowledge myself a miserable sinner) but only for the defence of the truth
as it is in Jesus Christ; and I praise God who hath called me, by His mercy, to
seal the truth with my life; which, as I received it from Him, so I willingly
and joyfully offer it up to His glory. Therefore, as you would escape eternal
death, be no longer seduced by the lies of the seat of Antichrist: but depend
solely on Jesus Christ, and His mercy, that you may be delivered from
condemnation." And then added that he trusted he should be the last who
would suffer death in Scotland upon a religious account.
Thus
did this pious Christian cheerfully give up his life in defence of the truth of
Christ's Gospel, not doubting but he should be made
partaker of his heavenly Kingdom.
Chapter 16 - Persecution in England Under Queen Mary
Fox's Book of Martyrs - Introduction
Chapter 14 - Persecutions in Britain and Ireland
Before Queen Mary I