Life of Wishart as told by Knox (and re-told)
George Wishart was a man so full of grace there was none
that had come before to whom we could compare him. He was unusually gifted
intellectually, excelling not only in general studies but also in spiritual
insight. In fact, we came to recognize that he was also endowed with the spirit
of prophecy, and some of his predictions that were later fulfilled were heard
firsthand by many.
One instance was what happened at Dundee. He was at
Dundee teaching from the Epistle to the Romans. But Cardinal Beaton recruited a
leading citizen of Dundee, Mr. Robert Myll, to publicly interrupt Wishart's
teaching and warn him in front of everyone gathered that he was to stop
preaching and stop troubling the town right away - that they would put up with
no more of it. Wishart paused a long time, looked up to heaven, then looked
upon Myll and the crowd that gathered and said: "God knows that I came here not
to trouble anyone but to bring comfort. If you are being troubled, I assure you
that bothers me more than it does you. But you must realize that to silence me
from explaining to you God's word, and to chase me out of town, is not going to
preserve you from trouble. It is just the opposite. It will increase your
troubles."
So he left and went to the western region where his teaching was
received warmly by many. But again the Cardinal stepped in and influenced the
Bishop of Glasgow to interfere. This kind of opposition spread so that George
was not allowed to enter churches to teach. Local parishioners who wanted to
hear him got so upset they were ready to take over the churches by force to
allow him place to teach. But Wishart would not hear of it. There was to be no
bloodshed for the sake of gaining a place to preach the Word. He was bringing a
word of peace. He reminded them how the Lord Christ Jesus was just as potent in
the open fields as inside the walls of a synagogue.
So on a pleasant and
hot day he went up upon a dyke at a moor's edge on the southwest side of
Mauchline and preached for over three hours. There was a large and attentive
turnout, and the power of God was manifested. In fact one of the most wicked
nobles in the area, Lawrence Rankin, was wonderfully converted that day, tears
streaming down his face even in front of the others gathered. And I can tell
you even now that his conversion was genuine and has lasted right up till this
time.
"More Trouble" Back at Dundee
Four days after he was forced to
leave Dundee, the terrible plague broke out there. The death count grew
rapidly. Every day more people were dying. When Master George heard of this he
went back there right away against the advice of his colleagues. Many rejoiced
at his return to minister to them again. He preached at the East Port of the
town and taught how death need not be feared if God be trusted. And he did more
than preach. Master George attended to the sick, rich and poor alike, tending
both body and soul, without concern for his own well being.
Murder Attempt
on His Life
During this time, the Cardinal was not idle. He paid a
desperate priest named John Wigton to kill Wishart. One day after Wishart had
preached, the priest waited until the people disbursed with a dagger in his
hand concealed underneath his garment. As George came near to the priest, he
perceived something amiss. He said to him, "My, friend, what do you want to
do?" As he said that, he rammed his hand upon the priest's concealed hand,
shaking loose the dagger which fell to the ground. The priest knew he had been
caught and fell down before George and confessed. Some nearby overheard what
was going on and started crying for the priest to be delivered into their
hands. Master George protected the priest. He put his arms around him and
warned the angry mob that if they were going to hurt the priest, they would
have to hurt him also and said, "I am not hurt. But this priest has really done
us all a great favor, showing us what we are up against. Now we will know to be
more careful and vigilant." That subdued the crowd, and thus both Wishart and
the priest had their lives spared that day.
Another Plot Fails
The
Cardinal would not give up though. On another occasion he had a false letter
written to Wishart as if it were from his friend, a nobleman John Kinnear,
saying he had been taken suddenly sick and urging George to come to him right
away. The cardinal had about sixty armed men hidden along the road a mile and a
half from Kinnear's house. George left without delay but en route suddenly
stopped. "I will not go on. God is restraining me," he exclaimed. Knowing that
George was the one they wanted, his companions went on ahead and discovered the
gang waiting to finish off George. When the news got back to him, George
replied: "I know that I shall finish my life in that bloodthirsty man's hands;
but it will not be of this manner."
George was now outlawed and had to be
careful where he went. He stayed briefly at different places with those who
supported his preaching and teaching. He spent a night with James Watson. Let
me tell you what happened there, which I know to be reliable because it was
reported by John Watson and William Spadin, both credible men who saw this with
their own eyes. It was before sunrise and Master George Wishart got up and went
outside. John and William were awake and followed him secretly. George went
some distance away and entered an alley where he fell down on his knees and
began sobbing and groaning. It became more intense. He fell on his face upon
the ground. The men who followed, hidden away at a discreet distance, could
hear him praying and crying to the Lord. This went on for about an hour. Then
he finished, and as he began to get up the two men slipped out of sight and
hurried back to the house. George soon returned and headed back to bed. The two
men, not acknowledging that they had followed him, questioned him as to where
he had gone. He didn't want to answer, but they told how they had observed him
and asked why he was in such an emotional state while praying. George related
how in that time God showed him, "My end is drawing close." He added: "So pray
with me that I will not shrink from the test when things really get tough."
These words deeply upset John and William, who began weeping themselves. Master
George consoled them with these words: "God shall send you comfort after me.
Our homeland shall be illuminated by the light of Christ's Gospel as clearly as
any nation has ever experienced since the days of the apostles. And," he added,
"this is all going to happen rather soon."
Master George added a word of
warning to us that if, after the great visitation of grace comes to our land,
the people should prove to be unthankful, then there would be consequences -
fearful and terrible plagues would come. Wishart then took up the journey to
Edinburgh. It was Christmas season. He had to travel carefully and secretly. He
was heard to ask: "What's the difference between me and a dead man, except that
I eat and drink? At least before I could bring the light of God's Word through
teaching and preaching. Now I have to creep around as if I were ashamed to show
myself in public!"
(Editor's note-- John Knox at this point introduces
himself into the story) Knowing how much he longed to minister, they arranged
some occasions for him to preach, but kept a careful eye out for his safety and
did not stay at one place too long. To inject a personal note, it was at this
time that Master George requested that I personally stay with him, as a kind of
bodyguard, as I had been attending him for a while. He now was feeling heavy in
spirit. One reason was that the opportunity for speaking and debate at
Edinburgh had been cancelled. I was with him during this time of distress and
could tell by looking at him that he was feeling tormented within.
We were
at the town of Haddington. It was about time for him to give a sermon. I said I
would leave him alone to meditate and gather his thoughts. He paced back and
forth behind the high altar in the church for half and hour. He finally entered
the pulpit and then did not preach as planned on the Ten Commandments. He saw
that the attendance was very small and remarked how two or three thousand
people would turn out if it were a play, but there were not even a hundred who
showed up to hear the Word of God. Nevertheless he preached for an hour and a
half. It was a message filled with warnings and threats of God's judgment. It
would turn out to be his last sermon.
As he prepared to go to Ormiston, I
made ready to go too but he wouldn't let me. I pressed him urgently to let me
come. "No," he said, "one person is sufficient for a sacrifice." He even
compelled me to surrender my two handed sword. I was sent on my way and Master
George went on to Ormiston with a few prominent supporters. I found out later
that they subsequently stopped for the night at the home of John Cockburn, one
of the leaders (or as they were called - "Lairds") homes, had supper, and then
at George's request sang the 51st Psalm together. Then they went to bed. It was
sometime before midnight when they were suddenly awakened to find the place
surrounded. There was no way to escape. Earl Bothwell, another local leader
stepped forward and called for Laird Cockburn and told him that they were there
to apprehend Master George, and if they surrendered Wishart unto them, then
Bothwell would personally guarantee his safety. He warned that the Cardinal was
on his way and was less than a mile away.
George overhearing this told the
Laird to open the gates, saying, "the blessed will of my God be done." So they
let Bothwell in to arrest him. George actually said to him how that he praised
God that so honourable man as he was the one who came to take him and that he
was confident that he would see to it that he would be tried according to law.
Then George added that he had no illusions and knew full well the corruption of
the court and the law but at least he would have the benefit of a public trial
rather than being ambushed and killed in secret. Bothwell insisted no harm
would come to him. He promised before those gathered: "I shall not only
preserve your body from all violence that shall be devised against you without
order of law, but also I promise, here in the presence of these gentlemen, that
neither shall the Governor nor the Cardinal have their will over you." He
added: "I shall retain you in my own hands, and in my own place, until one of
two things happen: Either I shall make you free, or else I will restore you to
this same place where I receive you." It looked like they had an agreement.
Everyone shook hands on it and they took Master George away.
(Editors note.
The account continues and explains how Cardinal Beaton bribed Bothwell and
Master George was taken confined at the Castle of Edinburgh. He was kept there
from January 1, 1546 to March 1 of the same year, when he was strangled and
burned at the stake at the age of 33.)
Notes from the Knox's preface in
which he describes the spiritual state of Scotland prior to the Reformation.
This preface was selected for inclusion in the Harvard Classics volume on Great
Prefaces.
It is not unknown, Christian reader, that the same cloud of
ignorance, that long hath darkened many realms under this accursed kingdom of
that Roman Anti-Christ, also covered this poor Realm. Idolatry has been
maintained, the blood of innocents has been shed, and Christ Jesus - his
eternal truth has been abhorred, detested and blasphemed. But the same God that
caused light to shine out of darkness, in the multitude of his mercies, hath of
long time opened the eyes of some within this Realm, to see the vanity of that
which then was universally embraced for true religion; and he has given unto
them strength to oppose this and now he has made his truth so to triumph among
us, that, in spite of Satan efforts, hypocrisy is exposed, and true worship of
God is manifested to all the inhabitants of this nation whose eyes are not
blinded by Satan, either by their filthy lusts, or else by ambition, and
insatiable covetousness, which make them resist the power of God working by his
words. Wishart wasn't the only one thinking reform at the time. The Reformation
dramatically changed the course of Christian history and Western civilization.
Many of the issues faced then still confront us today.