George Wishart
GEORGE WISHART
In 1543, George Wishart was teaching at the University of Cambridge. He was a tall man, slightly sad-looking, with black hair and a long beard. A pleasant man, this native of Scotland was polite and humble, a man who loved to travel, learn, and teach. He dressed simply in black and regularly gave his used clothing to the poor.
Wishart was noted for his Christian charity and spartan style of living, eating only two meals a day and fasting one day out of four. He slept on a straw mattress under canvas sheets that he gave away whenever he changed his bed.
Wishart had been arrested and imprisoned in the castle of St. Andrew, locked in chains for his doctrine. On the day he was summoned to appear before the cardinal at St. Andrews, he was escorted to the church by one hundred armed men. Pausing momentarily to hand his purse to a poor man lying by the door, he was then escorted to the cardinal. Dean John Winryme stood in the pulpit to deliver a sermon on heresy; then Wishart stood by the pulpit and heard John Lauder read the charges against him.
When this well-fed priest had read them all, his face running with sweat and frothing at the mouth like a boar, he spit in Master George’s face and demanded, “What do you say to these accusations, you traitor and thief?”
Master George briefly knelt down in the pulpit to pray then answered calmly and politely, requesting that they allow him to explain his doctrine for three reasons.
“The first is because through preaching the Word of God, His glory is made manifest. It is reasonable, therefore, for the advancing of the glory of God, that you hear me teaching the pure Word of God.
“Second, since your salvation comes from the Word of God, it would be unrighteous of you not to hear me teach the Word of God.
“Third, your doctrine is full of blasphemous and abominable words coming from the devil. You should know my doctrine so I don’t die unjustly to the peril of your own souls.
“Since I came to this country, I taught nothing but the commandments of God, the twelve articles of the Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer in the mother tongue. In Dundee, I taught the Epistle of Paul to the Romans. And I will show you how I taught….”
His accuser suddenly shouted, “You heretic, traitor, and thief! It wasn’t legal for you to preach! You took that power into your own hands without the authority from the church.”
The assembled prelates exclaimed, “If we allow him to preach here, he is so crafty and knowledgeable of the scripture that he’ll turn the people against us.”
Master George, seeing what they were planning, asked to appeal his case to the lord governor, since he was arrested by him in the first place and should be judged by his legal authorities, not the church.
Despite his appeal, eighteen articles of heresy were read against Wishart, each of which he answered with scripture that soundly supported his doctrine. When the bishops were through, they condemned Wishart to burn as a heretic, ignoring all his replies, and told the congregation to leave.
Returned to prison in the castle, Wishart refused to make his confession to the two friars who arrived, demanding instead Dean John Winryme, who had preached at his hearing.
The fire was made ready and the gallows erected. The cardinal, afraid Wishart would be freed by his friends, ordered all the castle’s arms aimed at the gallows. Wishart’s hands were tied behind him, and he was led to the fire with a rope around his neck and a chain of iron around his waist.
He told the assembled crowd not to let his death turn them from the Word of God. “I exhort you to love the Word of God and suffer patiently, with a comfortable heart, for the sake of the Word, which is your salvation and everlasting comfort.” Then he asked the crowd to help his followers remain firm in his teaching. “I don’t fear this grim fire. If any persecution comes to you for the Word’s sake, don’t fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Tonight I will dine with the Lord.”
After Wishart asked God to forgive those who condemned him, the hangman kneeled before him. “Sir, please forgive me. I am not guilty of your death.”
“Come here,” Wishart replied. When the hangman went to him, Wishart kissed his cheek and said, “There’s a token of my forgiveness. Do your job.” As Wishart was hung and burned, the crowd mourned and complained that an innocent lamb had been slaughtered.