Christs Victory over Satans Tyranny, Book 6 · Part 45 – Part 47
The condemnation of GEORGE VVISHARD Gentleman, and his Articles before the Cardinall of Scotland, and others.
1 TOuching Preaching when he was forbidden, hee answered; I hauehave read in the Acts of the Apostles, that it is not lawfull to desist from preaching the Gospell for menaces of men, therefore it is written, wee must rather obey God then men, and I beléeue that the Lord will turne your cursings of mee vntounto blessings: and as in the second of Malachy; I will curse your blessings, & bless… your cursings.
2 He affirmed the mouing of the body outward of the Priest at Masse, without the inward mouing of the heart, is but the playing of an ape, and not the seruing of God, who must be honored in spirit and verity.
3 That auriculer confession hath no promise of the Euangell, and therefore it cannot be a Sacrament, but there are many testimonies of confession made to God.
4 As none will make marchandise with one of a strange Language, except that he doe vnderstand the promise made by the Stranger: So I would that we vnderstood what wee promise in the Name of the Infant to GOD in Baptisme: then saide one Bleiter a Chaplaine; The… hast the Deuill and Spirit of errour: then said a Child, the Deuill cannot speake such words as he doth.
5 The lawfull vse of the Sacraments is most acceptable vntounto God, but the great abuse is very detestable vntounto him: I once met with a Iew as I was sayling on the Sea, I inquired of him what was the cause of his pertinacy, that he did not beléeue the true Messias was come, being that he saw the prophesies of him fulfilled, and the Prophesies and the Scepter of Iuda was likewise tak…n away: He answered me; When the Messias commeth, he shall restore all things, and he shall not abrogate the Law giuen vntounto our fore-fathers as yee doe: for we sée the poore almost ready to perish for hunger amongst you, and you pitty them not, and amongst vsus Iewes, though we are poore, there are no beggars found.
And it is forbidden by the Law, to faine an Image of any thing in Heauen or Earth, but onelyonly to honour God, but your Churches are full of Idols, and ye adore a péece of Bread baked vponupon the ashes, and that it is your God, then the Bishops shooke their heads, and spitted on the earth.
6 He reproued coniurings and exorcismes of holy Water, and said that they were contrary to Gods word.
7 Saint Peter saith, God hath made vsus Kings and Priests: and againe, hee hath made vsus a kinglie Priest-hood; therefore I affirme, that any man cunning in the Word of GOD, and the Faith of Christ, he hath power from God, by the Word of God to binde and lose: and a man that is not conuersant in Gods Word, nor constant in Faith, what estate or order soeuer he be of, hath no power to binde or lose, being he wanteth the word of God, the instrument to binde and lose with.
8 Touching fréewill, he said; as many as firmely beléeue in Christ, hauehave liberty, as in the 8. of Iohn, If the Sonne make you free, then verily shall you be free, but as many as beleeue not in Christ, are bond seruants of sinne, he that sinneth is bond to sinne.
9 Touching praying to Saints, he said; it is certaine in Scripture, that we should worship and honour one God, but for honouring of Saints it is doubtfull, whether they heare our inuocation made to them; therefore I exhort all men, that they would leaue the vnsure way, and follow that way which our Maister Christ taught vsus: He is our onelyonly Mediator, and maketh intercession for vsus; hee is the doore, he that entreth not in by this doore, but climbeth in another way, is a Theefe and a Murderer; he is the verity and life, he that goeth out of this way, is fallen into the mire.
10 Touching Purgatory, he neuer found any place of Scripture appliable therto: then he said to Maister Iohn Lander his accuser, if you hauehave any testimony of Scripture, by which you can proue such a place, shew it before this Auditory: but he had not a word to say for himselfe.
11 Touching the Uowes of the religious, he said; some be gelded by nature, and some are gelded of men, and some are chast for the Kingdome of Christ: these are blessed, but as many as hauehave not the guift of chastity▪ neither hauehave ouercome the lusts of the Flesh for the Gospell, and yet vow chastity, you hauehave experience (though I hold my peace) to what inconuenience they hauehave vowed themselues, whereat they were angry, thinking better to hauehave ten Concubines then one Wife.
12 Touching generall Councels, hee said he would beléeue them no further the… they agréed with the word of God: then one Iohn Graysend bad Iohn Landers hast to reade the rest of the Articles, and not to …arry for his answere, for wée may not abide them (quoth he) no more, then the Deuill may abide the signe of the Crosse.
Then the Cardinall and Bishops pronounced their sentence▪ definitiue against him, and as he went to execution, two Fryers said to him; pray to our Lady, that she may be a mediatrix for you to her Sonne: to whom he said, Tempt me not my Brethren: when he came to the fire, he said thrice vponupon his knées, O thou Father of heauen I commend my spirit into thy hands, O thou swéet Sauior of the world, hauehave mercy on me.
Then he said, I beséech you Christian Brethren and Sisters be not offended in the word of God, for the torments you sée prepared for me, but louelove the word, and suffer for it, it being your saluation and euerlasting comfort, and pray them that hauehave heard me, that they leaue not off the Word of GOD, which I taught them for no persecutions: for my Doctrine was no Wiues Fables, after the Constitutions of men. If I had taught mens Doctrine, I had gotten great thankes, but I suffer this for teaching the Gospell, and I doe it gladly: consider my visage, you shall not sée me change my colour for feare of this grim fire, and so I pray you for to do, if any persecution come vntounto you for the words sake: some hauehave said of me, that I taught that the soule of man should sléepe vntill the day of Iudgem…nt, but I know surely my Soule shall sup with my Sauiour Christ this night within this sixe houres. I beséech you exhort your Prelats to the learning of the Word of GOD, that they may bee ashamed to doe euill, and learne to doe good, and if they will not conuert from their wicked errors, the wrath of GOD shall hastily come vponupon them: then the Hang-man asked him foregiuenesse, and he kissed him and said; My heart doe thine office, I forgiue thee, then he was hanged by the middle and neck, and burned: the people pitiously mourned for his great torments.
Within two months after the martirdome of this blessed man, George Wisehard, Dauid Beaton, the blooddy Archbishop and Cardinall of Scotland, was by the iust iudgement of God …laine by one Lech, and other Gentlemen, who suddenly brake into his Castle vponupon him, and murdred him in his bed, crying out, alasse slay me not, I am a Priest: and so like a Butcher he liued and eyed, and he lay seauen months vnburied, and at last like a Carion was buried in a dunghill.
ADAM WALLACE in Scotland.
IN the yeare one thousand fiue hundred forty nine, Iohn Hamelton was made Archbishop of S. Andrews and Cardinall, not inferior to his Predecessor in cruelty: in the next yeare he condemned Adam Wallace, and one Feane, for these Articles following.
1 That the Bread and Wine on the Altar, are not the body and blood of Iesus Christ after consecration.
2 That the Masse hath no ground in the word of God, and is very Idolatry and abhominable in the sight of God.
3 That the God which they worship, is but Bread sowen of Corne, growing out of the Earth, baked of mens hands, and nothing else: Then hee was asked whether he would recant; He said he had answered nothing but that which agréed with the Word of God, so GOD iudge him and his conscience, wherein hee would abide vntounto death, and if you condeme mee for holding Gods Word, my innocent blood shall bee required at your handes, then they gaue forth sentence against him: the night after he spent in singing and lauding God, hauing learned the Psalter of Dauid without booke, being besides the fire, he lifted by his eies thrée or foure times, and said to the people; Let it not offend you that I suffer death for the truth, for the Disciple is not aboue his Maister: then he said; They will not let me speake, so the …ire was lighted, and he departed to God constantly.
A schisme in Scotland for the Pater-noster.
ONe Richard Marshall preached at S. Andrewes, that the Pater-noster should be said only to God, and not to Saints: the Fryers had great indignation, that their old Doctrine should be repugned, and stirred vp Toittis a Gray-Fryer to preach against it, who preached the Lords Prayer might be offered to Saints, b…cause eueryevery Petition therein appertained to them, as wee call an old man Father, much more may we call Saints our Father, and because they are in Heau…n, we may say our Father which art in Heauen, and because they are holie, we may make their Names holie, and say hallowed be thy Name; and because the Kingdome of Heauen is theirs by possession, wee may say to eueryevery one of them thy Kingdome come; and because their will is Gods will, we may say, thy will be done to any of them: but he confessed, Saints had no power to giuegive vsus our daily bread, but that they should pray to God to giuegive it vntounto vsus, and so he glosed the rest to the end: and he affirmed, that Pauls Napkin and Peters shaddow, did miracle…, and Eliseus Cloake deuided the Waters, attributing nothing to the power of God.
Upon this there was a dangerous Schisme in Scotland; some affirming one thing, and some another: Whereupon rose this Prouerb; To whom say you your Pater-noster, and the people called the Fryer, Fryer Pater-noster, so that for very shame he left the Towne. At length there was a disputation about it at the Uniuersitie: The Popish Doctors affirmed, it should be said to GOD formaliter, and to Saints materialiter; others Vltime & non vltime, Others, that it should be said to GOD principaliter, and to Saints minus principaliter: Others, that it should bee said to God primarily, and to Saints secundarily; Others, to God it should be Capiendo strictè; and to God Capiendo largè: by which subtile Sophistry, the people were more doubtfull then before.
The Doctors said, because Christ, who made the Pater-noster, neuer came into Britta…ne▪ and so vnderstood not the English tongue; therefore the Doctors concluded it should be said in Latine.