Gordon Clark: George Wishart’s Trial (The Southern Presbyterian Journal)

1959. George Wishart’s Trial. The Southern Presbyterian Journal. 6–7. Sep 30

George Wishart's Trial

By Gordon H. Clark, Ph.D.

George Wishart was born in Scotland, but educated at Cambridge. The year before his death he returned to his own country and preached in many places against idolatry. He stayed sometimes in Dundee, but he was expelled from that place and at his departure denounced heavy judgment on them for having rejected the Gospel. In many other places he preached in the fields, when the churches were closed against him.

A few days after he had been banished from Dundee, he heard that the plague had broken out there. Accordingly, he returned to take care of the sick and to minister as a pastor to the people. However, a priest, to whom he had shown kindness, tried to kill him, the people were aroused, and he was nearly torn to pieces by a mob. He escaped to Lothian and preached there. Here the Earl of Bothwell arrested him, and although he promised to do Wishart no harm, the Earl delivered him to the cardinal, who brought him to St. Andrew's and called a meeting of bishops there to destroy him with more solemnity.

For the trial the cardinal had his servants armed as soldiers. They first conducted the bishops into the abbey, and then a hundred of them, fully armed, brought Wishart to the place. As Wishart entered the church door, a poor man lying there asked alms. Wishart threw him his purse. He was to have no further need of it.

The trial opened with a sermon. Then the accusation was read. This was done by one, John Lauder, who read a paper full of cursing and devilish malice. The assembled people, ignorant and credulous, were aghast at the foul crimes enumerated and thought that the earth might open and swallow such a wicked man. Wishart himself stood patiently still and did not change his countenance.

When Lauder, frothing at the mouth, had finished reading the accusation, he spit in Wishart's face and said, "What have you to answer to these charges, you traitor and thief?"

Wishart first kneeled down and prayed to God. Then rising he spoke: "Many horrible things have you said today, which, not only to teach, but even to think, I hold in abomination. Therefore I pray your discretion quietly to hear me that you may know what I have preached and what I have done. For, since the time I returned to Scotland, I have taught nothing but the Ten Commandments, the twelve articles of the faith, and the Lord's prayer in our mother tongue. Moreover, in Dundee I taught the Apostle Paul's Epistle to the Romans."

Suddenly the accuser shouted in a high voice, "You heretic, renegade, traitor, and thief, it is not lawful for you to preach. You have taken authority into your own hand, without any authority of the Church". Then the company of prelates said among themselves: "If we give him license to preach, he is so crafty and so well versed in the Bible, that he will persuade the people and turn them against us."

Perceiving their malicious intent, Wishart appealed from the cardinal to the Lord Governor. John Lauder answered, "Is not my lord Cardinal the second person in this realm, Chancellor of Scotland, Archbishop of St. Andrew's, and papal legate? Who else could you wish for a judge?"

"I refuse not the lord Cardinal, said Wishart, but for my judge I desire the Word of God and the temporal estate with some of your lordships, because I am here as the Governor's prisoner."

Then there occurred a sort of cross examination. In this Wishart hoped to expound the doctrines he had preached, but every time he tried to speak of doctrine, they silenced him and proceeded to an- other charge.

"You heretic and traitor, you deceiver of the people, you have contemned the Governor's authority by preaching in Dundee." After being ordered to stop, you continued obstinately.

"My lords," replied Wishart, "I have read in the Acts of the Apostles that it is not lawful to desist from preaching the Gospel upon the threats of men, for it is written, we ought to obey God rather than man."

"You heretic; you; you said that the priest standing at the altar saying mass was like a fox wagging his tail in July."

"What I said, my lords," replied Wishart, "was that the moving of the body externally without the inward moving of the heart is nought else but the playing of an - ape, and not true service to God; for God is a secret of men's hearts; therefore he who will truly adore God must in spirit honor Him." -

"You heretic, you preached against the sacraments and said that there were not seven sacraments."

"My lords, if it please you, I never taught the number of the sacraments, whether there be seven or eleven. Those instituted by Christ are shown us in the Gospels."

"You traitor, you have openly taught that auricular confession is not a blessed sacrament, and have said that we ought only confess to God and not to a priest."

"My lords, I say that auricular confession, since it is not mentioned in the Gospel, cannot be a sacrament. Of the confession to be made to God there are many verses in Scripture. When I exhorted the people, I reproved no manner of confession."

"Heretic, you said it was necessary for every man to understand baptism, contrary to the general councils and the holy Church."

"My lords, no one is so unwise as to deal with a Frenchman without understanding the conditions of the transaction. Likewise I would that we understood what it is we promise to God in the name of the infant to be baptized. In fact, this is why you have the rite of confirmation."

Then Bleiter, the chaplain said, "You have a devil in you and the spirit of error." But at this, a little child in the audience cried out, "The devil cannot speak such wonderful words as yonder man speaks." Then the accusations continued: "Traitor and thief, you said that the sacrament of the altar was but a piece of bread baked in the ashes and no other thing, and that the mass is against the commandment of God."

Wishart replied, Concerning the sacrament of the altar, "my lords, I never taught anything contrary to Scripture."

You also said that it was lawful to eat meat on Friday.

"I have read in the Bible," said Wishart, "that all things are clean to a man who is clean. Meat does not make a man acceptable with God. To a faithful man all things are sanctified by the Word of God and prayer."

At this the bishops cried out, "What need have we of any witnesses against him. He has openly spoken blasphemy."

But there were further questions on praying to the saints, on purgatory, on obedience to general councils, and on the day of judgment. To all these questions Wishart replied mildly and Scripturally.

The bishops then condemned him to be burned as a heretic. The cardinal ordered his men to stand guard for fear there might be an attempt to rescue him. They tied his hands behind his back and marched him to the courtyard. As he went through the castle gate, two friars came up to him and said, "Master George, pray to our lady that she may be your mediatrix with her own Son." Wishart replied, "Do not tempt me, brethren." Then a rope was put around his neck and chains on his body, and he was led to the place of burning.

After commending his soul to God, he exhorted the people to be true to the Word of God. He told them not to fear persecution. He also forgave those who had condemned him to death. The executioner, as was often the custom, kneeled before him and asked pardon for what he was about to do. Wishart bent over and kissed him.

Then he was chained to the stake and was burned to ashes.

Amen