Biographia Scoticana (Scots Worthies): A Brief Historical Account of the Lives, Characters, and Memorable Transactions of the Most Eminent Scots WorthiesHowie, John
History
Biographia Scoticana (Scots Worthies): A Brief Historical Account of the Lives, Characters, and Memorable Transactions of the Most Eminent Scots Worthies
Howie, John
Church of Scotland -- Biography; Scotland -- Biography
All things being thus prepared, he was led forth by Somerville with a
guard of armed men to his execution; being come to the place, some cried
out to him to recant, to whom he answered, "I marvel at your rage, ye
hypocrites, who do so cruelly pursue the servants of God; as for me, I
am now eighty-two years old, and cannot live long by course of nature;
but an hundred shall rise out of my ashes, who shall scatter you, ye
hypocrites and persecutors of God's people; and such of you as now think
yourselves the best, shall not die such an honest death as I now do; I
trust in God, I shall be the last who shall suffer death, in this
fashion, for this cause in this land." Thus his constancy increased as
his end drew near. Being ordered by Oliphant to go up to the stake, he
refused, and said, "No, I will not go, except thou put me up with thy
hand, for by the law of God I am forbidden to put hands to myself, but
if thou wilt put to thy hand, and take part of my death, thou shalt see
me go up gladly." Then Oliphant putting him foreward, he went up with a
cheerful countenance, saying, _Introibo ad altare Dei_, and desired that
he might be permitted to speak to the people; he was answered by
Oliphant, "That he had spoken too much already, and the bishops were
exceedingly displeased with what he had said." But some youths took his
part, and bid him say on what he pleased; he first bowed his knees and
prayed, then arose and standing upon the coals addressed the people to
this effect, "Dear friends, the cause why I suffer this day, is not for
any crime laid to my charge, though I acknowledge myself a miserable
sinner before God, but only for the defence of the truths of Jesus
Christ set forth in the old and new Testament; I praise God that he
hath called me among the rest of his servants, to seal up his truth with
my life; as I have received it of him, so I again willingly offer it up
for his glory, therefore, as ye would escape eternal death, be no longer
seduced with the lies of bishops, abbots, friars, monks, and the rest of
that sect of Antichrist, but depend only upon Jesus Christ and his
mercy, that so ye may be delivered from condemnation."--During this
speech, loud murmurs and lamentations were heard among the multitude,
some admiring the patience, boldness and constancy of this martyr,
others complaining of the hard measures and cruelty of his persecutors.
After having spoken as above, he prayed a little while, and then was
drawn up and bound to the stake, and the fire being kindled, he cried,
"Lord, have mercy on me; Pray, pray, good people, while there is time."
And so cheerfully yielded up his soul into the hands of his God on the
twenty-eighth of April, _anno_ 1558, being then about the eighty-second
year of his age.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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