John Hamilton, Abbot of Paisley and Bishop-Elect of Dunkeld, was
nominated by his brother the Governor to the See of St. Andrews, as
Beaton's successor, in 1546; and after a considerable period, his
appointment was confirmed at the Court of Rome. On the 19th March
1546-7, in the name of the Bishops and Kirkmen, he presented a
Supplication to the Governor and Council, for "help and remeid against
the Sacramentaris and those infected with the pestilential hersie of
Luther;" while others, it is added, "abjurit and relapsit, baneist of
auld, now comes pertlie [openly] without any dreidour, nocht allenarly
in the far parts of the Realme, but als to the Court and presens of your
Lordships, and sometimes preaches opinlie, and instructs utheris in the
said dampnable heresies."--(Keith's History, vol. i. p. 147.) During his
negociations with the Court of Rome, Hamilton transmitted an
Information, urging his claims as Primate and _Legatus Natus_. He refers
in it to the increasing number of heretics in the diocese of Glasgow,
both in the time of the late Archbishop, (Gawin Dunbar, who died in
1547,) and during the vacancy in that See, and assumes credit to himself
for having visited that diocese and purged it of many obnoxious
heretics; and in particular, for having expelled that apostate
Macbraire, from the house of Ochiltree, and inflicted heavy fines on his
adherents, and for having caused (Vallasius) Wallace, a native of that
diocese, after he had been convicted and condemned for heresy, before a
convention of the nobility and clergy, to be delivered over to the
secular power, to the flames. (Mackeson's MS. as quoted in M'Crie's Life
of Knox, vol. ii. p. 292.)
In addition to note 3 at page 237, it may be mentioned, that Wallace had
been employed in the family of Cockburn of Ormiston, in teaching his
children after they had been deprived of Knox's instructions, and while
Cockburn himself was forfeited and in exile.
The following account of Wallace's trial and condemnation is copied from
Foxe's Actes and Monuments, and may be compared with that given by Knox,
at pages 237-241. In reference to the formidable array of prelates and
the nobility assembled in the Church of the Blackfriars' Monastery, to
the trial of this "simple man," whom Knox celebrates as "zealous in
godliness, and of an upright life," I find in the Treasurer's Accounts,
that between July and September 1550, the sum of £2, 17s. 4d. was paid
to James Dalyell, (who was "one of the Masters of Work,") "quhilk he
debursit in preparing of ane scaffald the tyme of the accusatioun of
Wallace."
"THE STORY AND MARTYRDOME OF ADAM WALLACE IN SCOTLAND.
"There was set vpon a scaffold made hard to the Chauncellary wall of the
blacke Friers Church in Edinbrough on seates made thereupon, the Lord
Gouernour. Aboue him at his backe sat M. Gawin Hamelton Deane of
Glasgue, representing the Metropolitane Pastor thereof. Upon a seat on
his right hand sat the Archbishop of S. Andrewes. At his backe, and
aside somewhat stoode the Officiall [of] Lowthaine. Next to the Byshop
of S. Andrewes, the bishop of Dumblane, the byshop of Murray, the Abbot
of Dunfermling, the Abbot of Glenluce, wyth other Churchmen of lower
estimation, as the Official of S. Andrewes and other Doctours of that
nest and Citie. And at the other end of the seat sat Maister [of]
Uchiltrie. On his left hand sat the Earle of Argyle Justice, with his
deputye Syr John Campbell of Lundy vnder his feete. Next hym the Earle
of Huntly. Then the Earle of Anguish, the Byshop of Gallaway, the Prior
of S. Andrewes, the Bishop of Orknay, the Lord Forbes, Dane John Wynrime
Suppriour of S. Andrewes, and behinde the seates stoode the whole
senate, the Clarke of the Register, &c.
At the further end of the Chauncelary wall in the pulpit was placed M.
John Lauder Parson of Marbottle, Accuser, clad in a surplice, and a red
hood, and a great Congregation of the whole people in the body of the
Church, standing on the ground. After that, Syr John Ker Prebendary of
S. Gyles Church was accused, conuicted, and condemned, for the false
making and geuing forth of a sentence of diuorce, and thereby falsly
diuorced and parted a man and hys lawfull wyfe, in the name of the Deane
of Roscalrige [Restalrig], and certayne other Judges appointed by the
holy Father the Pope. He graunted the falshood, and that neuer any such
thing was done in deede, nor yet ment nor moued by the foresayd Judges;
and was agreed to be banished the realmes of Scotland and England for
hys lyfe tyme, and to lose his right hand if he were found or
apprehended therin hereafter, and in the meane time to leaue his
benefices for euer, and they to be vacant.
After that was brought in Adam Wallace, a simple poore man in
appearance, conueyed by John of Cunnoke seruant to the Bishop of S.
Andrewes, and set in the middest of the scaffold, who was commaunded to
looke to the accuser: who asked him what was hys name. He aunswered,
Adam Wallace. The accuser said he had an other name, which he graunted,
and sayd he was commonly called Feane. Then asked he where he was borne;
Within two myle of Fayle (sayd he) in Kyle. Then sayd the accuser, I
repent that euer such a poore man as you should put these noble Lordes
to so great encumbrance thys day by your vayne speakyng. And I must
speake (sayd he) as God geueth me grace, and I beleue I haue sayd no
euill to hurt any body. Would God (sayd the Accuser) ye had neuer
spoken, but you are brought forth for so horrible crimes of heresie, as
neuer was imagined in thys countrey of before, and shall be sufficiently
proued, that ye cannot deny it: and I forethinke that it should be
heard, for hurting of weak consciences. Now I wyll ye thee no more, and
thou shalt heare the pointes that thou art accused of.
Adam Wallace, alias Feane, thou art openly delated and accused for
preaching, saying, and teaching of the blasphemies and abominable
heresies vnderwritten. In the first, thou hast sayd and taught, that the
bread and wyne on the altar, after the wordes of consecration, are not
the body and bloud of Jesu Christ. He turned to the Lord Gouernour, and
Lords aforesayd, saying: I sayd neuer nor taught nothyng, but that I
found in this booke and writte (hauyng there a Bible at his belte, in
French, Dutch, and English) which is the worde of God, and if you will
be content that the Lord God and his worde be Judge to me and this his
holy writ, here it is, and where I haue sayd wrong, I shall take what
punishment you will put to me: for I neuer said nothyng concerning this
that I am accused of, but that which I found in this writte.
What diddest thou say, sayd the Accuser? I sayd (quoth he) that after
our Lord Jesus Christ had eaten the Pascall Lambe in hys latter Supper
wyth his Apostles, and fulfilled the ceremonies of the olde law, he
instituted a new Sacrament in remembrance of his death then to come. He
tooke bread, he blessed, and brake it, and gaue it to hys Disciples, and
sayde: "Take ye, eate ye, thys is my bodye, which shall be broken and
geuen for you: And lykewise the cuppe, blessed, and badde them drinke
all therof, for that was the cup of the new testament, which shoulde be
shedde for the forgeuing of many. How oft ye do thys, do it in my
remembraunce." (Matth. 26.)
Then sayd the Bishop of S. Andrewes, and the Officiall of Lowthaine,
with the Deane of Glasgue, and many other Prelates: We know this well
enough. The earle of Huntly sayd: Thou aunswerest not to that which is
laide to thee: say either yea or nay therto. He aunswered, If ye wyll
admitte God and his word spoken by the mouth of hys blessed sonne Jesus
Christ our Lord and Sauiour, ye wyll admit that I haue sayd: for I haue
sayd or taught nothing, but that the word, which is the triall and
touchstone, sayth, whiche ought to be Judge to me, and to all the world.
Why (quoth the Earle of Huntly) hast thou not a Judge good enough; and
trowest thou that we know not God and his worde; Aunswere to that is
spoken to thee: and then they made the accuser speake the same thyng
ouer agayne. Thou saydest (quoth the accuser) and hast taught, that the
bread and wyne in the Sacrament of the aultar, after the wordes of the
consecration, are not ye body and bloud of our Sauiour Jesus Christ.
He aunswered: I sayd neuer more then the write sayth, nor yet more then
I haue sayd before. For I know well by S. Paule when he sayth: Whosoeuer
eateth this bread, and drinketh of this cup vnworthely, receaueth to
himselfe damnation. (1 Cor. xi.) And therfore when I taught (which was
but seldome, and to them onely which required and desired me) I sayd,
that if the Sacrament of the aultar were truly ministred, and vsed as
the sonne of the liuyng God did institute it, where that was done, there
was God himselfe by his divine power, by the which he is ouer all.
The Byshop of Orkney asked him: Beleuest thou not (sayd he) that the
bread and wyne in the Sacrament of the aultar, after the wordes of the
consecration, is the very body of God, flesh, bloud, and bone?
He aunswered: I wot not what that word consecration meaneth. I haue not
much Latin, but I beleue that the sonne of God was conceaued of the holy
Ghost, and borne of the virgine Mary, and hath a naturall body with
handes, feete, and other members, and in the same body hee walked vp and
downe in the world, preached, and taught, he suffered death vnder
Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried, and that by his godly
power hee raysed that same body agayne the thyrd day: and the same body
ascended into heauen, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father,
whiche shall come agayne to iudge both the quicke and the dead. And that
this body is a naturall body with handes and feete, and can not be in
two places at once, hee sheweth well him selfe: For the whiche
euerlastyng thankes be to hym that maketh this matter cleare. When the
woman brake the oyntment on hym, aunsweryng to some of his Disciples
whiche grudged thereat, hee sayd: The poore shall you haue alwayes with
you, but me shall you not haue alwayes, (Math. 26.) meanyng of his
naturall body. And likewise at his Ascension sayd he to the same
Disciples that were fleshly, and would euer haue had him remainyng with
them corporally: It is needefull for you that I passe away, for if I
passe not away, the comforter the holy Ghost shall not come to you (John
16.) (meanyng that his naturall body behoued to be taken away from
them): But be stoute and of good cheare, for I am with you vnto the
worldes end. (Math. 28. John 16.) And that the eatyng of his very flesh
profiteth not, may well be knowen by his wordes whiche he spake in the
vj. of John, where after that he had sayd: Except ye eate my flesh and
drinke my bloud, ye shal not haue life in you: they murmuryng thereat,
he reproued them for their grosse & fleshly takyng of his wordes, and
sayd: What will ye thinke when ye see the sonne of man ascend to the
place that it came fro? It is the spirite that quickneth, the flesh
profiteth nothyng, (John. 6,) to be eaten as they tooke it, and euen so
take ye it.
It is an horrible heresie, sayd the Byshop of Orknay. When he began to
speake agayne, and the Lord Gouernour iudge if hee had right by the
write, the Accuser cryed: Ad Secundam. Nunc ad Secundam, aunswered the
Archbyshop of S. Andrewes.
Then was he bidden to heare the Accuser, who propounded the second
Article, and sayd: Thou saydedst lykewise, and openly byddest teach,
that the Masse is very Idolatry, and abhominable in the sight of God.
He aunswered and sayd: I haue read the Bible and word of God in three
tounges, and haue vnderstand them so farre as God gaue me grace, and yet
read I neuer that word Masse in it all: but I found (sayd he) that the
thyng that was hyghest and most in estimation amongest men, and not in
the word of God, was Idolatry, and abhominable in the sight of God. And
I say the Masse is holden greatly in estimation, and hygh amongest men,
and is not founded in the word, therefore I sayd it was Idolatry and
abhominable in the sight of God. But if any man will finde it in the
Scripture, and proue it by Gods word, I will graunt myne errour, and
that I haue fayled: otherwise not, and in that case I will submit me to
all lawfull correction and punishment. Ad Tertiam, sayd the Archbyshop.
Then sayd the Accuser: Thou hast sayd and openly taught that the GOD
which we worshyp, is but bread, sowen of corne, growyng of the earth,
baked of mens handes, and nothyng els.
He aunswered, I worshyp the Father, the Sonne, and the Holy Ghost, three
persons in one Godhead, whiche made and fashioned the heauen and earth,
and all that is therein of naught, but I know not which God you
worship: and if you will shewe me whom you worship, I shall shewe you,
what he is, as I can by my iudgemene.
Beleuest thou not (sayd the Accuser) that the sacrament of the alter,
after the wordes of the consecration betwixt the Priestes handes, is the
very body and bloud of the sonne of God, & God hymself? What the body of
God is, sayd he, & what kynde of body he hath, I haue shewed you, so
farre as I haue found in scripture.
Then sayd the Accuser: Thou hast preached, sayd, and openly taught
diuers and sundry other great errours and abhominable heresies agaynst
all the vij. sacraments, which for shortnes of tyme I pretermit and ouer
pass. Whether doest thou graunt thy foresayd Articles that thou art
accused of, or no, and thou shalt heare them shortly? and then repeted
the accuser the iij. Articles aforesayde shortly ouer, and asked him
whether he graunted or denied them.
He aunswered that before he had said of his aunsweres, and that he sayd
nothyng, but agreeing to the holy word as he vnderstoode, so God iudge
him, and his owne conscience accuse hym, and thereby woulde he abide
vnto the tyme he were better instructed by scripture, and the contrary
proued, euen to the death: and said to the Lord Gouernour and other
Lordes: if you condemne me for holding by Gods word, my innocent bloud
shalbe required at your handes, when ye shalbe brought before the
iudgement seat of Christ, who is mightie to defend my innocent cause,
before whome ye shall not denye it, nor yet be able to resiste hys
wrath: to whom I referre the vengeaunce, as it is written: "Vengeaunce
is myne, and I will rewarde." (Heb. 10.)
Then gaue they forth sentence, and condemned him by the lawes, and so
left him to the secular power, in the handes of Syr John Campbell
Justice deputie, who deliuered hym to the Prouost of Edenbrough to be
burnt on the Castlehill; who incontinent made hym to be put in the
vppermost house in the towne wyth irons about his legges and necke, and
gaue charge to Syr Hew Terrye to keepe the key of the sayde house, an
ignoraunt minister and impe of Sathan, and of the Byshops; who by
direction, sent to the poore man two Gray Friers to instructe hym, wyth
whom he woulde enter into no commoning. Soone after that was sent in two
blacke Friers, an Englishe Frier & an other subtile sophister called
Arbircromy, with the which Englishe Frier he would haue reasoned and
declared hys fayth by the scriptures. Who aunswered, he had no
commission to enter in disputation with hym, and so departed and left
him.
Then was sent to hym a worldly wise man, and not vngodly in the
vnderstanding of the truth, the Deane of Roscalrige,[1074] who gaue hym
Christian consolation, amongest the which he exhorted him to beleue the
realtie of the sacrament after the consecration. But he would consent to
nothing that had not euidence in the holy scripture, and so passed ouer
that night in singing, and lauding God to the eares of diuers hearers,
hauing learned the Psalter of Dauid without booke, to his consolation:
For before they had spoyled hym of hys Bible, which alwaies til after he
was condemned, was with him where euer he went. After that, Syr Hew knew
that he had certaine bookes to read and comfort his spirit, who came in
a rage & tooke the same from him, leauing him desolate (to his power) of
all consolation, and gaue diuers vngodly & injurious prouocations by his
deuilishe venome, to haue peruerted him a poore innocent, from the
patience & hope he had in Christ hys Sauiour: but God suffered him not
to be moued therewith, as plainely appeared to the hearers and seers for
the tyme.
So all the next morning abode this poore man in yrons, and prouision was
commaunded to be made for his burnyng agaynst the next day. Which day
the Lord Gouernour, and all the principall both spirituall and temporall
Lords departed from Edenbrough to their other busines.
After they were departed, came the Deane of Roscalrige to him againe &
reasoned with him after his wit. Who aunswered as before, he would say
nothing concerning his faith, but as the scripture testifieth, yea
though an Aungell came from heauen to perswade him to the same: sauing
that he confessed himselfe to haue receaued good consolation of the said
Deane in other behalfes, as becommeth a Christian.
Then after came in the said Terry again & examined him after his old
maner, and said he would garre deuils to come forth of him ere euen. To
whom he aunswered: you should be a godly man to geue me rather
consolation in my case. When I knewe you were come, I prayed God I myght
resiste your temptations, which I thanke him, he hath made me able to
doe: therefore I pray you let me alone in peace. Then he asked of one of
the Officers that stoode by, Is your fire makyng ready? Who tolde hym it
was. He aunswered, as it pleaseth God: I am ready soone or late, as it
shall please him: and then he spake to one faythfull in that company, &
bad him commend him to all the faythfull, beyng sure to meete together
with them in heauen. From that tyme to his forth commyng to the fire,
spake no man with him.
At his forth commyng, the Prouost with great manasing wordes forbad him
to speake to any man or any to him, as belyke he had commaundement of
his superiours. Commyng from the towne to the Castle hill, the common
people sayd, God haue mercy vpon him. And on you to (sayd he). Beyng
beside the fire he lifted vp his eyn to heauen twise or thrise, and sayd
to the people: Let it not offend you, that I suffer the death this day,
for the truthes sake, for the Disciple is not aboue his Master. Then was
the Prouost angry that he spake. Then looked he to heauen agayne, and
sayd: They will not let me speake. The corde beyng about hys necke, the
fire was lighted, and so departed he to God constauntly, and with good
countenaunce to our sightes. _Ex testimonijs & literis e petitis,
an. 1550._"
No. XIII.