The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

And one Alexander Kennedy, who passed not eighteen years of age, one of excellent wit in vulgar Poesy. To assist the Bishop of Glasgow in that cruel judgement, or at least to dip his hands in the blood of the Saints of God, were sent Master John Lawd•r, Master Andrew Oliphant, and Friar Meitman, servants of Satan, apt for that purpose; The day appointed to the cruelty approached; The two poor Saints of God were presented before those bloody butchers, grievous were the crimes that were laid to their charge: Kennedy at the first was faint, and gladly would have recanted: but while the place of repentance was denied unto him▪ the spirit of God, which is the spirit of all comfort, began to work in him; yea, the inward comfort began to burst forth, as well in visage, as in tongue and word, for his countenance began to be cheerful, and with a joyful voice upon his knees he said,¹ O eternal God, how wonderful is that love and mercy that thou bearest unto mankind, and unto me the most caitiff and miserable wretch above all others; For, even now, when I would have denied thee, and thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ my only Saviour, and so have cast my self into everlasting damnation; Thou by thine own hand hast pulled me from the very bottom of hell, and made me to feel that heavenly comfort, which takes from me that ungodly fear wherewith before I was oppressed. Now I defy death, do what ye please; I praise my God, I am ready. The godly and learned Jeronimus, railed upon by these godless Tyrants,² answered; This is your hour, and power of darkness; Now sit ye as Judges, and we stand wrongfully accused, and more wrongfully to be condemned; but the day shall come, when our innocency shall appear, and that ye shall see your own blindness, to your everlasting confusion. Go forward, and fulfil the measure of your iniquity. While that these servants of God thus behaved themselves, a variance ariseth betwixt the Bishop and the beasts that came from the Cardinal; For the Bishop said, I think it better to spare these men, ³then to put them to death: Whereat the idiot Doctors offended, said, What will ye do my Lord? will ye condemn all that my Lord Cardinal and the other Bishops and we have done? If so ye do, ye show your self enemy to the Church and us, and so we will repute you, be ye assured.