Biography
George Wishart was born around 1513 in Scotland, probably in the county of Angus, in a family of the lesser nobility. He was educated at the University of Aberdeen, or possibly at Montrose, and he became a teacher of Greek. In about 1538, he came under suspicion for teaching the Greek New Testament to his pupils. At that time, it was not allowed in Scotland to use the new learning, and he was charged with heresy. He fled to England and later to the Continent.
He traveled in Germany and Switzerland, where he came into contact with the Reformers. He was drawn to the teaching of the Swiss Reformers, and he translated the First Helvetic Confession into English. He studied for a time at Cambridge and returned to Scotland in 1543, at the age of about thirty. He was a tall man with dark hair and a grave manner. He dressed plainly in black, and he was known for his generosity to the poor. He was said to give away his clothes and to eat little.
He began to preach in the towns of Scotland. He went from Montrose to Dundee, Ayr and Edinburgh, and his messages drew crowds. He preached on the Ten Commandments, on the Creed and on the gospel of grace. He spoke plainly against the abuses of the Roman church and called people to faith in Christ alone. In Dundee, he ministered to the people during an outbreak of plague, in 1544, and cared for the sick. He stood on a gateway and preached to the infected on one side and the healthy on the other. His courage and compassion stirred many.
He attracted a following, among them the young John Knox, who was a tutor in East Lothian. Knox carried a two-handed sword to protect Wishart on his journeys. Wishart once told him to go back, saying that one was enough for a sacrifice. This remark is recorded in Knox's History of the Reformation. Knox was deeply influenced by Wishart, and he later became the leader of the Scottish Reformation.
Wishart's preaching angered Cardinal David Beaton, the chief churchman of Scotland, who was a determined foe of the Reformation. Beaton arranged for Wishart to be arrested. In December 1545, he was taken at Ormiston, in East Lothian, by the Earl of Bothwell and handed over to the cardinal. He was imprisoned in the castle of St. Andrews and put on trial for heresy. He was charged with a long list of errors and defended himself with calm and learning. He was condemned.
On March 1, 1546, he was taken out and burned at the stake in front of the castle of St. Andrews. The cardinal watched from a window. It is said that Wishart declared that the one who looked at him with such pride from on high would be laid low. Within three months, Beaton was murdered in the castle by a group of Protestant lords who sought revenge for Wishart. The deed was savage and has been criticized. Wishart himself would not have approved of violence.
He was about thirty-three years old. His death helped to spark the Scottish Reformation. His life shows the power of a faithful witness who is willing to die. His preaching of the gospel was received by Knox and others who carried it forward, and Scotland was changed.