Page:History of the Scottish martyrs.pdf/5

5 Mediators unto Christ for us" "I say with Paul," replied Hamilton, "that there is no Mediator between God and us but Christ Jesus his Son, and whoever he be that calls upon saints detracts from the honour which is due to Christ alone" "You have said," continued. Hamilton's persecutor, that it is in vain to sing mass or dirgies for the dead who are in purgatory." "Brother," he replied, "I have not read in the scriptures of any such place as purgatory, nor do I believe that there is any thing call save the soul of man but the blood of the Redeemer; which ransom is not to be found in any earthly form, or ceremony, neither in mass, in matins, nor, dirges, but in repentance of our sins, and faith in Jesus Christ." "My lords, now," said Campbell "ya hear he denies the institution of the holy church, and the authority of our holy father the Pope, we need not therefore proceed any farther in our accusations." In this sentiment his bigotted judges perfectly coincided. His fortitude and calm resolution, his enlightened ideas on the subject of religion, his clear exposition at once of some of the principal truths of the gospel, and of some of the leading error of the Roman church, shewed them how dangerous an enemy they had to contend with. His judges, fully impressed with this opinion, immediately condemned him to suffer death.

Hamilton was accordingly brought forth from the Abbey Kirk of St. Andrew's to the place destined for his execution, where a huge pile of wood wherewith to burn him was already prepsared. When at the stake, he was asked, If he would recant his heretical tenets? and it was held out to him that if he did so his life should be spared. This proposal he treated with the utmost contempt, saying, "I will not