Precursors of Knox, Or, Memoirs of Patrick Hamilton : The First Preacher and Martyr of the Scottish Reformation; Alexander Alane, or Alesius, Its First Academic Theologian: And Sir David Lindsay, of t PDF

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The amount of new light thrown by the statements of Alesius upon the biography of Hamilton was so very considerable, and these statements had so much value as coming from one who was the Martyr's own disciple and convert, and the eye - witness of his trial and martyrdom, that the author resolved to attempt to construct, by their help and with the aid of such additional facts as further re search might bring to light, 'a complete Life of the First Preacher and Martyr of the Scottish Reformation.

Such a biography has remained till this day a desideratum.

Scarcely anything, in fact, has been added to our knowledge of the first and most interesting of all our Scottish Protestant Martyrs, since the account of him inserted by Fox in his Acts and Monuments.' Even Knox, the only original historian of the Scottish Reformation, was able to add 'very little to that account; while Spottiswood and Calderwood could only repeat the statements of the Martyr ologist and the Reformer.

It is indeed singular that such facts in' the life of such a man, as the universities where he studied, and the influences under which his character and convictions were formed, and the length of time during which he had opportunity to disseminate his doctrines, and even his birth-place, his marriage, and several of the circumstances of his last days and martyrdom, should have remained so long unknown.

But it is more singular still that a learned work, which supplied original and authentic in formation upon the most of these points, and written, too, by a man who was himself an honour both to his teacher and his country, should have remained for three hundred years unnoticed and un known by Scottish authors, and should only at this time of day be accidentally brought to light.