This extract from Alban Butler’s 18th Century work on the lives of the saints tells the tale of Scotland’s client saint.
The acts of this apostle’s martyrdom, though rejected by means of Tillemont, &c. Are maintained to be proper by means of Nat. Alexander, Hist. T. 1, and by using Mr. Woog, professor of history and antiquities at Leipsic, in discovered dissertations posted in 1748 and 1751. The authority of this piece being contested, little stress is laid upon it: and the subsequent account is accumulated from the sacred writings, and people of the fathers.
Scottish Masters of St. Andrew, protecting a scroll, looks intently to his left, indicating that the panel once may have fashioned part of a collection of icons with Christ at the middle. Copyright loose photograph Icon
A Greek picture of Saint Andrew
ST. ANDREW was a native of Bethsaida, a city in Galilee, upon the banks of the lake of Genesareth. He was the son of Jonas or John, a fisherman of that city, and brother to Simon Peter, but whether or not elder or younger the holy scriptures have now not acquainted us. They had afterwards a residence at Capharnaum, wherein Jesus lodged when he preached in that town. It isn’t any small evidence of the piety and excellent inclinations of St. Andrew, that after St. John Baptist started to preach penance inside the barren region, he turned into now not content material with going to pay attention him as others did, but became his disciple, handed tons of his time in listening to his instructions, and studied punctually to practise all his classes and replica his instance; however he regularly lower back home to his fishing alternate. He was with his master whilst St. John Baptist seeing Jesus bypass with the aid of the day after he had been baptized by means of him, said: Behold the Lamb of God.
Andrew, by way of the passion and purity of his desires, and his constancy in each non secular exercise, deserved to be up to now enlightened as to recognize this mysterious pronouncing, and, at once, he and every other disciple of the Baptist went after Jesus, who drew them secretly by means of the invisible bands of his grace, and saw them with the eyes of his spirit earlier than he beheld them with his corporal eyes. Turning returned as he walked, and seeing them follow him, he stated: What are searching for ye? They said, they desired to recognize in which he dwelt: and he bade them come and notice. There remained however two hours of that day, which they spent with him, and, in line with several fathers, Masonic patches, the complete night time following. “O how glad an afternoon, how glad a night did they pass!” cries out St. Austin.
